Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

Unthink It.

As we made our way into the compartment, the new teacher greeted us. I scanned the rest of the faces that filled the compartment. Among them was Ginny, who was looking very confused. I sat next to Harry and Neville sat across from me, taking up the last seats available. "Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked Neville, Harry, and I. "Blaise Zabini is in your year of course..." I knew who Blaise was from Draco, they ran around together every now and again.

"This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other...? No?" Harry and Neville nodded towards him in a particularly boyish fashion and Slughorn continued. "And this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether...?" Belby gave a forced smile. "And this charming young lady tells me she knows you!"

Ginny looked all of us and grimaced while Slughorn wasn't looking. I chuckled under my breath slightly before Slughorn turned back to us, mostly Harry, and started speaking again. "Well now, this is most pleasant. A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things... Pheasant, Belby?" The kid called Belby reluctantly took the pheasant.

Slughorn went around the compartment and interrogated everyone about their parents. I knew now why I had been invited. My father was a very influential person in the Ministry. "Well now, Allie, how is your father?"

"My father is doing fine. Just working hard as always," I said with a very fake smile plastered on my face. 

"Well, I'm glad to hear it! He's a good man, that Dixon! Very powerful wizard and a very, very smart man. He's done some great things in that Ministry! Brought a little American insight...which We needed. Not that I would tell the rest of the Ministry that," he chucked softly, his golden robe buttons straining.

After speaking to Harry, which ended in Ginny getting very angry at Blaise, Slughorn went on a long winded tale about all the great wizards who were formerly part of the "Slug Club", as he called it. After he finally realized how long we had been in there with him, he let us leave, much to my relief. 

Harry dashed off in the opposite direction and flung his invisibility cloak over him within thirty seconds of being in the halls. I knew exactly what he was up to; he was off to eavesdrop on Draco. I silently prayed that he wouldn't say anything that would lead Harry on with this death eater thing but I couldn't do anything about it.

I walked back to the compartment I was in before and waited out the rest of the journey; anxious for Harry to return with the news of what he heard. But Harry didn't return. Ron and Hermione had just assumed that he had already left but I knew better.

I looked for Draco as we piled in the carriages, but there were so many people that I couldn't pick him out of the crowd. We rode up to the castle and soon were in the Great Hall finding our seats for the feast. Harry was still nowhere to be found but I spotted Draco in the hoard of people. I figured I could get away with talking to him in such a big crowd because no one would notice so I ran up to him and whispered in his ear.

"What did you do to Harry?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve," he whispered back, backing up and looking at me without meeting my eyes. He left to go find his seat and I did the same. He was definitely going to have some explaining to do to me later.

I found my seat in between Ginny and Emmy, who had clearly adopted the same 'I don't sit with my own house' attitude that she had last year. "Hey guys!" I said cheerily, hopefully disguising the anxiousness.

"Have you seen Harry at all?" Ginny asked me abruptly. 

"No...but, I think I know where he's at and what happened. Can't say here though," was all I was able to get out before we were shushed for the opening speeches and sorting.

The girls didn't question me anymore about it when the feast had started, much to my surprise. Ginny had other concerns on her mind. "Listen, I hope this isn't going to be awkward for you... I mean, Dean sitting near you during mealtimes and him and I being a couple. I don't want to make you feel weird," she whispered in your ear.

"I have absolutely no problem with it! I already told you, I'm happy for you guys. He deserves this. We didn't end on bad terms...it was a mutual decision. I'm sure I could learn to be his friend," I said truthfully. I would really like to be Dean's friend.

"You're the best friend ever, you know that?" she smiled back at me and turned to Dean.

I looked over at Emmy who had been unusually quiet. "What's wrong?" I asked after noticing her only picking at her food feebly and staring blankly ahead. 

"Nothing... It's just...it's So weird being here without Fred. I feel so empty," she said, her eyes facing her food.

"I know it's got to be hard being so far from your boyfriend for so long... But soon you'll be done with school... Just think about that!"

"It's too far from now... I don't know if I can wait that long. With the money that Fred is making at his Joke Shop, he should be able to support me---"

"Stop right there," I interrupted her, "Don't even tell me that you're considering quitting school for a boy!"

"...It was just a thought," she said abashed.

"Well, unthink it. You're not quitting anything."

Just then, the Great Hall door flew open and Harry ran in. He had blood all over him, which Hermione quickly siphoned off, and he looked flushed. I knew that Draco was responsible for this, but I couldn't do anything about it right then and there. Immediately, Hermione questioned Harry about what had happened but, predictably, Harry told her he'd tell her later.

When the feast was over, I attempted to find Draco in the crowd again so I could signal that I wanted to meet him so I could scold him about whatever he had done to Harry, but when I spotted him, he was busy with some of his friends. I recognized all of them but one, a curly headed boy who I had never seen before. 

He had a familiar looking face....and very familiar green eyes... I just couldn't put your finger why they were so familiar.