As We Fall (Blaise Zabini Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Zoe

"Did you hear anything, see anything? Anything you know is critical to our investigation, Miss Fletcher, as you were one of the only students in the girls' dormitories last night."

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Fear has swept my mind blank - not that I have any memories from last night worth examining. I can remember the sound of the doorknob trembling, but that's about it.

Professor Snape gives a lofty sigh. "This is a waste of time, Minerva. We need to move on."

McGonagall shoots him daggers - he surely won't be getting the best of her when I've left the room. When she rounds on me, her eyes have a much softer texture.

"Thank you, Miss Fletcher - you're free to go."

I pace out of the stuffy office as quickly as my feet will allow me too, not feeling as though I can breathe until the doors are behind me. I understand that the professors need to make sense of what happened in the Slytherin dorms last night, but I certainly don't want to relive it.

The corridors are strikingly empty - bare of the casual chatter and laughs brought about by students during passing time. It gives the castle a hollow and lifeless feel. I don't feel comfortable wandering the halls alone. I am jumpy and skiddish like a mouse hiding beneath a stove, because I'm expecting a tall figure with a slender knife waiting around each corner I turn.

The headmaster has made the executive decision to keep all students outside of the castle for the day while the professors search for the knife-wielding man inside. The conditions of early November weather are rather uncivil - churlish winds destroy the air, and the ghost of rain soils dead leaves to the ground. No one wants to be outside, but no one is complaining about a day off of classes, either.

When I finally make it out of the castle, the grounds are pale and dry with the chill of late autumn. Students have packed themselves together in tightly knit groups, facing inwards to protect from the cold. Some are laughing, others are discussing what happened the previous night in hushed voices. As I descend the stone steps, I hear whispers of the mysterious man with a knife. Not to my surprise, the story has already been twisted several ways.

"-a man was outside of the Slytherin girls' dorms with the Gryffindor sword - yes, you heard me right - well I couldn't tell you how he got his hands on it -"

" - a group of warlocks in the dungeons, walking the corridors and chanting 'hail Lockhart' - I know, crazy right?"

" - the professors are covering it all up. Clearly, it was a Death Eater, searching for you-know-who's next apprentice."

The last one frightens me the most. I've heard of Lord Voldemort before, and all of the chaos and death he's caused in the wizarding world. The last thing we need is one of his servants sniffing around the Slytherin dorms and recruiting students.

I try to convince myself that the chills dancing up the back of my neck are from the cold, rather than the thought of the wizarding world's most infamous evil, and set off to find a familiar face.

Stevie and Eric are huddled beneath a willow tree by the black lake, accompanied by a large group of Hufflepuffs. Eric is practically swimming in a large Ravenclaw coat draped over his shoulders. To his right is a bulky, sweater-clad boy who's feeding him every-flavoured beans from a plastic container.

"Why hello there, baby hot stuff." Eric says in a sing-song voice when he sees me approaching. "Why so late to the party?"

"Snape and McGonagall wanted to talk to me." My voice comes out scratchy, like I've just woken after sleeping for days. "You know, about last night."