As her feet land on the platform, Ginny immediately feels the freezing air seeping into her clothes. At least it has the merit to wake her up from her thoughts. She was far too busy remembering Luna's kidnapping to notice the landscape or the train stop.
« What this cold ? » She grumbles more for herself than waiting for an actual answer.
« Winter. » Neville replies blankly.
« Thank you, Neville... »
« Give me your bag, I'll take carry it. »
« No thanks. I'll deal with that. »
« Don't forget for tonight. » He whispers, pretending to bend down to grab his bag.
« Did you alter the coins ? »
« Yes, before leaving King's Cross. »
The girl nods. She can't wait to see her friends again, even if it won't be the same without Luna. She gnashes her teeth. She clearly remembers her friend's panicked face when Malfoy entered their compartment on their way back home. Malfoy... This boy is a scourge of cowardice. What does Nora find in him ? She climbs into the first carriage she crosses, followed by Neville and Seamus. Buried in her thoughts, she does not pay attention to the appearing castle. She wishes she stayed back and help the Order rather than return to Hogwarts. Maybe she would have heard from Harry. Ron and Hermione, too. But her mother refused point blank. And the DA is important. They must protect the youngest from the Carrows and their perverse ideas.
« Bloody dwarf ! »
Seamus' exclamation draws her from her neurasthenia.
« Look at the castle ! »
« We barely see it. » Neville breathes.
When she leans out of the window, Ginny sees nothing. A thick layer of fog surrounds the school, barely showing its silhouette in the greyness. Perched on its hill, it is more ghastly than ever.
When the trio finally crosses the Great Door, they are dazed. The heat they hoped to find at least inside is replaced by the same freezing humidity as outside. No fire, no candle pierces it. The students' frightened whispers echo in the Great Hall, climb to the Astronomy Tower and bury down to the dungeons, filling the entire building with a disturbing screech.
A chill runs down Ginny's spine. She notices Neville's hand shaking with a nervous jump and a drop of cold sweat running down Seamus' temple. Fear has caught them all for no apparent reason. Even Snape winces worriedly.
« What happened here ? » Neville wonders softly.
« I don't know. It's like... it looks like Grimmauld Place. But worse. Much worse. »
« You think You-Know-Who came here during the holidays ? »
All faces turn to Seamus in horror. It is indeed a possibility. And if that's the case, if the Dark Lord polluted the air so much, then they have underestimated him. Ginny scans the room with concern. Someone is missing.
« Where's Nora ? »
« Surely with her dear master. » Neville growls, shrugging his shoulders.
« She stayed here for the holidays. He wouldn't have kept her with him and sent Malfoy away. »
« Except Malfoy is also missing. » Seamus notes.
Ginny's head suddenly turns to the Slytherin table. No blond hair in sight. The young Death Eaters are nowhere to be found. Ginny tries to convince herself it means nothing, but a little voice in her head tells her the opposite. Surely on a mission for Voldemort. Again... She grits her teeth when she recalls the young man reluctantly showing Luna's alcove to his acolytes. This memory ties her stomach so much she swallows nothing of the meager welcome banquet.
YOU ARE READING
The Banshee - a Draco Malfoy fanfiction
FanfictionFreedom ... This word echoes like a dream, unattainable. At 16, Nora struggles to find her place in the world. Half banshee, she does not belong to the Black Forest where her mother came from. Half witch, maybe she has her place at Hogwarts. So when...
