Athena Lockhart is haunted by the disappearance of her brother Jacob. With everyone thinking she's cursed too and the foul Merula Snyde willing to make her life at Hogwarts a living hell, can she survive school, find the Cursed Vaults and uncover wh...
"I knew you would be trouble," the boy named Levi spits as he walks past me while I stand silently next to Rowan, staring at Ravenclaw's hourglass.
The twenty that I lost were enough to drop my house straight to fourth place. My heart is filled with a terrible sensation and I stare vaguely at the glistening gems, trying to make some sense of it all. My nose stings as I fight the urge to cry and not even Rowan's reassuring arm around my shoulders is able of making me feel better.
I barely pay attention to Professor Shelley's class and for the first time since I got to this castle, I don't care. I spend the entire lesson mentally cursing Merula for being such a foul human being and cursing Professor Snape for being so unfair. I swallow my sadness, remembering that, for the briefest moment, I thought he'd, one day, be proud of me.
Rowan guides me to dinner, for I continue to walk while feeling sorry for myself. My meal is completely flavourless and eating under the angry stares of my classmates doesn't help. Slytherin's table, on the other hand, seems to be full of joy, now that they're first in the House Cup.
"Don't worry, Athie," Rowan says. "I'm sure we'll get those points back before we can say Quidditch."
Her words are what reassure me during my lonely walk back to the dungeons. Professor Snape is sitting by his desk, correcting essays and giving grades to potions, and doesn't say a thing when I enter the room and begin brewing my potion. Again.
This time, I'm more careful, even though the problematic factor isn't present. I weight all my ingredients twice, double-check everything and mix the concoction with so much care that I might as well hold it in my arms and lull it to sleep. All the time I spend brewing it, I can feel Professor Snape's piercing eyes locked on me. I ignore his stare and finish my potion, leaving it next to Rowan's to brew until the next day, and leave the room without saying a word.
Rowan is waiting for me, lying in my bed while reading a book under the soft candlelight. Everyone else is sound asleep, probably hating me in their dreams.
"You didn't have to wait for me," I whisper, lying next to her under the canopy, wearing my black silk pjs.
"How was it?" she asks me, putting down the book. "Being alone with the underworld bat."
"I ignored him completely," I tell her. "I think Merula sabotaged my potion."
"And you didn't tell Snape," she says.
"I have no proof."
"Merula herself is a proof. Did you see the black fog surrounding her? That should be enough proof."
I giggle, sadly. "It doesn't matter anymore. I just have to work harder to recover those points."
She caresses my hair, bearing a reassuring smile. In the sweetness of her presence is that I finally find some rest, falling into a night with no dreams.
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