What He Knew

Chapter 8

It was fast approaching Halloween, on the first day of October Filch had been put to work collecting pumpkins from Hagrid's impressive patch. Flitwick had quickly carved them and made them float above the tables in the Great Hall, casting a permanent eerie orange glow.

Ryan had been chatting my ear off for days about the Halloween Ball Hogwarts was throwing. It had been such a dark year in the news that Dumbledore had decided the students needed some cheering up and so had decided on a Halloween affair. Of course I was excited but I didn't see why Ryan made such a big deal about it since the Slytherins weren't shy of hosting parties.

"Because," sighed Ryan, rolling her eyes at me, "you don't have to be asked to a party!" 

My face dropped, visibly I suppose as Ryan butted in before I could say something, "Don't you give me that look, you'll have all the guys and girls begging to be your date. You're not as invisible as you think you are." 

"Ryan, stop taking the piss, I haven't spoken to anyone of the male gender outside of the Slytherins and I don't really fancy going with any of them." 

We came to a stop outside the transfiguration classroom and lowered our arguing to whispers.

"Just because we haven't talked to them doesn't mean they don't notice us," Ryan's eyebrows were now doing a little dance.

"Right, so who are you going to take?" 

Ryan winked, "You'll have to find out on the night, we can both surprise each other."

Before I could press her anymore she disappeared inside the transfiguration room.

I couldn't concentrate in any of my classes. I was so anxious I wouldn't have a date to the ball and I'd be left dancing with Millicent or worse, Crabbe. In Transfiguration I turned the Goblet we were supposed to be turning into a tea cup into a mouse, setting off a cry of hysteria as it made a break for freedom. It would've made it too if McGonagall hadn't been keeping her beady eyes on me all class. Potions was worse. My draught of living dead was tar black and smoking and it caused Malfoy a lot of pleasure to see me fail. 

By DADA I decided it was safest to just not go and I started to head back to the common room when I saw Draco walking the opposite way. I knew if I didn't go after  him Ryan would be fuming so I stealthily followed him, keeping my distance and successfully getting to the place we had lost him last time. I ducked behind a statue as he came to a stop in front of a tapestry and then he began to pace. 

How stupid had Ryan and I been that day we first followed Draco! Of course, this was the place where Ryan had brought me to get into the party. Draco had been disappearing off to the Room Of Requirement! 

Once Draco was safely inside the room I sprinted back down to the common room incase he came back out. When I got back to the common room it was empty besides two third years and my favourite seat by The Great Lake was empty so I sat myself down and began to wonder what on earth Draco could've been doing in that room and why was he going so often?

I tried and failed to get the transfiguration homework done so instead I decided it was best I go for a walk until Ryan would return from DADA. 

The Scottish chill had begun to settle in so I wrapped myself up in the heavy winter robes, scarf, gloves and hat and headed out into the ground.

It was one of those early days of autumn where the sun still shone but the air was cold and crisp and everything felt delicate. The grass was wet from a heavy rain last night so there were no students hanging around. I could see a class of 4th years down at Hagrid's Hut, huddling together for warmth. The smoke from the fire in Hagrid's hut wafted through the October air. As much as I had loved the French weather at times, nothing could beat these crisp Scottish days, where everything felt brand new.