Two Souls

Chapter Ninety Five

         That morning, the Sorting Hat ceremony feels abnormally odd. The size of the first year class has decreased significantly and there seems to be people missing from all of the Houses except for Slytherin. Perhaps many parents were too afraid to send their children back to Hogwarts. Even stranger, Professor Slughorn was made Head of Slytherin.

"You never told me Millicent looked like . . . this!" Francesca whispers from next to me. "Why couldn't I've been Daphne or Pansy?"

"Shut up," I whisper back, slugging her in the arm.

My eyes unintentionally trail over to the beautiful boy in front of me, Draco Malfoy. He looks awful — he has a sad expression on his face, he's extraordinarily pale, and his eyes are sunken in.

"You okay, Draco?" I ask him, as Daphne.

"Why do you care?" He asks with a scrunched up nose. "We don't talk."

"I know but —"

"Welcome back to another wonderful year at Hogwarts," Snape says, standing from his seat. "I am your new Headmaster, Professor Snape. Most of you may recognize me from teaching Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now, you are probably wondering why we have a significant decrease in students this year. Starting this year, muggle born wizards and witches are no longer accepted at Hogwarts."

The students stir and murmur throughout the tables. The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables in particular looks exceptionally distraught, as they are home to many muggleborn students.

"Ha! It's about time they did so anyway!" Pansy cackles, looking at Francesca and I for approval.

"Feels like the Mudblood population kept growing and growing," I lie through my teeth. "I'm glad Snape has gotten to his senses."

Francesca looks at me with wide eyes but quickly understands the hint and nods furiously. "Yeah, totally!" She exclaims.

Draco scoffs. "It doesn't matter anymore. We've one year left and then we'll never see these people anymore," He says, surveying all of us but his eyes linger slightly longer on me. Well, technically Daphne. I can't help but feel jealous.

All of a sudden, Blaise Zabini slides in next to me and wraps an arm around me in a brief side hug. "Hey, Daph," He says happily. "I really enjoyed last week," He whispers to me.

I blink at him. What the hell did Blaise and Daphne do last week?

"Ahem —" Snape says, glancing at the noisy tables around us. "I was not finished. Hogsmeade visits will be forbidden until further notice. You are not to leave the castle without permission. Additionally, clubs and societies will not be permitted this year," Snape drawls, glaring at the Gryffindor table.  "This includes Quidditch."

"Quidditch? Why Quidditch?" I mumble angrily.

"You don't even play Quidditch, what's it to you?" Zabini asks, intertwining his cold and calloused hands with mine. I can't help but glance over at Draco's hand.

How I'd much rather hold those.

"Head boys and girls, it is your responsibility to direct all first years to their Common Rooms," Headmaster Snape says sternly. "I expect this year to be superb. Thank you."

Pansy stands up. "Snape's made me Head Girl!"

"Whatever happened to Amelia? And that Blair girl?" Zabini asks curiously, surveying the table.

"They probably lied about their blood status and are no longer allowed," Pansy cackles. "Do you know anything, Draco? I know Amelia was obsessed with you last year . . ."

"The weather's quite nice out for September, isn't it Goyle?" Draco asks his friend whilst ignoring Pansy. Goyle quickly nods once he sees Draco's yearning look. Pansy scoffs and trots over to the first years.

"I've ought to leave also. I'm surprised you relinquished your duties as Head Boy, Malfoy. I would have thought you would want to torture little first years with the privileges you would've had," Zabini says, kissing me on the cheek flirtatiously.

Draco doesn't respond.

After Pansy and Zabini exit, the rest of the Slytherins get ready to exit the Great Hall. I assemble with Millicent and Theodore (Francesca and Grayson) and join Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle on the brief walk to the dungeons. Francesca and Grayson have to be especially attentive as they've never attended Hogwarts before.

"What's this year's password?" Crabbe asks curiously, peering over Goyle's shoulder to see.

"Marvolo," Draco deadpans.

"Marvolo? What kind of password is that?" Theodore, as Grayson, asks.

"Like Tom Marvolo Riddle — er, Volde- The Dark Lord," I clarify to the group. They all nod in satisfaction, but Draco raises an eyebrow at me. As we all trail into the dungeons, Draco grabs my collar and holds me back from entering.

"How did you know that, Daphne?"

"Er — My father mentioned it once a few weeks ago. Why, Draco, do you have something to tell me?" I ask, batting my eyelashes innocently.

He grunts in response and goes off to the boy's dormitory. Francesca and I, being the only seventh year girls here so far, go off into our own dormitory.

"So that's your little lover boy," Francesca winks at me. "He's cute. Not really my type though. I'm a little disappointed I still haven't been able to meet the Harry Potter yet," She teases, setting up the pillows around her bed neatly.

"You will, I promise," I smile. "I know you're probably enjoying Hogwarts, but there's a reason why I've made us return. We can't do this alone. I want to recruit Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood to join us when we ambush Malfoy Manor. More importantly, I want Neville to be the one to kill Bellatrix."

"Which one's Neville?" Francesca asks. "And why is is to important that he kills her?"

"Long story short, Bellatrix tortured his parents and this is our revenge. Ginny and Neville are in Gryffindor and Luna is in Ravenclaw," I explain. "You'd like them. Gryffindor is sort of the equivalent to Thunderbird."

Francesca nods. "Courageous, stubborn, clever. I like it. I'm surprised you weren't put into Gryffindor yourself. I mean, you don't mix with these Slytherins at all."

I shrug. "I suppose everything happens for a reason."

Francesca nods keenly. "I suppose. Let's compare schedules at least," She adds, pulling out a piece of parchment whilst I take out mine and hand it to her. My mind is too busy to focus on this year's lessons, especially as Daphne Greengrass and not Amelia Grey.

"That's odd," Francesca muses. "You call it Dark Arts at Hogwarts? It's always been Defense Against the Dark Arts for me. . ."

"What?" I cry. "Give me that!"

My eyes glance up and down the paper. Sure enough, the words 'Defense Against the' have been removed from the schedule. Even scarier, the Professor listed was Amycus Carrow, a known Death Eater.

This year is most certainly going to be terrible.

——
YALL I JUST HAD THE MOST AMAZING IDEA FOR THIS BOOK !!!!!!!!!! YOULL READ ABOUT IT SOON BUT ITS 10X BETTER PLOT CHANGE THAN MY ORIGINAL IDEA

QOTC: Who is your least favorite character and why?

AOTC: Peter Pettigrew. Betrayed his best friends :(