On Halloween night…
"Really, Potter, I don't see why you won't try out for the Quidditch team."
"I probably wouldn't make it."
"Yes you would."
"I'm a first year."
"And I'm a Slytherin. Now that we've gotten all of the obvious statements out of the way—"
"—I'm not doing it, Malfoy…maybe next year."
Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall few open.
"TROLL!" Everybody turned to face Professor Quirrel. "TROLL IN THE DUNGEON...! I just thought you'd like to know." He passed out.
Everyone started screaming, the whole hall went into a panic, and Draco was holding onto me for some reason.
"SILENCE" Dumbledore's voice came booming. "Everyone quiet down. Prefects, if you would, please guide you fellow students to their respective dorms. Teachers, come with me to the dungeon."
"Draco," I tried to shake the boy off of me but he was holding me in a deathly tight way. "Draco, let go; people are staring."
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Over Christmas break…
"Are you going back to that muggle…'family' of yours over the break?"
"Are you serious?"
"So you're just going to stay here?"
"…Yeah. Really, what else am I supposed to do?"
"Well…you could…"
I turned to face a slightly redder Draco. "I could what, exactly?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "You could come—never mind. I'll see you in a few weeks, Potter."
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On Christmas day…
Throughout the entirety of my break days so far, I'd gone by a certain schedule:
Wake up late, get dressed, go down to the Great Hall, eat breakfast while getting glared at by the Weaselys from across the room, go back to the common room, do whatever until it was time to eat again, blah.
It was quite boring, really. All of the Slytherins went home for the holidays, leaving me in an empty dungeon dorm.
Once in a while I would get an owl from Draco…. Anyways, with all of the lack of events, I wasn't expecting what happened today.
Hedwig woke me up when she flew through my bedroom window early this morning with yet another letter from Malfoy. I wasn't hungry yet, so I didn't bother to get dressed before walking down to the common room.
"Huh" I was surprised to see a tree covered in decorations. "It must have been the house elves…." Yes, I do talk to myself when I'm alone (doesn't everybody). "Wait a minute…"
I saw a fairly large package wrapped up under the tree. It had a note on it.
My curiosity took over at just about that point. It's not like anyone's going to know that I read it, no one's here.
I bent down.
'This was your father's before he died. I thought you'd want it, Harry.'
"Wait, it's mine!?" But I never get gifts.
'Use it well.'
Well, I don't exactly understand that last part, but whatever. I tore it open.
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In the middle of the night…
"Potter…. Mr. Potter, wake up." Someone began to shake me.
"Draco…is that you…?" There was no answer for a moment. "Look, Draco, it's still completely dark outside. I don't even need my glasses to—"
"—Mr. Potter, would you please. Get. Up." The man's voice sounded irritated…and way too old to be Malfoy. It sounds like….
"Professor" I reached for my glasses and put them on. "Professor Quirrel? What are you doing in my room…in the middle of the night?"
"Follow me." Quirrel was acting weird; he wasn't stuttering.
I followed him anyways.
Everything went black and I took in a short breath—a gasp, I guess.
"What—"
"—do not worry; I just need to blindfold you for now. It will be off soon enough."
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In a large room…
Professor Quirrel led me through the school, down many hallways, up a bunch of stairs, and through a door.
Do—do I hear…growling?
Quirrel released his hold on me. I could tell that he had pulled out his wand before the music started playing.
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After we fell…
"Potter, stop squirming and calm down."
I did as he told me to, and I fell through the tangled mess of what felt like a giant plant.
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With a thousand birds…
The next room we entered was strange—well, stranger than the others. It had birds in it. At least, they sounded like birds. Thousands of them, all flying around and singing in high, scratchy, metallic pitches.
We didn't stay in there for a long time.
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On the battlefield…
"Stand here and don't move until I tell you to."
He walked across the hard, marble floor. His steps lifting years worth of built up dust into the air.
Moments passed, and a loud, slow rumble filled the room. It sounded like boulders rubbing together; it was getting closer as if it was coming at me. But then it stopped.
"Pawn to E4" Quirrel commanded an invisible being. I could hear the rocky sound again, only, this time, going in the opposite direction.
Time continued to pass in the same pattern. But there came a different order from Quirrel each time.
"Move forward two paces, Potter." He would occasionally call out.
Some moves were followed by loud crashed where dust, rubble, and debris would fly in every direction.
"Checkmate." It ended the game.
Quirrel grabbed my arm again and we continued walking.
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To be continued…
;P
