The crowd was in horror as everybody was being reminded to the experience of war. Now the ugly feeling was so clear for all of them to see, and the air was become even bitter than before.

That morning in the great hall, a body of a girl, stoned in the air up side down. She was not moving at all, even her chest seemed to not breathing. On her forehead there is a bloody mark of a star sign.

The teachers were finally come and with magic, they put down the girl. Madam Pomfrey shivered when she saw and took care of the chilled body, another war, she thought.

"Blaise, we should go." Draco tapped his best friend shoulder, "She will be okay."

Blaise was not moving from his spot, looking at the girl he secretly loved with a hard look. He was thinking, he analyzing her in order to find some answers. He could not find it, but there was something with the star sign that reminded him of something. "You go Draco, I want to stay a little bit more."

Draco nodded in respect and left the boy alone, perhaps because he needed to be alone too. After helping the teachers to save Pasny, his mind ached to torture him. Daphne's words lingered in his mind and he felt that he had let Blaise down.

"Draco." He heard a soft voice calling from behind, "How is Pansy?"

"She will be better soon."

"And how about you?"

Draco turned his body to find Astoria waited patiently for his answer. She seemed worry.

"Not good." He curled his arms around her, "Maybe Daph was right, I should be more careful around all of you."

"What are you saying, Draco?" She raised her eyebrow, "You did not do anything wrong."

"And nothing right either."

Draco finally let Astoria go from him, "I don't know if I'm capable to do the right thing, Astoria. I don't know if I will survive this time without you."

"You wanted to push me away?"

"Maybe." He said in vagueness, "I don't want you to hurt because of me."

Astoria sighed, "You really have a low esteem"

"It's not a self esteem problem!" Now he a little bit annoyed, "You could be in danger if you stay with me."

"Then why don't you ask me to go?"

"I'm hoping you are reasonable enough to think that by yourself and just go away from me."

"I think you just don't want me to go, actually."

"Such an interesting deduction, Astoria. But I'm afraid you are wrong. I wanted you to go."

"Yet I'm still here and you seemed undisturbed by that."

Draco mind felt dizzy again. This was not right, he supposed to yell at her to go and save her life. But even that did not feel right, something was missing from the puzzle. It was true that everybody know that Pansy was one of his good friend, but why not Astoria? World know she was the source of his life at that time. Maybe a warning? Then somebody will get Astoria too eventually? Then wasn't it better to stay as closely as he could and protect her instead of letting her go wondering around?

Astoria was watching him all the time with confusion, but decided to wait for another word from him.

All of this thought made him sick. It reminded him too much of the wartime with Voldemort. He had always thinking rationally this way in order to save his family, friends and himself. He could not help himself to feel numb at in his heart and his brain would selfishly take care the rest of his action. It was the only way to keep alive and survive, to think and to be ready all the time.

"I think you should not leave her alone, Draco." Blaise suddenly appeared from the hospital wing.

"I considered the same thing Blaise." He coldly stated, "we got to find the culprit soon, I don't want her to be in danger more than this."

"Surely we will."

Eyes darted back to Astoria who looked at them astonishingly. She was surprised on how both of them taking this matter in such calmness and even coldness. They had regarded her as an object that precious to Draco, and that was why exactly they did not even asked her opinion. Maybe they thought that she was weak and useless. To be honest, she did not like it at all, but perhaps that what war had taught them; to be a heartless man in order to survive.

He was back again; the old Draco, and even worse, his companion seemed to be as inhuman as he was. When the lion's table was chaotic as they discussed seriously about what had happened and started to accusing people, the Slytherin's table was as silent as cemetery. Even Astoria could not break the tension in her own house although she tried the best to cheer up the firsty.

"This is bad." Miranda told the obvious truth, "what will be the snake's fate after this?"

As soon as she finished uttered her mind, the principal entered the great hall in a fast step. McGonagall stood in front of the hall and began her speech about how this accident had let her and Hogwarts down. Whoever did the action will have serve punishment and she hoped the students would be more careful especially at night. In addition, she would tighten the time for curfew and asked the prefects to be more discipline when doing their round. All in all, it seemed like a De ja Vu for a lot of them who had experience the war.

Not long after the crowd dismissed, Astoria decided to visit where Draco and Blaise sat. They were in a serious discussion, but stopped absurdly when they could see her standing rather uncertain about the whole situation she was facing. She could not understand why Draco and Blaise had to act this way in front of her.

"Astoria," Blaise mentioned her name when she had had not say anything. "You have anything to say?"

"Actually yes, do you mind accompanying me to visit Pansy? I know Madam Pomfrey will only let me if I go with you guys."

"No need to visit her." Draco said suddenly, "She will be alright."

She arched her eyebrow, "but I wanted to see her."

"Like I said, you don't need to. Nothing good will happen if you do that anyway."

Astoria bit her lip. Merlin knew she wanted to punch that bossy face, but she stayed calm and finally nodded a little. Maybe it was the best not to interfere with whatever plan they have in mind, including avoiding her to see Pansy.

"Well, I'm going to go to charm class with Miranda now. See you two later on the ground."

Both guys just nodded without saying anything else. Well, it seemed that Astoria was excluded in their group. It felt a bit sad, but then she was not close to them before the war, she just needed to bare the feeling of rejection.

On the way to her class, Astoria and Miranda heard a conversation between Ravenclaw's students who were walking at the same direction as them although it seemed that the girls did not realize Astoria and Miranda presence.

"Do you think Gryffindor did that?"

"Who knows," The other girl reply. "It can be anyone, but they are the main suspect I guess."

"The snakes are probably already planning something to revenge them."

"We will see."

It did not need a long time until the speculation became true. Two students from Gryffindor were brought to the hospital outside Hogwarts. Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom had been attacked around midnight when they were doing a round for their prefect tasks. Everybody went nuts because of the news, so much worse than when the first accident had happened to Pansy Parkinson. The war hero! How could be anyone dared to attack them? Moreover, it seemed that the attacker was strong enough to beat two of them who regarded as excellent in wand fighting.

The golden trio seemed to be panicked also. Harry and Ron looked really furious, while Hermionie had already started her investigation as piles of books already covered the girl around. The suspect this time is Slytherin of course; a cruel revenge was probably the motive.

There was a big tension between the two houses, but no one would act in the public. Behind the curtain, however, the torture for Slytherin's students suddenly became ten times worse. People who did not think carefully and acted reckless began accusing Slytherin's students and even attacked them in many ways.

Slytherins who had been attacked usually smart enough to stay under the radar, but some felt angry enough to make a scene, making his/her life in the school even worse. Astoria worked her best to protect the firsty, but it began to lose its control. She hopped the culprit could be found soon, and she also would work hard to achieve the goal.

It was not easy though, when two eyes keep following her whenever she went. Draco, just would never leave her side. He accompanied Astoria to all her classes and any other places. If Draco was not around because of his own classes, Blaise replaced his place. Merlin she hated them! Draco especially! His warm behaviors were completely gone. He still kissed her and held her hands, still said that he loved her so much, but there was no smile on his face. And Astoria felt caged because of his actions. Something she hated the most in the world, being caged it was.

"Astoria." Somebody called her name from back when she just finished eating her lovely breakfast.

"Yes, Draco?"

"Let's go, you need to go to your class."

"I still have half an hour." She said carefully, "I will go later with Miranda."

Miranda, whose name being mentioned, sneered at Draco. Just like Astoria, she did not like it at all the dictator feeling Draco gave to her best friend. "Yeah, Draco. Fuck off, will you."

Astoria stepped on Miranda's shoes to remind her to behave well. But it was not even needed because Draco had ignored her words.

"I have to visit Madam Pomfrey, so I need to take care of you first now."

"Thank you, Draco." She tried to say it as softly as she could to cover her anger and frustration, "I really appreciate your kindness, I really do. But don't you think it's too much? You don't even let me visiting Pansy, and you cut my free time to talk with my friends. I think it is too much."

Draco did not move an inch from his place, "You don't understand Astoria. I have to do what I have to do."

Gaah! She almost flipped the table, but she controlled her breath one more time. She stood in front of her boyfriend nose, only separated by an inch, her eyes glared at him to show her condemn. "Take me then." She said as if she was challenging him.

Draco held her hand softly after kissing her forehead, which made Astoria's eyes teary. Draco led their way to her class in silent. She knew Draco loved her so much, as she loved him too, but it felt really painful when Draco acted this way. She wanted to help him and share the burdens. She really did although he did not let her to do so.

But she was not appointed to the Slytherin house without a reason. Astoria mind was ticking with plan when she arrived at the almost empty class, thinking of the right charm to cover herself and fled from her room secretly that night.

When night finally came, she prepared herself. She took of the snake bracelet Draco gave her as a tracking device by magic. Draco was sure enough she could not take it of by herself, but he was obviously wrong. It was Astoria game, to look weak and obedient in order to cover her true strength so she could use it someday like this moment without anyone knowing. She created double delusion charms around her to prevent any sound and sight being acknowledged by the others. Next when she almost stepped on the common room, she disarmed the curfew alarm by a simple trick Miranda told her. To not touch the floor, which means flying with her broom.

Slowly but sure, with a wand ready in her grip, Astoria walked her way to the hospital wing where Pansy was when she finally got out from the Slytherin dorm. From the conversation she received secretly from Draco and Blaise, there was something odd with Pansy condition and the curse mark on her forehead. She would love to see it by herself and somehow complete the puzzle for a greater good.

It was not hard really, to reach the hospital's door. But now she had to be extra be careful to enter the room. Astoria did not have an intention to open the door, instead, she made her body went through the closed door with a magic that did not even written in her textbook. It was a charm she discovered by herself by going through her family's library. She loved to have secret weapons, and that was why she always tried to learn charms that had not being taught at her school.

Now, in front of Pansy Parkinson, she almost regretted the visit. She looked rather awful and pitiful as her eyes were opened big, but her body stoned still. Astoria at the same time found out the oddness the boys were talking about. Pansy's eyes were moving slightly, as like she could see and hear everything.

'Maybe she does' She thought carefully, and so she did not let go her delusion charms.

The mark on her forehead was shocking her when she able to see it clearly. The eye of the stars! The five watching man! The curse of possessions! The curse of transparency! Or what ever it had been called past over the century, she knew the curse and she knew she had made a big mistake by coming at her place. Maybe this is the reason Draco and Malfoy did not let her to visit the place. But at the same time, she now possessed the valuable information, which only needed to be crosschecked by herself with her charm books at her manor.

She ran quickly back to her room and called her house elf. Five minutes later, the house elf brought her a black book from her manor. Astoria dismissed the elf quickly and opened the book. There it was! The curse of possessions! With the curse, the body of the victim would not be her/his own anymore. She would become a spy to the master, and received a tremendous power of seeing and hearing through anything around the body, including walls, delusion, silent and invisible charms.

How she knew it when everybody else did not? It was because the curse were invented by her family some hundred years ago, and what was more interesting was the fact that the curse had been taught to the Parkinson family itself as a gift of friendship between the two families. Many people did not realized that the gift was in a form of a curse itself and not the silver star ring that had been placed as a symbol of the curse. That was why also the curse had been regarded as a myth. Both of the family thought it was actually a good incident when people began to question the truth of the curse. Like what she said before, a secret weapon.

Astoria now in panic, the person behind all of this would know that she knew! It almost too late when the windows in her room suddenly opened and the cold wind blew her hair. Two tall dark figures were already inside her room when she managed to get out and ran as fast as she could. She held his wand so hard, her hands became white.

The figures inside the black hood reminded her to death eaters, but she could feel at the same time that the person had less dark aura than the death eaters. A fan probably? The big tall guy re-appeared in front of her and she threw a deathly curse at him. The man was dodging it, and Astoria could see an opportunity to run passed him. The shorter guy was reaching her neck.

"Heeelllpppp!" She started to scream from the top of her lung and startled the attacker. No one could hear her scream as the tall figure had placed some kind of silent charm around the place. It was not her best move, but she needed to protect herself and the information with everything she had. The hooded figures were bolder than before, started to attack her with curses she did not even know what.

Soon a red blast passed on the right of her body, hurting her right legs, but it did not enough to make her stop. She just needed to run down the stair and find him. Find Draco! She screamed his name again and again in desperation while dodging the nasty curses from behind. Where was he when she needed him!

She knew it was too late when a cold blast hit her back, but she still tried to reach the end of the stair by dropping her body to the cold stone stair. Her back was bleeding and her body would probably bruised from the fall. When she reached the common room, though, at least she knew the alarm in the headroom would let know that somebody was trespassing the curfew.

In her shock however, she could see Draco and Blaise went down from the boy's dorm and threw curses to the enemies. She was suddenly trapped in the middle of this charms duel, and only could pray that she would not be hit by a off track magic. Her body was closer to the dark figure though, and she could feel somebody tried to take her away. So she crawled slowly to where Draco and Blaise were. Merlin help her! The pain on her back began to be intolerable now.

When the guy was finally catch her leg, Draco was running towards her and seemed to neglect the fact that he was defend-less by doing so. At least there was still Blaise who got his back.

She suddenly felt dizzy and hard to breath as her vision became blurred. Astoria noticed that she was being apparated before losing her consciousness.

"Wait! Draco!" Blaise tried to stop his friend without a success.

Draco screamed her name and grabbed her hand when they began to apparated. He knew it was a bad move, he could simply twisted his body and died because of it, but he did not want to let go of Astoria even if that's means he would lose his own life.

He heard a crack and in an instance, they were in a different place. A second cracked sound came from inside his body, and he was screaming hard because of it. Draco's right hand, which previously grabbed Astoria's, twisted in a horrible way. From his cloudy mind, he realized that they were inside the forbidden forest, and at the same time he could see Astoria limb body, carried by the tall man away from him.

Gone the entire collected mind he had been trying to have since the curse accident, as he began to panic. Draco pushed himself to get up and start running, neglecting his pain while holding his wand with his left hand. With hope he could somehow managed to hit the guy with his magic, he yelled every single charm he remembered from his blurred mind. The curses were not even close to its supposed target, so Draco gritted his teeth and fasten his pace.

Soon everything went silent and only harsh breath and steps could be heard inside the forest. It was already night, so he could only barely see his surrounding even with the help from the moon. Some sharp branches and flora had hurt his entire body in the process of running.

When Draco finally able to see the man, he forced himself to concentrate and murmured some spells to gain some energy. "I only have once chance to finish this." He said worriedly to himself, "One chance."

Then a green angry bolt appeared from the tip of his wand when Draco breathed the forbidden curse with all his might. And suddenly everything stopped. The green bolt was almost touching the dark figure right on the back of his spine and Draco was in a stage of pain as all the energy from his body had traveled together with the curse.

Two aurors were suddenly appeared in the middle of the scene, and one of them was holding an old pocket watch, which had stopped the time. They hurriedly saved Astoria and captured the man before allowing the watch to tick again.

Draco fell with a loud crash to the ground, and the curse hit the bark tree until it twisted. The man was shocked and furious as he realized that his plan had gone wrong.

"Draco!" Blaise who just apparated, ran towards his unconscious friend and started helping him by mending his wound.