THIRD YEAR
I see you're in high spirit today, commented Draco, sitting down in front of Victoria during the first school week. What happened?
Absolutely nothing.
Come on, Torey, don't try to fool me…So, who is he?
Who is who?
The boy you like.
Victoria blushed. I…don't…
Eh, eh, eh....What did I tell you? Come on, you know you can tell me. I won't tell a soul about it.
All right…but promise you won't tease me.
I swear on the cross. They both grinned at the involuntary joke So, who is he?
Victoria's checks gained more or less the same color of Weasleys' hair. Martin Dooley. He's a third-year Ravenclaw.
Draco knitted his brows and asked: Is he smarter than the others?
I think so. Victoria murmured shaking her shoulders.
Is he sitting at his table right now? he asked, leaning toward her conspiringly.
Victoria nodded. Yeah. The blonde guy next to Cho Chang…No, don't turn around! she whispered hurriedly, noticing his move.
Mmm… Draco mumbled. Pretending to stir himself, he cast a brief glance to the Ravenclaw table. To his eyes trained to seek the tiny, restless Snitch, half a second was enough to spot his "target." The boy was at least 1, 70 meter tall, and his hair too dark to be labeled as blond and too light to be brown was cut short and dark eyes.
He turned to Victoria. Great trick! she commented admiringly.
Draco winked at her with half a smile on his face: I try…
Nobody spoke for a couple of second.
So? Victoria asked him.
So what, Torey?
What do you think about him?
Draco made a face: It's hard to judge from a single glance…I just hope he's not like everyone else.
*******
Did you hear about Draco? asked Millicent Bulstrode, sitting down next to Pansy Parkinson. No, what happened to him? she asked back, dropping her fork.
During Care of Magical Creatures he was attacked by an Hippogriff.
Oh, poor thing! But…was he injured badly? Will he survive? The two girls weren't aware that other two people were listening to their conversation -- precisely, Blaise Zabini and Victoria Cross.
A few minutes later, Blaise approached Orson Derrick: Did you hear about Malfoy?
The other boy nodded: It seems that he almost got himself killed by an Hippogriff during the first lesson of Care of Magical Creatures. I don't know if I should be happy 'cause nobody else was hurt or disappointed 'cause he didn't kick the bucket.
This time everything went just fine, but the next innocent person could be injured… We can't keep our mouths shut anymore, we have to talk about it with Professor Snape.
Are you out of mind? Malfoy is his favorite pupil!
He has been here for three years and every sort of trouble started to happen since his arrival…he can't possibly ignore us like Marcus. Anyway, did you try to talk to him?
Derrick shook his head: He doesn't want to listen.
However… said Blaise, we're not the only one to think Malfoy a hoodoo: yesterday I heard Warrington saying so to Sewey. As you can see, we're not alone…
Hours later, Victoria entered the boys dorm to visit "the poor invalid." Are you Draco or the pharaoh's mummy who lost its way home? she commented, looking her friend up and down while he fussed over four or five rolls of white bandages.
Save your malicious remarks for Gryffindors, Torey.
I have to practice, she said, trying to look like a poor-innocent-and-harmless-maiden. And failing miserably.
You already do it too much.
Oh, I don't think so…Speaking of maliciousness, what are you up to?
Who? Me?
I didn't ask for two pronouns. Drac, I know you…I'm ready to bet my last Chocolate Frog that you're plotting something.
Draco didn't answer, concentrating on the bandage he was making. Do you know what I overheard on my way back form the Infirmary? Victoria shook her head. I heard Potter's little girlfriend telling a friend of hers she is "sure that horrible Draco Malfoy will give Hagrid a hard time." So here I am.
With a bandaged arm. Victoria noted.
Exactly.
And…in the end, what's your plan?
I have just told you, Torey. Draco looked away form her face The rule to be a Slytherin is "Don't do things they expect from you, but worse one." And I'm going to make Model-Student Potter and his friends pay for everything he and the others did to us Slytherins, interest included. Victoria's eyes went wide: Draco…don't you think you're exaggerating?
A la guerre comme a la guerre…And I hope you'll ignore my terrible French pronunciation. Victoria shook her head: As you wish…But don't think I'm going to back you up.
It never crossed my mind.
Good.
Draco's gaze became more serious: Believe me, Torey…I have my reasons.
*******
Give me one good reason why we should do it! said Derrick while Zabini dragged him along the corridor.
Just one? I'll find plenty of it! First, it is true. Second, we have proof. Third…you don't want it to happen again, do you?
Of course I don't…If such a thing happened again, I think I'll never forgive myself…
Then come on, let's go They stopped in front of a thick dark-woodened door with a snake engraved on it and knocked.
*******
When they finished their speech, the room fell silent: Snape had listened attentively their "suspicions," his face expressionless. Finally, he decided to speak and the two Slytherins didn't like what he said at all.
*******
I told you he wouldn't have listened to us! growled Derrick on their way back to the Common Room. "Bad luck doesn't exist," "just coincidence"…Nuts!
At least we tried, murmured Blaise defeated. They can't say we didn't warn them if next time someone dies.
*******
More than once, that year, Zabini and Derrick's dark previsions almost came true, but luckily nobody lost his life. Unfortunately came the day of the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match: the last one of the scholar championship that would have decided the winner of the Quidditch Cup and almost automatically of the House Cup. As the match approached, Draco Malfoy became more and more nervous and on edge. An heavy burden laid on his shoulders and surely the looks Zabini and Derrick kept on casting him didn't help. He started to train incessantly every time the pitch was free and to spend less and less time into the Common Room. All he did was run from a class to a training session and vice versa. Victoria Cross practically had to force him to stop to eat and Adrian Pucey managed to find time to help him with his homework.
The night before the match Draco couldn't sleep.
You look horrible, Victoria told him sitting down next to him at the breakfast table.
I feel like a violin string. Probably I'd play if someone were to brush me with a bow.
Try to relax… she murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder. It's not the end of the world. Right in that moment, Draco met Blaise Zabini's glare. He understood perfectly the message he was sending him. In those eyes there was written with capital letters "make us lose the Cup again, bring us bad luck again, and I'm gonna kill you." Draco clutched the fork in his hand, not hearing Victoria's comforting words and staring at his plate without the strength to eat. His mind was fixed on one thing only -- catching the Snitch. Proving everyone that, no, he didn't bring bad luck. Bad to say so, again the match belonged to Gryffindor. As soon as it was over, Draco disappeared. Adrian and Victoria looked for him for hours until they met near the Common Room. Did you find him? asked the Chaser when he saw the girl.
Victoria shook her head sadly: I don't think he wants to be found this time…
I know what you mean…That boy gets too involved. Not even Wood of Gryffindor is so touched. He shook his head. It's like he has to prove someone something and I'm not that sure that Potter is all the matter.
I'm not sure as well… Victoria murmured. I tried to discover what ails him, but there's no way…What are you going to do now?
Adrian shook his shoulder: I think we should come back to the Common Room. When he wants to be found, we'll find him.
Victoria nodded and, after saying the password, they entered the dungeon. A big group of Slytherins had gathered around the fireplace to discuss the nth defeat.
…I can't believe we've lost the Cup for the third year in a row, Guthlac Bole, the second Beater, cried out.
Looks like our Seeker can't beat the Gryffindor Golden Boy, noted Richard Sewey. Then again, we've always won before.
Did you notice that we've started losing to Gryffindor since Malfoy has arrived? I don't wanna seem a superstitious boy, but…I think he brings bad luck. Derrick, you went to school with him, didn't you? What do you think?
Derrick hesitated: I was a few years ahead, but even then there were rumors about him. I don't know if it's true or not, but…he attended St. Gwylim.
Oh God, murmured Milena Tombstone, dropping a book.
He did attend St. Gwylim? But…but then it is true! shrieked a sixth-year girl.
Hey, what the hell are you talking about? Adrian came in.
Well, Adrian… started Warrington. You have to admit that things haven't gone very well for we Slytherins since he arrived…and then, with all these defeats at Quidditch…
He has never lost against Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, Adrian growled.
But against Gryffindor we have always lost! And during his first match he missed the Snitch even when it was right under his nose! came in Sewey.
So? During his fourth year Higgs took a piece of tin foil for the Snitch and we lost against Ravenclaw…yet nobody ever said he was a hoodoo!
But Adrian…
Oh, shut up! interfered Flint That's all bullshit. Nobody brings luck or bad luck. Really, Flint? Tombstone asked coldly. But you have to admit that since his arrival… He wasn't the only student who was Sorted into Slytherin three years ago, remember? Marcus retorted. And yet nobody's accusing Nott or Parkinson or Bulstrode or Zabini…
We haven't done anything! cried Millicent Bulstrode.
Neither did Draco, noted Victoria Cross glaring at Derrick, Zabini, and everyone else. And I'm surprised that you, his elder Housemates, can believe such an absurdity!
Exactly, Adrian backed her up. These are idiocies good for superstitious idiots.
You can think what you want… Zabini muttered. But if I were you, I'd stay away from him! In that moment he realized many of them were staring at something or someone behind him. He turned and saw Draco Malfoy leaning against the Common Room doorframe, his face a blank mask. The room became deadly silent. Draco didn't say a word. He cast Zabini and Derrick a glance of pure hatred and then walked through the room without hurry, disappearing on the stairs that led to the boys dorm. Victoria Cross glared with disgust at her own Housemates and followed suit. She found him lying on his bed, hidden behind the closed curtains. Victoria sat by him wordlessly, closing again the curtains. What are you doing here? Draco asked in a dull voice.
I wanted to know how you are. It wasn't a good day for you with the Quidditch match and those idiots down in the Common Room… She shook her head resignedly. What a pack of brainless fools! I wonder what are they doing here when they should be in Gryffindor with good-for-nothing Longbottom.
You shouldn't be here, Torey, Draco whispered.
Victoria, caught off guard, searched his face but couldn't see it because he had turned his back to her: What's the matter? It's because of what they said? Come on, you shouldn't take this to heart so much. She gave him a soft smack on his shoulder. Tomorrow they won't even remember what happened.
On the contrary, the following day they still remembered. The rumors had started to spread and the only reason why they didn't reach the ears of the students from the others Houses was simply because Slytherins were so ashamed to have a jinx among themselves that they avoided to talk about it outside the safe walls of their Common Room. Draco was treated as a leper. Almost everybody avoided him and even those who were unwilling to believe the rumors became quite nervous in his presence. Very few stood by him: Crabbe and Goyle (who were too stupid to understand exactly what was going on or too afraid of Lucius Malfoy's reaction), Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey and obviously Victoria Cross, who was his most ardent upholder. When Rogette Dull, from her same year, advised her to stay away from Draco if she didn't wanted to suffer by his bad luck, Victoria told her to go "wash herself," using slightly different words.
Draco was very grateful to Torey, Adrian, and Marcus for their actions, but as much as they did their best, the situation was more and more unbearable…He started again counting down the days left to the summer holydays, that he had always despised. Then, when God allowed it, they finally came. At platform 9 ¾ he said goodbye for the last time to Marcus Flint, who had graduated that year, and said goodbye to Adrian Pucey even though they were going to see each other next year. He briefly dismissed Crabbe and Goyle. Probably he was going to see them during the summer. Victoria was the last one. By that time, almost every student had left, and yet she couldn't force herself to leave him. They didn't speak, there was no need of it. Victoria slipped her hand into his and held it tight, trying to reassure him. Her mother's arrival forced her to leave. They hugged each other one last time, holding themselves as tight as they could. When they broke apart, Draco read in her eyes all her worry and all the true and disinterested love she felt for him. Victoria went off toward the platform exit with her mother, but she couldn't stop turning back.