Flattery will get you everywhere, I suppose. I thought I'd mention it to thank you all VERY nice reviewers… had so many. Very good though, I was going to wait until prize giving and write a chapter and be besotted and blissful or cranky and pissed, but I got such a nice review that I changed my mind.
Oh, and just to tell everyone, I'm going away on the 15th. Yes, of this month! And I don't think I can be bothered lugging my laptop with me… that's means I can't update much. Unless I go on in the airport and waste all my money. Which won't happen because I don't have any. But it isn't until a few more days, and I'm sure you'll live!
How old am I? Promise not to stop reading if you know? I'm rather young, I don't know if it'll put you off or not. So I won't tell you. Mwahahaha!!!
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"Hermione," McGonagall began tightly, as if fighting to keep herself under control, "Where is Professor Snape?"
"Ran off to do something." Draco chimed in, announcing himself.
"Malfoy." She sighed a resigning sigh. "I – I… Please keep the class under control."
With this command, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts stalked off hurriedly to find the Professor; controlling herself to be composed in front of her pupils.
"Well…" Draco began, stepping towards the entrance to avoid a confrontation with Hermione. "That was strange."
"Yes." Hermione agreed, falling in step with him back into the classroom.
As the entered the classroom, falling in line with each other, the class stopped mid word.
"Well…" Draco began again. "This is… awkward."
"Yes." Hermione grimaced, agreeing.
Harry arched his eyebrow questioningly, a habit he mastered off Malfoy, as Ron practised his death glare on Draco.
"Class." Draco returned to his haughty stuck-up air, "Get to work."
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"Welcome back!" Professor Lupin greeted the class, Gryffindor and Slytherin alike.
His eyes seemed to travel slightly, shifting more often than not, implying something was playing on his mind. Possibly something important, or better, something scandalous!
After finishing lunch and piling into the classroom, after Draco finished shotting invisible darts at the werewolf, once again declaring his loathing towards the professor. Once they all had a nice big pile of juicy gossip to share and spread.
"But it's so soon!" Anna continued her discussion from before, deciding it best to ignore the hospitable professor, whom Draco doesn't like, to avoid further conflict.
"Hit 'em while they're weak?" Pansy suggested.
"But you'd think they'd be weak at a moment like this. Not us." Anna disagreed,
"Are you saying you aren't one of them? Are you saying that you are choosing to collect yourself with a Mudblood?" Blaise scrutinised,
"No." Anna muttered, "I mean 'we' as in Hogwarts. Sadly this place is infected with them. I mean them as in the ones abducting us."
"Do you truly believe they would dare hurt someone of noble blood?" Malcolm teased, not really welcoming the rumour.
"You heard the fifth years… a Ravenclaw's missing. A Mudblood, on the first day back." Pansy interjected.
Draco strutted over, fully please with himself for stealing the Professors bane.
"Heard any other news? Who knows, this could all be fake!" Draco muttered, somehow knowing it was true. The past still haunted him.
"Well, a Ravenclaw leaks out that one of her mates is missing. Doesn't know where or precisely when. Everybody knows, against the teachers' will." Pansy repeated the facts,
"No evidence. Just a needy girls' word? No traces of a mysterious person?" Draco argued,
"Her friend is missing. Ravenclaws are… Ravenclaws. They wouldn't pull of a stunt like this, let alone be missing from school. You Know Who." Pansy voiced her opinion.
"I don't see people going hysteric and creating rumours about me when I go missing." Draco pouted.
"You don't go missing." Anna cooed,
"You can take care of yourself." Pansy comforted,
"You're too stinking rich with too many holiday homes and too bloody spoiled to be missing." Blaise offered in a Slytherin comforting way.
"And your business… head of the family…" Malcolm trailed off, not wanting to reveal much to the prying and gossiping ears.
"Class…" Draco was sure he heard the Professor growl. What was the school thinking, letting an animal teach them? A monster, none the less. Slipping standards; first it was Muggles – ugh – now… Werewolves…
"We'd…" Lupin began,
"What would we do if someone tried to kidnap us?" Neville asked innocently.
Bet a Slytherin wouldn't have gotten away with it.
But it hit just the right spot. Paling slightly, the werewolf stiffened.
"What is the school doing about this?" Blaise took his chance, pushing the boundaries.
"The staff members are having a meeting as we speak. The head of houses are called and are discussing what happened."
"What… exactly did happen?" Malcolm followed,
"Uh…" Lupin shifted uncomfortable under the Slytherins' interrogation, "We don't know yet."
Draco muttered something about standards slipping and Pansy flew into a frenzy of hysterics.
"Anyway… back to class." Lupin took advantage of the classes' near silence.
"But this is class…" Anna whined,
"We don't know for sure if this Annabelle has been abducted." Lupin chided,
– "Annabelle" – a few voices stirred, so there really was a girl.
"Annabelle?" Draco questioned,
"Back to class." Lupin enforced weakly,
"What do we do if we are abducted?" Draco repeated Neville's question with no hint of innocence, a voice thickly coated with venom.
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"I have called this urgent assembly because, as many of you probably know by now, a young girl seemed to be object of many gossiping. It seems gossip spreads like wildfire around her and I intend to keep informing you of the facts and leave it to you to erase the lies."
(- "Wildfire? What's wildfire?"
"Muggle expression?"
"Magical fire?"
"There's no such thing as Magical fire!"
"Special fire?"
"What kind?"
"Magical?"- )
"A 5th year Ravenclaw, Annabelle Ross seems to have disappeared. She is from a Muggle family and is not familiar with the wizarding world. Though she may be in danger, Annabelle is a very bright and intelligent young lady and we are sure will turn up and excuse this upturn. However, until that happens, we will encourage anyone who knows anything about her disappearance to inform either me, just a simple owl will do – preferably signed – or to the Deputy Headmistress." Dumbledore rambled on,
Professor Flitwick, the head of the Ravenclaw house, stood up.
"I'm sure this is just a false alarm, but please, be on your guard. No need to be worried. Following this, on a more pleasant note; Dumbledore." He cued,
"Yes, definitely more on a pleasant note. I am pleased to introduce a student joining us from Durmstrang, Eric van der Strandsen."
Right on cue, the two large doors to the Great Hall surged open and Eric entered. All, including the green eyed Draco, stared at the Brown hair, brown eyes, and equally brown skin. The newcomer was bound to notice this, but continued on with no remorse, striding up the front with an air of confidence only one other seemed to radiate.
He was gorgeous.
"He will finish his 7th year here at Hogwarts. I am sure you all will make him feel welcome. Now, as the sorting hat only accepts and sorts juniors; Eric will be choosing his house… now." Dumbledore continued.
"House?" Eric questioned lightly, eying the girls swooning over him already.
"We have four houses," Dumbledore gestured, "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."
Eric followed Dumbledore's gestures until his gazed settled on the green table, on a particular malice filled Slytherin.
"It's important you choose wisely. Your house will be like your dwelling place and your housemates your closest friends." Flitwick warned. Eric only nodded to show he understood.
Many held their breaths, waiting for they mysterious Durmstrang student to choose their house.
"I suppose, Headmaster," he bowed respectfully – no hint of mockery that usually stained any of Draco's bows "you are wise. Surely you can choose for me?"
"No." Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "You must do this on your own. I will not decide what life you lead."
Draco wondered how this could possibly concern him. Why did he have to be couped up in this hall now? He wanted out.
"I cannot." Eric admitted, looking down as if in shame, as if confessing he was Voldemort's love child, "Can I have a day to decide?"
"Where will you sleep?" McGonagall questioned,
"The Ravenclaws have extra space that could easily be transferred to the seventh year boys' dormitory…" Flitwick pinched in, knowing it wasn't a question of space.
All eyes turned to Eric.
"Yes. I think I'll be a Ravenclaw then."
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I leave you with many things to ponder over. Type your following thoughts in the review box.