The dreaded letter came the next day during breakfast. Emma recognised her fathers' eagle owl as it swooped down. It was the personal owl, only used for business usually. Why would father send it here? Emma worried. She caught the letter as it fell from the owls clutches. It wasn't a howler. Thank goodness.

'oooh, Little Miss Popular, aren't you?' Lorna teased.

'Shut up,' Emma replied, going cold with fear.

'Look, Hogwarts may be a magic school but letters don't open themselves without an incantation,' Rachel smiled from across the table. 'And it may interest you to note the letter has captured three Slytherins eye,'

Emma looked up at the Slytherin table. Draco had a fork halfway up to his mouth. He had froze, eyes wide. Beside him, Blaise was smirking at the letter. He scared Emma. The last one to be spotted was further down the Hall. it was Dominic from the day before. He stared curiously and as soon as Emma saw him he sneered and turned away.

'Well, that settles it,' Emma said, standing, 'I'll open it private,' She went out the hall and disappeared down a corridor.

'So when did she leave?' Harry asked Rachel.

'Um, five minutes after she came in the Great Hall. She got a letter and her brother and his friend and a first year we met yesterday were watching her so she said she would open it in private.' Rachel rambled on.

'She went left' Lorna added.

'This is ridiculas!' Janine cried. 'Class starts in ten minutes! I can't waste time, I have to get my school bag, look for her yourselves,'

Janine stormed upstairs leaving Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lorna, Rachel and Kirsty in the Entrance Hall. Emma had been gone for nearly an hour. Classes were dangerously close and she would no doubt be late.

'Could the letter be from her father?' Hermione asked. She was chewing on her lip nervously.

'That would explain the attention it got.' Harry said. 'Right, split up, you two' he said to Lorna and Kirsty, 'check the main hallways, you,' to Rachel and Hermione, 'search the ground and first floor. Ron, tackle the second and the third. I'll take the fourth and fifth,'

Everyone one agreed.

The first classes of the day found a few empty seats. No-one had any luck in finding Emma. Gathering on the third floor, the group reported that they found nothing. Only Harry hadn't turned up.

'Probably feeling it's his duty to find her,' Ron mused, 'after the promise he made to Malfoy.'

'I hope she's alright,' Hermione said worriedly. But suddenly she rounded on the first years. 'you all get to your classes. You can't miss anything so early in your first term. Ron and I will find Harry and we'll search everywhere in the school for her, don't worry.'

Lorna started to disagree but noticed Ron's warning look, which meant 'she's mad, just do as she says'

So with Lorna, Rachel and Kirsty heading to their class, Ron and Hermione went upstairs to find Harry, and with any luck, to find Emma.

Harry had a feeling his friends were having no success downstairs. The fourth floor was empty apart from a lost Ravenclaw (I-Ling Chang, Cho's younger sister). After kindly telling her where Charms was, Harry tried the fifth floor. For ten minutes he searched. Nothing interesting or out of place. Until he nearly slid on a piece of parchment.

'yikes!'

Grabbing onto the stone wall, Harry steadied himself. He picked up the parchment and read it.

Dear Emma,

I cannot say how disappointed you make me. Your mother and I are furious. You have disgraced the Malfoy line, embarrassing not only your parents but Draco as well. I have spoken to the headmaster but he has said you cannot be sorted again. Do you realize what this means? It means you may not be apart of the family much longer. The thought of having a Gryffindor in the family is sickening.

You are on thin ice. Severus will be watching you closely and reporting back to me. if I hear anything I don't like you will be disowned at once. Remember who the enemy is.

If you embarrass Draco any further then I'm sure he will tell me.

Despite these events, I do have good news although you do not deserve it. The Zabini's and I have been discussing the future of yourself and their son Blaise.

I have reasoned with them, saying that the sorting hat must be getting too old to know a Huflepuff to a hippogriff and the have agreed to allow Blaise to wed you when you turn seventeen. As soon as the papers are ready you will be sent the agreement, which you will sign. Blaise will do the same. You should be very grateful. Zabini's are one of the few Pureblood families that are as high up in class as we are. I don't regret having a daughter as much now. You may alert Draco at once and tell him the news.

Remember what I said. As I told Draco those few years ago, congratulations on your engagement.

Yours truly

Father.

Harry sighed heavily as he re-read the letter. So Emma was close to being disowned. And now she was going to marry Blaise Zabini with no say in the matter. Plus Draco was also engaged? To who?

'That family is screwed up…' Harry shook his head.

'I know,' said a voice down the corridor. 'I'm I'm in it.'

Harry turned to the voice to see a crouched figure in the shadows.

'Emma…' Harry didn't know what to say. What could he say?

Emma sniffed and tried standing. She wiped her red eyes with her hand, refusing to look into Harry's eyes. 'I always knew it would happen…' she stuttered, 'Dad always tried to put Blaise and I together. At parties, I would sit next to him and have him stare and talk to me.' She looked up straight into Harry's eyes desperately. 'He's a horrible person! Draco knows it! Draco would help me, distracting him so I could sneak away,' She sniffed again.

Harry was never good at comforting. Mostly because no-one ever comforted him when he was distressed and crying. But he did what he could. He rubbed her arm. Emma began crying again and she hugged him. Harry resolved to rubbing her back.

What sort of person would do this to their daughter? Harry thought sadly.