October 30th, 1994. Friday.
Selena chewed on a strip of bacon as she listened to Sasha and Wendy have a heated discussion over the Hollyhead Harpies, a Quidditch team from northwestern Wales made up of all girls.
"Hollyhead Harpies have had Gwenog Jones, the best, most brilliant, most fantastic Chaser, for three years running!"
"Yeah, and whenever the crowd hears that they want to go running! Running away!"
Alisson rolled her blue eyes from beside Selena. "Will you two stop?"
Tess nodded, her red-flecked, light-brown hair bobbing in its messy bun. "Arguing over Quidditch isn't important right now. The Champions for the Triwizard Tournament are being chosen in less than a week. I'm literally shaking!"
At the reminder of the other schools, Selena glanced over at the Ravenclaw tables with the French students from Beauxbatons Academy. The students were all laughing, eating breakfast. The Ravenclaws were clearly enjoying the attention, beaming. Over at the Slytherin table, the Durmstrang students were intimidating, but boisterous all the same. A loud cheer broke out from one end of the table, the Slytherins flashing calculating smiles to each other.
When she turned back, Wendy gave a sly grin at Tess' comment. Selena knit her brows, already anticipating trouble. Who was going to get jinxed this time?
"I've been meaning to talk to you guys about that..."
Renee threw up her hands. "Whatever it is, don't tell us! When you're in court, I want to truthfully be able to say I don't know what happened."
Everyone nodded. Wendy frowned. "Fine. I won't tell you all. You'll have to wait and see!" And with that, she tossed her bag over her shoulder, stood up, and walked out of the Great Hall.
Sasha shrugged, tossing a long lock of her dark hair. Something told Selena she knew more than she was letting on. "She is always in a bad mood before Potions... Ever since Snape gave her a Dreadful on her paper about Poison Antidote."
Renee looked at her. "Why? I get Dreadful's all the time!" Then she smiled. "If you squint, it looks like Delightful."
30 Minutes Later
Selena walked through the corridors, starting her way up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom. Just as she stepped into the Serpentine Corridor, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.
"So, how do you feel about the other schools?" Damon asked, appearing out of nowhere. Selena remembered that he was taking Arithmancy as an elective, the book titled Numerology and Grammatica tucked under his arm confirming this. Despite having heard about the difficulties of the class from older students, she noticed Damon looked fairly happy. His blond hair was slightly mussed, Slytherin robes spick-and-span, tan messenger bag hanging under his arm.
Considering his question, Selena shrugged. "They're not mean or anything. But, I can hardly understand them."
Damon nodded. Just as Selena began to ask him how he felt about the Durmstrang kids sitting at the Slytherin table, his eyes began to follow something behind her. She turned in time to see some Beauxbatons girls skipping down the stairs. A pang hit in her ribcage, along with the sudden wish to get to class. She swallowed. Why does that bother me?
She turned back around and saw Damon's eyes stop following the group of French girls, his attention returning to Selena. "So, I better get going to Arithmancy before Professor Vector kills me. I had something I wanted to tell you..." he paused, and squinted as if trying to think of something. "But I can't remember what it was... Oh well. See you around." He waved, departing to another classroom, and Selena went back to walking to her own class.
What was he going to tell me? Was it important? Maybe it was what Wendy was going to tell us. No, they're not friends... Continuing to think, Selena moved around a curve in the corridor.
But about halfway down the hall, she heard voices. Familiar voices. She knew she had heard them before, but couldn't exactly remember where. As she rounded the corridor, she stopped. The Durmstrang Headmaster, Erebus, and Iceyeyes where all talking in harsh whispers. Erebus and Iceyeyes each had one of their gray sweater sleeves rolled up, and the Durmstrang Headmaster was nodding and rolling his up as well.
Selena quickly ducked behind the corridor's curving wall. Something in her head had gone off like a warning saying all this? What does it equal? Um... trouble! Peeking out from behind she could see Iceyeyes turn, letting her arm fall, and say something to Erebus. Selena squinted to see the odd shape on the boy's skin. A tattoo? It had black lines are curling and rolling down his forearm.
A bell tolled, bringing Selena back to reality. She was going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts! Pushing her curiosity away, she rushed to her class.
2 Minutes Later
"You're late, Miss Malast. Explanation?" Professor Moody growled as soon as she pushed the door open to Classroom 3C. The other students turned at their desks, glancing at the tardy pupil. Selena found her own seat, Hazel looking at her with strained eyes from their shared desk. A look that asked why are you so late?
"Uhh..." Selena said, racking her brain for an answer. "I was just getting a book for Tess. Yeah." She walked over to where Tess and Elizabeth were sitting and sat her own class journal down on the desk.
"Is that true?" Professor Moody asked Tess, his electric blue fake eye focusing on them. Something about his voice said that he already knew it wasn't. But what was Selena supposed to say? 'Oh! I'm late because I was walking this back way and saw three people and spied on them?'
Tess nodded. When Professor Moody glanced away, she looked up at Selena, her small lips curved in dissaproval, and mouthed 'You owe me!' Selena nodded and smiled at the teacher when he looked back. Moody rolled his real eye, and motioned for her sit down.
She quickly placed herself in her seat and took The Standard Book of Spells, Grade II by Miranda Goshawk from her bag. She fumbled with her quill and ink pot, finally getting settled as a rustle of parchment took over the classroom.
"What took you so long?" Hazel whispered, beginning to copy the notes from the chalkboard.
Selena set a fresh sheet of parchment on her desk, dipping her quill in ink. "Well, I was going through the corridor, and I saw the Durmstrang Headmaster and Erebus and Iceyeyes-" she got out.
"Who?" Hazel demanded sharply, her voice low.
"Oh, right... I haven't told you about them..."
"Girls, I hope you know I can hear everything you've been saying..." Professor Moody said, not turning his back to the board.
"Sorry..." Selena and Hazel mumbled in unison.
Professor Moody finally turned around, gray hair looking crazier than usual. "Who here knows what the Dark Mark is?"
Bronwen's hand shot up, the Ravenclaw stretching in her chair next to Alisson. Professor Moody nodded. Bronwen began to talk about how the Dark Mark was a symbol You-Know-Who would give his most trustworthy followers, and they were Death Eaters. Some of the class exchanged looks, remembering the Quidditch World Cup riots. Selena thought back to about two months ago, getting off the Hogwarts Express in the rain, Sasha shuddering at the memory of the Death Eaters.
Professor Moody nodded, seeming unfazed. "Does anyone know what it looks like? Who want's to come draw it up on the board for us?"
Bronwen raised her hand again. "I can't draw very well, but I can tell you. It's placed on the person's arm and looks like a skull... throwing up a snake."
Some kids laughed.
"That's the strangest tattoo I've ever heard of," Hazel whispered to Selena.
Selena suddenly remembered looking at Erebus' arm. The strange tattoo, with the flowing black lines she couldn't quite make out from behind the curve. No...
"Correct," Professor Moody said. "It is my job as an Auror to catch wizards like this and apprehend them."
"Have you ever killed anyone?" someone blurted.
Professor Moody nodded. "I have killed."
Some boys smiled and laughed a little.
Selena wasn't listening. She was realizing more and more the longer Professor Moody talked. Picturing the three people huddled together, showing their forearms. What if - no. Selena shook her head. That was impossible. She shifted uneasily in her seat, watching a black droplet of ink fall from her quill, splattering on the parchment.
Completely impossible...
Oooh! Villians! There is actually another Death Eater at their school. Do you all know? And no, it's not Draco or Crabbe or Goyle or Snape. :) OR MOODY!
And two supporters of Voldemort. Anyway, sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been sooo busy and I know you all probably have been too. And yesterday, Fanfiction kept locking me out. Anybody else?
Well, thanks for reading and I cannot wait to write the next chapter! I'll also be updating my Hunger Games story either tonight or tomorow. Yep. Well, thanks again!
Review, maybe?
~Meghan