11
Sarah POV
"Sarah, you look terrible." Was the first thing Ron said as Hermione and I joined him and Harry for breakfast. Thanks to Snape's lesson I had barely gotten any sleep. I felt faded, like a photograph that was left in the sun. I was pale again- and it was getting harder and harder to bounce back from the lessons. Hopefully since they were now every Wednesday, I could be normal for the rest of the week. To try and make myself look a bit more presentable, I'd taken my time braiding my hair by magic, so that it curled smoothly, like a giant brunette snake down the left side of my neck and torso, stopping almost at my waist. I'd slapped my cheeks repeatedly, hoping for a color other than white, but it had no effect whatsoever. My bags were usually hid by my glasses, but they were so dark that they were easily spotted.
"Very polite, Ron," Hermione said acidly, prodding me to sit.
"Oi! I was just saying!" Ron shot back indignantly, waving his fork in the air. I couldn't help it, I laughed at him.
"It's a day off- why don't we go to Hogsmade?" Harry suggested mildly over the two as they started to bicker.
"It's cold out there, but it'd probably do them some good," I said with mock sorrow, watching Ron wave his fork with increasing velocity, the sausage on it almost falling off.
Hogsmade turned out to be lovely, even in the cold. I hadn't noticed it as much before, but the village, even in the coldest of winters, was so lively and cheerful that it brightened my mood instantly. Hermione suggested we get a drink at the Three Broomsticks and I instantly agreed, feeling colder than usual despite my good cheer. I gratefully went into the bar, leaving my coat on even though the place was warm. My skin was like ice- it seemed that I now retained cold. "Jeez, Sarah, you're skin is freezing." Hermione noted as she passed us all a butterbeer and our fingers touched for a second. I shrugged and cupped my bottle of butterbeer, willing some of the heat to seep into my skin. Ron kept staring hopefully at Madam Rosmerta (apparently he had a crush), making Hermione watch him almost constantly, drumming her fingers on the table. If I had any doubts about her liking Ron, they just flew out the window. Slightly bored, I glanced around the pub as Katie Bell passed through my vision, heading for the loo. The place was packed with people, and a few Hogwarts students were here or there, Blaise Zabini leaning against a column, Seamus Finnigan and a group of Gryffindor boys playing Exploding Snap in the corner…the place was nice, I'd admit. Suddenly, I jumped about a foot in the air, upending my butterbeer when I felt the presence of a Death Eater very nearby. It was darker than usual, making my hands tremble instantly. Luckily, Harry (who was observing Ginny snogging Dean Thomas in a corner with a very ugly look on his face), Ron (who was still ogling Madam Rosmerta), and Hermione (who was still looking at Ron) didn't notice.
"Should we head back to the school then?" I asked after I'd Vanished my spilled butterbeer, seeing that everyone else was finished. There was murmured assent, and I got my friends out of there as fast as I could without looking suspicious, following Katie Bell and her friend out the door. As we hurried back to school, eager to get out of the cold, my anxiety increased. The darkness had only gotten stronger, not counting Harry. I glanced around, but the howling wind and snow made it impossible to see anything but the path ahead, where Katie Bell and her friend were walking. It seemed to be coming from them. As I realized this, I halted abruptly, making Ron's loose arm around my shoulders fall.
"Something's not right." I said sharply before they could ask. Seconds later, Katie Bell rose about six feet into the air down the path, supported by nothing.
"Bloody hell-" Ron got out before Katie Bell started shrieking terrified, piercing screams that seemed to never end. We rushed over as her friend jumped for her ankle, sobbing, trying to pull her down. Ron and Harry joined her, but I stayed back, eyeing the torn package she'd been carrying as she left the Three Broomsticks. Then Katie fell, writhing as if she was being burned alive, and, caught by surprise, Harry and Ron almost dropped her. Then Harry pelted past me, running towards the school, for help. Time seemed to be blurring like the snowy scene around us as my eyes seemed to freeze on what I finally recognized as a necklace in the wrappings of Katie's package. It seemed to whisper to me, touch me, touch me, with the same rhythm of a beating heart; as if it was alive. Moments later, Harry came back, with Hagrid in tow. Katie was still thrashing, and as Hagrid went to scoop her up, I suddenly felt Ron next to me, stretching out a hand to touch the necklace. I threw my arm out and held him back, snapping out of it.
"Don't touch it, whatever you do. That thing is evil." I said just as sharply as before. Harry shot me a look before undoing his scarf and carefully wrapping up the necklace.
"We have to show it to Madam Pompfrey." He said, almost as an apology. As we started to walk back to the school I was silent, looking only ahead, my face as white as the snow. I was starting to piece together what had happened already. The Death Eater presence had to have been Malfoy, and the extra evil I had sensed was the necklace. Katie's friend had been sobbing, saying that Katie hadn't been acting like herself, and had immediately insisted that she deliver the mysterious package to someone at the school. It was blatantly obvious to me what had happened now. This was Malfoy's first attempt at murdering Dumbledore. He'd failed, but it could easily kill Katie- an innocent girl who had nothing to do with all of this. Deep rage rose in me for what he'd done, what he'd tried to do. "Sarah?" Harry asked, taking in my fierce expression with slight apprehension, but I could tell that he had something to say.
"Yes?" I asked, trying to soften the tone of my voice. That necklace was driving me mad.
"That day at Diagon Alley, when we followed Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes, I bet you anything he was buying this necklace. I recognize it- it was for sale there- and he bought something that day. I think he went back for it." Harry said strongly, watching me for my reaction.
"You're blaming Malfoy for this," I repeated with a hint of disbelief, wishing I could tell him that I agreed for reasons I wouldn't be able to explain. Anger pounded in my head, worse than a headache. I vowed to track Malfoy down and give him another threat, a piece of my mind.
"McGonagall!" Ron warned as we stepped into the Entrance Hall, saving me from Harry's furious answer. She directed Filch to take the necklace, still wrapped in Harry's scarf, to Snape but then bid us come with Katie's friend to her office. Katie's friend told all of the story she could before she collapsed into sobs again, leaving us to finish the story. Then, of course, Harry had to go and blame Malfoy.
"I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor. Sarah can feel dark things, and she was jumpy in the Three Broomsticks, where we were, and then she told us something was wrong as we followed Katie and Leanne right before Katie was cursed." Harry said, and I threw a furious glance at him. I'd been wrong, he had noticed how uncomfortable I'd suddenly gotten- but he couldn't use me as evidence to support his theory!
"Is this true, Ms. Wimkil?" Professor McGonagall asked carefully, turning to look at me. All of the teachers had avoided me when they saw how awful I'd been looking, and McGonagall was no exception- particularly because she knew why I looked the way I did; she knew that Harry's claim might be worth something.
"Professor, it's true, but all it proves was that the necklace was in the Three Broomsticks and in the package, things we already know. I don't see how it would involve Malfoy." I said, throwing Harry another glare when Professor McGonagall turned away to sit at her desk. Harry looked taken aback but frowned at me- as if he'd been counting on me to prove his point. McGonagall basically brushed Harry off before shooing us out of her office so that she could go check on Katie. As soon as we were alone, Harry, Ron and Hermione began to heatedly discuss what they thought happened. I only listened, too heartbroken because I couldn't tell them the truth and too angry at Malfoy to trust myself to speak.
"So who do you reckon Katie was supposed to give the necklace to?" Ron asked as we climbed the steps to the Common Room.
"Who ever it was had a lucky break," Hermione said, taking off her gloves as we climbed. "They wouldn't be able to open the package without touching the necklace."
"It could've been meant for loads of people," Harry interjected. "Dumbledore—The Death Eaters would love to get rid of him, he's probably one of their top targets-" I lurched visibly as he hit the nail right on the head, but the three were too engrossed to notice my reaction. "-Or Slughorn, he used to teach Death Eaters- or-"
"Or you," Hermione said with a frown.
"Then wouldn't she have just turned around and given it to me? It makes no sense for her to have taken it into the castle; I wonder why Malfoy told her to do that." Harry said, brow furrowed.
"Harry, you can't prove it was him," I said as calmly as possible, ready to burst at the seams with all the secrets and emotion I was keeping.
"Why not? You jumped about a mile all of a sudden in the Three Broomsticks- you had the same reaction you always do to walking past Snape- it's when you know a Death Eater's around." Harry argued.
"That's not true, I jumped because I felt the necklace, not a Death Eater." I lied, but completed my rebuttal with a reprimand. "Harry, I don't want you using my reactions to dark material as justification for your hatred against Malfoy anymore. You can't prove it, end of story." I chastised him, and he blinked, looking stunned at my swift remark.
"Why don't you like talking about Malfoy?" He pressed, a new light in his eyes, as if he was finally getting down to the bottom of something he'd wanted to for a long time. "Ever since I mentioned it at the Burrow you haven't wanted a single part in it, and then after your seizure you've flat out refused to talk about it! Didn't you feel it in that hallway and realize that he was a Death Eater?" He demanded, stopping us in the middle of a hallway and looking at me with intense interest. Yes, that's exactly what happened! My mind screamed, and I cringed on the inside, realizing I had to lie to his face when he'd just uncovered the truth.
"I don't want to talk about it because it's madness. Drop it," I urged him, my voice cold, and I walked on to the portrait hole, said the password, and walked into Gryffindor Tower without another word. I went right up to the girl's dormitory, shedding my coat and scarf, then gloves, revealing more of my cold, white skin. My close proximity to the necklace had made me even worse. My head was still aching, and my left wrist felt itchy. I rubbed the spot absentmindedly, still covered by the hand-knitted band from Mrs. Weasley.
"It's not about that, Harry! It's because you upset her!" I heard Hermione cry in near frustration at the foot of the stairs. Then I heard her footsteps. Moments later, Hermione came in, taking off her winter clothes too. "That hurt, didn't it?" Hermione asked, and I almost froze when she asked me. What was it with my friends knowing everything all of a sudden? "It's ok, Sarah. Honestly." Hermione comforted me, and I flashed her a weak smile, trying to drown the huge roar of guilt that shot through me. I couldn't tell her how wrong it was of her to comfort me- I couldn't tell them anything.
"I'm fine. It's just a touchy subject." I said simply, hoping my voice didn't shake and betray me. Hermione beamed.
"Then let's go back down, I'll bet the boys are all huffy. Besides, dinner should be served soon." She insisted, and prodded me back down the steps. The boys had already left for dinner, so I only had to tell Hermione that I needed to use the loo to get myself alone. Then I simply closed my eyes and felt deep into the state of the place. One prick of darkness, Snape, which was stronger since he had the necklace, was in his office, far away. The other, Malfoy, was on the fifth floor, rapidly heading upwards. Frantic, I sprinted for a secret passage Ron, Harry, and Hermione had showed me last year on the Marauders Map. Some sprinting and cursing later, I caught up to him on the sixth floor, which was basically deserted. Thanks to my new knowledge of the passageways, I was ahead of Malfoy in the hallway. As he got closer, I only got angrier. I whipped out my wand and then stalked out of my tapestry right as he passed by, so that my wand was instantly at his neck.
"I told you not to do it," the voice that came from me was furious as Malfoy turned, looking less angry this time and more wearily defensive. "How dare you- that could have killed Katie Bell!" I hissed, almost swelling with rage like Mrs. Weasley.
"You can't prove anything, Mudblood." Malfoy shot back- but even for him it was a weak comeback, especially because I was accusing him of attempted murder.
"You make me sick, you disgusting coward. Do you have any shame? You're stupid enough to become one of them, then you agree to try and-" I struggled around the words I wanted to say, but knew I couldn't- "then your plan is so careless! You don't care about anyone but yourself, you don't care if anyone else gets hurt-" Malfoy drew his wand and flicked it to my neck, now looking equally as furious as I.
"You don't know a thing, do you, Mudblood? It's an honor to be what I've become- and when the Dark Lord rises again, freaks like you will be killed for fun." He tried to growl it, but I could see his hesitation. Then his voice changed, got almost broken somehow. "You have no idea what it's like. Do you think I had a choice?" His words hung in the air, and for a moment, I couldn't say anything, just feel my pulse in my ears and stare back into Malfoy's now tortured grey eyes. It surprised me that he would basically admit to it so quickly, especially to me. It could be an act, but as we gazed at each other in shocked silence, I felt deep in my bones that it wasn't.
"The Order can protect you," I offered, speaking quietly now. "They protected me this summer and they could protect you- and your family." Speaking almost imploringly, I searched his gaze for a reaction and was disappointed when he snorted, closing back into himself.
"If the job they did with you is any example, I'd rather be unprotected. You looked like a corpse the first week." He said, and I didn't even blink, his words hurting so deep down I thought I'd break down and cry. Looking slightly curious now, he added, "Sorry, but it's true," with no regret in his voice whatsoever. It was so insensitive that I felt my eyes prick- the sign that I was going to cry. "What happened to you?" He suddenly demanded, looking almost…angry? No, this was Draco Malfoy we were talking about here- my concerns were the farthest away from his.
"The offer still stands," I said softly before lowering my wand and slipping back into the passageway, trying to flee from his unconsciously hurtful words.