It was the first of September, 1996, and sixteen-year-old Maya Dursley stood happily on platform nine and three-quarters. Like always, it was absolutely packed with students and their parents seeing them off, with the magnificent Hogwarts Express lazily belching steam over the crowd. Maya was very excited to finally go back to school. It had been a very strange summer indeed.
First there was the chilly mist that had obscured the streets all throughout the summer due to Dementors breeding and attacking people left right and centre. Much to the Ministry's dismay, they had deserted Azkaban and joined Voldemort.
Then there had been the Brockdale bridge incident, which the Muggles had a very hard time explaining indeed. Surely a bridge less than ten years old could not just collapse like that?
The rampage in the West Country was rather weird too. Trees had been uprooted, roofs had been ripped off, horrible injuries had been sustained and ultimately the Muggles decided it had been some kind of weird hurricane, but the wizarding community strongly suspected giant involvement. Now that the Death Eaters had moved into the open, they had been wreaking havoc. Maya felt that Voldemort's brazen act of spilling violence over into the Muggle realm served to confuse and intimidate other wizards, and to demonstrate just how far he would go to achieve power. Maybe he would ultimately attempt to breach the long-standing divide between the two realms and rule over them both.
According to Maya, however, the scariest event had been the brutal murders of Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance. The former was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which had inadvertently led to Maya re-thinking her planned career path. The latter had been killed just round the corner from the Muggle Prime Minister, and thus that tragic event had been extensively covered in the Muggle news as well.
Speaking of Ministers, Cornelius Fudge had been sacked as Minister for Magic. His position had become untenable after all those disasters, and he had been succeeded by Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror Office. Maya felt that it was only right that retribution by the general wizarding populace had come; Fudge had been systematically lying to the wizarding community and causing a lot of damage by discrediting Harry and Dumbledore. Despite Fudge's best efforts to retain power, he had finally been ousted and replaced by someone who appeared to be much more dynamic and better prepared to fight Voldemort. Maya did wonder how a vote for the Minister was carried out, if in fact the process was at all democratic.
Stories of disappearances, odd accidents and deaths had been almost a daily occurrence in the Daily Prophet. Maya was sure she was safe at Hogwarts, though. Not only was she a Slytherin, but the Ministry had very advanced, new security plans. Meanwhile, the Prophet regularly posted bits about personal safety and how one could keep themselves protected as best as possible.
Maya generally felt that finally getting a subscription on the Prophet had been a worthwhile investment, but she did eventually grow pretty tired of articles portraying Harry Potter as the 'Chosen One'. More and more details were revealed about Harry's adventure in the Ministry of Magic just before the end of last term, and it was now generally assumed that the Death Eaters had vainly attempted to steal a prophecy naming Harry as the only one who would be able to destroy Voldemort. Maya was not at all surprised. Not only did fame always come Harry's way, but the Ministry was a political organisation, meaning that it very much lived and died by popular opinion. In that light, it was not altogether surprising that they decided they need a hero to set against Voldemort, as a symbol of hope. Considering Harry survived Voldemort numerous times and his direct involvement with the revelation of Voldemort's return, Maya found it pretty logical indeed, even if it was annoying. At least Harry had been taken away from Privet Drive by Dumbledore a mere two weeks after they had gotten back from Hogwarts. Why, she did not know, but she did not care much. It was always pretty awkward to be stuck in the house together, when they mostly ignored each other at school.
She had hoped that the annual trip to Diagon Alley would make for some welcome distraction, but it really did not. The completely empty Leaky Cauldron had been a bleak sign, and sure enough when Maya walked through the archway and onto the winding cobbled street she noticed immediately that Diagon Alley had changed. Hitherto Maya had merely been faithfully reading the newspaper, but actually seeing the state of Diagon Alley physically showed her just how much Voldemort's growing power was now affecting the wizarding world. Once prosperous shops were being vacated. Wand-maker Ollivander and owner of the ice-cream place, Fortescue, were gone, their windows boarded up. There were Ministry pamphlets as far as the eye could see, mostly bearing moving photographs of Death Eaters. The whole shopping street seemed rather dark without the colourful, glittering window displays of spellbooks and potion ingredients. Most people Maya saw were in a hurry, constantly casting anxious looks around them, and Maya appeared to be the only one shopping alone. Not like she had anyone to go with anyway...
But now the summer holidays were finally over and, looking approvingly at the scarlet Hogwarts Express, Maya realised she was about to be quite literally back on track. She had no idea how this school year would go, but at least there would be no Umbridge. After she had loaded her trunk on to the train, her owl Aurelia hooting happily, she went looking for her friends. She eventually found them in a compartment near the end of the train, but much to her surprise it was not just going to be the four of them like usual.
Sitting next to Vincent was Blaise Zabini, who had a rather reserved nature and mostly kept to himself. Maya did not think she had ever exchanged more than a few words with him. A much more unpleasant sight was the presence of Pansy Parkinson, traditionally one of Maya's rivals with her perpetual vying for Draco's attention. She seemed to be off to a good start this year, considering Draco had his head in Pansy's lap. It was a truly disgusting sight to Maya and her spirits sank considerably.
"Hi," she said, valiantly trying to keep a straight face and her voice even. She distracted herself by stowing her trunk in the luggage rack overhead.
"Hi," the group mumbled back, apart from Pansy, who looked at Maya as if she were covered in Stinksap. This is going to be a fun ride Maya thought bitterly, but she sat down on the only empty seat nonetheless. The train began to move, and Pansy started stroking Draco's hair.
"So... had a good summer?" Maya asked quickly.
She barely got a response. After about ten minutes of awkwardness she decided to do Prefect duty and patrol the corridors. She had already considered the possibility that something had changed after the Inquisitorial Squad debacle, but had she really been replaced already? Did Draco blame her for walking out that time? Did he feel that she could not be trusted and relied upon? Or was she just overthinking it all?
She had barely gotten back to the compartment when the door slid open and a timid-looking third year girl stepped inside. "I'm... I'm supposed to deliver this to Blaise Zabini," she said nervously, glancing around at them all. Blaise merely took the scroll of parchment from her and she stumbled right back out of the compartment.
"What's that?" Draco demanded immediately.
"An invitation, from Professor Slughorn. He wants me to join him for a bite of lunch in compartment C," Blaise said after he had quickly unrolled the piece of paper.
"What? Where's mine?" Maya asked inadvertently, as Blaise slowly walked past her out of the compartment.
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Please, that professor clearly doesn't need Muggleborns!" she spat.
"Looks like he doesn't need rejects either, considering you weren't invited!" Maya retorted immediately.
"Ha, if I'm such a reject then why's Draco sitting with me right now?" Pansy asked smugly, but before Maya could respond Draco spoke up.
"Girls, please. There's enough of me for all of you," he said lazily. Maya felt a surge of disappointment that he did not pick her side, but maybe he thought Maya more than capable of standing up for herself.
Blaise came back about ten minutes later. For some reason he had trouble closing the compartment door. "What's wrong with this thing?" he said angrily, repeatedly trying to close it, but somehow the sliding door did not make it to the end of its little rail. Then suddenly the door flew open again, causing Blaise to topple over sideways into Gregory's lap. Next second, they were snarling at each other.
"What are you playing at?" Gregory grunted.
"Not my fault that ruddy door's broken!" Blaise snapped back. Gregory flung Blaise off him and now easily slammed the door shut. To Maya this little incident perfectly summarized her uncomfortable train journey, and she was just about to take a book from her trunk when Draco spoke up. Maya had avoided looking at him since he still had his head in Pansy's lap but now she inadvertently turned her head.
"So, what did that Slughorn want?" Draco asked, looking at Blaise.
"Just trying to get on well-connected people's good side," Blaise said casually, "not that he really managed to find them."
"Who else was invited?" Draco demanded. Maya had the strong impression that he felt he should have been invited too. He was, after all, from a 'well-connected' family. Now, Maya on the other hand... never mind.
"McLaggen from Gryffindor, apparently his uncle's big in the Ministry, a bloke called Belby, from Ravenclaw, and Longbottom, Potter and that Weasley girl."
"What? Longbottom? And that Weasley girl?" Draco asked indignantly, "Why Longbottom? Precious Potter, obviously he wanted a closer look at the Chosen One, but Longbottom and that Weasley girl? What sense does that make?"
"Well, she's quite popular," Pansy said, a definite hint of bitterness in her voice.
"And a filthy little blood traitor," Blaise said coldly.
"Anyway, I should've been invited," Draco said.
"I wouldn't bank on an invitation. Nott didn't get an invitation either. Looks like Slughorn's not interested in Death Eaters."
"Oh well, who cares, really? It's just some stupid teacher. I might not even be at Hogwarts next year," Draco said.
"What? Why not?" Maya piped up. It was the first thing she had said in quite a while.
"Let's say I will probably have moved on to, er, bigger and better things," Draco said smugly.
"Like what?" Maya asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Pansy snapped at her, "Draco obviously means him!"
Draco shrugged. "Let's say that I don't really care about O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s anymore. Not like they matter when the Dark Lord takes over. Then it'll all be about the kind of service he received and the level of devotion he was shown."
"And you, sixteen-years-old and not even fully qualified, will be able to do something for him?" Blaise asked sceptically.
"He doesn't care whether I'm qualified or not. The job he has for me isn't something that requires to be qualified for," Draco said quietly. Vincent and Gregory looked at him with their mouths open and Pansy was gazing at Draco in positive awe. Maya's mind, however, worked a little faster.
"What kind of job? Can I help out?" Maya asked eagerly. This was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate she was still a much more worthwhile friend to him than Pansy, and she could reap the potential rewards of Draco's mission in the process.
"Oh my gosh, Dursley, you have dung for brains or what? Obviously he can't say!" Pansy spat immediately. Apparently the idea of Maya helping Draco out with his important mission was too much for her to handle.
"Yeah, thanks Maya, but Pansy's right," Draco said lazily, causing Pansy to look rather smug indeed. Maya just rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I can see Hogwarts..."
The corridors filled up and finally the Hogwarts Express came to a complete halt. Gregory threw the door open and lost no time in punching a bunch of tiny second years aside. Vincent and Blaise followed, and Maya made to walk after them but Draco touched her. "You all go on," Draco said, "Maya and I have to check something."
"We do?" Maya asked, but Pansy's disgruntled face as she walked out of the compartment was worth it already. Now it was just Maya and Draco. "So...?" Maya asked him, wondering if they were about to have some intense and dramatic heart-to-heart. Was he about to accept her help after all? Draco merely let down the blinds so that nobody could peer in. Then, he took out his wand. "What...?" Maya started, inadvertently feeling a little nervous now. Next second, Draco pointed his wand not at her, but at the luggage rack overhead.
"Petrificus Totalus!" he said and before Maya knew it, Harry's paralysed body toppled out of the luggage rack only to land right at their feet with a rather loud bang. His Invisibility Cloak landed right next to him.
"Wait, what, how did you..." Maya began, looking from Draco to Harry and back.
"Ha! That was you blocking the door when Zabini came back, I s'pose? And I heard Gregory's trunk hit you," Draco said jubilantly, "but it's okay, you didn't hear anything important." Maya was still in a state of shock, and she watched how Draco stamped hard on Harry's face. Blood immediately spurted everywhere. "That's from my father! Now, Maya, you want your turn? He's your cousin after all."
Maya looked at her helpless cousin, and then at the Invisibility Cloak. "Yes, actually, I've got a cool idea," she said casually. She bent down and scooped up the Cloak. Next, she carefully put it over Harry so that he was completely concealed. "Enjoy your ride back to London, Harry. See you around... or not." Maya and Draco then left, sniggering madly. Maya was quite chuffed to have shared this funny moment with Draco and they could not wait to tell their fellow Slytherins, leaving Harry to listen to their fading footsteps.