If our bodies could shake so hard that they made the room vibrate, that’s what was happening. All my brain could make myself do at that moment was to scream. I could feel my eyes begin to shut, my legs became weak. As I began to collapse, she made her way towards me.
“You have nothing to fear,” She began. It took just that little sentence for me to know this wasn’t Granger. Her voice was much more pure, much more echoed. She was taller, and she was wearing leather – no. No way this could be Granger “That is, if you have nothing to hide.” She laughed, and she changed. She was wearing ballet flats and her Hogwarts uniform. Her hair became curlier, and she seemed to shorten. Then she faded away into nothing, and my legs gave out, bringing me to the floor.
“PANSY!” I awoke to the distant shouting of someone, someone who sounded like they were in another world. It was a boy. I sat up, trying to open my heavy eyelids. It took me a while until I found strength to open them. I blinked several times, glancing around the room. I was in the common room of Draco and Granger’s dorm, lying on the ground. Memories flashed back through my head as I remembered what had gone on upstairs.
“What time is it?” I asked weakly, trying to stand up. Blaise and Draco each grabbed my hands, trying to steady me. I looked around and saw Professor McGonagall, Slughorn, and Pomfrey all in the room as well.
“Nearly nine o’ clock.” McGonagall said. “Miss Parkinson, are you alright?”
“Oh yeah.” I said brightly, standing up. “Just not enough water. If you’ll excuse me, I’d better be getting off to Charms now, don’t want to be late.” I grabbed my bag off the couch and began walking towards the door. I heard them all shouting behind me, and didn’t stop.
“PANSY!” Blaise yelled. I turned around, crossing my arms.
“Well?” I asked him angrily.
“Classes are canceled today. And tomorrow as well, but I’m sure you already knew that.” Professor McGonagall said.
My heart sank as she remembered their trial. “Why today?”
“There’s someone here to see you, Miss Parkinson.” McGonagall said, gesturing to a girl sitting in one of the chairs. She was pretty, with black hair and brown eyes, a fair complexion and a scatter of freckles along her nose. A girl that perfect looking had to be hiding something.
“If you could all leave now, that would be wonderful.” I managed to say quietly. The three teachers filed out, while Blaise and Draco remained. I grimaced, dropping her bag and sitting down on the couch across from the girl. Blaise and Draco sat down either side of me. I sighed, taking one more look at the girl.
“You’re Alyssa.” I said, glancing at her.
She smiled faintly, relaxing a bit in her chair. “You’re the girl who killed my best friend.” A smirk daunted on her face. She didn’t seem like someone Granger would be friends with. She was…for lack of a better word, too dark.
“Yeah, that was actually me.” Draco muttered, looking up at the girl.
She ignored him. “So, I got your letter.” She said, nodding to me. I faintly remembered sending a letter, although today my head was fuzzy and it was hard to remember anything. “My parents are old friends of Slughorn’s.” I noticed she was American.
“So, we wanted to talk to you about Granger.” I said, leaning forward.
The girl chucked quietly, smiling slyly. “I was wondering when she would come up.”
“Yeah, listen.” Blaise said strongly, “We’re sick and tired of playing games, alright? Just answer a few questions and you can go back to your sorority or wherever.”
“Well maybe I’ll just not answer any of your questions at all.” She teased back. Her expression made it evident that she enjoyed playing games with us.
“Maybe we should tell her.” Draco said as there was a loud clap of thunder from outside. Rain began to unexpectedly pour down, you could see through the large window. I nodded, grabbing a small black box from my bag. Setting it down on the table, I opened it, revealing all the notes we had received.
“Looks like someone’s trying to play a prank on you.” Alyssa read through each of the notes, setting each one back in the box after reading it. “What is it you’re here to ask me about?”
“We just need you to tell us about her. She seemed different the night that she died,” I stopped myself, feeling quite uncertain. My stomach lurched, and felt out of breath for a moment.
“I know you killed her.” She said.
“We’re not denying it.” I shot back.
“I know more.” She whispered. There was something about this conversation that was seductive, hard to leave. I wanted to know what was going on so bad. I had seen Granger, I really had seen her.
“What?” I asked pleadingly. “Please, we know what we did.”
“But I can’t help you…” She murmured, putting her hand up to her temple and glancing down at the floor.
“What do you mean?” I asked her angrily, standing up. She stood up as well, taking her bag with her. There were visible tears in her eyes.
“I can’t talk about her. I can’t help you of all people.” She spat, suddenly angry with us. “Goodbye.” She spat, grabbing her bag and taking it with her as she exited the dorm.
“What the hell?” Blaise said, standing up, a confused expression on his face. We were all lost. The portrait door creaked open, and a blonde stood there, her mouth poised in a perfect ‘o’. She was dressed in a skirt and top, her blonde hair tied up in a bun. Astoria crossed her arms and leaned up against the wall, raising her eyebrows at us.
“Merlin’s pants, what the hell was that about?” Astoria said, a light chuckle escaping from her mouth. My eyes widened when I heard that expression. Her blue eyes teased us all.
“Astoria, stop it.” I said, crossing my arms and turning the other direction.
“What did I do?” She said, confused. She may have been a good liar, but I had known her for nearly ten years at that point. I could tell the difference between her innocence and her fake innocence.
Blaise turned around to face me, and Draco put his head in with us as well.
“What the hell?” Draco murmured, and I knew he knew it as well as I did. The only person who had ever said that was Hermione Granger. There was a slamming, and we all looked up to notice the door was closed. A small piece of paper hung there, stuck onto the wall by some unknown substance. Draco walked over and grabbed it, reading it aloud to us.
I’m done. Astronomy tower, midnight, tonight. If you’re late, you miss your chance.
H.G.
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