mickume/harry_potter_tiny · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 12 10.4k
Harry put himself in between what was about to be a catastrophe.
"You have to understand, as her friend –"
"We were never friends", Malfoy hissed back and stormed out.
There was instant regret in Harry. It felt wrong telling him. After all these years Harry was sure about one thing regarding Draco Malfoy – he wasn’t with the good guys.
Astoria started coming to class. People still didn’t know how to approach her. She also looked angry all the time and that didn’t make it easy.
They had a new class in the program with a woman named Dolores Umbridge. Her presence was a way for the Ministry to monitor the school which was ruled necessary after what happened to Cedric. It was political, Harry though as he saw how they blamed his death on Dumbledore.
"Now, now!", Umbridge said with a smile on her face. It looked fake like everything about her. "The conditions in which you were forced to study in this school were dangerous and ridiculous. As you all know, this will change to make sure your safety is priority number one! The ministry cares for your future and will make sure you stay very healthy and alive to reach it."
People rolled eyes at her. She looked as if she had a permanent smile on her toad-like face but it didn’t give her a sweet look. It was repulsive.
"Students falling into comas", she rolled her tongue as she got close to Astoria. Her hand swept over her hair and pulled it back her ear to reveal the eyepatch she wore now.
"Such things are unacceptable. Look what he did to this poor girl", Umbridge said with a whiny tone. Astoria looked repulsed by it.
"No one did this to me", she spat out. It was the first time Harry heard her speak.
"Were you not caused to collapse due to training under Dumbledore’s monitoring?", her voice had an unforgivable edge to it right at the tip of the fake sweetness. There was no right answer to that and surely there was no room for disagreement.
"They took your beauty", Umbridge said softly at her and Astoria got up from her chair to stare her down. Everyone looked and Umbridge took a step back as if she was hit, dramatically gasping.
"I went blind. No one took this from me", Astoria responded in a low voice. It was different than how she usually spoke. It sounded like hissing.
"From the stress I imagine", Umbridge hissed back, and Astoria sat down.
"There will be no more of this", she said now walking around the students in the room. "No more hurting children. There will be order and rules. Many new rules for you to follow".
The rules kept piling up with each day that passed. Umbridge was taking over the school. Even talking with other students in the hallways became a shameful thing.
That was an advantage for Draco Malfoy who kept distance from his peers now for his own reasons. He walked past them all in the corridors, always in a bit of a hurry. For where – he refused to tell. Astoria Elroy was back but was now more a ghost than a person. Draco tried to search for her but he could rarely find her. It’s like she evaporated from thin air and was always the first to leave class.
He managed to follow her one time. She was walking down the corridor and he heard her laugh for the first time. It felt forbidden as so much time had passed.
Maybe this was fate, he thought but quickly hid himself as he assumed it would be Potter following her around. That’s who he imagined would make her laugh. As Astoria passed him, Draco was left in disbelief. There was another student, clearly the source of a witty joke, he’d assume. Only this must have been a transfer student as Draco couldn’t recognize him from behind, even though his robes were in traditional Slytherin’s green. And he swore no one spoke to her, he had asked before.
Quickly Draco tried to follow them but as he turned the corner they were gone. There was no one in fact. He looked around a bit confused and when he turned to go back, a hand snatched his and he found himself pressed to the wall.
Astoria pushed him, yet kept her distance from him. She released him once she saw it was just him.
"You’re stalking me", she noted with irritation.
"I’m not", he hissed as he looked around.
"Who were you talking to?"
She didn’t answer and stepped back. There was no one there.
"I better not catch you again", Astoria said coldly.
"Did you lose your memory?", Draco said to her as he had no idea what else to say. That was a way to put it, as it would be absurd to ask was Voldemort inside her head or something of sorts.
"Do you remember me?", he said as he tried to grab her robes and push her toward him. He didn’t even realize how hungry he was to feel her again until now.
She snapped his arm and stepped back.
"Of course, I remember you, Malfoy. I was in a comma, no one obliterated my mind".
"Do you remember what we did?", he said with a low voice, trying to reach her.
Her hand was fast. Two fingers were pressed in his neck as a threat. It was strange, yet he froze as he knew she didn’t need to use a wand. He had seen it with his own eyes and knew what came out of those fingers that now pressed their tips next to a vein in his neck.
"The feeling wore off", she responded coldly and then added, "I’m sorry it took so much time. Please don’t bother me with it".
She turned to walk away. Draco felt dizzy. It was odd, just like Potter had said. Like she wasn’t herself. All of her felt new, unfamiliar to him. He wondered if he should tell them, but quickly chased away the thought.
"What happened to your eye?", Draco said confused as he stared at the braid that now fell down to her waist.
She turned; her face twisted in rage.
"I WENT BLIND!", Astoria screamed and her anger echoed around the empty corridor.
Weeks passed and they didn’t exchange a singe word. Astoria said she remembered him, yet it was like he was a stranger to her. Draco thought it could be a test, maybe she would snap out of it eventually, but she didn’t. Sometimes he’d catch her stare at him but she’d always turn away.
Jealousy slipped in and he thought she was speaking to Potter, so he followed him around to try and see if they talked, exchanged glares or something. Nothing. And he looked just as miserable as he did.
Umbridge made things worse. He could swear Gryffindors had some kind of secret room that they met. God knows what they did in it, but he could never quite catch them. That was becoming a problem because Umbridge required reports from him and other students. Those who failed were punished and the punishment behind closed doors was nothing of the sort of safety she preached.
Hogwarts was divided. That at least was a success as students quickly realized that every other house was targeted expect Slytherin. Of course, some got detention for inappropriate behavior like Blaise Zabini who had to write into his wrist the words "Pervert" after being caught with a Ravenclaw girl. Even though the moral lesson was missed and he mostly wore it like a cool tattoo.
And all that was nothing in comparison to what they did to Gryffindors. Draco Malfoy could almost feel pity for them. Slytherin’s still had some freedom and were actively praised for spying on others. There was no doubt in his mind whose work this was.
Shadows also came for him, wanting reports. One of them slipped the name Elroy, but it wasn’t about her. Instead, they talked about her father. He was also a shadow and was free again like his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange.
It was noticeable, but no one had eyes to spot it. Everything had changed. Harry Potter knew Voldemort was back, yet it seemed no one believed him. They all continued living, not realizing they lived in a world that had expired.
The invisibility cloak came handy when spying. The corridors were now patrolled at all times, including the night. Flinch was having the time of his life, catching students and then bringing them to Umbridge so she could torture them.
Despite all of that, something strange was happening. If it wasn’t for the cloak and the Marauder’s map, he would’ve never noticed. Both Astoria and Draco Malfoy managed to slip out of the castle on multiple occasions. Only them. There was no one else walking around past bedtime. There was an explanation for that, following their romantic affair of last year, but they didn’t meet on the map. Not once in two months, Harry observed.
There was a chance they met somewhere not located around the castle but there were too many inconsistencies. Sometimes they would leave in different time. One night – just one of them. There was an occasion that he saw them sneak away from the Slytherin dorms seconds away from each other but they went in different directions. If he had to assume – it was that Astoria saw Draco and decided to hide himself from him, wait and then leave after. She was avoiding him in class as well.
Yet it bothered him – what were they doing? There was a high chance she wasn’t even herself. Harry decided it was time to find out for himself. Hermione strictly advised against it, but he never listened.
In the darkness of the night Harry saw her braid swing behind her under glimpses of moonlight. She looked like before, only sharper. That’s how he defined to himself the difference in her after observing her for some time. Everything about her had an edge and she appeared dangerous. The way she walked, the way she talked, the way she glared and smiled. It all seemed filled with hatred as if everything repulsed her or challenged her and either way she was determined to crush it.
Astoria wore her dueling uniform, a skintight black suit that made her blur in with the night. Harry struggled to keep up and lost her for a bit.
Being alone in the forest at night, far away from the castle, wasn’t the smartest choice on his part. Then again it wasn’t the first stupid idea he decided to follow through.
A sound finally gave her away. It was laughter. Such an odd thing to follow between the shadows in the forest as she never laughed. And he never thought Astoria could return in the forest alone after he found her bleeding on the ground next to the Drumstrang boy.
Branches started pulling him back. He kept pushing. It could be another in her, meeting with Voldemort, reporting to him. Or maybe they were using her in a more horrible way. He wouldn’t think about that, pushing the thought from his mind.
And then he reached it. An open field in the forest. There was no one there. Time passed by as he waited to make sure and – nothing. He removed his cloak to take a better look. The night remained silent. He had lost her – another bitter defeat.
It was so quiet he could hear himself gasp for breath. He decided to take a rest. It was late and he was growing tired. That was a mistake.
Something heavy fell on his head and took him down. It didn’t knock him out completely so Harry rolled on the ground and got up. In a quick pull his wand was out of his pocket and pointing towards her.
She grabbed his hand. Moved swiftly against him. It wasn’t even magic, just physical strength. He tried to punch, threw a disarming curse but it missed. Harry found himself on the ground. Astoria was sitting on top of him when she stopped her movement to meet his eyes. The green in them flashed under the moonlight.
"Harry?", she said with surprise, and he felt her relax. Her body was warm and her scent was sweet. Clear and fresh.
It made him dizzy. And it didn’t help when she leaned towards his face to take a better look. Harry panicked, tried to move away, but she held him still with her legs around him – the warmth of her body was slipping away from her clothes to sink into his skin. He grabbed her hips to try to push her away. However, she leaned towards him, a finger stood next to his neck. A familiar threat.
Someone else was there. He heard footsteps and managed to turn his head. He saw a pair of muddy shoes next to his face. Then another person squatted next to him and stared in his face.
A boy. But he looked just like Astoria. Except the glowing red eyes as he stared at him with a wide and devilish smile.
"Hello again", he said and laughed.
Astoria got up and stretched her hand forward. Harry took it and she pulled him up. He looked around with confusion. Now with a better look – the boy next to her visibly resembled her a lot like a twin. He kept close to her and glared back at Harry with curiosity.
"The boy who lived", he hissed and Harry recognized the voice.
Astoria remained silent. Harry was gasping for air as he noticed she too had mud and dirt on her body and a bit in her braid.
"Who is he?", he said.
"Family", she said coldly.
"He was in your mind", he gasped as he pointed his wand. That made the boy laugh. A wide smile appeared on his face. An evil look.
"You don’t want to die like this, Harry", Astoria laughed as well.
They sounded almost identical when laughing, he realized with horror. And such casual smiles, it gave him an off feeling. As if there was something wrong in that. He lowered his wand but kept it in his hand.
"It’s nice to meet you. My name is Nicola", he said politely, approaching him closer. Harry jumped back; the boy was fast in his movement.
"What are you doing?", Astoria snapped angrily.
"You trust him, don’t you? I know you do, at least more than the blond boy".
"I thought you met with Malfoy", Harry said shocked as he heard him mention him.
"Why?", she asked slowly moving forward him.
Fear crept inside him. He felt like he walked in a trap. His first idea was that they were having a relationship of some sort like last year. But Malfoy seemed miserable. Hermione had noticed he spent most of his time alone now and rarely interacted with the other students like he did before. They still worshiped him, but it was different. He looked constantly tired.
The second guess was worse. It was one that suspected her of betrayal far worse than that.
"I figured you two met", he said dry, blushing at the thought.
"We don’t anymore", her voice was cold. She looked unimpressed.
"Astoria, what are you doing?", he said suddenly enraged as everything seemed wrong to him.
He knew now it was her and that somehow made it worse. It was a conscious choice she made. To not speak, to change, to distance herself. Another betrayal.
"I suppose I never got to thank you for trying to help me", Astoria said but there was no gratitude in her voice.
Harry looked at the boy next to her. He had an evil glare and dangerous eyes. It was said to be a mark of dark magic. Voldemort had the same eyes. Harry shivered as memories flooded his mind.
"How did you get out?"
"I won", she said coldly.
"And him? Why is he here with you?"
"I was always here", Nicola answered instead.
"And I want him here", Astoria’s words followed, complimenting his sentence.
"You changed", Harry finally said. It was the best way to put it.
"It was going to happen sooner or later".
"Are we not friends?", he took a deep breath with those words.
"You might have to kill him", Nicola stepped in, both of his arm stretched out as he pointed his two fingers at him. Harry knew this stance and he shivered.
"I won’t", she said unimpressed then added, "He’s worried you will tell Dumbledore. This is why I keep my distance. It’s a secret, Harry".
"He will betray you, you have to be first", the boy kept talking to her, ignoring him completely. The words seem to not leave any impression on her.
"Can you keep my secret?’, she was staring inside him. Cold sweat went down his neck as he felt his mind grow tired from a foreign force, trying to come in.
"Good", she said and then stared at him for a moment before she added, "I won’t tell Umbridge about your group of resistance".
Dumbledore’s Army, he realized. It was something very new. At its core - him, Ron and Hermione as well as a few other Gryffindors that wanted to rebel against Umbridge’s tyranny.
"Every house is instructed to spy and rat you out".
Astoria walked away. Nicola followed her, yet he kept his red eyes on him before they lost themselves in the forest. An empty feeling was left behind as Harry watched her leave.

Harry put himself in between what was about to be a catastrophe.

"You have to understand, as her friend –"

"We were never friends", Malfoy hissed back and stormed out.

There was instant regret in Harry. It felt wrong telling him. After all these years Harry was sure about one thing regarding Draco Malfoy – he wasn’t with the good guys.

Astoria started coming to class. People still didn’t know how to approach her. She also looked angry all the time and that didn’t make it easy.

They had a new class in the program with a woman named Dolores Umbridge. Her presence was a way for the Ministry to monitor the school which was ruled necessary after what happened to Cedric. It was political, Harry though as he saw how they blamed his death on Dumbledore.

"Now, now!", Umbridge said with a smile on her face. It looked fake like everything about her. "The conditions in which you were forced to study in this school were dangerous and ridiculous. As you all know, this will change to make sure your safety is priority number one! The ministry cares for your future and will make sure you stay very healthy and alive to reach it."

People rolled eyes at her. She looked as if she had a permanent smile on her toad-like face but it didn’t give her a sweet look. It was repulsive.

"Students falling into comas", she rolled her tongue as she got close to Astoria. Her hand swept over her hair and pulled it back her ear to reveal the eyepatch she wore now.

"Such things are unacceptable. Look what he did to this poor girl", Umbridge said with a whiny tone. Astoria looked repulsed by it.

"No one did this to me", she spat out. It was the first time Harry heard her speak.

"Were you not caused to collapse due to training under Dumbledore’s monitoring?", her voice had an unforgivable edge to it right at the tip of the fake sweetness. There was no right answer to that and surely there was no room for disagreement.

"They took your beauty", Umbridge said softly at her and Astoria got up from her chair to stare her down. Everyone looked and Umbridge took a step back as if she was hit, dramatically gasping.

"I went blind. No one took this from me", Astoria responded in a low voice. It was different than how she usually spoke. It sounded like hissing.

"From the stress I imagine", Umbridge hissed back, and Astoria sat down.

"There will be no more of this", she said now walking around the students in the room. "No more hurting children. There will be order and rules. Many new rules for you to follow".

The rules kept piling up with each day that passed. Umbridge was taking over the school. Even talking with other students in the hallways became a shameful thing.

That was an advantage for Draco Malfoy who kept distance from his peers now for his own reasons. He walked past them all in the corridors, always in a bit of a hurry. For where – he refused to tell. Astoria Elroy was back but was now more a ghost than a person. Draco tried to search for her but he could rarely find her. It’s like she evaporated from thin air and was always the first to leave class.

He managed to follow her one time. She was walking down the corridor and he heard her laugh for the first time. It felt forbidden as so much time had passed.

Maybe this was fate, he thought but quickly hid himself as he assumed it would be Potter following her around. That’s who he imagined would make her laugh. As Astoria passed him, Draco was left in disbelief. There was another student, clearly the source of a witty joke, he’d assume. Only this must have been a transfer student as Draco couldn’t recognize him from behind, even though his robes were in traditional Slytherin’s green. And he swore no one spoke to her, he had asked before.

Quickly Draco tried to follow them but as he turned the corner they were gone. There was no one in fact. He looked around a bit confused and when he turned to go back, a hand snatched his and he found himself pressed to the wall.

Astoria pushed him, yet kept her distance from him. She released him once she saw it was just him.

"You’re stalking me", she noted with irritation.

"I’m not", he hissed as he looked around.

"Who were you talking to?"

She didn’t answer and stepped back. There was no one there.

"I better not catch you again", Astoria said coldly.

"Did you lose your memory?", Draco said to her as he had no idea what else to say. That was a way to put it, as it would be absurd to ask was Voldemort inside her head or something of sorts.

"Do you remember me?", he said as he tried to grab her robes and push her toward him. He didn’t even realize how hungry he was to feel her again until now.

She snapped his arm and stepped back.

"Of course, I remember you, Malfoy. I was in a comma, no one obliterated my mind".

"Do you remember what we did?", he said with a low voice, trying to reach her.

Her hand was fast. Two fingers were pressed in his neck as a threat. It was strange, yet he froze as he knew she didn’t need to use a wand. He had seen it with his own eyes and knew what came out of those fingers that now pressed their tips next to a vein in his neck.

"The feeling wore off", she responded coldly and then added, "I’m sorry it took so much time. Please don’t bother me with it".

She turned to walk away. Draco felt dizzy. It was odd, just like Potter had said. Like she wasn’t herself. All of her felt new, unfamiliar to him. He wondered if he should tell them, but quickly chased away the thought.

"What happened to your eye?", Draco said confused as he stared at the braid that now fell down to her waist.

She turned; her face twisted in rage.

"I WENT BLIND!", Astoria screamed and her anger echoed around the empty corridor.

Weeks passed and they didn’t exchange a singe word. Astoria said she remembered him, yet it was like he was a stranger to her. Draco thought it could be a test, maybe she would snap out of it eventually, but she didn’t. Sometimes he’d catch her stare at him but she’d always turn away.

Jealousy slipped in and he thought she was speaking to Potter, so he followed him around to try and see if they talked, exchanged glares or something. Nothing. And he looked just as miserable as he did.

Umbridge made things worse. He could swear Gryffindors had some kind of secret room that they met. God knows what they did in it, but he could never quite catch them. That was becoming a problem because Umbridge required reports from him and other students. Those who failed were punished and the punishment behind closed doors was nothing of the sort of safety she preached.

Hogwarts was divided. That at least was a success as students quickly realized that every other house was targeted expect Slytherin. Of course, some got detention for inappropriate behavior like Blaise Zabini who had to write into his wrist the words "Pervert" after being caught with a Ravenclaw girl. Even though the moral lesson was missed and he mostly wore it like a cool tattoo.

And all that was nothing in comparison to what they did to Gryffindors. Draco Malfoy could almost feel pity for them. Slytherin’s still had some freedom and were actively praised for spying on others. There was no doubt in his mind whose work this was.

Shadows also came for him, wanting reports. One of them slipped the name Elroy, but it wasn’t about her. Instead, they talked about her father. He was also a shadow and was free again like his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange.

It was noticeable, but no one had eyes to spot it. Everything had changed. Harry Potter knew Voldemort was back, yet it seemed no one believed him. They all continued living, not realizing they lived in a world that had expired.

The invisibility cloak came handy when spying. The corridors were now patrolled at all times, including the night. Flinch was having the time of his life, catching students and then bringing them to Umbridge so she could torture them.

Despite all of that, something strange was happening. If it wasn’t for the cloak and the Marauder’s map, he would’ve never noticed. Both Astoria and Draco Malfoy managed to slip out of the castle on multiple occasions. Only them. There was no one else walking around past bedtime. There was an explanation for that, following their romantic affair of last year, but they didn’t meet on the map. Not once in two months, Harry observed.

There was a chance they met somewhere not located around the castle but there were too many inconsistencies. Sometimes they would leave in different time. One night – just one of them. There was an occasion that he saw them sneak away from the Slytherin dorms seconds away from each other but they went in different directions. If he had to assume – it was that Astoria saw Draco and decided to hide himself from him, wait and then leave after. She was avoiding him in class as well.

Yet it bothered him – what were they doing? There was a high chance she wasn’t even herself. Harry decided it was time to find out for himself. Hermione strictly advised against it, but he never listened.

In the darkness of the night Harry saw her braid swing behind her under glimpses of moonlight. She looked like before, only sharper. That’s how he defined to himself the difference in her after observing her for some time. Everything about her had an edge and she appeared dangerous. The way she walked, the way she talked, the way she glared and smiled. It all seemed filled with hatred as if everything repulsed her or challenged her and either way she was determined to crush it.

Astoria wore her dueling uniform, a skintight black suit that made her blur in with the night. Harry struggled to keep up and lost her for a bit.

Being alone in the forest at night, far away from the castle, wasn’t the smartest choice on his part. Then again it wasn’t the first stupid idea he decided to follow through.

A sound finally gave her away. It was laughter. Such an odd thing to follow between the shadows in the forest as she never laughed. And he never thought Astoria could return in the forest alone after he found her bleeding on the ground next to the Drumstrang boy.

Branches started pulling him back. He kept pushing. It could be another in her, meeting with Voldemort, reporting to him. Or maybe they were using her in a more horrible way. He wouldn’t think about that, pushing the thought from his mind.

And then he reached it. An open field in the forest. There was no one there. Time passed by as he waited to make sure and – nothing. He removed his cloak to take a better look. The night remained silent. He had lost her – another bitter defeat.

It was so quiet he could hear himself gasp for breath. He decided to take a rest. It was late and he was growing tired. That was a mistake.

Something heavy fell on his head and took him down. It didn’t knock him out completely so Harry rolled on the ground and got up. In a quick pull his wand was out of his pocket and pointing towards her.

She grabbed his hand. Moved swiftly against him. It wasn’t even magic, just physical strength. He tried to punch, threw a disarming curse but it missed. Harry found himself on the ground. Astoria was sitting on top of him when she stopped her movement to meet his eyes. The green in them flashed under the moonlight.

"Harry?", she said with surprise, and he felt her relax. Her body was warm and her scent was sweet. Clear and fresh.

It made him dizzy. And it didn’t help when she leaned towards his face to take a better look. Harry panicked, tried to move away, but she held him still with her legs around him – the warmth of her body was slipping away from her clothes to sink into his skin. He grabbed her hips to try to push her away. However, she leaned towards him, a finger stood next to his neck. A familiar threat.

Someone else was there. He heard footsteps and managed to turn his head. He saw a pair of muddy shoes next to his face. Then another person squatted next to him and stared in his face.

A boy. But he looked just like Astoria. Except the glowing red eyes as he stared at him with a wide and devilish smile.

"Hello again", he said and laughed.

Astoria got up and stretched her hand forward. Harry took it and she pulled him up. He looked around with confusion. Now with a better look – the boy next to her visibly resembled her a lot like a twin. He kept close to her and glared back at Harry with curiosity.

"The boy who lived", he hissed and Harry recognized the voice.

Astoria remained silent. Harry was gasping for air as he noticed she too had mud and dirt on her body and a bit in her braid.

"Who is he?", he said.

"Family", she said coldly.

"He was in your mind", he gasped as he pointed his wand. That made the boy laugh. A wide smile appeared on his face. An evil look.

"You don’t want to die like this, Harry", Astoria laughed as well.

They sounded almost identical when laughing, he realized with horror. And such casual smiles, it gave him an off feeling. As if there was something wrong in that. He lowered his wand but kept it in his hand.

"It’s nice to meet you. My name is Nicola", he said politely, approaching him closer. Harry jumped back; the boy was fast in his movement.

"What are you doing?", Astoria snapped angrily.

"You trust him, don’t you? I know you do, at least more than the blond boy".

"I thought you met with Malfoy", Harry said shocked as he heard him mention him.

"Why?", she asked slowly moving forward him.

Fear crept inside him. He felt like he walked in a trap. His first idea was that they were having a relationship of some sort like last year. But Malfoy seemed miserable. Hermione had noticed he spent most of his time alone now and rarely interacted with the other students like he did before. They still worshiped him, but it was different. He looked constantly tired.

The second guess was worse. It was one that suspected her of betrayal far worse than that.

"I figured you two met", he said dry, blushing at the thought.

"We don’t anymore", her voice was cold. She looked unimpressed.

"Astoria, what are you doing?", he said suddenly enraged as everything seemed wrong to him.

He knew now it was her and that somehow made it worse. It was a conscious choice she made. To not speak, to change, to distance herself. Another betrayal.

"I suppose I never got to thank you for trying to help me", Astoria said but there was no gratitude in her voice.

Harry looked at the boy next to her. He had an evil glare and dangerous eyes. It was said to be a mark of dark magic. Voldemort had the same eyes. Harry shivered as memories flooded his mind.

"How did you get out?"

"I won", she said coldly.

"And him? Why is he here with you?"

"I was always here", Nicola answered instead.

"And I want him here", Astoria’s words followed, complimenting his sentence.

"You changed", Harry finally said. It was the best way to put it.

"It was going to happen sooner or later".

"Are we not friends?", he took a deep breath with those words.

"You might have to kill him", Nicola stepped in, both of his arm stretched out as he pointed his two fingers at him. Harry knew this stance and he shivered.

"I won’t", she said unimpressed then added, "He’s worried you will tell Dumbledore. This is why I keep my distance. It’s a secret, Harry".

"He will betray you, you have to be first", the boy kept talking to her, ignoring him completely. The words seem to not leave any impression on her.

"Can you keep my secret?’, she was staring inside him. Cold sweat went down his neck as he felt his mind grow tired from a foreign force, trying to come in.

"Good", she said and then stared at him for a moment before she added, "I won’t tell Umbridge about your group of resistance".

Dumbledore’s Army, he realized. It was something very new. At its core - him, Ron and Hermione as well as a few other Gryffindors that wanted to rebel against Umbridge’s tyranny.

"Every house is instructed to spy and rat you out".

Astoria walked away. Nicola followed her, yet he kept his red eyes on him before they lost themselves in the forest. An empty feeling was left behind as Harry watched her leave.