“Sepultura.”
Thebrikslikedopen.Harrylookeddowntoeahendofthehallway,anduponseeingnoone,enteredtheommonrooms.
TheywerenotinthestateofdisrepairthatHarryhadexpeted.Infat,theylookedquitelivedin.Therewasadiningtableatoneend,adeskoveredinpotionsequipmenttowardsthemiddle,andadeskattheveryend.Therewerebooksstrewnarossmostoftheftsurfaes,aswellasfloortoeilingshelvesfilledwithmorebooks,alotofthemMugglebythelooksofthem.
Harrywalkedslowlytowardswheretheboys’dormitorieshadbeen,peekinghisheadinside.Therewasonlyonebedinthere,bigenoughtofitaboutthreeHagridsomfortably.Lyingonthebedhesawtheatwiththebifoalmarkingshehadseenaroundtheastle.Shelookedupathim,seemingtoseehimdespitehisloak,sighed,andreturnedherheadtoherpaws.Someonewaslivinghere.
Thathadbeenthestthinghesuspeted.Hethought,perhaps,MGonagallwashidingsomeartifatfromthewarthatshedidn’twantthestudentsfiddlingwith,orsomethingthatDumbledorehadentrustedherwithuponhisdeath.Whathedidnotexpetwasapartments.
Hestoodquietly,listeningforanysignoflife,butdeterminedapartfromtheat,hewasverymuhalone.Heventuredbakintotheommonroom,walkingslowlyalongthebookshelfandrunninghisfingeralongthespines.Hestoppedwhenheametoaratherthik,tallbookwithanunmarkedbinding.Hepulleditoutandleafedthroughitbriefly.
Itappearedtobelippingsfromneersandmagazines.Uponfurtherstudy,henotiedmostofthemseemedtobeabouthim.TherewereafewaboutHermioneandRon,theirweddingan,abitaboutRonbeomingapartneratWizardWheezes,abitaboutHermionebeominganAuror.TherewereoneortwolippingsaboutNeville,someaboutGinny,butthosemostlyonernedhim.Itseemedhewasthestarofthissrapbook.TheonlyotherpersonwhoameloseintermsofbeingmentionedwasDraoMalfoy.Intrigued,Harryarriedthebookovertothedesk,sittinginthehair.HelethisarmspeekoutfrombelowtheInvisibilityCloak,butremainedovered,inaseanyoneshouldreturn.
Heopenedtothefirstpagetofindanartilehehadsavedhimself,theonewrittenthedayhehadgivenMalfoyhiswandbak.Onthepagediretlyarossfromit,therewasapagefromagossipmagazinehedidn’tsubsribetodetailingthesamemeeting,butthephotographwastakenwhileHarryandMalfoyweresatatthetable.ThepainedlookthatHarryhadmemorizedfromtheProphetphotodidnotfeatureonMalfoy’sfaehere.Instead,itshowedtheblondeboywathingHarryasHarrystaredfixedlyathisownhands.Sofixedly,infat,thathehadfailedtonotiethesmilepyingonMalfoy’slips,andatouhofwhatHarrywouldallfondness,ifhedidn’tknowbetter,inhiseyes.Hereadtheheadline.
NewBeginnings:Romeoand…Romeo?
Harryhurriedlyskimmedtherestoftheartile.
It’snothardtoseethatDraoMalfoy,17yearoldformerDeathEater,onlyhaseyesforhisformernemesis,HarryPotter.Butthenagain,whodoesn’t?Potterissetuptobethemostsoughtaftermanforthedeade,atleast.ButhasMalfoylukedout?Soureslosetobothsaythismeetingmayhavebeenmorethanasimpletrue.Thelookonaertainblonde’sfaeseemstopointthatway.Isaforbiddenlovebetweentwostarrossedteensonthehorizon?WhatofPotter’surrentfme,GinnyWeasley?Moreasthestoryunfolds.
Therewasabitofwritingsrawledinthemarginoftheartileinasnted,leansript.
Washardlymakingeyesathim.HARDLY.