The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower

Seamus was feeling kind of jumpy around Harry ever since his little talk with Blaise. He had no reason to be jumpy, but something just made him feel that way. He'd told Blaise not to bother with Mandy Brocklehurst, and that he'd sort things out with Ginny when he saw her. When he did see Ginny, he was disappointed to hear that Blaise was correct. He put on a fake smile, and said he'd rather just be friends, and wished Ginny well. That was twice now, twice he'd been dumped. Things just weren't going as Seamus Finnigan would have liked.

The worst part of it all was that he knew the Gryffindor trio were up to something, they were always talking in whispers, and acting so secretive. Seamus had never felt so left out. When he was younger, he always had somebody to play with, but now, even Dean seemed to be too busy with Parvati.

Seamus sat alone in an empty classroom just thinking. He used to do this all the time when he was younger, after everyone else had gone to sleep. He'd sit alone in the dark and think.

He pulled his quill and a spare bit of parchment out of his pocket and found a jar of ink on one of the desks in the room. He dipped the quill in the ink jar and began to write.

I try to think what life would be,

If you and I were not apart,

I pretend that everything is how it should be,

I follow the wandering of my heart,

I see myself as if through your eyes,

Why am I so imperfect?

Because I am not as I wish I was,

You see me as imperfect,

You don't feel the way I do,

I'm stupid for thinking you ever would,

You're too good for me, I always knew,

I wouldn't change you, if I could,

I see you as perfect,

You're too good for me,

You see me as imperfect,

Perhaps that's how it should be.

Seamus read over what he had written. He didn't know who it was for, but he knew that it wasn't the sort of thing he would write for no reason. People knew him as the little Irish leprechaun, always happy, always joking. Nobody knew the inner Seamus. Nobody except for Verity, but she was so far away.

Suddenly, a thought hit Seamus. Blaise was a dreamwalker, she knew people better than they knew themselves.

Seamus quickly pulled out his wand. "Incendio," he whispered, destroying the piece of parchment by setting it on fire.

All of a sudden, the door to the classroom slammed shut. Seamus hadn't even realised that he'd left it open. He looked up, and saw a short man. The man had a pointed, cowardly face.

"Who are you?" Seamus asked, putting on his brave face.

"I am your worst nightmare," said the man, in a quivery voice.

Seamus laughed. "Oh yeah," he said. "I'm real scared."

The man pulled out his wand. "I could kill you right here," he said. "And I will."

Seamus held up his wand. "I could set you on fire right here," he said in a mocking tone. "And I will."

"Avada-" the man began, but he was cut off my Seamus setting his robes on fire. The man hopped about, trying to put out the fire, and Seamus bolted out of the room.

"Drat!" said Peter Pettigrew, once he'd finally put out the fire on his robes. The young Irish wizard had vanished from the room. "And he looked like a worthy one," Peter whined.

***

The next two weeks past quickly, and Seamus never told anyone about what had happened that night in the empty classroom, but he had a feeling that Blaise knew, because she gave him a look of concern every time she past him.

On the night of February the twelfth, Ginny, Draco, and Blaise all sat in the library at a table piled high with books.

"Argh! This makes no sense!" Ginny whined. "There're so many aspects of one stupid little sacrifice."

"I feel so important," said Draco. "I don't know why, but it makes me feel important to know that Voldemort and all his little followers are going through so much trouble for me. I feel almost like Potter, except that I was chosen by Slytherin."

"This thing was planned almost a thousand years ago," said Blaise. "Maybe by now they'll have re-thought this unforgivable curses part. I mean, where are they supposed to get three willing people from?"

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Who'd want to die?" she said.

"Crabbe and Goyle," said Draco. "They're probably going to be used. Actually, I know they will be; they're stupid enough, and they got that invitation thing."

"But what if they're just invited to watch?" Blaise asked.

"This is so confusing," said Ginny. "And the worst part is that it's taking palce the same night as the ball, and I was looking forward to that."

"Let's just go to the ball instead then," said Blaise. "It saves us all this trouble."

"No," said Draco. "This is so much more exciting, and we'll get all the publicity Potter usually gets."

"That's it!" said Ginny. "Nothing goes on around Hogwarts that Harry, Ron, and Hermione don't know, I'll bet they know all about this!"

"No, I don't think so," said Blaise. "Harry's never said anything about it."

"He wouldn't tell anyone," said Ginny. "They always keep this kind of stuff to themselves."

Blaise and Draco both looked doubtful.

"Fine," said Ginny. "Maybe they don't know."

Blaise went back to reading.

"Ginny," said Draco. "I just realised that I'm not going with anyone to ball. So would you like to come with me?"

"Oh!" said Ginny. "I'm sorry Draco, I'm already going with Colin."

"But you hate him!" said Draco. "And I would have thought we'd go together, you know, considering we do just about everything else together."

"But you never asked," said Ginny. "You can't assume I'd just go with my boyfriend, even if he didn't ask."

"Yes I can," said Draco. "That's the way it works, everyone knows that."

"But I already said yes to Colin, I can't go back on my word," said Ginny. "And I thought you weren't going, you have your sacrificing ceremony to attend."

"Yeah," said Draco. "But the ball starts at seven, the sacrifice at eight, I could go to the ball for an hour. And anyway, you and Blaise are coming with me to the sacrifice, I'm not going alone."

"But Colin and I are going to the ball," said Ginny. "Surely you can do without me."

"No," said Draco. "And if you're going to the ball with someone else, then I'd rather not be with you."

"She's joking," said Blaise. "You're so stupid."

"What?" said Draco.

"Yes, Draco," said Ginny. "I'll go with you."

"Don't ever do that again," said Draco, kissing Ginny.

"Get a room," Blaise mumbled. Then she looked up, her eyes excited. "I found it!" she said, her voice loud. Madam Pince shot her a very dirty look.

"Found what?" Draco asked.

"The way to stop this sacrifice from happening!" said Blaise. "It's if you can display some sort of emotion."

"Of course I can," said Draco. "I can be sad, happy, angry, and frustated. Is it that simple?"

"No," said Blaise. "Now I finally understand why you were raised to get everything you want, but without love!"

"What?" said Draco. "Care to explain?"

"You're heart is very small," said Blaise. "Metephorically, I mean. So you can't love anybodoy."

"What the Hell's that supposed to mean?" said Draco.

"Oh, I don't know," said Blaise. "But it's the only thing that's going to stop Voldemort tomorrow night."

"Malfoy!" called Goyle, who had just entered the library.

Draco looked at him. "What?"

"I just remembered, your great-grandfather, he died a little while ago," said Goyle.

"What, you mean sixty years ago?" said Draco. "Yeah, I already knew that."

"No," said Goyle. "Your other great-grandfather."

"The other one?" said Draco.

"Yes, your mother's grandfather," Goyle replied.

Draco looked shocked for a moment. "My mother," he said. "She must be absolutely..."Â He stood up slowly and left the library, looking confused.

Goyle followed him out of the library after waving joyously at Blaise.

Blaise turned to Ginny, a huge smile spread across her face. Ginny glared back and said, "you're really cold, you know that?"

Blaise shook her head. "No, not that," she said. "It's just if Draco cares about his mother enough to be unhappy when she's unhappy, it just might mean..." Blaise got up and walked out of the library.

"Might mean what?" Ginny called after her.

"Shhh!" hissed Madam Pince.

"Sorry," said Ginny.

***

"February the thirteenth," said Sirius Black. "That's what day it is, Blaise. Why do you ask?"

"Doesn't that ring any bells?" she asked. "What's happening tonight?"

"Miss Zabini," said Sirius. "I don't know what you're getting at."

"Yes you do," said Blaise. "I'm sure you do."

"Ah, that little Valentine's ball," said Sirius. "And why are you telling me? I'll be accompanying the first, second, third, and forth years to Hogsmeade museum tonight."

"No, no, no," said Blaise. "Not the ball."

"Blaise, please," said Sirius. "Take your seat, I have a class to teach."

"But your the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Blaise.

"Well done, Zabini," said Sirius. "And I have a class to teach."

Blaise sighed. She knew she was being absolutely stupid in trying to ask Professor Black for help, especially at the last minute, but Professor Snape had told Draco that he was wasting his time, and that Slytherin's sacrifice was a mere myth, maybe Professor Black would be a little more understanding, he was after all the cool teacher.

"Blaise, what are you doing?" Draco hissed when Blaise took her seat in front of him.

She turned around. "It's none of your business," she hissed back.

"Yes it is!" whispered Draco. "And I think you're being really stupid!"

Blaise turned around, completely ignoring Draco.