Chapter 4

Millie spends more days getting to know the others around her. It was certainly a shock for her because she originally planned to not get close to anyone at all. Not even to Albus Dumbledore, knowing that she only accepted his offer to team up with him because she wants to destroy Voldemort with her own hands. She didn't anticipate that she'll be drawn closer to them. Especially, the teenagers. At all.

The holidays are nearing its end, and like what Hermione and Ginny told Millie, all of them would be out of the headquarters once it was done. Only the adults would be left. Well, a few of them. Like Molly and Sirius. Since Arthur would still be working in the Ministry and the other adults has their own assigned works to do. Millie was almost disappointed when she found out she would be left behind. Dumbledore had never spoken with her again after her first meeting with the Order. It was like, the man was avoiding her.

Letting out a sigh, she closes the book she was reading. It was the seventh one since she started borrowing Hermione's books. Harry, on the other hand, somewhat started being out of sight. He will be gone off her radar for the whole day, leaving Millie irritated all over it. Because there's just no way that she'll not see him when they stay at the same place all this time. Since all of them are not allowed to leave the headquarters unless they were with an adult. The obvious reason was that Harry was avoiding her intentionally. But for what reason, Millie doesn't care. If he doesn't want to see her, then so be it.

The night came quickly like the other nights. Everyone was called for dinner, aside from Millie. She was called by Dumbledore for a private speak in her own room. After making sure that no one was around, she let the Headmaster of Hogwarts inside her room. She thought it would be about some matters regarding the Order and some of their plot to conquer the Dark Lord with the help of her, but when Dumbledore take a sit on the edge of her bed and pull out a patched, frayed, and extremely dirty hat; she already knew it's far from what she thought. The hat looked so shabby that she doubts that the Headmaster use it, but the man is not your typical old man. She knew that, the moment her eyes met his.

Standing in front of the man with her arms folded across her chest, Millie stares at the hat and frowns. "Am I supposed to wear that?"

"Yes." Dumbledore politely answered, that Mille instantly knew the man wasn't joking. She carefully takes the hat from the man's hand and scrutinizes it.

"Is this some sort of new clothing accessory or something?" Millie looks at Dumbledore who only smiles at her in return. Knowing that she won't have an answer just by asking the man, she undoubtedly wears the hat on her head.

She knew it was magical because Dumbledore was carrying it, so she didn't flinch at all when it suddenly springs into life. Though, she was clearly fascinated just by looking at her eyes.

"Brave heart, I see. Bold and fearless, yet clearly reckless. Witty and unduly observant. Not easy to decipher, and excessively hard to please. Cunningness that comes from experience, and power that comes from blood. Yet, what is this I see? Fearless of a power greater than what you own, but you hunger for it instead. Where to put ya?"

Millie doesn't understand what was going on at first. Not even the reason why she was undergoing an irritable amount of time she was spending while listening to all the adjectives the hat can come up with.

But what the hat said that signals the end of its speech, clearly made Millie wear a dark face that everyone would obviously be terrified of.

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No one knows what happened the night Millie didn't join everyone for dinner. The only thing they know was whatever it was, it put the girl into her most furious state.

The next day they saw her, everyone immediately flinches back. No one can see it, but they feel how ominous the aura the girl was emitting. It was as if she was furious because someone had killed someone or something she values, and she's ready to kill whoever it was. She's ready to make them pay with their own lives.

The teenagers spend their remaining days before the class is back, watching the girl clenched her fist around the house. They watch how even Kreacher who they can't quiet down, shut his own mouth when she's around. Even when someone would accidentally wake up the shrieking mother of Sirius in the portrait, it would instantly pipe down along with closing the curtains on her own.

They won't admit it to anyone, but every single one of them already noticed how the other adults would be wary of her every time they see her. To the point that they won't bat an eye in her direction. This was the main reason why Hermione started doubting the girl. She knew that the girl was kind because she experiences it firsthand, but it was in her nature to doubt and be wary of something she can't comprehend.

Then as if the holidays didn't show up, the day for their return to Hogwarts had come. It was a mess to everyone's sight. Harry and Mrs. Weasley was clearly still bothered by what they saw when they encountered the Boggart locked in the wardrobe, but no one wants to speak about it, fearing that it might worsen the situation.

It was when Ginny and Harry were alone since Hermione and Ron need to board the carriage with the other prefect; that Ginny speak up.

"Have you seen Millie before we left the headquarters?" Ginny whispered the last word, clearly not wanting anyone to hear it aside from her and Harry.

"Mrs. Weasley called for her to have breakfast with us, but she didn't show up, remember? She hasn't been out of her room. It's been three days." Harry answered, even though it was more like a mumble.

In the very last carriage, they saw Neville Longbottom, Harry's fellow fifth-year Gryffindor, his round face shining with the effort of pulling his trunk along and maintaining a one-handed grip on his struggling toad, Trevor.

"Hi, Harry" he pants. "Hi, Ginny... everywhere is full... I can't find a seat..." Neville said, still struggling with his trunk.

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny, who had squeezed past Neville to peer into the compartment behind him. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here -" she started again, but Neville cut her. Mumbling something about not wanting to disturb anyone. "Don't be silly. She's all right."

Ginny slid the door open and pulled her trunk inside. Harry and Neville followed behind her.

"Hi, Luna," said Ginny, "is it OK if we take these seats?" The girl beside the window looks up. She had straggly waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look.

Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or at she had chosen to wear a necklace of Butter Beer corks, or that she's reading a magazine upside-down. Her eyes range over Neville and came to stop on Harry. She nodded.

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

Harry and Neville stowed the three trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down. Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and now wished he hadn't. He suddenly feels the hunger for Millie's presence at the situation.

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The Sorting of the Sorting Hat for the first years was already finished. Dumbledore was also done with introducing the new professor who came from the Ministry of Magic, and everyone was in the middle of supper when someone decided to make a big entrance.

The huge doors of the Great Hall burst open. Everyone's attention centering to the person in the middle of it. A girl with a waist-length, bright black hair, pale white complexion, and bright red eyes that give you the expression of staring through your soul, was standing right in front of them. No one recognizes her, but when she started walking down the aisle, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny, immediately did. Their eyes wide as they watch her every move. All of them with a single thought in their minds. 'What is she doing here?'

Millie still void of emotion, went straight to the table in the far right corner. All of the Slytherin students, not just them but everyone inside the room was staring at her. Totally confuse with whoever she was. Confuse to why she was wearing the Slytherin's robe when the Slytherin themselves doesn't even know her.

"Dumbledore. Why aren't you saying something? That girl came here very late. Is that the right etiquette for the students to act?"

At the sound of a woman's voice, Millie's head shoots up. Just in time for her eyes to darken at the sight of the owner of it. How could she not feel such boiling anger inside her? The woman sitting along with the other Professor's in the High Table, looking painfully stupid for wearing all bright pink, was one of the members of the Ministry of Magic that decided that she was guilty of killing her own mother.

One look at the woman, Millie's lips curl into a smirk. This didn't escape the Headmaster's eyes. But he did nothing, or even say anything. It was as if he was a spectator. Waiting for a thrilling turn of events. Severus Snape also saw the girl's small action, and quickly look at the Headmaster's direction, and when Dumbledore didn't do anything, he looks back at the girl. The girl that somewhat surprisingly interest him.

Dumbledore's silence irritates the woman, but she very well knows that getting pissed and losing her patience in front of the whole Academy will not benefit her. So with the most fake smile that Millie knows too well, the woman looks back at her. Obviously ready to shame her in front of everyone.

"May I know your name young lady?" Millie's brow quirk at the woman's tone. The irritation blending very well with her sickly sweet tone.

"Mirabella Pince. Call me Millie. I love the nickname my mother gave me." The surprise on the woman's face was so vivid that Millie finds it hard to hide her amusement from. It was so clear that the woman recognized the name. How could she not? She was one of the Ministry of Magic staff that watched her as she was drag by the others to take her to Azkaban.

"M-Mirabella..." The woman seems to have found her confidence once more, as she looks down at her. "Why are you late at such an important day?"

"Oh, about that? I'm really sorry, but I'm not the one to blame." A sickening plan rolling like a show inside Millie's head.

"Then who should we blame? Punctuality is everyone's responsibility." Millie absentmindedly grabs the bread knife on the table in front of her and stabs it forcefully on it. Barely missing a student's hand.

Upon this, the whole great hall went very still. Not even one of the ghosts dares make a small noise.

"Why don't you go fucking ask the Dementor I passed by on my way here?!" Millie intently stare at the woman's face as it goes pale, knowing that she just hit a bullseye.

It was not her plan in the beginning, but then Millie remembers how Sirius suspects the woman of sending the Dementors to where Harry was, which end up being the reason why he almost got expelled.

"Y-Your choice of word is not very befitting–"

"Oh, fuck off. Don't preach to me about befitting. I'm a Slytherin if your toad eyes can't see that. What befits snakes are their fangs and venoms. Besides, befitting you say? I thought toads are supposed to be a student's magical pet or something? Like the owls. But what are you doing sitting at the high table?"

The woman's face went very red when the Slytherin table exploded with laughter, followed by the other children from the other tables. At this, Millie unconsciously roams her eyes around the hall. Her eyes stopping just right where she saw the green ones she was very familiar with.

But instead of finding amusement in her words, the friends she made when she was back in the headquarters, find it very alarming. They all stare at her with uncertainty, as if they didn't know her to begin with.

Millie expected things to go that way. Ever since she found out that she's a Slytherin, and the others are Gryffindor, she already expected the gap that will form between them. Especially, after she listened to them talk about how Slytherins are infuriating.

But she never expected Harry to be one of those gaps. She didn't expect the pain that she felt in her chest when he avoids her eyes...

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