“Hufflepuff versus Slytherin!” Zacharias yelled. “Good weather today!”

“Can you yell a little louder, I can’t hear you?” Grace shouted up at him.

“Shut up Grace, you're going to get us into trouble before the game even starts,” Urquhart said rudely.

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember any rules about that. Maybe you could remind me, since I haven’t played in a match since you broke both of my legs?”

“Captains shake hands!” Hooch commanded.

Rue strutted over confidently and put her hand out. Urquhart took it. Rue immediately smiled and almost broke his fingers. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”

She gave a cocky nod as she stepped back with her team, throwing Grace a look that said try to stay on your broom this time.

“Mount up, play fair.” Hooch whistled and released the balls.

“It’s a good start for Slytherin, they have the Quaffle… but Hufflepuff takes it, good Bludger from Goyle!” Millicent cheered loudly. “Oh, ten to Hufflepuff!”

Rue blocked a Quaffle from Grace, throwing it to one of her teammates.

“Grace!” Vaisley called. She turned towards him, taking the stolen Quaffle and shooting it at the goal again. Rue just missed.

“Ten to Slytherin! They’re tied now.”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious!” Rue hollered.

“And they lost the Snitch! Too bad for Slytherin, they could have won there. But ten to them for that goal!”

Distracted, Rue had let in the Quaffle. But then Hufflepuff scored.

Grace was coming towards the Hufflepuff goals with the Quaffle now, Urquhart next to her.

“Let me handle White!” he yelled, and charged at Rue.

“What? No!” Grace screeched. “Stop!”

“And Urquhart is headed for White…” Zacharias started laughing hysterically as Urquhart shot through the tiny hoop when Rue dodged.

“Ten points to Slytherin,” she mocked.

“That’s a penalty shot for Hufflepuff.”

“Look what you’ve done now!” Grace shouted. “I could have scored that goal without your intervention!”

“I’m the captain, I do what I think is best and you just follow along, got that? Because if you don’t, I can always replace you,” Urquhart said.

“Go ahead then, replace me, I understand why Draco left the team: it was so that he wouldn’t have to put up with you.”

“Goal! Another ten for Hufflepuff.”

The match ended up being very short - twenty minutes later, Rue’s team caught the Snitch.

“Good job,” Rue said to Urquhart as they shook hands again. “Just not good enough.”

“Can anyone tell me what this potion is?” Professor Slughorn asked.

Rue raised her hand high into the air.

“Miss White.”

“It’s Amortentia, the strongest love potion, it smells like what you’re attracted to.”

“Very good. Since you knew, you can be the first to smell it.” 

Rue walked up to the cauldron in the front of the class and sniffed it.

“What do you smell?” 

Honestly, Rue couldn’t smell a thing. It was just plain steam. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Hmm. Interesting. It has a scent for almost everyone.”

“The guy I loved is dead.”

“Oh.” Slughorn suddenly looked awkward. “That explains it. Anyway, who’s next?”

“I’ll go,” Cho said.

“Do I have any volunteers?” Slughorn asked.

“Yes.” Grace stood up. “I’ll go.” She walked to the front of the classroom and bent over to smell the Amortentia. There were notes of green apples, mint, and cologne. She labeled each scent out loud as it hit her.

“Any idea who that might be?”

“Professor, I have a boyfriend.” She grinned.

“Ah.” He gestured for Grace to take her seat again. She gave a little bow before sitting back down. “Who’d like to go?”

Grace elbowed Draco until he reluctantly raised his hand.

“Mr. Malfoy!”

He dragged himself to the table, shooting a dirty look at Grace. “I smell… raspberries and vanilla.” Slughorn looked at him until he continued. “Yeah, it smells like her.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the front seat, where Grace was.

“That’s cute,” Grace said with a laugh as he sat back down next to her.

“What’s that? Or should I say, who’s that?” Rue asked, pointing across the dark grounds.

“I think I know,” Grace said, sounding worried.

“Well, are you going to tell me?”

“They’re Death Eaters. Tonight’s the night.”

“Dumbledore?”

“I think. Why else would they be here?”

“You think I know?”

“Should we follow them?”

“Yeah. Just try not to make a ruckus.”

“Whatever. Let’s go.”

They followed the shady figures running across the field.

“Look,” Rue said, pointing up at the top of the Astronomy tower. Two figures stood at the edge.

“I’m going up there.”

Together, they made their way into the school, up into the tower, and hid under the stairs.

“Someone’s coming,” Grace whispered, pulling Rue further back into the shadows.

“It’s Harry,” Rue said quietly.

“What’s he doing here?”

“He was probably the second person at the top.”

“Oh, duh.”

“Shut up.”

They watched him from their hiding spot as he hid near them, looking up. They looked up too, and saw Dumbledore and a bunch of Death Eaters facing off.

As they watched, Draco came forward. Grace let out a gasp, but Rue clapped a hand over her mouth before she made a sound.

It was just a blur until Snape killed Dumbledore. Then time seemed to slow down as they watched his body fly off the edge.