Chapter 10
Peter was not entirely on board with the idea of the secret party. Breaking certain rules was not an issue for him, but doing so for such an event did not quite fit his style. Had the invitation not come from Hannah Abbott, whom he considered the embodiment of kindness, he would have outright refused.
But he had decided to accept. Or had been coerced into it—he wasn't quite sure which. Either way, he had said yes without fully understanding why.
The sudden attention from the girl and her friend Susan had come at a perfect time. It suited him well.
Peter knew how to manage loneliness; he had done so for years. But avoiding Hermione Granger was a task he did not quite master. He wasn't trained to ignore someone who captured so much of his attention. Surrounding himself with the two Hufflepuffs gave him the perfect excuse to do so.
But now, as a side effect, he had to go to a party with strangers.
Not that he didn't enjoy a party. He had celebrated thousands in Narnia. Banquets, music... just the memory brought a smile to his face. However, he found it difficult to fit back into a world of teenagers. Their loud gatherings, gossip, and social expectations.
Apparently, the meeting was to be held in a place called "The Undercroft ." From what he had heard, a few Slytherins had known of its existence for years, passing the secret from one to another, but it eventually leaked to more people. The location reached several Hufflepuffs who began to hold small parties every so often.
The room was hidden behind an old cuckoo clock and had been protected with a silencing charm, so the teachers couldn't hear anything that happened inside.
When Peter entered The Undercroft that night, what he found completely shattered his expectations. It was filled with barrels, cabinets, and old objects resting on them, piled up in the corners of the room and around its columns, under the rounded ceilings through which moonlight faintly filtered.
The students had decorated the room like the great hall. Various tables with food and drink placed randomly around the room left space in the middle for those who wished to dance, though for now, no one did. Candles floated above their heads, filling the atmosphere with a warm, golden tone.
"It's incredible," said Peter, looking around.
Hannah smiled, pleased. It was obvious she had intended to make Peter Pevensie enjoy the night and forget whatever was weighing on his mind.
"Well, well, well..." said a voice behind him, "if it isn't Peter Pevensie himself."
Peter rolled his eyes before turning to face Romilda Vane.
"The one and only," he said, forcing a smile.
Susan moved through the corridor as if in slow motion. That morning, after leaving her Potions class, Draco had silently indicated the area of the castle where they would meet.
She wasn't alone, as the Slytherin had requested, but that was information Draco didn't need to know.
A few meters back, Henry Davies stealthily followed her through the hallway, half-hidden by a disillusionment charm. It wasn't the best Susan had seen—Peter was much better at such enchantments—but she was quite pleased with the result. If she hadn't known the boy was following her, she probably wouldn't have been able to see him.
They were in a part of the castle Susan had rarely visited before. It wasn't near any classroom, being a less-used wing, far from the usual paths she took from the Ravenclaw common room.
It was an almost subterranean corridor, with small windows at the top that let in glimpses of weeds growing outside the glass. It was silent and almost dark.
Susan heard footsteps approaching and hid behind one of the statues, fearing it might be Filch patrolling the area. The castle had always instilled a certain terror in her at night, and the caretaker was a big part of the reason. His mere presence terrified her at any time of the day, but the mere thought of him finding her at night, breaking the rules, was petrifying.
But it wasn't Filch who emerged from the shadows, but a young student with light blond hair. He leaned against the wall and turned, looking in the direction where the girl was hiding.
"I see hiding isn't among your many virtues, Pevensie," Draco's voice echoed down the corridor.
"Nor is stealth among yours," she said, stepping out from behind the statue.
"Filch never patrols this area at night," he said. "Too remote to find anyone, not worth the effort. At most, Mrs. Norris wanders here very occasionally."
Susan fell silent, annoyed that the Slytherin had managed to pinpoint one of her worries. She grimaced, forming a smile, and moved down the corridor toward him. Draco said nothing more and continued through the dark corridor, signaling her with minimal gestures before turning from one side to another.
"Is your friend going to follow us the whole time?" he suddenly said in an annoyed tone.
"What are you talking about...?"
Draco turned his head, looking over his shoulder at where a translucent Henry Davies stood. Susan rolled her eyes and with a wand movement, giving up, dispelled the charm that sought to hide her friend.
"I forgot you're not a Gryffindor," Draco said. "Not so much nobility in you, Susan Pevensie."
"Rather, I choose whom to be loyal to," the girl said. "I'm loyal if I trust, and I didn't trust you."
Draco's expression was grim, but a slight smile spread across his face. Susan tried to scrutinize his expression, to understand what the Slytherin was thinking. He managed to irritate her, not knowing what he was plotting at any moment.
"Are you sure you want him to come?" the blond said. "Do you trust him?"
"Yes," said Susan. "And I don't trust you, that's why he's here."
"And you're willing for him to know your... secrets?"
Draco had come so close to her face that it made the girl uncomfortable. His sibilant voice when saying the last word sent a chill through her body, rippling from her back to the rest of her, like a shockwave.
"What are you talking about?" the girl said.
"It's your secret I've come to show you today, Pevensie," he said with a macabre smile. "Not mine... Are you sure you want him to know it? Or would you prefer to call Goldstein?"
"Leave her alone, you psychopath!" Henry said, pushing the boy away from Susan.
"Davies... no need to get like that," Draco said. "Let the girl decide."
Henry stood between Draco and Susan, separating the girl from the Slytherin. Half-hidden now behind his back, Susan observed Malfoy's expression over the Gryffindor's shoulder. Her head was about to burst.
What secret was he talking about? The uncertainty was killing her. She didn't know if he was referring to Narnia, Cedric... but Malfoy seemed sure he knew something significant. He was playing dirty. But she wanted to know, wanted to find out what the boy knew.
Henry looked at her under the torchlight, with a worried gaze. He didn't want to leave her alone. He wanted to protect her like a Gryffindor but would obey her wishes. She couldn't think of a better person to keep a secret. The simple, good, and noble, Henry Davies.
But involving him in her secrets might also endanger him.
"We don't have all night, Pevensie," Draco said with a playful tone. "Is Davies coming or staying?"
Peter Pevensie definitely couldn't stand Romilda Vane. He had spent the entire night avoiding her. Truthfully, he hadn't expected to encounter other Gryffindors at the party, but it turned out that the Hufflepuffs had invited members from all houses to join the event.
Romilda was quick to judge people prematurely. She hadn't spoken to more than half of the attendees in her life, yet she seemed to know everything about everyone.
Once he finally managed to get away from her, he realized he had lost sight of Hannah and Susan Abbott. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by strangers. He turned from side to side, trying to find a familiar face to cling to.
"I didn't know you liked this kind of event," said a voice behind him.
Cormac McLaggen made his way to the table where Peter was standing and began to pour himself another butterbeer. Peter felt uncomfortable, doubting for a moment whether he was the intended recipient of the comment. But to his surprise, he was.
"I didn't remember you liked them either," he said. "Clearly, we've both changed a lot."
"Yes," the teenager laughed, not fully grasping the depth of his old friend's comment. "You have to admit, this quiet and mysterious act is working for you."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked, confused, yet unsure if he wanted an answer.
"The girls at Hogwarts," he said. "If there's one thing they like, it's a mystery. If it weren't for them constantly talking about Potter and how he's 'The Chosen One,' you'd be the sensation right now."
"I have better things to do," he huffed, seriously considering leaving.
"Well, don't act so innocent... it's clear it's working with Granger..."
"What?" he retorted angrily. "No, it's not like that... she's just a friend, nothing more."
"Well then, you won't mind introducing me to her... I've asked Weasley, but he seems to think she's more than a friend..."
"Then mind your own business," Peter said. "Leave Granger alone."
"As you wish," the boy said, his voice no longer playful.
An uncomfortable silence formed between them. Peter thought about how it hurts. The pain of seeing someone you thought you knew so well become a complete stranger. For a moment, beneath his slight regret, Peter believed he saw a glimpse of the small and kind Gryffindor he had met on September 1st, in his first year. But that brief glimpse dissipated, bringing Peter back to the new version of Cormac, arrogant and self-centered. He didn't want to make the mistake of trusting the wrong person again.
"How have they been?" he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Those years away..." he said. "I remember you didn't want to leave."
"Well, as you said, I've changed a lot," Peter said, unenthusiastically. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I've spotted someone..."
It was a lie, of course, but he wanted to escape that strange conversation. He wasn't buying Cormac's sudden concern after ignoring him for weeks and breaking the ice by talking about girls.
He moved through the party as if looking for someone, so no one would notice he barely knew anyone around him. Hannah seemed to have disappeared, and his friend Susan was surrounded by two Ravenclaws, engrossed in a conversation he didn't want to interrupt.
Grabbing a bottle of butterbeer, he sat on one of the barrels in the corner of the room. He watched the partygoers laughing and having a good time, trying to ignore his growing feeling of loneliness.
A girl appeared out of nowhere and sat a couple of barrels away. She seemed so downcast she didn't notice the boy's presence. Peter turned with curiosity, looking at the girl's face, softly illuminated by the candles. He was surprised.
Next to him sat none other than Pansy Parkinson.
The girl suddenly realized someone was watching her and looked up at Peter. She seemed sad, and to the boy, it even appeared a tear was streaking her face, but he couldn't be sure with the dim lighting.
"What are you looking at, Pevensie?" the girl snapped at him, in an unpleasant tone.
Peter raised his hands to indicate a silent "nothing" and looked away from the Slytherin, whose voice had sounded as broken as her expression.
"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's not very welcome at parties," she said, letting out a strange laugh.
"I was invited by two friends, but I've lost sight of them."
"Friends, huh?" the Slytherin said. "I guess girls do the same as boys. You have all their attention when they want something from you, but that's it."
Peter followed the girl's gaze, which was fixed on Cormac McLaggen.
"Strange combination," he thought, saying nothing. He wanted to argue with the girl, justifying that Susan and Hannah were trying to be nice to him, but on the other hand, she might have been right regarding the rest of the guests. In the hour and a half he had been there, only a couple of girls had approached him, flirting, but no one had really included him in any conversation. He was the "mysterious one," as McLaggen had said.
"That's a very dark way to see the world," Peter replied.
"Not all of us live in the golden world of Gryffindors," she said.
Peter sensed something deep in her response. The girl had inadvertently revealed how dark the world could seem from her perspective. The Gryffindor thought she wasn't just talking about boys, but about much more serious and dangerous matters.
"I think we all live in the same world," the boy said. "It's our role to choose what we do with it."
The girl turned, and for the first time, looked the boy in the eyes. She opened her lips, as if to respond, but words seemed to fail her, and she remained silent, with an inscrutable expression on her face.
"So, if you'll excuse me," the boy said, "I'm going to make an effort to socialize. Maybe it turns out that not everyone around is as bad as they seem at first glance."
The Gryffindor smiled faintly, and she looked away, staring at the ground. She said nothing more, allowing Peter Pevensie to vanish from her sight.
The Centaur statue bowed before Malfoy with a single wave of his wand, revealing a door behind it that wasn't visible at first glance. With another smooth arm movement, the door swung wide open, unveiling ancient and winding stairs illuminated only by a distant torch.
Henry insisted that Draco go first, and himself second, so that Susan would be last. The girl didn't argue, and to her surprise, the Slytherin didn't either. Obviously, the Gryffindor wanted to make sure the girl could escape more easily if something went wrong.
But Draco didn't seem aggressive, he didn't seem to mind that Henry was there trying to protect her, so it might be true that the Slytherin didn't want to physically harm her. Or maybe he thought that neither of them would stand a chance against what lay down below.
Susan descended the stairs after the two boys. It was steep, and some steps were already broken and worn. Henry turned around all the time to see how she was doing and offered his hand whenever there was the slightest inconvenience in descending the steps.
After several minutes of descending, they reached the source of the light. Susan's eyes widened in surprise, bringing her hand to her mouth. Draco Malfoy turned to watch her, pleased.
"I think you have a lot to explain, Susan Pevensie," he said with a long, malevolent smile.
In front of them was an old mural, ancient and worn by the years. However, the painting on the stone was still visible. Four figures stood on four golden thrones.
Four monarchs. Two kings, and two queens. One of them in red, and another in green. One of them in blue, and another in yellow.
And in the middle, a majestic Lion.
Aslan.
Susan turned to the Slytherin, with an expression of fury crossing her face. Henry looked at them, not understanding.
Draco Malfoy really knew her secret, or at least, a part of it. That made him dangerous. And when an enemy threatened her, Queen Susan became lethal.