Jillian looked around the corner cautiously and snuck to the door leading to the grounds. She dragged her broomstick behind her and stepped out into the bitterly cold, but somehow soothing, night.
Jillian took a deep breath and started toward the Quidditch fields at a crouched run. When she reached the fields, she made sure no one was still practicing or watching before she brought her Nimbus 2000 around and mounted it. She kicked off and let the sensations of flying take hold of her.
She had wanted to try out for the Quidditch team this year, but when she had reached the tryouts, she had turned beet red and ran out as quickly as possible. She didn’t want to fly in front of people. It made her nervous, and being nervous on a broomstick meant falling off.
Jillian practiced some dips and turns before just going in lazy turns around the field. She had done this last year, too, always at night. It was more peaceful here at night.
She watched the almost full moon in awe. It was always the best night to fly, the still gibbous moon casting the eerie shadows of the stands. It was like a very bright night light.
Jillian turned her broom toward the ground and saw someone staring up at her. She narrowed her eyes in their direction and swooped down. The person turned away and started off the fields in a run, and that made Jillian even more suspicious.
She dove toward them and landed on top of them with an oomph. Jillian brought her broom out from under her but stayed on the student’s back. She pulled back the hood that was hiding their face and glared into the face of that Slytherin.
She just scowled at him before he spoke for the first time that she had heard, “If you wouldn’t mind, my back is starting to ache. It is not accustomed to holding people on top of it.”
Jillian pulled out her wand as she stepped off carefully. She pointed it straight at him and said, “Why are you following me?”
He sneered that famous Slytherin sneer and replied, “What makes you think I’m following you?”
Jillian narrowed her eyes further and took a deep breath to calm herself. “I may not be the smartest person at Hogwarts, but neither am I the stupidest.”
He tucked his hands in his pockets and said nothing. Jillian rolled her eyes. “All right, let’s start with an easier question. Who are you?”
He didn’t answer.
“Why have I never seen you before?”
Again, he didn’t answer, and Jillian’s calm left her. “Petrificus Totalus!”
He went rigid and fell to the ground. Jillian walked up to him and turned him onto his back. “You know, I should just leave you out here for Madam Hooch to find.”
The Slytherin glared at her, but couldn’t do anything else. Jillian stood, sighed, and performed the counter spell. She walked away, wand still in hand as he stumbled to his feet.
She was almost out of the fields when she remembered her broom. She turned and saw the Slytherin holding it. She stomped back to him as he grinned nastily at her and tried to take it. He held it above his head as she made a jump for it.
“I didn’t do anything to you, so give me back my broom!”
He raised an eyebrow. “Nothing, hmm?”
Jillian pointed her wand at him again, but he was ready. “Expelliarmus!”
Jillian cursed herself for not remembering the simple spell as she flew backward and landed on the grass with a grunt. She shook her head and stared dazedly at the Slytherin as he walked toward her. She stood up quickly before he had the chance to tower over her too much. She wasn’t very tall, but neither was he.
She sized him up as he walked closer. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes. He was about half a foot taller than Jillian, and he had a wand and her broomstick. This was a bad situation.
Jillian stood her ground, though, and held her chin up. She didn’t feel as threatened by him as she should have been, and she didn’t know why.
As he came closer, Jillian asked him, “Who are you?”
He studied her for a second before saying, “You are smaller than I and unarmed, yet you still ask questions?”
Jillian suddenly felt a wave a tiredness descend on her. She yawned and blinked her eyes a few times before replying, “I’m curious.”
She saw a faint grin form on his mouth as he asked, “Do you know who Professor Kilicus is?”
Jillian blinked again and laughed tiredly. Everything was starting to go out of focus. “Of course I know who he is. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”
He nodded and stepped closer. “Are you tired, yet?”
Jillian blinked at him in confusion before she finally understood. “You, you, your putting me to sleep!” She said through a yawn. She tried to keep her eyes open but failed. They started losing focus, and the last thing she could remember was his face staring at her as she slumped forward into his arms.
Jillian awoke face first on her bed. She groaned and wondered briefly why her head felt like it was cracking. She sat up and pulled back the curtains to her bed. The sun was high in the sky, and Jillian’s eyes widened as she raced to get dressed.
She stopped suddenly when she remembered it was Sunday. She didn’t have classes today. She sat back on her bed and yawned. I wonder why I’m so tired, she thought.
The night before seemed like a big huge blank, and Jillian didn’t know why. She couldn’t remember anything about it.
Jillian shook her head at the strange feeling and walked down to the common room. It was empty, and everyone was probably outside. Jillian shrugged and jumped out of the portrait hole and went down to breakfast.