Chapter 4

Swarm

Fred shivered, sweat rolling down his spine. He had been walking. It hadn't been late, though few people were around. He had taken one of the lesser used staircases, one of the one's he used to pull pranks with George. George had been worried about him walking alone because everything that had been happening but Fred insisted. He loved George; just he needed a tiny bit of a break now and then, like anyone would. Now this was happening. The other student was simply walking around him at the moment, wand trained at him, and staring at the knife in his hand. Fred hadn't looked up yet; he had been advised not to.

"I suggest not moving," said a voice as a wand was pressed into his back. "Trying to take the chance to see my face, and then running, would also be frowned upon." Fred had been asked to go to his knees, which he obliged, and now he was here. The suspense was just making it worse.

"Will you hurry up already," he blurted out, still quietly, as if the entire situation was somehow personal and no one should intrude. The person paused briefly in their circling, and Fred was struck suddenly by how they seemed like a vulture, or a prowling jungle cat.

"All in good time Weasley, all in good time." A hand flashed out, blade catching a piece of skin on Fred's forehead, ripping it, causing blood to fall. Fred hissed, and had Harry been near, he might have noticed how the peculiarity in which Fred's hissing almost sounded like Parseltongue, but no one was near; there was no one there to save him. The voice hm'd, sounding strangely familiar, but Fred couldn't place it, nor did he try, focusing on the stinging on his forehead. "Take your hand away from it," the attacker snapped and Fred reluctantly lowered his hand. "Now," said the person slowly, "look at me."

"But you said not to…"

"Do it!" Fred looked up, and his eyes widened, for he recognized the face. He didn't want to believe it. Surely, this was not the person murdering others. Another slash was made to his forehead. "I thought I told you not to look," the boy smiled cruelly. Fred scowled, which earned him a smack across the face, and he almost fell, not expecting the blow. "Now tell me…what is the Gryffindor password?"

"I'll never tell you anything."

"Tsk, tsk, don't speak so soon Weasley. It might be your downfall." With that, the student stamped his foot on Fred's ankle, at least spraining the area. Fred screamed. "Now, now, shush…no screaming, you hear? Don't want to wake anyone else, do we? Besides, then I might make it worse." Fred nodded vigorously, biting his bottom lip, breaking the skin there as well, making blood flow into his mouth. "Are you going to tell me the password?" Fred shook his head, eyes staring silently into the opposing orbs. His offender sighed. "Well then…" He stamped his foot down on Fred's ankle again, breaking it this time, and Fred screamed unconsciously, though he kept his mouth closed and muffled it quickly. "You did much better with the screaming this time Weasley, now, password?"

"My names Fred," he gasped through the pain. The hand flashed out again, catching skin on his neck this time, though luckily it wasn't deep.

"I don't care what your name is," hissed the knife wielder, though his expression changed quickly from the all-consuming rage to calm. "Though, the information will make this go faster…and I take that as a no." A knee went into Fred's chest this time and he grunted. The abuse continued, the killer asking, Fred refusing to answer, and the killer dealing damage. After several knees to the chest, Fred almost fell, but the killer stopped him, whispering in Fred's ear that such acts were heavily frowned upon. Several more attacks later, Fred was sporting a black eye and his lip had broken open again; he could barely stay upright. His attacker was getting quite furious. "Password!" Fred shook his head and the knife cut into one cheek. "Password!" Fred shook his head again and the knife opened up the other cheek.

"Fred! Fred! Fred! FRED!" The killer hissed in alarm and looked once more into the defiant eyes of his victim. Stabbing the knife deeply into Fred's chest and pulling it out, he sighed slightly. He was pushed aside quickly as George knelt beside his brother. Fred smiled at his brother, drops of blood sliding down his face from gravity as he fell forward. George cradled him to his chest.

"Should've," Fred coughed, "should've listened to you about the walk. Finish that..." He dissolved into coughing. A tear rolled down George's face.

"It'll be okay, Fred. It will be okay? Stay with me Fred, stay with me Fred," but Fred's eyes were already starting to close as George spoke, and no matter how hard either of them tried, they couldn't get them to stay open. George looked up, looking for the killer, intent upon wreaking his vengeance. He never got it. A hand grabbed his hair roughly, pulling his hair back, and a blade slid across his throat. He fell forward onto his twin and was dead in seconds. Yelling could be heard, people awoken by the sound of George's earlier cries. Kneeling quickly, the killer searched the boys' pockets, taking something from both of them; a string from an Extendable Ear for Fred and a half-eaten Puking Pastille from George. He ran. He headed toward the dungeons, sure that no one would spot him immediately there considering his dark clothing but he heard voices approaching. He ducked into a side hall and came face to face with Theodore Nott.

"Hey, what are you…" Theo didn't get to finish as he was pushed roughly against a wall. The attackers face was obscured in shadow, though Theo stared at the place where a head would be. "Come on man, I was just trying to walk…" Then Theo noticed the knife and the blood on it, and the blood that could be seen ever so faintly on the student's clothing. "What…" The killer harrumphed as he used his knife to slash open Theo's neck, thoroughly covering himself in blood. He let the body drop to the floor, stooping slightly to retrieve the dead boy's purity ring from his finger. With a quick glance around, he fled quickly. No one suspected. No one came to get him from his room. For now, he was safe.