Chapter 6 - Boggart and Blood
Tom spent some time, over the next days in and out of his lessons, joking with Richard and Harry in the Common Room. He was angry with Jodie Zabini after her remark about him at Supper so he did his best to avoid her. Sally-Anne was very probing about the Jodie Zabini subject at Charms on Friday Morning, but the inquisition was distracted by Montana making the door lock they were supposed to be opening make a deafening explosion. When he did talk about it, it was when he asked Richard if he somehow did anything to Jodie. "No, not to my attention - she is probably trying to repel herself, as she secretly can't get enough of me," he replied grinning. So all in all, Tom was glad that he had finally reached the weekend without talking to Jodie, who could tell that he was ignoring her.
Tom was woken at the middle of the night by a beaming Harry and Richard,
"What is it?" he said wearily.
"Exploring, that's what" Richard replied grinning.
"Why?"
"Harry here expressed his wish to see more of the castle, he also needed to drop off his essay to Professor Potter before he notices he hasn't handed it in, and I thought 2 o'clock is the best time" said Richard, grinning.
"But it's 2 in the morning, and it's forbidden to be out after hours"
"Exactly" replied Harry looking bemused.
"Anyway we need you to be the third man, plus no one can open doors like you. I'm useless at that one, and the only way Harry could do that job is if we wanted to open Potter's door by blowing it to splinters" Richard said with a smile, "so can you handle it?"
Tom at first was unsure, but looking at Richard and Harry he thought, why not? He demonstrated proficiency in the charms class the other day and he thought that it would be good to have an adventure; it would take his mind off the Jodie situation. When he'd found his jeans and his t-shirt in his closet, he put them on and pulled on his jumper for warmth - he found Richard and Harry waiting by the fire in the common room. "We can't let Harry down." Tom said grinning.
Harry pushed the portrait door carefully, the corridors were empty and silent, they could see by the shining moonlight which spread across the corridors lighting it in a silver glow. Richard assured Tom that he knew Filch's walking habits after talking to a group of 7th Years who had done the same thing many times before. They still walked, with one person - usually the small lightly built Tom looking at every corridor corner as a look out. Gliding across the rooms like a Ninja operation. They crept up and down the narrow staircases - until they reached the third floor corridor leading to Professor Potter's Office.
Tom cast the door-unlocking charm allohamora, the door didn't budge, expecting this, Tom drew out a hair clip and unlocked the door the muggle way, his brother had shown him how on a boring Sunday afternoon. Successful, the door crackled open. Harry walked over to Potter's desk and slid his essay on the Immobilising Spell, in between the other essays.
Richard slapped Tom on the back appreciatively, they closed the door behind them, out in the dark corridor Richard examined to check if the coast was clear, seeing as it was they walked up back the way they came, walking as quietly as possibly. A few portraits looked interested, but most were snoring and asleep. They crept through the corridor above, Richard scouted the corner, turned and whispered hurriedly "IT'S PEEVES!"
Shocked and cursing their luck they opened a nearby door and ran into it, closing the door quietly, and hoping Peeves didn't notice. After a few nervous minutes, they examined the room around them. It looked remarkably dusty, as if nobody had bothered going into it at all - in front there was a desk and an old blackboard, plainly this was an old disused classroom.
Feeling curious, Harry wondered around, and he felt a sudden compulsion to open a cupboard, just to see what was inside it, as soon as his hand gripped the handle the cupboard burst open, and out jumped an 8 ft high man in a colourful costume with big multi-coloured spots, the face was plastered with white powdered make up, the thing also sported a blue afro, he was a clown. The clown's eyes were hypnotically full of malice and intent and leered over Harry. Harry jumped out, terrified and stepped back as fast as he could.
The clown then paid his attention to Richard, the clown changed form to a beast which Tom had only ever seen in the illustrations of greek mythology books. the front body was that of a lion, the lion roared as it neared it's prey, huge dragon-like rings glided out of the side of it's body, the beast had the legs of a goat and it's tail was a fierce serpent Tom finally remembered what it was, a chimaera. Reeling it's jaws the chimaera leapt, Tom Richard and Harry quickly ran out of the door. The chimaera quickly followed them into the corridor - Richard was looking scared out of his living daylights.
The chimaera quickly adapted itself to Tom's secret fear, Freddy Kreugar a scaly red skinned man with clippers for hands, Tom remembered watching Nightmare On Elm Street as a kid, it dominated his nightmares for months afterwards. The Portraits woke up to a barmy sight of three out-of-bed first years being chased by an ugly disfigured man with clippers.
They ran and ran through the corridor and turning a corner bumped into a hooded man who growled "out of the way" with his wand out, Freddy Kreuger instantly turned into a dark hooded creature which floated impieriously. Tom, standing behind the man felt it reminded him of the Nasgul in the Lord of the Ring movies.
Tom. Harry and Richard felt all the happiness draining from them, the man in front, examining the creature, yelled "Riddikulus!" Instantly the boggart shrank and shrank to a minute size, and turned into a dancing leprechaun, dancing an Irish Jig which went faster and faster, until the leprechaun exploded.
The man turned around, saying, "you three shouldn't be wondering around the castle at the middle of the night, or going into my office" The man turned and put his hood down, revealing the bespecled man with the lightning-bolt scar, the legendary Professor Potter.
"But I won't say anything, I don't want to be a hypocrite, that was a boggart you just saw and seeing it and a dementor form is probably punishment enough."
"How did you know we were in your office?" Tom asked curiously.
"Oh, three kids, talking - big give-away" he replied with a wink, he then drew out a cadbury's chocolate milk bar and gave it out to Richard, Tom and Harry. "Oh, big tip, chocolate is great after facing a dementor, or anything in general"
They all mumbled thanks.
Pleased, Professor Potter clapped his hands together and said, "now, go quietly back, and don't draw too much attention to yourselves." The three turned and when they were just about to turn a corner, Professor Potter called out, "oh and Harry you are still in trouble for handing in your essay late by the way!"
As they walked up and crawled into the opened Portrait Hole, and into their four-poster beds, Richard said, "a clown, Harry, can you seriously be any more cliche?" Harry slipped under his sheets, knowing that he would never live it down till he's dead.
Distorted rumours of what had happened the night before spread quickly through the Gryffindor Common Room and to an extent the other Houses as Tom woke up on the saturday morning to fierce sunlight blazing through the windows. Tom, Richard and Harry walked down to high applause from people in Gryffindor, asking them how and why if they really faced down a Boggart which turned into a Manticore and a Basilisk, Sarah McDonald looked annoyed at the undue attention at the three first-years who might have broken the rules. Tom indicated her to Harry and Richard, they all quickly passed through the rapturous applause and went off and left the tower to get some breakfast.
There was only a handful of people in the Great Hall, as many were taking the Saturday Morning opportunity for a lie-in. As Tom was helping himself to cereal he spotted Professor Potter at the top table giving him a knowing-wink. "Decent guy that Harry Potter isn't he?" Richard commented. "Pfft, well those glasses don't do him any favours, makes him look like a speccy bat, no idea how he is supposed to be a brilliant seeker if he had to to use glasses" Harry retorted,
"Quick reactions?" Tom offered
"Maybe." Harry Montana quickly replied.
Tom looked around, making sure that no one could hear them so he could ask a question which had bugged him after overhearing Jodie's conversation, "what does mudblood mean?"
On hearing the word mudblood Richard dropped his spoon, which gave a large clatter. "Has anyone called you a mudblood, Tom?" He said seriously. "If they did we'll hex them for you" Harry added angrily.
"Not to my face, no just came up by a Slytherin group, I know it is an insult, but I don't know what it means."
"The likely culprits" Harry retorted, ripping a bite out of his toast.
"It is an insult," Richard added, "it is really insulting, mudblood is an awful name for someone who has non-magic parents, muggle-borns, some people, like the people who said it are the ones who think they are better because they say they are pure-blood, you know like Dollosus on the train."
"Anyway" Harry continued, "we all know that it is complete bull, look at me, I am Pure-Blood apparently and my boggart's a clown and I can't charm anything without blowing it up" he said with an ironic smile.
Tom appreciated Harry and Richard's friendship, his mind wondered on what kind of people Jodie is hanging around with, and even calling friends. After finishing breakfast he told Harry and Richard that he was going out to visit Hagrid, but truthfully he just wanted to be alone.
As he walked through the grounds, he walked by the lawns and again noticed Richard's sister Anna sucking the life out of the other Ravenclaw's lips on a bench, he pondered telling Richard about this but he would probably grin and use it to annoy her. Nearing the lake he discovered that music was blaring out by a nearby tree. He turned around and saw Jackie humming away to a tune. Setting her eyes on him, they were alone.
"Hey Tiger-cub" she said indicating him to sit near her. Knowing that he couldn't just ignore her and run away he said, "oh hey Jodie" and sat uncomfortably by the tree, putting his back by the bark. "Yeah I know! Music!" she pointed to the Wizarding Wireless Box, "Glacie let me borrow it, although it doesn't play muggle music,"
"Normal music" he corrected her, hearing something as bassy as a cello being played like a guitar solo.
"Yeah," she laughed.
"So how've you been?" he asked.
"Not too bad, not too bad yourself?"
"Yeah, I'm alright" he lied.
They looked out at the lake, which wasn't still as it was days ago, it was rippling and looked wavy, in fact there were bubbles blowing out of the middle of it.
"So" Tom started feeling brave enough to probe, "anything new on the Zabini front?"
"Nope, nothing really" she lied.
"Ah well," Tom looked out of the lake, and jumped at the sight of a long tentacle rising out of the water, " woh, what the hell is that!"
"That is the giant squid," Jodie said knowledgably, clapping her hands to her jeans to the beat of another song, "that thing has been in there as long as anybody, even Moaning Myrtle, could remember."
"Wierd, hey what are the guys around your house like?"
"Oh, do you mean Nathan, Glacie and Regina?"
"Yeah"
"Oh they're not that bad"
"Really?" Tom said with rising annoyance in his voice, "do you know they hate muggle-borns, call them mudbloods apparently?"
"Oh, that" Jodie said boredly.
"Yeah, that" he replied aggressively.
"Didn't know it meant that much to you"
"Well, obviously it does, and that remark about dinner you said about me"
Jodie's face had a look of sudden realisation, she hit her hand on her head and said in a comforting tone, "Look Tom, when you are in Slytherin, you have to act like a different person" she looked around to check that no one was near, "you know, to fit in - I am only in First Year, I have to hang out with them, I can hardly disagree with them and say that is bang out of order when everybody else says the same thing."
"That sounds a bit of a cowardly thing to do," Tom said coldly.
"Oh well we can't all be as brave as facing down a manticore or something in the middle of the night" she said chidingly
Tom blushed furiously.
"Look Tom, I have to bloody live with the Slytherins whether I like it or not, I am not in Gryffindor or have a cosy little home in the suburbs to fall back to."
"I don't like it, I don't like it one bit Jodie"
"I know, I don't like it either, well at least I have you eh Tommy"
"You know I will always be there, to keep you grounded" he added, he glanced at the lake, he could see the shadow of the giant squid squirming around in the lake.
After that uncomfortably conversation, they talked about things in the muggle world, Tom discovered that Jodie wasn't really into football, Jodie discovered that Tom wasn't into politics. They enjoyed talking about things in the muggle world, as there wasn't really much opportunity in the groups they usually keep company with.
As Jodie moved her bag to get out the book she wanted to show to Tom, Dracula by Bram Stoker, when they were pondering whether this was a true account of a vampire, another book fell out of her bag too, Tom picked it up and read the title, "The Diary of Jodie Zabini" She snatched it back giving him a reproachful look, "no looking, she said warningly.
"Don't worry I won't, I think it is cool that you are making a diary" Tom replied, "I don't really have the usual time or diligence really."
Jodie smiled. They sat there talking the rest of the day, after the dinner bell rang they walked back up to the Great Hall castle, she parted to her Slytherin friends, whilst Tom walked to the Great Hall.
As he approached the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall, he noticed that Richard and Harry were absent. Tara walked up to him tearfully, "Richard, there you are! Sally and I have been trying to find you for ages, something has happened to Harry!"
"What is it, what happened?" Tom replied, looking fearful.
Sally-Anne butted in, "oh nothing that serious, Richard was mucking around and dressed up as a clown to scare Harry for some reason, Harry ran down the stairs and tripped over a fake-step - he is in the Hospital Wing." She chuckled afterwards.
"Don't laugh Sally! Harry could be seriously hurt!" Tara replied tearfully.
Tom turned back and walked off to the Hospital Wing, he walked over to Harry's bed, Harry looked a little bit in a sore and grumpy state, he had his bones quickly fixed by Madame Pomfrey, but was still in a little bit sore. Richard was by his bed, trying to look serious and grave in front of Tom, but gave up and just started chuckling, Richard's laugh was so infectious Tom couldn't help but laugh too.
"It won't be as funny when it happens to you" Harry said grumpily.
"What, getting chased by a clown?" Tom said jovially, making Richard chuckle as well.
"Oh ha ha, very funny" Harry replied sarcastically.
"OUT OF THE WAY OUT OF THE WAY" screamed a familiar voice behind the doors, which instantly burst open fiercely, revealing the man whom Tom met at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the man with blazing red hair, Ron Weasley who was carrying a young looking body of whom they could see blood on his robes, followed by a concerned Harry Potter and the Gryffindor Prefect Sarah McDonald
Ron dropped the body onto a nearby bed and stretched it out carefully, Madame Pomfrey quickly drew the curtains shut around the hospital bed, blocking him from Tom, Richard and Harry's view.
"Who is it?" they heard Ron ask.
"It's Jimmy Wilson, he is a sixth year Slytherin" Harry replied
"Bloody hell Harry, a Slytherin?"
"I know, what happened Ron?"
"Aberforth found him stabbed outside the Hogs Head Inn, I was in Hogsmeade at the time and he collared me, he said it might have been a Rogue Death Eater, Miss McDonald and I were there immediately, and we carried him up to the castle, no doubt he or she would have apparated away,"
Tom, Richard and Harry heard a comforting yet unpleasant scream of pain as they heard the knife being removed from Jimmy Wilson's body.
"Bloody hell Harry, this is unusual" Ron said as he was examining the knife, "the knife, it has a name on it."
"What's the name Ron?"
"Oh, no doubt we all know that name", Ron said with a dark laugh, "it says Zabini"
No one looked as shocked as Tom, but Richard and Harry looked surprised too, unlike the grim Gryffindor Prefect Sarah McDonald as she ushered them out of the Hospital Wing.