Chapter Seven
The next few days passed too slowly for Marcus's liking.
His progress in Muggle Studies was getting worse causing him to fall behind on his homework and he couldn't keep himself awake in History of Magic anymore.
The only class he looked forward to everyday was Potions, simply because Oliver was in it, but that was as far as his interest went. It didn't help that Oliver had been constantly on his mind either.
After Draco Malfoy's remark during their recent Quidditch practice, Oliver seamed to be avoiding him. When ever Marcus saw him in the hallways, Oliver would always start a conversation with whoever he was walking with and ignore him or he'd simply duck into one of his classes before Marcus could get to him.
Marcus tried waiting by the great hall after each meal for him but Oliver always left with a large crowed of Gryffindors with him and Flint never had a chance to get him alone.
Needless to say, Flint was beyond confused. Did he do something to up set Oliver? Was that the reason why Wood wasn't talking to him?
He spent every night laying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling trying to think of what he could've done or said that would make the other boy angry and every night he came up with nothing.
Why was Oliver avoiding him?
Still lost in his thoughts, Marcus followed Adrian down the steps towards Snape's classroom and took his usual seat in the back. Oliver was already sitting two rows ahead of him with Percy, completely absorbed in a conversation the two were having.
Marcus stared at the back of his head for a few moments, disparity thinking of what he could've done to up set him. The only possibility that came to him was the Prefect's bathroom. Did he do something that Oliver didn't like?
He didn't think so, as a matter of a fact, Oliver enjoyed every second of it. At least Marcus hoped he did. What if Oliver really didn't like what he did?
Marcus looked back at Oliver again. Was that it? Did Oliver regret what happened? But then again, Oliver didn't fight him off or show any sign of protest except a slight shock when Marcus touched him. He even returned the favor back!
Snape burst through his office door and waved his wand in the air to close the front door.
"Turn to page eighty-four in your text book." He spoke coldly as he approached the backboard.
With one more longing look at the back of Oliver's head, Marcus reached into his school bag and pulled out his text book.
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"You going to eat that or stare a hole through it?"
Marcus ignored Adrian's question but slammed his fork down near his wandering fingers. "I will eventually, so keep your grubby hands on your own plate Pucey."
Terence sniggered across from them and took a swig of his pumpkin juice and slammed his mug down in front of his plate when Adrian tried his luck.
"Bloody hell." Adrian quickly withdrew his hand returned to his own plate of food. "I might as well eat with a family of badgers then."
Both Slytherins glared at him until Adrian dropped his act.
"Fine, fine. I'm just trying to lighten the mood here."
"And you're doing a bang up job." Marcus muttered, still pushing bits of chicken around his plate.
Adrian sighed loudly and started working on his own plate, while Terence continued working on an essay for his charms class. Adrian waited until Terence wasn't paying attention and tried to steal some of his blueberry pie and Terence stabbed him with his quill.
Marcus smiled and pushed some more food around his plate. "I wonder if Malfoy's got his voice back yet."
"Well, he should. That spell only lasts an hour, unfortunately" Adrian grumbled as he rubbed the back of his hand. "But I could always hex him again."
"Or teach us how to do it." Terence said, not even looking up from his book.
"And let you two have all of the fun?" Adrian snorted and started reaching across the table again.
Terence raised his quill in defense once more and Adrian finally gave up.
"Fine. I'm not hungry anymore anyways."
"Yeah, me neither." Marcus replied and stood up.
Terence closed his book and packed his stuff inside of his school bag. Seeing his opportunity, Adrian took a quick swipe at the piece of pie and managed to steal a small amount before Terence slammed his bag on the table.
"Aha!" He exclaimed and ducked behind Marcus when Higgs swung his bag at him.
Marcus rolled his eyes and lead them out of the great hall. Sometimes he really felt like he needed some new friends. Or at least some that acted like their age.
Adrian and Terence called a truce and they fallowed Marcus through the corridors towards the dungeons. Just as they rounded the corner the three of them stopped. Ahead of them a large mass of students stood huddled together around the passage were pointing at something.
Marcus craned his neck and tried to see what they were pointing at but the group was too big.
Terence leaned against his shoulder, trying to do the same. "What's going on?"
Flint shrugged and tried to move a few first years out of the way but they wouldn't budge. He grew frustrated and grabbed the shoulder of the one closest to him.
"What's going on?"
The boy pointed at the fair wall and struggled out of his grip.
"Well that was a lot of help." Adrian grumbled and shoved his way passed them. "Stay here, I'll check."
They watched Adrian's back disappear into the large crowd. Loud chatter filled the hallway and on the other side of the nook Marcus could see Filch nudging his way through the sea of students.
"What's going on here? Move, get out of the way." The caretaker reached the center and a loud shriek soon fallowed. "My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?"
Adrian pushed his way back through the crowd and grabbed Marcus's arm. "You need to see this. Come on!"
Terence grabbed the sleeve of Marcus's robe and the three formed a chain as they pushed their way towards the front. Something was shining on the wall across from them and Marcus tilted his head up.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
Terence's grip tightened on his sleeve and Adrian's mouth hung open slightly. Flitch was standing directly under the letters and was pointing at something. Marcus took a second look and saw that his cat, Mrs. Norris was hanging by her tail under the writing.
"What the fuck is going on?"
Adrian shrugged and Terence still clung against him, completely in shock. Marcus looked around at the crowd and did a double take when he saw Oliver on the far side with a group of frightened looking Gryffindors.
Oliver's mouth was moving as he read the letters and even from their distance, Marcus could see the terror that shown in his eyes from the sight.
"You!" Filch screamed and pointed at someone standing in front of him. "You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll–"
"Argus!"
Marcus jerked his head at the sound of Dumbledore's voice as he made his way through the Gryffindor students with a handful of teachers fallowing him. The headmaster stopped when he caught sight of the words on the wall.
Marcus looked over at Oliver again. Wood was standing next to Percy, who was trying to talk to him but it was clear that Oliver wasn't listening. He kept his eyes on the wall and Marcus saw how his skin pale exactly like it did the other day from Draco's insult.
Dumbledore walked up to Filch and detached the cat from the wall and motioned for Filch and the person he was yelling at to fallow him. The crowd parted and Marcus's eyes widened when he saw that it was none other then Harry Potter whom Filch was accusing.
"Wait a minute..." Adrian turned his head as they passed and frown. "What the hell did he do?"
Before Marcus could say anything professor McGonagall walked into the clearing.
"All students are to report to their common rooms, on the double!"
The three of them didn't have time to protest before they were pushed and shoved out of the way by other students.
Adrian gazed up at the wall once more and ignored the mass number of students pushing against him. "Enemies of the heir, beware. What the hell does that mean?"
"Beats the fuck out of me. Hey, watch it!" Marcus growled as a small third year bumped into him.
He turned his head towards the opposite corner just managed to get a glimpse of Oliver as he rounded the corner and disappeared.
Marcus sighed frustrated and hung his head. "We'd better go."
Adrian nodded and started walking with him but stopped. Terence was still staring up at the words on the wall, to frozen to move.
"Terence."
Terence didn't answer so Marcus tried again.
"Higgs!"
Terence jerked head towards them with a confused look.
"Come on."
Terence took one more glance at the wall and gulped before he fallowed them towards the Slytherin common room.
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"The Chamber of Secretes has been opened? What the fuck does that mean?"
"I'll be damned if I know." Marcus shrugged.
Adrian leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms, trying to think. Marcus rolled his shoulders, feeling his exhaustion starting to creep up on him.
Adrian looked tired as well, his eyelids were starting to drop and his shoulders were starting to slump forwards. Terence sat a few feet away from them on one of the desks, lost inside his own thoughts and Marcus admitted that he didn't look any better off then Pucey.
"What was the rest of it?"
Marcus released a loud yawn. "Something about an heir. Enemies of the Heir, beware of something like that."
"Hmm..." Adrian frowned and tilted his head. "Well I don't know about you but I'm confused as hell."
"Same here." Marcus grunted and turned his head towards Terence. "And I'm guess Higgs is just as confused as we are."
Terence apparently didn't hear him and kept his eyes focused on a worn patch on the arm of his school robe.
"He hasn't said a word since we got back. I'm starting to get worried about him." Adrian whispered, his frown increasing.
Marcus was starting to worry too but he wasn't about to let Adrian know that.
"Well can you blame him? It's not really normal when you walk past foot high lettering that's written in blood you know."
Adrian gave him a ugly look and walked over towards the quiet Slytherin. Marcus decided to give them their space, he wasn't good a comforting people anyways, and sat down in one of the green plush chairs by the fireplace.
Two second years were sitting on the sofa across from him whispering excitedly and Marcus soon recognized one of the girls as Pansy Parkinson, the little cow who drooled of Malfoy all the time, and the other as Millicent Bulstrode, an even bigger cow then Pansy in his opinion.
Pansy whispered something in Millicent's ear, causing the other girl to gasp loudly and stare at her in shock.
"So was she really petrified?"
"That's what Draco said. He saw the whole thing better then I did and he claims he knows exactly what the writing means." Pansy exclaimed loudly, almost like she was trying to get the whole room to hear her.
Marcus turned his head towards the fireplace but kept his ears open to hear more of their conversation. However the girls went back to whispering to each other and he could hear a damn thing.
Were they talking about Filch's cat? Is that what happened to her, was she petrified? Marcus went back to gazing into the fireplace when the common room door sprung open and in stepped a very disgruntled looking Snape.
"First years up to your beds!" He roared over the students conversations and slammed the door shut when his order wasn't obeyed. "Now!"
A few quivering first years immediately scurried off towards their dorm rooms while the rest followed suit slowly, grumbling the whole way up the stairs.
Snape glanced around at the rest of the students coldly and cleared his throat.
"Now, I'm sure the rest of you are aware of what events have unfolded tonight. I was instructed by none other then Dumbledore, to keep what information I have on the subject to myself."
A few of the remaining students whined and started talking once more but Snape silenced them with a wave of his hand.
"However, I say otherwise. You are my house and I decide how I will govern it." Snape boasted happily. "As you saw in the hallway. The Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened."
A few students starting whispering towards their neighbors. Marcus raised an eyebrow and waited for Snape to continue.
"As you are aware, Hogwarts was founded by four wizards over a thousand years ago. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and our own Salazar Slytherin..."
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"Do you think what Snape said was true?"
Marcus stopped his count of cracks on the ceiling and turned his head towards Terence's bed.
"What part?"
"The part about there being a hidden chamber in the school with a monster in it."
Marcus blinked and sat up. Was he just seeing things or was Terence actually trembling?
"I dunno. It sounds like Snape's getting a bit too hopeful if you ask me."
Terence bit his lip and swallowed deeply.
"I hope so."
"Don't worry about it Higgs." Adrian yawned from across the room. "It was probably just Peeves who wrote that stuff."
"Yeah." Marcus said, trying to play along and make Terence feel better. "He's probably mad because Filch ruined one of his pranks the other day."
Terence looked like he was convince but then a thought crossed his mind. "But Filch's cat. I heard some say she was petrified."
Both Marcus and Adrian sighed, not knowing what to say to that. After a minute Marcus started counting the cracks above him again.
"I don't see why you're worried about all of this Higgs. If there really is a chamber with this so called monster in it, from what Snape said it's only going to attack muggleborns. So, you should be safe."
Terence lowered his eyes and his face turned a few shades lighter.
"Um, yeah r–right." He mumbled as he pulled the green covers of his bed down and crawled under them.
Marcus watched him out of the corner of his eye and grew confused. Adrian looked just as confused as he was and with a shrug turned over in his own bed.
Marcus stayed awake for a few more minutes. First he was failing Muggle Studies, then Oliver wouldn't talk to him and now he had the whole Heir of Slytherin thing to worry about.
Plus, the Quidditch season started Saturday and his team would play against Gryffindor.
God, it was going to be a miserable year.