HEY PPL! Ok, here's the next chapter, enjoy! :D e warned this chapter might be a little too weird, but it's for bringing up the plot hehe
The murder
It's weird how the exams zoomed past so quickly. Time seemed to pass by a lot faster after Sebastian and Roxanne stopped talking to them. Maybe it was because of loneliness, maybe it was because school life had lost its meaning without the two of them, but the entire period of cold war just went past Scorpius like a blur, and next thing Scorpius knew, the exam results were released.
"Oh my gosh, I passed Potions!" Roy exclaimed, hugging his paper to his chest jubilantly.
"What do you expect? You have me as a coach after all." Scorpius smiled. He got a hundred percent in all his papers so far. Not quite unexpected though.
"Well, I'm not like you, Scor." Roy said, rolling his eyes. He glanced at his sister sitting at the other far end of the class with Sebastian. "Man, I hope Rox doesn't get higher than me or something. I would really lose face."
Scorpius looked at the two of them as well. It had been one month already, and he was still feeling really uncomfortable about the cold war between them. But Sebastian was too big-headed and stubborn to give in and cooperate, and Scorpius would not compromise as well. He really wanted to know how Sebastian had fared though. Did they even study, come to think of it? "One thing I'm sure though, is that neither of them would beat me."
"Shut up." Roy said, staring back at his own paper.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded through the whole school, shocking everyone. Peeves flew through the class, looking frantic as well. "Some dirty people is killing~ , killing reeeeally badly."
"Kill?" Scorpius repeated. Roy stared back at him with alarm as well. "Did I hear right?"
"A murder case in Hogwarts?" Roy said. Scorpius looked around. Everybody else seemed equally shocked, except for the Minos gang and Marcus Shone's gang. They were looking unusually smug. Scorpius frowned. That murder, whatever it was, it just had to be something to do with Coactus and the whole thing about following Coactus.
"I wonder who's killed." Roy said, quivering. He seemed to be thinking exactly as Scorpius was. "I hope it's not a Muggle. I hope they're not starting their operation so soon…" He clenched his fists angrily.
"I don't really think so. They're not stupid. They won't strike that fast." Scorpius said.
"Everybody calm down!" Professor Slughorn shouted. The class had already stood up and ran around the whole room like distressed maniacs, and it was quite hard to control. Slughorn shouted his voice hoarse before the class settled down and sat back at their seats.
"Calm down everybody. Yes, there's a murder in school, but we're currently investigating now. Nobody is allowed to go out of this room, you're safe here, in my hands. So keep calm while we wait for further instructions." Slughorn assured.
They waited in the class with bated breath. Nobody dared to speak, or even move. The entire lessons just stopped at that point. After about twenty minutes, Professor McGonagall came into the room, gave a long lecture about safety before dismissing everyone. Scorpius walked back to the dormitory with Roy, still not knowing who the unlucky victim was. "I hope that the person killed is not some good-willed Slytherin. We need more of those kinds really seriously." Scorpius whispered.
"Yeah. Must be some good-willed but thick-headed person like Sebastian…" Roy glanced around. "I don't know but I hope nothing happens to him and my sister."
Scorpius merely frowned.
Sebastian was not in the dormitory when the two of them went in, and he did not come into the dormitory for a really long time either.
"Damn. I really really hope nothing happens to him." Scorpius said.
"I just hope he's just merely having a date with my sister." Roy said.
"Date with your sister?" Scorpius laughed wryly. "I didn't know their relationship was to that point."
Roy shrugged. "I thought it was quite obvious they had a thing for each other. Sometimes when I talk to my sister, it was always, Sebastian this, Sebastian that, she don't care much about me, and whenever she talked about you, it would always somehow or another lead to her beloved Sebastian again. And Sebastian had this unnaturally gentle look whenever he speaks to Rox. It's really weird."
Scorpius thought for a while. "Yeah, now that you mentioned it, they do seem that close."
The door opened, as Sebastian walked in, solemn. Scorpius heaved a silent sigh of relief (he's safe, thank god), as he quickly averted his head to avoid Sebastian's eyes. It was hurtful to look at the hard eyes of Sebastian.
"Scor, Roy." To Scorpius and Roy's surprise, Sebastian suddenly talked to them.
Scorpius turned around. Sebastian was looking really worried and upset. "What's up?" He asked. It was really unlike Sebastian's character to back down in a cold war like that.
"We found out." Sebastian continued glumly.
"We?"
Roxanne appeared from behind Sebastian, looking equally somber. "We asked around and investigated a bit." She added.
"About what?" Scorpius asked, though he did not like the feeling of it.
"The murder victim was a Slytherin fifth-year, Dante. He wasn't actually killed, he was just very injured. According to the teachers, he insisted that it was because of an accident, but I seriously doubt it. From what I hear, he was slashed across the face with a big 'blood traitors' written on his face." Sebastian said, his voice getting thicker. "I heard that he was a really decent and nice man, who believed that everything ought to be fair and all… I think… I think he must have…"
"He must have rejected Coactus' offer to join him, right?" Roy finished it for him. Sebastian and Roxanne nodded their head sadly.
"I knew it. In these kinds of situation, traitors are not allowed if the entire house is set upon fulfilling the same task." Roy said. "I guess if we don't join them, we will meet with the same fate. Worse, I'm afraid; I have a feeling Dante was supposed to die…"
Scorpius stared at the two of them, looking traumatised and shaken. "I guess this means we're coming to a compromise?"
Sebastian nodded. He looked at Roxanne, who nodded at him as well, and he looked back at Scorpius. "I'm sorry, Scor, for doubting your reasons. It seems that the thing about us dying if we continue to stand for our moral values is really true. Me and Rox, we'll join you guys in following Coactus."
Scorpius smiled dryly. "I've already registered all of you under 'Coactus' Followers'. So no worries."
"I don't know, but…" Sebastian started. "I think this world is really unfair. The bad guys always have the power to do these kinds of things to threaten us. I feel like such a coward, compromising so as to save my pathetic life…"
Scorpius patted Sebastian. "It's not cowardly. Protecting your life is not cowardly. Using your life to the full value is what matters. We can join, and then be spies and gather information. By then, even if we are found out and killed, we still used our life to the full value. Just going straight out and reject Coactus in the face would just get us killed instantaneously, it's useless, and people might not view it as very heroic." Scorpius assured. "At least we're safe now as we are. Just pretend that you…that you're evil or something."
Roxanne laughed sardonically. "Wow, we're evil huh. Can't help it."
"Yeah." Scorpius said. "Can't help it. We're in Slytherin after all."
There was an awkward silence as the four of them resolved their one month long cold war.
"So." Roy broke the silence, smiling. "Tell me your results."
XxXxX
The term ended with a feast, celebrating Ravenclaw's win in the house cup. Everywhere was decorated blue and raven feathers were seen poking out of everywhere. The Ravenclaws were chattering boisterously.
"Hmm, well, at least we're not last." Scorpius said, looking at the score board. They were just fifty points below Gryffindor. Who was fifty points below Ravenclaw. Oh well.
"The school ends just like that. I don't remember doing anything." Sebastian said.
"Hello? We fought a dragon. That was one memory I would never forget." Roxanne said.
"We didn't fight the dragon, Scor did. And yes, that day with the dragon is really a day I would never forget." Roy added. "But it's quite fun actually, if you think back. All the adrenaline rush, quite exciting."
"Well, yes, leave me out next time, I don't want to die." Scorpius said simply. And he did not want to be beaten up so bad that he needed to end up in the hospital wing.
"We made quidditch merchandises!" Sebastian exclaimed. "Yes, how could I ever forget that? We made quite a lot of money; want to meet up during the summer holidays to spend it together?"
"Oh my, I hope it's enough to buy me a new broomstick!" Roxanne cheered.
"Actually, playing with random spells in our fun place and fighting the dragon was all I remember." Roy said. "Oh, and passing in Potions. Yes, that's a really great achievement."
"Well, playing with random spells made us all score well in DADA, right?" Sebastian smiled. "It's good. And it put my Ipad to good use too. During the holidays you guys should come my house to play all my video games I have."
"Okay!" Roxanne exclaimed. "Let us all meet up. After all, we have lost quite a lot of valuable time together." She shrugged. "Due to our cold war."
The four of them silenced for a while, as the thought of Coactus' Followers came into mind suddenly. "Nah, I don't think we'll be doing anything till year three, and by then we should be strong enough to strike back." Scorpius assured.
"Hope so." Sebastian said. "So it's a deal then, I'll owl post you guys on the exact date."
"Yeah!"
As Scorpius pushed his trolley towards his waving parents, he turned around to say a last goodbye to his friends. One year passed by just like that, almost in a blink of his eyes. It sure was an exciting year. Seeing the way things are now, with the appearances of Coactus and Slytherin's potential to go into another insurgence, the following years might be even more exciting. He fiddled with his wand. He survived this year with the dragon due to his previous years of practicing. He needs a hell lot more of practice this summer in case another emergency comes up.
"Mom! Dad!" He called happily. He paused. And he stared.
"Have you gotten fatter, mom?" He asked, staring at his mother's bulging stomach.
Astoria giggled as she kissed Draco. "No, dear, mom's pregnant!"
"WHAT?" Scorpius exclaimed. He went away to school, and he comes back with his mom pregnant?
"Why, Scorpius, it's a very happy thing!" Astoria said. "It's just that your dad and I were really bored without you around in the house…so…we played around a little…" Astoria continued giggling as she kissed her husband a few more times.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I don't want to know!" He said, pushing his trolley away.
He had a sudden wish to go to Sebastian's house right now. Right now.
End of chapter. Hope you don't find this chapter too weird… o.o anyway it's the end of the school term! :D haha hurray! Ok, wait for the next chapter ppl! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and REVIEWS! THANKS!