CHAPTER 13

Flint pushed Malfoy into the corridor. Malfoy was stunned; what had just happened?

"What are you doing?" Malfoy shouted as Flint attacked him.

"I HATE YOU!" Flint screamed. Malfoy wasn't sure of what he meant; he pretty much hated everyone. "Stop it!" he yelled.

Flint ignored Malfoy and held him against the wall. "Quiet! QUIET!" he screeched.

Malfoy pushed him away and rolled to one side. Flint stumbled, but his eyes were still on Malfoy.

"What's wrong with you?" Malfoy whispered, terrified. "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" Flint repeated. "My problem is you!" He charged forward.

Malfoy pulled out his wand. "Stupefy!"

Flint tripped and fell, but he grabbed hold of Malfoy's foot.

"Get off!" Malfoy screamed. "GET OFF ME!" He attempted to stand up while Flint just held him down like an anchor.

"Impedimenta!" he shouted, casting blindly from his wand. Flint's grip slightly loosened. Malfoy crawled away as fast as he could.

Flint stood up and pulled out his own wand. "Reducto!"

Malfoy just realized what Flint was doing before it was too late. Flint's spell crumbled the wall. Malfoy narrowly escaped a chunk of brick.

"Reducto!" Flint screeched again. Malfoy ran outside, where there was nothing to cast "Reducto" at. Flint sprinted after him, dodging Malfoy's "Expelliarmus" spells. He stopped suddenly; he had an idea.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he said, levitating bricks to fling at Malfoy. A part of the rubble was lifted into the air.

Malfoy stood where he was, unsure of what he should do. Should he run, or defend himself? He liked running better, but somehow, he figured he couldn't outrun Flint. He decided to defend.

"Depulso!" Flint shouted, shooting the rubble towards Malfoy.

"Protego!" Malfoy yelled, shielding his eyes in case his shield charm failed.

The bricks bounced off his shield back towards Flint. He barely had time to react.

"Diminuendo!" he said, and the rubble turned into a solid ball the size of a marble, which fell to the ground. Malfoy opened his eyes. He cursed loudly as Flint threw his next rubbish ball at him. He dodged it.

"You'll be beaten any time now, Malfoy!" Flint laughed crazily. Malfoy frowned, sensing something was very wrong. Flint never called him-

He didn't have time to finish his thought. Flint shot an "Expulso" spell at him, which he thankfully dodged.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Malfoy said desperately. It worked.

Flint froze when he saw the spell coming. Why, it was that cursed spell again. It was that imbecile of a boy who petrified him first…

Flint tried to run, but his feet seemed like they were glued to the ground. He tipped over. Of course; the spell had already hit him.

Flint saw Malfoy step towards him, though he looked hesitant to come any closer. In the end, he must have thought that Flint was completely petrified, and he was correct. He walked over and inspected Flint for suspicious possessions.

Malfoy was obviously looking for the cause of Flint's mysterious actions. It sounded like something else that he'd heard of before. He thought about it for a moment.

Then, it hit him- it was a horcrux. Weasley had a fight with Potter because he had a horcrux around his neck. Could someone be channeling their emotions through Flint? There was only one way he could find out, and that was to search for the horcrux.

Malfoy checked Flint's pockets, but there was nothing important there, except a piece of parchment that Flint probably ripped from a book. It explained a hex that could make a person hallucinate, seeing things that weren't even there. Malfoy pocketed it greedily, for it would provide a valuable distraction in a duel.

Malfoy then searched anything that Flint was wearing. Maybe the horcrux was a necklace… perhaps not. Flint wouldn't wear a necklace, even if it cost ten- thousand pounds. Maybe it was… a bracelet! Flint was wearing an odd bracelet on his left wrist.

Malfoy tugged the bracelet off and inspected it closely. The bracelet was a string with jade colored pearls on it. Malfoy looked even closer, and he noticed tiny words. He carefully examined the beads, running his fingers along the snake engravings beside the name, "Salazar Slytherin".

"The only place I can think of that might hold the mirror is the trap door in the third floor corridor," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"You're right," Ron agreed. "I can't think of anywhere else."

"Dumbledore must not have expected us to go back," Harry said. "Maybe that's where the mirror was for the past eight years."

"Oh, and that was a miscalculation on your behalf, Ronald, when you said we haven't been here for two years," Hermione added.

"Yeah, thanks a lot 'Mione, that really made my day," Ron said, his tone hinted with sarcasm. Luke fought not to laugh.

"So should we head to this third floor corridor?" the professor asked. Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded. They headed out of the hospital wing after Harry signed two patients' casts. Ron grumbled something about glory, and Hermione shot him a look, but she knew he was just being silly.

On the way down the Grand Staircase, Luke asked about a million questions, ranging from, " What was the Slytherin house?" and "Were there other houses?" to "What kind of food do they serve in Hogwarts?".

"I suppose we can stop by the kitchen to ask the elves for a few bites," Ron said, smacking his lips.

"Yes, that would be quite nice of…" Layton paused. "Elves take care of the kitchen, you say?"

"Yup!" Harry answered, as if it were all very normal.

"Well, that would be very nice of the elves if they got me a sandwich; I'm hungry," Luke announced.

"Well, why don't go to the kitchen and come back?" Hermione said. "It's around two in the afternoon. Yes, why don't we eat?"

"Good idea," Harry said. "C'mon, Luke, you have to taste their lamb chops-"

The five set off towards the kitchens. They took the Grand Staircase straight down to the entrance of the Great Hall. Everything was fixed since the Battle for Hogwarts, Harry noticed- the old school was as impeccable as it was since he first arrived eight years ago.

"It would please us greatly if you could continue explaining about Hogwarts," Professor Layton said politely. Luke grinned. If anyone who didn't know the professor well heard him say that, they would simply think he was interested. However, Luke knew him long enough to figure out his intuition was kicking in. Of course, as an archeology professor, Hershel Layton would still be interested in Hogwarts and its past.

"Well," Hermione paused to think. "We've told you about the houses and the founders. How about let's tell you the history of Hogwarts itself?"

"That would be very nice," Layton replied.

"Fifty years ago, Salazar Slytherin's monster, the basilisk, killed a student after being summoned by the Heir of Slytherin," Hermione said. "The Heir of Slytherin was the darkest wizard of the twentieth century, Lord Voldemort."

"Lord Voldemort was the guy Harry fought and defeated," Ron cut in. Harry's face turned red. "He fought him throughout his whole life, even when he was a year old, until last year: the Battle for Hogwarts was the Final Battle."

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted Ron's dramatic speech. "Voldemort was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle back then."

"Wait, Tom Riddle turned into Lord Voldemort?" Luke asked. "How'd he get that name?"

"Let's figure it out!" Layton suggested.

"Uh… maybe after we eat a bit," Luke said as they arrived at the kitchen entrance.