Chapter 20 – Engaged to Enrage

Hugo's POV

"Hugo, time to go! Hurry up or we'll be late!" I heard mum call from down below.

"Really Mione, we're going more early than late if ever," said his dad. Do they always have to make an argument out of everything?

"Coming!" I yelled. There that should stop their bickering.

I walked out of my room and past Rose's room. I was about to go down the stairs past the bathroom until a door flung out at me. Of course, I crashed to the ground with little tweety-birds flying around my head.

"Hugo! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you coming!" I shook my head and my sister offered a hand to help me up. I took it.

"It's alright." I managed to say.

"My, Hugo, did you grow another inch again?" Rose asked. She's been asking the same question every other day.

"No."

"Oh, one can only hope. Honestly, I'm sick and tired of hearing Fred and James making fun of you."

"It won't be that much of a big deal now that their seventh years and will be gone next year."

"I suppose. James keeps annoying me that he didn't get made Head Boy. Didn't he realize he made enough jokes to last a life time in detention. I can't believe he would honestly think he was going to be made Head Boy."

"He got Prefect though."

"I suppose. That reminds me, I've got to keep my badge out so that I know where it is when I have to put it on." She has been so delighted to have that bloody badge ever since the school owls arrive. I didn't think being a prefect was such a big deal. I always thought the prefect badge was some kind of honor for always being recognized. Like a popularity contest. It is whoever is known better who gets the award. You pick out the two most popular kids from each House and put them in a competition and whoever is the most popular become the Heads. Sure, Fred and James were popular, but the other task at being chosen is that you must pretend you're actually responsible.

This kind of thing reminds of serious conversations. Whenever someone wants to have a serious conversation I always laugh. I can't help it. People are so funny. They screw up their face in the way that whatever it is might explode in your face. People are so predictable.

Rose was so excited to get prefect along with Albus in Gryffindor. Jack Longbottom and Susie Hehn got prefect in Hufflepuff and Duke Swan and Rachel Morales for Ravenclaw and of course Scorpius Malfoy and Sonya Jones for Slytherin. The most expected people to be prefect.

The best part is when you are at the end of your fourth year and people are trying to guess who will get prefect next year when it appears so obvious in the end who gets it.

"Hugo! Rose! Get down here now!" Mum yelled again.

"Sorry, mum, we had a little collision." Said Rose.

"Oh, are you alright?" She asked sympathetically.

"Oh, of course." Rose pulled her trunk toward the door.

"Ah, let me get that, Rosie." Dad said. He flicked his wand casually and her trunk was up in the air. Dad then started chuckling.

"Mione, remember where we first learned this spell?"

"Well, I learned it out of a book in my first year, I don't know about you, but you were not with me then." Mum raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, come one, it had to be when we were coming out of the Whomping Willow when Sirius used it. When he had Snape up in the air and kept banging him…"

"Alright, enough, Ron. Let's get a move on. I expect Harry and Ginny to be there by now."

"Hermione, it's nine fifteen in the morning!" Ron yelled.

"It's always good to be early and right on time."

"Time, that was another one of our third year…"

"Ron, honestly, I feel like I watching over three kids not two."

"I'm not a kid, mum!" Rose said. "I'm practically sixteen." Mum rolled her eyes.

"Kids think they are so mature these days." Dad said smiling at Rose and putting an arm around her.

"But I am. Look, I'm even prefect."

"And top of the class." I put in. Rose smiled at me.

"Well, not exactly top of the class."

"What do you mean, not exactly top of the class? Hermione what have you been telling her?"

"What? I've haven't said anything."

"No, no, dad, mum didn't say anything." Dad looked confused.

"Then, why do you feel you're not the top of the class?"

"Well, you remember Scorpius Malfoy, do you? Well, he's uh, he's up there too!"

"What!?"

"Ron, stop it."

"Hermione, did you hear that git of a Malfoy's son is top of the class?"

"Ron, I'm warning you. You have no idea if he is like his father at all."

"How else wouldn't he be, I mean look at his father, look what he has become, and look at how he was back at Hogwarts!"

"Yes, Ron, but he might have changed."

"Hermione, think about his father and what he is doing. Don't tell me he won't follow in his footsteps."

"Scorpius isn't like that at all." Rose put in. I snorted a bit. Mum and dad weren't talking about Scorpius, they were talking about his father.

"See! See, Ron, Scorpius must be a nice boy if Rose says so."

"Did he brainwash you?"

"Dad…"

"Ron, honestly, you have got to get over…"

"Come on Hermione, what if Scorpius is part of that Death Eater group."

"He's not! He is ashamed that his grandfather did that. I believe the whole family is ashamed of his grandfather." Rose shouted.

"You two talk?" Dad asked. Rose blinked several times.

"Yes, yes we do. We're friends."

"You two are friends?"

"Why is everyone always surprised to hear that?"

"You said you hated him in your first year, but now you're friends? Good Merlin what did he do to you?"

"Nothing! He's a sweet boy and he is very generous."

"You wouldn't happen to fancy him, would you, would you?" I watched as Rose started to blush.

"Ron, that's enough. We should accept that they're friends and if Rose thinks she is old enough then we should trust her."

"But if she fancies him."

"Ron, I'm tired of telling you this, but Scorpius hasn't done anything to hurt her so I think you should stop trying to tell her to stop being friends." Dad leaned back and looked as if he was pouting. "Alright, let's go."

We got to King's Cross like an hour beforehand. It was almost completely deserted.

"Told you, we had plenty of time." Dad said.

"Nonsense, now we have more time to say good-bye to them properly. Last year was horrendous."

"Too much time if you asked me." Dad mumbled. We waited for a little while then more people started to show up. The Longbottoms always came especially early for their father had to be at Hogwarts before we arrived so that he can help and get things ready.

"Jack! Alice, over here!" Rose waved at them. The family of four strolled over toward us.

"Neville, Hannah, how are you?" Mum asked them.

"Great, Hermione, thanks. How've you four been?"

"Just swell. Another year for them at Hogwarts and I get sad every time I see these two go."

"Well for me it's the very same, but for Neville he is there with them at Hogwarts." Mrs. Longbottom said. Professor Longbottom chuckled.

Jack frowned and said in a low voice, "At least she doesn't get twenty letters a week asking for you to come down and see his latest experiment." We laughed. Poor Jack. It must be hard having a father as a teacher at Hogwarts.

"Mum, look it's the Potters!" Alice squealed.

"Oh, looks like I've got to go if the Potters are here. That means I'm late." We all laughed.

"Hey there, Neville."

"Hey Harry, Ginny. I've loved to stay around and chat, but duty calls."

"No problem, should we send you off too? I mean three has always been enough, but we don't mind sending off four as well." Professor Longbottom chuckled.

"Ah, well I might be a little too old for that. I'll see you seven in class. So long." He apparated where he was.

"Dad, tell them the good news! Tell them the news!" Lily said nudging her father.

"Oh, right. Teddy and Victoire are engaged." There were squeals of excitement.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Mum clapped her hands together and beamed at Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny.

"They went out last night to the Leaky Cauldron and Teddy proposed."

"He's here somewhere. He came to wish James good-luck for its his last year." Aunt Ginny said with tears in her eyes.

"Mum, you promised you wouldn't get too mushy." James said.

"Right, right, sorry. Oh look, James, there's your friend, Madison, isn't it?" James spun around and sure enough there was Madison helping her younger sister who was going to be a first year this year on the train. James, however, usually would show emotions of excitement, but he looked pretty sad when he saw her.

The train gave a hoot. We all jumped.

"Alright, James, be good and have a great year. It's your last so don't screw it up. Your father and I are very proud of you. We'll miss you." Aunt Ginny gave him a big hug along with Uncle Harry.

"Not too many pranks you hear me." James smirked. "I'll miss ya buddy."

"Sure, dad." Mum and dad strolled over and gave James a hug too.

"Don't kill Ginny too much, eh?" Dad laughed. James was about to get on the train when we heard, "James, wait up!" It was Teddy. His hair was a dark bluish color this time.

"You weren't getting on that train without saying good-bye to me, were you?" James laughed and went over and gave Teddy a big brothery hug.

"Now, don't go snogging any girls or I might report it to the family." He said and gave him a wink. James smiled again.

"Tell Victoire, she's lucky to have you." He said and then he boarded the bus.

"By Teddy!" Lily said and gave him a hug then her parents and then boarded the bus as well.

"Alright, Albus, you be good too! You've got O.W.L.S. this year and you're a prefect! Don't get too overworked. Keep in touch." Aunt Ginny said.

"And remember to breathe." Uncle Harry added.

"That's right, Rose, you've got O.W.L.S, this year too! Mind you do your studies!" Mum said to her.

"Not to worry, mum." She gave mum and dad each a hug and boarded the bus followed by Albus who turned around and said, "Promise, you'll write, won't you?" He said to them. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny both nodded then they said good-bye to us and turned around and walked away with Teddy Lupin. I watched as Harry put a hand on Teddy's shoulder as if he was his real son and as a real friend.

"Hugo, you must get on the train, or you'll miss it." Mum said.

"Alright, then."

"Stay out of trouble." Mum started to brush my hair with her fingers.

"Mum, stop it. You'll mess it up."

"Watch over your sister, Hue." Dad said giving me a big hug. "It'll be lonely at the house without ya. Keep up your keeping skills and remember to have fun." I nodded and waved at them and I boarded the train with the rest of my family.

Everything was pleasant at Hogwarts. Nothing was wrong, nothing was out of place. Everything was exactly the way it should be. Lily sent me a letter asking whether we could hang out like in the good old days when our sister and brothers went to Hogwarts and we were stuck at home with nothing to do.

Those moments were the best. I almost felt like a girl when we got together because they were like sleepovers. The only thing that was making it a girl's kind of thing was our adventures.

Most of our "sleepovers" were at my house when Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry would come over and spend the night.

You see, we have this huge forest behind our house. Sometimes when it was a nice night me and Lily would sit outside and roast marshmallows and talk of scary stories. A normal thing to do. But, the best part, was when we would sneak out of our tents or our bedrooms and go into the forest. Me and Lily love exploring and love to do things our parents always tell us not to do. So yeah, we like bending the rules, just a bit.

We would go into the forest and pretend to be part of those stories where there are mythical beasts that are out to find us and capture us. We were only kids, what do you expect us to think. We even made a fort. It was our headquarters. We held many secrets there. There are things that I tell Lily that I have never told anyone else before, not even Rose. Lily understands me. She understands what I'm going through and the kind of person I am.

My sister is like the same, but she isn't the same age as me. She doesn't understand what it's like to be me as she thinks she does. Lily has shared a bunch of secrets that she has never told her brothers as well. Actually, she told me every secret she has ever had back then.

She also shared a lot of her feelings of her brothers. She said she missed them a few times, but she was also glad that she didn't have someone teasing her or making fun of her just because she's a girl at every chance they had. I knew how she felt. Rose wasn't like James or Albus, but she can get annoying sometimes. She sometimes says things that is someone who is incredibly intellectual would say, but then she goes off saying she was stupid for thinking such things. She's liek a hypocrite. She is the best sister a brother can ask for, but it's not like I adore her every day of my pathetic life.

You could say I did wish Lily was my sister too sometimes, but when I think about it more I like her just the way she is. I like her as my cousin because every time we hang out it becomes more special since we hardly ever do it anymore.

So, here I am, waiting in the Great Hall for Lily to arrive. I wonder what she had in mind for us to do.

"Hugo, over here!" Lily said coming out from the exit that lead to the Slytherin House. I put my hands in my pockets and strolled over to you.

"Say, Lily, what exactly do you have planned?" I asked her curiously.

"You'll ruin the surprise you nit wit! Come on." She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into the corridor where she came from.

I never been down here and it was very different from what I imagined. There were many doors.

"I've been in almost every door since I was put into Slytherin, but there is so much more to explore, right there commodore Huey?" She said laughing at my old name from the past.

"Ay." I said. She is always acting like a kid, but you couldn't help, but want to be a part of it too.

"Ok, so there legends upon legends I have found out in the library. Every hallway in Hogwarts was made for a reason. The Hogwarts founders held special secrets in Hogwarts that some day they would bestow to us. But of course they died, right? But not their secrets, Hugo! Don't you see we've got plenty to find."

"And you went to the library and looked all this up?" Maybe she was getting a bit too childish.

"Oh don't pretend you don't want to find out. Just because you're two days older than me doesn't make you the judge!"

"Yeah, but Lily we're fourth years now. I can't keep pretending to be some navy leader."

"Doesn't mean we should stop wishing back those years. Come on Hugo, find your sense of adventure. It's not so childish when you think of it as just finding the secrets of Hogwarts. I mean didn't Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore want to find all the secrets too?"

"Yeah, but they're different."

"Well, so that's what you think."

"Alright, alright, I'll come with you."

"Well, don't worry we're only exploring one place."

"Oh."

"Disappointing I know." I laughed. We made it to the end of the hallway. There were three doors. One facing us and two on either side. Lily made way to pull open the one facing us.

"This is the door, I was talking about."

"It could be just an office or another classroom that contains things students aren't allowed to use." I said.

"No, that's what all the other doors are for." She said flicking her hand at them. I shook my head only she would think the locked door is some kind of secret passageway.

"Aren't you going to help me or not?" I took out my wand and said, "Alohomora." The door opened.

"Strange, it didn't work for me when I did that."

"Maybe you used it on the wrong door." She didn't respond only she pulled the door open. It was dark and we couldn't see what was inside.

"Lumos."She said and her wand lit up the room. Only it wasn't a room, it was a staricase that cascaded to the ground below.

"Do you think this could lead to the Chamber of Secrets?" She asked me.

"How should I know? But if I were to guess, I wouldn't think so. Honestly, Lily, it's just another staircase that probably has abandoned classrooms downstairs."

"One way to find out is to go down you know." She walked ahead and began to walk down the stairs.

"Has it ever occurred to you that when doors are locked they aren't meant to be open?" Lily had gone down so far she must not have heard me.

"Lily, honestly, you're making this as something we have to do." I finally decided to go after her. If that is what she wants.

I got to the bottom and the ceiling was pretty low. There were again numerous of doors, but a lot of them were already flung open. I looked in the first door and sure enough it was an unused classroom. I went to the next door, only it wasn't a classroom this time, but some kind of storage. I looked at was on the shelves and there were a bunch of weird things like artifacts that were held in glass jars. I shook my head and strolled out.

"Lily, where are you?" I started to walk by this room, but it caught my attention. I walked back to it and there were skinny looking rubbery creatures stuck to the walls. Most of them were chickens. The air smelled like decay and the room was filled with mold. The creatures looked real enough to pass as the type of creatures they resembled. I placed my hand on the door and my hand burned. I looked at my hand and there was no skin no nothing it was down to the bone, like a skeleton. I wrenched it back and it turned back to normal. I flexed my hand several times. I knew I mustn't go in the room for it could kill me.

"Lily?"

"Over here." I heard her. I strolled over to the third to last door on the right-hand side and there she was. I smiled at her, but she didn't turn around to smile or say anything back. I looked from her to the room we were in. My stomach dropped when I looked in. The room was dark and not even Lily's wand could light up the room enough for us to see the whole continents of the room. There were scratches made on the walls and feathers all over the floor. There was one glass container fit for someone to lie down in and had chains on the bottom of it. It reminded me of that story mum always read about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs where Snow White was sleeping in something like this before the prince came and kissed her.

It was very strange.

Lily strolled over to where this old box laid. She played with it until we heard scratchy music. It made high pitch sound so we had to cover our ears. Then a wail came through it that I had to immediately shut it off. I looked at the walls and there were pictures of people with X's crossed over them. There was also a list of names and comments made about some of them.

I looked at it and mine and Lily's were on the list along with Rose's, Derek's, James', Albus', and a few others. But there was one name I was really concerned about. Scorpius' name was there and it was one of the few that had a comment next to his. It said, "Target: Number One." Along with four others. I looked at Lily to see if she saw anything, but she stood still. She looked like a zombie.

"Lily?" She didn't respond. I waved my hand in her face. She didn't even flinch. She looked really out of it. "Lily? Are you alright?" She just looked straight forward. I looked there too to see if she was looking at anything in particular.

It was incredibly dark for what was ever in front of us. I took out my wand and said, "Lumos." I walked over as the darkness enveloped over me and my light. The wall was a little further and there was something big hanging on the wall. Just a little closer. I saw something slim and in an odd shape. A little closer. Finally, I reached it. It was a human and it was dead. It was stark white and it had a mane of strangely straw hair over the face. It looked like the person has been tortured. There were chains that held the person there. I swiped the hair out of the face.

It was Lara's body.

I jumped back and shook my hand. I felt afraid all of a sudden. I looked at Lara's body again thinking how horrible that someone kept her here in this strange place. But, the next thing was what freaked me out. I swear I saw it. I must have been loud when I saw her body hanging there.

I saw Lara's head move directly up. Her lids still shut, but I thought she was dead? I thought she was buried? I looked at her and moved a little closer to see if the teeth marks were there like they were in the forest. Her eyes opened.

I was out before you could say 'Quidditch.'

I grabbed Lily by the hand and forced her out of the dungeons. I ran up the stairs, Lily somehow keeping up as I pushed her out the door and into the passageway of the dungeons. I gasped for air. My stomach was queasy. I pulled Lily farther down the corridor.

"Lily, what's wrong with you?" I asked her. "Lily, are you there?" She didn't make a motion. I heard a bunch of footsteps coming closer towards us. I jumped when I saw that it was only a bunch of Slytherins.

"Hugo? What are you doing down here?" It was Scorpius.

"None of your business, Malfoy."

"What's up with Potter?" He asked without arguing back.

"How should I know? She completely blanked out on me." Scorpius came over.

"Uh, Potter, rise and shine." She was still in that trans. "Lily, come on, snap out of it." Suddenly, she blinked. Lily was back.

"Lily, what happened to you?"

"Oh hey, Hugo, hey Malfoy." She smiled.

"Lily, are you ok?" I asked her.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You looked liked a zombie." Scorpius stated. "You wouldn't be stressing out, would you?"

"Oh, really, when did it happen?" She asked us.

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"What was the last thing you remember, Potter?" asked Scorpius. Butt out, will ya?

"Uh, I was, uh, I don't know. Did I miss class?" She looked afraid.

"No, we were exploring, remember?"

"Exploring, but Hugo, we only did that when we were kids, remember? Why would I want to explore?" I was so lost.

"So you don't remember anything at all?"

"Well, now it's coming back to me. I was talking to you, Rose, Derek, and James, about things, but I don't recall what they were about." She said to Scorpius.

"Did you bump your head?" Scorpius asked.

"You know, she might have, she looked a bit dizzy in a way."

"Look, I'm fine, I'm sure I was just staring off into space or something." She said and she walked off. Scorpius and I exchanged glances. So, target number one is snooping into to her people's lives. I watching you, Malfoy. I smirked at him.

"Malfoy."

"Weasley." We departed.

Some things just never change.