Hope you enjoy this chapter :) lOVE, Wildreams
As hours went by in feeling of years, Circe just sat in the murky pool of water.
It was getting terribly cold and her soaked jumper did not help at all. Rising herself up slowly, Circe stood up, facing the platform, the stage where everything took place as the world around her stopped for a moment. Numbly making her way forward, the whole scenario kept repeating like a recorder. But the rush of adrenaline was not there anymore; the surge of joy and anticipation was gone. Circe just felt cold, dirty and in a mess. Her father was gone once again. No, he wasn't dead. But the golden opportunity like the one she could have had doesn't come by so often and she had just let it slipped out of her hands.
Touching the edges of the craved out wall, Circe felt different from what she felt yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before yesterday's yesterday. Her father was different, she was different. They had the same ambition, she realised: to be the greatest sorcerer in the world. But she had to intention to kill Dumbledore to eliminate any competitors unless he threatens to expel her again. She murdered Quentin because he was as slimy as a slug. She did all those things to the muggles because they were mean to her. But, she was not a cold blooded murderess. Braving herself, she spoke the question that was constantly haunting her.
"What would I do if you accepted me?"
Circe imagined herself torturing some wizard with her father. She imagined using her rare power of fire to burn houses down. She imagined killing a crowd of children randomly. But with each image appearing in her mind, there was also a strange feeling of oddness. Like that dark haired girl by her father was not her, like he wasn't her father at all, like she wasn't her! They were both evil at some degrees but there was a point where Circe does not cross and her father did. If he asked her to join him, will she say yes? And if she rejected his offer, what will he see in her? Weakness? Fear? But she wasn't both! She is Circe Riddle, heir of Slytherin, daughter of Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, a mass murderer. But does that make her him? She murdered a man even before knowing who she really was. No, it wasn't him that made her. It was the life she had that made her that way. She was only doing what was right. He was doing what he thought was right. And their definition of 'right' was completely different. They were different persons, born in different times, seen different things, done different deeds.
"I would say that I love you. But I can't be you." Circe's voice was small and sad but there was a tinge of surety in it.
But even with that dreading question was finally answered, Circe couldn't help but noticing that the heavy burden was not lifted yet. There was a new question now and she was ever more afraid of the answer.
"What do I do with you now?"
Shutting her eyes, she closed everything else from her mind. There she was in front of the carved out head of Salazar Slytherin, standing up straight with her arms spread out wide, embracing the air her father had breathe. Because it was the only thing they shared together.
"You both realised, of course, that the past few hours, you have perhaps broken a dozen school rules." Said the headmaster severely.
"Yes, sir." Replied both Harry and Ron.
"There are sufficient evidences to get you both expelled!"
Harry and Ron, both clad in dirty uniforms, looked at each other. "Yes, sir."
"Therefore, it is only fitting that you both receive special awards for the services of the school." Quipped Professor Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry and Ron returned each other a huge grin when they realised that the headmaster was only joking.
"Thanks, sir!" cried Ron for he could not face his parents ever again, especially his mother if he were to be expelled.
"Now, Mr Weasley," said Professor Dumbledore as he got up from his chair with an envelope in his hands. "If you would have an owl to deliver this paper to Azkaban. I believed we want our gamekeeper back."
Delighted to aid in the release of Hagrid who was shut in Azkaban as a suspected criminal behind the attacks, Ron rushed off to do his bidding.
When he was gone, Professor Dumbledore turned towards Harry. "Harry, first, I want to thank you, Harry. You must have shown real loyalty down in the chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you. And...erm...second," he said, walking closer to Harry. "I sensed that something's troubling you, am I right, Harry?"
Harry thought for awhile. Indeed, there was. "It's just...you see, sir, I just couldn't help but notice things...certain similarities between Tom Riddle and me."
"I see. Well, you can speak parseltougue, Harry. Why? Because Lord Voldemort can speak parseltougue. If I'm not mistaken, Harry, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar." Professor Dumbledore explained.
"Voldemort transferred some of his powers...to me?" said Harry in disbelievement.
"Yes." Nodded the headmaster in confirmation as he walked back to his seat. "Not intentionally but yes."
"So the sorting hat was right. I should be in Slytherin."
"It is true, Harry that you possessed many of the qualities that Voldemort himself prizes: determination, resourcefulness and if I may say so, a certain disregard for the rules. Why then did the sorting hat place you in Gryffindor?"
Trying to remember what exactly happened a year ago, Harry answered. "Because I asked it to."
"Exactly, Harry! Exactly! Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices. If you want prove that you belonged to Gryffindor," said the headmaster as he took the sword on the table and hand it to Harry. "Then I suggest you look more closely into this."
Harry took the sword from Professor Dumbledore and gave it a thorough examination. It still had the dried blood of the basilisk on it but above the blade, there was an obvious writing on it which Harry had missed. "Godric Gryffindor." He read it out.
"Yes. It takes a true Gryffindor to pull that off the hat." Said Professor Dumbledore.
Harry felt a rush of warmth and relief, now that his anxiety has banished by a simple explanation from the headmaster. All those times where he didn't even think that Ron and Hermione, his best friends could help him, he knew now that he could always count on Professor Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in the world.
He was about to expressed his gratitude when he heard the door swung wide open and turned to see Lucius Malfoy, with a scared little house elf that turns out to be Dobby.
"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed in surprised. "So this is your master! The family you serve is the Malfoy's!"
Dobby only whined in fear as he looked up to his master, who said in a threatening voice that he will deal with him later. Striding towards the headmaster, he used his black, silver tipped walking stick to shove Harry aside. "So, it's true, you have returned."
"When the governors learned that Weasley's daughter was taken into the chamber, they saw fit to summon me back."
"Ridiculous!" spitted Lucius in rage.
"Curiously Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their families if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place." Said Professor Dumbledore calmly.
"How dare you!" retorted back Mr Malfoy.
"I beg your pardon?" the headmaster feigning deafness as he leaned forward.
Striding up to Professor Dumbledore, Mr Malfoy's tone was poison. "My sole concern has always been and will always be the welfare of this school and of course...its students!" he said strongly, looking at Harry. "The culprit is identified, I presume?"
"Oh yes."
"And? Who was it?" Mr Malfoy asked, trying very hard to control his impatientness.
Staring smilingly at Harry before turning his glance back at Mr Malfoy, he loudly said, "Voldemort."
Mr Malfoy muttered something with uneasiness. Harry smirked a little. It was always entertaining to see him in a state of uncertainty when The Name was mentioned.
"Only, this time, he chose to act through somebody else. By means, of this." Professor Dumbledore replied, holding the bloodied diary of Tom Riddle.
"I see." Said Mr Malfoy in a reluctant way.
"Fortunately, our young Mr Potter discovered it. We'll hope that no more of Lord Voldemort's old school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences of the one responsible will be severe." Said the headmaster, eyeing the blonde man in front of him.
"Well, let's hope that Mr. Potter will always be around...to save the day." Mr Malfoy said spitefully as he gazed fully at Harry who in turn stared back at him.
"Don't worry. I will be." He replied confidently.
Turning his gaze back at the headmaster, he gave him another acknowledgement before calling out to his house elf as he turned to leave. Dobby whined in utter fear of his master as he obeyed him. Giving a satisfying kick at the rear, Mr Malfoy sent Dobby flying across the short stairs where the frail house elf landed flat on the ground. Harry watched this and couldn't bear to see Dobby forever bound in his enslavement to the Malfoy family. Putting down the sword on the table, Harry asked for the diary, which the headmaster agreed freely.
Running down the spiral staircase when the opening was reveal to a wide corridor, Harry was glad that he managed to catch Mr Malfoy and Dobby.
"Mr Malfoy! Mr Malfoy!" Harry cried as he ran to the man. "I have something of yours." And without waiting for a word, he shoved the diary into the cloak of Mr Malfoy.
"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about!" he hissed.
"Oh, I think you do, sir. I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron at Diagon Alley." Harry said calmly.
"You do?" he said mockingly as he handed the diary to Dobby. "Why don't you prove it!" He hissed even more menacingly. When Harry did not answer, he smirked. Then, he summoned for his house elf and continued his way. When Dobby was not following, he shouted his name louder. But his house elf did not show up by his side.
"Master has given Dobby a sock." Dobby whimpered from behind.
"What?" cried Mr Malfoy as he twisted around. "I didn't-
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes," Dobby cried out in pure joy as he held up a greyish sock. "Dobby is free!"
Mr Malfoy shifted his gaze at Harry, sensing that the boy had something to do with whatever his house elf was muttering about. When Harry lifted up one of his trouser, revealing a naked ankle, Mr Malfoy was livid. "YOU'VE LOST ME MY SERVANT!" he screamed as he withdrew out his wand from his hollow walking stick and marched forward to Harry.
Eyes wide opened, Harry had not anticipated that the man would attempt to harm him. But Dobby stood in front of Harry, holding his arm out. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" he cried in his squeaky voice.
Ignoring the elf that was no longer his, Mr Malfoy was about to mutter a spell when a flash of blue sparks emitted from the palms of Dobby and sent Lucius across the corridor in mid air where he landed at the far end on his back just as Circe Grace walked out from the corner of the corridor. Looking down at her feet, she saw the enraged face of Mr Malfoy which grew even madder when he found himself caught in this situation by another unknown female student, especially since she was a Slytherin.
Harry froze when he saw Circe who, unlike him, was wearing a clean and pressed uniform with her long, slick hair tied back in a pony tail. Circe handing out one of her hands to offer help to Mr Malfoy. But without any surprise, he just slapped her hand and brought himself up to his feet. With a huff he walked out. Circe was unperturbed by his action as though she half expected it too. Ignoring Harry, she carried on walking pass him and was brought up by the golden eagle into the headmaster's office.
At last, Circe will meet Dumbledore face to face! I'm really excited to write the next chapter! Hope you guys are equally as excited as I am :) lOVE, Wildreams