I bet you weren't expecting to see me again so soon! Well, my muse returned with a vengeance and decided it was time to start getting to the end of first year. I decided to go ahead and update since I've been so slow and having so little a chapter recently, as a treat or something. For, I don't know, being awesome and existing? Meh, I just was so excited about it I couldn't not share it. I hadn't realized we were so close to the end of first year until I was going through remaining events, and I started writing.
Thank you to everyone who has read up to this point, followed, favorited, and reviewed. Your support means a lot to me.
If you think I own it, refer to previous chapters, please.
Chapter 26: Anything You Say Will Only Fuel My Lungs
Zacharias's POV
Zacharias wasn't as ashamed as he thought he'd be when he finally lost it. He'd been leading up to it for weeks, with how first Alexandrite was acting so weird so soon after returning from break, and then Neville followed the next day. Was it contagious or something? Whatever it was, he was done with it, especially when the two of them lost interest in watching Snape, when previously they had been overly driven to the task. They seemed to be improving, but it was like they'd lost something, something important. However, Zacharias refused to let it drive him mad for any longer.
"One of you are going to tell me what is going on." he informed them, "You both know what I'm talking about, you've been too obvious to try and tell me everything's fine. It's not, and it hasn't been for weeks. I deserve to know why, especially because it's been interfering with our watching. You don't get to back out without telling us, me, why first."
Silence followed his words, the two before him having some sort of silent conversation through glances and little movements. Finally, Alexandrite took a deep breath, meeting Neville's eyes on more time.
"You're sure?" she whispered to him. Neville didn't need to say a thing, she seemed to understand the look on his face.
Alexandrite plowed forward, "Alright, you're right, you do deserve to know. Well, it's- I found-"
"Everyone!" Michelangelo's voice called as he arrived at their table in the library, Hermione right beside him, "You won't believe what I just heard!"
Everyone present turned toward the boy.
"Aren't you supposed to be watching… him?" Zacharias demanded in a low voice.
Michelangelo nodded, "I was, but that's what I wanted to talk about. He went into the forest, and in there- he was threatening Professor Quirrell, asking him if he's found out how to get past Fluffy yet. Telling him that 'You don't want me as your enemy' and things like that. This proves that it's him!"
"Did he say outright that he was after the Stone?" Alexandrite asked, eyes more alert than they had been in ages.
"Well, no." Michelangelo replied, looking uncomfortable. "But he might as well have!"
"This just proves that he's our enemy." Hermione added, "And the only thing stopping him is Quirrell, who is supposed to find out about how to get past Fluffy. He's probably got any other enchantments protecting it all figured out."
"Well, that's not exactly proof." Zacharias replied, "I doubt anyone will believe us with just words, and not even words outright saying he's guilty. If we go after him without evidence, we'll be the ones in the wrong, and no one will believe us."
Hermione and Michelangelo looked very put out by that idea. However, they'd have to live with it. Zacharias would not face the political fallout from accusing a respected potion's master without evidence.
Months passed without Quirrell ever seeming to give in, if Hermione and Michelangelo's theory was correct. It was more than anybody had expected of him, being the nervous thing he was.
The group was studying in the library for exams one day when it finally happened.
"Alex!" the voices of the twins were borderline panicked as they barreled into the library, coming to a stop at their table. They were breathing hard- obviously they'd run nearly the entire way.
The first twin said through breaths, "The Stone-"
"-Quirrell's after it!" finished the second.
"No time to explain how we know-"
"But Dumbledore's left the school!"
"Wait, what?" Alexandrite demanded, standing up.
"Quirrell? But what about Snape?" Michelangelo added as the others shoved their things in their bags and grabbed their wands.
"Well, we obviously got it wrong." Zacharias replied, "Good thing we didn't turn him in, huh?"
"We don't have time for this. I'll meet you outside Gryffindor Common Room." with that, Alexandrite fled the library. Everyone followed after, Zacharias returning to his common room for a moment to drop of his school things. He'd only need his wand.
They met up in the designated area, Alexandrite carrying one of her weapons in hand, her shotgun. She was probably carrying a few knives on her person, knowing her.
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked.
Neville took a deep breath, "We have to get in contact with Dumbledore, if we can. Until then, we stall Quirrell as long as possible. Fred, George, can you get in contact with him and make sure no one follows us?"
Fred and George nodded, absolutely serious in expression.
"Maybe we should get in contact with a teacher? Tell them what's going on?" Hermione asked, uncertain.
"Who would believe us?" Zacharias replied, "Honestly, I'm not sure I believe us. Seriously, Quirrell?"
"I hate to say it," began Michelangelo, "But I think our best bet is Snape."
"Alright, who wants to go tell him, then?" Alexandrite asked.
Michelangelo answered, "Well, neither you or Neville should. He hates you, he'd never listen. Me and Hermione are Gryffindors, and he hates us nearly as much."
Zacharias got a very bad feeling as Michelangelo turned to him, hand resting on Zacharias's shoulder, "So, Zacharias, that leaves you. Our prayers and hopes go with you, man… may the force be with you."
Zacharias had no clue what this 'force' was, but it set Alexandrite off into giggles and Hermione was leveling her most irritated gaze at him.
"This isn't the time." Hermione informed him.
"There's always time! Besides, it seemed fitting." Michelangelo replied.
Neville interrupted, "Alright. Zacharias, go and tell Snape. The rest of us are going to stall for time."
As they left, Zacharias cursed. A bunch of idiot Gryffindors were going after Quirrell, alone. Without him, the only one with sanity and a firm grasp of reality. Hermione and Neville were intelligent enough, but they still had that Gryffindor stupidity that would get them killed.
He better work fast. He'd only have one shot at getting Snape to listen to him. Alone, he stood little more chance than the Gryffindors did. He'd need help, and he knew just who he'd have to go to.
"I'm not seriously going to-" he paused, huffed, then began walking, "Screw it."
His reckless friends needed him to, damn it. He didn't have time to waste, and this was the most likely way for him to convince the professor. His pace quickened, the idea of any of them dying beginning to bear down on him.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Zacharias muttered. He needed to find him soon- now- actually, five minutes ago.
He didn't have time!
Finally, he found who he was looking for. He restrained a sigh of relief, knowing that convincing him would take time he didn't have, but it was necessary.
"I need you to convince Snape to listen to me for five minutes and not slam the door in my face. Five minutes is all I need." Zacharias said, not allowing either Draco or his companion time to speak before him.
Draco blinked, caught by surprise, "Uh… why?"
Zacharias huffed, "I don't have time to explain right now, but it's important. It involves the foolish Gryffindors getting themselves into danger. He is the only one likely to believe us, but unfortunately he's also least likely to stop and listen for more than two seconds. Because I'm the only Hufflepuff, the only non-Gryffindor, no one intelligent can keep a watch on them, because I have the best chance of convincing him! Why did I make friends with Gryffindors! Idiotic, reckless Gryffindors, who'll jump in without thinking and wind up dead!"
His rant finished, Zacharias observed Draco. He appeared to be a mix of surprised and confused, but didn't seem too inclined to help. Zacharias crossed his arms. Good thing he knew how to convince the boy, then.
"Fine. If that doesn't convince you, Neville's right there next to her, and since she's got that insane luck, everything that goes wrong will conveniently pass right by her, and get Neville, because he does not have the privilege of insane luck. In fact, he seems to have rather bad luck." Zacharias cried, nearly done. To be honest, he might have been freaking out, worried out of his mind that the others had already gotten hurt. Might.
Draco's companion, the Zabini boy, commented, "For a Hufflepuff, you're radiating an awful lot of murderous intent. I'm rather impressed."
"What?!-" the Hufflepuff demanded, "Who even are you?! What are you even doing here?! I understand you've recently taken up spending time with Malfoy, but seriously?! Right now, you look like an extra. I only need one, and that is Draco. So I suggest you shut up."
Said extra nods once, stepping back a pace. Good. He should be scared, because Zacharias was this close to strangling something… or someone.
"Alright." Draco said, "I'll help you. Not for you, I don't like you."
"Great!" Zacharias replied, "Because I don't like you. Let's go."
The three hurried down the hall. When they were nearly there, Draco suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Wait, you called me by my first name." Draco pointed out, "Draco."
"Shut up, or I will do something I probably wouldn't regret. However, Longbottom would be upset, and making him upset is like kicking a puppy- you just don't do it! He gets those eyes and that expression, likes he's heartbroken but forgives you anyways, and just- no!" Zacharias exclaimed. Draco grimaced at his words, probably familiar with the expression.
Without any further comments, the group trooped forward. Zacharias could hear the ticking seconds as they passed by, each making it more likely that he'd be too late.
If they died like fools without him, he'd drag them back to life so he could hex them back to death.
Snape's POV
When his godson walked in with a request, this was the last thing the professor had ever expected. Draco only asked to give another a few minutes of his time, and to hear him out. Severus agreed, out of curiosity.
Then the Hufflepuff walked in. He wasn't too sure on the boy's name, as Severus had never paid much attention to the horde of Hufflepuff students. How had this boy managed to get Draco to do a favor for him like this?
And then, Severus listened to the tale the boy told. The way he all but demanded Severus to help, the way he stood fearlessly in front of him despite the unimpressed glare that adorned Severus's face, made him wonder if this kid really was a Hufflepuff. He certainly didn't act like it.
The story concluded, Severus exchanged dubious glances with the two Slytherins in attendance, who both seemed taken aback by the story as well.
Draco's friend, Blaise Zabini, said with the air of someone who hadn't meant to say something out loud, "Hufflepuffs. Who knew."
The Hufflepuff turned really slowly to face Zabini. His expression made it obvious that if it hadn't been such a useless waste of time, he'd crush the Slytherin like a bug under his shoe. With a snort of contempt, the Hufflepuff turned back to Severus, Blaise Zabini spared simply because of the time limit. The young Slytherin went silent, looking at his shoes.
Severus gives Zabini an unimpressed look. He never thought he'd see the day. A Hufflepuff acting like a Slythindor, and a Slytherin backing down to said Hufflepuff. Perhaps this may be a sign of some impending apocalypse.
"So," The Hufflepuff/ Slythindor asked, "Are you going to help us or not?"
The look on his face said he clearly had no time for this, and the decision should be made quickly, or the Hufflepuff would be on his way.
Sighing at the absurdity of what he was doing, Severus stood. "You three, you can follow or not. Don't slow me down if you do, and don't speak of this to anyone if you don't."
He grabbed his wand from his desk and made his way to the door. Severus paused by the Hufflepuff, saying in his most threatening tone, "Afterwards, we are going to have a very long chat on just how you found out all of this."
The Hufflepuff only replied, "This is the part where I say that it was all Potter's fault."
Severus couldn't help the smirk that appeared. Of course it was that brat's fault, and even if it wasn't, that was a masterful move on the Hufflepuff's part. Severus would have to start watching this one.
Zacharias's POV
Zacharias was actually a bit amazed that he'd managed to get the Professor to actually listen to him, but he had no time to reflect on that. The idiots were waiting for him to bring them reinforcements.
On the way to the third floor corridor, they ran into the Cavalry, otherwise known as Dumbledore, Fred, and George. The two groups stopped to eye one another.
"I see you were also successful in your mission." Zacharias commented, directed towards the twins. The two took one look at his smug face, and then his own reinforcements, and looked positively shocked.
"Huh. He actually did it." said one, looking to his twin.
"Just a little Hufflepuff, too. So I guess he didn't get the door slammed in his face." the other added. The last little straw needed placed, and Zacharias exploded.
"If one more person comments on me being a Hufflepuff, I'm going to commit homicide!" he roars, "Barbaric, gruesome, bloody homicide!"
The Extra unwisely comments, "Um… Isn't that a bit hypocritical? You keep commenting about them being reckless Gryffindors, and then…"
The Extra falls silent at the power of Zacharias's glare.
They quickly made their way to the corridor, past Fluffy and several other obstacles meant to slow someone down more than stop them. The first sign of the others was the destruction of a giant chess board, Michelangelo laying on the ground and Hermione panicking above him.
Fred and George, without being asked, pick up the wounded Gryffindor and begin taking him back. The Extra stayed to console Hermione for some reason, who informed them between sobs that she'd sent Neville and Haven ahead and they hadn't come back yet when they should have come back by now. Needless to say, Zacharias wasn't willing to waste any more time.
He wasn't sure what he'd expected when the Professors extinguished the flames that led to the room holding the Stone, but the sight came at just as much of a blow.
The names of Neville and Alexandrite came out as screams.
Hahaha I'm evil though. This was lots of fun to write, mostly because Zacharias's rants when he's panicking are priceless.
I think I'm becoming very partial to this interpretation of the precious Hufflepuff. If you hadn't noticed already... Also, Blaise is pretty fun, too, especially because he hasn't been totally characterized and I know what his future is. Lots of fun. Neville's awesomeness already exists, no interpretation about it.
Hufflepuffs are awesome, and can be scary when they want. You can't tell me otherwise!