Chapter 16 – Paralyzed with Terror

"I like Muggle-borns." Salazar says the moment he walks in the room.

"Oh, we're talking now?" Draco asks, surprised as the boy puts the book he was reading down to give the older his full attention.

"I'm not changing my opinion on them and…I don't think you're ready to either." He continues as if there was no interruption.

"Then what's the problem?" Draco frowns with confusion.

"I'm just not sure if being a family is going to work anymore." Salazar confesses.

"Because of me saying Mud…" He stops at the horrified look on Salazar's face. "Look Salazar. I want to make you happy and spend time with you and all that but asking me to change my opinion on this…"

"And are those Lucius words or yours?" Salazar interrogates, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Father just showed me the way." Draco answers instead.

"Draco, I'm not keeping on about this. I just want you to think about it. Your father showed you the way, you said. But is it the right one?" Salazar walks away, leaving Draco to think this over. All his life he was told those from the muggle world are dangerous, that they could never understand. But Salazar's from the muggle world and he's top of his classes (quidditch aside). He's even got scolded time and time again for letting the Mudblood Granger best him in school, for getting higher marks when he's a Pure-blood. Saying the word Muggle-born feels foreign and strange. He wants to please his parents and make them proud, but Salazar is his little brother and he doesn't want the kid to look at him with disappointment and horror every time he walks in the room. How to please his parents without upsetting his brother? Now, that's a real challenge.

Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm

When the new term begins, the student body fear that Hermione had been attacked like the other Muggle-borns but Madam Pomfrey won't allow anyone to visit the poor girl. Only Harry, Ron, the other Weasleys, and Salazar are permitted to. Being in her year, Ron and Harry are kind enough to bring her homework from class, the girl insisting on not falling behind. Salazar pops by to see how she's doing and just to talk, their friendship soon growing from these visits. She even helps him learn about some things from her second-year lessons, helping the boy keep up his advanced progress at being top in all but one of his classes. Ginny seems more distressed than usual and he sees her practically in tears as she runs past him, leaving wet footprints all over the floor. She's lost in the crowd further ahead before he can even what's wrong.

However, life becomes a little easier when Hermione comes out of the hospital wing, whisker and fur free in early February and the mood seems to lift around the student body when there are no other attacks since Justin and Nick's. Madam Pomfrey happily reported that the mandrakes, which would be used to revive the others from petrification, were almost out of childhood. Even Bella seemed to be less anxious than ever, claiming the snake was not acting at the moment. Professor Lockhart seems to believe his mere presence made the attacks stop but Salazar just ignores him for the most part. The students still watch Salazar very carefully, as if expecting him to snap any moment.

Salazar is outright confused on morning when he walks into the great hall, only to do a double take at all the Valentine decorations. Turns out, it was all Lockhart's idea as a way to pepper up the students' mood and he even arranged for dwarfs to deliver Valentines messages around the school. Salazar blushes when he gets one from a Slytherin girl in his year who smiles at him from across the table. When asked to stop teasing him about it, Draco just mocks him further and ends up with flowers for hair after Salazar secretly curses him across the table. Draco stops laughing and rushes off to fix it but isn't angry with him when they next see each other. Instead, he just makes kissy motions whenever he sees Salazar and wiggles his eyebrows at Salazar whenever the girl is close by. Salazar gets his own back when Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl in Draco's year sends Draco a Valentine's song which the dwarves force him to listen to. Salazar only stops laughing when his laces trip him up by tying themselves together whenever he's not looking. After a while, it all dies down which is when it happens.

Salazar reads peacefully in the library and jumps when he hears something which sends dread through his very being. "Kill this time…let me rip…tear them apart…"

He rushes out the doors before he realises what he's doing, and Bella suddenly darts up from his collar to cover his face. He stumbles and topples over but stills at her words hissed in his ear. "Don't open your eyes or you'll die." She warns and he keeps them closed as he hears it again.

"Kill…kill…kill!"

It's so loud now, as if the voice itself is breathing down his neck, and he's frozen on the spot, kneeling on the floor with his eyes shut tight. "Alright. It's gone. We're safe." Bella hisses and he opens them instantly only to jump back when he sees two victims lying paralyzed on the floor. He never noticed when he screamed the place down. He barely noticed Madam Promfrey coming around the corner to see what's happened. He doesn't notice when he's helped up off the floor and lead away from their bodies. He can only see them, the attack forever at the front of his mind as if it's painted on his eyes forever.

Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater.

Even hours later, after he continues to stare into nothingness and Madam Promfrey moves around him, barely registered in his mind. He drinks whatever's brought up to his lips without really thinking on it and feels a calming affect wash over him that finally allows him to blink several times, looing away from the spot he was focused on. He sees Professor Snape stood nearby, a frown on his face and notices at last he's sitting on a bed in the hospital wing. His back aches softly as if he's been sitting up too long and Madam Promfrey seems disapproving of something as she checks him over. "Really, Severus, he should have been brought straight to me!" She tuts but Snape does not react, just watching the boy without any clue to what he's thinking. "He's clearly traumatised, in extreme shock. I'm not surprised after what he witnessed." He hears the doors open and looks over to see Lucius stroll in like he owns the place and smiles kindly when he sees the boy. He's accompanied by a man who looks grim and tired.

"Ah, you are responsive at last, Salazar. I heard you had quite the shock this morning." Lucius greets.

"Yeah, I…" He chokes on his words, almost going into shock again until a hand touches his shoulder. Lucius is looking at him with concern.

"Salazar, I would like you to meet Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic." Lucius introduces, nodding to the other man.

"Have you come to arrest me now? I wouldn't be surprised. They think I did it, don't they? All the evidence points to me." Salazar sighs in defeat, expecting the man to snap his wand and expel him any second now. Wouldn't surprise him.

"On the contrary, the Minister just wanted to ask you a few questions. We were hoping you'd be more alert when we came around and, luckily for us, you are." Lucius reassures.

"Yes, I did. Now, Mr Storm, I would like to ask you what you saw during the most recent attack on Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater." Fudge requests.

"Nothing. I didn't see anything." Salazar admits.

"But you were there." The man's confused.

"Don't tell him the truth. He's one of those who'd think you mad and not believe your words." Bella advises.

"And I had my eyes closed in utter terror right as I heard the voice saying they were going to kill." Salazar explains and Fudge looks at Lucius then back to the boy.

"A voice?"

"Apparently Potter has heard one too, Minster." Lucius adds.

"I see. Well, it's unfortune that you could not help us any way…" Fudge begins, hoping for more information then sighs and turns to Lucius. "This is most worrying, most worrying indeed." He pauses. "But, not to worry. We'll soon have the suspected culprit locked up and the school should be safe again."

"Likely culprit? You know who it is?" Salazar asks, going to stand but the strong hand on his shoulder keeps him sitting.

"We have a suspect, yes." Fudge admits, looking unsure at revealing this. "But don't you worry about that…your friend will be cured soon enough…everything will be just fine."

Lucius frowns. "Miss Granger is more of an…acquaintance, I believe."

"No, she's my friend." Salazar corrects, also frowning as Fudge, seeing there's nothing more to do here, walks out the hospital wing.

Lucius lowers his voice to Salazar. "We'll talk about it later." He too then heads off and Salazar narrows his eyes at the man's back, not liking the sound of that. Itching to do something, he gets out of bed but Madam Promfrey is on him instantly, forcing him to sit back down and endure more health checks, just for safety, she said. Soon he's had enough and manages to convince her he's fine. She'd clearly rather he stay in the hospital wing for longer but cannot find any reason to keep him so she releases him at last.

Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm Salazar Storm

Author's Note: In case you're wondering, yes Hagrid was about to be arrested and Dumbledore suspended right after Lucius and Fudge left Salazar. They visited him first in case he had any more information to give to them.