Starting from next week, I'm changing update day to Thursday as I expect to be busy IRL on Wednesdays.
"Theo?"
"Yeah?" asked Theo. "Can I have some help with this Transfiguration essay?"
"Sure. Can you just tell me something first?" Leo was in no mood to be subtle, so went for a direct approach. "Have you ever heard of a book called Most Macabre Monstrosities?"
He watched his friend's reaction closely, but there was no sign of a flinch or obvious reaction as there would be from Slytherin's heir, if his suspicions were correct.
Instead, Theo merely looked puzzled. "I… think I might have used it to look something up last year…?"
It seemed that Theo was clear of suspicion, at least for now. Leo hadn't finished with him, though. There was still a chance that he could know something useful. "Did you look at page seven hundred and twenty-four? Can you remember what was on it?"
Theo shrugged. "You can look yourself if you want to, can't you? Anyway, do you expect me to memorise the page numbers?"
"It might be useful. Page seven hundred and twenty-four is in the section on snakes."
Theo shook his head. "I was looking up some plants. I didn't go anywhere near that section."
Leo nodded: with Theo's speciality being Herbology, this was plausible and probably true. Still, it was another possible lead gone. "Do you know anyone who has a copy of that book?" he asked.
"No. What's so important about it, anyway?"
"There was a page ripped out," said Leo. "I was trying to figure out if you knew what was on it."
Theo might not have been the intellectual equal of Leo or Marisa, but he was certainly not stupid and was able to put two and two together. "Is this about the Chamber?" he asked. "Snakes… you're saying someone's torn out a page which could have the actual monster of Slytherin on it?"
Leo nodded grimly. "Sorry for suspecting you. I'm fairly sure you didn't do it. But you see how important this is?"
Theo nodded. "I see how important it is to you… but…" He was clearly worried Leo would blow up. "I think you're getting obsessed with this. You're taking it too far. I mean, Potter or someone I could understand, but… you're a Slytherin, Leo."
Leo wasn't quite at breaking point, not just yet. Enough of his mind was still occupied with this new clue that he couldn't focus too much on Theo's words. "I am," he said. "Which means I'm ruthless, ambitious, cunning. I'll do anything to get what I want, and what I want right now is to find out who is the Heir of Slytherin and put a stop to them."
"Why would you want to stop them?"
"Because I don't want people to die. Any people, Muggle-born or not."
By this time, Daphne and Tracey were listening intently.
Theo seemed to hesitate. He didn't quite know what to say. "But… this isn't about that, is it? It's just about Marisa."
"Yes, I care about Marisa," said Leo. His voice was calm and level, and quieter than usual, but you didn't have to know him to recognise the deadly undertone. "I also care about Hogwarts, and about preventing anyone from dying unnecessarily. Do you care about those things?"
It sounded ordinary, but it was unmistakably a challenge, possibly even a threat.
"Of – of course," said Theo. "But these people – they're just Mu-ggle borns." With an enormous effort, he managed to prevent himself from using the word Mudblood.
That still didn't please Leo very much. "When Marisa wakes up, I'm telling her everything you said. See if you still think she's "just a Muggle-born" when she's hexed you into a million pieces. Or I might just do it myself."
Theo had no doubt at all that Leo meant exactly what he said. He cringed. "You don't need to do that," he said.
"Don't I?" asked Leo.
"No – I don't think they're not worthy of protection, but I don't think there's really that much you can do for them – "
"Not much I can do?" asked Leo incredulously. "Haven't I already made some progress? I've found this missing page, I have other leads I can follow, I can solve this mystery! I just need a bit more time!"
"Whatever," said Theo, with a shrug. "While you're waiting, can you help with my essay?"