Chapter 4 -OTHILIA-
When they stepped into the dim atmosphere of the Potions dungeon, Ginny almost immediately turned towards the Gryffindor side of the classroom out of habit, but Rabia caught her arm.
"Hey, watch it. That's the wrong side," she grinned. "We're sitting over here. Come on." "What's wrong?" she asked in confusion, when her new friend didn't react, but starred open-mouthed at the two identical-looking boys with fiery red hair and an equally huge amount of freckles.
Ginny was completely taken aback at what she saw. These twins had to be related to her. If she wasn't much mistaken and these two were granduncle Jonathan's younger brothers, one of them was her grandpa Frederic and the other one had to be granduncle Gregory, who had never married and who seemed always to be surrounded by a cloud of melancholy.
At the moment neither of them appeared very sad, though.
The two boys didn't look like Fred and George, but resembled Ron to a surprising degree.
"That's the Weasley twins," Rabia whispered and dragged Ginny away towards the Slytherin side. "They are a lot of trouble, believe me. No one is safe from their pranks. They are in Gryffindor, of course, like the whole lot of them."
At that Ginny's frown deepened. Rabia might be really nice to her, but she certainly shouldn't insult her family like that. On the other hand she had to admit that the other girl could hardly know about her relations, but she felt slightly annoyed by her comment nonetheless.
While she was still wondering how to react, Rabia had already continued. "Not that they aren't cute. Especially Greg," she grinned and winked an eye at Ginny. "But you'd better be careful around them."
She suddenly stopped and stared at Ginny in disbelief. "Crimeny, are you really sure you aren't related to them in some way? You could be cousins or even sibs from your looks. That's completely weird. Wow-"
Not only Rabia seemed to have noticed this. The twins appeared equally shocked as Ginny and all their classmates watched them with interest.
When Ginny sat down on the bench behind Rabia and Olive, the latter turned to her with a nasty grin. "Once again, redhead, are you really sure you belong in Slytherin?" she taunted with a meaningful look at the twins.
Ginny didn't know how to respond, but there was no time for an answer anyway as Professor O'Malley entered the classroom.
He was a very old, friendly looking wizard with a large white moustache and an otherwise bald head. His cheeks were slightly pink and his deep brown eyes twinkled behind small round glasses. There couldn't have been more contrast to her own time's Potions Master, Ginny decided and smiled at the old man.
"Ah- what do I see? Is this another Weasley in our midst?" he asked.
Olive greeted this question with a soft snorting noise. Ginny felt herself blushing - she should have thought about this. "No, sir, I'm Virginia Otis," she muttered nervously.
"Oh," Professor O'Malley coughed slightly, when his eyes fell to the Slytherin crest on the front of her robes. "Anyway, welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Otis. What good fortune, now we're an even number finally. You'd best pair up with Miss McGonagall. She is the black-haired young lady over there."
At the shocked gasp that escaped Ginny's lips at this order, his face fell all of a sudden. "Yes, she is a Gryffindor student, but that won't cause any problems between the two of you, will it?"
Ginny felt every pair of eyes resting on her. The Slytherins watched her with interest and some amusement, while the Gryffindors glared at her for this impudence.
Once again she wasn't quite sure how to react. "No, of course not," she hurried to assure the old man and moved over towards the advised seat.
Minerva McGonagall looked kind of suspicious. Like everyone else she had taken Ginny's reaction to be caused by the enmity between Slytherins and Gryffindors.
None of them could know that she had only been shocked by the prospect of sitting next to her future deputy headmistress and Head of House. In accordance with this, Minerva's welcome was more than frosty.
Unwillingly, she made room for Ginny to sit on the bench beside her. Even at the age of fourteen she was able to fix her opponent with that trademark stare of hers, that made one regret anything one might have ever done wrong.
Forcing her worries back, Ginny swallowed and looked at the other girl. "I'm Virginia Otis," she began, but Minerva McGonagall didn't look any more friendly at that.
"I've already heard that," she sniffed and pressed her lips into a thin line. "I'm Minerva McGonagall and I certainly didn't ask for this seating arrangement either. I've managed very well to brew my potions alone so far and I can only hope you won't try to pull any stupid pranks on me."
With that she turned her head to the front of the classroom again and pretended to be oblivious to Ginny's presence.
Ginny stared at her out of narrowed eyes. That was most obviously not a good start. Future Head of House or not, she was really mad at her at the moment. How dare she to be this mean to her, when she didn't even know her at all? She would have gladly called her a number of zoological names, but bit her tongue.
"Stuck up goose, "she couldn't resist to mutter under her breath, "no wonder she's a cat."
"What?!" McGonagall's head snapped up and her eyes grew wide with surprise. She had obviously heard her and looked kind of worried all of a sudden.
"Oh, nothing." Ginny just sent her a sweet little smile and turned her attention back to the front of the classroom.
They didn't speak to each other during the rest of the lesson.
Λ
X
Tom played with the light-grey feather quill in his hands, while he listened to Professor Binns' endless lecture with minimal interest.
His mind was still preoccupied with the pretty redhead he had met earlier. There was something strange about her, he couldn't put his finger on.
But he certainly had other matters to think about at the moment.
He mostly preferred to be on his own anyway. It was simply what he was used to. He had always been alone. The muggle children at the orphanage had either feared or disliked him because of all the little misfortunes and strange things that seemed to happen around him. Miss Somerville, the beastly old directress, had given him and everyone who had been so unlucky as to get involved in the happenings, lots of detentions and punishments. He had always been the queer bird, who slipped from one spot of trouble into the next.
When, on his eleventh birthday, his Hogwarts letter had arrived, he had understood lots of things all of a sudden and the sealed letter that his mother had left for him at the orphanage, had answered some more questions. She had obviously asked the directress to give him the letter the day after his 11th birthday, but only if he had received post the day before. She must have known she was going to die, he supposed.
Since he was born in November, he had had to wait almost a whole year until he could finally go and when he had started at Hogwarts he had hoped to find some friends there, but once again he had been rejected.
His house mates had looked down upon him because he was no pureblood wizard, while the students of the other houses avoided him as a Slytherin. Once again, he had been all alone and so he had developed an almost desperate wish to find out more about his family. The one on his mother's side of course, not the traitorous muggle one. His mother had told him her maiden name in her letter. So he had started to search the old yearbooks for her until he had finally found her in the book of 1923. Margin Mackenzie, a beautiful 18-year-old witch with long, shining jet-black hair and deep, bottle-green eyes.
For a long time he had just come back to look at her photo and see her smile at him, but some day in his second year, he had decided to find out more about her ancestors, too. She and all her family had been in Slytherin like him. He had continued to look up the names of her parents, grandparents and so on, until he had discovered the first connection to Salazar Slytherin in the year 1703. When he came across one Gerald Potter among his ancestors and just looked up his parents, he had found out that Alicia Potter's maiden name had been Slytherin. Her father had died, leaving two daughters, but no son and therefore the surname had disappeared.
At first he had been shocked about the discovery that he wasn't only of an old wizarding bloodline on his mother's side, but even a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house himself. This was finally the explanation, why the sorting hat had accepted him, a half-blood, to join Slytherin house.
He had been all excited about his discovery that he wasn't just equal to his house members, but even someone very special. He had followed every hint during the past years and had finally reconstructed his bloodline back to Salazar Slytherin himself and had found out that he was, indeed, his descendent.
As a Prefect he had free access to the restricted section now and he planned to search it for every book or roll of parchment that held information about his famous ancestor. He had already found his autobiography that was kept in there. When he had turned the ancient book in his hands a thin, yellowish roll of parchment had fallen out of its back. The paper was so old that he had been worried to damage it when he had unrolled the note. He was sure, it had to have some kind of Age Blocking Charm on itself as it must have remained in the book for almost a thousand years. Slowly and very carefully he had smoothed the paper with his hands, but what it had revealed to him was kind of a disappointment.
It contained row after row of an unfamiliar language. The text was written in ordinary letters, but the words had the oddest arrangement he had ever seen. He had kept the roll from the book and tried to figure out its meaning, without any successes. He had tried to read only special letters in the text and draw them together into a word he knew. Just the front letters for example, or only every seventh one. He had compared it to texts in Trollish, Mareish, Goblinish, Elfish and to every human language he could find a written text in, but it had been to no use so far. He simply couldn't figure out what it was supposed to mean. Maybe he would make some progress this afternoon.
Λ
X
After the lesson Ginny re-joined Rabia and the other girls in the corridor. Cathrina and Olive didn't even look up from their conversation, when the Slytherin boys approached the little group with an interested look on their faces. Lilith got all giggly all of a sudden and threw secret glances into the direction of a huge, brown-haired boy, who smiled at her as soon as their eyes met.
It was quite obvious that these two had a thing for each other. Ginny hadn't much time to think about this, though. The Snape-ish looking boy stepped forward, "I'm Sam Snape," he told her without the hint of a smile. After a brief glance over his shoulder he nodded to the nearest boy. "That's Argus Filch."
The addressed, a plain looking, quite thin boy with dark-blond hair smiled shyly at her before he lowered his black eyes to the ground. Ginny had to recover from shock first. She would have never recognized the evil, foul-tempered caretaker of the Hogwarts of her time in this pale, insecure boy.
"Honestly Sam, you're as charming as a Dementor," a handsome boy with dark-blond hair smiled and looked in her direction. His ice-blue eyes twinkled mischievously, Ginny noticed with surprise that he was actually flirting with her. "I'm Lestât Lestrange. Nice to meet you, Virginia."
Confused, Ginny smiled back at all three of them. "Hi."
"Hey guys," a brown-eyed, brown-haired boy with glasses interrupted nervously, "Couldn't we hurry up a little? I want to drop by the library before lunch."
Rabia giggled at this. "Oh Pat, are you really worried anyone might catch that boring potions book O'Malley mentioned, from right under your nose, if you don't hurry straight to the library?"
She turned her head towards Ginny and rolled her eyes. "That's Patrick Parkinson, he is always worried someone might get a book he wants to borrow before him. He is a little mad about his studies, but otherwise quite nice and you can always count on him, if you have trouble with some homework."
Ginny, who didn't know what to say to this statement, returned Patrick's smile. An auburn-haired boy with bright blue eyes threw a nervous glance at his watch.
"Yeah, old Pat is better than any lexicon and he's right about the time, too. I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to hurry now." He looked at her with oddly familiar twinkling bright-blue eyes. "I'm David Dumbledore, by the way. See you later, Virginia, OK?" he smiled and with a short wave he ran off.
Ginny's head snapped up at the name. "Dumbledore?" she frowned confused.
"Righto, Dumbledore, like the Transfiguration teacher," Rabia nodded.
"He's on the Quidditch team," Sam Snape exclaimed.
"Is he his son?" Ginny asked confused, but Rabia shook her head. "No, his nephew. Everyone was shocked, when the sorting hat put him into Slytherin. Professor Dumbledore is the Head of Gryffindor," she added with a grin.
At this Cathrina Malfoy, who had been chatting with Olive all the time, cut into the conversation.
"We're heading off for lunch now. Are you coming, too?"
"Ah, Her Highness is gathering her ladies in waiting round herself," Rabia muttered with a grin. Aloud she called, "No, just go ahead, we're coming soon."
Lilith Crabbe on the contrary separated reluctantly from the huge, brown-haired boy, she had been talking to. "See you later, Oliver," Ginny heard her mutter before she moved over towards Cathrina and Olive.
Rabia, who had followed Ginny's gaze, grinned at her. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot. That's Oliver Goyle, Lilith's sweetheart."
Ginny's eyes widened at this. 'Oh, that's why,' she thought with amusement. Aloud she asked. "Are they dating?" "Almost," Rabia grinned and continued at Ginny's confused look, "Well, not yet, but it can't take them very much longer. Wouldn't you like to go outside, for lunch?" she asked with a smile. "We could sit beneath a tree in the grounds and eat some fruit? It's far too warm for some real lunch in the Great Hall, don't you think so?"
Although Ginny hadn't had any breakfast that day, she could only agree to this. She felt a little worn out by the sudden change of seasons that came along with the time travelling. She had started on a cold, rainy February's day after all and the unexpected heat of the bright September's day really got to her.
Λ
X
Minutes later she was leaning with her back against the rough bark of an old beech-tree in the grounds biting into a poison-green apple.
The warm rays of midday sun peered down on her through the light-green leaves and drew an irregular pattern of light and shadow onto the grass. Rabia had seated herself down on the sunny lawn in a cross-legged position and ate a nectarine. She had rolled the sleeves of her robe up to her elbows.
Ginny envied her for her olive-golden shimmering skin. Rabia wouldn't burn as easily as her, with her pale Weasley skin, which was now, after the long winter months of her own time, even more sensitive. It was probably wise to stay out of the bright sun for the first few days.
Rabia, who had finished her nectarine by now, pulled a box of strawberries out of her bag and handed it to Ginny. "Help yourself."
Ginny didn't hesitate to accept this invitation. Both girls enjoyed their lunch break in the sun.
"I can give you a tour around the grounds and the castle this afternoon, if you like," Rabia suggested all of a sudden.
"That would be fun, I suppose," Ginny sighed, "but I'm supposed to introduce myself to Professor Futhark, you know?"
"Oh yes, of course," Rabia smiled, "I almost forgot. Do you want me to show you the way to his office then?"
"No. Erw, I mean that would be nice of you, but Tom already promised to show me the way," Ginny muttered nervously.
Rabia looked at her in complete surprise at that and Ginny felt herself immediately blush under her intense stare. She was furious with herself that she did, but nonetheless she couldn't help it. Just when she thought she couldn't bear it any longer, the other girl's face broke into a broad smile. "Indeed?" she mocked, "Well, in that case – I can hardly compete with an offer like that."
Λ
X
At exactly four o' clock, Ginny entered the common room. It was almost completely empty, since most students were out in the grounds, but Tom was already there waiting for her.
He looked up from the book he had been reading and smiled at her. "Shall we go?"
Ginny couldn't help the nervousness that captured her as soon as his bottle-green eyes looked at her. Temporarily mute, she just nodded. They walked out of the common room and passed the dimly lit dungeons once again. When they crossed the vast Entrance Hall and ascended the wide marble staircase, the merry sound of laughter drifted in from outside through the wide open front doors. Ginny doubted that anyone stayed inside the castle on a day like this, if he or she could help it. Tom led her through a couple of long corridors. Professor Futhark's office was on the second floor, towards the rear of the school. She was mad with herself that she wasn't able to overcome her damn shyness and start a simple conversation, but maybe she was still too much afraid of him. She had to get used to the thought that he wasn't Voldemort yet, if she wanted to make him notice her.
In front of a plain wooden door Tom stopped and looked at her.
"Here it is," he said and knocked.
A quite strident voice answered from inside. "Yes? What is it?"
Ginny immediately flinched back, but Tom just cleared his throat and called. "It's Tom Riddle, sir. I'm bringing the new student."
"Enter," the voice behind the door ordered a little more mildly and suddenly Ginny was more than glad to have Tom with her, when they stepped into the office.
Behind a desk in the middle of the room sat a thin, black-robed man, grading essays.
He looked up at their entry and once again Ginny almost flinched back with fear. He was a tall, thin man, with bushy chin-length silvery-white hair, hollow cheeks and a goatee, and he had the coldest grey eyes she had ever seen. Tom, who had noticed her hesitation, placed one hand at her shoulder blade and looked at the professor. "Sir, this is Virginia Otis, the new student." He turned his eyes back at her and smiled. "Ginny, may I introduce Professor Futhark, our Head of House."
With that he withdrew his hand from her shoulder and Ginny felt almost a little sorry about it. "Thank you, Mr. Riddle," the professor nodded and gestured towards a pair of chairs in front of his working desk. "Have a seat."
They did and once again, Ginny was glad about Tom's presence. Professor Futhark turned his head towards her. His eyes held little sympathy.
"Welcome to Slytherin, Miss Otis," he told her in his slightly cutting voice and forced his thin lips into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I hope you will do well in your new house. Just give your best for Slytherin and Slytherin will do its best for you."
"Yes, sir, I'll try my best," Ginny muttered.
She was once again endowed with a thin-lipped smile. "That is fine. Headmaster Dippet already informed me about the special circumstances of your arrival. Do you have any questions?"
"No, not at the moment, thank you Professor," she said. The sooner she would get out of here the better.
Even the professor's face showed relief at that. He didn't seem very eager to continue this conversation any longer either. "Well, in case this should change, come to my office, or," he gestured towards Tom, who sat in the chair beside hers, "ask Mr. Riddle instead. He is a Prefect, in case you do not know this already. There are also a Head Girl and Boy, of course, but they are Ravenclaw and" a sour expression crossed his face, "Gryffindor. You certainly would not want to discuss any problems with members of another house, would you, Miss Otis?"
His penetrating stare and stern tone made quite clear that this was no question, but an order.
"N-no sir, I don't think so," she stammered nervously.
"You don't think so?" he repeated thoughtfully, "Well, that is a good start, I suppose. If you would excuse me now, I have work to do."
Ginny immediately jumped to her feet and headed for the exit. To her surprise, Tom got up from his seat and walked towards the door, too. She thought he had said he wanted to speak to Professor Futhark, but maybe she had misunderstood this. When she reached for the handle, he suddenly leaned forward and opened the door for her.
"Just wait a few moments outside, will you? I have to discuss a project with Professor Futhark, but it won't take long. It's probably easier for you if we walk back downstairs together. This castle can be a little confusing in the beginning."
Λ
X
A quarter of an hour later Tom, stepped out of Professor Futhark's office. He wasn't any wiser than before. He had asked for the Runes professor's advice with deciphering the strange scripting. He hadn't shown the original text to him, but had copied a few words onto a piece of parchment. His professor had been very interested, but not helpful in the slightest. He hadn't seen any sense in the mysterious text either.
Ginny was still there. She sat on one of the chairs in front of the office door and watched the small particles of dust floating in the trace of sunlight that fell through the huge lancet window at the headwall.
"Hi," he addressed her pleasantly. "I hope the wait wasn't too boring?"
"Oh no, not at all. I counted the nice chessboard mosaic on the floor, you know?" she teased. "I'm sorry, but it took longer than I expected," he told her, quite surprised by her comment.
"Oh," she suddenly grinned and got up from her chair, "I'm just kidding. It's very nice of you to show me the way in the first place."
He didn't know what to say in response to this and so they started to walk down the corridor in silence.
She didn't look very happy, he noticed. Her posture had become all tense again like it had been in the office before. He wanted to make her feel better in some way. "You needn't be afraid of him, he isn't half bad, if one gets used to him, you know?" he muttered.
She tried to smile at him, but it didn't look very convincing. "It wasn't a question, was it?"
His eyebrows rose interrogatively at her. "What?"
"Well, what he said about not to talk to members of other houses about any problems?"
He shook his head. "No. He doesn't wish for internal problems of Slytherin to get outside."
At her frown he continued. "He fears it might damage the house's reputation to show any weakness, I guess. He wants us to appear unaffected and superior to others. In his opinion Slytherin house should be able to deal with its problems on its own."
"Oh- that's why," she muttered mournfully "and what do you think?"
"I – I don't know. It depends on the problem, I suppose?" he answered, confused by the question.
"If there is anything you don't want to discuss with – me," he started hesitatingly, "there is a girl in seventh year, Marion McNnair. She is Slytherin's unofficial Prefect or Head Girl, whatever you want to call it."
She looked at him with a frown. "Am I correct in assuming that you don't want me to ask you for help then?"
"No. No that's not what I meant, not at all, Ginny. I just wanted to let you know that there is the possibility to get some –erw- female advice in our house, too."
"Oh- thank you."
He noticed the slight shade of pink that crept into her cheeks, and smiled. "I would gladly help you should there be any problem."
Her head snapped up at that. "Really?"
"Yes. It's - it's my responsibility as a Prefect after all," he added hastily.
"Oh yes, of course."
Did he just imagine it, or did she look disappointed? They had reached the library by now and stopped in front of the wooden entrance door. There was an awkward silence in the air all of a sudden.
"Well, that's the library," he exclaimed lamely. "You'll find the way back to the common room from here, will you?"
Her eyes widened at that. "Yes. Yes, I think so."
"You'll probably head for the grounds, I suppose?"
She shrugged, "I don't know, I- no, the library sounds interesting. I guess I'll have a look at it as well," she smiled.
"But I'm just going to look some things up. I have no time to show you how to find a book now."
"I think I can manage that on my own," she remarked quite tensely.
"Yes, of course," he hurried to assure her. "I just meant that there are some useful ways to search for the book you want, magical ones, you know? But I can't show you right now. Let's do that some other time, OK?"
He felt almost a little sorry for her. She seemed so lost and insecure, but what was he supposed to do? He certainly couldn't use anyone's company right now. He had to look some more things up. He had to find out more about the parchment he had discovered inside of Slytherin's biography.
Suddenly she raised her head and straightened her back. "Oh yes. Yes, that's fine with me. I think I'll have a look at the grounds now. Thanks for your help, Tom," she said and turned on her heel. Without a further look at him she was gone.
He felt an odd feeling of regret well up inside of him. Now she was mad at him. That wasn't was he had intended at all.
Λ
X
Ginny Weasley shook with rage, while she hurried down the marble staircase and outside into the grounds. If Olive Hornby had appeared right now, she would have gladly wrung her neck.
She was kind of distracted by the way Tom had ridded himself of her presence. How dare he send her off like a stupid little girl? He had been so nice to her so far and now this. She was furious and embarrassed and kind of sad, but she wouldn't show him. She might have come here because of him, but that didn't mean she would make the same mistakes she had made with Harry. She wouldn't set herself at his heels and wait longingly for him to notice her. She would make him notice her, without running after him like a puppy. She was sick of that.
Λ
X
"Mr. Weasley, please, calm down. We'll do everything in our power to find out where your sister is," Dumbledore told a desperate Ron, who paced the circular office like a nervous tiger.
"Miss Granger," he addressed the pale and worried looking girl in the chair in front of his desk, "if your Time-Turner is really missing as you say, there might be a connection to Miss Weasley's disappearance, but we can't be sure right now. Maybe she just ran off the common way - by broomstick. She didn't say anything about time travelling in her letter, did she?"
Ron shook his head at that. "No," he muttered, "but sir, she doesn't even have a broomstick and – "
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Harry interrupted impatiently. "It makes me all mad to just sit here and await her return."
"I'm afraid there isn't," Dumbledore told him with a sad smile. "Maybe a good night's sleep will bring some clarity to the matter." He held up his hand to stop the trio's protest. "Dreams can be of great help to bring aspects that lurk in the subconscious out into the open; and they can be very powerful sensors as well."
Λ
X
With a sigh of frustration Tom Riddle clapped shut the book about 'Forgotten Languages Of The Magical World'. This wasn't any help either. He had once again brooded over the mysterious text, but hadn't made any progress in deciphering the words. He probably never would. Who on earth could possibly see any meaning in them? With a frustrated expression on his face he tried to pronounce the odd arrangement of letters just to convince himself how hopelessly the whole matter was - and suddenly - everything made perfect sense.
As soon as he muttered the first syllables, they became real words to his ears and his own voice extended Salazar Slytherin's legacy to him.
If you read these lines descendent of mine, you are able to speak with the serpent's tongue - I must be long gone. This is my legacy for you.
I wish I could have left something better, something more resistible to the teeth of time, but the days are dark and my friends have turned their backs on me.
There is not much time. I will have to leave this castle within a few hours and this is the only way to let you and just - you - know what has to be said.
I am no longer welcome in these walls I once built along with my cousin Goderic Gryffindor and the two most gifted witches of our time, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. I failed my intentions, my plans. Fortunately I prepared a hidden chamber deep down beneath the deepest dungeon, beneath the lake even, to harbour a familiar, who will follow your every word and help you complete my work.
Now all my hopes rest on you, my descendent. The runes told me you were to live some day in the far future. I do not know how many years, or even centuries, will have to pass until you will hold this parchment in your hands.
They say it is not possible to learn parseltongue as there is no way to write the words down. As you see, they are only half right. Parseltongue is indeed no learned language, but an inherited ability. If I try to read this text in silence, my own scripting does not make any sense to me. It is the voice that brings out the meaning. Therefore I enchanted the feather-quill I'm holding in my hand, to write down the words I mutter to myself. You see parseltongue can be expressed in letters as long as writer and reader speak the words aloud.
Since you have read this far, this scripting has to make sense to you, which proves you to be a parselmouth, like me. You are the one I am writing this for, my heir. Now read on and listen to my words through your own voice.
It is the year 1002. My name is Salazar Slytherin and I am a wizard -
A loud clattering made him snap out of it. Some stupid first year had dropped all his writing materials and ink-bottle to the floor. Immediately the librarian got at his throat for his clumsiness. After a lot of lecturing and a couple of Cleansing Spells she shooed the unhappy boy and his friends out of the library. Tom frowned, when he realised it was late afternoon already. Warm golden sunlight floated into the vast room that was filled with lots of students now.
It wasn't safe enough to read these lines in here, he decided. There was too much danger that someone might hear him. As much as he wanted to find out what Salazar had to tell him, he had to wait until tonight.
A smile spread across his face. He hadn't had any idea that he was able to speak parseltongue. This was the final proof he had been looking for. Salazar Slytherin had made sure that none other than his true heir would be able to read the parchment and he could - he was a parselmouth like Slytherin. He was his heir.
Λ
X
Ginny Weasley couldn't sleep. Too many strange, exciting things had happened to her during the day. She had tossed and turned in her bed and listened to the other girls' regular breathing for hours now it seemed, and it was long past midnight when she finally gave up.
Very carefully, so not the wake the others, she climbed out of bed and approached the nearest window. She silently slipped through a gap in the curtains and stepped into the moonlit nook. The moon shone right into the yellow and green coloured glass of the window. Slowly she pulled back the old iron bar and opened the upper part of the window. The moon hung right above the lake, its silvery light glittered on the countless little waves that curled its surface. The warm, rich smell of summer was in the air and she heard the noise of crickets in the weeds by the lakeside.
She felt an odd longing to go out there. To sit at the banks of the lake and look at the moon. If she had been in her own time and house, she probably would have given in to that wish and would have tried to silently slip out of the castle, but she wasn't, and she didn't dare to sneak around the dungeons at night. Nonetheless, she couldn't sleep. She wouldn't find any rest if she returned to her bed right now. It was probably best to go down to the common room for a time. As quietly as possible, she closed the window and slipped back through the curtains again.
After the moonlit nook the room was dark; she had to wait for a few moments until her eyes adjusted. When she was sure she wouldn't run into anything by accident, she crossed the room towards the door and stepped into the corridor.
A lonely torch at the small wall of the corridor spread a dim light. It was just enough to let her recognize the spiral staircase that led down towards the common room. She had almost reached its foot, when she heard the noise for the first time.
It sounded strangely familiar, although she couldn't tell why. It was very silent hissing noise that reminded of a serpent.
There was light downstairs in the common room and the noise came from down there. Hesitatingly she stepped a little closer to find out what the strange noise was about. Her bare feet made no sound on the stone plates.
Step by step she approached the stone archway that led into the common room. The hissing noise became louder and more clear now. It was a frightening sound that sent shivers down her spine and made all the little hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. Her bare forearms were covered in goose flesh. She should have probably returned to bed and let the hissing noise be, whatever it was, but curiosity got the better of her.
Very slowly and fearfully she leaned forward to peer around the corner and what she saw caught the breath in her throat.
A/N: I supposed both, Harry's and Tom's wands, to be out of holly's wood with a core of a Phoenix feather as these wands are said to be 'brothers'. In a review I've been told that just Harry's wand is made of holly and Tom's one is yew tree instead. I had to change a little detail in the first chapter for that reason. Please have a look at it, it's important for the plot.
The rune OTHILIA, this chapter is named after, is a rune of inheritance, which can either refer to the bounds of the clan, or the mysteries of inherited powers or talents. It represents legacy, family values and ethic origins.
The shape of the rune is similar to the little sign, I choose to separate the different passages, but it has no gap between the pointed roof and the X.
Lots of thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I hope, you liked this one, too.
*Indigo Ziona*/lily potter and katie bell* Tanks for letting me know, Tom's wand is made of yew-tree.
*Alizee* Oh yes, the whole CoS incident was in Ginny's first year, of course. Thanks for making me notice, I wrote second year instead. I've fixed that.
*Brita'Chica* I had no idea, yearbooks and graduation were American terms. Is there any British equivalent for them?
*pommekitty* What is the Gin's Tonic board and what's SUCSA? Please tell me, I'm curious.
*Amanda Mancini* Hey, aren't you the one, who sent me the nice e-mail about my dragon pic 'Ginny's Patronus' at the Draco/Ginny group? It really made me smile. I'm glad that you like my Tom/Ginny story, too.
*lunarmouse* I'm a huge Snape fan, too. He's my favourite character. Well, obviously, since two of my four stories are centred around him. But I simply couldn't resist to write a fic about Tom and Ginny as well. I'm glad, you like it.
*BloodyAngel* Lucius Malfoy is this old, really? I supposed him to be younger. That's why I put him into the same year with Severus and the marauders in 'A little of your time'. Well, it's fan-fiction, so it shouldn't be a big problem. In this story his parents, Cathrina and Lucretius are going to Hogwarts.
Serpentina