Elisabeth was lying beside the lake, reading her mail when Kris came
and sat down beside her.
"What are you up to?" he asked, eating his breakfast roll.
"Relaxing. Liam is somewhere, guarding someone. He's being particularily shady with the details. Some old insane guy. Dumbledore or something."
"Oh right, Dumbledore. He was arrested during the war, they said he was conspiring to kill a whole bunch of people. They never proved it but he was mad anyway. What else are you doing?"
"Reading a letter from your evil sister."
"Ruthie?"
"No, the other, more evil, one."
"Oh, what does Mistress Marit want?"
"She wants me to dance at her funeral. I'm sending her a return letter that says, in firm, bold print "LIKE HELL""
"Let me see the letter." Kris said, shoving the rest of the roll into his mouth. "No, no. This says she'd like you to SING at her WEDDING. You really need to work on your Swedish skills. Are you honestly sure you don't want my help?"
"Yes, I am very sure I don't want your help. I think I'm doing quite well, personally."
"Will you still think that when you're dancing at my sisters funeral?"
"Oh you hush. Why did you come out here anyway?"
"Oh, you know. It's not that important anyway. I mean you have much more urgent things to do."
"Kristoffer." She said in a low, menacing voice.
"It's really no big deal." He said innocently.
"Tell me." Elisabeth said, lunging at him.
"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you, get off my chest. Okay." He started to speak and then burst into giggles. "Okay," he took a deep breath and looked at Elisabeth's face and started laughing. "Well, it goes something like this. You see, I was out walking, minding my own business when suddenly, out of the trees came this giant, eight legged-"
"You've been into the hydrolingarn again, haven't you?"
"No, I'm dead serious. There was this giant, eight legged spider-"
"An eight legged spider? Do you know how rare that is?"
"Do you want me to finish telling you or not?"
"No, no. Go on, you will anyway."
"Anyway, as I was saying. This spider comes out of the bushes and says, I swear to god, he actually says this, he says "brother of Harry Potter-"
"Brother of Harry Potter? That's a little assuming, don't you think?'
"Look, I'm just telling you what the spider said, okay?"
Elisabeth raised her hands. "Okay, you win. Go on."
"So anyway, this giant spider is all 'Brother of Harry Potter, I have come to warn you of impending danger. The Chamber is in danger of being unsealed, the chsen one must be warned. And then someone called my name and he scuttled back into the forest."
Elisabeth raised her eyebrow. "Riiight. Now what have you been drinking?"
"Nothing. Look, this spider was a acromantula. It's an eight eyed creature from Borneo that's capable of speech. The thing is, they haven't been seen in Scotland, well, ever."
"So what? You think this eight-eyed, talking spider is trying to warn you about what?"
"I don't know. I thought you might though."
Elisabeth shook her head. "I wonder why he talked to you though. And who the "chosen one" is. Are you sure it's not just repeating some trash it heard?"
"Acromantula are almost-not quite-as smart as humans. I don't think this is just some cock and bull story it heard somewhere, and has no recollection of whether it means something."
Elisabeth sat up suddenly. "You don't suppose-"
"What?"
"No. It's too far-fetched." Her voice got misty. "And Voldemort's dead-"
"What is it?"
"Well you don't suppose he was talking about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Kris bit his lip. "But unless Voldemort had a child, which is highly unlikely-"
Elisabeth grabbed her papers and turned to Kris. "I have to go." She ran back to the castle.
"Professor McGonagall! Professor!"
"Yes Miss Potter?" The headmistress turned from her desk and looked at the girl.
"The Chamber of Secrets, someone's going to open it."
"Tosh! Voldemort is dead, he has no surviving relatives and besides, the basilisk was killed by your father."
"They can breed you know." Elisabeth said dryly, and then put her hand over her mouth. "Please Professor." She begged. "You have to belive me."
"Miss Potter, I do not know who has put such a rubbish idea into your head, but I can assure you that if you go about alarming other students with your childish warnings it will not be tolerated. And do NOT go to Professor Granger with this tale. She is on thin ice as it is. You are dismissed."
Elisabeth turned and walked out of the office, her shoulders turned in, her head hung. She walked slowly down the hall and pushed open the first door she came to. She found herself not in the Ravenclaw corridor, but instead in a large stone room. "Sorry sir." She said to the tall thin man standing to one side, the sole occupant of the room.
"No, no. I find it refreshing to sometimes have new people stumble across my hiding place." He chuckled softly. "And if it isn't Lily Potter."
The man turned around and Elisabeth saw that she was facing Albus Dumbledore. "Oh my god!"
"It may be, Miss Potter, that we are in the same boat."
"How so?" Elisabeth asked, hoping he wouldn't grow fangs and attack her brutally before she could find the door.
"I'm not believed in my innocence and you are not believed in your desperate plea to save lives."
"How do you know that?"
The old man chuckled. "I do not intend to bite you, Lily. I intend only to help you. Although that may be difficult."
Elisabeth found herself intrigued by the man in spite of herself. "My dad calls me Elisabeth." She said quietly.
"Of course. I should have remembered that, though I find that my memory has great difficulty remembering entire events."
"How are you going to help me sir?"
"Come sit. This may take a while." Her eyes still locked on his old, old face Elisabeth sat down in one of the chairs. "You see, my dear child, I was arrested during the Great War because I was found in the company of death-eaters. In such a situation as I found myself innocence is very difficult to maintain. I am sorry to say that I have little to no influence left in the world of magic as we know it. I know of the difficulties with the Chamber of Secrets, and I know that the one chosen is you. You will have little support on your journey, especially from your father who will refuse to see that there is still danger. There are those who will support you but you will need to search for them, and gain their trust. Remember, not all those who can help are human."
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU!"
Elisabeth whirled in her seat and saw Liam, livid with rage, his wand pointing at Dumbledore. "Please Liam, you misunderstand-"
"We allowed you to return to Hogwarts because you are old and have but one last leg to pull into the grave. That you would dare lure Elisabeth into this room proves that you are unstable." He looked at Elisabeth and continued in a softer voice. "Come love, out the door. That's a dear, come on now." Elisabeth left the room and leaned against the wall, the cold stones numbing her forehead and keeping the headache at bay.
Liam left the room after a few minutes and took her shoulders. "Are you okay? What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. I'm fine. I just need to go back to bed."
Liam nodded and walked her back to the Ravenclaw common room. She got into her pajamas and slid beneath the covers, letting the warmth wash over her, succumbing to the sleep she so desperately needed.
"What are you up to?" he asked, eating his breakfast roll.
"Relaxing. Liam is somewhere, guarding someone. He's being particularily shady with the details. Some old insane guy. Dumbledore or something."
"Oh right, Dumbledore. He was arrested during the war, they said he was conspiring to kill a whole bunch of people. They never proved it but he was mad anyway. What else are you doing?"
"Reading a letter from your evil sister."
"Ruthie?"
"No, the other, more evil, one."
"Oh, what does Mistress Marit want?"
"She wants me to dance at her funeral. I'm sending her a return letter that says, in firm, bold print "LIKE HELL""
"Let me see the letter." Kris said, shoving the rest of the roll into his mouth. "No, no. This says she'd like you to SING at her WEDDING. You really need to work on your Swedish skills. Are you honestly sure you don't want my help?"
"Yes, I am very sure I don't want your help. I think I'm doing quite well, personally."
"Will you still think that when you're dancing at my sisters funeral?"
"Oh you hush. Why did you come out here anyway?"
"Oh, you know. It's not that important anyway. I mean you have much more urgent things to do."
"Kristoffer." She said in a low, menacing voice.
"It's really no big deal." He said innocently.
"Tell me." Elisabeth said, lunging at him.
"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you, get off my chest. Okay." He started to speak and then burst into giggles. "Okay," he took a deep breath and looked at Elisabeth's face and started laughing. "Well, it goes something like this. You see, I was out walking, minding my own business when suddenly, out of the trees came this giant, eight legged-"
"You've been into the hydrolingarn again, haven't you?"
"No, I'm dead serious. There was this giant, eight legged spider-"
"An eight legged spider? Do you know how rare that is?"
"Do you want me to finish telling you or not?"
"No, no. Go on, you will anyway."
"Anyway, as I was saying. This spider comes out of the bushes and says, I swear to god, he actually says this, he says "brother of Harry Potter-"
"Brother of Harry Potter? That's a little assuming, don't you think?'
"Look, I'm just telling you what the spider said, okay?"
Elisabeth raised her hands. "Okay, you win. Go on."
"So anyway, this giant spider is all 'Brother of Harry Potter, I have come to warn you of impending danger. The Chamber is in danger of being unsealed, the chsen one must be warned. And then someone called my name and he scuttled back into the forest."
Elisabeth raised her eyebrow. "Riiight. Now what have you been drinking?"
"Nothing. Look, this spider was a acromantula. It's an eight eyed creature from Borneo that's capable of speech. The thing is, they haven't been seen in Scotland, well, ever."
"So what? You think this eight-eyed, talking spider is trying to warn you about what?"
"I don't know. I thought you might though."
Elisabeth shook her head. "I wonder why he talked to you though. And who the "chosen one" is. Are you sure it's not just repeating some trash it heard?"
"Acromantula are almost-not quite-as smart as humans. I don't think this is just some cock and bull story it heard somewhere, and has no recollection of whether it means something."
Elisabeth sat up suddenly. "You don't suppose-"
"What?"
"No. It's too far-fetched." Her voice got misty. "And Voldemort's dead-"
"What is it?"
"Well you don't suppose he was talking about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Kris bit his lip. "But unless Voldemort had a child, which is highly unlikely-"
Elisabeth grabbed her papers and turned to Kris. "I have to go." She ran back to the castle.
"Professor McGonagall! Professor!"
"Yes Miss Potter?" The headmistress turned from her desk and looked at the girl.
"The Chamber of Secrets, someone's going to open it."
"Tosh! Voldemort is dead, he has no surviving relatives and besides, the basilisk was killed by your father."
"They can breed you know." Elisabeth said dryly, and then put her hand over her mouth. "Please Professor." She begged. "You have to belive me."
"Miss Potter, I do not know who has put such a rubbish idea into your head, but I can assure you that if you go about alarming other students with your childish warnings it will not be tolerated. And do NOT go to Professor Granger with this tale. She is on thin ice as it is. You are dismissed."
Elisabeth turned and walked out of the office, her shoulders turned in, her head hung. She walked slowly down the hall and pushed open the first door she came to. She found herself not in the Ravenclaw corridor, but instead in a large stone room. "Sorry sir." She said to the tall thin man standing to one side, the sole occupant of the room.
"No, no. I find it refreshing to sometimes have new people stumble across my hiding place." He chuckled softly. "And if it isn't Lily Potter."
The man turned around and Elisabeth saw that she was facing Albus Dumbledore. "Oh my god!"
"It may be, Miss Potter, that we are in the same boat."
"How so?" Elisabeth asked, hoping he wouldn't grow fangs and attack her brutally before she could find the door.
"I'm not believed in my innocence and you are not believed in your desperate plea to save lives."
"How do you know that?"
The old man chuckled. "I do not intend to bite you, Lily. I intend only to help you. Although that may be difficult."
Elisabeth found herself intrigued by the man in spite of herself. "My dad calls me Elisabeth." She said quietly.
"Of course. I should have remembered that, though I find that my memory has great difficulty remembering entire events."
"How are you going to help me sir?"
"Come sit. This may take a while." Her eyes still locked on his old, old face Elisabeth sat down in one of the chairs. "You see, my dear child, I was arrested during the Great War because I was found in the company of death-eaters. In such a situation as I found myself innocence is very difficult to maintain. I am sorry to say that I have little to no influence left in the world of magic as we know it. I know of the difficulties with the Chamber of Secrets, and I know that the one chosen is you. You will have little support on your journey, especially from your father who will refuse to see that there is still danger. There are those who will support you but you will need to search for them, and gain their trust. Remember, not all those who can help are human."
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU!"
Elisabeth whirled in her seat and saw Liam, livid with rage, his wand pointing at Dumbledore. "Please Liam, you misunderstand-"
"We allowed you to return to Hogwarts because you are old and have but one last leg to pull into the grave. That you would dare lure Elisabeth into this room proves that you are unstable." He looked at Elisabeth and continued in a softer voice. "Come love, out the door. That's a dear, come on now." Elisabeth left the room and leaned against the wall, the cold stones numbing her forehead and keeping the headache at bay.
Liam left the room after a few minutes and took her shoulders. "Are you okay? What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. I'm fine. I just need to go back to bed."
Liam nodded and walked her back to the Ravenclaw common room. She got into her pajamas and slid beneath the covers, letting the warmth wash over her, succumbing to the sleep she so desperately needed.