Chapter 9
Time to Get Answers
Harry moved the loose floorboard out of the way, and looked each way to make sure no one was around. He peered down into the hole and saw nothing but darkness. He pulled out his wand very discreetly, whispered, "Lumos," and instantly, a light shot out of the end of his wand.
It amazed him to see a large vault, almost identical to the one that Cadence had pulled out of from under her bed. Curious, he reached in and pulled it out.
He was right. It was the exact vault that he had seen Cadence holding, only the lace that wrapped this vault was nowhere near as pretty and fancy as what had been around Cadence's box.
He looked around, still making sure no one was looking, and the best of his curiosity overtook him. He unwrapped the ribbon, and with a trembling hand, he unlocked the box. Somehow, he got the distinct impression that whatever was in this vault was not going to be to his liking.
The box opened, and a musty smell came from within it. The longer he had it out and the more he stared at it, the more he realized that it looked nothing like the beautiful vault Cadence held in her hands. Of course, Cadence's beauty made everything she was around just as wonderful.
Once the dust had been cleared and he could see, he stared into the box. It was empty except for a few moldy, yellowed pictures.
His brow furrowed, and he reached in cautiously to grab the stack of papers. They were almost crisped, as if they would disintegrate in his hands.
It was almost as if a force within him was telling him to put the pictures back. He didn't want to learn the truth of what these pictures contained. but something stronger in his brain made him turn the pictures around to face him.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself, closing his eyes to take a few seconds. Then on the count of three, he opened his eyes and looked down at them.
His breath caught in his throat. He had never taken the time to get to know his fellow classmate, Neville Longbottom, but he was definitely sure that the people in the particular picture he was holding were Neville's parents. He'd found out two years ago what had really become of Neville's parents. He couldn't bear to stare at them any longer.
But he did.
He was horrified more and more with each picture he saw and almost screamed when he saw the picture of his mother and father.
They fell to the floor and he stood up quickly, as if there were a virus that he would catch. Tears fell out of his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks. He wiped them away furiously and stood above them, staring at the pictures below him. He stared at his father's face, an unbelievable resemblance to his own. The kind eyes, the untidy hair, the smile, and his beautiful mother on his arm, smiling at the camera. Yet there was a crudeness within the picture and it bothered him to no end to not know what it was. He was moving to put the box away when he saw the thing that made him boil deep inside unlike anything else.
Right underneath the picture of his mother and father. was the same picture of Cadence's parents that he had seen in the frame next to her.
He bent over, shaking from his fingertip to toes, choking on his breath. He picked up the picture and stared at it. Indeed, it was the same two beautiful people he had seen before. Yet as he stared at the picture, there was more and more of a vulgar taste that filled his mouth. Something he couldn't explain, but the feeling was so strong, he wanted to run away immediately.
He finally composed himself, packed up the pictures, and went to put them back in the vault. He wanted nothing to do with this box. this-this. hidden treasury that someone put under the floorboard.
BOOM
It hit him like a ton of bricks. A box of conquers. This was what it was. A box of accomplishments. Someone had stored a ton of pictures in a box, and got some sick sort of pleasure at looking at their triumphs, their defeats.
Their victims.
He shuddered, slamming the lid shut, but stopping when he noticed something inside had glinted at him, catching his eye. He slowly raised the lid again and wondered how he had failed to see the large, round, silver object in the box. He lifted it out slowly and stared at it. It was some kind of necklace. Beautiful in all its glory. He couldn't help thinking he had seen it somewhere before.
He grudgingly looked at the pictures again, seeing that in the picture of his parents, his mom was wearing the necklace. As well as Cadence's mother.
Harry gave a small cry, dropping the necklace and stumbling backward. He put a shaking hand to his mouth, staring wide-eyed at the box.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring at the open vault before he got sick of looking at it.
Harry had put two and two together and the conclusion to his sum had been a most horrific one. Tears streamed down his face as he closed the vault, shoved it back into the floor, and angrily covered the gap with the floorboard. As he heard the wonderful snap that let him know the board was back in place, he swore he could hear distinct evil laughter behind him.
He whirled around to see a stack of books, and a young Ravenclaw student.
"Are you all right, Mr. Potter?"
It didn't surprise him that the student he had never seen before knew his name, but it did surprise him that someone else had been around while he had been so distracted.
He wiped his face angrily, and bent down to grab his books. "I'm fine," he answered gruffly, not looking up.
"Do you need to see the nurse? You're bleeding."
Harry sniffled. The hospital wing, he thought to himself. That's exactly where I need to go.
Time to get answers.
Within his haste, he noticed that he had neglected to put the necklace back in the box. Instead of leaving it, he picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. It was finally time to find out where Cadence Cartwright really came from.
"The nurse? I'll go see the nurse. Thanks for your concern!" he answered in a fake cheerfulness, pushing past the Ravenclaw third year and rushing toward the hospital wing.
Time to get answers.
A/N: Hmm. who left the box? Well, don't review and yell at me because you don't know. Make that up for yourself!
Time to Get Answers
Harry moved the loose floorboard out of the way, and looked each way to make sure no one was around. He peered down into the hole and saw nothing but darkness. He pulled out his wand very discreetly, whispered, "Lumos," and instantly, a light shot out of the end of his wand.
It amazed him to see a large vault, almost identical to the one that Cadence had pulled out of from under her bed. Curious, he reached in and pulled it out.
He was right. It was the exact vault that he had seen Cadence holding, only the lace that wrapped this vault was nowhere near as pretty and fancy as what had been around Cadence's box.
He looked around, still making sure no one was looking, and the best of his curiosity overtook him. He unwrapped the ribbon, and with a trembling hand, he unlocked the box. Somehow, he got the distinct impression that whatever was in this vault was not going to be to his liking.
The box opened, and a musty smell came from within it. The longer he had it out and the more he stared at it, the more he realized that it looked nothing like the beautiful vault Cadence held in her hands. Of course, Cadence's beauty made everything she was around just as wonderful.
Once the dust had been cleared and he could see, he stared into the box. It was empty except for a few moldy, yellowed pictures.
His brow furrowed, and he reached in cautiously to grab the stack of papers. They were almost crisped, as if they would disintegrate in his hands.
It was almost as if a force within him was telling him to put the pictures back. He didn't want to learn the truth of what these pictures contained. but something stronger in his brain made him turn the pictures around to face him.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself, closing his eyes to take a few seconds. Then on the count of three, he opened his eyes and looked down at them.
His breath caught in his throat. He had never taken the time to get to know his fellow classmate, Neville Longbottom, but he was definitely sure that the people in the particular picture he was holding were Neville's parents. He'd found out two years ago what had really become of Neville's parents. He couldn't bear to stare at them any longer.
But he did.
He was horrified more and more with each picture he saw and almost screamed when he saw the picture of his mother and father.
They fell to the floor and he stood up quickly, as if there were a virus that he would catch. Tears fell out of his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks. He wiped them away furiously and stood above them, staring at the pictures below him. He stared at his father's face, an unbelievable resemblance to his own. The kind eyes, the untidy hair, the smile, and his beautiful mother on his arm, smiling at the camera. Yet there was a crudeness within the picture and it bothered him to no end to not know what it was. He was moving to put the box away when he saw the thing that made him boil deep inside unlike anything else.
Right underneath the picture of his mother and father. was the same picture of Cadence's parents that he had seen in the frame next to her.
He bent over, shaking from his fingertip to toes, choking on his breath. He picked up the picture and stared at it. Indeed, it was the same two beautiful people he had seen before. Yet as he stared at the picture, there was more and more of a vulgar taste that filled his mouth. Something he couldn't explain, but the feeling was so strong, he wanted to run away immediately.
He finally composed himself, packed up the pictures, and went to put them back in the vault. He wanted nothing to do with this box. this-this. hidden treasury that someone put under the floorboard.
BOOM
It hit him like a ton of bricks. A box of conquers. This was what it was. A box of accomplishments. Someone had stored a ton of pictures in a box, and got some sick sort of pleasure at looking at their triumphs, their defeats.
Their victims.
He shuddered, slamming the lid shut, but stopping when he noticed something inside had glinted at him, catching his eye. He slowly raised the lid again and wondered how he had failed to see the large, round, silver object in the box. He lifted it out slowly and stared at it. It was some kind of necklace. Beautiful in all its glory. He couldn't help thinking he had seen it somewhere before.
He grudgingly looked at the pictures again, seeing that in the picture of his parents, his mom was wearing the necklace. As well as Cadence's mother.
Harry gave a small cry, dropping the necklace and stumbling backward. He put a shaking hand to his mouth, staring wide-eyed at the box.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring at the open vault before he got sick of looking at it.
Harry had put two and two together and the conclusion to his sum had been a most horrific one. Tears streamed down his face as he closed the vault, shoved it back into the floor, and angrily covered the gap with the floorboard. As he heard the wonderful snap that let him know the board was back in place, he swore he could hear distinct evil laughter behind him.
He whirled around to see a stack of books, and a young Ravenclaw student.
"Are you all right, Mr. Potter?"
It didn't surprise him that the student he had never seen before knew his name, but it did surprise him that someone else had been around while he had been so distracted.
He wiped his face angrily, and bent down to grab his books. "I'm fine," he answered gruffly, not looking up.
"Do you need to see the nurse? You're bleeding."
Harry sniffled. The hospital wing, he thought to himself. That's exactly where I need to go.
Time to get answers.
Within his haste, he noticed that he had neglected to put the necklace back in the box. Instead of leaving it, he picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. It was finally time to find out where Cadence Cartwright really came from.
"The nurse? I'll go see the nurse. Thanks for your concern!" he answered in a fake cheerfulness, pushing past the Ravenclaw third year and rushing toward the hospital wing.
Time to get answers.
A/N: Hmm. who left the box? Well, don't review and yell at me because you don't know. Make that up for yourself!