Anything that's not blatant is a riddle
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Author's penname: Elixa Amethyst
Voices of the Past Part III
Written May 2002 onwards, pre Order of the Phoenix.
All characters and things you recognise, are © JKRowling, no infringement intended.

All references to "mediwizard" mean healer.
Please read parts I and II first.

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Chapter Four
The Siege of Slytherin

After dinner I went to seek out Susan. I found her in the library trying to memorise a charm for a charms exam. Her face was pure concentration. When she saw me her face changed slightly.
"Where have you been all day, Draco and I were worried?" I exclaimed.
"Taking exams, I passed another transfiguration exam, Professor McGonagall was so pleased!" I gave a nod.
"Well done, just don't do what I did and run yourself into the ground. Why don't you come back to the common room, you look shattered." Susan shook her head.
"No, I've really got to finish these…"
"I can help you?"
"NO!" Susan exclaimed rather loudly, and I froze, surprised at the outburst. "I mean, sorry, it's just I, well, you know what it's like when you're on a roll. Thank you for offering, but I'm fine really." She gave a smile and I left her to it, suspicions high.

"Elixa!" Harry was hurrying down the corridor towards me.
"Potter." I greeted, trying not to draw attention that he was greeting a Slytherin in a very elated way.
"Dumbledore's office now, there's been a development." I heard hurried footsteps from the opposite direction and saw Severus coming up the short flight of stairs towards us too. He saw Harry and a slight sneer appeared on his face. I suspected he was sour about Harry finding me first. As we walked away, Susan left the library and headed for the dungeons.

Dumbledore handed Harry and I the parchment. I held it so we could both read it.

Dumbledore or the necklace for the girl by midnight

It was Peterson's writing; I remembered it from the letter he sent to the North family. Something inside me claimed Kerry might not be a fair exchange for what the dark side wanted. If that was true, she could be expected to sacrifice herself but I doubted Dumbledore would want to do that. I glanced to Harry who handed back the parchment.
"They don't say where though." He said. I'd hardly noticed that because I'd been considering the values.
"That's right Harry. Alastor, would you like to tell everyone else about the work you and Slatero have been doing?" Professor Moody nodded and stepped forwards, allowing his magical eye to check the room and the door.
"Professor Quirrell has been watching Susan North carefully since Christmas and he's recorded a perfect correlation between nights Miss Amethyst was sleepwalking and Miss North appearing preoccupied, snappy or tired the following morning." Minerva laughed slightly.
"Don't tell me it came monthly! Are you saying that's proof towards a suspicion Miss North is capable of using the imperius curse?" Minerva questioned, ridiculing the thought.
"It is quite undoubted evidence when combined with the fact Professor Snape saw the intruder by Miss North's bed, and it was her cat that caused the last transformation in Miss Amethyst…" Moody trailed off, watching something beyond the door. We turned to see Quirrell shoot through it like a translucent bullet.
"Dark wizards in the dungeon! An army of them, they've captured Slytherin house!" It was clear he was telling the truth by the shock on the ghost's face. It wasn't all acting like the time he let a troll into the dungeon. Dumbledore instantly took charge.
"Minerva summon the Ministry, Severus, Alastor, with me, Slatero please inform the other house heads and ask Vector to take charge of Gryffindor for Minerva, all the other staff are to take postings around the corridors and prepare for confrontations until further notice. Elixa, Harry, with me too. Any remaining Slytherins are to be supervised by a member of staff in the library." Dumbledore rose from his chair and we hurried our separate ways.

The first thing we met was the Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron, motionless about two feet off the corridor floor, his silver bloodstains glinting in the torchlight. There was an eerie silence ringing the corridors. He was in the stairway from the entrance hall down to the dungeons. Harry stepped forwards and Moody grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back roughly. He shot a spark from his wand towards the stairs and it revealed some sort of invisible field, which the Baron had become trapped within.
"Can you see any further Alastor?" Dumbledore asked. All I could see was what looked like an empty corridor beyond. Moody gazed with his magical eye, squinting with the other one. Severus moved forwards, looking at it with narrowed eyes, bending slightly forwards, a hand to his chin in a thoughtful pose.
"There's movement behind it, but it's too blurred to make any sense of it. Dark magic all right. Clever magic at that." Moody replied.
"Any way of getting round it?" Harry asked looking at where the bloody baron was frozen. Dumbledore stroked his beard and exchanged glances with my uncle.
"Perhaps, but we need to formulate a proper attack. Away from here, now." We hurried away from the scene to the great hall.

A hundred ministry, mixture of aurors, ministers and those who looked skilled for fighting filled the great hall. When Dumbledore arrived, throwing the doors open, they all looked round and became silent. Professor Moody addressed those in the hall and described the situation with Quirrell. The ghost still looked very shocked, and there was the occasional stutter from him. If only I could reach Draco to find out the situation behind that barrier. Professor Trelawney was up in the north tower trying to see but each time her vision clouded over, only being able to describe as much as Professor Moody could, about movement. I knew I was awful at divination, and apparently didn't have much of an inner eye, and what I had was more or less closed. I stood listening to what people were saying, starting to concentrate on the dungeons, visualising them in my head. I continued to concentrate. Hazy, blurred movement… then a voice…my mother's…
"Help them Elixa!" It faded away and I clenched my fists, trying to get it back. My mind repeated the words "how?" over and over. Eventually I heard my father's voice.
"Forty if not more… hurry Elixa, you must work together!" The last few words were barely a whisper. I felt an arm round my shoulders and I opened my eyes quickly. Severus was staring at me with his black eyes.
"There's forty or more dark wizards there… we have to hurry." Severus was gripping my shoulder as I said it. I looked up into his eyes. I could feel each of his long fingers grasping my shoulder, holding it soft enough so it didn't hurt, but tight enough for me to feel the grip.
"Mum and dad… they told me… Dad said we had to work together." I raised my eyes up to the bewitched ceiling of the great hall and whispered gently thanks, but deep inside me I wished they had been able to say more. I lowered my eyes and saw Harry looking my way. There was an alarmed look behind the glasses and he turned away, a hand to his scar. I put my hand to my mouth… no… not me…