Chapter 30 - Secrets Revealed
Barney didn't know what to think, say or do. He stood there motionless, watching through the glass at the sight before him. Tabitha who was still sat on the ground looked up at him and could tell something was wrong from the frozen expression on his face.
"What's up?" she said and quickly got up and looked through the glass of the greenhouse herself just in time to see a blur of black as the beast smashed it's way out of the greenhouse and sped off. "Oh Merlin! Where's Ottomaya?! Is she OK?!"
Barney couldn't answer. He didn't know what was going on. Professor McGonagall had said herself it was not possible for someone to have two animagus forms but yet he had just witnessed Ottomaya change into the beast and he had previously seen her transform into a crow.
"Come on we've got to go tell McGonagall!" Barney said, finally finding some words and didn't wait for Tabitha to say anything before he started running back up to the castle.
"But wait, what about Ottomaya?" Tabitha called out as she started to run after him, having no idea what was going on. "Barney will you just tell me what you saw?!"
Barney didn't know how to explain it. He didn't understand it himself as he paused just before the entrance to the castle to catch his breath. "It's Ottomaya. She's the beast."
"What? I didn't think that was possible?" a shocked Tabitha replied.
"I saw it with my own eyes. She changed into it. Now we need to tell McGonagall immediately."
Barney threw open the door to the entrance hall and was greeted by chaos. Students were running frantically whilst teachers were shouting for them to remain calm, but their calls seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Barney caught sight of Viola and pushed through the crowds to get to her with Tabitha close behind him. "What's going on?" he asked.
"It's the beast. It's been spotted inside the castle," Viola replied, looking very worried. "The teachers have ordered everyone to the Great Hall at once."
"I need to find McGonagall first. Do you know if she's in the hall?"
"I just saw her heading off in the other direction. But we'd better get to the hall now. Whatever you need to speak to McGonagall about I'm sure it can wait."
Barney knew it couldn't but he also knew McGonagall could be anywhere in the castle so maybe the best place for him right now was the Great Hall with everyone else.
"I think we should go Barney," Tabitha said from behind him.
"OK fine. Do you think Thomas will be there already?" Barney asked, worried about his friend and thinking maybe he should be the one to tell him the truth about Ottomaya.
"Oh no!" Tabitha cried out and put her hands over her mouth in shock.
"What is it?" Barney said as he turned to face her.
"It's Thomas. After dinner he went off to the library to finish an assignment with Ottomaya!"
Barney scanned the crowd frantically for any sign of his friend. "Viola have you seen him lately?"
"No not since dinner."
Barney looked again and saw Gwen and made a direct line for her.
"Gwen!" he shouted out over the noise of the panicked students.
Gwen just about heard him and stopped and turned.
"Have you seen Thomas?"
"No. I've just come from the common room and he wasn't there. I'm sure he's probably in the hall already."
Barney thanked her and let her carry on to the hall with everyone else.
"We should probably go to. I'm sure she's right and he'll be in there already with Ottomaya," Viola said, trying to sound calm when she was just as worried as Barney was for their friends.
"No I've got a bad feeling about this. I'm going to check the library quickly. You two go on without me."
"I'm not leaving you Barney," Tabitha said as she grabbed his arm to stop him fleeing. "I'm coming with you."
"Me too," Viola added and Barney didn't have time to argue with them so they all dashed off towards the library together.
When they got there it seemed deserted. The room was quiet, even for a library.
"I don't think anyone is here," Viola said nervously and wondering if it had been such a good idea to go wandering the school when there was a beast loose in it.
Barney stepped into the library and began to look down each of the stacks. Tabitha decided to follow him and not wanting to be left alone, Viola reluctantly joined them. But as they looked there was no one in sight. All they found were a few books strewn on the floor showing everyone had left in a hurry.
"Come on lets go back to the hall," Tabitha suggested. "No ones here."
Barney was about to agree with them when he heard a creaking noise from the back of the library. Without a seconds thought he ran to it. As he ran along the rows of shelves he turned and was relieved to see Thomas reaching for a book on the very top shelf.
"Thank Merlin you're OK!" Barney exclaimed and made Thomas jump and drop the book on the floor.
"What? Why wouldn't I be? Are you alright?" Thomas replied as he looked at his friend puzzled and saw Tabitha and Viola emerge behind him and he bent to pick the book up.
"Didn't you hear everyone else leaving the library? Come on we need to go to the Great Hall now. It's not safe here!"
"There were some first years being rather noisy so we cast a silencing charm to help us concentrate. I thought the place seemed odd when I left it to get this book. And what are you talking about it not being safe? "
"I'll explain on the way," Barney said as he grabbed Thomas' arm and pulled him towards him.
"Wait we need to go get Ottomaya first," Thomas said, still confused about what was going on.
Barney was about to speak when he looked and saw Ottomaya emerge from one of the stacks behind Thomas. Instinctively Barney shoved Thomas aside and pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ottomaya. "Don't come any closer!"
"Barney what are you doing?!" Thomas protested as he watched Barney point his wand at Ottomaya, leaving her looking baffled and scared.
"I know it's you. I don't know how you do it but I will not let you hurt my friends!" Barney yelled out standing firm even though inside he was scared.
By now Tabitha and Viola had also drawn their wands and Thomas was looking on horrified.
"What are you all doing?!"
"It's her Thomas," Barney uttered, not taking his eyes off Ottomaya. "She's the beast!"
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Thomas responded in utter astonishment. "We've been through this before. Her animagus form is a bird."
Ottomaya remained standing there not saying a word. She hadn't moved since Barney had drawn his wand at her. She looked scared and on the verge of crying.
"I saw her change into the beast about ten minutes ago in one of the greenhouses. It's her alright," Barney declared and now his hand was beginning to shake as he began to think about actually have to strike Ottomaya.
"That's ridiculous," Thomas replied. "You couldn't have. She's been with me the whole time since dinner."
Barney finally looked away from Ottomaya and to his friend. "She must have slipped out when you weren't looking."
"I'm telling you she hasn't left my sight since we got here."
"It's true," Ottomaya said, almost like she was pleading for her life. "I've been here the whole time. It's not me."
"But I saw you."
"No it wasn't me. Oh I knew I should never have come to Hogwarts. I thought I could keep her under control," Ottomaya said and the tears began to stream down her face.
Viola had now lowered her wand but Barney and Tabitha were still being cautious and held theirs high as Thomas pushed passed Barney to comfort Ottomaya.
"Wait," Barney said trying to grab Thomas and hold him back but he broke free and put his arm around Ottomaya. "Who did you mean Ottomaya when you said you thought you could keep them under control?"
"I... I... oh I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," she replied through sobs of tears.
Tabitha finally lowered her wand as Barney moved closer to Ottomaya. Thomas gave him a stern look as he still pointed his wand at her. Barney wasn't sure if it was safe to lower it but he had to trust his friend's judgment and he put his arm down by his side but he still gripped the wand tightly, ready if he needed it.
"Ottomaya what's going on?" Thomas said gently, his arm still reassuringly around her.
Ottomaya looked at Thomas with bleary eyes. "I'm sorry Thomas. This is why I didn't want to get close to you. I couldn't. Not with her about."
"Who?" Barney asked, just as puzzled as the rest of them were.
"I'm..." Ottomaya began to say but she found trying to say the word so hard, "...a Hydemantris."
"A Hyde what?" Barney asked back confused.
"A Hydemantris," Viola repeated, taking a step forward to stand beside Barney and now able to see Ottomaya properly. "A witch or wizard who has the ability to split into two identical people. But I thought they were just a myth?"
Ottomaya's tears were now streaming down her face and she was unable to speak as everyone stood in silence watching her, waiting for her to say more but no words came.
"So there's two of you?" Barney asked breaking the silence.
Ottomaya lifted her head to look at him and nodded.
"And she can turn into the beast?"
Again Ottomaya nodded. "That's her animagus form."
"Hang on," Tabitha interrupted, "let me get this straight. You can split into two people?" she said feeling rather perplexed by the notion.
"Yes that's right. It first happened when I was a kid. At first I thought it was just in my imagination and as I grew up in an orphanage so never had any proper siblings so I enjoyed the company. But she said I couldn't tell anyone. As a child it was fun to have a secret and an imaginary friend. Only she wasn't imaginary."
"So you don't have any control over her?" Barney asked.
"No. I can't even control when we split. If she wants to come out I can't stop her. See the thing is we can't live apart for too long. If we're apart for more than a day we get very weak and eventually we'd die. She's basically part of me."
"So how do we stop her?" Barney said.
"I don't know. She does what she wants and there's no cure. I can't stop her splitting from me."
"So why is she going round attacking people?"
"I don't know. When we were kids she was always getting me into trouble. Doing naughty things like breaking things or stealing and I would get the blame. But now... she's never attacked anyone before. I don't know why she's doing it. She's... she's just bad."
"Right we need to go tell McGonagall all of this. She'll know what to do," Barney said, not knowing what else they could do.
"Come on Ottomaya. It's going to be OK," Thomas said, keeping his arm round her as he helped her to her feet.
Ottomaya wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her robes and allowed Thomas to guide her to the door, her legs too weak to carry herself on her own.
Tabitha hung behind with Barney and pulled him back to allow the others to get out of earshot. "What if McGonagall can't do anything for her? You heard what she said. There's no cure."
"Lets not think about that now," Barney said but the thought had already been in his mind. If the two versions of Ottomaya couldn't live without each other and there was no way to stop the bad version from coming out, then there seemed no way to stop her without stopping the good Ottomaya too. Barney felt a shudder down his spine as he thought of the notion of Ottomaya ending up in Azkaban for the rest of her life.
The corridors of the school were now deserted with everyone safely in the Great Hall. It was eerie walking through them without the usual noise and hubbub of students and school life. Barney and Tabitha both had their wands firmly in their hands in case the beast was about but they reached the hall safely.
Viola was about to push the large wooden doors open when Barney noticed something. "Wait," he called out and Viola froze with one hand on the door.
"What?" she asked.
"It's quiet."
"Well of course it is, everyone is inside there," Tabitha said, thinking that was obvious.
"I know but if the whole school is holed up in there worried about a beast prowling the school don't you think there'd be some sort of commotion going on in there?" Barney pointed out and everyone knew he was right.
Barney and Tabitha raised their wands and moved in front of Thomas and Ottomaya as Viola grabbed her own wand and they all pointed them at the door.
"Ready?" Viola asked with her other hand still on the door.
Barney and Tabitha nodded even though none of them knew what waited them on the other side of the door.
Viola gave the door a forceful push, having to put her shoulder into it to make the heavy door swing open. Inside there was very much silence but the room was full. All the students and teachers seemed to be there yet none of them were making a sound of even moving. Barney, Tabitha and Viola began to cautiously move through them as Thomas and Ottomaya remained by the door.
"What's happened to them all?" Viola asked in genuine fear and worry.
What had happened to them indeed. Even single one of them were frozen. Physically frozen. Icicles could be seen hanging from some of them. Their bodies frozen in position with many showing fear on their faces and their arms raised as if trying to protect themselves from the curse that had been cast upon the room.
Barney looked towards the teachers table and his worst fears were realised. He could see the frozen forms of the teachers including Professor McGonagall, her mouth open in shock and her hand reaching down to her pocket where her wand was kept, unable to reach it in time.
"Who did this?" Tabitha asked in utter shock.
Barney turned to Ottomaya. "Is she capable of this?"
"No. Not that I know of," she replied as Thomas still had his arm round her to hold her up. "Her magical abilities are similar to mine. I don't think she could cast a spell like this."
"Then who did?" Barney said, turning to look around the room and finally coming to the realisation that there was no one to help them.
"We need to get help," Thomas insisted, knowing this was too big for them to handle themselves.
"From who?" Barney asked.
"Maybe someone in Hogsmeade could help?" Viola suggested.
"And how do we get there? The beast is still out there somewhere and whoever did this," Tabitha said, gesturing to the room.
"I know, the fireplaces," Barney said as the idea popped into his head. "We can use the one in McGonagall's office to call for help."
"Maybe we should wait here," Thomas suggested not wanting to go traipsing around the school when they didn't know what they were up against.
"No we should stick together," Barney insisted. "It's safer. If someone does try to attack us we're stronger in greater numbers."
Thomas hadn't thought of that. If they were attacked he didn't know how much use he would be in a fight and Ottomaya certainly wasn't up to it.
They began to head towards the door when Tabitha stopped and looked at one particular frozen person. Barney noticed it was Hamish.
"Tabitha we need to go. I'm sorry about what happened with him," he said, not sure if Tabitha was about to cry as he looked at the blank expression on her face.
"Just one minute," she replied and took a step closer to him.
Barney wasn't sure if she was about to kiss him but instead she raised her wand about Hamish's frozen form.
"Melmamenti," Tabitha uttered and a thick green ooze appeared above Hamish's head and fell down on him with a splash.
Barney was several feet away but instantly he could smell the fowl stench from it.
"OK lets go," Tabitha said with a sly smile as if she hadn't done anything at all put then paused and reached up to her neck. She put her hand under her top and pulled the chain out that held Hamish's lavalier that he had given her at Valentines, having forgotten she was even wearing it. She tugged on it hard making the chain snap and she threw it down at Hamish's frozen feet into a puddle of the green slime before continuing out of the hall.
They headed towards the grand staircase with their wands at the ready. Everywhere around the school was silent so that their footsteps echoed along the empty torch-lit corridors, making them turn in every direction, not sure if someone was following them.
They began to ascend the staircase up to the second floor where McGonagall's office was located but suddenly there was a loud crash from higher up that made them all jump.
"What was that?!" Viola cried out.
Barney and Tabitha looked at each other as if trying to read what the other was thinking.
"I think we should go look," Barney said and the expression on Tabitha's face seemed to say she agreed.
"Are you crazy?" Thomas blurted out. "Lets just get to the office and get help."
"But someone might be in trouble," Barney suggested as he looked further up the staircase to see if there were any signs of anyone or anything above.
"Someone is in trouble. Us!" Thomas retorted.
"We'll just take a quick look and see. You can wait here."
"I thought it was safer to stick to together?" Thomas pleaded but Barney and Tabitha were already heading further up and Viola was about to join them.
"I think we should go with them," Ottomaya spoke, having been silent for a while now, too busy contemplating how she had let things get to this bad and how it was all her fault. "If she's there I might be able to reason with her," she uttered even though she knew it was a long shot. She hadn't been able to keep her under control since she got to Hogwarts, why would it be any different now?
Thomas reluctantly began ascending the stairs with Ottomaya, who had now composed herself and no longer needed the support, walked at his side.
Barney and the others were still further up ahead as they exited at the third floor, listening intently for any more noises.
"Maybe it came from the next floor up?" Tabitha suggested but as if on cue they heard a creaking up ahead.
Along the corridor in the shadows Barney could see a form heading towards them from the darkness. He heard footsteps and knew it was a person and not the beast but still he kept his wand held tight in front of him ready for danger. As the figurer slowly emerged into the light from the torches Barney could see it was Professor Grim clutching her leather bag and who looked surprised to see them all there.
"What are you students doing here? You should all be in the Great Hall with everyone else," Grim asked looking startled to see them.
"What are you doing up here then?" Barney asked back, his tone obviously sceptical.
"What?" Grim said, taken back by Barney's clear lack of respect at questioning a teacher. "You all need to go to the Great Hall at once. It's not safe here."
"So why aren't you going to the hall?" Barney said, again showing little respect to her.
"Mr West need I remind you that I am a teacher. I do not answer to you and you are to do as I tell you so go to the Great Hall immediately or you will all be in detention!"
"She isn't going herself because she knows what's happened to everyone in there," a voice called out from the stairs.
They all turned to see who was ascending the stairs. Professor Dufour had his wand out as he walked towards them.
"Stand aside students," Dufour ordered as Professor Grim looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean? What has happened to everyone else?" Grim said as she tightened her grip on her bag but didn't have her wand to hand.
"You know very well Grim," Dufour sneered as he raised his wand and pointed it straight at her. "Now don't move another inch."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Grim snapped back, clearly taken aback by the accusations.
"Barney do you have it with you?" Dufour asked, quickly turning to look at him before turning back to Grim to make sure she didn't try anything.
"Got what?" Barney asked confused.
"The stone. That's what she's after," Dufour replied.
"What stone?" Grim protested. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I said not another word from you," Dufour repeated through seething lips. "Barney the stone now! Where is it?"
Barney's bag felt as if it suddenly weighed a million tonnes at the thought of knowing the Endeavour Stone was inside it. He looked at Grim and wondered how she had known he had it and come to think of it how Dufour knew he had it too. Slowly Barney reached into his bag and felt the cold stone at his fingertips and clutched it tightly in the bag.
"She's been looking for it all year," Dufour said. "That's why she came to Hogwarts. She obviously set the beast loose to cause a distraction so she could search for it."
"I can tell you that is not the reason I came to Hogwarts," Grim protested but it just made Dufour take a step closer to her and raise his wand towards her face.
"I said be quiet or do I have to use silencing charm on you?"
"But she didn't set the beast loose professor," Barney stated, his fingers still holding the stone. "That's nothing to do with her."
"What? That doesn't matter. Just give the stone to me. We can't let her get hold of it."
"Maybe I should keep the stone for now. Right now we need to get help to free the others."
"Barney give me the stone now. It's not safe with you!" Dufour demanded.
"I'm not sure it would be much safer with you either," he retorted.
Dufour slowly turned and looked at Barney and a sneer crossed his face. "My my someone is feeling brave today."
In the split second that Dufour had turned his gaze from her, Grim had reached for her wand. "Expelliarmus!"
A red light flashed towards Dufour but as soon as Grim had cast the spell he had flicked his wand in her direction. "Protego Illisus!"
A blue haze spread out in front of Dufour and the flash of red from Grim's wand struck it before rebounding right back at her and knocking her wand clean from her hand, leaving her looking on in disbelief.
Dufour turned to the others and saw Tabitha raising her wand. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted out and Tabitha's wand flew across the corridor, leaving her clutching her hand in pain. "Now no one else get any smart ideas," Dufour said as he scowled at Barney and Viola who still held their wands. "I suggest you put those down."
Viola slowly crouched down and placed her wand on the floor but Barney wasn't planning of letting go of his without a fight.
"It's not Grim who wants the stone it's you isn't it?" Barney said, his heart racing as Dufour now pointed his wand at him. "You figured out I had found his journal."
"I've been searching for that stone for the last three years. I heard rumours that Nevermore had left a journal but I never found it. And then what should I see in my class but a student trying to decipher strange and complex symbols. I knew Nevermore had a penchant for puzzles. And you're a bad liar, it didn't take a genius to know they weren't being set by a fellow student."
"Well I never found the stone. I never managed to decipher all of the journal."
"Then what's in you bag that's so precious that you felt the need to hold on to it?"
"It's just the journal," Barney lied. The journal was back in his dormitory in his trunk.
"Then give it to me and I will find the stone on my own!"
Tabitha and the others watched on full of worry and fear. Professor Grim glanced over to where her wand had landed along the corridor behind her. She knew she would never be able to reach it before Dufour could turn and fire at her.
Barney thought about what to do next. He couldn't produce the notebook. He felt he had no choice but to hand the stone over. If he tried anything else Dufour might hurt him and his friends. But if he did hand over the stone then what would Dufour do next? He was hardly just going to let them go because as soon as they could they would report him to the authorities. Whatever he did he knew that Dufour no doubt planned to hurt him. Barney gripped the stone tightly and slowly pulled it out of his bag. Dufour's eyes lit up as he saw the magnificent blue stone before him.
"Here catch!" Barney shouted and as quick as a flash he launched the stone into the air.
Dufour instinctively reached out to grab it and to prevent it smashing on the floor. With his focus off the student before him Barney took his chance.
"Torpens!" Barney yelled and a green stream of light emitted from his wand and hit Dufour in the stomach just as he caught the stone.
Dufour fell to the floor as the lower half of his body instantly felt the effects of the numbing jinx. As he fell the stone dropped out of his hands and landed on the floor and rolled away from him and Barney raced towards it.
Unable to move his legs Dufour couldn't stand so instead he dragged himself across the floor to the stone but Barney easily beat him to it. By now Viola had picked up her wand and Grim too rushed down the corridor to where hers had landed.
"Come on lets get out of here," Barney shouted to the others and his friends moved towards him.
"Not so fast!" Dufour yelled. Though his bottom half was numb his top half was working fine and he still held his wand in his hands. "Ignisccidere!" he hollered and a green light began to emerge from the end of his wand. However it wasn't like the usual light that was emitted when someone cast a spell. It was a fire flame.
Suddenly two menacing red eyes formed in the flame as it grew larger and larger.
"Run!" Grim shouted to the students.
They all fled down the corridor towards where Professor Grim was stood with her wand in hand and she motioned for them to carry on before following herself behind them.
"In to the class room!" Grim called out.
Tabitha was in front and lurched to her right to the nearest door and hastily turned the handle and flung the door open. Everyone piled in behind her before Grim slammed the door shut.
"Vallum Fortis," Grim said, putting a spell on the door, trying to give them protection as suddenly there was a deafening banging on the door.
"Will that hold it off?" Barney asked as he watched the door shake on it's hinges.
"Not for long," Grim reluctantly replied.
"What is that thing?" Viola asked?
"Something that will devour everything living thing it comes across," Grim replied as she faced the door with a look of dread.
"Is there any way to stop it?" Barney asked.
"Either Dufour calls it off..."
"Or?"
"There is one way to kill it?" Grim said but she said it a way that didn't sound at all hopeful.
"How?" Viola asked.
Grim didn't answer as the pounding on the door continued and it looked like it would burst open any second.
They all looked around the room. There was a couple of small windows they could escape through but Barney knew why Grim wasn't suggesting escaping. She had said that thing, whatever it was, would devour every living thing it came across. If it didn't get them now then it would continue to search the castle from them and would eventually make it's way to the Great Hall and kill everyone in there. They had to stop it.
"So Professor what's the other way to stop it?" Barney asked as he stepped next to her.
"This monster engulfs it's victims and momentarily holds them in it's clasp before it kills. The only way to kill it is to strike it from the inside."
"Before it kills you?" he asked but Grim didn't answer. Barney knew that meant that once you were inside it there was no escaping, even if you killed it.
"Can you do me one favour Mr West," Grim said as she turned to him and Barney noticed a sadness in her eyes.
"Of course. What is it?"
Grim raised up her leather bag that she was never without and handed it to Barney. "Please give this to Hagrid. Ask him to look after them for me."
Before Barney even had chance to question what that meant the door to the classroom shot across the room, having been knocked off its hinges and the monster bellowed in. Barney and his friends instinctively moved to the back of the room but Grim stood firm where she was.
The green fire began to rise up in front of Grim, it's piecing red eyes seemingly sussing her out. It began to circle her but Grim remained steadfast with her wand in her hand, waiting for the right moment.
The others could do nothing but watch on in horror as the monster began to close around her until they could see Grim no more.
Barney was worried maybe Grim hadn't been able to kill the monster before it had killed her first when there was an almighty flash of white light from within the fire that penetrated it. The intense brightness caused them all to shield their eyes but when they looked again there was nothing but a black scorch mark on the floor where the monster and Grim had once been.
As Barney felt a pang of sadness for the teacher he use to hate so much but who had just given her life to save him and his friends, he looked down at the leather bag he was holding and tried to makes sense of Grim's last request. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the bag. Inside gleaming up at him were three golden eggs.