Chapter Eight: The Rogue Ravenclaw
((Author's Note: I have started naming the chapters after the ones in the Chamber of Secrets, for Halloween was a turning point in Mungo's first year, and also the best part for the first and second books to meld, as after the incidents on Halloween, there is a Quidditch match.))
After the incident with Mrs. Norris, students went about the place in fear, Mungo and Duncan no exception, for they actually knew what had attacked the cat: a basilisk, one of the most feared animals in all the Wizarding world, capable of killing with their glare alone.
However, the news got out that Mrs. Norris had not been killed, merely Petrified. But Professor Sprout had a few plants that would restore her in time, so at least Duncan's worries were assuaged. But Mungo worried even more. He voiced his views to Duncan one day. Actually, it was a fairly important day, the day of the first Quidditch match of the term, but that had been pushed into the back of Mungo's mind.
"I doon't think we have a basilisk." Mungo said as they walked to the pitch.
"We saw it, didn't we? It looked enough like a basilisk to me." Duncan stated.
"I know, but they're supposed to kill, not just petrify when they look at you. Why wasn't Mrs. Norris killed?" Mungo said.
"Well, maybe their stare doesn't work on animals."
"I think it should, that's what gets them their prey."
"Yes, but if you were a giant, horrible, bloodthirsty snake, would you want your food warm or cold."
Mungo shuddered.
"Let's leave off this, its givin' me a headache. Who's playing?" Mungo asked.
"You have been preoccupied, haven't you? Its Griffindor versus Slytherin." Duncan said. They climbed up the stands, and sat down around the middle. Mungo had to lower his hat almost over his eyes to block out the sun.
"This is a pretty bad seat, Duncan." Mungo complained.
"Not compared to the ones on the other side of the pitch, you can see the smoke." Duncan said.
"Eh?" Mungo enquired.
"You know, the sun burning their necks…"
"Duncan. Its aboot fifty degrees."
"Yes, but that doesn't stop sunburn, does it?" Duncan said testily.
"Did you have a bad sunburnin' incident when ye were a wee chil'?" Mungo asked, smiling.
Duncan shuddered.
"Don't ask."
Mungo didn't press on, because just then someone poked him sharply on the neck with his or her finger.
"Managed to find your way onto the pitch, Gorsson?" a voice said.
Mungo turned around and looked into the face of the Ravenclaw.
"Maybe I should introduce myself, so you and your friend can forget it again. I am Arnold Morrigan-"
"And I am tired of seein' yer vile face." Mungo retorted, turning back to the game.
"You're going to pay, Gorsson. One day, you're going to bleed your life out, and I'll be there to see it." Morrigan hissed.
"Where did you grow up, a cemetery?" Duncan asked.
Morrgan turned to Duncan.
"You keep out of this."
"Why? Surely two Hufflepuff minds can't surpass one brilliant Ravenclaw sich as yerself." Mungo said.
Morrigan sneered.
"You think you're the only one who can do transfiguration, boy? Think fast. Oh, wait that's impossible for Hu-"
Right in the middle of Morrigan's sentence, he fell silent. A black-haired girl stood up and said,
"Talk faster." She said, and then exited the stands.
"Who was tha'?" Mungo asked.
"I dunno, looked like a third-year. But the Silencing Charm is fifth-year grade…" Duncan said.
"How do ye know?"
"Professor Binns said last Wednesday that the spell Silencio was invented in 1145 by Tacitus the Tactful, and is now taught here at Hogwarts in a student's fifth year." Duncan stated.
"Were ye quoting him exactly?" Mungo asked.
"Well, yes," Duncan said, but Mungo stood up and shouted,
"Potter's being chased by a Bludger!"
"Chased?" Duncan stood on his feet too. "Bludgers don't chase!"
"This one is." Mungo squinted.
"Ah! Potter's gooin' after th' Snitch! And… I'll be a ruddy Bundimun! Th' Slytherin Seeker's Malfoy!"
Mungo and Duncan watched in anticipation as Potter and Malfoy raced around the pitch, Harry trying desperately to avoid the Bludger. Suddenly, the two Seekers disappeared below the stands, the Bludger following after.
"I can't see! What's gooin' on?" Mungo asked.
"Little Potter's gone into a hole. My, isn't that exciting." Morrigan, whose voice had apparently returned, said.
Mungo turned around. He glared at Morrigan over his glasses.
"I have put oop with you in this box long enough. Ye have 'til three to git yerself oop and leave. One," Mungo drew out his wand. "Two," Mungo pointed it at Morrigan, "Th-"
"Mungo! Mungo! Malfoy just popped out! Ouch, he's going to be sore in the morning!" Duncan said. Mungo quickly turned back to the game, but he had missed it.
"Ye made me miss one o' the-" He started to say to Morrigan. But Morrigan had left.
Mungo sat down again. But he didn't sit for long, the seat gave in with an odd crumbling sound beneath him and he started falling down through the stands. He could feel the beams supporting the stands whiz past him; it was only a matter of time before he hit one.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" a voice above him cried out. Suddenly Mungo felt something tugging on his shoe, and he started flying upwards.
He came up to the level of his previous seat, and scrambled to get out from over the hole.
"Thank ye, Duncan."
"No problem. What happened?" Duncan asked.
Mungo examined the whole where his seat had been. It was lined with some kind of yellowish material. He touched it, and said,
"Butter. The slimy git turned me seat into butter."
Duncan touched the butter and tasted it. He made a face and said,
"Not butter. Margarine."
"Margarine." Mungo echoed. "Why didn' I jest pick another compartment on th'train?"
"Karma?" Duncan suggested.
"Eh? What's tha'?" Mungo asked.
"I don't really know. Saw a great big book about it in a Muggle bookstore. I think it has something to do with past lives and stuff."
"Oh, look, th' game's ended." Mungo said, changing the subject. "Ooh, Potter's arm looks bad. What's Lockhart dooin'?"
"Nothing good for Potter, I'll wager. Let's go back up to the castle before Lockhart explodes him or something." Duncan said. They exited the stands, and walked up the path to the castle.
"You're going to have to be careful, Mungo. Morrigan's probably going to look for more opportunities to make you're life horrible."
"I wonder if Morrigan is th' Heir o' Slytherin." Mungo mused. He had been fortunate enough to have a copy of Hogwarts: A History, so knew about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets and filled in almost every student in Hufflepuff.
Duncan shook his head.
"Morrigan's nasty, but he's in Ravenclaw."
"Well, me grandfather was in Slytherin." Mungo pointed out. Suddenly Duncan gave him a funny look.
"Oh, stop tha'. It dooesn't hardly mean anything, me mum was a Hufflepuff too, I think." Mungo said. Duncan nodded, but they arrived at the castle in silence.
