Chapter 14: The Locket

It had taken a week for Luca to forget what privacy felt like, but the week to follow with Potter's invisibility cloak served a decent reminder. Luca used it exactly as directed for fear that it would be taken from him. Yes, it had the downside of letting him overhear conversations about himself between students. Those were going to happen regardless, so Luca decided he didn't care. He'd rather know what everyone thought than have to let his imagination fill in the blanks.

Classes, meals, the library, and the stretches of time before sleep and after waking were the hard lines where Luca stayed visible. It would be too suspicious to disappear completely. He overheard some students whispering already that Luca had found himself a hiding spot. It spread pretty quickly that it was likely the Chamber of Secrets. Luca just rolled his eyes, which was an improvement over the fury or despair he'd experience before. No more pictures of him found their way to the Daily Prophet. The articles persisted, but the information was recycled.

Luca grew cautiously optimistic that for now, at least, this might be plateauing. People would just accept it as truth that he was Voldemort's son, they'd avoid him until June, and then Luca would disappear from their lives.

Sophie knew everything now. It had taken three laps of the lake for it all to come out between them. She just listened, offering no opinions but following up with questions to make sure that she understood all the intricacies of his situation. She'd given him a tight hug at the end of it, and then again before they parted ways at curfew for their respective dormitories. Luca worried a little how nighttime and sleep might alter Sophie's opinion, but breakfast the next morning was normal. Of course when Sophie looked at Luca, she saw someone perhaps a little new. It didn't seem to matter. Seeing as she stuck to Luca's side, he didn't see that changing either.

Thursday evening at dinner, they sat together side by side at the very end of the Slytherin table. They didn't have an exciting evening ahead of them as they tied up Transfiguration and Defence homework for the morning. Sophie kept looking across the Great Hall. When Luca finally followed her gaze, curious what might have turned it longer than usual, Luca saw a lonely mirror of them at the Gryffindor table. Ginny Weasley sat by herself, facing them but her gaze steady on her plate. Even from here, Luca could see she didn't look happy.

"What's up with her?" Luca asked.

Sophie shrugged. "I've heard people talking about her, so maybe that. The whole petrification thing back in our first year wasn't exactly a fun time. She would've probably been the last one I'd have guessed was doing it."

"She was possessed," Luca said. "Like Dagmar."

"Yeah, well." Sophie sighed. "People really care about the details, don't they?"

Luca grunted in agreement, stabbing a piece of carrot harder than was necessary to spear it. It broke into two pieces. "You haven't talked to her?"

"Not since before everything happened." Sophie paused. "And a bit before that, actually. She stopped coming to study hall. Now I guess I know why. I didn't think about it."

"Not even outside of that?"

Sophie shook her head. She didn't seem too bothered about it, but Luca grew a little nervous as some pieces started to come together. He really hoped he was wrong to suspect the only reason Ginny ever bothered with Sophie was because she wanted a connection to someone close to Luca. The entire thing had come out of left field, since Luca never had reason before to suspect that Ginny might be interested in women. It felt natural—good—to Sophie, so Luca had just accepted that the flirting resultant of being tutored for Potions ended up where it did.

Between focus on his dinner and on Ginny, Luca didn't notice a note flutter toward him. It folded itself nicely underneath his dessert plate. Luca wasn't aware of anyone that would bother coordinating a Navigation Charm that fluidly other than Professor Snape.

Sure enough, it was his writing and his signature at the bottom. Luca tucked it into his pocket. "Snape wants to see me at seven."

"Oh," Sophie replied. "Wonder what for."

It certainly wasn't to do with Potions, Luca figured. He felt confident in the last essay he'd handed in, and all seemed to be going well with his and Sophie's year-end project. Besides, if it was about that, Sophie would've been summoned as well.

The two of them migrated to the library for the hour and change Luca had after dinner. At quarter to seven, he headed off for the dungeons. Luca's step must have announced him, since Snape already looked up when he turned into the doorway.

"You asked for me, Professor?" Luca said.

"Indeed." Snape laid his quill down and reached for a stopper for his ink. "Come sit."

The door closed behind Luca with a wave of Snape's wand. Although likely just for privacy, Luca had had enough dropped on him lately that he grew apprehensive maybe there was more. The tightness to Snape's face following Dumbledore's death had somewhat receded, but not completely. It hadn't reestablished itself here yet.

Snape folded his hands together on his desk, studying Luca briefly with slightly narrowed eyes. "I've been informed that you're aware of your relation to Salazar Slytherin."

"You mean that we're related at all?" Luca asked for clarification.

Snape nodded. "You're the last of his bloodline."

"Right." Luca fidgeted in his seat. "Isn't that sort of just a technicality right now? Voldemort is still alive. I mean, Blaise told me he came about a bit. It seems like he might move on soon, though?"

"That's the general consensus, although it is irrelevant for the reason I summoned you," Snape replied. "Even if the Dark Lord deigns to linger, he will never again occupy a body fit with the same blood that flows through your veins. He is little more than a ghost in the eyes of the Ministry."

"What does that mean for me, then?"

"There are certain things to which you are entitled." Professor Snape slid his seat back so that he could open a desk drawer. "Salazar Slytherin lived long enough ago that the vast majority of his possessions have spread to the wind. One remains though, which Voldemort was in possession of at the time of his capture. The Dark Artefacts office has deemed it free of harmful curses, although I personally suspect that any cast upon it would have exempted you anyway."

Snape removed a small box from the drawer and set it on the desk between them. Luca reached for it, curious, and lifted the top off in his lap. Inside was a golden, oval necklace inlaid with emeralds in the shape of an S. The silver chain felt cool against Luca's fingers as he lifted it out of the box. The necklace—a locket actually, now that Luca saw the latch—had some heft to it. The gold and jewels had to be real, for that. As Luca held it aloft, the hum of magic seemed to crawl up and wrap around his fingers. It felt like a hand taking his. The locket wasn't so heavy all of a sudden.

"Seeing as this locket isn't dangerous, the Ministry deemed it their responsibility to give to you," Snape said. "You may do with it as you see fit."

"Do with it?" Luca repeated. "It's just a locket."

Snape shrugged, impassive. "Perhaps you wish to keep it as a family heirloom. You are just as free to destroy it, or to give it away. Considering the influence and contribution that Slytherin made at this school, Hogwarts would be an ideal location to place it. Or perhaps you would rather return it to the Ministry, or find an interested third-party. I imagine an artefact such as this one would fetch quite a number of galleons."

Luca felt dirty just to hear that. He wasn't what he considered really up on his history, but he could appreciate the value of what hung from his hand. This thing was over a thousand years old. It had once hung around the neck of the man whose school house Luca belonged to. He wondered if Salazar Slytherin had walked down these same halls while he wore it, his heart beating against it through his chest.

"I don't think this is something you sell," Luca settled to say as he held the locket properly in his other hand. His thumb found the latch to open it, but it wouldn't budge with tentative pressure. Luca let off just in case it was more brittle than it looked. "I don't know. I guess I'll. . .for now, I'll take it. It doesn't really feel like something that should leave Hogwarts with me, though."

"That'll be your decision to make."

Luca set the locket back in the box. "Right."

"That's the only thing you would have to inherit from Slytherin," Snape said. "You're also the last Riddle."

"Erm." Luca blinked.

"If you're at all interested in their estate—"

"No," Luca said. "Just. . .no. I'm not interested in their money or anything."

"There's also a house."

"I'm not interested."

Snape nodded curtly. "If you change your mind or are even just curious about the Riddles, the Muggle Liaison office at the Ministry would help. Gringotts would coordinate any financial dealings, although I don't anticipate that as something you will budge on. If you're only interested in visiting the Riddle house or the town they lived in, there are plenty of people more personable than Ministry employees who could escort you. Professor McGonagall or I myself could. Potter, if you would prefer, has been there enough times."

"Okay."

Luca left Snape's office with a slight furrow to his brow. He headed for the Slytherin common room. He didn't want to walk into a public area carrying a box, lest it get stolen or the speculations begin anew.

The dorm was empty. Luca lingered near his bed before closing the curtain. While he didn't want to pack the box around, he didn't really care to stow the locket away either. Hands trembling with trepidation, Luca brought the chain up around his neck. He held his breath as the locket came to rest. It didn't seem like it was going to choke, possess, or otherwise maim him, so Luca relaxed. He slipped the locket inside his shirt. Its cool back marked its location against his sternum.

Luca wasn't sure why he put it on. He could've just as easily slipped it into a pocket to show Sophie when they had enough privacy for it. Would it seem weird to her that he did? Was it weird? Should Luca feel as much interest toward a connection to the Riddles as he did Slytherin? Did he and Voldemort have this in common too? The Riddles were Muggles. Luca had nothing against that, but their culture was foreign to him no matter where in the world he was.

Just one more question to add to the pile. Luca had a thought on the way back up to the library that he ought to take Potter up on his offer to chat further, but the questions Luca had weren't really ones anyone but him could answer. Potter could never tell Luca what to do with Slytherin's locket. He'd already given a pretty thorough explanation of how Voldemort felt toward his Muggle relatives.

As Luca came up to the first floor, Ginny appeared from another corridor. Luca's feet slowed by their own accord. She hadn't noticed him on her way toward the library. Luca tentatively returned to his previous pace, although hesitated again when Ginny came to a stop at the library entrance. Close enough behind her, Luca could follow her gaze's trajectory to where Sophie sat alone.

Ginny turned around, stilting when she noticed Luca. He put his hands out in a disarming gesture. His shoulders stiffened when Ginny's eyes remained wide.

"Sorry," he said. "Didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's okay."

She gave Luca a wide berth to pass him. He sighed to himself as remnants of guilt and regret twinged in his stomach. Luca turned after her. "Hey."

Ginny stopped, her feet still pointing away from Luca as she looked back at him. Maybe it was inconsiderate of Luca to close the space between them, given her uncertainty, but there were students nearby. They couldn't very well yell their business down the corridor at each other.

Luca still gave her a decent bubble of personal space. "Could we talk?"

She studied him, then shrugged as her gaze shifted toward where she'd been retreating. "Do you really think it's a good idea to be seen together right now?"

"Er—hold on."

There was a nook on the other side of the corridor. Luca stepped into it out of sight of everyone other than Ginny and pulled Potter's invisibility cloak from inside his regular one. Ginny's eyebrows leapt up to see it, but not to a degree that said she wasn't obviously familiar with it.

"Lead the way," Luca told Ginny when he rejoined her side.

He tried to make his footsteps more audible so that she would know where he was, but he still saw a shiver in her shoulders. They passed a few students, who Ginny glanced furtively at over her shoulder.

Since they were well enough alone, Ginny spoke to Luca in a whisper. "That's Harry's cloak, isn't it?"

"He loaned it to me," Luca replied just as quietly.

"That was nice of him, I suppose."

Luca pulled his bottom lip back between his teeth as a fresh twinge of guilt touched his stomach. He'd had the luxury of hiding for the past week, while Ginny had no choice but to face every corner of the castle in plain sight. Luca wondered a little why Potter chose him over Ginny for this.

"I could ask if he minds me sharing," Luca offered. "I'm sure he wouldn't. I probably would've thought about it if I wasn't so bloody relieved to get out of the spotlight for a little while. That, and—well, we haven't been speaking."

They didn't usually anyway, really. Even though Ginny and Sophie were up to whatever, it wasn't serious enough for their social circles to amalgamate. Luca had never graduated beyond a friendly smile if they walked past each other, and maybe they exchanged a few words if their common classes required they interact.

Ginny just nodded mindlessly. They kept on to an empty classroom near the toilets. Luca tried his best not to brush past Ginny on his way inside because he knew it was unsettling, but the shift in air that followed him made her hunch up anyway. He had the cloak off before the door had fully latched shut. Luca supposed it was some sort of good sign that Ginny was willing to put herself alone in a room with him again.

She still kept her distance, arms folded and stiff. Luca exhaled through his nose and ran a hand back through his hair.

"Look, er. . .about Sunday before last," Luca said. "I didn't mean to—you know. That was a pretty shitty thing to do. They were shitty things to say to you. It's just been. . .well, you know. Overwhelming, I guess. It's no excuse, I just wanted to say I was sorry. That's not who I am."

"I know." Ginny pulled her shoulders up in a makeshift shrug. "That's why I said what I said. I didn't tell you that you weren't like him because I thought it hadn't occurred to you, or maybe nobody else had said it yet. It was more I wanted you to know I didn't think you were. If I didn't say anything, maybe you'd think I was avoiding you because I saw him in you. I wasn't sure if Harry told you what happened to me with him, so I wanted to explain where I was coming from."

"He'd said that Voldemort was controlling you through a diary Draco's dad gave to you." Luca paused. "It all kind of fell out of my head after Voldemort showed up down in the Chamber, to be honest."

"It's not true that Mr Malfoy gave it to me." Ginny leaned back against the wall, setting her bag on the floor. "Voldemort told us all in the Great Hall that he'd tucked his old diary into his copy of Magical Herbs. I still had that, so Kingsley came to look at it as part of him advocating for the lot of them. You know how messengers can be opened by either the owner or law enforcement? And you can see everything ever written in the pair?"

"Mhm."

"The spell worked on my textbook. It had Tom Riddle's name in it, saying it was his property," Ginny said. "Tom pretended to be my friend when I didn't have any here yet. Honestly, I think it was because of him I didn't try to make any. I had someone that would listen to all my silly problems, so why did I need any of the girls in my dorm or anything like that? Anyway, I did a lot of bad things because of him. I'd black out."

Luca winced. "Sorry."

"It is what it is." Ginny sighed. "I just wish it didn't come out like this. Dumbledore did a really good job at keeping it all quiet after everything was settled. Then Voldemort had to open his mouth, and of course none of the students that stayed back to help protect the castle could keep theirs shut."

"No, they sure can't." Luca rested his bum on a desk. "I can't believe Potter put up with this sort of bollocks for seven years here."

Ginny's snort was quiet, but there. "I was occasionally Harry-adjacent, but it's never been like this."

"I thought it was bad enough coming back after Mamă had died." Luca's chest ached to think of her. "At least then it was for something good she had done. Have you heard people saying now they think she had me by him?"

"Yeah."

"I've been wondering if it's worth saying I was adopted, but I don't know if I can prove it. There's no paper trail," Luca said. "I was going to ask my grandparents their opinion over the Easter holiday. I don't want to drag Mamă's name at all for anything she might have done as Head Auror that she shouldn't have, but I think Potter was right. It's significantly less of a big deal that she lied on some forms compared to maybe got it on with Voldemort."

Ginny raised a hand to her mouth. She hid a smile that remained visible in her eyes. "Sorry, that's really not funny."

"It sort of is for how absolutely ridiculous it is." Luca scoffed. "She was chasing him, you know, when he was just a ghost or whatever. She could've caught him. She's not the sort of woman that would've had anything to do with him like that. She wasn't even interested in having a partner or anything. And I like to think that she would've pegged him for exactly who he is from a mile away. You know, her being Head Auror and all."

"I wouldn't have believed it, even if I already knew otherwise," Ginny replied. "I bet you that the people talking about it here actually don't think it's true. It's just the hot topic and it's all a good distraction from what really did happen. It was horrible, Dumbledore."

"Yeah," Luca quietly replied. "I'd say I'm glad I wasn't in the Great Hall when that all happened, but Draco, Potter, and I didn't really have it much better down below."

"The whole castle was not a good place to be." Ginny's shoulders tensed again with a new shudder. "This is probably a really terrible thing to say, but I think I might be dead if you didn't get stuck here."

Luca had to consciously start breathing again as the brunt of weight from that passed. He swallowed. "Oh?"

"Voldemort recognized me. He said I was the one that got his basilisk killed." Ginny held Luca's gaze, no matter how much he wanted to look away. "He said I was drawing attention to myself in a dire circumstance when I said something back to him. He was going to start killing hostages if you didn't give yourself up. He believed Dumbledore and Snape when they said you made it out. We were just waiting for someone to make contact."

"I mean," Luca unstuck his tongue long enough to say. He had to ground himself for the rest of his thought, which was something he'd yet to vocalize but probably everybody knew. "I would've come back, if that was the case."

"Harry and Malfoy weren't going to let you." Ginny chewed on her bottom lip. "They'd even practiced using the Imperius Curse to prevent it."

"Wonderful. I wonder when anybody was going to tell me."

"Nobody liked the idea." Ginny scuffed the toe of her shoe against the floor. "Malfoy practiced on Harry, since he's pretty good at resisting it. Snape, McGonagall, and Vance supervised. Malfoy hated it, but nobody really trusted Hildegard to do the right thing. We know now she would've, but it's scary to think how many more lives might have been lost based on bad faith."

"Yours included." Luca started to get annoyed again, but he did his best to keep his tone low and level. He didn't want Ginny to think he was angry at her. "Maybe people should've let me make my own decisions. Dumbledore might not have died either."

"I don't know about that." Ginny looked tired as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Don't know about any of it, really. What's the point in dwelling, anyway? It's over."

"It's probably only natural to, really," Luca said. "I can't let go of everything because as it turns out, I didn't have any control in the situation. The context of everything changed pretty fucking quickly when Draco told me they were all here for me. We'd seen his aunt and uncle. They told him to bring me to them.

"We weren't supposed to lose," Luca added before Ginny could say anything. "I'd heard a lot of stories from my mum about what it was like to deal with aggressive combatants, or however you want to describe them. It wasn't what I expected. We were supposed to be prepared with Helka. How could we have lost with Dumbledore and Harry Potter on our side?"

"We didn't," Ginny reminded him. "I don't want to think how bad things might have been if Helka hadn't been able to hold off the dementors all on her own. A Patronus like that. . .I expected the dementors to swarm as soon as she let it down, but it was like they were stunned. Or maybe like its effect lingered enough to buy us some time."

Luca suppressed a shudder. "Yeah, that would've been bad if it didn't."

Those sorts of things, maybe Ginny was right they ought not dwell. Nothing could change the details of the siege. Figuring out what effect Helka had on the dementors wouldn't bring Dumbledore back. It wouldn't change Luca's genetic makeup.

"So how is that going with you?" Ginny carefully asked, pushing herself off the wall when Luca gave no sign of aggression toward the question. "I can't imagine everything that got dumped on you after what happened is very easy to sort through when everyone else is trying to sniff it out."

"It's not," Luca said with a sigh. "People being nosy just is what it is. I'm starting to think that way about the whole Voldemort thing too. I mean, it doesn't really change my life—thank Merlin for that, I guess. It's not like Voldemort wanted me for a son or anything. He didn't show up here expecting me to call him Dad."

Luca pulled a face at the very idea, and Ginny did the same as she lifted herself up onto the desk in front of him. She was small enough to comfortably fold her legs underneath her.

"What about Mrs Ramstad?" Ginny asked.

Luca's stomach flopped. "I haven't actually thought about her very much. Everything else kind of overshadows that. She just makes me feel defensive about Mamă. She would never replace her if we ever—I honestly can't imagine it, anyway. When I think about Hildegard, I can't really reconcile her to being my bio-mum."

"You were probably way too young to remember her, huh?"

Nerves bundled up in Luca's stomach as he recalled the laugh, white dress, and sound of waves from the dregs of his memory. "You know that island on the lake is her old home, right?"

"Mhm."

"I was born on there." Luca chewed on his lip. "I kind of want to visit it. I kind of don't. I'm already being pulled in so many different directions with all the family history I suddenly have. Snape gave me this earlier."

Luca pulled the locket out from under his shirt, nervous again that maybe Ginny would think it weird he'd chosen to wear it. She only looked curious. The emeralds glittered in the torchlight.

"I guess I'm not surprised that ended up with you," Ginny said. "I already saw it. My dad heads the Dark Artefact office. He found it on the island and was probably the one to check it over."

"It's definitely got some magic in it." Luca ran his thumb over it, coming again to the stubborn latch.

"Can I see?"

Luca hesitated, only because he wasn't sure what the locket might do to Ginny. Many other people had handled this, though. Her own father had deemed it safe. Luca pulled the chain off from around his neck and held it out to Ginny across the aisle gap separating them. He watched her for any sign that the same invisible hand took hers along with the chain, but her expression remained passive.

She hummed as she inspected it. "I don't feel anything. What do you feel?"

"Almost like something reaching out to me."

"Maybe it's a blood thing," Ginny replied. "Some sort of magic that only Slytherin's descendants would have access to. That's cool."

"Really think so?"

"Sure." Ginny handed the locket back. "It's not like it would be harmful, right? I mean, Slytherin was maybe a little mad in his own ways. I don't think he was Voldemort-mad, though. He wouldn't kill his own family."

"Considering my experience so far with my one Slytherin relative. . ."

"You'll probably be the last one, anyway—er." Ginny's eyes widened. "I mean, sorry, I shouldn't assume that. With Zabini and all, that's not exactly as straightforward as it would be if you two were a straight couple."

"Even if Blaise and I ever broke up, I couldn't see myself falling in with a woman." Luca shrugged. "I don't bend that way at all. Never have. And believe me, there was ample opportunity at Durmstrang. There were some really gorgeous girls there. Here too, don't get me wrong, but I had it all figured out before coming to Britain."

Ginny tapped her fingertips against her knee. A cheeky smile pulled on her lips. "Thought I did."

"Yeah, you were with, er. . ." Luca could see his face from when they'd played against each other in Quidditch, but the name escaped him.

"Dean," Ginny replied. "We're still friends."

"Not a very personal breakup, was it?" Luca asked. "I mean, if you'd realized something about yourself?"

"It wasn't anything to do with that." Ginny shook her head. "We just did things sort of backwards, him and I. You know how usually you start off friends and then go from there? We did the opposite. We started going together because we clicked, but those sorts of feelings didn't get any stronger as we got to know each other. We played Quidditch together. We just hung out. Eventually it was like, you know what? This is good. Let's catch a pint together on holidays, and maybe more often once I'm done at Hogwarts. We decided to split over the summer because there was no point sinking our claws in for something that didn't have to be exclusive. And if it wasn't exclusive, then why bother saying it was anything like that at all?"

"Makes sense to me." Luca paused. "Sophie's been pretty mopey lately, you know."

Ginny shifted on the desk. Her head ducked a bit. "I feel like a prat to say I've noticed, but. . .I've noticed."

"She just figures you haven't talked to her because things have been pretty rough the last bit."

"Yeah, my head hasn't been anywhere near that." Ginny glanced over at Luca. "I mean, the distraction would be nice, but we weren't really anything serious like that. I don't want to end up dumping a bunch of stuff on her. With all the Chamber stuff, it's hard to feel like anyone wants to be around me. Most don't."

"It's like you have a second head that everyone but you can see, isn't it?" Luca asked. "I definitely got lucky with that. I told Sophie everything, and she's held on. I guess it can't all have been too much of a shock when rumours were already flying around the castle."

"It might be a little different too when everything you're dealing with is just things about who you are. For me, it's things I did. It doesn't really matter that it wasn't my choice, which is sad. I thought my friends would be better about it." Ginny balled a fist against her cheek, her elbow digging into her knee. "They're all still nice to me, but things feel different now. I think they're angry I never told them, as if it was just a question of trust or whatever. It wasn't. We all agreed with Dumbledore to keep it to ourselves."

"If they need time to sort themselves out, you're more than welcome to sit with Sophie and I in class." Luca paused. "That's to say if you're interested in being friends or whatever. And if it wouldn't be too awkward with whatever's going on with you and Sophie."

"I should talk to her." Ginny sighed. "I thought about it when I saw her in the library, but I saw your books on the table. I figured that meant she was busy. I still need to tie things up on my assignment for Vance too."

"Yeah."

Mention of that reminded Luca of the homework waiting for him. Sophie probably wondered where he was. Luca had been gone longer than he intended to be, although he couldn't say it wasn't for good reason.

"Damn, I should really get on that." Ginny sounded genuinely disappointed to have to call their little impromptu meeting. "I'd sit with you at the library, but I think I should sort things with Sophie first. It would probably be too distracting if I just sat down like there was nothing we needed to talk about."

"For her, yeah."

Ginny laughed as she climbed down off the desk. A little colour had seeped in behind her freckles. It faded as she grew serious again. "Thanks for pulling me aside. To be honest, I think knowing you has been good for me. Seeing you here last autumn brought back a lot of old things, but getting to learn who you really are helped. It's been a long time since I last looked at you and Tom was the first person I thought of."

"Glad to help, I guess." Luca shrugged with a smile. "Even if I had no idea."

She headed off ahead of Luca. The corridor outside the classroom they were in had emptied out enough to not bother again with the invisibility cloak. Luca let Ginny reach the library before heading in behind her. Just as he expected, Sophie had been distracted by Ginny's presence. She tapped the tip of her quill against her work and pursed her lips. Her eyes had unfocused.

Sophie looked up when Luca pulled his chair back out. "What did Snape want that took so long?"

"It didn't take the whole time," Luca answered, then pointed his jaw toward where Ginny settled by herself. "I ran into Ginny on the way back. We cleared the air."

"Oh—that's good."

Sophie perked at that, for maybe she saw the avenue for herself to do the same. Luca didn't fully believe he was responsible for the silence between Ginny and Sophie, but it could have certainly contributed. Ginny had never said anything that even hinted as such. She had enough else going on.

Even having lost an hour, Luca managed to get all his work done by ten o'clock. Sophie couldn't go hardly ten seconds without yawning by then, her eyes perpetually wet from the force of it, so they called it a little early. Luca headed to his dorm as soon as they parted ways in the common room. Slytherin's locket tapped against his chest like a makeshift reminder as Luca shucked his robe inside his closed curtains. He'd forgotten to show Sophie. Oh well. Tomorrow.

Luca tucked the locket up under his pillow while he went about getting ready for bed. He had the dorm to himself still, although the novelty of his new possession made him a little extra paranoid about losing it. Luca examined it again when he crawled in. Feeling bolder than earlier, Luca put more pressure on the clasp. It still wouldn't give.

Well, it was a magical artefact. Ginny hadn't felt anything when she held it earlier, and Luca wondered if anyone at the Dark Artefact office hadn't either. They likely didn't experience the warm, non-corporeal hands that took Luca's when he handled this. A secret chamber under the school could hardly be the only thing Salazar Slytherin magicked closed with a password.

Luca focused, unblinking, on the emerald snake. His tongue slithered a certain way as a different part of his brain lit up.

"Open," he said in Parseltongue.

His stomach jumped and eyes widened when the clasp depressed all on its own. Luca's excitement as the locket sprang open turned quickly to icy fear running all through his innards. His breath caught in his throat.

The locket was empty, spare two surfaces that glinted like mirrors in the torchlight. However, it wasn't Luca's eyes that looked back at him. They'd been replaced by two pale grey ones, the pupils like pinpricks at the centre. Wrinkles branched out from the outer corners. The lids hooded and turned papery from age, the skin olive in tone. Wispy, grey eyebrows ran toward the forehead that lingered just out of sight.

"So," a voice spoke in Parseltongue, echoing slightly in Luca's mind. "Things worked out with the boy, then?"