Thank you to all my readers for all your wonderful reviews. I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I was sick for the longest time and then I had to replace my modem. Thank you for your loyalty and I hope you will not be disappointed.
Chapter 41
Meredith didn't have a chance to speak to Harry about what her father had told her over Christmas. As soon as classes resumed she found herself weighed down with homework. There was rarely a night when she was not found in the library surrounded by books. Patricia, still weary of Slytherin's monster has taken to following Meredith wherever she went.
"What, so the monster will get me first?" Meredith finally snapped after Patricia followed her into the girl's room.
"Of course not," Patricia said. "You're just better at defensive spells than I am."
"Oh so now I'm your bodyguard," Meredith said. "Isn't that just peachy?" The heir as it turned out seemed to be taking a break from attacking people.
"Probably the heir got scared," Percy hypothesized on the way to Herbology. "Knew that people were starting to get suspicious and didn't want to risk another attack."
"Maybe," Meredith said. "Oh by the way Percy I spoke to Ginny yesterday."
"Is she alright?" Percy asked.
"She seems better," Meredith said. "I think I managed to convince her that the heir of Slytherin is taking a much needed hiatus."
"Good," Percy said. "Was there something else?" Meredith tried to suppress a grin.
"Is it possible she might know about you and Penelope?" Percy's face turned as red as his hair.
"She um…sort of saw Penny and I uh…"
"Snogging?" Meredith said no longer attempting to hide her smirk.
"Yes," Percy said. "Anyway I swore her to secrecy." Meredith nodded. She had no doubt that before the year was over all of Percy's siblings would know about Percy's girlfriend.
"Good morning class," Professor Sprout greeted them. "I have good news. The Mandrakes are becoming moody and secretive which means they are moving out of childhood. It won't be long before I shall be able to chop them and stew them and restore those who have been petrified." This cheered everyone considerably but it was nothing to the happiness felt by the Gryffindor sixth years at the notice that showed up in the common room.
"Apparition lessons," Patricia read it. "Finally. It will be so cool to be able to just vanish and reappear somewhere."
"I'm not so sure about that," Meredith said. Even after years of side along apparating with her dad, she still got dizzy and nauseous whenever she did it. But she trouped into the Great Hall with the rest of her class that Saturday. She listened to Wilkie Twycross's instructions with the rest. Like everyone else she closed her eyes, turned in place and focused on the inside of the ring she was supposed to be apparating into. And like everyone else she had no success.
"I've got to pass the exam," Percy moaned as they made their way back to the common room. "Bill passed on the first try."
"Didn't it take Charlie two tries?" Oliver asked.
"Well yes," Percy said. "But he's bigger."
A few more weeks went by and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Apparition lessons continued. Percy and Oliver had both managed to apparate into the hoop much to Patricia's dismay. Meredith, when she did finally manage to achieve apparition wound up vomiting right where she stood.
"I don't think I even want to do it," Meredith declared as they made their way back to the common room after yet another lesson.
"How are you going to get around if you can't apparate?" Patricia asked her.
"I've managed it for sixteen years," Meredith said. "I'm sure I'll continue to manage."
"At least you can do it now," Patricia said with a grumble. Meredith patted her shoulder.
"You'll get it soon enough," Meredith assured her. "Besides not being able to do it is still better than splinching."
"Ew," Patricia said. "That was really awful what happened to Margot. Her arm was just lying there." Meredith shuddered.
"Hey guys," Oliver said coming up to them.
"Hey," Meredith said. "You ready for the match tomorrow?"
"More than," Oliver said grinning. "Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance." They gave the Fat Lady the password and entered the common room. They found several boys huddled together talking in a panicked tone.
"What's going on here?" Percy asked them.
"Percy," Ron called coming down from the boys' dorm. "Harry's stuff has been destroyed. Come see." Meredith followed Percy up to the second year boys dorm. Harry was sitting amongst the mess that was once his sleeping area. His trunk was opened and the contents thrown all over the place. The sheets of his bed had been ripped apart. Books, and quills and parchment littered the floor.
"Good gracious," Meredith said picking up a torn cloak and quickly mending it with her wand. "What happened in here?"
"I don't know," Harry said. "It was like this when we got here and Neville told us about it."
"Neville?" Meredith addressed the boy who was standing to the side. "Did you see who did this?"
"No," Neville said in a small voice. "I just came in and it was like this."
"Who could have done this?" Percy said.
"Well it had to be a Gryffindor," Meredith said. "No one else could have gotten into the dorm. No one else knows the password."
"Was anything taken Harry?" Meredith asked him. Harry seemed to get uncomfortable at the question and exchanged a look with Ron.
"No," he said not meeting her eye. "Nothing."
The next morning was the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. Though she had a ton of studying to do, Meredith allowed Patricia to drag her out to the field.
"We're supporting Oliver," Patricia said. "Besides Hufflepuff's got a weak team this year. The match will probably be over in an hour and then you'll have the rest of the day to study."
"Your excuses are getting flimsier," Meredith grumbled. They watched as Gryffindor took the field. Oliver looked anxious but determined. Suddenly Professor McGonagall rushed out onto the field carrying a large purple megaphone.
"What's going on?" Patricia said.
"This isn't gonna be good," Meredith said.
"THIS MATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED! ALL STUDENTS ARE TO REPORT TO THEIR HOUSE COMMON ROOMS WHERE THEY WILL RECEIVE FURTHER INFORMATION. PLEASE MOVE QUICKLY." The stands filled with shouts and groans from the students. Oliver, who looked devastated flew down to the ground and was arguing with Professor McGonagall.
"What do you think has happened?" Patricia said. Meredith's heart pounded. Whatever it was it had to be horrible for a Quidditch match to be canceled.
"Let's get back to the commonroom," she said frantically. They followed the rest of the class back to the common room.
"It's outrageous," Oliver said coming up beside them still in his Quidditch uniform. "Why would they cancel Quidditch. It's never been done."
"I think we're about to find out," Meredith said as they climbed through the portrait hole. All around kids were huddled in small groups muttering amongst themselves. Over in the corner sat Percy. Meredith was a little surprised to see him sitting by himself. At a time like this he usually would be up and about ordering people to knock off the chatter. She carefully approached him. Upon closer look she saw that Percy's eyes were red and he looked incredibly pale.
"Percy?" Meredith said kneeling in front of him and taking his hands. "Percy what's wrong? What's happened?" Percy looked up as Patricia and Oliver joined them.
"Penny," he said softly running the back of his hand over his eyes. "Penny's…she's been…"
"Slow down," Meredith said squeezing his hand. "Something's happened to Penny?" Percy looked up and met her eyes.
"She's been petrified," Percy said his voice breaking. "By the monster." Meredith gasped, Patricia clapped her hand to her mouth and Oliver looked horrified.
"They found her outside the library," Percy continued. "Hermione Granger was with her."
"Hermione too?" Patricia asked. Percy nodded.
"I guess that's why McGonagall wanted to talk to Harry and Ron," Oliver said.
"I'm so sorry Percy," Meredith said squeezing his shoulder. They looked up as the portrait hole opened and Ron and Harry entered followed by McGonagall. Ron and Harry looked just like Percy.
"Your attention please," McGonagall said. "There has been another attack." She held up her hand for silence as the students began to murmur.
"This time two students were attacked. Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger." Hearing Hermione's name, a Gryffindor, one of their own sent everyone into a frenzy of chatter.
"Silence," Mcgonagall said. "Until the monster is dealt with the following rules have been put into place." She reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a roll of parchment.
"All students are to be in their common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. All students are to be escorted to lessons by a teacher. No student is to use the restroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All Quidditch training and matches are postponed. There shall be no more evening activities." She closed the scroll and looked at them. Meredith had never seen her head of house look more distressed.
"I should tell you all, that unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely that the school will be closed." Meredith felt her heart clench. Hogwarts closed? This school was her home away from home. The very thought of it being closed was unbearable. She turned to look at her friends whose faces held the same shocked expression she was sure her own face held.
Breakfast the next morning was a somber experience. It began with an announcement by McGonagall that not only had Hagrid been arrested on suspicion of setting the monster on the muggleborns, but that Dumbledore had been forced to step down as Headmaster.
"This is terrible," Oliver said stuffing a sausage into his mouth.
"Lucius Malfoy had something to do with this," Percy said. "I bet you anything it was him that got the governors to suspend Dumbledore. Probably bribed them, or threatened them somehow." Meredith nodded sadly. Though she'd only been a child when she'd met Lucius Malfoy, she remembered the man all too well.
"The Slytherins seem to be enjoying this," Patricia said nodding over to the Slytherin table where Draco was holding court.
"Yes," Meredith said bitterly. "Probably telling all his little cronies how his daddy finally got rid of Dumbledore."
"Do think it's true?" Patricia said. "Do you think Hagrid could have opened the chamber?"
"No way," Meredith said. "I wouldn't believe it if Hagrid himself came up to me and said, 'I did it Meredith and those muggle borns had it coming'. The teachers don't believe it either."
"How do you know?" Patricia asked.
"Look at them," Meredith said. The four of them glanced toward the High Table. The teachers, with the exception of Lockhardt who looked as always like he'd just swallowed a bowl of catnip, they all looked grim and tense. McGonagall was looking around the room nervously, Flitwick kept dropping his fork, and even Snape had replaced his usual sour grimace with look of tension.
"If the heir of Slytherin had been caught they would be celebrating. Also, think about what Mcgonagall said. She didn't say the heir has been caught only that Hagrid has been arrested. She said nothing about curfew being lifted, or that we can all relax."
"Or about Quiddith being brought back," Oliver grumbled. Meredith rolled her eyes at him.
"Is that all you ever think about Oliver?" she asked. "This is serious. The heir is still out there, and with Dumbledore gone the muggleborns aren't gonna stand a chance."
"Hem, hem," Percy coughed loudly as Ginny came in and sat down beside him. Patricia and Oliver both took the hint and became very interested in their food. Meredith was staring at Ginny in concern. The younger girl was looking very pale as though she hadn't slept in days.
"Would you like some sausage Ginny?" she offered gently. Ginny jumped at being spoken to.
"What? Um, no. No thank you."
"You've got to eat something Gin," Percy said firmly. "You hardly touched your dinner last night. You're looking absolutely peaky."
"You're not the boss of me Percy," Ginny snapped. "Why don't you just mind your own business?" With that Ginny jumped up and ran from the table.
"What's with her?" Patricia asked. Percy shook his head.
"She's been like this since they found Mrs. Norris. Has she told you anything Mer?"
"No," Meredith said shaking her head. "I've tried talking to her. She just closes up. But I can tell she's scared."
"Why though?" Percy said. "We're purebloods. The heir of Slytherin wouldn't be after us."
"I don't think things could get any worse," Patricia said.
"Don't say that," Oliver said. "Whenever someone says things can't get any worse, they always do."
They didn't know how right Oliver was. Meredith and Patricia were on their way to the library when McGonagall's voice was heard throughout the school.
"ALL STUDENTS REPORT TO THEIR HOUSE COMMON ROOMS AT ONCE. ALL TEACHERS TO THE SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR!" The two of them glanced at each other for a second before taking off at a run. They reached the portrait hole and found the Fat Lady frantically pacing.
"Go in, go in," she said swinging open before they even said the password.
"This must be really bad," Patricia said as they climbed in through the portrait hole. Meredith didn't answer. She knew something terrible would happen without Dumbledore. The Gryffindors were huddled together in the common room. They were all murmuring in corners. Uncertainty filled the air. Meredith and Patricia hurried over to the fireplace where Percy and Oliver were standing with their heads bent toward each other.
"What's going on?" Meredith said. "Another attack?"
"We don't know," Percy said. "Somehow I don't think so." Fred and George came over to them having just arrived.
"The Fat Lady wouldn't tell us anything," Fred said.
"Something's wrong." George said.
"Something big." Fred said.
"Well let's try to stay calm," Meredith said. "Percy you and I are prefects, it's our job to set an example." The whole house looked up as the portrait hole swung open and McGonagall entered. Meredith knew just by the look on her Head of House's face, that something terrible had happened. She held up her hands as the students bombarded her with questions.
"Silence, please," she shouted. She moved through the crowd to the fireplace.
"Mr. Weasley's will you please follow me. Miss Lupin please come too." They glanced at each other in confusion, but they followed McGonagall into her chamber leaving a very confused Patricia and Oliver standing by the fireplace.
"Where is Ronald?" McGonagall asked once they were assembled.
"I don't know professor," Percy said.
"Well, I shall have to tell him later. There is no easy way to say this. Your sister, Ginny has been taken into the chamber by the monster." Meredith clasped a hand over her mouth in horror. Percy, Fred and George looked horrified. No one spoke for a long time.
"Are you absolutely certain, Professor?" Percy asked, his voice shaking.
"I am afraid so, Mr. Weasley. The heir left a message. I am very very sorry."
"Is there any chance…" Fred said, but broke off his eyes filled with tears.
"I wish I could say there is still hope that your sister is still alive. But I'm afraid we still have no idea where the chamber is. I have written your parents. They'll be here soon. We'll find your brother and wait for them in the headmaster's office. Miss Lupin, please tell the students to pack their things. The school is being closed , you are all being sent home. Don't say anymore than you have to just tell them to pack. Letters are being sent to all the parents as we speak. The train will be here at 10:00 tomorrow morning."
"Yes Professor," Meredith said. She felt as though her heart were breaking.
"I'm so sorry Percy," she called to her friend as they exited the room. She took a deep breath trying to steady her nerves. She had to get her emotions under control before she addressed her house. She couldn't believe it. Ginny dead. She'd known Ginny since she was a little kid. She couldn't believe she would never see her again. She opened the door that led out to the common room and paused. The kids will all still huddled together.
"Stay strong," she said to herself. "You're a prefect." She sucked in her breath and moved out into the common room.
"Mer," Patricia called to her, but Meredith held up her hand. She moved to the front of the room and stepped onto a chair.
"Everyone!" she shouted. All murmurs and chatter stopped as they turned to face her. She swallowed hard as the sea of faces stared at her. Some of them were so young. Full of hopes and dreams of being great wizards and witches. How was she to tell them that the dream was over?
"Professor McGonagall has just informed me that Hogwarts is closing. We are all being sent home. The train will be here tomorrow at ten o'clock. Everyone is to get packed. That is all." The shock and sadness in the room was overwhelming. The students muttered and some even started to cry. After awhile they started to migrate to the dormitories to get packed. As the other students left Patricia and Oliver came over to her.
"What's happened?" Patricia asked her. Meredith looked at them sadly. Professor McGonagall had told her not to say anything about Ginny, but her friends, Percy's friends had the right to know.
"Not here," she said. They went up to the boy's dormitory. The other sixth year boys were busy packing and did not notice as they went to Oliver's bed. Oliver closed the curtains around his bed and performed a silencing charm around them.
"Tell us," Oliver said once they were all seated. Meredith couldn't speak for a moment. Tears were choking her.
"Ginny…" she managed to choke out. "Ginny's been taken. Into the chamber. By the monster." Patricia gasped and Oliver looked horrified.
"Great Merlin," Oliver gasped.
"Poor Percy," Patricia said, tears forming in her eyes.
"I've never seen him so shocked," Meredith said. "Not even when Penelope was attacked. He couldn't even speak."
"It doesn't make any sense," Oliver said. "Ginny's a pureblood. Why would the monster take her?"
"I don't know," Meredith said wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.
"And they're certain she's dead?" Patricia asked, her eyes bright with tears. "Is there any hope at all?" Meredith looked down at her lap as her body wracked with sobs. Patricia wrapped her arms around her. She buried her face in the other girls shoulder. Oliver wrapped his arms around both of them and the three of them cried until they had no more tears.
"I should go pack," Patricia said, once they pulled apart. Meredith sat on Oliver's bed, unable to make her body move.
"I just can't believe Hogwarts is closing," she said. Oliver wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She leaned against his shoulder drawing comfort from his strong embrace. They laid back on the bed, still holding onto each other.
"I just keep thinking about the first years," Meredith said. "They've hardly had a chance to learn."
"Yeah," Oliver said. "I mean you and I won't get to finish, but at least we've gotten to learn a lot."
"It's just so unfair," Meredith said.
"Merlin we're being selfish," she said. "Thinking about our educations when Percy just lost his sister."
"It's not selfish," Oliver said. "We all love Ginny, and we're all hurting for the Weasley's. Percy loves it here just as much as we do. He'd understand." Meredith sniffled and looked up at him.
"When did you become so sensitive?" she asked him. Oliver shrugged.
"Lack of Quidditch. Lost my edge." Meredith giggled.
"You're a good guy Wood," she said. "No matter how you try to deny it."
"Yeah well," Oliver said giving her another squeeze. "Don't tell anybody." Meredith smiled and snuggled closer.
"We should probably pack," Meredith said.
"Just stay here a while," Oliver said.
"Okay."
"MEREDITH! OLIVER!" Meredith blinked and groaned. Someone was shouting her name. Her left arm was numb and there was something warm and hard beside her.
"Oliver? Meredith?" She heard the sound of curtains being drawn back.
"Aigh!" the warm hard mound beside her yelled as light filled the room. Meredith slowly opened her eyes and took stock of where she was. Oh, Merlin, she thought sitting up. She was on Oliver's bed. She'd fallen asleep here last night. What made it much worse was that Patricia was now in the room grinning down at them.
"I'm going to put off mocking you for the time being," Patricia said with a silly smirk. "Because I'm too happy. Ginny's okay!"
"What?" Meredith shouted sitting straight up. Patricia squealed with glee and hopped onto the bed.
"She's okay! Harry and Ron saved her. They figured out where the chamber was and went after her. And the heir of Slytherin has been discovered."
"Who was it?" Oliver asked.
"He Who Must Not Be Named!"
"Voldemort?" Meredith gasped. Both Oliver and Patricia flinched but Meredith ignored them.
"How could he have set the monster on the muggleborns?"
"Ginny's diary," Patricia said. "It used to be his. He left it here when he left Hogwarts. He Who Must Not Be Named used it to possess her. It got her to set the monster on the muggleborns."
"That's why Ginny's been acting so strange," Meredith said in realization. "She was possessed."
"Yes," Patricia said. "But Harry destroyed the diary and saved her. And you'll never believe what else. It turns out that Lockhardt is a fraud. He didn't do all those things in his books, he just took credit for what others have done and erased their memory's after getting their story."
"Ha!" Meredith laughed. "I told you." Patricia waved her off.
"Harry and Ron found out about that too. Lockhardt tried to obliviate them, but the spell backfired on himself."
"You mean he's lost his memory?" Oliver asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes. But that's not even the best news." Meredith didn't know what could be better.
"Dumbledore's back. After Ginny was taken the governors begged him to come back. And now that the heir has been found, Hogwarts is gonna stay open!"
"Oh Merlin!" Meredith shouted. "This is just too wonderful."
"We're having a celebration feast down in the Great Hall," Patricia said jumping up from the bed. "Hurry up!" Meredith scrambled up from the bed and followed Patricia.
"See you downstairs Oliver," she called over her shoulder. Meredith dashed up to her own dorm and quickly changed out of her wrinkled robes and ran a brush through her tangled hair. Upon joining her classmates at the Gryffindor table she was delighted to see Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Penelope, and Hermione sitting among them. She slid onto the bench next to Harry who was looking slightly worse for wear.
"You all right there?" she asked him. Harry nodded and smiled.
"All right," he said. She squeezed his shoulder.
"By the way Harry," she said. "I spoke to my Dad and he said there's no way your dad came from a long line of Gryffindors and there's no way the blood of Salazar Slytherin runs through you." Harry smiled.
"Thanks Meredith," Harry said. "But the truth is, I'm not really so worried anymore. I know I belong in Gryffindor." Meredith smiled.
"I never doubted it for a second."
A week later Meredith sat under a tree reading a book on different healing potions. Exams had been canceled as a special school treat so there was lots of time to do some extracurricular reading. Percy sat across from her reading some boring ministry manual. Meredith knew that he would much rather be with Penelope, especially after their long time apart while Penelope was petrified, but she along with most of the sixth years were currently in Hogsmeade taking their apparition exam. Percy, like her would not turn seventeen till the summer. So the two of them had decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and spend it outside by the lake. After being cooped up inside the castle while the heir of Slytherin wreaked havoc it was nice to be outside. She glanced up and smiled at several first year girls, Ginny among them, who were down by the lake tickling the tentacles of the Giant Squid.
"Hey," she said nudging Percy with her foot. Percy looked up and Meredith tilted her head toward the lake. Percy smiled as he saw his sister smiling and laughing.
"She's doing a lot better," Meredith observed.
"Much better," Percy said. They had all been worried about Ginny after she had been recovered from the Chamber. But she seemed to have recovered with no lasting effects.
"Meredith! Percy!" They turned and saw Oliver and Patricia dashing toward them.
"I passed!" Patricia said her face positively glowing.
"That's great!" Meredith said hugging her.
"Me too," said Oliver.
"Congratulations you too," Percy said standing up. "I'm going to see how Penelope did. If you'll excuse me." Meredith shook her head. Percy was complete whipped.
"You really ought to reconsider taking the test once you come of age Mere," Patricia said. "If I can pass it the first time you'll have no trouble at all."
"Except I'd vomit all over the testers shoes and he'd fail me out of spite," Meredith said rolling her eyes. "No, I've made my choice. I'm just going to stick to floo powder and broomsticks."
"Great," Oliver said. "So now we just have to teach you to ride a broomstick." Meredith responded by smacking him with her book.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express with the same sadness they usually did, but at the same time Meredith couldn't help feeling relieved because she knew that she would be returning.
"I can't believe they didn't let us play the Quidditch match," Oliver moaned as he sank into the seat. Patricia and Meredith shared a look. Oliver had been moaning since McGonagall informed him that the heads of houses had decided that the remaining matches would not be held.
"Well at least you didn't really lose," Patricia said. The three of them talked and laughed and the trip home past quickly. Before they knew it they were gathering their things and stepping onto the platform. Meredith spotted her father and hurried over to him.
"Hey Dad," she said giving him a big hug.
"Missed you love," he said holding tight to her. "You've had quite a year." Meredith nodded.
"Yes," she said. "It was most eventful. But thanks to Harry everything turned out all right."
"Yes," her father said thoughtfully. "Thank goodness for Harry."