Chapter 9 – A Lurking Evil
Serena was surprised to find that Eve and Heather had in fact returned early from the Quidditch game. She laughed as she came in the room and joined them.
"So, I guess you guys got bored with the game," Serena said, sitting down on the bed with them.
"Yeah…" Heather said.
"It wasn't that good and we got kind of cold," Eve said.
"I'm sorry," Serena said, making a frowning face.
"So…" Heather said, "How was you're 'date'?" Serena blushed.
"It was fine," She said.
"What happened?" Eve asked her. She smiled.
"Nothing." Her apparent lack of interest seemed to piss the fuck out of Heather and Eve.
"You're not going to tell us?" Eve asked, hardly able to believe her ears.
"I don't know," Serena said.
"Serena!" Eve shouted, feeling betrayed.
"What?" She asked.
"Tell me!" She asked.
"Nothing hap-…we just fooled around again and …" She muttered something they couldn't hear.
"What?" Eve asked.
"We …" She muttered it again, so low they still couldn't hear.
"Serena! What!" Eve said.
"You had sex again didn't you!" Heather cried. Serena blushed, and smiled slightly.
"Are you serious?" Eve asked. Serena nodded guiltily.
"Merlin! You whore!" Heather cried, laughing. Serena opened her mouth and put a pouting look on her face.
"You slut!" Eve said, still trying to believe her.
"Darling I'm proud of you," Heather said, hugging her. Serena smiled, rolling her eyes.
"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Eve asked, still slightly hurt.
"Well, it's not the easiest thing to say," Serena said.
"Yes it is. We had sex again, we just fucked, he just ravaged me senseless… There, I just said it, like three different ways!" Eve said.
"I'm sorry!" Serena said, smiling. "I'll practice saying it. And I'll tell you next time."
"You better," Eve said, hugging her as well.
They passed the last half hour gossiping, until the game ended and people returned for lunch. They all came down and ate lunch together. Serena blushed as Tom walked by, smirked at her and quickly turned back to her food.
After lunch, they went back up to the common room to do some work. They spent the day relaxing, doing work in the library, or finishing homework. Then dinner came, and then retired to their common room to relax until they went to bed.
The next evening, after dinner, Serena went to meet Tom in the library for another 'tutorial'. It was already the beginning of November and the next part of the challenge was due to come soon.
"Can you ever be on time?" He asked, not looking up from his work. Serena slid into the chair next to him.
"I'm late?" She asked.
"I do believe so," He said. Serena rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'm sorry," She said, pulling out some of the books he gave her.
"Did you learn everything?" He asked.
"I think so," She said, "it took forever, no thanks to you."
"I didn't distract you the whole time," He said, smiling mischievously.
"I can beg to disagree," She said.
"Here," Tom said, handing her a piece or parchment. "I made a practice test for you."
Serena dropped her jaw.
"You made me a test?" She said. "You must have a lot of free time on your hands."
"Actually, no," He said. "I've been really busy."
"Doing what?" Serena asked playfully.
"You'll find out soon," He said, his eyes lighting up with a dark glint of excitement. She smiled, taking the test. He was so funny to get excited like this. She could feel his anticipation for something, but she didn't know what. 'Probably a test or a project' she thought to herself as she started on the test. It was a shame she didn't realize what exactly he was talking about. She worked through the test, fairly quickly and handed it back to him. He scanned the paper and circled two of her answers.
"You missed two," He said.
"Two out of thirty's not bad," She said. "Especially not having studied."
"Make sure you study before the test," He said.
"Well of course," She said. "I'm not stupid."
"You're not?" She shot him an insulted glare. He smiled.
"So how was your day?" He asked. She looked at him surprised.
"It was fine," She said. "Why?"
"I was just wondering," He said, bouncing his leg in either nervousness or anticipation.
"Why such a good mood?" She asked, unconsciously rubbing her shoulder which was slightly sore.
"Hmmm…I just had such a good time the other night," He said, standing up and coming behind her. She smiled.
"It was fun," She said, as she felt his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging the sore spot she had just been rubbing. Her eyes closed and her head dropped as she his hands moved down her back, letting a small moan escape her. His warm hands crept up and worked her muscles underneath her shirt. His hands traveled back down her body and moved to her front, creeping up to grasp her breasts, and squeeze them gently.
"Tom!" She breathed, opening her eyes. "We shouldn't do this here."
"Why not?" He smirked, moving in front of her, and pulling her up.
"Becau-" She was cut off as he took advantage of her open mouth and kissed her. She futilely tried to resist him, but his hand held her wrist tight and after a while, she gave up. If they got caught, she decided she was blaming it on him.
His hand loosened around her wrist as he felt her relax and moved to her back, pulling her in closer to him. Her hands ran up his chest and through his hair. They were lost in a passionate kiss for a while, before finally coming out, breathing heavily. Serena blushed, and fixed her hair, which had gotten messed up. Tom watched her, smirking. He still seemed anxious, but he was more reserved.
"You know, I should go," She said. "I don't want to get to bed too late."
"I'll walk you back," He said. Serena smiled and threw her bag over her shoulder.
They walked out of the library, and down the dark corridors. Suddenly, Serena heard voices ahead, and as they turned the corner, they saw a group of people circled around something. There were two professors and the headmaster present, talking to each other in hushed voices in the center. Serena and Tom pushed through the crowd, trying to catch a peak of what was in the center of the circle. She gasped, and covered her mouth.
A boy lay on the ground. He must have been a fifth year, because she didn't recognize him from her own. His young, boyish face was twisted in an image of agonizing terror. His hands were frozen at his side, and his glazed, horrified eyes stared hauntingly at them. His mouth was open, as if trying to scream, but no sound uttered from his cold, thin lips.
Her eyes flickered to the wall behind the limp body, shivers running up her back. Written in smeared red paint, no, not paint, her eyes widened and her stomach heaved. Blood. There was a note written in blood on the wall behind the boy. It read:
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.
Enemies of the heir, beware.
She heard Tom's quick intake of breath as he came up behind her. She looked at him, eyes wide with shock and fright, but he only looked back, scared and confused. Her hand still covered her mouth. What the hell had just happened!. She felt Tom's arm move protectively around her, trying to comfort her. She noticed Jennifer, a girl from her year who was also in Gryffindor.
"What happened?" She asked, meeting Jennifer's scared eyes.
"I don't know," She said, shrugging. She was about to ask someone else when the headmaster moved to speak.
"Will all students please return to their dorms immediately," He said in a loud booming voice. When no one moved he spoke again. "Students are to return to their dormitories immediately and stay put until your head of house instructs you otherwise. Now."
The students dispersed quickly, each returning to his/her dorm. Serena was shaking and looked helplessly at Tom. He looked back, seemingly equally unsure of what to make of this.
Tom couldn't resist hugging her quickly. "Go back to your room with Jennifer," Tom told her. She nodded, obeying, and looked back at him with doleful, scared eyes.
Serena and Jennifer practically ran up the haunting corridors to their room. They screamed the password and practically jumped through the portrait hole. They were surrounded by all of the Gryffindors, the air tense with fear. They were all scared and obviously aware of what had taken place. Serena avoided their fearful eyes and found Heather and Eve at the back.
"What happened?"
"Is it true?"
"I don't know what happened, but Merlin!" She cried. She frantically described what she had seen as they listened, with growing alarm.
"Was he dead?" Heather asked. Serena shook her head.
"I don't know," She said, nervously. Her heart was beating wildly.
"Was does it mean, enemies of the heir beware?" Heather asked.
"I don't know," Serena responded.
"What's the chamber?" Eve asked, and Serena shook her head again.
"I don't know."
0-0-0-0
"Would everyone please be quiet," Their head of house was saying now that she had arrived. The room instantly silenced and you could feel the dread seeping out of their bodies. "I'm sure you all have heard. Mr. Williams has been attacked." There was an audible gasp. "He will be taken to the nurse to be examined. As of right now we are not sure of what has happened. We are asking you to please, for your safety, do not venture outside your rooms tonight. We are trying to work through this as quickly as possible, so please be cooperative. Now, go to your bedrooms, and there will be an announcement before breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight." She said, dismissing them. Serena and them hurried up to their rooms, washed up together, and went to bed together, leaving a candle burning.
The next morning seemed better. Their head of house had instructed them to stick together and the prefects were to be in charge during the evenings. The boy, Peter Langsworth was only petrified, which they assured them was curable. The shock of what happened last night was still prevalent of course, but somehow the light seemed to make it slightly less scary. It was all too surreal for many of them to believe it had actually happened. They hurried to breakfast in groups, their prefects escorting them.
It didn't seem that many people had an appetite that morning; most were still waiting to hear what would happen. At the end of breakfast, the headmaster made a speech similar to the one their head of house said last night, that basically said they were trying to get to the bottom of it, curfew was 8:30 for everybody, and if anyone had any information they were to come forward. They left breakfast, their fear not diminishing. The students were distracted in class, but seemed to quiet down a bit as they made their way to lunch. Gradually it decreased throughout the day, although that meant by no means was it at a low level. People were freaked out, jumping at shadows, and screaming at whispers. There was the new curfew of 8:30, but Serena had no idea of anyone who would want to be out late in those dark corridors later than that anyways.
The next day few days passed with a similar air to it, not helped much by the lack of found culprit. Whoever attacked that kid did a pretty damn good job of covering it up. Finally, three days later, it seemed like people were finally getting over the scare. Serena and her girls hurried into the castle for lunch. By the time they entered, their shirts were soaked and their shoes sodden. It had been storming all day, and even though it was noon, it looked as black as midnight. They decided, along with all the other 6th years with them, to change clothes first, before heading back down to lunch.
Feeling much warmer and more comfortable in a new skirt and shirt, Serena joined her fellow Gryffindors as they went back down to the Great Hall for their late lunch.
They ate and laughed, everyone feeling cheerful and happy now that they were clean, dry, warm and fed. They waited in the stand-still exodus of the great hall when a scream was heard. Immediately a silence crept over the room. Serena's skin prickled and her heart started beating wildly. Nobody moved, except the professors, who jumped quickly from their seats to find the source of the sound. They waited, silently, until a girl ran to meet them. She ran, screaming, desperately clutching at the head of house's robes when she arrived. Her blue eyes were opened wide, and her pale arms were visibly shaking.
"Ana! What's wrong? What happened?" Headmaster Dippet asked her.
"There's been another one!" She cried frantically. "ANOTHER ATTACK!"
"Where? Who?" He asked her. She pointed wordlessly down the corridor.
"Students are to stay in here. Prefects take charge. Professors, follow me," Headmaster Dippet said, leaving the room in Ana's direction, the professors following.
The Ravenclaw head of house stayed behind to try to calm the girl, but she kept screaming.
"Gryffindors over here!" Caitlyn, the Gryffindor prefect was saying.
"Slytherins over here!" Serena heard Tom say.
"Ravenclaws!" "Hufflepuffs!" She heard the other prefects say. She walked, as if in a trance to where the Gryffindor house was gathering. She was only vaguely aware that she was being counted, Eve and Heather were next to her, and that there had been another attack. Her lips were dry, her hands were shaking, and several hairs stood up on back of her neck. There had been another attack.
0-0-0-0-0
"Where is Lillian?" Caitlyn asked a girl.
"I think she's in her room," The girl responded. Caitlyn asked if there were any others in the room, and found out there should be three more.
"Now, stay over here, no one is to leave this vicinity for any reason." Caitlyn said, trying to overpower the quiver in her voice.
The other houses had gathered around their prefects and appeared to be doing the same thing Serena's house was: waiting. It seemed like forever for the professors to return, but it was in fact only around 10 minutes. When they did return, and not all of them did, they met with all the prefects with grave faces before sending the prefects back to their houses. Then the prefects led their house back to the center of the room to hear Headmaster Dippet.
"There has indeed been another attack on a student." A small communal gasp was made. "She has been taken to the hospital wing for now. I can offer nothing more at this time, but instruct you to return to your rooms immediately. Classes will be postponed for the rest of the evening, and I advice all of you, for your safety, don't leave the shelter of your house tonight. Dinner will be served in your common room. Now, please follow your prefects, they will lead you back." He finished.
With many whispers and open mouths, the students practically ran to get in line to follow their prefect back. Serena caught Tom's eye and he quickly gave as much a reassuring smile as he could. She held Eve's and Heather's arms tightly and they left with their prefect.
The hallways were ominously quiet. Their footsteps and soft whispers seemed sent loud echoes reverberating against the dark walls. Chills ran up and down Serena's back, and she was thankful Eve and Heather were with her. They climbed up the cold stair case and finally made it back to the portrait hole. Caitlyn said the password, she the Fat Lady swung slowly open. The students hastily filled into the common room and disappeared into their rooms. Serena waited to see if there would be another announcement, but none came, and she was resigned to waiting in her room.
The girls lit all the candles in their room and shut the door behind them. They each huddled on joint beds, uncomfortable to be far apart. Even in the security of their room, the girls whispered.
"What do you think is doing it to them?" Serena asked.
"If not a person…?" Hattie said, "a monster". Serena rolled her eyes and Heather laughed.
"No seriously," Heather said.
"I am serious," Hattie said.
"Do you guys know what the chamber of secrets is?" Elizabeth asked. They shook their heads.
"Ok, well I'll tell you then," Elizabeth decided. Serena nodded. Elizabeth knew everything, just like Tom, so she trusted her to get the facts straight.
"Well, it is said that when Salazar Slytherin left the school, he built a secret, hidden chamber somewhere in the castle that the other three founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw knew nothing about. It is said that Salazar Slytherin 'sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school.' He alone could release the monster inside and use it to cleanse the school of people who he thought unworthy: People with muggle blood." Elizabeth finished. There was a silence before anyone asked questions.
"So, the 'heir' is related to Slytherin?" Serena asked. Elizabeth nodded.
"And it's targeting mudbloods," Heather said.
"Don't call them that!" Serena and Elizabeth both reprimanded her.
"Sorry," Heather said.
"But it is?" Heather asked.
"Well, that's what legend says it is, but I don't know if Langsworth had mixed blood or not," Elizabeth said.
"And now there's another victim," Serena said. Elizabeth nodded grimly.
"Well, at least you and I are safe," Heather whispered in Serena's ear. Serena gave her a disparaging look.
"I wish we could be sure."
0-0-0
The girls went down to get their dinner in the common room later that night. They were called down in shifts so as not to overcrowd the common room, and they could take their food and eat it there, or in their room. They all decided to eat in their room, before falling asleep together.
The next morning they found out that Yolaya Firthstone had been petrified yesterday as well. Breakfast was eaten in the Great Hall, but not many people came down for it. Owing to the feelings around school that day, it was difficult for Serena and her class to concentrate on the test they were taking in Dumbledore's class: The test that was part of the competition.
The test was handed out with many apologies from Dumbledore, and most people finished near the end of class. Tom and Elizabeth seemed to be the only people to concentrate well on their tests, regardless of the attacks around school. Serena sighed, slightly jealous they could still do well even in light of these dark times. Serena hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to Tom since they had class together, and it was a comfort to have him nearby, although she couldn't exactly say why. He waited to speak to Serena until class was over.
She met him across the hall, Eve and Heather across the way, waiting for her. Tom kissed her quickly before asking her if she was alright.
"I'm fine," She lied, her brown eyes betraying her. Tom smiled grimly at her and pushed her hair out of her face.
"Are you?" She asked.
"I'm fine," He said, one arm around her waist, the other gently caressing her face.
"Tom, I'm worried for you," She said, her eyes rimming with tears. 'Oh shit! Why the hell am I crying?' Serena thought to herself.
"Why?" He asked her.
"Because…. The monster goes after…"She looked away.
"What?" He asked, bringing her face back to look at him.
"I heard it goes after people with…mixed blood," She whispered the word, ashamed she was even bringing this up with him. His eyes hardned for a moment, before melting a little.
"Serena, please, don't worry about me," He said, rubbing her tear away. "I'll be fine," He said. She choked back more tears.
"It'll be ok," He said, matching her eyes with his, his voice soft and calm. "I promise." She smiled softly and hugged him, nestling in his hard warmth. She let her last tear fall as his strong arms surrounded her. She hoped he kept his promise. She hoped he was ok.
He escorted her and her friends back to the portrait hole. Serena didn't think Tom could possibly do anything if the 'monster' came, but she was happy for his company. It soothed her somehow, and she didn't want to go think about why. She was also ashamed at how she nearly cried when she was talking to him today. She was crushing badly on him, and now was not the time for that! She hugged him again, before she entered the portrait hole and got ready for dinner.
Dinner moved slowly, but the stability of it gave the students a little comfort. Afterwards, they followed their prefects back quickly to their rooms and went to bed.
The next day was a little easier on everybody, but that was by no means happy. Everyone was still scared shitless of the shadows, and the slightest movement. It didn't help to have ghosts flying by, freighting the first years. Still, classes continued as normal, and soon the day was over, with no more attacks.
The next two days passed with a similar tone to it. Potions was a hard class, requiring every amount of concentration you could use, and in Transfiguration, Dumbledore announced the results of the test.
"The winning partners were, Tom and Serena, Elizabeth and Jennifer, George and Harry, Winston and Noel, Brittney and Eve, and Sophia and Phillip. Congratulations to them all and good try for everyone else. The next, and final part of the competition will be soon. Good luck."
Serena and Eve were very happy they moved on, although Heather was completely devastated.
"That's what you get for having a stupid partner," Heather said, sulkily.
"Aw, it'll be ok," Serena said, hugging her. Heather shrugged her off and stalked away to the bathroom, pouting. Not that Serena blamed her; she would probably do the exact same thing. So, they ran after her, bumping into her in the doorway.
"Ow! Heather!" Serena cried, laughing.
"What's the matter, why are you standing still here?" Eve asked, rubbing her head.
Heather didn't respond, but stared open mouthed at the stall in front of her. A chill went up Serena's back.
"What?" She asked quietly, moving forward slowly, afraid at what she would find.
A girl's body lay on the floor by the toilet.
She was dead.