The Marble Teeth
Alex soundly slept under the warm blanket, when he suddenly felt this intense itching on his neck. He scratched just above the collar bone, and tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail. He got up, and looked around; Edward's bed was empty. He got out of bad, and went to the common room. It was cold, and completely empty. Fire in the hearth was reduced to gleaming embers, and the room was lightened only by the green lamps. The Great Lake had thrown the blanket of pitch-black darkness on the windows. There was no sign of Edward in the common room. Has he gone out? Alex thought. Alex thought about going out, and check, then he remembered, he will have to walk. He rubbed his eyes, stretched himself, and went back to the dormitory.
Next day Alex walked along with Luane to the charms, telling her about the incidence.
"So, you are telling me, Edward was not in the house, and was probably roaming around the castle during curfew?" asked Luane.
"Well, I'm not sure about that, but where else could he be if not in the House?"
"And you didn't follow him because?"
"I mean it was none of my business,"
Luane raised an eyebrow, questioningly. He stared at her for few moments, and said, "Fine! Fine! I was sleepy, and if I had followed him, I would have needed to walk in the castle for who knows how long."
Luane was about to say something, when they reached the crowd of students. Both of them broke through the crowd to see what was the matter. It was Paul Smith, and three other Gryffindor boys. One of them had his wand out, and was levitating a book, keeping it out of the reach of Paul. People in the crowd did nothing, some laughed while others stared with disgust colouring their faces.
"Come on Smith, you will have to do better if you want that book of yours," said the boy, with glee.
"It's that prat again," said Luane.
"Do you know them?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, that's Noah Wilson, he's in our year," said Luane, pointing at the boy with rectangular glasses, who was levitating the book. This is how Alex was introduced to the group of people that he would come to hate the most. Noah Wilson; Harvey Williams, a boy with shoulder length hair; Matthew Miller, a boy with curly brown hair.
"We are getting late for class, better get going," said Alex.
"We can't just leave Paul like this,"
"Sure, we can, come on, we might get in trouble,"
"No! We have to do something,"
"Fine, you want to do something, go ahead, just don't drag me into this,"
"Fine with me," said Luane furiously. She couldn't believe that he would leave her just like that.
"Hey, Wilson, leave him alone," she shouted approaching them.
"Well, if it isn't Luane Fischer, you are not with your Slytherin buddies," he said, dropping the wand, the book suspended in air fell, and Paul caught it just in time, "I told you they hate Muggle-born in Slytherin."
"Seeing the pair of dunderheads, you have on your side; you shouldn't be the one giving me advice on that"
"Better than hanging out with bunch of cowards," sneered Williams.
"What's going on here?" came a voice from the crowd. Everyone moved aside to make a way for the Professor Black, her stern gaze commanded the silence from everyone. "Someone tells me, Mr. Wilson, you are bothering Mr. Smith," she said.
"All four of you, in my office," she said, pointing at Gryffindors.
"P-Professor, Luane was just helping me," stammered Paul, clutching book tightly in his hand.
"Is that so? The student who informed did say it was only three Gryffindors. Well than, Mr. Fischer, ten points to Gryffindor," she said, "As for Three of you, how about detention."
Luane walked in the Charms classroom; Alex and Edward were sitting at the rearmost desk.
"So, some one informed Professor Black," said Luane, Alex shook his head as though he didn't understand what she was talking about, "Her classroom or office are nowhere near there. It was you, wasn't it?"
"You have to do something, when you hang out with a gallant Gryffindor. Hopefully Paul showed some spine," he said, resting his chin on the desk
"More than enough,"
"We heard Wilson was saying something about you hanging out with us," said Edward.
"He was saying something about the Slytherins hating the Muggle-Borns,"
"Ah, yes, the dirty past of the Slytherin house,"
"To be frank, the Slytherin house was used to producing alarmingly large number of Blood-purists," said Alex, "Nowadays, there are hardly any Slytherins that care about it. I think even sorting hat has stopped sorting based on the blood purity."
"What is Blood purity?" asked Luane.
"It is this idea of the family lines, supposedly, there exists this family lines which exclusively consist of wizards. On the other hand, you would be a Muggle-Born as both of your parents are muggles," replied Edward.
"Oh, so, what about both of you? Is any one of you a pure-blood?" asked Luane.
"I'm a Half-blood. I guess, my father would be a Pure-blood, but my mother is a Half-blood, as my grandmother is a squib," said Alex.
"I'm a Half-blood," said Edward, laconically.
"So, Salazar Slytherin thought only Pure-bloods should be allowed at Hogwarts. So ever since than the Slytherin house, and much of the wizarding world is stuck with this crazy idea of blood purity, which honestly doesn't make much sense, I mean how are you supposed to measure it?" said Alex.
It was Saturday morning; The sky was clear and bright. Three of them were going to the shores of the Great Lake, when they bumped into James and Oliver, clad in their yellow Quidditch uniform, and holding brooms in their hand.
"Ah, Alex, how have you been? Loving Professor Wright?" asked James.
"Ugh, did you have to ruin my day?" replied Alex.
"Absolutely," said Oliver, "We are going to Quidditch try outs, we don't have a keeper, want to tag along?"
Alex was going to refuse; he had no interest seeing some poor guys being knocked around on brooms. But seeing the shining eyes of Edward and Luane, bursting with excitement, he decided otherwise.
"Can they tag along?" he asked.
"Of course, more the merrier," said James.
The Quidditch pitch was large area covered with short green grass, and tall golden poles with hoops rising to the sky. It was surrounded by stands with hundreds of seats. The Hufflepuff team was more than happy to let them see the trials. Alex sat down on one of the seats and watched the Bludgers scudding across the sky, Quidditch couldn't hold his attention, so, he started moving around the stand.
"Bored, are you?" he heard a voice, he looked up to see a girl with muffler was sitting in one of the seats. He approached her. She had the Pale eyes, as though cut from the Sapphire. She was sitting in the uppermost seat with a book, open in her lap.
"Yeah, I don't much care about the Quidditch," he said.
"Then why be here?"
"Two of my friends are crazy about it. Well, why are you here? Not many people come to the Quidditch pitch with a potions book,"
"I have a friend; He's trying out for keeper," she said, pointing at the red-haired boy near one of the goal posts.
"Hi, I'm Grace Avmer, 3rd year, Ravenclaw," she introduced herself, extending her hand.
"Alex Fawley, -" he was saying, taking her hand.
"1st year, Slytherin. I know, I saw you on the first night, with that filthy hat on your head,"
"Quite. It's really dirty,"
"Do you know the Grey lady? She rarely speaks, but once in second year she told me a little tad bid about the founders. Do you want to know?" she asked, Alex gave a node in reply, "Then, why don't you sit down."
"So, for every night of the winter solstice Hufflepuff was used to make the most wonderful pies, and she wouldn't allow any one in her kitchen for the whole day. Once, Gryffindor snuck inside kitchen without her knowledge, and for the shabby man he was, he made a mess. Hufflepuff was furious, and she cursed him so that he could taste nothing till the next winter solstice."
"Dang it! There goes my plan of stealing pies on the Christmas eve, People at Hogwarts take their pies very seriously," said Alex. Grace chuckled, and said, "I guess sorting hat takes after its former owner."
"How much truth is in this story?"
"Only Gray lady and the sorting hat knows,"
"Hmm, you should replace alcohol with water," said Alex, pointing at parchment on Grace's book.
"And why is that?"
"Blood of most magical reptiles is insoluble in alcohol, I thought that was common – Oh! Look, a snitch," he said, as a golden flash suddenly fluttered past them. A boy, going in circles above everyone like an eagle, lunged for it.
"You like snitches?" asked Grace.
"I like things that fly. Snitches are exceptionally cleaver machines," he replied.
"Hmm, want to see some cleaver magic?"
"Sure,"
She took out a piece of paper from her pocket, and started writing something. He tried to take peek, but she pulled away shaking her head. She placed the paper on the floor with blank side to the sky.
She took her wand pointed at the piece of paper, and muttered, "Ptychus," The paper started folding itself, until it was turned into a paper aeroplane. She looked at him, and then waved her wand at the paper aeroplane, muttering, "Memorandum Scapha." There was a sky-blue flash, and the aeroplane shot in the sky, disappearing over the stadium.
"Where did it go?" he asked, staring at the sky.
"Nowhere, you will know tomorrow morning,"
Before Alex could inquire further, she stood up saying she had to go. The Quidditch try-outs were over, and everyone was landing on the soft grass.
It was night, and Alex was once again awake. He looked out of blanket; Edward was getting out of the bed. He looked around for a minute, and then walked out of the dormitory. Few minutes later, he came back, and sat down. This happened several times, at last he went near the window. One moment Alex was observing him, and next he had disappeared. Alex got out of the bed, rubbing his eyes. He went to the window; only thing he could see outside was vast lake, its water held back by the spells woven in the walls of the Hogwarts. Alex was confused, was he dreaming? Curiosity took the hold of him. He went out of the dormitory, to the common room. Fire crackled fiercely in the hearth, some people sat around it in the chairs and sofas.
"Hey kid, couldn't sleep?" it was Nick, looking up from a heavy book.
Mary looked up from a chair, gorgy eyed, "Huh, oh Alex, why are you up?"
"Err, nothing, just couldn't sleep," he said.
"Well, you better get to sleep because Professor Wright will be here soon, doing his rounds, and he will not like it if a student is out for no reason. He will probably deduct some more points, just to satisfy his thirst, apparently all the pumpkin juice in the Hogwarts is not enough," said Marry, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah, right, I will go back to sleep," he said, distracted.
"Sleep as much as you can, only owls can survive fifth year anyway," said Nick, with a yawn.
Alex returned to the dormitory, awake all night, thinking about what had transpired. Edward did not come to the dormitory that night. In the morning, he told Luane about the incidence. She asked him at least three times, whether he was dreaming or not.
"Hey, what are you talking about?" said Edward, appearing out of nowhere.
"Nothing, where were you? Alex says you weren't in the bed this morning," said Luane.
"Umm, I was in hospital wing, you know for medicine," Edward stammered, awkwardly not meeting their eyes.
Luane gave him a meaningful look. Later, Edward and Luane agreed to meet outside the Slytherin house, and follow him if he gets out through the common room. Alex stares at Edward through his blanket, soon, Edward got up, and left the dormitory. After few minutes, nimbly Alex followed him. This time, the common room was empty, and silent again. He moved out of the house, and into the corridor. He looked around for any sign of Luane, she was hiding behind a pillar. She came out when she saw Alex emerging from behind the wall. "Come on! We might lose him," she said, hurriedly. They silently followed him to the oak door. As they watched Edward knocked thrice on the oak door, it swung open, and Edward moved out. Soon, the oak door started closing, and both of them rushed out before it could close in their face. They followed Edward out in the grounds.
The Night was dark, and the silent lake was deprived of the moonlight by the rolling dark clouds, that covered the Hogwarts like a blanket. The Whooping willow moved its branches lazily, and trees of the Forbidden Forest stood silently beyond the gatekeeper's hut. They saw Professor Wilde and Edward meet at the hut, they stood there for a while before moving towards the forest. Alex and Luane followed them until they disappeared at the edge of the forest, at this point Alex stopped, and said, "Wait, they are going in the forest, should we stop here?"
"Of course not! Why do you think we are here? To have tea with Professor Wilde?" she replied.
They entered the forest, and walked in clearing. Tall trees arose in all direction, disappearing in the fog that covered the forest. As they moved deeper into the forest trees became denser, and the fog heavier. Eventually they came to clearing surrounded by trees with thick trunk, and bushes. There, they show a figure, its face was turned away from them. When they came closer, it suddenly looked at them. it was Edward, but his face was no longer sickly pale, it was ashen. His lips were red, and teeth white as marble; his incisors were sharp, and thin like a needle. He looked at them with ghastly red eyes, red as though filled with blood. He was holding a deer in his arms, soundly asleep.