The Great Hall had been brilliantly decorated for the Halloween feast. Thousands of bats fluttered and swooped all over the hall and there were floating jack-o-lanterns to light the hall.
Haylin arrived to the feast just in time and sat down between Janaya and Adriel. She looked behind her at the Gryffindor table and waved a "happy Halloween" to Ron, Hermione and Neville, then turned back to her friends.
Janaya was busy talking to Oz about the difference between Halloween and All Hallows Eve.
Adriel and Blaise were playing paper, scissors, rock for the chicken drumsticks that had just appeared before them.
And Crabbe and Goyle were watching them, trying to figure out the rules.
Draco opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Professor Quirrel bursting through the doors. Quirrel ran right up to the teachers table and came face to face with Dumbledore.
"Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know," he said and slumped to floor, unconscious.
"What a weak little man," Haylin muttered to herself. As every student in the hall began to scream in absolute terror. Nobody stopped screaming until Dumbledore emitted several firecrackers from the end of his wand.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!" The Slytherin prefect immediately stood up and screamed at them
"Follow me okay? Just don't panic. I said calm down!" the students around him had managed to calm down long before he screamed that at them. Obviously it was he that had needed to calm down.
He led them down to the dungeons, and let them into their common room. Most of the students went to their own dorms but Haylin, Janaya, Adriel, Blaise, Oz, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle stayed in the common room sitting by the fire.
Haylin stared into space as she tried to figure out what had just happened. Quirrel was the body in which her father resided but he didn't seem up to the job.
"Haylin are you okay?" Adriel's voice broke through her thoughts. Haylin smiled.
"Yeah I'm fine," she answered.
"Haylin can I talk to you…over here?" Draco said pulling her out of the chair and into a corner of the room.
"Sure. What's up?" Haylin asked, smiling.
"A while ago, you told me you met your father. I've been meaning to ask you…how is that possible?"
"Well, for lack of a better term, my father has possessed Quirrel," Haylin explained.
Draco raised his eyebrows, indicating that she should continue.
"He's using Quirrel's body. The Professor is still in control of it but my father is using it to sustain himself. I think he's looking for something here but I don't know what."
Draco was quiet for a moment. " Why don't you ask him?" he said as if it should have occurred to a toddler.
Haylin thought about this for a moment. "Well there is something I need to tell him so I might as well use that opportunity. Do you want to come?" Haylin batted her eyelashes. Draco laughed and shook his head. "I don't think so, Princess," he said and went back to join the group.
"Well I'm going to go now then. See you guys later!" she called as she left the common room and headed towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts room where she was sure she would find Quirrel.
oOoOoOoOo
On her way to the DADA classroom, Haylin heard a commotion going on in one of the girls' bathrooms. When she went in she gasped. Hermione was hiding under a sink, Ron was attempting to do a spell and Harry had his wand up a troll's nose.
"Merlin," Haylin whispered. She ran over to Hermione, luckily for her, the troll was too busy with Harry and Ron to notice her.
"Hermione, what's going?" she asked frantically.
"There's…a…troll," was all Hermione managed to squeak.
Haylin rolled her eyes. "Come on!" she said, dragging Hermione out from under the sink and out of the bathroom. Just as they got out they heard Ron cry "Wingardium Leviosa!" and then the Troll crashed to the ground. At that point, Professor McGonagall burst into view, closely followed by Snape and Quirrel. Haylin left Hermione with the boys.
"Ahem, Professor," she said, addressing Quirrel. He looked down at her, just staring for a moment until:
"Yes, Miss Riddle. How can I help you?" he asked.
"We need to talk. In your office. Now," Haylin pressed gesturing for him to move faster.
Once in his office, Quirrel sat down in the chair behind the desk and looked at Haylin.
"Miss Riddle, what can I do for you?" he asked, smiling in an over-friendly way.
"I wish to speak with my father," she said. When Quirrel made no move to comply, she said: "NOW!" Quirrel jumped and immediately began unwrapping the turban. When he had completely removed it, he turned to face away from her and Haylin was now face to face with her father.
"Haylin, my dear, how are you?" he said, his voice still nothing more than a raspy hiss.
"Cut the crap, father, we need to talk," Haylin said fiercely.
"Very well, my dear, talk," her father replied.
"I did what you asked. Snape says he still serves you," Haylin began, she paused, giving her father time to respond, when he didn't, she continued. "Now I have a few questions." Haylin lifted herself onto one of the desks on the room and sat with her legs politely crossed. "That spell I cast on Neville, is it supposed to change him?"
"What do you mean?" her father replied.
"I mean that Neville seems different now, after I did the spell. Not just the fact that he uses his power but he's not the innocent little boy I first met. Now he seems stronger, and more confident. What did I do to him?"
Voldemort closed his eyes and shook his head as if she'd asked how to spell cat.
"The spell to counter a Power Block obviously releases any power the person had. But not only that, it releases anything else they had locked inside. Usually it brings out a different personality, sometimes it makes them insane. It all depends on who the spell is cast on. It is very risky," he explained.
Haylin's eyes widened in anger. "If it's so risky, why did you let me do it!" she cried.
Voldemort stepped back (well Quirrel stepped forward).
"Because I didn't think you could do it!" he cried back. "I underestimated you. You're more powerful than I thought. But I won't make that same mistake again. Treat this…Neville with complete and utter respect; don't let him think he needs to be babied. If he does, he may think he's imagining his new power and go back to the way he was. Not just an innocent little boy but with his power dormant. It will all pay off if you keep him under control but if he thinks he's in control, do you understand?" he asked.
Haylin rolled her eyes. "You don't have to ask me that every time you tell me to do something, I'm not a baby. And now just one more question, father, what are you looking for?"
Voldemort's eyes opened wide; at least Haylin thought they did for they were never more than slits.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.
"You must be looking for something if you're here right?" Haylin said ignoring the danger warnings.
"That is none of your concern, my dear. Now go up to bed. Oh and on your way could kindly give a message to Professor Snape. Tell him to stop interfering in Quirrel's plans. If you must explain that I am here, just make sure he get's the message.
"Yes father," Haylin said and left the office.
oOoOoOoOo
In the dungeon, Haylin walked into Snape's office without knocking. She found him rummaging through a trunk of some kind.
"Hello, Professor," Haylin said. Snape jumped, banged his head on the lid of the trunk and spun around.
"Miss Riddle, to what do I own this pleasure?" Snape said, the sarcasm dripping in his voice.
"I have a message for you," Haylin answered, smirking.
"Really? From who?" Snape asked.
"My father," Haylin answered, laughing as Snape paled. "Yes Professor, my father has a message for you, and that message is, stop interfering in Quirrel's plans."
Snape scowled. "what exactly are his plans?"
Haylin shrugged. "How should I know? He didn't tell me, he just told me to tell you to stop interfering in them."
"Very well, Miss Riddle, now I have a message for you."
"Really? And what is that?" she asked.
"Go to bed," he ordered.
Haylin scowled and made her way back to her dorm.
