The Triple Attack
The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.
Madam Pomfrey had asked for an essay on the development of Mandrakes, and according to the information Lily, Megan and Susan had gathered from the Herbology books in the library, there should be one last repotting after their acne had cleared up, and the plants would be almost ready for cutting and stewing. Soon enough, Colin Creevey and Justin Finch-Fletcher would be awake again, and they would be able to tell who, or what, had attacked them. Harry's name would be cleared in no time – and hers too. Since Lily had fought with Ernie Macmillan in the middle of the common room a few students, including Hannah, had been avoiding her.
Snape wasn't talking to her either. His silence weighted on her more than Hanna's. Lily still didn't quite understand why she liked him so much, but he had the same hypnotic effect on her that some adults have on babies. She had always denied the thought, but the truth was that Lily thought of the potions master as a parental figure, in a way. It angered her a bit, because she didn't want to feel that way, she already had a father – two of them, actually, and she shouldn't need a third one. – But that was how she felt.
There were lots of theories going around about what had really happened, and most of them supposed that the Heir of Slytherin had simply lost their nerve. Perhaps they felt threatened by the level of collective awareness in the castle. The whole school was alert and suspicious. Maybe it had become too risky to open the Chamber of Secrets. Or perhaps the monster only woke up from hibernation to attack a few muggle borns, and it was going back to sleep now. All Lily knew was that she was going less and less fearful that she would wake up again with the badger pendant biting her wrist. Even Ginny was looking better – a soft shade of pink was slowly making its way back into her cheeks.
Hector didn't share the positiveness. He said it was too early to be sure the attacks were really over. That the culprit was just waiting for the muggleborns to relax again, and there would be another victim, and everyone should remain alert until said culprit was actually caught. In fact, even if there were no further attacks at all, no one should rest until the Heir of Slytherin was caught, because they should stand trial and be arrested for attempted murder.
On the opposite point of view, there was Lockhart. He was absolutely convinced that not only the attacks had stopped for good, but that he was the hero of the story. In every single DADA class, he would make sure to remind everyone that, as he saw it, the Heir of Slytherin had known it was only a matter of time until Lockhart caught him, and had locked the Chamber of Secrets for good. Harry even told her that he overheard Lockhart saying to McGonagall that he was planning on an "morale-booster" event. Lily thought that she didn't want to know Lockhart's concept of a morale-booster.
And, in fact, she didn't learn it until one fateful early February fourteen, after a before-dawn practice session, when Lily and the rest of the Hufflepuff quidditch team were into the castle to have breakfast.
"What the hell…" said Malcolm when they crossed the door to the hall.
The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling. Even the food was pink – decorated cupcakes and strawberry milk were being served on that morning –. "This much pink is burning my eyes," said Tamsin.
"What's going on?" said Heidi, looking around. Lily turned too, and soon she realized she would rather still not know what Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster was.
Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decoration, waved for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. Snape looked like he could murder someone on the spot. Lily and her fellow quidditch team members silently walked to the Hufflepuff table and sat all together, looking curiously at Lockhart.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"
Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.
All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers. By lunchtime, Cedric had accumulated ten Valentine's Day letters. Heidi had received at least a dozen. Looking around, she saw that Hector had received one too, and a blushing Mandy made it pretty obvious who had sent it. Lily told herself that she wasn't jealous.
It was lunch time when her letter arrived. It was from Dean Thomas, from Gryffindor. She barely had time to read it, though, because one of Herbert's large hands quickly pulled the letter from her grip.
"Hey! Lily got a love letter!" He shouted. Lily blushed harder than she had ever blushed in her entire life, and contemplated the possibility of diving under the table. Malcolm pulled the letter from her hand and read it out loud for the rest of the team.
"I think you are really nice, and I would like to meet you properly. Would you? Mark an X on the answer, that's sweet! Oh, there's a lovely drawing of you as well. Look!" Herbert held out the parchment so everyone could see. In fact, the drawing was very impressive. It pictured Lily sitting on her broom, zooming around the paper and beating away a Bludger.
Lily had never quite met Dean Thomas, she had only sat with him and Ron a couple of times to play Exploding Snap. She thought it was a cute gesture anyway.
"Well, that was very creative, wasn't it?" said Malcolm, grinning. "Why don't you give him a chance, Lils?"
"Give it back!" Lily growled between teeth.
"Give it to her, Herbert," said Heidi.
"I'm just messing with you, Lils. Sorry," said Malcolm, when he realized he had actually embarrassed Lily. Lily grabbed the paper back and said nothing.
"Yeah, we didn't mean to actually upset you," said Herbert, looking concerned. Lily nodded with a soft smile.
"These things matter when you are twelve, you know?" said Tamsin. "Besides, this whole Valentine's Day Lockhart invented is ridiculous, dressing dwarves like that, as if they were a minor species."
Lily felt a deep relief that the rest of the team was there to support her. With a quick look around, she saw that Dean Thomas had left the Great Hall. She hoped she hadn't upset him.
After lunch, when Lily was heading upstairs to the library to do her homework with Megan and Susan, a horrified Ginny ran past her. Lily barely had time to grab her arm.
"Ginny, what happened?"
"I- I sent a Valentine's Day song message to Harry! I shouldn't have done that! Harry knows everything now!" she cried.
"Oh, Ginny!" Lily gave her little cousin a tight hug, while she tried to summon a maturity she didn't have. "Harry is nice, he won't make fun of you."
"Yeah, and there's nothing to be ashamed of, anyway," said Megan, as she sat on one of the steps. "You are Ginny, right? You are a first year student from Gryffindor." Ginny nodded. "As I see it, Gryffindors are known for being brave, right? Well, I think it was very brave of you to have sent that letter to Harry Potter."
Ginny said nothing. It appeared that all the pinkness that had developed back in her face over the past month had suddenly faded away at once. But she was no longer crying, at least.
"Well, Ginny, I don't mean to be annoying, but I think you should wash your face and go back to class," said Lily. "Or at least come with us to the library. If Filch catches you skipping class, he will give you detention."
The girls waited by the door of the bathroom while Ginny washed her face.
Ginny seemed less anxious when she left the library to go to the common room, leaving the three Hufflepuffs still seated at the desk to finish their essays. Looking out of the window to the sunny day outside, Lily could almost believe that Ginny's broken heart and an especially nasty History of Magic essay were the worst problem in her life.
It was only on the next morning, when Ron and Hermione pulled her away from her breakfast, that Lily's hope for a more peaceful term was shattered. They dragged her all the way down to the lake, away from prying ears. Harry was already there.
"What was that all about?" Lily asked.
Harry proceeded to tell her how he had realized that Riddle's diary absorbed ink, and how it was able to reply if one wrote on it. Apparently, part of Riddle's memories were attached to the diary. Lily heard as Harry told over and over again the tale of how Hagrid had been the one to open the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago, and how a girl had died, and that was why he had been expelled from Hogwarts. The information slowly sank into Lily's brain, as if she was slowly starting to see something through mist. Hagrid. She could almost picture a thirteen-year-old Hagrid adopting a dangerous monster after taking pity of it having been abandoned in the Chamber of Secrets for centuries. "Poor beast," Hagrid must have thought. "All alone here. Perhaps I can help it. Perhaps I can feed it. Perhaps it only needs love, and if I love it then it won't kill anyone," he must have thought. But the monster had killed someone. It must have been just an accident, like when Hagrid's baby dragon had bitten Ron last year. Lily wished she didn't know.
"But it doesn't make sense," Lily said, after some further thinking. "Hagrid wouldn't tell the monster to kill anyone. So why would it only attack muggle borns?"
"Maybe Slytherin trained it," said Ron. "You know, maybe the monster is intelligent."
"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people . . . ."
"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.
"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."
Ron tried a different tack.
"Riddle does sound like Percy - who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"
"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," said Hermione.
"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here ...
"You met Hagrid in Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?"
"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry.
"Do you think we should ask him?" Lily suggested.
"That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'"
"It wouldn't be a waste of time. To be honest, I don't believe Hagrid would have opened the Chamber of Secrets a second time, but maybe he knows where it is."
In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no bites on the wrist and no whispers from a disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled.
It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good. Just like Lily, Hector believed it would have been a good idea to ask Hagrid if he knew anything about the Chamber of Secrets, but neither of them had the courage to do so. Overall, things were starting to get better; Lily and Hannah had started talking again, at least sometimes. Hector had been able to reunite the Mug Club, and now there were several posters about Muggleborn History all over the corridors. In an Herbology class, Lily even heard Ernie Macmillan politely ask Harry for a bucket of leaping toadstools, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.
"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," she told them one day at class. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."
The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year. Lily knew she wanted to take Art as an extracurricular activity, but she didn't know which electives to take. Hannah decided to take Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes along with Susan, who had listened to her aunt Amelia's advice. Megan took Ancient Runes with them, and also Care of Magical Creatures, and Music and Ancient Studies as extracurricular activities. After all, Lily took Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. She and Hector contemplated taking Muggle Studies just to get a good grade, but decided it wouldn't be of much use to them. Hector took Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy, and also Ghoul Studies, for some reason.
To Lily's dismay, Malcolm had decided that, since the Gryffindors were practicing every night after dinner to their match, then the Hufflepuffs should practice every day before breakfast, which meant that Lily was being awakened every single day before dawn. By the end of each day, she was so exhausted she couldn't even think of chatting with her roommates before closing the curtains around her bed and falling asleep, let alone investigate anything concerning Slytherin's monster. Not that it was giving any signs that it would return for another attack, anyway
At least the practice sessions were getting drier, and Lily could sense the improvement the team had made in the past few weeks. The chasers were passing the Quaffle with more trust, and Cedric had become an even better seeker than he already was. Lily and Anthony had learned each other's way to fly, and had established a great strategy which they knew like the palm of their hands. On the last practice on Thursday the entire team was absolutely confident that they would win. Malcolm had even allowed them a day off on Friday, so they would be well rested for Saturday's match.
On the next day, the school woke up to a brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.
"Perfect conditions for Quidditch," said Malcolm.
"Lily, why don't you get that recording statue you got last year so you can record the game?" said Anthony. "It will be an epic match."
Lily thought it was a great idea. She had brought the little unicorn statue that year only because it had been so useful in the past.
Lily was halfway through her eggs when Ron came by and whispered to her ear "Someone stole Riddle's diary."
"What?" she whispered. "Malcolm, I'll be right back."
"No, no, no! You need a decent breakfast today," he replied.
She quickly swallowed everything on her plate before leaving to talk to Ron.
"Didn't he see who took it?"
"Someone took it from our dorm. It means it must have been a Gryffindor."
Lily didn't know what to make of what Ron had just told her. When she asked why Harry hadn't reported it, he said it was because he didn't want to tell the teachers about a diary containing a memory of Hagrid being found guilty of opening the Chamber of Secrets. They discussed a little further about what they could possibly do about it, and Lily was just about to leave to go get her Quidditch equipment when something happened.
A sharp pain took Lily so unwarded that it took her a couple of seconds to realize where the pain was coming from. The sight of the badger pendant sinking its little teeth in her wrist didn't quite make sense for her for a moment. It was only when Harry shouted that Lily realized what had happened.
"The voice!" he said, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again – didn't you?"
"It bit me!" Lily finally said.
"Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" Shouted Hermione.
And she sprinted away, up the stairs.
"I have to go find Hector!" said Lily, and started running back to the Great Hall. Hector was nowhere to be seen in the middle of the crowd that was leaving the hall to go get ready to watch the match. Someone grabbed Lily's arm. It was Malcolm.
"There you are. We have to go get ready. Come on," he said, pulling Lily to the Hufflepuff basement as quickly as possible. Lily thought she had caught a glimpse of Hector going up the stairs with the Ravenclaw female prefect, Penelope Clearwater, and relaxed. She collected her Quidditch robes, her Cleansweep Seven and her bat and hurried back to join the large crowd that headed to the Quidditch pitch.
In the locker room, she changed into her canary yellow robes, comforted by the knowledge that Hector and every other muggleborn would be out in the pitch to watch the game. Maybe, after the match, she and Harry could warn the teachers and they could search the castle for any threat. Maybe they would catch the monster and the heir of Slytherin on that very day.
The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. The captain of Gryffindor team took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. Malcolm gathered the team for a quick reminder of what would be their tactic.
Lily had just placed the recording statue on the bench so it could record the game, and was about to mount her broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone. Lily felt all the blood leave her face. She frantically searched the pitch for Hector, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. The captain of Gryffindor team, Oliver Wood, looked devastated. Malcolm had sat on the grass.
"But, Professor!" Wood shouted. "We've got to play - the cup - Gryffindor -"
Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:
"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"
Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her. Lily couldn't hear what she said. Had there been an attack? Was Harry a suspect again? But she felt as if her entire spine had turned into ice when McGonagall looked at her too.
"Prewett, you should come along."
Ron detached himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. Lily was surprised when Professor McGonagall didn't object.
"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley ...
They followed McGonagall back into the castle and up the marble staircase. Lily was so nervous she could barely understand where they were heading and, when she did, it was like swallowing an entire ice cube. That at any moment McGonagall would take a shift to the right and take them to someone's office. She wished she would lose house points; that Snape had given them away for stealing from his private stores; that Malfoy had found out about the Polyjuice Potion. She would rather be expelled than be heading to the hospital wing on that moment.
"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack ... a triple attack."
Lily felt sick. She knew exactly what sight expected them on the other side of that door, but nothing could have prepared her for the feeling that took over her when she saw it.
Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair. Penelope Clearwater. Next to her, was Hermione. Harry and Ron shouted at the sight and ran at her. But Lily couldn't move. Because on the third bed, lay Hector.
Suddenly Lily couldn't catch her breath. Her eyes were foggy with hot tears and it felt like the world was spinning. When she felt like she was going to pass out, Madam Pomfrey made her sit on a chair and gave her a calming draught. The potion worked quickly and soon she could understand what McGonagall was saying again.
"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them ...
She was holding up a small, circular mirror.
All of them shook their heads. Lily couldn't take her eyes from Hector's face. Whatever had attacked them, it had left a look of terror frozen on his face.
Professor Sprout came rushing through the door of the infirmary.
"Minerva! I thought I would find you here. I can't believe it happened again, now when we were so close to end this madness…
"Yes, Pomona, I'm afraid it happened."
"Those poor children - does Filius know? Two of them are Ravenclaws. You both will have to write to their parents."
"He knows. We will send owls to them this afternoon. Now, if you excuse me, I have to take Potter and Weasley back to the Gryffindor tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case."
"Yes, of course. Prewett, I'm afraid we have to go too. I, too, need to address the students," said Professor Sprout gently.
Lily felt like she was floating away from her body as they made their way back to the Hufflepuff basement. Everything was slow, and she couldn't understand much of what was going on. It wasn't entirely obvious for her where she was when she sat down. There was some warmth there… maybe it was near the fire? She had to make a huge effort to listen to Professor Sprout as she addressed the Hufflepuffs.
"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."
The Hufflepuffs packed inside the common room listened to Professor Sprout in silence. Suddenly, Lily took consciousness of something warm and heavy on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw it was Cedric's hand, trying to comfort her, probably. She searched trough the crowd for Susan and Megan, but couldn't see them.
"I hardly think I need to say how distressing this is. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward," Professor Sprout finished her speech.
She crawled through the entrance hole to go meet with the other teachers. On the moment she left, the Hufflepuffs began talking again.
"I can't believe it. Seven victims. How many more muggleborns will be attacked before there is a full search in the school?" said Anthony. "Dumbledore should personally look into every last corner of this school for the Chamber of Secrets."
"The school has been searched several times, Anthony," said Heidi. "Dumbledore should be looking into the dorms for anything indicating who is the Heir of Slytherin. Magical artifacts and stuff like that. Slytherin must have made sure only one of his heirs would be able to find the Chamber."
The discussion went on for a while, and Lily watched unable to participate in any way.
Out of all people, Ernie Macmillan was the first one to actually come talk to Lily.
"I'm sorry for everything I said to you," he said. "I am here if you need anything." Ernie took a step toward her and stretched his arm. Lily carefully shook his hand and accepted the apology.
Lots of people who had learned who the victims were came to tell Lily how sorry they were, and that she could count on them for anything, but Lily was only half listening. Hector's look of terror had been stamped on her mind, and she couldn't take her thoughts from it. Hannah, Susan and Megan promised to spend all night awake with Lily to distract her. Herbert gave Lily all of his remaining sweets from his last trip to Hogsmeade. Tamsin offered Lily an Anti-Insomnia Book that made the reader fall asleep, in case she wanted to rest at some point.
At one moment in the night Lily almost felt better, when the girls were playing Exploding Snap and eating the chocolate bars that Professor Sprout had made appear in each of the Hufflepuff dorms. Hannah was reading The Witch Weekly out loud for them, trying to cheer Lily up with a Magical Kiss Quizz, and for half a second everything felt normal. Then the image of Hector's glassy eyes returned to her. It was almost dawn when the girls finally fell asleep, and they didn't wake up until it was lunchtime on Sunday. The exhaustion, however, didn't take away Lily's nightmares, and when she woke up she had a bitter taste to her mouth.
The day didn't make the bitter taste go away. If anything, it was worse than ever. On the moment Lily and the rest of the Hufflepuffs arrived at the Great Hall, accompanied by the Fat Friar, Ron and Harry came to give more bad news. Hagrid had been sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore had been suspended by the school governors – Lucius Malfoy had made sure of it.
"We are doomed," said Lily. "Malfoy will find someone to replace him, someone who helps the Heir of Slytherin."
"There is more. Hagrid said that if we want to find out some stuff, we must follow the spiders," said Harry.
—
A.N: I FEEL SO BAAAD! I shouldn't have done that to Hector. It destroyed me from inside.