"~Parseltongue~"
Waking up that afternoon was one of the most pleasant moments I've had since I came into this dimension. I felt well rested and ready to face whatever the day would throw at me. I jumped out of the bed with a wide smile and looked down when I heard something fall to the floor.
I picked up the piece of wood and gripped it in my hand. It felt natural to hold it, reminding me of the time I got my wand at Ollivanders. The feeling of warmth and as if I have found something I didn't know I was missing, only this wood had a more powerful…presence.
The wood itself was about 15 inches or so. Down its length were many ridge like bumps starting from the base near my hand and getting smaller as it reached the top. Covering every inch of the wood were many small indents that reminded me of clusters of elderberries.
The wood looked very familiar to me but I just couldn't place why. I tilted my head and furrowed my brows to try and remember–and my eyes widened in slight horror. The memories from the day before came rushing back to me and I collapsed back onto the bed, the Elder wand slipping from my numb fingers.
I sat on the bed and stared blankly at the wand for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes.
"~Master? What is wrong?~"
Basil's sudden voice brought me out of my shocked state and I looked over at her curled up form sitting next to me on the bed. "~I'm not too sure Basil~"
Basil looked at the wand as well and flicked her tongue out, tasting the air. "~It smells of power~" she looked to me again "~It likes you~"
"~Likes me?~" I choked out.
Basil hissed in agreement, ignoring my incredulous discomfort "~I can feel it's power reaching out to yours~"
"~What do you mean you can feel it's power?~" this was becoming too much for me to handle.
She bobbed her head up and down in the snake equivalent of 'yes', before she rested her head against the bed to doze off. I was having none of that.
"~Basil! Since when have you been able to feel magic?~"
She gave a hissy sigh, "~After staying in the castle for as long as we have I have slowly became more sensitive to the presence of magic~"
I nodded I suppose that would make sense. I looked down at the wand with trepidation and slowly reached down to take it. I each end between my hands and slowly turned it while I thought.
How could I have missed it! I should have known it was the Elder wand the first time I saw it! Grindelwald was its master, but I disarmed him. Basil said it liked me, so does that mean I'm it's master? I hope not! What am I supposed to do with possibly the most powerful wand in existence? Isn't there that saying "With great power comes great responsibility"? This is too stressful.
I let go of one end of the wand and ran it over my face. I looked at the wand between my fingers and suddenly perked up I could just never use it. I have my own wand after all, I don't need to use this one. I got off the bed and held the Elder wand in my hand, a little lost with what to do with it.
I had to keep it safe, I didn't want anyone finding it because A) Who knows what they might do with it, just look at Grindelwald, and B) anyone smart enough might recognize the wand as the one Grindelwald used, and figure out it was me that defeated him in a duel. Thankfully I had my hood up to hide my face, and hopefully no one would know it was me.
Going into my trunk I found some casual robes to change into before going into the bathroom to fix my hair.
The safest place to keep someone from finding the wand would be to keep it with me…maybe…This is too much pressure. I huffed and took my own wand out of the holster and replaced it with the Elder wand. I would probably have to get another holster just for the Elder wand but this would have to do for now.
I looked back at the mirror and brought my hair to the back of my head where I made a tight bun. I took my own wand and stuffed it into the bun. Examining my reflection I decided I looked pretty good.
Exiting the bathroom I was about to leave the dormitory when I saw everything I had bought yesterday thrown haphazardly onto the floor. I shrugged and decided I would wrap them later.
Making my way out of the common room I cast a quick Tempus and found I had enough time to go to the Great Hall for lunch.
Opening the doors to the Great Hall I joined the others at the round table and pointedly ignored their stares. The usual glass of water appeared next to my plate and I smile a little while reaching for the surrounding lunch foods.
"I hope you had a nice rest miss Abby?" I looked up from my plate to see the whole table was still looking at me.
"I did" I answered Dumbledore.
"You missed this mornings post" he informed me. I nodded while raising a brow in silent question.
Dumbledore produced a rolled up newspaper from inside his colorful robes and handed it to me. I've never really read newspapers but I took the paper and cautiously unrolled it.
The picture largely printed on the front page made my heart skip a beat. It was a clear picture of me and Grindelwald mid-duel. Grindelwalds expression was fierce as he casted a spell at the dodging hooded figure that was me. I watched the moving photo as the spell raced towards me as I nimbly dodged it and returned my own spell. The only thing visible was my chin. The bold headline proclaiming me to be the Village Savior.
I turned to the other page and my breathing stopped altogether. It was another picture of me, only this time it was when I jumped in front of the little girl and pointed my wand at the mans face. The spell shot from my wand and found its intended mark. I watched for a second time as the mans face practically exploded.
The newspaper dropped from my hands and I pressed my hand to my mouth to prevent me from throwing up. The memories of that moment returned to me in full force. I felt a hand start gently patting my back and distantly heard an irate voice. "Dumbledore you should be ashamed of yourself! Making her remember something so horrible as–as that!" If my eyes weren't closed I would have seen him gesture to the picture of me killing the unknown man.
A hand started to pry mine away from my mouth before something cold was shoved into my mouth and liquid started started pouring into my mouth. I reflexively swallowed and almost instantly calmed down.
I took deep breaths and looked over to find Slughorn was the one who had been patting my back and berating Dumbledore. I noticed the empty vial in his hands and nodded to him, "Thank you professor"
"No problem at all my dear" he smiled gently at me.
I took my wand out of my hair and pointed it at the paper. Without looking I casted an Incendio and allowed the horrible image to burn away.
Returning my wand to my hair I looked at the table to see everyone was still looking at me. My gaze landed on Dumbledore and I glared slightly, "Professor was there a reason for showing that to me?"
Dumbledore nodded in a solemn way and I wanted to strangle him, "I am truly sorry for bringing up such a horrible memory, but when you told us what happened last night you hadn't mentioned this particular incident. I wanted to talk with you about it, but I hadn't anticipated such a reaction."
"You hadn't–of course I was going to react that way!" I exploded. "I murdered that man! It doesn't matter that he was one of Grindelwalds men I still did it! It wasn't on purpose but that doesn't change the fact that–that–" my words got stuck in my throat and I just couldn't handle being in the room any longer.
I bolted out of the room with tears threatening to escape from my eyes. I didn't pay attention to where I was going, all I knew was that I wanted to get away from that room and run away from the horrible recurring memory of me killing the unknown man.
After awhile I began feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally. I stopped running and slid down the wall in the middle of some corridor. My head dropped between my knees and I allowed a single tear to escape before hastily wiping it away.
I sat there for who knows how long before I felt someone sit on the floor beside me. I kept my head ducked between my knees and waited for the other to speak.
"Are you alright?"
The familiar smooth voice made me sigh and I brought my head back to lean it against the wall behind us. I tilted my head to the Wilde and made eye contact with Riddle, "I will be."
We settled into silence until I looked back at him, "Why are you in the floor?"
He smirked and looked at me from the corner of his eye, "You're one to talk."
I nodded my head, "Point taken." I slowly rose from the floor with the help of the wall behind me.
Riddle stood up with fluid grace and helped me stand as well. When he let go I looked at him and gave him a small smile, "Thanks." He nodded in response.
I looked at the corridor around us and has no clue where we were. "You wouldn't happen to know where we are, do you?" I scratched the back of my head a little sheepishly.
All he did was smirk at me before pointedly looking at the lower part of the wall behind us. I followed his gaze and saw the signature snake, telling me I had run all the way down to the Slytherin Common room. That would better explain Riddle's presence.
"Oh," I said in surprise, "sorry, I'll just go." I went to walk away but Riddle gripped my upper arm rather firmly.
"Several weeks ago you promised me you would answer my questions. Now would be a good time to ask them, no?"
I opened my mouth but swiftly closed it when I found no excuse to say no. I sighed in a resigned way, "Fine." I knocked on the wall and casually walked through when it opened for me.
Riddle followed me in and joined me on the sofa in front of the fire place. I looked up at the painting of Salazar but he wasn't there. Riddle must have noticed my confusion at the fact the portrait was empty. "He isn't always there. Most of the time he's disappeared and we never know where he goes off to."
"I see" I murmured.
"It was quite a surprise that he talked to you." Riddle said calmly.
"Oh," I quirked a brow, "and why is that?"
"Slytherin never talks to anybody. He usually just sits there in his portrait and watches over the common room" he leaned in closer to me, "Why would he talk to you, a muggleborn Gryffindor, instead of a pureblood Slytherin?"
I opened my mouth to retort but a voice from above us beat me to it, "I have my reasons for talking to miss Abby, and they are not for you to know"
We looked up to see Salazar had returned to his portrait and was looking at the pair of us with stern eyes. "Miss Abby what are you doing here in our common room?"
"Er, well at lunch today Dumbledore kinda upset me and I blindly ran out of the Great Hall and ended up here."
Salazar said nothing and waited for me to explain further. "I hadn't had the chance to tell you yet, but last night I was at Hogsmeade when Grindelwald and his men attacked. I was helping keep the men at bay but at one point one of them shot a Crucio at a little girl and I took it for her. When I turned around I pointed my wand at his face and casted a Reducto."
Salazar came to the conclusion himself, "And because you were so close the spell killed him instead of blasting him away." I nodded solemnly and looked down.
"Danielle there is no reason for you to be so upset about it." I looked up at Salazar incredulously.
"What do you mean 'no reason'? I killed him!"
"You did yes," he agreed which really didn't make me feel any better, "but your actions are justified. He was going to torture a little girl, not even I would have spared him for such an action. Danielle," his voice became a little softer, "that man has most likely done even worse things under Grindelwalds orders, and you may have spared lives because he is no longer with us."
Hearing Salazar tell me this did make me feel a little better, but the image of the mans face practically exploding would be forever burned into my memories.
"Now," Salazar's voice lost its gentle tone, "get out of my common room!" His voice was all bark and no bite.
"Yessir!" I saluted him and stood up from the couch. I turned to face Riddle and smiled, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you, for not leaving me out in the corridor to wallow in my pity." A smile tugged at my lips and I didn't wait to see if he would respond before I made my way out of the common room.
Midnight blue eyes glinted furiously up at the portrait of a smirking Slytherin. "Why did you interfere?" The dark voice almost slipped into parseltongue. "You know I have been trying to get her alone so I may speak with her."
"Interrogate her" Slytherin corrected with that infuriating smirk still in place.
"Why. Did. You. Interfere?" It wasn't so much a question then it was a demand.
"It may be rather shocking for you to hear–I know I'm shocked I'm admitting this–but I am very fond of miss Abby and I will not have you hurting her in any way" Slytherins eyes glinted from the fire below him.
Blue eyes sneered, "What is so special about her that you would wish to protect her? She's nothing but a mudblood."
Slytherin sneered right back, "May I remind you that you yourself are a half-blood." Blue eyes snarled slightly before applying his mask and settling on a slight glare instead.
"There is a reason for you interest in her I'm sure of it." Blue eyes murmured. He stared into the fire until realization lit up in his eyes, "Of course" he breathed.
He looked up into the portraits eyes, "You know of her ability to speak parseltongue. You have known since before the school year even started." He stood from the green leather sofa and got closer to the portrait, "You've known and you didn't tell me. Why?" He demanded.
Slytherin looked calmly back, "There was no reason too."
"Of course there is a reason to!" The dark voice echoed throughout the room, "She is part of the Slytherin line–your line! She should be among us here in Slytherin where she can join me and help us against those filthy mudbloods"
"Join you?" Salazar smirked in pure amusement, making the boy before him even more agitated, "There is nothing you can do that would make her join you."
Midnight blue eyes glared at the portrait, "What else do you know?"
Salazar said nothing as he stood and calmly disappeared from the portrait, ignoring the boys irate demands to come back and answer him.
Tom Riddle glared at the now empty portrait above the fire before stalking up to his dorm room, silently swearing to himself he would find out everything he could about the mysterious Danielle Abby no matter how long it took.
