Disclaimer: I do not own SM or HP.
Heirs of the Founders 11
Olive Hornby Gets Hers
Raye visited Rufus in the Hospital Wing every day. It pained her to see him so still and quiet but somehow it gave her hope. Though he looked so lifeless, he was still alive. He would be all right as soon as the mandrake draft was ready. He would be able to provide the information of who did this to him. But Raye did not want to wait that long. She had to catch the culprit now. She, Serena and Amy were more alert than ever during guard duty and they kept close watch of the subtends during meals and as they passed them in the hallways. However, no one seemed to give off suspicious behavior. Someone was really playing the act. The three girls were sitting in the courtyard, watching students roam about as they put their heads together for ideas.
"In order to find the Heir of Slytherin," said Amy, "we would have to find someone that has been in Hogwarts for a long time."
"You mean the ghost of Slytherin—the bloody Baron?" Serena asked, looking fearful. "I'm not going to talk to him! Even if he knew who it was, he wouldn't tell us!"
"It is a good idea though," said Raye, "the ghosts have been Hogwarts for ages—they know many secrets."
"No, not the ghosts," said Amy, "I've already tried talking to them—I mean something that knew the founders. The Sorting Hat."
Raye and Serena looked at their bright friend in amazement. "Of course!" said Raye. "The sorting Hat belonged to Gryffindor, why didn't I think of it?"
"That's right," said Serena, "and it's able to see into our heads. It's possible the Sorting Hat was able to tell that he sorted the Heir of Slytherin. Hmm, let's think—who was sorted into Slytherin the quickest?"
"Olive Hornby, for one," said Raye. "The hat wasn't even on her head for a minute when it said Slytherin. And she somehow always seems involved with the attacks. She had an argument with Gwen and she was the first to be attacked. She gave Terrence Jordan detention and that same day he was attacked."
"You always think it's her," said Serena, "but I don't think it could be her. The legend says 'heir' not heiress. Besides, She doesn't seem like the type that would kill anybody. She's just a bully."
""But still," said Raye, "I've got this feeling she's involved somehow."
"Like maybe the heir has an accomplice?" questioned Amy.
"Yeah, maybe," said Raye.
"Well, we won't know for sure until we get the Sorting Hat," said Serena, "so who wants to go get it?"
"You want me to go into our headmasters office and steal the Sorting Hat?" Raye asked.
"Hey, you're a Gryffindor!" said Serena.
"Why don't you do it?" demanded Raye. "You can disguise yourself as a teacher!"
"No way," said Serena, "you made me go to the Slytherin Common room, I'm not going into Dippet's office! Why don't we just try a Summoning Charm?"
"Someone's bound to see the Sorting Hat flying through the corridors," said Raye, "and if Professor Dippet sees the hat leave his office, he'd lose it."
"I'm sure Professor Dippet may even have a spell on it to keep others from summoning it," added Amy. "I'm sure if we just go into Professor Dippet's office and ask for the hat, he'll let us. He probably hasn't even thought of asking the hat for help."
"What if Professor Dippet doesn't let us?" asked Raye. "Or he decides to listen to the hat himself?"
"Well, maybe the hat should tell him," said Serena, "but as prefects, we do have a responsibility to bring ideas to him. We really won't know until we ask him."
They looked at each other and realized that the best option was to go to the Headmaster and tell them of their plan. They were impressed that Professor Dippet was supportive in their decision and he was amazed at their idea.
"The hat is in my office all day every day," he said, "I can't believe I hadn't thought to try it on…or that no one as offered that idea to me." He looked at the many portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses, who bore sheepish expressions. He walkd over to the pillow where the patched and frayed hat sat, took it gently into his hands. He tried the hat on and the hat didn't tell him anything.
"Ah, perhaps it would work better if you girls placed the hat on," said the Headmaster.
"But if it wouldn't tell the headmaster of the school," pointed out Serena, "Why would it tell us?"
"I don't know," replied Professor Dippet, taking off the hat and handing it to Raye. "The hat is mysterious. It tells different things to different people. You go first, Miss Potter."
"All right," said Raye awkwardly, putting the hat on her head. "Do you know who the Heir of Slytherin is?"
"Affirmatively," replied the hat.
"Great! Can you tell me who it is? Raye asked excitedly. "It's important….six students have been attacked now and…"
"No."
"What?"
"I cannot tell you the identity of the Heir of Slytherin."
"Why not?" Raye demanded.
"However, I can give you something that can help you defeat the monster of Slytherin." Right after the hat spoke, Raye felt something hard and solid fall onto her head. She yelped and yanked the hat off as something shiny fell—a sword--to the ground.
"You all right, Raye?" Serena asked.
"It…pooed a sword on me!" Raye said, rubbing her head.
Professor Dippet cleared his throat.
"Sorry, Professor. What am I supposed to do with a sword?" Raye said, looking at a the long silver sword with rubies. She grimaced as she went to pick it up. "It's so heavy!"
"How did it come out of there?" Serena wondered and she looked at the Headmaster. "Professor, do you know anything about this?"
Professor Dippet came by and examined the sword. "It says Godric Gryffindor on it…"
"Really?" Raye gazed at the sword. "This was his? But how did it come out?"
"I would imagine that the founders could place objects within this hat," the Professor said. "Miss Moon, why don't you go next?"
"Er, all right," said Serena, taking the hat from Raye and putting it on her head. "Do you have something for me?"
"Yes," said hat. "I also have something that can protect you from the monster of Slytherin."
Serena felt something fall on her head, but it wasn't as heavy as Gryffindor's sword. She pulled off the hat to reveal a small squared on her head. She picked the mirror off and looked it over. It had a black frame with yellow flowers and had Hufflepuff's name on the back.
"It's pretty," said Serena, "but I wish it had a handle."
That instant, a handle grew from the bottom of the mirror. She and her friends gasped.
"It can change?" said Serena.
"Just like you—I mean—metamorphamagi!" said Raye awkwardly, noticing Professor Dippet's eye.
"But how would a mirror protect me from a monster?" Serena inquired.
"I guess it depends on the monster," said Amy.
"Any clue what it is?" inquired the Headmaster.
The girls shook their heads and the Headmaster sighed. "Ah, very well, Miss Fawcett. Your turn."
Amy nodded and Serena handed her the Sorting Hat. Amy put the brown hat on her blue hair. "Did Rowena Ravenclaw leave me anything?"
"Oh, she left you a number of things," said the Hat. "Things to protect you from the monster and to locate its whereabouts."
Amy felt item after item fall on her head. It came at such a rush she fell onto the floor and the hat came off her head. Raye bent to examine the articles that came out of the hat as Serena crouched down to help Amy back to her feet. Professor Dippet stood stunned.
"Gloves, boots and glasses?" said Raye, picking up each thing. "But we're still not sure who the Heir of Slytherin is!"
"What am I supposed to do with all these?" Amy inquired, rubbing her head. "The hat said it'll help me find the monster and protect me from it…but how?"
"Try the gloves and glasses on," Serena suggested.
Amy reached for the blue gloves and the bronze framed glasses. The lenses of the glasses were blue. As Amy put the glasses on, the room and everything in it had a blue tint to them. It didn't uncover any hidden passages or anything unordinary. AS she pulled on the blue silk gloves, she noticed the initials RR on the inside. The gloves felt good against her skin, but other than that, there was nothing. She looked at the others and shook her head.
"Sorry," she said. "I think we're no closer to solving the mystery, Professor."
"I think you are," said Professor Dippet.
"Really?" said Raye. "How?"
"You can find the Heir of Slytherin by finding the Monster of Slytherin. It should lead you to the Heir."
"That's right!" said Raye. "Find the Heir's pet…then you'll be able to find him! Let's go hunting then."
"But do be careful," insisted Dippet. "We can't lose any more students."
"Don't worry, Professor," said Raye. "I'm sure we'll solve all this before anyone gets hurt."
--
As Raye, Amy and Serena got their new "gifts," the heir of Slytherin was plotting his next move. It was time for the Monster of Slytherin to attack again and Tom had to find a new victim. Olive decided to nominate Myrtle to the cause. She wanted to get her at the first moment, but because it was common knowledge that Olive hated Myrtle, Tom advised that they pick someone random. After five attacks, it was Myrtle's turn.
"Myrtle's so nervous about OWLs coming up," Olive said to Tom one morning. "Why don't we just put her out of her misery?"
"All right," Tom said, "how are you going to trap her?"
"In the girl's bathroom, of course," Olive said. "She's such a crybaby you know. I'll humiliate her and get her to go to the bathroom…and you do your thing."
"When?"
"Today of course, right after breakfast," said Olive, "I'll be nice and not let Myrtle die hungry."
--
After Myrtle and Raye were done with breakfast, they walked out of the Great Hall on their way to their first lesson. Olive was waiting at the top of the stairs of the third floor and seized the chance to tease Myrtle, this time about her glasses. "Oh Myrtle, mind if I borrow those large glasses of yours?"
"What for?" Myrtle demanded, touching them.
"We found and old book in the library," she lied, "and the print is so tiny that we can't read it—but I'm sure with those thick, ugly glasses, you can see anything, can't you? Except…you can't see why you're too ugly to get a boyfriend."
"Stop," said Myrtle. "That's enough!" she dropped her books and ran down the hall. .
"Myrtle, wait!" cried Raye and to her surprise, Olive chased after Myrtle, calling her names. "Hornby, leave her alone!" Raye went after them, finding them in the bathroom. Olive was leaning against a sink, laughing and Myrtle was in the first bathroom stall, sobbing. Raye looked from Olive to Myrtle's door and back at Olive, her face livid.
"This has gone too far, Olive Hornby! I'm taking you to Professor Dippet now!"
"Oh lighten up," said Olive, "I was only joking—you know I was joking, weren't you, Myrtle?"
"Just get out!" Raye physically took hold of Olive and pushed her out off the bathroom. Tom Riddle was standing by the door, waiting for his cue. Raye glared at him and went back into the bathroom to comfort her best friend.
"I think you went too far this time," said Tom. "Did you have to follow her?"
"I had to make sure she came to this bathroom, Tom," Olive said quickly.
"I can't do it with Raye in there," Tom muttered.
"Oh I'm sure she'll be there all day," Olive said, "and the basilisk is in the pipe behind the sink right?"
"Shhh!" hushed Tom. "Yes…all right, just go, I'll wait a bit to see if Raye leaves."
"Good luck," grinned Olive and she walked away.
Raye stood by the door, talking down Myrtle and asking several times for her to unlock the door.
"No!" cried Myrtle. "Just…just go!"
"Myrtle, listen, don't take what Olive says so seriously," Raye said. "She's just---,"
"The most beautiful and popular pure-blooded witch in school!" whined Myrtle's voice from behind the door. "I'm so ugly and no one notices me and I'm muggle born…I never should've come here. I can't do anything right!"
"That's not true," said Raye, "you're great in History of Magic—you actually stay awake and you pay attention! Half the school can't do that!"
"Yes, well, I've always enjoyed history," said Myrtle, "but what can you do with an O in History of Magic anyway?"
"Oh, um," said Raye, "well…."
"See, nothing!" Myrtle said. "I'm a failure!"
"You are not!" Raye cried. "Come on Myrtle, let's go."
"No, Charms has already started," Myrtle said, "just tell Flitwick I'm not coming. It's best that the both of us don't miss his class. Just give me some more time."
"I don't think I should leave you alone," Raye said. The words came out of her mouth before she realized what she's saying. "I'm worried about you, Myrtle."
Myrtle laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to drown myself in the toilet or anything. I just want to be alone."
"No, I mean, with the attacks," said Raye. "You shouldn't' be on your own."
"I'll be okay," said Myrtle. "The Heir of Slytherin doesn't know where I am. If the heir of Slytherin is a boy—which I'm sure he is—he won't be walking into a girls' bathroom."
Raye stood by the door in silence for few seconds then said, "You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," said Myrtle. "Go on, you're missing Charms and I know how much you love Flitwicks' class. We're supposed to be doing those Color Changing Charms today."
Raye sighed. "Oh, all right…hey, if you're feeling better, we'll practice them later, okay?"
"Sure," said Myrtle.
Raye put her hand on the bathroom door. "Myrtle, no matter what anyone says, you're still my best friend."
"I know, thanks Raye," said Myrtle. "Gosh, what's gotten to you? I'm not going to die or anything."
"Yeah, it's just that…this has been a crazy year and I thought that you should tell the people closest to you how you feel about them, because you don't know when you will get the next chance. Anyway, I'll talk to you later."
Raye walked out of the bathroom, still feeling that she was leaving Myrtle to her death. Tom Riddle hid behind a statue, watched Raye leave then he entered the girls' bathroom. He called for the basilisk in the language in snakes. Hearing a boy speak, Myrtle stopped crying.
"What's a boy doing in the girls' bathroom?" wondered Myrtle aloud. Sadness left her, replaced by anger. 'Pervert, I'm going to tell him to use his own bathroom!' she thought. She stood up, unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"Go a--," she said but she didn't get to finish her sentence. She didn't even see her crush Tom standing by the entrance. All she saw were the eyes of the basilisk, large and yellow. Her body suddenly went cold and ridged. She was dead before she hit the floor. Her legs were underneath the door, her body laying starched out onto the bathroom floor. Tom stood still, shocked hat what he had just seen. Had he been successful this time or did she see the basilisk's reflection? He stepped toward Myrtle's body and bent down.
"Myrtle?" he said.
Myrtle didn't speak. He put his ear down to her mouth. She couldn't hear her breathe. She couldn't hear her heartbeat. Myrtle was dead. Tom stood straight up, his heart beating a hundred times per minute. He looked back at the basilisk and told it to go back to its lair. Tom closed the entrance to the Chamber of the Secrets and in the place of a giant hole stood the sink with the snake etched on its tap. Tom backed away. He had done it. He had finally successfully killed in the name of Salazar Slytherin. He felt a number of odd things: excitement, power, surprise, relief, yet he felt guilt. He felt he had ripped his soul apart. It was a very strange, hollowing feeling. He had never taken a life before—except perhaps the life of Billy Stubbs' rabbit. But that was a rabbit and Myrtle was a person. Tom knew her and know he had killed her. Now that he had finally taken the life of someone, he realized how easy it could be. He wanted to do it again, it made him feel so powerful. Yet, it made him feel inhuman. He looked at Myrtle's lifeless face and it seemed like she was judging him. Unable to look upon that face anymore, Tom ran out of the girls' bathroom, leaving Myrtle's body behind.
--
When Myrtle did not come to Herbology or to lunch, Raye felt sick to her stomach. Something had happened to Myrtle. She knew it. Myrtle was possibly still in the bathroom but she didn't know if she was crying. What if Myrtle had fallen victim to the Heir of Slytherin? Or what if Myrtle, feeling dire distress, taken her own life? Sometimes Myrtle said she hated her pathetic life and wanted to die. Did she jinx herself? When Raye saw the blond curly headed Olive Hornby enter the Great Hall for lunch, laughing with her friends, Raye's insides gave another turn. She balled up her hands into fists and strolled up to Olive.
"Myrtle didn't come to Charms," she said.
"Oh no," said Olive sarcastically.
"I'm sick of the way you've been treating her," said Raye. "She's probably still crying in the bathroom and we're going to check on her."
"Me?" Olive said. "Why should I go? She's your pathetic friend."
"You're the one who put here there," said Raye, "and it's time for you to apologize." Raye grabbed Olive's arm and pulled her out of the Great Hall.
"But I'm going to miss lunch!"
"Not the first time you missed a meal, Olive," grumbled Raye. "You have ridiculed Myrtle since day one but someday, Olive Hornby, you will get yours. It may not be today, may not be tomorrow, but it will happen."
"Blah, blah, blah," moaned Olive. "Whatever." Olive knew that if Myrtle was still in the bathroom, she may be dead. Did she want to see Myrtle's dead body on the floor with Raye? It may look bad. Olive would rather see Myrtle dead with Tom so she could admire his workmanship. Somehow she wished she was there to witness it. Olive prepared herself to act shocked when they saw her dead, if she was dead. She could not give herself away.
Olive pushed the door opened and cleared her throat. "Hey, Myrtle are you still in here? I've come to apologize."
"And I've come to make sure she does," Raye added.
Olive stopped when she saw Myrtle lying on the floor. She was dead. Tom had done it. Olive put her hands to her mouth and screamed.
"Myrtle!" Raye shouted, crouching on the floor next to her and shaking her. "Myrtle wake up!" Raye checked her pulse, her breathing but Myrtle was cold as ice. There were no signs of life in Myrtle anymore.
"Is she…dead?" whispered Olive.
"Yes, no thanks to you."
It wasn't Raye's voice, but Myrtle's. Myrtle floated through the door of her bathroom stall. Olive jumped and Raye stared.
"Myrtle?" said Raye.
"I wasn't ready to die," said Myrtle, looking at Olive. "I remember thinking, as I was floating away, that it was you that put me here and I couldn't go until I made you pay. So I don't know what happened…but I was able to stay near by body. I was waiting for someone to come and find me. I thought I would have to wait all day, but I'm lucky to have such a good friend in Raye."
"Raye, who did this to you?" Raye said. "Was it the Heir of Slytherin?"
"I don't know, maybe," said Myrtle.
Raye looked at Olive. "Wait, you followed Olive here, you know this is where the Heir of Slytherin would attack…it's you, isn't it? You're the Heir of Slytherin!"
"No of course not!" Olive said.
"Yeah, it couldn't be her, Raye," said Myrtle. "I heard a boy speaking. I told you the heir must have been a boy. I shouldn't have come out of my stall when I heard his voice…talking in that weird language. If I had known…I would probably still alive."
"What weird language?" said Raye. "Who—who was it?"
"I didn't see them and I never heard the language before," said Myrtle, "but that doesn't matter now. I'm dead but I'm not ready to go…not until I make Olive pay."
"Myrtle, I didn't know you'd die," Olive lied.
Myrtle laughed. "I didn't say I'd make you pay for my death…well…maybe I will…but I'm going to make you pay for every little thing you've done to me. Every name you called me, every joke, every jinx—I'm going to make your life a living hell. Today, Olive Hornby, you get yours!"
TO BE CONTINUED