The Golden Thread
Chapter 4: A Strange Boy
Lucie's smile could have lit up the whole garden as she reached the end of the aisle. She looked positively radiant, and she knew that this was the moment she'd been waiting her whole life for. Finally, all of her dreams were coming true. She turned to look at Scorpius, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
But there was disgust in his eyes, so strong that the force of it hit Lucie like a slap. In all the years she'd known him, Scorpius had never gazed upon her with anything less than adoration. No one had looked at her with anything less than the quiet pride that a beautiful, pureblooded young lady deserved.
"We all know who you are, Lucie," said Scorpius, sounding so unlike himself that Lucie almost didn't realize he was the one who had spoken.
"It's me, Scorpius! I'm exactly who I've always been! I'm going to be your wife!" Lucie gripped the front of his suit jacket desperately, but Scorpius pushed her roughly away, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. Lucie felt a sob building in her throat, but she pushed it down, trying to work up the nerve to speak again.
"You're a traitor, Lucie," Scorpius spat. "A liar. You might as well be a Mudblood."
Lucie's mouth fell open in shock, but before she could say any more, there was a loud crack as Scorpius Disapparated. Their wedding bands clattered to the ground where he had stood. Lucie lunged forward to retrieve them, horrified that such sacred rings had been allowed to touch the ground, but suddenly found herself pitching forward, unable to balance.
She crashed roughly into the wood of the dais, unable to even soften the blow with her hands. Looking down, Lucie felt horror spread through her like poison. Her wedding dress was gone, replaced with the ugly, demeaning uniform of the Mudblood slaves. She had fallen because of the chain holding her ankles together.
"I see the girl has found her place," came a snarling voice from above Lucie. She craned her neck upward to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing over her, with the Supreme Ruler by her side. The latter's inhuman face was so enraged that Lucie feared the mere sight of it would make her pass out.
Then, in his high, cold voice, he said the two words that Lucie had hoped never to hear: "Kill her."
Lucie opened her mouth to protest, to tell her master that she was a loyal servant, to scream, anything, but found that she could produce no sound. No matter how hard she tried, her voice was simply gone.
Bellatrix laughed viciously. "Traitors may not speak in the presence of the Supreme Ruler. Prepare to die, girl." As Bellatrix raised her wand, every fiber in Lucie's being screamed for her to run, but she was frozen to the stop, eyes open wide in terror, staring her death in the face. "Avada Kedavara!"
And then, all was darkness.
…
Lucie shot up in bed, panting. Every inch of her body was drenched in a cold sweat, and for a moment, she had no idea where she was. Slowly, her surroundings drifted back into focus, and she realized that Grace and Eileen were leaning over her, wearing identical expressions of worry and surprise.
Still frightened and confused, Lucie gazed around, taking in the other girls in their room. Some of them looked mildly concerned, while others just appeared to be annoyed at having been roused. Thankfully, none of them said anything. Lucie vaguely registered that one of the girls, Walburga Black, was not present.
"Lucie, thank Merlin you're awake!" said Grace, pulling Lucie's attention back to her. "You were screaming in your sleep!"
"I was?" Lucie asked numbly, not really paying the other girl much mind.
Eileen nodded. "We've been trying to wake you up for nearly ten minutes!"
Grace lowered her voice slightly. "You were saying something about Mudbloods."
One of the other girls in the room—Lucie believed her name was Lucretia—let out a barking laugh, startling the still-shaken Lucie. "Well, no wonder," the girl said. "They're repulsive enough to give anyone nightmares."
Despite herself, Lucie laughed a bit at the rude joke. It was more out of habit than anything, but she still felt a slight twinge of guilt as the noise escaped her throat.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you all," Lucie said after a moment.
Bit by bit, the girls drifted away from her, leaving Lucie alone with her thoughts. She drew the curtains around her bed and cast a Silencing Charm. She didn't think she'd be able to fall back asleep, but just in case, she didn't want to test the patience of her roommates.
Hours later, Lucie hadn't gotten any more sleep, and it was nearly time for breakfast. She dressed slowly, keeping the curtains closed around her to avoid Grace and Eileen's questioning gazes. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to put the nightmare from her mind. It had seemed so real, so excruciatingly visceral, that she wasn't entirely certain she hadn't been killed.
Scorpius' cold expression flashed through her mind, and Lucie had to suppress a shiver. The Scorpius she knew had always been kind and gentlemanly—shy, even—but the Scorpius from her dream had been cruel, almost frightening.
More terrifying, though, was Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman had been about to kill her mercilessly, showing no sign of hesitation. Even thinking about it was enough to make Lucie want to hyperventilate. The vision had only served to remind Lucie that, though she certainly had the means—the Time-Turner was tucked safely inside her blouse—she could not go home. All that would await her at the Selwyn estate in 2022 would be certain death.
At the thought of her home, Lucie was painfully reminded of how much she missed her family, and her heart ached. I'll go talk to Dumbledore, she thought. He'll be able to tell me when it's safe to go back to my own time.
Feeling slightly reassured, Lucie went down to the common room. Grace, Abraxas, and Eileen were there waiting for her, and Lucie could tell by Abraxas' slightly wary expression that the girls had told him about Lucie's nightmare. Plastering a smile on her face, she went over to her friends, trying to look as though nothing was the matter.
"So," Grace began slowly, as though testing if Lucie was feeling up to normal conversation, "I noticed that Walburga Black never came back to the dormitory last night. Do either of you know where she was?" Lucie and Eileen shook their heads.
"Actually, I heard something," said Abraxas. "Tom Riddle came back late last night, and when Cygnus Black asked him what had kept him out, Riddle said that he'd had to take Walburga to the hospital wing."
Grace frowned, little lines appearing on her forehead. "What happened to her?"
Abraxas shrugged, looking as though he was already bored with the topic. "Riddle didn't say."
Lucie's brow furrowed. She was sure that she'd heard Riddle and Walburga having an argument the night before. He wouldn't have hurt her, right? Riddle was a perfect gentleman. Before she could say anything on the matter, her friends had already begun to leave for breakfast. Wordlessly, Lucie followed them, but she couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.
When they reached the Great Hall, Lucie instinctively scanned the crowd for Riddle, but he was nowhere to be seen. This bothered her more than it should have, but Lucie shook it off as simple worry that things had gotten out of hand between him and Walburga.
Breakfast was, as usual, a quick affair. Lucie, still shaken, found that she wasn't feeling too hungry. Every time she looked into a goblet of pumpkin juice, it was as though Bellatrix's cold face was staring back at her. She'd nearly choked twice.
Looking at her timetable, Lucie noticed that their first class of the morning would be Transfiguration, and they had it with the Hufflepuffs. If she left right away, she could get to class early and have her chat with Dumbledore.
"I've got to ask Professor Dumbledore a few things," she told her friends, excusing herself from the table. "I'll see you all in class." Taking their mumblings as affirmation, Lucie waved goodbye to Grace, Eileen, and Abraxas, and hurried out of the Hall.
Once she was hurrying up the Grand Staircase towards the Transfiguration Wing, Lucie felt slightly better. If anyone could reassure her, it would be Dumbledore. He'd tell her that everything would be all right, he'd get it all straightened out, and she'd be home in no time. Lucie had all but forgotten about the note, the one Dumbledore had burned, but it found its way back into her memory just then.
What could have been on it? Well—for one thing, whoever had written it (the hooded figure who had saved her at the wedding was Lucie's best guess) had wanted her to become a student in the 1943 Hogwarts.
But why? That was the question that had been plaguing Lucie since she had first been sorted into Slytherin. This place—enchanting though it was—was not her home. Her family wasn't here, her friends weren't here—her whole life was somewhere else. And yet, impossibly, Dumbledore expected her to stay in the wrong time indefinitely, waiting until she "came to the answers". It was infuriating.
Wrapped up in her thoughts as she was, Lucie wasn't paying particularly close attention as she rounded the next corner. Suddenly, a talk, dark object was blocking her path, and she ran headlong into it. For the second time that week, Lucie was thrown back onto her behind, flailing about for balance in the most un-ladylike fashion imaginable.
And then, also for the second time, she looked up into the kind face of a brown-haired boy her age. Cheeks flushing in humiliation, Lucie realized that it was the same Hufflepuff boy from the library the previous night—and she'd run straight into him, again.
"Oh!" she said softly, ignoring his outstretched hand and scrambling to her feet. "I'm so sorry!"
The boy smiled. "It seems we've been running into each other quite a lot lately, don't you think?" At first, Lucie was taken aback by his boldness, but then she realized, with no small measure of surprise, that he was teasing her. Her eyebrows shot up, disappearing into her hairline. She'd never been teased by anyone except Anastasia and Mortimer, and even then it was very tame. This boy was outright making fun of her, as though she was a clumsy little girl.
Lucie felt that she should have been enraged, but oddly enough, she felt herself begin to smile.
"Yes, that seems to be the case," she answered finally. "Terribly sorry about that."
"Not to worry," said the boy. "I'm Edwin, by the way. Edwin Bones." He held out a hand, and Lucie shook it, grinning shyly. His surname sounded vaguely familiar to her, and she realized that there was a girl in her dormitory by the name 'Bones'. Must be a relative of his, she thought.
"I'm Lucie Selwyn. But, given the show they made of my Sorting, you probably already knew that."
The boy laughed, and Lucie found the sound oddly charming. "Yes, I'm quite aware of who you are. Where are you off to in such a hurry, Miss Selwyn?"
"Yes, I'd like to know that too."
Lucie whirled around at the new voice, and found herself face-to-face with Tom Riddle. He looked, as always, perfect, despite her suspicions that he hadn't gotten much sleep. He glanced over Lucie's shoulder at Edwin, and his eyes narrowed just the barest amount. If Lucie hadn't been watching his face carefully for any show of emotion, she was sure she would have missed it.
Riddle looked back at her expectantly, and Lucie remembered suddenly that he'd asked her a question. "Erm—I'm on my way to see Professor Dumbledore, actually. I've got to, um, ask him a few questions about the class." The last part was, of course, a lie, but she couldn't very well tell the truth.
"Allow me to escort you," Riddle said smoothly, stepping up to her side and looking at Edwin as though dismissing him.
Inexplicably, Lucie felt her heart rate increase. "Oh, no, really, that's all right—"
"I insist," interrupted Riddle. "It's the least I can do as your fellow prefect—you are new to the castle, after all." Lucie paled, terrified at the thought of being left alone with the boy she was almost certain had done something to Walburga.
"I will go with you as well," spoke up Edwin, fixing Riddle with a calm stare. "I've got to speak to Professor Dumbledore myself, actually."
Lucie saw Riddle's jaw clench almost imperceptibly, but then it was gone, and he looked perfectly neutral once more. Relief flooded through her at Edwin's words, and she felt a rush of gratitude for the boy. Perhaps she could make good friends in 1943.
With a stiff nod, Riddle set off, leading the way to the Transfiguration classroom. Edwin followed close behind, with Lucie bringing up the rear. It was a pity she wouldn't get to talk to Dumbledore about her predicament just then—but no matter, she'd have plenty of opportunities for that later.
When they reached the classroom, Riddle knocked sharply three times on the door. A quiet voice beckoned for them to enter, and they filed into the large room. Dumbledore sat behind a rather cluttered desk, the surface all covered in parchment and tiny, delicate objects that were emitting a strange whirring sound.
"Ah!" Dumbledore said, looking as though he'd been expecting them. "Mr. Riddle, Mr. Bones, Miss Selwyn, come in, come in! What can I help you with?"
"I was simply escorting Miss Selwyn to class, sir," said Riddle, that same tone of dislike just barely colouring his words. "She and Mr. Bones have a few questions for you, I believe." Saying nothing further, Riddle turned and made his way to the desks, choosing one and settling into it. As he spread out his materials for class, he looked the picture of a perfect student.
Edwin gestured to Lucie. "After you, Miss Selwyn."
"Thank you," she replied, blushing a little. "I was just wondering, sir, if there are any materials you need to give me before my first day of your class, since I missed the actual first day."
Dumbledore smiled, fixing Lucie with his piercing gaze, and she was sure he knew that she was lying. "Some parchment and a quill should suffice, Miss Selwyn, but I appreciate your efforts. If you are in need of any, I have some extra in the bottom left drawer of my desk. Now, Mr. Bones, you wished to speak to me as well?' Dumbledore rose from his chair and crossed over to Edwin, leaving his desk free and clear for Lucie.
As she searched for the parchment, Lucie caught bits and pieces of their conversation. It appeared to be about the lesson that day, which would focus on the limitations of Transfiguration, such as the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Lucie, who had been taught such material before, groaned inwardly.
When the other students arrived, Lucie had already taken her seat. Eileen slid in next to her, looking quite disturbed about something.
"What is it, Eileen?" Lucie whispered.
Eileen looked shocked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Were you in here alone with the Bones boy?" she asked, keeping her voice low as well. Lucie raised an eyebrow, glancing furtively over at Edwin.
"Well, Dumbledore and Riddle were here as well," she said. "But I spoke to Edwin alone in the corridor for a bit." Eileen looked as though her eyes would pop out of her head, and Lucie felt a twinge of annoyance.
"What's wrong with that?" she asked, none-too-gently.
"Lucie, you don't know?" Eileen looked stricken. She pointed to two pretty girls sitting together near the front of the room. Lucie recognized one of them as Lucretia Black, from their dormitory, and another of their roommates, though she didn't know the second girl's name. "You see those two girls over there? That's Lucretia Black and Eponine Bones—Edwin Bones' twin sister."
"And?" Lucie prompted impatiently.
Eileen lowered her voice conspiratorially. "In our first year, Eponine—lovely girl, really—was kind enough to warn us all about her brother. He's...troubled, you see. An odd sort. Anyway, in fourth year, he tried to assault Lucretia! Can you believe it?"
Shocked, Lucie looked over at Edwin, the boy who had noticed her fear of Tom Riddle and all but protected her. Could she believe it? No, she wasn't sure she could.
…
Later that night, on her way to prefect duty, Lucie passed by the library. As she reached the door, she paused, torn. There was every chance that Edwin would be there, and she could question him about what Eileen had said. On the other hand, if the accusations were true, did Lucie really want to risk provoking him?
You're being silly, she reprimanded. Just go in. He might not even be there.
Alas, he was, and he was sitting alone, just as he'd been the night before. Previously, his solitude hadn't seemed so odd to Lucie, but in light of her conversation with Eileen, it was slightly more suspicious. Cautiously, she made her way over to the table where he sat, and settled herself in the chair across from his.
Edwin looked up, a smile ghosting across his face when he saw Lucie. Then, however, he seemed to notice her wary expression, and the smile faded away as quickly as it had come.
"So," he said, sounding resigned, "I suppose you've heard the things people say about me?"
"No," Lucie replied flatly. "Of course not." She knew, even without looking at him, that Edwin did not believe her. After a moment of tense silence she conceded, sighing. "Oh, all right then. Look, I just want to hear from you if the rumors are true, and whatever answer you give me, I'll believe you."
Now it was Edwin's turn to look shocked. "You will? But...why?"
The corner's of Lucie mouth twitched. "You saved me from having to spend alone time with Tom Riddle. I owe you one after that."
Edwin laughed. "I see. Well, allow me to explain, then—my sister, Eponine, has always hated me. Ever since we were little children. She was always trying to find ways to undermine me in front of our parents. When we came to Hogwarts, and she met Lucretia Black, that only made everything worse."
"How do you mean?" asked Lucie.
Here, Edwin looked quite sad, and Lucie had to resist the urge to reach out and take his hand. "They made up rumors about me, just because they thought it was fun. In all my years here, I've never really had any friends, because Eponine and Lucretia scared all of the other students away from me by telling them everything you heard about me—and more."
"That's awful," said Lucie, genuine disgust for the two girls blossoming in her chest. She smiled at Edwin, trying to look reassuring. "Well I knew that you seemed too nice to have done any of those things, and you know what?"
"What?" Edwin asked, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"I'd like to be your friend, and I don't care what your sister or Lucretia have to say about it. Would you like to be friends with me, Edwin?"
At this, he did smile. "I'd like nothing more, Lucie."
…
When Lucie arrived in the prefects' common room, it was deserted except for one tall figure folded into an armchair. Lucie's heart began to pound nervously at the sight of Tom Riddle, but he looked relatively at ease. She didn't see much reason that she should end up like Walburga unless she angered him.
"Hello, Mr. Riddle," she greeted, trying to sound as warm as possible.
"Good evening, Miss Selwyn," he returned, rising from his chair. At his full height, he was a great deal taller than Lucie, and this only served to make him more intimidating. "Have you enjoyed your first two days here at Hogwarts?"
He was testing her, that much Lucie was sure of. Certainly, Tom Riddle was smart enough to know that her 'backstory' was a load of codswallop, and now he wanted to see how much she would give away. Well, Lucie Selwyn had been raised a proper lady, and no boy was going to leave her tongue-tied. She'd show him just how masterful in the art of conversation she truly was.
"It's a very beautiful place," she answered. "Shall we go on our patrol?"
So they set off, the air between them tense as they conversed, each one trying to bait the other into letting something slip.
"Are you and Mr. Bones friends, Miss Selwyn?" Riddle asked.
"Yes, in fact we are," she said, using her most polite tone. "He's a very sweet boy."
Riddle's eyes flashed. "Well, it is certainly noble of you to say so. The word around the castle is that he is quite odd."
"Oh, no, not really. He's quite kind, actually." Lucie smiled dazzlingly. "Speaking of nobility, though, Mr. Riddle, I hear that you took it upon yourself to bring an injured Walburga Black to the hospital wing last night. That was quite generous of you."
There. Lucie caught just the slightest tightening of Riddle's jaw before it was gone again. She allowed herself to feel momentarily triumphant before she continued to speak.
"Do you have any idea what happened to her, Mr. Riddle?"
"Not in the slightest," Riddle answered smoothly, his tone not betraying even a hint of emotion. "I was walking back to the dormitory when I heard noises of distress from inside an empty classroom. When I investigated, I found Miss Black there. I had no choice but to bring her to the hospital wing, of course."
Lucie felt impressed despite herself. Riddle was certainly an outstanding actor. As he spoke about finding Walburga, he'd injected just the right amount of concern and surprise into his tone.
"Well, as I said, that's very noble of you, Mr. Riddle." Too bad it's all a lie, she added silently.
Thankfully, the rest of their patrol passed without too much incident. At the end of it, Riddle said that he had some business to attend to—Lucie didn't even want to think about what that might entail—and thus wouldn't be able to escort her back to the common room. Lucie assured him that it was quite all right (more than he knew), and she'd certainly be able to manage on her own.
As she walked, Lucie reflected on her conversation with the mysterious boy. She was almost certain that he realized that she was on to his lies—and yet, he'd told them anyway. What was he playing at? Perhaps he thought she was stupid enough that he could confuse her into believing him.
By the time Lucie finally reached the common room, her head hurt. She needed to stop thinking about Riddle so much; it surely wasn't healthy for her.
As luck would have it, the second she entered the room, there was something to distract her from her thoughts. Grace and Eileen were huddled together near the fireplace, looking as though someone had just died. Anxiety flared up in Lucie the second they caught her eye, and for a moment her mind went wild, envisioning scenario after horrible scenario—all of which ended in Lucie's secret having been found out.
As cautiously as she dared, Lucie approached her friends. "Grace, Eileen? Is something that matter?"
Eileen looked over at Lucie, and for the first time she noticed that the other girl's eyes were rimmed with red. She'd clearly been crying, though for what reason, Lucie couldn't fathom.
"Lucie!" Eileen cried, taking a step towards her. "Thank Merlin you're here! We thought something might have happened to you!"
"Happened to me?" An image of Riddle's face flashed through Lucie's thoughts, but she pushed it away. "Why would you think that?"
Grace, who had remained slightly more stoic than Eileen, suddenly looked rather grave. "So you don't know, then? Oh, Lucie..." She trailed off, looking as though she might start to weep as well. "Come up to the dormitory. We have something to show you."
Without any further explanation, Grace and Eileen turned and began to ascend the stairs to their dormitory. Lucie followed, keeping silent, though her mind was screaming. She had a small idea of what her friends wanted to show her, and if her suspicions proved true, it was bound to be gruesome.
When they opened the door, the first thing Lucie saw was Lucretia Black and Eponine Bones huddled around Walburga Black's bed. Vaguely, Lucie remembered that Lucretia and Walburga were cousins, and she felt slightly sick to her stomach.
Then, however, all thoughts were wiped from her mind as she caught sight of the girl in the bed.
The once-beautiful Walburga was almost unrecognizable. Her face and arms were covered in angry red gashes, some of which were still bleeding. Lucretia held a small cloth, carefully wiping away the rogue droplets of blood. Lucie's stomach twisted as she looked at the girl, and it was all she could do not to vomit right there on the floor.
"Lucretia, do you have any idea what happened?" asked Eileen, a fresh wave of tears rolling down her cheeks.
Lucretia glanced up, catching Lucie's gaze. Something like a warning flashed through her eyes, and Lucie was taken aback. It was almost as though Lucretia was telling her to keep quiet. Then the moment was over, and Lucretia glanced over at her friend.
Eponine's eyes hardened. "I know," she said. "It was my lunatic brother."
Suddenly, everything made sense, and Lucie's hands began to shake in anger. Eileen, the one who had warned her about Edwin in the first place, was crying because she thought he had done something awful to Lucie as well. Lucretia and Eponine—Lucie had to resist the urge to hex them both—must have known that Tom Riddle was the one who actually cursed Walburga, but for some reason, they were blaming Edwin (the easy target) to take all suspicion away from Riddle.
"No, it wasn't," Lucie said, struggling to keep her voice even. All heads in the room snapped to her, and Lucie intentionally avoided meeting Grace or Eileen's gazes. She kept her eyes trained on Eponine, who was staring at her with one eyebrow cocked, as though challenging her.
"Are you defending that maniac?" snarled Lucretia.
"Yes, Lucie, what's gotten into you?" asked Grace, latching onto Lucie's arm. "Just look at what he did to poor Walburga!"
"Edwin didn't do it!" Lucie shouted. "He and I are friends—yes, you heard me, Eileen!—and I know he'd never do something like this." She paused, shooting a glare at Lucreita and Eponine. "And I think that you two know exactly who the real culprit is. Don't worry, I won't tell, but I won't stand here and listen to you falsely accuse Edwin, either!"
Turning on her heel, Lucie made to storm out of the room, but Grace caught her arm. "Lucie, what are you doing? Edwin Bones is not your friend! We are—me, Abraxas, and Eileen!"
Lucie pulled her arm roughly out of Grace's grasp. "Oh, really? If you were my friends, you wouldn't be standing here, hanging on their every word! You'd believe me!" With that, Lucie turned and ran from the dormitory, not even daring to look back.
Only when she was safely in the common room did Lucie stop and allow herself to think. What had gotten into her? She knew nothing about Edwin, and if there was one thing she had learned growing up, it was not to give her trust away freely. For all she knew, he could be unhinged, and if she befriended him, she was only putting herself in danger. It wasn't too late to go back up the stairs and apologize to the girls.
But—no. The other thing her parents had taught her was that a proper lady did not admit her shortcomings. Besides, Edwin wasn't the real danger.
Tom Riddle was.
A shudder went through Lucie as she thought of him. She'd never been more afraid—or more in awe—of someone in her life, other than the Supreme Ruler, of course. If Lucie had been in a better mood, she would have laughed at comparing the devilishly handsome Tom Riddle to her utterly inhuman Dark Lord.
Edwin is my friend, Lucie thought firmly. The poor boy has never had friends before, thanks to his wretched sister. I'm not going to take his first one away from him.
She had decided. If Grace, Eileen, and Abraxas really were her friends, they would come back. She certainly wasn't going to chase them. She was, after all, a proper pureblooded lady.
Deciding to go for a walk to clear her head, Lucie left the common room. As she proceeded down the corridor, she felt once more the peculiar sensation of being watched—though by who, she couldn't imagine.