A Snake in the Nest, Chapter Twenty
Whatever had been bothering the other four about Hagrid and the diary hadn't been resolved come next morning. They were all withdrawn and worried, glancing at each other with odd expressions. The Anima didn't want to ask about it, but Nana finally cornered Hermione.
Hermione looked sad and confused, like she'd received bad news she couldn't quite believe.
"The diary… it was enchanted. It showed Tom Riddle catching Hagrid with a large spider. He was expelled for it. They thought it was the monster in the chamber." Nana vaguely recalled hearing the name before.
"Who's Tom Riddle?"
"A student from Hagrid's year. He got an award from the school that year." Nana thought about it, and remembered that it had been Ron talking about it, because he'd had to clean it for detention, and kept burping up slugs.
"Well, that's ridiculous. If the monster was a giant spider, the smaller ones wouldn't be running away. Besides, the only spiders are in the Forest, and you'd think someone would have noticed that." Hermione blinked. Nana could almost see the cogs in her mind working, processing the information carefully.
"That… that's right! It was something else! Oh, I should tell the others… Thanks, Nana!" She gave her a hug, and ran off.
"What was that about?" Nana jumped, turning to see Husky standing in an alcove just behind her. She explained briefly what Harry had seen. Husky raised a brow as they began to walk to class.
"If that's true, Hagrid might know who it was. If they're going to look into that, they should ask him." Nana frowned.
"Wouldn't he have said something, if he did know? That's not something I'd keep quiet."
"Neither would I, but if the attacks stopped, it would cast enough doubt on him that most people would just think he was covering for himself." They reached McGonagall's room, and walked in. Harry, Ron and Neville were all looking relieved. Neville was whispering in Cooro's ear, with Senri leaning in to listen as well.
Before either of them could say anything more, McGonagall walked in, and began to speak of animal to animal transformations.
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Sirius examined the list they'd been given carefully. The children had gotten it from Firenze, one of the centaurs in the Forest. He applauded them for it, but Remus was annoyed that they'd been so reckless.
"Honestly, there's all the regular things in the Forest, plus this Death Eater looking to capture a witch or wizard, and the Chamber's open as well? They might as well have tickled a dragon, for all the thought they put into safety." For all that, Sirius knew he was secretly proud.
"You sound like Molly, you know. All motherly and stuff," he pointed out dryly from the couch. He had another book this time, one that gave the various functions of potions ingredients. He hoped to find what the potion was for from this.
Remus rounded on him with an odd expression. A mix of amusement and annoyance, if Sirius had to guess.
"Are you calling me a woman?" Sirius grinned.
"Why yes, I believe I am." He barely finished the sentence before Remus tackled him to the ground, tossing the book out of the way. He held his hands up.
"Then lets see who squeals." Sirius' eyes widened.
"What are you… no, stop… don't!" Remus ignored him, intent on his task. Sirius squirmed. Finally…
"I give! You're not a woman! Now stop tickling me!" Remus sat back, grinning, before getting up. Sirius dove forward, yanking his ankle, and pulled him to the ground, rolling so he was on top.
"Now it's my turn…"
When they arrived at Dumbledore's office twenty minutes later, both were red-faced and disheveled. He raised a brow, but said nothing about it.
"So, you have a list of things this Jerard has collected?" Remus stepped forward, holding out a copy of the list. They'd left the original at home, to look at later.
"Yes, sir. Straight from the centaurs." Dumbledore looked it over, his face not betraying the slightest emotion.
"And how did you two come across them?" Now, Remus and Sirius were fairly responsible adults. Remus had a house and a job (free-lance curse and code breaking, plus a part-time at a bookstore), and Sirius had gone through Azkaban. They were also, however, young, and they'd been some of the top pranksters in the school. So the inclination to lie about where they got information, particularly if it came from a third source, was still there, and Sirius acted upon it.
"I visited them a few nights ago, before you got all that rain. Been trying to find what it was since then. Sorry we didn't tell you right away." Remus didn't let anything but slight apology show on his face. It was an act they'd perfected throughout school; he just hoped he wasn't out of practice.
Apparently, he wasn't, or Dumbledore was oblivious, as he only shook his head slightly and continued to read down the list.
"Very strange… and you think that this is for the portal spell?" They nodded.
"I will look into it, and the records at the Ministry. I do not," he gazed at them dis-trustingly, "want to hear of a break-in. Understand?" More nods, and then they left.
"That was an odd way of putting it…" Sirius noted as they arrived back at the house. "He doesn't want to hear about it? That's like saying 'don't get caught.'" Abruptly, he caught Remus' gaze, and they both grinned.
"Okay, Professor. We won't."
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Kingsley Shacklebolt, leader of the Sirius Black hunt, was rather confused. They'd received many tips, reported sightings, and magical evidence that Black was in Russia. That had been months ago. Now, they weren't getting anything. It was like he'd fallen off the face of the earth.
He was so distracted he didn't see the older man until he literally crashed into him.
"Oh! Terribly sorry, I was distracted." He helped the other man up, not recognizing him. The man grinned at him.
"No problem. Have a good day." He walked off, and after a few minutes, Kingsley wouldn't even remember the encounter.
Sirius shook himself off carefully, reminding himself that he didn't look a thing like a wanted fugitive. He slipped down the hallway to where the old courtrooms were. The plan was to wait there until it was late. The Ministry recorded people coming in, but not those leaving. He would signal Remus if he needed him.
Remus hadn't liked the idea of him going alone into the very place that was looking for him. Sirius had used everything he had to convince him.
"Besides, you have a job. They'll notice you missing. And I'll be wearing a disguise. Nothing can go wrong!" He tried to be optimistic. Remus groaned.
"Except everything! I can't lose you again, Sirius." He sighed, looking at him carefully.
"Be safe." Now he was to wait. At least it was already rather late; he wouldn't be here long.
Voices interrupted his musings, and he dove behind some seats in the back of the room just as the door opened and two figures walked in, one lighting the torches as the door closed again.
They both wore cloaks, and one pushed it off his face to reveal someone about his age, perhaps older. He looked rather annoyed.
"You cannot simply go into hiding now!" The other figure didn't remove his cloak, and said something so quietly that Sirius couldn't hear him. The other could, though.
"I'd think that with 'him' hunting you down, you would be more helpful in reawakening the Master." Sirius twitched. This was the man they were looking for!
The other muttered again, and the first, apparently Jerard, laughed.
"You have nothing! Nothing to show for you so-called 'dedication!' No, that will not be good enough, Wormtail." He continued to speak, but Sirius didn't register it. He was having an inner struggle.
Just get them! They're right there! End this! Another voice, which sounded like Moony, spoke up.
There may be more, and then they'll know we're on to them.
But it's Wormtail! He must die! Sirius agreed, but the other voice didn't.
And what if it's not really him, but a copy? One for communicating only? You'll be caught, and then where will we all be? Nowhere. This voice had the same logic as Moony. Just a bit too deep for Sirius to really understand.
The men were leaving now, and Sirius, ignoring the second voice, began to follow. Just before he attacked, the little voice made one last attempt.
Wait! Just follow them. Maybe they'll lead you to the records. He paused, and it took advantage if it.
Moony told you to be careful. He groaned silently, and followed the two cloaked figures, casting a Disillusionment spell as he walked. In the dark corridor, it should be enough.
One of the men, Pettigrew, stopped at the stairs, and Sirius, in a fit of inspiration, cast a tracking spell.
Neither noticed, and Peter Apparated away a moment later. He sighed with relief that he'd gotten him, at least, and followed the other man.
It was late, far later than he'd thought it was, and nobody was around. Perhaps the lower levels emptied first? He shook his head, following the man through several passages. He apparently knew where he was going, as a few minutes later they appeared in the Veil room. Sirius winced, trying to ignore the whispering.
While he was distracted, Jerard had reached a stone bench, and lifted up the top. It was hollow, and inside was a book. Carefully, he pulled it out, only for it to shoot back into it's hiding place immediately. He muttered under his breath, then reached in again, tapping it with his wand a the same time.
This time, the book came completely out. Sirius wanted to go forward and get this man, but then some of what had been said during his inner musings came through.
"… he is somewhere in Romania. Seek him out and bring him back here. We need part of the body or soul for this spell to succeed." Which meant that the root of all this was Voldemort himself. To completely end it, they needed to destroy everything that remained of him.
He sighed. His inner Moony took control too often. He'd have to do something irresponsible and possibly dangerous to even it out. He saw Jerard begin to pack the stone away, and cast another tracking spell. Jerard Disapparated, and he ran to where he'd been, lifting the stone.
The book was still there. He frowned, picking it up. The moment he did, it went back to its place. He shrugged, made a replica of it, and took it out. This time, it came out easily, and he Apparated home before the temptation to follow Jerard or Pettigrew grew to be too strong.
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It was April now. Spring was coming, and it felt like there was nothing wrong with the world.
Well, except for the creature in the Chamber, whoever controls it, Voldemort and his followers, the portal mess, exams and the fact that the people in the Hospital Wing are still Petrified. Husky thought absently as he waved his wand, bubbles floating out and across the Common Room, where a few first years saw them and giggled. Ginny was among them. She looked far better than she had earlier in the year.
Sirius and Remus had found the records, though Husky wasn't sure they'd told Dumbledore yet. They'd narrowed down what spell to use to two in the book, both of which were lengthy and complicated.
"In other words, we have time, and the element of surprise on our sides." Sirius said optimistically.
Jerard's tracking spell had shown he spent all of his time in the Forest, though whether he was hiding or gathering ingredients was undetermined. Pettigrew was traveling to Romania. Dumbledore tracked his progress himself.
Nothing much had happened, except Scabbers had gone missing again. This time, he hadn't returned. It had been several weeks, and Ron was beginning to think the Chamber's beast had gotten him.
"At least it was probably quick, right?" He'd said, mostly to himself. The others had nodded.
Easter had come and gone, with very little besides a few days off to show it's passage. They'd chosen their classes for the next year, of course. Oh, and Harry's dorm had been looted. There was nothing missing, he said, except for the diary that had caused the suspicion with Hagrid.
Husky was partially glad it was gone; something about the thing gave him the creeps.
The day of the Quidditch match, Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff, Harry heard the voice again. Nobody else had (Nana swore up and down she'd heard hissing), and Hermione's eyes abruptly widened.
"I think I know what it is! Oh, I'll be right back!" She ran off in the direction of the library. Ron and Harry, who'd heard her do this several times, went off to the field, followed by everyone except Senri and Cooro.
"I'm going with her. If Harry heard it again, then she might be in danger." Senri didn't say anything, merely following as he walked in the direction of the library.
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The match was cancelled, and the five children were lead to the Hospital Wing, where Hermione lay Petrified, along with Penelope Clearwater.
"She was found in the library, holding a mirror. Miss Clearwater was found with her." McGonagall looked at them sadly, then lead them all to the Common Room, where she read the list of new rules.
In the midst of this chaos, with their dinner being brought up to the Common Room and the new rules causing protests from various students, it wasn't until far later that Husky finally noticed something.
"Where are Cooro and Senri?"