"Harry Potter," Sirius said, and Harry's face appeared in the mirror at once.
"Padfoot." He looked relieved, more than anything, but also tired; his eyes were dull behind his glasses, and shadows hung beneath them. "I tried to get you earlier, but-"
"Rodolphus Lestrange tried to break out of Azkaban," Sirius sighed. "I've been there all day trying to sort it out. I tried to get you this morning, to see how you were after last night-"
"I'd have been in the Hospital Wing," Harry said. He sounded exhausted, and sad. "Hermione was attacked."
"Dumbledore told me," Sirius said. "I'm sorry, kiddo-"
"He's there already?"
"Up in the drawing room, actually, having a look at the-" Sirius could see movement behind Harry, and thought he recognised one of the paintings from the common room. He swallowed the word 'locket'. "-at Regulus' necklace." Harry didn't seem at all surprised, and Sirius gathered that he'd either discussed this with the Headmaster when they spoke, or that Harry had guessed, and guessed accurately. "And then I daresay he'll adjourn to the library, to try to find any references to the Chamber or the monster."
"Hermione thinks it's a basilisk." Everything in the mirror started to blur, as Harry moved. Sirius thought he recognised the boy's dormitory stairs, and then, when Harry stopped, Sirius definitely recognised the red four poster hangings. "And we all think that Myrtle's bathroom's involved."
"Myrtle?" Sirius asked. "That miserable ghost in the girls' loo?" She'd fancied Sirius until he and James blew up one of the toilets in her bathroom, and then she'd turned her affections on poor Remus instead.
"She was killed by the monster, ages ago," Harry said. "But then Lockhart came and found us and now we've got detention."
"Lockhart gave you a detention?" Sirius asked, scowling.
"No, McGonagall." Harry looked sheepish. "She was angry we went off without a teacher." Given the state of the school at the moment, Sirius couldn't find it in himself to fault her.
"When's it set for?"
"Dunno, she'll probably tell us at dinner." Harry didn't seem overly concerned, or actually concerned at all. Sirius wasn't sure whether to be comforted by that, or worried.
"And how are you holding up, kiddo?"
"Fine," Harry said, still sounding unconcerned. Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Does it really matter?" Harry asked. Before Sirius could say anything else, Harry had added, "I'm hardly enjoying myself, Padfoot-" And there was something of Lily's in his voice. "-but I'm alive and I'm not petrified, which is a start. And with Dumbledore gone, Tom's going to think he has free reign, and someone has to do something, and if I'm not fine, what can anyone do about it anyway?" Sirius wondered how many times he'd had this conversation with himself in his head.
"It matters," Sirius said. "And yes, we're trying to do something about it, Harry, but it doesn't have to fall to you, on your own." How many times had they had this conversation, Sirius wondered. And how many more times would they have it before Harry worked it out?
"I've got Ron and Draco," Harry said defensively.
"And me," Sirius said. "And the other teachers, and-"
"The teachers are too busy trying to hold the school together," Harry said, tiredly. "They're doing what they can, but with Dumbledore gone, they're going to be more worried about trying to keep us safe, than about finding Riddle. And unless the Board call for an Auror investigation, you'll be sent home if you come-"
"Because the idea of getting in trouble's going to stop me," Sirius scoffed, and he was pleased to see Harry's mouth twitch. But, he had to concede the point about the teachers. "And if you're not fine, I'll bring you home until Hogwarts is safe again. Or if it's not, I'll teach you myself, or pack you off to France with Remus and Dora." Harry shook his head, as Sirius had known he would.
"Did you say Lestrange before? Isn't he your cousin's husband?" Sirius hadn't spoken to Harry about Bellatrix very much, so he was surprised he'd made the connection.
"How-?"
"I think I've seen the name on the tapestry… the one at home, upstairs-"
"Right," Sirius said, still surprised. "He is, yeah."
"And what happened?"
"He tried to break out," Sirius said. "Or- well, he did break out, but didn't make it of the island. Took Crouch hostage and wanted Bellatrix and Rabastan – that's his brother – and his freedom in exchange."
"Crouch from the Ministry?"
"Mmhmm."
"Why?"
"No idea," Sirius said, shaking his head.
"You don't think it's got anything to do with Tom, do you? He was able to get to the Ministry last time-" Sirius wouldn't forget that particular encounter any time soon. "-so-"
"I don't know," Sirius said. "It'll be looked into, but Rodolphus is mad. I'll be impressed if they get anything sensible out of him." Harry didn't look at all reassured, and Sirius wondered if this was the best thing to have talked about, given there were so many other things going on. It was too easy to forget that Harry was just twelve, sometimes. "But- erm- maybe they will. Or maybe he said something to Crouch, or somehow communicated with one of the other two. We'll sort it all out, I'm sure."
Harry wore an odd little smile that told Sirius he hadn't bought it, but that he appreciated the effort all the same. Sirius heard a door open in the background, on Harry's end, and saw a flash of red that he was sure was Ron, but it was Draco who spoke.
"Potter, McGonagall's downstairs to take us to dinner, if you're hungry."
"I have to go," Harry said.
"They're escorting you to dinner?" It was a good idea – sort of. What if the monster came and attacked them all at once? But, Sirius was glad that Harry wasn't wondering around on his own; McGonagall was a formidable witch, and probably well up to the challenge of keeping Harry safe. Or, as safe as Harry could be.
"They're scared," Harry said simply.
He glanced over his shoulder, and Sirius heard, "-talking to Black, I think your stomach can wait, Weasley."
"All I said was that I was hungr-"
"I'll let you go," Sirius said, and Harry turned back to face him. "Look after yourself, kiddo. And stay in touch."
"Tell Dumbledore what I told you," Harry said. His face disappeared from the mirror, and Sirius could hear his footsteps, and those of the other two. "Bye, Padfoot."
There was a knock on the door, and Tom glanced up in time to see it open. An older girl with dark, braided hair – one he'd seen but not paid much attention too – looked in.
"Weasley?" Ginny obviously recognised the girl – he could feel it – but she wouldn't give up a name. "Fred sent me to get you for dinner."
"I'm not hungry," Tom said. "Thanks, though."
"Are you sure?" The older girl hovered in the doorway, looking uncertain. "He said you hardly touched lunch."
He was watching? Ginny's consciousness brightened a little.
Apparently, Tom said sourly.
"I'm sure," Tom said, trying to say it the way Ginny would. People seemed to listen to her more than they did him. It was infuriating, and being questioned wasn't something he was accustomed to.
"I'm sorry about your brother," the girl said, playing with one of her braids. Tom seized the opportunity.
"I just- need some time," he said.
"It's awful – but there isn't anything you can do. Why don't you come downstairs, where your brothers are, and have something to eat and drink, and- well- just not be alone?"
"I'm staying here," Tom said firmly, and the older girl gave her a sad look, but – finally – left. Ginny, oddly, felt smug. A little, not-so-gentle probing gave her away; by staying in bed, Tom was drawing attention to her, and if anyone – namely Malfoy, who Tom had been trying to work out how to silence all afternoon – was attacked, they'd immediately look to people who were unaccounted for. If Tom had Ginny stay in bed, she'd be one of them.
Tom cursed and rolled Ginny over to put shoes on.
It was almost too easy, in the end. When Tom walked Ginny down into the common room, where the rest of Gryffindor was gathering under McGonagall's beady eyes, he cast a silent, tricky little hex he'd created back in his fifth year. It was a childish hex, but the beauty of that was that no one had ever suspected polite, proper Tom Riddle of being the one behind it. If they suspected anyone at all, it was usually Avery or Nott. McGonagall blinked when the spell hit her, but did nothing more than frown and straighten her robes.
Tom fell into line beside the twins and waited.
When they reached the fifth floor, McGonagall had started to pale, and her mouth was pressed together more tightly than usual.
By the third floor, she was beginning to look unsteady on her feet, and had the lightest sheen of sweat on her forehead.
By the first floor – conveniently enough, in the corridor where the bathroom was – she was positively green.
"Wait here," she said hoarsely, and then clamped her mouth shut and walked swiftly toward the bathroom. Potter, Weasley and Malfoy broke away from the main group and followed her at once, as did the girl who'd come to retrieve Ginny earlier, a boy wearing a Quidditch captain badge, and a pair of seventh year girls. Tom made Ginny follow as well, and the rest of Gryffindor huddled together in the hallway, talking nervously amongst themselves.
Myrtle was mercifully absent, and McGonagall's feet were sticking out of the ajar door of the end cubicle. Potter and the two seventh year girls were over with her, and she alternated between being sick, apologising, and trying to shoo them away from her. The Quidditch captain and the twins' friend were watching over the door, but let Tom pass.
Weasley and Malfoy were – and Tom really couldn't believe his luck – over by the sinks, and so he went to stand with them.
"Is she okay?" Tom asked, putting Ginny's back to the sink.
"I'm sure she's fine," Weasley said, but his face scrunched up every time McGonagall was ill. "I didn't even realise teachers could get sick, except for Lupin-"
"He was a bit of a special case, though," Malfoy said, arching an eyebrow. "Do you think we should get someone?" Almost in response, a silvery cat appeared in the bathroom, and then streaked out. While everyone watched, Tom reached behind Ginny to twist the broken tap three times clockwise, and twice counter-clockwise; without opening the Chamber, that would let the basilisk know that it was needed.
Tom spent a few seconds building a cage of sorts around Ginny's consciousness, and then, when he thought the basilisk was nearby, reached out of Ginny's mind toward it. His mind touched its alien one. Using Legillimency, he showed it Malfoy's face, and got a dim sense of acknowledgement. Satisfied, Tom withdrew back into Ginny. She'd been battering the cage while he was gone, and almost broken it in that short time… thankfully, though, she quietened when he returned, and withdrew into her corner.
Then, Snape was there – obviously McGonagall's cat had fetched him from the Great Hall – ushering them out of the bathroom and down to dinner, while McGonagall stayed in the bathroom with another teacher that Tom didn't know, for company.
Upon arriving in the Hall, Tom was glad he'd chosen to come to dinner; Dumbledore's seat was empty, as was Hagrid's, and a few Ministry officials were scattered around the place, watching over the nervous students. He'd caused this, and what a beautiful realisation that was. Dinner appeared, and Tom loaded Ginny's plate, not even caring to listen to Potter's whispered conversation, as he usually might have.
Dumbledore was gone, Ginny's strength was fading, and the monster was awake and ready to deal with Malfoy. Potter would remain in the dark, and after another few days of feeding off the school's fear and Ginny's misery, Tom would be strong enough to get his body back.
It was an effort to keep from smiling.
Hi all!
Bit of a short chapter - I'm sorry about that, but this really was the best place to stop, before things get really messy!
Hopefully you're all still enjoying it! Thanks again for all the reviews - I do really appreciate them, and I do read them all, but I just don't have the time to answer them all these days. :( Sorry. :(
This is just a quick message to say that instead of on Tuesdays, I'll be updating on Wednesdays instead (it's been that way for a few weeks now, so I thought I'd make it official). :)
Until next time,
MarauderLover7.