Chapter XVI: Nobody is free
Corvinius Gaunt, the Help-Healer, found his gift of healing to be useful in the school. He was called there by the Beast and greeted her with hisses. He did not possess enough Gift to control her. He had the school's pipes built, where secrets are exchanged by the little witches.
From the pipes, may emerge the Beast, the Suzerain.
Page 66 of the Slytherin Codex.
The next day, Mr. Riddle was not there, just like his wife. Eddy found Medusa and Salazar by the huge fire in the living room. Everyone was reading a book and seemed very focused. When he arrived, the twins looked up. They hadn't spoken since he'd been in the yard with Mr Riddle and it wasn't an episode he was in a hurry to relive.
"Are you doing well?" Medusa asked him as he sat down on a chair. "Father's spells are not tea party."
She seemed to speak knowingly and gave him a confident smile. Eddy tried to show the girl a confident face. But the truth was that since the visit from the mother of the twins he was terrified.
"No one came yesterday?" Salazar asked with an air that sounded terribly like that of his parent.
"No, I slept the whole time after what happened. And you ? What you did yesterday...it was amazing."
Salazar blushed a little where Medusa smiled behind her book. No doubt she had repeated the same thing to her younger brother all day before.
"Where is she?" Eddy asked, thinking of the Maledictus. "Have you speak to her since yesterday?"
"No," Medusa whispered. "Father came up to see her before leaving for school last night. She stayed with mother all night."
The young woman seemed devoured by curiosity behind her book of spells. She was playing with her ribbon thoughtfully.
"Your father is always away at night," Eddy realized.
"Since Dumbledore is away all the time, someone has to be at the castle in the evening, even more so with Grindelwald in the wild," Medusa sniffed. "Our mother is enough to protect us, don't worry about us."
Somehow Eddy had no doubt about. Salazar had picked up his notebook and was writing feverishly. He gave him a radiant wink as he went back to his notes. His exploit had lit up his features with a new joy. In the absence of his father and mother, Sal found a sense of serenity as he read these scribbles. Sal had formidable power, and he intended to use it for a noble cause. Alas, that didn't seem to be what the Slytherins expected.
A creak echoed from the stairs, causing them to turn around. Eddy thought in horror that Mrs. Riddle had risen to give them her cruel little smile in the shadow of an archway. But it was Nagini slowly descending the stone staircase. Mrs. Riddle had given her a long cream-colored dress with a tight collar. She seemed to hesitate behind her long curtain of black hair.
"Welcome to the human world," Medusa said to break the silence. Please, have a seat. How long has it been since you slept as a human?"
"Too long," the witch admitted, still reluctant to use human language.
She nevertheless sat down in a graceful movement on the sofa next to Medusa. Nagini gave them a tight little smile before darting misty eyes at Salazar.
"I'll never forget what you did. This wizard's Curse could only be broken in his language. You two have relieved me of much torment."
She gave Eddy a face while rubbing her hands, looking very uncomfortable. She was likely unaccustomed to standing on her legs, wearing clothes, and engaging in conversation with humans.
"How old are you ?" Eddy asked unsure of what to say to this unknown witch. "Your Highness," he then added awkwardly."
Nagini gave a small laugh that sounded like a whistle and the twins accompanied her in her strange giggle.
"You must still have people to be a princess of something. Mine disappeared long ago, during the first muggle war if I'm not mistaken. I was born a little earlier, in 1906."
So she was in her sixties, but she looked much younger. She looked like she was barely twenty. Maybe staying in her snake form prevented her from aging normally? Tinny brought Nagini a cup of tea. Eddy noticed that the contents of the cup were blood red. Medusa had bent over the contents of the cup, as intrigued as he was.
"It takes time for my stomach to adjust," Nagini explained slowly to their interest. "Everything I tried to eat yesterday didn't agree with me; humans use too many condiments and seasonings that I can't tolerate. That way it goes much better. It's frog blood."
Probably she was the most embarrassed by this fact because in the middle of the Slytherin swamp, eating frogs for breakfast seemed as normal as it was customary. Eddy moved closer to the fire, it was still damp and freezing cold in the old building. Even Nagini was shivering with cold as she pulled her cream dress over her long, slender body.
Duddy brought Eddy a glass of milk and a square of chocolate:
"Madam asked us to bring this to you when you wake up. She thinks a little sugar will do you good."
If he understood more or less the joke supporting this attention, Eddy seized it nevertheless. He hadn't eaten much in the past few days and it showed on his tired body. He drank his glass of milk and ate the candy, all the while wondering if Mrs. Riddle could use the elves to harm him.
Nagini was finishing her blood tea, gazing into the massive fireplace hearth, while Eddy surveyed the vast stone room. At each corner, carved spandrels depicted vengeful basilisks, appearing to spit their venom. Serpent statues and reptile-carved sculptures adorned the mantelpiece. Eddy saw an old photograph resting on the mantelpiece.
Medusa noticed his interest and stood up to put her back in place.
"It must have fallen with all the mess you made yesterday with your ritual."
She picked up the photograph, Eddy approached her in spite of himself, burning with interest.
It was a picture of Mr Riddle at his wedding with his wife. Both were dressed in black and seemed to be in some sort of monastery from what Eddy discerned in the surroundings. They were both younger, probably in their twenties, and Nagini was between them. Mr Riddle looked more famished and dangerous, just like his wife. They both glared at the photographer with wild, imperious gazes as if they had murdered him after his office (which they probably had). The photo conveyed no love or tenderness; instead, it depicted a profound, dark connection between them as they held hands, departing from the altar.
Eddy wondered if his parents had a wedding photograph. No doubt he had burned it with his caravan when he was little. This bitter thought revived the pain in his heart.
"It's one of the only family photos," admitted Medusa, not realizing his confusion. "Mother says that day she found herself something she didn't expect. I'm not sure what she means by that, but somehow I find it sweet."
The girl felt awkward staying near him and went back to sit next to Nagini, but Eddy didn't want to leave the warmth of the fire. He felt that his magic, his whole body and his soul needed warmth at this precise moment. He sat down just inches from the hearth and Salazar joined him with his notebooks.
Mr. Riddle appeared moments later in the living room. He looked pale and tired. He walked towards them and everyone froze. Nagini glanced worriedly at Salazar and nearly dropped her cup when Mr. Riddle leaned in towards her.
"I'm glad to see you're fine, Nagini. You seem to be looking better. Drink more."
He spoke with false solicitude and gave orders as if the young woman in front of him were still his servant. Eddy might have found it curious, but he found it even more disturbing to see the woman comply and finish her cup in one gulp.
"Go find Meroe, I must speak to them."
As Eddy suppressed a shiver of apprehension near the fire, Nagini frowned slightly.
"Meroe is not in her bedroom. She wasn't there when I came down."
At that response, Riddle's face wrinkled. He darted his gaze into the corner of the room for a moment and then disappeared into a dark, opaque mist. Eddy watched as the mist crept toward the square courtyard, seeping into the priory's rooms. Medusa and Salazar looked extremely confused.
"Mother's gone, I haven't sensed her presence since last night," Salazar admitted.
"She's not here," confirmed Mr. Riddle, reappearing.
His face contorted in an unusual expression. Eddy initially thought it was concern, but when Riddle turned to him, his expression shifted to something fierce, sending shivers down Eddy's spine.
"Nagini, go outside," he hissed, approaching him.
The young woman did not need to be told twice. She was so uncomfortable in Mr. Riddle's presence that she disappeared as quickly as if she had teleported. Eddy swallowed hard as Salazar grabbed his arm. Medusa also had an almost defensive attitude towards him as her father approached in a slow, predatory gait.
"It seems my wife came to see you last night, Mr. Lee," Riddle realized. "Did her company please you?"
This 'sweet' question only sent shivers of fear down his spine. Medusa glared at him, both fiercely and furiously.
"N-not really," Eddy finally muttered as the professor waited for an answer from him.
"So it's because you have a fairly certain instinct for self-preservation," his professor confirmed to him, still in a sweet tone that sharpened with his scarlet eyes.
Suddenly Riddle grabbed him by the collar to pull him out of Medusa and Salazar's arms and stared into his. In a second he felt like his life was slipping away, he focused furiously on the rubber ducky to protect his thoughts. Riddle was only interested in a recent memory, however, from the night before. He saw him witness the discussion between him and Mrs Riddle, what he had translated to her and his reaction.
Suddenly, Eddy tried to push the professor aside.
His panicked magic surged within him and forcefully pushed Riddle away, sending Salazar and Medusa tumbling as well. Eddy fell to the floor, stunned. Sal and Medusa crashed into a stone statue on the fireplace mantle. Mr. Riddle at the other end of the room was on his feet, a locks of black hair in front of his eyes.
Eddy thought he was going to kill them instantly. Mr. Riddle forced himself to calm down as Eddy pulled out his wand.
"Get out! All three out!"
A powerful spell expelled them down the hall as if they were on wheels. Salazar, Medusa, and Eddy tumbled onto the icy stone floor, while the walls of the priory trembled from the force of Mr. Riddle's enraged scream.
Without a word, Medusa roughly grabbed his arm and dragged Eddy and Salazar to her bedroom.
From there, she took out her wand and furiously cast several spells to protect the room.
"What did our mother tell you?" Salazar asked uncomfortably and worried.
"A…prediction," Eddy replied, unsure of what he should or could say. "The Romani words that I said to her… they are a prediction… from your grandmother."
Eddy didn't know what the total prediction Mrs. Riddle's mother made before her husband killed her, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Every information he learned about this family seemed to be more reason to destroy him.
"A prediction in gypsy," Medusa whispered dryly. "Those pesky gypsies again!"
"You have gypsy blood!" Eddy retorted in the same tone.
"I know ! But those banished my mother and hurt you too. It only gives me little desire to have to deal with them again!"
She spoke with rage and anger but Eddy didn't really blame her. What he had revealed to Mrs Riddle had worried her to the point that she had left her home without telling anyone. He will have fun but destroy or be destroyed.
This sentence was about Mr. Riddle, and Eddy was certain he didn't want to know more.
Medusa went angrily to join her brother on the bed. Eddy allowed himself to observe the room. It was slightly larger than his bedroom, with shades of purple and a large bathtub carved into the stone at the room's center. It was a clean and tidy room, Eddy could smell Medusa's sweet smell there. He had never been in a young girl's room before and it troubled him a bit. From the look the girl gave him from her bed, his embarrassment was clearly visible.
"Think about your little ducks," Medusa hissed. "The little ducks, not me."
Her tone had been so mournful that he forced himself to do so before she forcefully ordered him.
Feeling uncertain and somewhat pitiful, he settled on the closed suitcase at the foot of the young girl's bed and began flipping through a potions manual. It went on for a long time, without him really concentrating. He didn't know if Mr. Riddle was going to come back to put a stinging spell on him or torture him and this apprehension didn't keep him in place. Medusa's room had a balcony that offered a view of the misty, icy pond below.. Maybe if he jumped and swam to the other side he could escape this haunted swamp?
"I wouldn't recommend it," Salazar said when he met his gaze. "There are so many poisonous snakes in the water that you won't be ten feet. Nagini isn't the only snake here. It was just the most powerful of them."
"What… what will happen to Nagini now?"
What to do when a family's pet turns back into a traumatized and weakened young woman? Eddy doubted that any wizarding manual could explain the Riddles' strange situation.
"I don't know," Medusa admitted. I don't think our parents will let her...
"She's too involved," Sal realized. "They will never let her go."
This thought froze him, he turned pale and threw his notebooks brutally across the room. Eddy winced where Medusa had to hold back a gasp.
"What's the use of these powers if I end up inflicting even more harm?" whispered Salazar terribly unhappy. "She is not free, she never will be. As we all."
He went away, sheepishly, without retrieving his notebooks. Eddy watched him go while Medusa sighed.
"I hate these great lyrical flights. Nobody is free. Nagini for her affection for our family, my brother and I by blood, you by your oath. Everyone makes their own prison very well. That doesn't mean these bars are entirely bad."
She had ended her sentence with a little acid simpering trying to make her speech a little less violent by these mimic. However, she grimaced and scratched her left arm fiercely. Eddy wondered what she meant by bars, seeing her scratch the moles on her arm until they bled.
The girl had gotten up and was staring at him from her mattress with an inquisitive air, putting the sleeve back on her itchy arm.
"Now go away. If my father and the elves see you here alone with me, I assure you that you will spend the rest of your days in a dungeon and maybe me too."
Somehow he believed her. Even if he still wanted to spend time with the girl, there was no way he was trying anything here. As he scrambled out of the room, Medusa looked like she was about to say something but she didn't. The door slammed behind him.
There was no one in the yard or in the hallway as the afternoon slowly slipped by. Eddy was hungry but he felt like an intruder here. He wasn't sure if he should go back to his room or try to find Salazar. He went upstairs to where Sal's room was supposed to be. Might as well put as much distance as possible between him and Mr. Riddle, but he was not very comfortable with the idea of venturing into the icy house. Sal's bedroom door was open, but he wasn't there when Eddy peeked inside. It was a large square room with large greenish-paned windows. Most of the room was in this atmosphere that looked a bit like the dormitory of Hogwarts but a little warmer. Large vivarium of batrachians and reptiles were placed on either side of the room on vertiginous piles of notebooks. Sal must have filled dozens and dozens of them. He left the floor in search of his friend.
Mrs. Riddle upon arriving had advised him not to venture out alone. Except that under the afternoon sun, with no mist in the area, he wouldn't risk much, right?
He crossed the courtyard with the impression of being spied on and found himself alongside the swamp.
Indeed, Sal hadn't lied to him, the swamp was swarming with snakes of all kinds that were already coming out to attack the intruder on their territory. As Eddy pulled out his wand trying to remember a spell to catapult the creatures, Salazar appeared.
He was on the back of a thestral and he hissed something at the snakes which returned to the freezing water.
From there, the young Slytherin held out his hand to help him up. Eddy grabbed it. He had never been on a thestral. The creature's bony build almost hurt his crotch. Despite this, the animal had a soft, warm mane in the freezing December weather. Sal gently guided the thestral around a makeshift park constructed from sand and silt in the middle of the swamp.
"He wants to go too," Sal finally muttered after a ride. "Everyone wants it here, but everyone stays. Tinny, Duddy want to leave and Manila also wanted to leave."
"Manila?"
"Our elf… the one who was killed by Dumbledore and the Prewetts."
"Yeah," Eddy whispered. "Dumbledore told me about it. Is it true what he told me? He... told me that you asked him for help to escape."
Ahead of him, he felt Sal tense. His straight, anxious back, now looked like a bow that a mad archer stretched to the limit. Annoyed Eddy told himself that he had gone too far again and that his comrade would not come out of his silence anytime soon, but he was wrong:
"Yes. I think my dad knows anyway. I sensed compassion in Dumbledore one day when we ran into him. It was a feeling that I had never experienced in my family. I called him but I should have shut up. I was a child, I did not realize. His attack did more harm than good, then we were totally locked up until Hogwarts."
After that, Salazar fell silent and felt the thestral's side to encourage him to run faster. In a few kicks of their hooves, they were at a gallop and were spinning in the arena, doing faster and faster turns. Eddy could only see blurry shapes and flying sand in the setting sun. If the thestral could no longer fly, it was formidable in speed, but it too was stuck in Slytherin Swamp. Sal tugged gently on the thestral's mane to slow him down.
Sal was still tense and Eddy didn't know what to say to cheer him up.
"See what we did with Nagini?" Eddy asked as they got off the animal. "We helped her in some way. Both. You with your power, me giving you the power of my Obscurus. Maybe by using our 'gifts' like this, I'll never go back to Newt's suitcase and you'll manage to leave this place?"
It was a bit silly but Salazar gave him a little pout before nodding. He brought the thestral back, guiding it gently towards the pasture where it slept with its congeners. Night was falling slowly and mist now invaded the swamp. Eddy couldn't see a yard away.
"Take my arm," Sal told him. "Slytherin enchanted this swamp so that those not of his blood would get lost in it."
Eddy wondered how many poor damned souls had lost their lives in this horrible place over the centuries but again wasn't sure he wanted an answer. He took the arm of his friend who guided him through the mist. The priory appeared after a few minutes walk, some windows were lit.
When they entered the living room, Medusa was reciting a lesson to her father. The latter seemed satisfied and made the young girl sit down with a wave of his hand while he cast a cold look at the two newcomers.
Nagini sat beside Mr. Riddle, looking petrified as she sipped a cup of tea, which, by the looks of it, might have had blood in it as well. Unlike her neighbor, she offered them a sweet smile. If she terrified him as a snake, Nagini inspired Eddy with a certain confidence just by seeing the fear that Mr. Riddle seemed to inspire in her as human.
Just as Mr. Riddle was about to speak, a shudder from behind made them all turn their heads. Mrs. Riddle was there, taking off sunglasses and a traveling shawl as she put her purchases on the floor.
When he saw his wife, the wizard got up abruptly. Mrs. Riddle gave him a bright smile. So flashy that it certainly wasn't in his habit because Salazar shuddered next to Eddy.
"Where were you ?" hissed Riddle.
"Going to do some shopping for our surprise guest," Mrs Riddle trumpeted, pointing to the frozen Nagini. "My dear companion has nothing to wear, or even anything else. She needs a few small objects!"
It seemed she had initiated a somewhat gloomy and hypocritical form of mockery, leaving Mr. Riddle torn between indulging in it or resorting to a cruciatus curse. He put a casual smile on his face as he narrowed his eyes.
"I commend your hospitality and your willingness, dear. From there to going out in the middle of the day and leaving without telling me."
"I'll be kind enough to let you know next time," the Darkblood replied with a thin, sly smile.
Both looked at each other in silence then cast a slight glance back where Eddy was who felt himself becoming nauseous. The two had that predatory look again. If one could kill him to harm the other, they would have done it without hesitation, thought the young man paralyzed.
Nagini stood up shakily and positioned herself next to Mrs. Riddle. Maybe she hoped to calm the situation like this, but now she looked like a little sparrow between two hunting cobras.
"Thank you, Meroe. You should not have. I'll carry all these groceries in-
"Let the elves handle it, Nagini," hissed Mr. Riddle, cutting her off. "All right, Medusa, Salazar, Mr. Lee, get your things ready. You are going back to Hogwarts with me tonight."
The twins didn't have to be told twice. They had already jumped to their feet and dragged Eddy out of the room. As they walked away down the hall, he heard the hissing of tongues in Parseltongue but didn't want to question his comrades. He returned to his room and quickly took his small effects and his travel bag. In just two minutes the case was settled. When he got out he saw that Medusa and Sal had been even faster than him and dragged their suitcase down the long hallway. They joined Mr. Riddle in the living room where he hadn't moved an inch since their departure. Mrs. Riddle and Nagini had come upstairs, Eddy could hear the sound of their soft footsteps above them.
Without a word, Mr Riddle grabbed Medusa by the shoulder who took Sal by the hand and Sal grabbed his arm. They left the living room in this strange puzzle and hardly had they crossed the hall that the professor Apparated. Eddy felt himself being pulled in all directions but only a few seconds later he fell back into the icy snow in front of the Hogwarts gate.
Mr Riddle's lips were locked in a long, tight, furious line. When Hagrid appeared with a torch and recognized them the Game Warden froze.
"Hurry up, Rubeus. I don't have all night."
He had spoken to her in a polar tone that startled the half-giant. He grabbed the keys from his pocket with a huge, clumsy hand and started shoving it into the lock. When the door was opened Mr Riddle traced without even looking at Hagrid, as did Medusa. Salazar gave the man a comforting smile but Eddy didn't know what to look like. He lowered his head, tightening his grip on his bag. He had left Hogwarts for a few short days but it felt like an eternity.
When they arrived in the Great Hall, there was hardly anyone there except McGonagall who had been made aware of their arrival. She looked surprised to see Eddy following the Riddles.
"Professor Riddle, Medusa, Salazar. I did not expect to see the children return so quickly. Why is Mr Lee with you?"
"A case awaits me at Hogwarts. As for the children, an old friend is invited to my home, unfortunately we will have little time to devote to them as a result. For Mr Lee, I met him on the way up, I'm sure he will have a completely legitimate explanation to give."
Thus trapped after Riddle's words and under the inquisitive gaze of McGonagall, Eddy replied, lowering his eyes:
"Tina and Newt had an emergency, they went back to the United States. They left me at the gate just before the Riddles."
The explanation was half-baked but McGonagall seemed to be satisfied with it.
"Perfect. Until now we had barely ten students in the evening, this will fill up this castle which is too empty for my taste. Professor Dumbledore left several notes for you, Professor Riddle. They are on your desktop."
With these words, the woman left them and went up the stairs. Eddy watched her leave tense and anxious as her footsteps echoed in the silence like a mournful death knell. Medusa and Salazar were pale.
"Medusa, Salazar, return to your dorm immediately. I need to speak with Mr. Lee.
"No," Sal breathed confidently. "Leave him alone!"
The professor roughly grabbed his son by the neck and hissed something in parseltongue. Eddy felt himself roar and tried to separate father and son. Mr. Riddle catapulted his children across the hall and grabbed Eddy by the neck. Under this icy grip that crushed his neck, the young man could barely move.
"I won't repeat it a second time. Out of my sight, both of you."
Medusa trembling, pulled her brother by the arm as Mr. Riddle dragged Eddy up the stairs. He had time to see the young girl's bright and furious gaze as she disappeared into the darkness. The young man told himself that with this look she wore, she did not foresee other small moments in the dark for a long time. But he couldn't dwell on it because Riddle was hurtling down the stairs clutching his neck so tightly he could barely breathe. Twice during their journey, Eddy tried to slip away but the grip only got stronger. He felt like Riddle was working his magic on him because his professor's icy fingertips had become almost hot with coldness. When Riddle threw him into his classroom, Eddy rubbed his neck. He found that a burn mark was indeed there.
Riddle had blocked the door and wasn't interested in him. He was sorting through the papers on his ebony desk still with that furious expression. Eddy tried to pull the door open but again his magic wouldn't listen.
"Let me go out!" yelled the teenager.
"You know very well that I would not do such a thing. But you, why can't you use your magic to break a simple wooden panel? Guilt still blocking your magic? I don't care about your guilt. There was a person who must not have known about the words you translated, she now knows. Thanks to you."
He made a grimacing pantomime at Eddy, but his eyes blazed with rage. The teenager forced himself to swallow. Did he feel guilty for talking to Mrs. Riddle? Not really, but seeing the concern in his friends' expressions made him realize that something had shifted in their peculiar and eerie household. He didn't know at that moment if it was good or bad. Riddle tossed his papers behind him and turned to Eddy, crossing his arms in front of him. His reaction to his wife had alerted the young man. Mr Riddle was worried, for once the situation seemed to escape him.
"She…she said the prediction isn't complete," Eddy muttered.
"I know. I only gave you part of it and it was fine with me," Riddle exasperated. "No doubt she would have read all these words, that my wife would have swallowed you up, Mr Lee. Do you know what the Darkbloods are?"
Riddle then gave him a sinister smile.
"Y-yes… Dumbledore told me about it".
"And Dumbledore is still biting his gnarled fingers, I'm sure. My spouse emanates an ever-increasing darkness. I trained her myself to ensure her a more peaceful future. I seem to have a penchant for circus monstrosities, much like I do with you. We will resume our sessions shortly, even if your future seems very shady all of a sudden."
Eddy narrowed his eyes at the professor's cryptic words. He then quickly looked down when the two scarlet rupees fell on him.
"We left to protect you. Once again, you owe me your life and save you a lot of trouble. You owe me. During our small sessions, I now expect an exchange. I help you to control the animal that you are inside you, and you, you will teach me the little gypsy language of yours."
Eddy froze. It was one of the last things he expected from the professor, but Riddle's wife reaction to this mistranslated sentence had surely aroused his interest and concern.
"I speak Anglo-Romani. The prediction is not exactly the same Romani as mine, he blurted through gritted teeth."
"Never mind. Your language is not written in any book or learned or whatever. To know it you have to be Romani or know one. I will not deprive myself."
"O-okay," Eddy managed to articulate.
"Excellent. I will contact you soon. One last thing, if I hear that you've tried to leave this castle again to find your beggars, I'll make sure to lock you up long enough for the concept of freedom to become unfamiliar to you. Now, get out."
Like an old habit, Riddle catapulted him out of the room. Eddy fell hard to the ground. Considering himself lucky to have got off so lightly, he panted back to the Slytherin common room. When he arrived, he found Sal busy cuddling Charm in an ottoman by the fire. Medusa was no longer there and Charm gave a sour meow to his master.
"He's pissed," Sal remarked as he leaned down to pet the Kneazle. "He was very worried about you."
"You don't have to worry about it, old man. I'm here, I'm not moving now."
He left his hand halfway up Charm's head, leaving him free to decide whether or not he wanted this caress. The feline leaned on Sal's legs to raise its head to Eddy's hand. He then went on with a purr of satisfaction then a gesture of joy. Eddy couldn't hide his smile, he had missed Charm so much.
"Med came up. I advise you to let her come back to you, if you don't want another slap of course."
"Does that…do you mind?" Eddy asked, sitting down next to him a little uncomfortably.
"It took me a while to understand, she more or less agreed to explain and reveal her thoughts to me," Sal replied quietly, caressing Charm between his two large ears. "But unless you're tortured to death, keep that to yourself. Medusa is not ready to hear such a thing. Our mother, like our father, made us a little weird about this feeling."
Charm jumped from Sal's lap to curl up against Eddy. At this nostalgic and comforting smell, the guilt rose even more.
"I'm sorry about your mother," Eddy whispered. "She freaked me out."
"Dont be. When we were little and we lied to her, she used to do things like that. Don't worry so much. Our parents will discuss, and surely find a point of agreement. They always do that. I'm mostly scared for Nagini. I'll try to send her letters."
Eddy thought of the pretty young witch now trapped in the Slytherin Swamps. He hoped Mrs Riddle's displayed affection would not harm her. In the strange Riddle family, any show of affection felt like a firing squad somewhere.
They had missed dinner, but neither Eddy nor Salazar seemed to mind taking a detour to the kitchens. They went up to bed and Eddy fell asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow.
.
.
Don't think about Eddy, don't think about Eddy, don't think about Eddy.
Don't think about that rash, dumb Edward Daniel Lee!
Yet Medusa was barely able to do it. While he had spent a few days at their house, his presence had been like a demolition spell. She sensed somewhere that something had changed since then but didn't dwell on it for long. Tommy Eddison in Hufflepuff asked her to pass the bowl of pudding.
The Great Hall having in all and for all only thirteen students in addition to the teachers, McGonagall had proposed that all meet at the table of the teachers to make the end of the holidays warmer. Her father had not protested and was eating in silence instead of Dumbledore. No one had volunteered to speak to him so far. He emanated from him an aura so cold and dangerous that the rare students like the few teachers still present had not risked it.
Medusa spotted Sal and Eddy talking with Professor Kettleburn who was mimicking a serpentine attack with his mangled arm over his chocolate mousse. Sal looked dreamy at these descriptions while Eddy played with his jelly-cake tensely.
They were the only three Slytherins in the school, the other students being two sixth-year Gryffindors, three second- and third-year Hufflepuffs, and five seventh-year Ravenclaws who were already starting revision for their NEWT while enjoying the quiet of the castle. Medusa looked at the Ravenclaws who had dark circles under their eyes. She read in their heads a hodgepodge of formulas and dates that they had devoured even more eagerly than the molasses pie they were tasting with a delighted air.
"Did your Christmas go well, Riddle?" one of the Ravenclaws finally asked when he noticed her staring at them.
"I don't celebrate Christmas, but we can say that the holidays went well."
"Not celebrating Christmas?" shouted a Gryffindor at the end of the table. "What a funny idea."
"It's a muggle celebration," the girl squealed.
"So what?" replied the Gryffindor. "Muggles wore pants a lot before us, wizards have adopted it well. What is helpful and friendly should be shared."
Medusa had never put on pants in her life but preferred to stop the verbal sparring there. She rolled her eyes and returned to her chocolate mousse. Her father looked up for a moment when she spoke before returning to his empty plate. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed preoccupied. Medusa wondered if their mother was the cause but didn't dare ask.
The table emptied of Ravenclaws hurrying back to study in their common room. Back to school would be in two days and they obviously intended to get ahead of their little comrades. Medusa shifted slightly to lean towards her father.
"Our guest is well?" she whispered .
Her father looked up from his golden plate and replied with a small affable pout.
"Alright. I took her to buy a wand yesterday, he whispered so low she could barely hear him. "She's going to live with us for a while."
Somewhere she was reassured and terrified for the young woman. Medusa was glad to have some company in Salazar Priory, but the idea of this witch becoming a captive there made her nauseous. She discreetly pushed away her chocolate pudding, her stomach in knots.
Tonight was a big night too. They were going to open the Chamber of Secrets, their father had warned them by text earlier in the day. After dinner he would take them there taking advantage of Dumbledore's absence. Medusa was excited but dreaded this moment. Salazar had finished listening to Kettleburn and seemed a little worried. When she met Eddy's gaze next to her brother, she read his mind. Again his face kept appearing and the little rubber ducky he used to protect himself was not enough. Every time the little duck appeared, Medusa's face overpowered it almost instantly. She glared at the frowning teenager.
Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors got up. That meant it was almost time. Sal gave Eddy a reason to go ahead. The teenager complied reluctantly, he glanced at Sal, then at Medusa and walked alone towards the dark dungeons. The twins watched him leave without a word and made their way to the second floor where their father had told them to wait for him. Walking alongside her brother, Medusa spotted a tense but also very intrigued expression in him. He was scared but wanted to see the Beast of Slytherin probably more than her. After a few minutes outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, their father appeared. He didn't say a word to them and asked them to follow him down the hall with a wave of his hand. They only walked about ten meters and their father entered the girls' bathroom on the second floor.
Medusa wasn't surprised somewhere, she had already read the Slytherin Codex and a hint had slipped into it. She couldn't question her father because Mimi Moaning hovered above a toilet cubicle with a curious look on her translucent features.
"Tom! It's you, raved the ghost. "You know, I haven't seen you much lately, even though your classroom is next to my bathroom."
"I'm sorry about that, Mimi," their father whispered charmingly. "Unfortunately, I have a lot of work at the moment."
"I see that," Mimi whispered, glancing curiously at Sal and Medusa. "What are you doing with them?"
Medusa didn't like Mimi and it was mutual. She knew how to handle her but the whiny teenager could irritate her in seconds. Seeing this phantom kid playing a sort of sleazy game of seduction with her father made her wince.
"No need to worry Mimi. However, I would like you not to stay here tonight. You'd be much better off in the prefects' bathroom. I understand the Ravenclaws are taking a bath there."
The piping ghost blushed slightly and did not need to be told twice. She disappeared into a drain and once she was gone their father chuckled dismissively.
"Still stupid since I ended her life. But easily manipulated."
"It was your first kill," Salazar said, frowning.
"Exact. I was about your age when I discovered the room. Come."
He approached the sinks and showed them a small graffiti engraved on a sink that Medusa had already noticed in the past.
"Corvinius Gaunt hid the chamber where little witches reveal their secrets," Medusa rattled, remembering the excerpt from the Codex.
"Effectively. It was our ancestor who built the school's pipes on the Muggle model. A necessary evil to ensure the beast can circulate throughout the castle. Step aside."
They complied and their father blocked the bathroom door.
"Open up," he hissed in Parseltongue.
Gradually, the basin started to sink into the stone floor, emitting a thud and a rustling of stagnant water. Medusa bit back a grimace, her shoes were ruined. The basin was replaced by a huge dark pipe that seemed to descend to the inside of the earth.
"Women first," their father said with a sarcastic grimace.
Medusa hesitated. She had never done such a thing in her life and didn't know what was waiting for her down there. She approached the dark pipe and glanced at her father, who gave her a confident expression. So she jumped into the pipe. Her fall lasted a moment, the young girl fell suddenly into the pipe, holding back a cry. At the end, she managed to land herself before ending up head first in a pile of small rat skeletons. His brother was not so lucky. Arriving with a scream right after her, he fell into this mixture of bone and dirty water with a grimace of disgust. They were under the school sewers, the smell there was unbearable. It wasn't long before their father arrived, sliding down the standing pipe as if he'd just done a strange Muggle snowboarding descent. Rita had spoken to Medusa about this sport that she practiced in the United States with her cousins and it was the most telling image that came to her mind at the time.
Sal cleaned himself with the tip of his wand, holding back a retching, and their father stepped over the skeletons and other filth left by time and the sewers.
"We are here in the antechamber. Now listen to me. Whatever I ask of you, you will listen to me without hesitation. If any of you disobey me, you will die, am I clear? "
Medusa and Salazar eyed each other in the dark then nodded at their father. He seemed satisfied and ordered them to follow him. They did not walk long, lit by their wands. After a few meters, their father showed them a huge rounded door decorated with carved snakes.
"From here, I order you to close your eyes. You know what's inside. If the Basilisk catches your eye but you don't have the Gift to control it, your life will come to a sad stop."
On these indications, Medusa immediately closed her eyes. She felt her brother grab her arm fiercely.
Their father again ordered the door to parseltongue open and held their arms out to help them emerge into what must have been the Chamber of Secrets. Medusa saw nothing but smelled a very comforting smell of mud, water and old stone. For a moment she felt like she had gone home.
"Come to me, Monster of Slytherin. Wake up. Your master is calling you."
Medusa heard a creak of stone and then slowly a long sound of sliding and water. She closed her eyes tighter, frozen.
"To her massster comes the Beasssst," hissed the voice of a huge creature.
"Talk to her," their father ordered them. "We'll see if you have the gift of making yourself heard."
"Hello," Salazar and Medusa said eventually, if nothing else.
"Hello little heirsss of the Massster," hissed the creature. "You can open your eyesss, my gaze will not kill you."
Somehow, Medusa was hesitant, but she doubted that their father could allow the Basilisk to do them any harm. So she opened her eyes. It was a gigantic snake twenty meters long and whose diameter was as large as Medusa. The creature slowly undulated its rings, darting them with a yellow and powerful gaze. They were the most beautiful eyes Medusa had ever seen. Salazar was immersed in it as if fascinated. He approached to pet the creature.
"It's a female," Sal remarked, gently placing his hand on the Basilisk's scales.
"Correct," replied their father. "The Basilisk is the King of Serpents. She is therefore the Suzerain of her kind."
"She prefers to be called Suzy," Salazar called out, reading the creature's mind. "As Nagini said, you have to have subjects to have a title."
Their father only gave him a cold, dry look and even the basilisk looked frightened as she let out a small, tense hiss. Medusa decided to speak to avoid any confrontation.
"How can she still be alive after more than nine hundred years under the castle? I know basilisks can live a very long time… but nine hundred years?"
"Heirs with enough power are able to put her to sleep and wake her up. That's what I did twenty five years ago. At that time I did not expect to have any offspring and just intended to use its power later. "
Medusa nodded and put her hand on "Suzy's" muzzle. Her muzzle was warm, her scales rippled with pleasure under the witch's caresses. Salazar followed the basilisk's long body, giving him a dreamy caress as he walked.
"Come back here, Salazar," their father ordered. "The reason I allow you to take possession of this inheritance is because now you are adults. Soon Dumbledore will no longer be around to protect the Mudbloods and it will be your job to use the Overlord to further Slytherin's purposes."
Salazar looked pale as he walked back to them. He darted a sad look at the Basilisk. Medusa didn't know where she was. Throw this monster at students? It gave him a feeling of power and terror mixed together.
"When… she's finished her work, can we release her?" Salazar whispered . "She is unhappy here, all alone."
"We'll see about that," their father dodged. "I'm going to close this room now. Soon you will open it yourself on my order, but not before. Am I clear?"
"Yes," Medusa said quickly.
Salazar managed to nod. When he turned away from her, 'Suzy' let out a pitiful little hiss that made Medusa shiver.
"Go back to sleep," their father hissed at the creature. "Soon your time will come."
She did as the door closed behind them. Medusa was troubled like Salazar. They had felt in this "monster" a confused mixture of loneliness and submission. Medusa felt that feeling at times, so like the Basilisk before her, she attacked to satisfy other needs and obscure those.
.
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The students must have been on the Hogwarts Express for a while when Medusa emerged from her bed. She rubbed her eyes, and then her head. The night before she hadn't been able to sleep until dawn. Or at least what must have been dawn when it couldn't be seen across the deep black lake. Being alone in her dormitory, she headed for her shower without any grace. From there, she began to drown in it for several minutes in order to clear her head. When she had accomplished this little drowning ritual without much success, she dried off and dressed in a purple witch's robe and matched her ribbon in her hair to her outfit.
If there were only a dozen students in the school, Medusa couldn't bear the thought of not being looked up to. Her strict upbringing had always taught her that appearances were important to maintaining a sense of normalcy.
But what was normal when your father asked you to throw a hungry monster on helpless students soon? That, she wasn't sure if any family in the world had such dilemmas.
She went down to the common room and was happy to find it empty. She curled up in a chair with her advanced potions book she had borrowed from the storeroom. Beneath the crackling fire she concentrated for a moment on a potion recipe from Felix Felicis, then found Eddy's Kneazle watching her at the entrance to the dormitory. When their eyes met, the animal let out a high-pitched growl before rushing out of the common room.
Medusa didn't know where her brother and Eddy were but didn't have the slightest desire to join them for the moment. However, she left her chair to eat in the Great Hall. Her father had left them after closing the room and wasn't there this morning, or rather noon. For lunch was served at the teachers' table. McGonagall presided over it with Professor Belline in divination. The few students arrived slowly. Medusa didn't give them a look and took her place at the end of the table. Tonight the castle would once again be teeming with students unaware of the danger ahead.
As Medusa was about to eat, she saw Salazar and Eddy enter. They had a bit of snow on their robes as they sat down near the girl.
"Have you been to the Forbidden Forest again?" the girl annoyed.
"In the park," her brother merely replied. "Bowtruckles are hatching this time of year."
Rolling her eyes, the girl began to eat her stew. Charm trotted into the Great Hall and climbed onto his master's lap, who greeted him with a scratch.
"I've never seen a Kneazle so attached to his master," remarked a Ravenclaw Medusa knew by name, Felix Brown. "He's stuck with you all the time."
"He's one of my best friends," confirmed the redhead, shoving his braised beans into his mouth with a fork. "But he has a hell of a character I warn you."
When the Ravenclaw reached for his hand, Charm spat on him and went to curl up in Salazar's lap, glaring at Medusa.
The Ravenclaws next to his comrade laughed and the latter returned to his plate. Salazar toyed limply with his mash, scratching Charm. He looked tired, no doubt like her he must not have slept much that night. She noticed that on her arm was a curious bracelet made of leather, beads and a small feather. When she thought about questioning her brother, Dumbledore appeared at the entrance to the Great Hall. He came quietly towards the staff table as Charme had done just before.
"Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said, returning her seat. We weren't expecting you until tonight. I'm glad to see you so soon among us."
"Me too Minerva, please don't get up. I just came to greet you, I must return to my office which I have neglected for too long lately."
He gave the teachers and students a playful look. However, when his gaze lingered on Medusa, Eddy and Salazar sitting side by side, he looked a little concerned. The professor grabbed a handful of candy from a silver bowl. He then leaned over to Salazar who suppressed a shudder. As Medusa was about to pull out her wand as a reflex, Eddy held her arm under the table.
Dumbledore gave Charm a hug and turned away from Salazar.
"I thought I saw him in the hallways at Christmas. But since you weren't present in the castle at the time, I must have been mistaken, Mr. Lee. Tiredness or old age sometimes plays curious illusions. Enjoy your meal everybody."
Dumbledore turned his back on them and left, shovelling his sweets as Eddy seemed to mimic the colour of the tomato soup Medusa was eating. She bit back a chuckle and the teenager did not let go of her arm. So curtly, she pulled away and swallowed her soup in one gulp. Again she felt the urge to escape Eddy's presence. The teenager just gave her a look and quietly whispered:
"Meet me later, south staircase. I have something for you."
She had left Echo at home, and there was no one in the castle, so the risk was less. She quickly agreed with a shake of her head. Medusa thought she was dying of shame when McGonagall gave their duo a soft look. She returned to her bowl and no longer looked up from the meal. Salazar and Eddy left the Great Hall first. Medusa watched them go down the hall where they separated. Sal was going back to the park with Charme and Eddy was going up the stairs. So Medusa left the table in turn and took the stairs to get to the meeting point.
The south staircase was a small spiral staircase to the fourth floor. Out of the way of any classroom, the students rarely took it. Usually you could see a few ghosts wandering around there, but that was not the case today. Scratching her left arm, she started towards the stairs and hardly had she reached the first step when a hand grabbed her in the darkness. Two hands then seized her face to kiss her gently. She couldn't see who it was but knew it very well. Eddy was kissing her as if it were the last thing he was going to do in his life, she answered for a moment, overwhelmed by the young man's gentleness and passion, then pushed him away. No, it was a very bad idea to continue this little game in the dark.
"I have ... something for you," Eddy whispered a little annoyed to be dismissed. "Even though I'm late, Happy Birthday."
He handed her a long necklace that was somewhat in the same style as Salazar's bracelet. It was a kind of Native American dream catcher, made of leather and feathers mixed with coral and pearls.
"Newt taught me how to make this kind of jewellery. It brings luck and prosperity."
"You made me a necklace?" articulated Medusa too astonished.
It was the first time he had been offered something handmade. Usually for her birthday her brother gave her a book, Bella and Rita some clothes. This little pendant looked a little pitiful compared to the presents she usually received, but the young girl didn't feel worthy of it. After having spent all these moments together, after having used this happiness there to produce a patronus, this gift crystallized something that she did not want to admit.
"I know it's not worth the necklaces you and your brother got…but I thought you might like it."
Medusa fingered the golden necklace she had worn around her neck since her birthday. If he was pretty, he was out of all proportion to this present Eddy was handing him.
"I can not accept," whispered the girl. "Listen… I don't know how to say this, Eddy… But we have to stop all this."
She felt the teen tense in the darkness.
"For what?"
"For a whole bunch of reasons, but the first is that if my father finds out, I'm dead and so are you. It is not possible. He's there all year round watching us and he's got you in his sights too, it's going to be known."
"But you're the one who came to get me! Every time !" Eddy got angry. "What we do has nothing to do with your father. We're not doing anything wrong."
"I know. But that's unfortunately up to him," Medusa whispered. "This is no longer possible."
She gave him back the necklace which he refused to take back. She couldn't see his face hidden by the shadow of the stairs, but it must have looked sad and desperate because he went on in a trembling voice:
"No, keep it. We do not take back a gift."
Seeing him so upset hurt the young girl, but this pain turned into resentment for her. She tossed the necklace into the bottom of her dress pocket and stepped aside. Why was Eddy Lee so complicated? So full of feelings?
"Go away," the teenager retorted, stepping forward.
When he stepped out of the darkness Medusa noticed his expression. He had put on his face a sort of gloomy mask which was reminiscent of the one his father could have. The young girl frowned and turned on her heels in front of this evil aura. She was in even worse pain than him, but knew how to control herself better. As she walked away, a rustle in the hallway caught her attention. With good reflexes, Medusa drew her wand in time. With one movement the hallway windows shattered. Medusa managed to hide behind a shield and screamed. The ghost of Helena Ravenclaw appeared from an empty classroom at the thundering noises.
When Medusa turned back to Eddy, he looked frozen by what his explosive magic had done. If Medusa hadn't taken cover, she could have been hurt. She gave him a venomous look.
"Get treated, Lee!"
"It's in progress," the teenager hissed.
"If you believe his words even for a moment, it's because you're not only sick but also quite gullible."
From there, she left him and left it to him to explain the whole situation to the Grey Lady who was looking at the shards of glass with a mournful expression. She walked briskly back to her dormitory.
In the evening, the students arrived for the beginning of the year. Medusa sat down next to Rita who had just arrived. She seemed delighted to see her again, and had taken on a few colors during the winter.
"Med, darling, it's nice to see you. I went to my cousins in Montana to ski. One day wizards will have to try this sport."
"A sport that consists of descending a mountain and ascending it all day?" managed to mock Medusa. "No thank you. I prefer Quidditch."
"You can love both," Rita whispered. "How about your holiday?"
"Well done," Medusa said only. "We got back to Hogwarts early."
She glanced around the packed Great Hall. All teachers and students were back. Dumbledore was presiding over the professors' table and his father was there, his eyes downcast on his black ring with which he was mechanically playing. Medusa looked back at Bellatrix chatting with Rosier and Lestrange and spotted her brother and Eddy at the end of the table. As usual, the Slytherins left the Obscurial alone most of the time and barely spoke to him, convinced that he could explode at any moment. They weren't wrong in a way. Medusa had seen that Eddy was able to explode very easily lately. She regretted that he had stopped his treatment under the guardianship of his father. It didn't bode well. He had, however, promised in the unbreakable oath not to use Lee against Dumbledore, so what did he hope to do with this ticking time bomb?
"Dumby looks dirty," Skeeter remarked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "He still hasn't found Grindelwald like all the Aurors in Europe."
"It's true. I wonder where he is. Probably well hidden."
"Or is someone hiding it?" Rita offered. "I mean, you don't just disappear off the face of the earth when you're the most wanted wizard in the world."
Medusa knew that there were many ways to hide, while Grindelwald one of the greatest black warlocks of the century managed to do it didn't really surprise her. The dishes appeared, and Medusa ate, trying to catch Bellatrix's gaze. Ever since they faced each other in the Derby, the girl had an even darker aura. She periodically felt the invisible mark on her arm and cast an almost languorous gaze at it. Medusa bit back a grimace as she rubbed her own arm fiercely.
"How are you ? What do you have under there?" Rita asked, frowning.
"Nothing that concerns you," Medusa hissed.
She had spoken curtly but if her curious comrade started digging into their family's belongings, she wouldn't survive unlike Eddy. Rita pursed her lips and returned to her roast turkey without a word. Medusa was even more annoyed.
As the meal ended, Rosier got up and walked over to her. Medusa suppressed an annoyed eye roll.
Ever since he made her arm bones disappear and she got revenge on him, the boy avoided her most of the time. He spoke to her courteously while lowering his eyes when they were in the Slytherin locker room but no longer approached her in public. She would have liked him to continue that way.
"Hey, Medusa," Rosier said with a small smile. "I have emergency training scheduled for the day after tomorrow at 6:00. Bellatrix has given up her position as drummer. I have to pass selections tomorrow, you want to accompany me?"
"Bella doesn't play Quidditch anymore?" Rita asked alarmed.
"No. Apparently she has no time for such 'childishness' anymore, the team captain replied evenly. So I repeat Medusa, will you come with me for the selection? We have to find a complementarity with you and the future selected."
"I'll do without it," hissed the young girl. "Go sniff some Erumpant and let me go back to my dorm in peace. I'll be there at practice, that's all."
Rosier gave her a thin, surprisingly confident smile. He patted her back and went away whispering:
"So I'm looking forward to it. Take care of yourself."
Medusa suppressed a shiver but couldn't hide her grimace. As she got up, Rita seemed to have forgotten her resentment towards her and preferred gossip instead.
"Always so loony, this ol' Percy. He doesn't want to understand that you have other Kneazle in mind."
A red flash passed in front of the young girls but did not address a glance to Medusa. The latter bit her lip as Eddy returned to the dorm after Salazar. Rita narrowed her eyes.
"Speaking of flirtatiousness, is that one pissing you off?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Not here," Medusa slipped away. "I would like to talk to Bella. I haven't spoken to her since the Derby."
"Anyway, where did you disappear?" I'm going to say hello to Celestina Wardbeck for a second and when I turn around you and Sal are gone."
Medusa preferred not to answer. She spotted Bellatrix's unruly, curly hair down the hall. She was chatting with Rodolphus. As they approached the young woman tensed and clenched her jaw.
"You quit Quidditch," Medusa whispered, not knowing how to approach him since their fight.
"Yes, it is childishness. Now greater matters await our blood," Bellatrix retorted dismissively. "You too should stop this nonsense and focus on your future."
Lestrange chuckled and took his fiancee's hand. Since the Derby, she wore a magnificent, delicately crafted ruby and white gold ring.
"Nice ring," Rita said. "The engagement is official, then."
"Yes," assured Rodolphus. "We'll get married as soon as Bella gets her NEWTs. Dream that it happens to you one day Skeeter."
He pulled Bellatrix behind him. The look she gave them oscillated between furious madness and a strange expression Medusa had seen in Nagini as her parents stared at each other. That of a small bird lost between two fires.
.
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