Their corner of the library was as silent as a graveyard. Harry sat with Neville beside him, leaving the girls to sit around. They were still shocked as to how it had happened with Cho and the way Harry was being suspected of it.
The news of Harry's perceived involvement in the incident had begun to circulate throughout the castle, and the corridors were abuzz with whispers and speculation. The rumor mill was working tirelessly to cast Harry in a negative light, and despite the valiant efforts of the girls to advocate for his innocence, there seemed no sign of it stopping anytime soon.
Marietta Edgecombe had been inconsolable, and she remained vehement in her pursuit of ensuring everyone knew who had cursed the broom and attempted to kill her best friend. Although the girl had been looked at with not-so-favorable eyes lately, the sheer depth of emotions on display commanded attention and had been compelling for a vast majority of Hogwarts populace to put some stock into her words and take them at face value.
"I can't believe this is happening," Tracey murmured under her breath as she looked around. A handful of people occupied the space around them but instead of studying, they were busy sneaking glances at where they were sitting. Frustration etched across her face, she hissed, "Just what are you all staring at, you dimwits? Don't you have homework to do?"
"Leave them be, Trace," Daphne whispered, her voice uncharacteristically somber. "Nothing we can do about them."
She and Susan had sat for a long while in the Come and Go Room, stunned in the aftermath of Harry's confession. A heavy silence hung in the room after he left.
The weight of his confession stung, and it had been a challenging ordeal to come to terms with what he had revealed. They were upset that he had deliberately played dumb, and they were disappointed that he found himself in such an unfortunate situation. They understood where he was coming from, and the sheer lack of choice they had in the matter made them feel entirely powerless.
When they finally made their way out of the room and joined the rest of the students, an even bigger shock greeted them.
Word had already spread that Cho had collided with a hoof while flying on Harry's broom, and Edgecombe was loudly pointing fingers, proclaiming for all to hear that he was the one to blame. It was, after all, his broom.
Daphne and Susan could only stare at the students in shock, unwilling to even entertain the thought that Harry could be responsible. They knew Cho was one of the few people in the entire school Harry was on cordial terms with, and he had even let her use his broom. They were well aware of how possessive he could be with things he considered his, and the fact that he had trusted Cho to use his broom spoke volumes about how much he valued his friendship with her. The mere thought of him deliberately causing harm to her was impossible to entertain, let alone believe.
The students were, as expected, dismissive of their rebuttals.
"You're his friends. Of course you'd take his side."
"Take off that blindfold, you two. Who else could it be? It's his broom!"
No matter how much logic they tried to inject into the conversation, convincing others proved impossible, and truth be told, Daphne and Susan soon realized it. Logic and reason held little sway when the allure of herd mentality took root. They loved drama at Hogwarts, and attempting to swim against the current of speculation and senseless sensationalism was indeed a futile endeavor.
"You'd think that they'd use their brains for once, but I guess asking that is too much for sheep like them," Hannah said disdainfully, casting a dark eye around her. "I mean, who would give their own broom if they wanted to hurt someone? That's so bait!"
"Hogwarts never relied on sense and logic, did it?" Daphne muttered. "They jump from one bandwagon to the other even if it doesn't make sense. Anything as long as it is dramatic enough. It's no surprise they were so quick to believe this crap."
"They could at least let the aurors do their job," Susan muttered. "The auror's not even started their investigation yet and they're so eager to take that bint's word at face value."
"So much for innocent until proven guilty," Daphne whispered with gritted teeth.
Harry remained seated in silence, his eyes fixated on the table. He cast occasional glances at Daphne and Susan, quickly averting his eyes when they happened to look at him. Their previous meeting was still raw and for this drama to be suddenly dumped on his head made for a very taxing experience.
Despite the turmoil, he remained steadfast in his conviction. He knew he was not in the wrong. The broom had been in a perfectly fine condition in the morning when he had handed it over to Cho. Whatever transpired occurred after she took it away.
His suspicions honed in on someone from Ravenclaw. After all, only the members of his house were privy to the information that Cho would be using his broom. Yet, the motive eluded him.
He just could not fathom why anyone would try to harm her. As far as he was aware, Cho had no enemies or people who resented her.
It was possible that someone from a rival house wanted to get rid of the Ravenclaw seeker but he did not think anyone from Gryffindor was vindictive enough to fatally injure someone just so they could take a player out of the game. The thought might have made sense if the match had been against Slytherin. Flint and his cronies certainly fit the bill for being that petty and evil.
However, even if that was the case, there was no way for anyone to know that Cho would be using his broom. Only people from Ravenclaw knew about it. That certainly helped him narrow down the list of potential suspects significantly.
"What exactly did Dumbledore say, Harry?" Neville asked curiously. Everyone turned to Harry who let out a small sigh.
"Nothing much," Harry replied nonchalantly. "They believe I didn't do it but can't do anything. The aurors will be questioning me since it was my broom. You know, the usual," he added with a casual shrug.
"Can't exactly do anything about that, to be honest," Susan chimed in. "That's the standard procedure. You shouldn't worry though, Harry. There is no proof that you were involved. Nothing will happen."
Harry returned his gaze to the table with a small nod.
"It's not the aurors I'm worried about. Someone's targeting the students this year. The attack on Halloween, and now this. Tell you what? There's no way it's all not connected."
"You really think so?" Tracey inquired.
"Seems like that, to be honest," Harry shrugged. "I mean, this one might have happened differently but I have a feeling it's all connected."
"If that's true then Malfoy must be involved somehow," Daphne seethed. "I won't put it past him to pull a stunt like this."
"No, I don't think so," Harry shook his head, to the blonde's surprise. He steeled his hands on the table, looking thoughtful. "For one, that ponce's not capable enough. Secondly, there's no way he could've known Cho would be using my broom. No, it is someone from Ravenclaw. I'm a hundred percent sure of that."
"Who could it be then?" Hannah asked in exasperation. "I can't think of anyone who'd have any motive of attacking Chang. But then, I don't know much about her so what would I know?" She finished with a shrug.
"That is what confuses me as well," Harry muttered. "Cho is on friendly terms with everyone, so why would someone attempt to kill her?"
"Harry," Daphne began seriously. "Can you recall anyone Cho has had a problem with in the time you've been here at Hogwarts? No matter how small, it might give us a clue."
"Come on, Daphne. There's no way someone would attempt to kill her for small quarrels that happen frequently in this castle," Susan shook her head.
"Won't hurt to know either, would it?" The blonde retorted calmly, earning a shrug from the redhead.
"Well," Harry cleared his throat, glancing from one to the other. "I've not heard her having an argument or quarrel with anyone. She has her circle of friends and from what I've seen, she's close to all of them. She did have a little issue with Edgecombe a few weeks ago when we taught that bint a lesson, but apart from that, there's been nothing. They got back to being friends the last time I saw them."
The mention of Edgecombe sparked Daphne's interest. "Edgecombe… And she's the one who's been blaming you everywhere, shouting for all to hear how you tried to kill Chang."
"What are you saying, Daphne?" Neville asked skeptically. "That Edgecombe's so unhinged she tried to kill her friend and pinned the blame on Harry?"
"Maybe. We don't know the bitch, after all, do we? And given her track record of bullying young girls, I won't put it past her. For all we know, she might be crazy enough to do something like this," Daphne replied.
"I don't think so," Hannah shook her head. "She might be crazy in blaming Harry for it but she seemed truly shaken and angry on her friend's behalf. Bullying is one thing, but attempted murder is a different beast, Daphne."
"Well, she's the only one we've narrowed it down to so far," the blonde replied. "Unless you can think of someone else, this is our best bet."
The group pondered the situation, exchanging curious glances, when Susan interjected, "What are you thinking, Harry?"
Harry appeared oddly thoughtful, his brows furrowed as he stared hard at the table. All his friends fixated their respective gazes on him, inquisitive.
"I think Daphne might be onto something here," he muttered, to their surprise.
"What?" Susan asked in shock. "You really think Edgecombe's behind this?"
"She's one of the few who knew Cho would be using my broom. She could easily access the girls' dorms to tamper with it after I loaned it to her. She might've truly been furious with Cho who changed her dorm after what I did to her. And from the first time we interacted, I had a feeling she didn't like me. That feeling has only grown this year. I can't explain it well, but I've felt something off about her ever since I humiliated her."
A stunned silence enveloped the group as they sat there, staring at each other. Meanwhile, Daphne nodded as if it was obvious.
"Wait a minute," Susan interjected with a frown. "Let me get this straight. You think Edgecombe did this to take revenge on Cho and to frame you because she doesn't like you or something? I find that really strange and hard to believe, to be honest."
"It doesn't have to make sense if you're dealing with crazy, Susan," Daphne replied instantly. "Look, we don't have to reach conclusions, but I don't think it'd hurt to keep an eye on the girl. She's the only one we've suspected so far, even if a tiny bit."
Gnawing at her lower lip thoughtfully, Susan nodded. "I don't see any harm in doing that," she replied.
Hannah and Tracey exchanged a glance and shrugged in acceptance.
"Alright."
-Break-
Harry steadfastly ignored the hushed whispers and curious stares directed his way as he walked through the bustling Ravenclaw Common Room. The students were lounging around and very rarely had he seen the room look so crowded.
He had no interest in participating in whatever discussions were taking place and he did not like being subjected to this unnecessary scrutiny either. Keeping his eyes firmly on the floor, Harry made his way to the corridor that led to the dormitories.
Abruptly, a set of footsteps blocked his path and he was forced to come to a sudden stop.
"Not so fast, Potter. There's something we'd like to discuss with you."
Slowly, Harry dragged his eyes up and stared stoically at the boy who defiantly stood in his way.
He knew what this was about, and a surge of fury coursed through him at the audacity of these individuals. He had not committed any wrongdoing and yet he found his coveted privacy being snatched away from him, thrusting him in an unnecessary spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
He glanced to the side where he spotted the bitch responsible for this debacle. Edgecombe's eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she'd done, and they were glaring vehemently at him. If looks could kill, he would've toppled over a long time ago.
Sighing, Harry averted his eyes back to the boy who stood before him, flanked by two of his – what he assumed – friends.
"I've heard that Chang was going to use your broom. A broom that we all saw was working absolutely fine this morning when you flew on it. How come it malfunctioned when she tried it out?" The boy asked.
Harry was in no mood to entertain these questions. They were undeserved, and he refused to let this rabble treat him like he was some sort of criminal. He knew they were not his friends. They were not even his allies. As such, he saw no need to cater to their whims and go with the flow.
"Who are you, exactly?" he asked, genuinely unaware.
The boy seemed to take offence to his question, it seemed. His eyes narrowed into a glare and his lips set in a thin like as he stared at him heatedly.
"I am Roger Davies and I am the vice-captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team," he gritted out through clenched teeth. "I won't repeat my question, Potter."
"And I don't like it when I'm asked idiotic questions by idiots who think they're something worth more than they truly are. So, wannabe auror, you can either step out of my way and we forget you dared to overstep your boundaries, or we let this turn ugly. Your choice."
Eyes wide, the students of Ravenclaw stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. Harry was acutely aware that what he was doing was not earning him any positive PR from the crowd but he could not care less. There was no way he was going to let this ragtag group of buffoons walk all over him.
"You're one cocky little shit, aren't you?" Davies hissed.
"And you seem to be someone with an overinflated sense of ego. Curb it down before someone does it for you," Harry replied calmly. "Now step out of the way."
"Or what? You'll try to kill me just like you tried to kill Chang?" Davies said menacingly, his glare getting more prominent.
Harry took deep breaths to calm himself down. His rage was growing by the second. It did not help that the entire group of students gathered in the common room was talking in hushed whispers that easily reached his ears.
Like the sheep they were, they had already made their minds and deemed him guilty.
'And based on what? The words of a lying bitch,' Harry thought furiously. He found Edgecombe still glaring at him with utter loathing, and not for the first time, he wondered just what he had done to her to deserve this hatred.
There was no way for her to know that he had been the one behind her much-deserved humiliation so he was at a loss for why she hated him so vehemently.
Glaring at the girl one more time, Harry turned back to the boy who was gritting his teeth hard as he stared at him menacingly.
"You know, Davies, you seem like you lack self-preservation, a lot. Or you're just a dumbfuck. After all, why else would someone like you dare confront me, a person who is suspected of killing?"
If Davies was unnerved, he did a very good job of hiding it.
"Someone who is righteous and capable of taking this bastard down, that's who," came his swift reply. Harry almost scoffed.
"You are one pompous prick, Davies, and you think too highly of yourself. Go play hero with someone who's happy to kiss your arse, 'cause let me tell you, I'm really not in the mood to tolerate your idiocy right now," Harry whispered ominously. "I'll tell you for the third and final time. Step out of my way. Now."
Davies' lip curled into a disgusting sneer as he leaned forward, glaring.
"Why don't you show me what you'd do if I don't?" He whispered challengingly.
Harry stared deep into the idiot's eyes, feeling the familiar sensation taking over. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had almost done it. He knew he could bend this bellend's mind to his whims in a moment and he had almost succumbed to that desire. However, he could not do something like that in front of so many students.
However, he wanted to teach this ponce a lesson, and one that would sink in. His glare intensifying, he leaned back and regarded his prey. A few ideas came to mind.
"What is going on here?" A firm, female voice came from behind him and he watched Davies and his two bookends straighten up. Harry stood, still staring disdainfully with a glare on his face as the girl came over to stand to his left.
"I thought Professor Flitwick explained everything to you all," her voice was firm and unwavering as she stared around with a raised eyebrow. "I'll ask again. What is going on here?"
"We were doing nothing more than what we ought to," Davies found his words soon. "It's nothing more than we deserve after what happened today."
"You deserve?" The girl asked with a raised eyebrow. "And you decided to play auror?"
The boy could do nothing more than avert his eyes, glaring.
Unfazed, the girl continued, "Maybe you should let the professionals do their job instead of acting like one?"
She turned around to regard the entire group of students lounging around the common room.
"This matter is to be handled by the aurors and until the investigation is over and a judgment is carried out, I'd advise you all to behave properly and not consider yourselves members of a jury. Please remember that the facts are unknown and it won't be right to blame someone without knowing the full details."
The students looked around, as if curious what the others thought about it.
"What details are you talking about!? We all know he did it! That was his broom! Who else could spell it like that!?" A shrill voice cut in from their right.
The girl turned to regard Edgecombe with a firm glare.
"Speculations are not counted as evidence, Miss Edgecombe. You would do well to remember that. As long as there is no irrefutable proof that Mr. Potter is the culprit, he cannot be treated as already guilty," she replied calmly. "I know you are distressed with what happened to your friend but you need to let the law enforcement carry out their duty. You can blame and curse Mr. Potter if he is found guilty thereafter."
"I know Potter did it," Edgecombe hissed. "And I'll make sure he's expelled and sent to Azkaban for it. He won't sneak out of the punishment he deserves. You'll see, Clearwater. You'll see soon."
"And if it's proven that he's truly done it then I hope he would be punished accordingly," Penelope Clearwater, the sixth-year prefect, nodded. "But until then, behave," she finished with a glare, ignoring the furious glare sent her way by the other girl.
"The same holds true for all of you," she said as she turned around to address the crowd before staring at Davies who gritted his teeth and glanced at Harry who gave him a vehement glare.
Scoffing, the older boy stepped out of the way.
Staring straight ahead, Harry walked off, leaving a large crowd of students staring at his retreating figure until it disappeared behind the entrance to the corridor.
Penelope Clearwater watched him leave before she looked around once again. She followed suit and made her way to the sixth-year girls' dormitories, unaware of the malicious red orbs fixated on her that glinted with feral intent as she disappeared out of sight.
-Break-
Harry cursed himself for his reckless behavior.
Yes, he was being treated unfairly but what he was about to do could have had serious repercussions for him if he'd gone ahead with it.
Mind magic was volatile and thus deserved scrutiny, but performing it on the scale he was capable of, and that too in front of dozens of witnesses was the height of tomfoolery and he had almost succumbed to the desire that erupted inside him when that ponce disrespected him like that.
His dormitory was empty now. He used to share it with Boot and had expected to see him, but it became apparent to him that the boy had moved out. The bed was no longer here and the dormitory also seemed a bit smaller, cluing him into the fact that it was now a single room for him. Harry had zero problems with that. It would ensure he had enough privacy within the confines of his private room at Hogwarts.
The first thing he had done after getting back to his room was to ward the entrance with the best non-lethal wards he had read up on so far. There were the standard repelling, privacy, silencing, and alarm wards that would activate whenever someone came close enough, and then there were a few not-so-standard wards that would activate should someone bypass those wards and approach with heinous intentions.
His favorite, by far, was the ward he had read up on in Slytherin's book. It was one in parseltongue and even though it was not lethal or complicated, it gave him a degree of confidence since he did not know of anyone other than Voldemort who spoke the tongue of the serpent, and thus, he could be sure they would not be able to bypass it.
Although he did not think it would stop someone well versed in warding and runes, even though it was in an unknown language.
He did not feel like eating, so he decided to stay in his room and read up further ahead.
He placed the books he would be reading on the desk and took a moment to look them over.
Dolohov's tome had already been finished on the theoretical level but he had yet to master all the spells it listed out. He had discovered most of those spells were known worldwide and only a few had been the ones that could be considered obscure. However, it was the way of application of those spells that Harry found fascinating. Wizardry depended on creativity as much as it did on magical prowess, and Harry discovered Dolohov had the former in spades.
'But I'd be better,' he thought to himself. 'And then I'll take care of you if Azkaban doesn't.'
He had not forgotten that the man was a Death Eater and even though he found no harm in learning from the man's book, there was no way he could align his ideals with his or spare him for his crimes.
Slytherin's tome was, however, left more untouched. He had read through it, although not entirely, and had discovered it was much more advanced in the later sections and the magic was significantly more obscure. He did not think he was ready yet to tackle it and thus, he was focusing entirely on mastering everything he could from Dolohov's tome as well as the Hogwarts curriculum.
He did often find himself pondering on something though. A secret that Slytherin had mentioned in the tome. The Chamber of Secrets.
No one had ever discovered the Chamber and it was considered a myth. Harry disagreed. After all, Slytherin himself had confirmed the Chamber's existence. However, to his immense disappointment, there was no clue as to where this secret chamber was situated in the castle. Harry had tried to look for clues, even taking the help of the Marauders' Map, but it had all ended in futility. He had even thought about trying parseltongue on the tome to see if it revealed any secret, but to no success. As such, he remained curious, still on the lookout for any clue.
It was the final item that gave him pause.
Riddle's Diary, or rather, the diary that once belonged to Voldemort. The bastard had bewitched it somehow to ensure it acted as if he was in there, which seemed ridiculous to him at the first glance. However, the more time he spent in the magical world, the more he realized there was little that could be ridiculous. It was entirely possible that Voldemort had done some magical ritual or knew of a spell to transfer some of his conscience into the diary, making it more sentient.
He still had no clue as to why he could not touch the diary while the others could. The only way he differed from them was his childhood connection to Voldemort. That was the only reason he could think of.
Putting his gloves on, Harry opened the diary and stared at the blank pages. Sighing, he reached out and picked up the quill. He dipped it in ink and brought the tip over the page, wondering what to write. He had not communicated with Tom for a while now and he was curious as to how it would go this time.
Hello, Tom. It's me, Draco!
Harry knew the girls had told him not to overdo it and he reminded himself to exercise caution as he waited for a reply.
Hello, Draco. It's been a while since we last talked, or has it not? I fail to tell time apart sometimes.
Harry scoffed to himself, wondering what to write.
Do you remember our last conversation, Tom? You said you want me to do something for you.
I do remember saying that, Draco. However, I feel now is not the right time for it. Let us discuss this later. Tell me, have things improved around you?
Harry wondered if he could spin the issues going around Hogwarts in his favor as he formulated a reply in his mind.
Oh yes! I was going to tell you but you asked me first! You won't believe what happened. The Great Salazar Slytherin's heir returned to the school! And that's not all! He wrote a message on a wall that he would purge the castle of all those who don't deserve to be here. He already took care of three unworthy students. I hope he continues.
There was a long pause and Harry stared at the page, waiting for a reply.
Are you certain it was Slytherin's heir who did this? Could this be an impostor, Draco?
Maybe… but I don't think so. After all, who else but the great founder's heir would act so swiftly and start purging the castle of the unworthy? I talked to father about it and he said the Dark Lord was the last known heir of Slytherin. Do you think the Dark Lord had a son or daughter, Tom? If he did, that would make them the heir as well, right?"
Well, I don't think the Dark Lord had a child, Draco. He doesn't sound like someone who would want to have heirs. Do you remember when I said the Dark Lord might still be alive?
Yes! Do you really think he is, Tom?
I do, Draco. He seems like someone who would want to live forever and rule by himself instead of relying on an heir or heiress to continue his noble deeds.
Harry shook his head in exasperation.
Makes sense. Wait a minute! Does this mean the Dark Lord has returned and he is purging the castle of the unworthy!?
I would seem so, Draco. It would certainly seem so. And I would like you to do something for me now if you can.
'Finally. Got you, you bastard,' Harry thought triumphantly.
Yes, Tom?
I want you to find the Dark Lord, Draco. And I want you to give this diary to him.
Give this diary to him!? But Tom, you are my only friend! I don't want to lose you…
It is only temporary, Draco. I just need to talk to him about a few things. You have my word that we will talk to each other soon.
Okay Tom, but how will I find the Dark Lord?
I will help you with it, Draco. All you need to do is keep this diary with you at all times. You will feel it when the Dark Lord is near you and he would recognize me as well. You can then give this diary to him.
Okay, Tom. I will, I promise.
Attaboy, Draco. You are truly a very good friend. Just keep one thing in mind. It is very likely that the Dark Lord will look different to you. I don't think you would recognize him even if he came in front of you without the help of this diary.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he pondered on what Tom had just written back.
'Another possession?' He wondered.
I understand. I will keep this diary with me at all times, even when I go to the toilet!
Harry laughed to himself. It always felt good to play the fool Draco Malfoy and imagine how ridiculous he would look and sound like if he behaved like this.
No need for that, Draco. Simply keeping it with you when you are out of your dormitory would be enough. I look forward to talking to you again.
Bye, Tom!
Harry shut the diary and pushed it away. This had been a very illuminating chat he had with Tom. If he had understood it correctly, Voldemort might be possessing someone and was attacking students this time. Harry wondered who it could be.
It also made him wonder the extent to which Lucius Malfoy was involved with this saga. Dobby the elf had told him his master would be behind anything that would happen at Hogwarts this year, and his master was none other than the bigger ponce himself.
If Lucius Malfoy was indeed in cohorts with Voldemort, then it could be only because he had seen the signs that his former master could be returning and he wanted to be in his good graces after turning his back on his cause to save his skin. He could not imagine Voldemort being too happy with it.
Whatever it was, he had gotten a massive clue today.
He would be using the diary now to flush out Voldemort, and when they met this time, the confrontation would go in his favor. He would make sure it did.
TBC.
Check out the link on my profile for early access and more of my work. Chapters 21, 22, and 23 are already up.
Thanks for reading.