Harry's eyes slam open. His heart is racing for some reason, and he's drenched in sweat. Merlin unlatches from where she'd been biting his face.
"Wh-"
"You weren't waking up," Merlin explains. "I think it was another nightmare- your breathing went all shallow, too."
Harry shakes his head and goes to sit up as he heals the bite. He doesn't remember any nightmares, but that hasn't stopped them before. His brain feels fuzzy- maybe that's why he can't remember.
In fact, it feels like there's maybe something else he can't remember, too.
"Great," Harry says, pushing the blankets off of him and looking around. "What time is it? I..."
He trails off, staring out the window. The sun is up, and the dorm is empty. "Oh no," Harry says, before rolling out of bed. The events of last night have just hit him all at once, and he grabs tight to his suddenly flailing magic. "Merlin, why didn't you wake me sooner?"
"I wanted to let you sleep- you got in really late last night," Merlin hisses, sounding put out. "You have plenty of time before the game, still-"
"I heard the voice again," Harry cuts in, beginning to feel well and truly panicky now. He'd just about managed to convince himself that he hadn't heard it, but- well, he was exhausted. Now that he's slept, he knows what he heard. "I was going to tell the others first thing, but I slept in and now they might be in danger!"
Merlin's tongue flickers. "You're sure?" She asks. "Because Tom-"
"I know," Harry says as he rushes around, getting dressed. "I don't know what it means, or why it's back- but none of that is important right now." What's important is getting down to his friends, and making sure they're alright.
Hermione could be in serious danger.
Harry finishes getting ready in record time, and scoops Merlin up before bolting out into the common room and then beyond. He doesn't bother pretending not to run, pushing down his magic as he does.
He makes it down to the Great Hall, skidding to a stop right in front of where his friends are gathered at the Slytherin table. He tries to even his breathing out as he looks around at them.
Daphne and Blaise are sitting next to each other, across from Ron, Theo, and Neville. Hermione is nowhere to be seen. Harry's heart plummets right into his shoes.
"Nice of you to join us," Daphne says, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm just telling you straight up this time, Harry: you have a quidditch game today. Feel free to feel nervous now," Ron says around a mouthful of eggs, oblivious to the fact that Harry is most definitely already nervous- for a completely different reason.
"Where- is Hermione?" Harry gets out as he tries to catch his breath, desperately hoping that she's just- just hiding somewhere, for some reason.
Blaise looks up at Harry, looking a bit concerned- likely noticing his agitated state. "She was right here," he says. "But right before you came by, she smacked her head and ran off. Why do you-"
"I heard- the voice again- last night," Harry gasps out. He feels a bit sick on top of feeling out of breath- why couldn't he have made it down just a second earlier?
The reaction is instantaneous. Where his friends had looked bemused but mostly relaxed, they now look terrified.
Theo swings his legs over the bench and begins to make a break for the doors almost before Harry is even done talking, Ron and Neville not far behind.
"Library," Daphne says. Blaise nods, and they start after the others.
Harry takes another second to catch his breath and push his magic even further down, and then goes to follow- Merlin hissing worried nonsense in his ears. Then Harry sees Tom out of the corner of his eyes, sitting all alone.
Harry is sure Oliver and Percy would be there as well, if not for the fact that there's a quidditch game scheduled to start, and Percy is likely with Oliver down at the pitch. He would very much like to be prepping for the game as well- only, this definitely takes precedence.
Tom is staring down at the table, face blank. He looks a little pale. Harry slows to a stop. Tom doesn't look up.
"Tom," Harry starts. Maybe Tom might have some theories? At the very least, he should know not to go anywhere alone.
Tom blinks, then looks up at Harry. A warm smile spreads across his face. "Harry! Good luck today-"
"Tom, I heard the voice again," Harry whispers urgently.
The smile falls. "That's impossible," Tom says, furrowing his brow.
"I know what I heard," Harry says, shaking his head. "And now Hermione is missing-"
Tom's gone very pale now.
"I'm going to look for her. You should find Percy or Oliver. Or both," Harry continues. "Being alone is dangerous."
Tom seems to think for a moment, and then stands up.
"I'm going to go to the Room," Tom decides. Before Harry can protest, he says, "I'll be careful, don't worry. When you find Hermione, come find me and we'll figure out what's going on."
Harry thinks about arguing, then decides against it. He's running on something of a time-limit, and Tom can take care of himself. Harry goes to leave for the library instead.
"And Harry-" Tom starts. Harry stops.
"Be careful," Tom says, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. "Don't- just, keep an ear out. Alright?"
Harry nods, and then he's off. It takes him surprisingly little time to catch up with his friends- but that's mostly due to the fact that they've been stopped themselves, by a tired-looking Professor McGonagall.
Harry's heart lurches into his throat, and he thinks distantly that that's likely where it's going to stay for the foreseeable future. He's all of a sudden horribly sure that, even after everything, they're already too late.
Daphne is chewing anxiously on her braid, Blaise's expression is grim, Neville looks close to tears, Ron is scowling, and Theo's expression is terrifyingly blank.
"Professor," Harry starts, desperate for information. Hermione's been hurt, he knows it, but how hurt?
Please, please don't let her be dead.
Harry's chest is hurting- his magic is pushed so far down. He hardly hears it at all when McGonagall sighs and says, "you six had better come with me to the infirmary."
"Hermione-" Daphne tries.
McGonagall nods. "Petrified," she says.
"No," Merlin hisses, sounding so devastated that Harry wants to cry.
He might cry anyways.
In fact, Harry feels like sitting down, right there on the floor. The world suddenly just seems so heavy. Instead he goes to numbly follow the professor in silence, trailing behind his equally quiet friends. Merlin licks his cheek, but it doesn't help.
When they reach the Hospital Wing, Theo and Ron are the first to get to Hermione's bedside; with Harry, Neville, Daphne, and Blaise arriving shortly thereafter.
Harry has to clamp down hard on his magic, and he honestly thinks he feels a rib crack as he does.
Daphne stifles a cry with a fist to her mouth, Blaise leans heavily on the bedside table, Neville starts crying softly, and Ron doesn't look far behind. Theo is still blank-faced, but his fists are clenched so tightly his knuckles are white.
Hermione is laying in the bed, stiff as a marble statue. Her hand is raised in front of her, hand closed around nothing. Her hair is loose and framing her frozen wide-eyed face. Her eyes are the worst part, glassy and unfocused. She looks dead.
Harry notes that the other petrified student is a Ravenclaw student that he doesn't recognize, but he's too horrified over Hermione to feel any way about that.
"They were found near the Library," McGonagall says quietly. "I don't suppose any of you can explain this?" She holds up a little hand-mirror. "It was found lying next to them."
Harry shakes his head numbly. His friends do the same.
McGonagall casts a quick Patronus, then tells the shining silver cat to tell Madam Hooch to cancel the match and send the students back to their dorms. Then, she turns to Harry and his friends.
"I'll escort you two," McGonagall says, gesturing to Harry and Neville, "back to Gryffindor Tower. I need to address the students there anyhow. You four," she says severely, nodding to Ron, Blaise, Daphne, and Theo, "get down to the dungeons. Professor Snape will notify me if you do not appear in a timely manner."
Harry and Neville trail after the Professor in a dazed silence, not so much as waving goodbye to their friends.
"How did this happen?" Merlin bursts out as they walk. "I thought- Tom said the diary-"
"I know," Harry says, shaking his head in an attempt to shake the image of Hermione lying petrified from his mind. He swallows, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. "Either there's a copy-cat running around, or the diary isn't as destroyed as we thought it was."
McGonagall ushers the two (plus Merlin) through the portrait hole before she follows. Harry and Neville push their way through the crowded common room, elbowing past the confused Gryffindors until they reach the far wall and turn to watch as McGonagall clears her throat and launches into an explanation of what had happened.
After she's told the students about the second attack, she outlines a couple of new rules:
"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."
Harry notices a pale and stony-faced Percy tugging Oliver closer and closer to the portrait hole.
McGonagall continues, "It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."
No one says anything, and McGonagall sighs heavily before turning and leaving the room. The silent crowd of students burst into chaos, each coming up with more and more outlandish theories. Harry wastes no time, snagging Neville's arm and pulling him towards where he sees Percy and Oliver exiting the common room.
"Neville- come on, we've got to go find Tom," Harry says, pulling at Neville's arm.
Harry's going to figure this out if it kills him- he owes Hermione that much, at least.
"H-how did this happen?" Neville asks, face bloodless. To Harry's frustration, he's not moving. "T-Tom said… he-he said th-the attacks were ov-over!"
"I don't know," Harry says desperately. "That's why we need to talk to him. We're going to figure this out, Nev."
Neville finally lets himself be pulled, and Harry practically shoves the boy out the portrait hole. He's just about to throw the invisibility cloak over his and Neville's head when a voice stops them.
"You're going to meet with Tom, right?"
It's Ginny. Somehow she's managed to slip out behind them without either of the two boys noticing. Her face is pale but she otherwise looks like a relatively healthy, still un-possessed person.
Harry nods slowly.
"I'm coming with you, then. Nice invisibility cloak, by the way," Ginny adds, looking at it appreciatively.
"Er," Harry says. He doesn't really see a point in turning her away, though, so he just ends up swinging the cloak over everyone. "Stick close," Harry whispers to the two of them.
Ginny's face had been pale, but it goes bright red as she seems to realize just how close she is to Harry. Harry has to withhold a groan. He'd really been hoping her crush had gone away.
When they arrive at the Room, Harry checks to make sure the coast is clear, then takes the invisibility cloak off and paces in front of where the door will be.
"I need whatever room Tom is in," Harry mutters. He might be doing it in parseltongue, but the Room doesn't care. A door manifests and Harry wastes no time pushing it in, followed closely by Neville and Ginny.
As they enter the room, Harry realizes just how silent it is- like the room itself is holding its breath. This is particularly noteworthy, because there are definitely people in here: Blaise, Daphne, Ron, Percy, and Oliver are all on one side of the room, staring ashen-faced over where a blank-faced Theo has a grinning Tom pinned against the wall, knife pushing into ribs.
Looks like his friends hadn't gone back to the dorms after all.
Sixteen-year old Tom has a foot and a half to two feet on thirteen-year old Theo, but anyone who knows the smaller boy knows that that isn't going to do a thing to stop Theo from causing real damage.
As Ron sees Harry, his worried face turns into a relieved one. Besides Harry, Ginny lets out a worried gasp and Neville tugs the girl gently over to where Percy and Ron are waiting.
Harry doesn't bother. He walks right up to Theo and stands, arms crossed.
"What's happening here?" Harry asks. "Whatever Tom said, he's sorry and doesn't mean it."
"You don't talk for me," Tom warns, his smile dropping as he turns to look at Harry.
Harry glares. He is not in the mood for any of this.
"Oh, because you're handling this so well," Harry says, after the glare doesn't have the intended effect. Tom narrows his eyes.
Theo doesn't move an inch and Harry turns back to him. He decides to try another tactic.
"Please don't kill my older brother," Harry asks nicely.
"He couldn't kill me," Tom says, amused.
"Try me," Theo says flatly.
"Why?" Harry asks, ready for this to be over already. He doesn't actually know who'd win this fight, and he doesn't especially want to find out. "Why are we killing him?"
"We're not," Tom reminds them.
Over on the other side of the room, Ron is comforting Ginny, who looks as alarmed as Blaise, Neville, and Daphne. Percy is watching, narrow-eyed, and Oliver looks lost.
"Prove to me you weren't the one who petrified Hermione," Theo says.
Oh, so that's what this is about. Harry should've known- but he's a bit distracted right now.
Unfortunately for Theo, Harry is less than interested in playing this game.
"He wasn't," Harry says coldly.
Tom might have been the culprit last time, but that wasn't his fault. Harry knows it- Tom isn't perfect, but he's not running around trying to murder students. They are not going to waste time on this, not when the real culprit is still out there.
Theo and Tom both turn to look at him, likely caught off-guard by the chilliness in his tone.
"How can you be sure?" Percy asks from where he's leaning against the opposite wall.
Harry turns to Tom, pushing both the anger he feels thrumming in his veins and his magic down as he does.
"Was it you?" Harry asks.
Tom laughs, although it sounds a tad strained. "No, of course not."
Harry gestures towards him. "There you have it," he says.
Now Percy is staring at him incredulously. "So you're just going to take his word for it?"
"I don't know about you," Harry says angrily, "but in my family we stand by each other."
Harry thinks he sees a flicker of something cross Tom's face- it's gone before he can put a name to it, though.
"Harry," Theo says.
"Theo," Harry responds, eyes narrowing.
"You're being an idiot," Theo says, cold fury bleeding into his otherwise flat tone.
Harry goes to tell Theo that he's the one being stupid, but Tom cuts in before he can.
"No, Harry's being rational," Tom says, raising an eyebrow. Harry can't help but wish he wouldn't provoke Theo, who presses the knife slightly further against Tom's ribs. It doesn't seem to bother Tom, but it's starting to make Harry antsy.
"Even if I could set the monster on someone, why would I?" Tom continues. "I told Dumbledore how the diary worked- I'm going to be suspect number one. I would have nothing to gain from doing this, and everything to lose."
He's staring straight at Theo, and Harry can't help but think that there's some level of Slytherin-y 'saying something but meaning something else' going on. He has no idea what that might be, is the only thing.
It seems to work, at least- Theo doesn't move away, but he doesn't stab Tom, either.
Harry decides it's time to end this for good. The Dumbledore comment has him feeling even more anxious than before, and he wants to get things moving along. "Theo," Harry says. "If you don't trust him, trust me."
There's a long moment where nobody moves, and then Theo steps back and sheathes his knife. He turns and stalks over to the cluster of couches and chairs in the room, shouldering roughly into Harry as he passes by.
Harry just rubs his eyes as he follows his friend and goes to sit down. He thinks he feels a headache coming on- and it's taking a lot not to think about Hermione, and how she's not here with them. After all their hard work- no. He has other things to worry about right now.
As soon as everyone else is settled, Tom points at Ginny. "Possessed?" He asks.
Ginny shakes her head. "Nope," she says lightly, despite the fact that she still seems rather shaken by what just happened.
"Ginny's been acting normal," Percy agrees.
Both him and Daphne have pulled out a parchment and quill. Harry feels a pang of sorrow as he once again thinks of Hermione in her hospital bed.
"So, why is the monster still up and about?" Ron asks, scowling. "I thought that wasn't possible any more."
"It shouldn't be possible," Tom agrees, leaning forward. "Harry destroyed the diary. I saw it happen."
"M-maybe the monster is-is per-permanently awake now, thanks to th-the destruction of the diary," Neville suggests.
Harry looks around the worried faces of his friends as the implications of that sinks in.
"It would have attacked again before now," Blaise says, fingers tapping nervously on his leg. "It's been months since the last attack."
The group sits in silence for a minute, just thinking.
"Could there be… could there be another diary?" Daphne asks hesitantly.
"Yeah, wait," Ron says as he turns to Tom. "Where did you get the diary last time?"
"I found it in the Room- I was interested in dark artifacts at the time, so I picked it up to investigate," Tom says.
"So, could there be another one?" Oliver asks.
"Supposing Tom isn't lying about the diary and how it works," Theo interjects, "it sounds like it was a massively powerful artifact. I'd be surprised if there was another one just lying around somewhere."
"If it was Salazar Slytherin's it would make sense to have a couple back-ups," Harry counters. "After all, I was able to destroy it without any effort."
Harry's friends look at Harry incredulously, Tom and Theo especially. Oliver, Percy, and Ginny exchange a look of bafflement.
"Your definition of 'without any effort' is different from theirs," Merlin reminds Harry.
"I guess it's possible," Tom finally says slowly. "Just unlikely."
"I mean, is there any other explanation?" Oliver points out.
"Yes," Theo says flatly. "Tom is lying."
"Enough, Theo," Harry warns, feeling another spike of irritation at his friend.
Theo settles back in a huff, glaring at Harry.
"I think Neville is right," Ginny says. Neville shoots her a soft smile, which she returns. "I think the monster is awake and just hasn't attacked again because it was confused, and lost."
"I think we need to do more research," Daphne decides.
"I think we need to do more research," Percy says, gesturing to himself, Tom, and Oliver. "You are twelve."
"Most of us are thirteen," Ron grumbles.
Percy flicks Ron's ear and Ron swats at him, scowling.
"It doesn't hurt for the kids to research," Tom says. Percy glares. The two turn to Oliver, who shrugs.
"As long as they follow the rules and stay out of trouble, I don't see why research would hurt."
Percy rolls his eyes, but the informal vote has been cast and Harry counts it as a victory. Sort of.
"What about me?" Ginny cuts in, scowling. "I don't want to research."
Harry nods sympathetically. It's not that he doesn't like research, it's just- it doesn't feel very proactive.
"Keep an eye out," Oliver suggests. "See if you notice any suspicious behavior from anyone. You're our best bet for recognizing the signs, right?"
Ginny smiles and leans back, mollified.
"Watching only, Gin," Percy says seriously. "Come right to me or Oliver if you think you're on to someone, alright? No confrontation."
"Right, right," Ginny says, waving him off. "No worries there."
Percy does not look particularly reassured.
"What do we do about Dumbledore?" Theo asks suddenly.
"We keep him updated?" Oliver says, sounding unsure.
"I don't think that's what Theo meant," Harry says. "But should we tell Dumbledore? Like, about the pipes?"
"Pipes?" Percy asks.
"That's how the monster is moving through the castle," Blaise says.
"We th-think," Neville adds.
"And you haven't told Dumbledore?" Ginny asks incredulously.
"For one," Harry says, turning to Ginny. "We don't tell Dumbledore things as a rule. For another, we'd only known for a week or two until the diary was destroyed and we thought the whole thing was dealt with."
"Speak for yourself," Daphne mutters. Harry shoots the girl an apologetic grimace and she softens.
"We should tell Dumbledore," Ron decides. "He's an arse, but if anyone can take down Slytherin's monster, it's him."
Harry winces. Tom doesn't look too happy about the prospect either, but Ron has a point.
"We can go to Dumbledore tomorrow," Tom allows. "We'll research today, and meet back here tomorrow morning to decide what to tell him."
Ron nods. "Then we go to him together, and hopefully that will be the last of it."
Harry valiantly ignores the feeling of dread Ron's words conjure.