CHAPTER 32: THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN
Daemon Potter sprinted down the labyrinthine corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his friend Ron hot on his heels. With each hurried step, he felt the burn in his muscles, a stark reminder of his lack of physical training. The urgency of the situation propelled him forward nonetheless.
Finally, they arrived at the door of his mother's office. Without a moment's hesitation, Daemon flung it open, startling Lily Potter who was engrossed in some paperwork.
"Daemon! What in Merlin's name—" Lily began, interrupted by the synchronized chorus of Daemon and Ron.
"We know what lurks within the chamber!" they exclaimed breathlessly, their faces flushed with exertion.
Lily's initial surprise morphed into a mixture of concern and apprehension. She straightened in her chair, her green eyes narrowing in focus.
"Daemon, Ron, you must understand, Headmaster Dumbledore is unavailable at the moment. He's been summoned for an urgent meeting with the Minister," Lily explained, her tone tinged with regret.
Daemon's frustration bubbled to the surface, his impatience palpable. He opened his mouth to protest, but Lily anticipated his argument.
"We can't simply pull Dumbledore away. This is a matter of politics, not something you can easily intervene in," Lily reasoned, though the weight of disappointment lingered in her voice. She had hoped for more from her son, perhaps the brilliance that matched his lineage.
"But what about Dad? Can't he rally the Aurors?" Daemon persisted, his desperation fueled by the knowledge that every passing moment could mean danger for Ginny.
Ron, standing beside Daemon, shared a concerned glance with Lily, silently urging her to find a solution.
"Daemon, the Ministry is too arrogant to concern themselves over the petrified students. They believe that Lockhart and Dumbledore should be able to handle it without any further intervention," Lily stated with a stiff resolve, her disappointment evident in her tone. She harbored little faith in Lockhart's abilities, seeing through his facade of charm and bravado.
"But Lockhart or Dumbledore wouldn't know how to deal with a Basilisk!" Ron interjected, his frustration mirroring Daemon's.
Lily spun around, her expression one of surprise mixed with skepticism. "A Basilisk? Don't be absurd. Basilisks kill, they don't petrify. And how could a Basilisk possibly navigate the school undetected?" she challenged, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she engaged in the debate.
"The pipes! It could be using the plumbing to move around, and no one has ever looked directly into its eyes!" Daemon argued urgently, his conviction unwavering despite Lily's skepticism.
Lily's arms crossed over her chest as she regarded her son sternly. "Daemon Charlus Potter, there is no Basilisk lurking within these walls, and you should not go looking for one. Do I make myself clear?" Her emerald eyes bore into Daemon's, demanding compliance.
With a reluctant nod from both boys, Lily's gaze softened slightly. "Good. Now, I suggest you make yourselves scarce," she instructed firmly.
Without needing to be told twice, Daemon and Ron hastily made their exit, their minds racing with unanswered questions and a sense of unease lingering in the air.
Breathless and heart pounding, Daemon and Ron dashed down the corridor, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. They only came to a halt when they were certain they were out of immediate danger, both leaning against the wall as they gasped for air.
Wide-eyed and with adrenaline coursing through their veins, they exchanged a glance, their minds racing with possibilities.
"What do we do now, Daemon?" Ron whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of their ragged breaths.
Daemon's mind raced as he scanned their surroundings, searching for any sign, any clue that could lead them to Ginny and the lurking threat within the chamber.
"Now," Daemon replied, his voice firm despite the uncertainty swirling within him, "we go into the chamber."
With a shared nod of determination, they steeled themselves for the perilous task ahead, knowing that the fate of their friend and the safety of Hogwarts rested squarely on their shoulders.
Ginny Weasley groaned, her head pounding as she stirred from unconsciousness. Blinking away the black spots in her vision, she reached down, her hands coming into contact with the cool stone floor beneath her. With a gasp, she pushed herself up slightly, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes.
The dungeon was both beautiful and terrifying, its ancient architecture casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls. Ginny's heart raced as she frantically searched her pockets for her wand, her fingers coming up empty.
"You won't find it," a voice cut through the silence, causing Ginny to freeze in place.
Turning slowly, her eyes widened in fear as she spotted Shadow, leaning casually against a snake statue near the door. He twirled her wand between his fingers with a nonchalant ease, his eyes closed in a relaxed posture that sent shivers down Ginny's spine.
"What do you want?" Ginny forced her voice to sound confident, though she couldn't suppress the tremor of fear that crept into her tone.
Shadow opened his eyes, his gaze sliding over to Ginny with a chilling intensity. She felt as though she were staring into the depths of an icy abyss, his eyes like shards of green ice piercing through her soul. He exuded an aura of darkness, a cloak of shadows enveloping him like a sinister prince from a nightmare.
"The closure of Hogwarts, among other things," Shadow replied, his voice smooth and unsettling. "To be honest, I hadn't planned on taking a hostage. I assumed that one child wouldn't be too difficult to dispose of, but they always seem to slip away, don't they?"
Ginny's heart pounded in her chest as she listened to his words, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not in the presence of this dark and enigmatic figure.
"The... the scars," Ginny stammered, her gaze drifting to the disfigured side of Shadow's face. Instantly, he flinched, his hand moving to gently trace the scars with a pained expression.
"Yes, that wasn't part of the plan," Shadow murmured, his gaze turning away as he stared towards the vault-like door leading deeper into the chamber.
"Why did you kidnap me?" Ginny whispered, her voice barely audible in the dimly lit chamber. She curled her legs close to her chest, trembling slightly as she awaited Shadow's response.
A small smile played across Shadow's lips as he met her gaze, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. He approached her slowly, lowering himself to her level with a predatory grace.
"You knew too much," Shadow murmured, his fingers tracing along Ginny's jawline, causing her to flinch involuntarily. "You would have alerted Dumbledore to my presence, and in the end, the school would be cleansed of Dark Magic, which would mean the end for me."
Ginny's anger flared at his words, her nose flaring as she challenged him. "So you kidnapped me to save your own scrawny hide?"
Shadow's fist clenched slightly, but he maintained his composure, his gaze never leaving Ginny's. "If I could, I would Obliviate you," he admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of regret, "wipe your memories and send you on your way. But alas, I am without a wand, and your wand's core doesn't resonate with mine, does it? Unicorn hair, if I'm not mistaken."
With a flick of his wrist, Shadow tossed Ginny's wand back to her, and she caught it with a mixture of surprise and wariness.
"You would wipe my mind," Ginny whispered, her voice filled with disbelief and a touch of fear.
Shadow's expression darkened slightly as he spoke, his voice tinged with bitterness. "How do you think I grew up, young Ginerva? Bathed in attention? Surrounded by gold and riches? No, I was a secret. If anyone saw me, they shot on sight. The memory charm has saved me more times than you care to believe."
As he spoke, Shadow demonstrated his control over the shadows, manipulating them like putty in his hands. Ginny watched in awe and apprehension, realizing the extent of his powers.
"This is why I gave you your wand," Shadow explained calmly, his eyes closing momentarily as he exhaled. "I can do more with the night than spells, you know. You cannot do anything down here." With that, he rose to his feet, leaving Ginny to ponder the depths of darkness that surrounded them both.
"I hear things, I know things," Ginny declared suddenly, her voice breaking the tense silence that hung between them. Shadow's eyes flickered open at her words, his curiosity piqued.
"Oh?" he responded, his tone guarded as he refused to meet her gaze.
Ginny pressed on, a smug expression crossing her features. "The Order. I know things about the Order. Things my brothers don't," she boasted, her voice filled with a hint of satisfaction.
Shadow's eyes narrowed at her revelation, his interest now fully piqued. "And why shouldn't I delve into your mind and uncover what you hear?" he purred, his voice seeming to surround Ginny from all directions at once.
Ginny held her ground, her resolve unyielding. "A spell, something like Fedelius, or... something," she declared, her words laced with determination as she challenged Shadow once again.
Shadow cursed under his breath, his frustration evident as he kicked a nearby rock, sending it flying into the water by the statue of Salazar Slytherin.
"Fidelius Charm. Wouldn't put it past Dumbledore," Shadow muttered, his eyes dark with irritation.
Ginny rose to her feet slowly, her wand held firmly in her hand, ready to defend herself if necessary.
"I still know a few things," she declared defiantly, her gaze steady as she prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
"And how do I know these aren't lies?" Shadow shot back, his voice dripping with skepticism as he summoned the shadows around him, shrouding himself in darkness.
Ginny met his challenge head-on, her grin widening as she spoke. "You attacked Sirius Black in Diagon Alley years ago during a raid. You were small, young. The Order thinks you were eight, maybe nine," she stated confidently, relishing the shock that flickered across Shadow's face before he burst into laughter.
"I was seven, young Ginerva," Shadow chuckled, his laughter echoing through the chamber as he leaned casually against a nearby statue. "Seven, and blissfully unaware of the horrors the light held hidden."
"Horrors of the light?" Ginny questioned, her curiosity piqued as she regarded Shadow with innocent curiosity.
"You've never looked past the rules drilled into your very being, have you?" Shadow retorted, his expression darkening with a hint of bitterness.
Ginny blinked, taken aback by his words. She had always trusted in Dumbledore's wisdom, believing that his actions were for the greater good. But now, faced with Shadow's unsettling revelations, she found herself questioning everything she had been taught.
"Tell me, what has Dumbledore done 'for the greater good'?" Shadow pressed, his voice low and intense as he leaned in closer to Ginny, his grip tightening on her head.
Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but her words died in her throat as she struggled to reconcile Shadow's accusations with her own beliefs. Perhaps, she realized, things were not as black and white as she had once thought.
"Look at me, I'm just a child," Shadow hissed, his grip tightening further as he pulled Ginny's head closer to him, "but I was thrust into war because of Dumbledore. Do you understand that?"
"I—" Ginny began, but she was abruptly cut off by Shadow's hiss, his voice laced with a haunting pain that struck a chord within her.
"I was only a child!" he hissed, his words echoing through the chamber with a raw intensity that left Ginny momentarily stunned.
For once, Ginny found herself seeing things from Shadow's perspective. If he was indeed spotted at age seven with Bellatrix, then he must have been even younger when he was introduced to the dark arts. The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning, leaving her speechless as she gazed into the hardened eyes of the enigmatic figure before her.
"I was only a child," Shadow whispered once more, his grip on Ginny releasing suddenly as he dropped her roughly to the ground. She cried out in protest as her hair was painfully yanked, forcing her head up to meet his gaze.
"Let's see how well Daemon Potter fares against a fully grown Basilisk, shall we?" Shadow purred, his voice sending shivers down Ginny's spine as the large vault-like door groaned and slowly slid open.
With a hiss, Shadow took a step back, melting into the ground and disappearing before Ginny's eyes, leaving her alone in the chamber. She whispered and looked around, her heart racing as she realized he could be anywhere, lurking in the shadows.
"Ginny!" A familiar voice called out, and Ginny spun around to see her brother charging past the open vault door, his eyes wide with relief.
"Ginny, thank Merlin you're safe!" Ron sobbed, pulling his sister close in a tight embrace. Daemon Potter, not far behind, looked around with a mixture of confusion and determination, his gaze lingering on the summoned snake with a slight shiver.
"Oh, Merlin, Daemon, you're here," Ginny whispered, relief flooding through her as she looked at her brother. Daemon nodded, his expression firm as he surveyed their surroundings, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Yeah! We're here to save you!" Ron boasted, puffing out his chest proudly, but Ginny's fear only seemed to deepen at his words.
"You guys have to get out, he's coming. Oh, Merlin, Daemon, he's still alive!" Ginny exclaimed, her voice trembling with panic as she backed away from the looming shadows.
Daemon took a hesitant step forward, confusion etched into his features as he surveyed the chamber. "Look, Gin, we need to get out. The Basilisk might come b—"
"It never left."
The three friends spun around, their eyes widening in horror as the shadows rose and coalesced into a chilling form, its eyes glowing with a malevolent green light. Ron paled, and Ginny whimpered in fear, her worst fears realized before her eyes.
"You! No— I-I—" Ron stuttered, his voice trembling with disbelief and terror.
"What, you killed me? In a way, yes," Shadow chuckled darkly, stepping out from the shadows to reveal his true form, the one Ginny had seen in her nightmares. His cloak seemed to be made of nothing but shifting shadows, twisting and fading as if alive, creating an aura of dread around him.
"Daemon—Daemon, mate, who... no, what is that?" Ron stammered, pointing a shaky finger at Shadow, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That's Shadow, and he's alive again," Daemon stated flatly, his voice tinged with a mix of fear and disbelief.
"You fool," Shadow purred, his voice sending chills down their spines as he swept across the floor like a specter, his form twisting and shifting like smoke. It was as if he were a Dementor, draining the warmth and hope from the air with each passing moment.
"I never died," Shadow purred, his voice a chilling whisper that seemed to slither into Daemon's ear, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
As Shadow recoiled, he positioned himself just in front of the three friends, standing near the imposing statue of Salazar Slytherin.
"Let us see, Weasleys, and Potter, let us match the power of Dumbledore's 'Golden Boy' against the heir of Lord Voldemort," Shadow growled, his eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger as he spun to face the statue.
"Speak to me, Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four," he commanded.
WELCOME TO LORDARESARCTURUSBLACK ON P.A.T.R.E.O.N
FOR EARLY ACCESS TO NEW CHAPTERS JOIN US ON P.A.T.R.E.O.N LORDARESARCTURUSBLACK