Where the hell did she go?

It's been ten minutes since she's trying to find Myrtle in the castle, to no avail. The second floor bathroom is empty. The third and fourth floor's too. No one has seen her in the library and the last group she's asked sent her a tripping hex. From behind. After telling her some false directions just to mess with her. Damn lions.

Damn castle.

Damn Moaning Myrtle.

Why is Eileen so willing to save this problematic girl? Guilt is nowhere near the reason. It couldn't be. If so, then she would have tried to kill the future Dark Lord right when she got back to Hogwarts. No, no guilt. So what?! Is it because she sees some part of herself in Myrtle? The poor, lonely little eagle outcast, left behind by those supposed to be her second family... does she unintentionally compare her life with Myrtle's and has somehow created an empathetic consciousness towards the fourth year ravenclaw?

She'd better not.

A little voice calling for help stops her in the run, making her shoes squeak against the floor. Thinking she is just hearing things, Eileen walks off again but soon comes to another stop after passing the next corner. Here. Pressed against the wall. Looking hurt and tearful in front of two students in yellow robes.

The hell? It is so rare to watch Hufflepuffs playing the bad guys nowadays. Another proof that bad seeds can spur everywhere.

Sadly, it's not Myrtle getting bullied again, but rather... Oh? Well, well, well—

"Harvey?"

"What?" Not-Harvey blinks through the tears.

"Huh?" The other two glare at the new arrival.

They look less dumb than Parker and his dogs but still dumb enough to not take them seriously. One has a wand out already. He might have used it before given the small cuts showing up on Not-Harvey's bare torso.

"Seriously guys... It's time to get over with this childish behaviour."

"You came to save your precious snake? Too late for that," the one without the wand chuckles.

She chuckles back. "No, not at all."

He frowns while Not-Harvey's face broke down a little. "Then you better fuck off before I..."

"I just wanted to take a shit, but now that I saw your faces I'm afraid of the thing that will come out of my ass, hell if it looks like you."

Okay, it came out super funny actually. She is almost prouf of herself for a long minute, but the dark look growing on their expression is nothing rassuring. She better get away while she had her whole body parts undamaged— if they can shoot the right spell with the right aim.

"You got a death wish?!"

"Show her, Marius!"

"Diffind–"

"No, you're not." She lazily waves her wand in turn and hits the spell away with her own's. It collides in the wall near the Herbology classroom door.

"You think you are above us because you're a snake?" the one called Marius seethes but he looks more embarrassed about having his spell deflected than angry.

"I'm above both of you because I don't lower myself to target little boys in the corridor just because he's not from a rival House. How old are you? Five?"

"Shut up!"

"Harvey, come here."

Despite the fact he isn't Harvey the boy doesn't dare to disobey the order, not inclined to remain pinned against the wall any further. Taking a chance at the others' lack of focus, he quickly ducks out of their reach and goes hide behind his savior. ...

Wait, savior? Again?!

Seriously, what's wrong with her lately?!

"Expelliarmus!"

"Missed. Try again."

"Anapneo!"

"What are you, a stormstrooper?"

They both grow red with angry shame. Giving up all pretense of dignity, the smallest of the groupe leaves his position and runs at Eileen. Luckily before he can reach her, his friend gets the brilliantly stupidest idea to shot a hex towards the duo. It hits him on the back and with a high screech matching a little girl's, he sprawls onto the cold floor.

At first, nothing happens at all. But then the skin of his face starts to shift and gruesome shapes of bubbles hatch all over his nose, cheeks, lips and forefront. Oh, great. A pimple jinx.

"Wha-Whaaaa..!"

"Jacob!"

"What's happening to me!?" he cries while dozen of spots explode into a nauseous squirt of pus, only to get replaced by other ones.

"This is your fault!" Marius screams as he is holding his mate like the boy as if the boy was actually dying. "I'll kill you! I swear I'll get my revenge soon!"

Eileen blinks. Once, twice. Then, she sees an opportunity to get the hell out of this dramatic scenery. "Oookay batman. See you never."

She grabs Not-Harvey's wrist without looking behind her. "Let's go Harvey. Time to vanish."

They run until one of them was about to faint- that is, Eileen who's never had a good cardio be it in this reincarnation or her previous life. She has fallen on her knees while trying to catch her breath, unlike the boy who was ready to run through the entire Forbidden Forest if asked to do so.

"T-Time out... Let's just... take a break...!"

"What if they're on our tracks?!" Harvey panicks.

"They still... have to figure out... the counter spell..."

"Oh... Okay..." he sighs, leaning against the wall and letting himself slide down the facade. "I thought I was done for! Thanks the great Merlin for your showing up before they could do something worse."

"It wasn't my intention," she admits almost too naturally. "But why are everyone trying to pick on you every day by the way? Last time was the same thing. Did you do something to get on their nerves? Are you actually a secret villain or what?"

He looks ashamed for a second. "It's not like I asked for this... It's just-I'm so small, this is the only way for them to inflate their ego and pretend they're some kind of big shots... They can't take on someone else stronger. I'm the smallest slytherin out there, the weakest on top of that."

He sniffles and swips away some tears with the sleeve of his robes.

"Being an outcast is a golden opportunity for everyone wanting to look down on their sworn enemy. They can simply convey the resentment they feel towards Slytherin on me and no one would do a thing to prevent it."

She can totally feel that.

Well, she would have, if Eileen was still the same person that died a year ago. Sadly for everybody (and hopefully for herself), she wasn't.

"Anyway," Eileen says, "What a nerve from them to pick on you. They're what, fourth year? Do they have no shame at all?"

"They're... they're second year."

At this, Eileen can't keep the last bit of seriousness she has. First, she is shocked. She tests her hearing just in case she has misunderstood, but no, everything is perfeclty clear. Her chuckle quickly escalads into genuine burst of laughter as she is unable to control it.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

"This is not funny!"

"Oh, yes it is!"

Harvey lets out a last sob before he composes his mouth into a pout. It is kind of cute, Eileen mentally thinks and can't help but start to feel some sort of fondness for the small third year who kind of reminds her of a pitiful puppy.

She was late for Potions.

It probably has been one of her greatest mistake so far, because Eldwins remains true to her words until the very end. Slughorn simply brushed her lateness away like he was used to for every misplaced students coming in after the beggining of the lesson, but if the Professor didn't take it as an offence, Sadell definitely did.

Atheis and Elizabeth abducted her after class. They took Eileen directly to the slytherins common room and threw her in the middle where everyone could see what was going to happen. It wasn't until Eldwins appeared in front of her that she knew she had seriously messed up. It wasn't Crucio, at least. Not that Eldwins is able to cast it anyway, despite the numerous lessons Riddle gave his little cult.

But the pain was as such. Her skin has burned, her inside has twisted in the most horrific way. She has screamed at the top of her lungs for what has seemed more than ten minutes. Lestrange even took part of the public execution, that undistinguished bastard!

Orion only watched with a wicked grin on the face, Atheis was cheering for more, and surprisingly, Elizabeth looked rather pale instead of laughing with the rest. Was it because of the blood Eileen threw up at the end of the torture? Or the dark spots smelling like rotten grilled meat on a barbecue showing over her limbs and jaws? She'd have preferred the pustule jinx, really.

Now she is turning over and over in ber bed, groaning and moaning in pain, with a burning fever that has taken over her whole body since the end of the day. No one gave her pain reliever nor primary care in case she's contracted some infectious disease. She has been left to die in the common room's silk carpet until one of them decided to levitate Eileen to her bed. Maybe she is currently dying. Maybe those breaths are the last, and no one would notice a thing until tomorrow. Would they laugh? Cry? Shrug?

Will she wake in another fictional universe once again?

Shit.

The pain is too unbearable... Gathering every piece of energy she has left, Eileen sits up and slowly gets up from the bed. She passes next to Eldwins' closed curtains and walks like a zombie to the door. The dormitory at night is something Eileen loves more than anything. It's quiet.

Empty.

With a little touch of thrills at the presence of ghosts everywhere in the castle. The Bloody Baron is such a sight, covered in blood like the nickname paints him and looking as bored as Eileen can be everyday of her life. She greets him politely as he passes her as swiftly as a light breeze, and the stare he fixes upon Eileen's feverish form is totally apathetic. It is so hard to read the Baron's expression that Eileen gave up trying long time ago.

Damn. Walking to the Potion Class is like climbing a mountain without the appropriate stuff. Each step takes ten percents of her vital force, and she still has a thousand to do until the storage room where what she was fighting the fever for is actually stored. She turns to a corner, then another one. Is the castle bigger than usual or is Eileen so close to die that she feels like crossing the Great Wall of China?

A sudden indecipherable noise echoes somewhere close to her. Had she the strength to jump, Eileen would have done so instantly but her current state deprives her from any survival instinct that should have forced the slytherin outcast to run. Instead, Eileen pursues her way to the hundredth hallway where another noise rises closer than before. As lucky as she is, maybe she would meet a prefect that could help her before deducting house points. That is what she hopes, actually. Dying alone is a scary thought, so maybe prefect Sun-Lee Jim would be so kind as to let her die in his strong, catcher's arms. But alas, this isn't who she stumble upon when she finally reaches the other corridor.

Well.

It is not Sun-Lee.

It's another guy, smaller, red-haired instead of black, lying on the ground like the best nap he's ever had. What the actual fuck?

Vision blurry, Eileen limps over the sleeping ravenclaw and, despite the restlessness of her feverish brain, immediately figures out that the stray raven is not in fact, sleeping. He is not even breathing, or moving at all. Blinking, Eileen nudges the boy with her foot. She makes him roll on the side, the unknown ravenclaw keeping the same position he has fallen into. Right leg a little up, like he had been petrified while walking... Huh.

Petrified...

Why does it ring a bell...?

Trying to force her brain into hard work, Eileen raises her head to think- or pretend thinking about the slowly alarming situation, only to stop when her eyes catches the sight of red all over the wall.

There is no need to think anymore. Because now she is aware of what, exactly, is happening right now. It is even a surprise that a montrous beast hasn't yet showed up right there to have the febrile slytherin's favourite victim as its meal.

"Fuck..."

Fuck, indeed.

She can't take her eyes away from the letters in blood (not the boy's apparently, he doesn't seem like he's bleeding) with the not-so mysterious cryptic message she knows by heart from experience. Or rather, from experience as a spectator.

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.

Ha.

What an irony. Her only goal here in this universe is to live quietly until Fate retrieves her old body from Harry Potter's world. She keeps repeating this to herself like a mantra since the day she woke up in her deathbed, all fresh and new to everything. Since she has met one of the elves' terrified round eyes who has popped out of the room with a deafening scream like he had seen a ghost.

Since she has return to Hogwarts.

Since she has met Tom Riddle in bones and flesh, already prepared to take over the world with a simple snap of fingers.

But now...

Now...

Fate is at it again.

It keeps pushing her to do something. To act. To change this world's destiny with her hands like the end of a deal she has no memory of making before being resurrected without any say in the matter.

"Fuck no."

Never.

She'd never asked for this.

She'd never asked to become some kind of protagonist ready to sacrifice everything to save the world. She is not that kind of person. Eileen is a spectator, a nobody with not a single spark of ambition despite her sorting– The previous Eileen Floquet must have had some if the sorting hat dis his job well.

She wants to laugh.

"No one is your enemy, idiot," she mumbles as she tries to blink away the black spots covering her vision. "You are... your only enemy. Getting killed by yourself at the very end." She chuckles. "Your biggest fear... will lead to your doom."

The fear of Death. Why Death, the natural circle of every life, while Fate with Its unforeseen plans was even scarier to Eileen?

The creation of Horcruxes will begin. She has to stop him— Wait, no. She hasn't to. Riddle can take care of himself, Eileen is not his fucking babysitter. Still... the rest of his future victims doesn't have to die unjustly. Maybe... just maybe? She could try changing some of other's fate, seeing as she couldn't change hers.

"Myrtle..." a sudden wave of dizziness makes Eileen wobbling against the wall, smearing fresh blood on her by accident. "I have to... save... Myrtle-"

The black spots grow bigger and bigger until her sight becomes a giant black screen. She falls unconscious next to the Ravenclaw's body, totally oblivious of the shadow lurking in the corner that had witnessed everything. The figure in dark green robes stays unmoving, blazing eyes fixed upon the slump in similar colours on the floor, watching and watching until they finally turn back and disappear in the depths of Hogwarts' infinite corridors.

Waking up is the most difficult thing Eileen has to endure in her life. To be pulled from deep slumberness is almost painful for the soul, it's like being ripped apart by the claws of reality, reviving the eternal torture of life. Pretty pessimist, but Eileen loves tales and philosophy that flirt with the sweet darkness of an emo soul. It's part of her, and maybe the leftover of what she had been before travelling through the multiverse of her death.

Everything is white.

The ceiling. The sheets. The bed. The light outside the windows. Maybe if the terrifying head of the old mediwitch of Hogwarts, Mrs. Pearstick, hasn't been lowering over Eileen's form the girl would have believe to be still dreaming.

"Can you hear me?"

Fine and clear. She nods.

"Are you hurt somewhere?"

Her nose. That much perfume on one's body shouldn't be allowed for the greatest good of humanity. Hiding her grimace, Eileen shakes her head.

"Good, good. Can you talk or are you still in shock to say anything? You can take your time, young one."

"I..." she tries, "I can talk."

Her throat is a bit parched and she probably has her breath smelling like a troll's urine but that's alright. Sick people have all excuses in the world. But contrary to Eileen's belief, Mrs. Pearstick doesn't look pleased by the news. She sighes dramatically and leans back from the bedside. "I would have prefered you unable to talk, as a certain someone kept pestering me all night to interrogate you as soon as you would wake, even though I already insisted that as a patient, you needed rest."

Oh.

She might knows who is the certain someone. And when a light chuckle starts to fill the Hospital Wing behind the mediwitch, Eileen do her best to prevent a sigh. Of course it'd be him.

"Violette, my dear. You are painting me as quite an awful person."

Of course it'd be Dumbledore waiting to clutch his claws into the juicy case of mystery that has just begun to summon chaos in the castle.

"Professor Dumbledore..?" Yeah, like that. Let's play innocent for the time being. Especially as a Slytherin facing the ultimate Gryffindor lover.

It is the very first time she is talking to the man in person. He is a lot younger than how she knows the future headmaster. She can see the orange shades of his beard and hair, the vivacity in those intense blue eyes and the real desire for justice and truth behind the features of a matured grown man.

He seems nice at first glance, like a great father who would do anything for his grand-children. But Eileen knows better than anyone what kind of person Albus Dumbledore can become for the sake of the greater good.

"Hello, my girl. Did you sleep fine?"

Well, except for the part where she feels like shit and where she knows that a scaled beast is now roaming in Hogwarts' pipes in search for unworthy "mudblood" preys, but Eileen couldn't voice anything without sounding suspicious or being murdered in her dorm at night, everything is perfectly fine.

"Yes."

"Lovely! If you don't mind, I wanted to talk about last night when we found you unconscious witht the young Sanderson in the third floor. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Well... I don't remember everything, Sir." And that's half the truth, sadly. "I was not in a state to think properly yesterday. I was on my way to grab some healing potions– that I intended to return as soon as I would have been better," Eileen adds quickly at the severe glare Mrs. Pearstick throws at her.

"I saw the body of some boy and I stupidly decided to check if he was dead- but he looked only petrified. And I saw the warning on the wall and maybe the sight of blood made me faint for good, because I remember letting myself fall on the side and... blackout."

She sees Dumbledore frown a little- like he was trying to gauge if he should believe her half-assed story but he immediatly hides any other emotions to keep his signature smile on. "I see."

He looks a bit disappointed. And suddenly, the false pretense of chagrin disappears and a veil of seriousness takes over Dumbledore's younger features. "Speaking about your state..."

He exchanges a look with the mediwitch, then both of the gazes stare directly at her. Ah.

"We found traces of a dark spell in your body, Miss Floquet," the woman declares with a deep frown. "One that might have got you in serious danger if we hadn't found you sooner."

The witch already knows what they're going to ask.

"Who did this to you?"

There. The only thing she didn't want to talk about. She prefers to rat Riddle out than to expose the constant life of a victim within Slytherin's walls. Dumbledore is unable to help, the only action he could take would be to increase his suspicion of Tom Riddle and ream headmaster Dippet about it. So, naturally, she has to play the card of a naive little thing to the end.

"I don't know what you mean...?"

"Eileen..." the professor starts but the girl cuts him off.

"I just fell sick, is all. You know how weak I am since birth. I thought I was fine since I returned to Hogwarts but it seems my body is still a bit feeble when the weather is colder. I... I'm sorry for the trouble I gave you last night."

"It is quite alright, dear," Mrs Pearstick manages to display the first smile since she woke up. "You are no trouble at all. And this is my job to take care of my students."

"She is right," Dumbledore pursues. "And even though I won't let this matter drop about who might be responsible for Eileen's current health, the main concern now is to figure out who did petrify poor Eliott Sanderson."

She bits into her lower lip to catch herself from spilling out what she knows.

"Where is he?" she asks.

They point to another bed across the room. From there, Eileen can see the slump of Sanderson's form, totally unmoving. Poor guy.

"I'm so sorry for him," she says in a whisper, because she really is. Because now she realizes that trying to save Myrtle is not going to spare the lives of other innocent kids.

"Are you sure you two didn't fight last night?" Albus occurs, "It is possible that he sent an obliviating hex at you by accident."

"Albus!"

At this, Eileen can't help the frown darkening her features. She should have seen this coming. Oh, so Dumbledore finally puts on his Gryffindor shell without any shame. Trying to gauge the lonely Slytherin's reaction to see if the snake is going to bite, led by the sense of guilt. Unfortunately for him, Eileen doesn't show anything but stern expression.

"I have the clear memory of walking to Sanderson's corpse- uh, body. We didn't fight. I didn't even know his name until today and as you can see, I was not in any state to throw a curse left and right. I am not even a pureblood, so why would have I targeted a fellow half-blood?"

Ha. Eat this.

"And how, exactly, do you happen to know the culprit is targeting non-pureblood students?"

... Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

"Um– Because it's kinda obvious? I mean... I've read a lot of things about the Chamber, as I'm in Slytherin. And I know this is total bullshit pulled by blood purists because they were afraid of muggleborn invading their second home. I mean– Huh. Is it not it?"

The two adults have eyes fixed upon Eileen like they were observing some kind of alien. In two different ways. The mediwitch takes her for a mentally deranged person for sure, while Dumbledore is seemingly elaborating a plan to dig past Eileen's head and find the truth he's searching for- something linked with a certain dark lord, no doubt.

"You are remarkable, Miss Floquet," the Deputy Headmaster states in the end. "I've never known we had a brilliant mind hidden in Tom's shadows in Hogwarts."

"Mmh... thanks?"

"Enough Albus. Miss Floquet must rest. Go bother Headmaster Dippet to call Sanderson's parents now."

"Indeed, Violette, I'm afraid I have other duties to accomplish. Well, Miss Floquet, if anything comes to your mind about this case, you know where to find me."

"Of course Professor. Don't worry."

Such a lie flowing from such a slytherin's mouth. She was supposed to be mixed with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but maybe the previous Eileen detains a little on the New One.

Tired with the interrogation, Eileen let herself fall on the soft mattress and is all too pleased to obey the mediwitch when she commands her to sleep.

She had been allowed all day to rest.

It was probably the best nap she's ever experienced in years. But, alas, all good thing has to end, because at six o'clock sharp, Mrs. Pearstick has showed up at her bedside to shoo Eileen out of the Hospital Wing without any mercy. Eileen has begged and faked tears to make the mediwitch pity her, to no avail. Mrs. Pearstick had a heart made of stone for everyone in good health within her territory. That's not fair!

Anyway, the worse part of the day has followed just after. In fact, it has begun as soon as the girl has stepped into Slytherin's common room.

She's been automatically spotted on by a dozen pairs of eyes. She has felt like an animal in the zoo right at this moment, being examined by multiple groups of snakes eyeing their meal. Human snakes, of course.

"Look who's back!" Orion sings in mocked laughter from the sofa near the fireplace.

The rest of the esteemed group of Slytherins are all gazing at her in a strange way, mixed between awe and disgust. Did something happen during her divine absence? Even Sadell looks like she doesn't know what to say.

"All hail the Heiress of Slytherin!"

Eileen freezes. She looks at Orion like he has just gotten mad, then turns to every other students who are staring in fear and confusion.

"What are you saying...?"

Black gets up from the sofa and takes a slow approach. "We've heard what happened. You cursed Sanderson last night and write a message with his blood to make your coming out as the dark heiress of Slytherin. What a surprise!"

Even if his voice isn't serious at all, Eileen is too shaken to answer the boy's spitting nonsense. She only gaps, not moving from the entrance where she has become the room's general attention.

"I... think there's a misunderstanding."

"Come on, Floquet," Nott sneers, "Don't be shy. That pathetic failure of Ravenclaw won't be missed by anyone. Good job back there."

"No, no, you idiots," she shakes her head, not bothering to lighten the choice of words in her inner panic. "You don't get it. I am not the heiress. I didn't do it."

"Of course you did."

"No, I didn't. I'm weak and fragile, remember?"

They can't argue about this, because it's true. Well, the previous Eileen would never be capable of such a feat, but it's not like they have to be aware of that fact. Hauntily, Atheis lifts her chin and asks in disdain, "If it's not you, then who?"

It is weird. They clearly don't believe that Eileen might be the culprit, but somehow they don't intend to let go of the matter either. Orion looks like he's having too much fun and the rest is just following the mood. Good for them, but Eileen has no patience for the devil's spawns right now. She has a crybaby to watch over before she gets eaten by a gigantic worm with teeth and eyes so lethal they can take your life.

Oh, you want an answer. I'll give you one.

"Since you asked, Greengrass," she begins with the same tone, "Let me surprise you by telling all the shitheads you are that the culprit is none other than your precious R—"

"I am quite intrigued, too. Let me hear what you have to share, Floquet."

Always here to ruin the fun. Clapping her mouth shut, Eileen stays frozen while Orion's smirk grows bigger and Abraxas' expression starts sparkling with recognition. Like a fan in front of his suprem idol. Riddle fits the picture perfectly.

A hand lands on Eileen's shoulder. The contact is electrifying and she has to suppress a jolt.

"So? I am waiting."

It is maybe the first time Riddle is genuinly speaking to her. The first time this poisonous attention is fixed upon her little existence with no effort on her part. Contrary to anyone's belief, she doesn't find it exciting at all. Not. At. All. More like terrifying.

Shaking lightly, Eileen chooses to confront the slytherin's prefect with her guts. Their eyes meet.

"Er... the culprit is..." she wants to run so bad. "It's... a Gorgonne!"

The silence filling the common room like a dooming veil is forcing her to explain.

"Think! It must be a Gorgonne. You know, the sexy bitch with hair made of living snakes that can petrify anyone that looks at her eyes directly. It's not a myth invented by muggles, they do exist, I know it. Some of them remained hidden in enchanted place like the Forbidden Forest, so maybe she managed to find a way into Hogwarts and—"

"You're crazy, Floquet," Mulciber deadpans. She shrugs.

"The crazy ones are those who think I am the heiress of slytherin."

"Shut your filthy mouth, fucking mudblood."

"Wow, okay. I was just trying to share my point of view-"

"Then I must say, you seem to have quite the unique mind, Floquet."

She turns her attention back at Riddle who's observing her like a bird of prey.

"Thank you?"

"I don't mean it as a compliment.

Oh, well. It doesn't matter anymore anyway. She has to get the hell out of here.

"You know what? You're right. I'm a poor brainless little mudblood who doesn't know anything. Sorry for bothering you. Have to go!"

Smiling like an idiot, she circles Riddle to reach the exit. She has other things to do than argue with her tourmentors anyway. Like, check if Myrtle was still alive and force her to go cry in another bathrooms to begin with. And then maybe try to coerce Dumbledore to watch out for Riddle, or maybe show him the way to the Chamber? Actually she doesn't really want to help the old geezer. Eileen would pass for a revengful accomplice and the girl would pay the same price as Riddle because she is in Slytherin and probably has other motives. Yes. It would end up like this.

"Why so hurried?" He grabs her right before she can totally disappear in the stairs. "Come one, Floquet. Let's discuss this strange case together as you seem so interested. Plus, you are still recovering from... illness."

Ha. You, dirty bastard, Eileen thinks amusingly. Her illness was not natural, thanks to Sadell giving her the slight taste of hell the day before. It's a fucking miracle to be still breathing after that to be honest.

"No thanks."

Now, gasps fill the room and Eileen realizes too late the crux of her mistake. No one rejects Riddle. Rejecting the boy means defying him, and everybody knows what happens to those who dare to. Feeling her arm bone twist under his more pressuring hold, she is quite impressed by the lack of anger over Riddle's face. He hides it well.

"Damn witch!" Sadell jumps from the sofa, "How dare you! You must show respect to your betters."

Oh, the irony. Smiling from ear to ear, Eileen faces the slytherin's prefect.

"I am so sorry, Riddle. May my miserable self be excused from your little cult gathering for today? My pitiful presence and I have much more important things to do."

Ah. That's not how she wanted it to sound. Now the slytherin common room explode in shocked uproar while Eldwins and Abraxas are ready to curse the hell out of Eileen. Luck appears to be on her side this day, because right before she's hit with a nasty hex that could have shop her head off without a doubt, the Slytherin entrance opens and Professor Slughorn shows up like a damn magician about to perform.

"Hello, students!" he sings, arms stretched wide.

"Professor slughorn?"

"Oh, Eileen dear! I am really pleased to see that you completely recovered. Although it might not be the case for poor Sanderson..."

"Is it serious then?" Riddle asks in an almost genuine concern. Not bad, but the basard has yet to let her go.

"Sadly, we won't be able to cure him without a specific ingredient that takes a whole month to prepare! But worry not, my young ones. He is alive and will be moving again someday!"

What a unique way to cheer for a misfortunate boy who might not completely heal psychologically. And Eileen doubts Slughorn's speech will stay the same when one of them will be found dead in some corner of the castle.

"But anyway, let's get straight to the point. We still don't know what happened and young Eileen here was not in any state to witness anything wrong last night. Until we find out what have caused this incident, the curfew will begin an hour earlier than usual. Each prefects will do patrols starting nine in the evening. Every students caught outside their House without a valid reason will have twenty points deducted."

Finally, every bit of hatred they have for Eileen get instantly replaced by a wave of protests that erupts loudly in the room. The adult shakes his head lightly in order to calm them down but he's simply paternizing them like he was addressing some kids instead of six, seven years.

Taking advantage of the commotion, Eileen surprises Riddle by suddenly pulling away from the grip to make a run towards the entrance. The glare he sends her way is nothing reassuring, but Eileen knows he can't just pursue her and retaliate in front Slughorn. Laughing at the small victory, she disappears in the stairs and enjoy the short hours of freedom left in order to find the source of her anguish.