"Sadell please... Let's take a small break."
Not even one hour after starting to study with the girls, she feels like her brain is going to blow up. Staying in the same slumped position over the table with all those words to read and remember is such a hassle. And the silence... This unnerving, creepy silence except for the low murmurs of some Hufflepuffs gossiping in their corner... It is so insufferating!
"One more hour," Eldwins states without looking up from the Astrology book. "Focus on the transfiguration part first. Your gain of points last time might have been a fluck, but I won't have you losing more before the OWLs."
A fluck. Ha.
"Okay, fine."
She might as well pretend reading while hiding one of her indecent novels behind the cover. The results are going to stay the same anyway.
"Eldwins is right. The exams are coming close. If you don't want to repeat the year, you better be prepared before it's too late. As academically inept as you might be."
Eileen does her best not to sigh drastically. She pinches the bridge of her nose and tries to remain as composed as possible.
"One more question: why is HE sitting with us?" she asks, pointing Orion Black settled to her left.
"Because I was bored. Because Riddle and Malfoy are hiding somewhere in the castle, Nott is sick, Mulciber is taking the longest nap of his life and Avery—"
"I'm asking Sadell."
A page is flipped.
"You heard him. Because of all those reasons."
Thud. That's the noise of a face hitting the surface of a table. Eileen's face, to be exact. Hopefully she didn't hit the plate with the triangle sandwich on it, or she would've cried out of despair for the waste of food. Taking the opportunity to evade the revisions for a couple of minutes, Eileen goes for the remaining snack by putting it in her mouth almost entirely. Maybe dying out of asphyxia would end this miserable mental torture she has to endure for another two hours.
She coughs, ignores Elizabeth's disgusted face and pounds her chest with the fist to dislodge the piece of crumb stuck in the trachea.
"Always so elegant, Eileen," Sadell sneers behind her book.
Eileen simply shrugs, then pretends to admire the beautiful ceiling that was the perfect reflection of the sunny weather outside. The air smells like summer break at this moment. It's litteraly the only thing that makes her hold it together. The hot season isn't her favourite; the weather becomes too unbreathable, sweat makes her feel constantly uncomfortable and a lot of people had a lot of free time. Meaning: crowds. Massive crowds everywhere, all the time.
Let's say she only appreciates a little bit of warmth after such a rude winter.
"Black, can I borrow your Transfiguration's notes?" Elizabeth asks after a while of quiet. "I couldn't write everything down because of my idiot partner Dumbledore put me with last time."
"Which part?"
"The theorical process between animated and inanimated objects."
"Yeah sure. What do I get in return?"
"I am aware money doesn't mean anything to you, so I propose to do your Astronomy homework for a week."
Wait, what? Such a torture!
"Two weeks."
"Deal."
Elizabeth is smiling now, but Eileen is one hundred percent sure she must be internally crying right now. Who likes astronomy homework?! No one, that is the answer. Just thinking of all those calculus about the perfect angles of the telescope to see and check all the stars' alignments is already a headache for her. Without mentionning the thousands of significations and possibilities to create certain potions and whatnot. No. This is crazy.
"Is Riddle coming up to the studying session today?" Elizabeth asks after a short pause. Orion ungraciously shrugs.
"Don't think so. He had a serious matter to deal alongside Malfoy."
"And you're not with them because...?" Sadell inquires suspiciously.
"I had another matter to attend. Y'know... with Selena the Ravenclaw."
"Oh sweet Merlin," Elizabeth gasps, "Tell me you didn't."
"I did." And he looks so amused by the reveal along with the disgust on Elizabeth's face.
"She claimed to hate Slytherins!"
"And yet she agreeded to give me her body when I asked gently. We would've enjoyed it, had Floquet not interrupted the whole thing by the way."
That. Little. Bastard. Two pairs of eyes went straight to her in an instant and Eileen knows she can't hide behind her upside down book no more. Orion keeps smiling like an idiot, waiting for her to react. At least he hasn't mentionned the other thing. Or rather- he won't mention it unless Eileen doesn't show some sort of a reaction.
"It's... true. The witch almost Avada'ed me in the owlery."
"Okay, I want to know no more of this. Can we just resume our occupation before I throw up?"
"Elizabeth Jane Demeris. If you throw up over my books I will torture you until you lose all of your senses."
"Do you value your books more than your friends?"
"Absolutely."
"Salazar, what a Ravenclaw!" Elizabeth sighs and Eileen can't help but think the same. The quiet comes back around the table for another set of minutes before the Great Hall's doubledoors open again.
Eileen stops whatever she is doing (that is: nothing) to stare at Myrtle Warren who looks like a ghost. She stands up immediately, alerting the other girl of her presence. Myrtle doesn't think twice before she runs up to the Slytherins table.
Uh-oh.
"Eileeeeennnn!"
Sadell and Elizabeth are ready to hex the poor girl to death for her uneducated manner and the unofficial breach of the Houses code saying they can't enter a territory without being invited in. Of course, it only works with Slytherins when it's a matter of the Great Hall space...
"Myrtle?" she asks when the Ravenclaw grabs her around the waist, pouring her crocodile tears all over her white shirt.
"Eileen," Sadell growls dangerously. "Get that thing away right this instant. I understand you easily get attached to unpleasant feeble creatures like her but this is too much—"
"Wait- Sadell wait!"
"You have three seconds."
She is serious. The wand flashing some light to the tip, ready to hit is more than enough of a threat.
"Myrtle! What's wrong?"
"Uuuuhhuuu...I- Ho... Ugh!"
"One," Sadell begins.
"Myrtle, I don't understand a bloody word of what you're trying to say!"
"Two."
"Eil...eeeen! They- They...'re try... trying to..."
"Three."
In a panicked hurry, Eileen grabs Myrtle by the wrist and starts to run through the Hall towards the door. She hears Eldwins yell something but the moment of sudden alert had her blocking everything outside her bubble of anxiety. They are now running in the gigantic hallways, Myrtle sobbing behind her and a few students looking at them with wonder.
It's not like they see Slytherins drag people like ragdolls every day. Especially other Houses.
Eileen doesn't know for how long they kept running, climbing and descending the stairs like they had Death chasing them. Maybe they had. If not Death, then probably Sadell in one of her rare moment of fury, as distinguished as she tries to be every damn day of the year.
Once she has locked them both in an unused classroom somehwere in the third floor, Eileen stays still to regain her breath while Myrtle keeps crying waterfalls from her eyes.
"Myrtle... What– is happening... right now? And stop crying... for the love of G– of Merlin...!"
Sobbing once again to try and evacuate all mucus from her nose and to prevent another wave of tears from falling, the girl starts again.
"It's... It's Hornby. She- She wanted to humiliate me again and... and I tried to... to defend myself!"
Eileen can't help but blink stupidly, as if she hasn't heard it right. "You... tried to defend yourself? Like, with real spells?"
"Y-Yeah," the girl sniffs, "But I couldn't even manage one..."
"Myrtle," Eileen says with a surge of excitation. She grips Warren by the shoulders. "This is amazing! You stood up to that bitch! You evolved! Oh my God, this is a bloody good day."
"No it's not!"
Ah. That's right. Something must have been wrong because Myrtle is literally draining herself of all her body water right at this moment. "So, why are you crying?"
"Hornby... S-She... she wants to duel me."
"... What?"
"She told me to be in the courtyard by noon and... and accept my fate!"
Wait.
"She wants to duel you."
Myrtle nods.
"What time is it?"
"Q-Quarter past noon," she sobs.
Eileen stares at her for a long, terrifying long while.
"... And you're not in the courtyard yet because?"
"I'm scared Eileen! She will beat me to a pulp, humiliate me in front of so many people... I can't go! I prefer being called a coward for the rest of my life over losing and being hurt—"
She can't finish her sentence, because Eileen is already moving and grabbing her by the collar and pulling Myrtle towards the exit.
"E-Eh?! E-Eileen?! What are you doing!?"
"What I should have done long time ago," is all she says and keeps dragging the poor Ravenclaw through the never ending hallways until they are stepping outside. The moment Myrtle recognizes the fountain of the courtyard, panic overcomes her again three times more powerful than before.
"Eileen! NO! PLEASE!"
"Shut up Myrtle. You will learn to fight or you will die trying."
"WHAT?"
They arrive in front of a small gathering of Ravenclaws surrounding the foutain, with the svelte silhouette of Olive Hornby standing in the middle. Her loud voice is gloating in public, her face proud of all the attention she has right now. Eileen can't stand this type of people. That's why she doesn't get along with Greengrass in the first place.
"Oh my, would you look at that?" she suddenly calls out when she spots the other two approaching. "The Whining Myrtle in person! I was so sure she would be hiding in one of the closets by now!"
She cackles like a goose and everyone finds her little joke hilarious. She can feel Myrtle tense around her hand, but Eileen refuses to let go. She stands in front of the trembling girl, looking straight in Olive's eyes.
"Would you look at that, an ugly bitch who can bark more than she can bite. What are you, a fucking chihuahua?"
Everyone stops laughing at once. Exactly what Eileen wanted. Olive frowns when she finally takes a better look at Warren's chaperone. Her face previously shining with malice is now darkening with bitterness and suspicion.
"What are you doing here Floquet? This doesn't concern you, step aside."
Oh, the little goose wants to give orders now. It's almost cute.
"I won't fight if this is what you're afraid of."
"I'm not scared. I know you have a reputation for being the crappiest Slytherin of all times."
They recover their snickering and Olive's confidence is once again flaring like a blast of magma. She wants a fight. Alright. She's gonna have a bloody fight.
"Myrtle. Your wand."
"Huh?!"
The circle is already formed by now. As Eileen pushes Myrtle inside, Olive gets ready in turn, wand in hand and already gloating for her future win.
"Do you remember everything I've taught you?" she whispers to the other girl on the verge of fainting.
"No!"
"Protego. Use your shield as much as possible. Strike when she least expects it. And by strike, I don't mean a freaking experlliarmus."
"Why?!"
"Too easy. Remember the spells you learned, alright? Go."
Before Myrtle can beg one last time to run away from this nightmare, Eileen has already stepped back into the crowd amongst the Ravenclaws who were looking at her like the most amusing thing they ever saw. It's going to be a massacre. She will die right here, or shame will take care of it very soon.
"Ready, crybaby?"
The witch doesn't even let her stand properly. She lashes the first attack with the jelly-leg spell without mercy. Hopefully it doesn't hit, but the impact has been dangerously near!
"Fight, Warren. Fight!" Hornby mocked before throwing another spell.
"Wuaaah!" Myrtle cries, yells and dances on her feet to avoid all hexes aiming at her. The confidence she holds is below zero. There is no fighting spirit in the way the girl tries to counter, and a clear lack of anger directed at that bitch Hornby who casts easy spells almost effortlessly. Myrtle is the laughing stock again, while Eileen watches dispassionately from afar as the fourth year Ravenclaw is being psychologically destroyed.
As predicted.
Eileen was far from expecting the future Whining ghost to miraculously triumph on the first try. Myrtle is bound to lose for this time, but she sure hopes she does it with style. Her housemates must see what Myrtle is capable of. They must see by themselves what they're getting into, were they to try and humiliate the girl again. She is weak, indeed. Although not weak enough to defend herself against childish hexes like the ones being cast upon her right at this moment.
Myrtle covers a little, yelps when a stinging hex hits her thigh. She already is exhausted. The duel only started two minutes ago and nothing happened yet. Throwing glances around, Eileen can feel the boredom slipping amongst most of the audience who is now screaming to speed up the one-sided battle. Olive becomes conscious of the sudden pressure she gets from her peers. She is already sure to win, however she knows she can't guarantee any captivating show to satisfy the audience's craving for a spectacle of humiliation.
Her only weapon beside her wand was words.
"Look at you," she calls out with a disdainful sneer. "Crying and shaking like a newborn, unable to throw one spell. Are you a damn squib or something?"
It works. Laughs followed by snickers raise amongst the audience. It pushes her to keep going. "And you dare pretend to be one of us... Which kind of wizard is sloppy, weak and as useless as you are?!"
Myrtle is sobbing. She is used to this kind of roast by now, although hearing it still remains hurtful. It's like receiving punches through skin and bones, hitting deep in the heart and mind. It makes something flicker within her, and the ravenclaw brought to her knees looks up at the spectators one by one until she finds Eileen watching everything, squeezed between two older students. She wants to cry for help. To beg Eileen to save her from the unfair duel. To save her from the terrible humiliation on display for every young wizards to observe even if it means eternal shame for the rest of her school life as a witch.
'Finish that bitch off.'
That's what she just read on Eileen's lips as she was about to call upon her. There is no worry inside those serious eyes watching the battle like it was the most uninteresting thing in the world. No hope upon the duel's outcome when as a teacher, Eileen should be yelling encouraging lines to boost her confidence. Then why...?
She has to fight. She knows.
But she doesn't know how. Myrtle can't get her magic to go wild like others! This is so frustrating. Being this powerless when she knew she wasn't magically hopeless has always left her with a hollowed spirit over the years. To fail where everyone successes... To deject when everyone celebrate... It was so hard. So unfair.
"Let's finish the deplorable masquerade, Warren. I will be quick. STUPEFY!"
The magic blasts off from the tip of Hornby's wand. A Stupefy. This is the end. That witch had to show off her skill with their newly attacking spell learned in Defence later that year. It's over.
But all the frustration she felt earlier has solid roots in place. Every bit of animosity towards Olive and Life, every ounce of despair for all those times she let people mock her, trample her, make her wish she'd never set foot at Hogwarts topled every other emotions burning inside. It produces a kind of energy she had never felt before, something that suddenly combines with the rush of adrenaline of the next defeat.
Less than a second passes between the stunner and Myrtle's last desperate attempt.
"Protego!"
The wand movement is impeccable. The intent flawless. The need to stop the coming spell, more aggressive than anything. The shield takes shape instantly. It takes the hit without shaking and most importantly, it doesn't disappear straight away.
This is incredible. For her level, of course, but still incredible. Even Olive is speechless.
"Sweet Rowena," Myrtle swears breathlessly. "I did it."
"What the hell?!" Hornby stutters.
"Eileen! I did it!"
Indeed. She did more than enough though. Oh, the bitter look on Olive's face is priceless. Too bad Myrtle is not enjoying it as Eileen does. The former is far too busy trying to process the ultimate achievement of what a first year wizard must feel at their first successful spell.
"That's just a fluck," the other witch spits. "Let's not waste time any more. Eat this. Locomotor Mortis!"
The shield flickers a bit this time. Eileen tenses and prepares herself to shoot instructions immediately, but Myrtle surprises her once again with another shield charm as perfect as the previous one. The audience can't do nothing but watch, mesmerized by the most unlikely scene happening in front of them. Myrtle is standing up against Olive Hornby. Myrtle. Against Hornby.
What were the probabilities?!
Eileen can't help the smirk crossing her lips right now, far too fired up by the whole debacle that might enters the legend someday. It's like watching one's kid grow up in a sense. Yeah, Eileen is actually proud of this naive girl she'd tried to train for the past two months now. And although she expected her unofficial pupil to lose this duel, now is another matter. It's time to change the plan a little.
"Now Myrtle," she instructs out loud.
The ravenclaw looks hesitating at first. But when she gets a nod from Eileen, Myrtle swallows half of her fear to face the opposing adversary. Maybe she could do it. Maybe with a little more faith in her magic... in her teacher...
"No need for that confidence, fucking loser! I will crush it in a second," Olive rages. "Rictusempra!"
While it gets blocked by the shield, Myrtle conveys all of her guts and spirit into her own spell.
"Bombarda!" she yells with all her might, waving the wand in sharp angles.
Hornby startles at the dangerous spell but nothing happens. The crestfallen expression Myrtle makes brushes away all the doubts the bully ravenclaw had for a short period of time.
"Ha... Hahaha! What was that!? Do you really think a loser like yourself would be capable of that kind of miracle?! Know your place Warren!"
"Again."
The order is low, sharp and visceral. Eileen's attention is not on the outraged croaking toad in blue on the other side, but on Myrtle whose eyes open wide at what she sees. Her confidence might be crushed, but the fear of the consequences she will pay for losing has to be even greater. Myrtle gets back into an offensive stance that make Olive shut up for a while.
"Stupid bitch... Okay, I'll show you what a real witch is. Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!"
"Fuck you! Experlliarmus!"
Again, the shield is in place before the spell can hit. After a third try from the fuming fourth year, Myrtle takes her chances. She narrowly ducks the shot of magic and gets back on her feet aiming straight for the other's torso.
"Bombarda!"
A flash of light erupts from the wand. And this time, it works. Olive can only gasp as the spell hits her spot on, ejecting her backward into the crowd while the explosion makes the air crack. A stick rolls on the ground until it reaches the middle of the circle. Olive's wand. Eileen has a toothy smile. Not the same expression as Myrtle's, whose is completely under the shock of what just happened. Then slowly, very slowly, her face changes with a delight and that's when she realizes she's just won.
"What the..."
"Hornby has lost...? Against Warren?!"
"No way!"
"Hey, what's happening here!?" The pitch voice of the castle's caretaker rises behind the crowd of students.
Alerted, everyone starts scattering around at once, too afraid to get caught and lose house points for their participation to an unsupervised duel. Seeing Myrtle frozen on the spot and mentally panicking, Eileen immediately takes action by stepping out of the crowd to grab Myrtle's wrist... and run.
"Wh-Wha...?"
"Follow me!"
"Hey!" a voice ressembling Olive's shouts from behind, fuming with rage. "G-Get that bloody loser back here! We're not finished!"
"Faster!" Eileen yells as the two go hide inside the castle. They dash through the big hallways, pass dozen of statues and paints that were nagging about running in the corridors, until they quickly arrive on the second floor's bathrooms where Eileen drags the other without thinking. She didn't know where she was going; all she was thinking of was to flee the courtyard and hide from Mr Torsten.
Stumbling to the sinks, they could catch their breath while recovering from all that adrenaline still coursing through their veins. The chuckles erupting in the echoing space startles Myrtle, but soon she follows Eileen's madness and the room is filled with uncontrolable laughter not long after. It's endless. Crazy. Hell could fall over their head that they would still be losing their mind right now.
It lasts long. They've barely started to calm down that another fit of laughter takes their breath away again in no time. Myrtle is first to compose herself in the end.
"I can't believe it..." she breathes laboriously.
Eileen has the tap open to welcome water in her cupped hand. She splashes it on her face before turning to the other:
"Believe it, Myrtle. You won."
"Oh Merlin... I-I'm relieved but-! What do I do if Hornby wants a rematch? What if other people want to fight me?!"
Wow, it takes the ravenclaw only one minute to switch between proud and fearful. Holy Merlin's beard, this girl will never change. "You only beat Olive, your level is not that of one to take very seriously— with due respect."
"You think so?"
"Yeah."
She wets her face once again, getting rid of the last traces of sweat. God, she hates it.
"... My victory is thanks to you Eileen. I don't know what I'd have done without your guidance..."
"Don't mention it. You were just getting on my nerves with you pouring tears twenty hours a day."
"Still," Myrtle insists without batting an eye at the sarcasm. "Thank you Eileen. I might not be very smart or anything but I will be sure to repay you by any means."
"I said don't mention it–"
A sudden clank rises in the bathrooms. It is followed by a slight rumbling of the ground that put both of the girls on guard. The two witches exchange a panicked look as the sinks begin to move next to them. Terror replaces Eileen's state of shock. The alert of what she knows is happening has her immediately taking hold of Myrtle's arm to run into one of the furthest cabin. She pushes the door without locking it.
"E-Eileen! What is..."
"Shut up and close your eyes!"
Although she just said it, her hands automatically covers Myrtle's eyes and mouth at once while she gets further inside the cabin, almost hitting the toilet seat with her knees.
Myrtle protests but can only wiggle in the grip far too strong to escape it. The noise intensifies outside the cubicle, until the sinks stop moving and the ground shaking.
There are ten or twenty seconds of silence before sound of footsteps echoes from where the sinks were moment before. Eileen shuts her eyes in turn, pinching her lips as firmly as she can.
A sigh is heard followed by some hissing.
She can feel Myrtle tense in her hold as the girl stops struggling. Riddle is here. Right there, in the girls lavatory just outside the hole that leads to the Chamber of Secrets. That one legacy the psycho learned about himself in his fifth year as well as the weight of his middle and mother's name. This is the year where he crafted the very first horcrux of a long set to be created in the future, with the present corpse Eileen is trying to maintain in life right at this moment.
Another series of hissing rise in the place and this time, Eileen knows it doesn't come from Riddle. Not with the way the floor is vibrating as what should be a monstruous mass is slithering out of the dark pit and viciously slides on the thick tiles.
The fucking basilisk.
It's there, in the same secluded place they were in, its long fangs slashing the air at each of its movements. Eileen doesn't realize her entire body is shaking like crazy until her legs treathen to give in. More hissing is heard for a handful of seconds. Those two are having a bloody conversation!? Does he not have somewhere else to go?!
The hissing dies down.
The silent lasts long. Too long for Eileen to reassure herself that they weren't detected. She stops breathing as soon as Riddle starts walking in the lavatory. She expects the murderer to go towards the exit but at Eileen's terror, the footsteps are coming closer. And closer. The hell?! He couldn't have spotted them by pure instinct. Impossible. Her inner panic suddenly boils, triggering a last desperate move that would surely not have been possible without all the adrenaline of extrem fright.
A silent disillusionment spell is cast around Myrtle and her with her wand while the cabin doors open one by one until it's their's turn. Holding her breath anew, Eileen waits for the worse. The slight creaking sound startles her and Myrtle a little, but she remains still for as long as her mind allows her to. The door is now wide open. She knew it because it soflty hits the wall as it's pushed and left open. A loud hiss fills the air, low, terrific. The basilisk is here.
Right in front of them.
Electricity of fear surrounds Eileen instantly, because Death is literally at their door, waiting for them to look at It in order to snatch their souls. The fact they would've been goners if their eyes weren't closed freezes her bones. The hissing doesn't stop. It's very loud, menacing as though the beast is begging to devour them whole. It could. They would surely be tore to pieces by those murderous fangs before being gobbled down inside the gigantic mouth. God. Are they going to die? Again?
Did Eileen put all these efforts to nothing at the end? Is her existence that pathetic to have died two times without going over twenty...? That is so unfair. Fate is so unfair.
'Well. Let's hope I'm gone for good this time.'
She is so tired of living hopelessly like her own existence is not worth in any galaxies.
However, as soon as the idea of dying crosses her mind, she hears Riddle retreats. Like that. Walking away, leaving the two unfortunate eavesdroppers alive and undetected. What?
The slithering basilisk seem to move its position in turn, apparently returning to the sinks where a hissing incantation is cast before the rumbling echoe ceases for good, replaced by a deadly silence Eileen doesn't dare to break yet. It's not until she makes sure Riddle's footsteps are outside the lavatory that Eileen catches her breath for the first time in an eternity. Myrtle hurries out of the cabin as soon as she's released to do the same, tears and snot pouring on her face.
"W-W-What was that!?"
"Beats me," Eileen lies brazenly. Myrtle doesn't need to know she almost got eaten by a giant snake controlled by Tom Riddle whom she dreamed to get engaged with someday.
"Holy Rowena! I... How-" The poor girl seems not in a state of mind to formulate proper sentences. "We have to tell a teacher."
"Ha?" Eileen frowns. "Are you mad? We don't even know what that was, let alone prove we weren't just hallucinating."
"But you... You looked like you knew what happened though?"
Damn. Since when does Myrtle gain more braincells when frightened?
"I didn't."
"Let's go tell Dippet. Maybe that thing is linked with the petrifactions..."
"Myrtle..."
"Hurry!"
She is ready to get out of the lavatory like a chased prey. Tell Dippet? And let Dumbledore know about the Chamber, discover the Basilisk Harry is supposed to kill, using it to his doubting deeds and condemn every Slytherins because the culprit would never sell himself? Like hell.
Sighing, Eileen takes her wand out and points it at Myrtle's back. Magic makes a straight line of light to the target and hits, making the girl fall down to the ground, knocked out. Putting the weapon stick away she makes a beeline to the ravenclaw.
"You stupid girl. Not even a shred of survival instinct..." Eileen crouches beside the other. The peaceful face is still covered in tears. "What am I gonna do with you...?"
"Indeed."
Jumping on her feet, Eileen doesn't think twice before throwing an offensive spell right at the source of the voice. Riddle deflects it easily without even batting an eye, leaning on the entrance frame. Since when...!?
"What are you doing here?"
"That's my line actually," he replies with a hint of amusement. However, his expression is all but pleased. He diverts his gaze on the unconscious girl behind Eileen, then locks eyes with the latter again.
"It seems we have a lot to discuss you and I."
"We don't," she interjects dryly. "Myrtle and I were just having a small argument."
"Oh, yes. About warning headmaster Dippet of a certain thing you experienced here, right?"
Fuck me. There is no escape to what is to come in the end, because this son of a bitch has been pretending to be gone when he was actually hiding and watching them from afar. Right. Luck isn't on her side after all.
"Are you going to let us go?"
"Are you hoping for me to say yes and let both of you return to your boring lives as if nothing happened?"
"... Yes?"
"Then no."
That is all Eileen needs to hear before launching an attack at the Slytherin's Heir. He dodges of course, then comes back with another spell that almost gauged her eyes out if Eileen wasn't sharp on reflexes. They start to duel.
Holy shit, it's the first time she is against Tom Riddle and the first time in two years she is genuinely allowing herself to fight without restraining her magical abilities. Tom is strong. Undoubtly stronger than she is, but then again Eileen is not the same person he'd known before. Indeed, she is still considered as new to this world, but it doesn't mean she's actually powerless. She'd been familiar with some spells in her previous life. She knew most of the things magical kids learn before Hogwarts, and it's not like she hadn't done anything during the tume she came back from the dead.
Spending two months confined in a manor without friends nor family to help her adjust to this new life has permitted her to gather all the knowledge of this world including the most important one: Magic.
She has trained everyday. Every single day of summer in order to be able to cast a shield, to stupefy rabbits, to create explosions, to summon items, transform them, change appearence, muffle the elves's constant bragging, and even more. She had to catch up fifteen years of basic magic if she wanted to go to Hogwarts even if it meant giving up any other subject like Potions, Astonomy, Runes and History of Magic. She could at least do Charms, Transfiguration and Defence even though she was able to dodge most of the practical lessons for this. She could live as a proper witch.
"Stupefy!"
She misses by two inches while Riddle throws back one of his own hex. "Lapilis corpus."
She ducks down in order to avoid the curse but her arm gets hit in the process. The skin goes hard and greyish instantly, putting more weight for her to move as another shot of magic brushes past her head. Half of the forearm has become stone now. This is bad. Really bad. Riddle clearly has the advantage there, shooting spells after spells like he was reciting lines of poetry while Eileen had to fight for her as well as for Myrtle lying inconscious on the side.
And maybe that was her biggest mistake from the beginning.
"Relashio! Anapneo! Expelliarmus!" she yells before running towards Riddle. He barely has time to deflect all those at once that Eileen pounces on him with all her strength.
They fall on the floor together, Eileen on top trying to grab the wand Riddle is stretching away from her reach. One hit on the ribs makes her loose her own's and Riddle takes this chance to roll them over, straddling the slytherin girl in turn. The exit is only three feet away now. One blasting spell would be enough to get rid of that bastard and run away with Myrtle. But Riddle had her wrist pinned on the floor and his wand right under her throat. Time stops for a minute where both of them are staring at each other, wheezing like crazy.
"Get... off of me," she grunts in pain. He must've broken one rib or two.
"Don't think so. What were you doing in the lavatory?"
"Just... celebrating Myrtle's first victory. Nothing more. Get off now."
"What did you see?"
"Wha—" she almost gags as he presses the wand further into the skin.
"Answer me."
"We didn't see anything! You bastard, we were just afraid some teacher had followed us here to give detention because of the duel."
Thirty more seconds. She only needs thirty more seconds in order to gather as much magic as she could. Stalling time is the best option she has right now.
"Do you know what is hiding under the sink?"
"I fucking don't! Let me go."
"You're lying. I know you saw it. You wouldn't be roaming around this place for ages if you didn't."
"Listen Riddle. All of this is a big misunderstanding. You're being paranoiac because of all that fame you gained over the year. Myrtle and I were in the wrong place at the wrong time and we really, really haven't seen anything."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because we wouldn't be here otherwise!"
"Why?"
"Are you kidding me?! Who would be alive after staring at that monster in the—"
Ah.
Now she has done it. Riddle's eyes are gleaming with something akin to triumph while a sense of alert takes over his body at the same time. He actually has been aiming for this.
Thirty seconds are up. Before Riddle can take any action, Eileen's free hand suddenly lays over Riddle's face, a concentration of magic forming an irregular sphere of light in the palm. The slytherin prefect has no time to look confused. The aggressive magic blasts off without warning, propulsing Riddle across the room until his body crashes onto the wall, scattering pieces of broken tiles everywhere. Holy shit. She has really done this. Whatever she has been thinking of when coming up with the idea, she hadn't thought it would be that powerful.
Finally free, it's with great pain that Eileen gets back on her feet and stumbles. She doesn't wait to check if he's still alive; Eileen rushes to Myrtle's side and starts to lift the knocked out girl, limping with the dead weight on her back. They have to get out of here quickly before Riddle retaliates.
They have to go hide for the rest of the day. Between Hornby, Mr. Torsten and now Riddle, Eileen would not know peace until the end of time. So the question is: where to go? Dumbledore? Certainly not, the old geezer would start asking too much questions she is not supposed to know the answer of. Same for Dippet. Slughorn? Bad idea, knowing Riddle's his favourite. He would never believe the story.
"Hold on Myrtle. You're not gonna die here, I promise."
She must bring the ravenclaw to Mrs. Pearstick for now. The Hospital Wing is the most secured place in the castle, seconded only to the Room of Requirement. It was too dangerous to venture in the Slythering House right now.
"Diffindo."
Eileen is too exhausted to pay attention at her surrounding, resulting in getting cut behind the knees while carrying Warren. She collapses heavily, letting go of the weight in her fall. Sprawled on the floor, Eileen quickly turns to the form of Riddle walking through the wall of dust, murder in his eyes. Shit.
"Expellia—"
With one single wave of wand, Eileen is sent flying in turn by an invisible force. Her body is first smashed into one of the mirrors above the sink, breaking it in hundred of sharp pieces that cut into her skin like nothing, then she is tossed to the furthest wall like Riddle earlier, and lastly into one of the cabins before being flung up in the air. She feels something crack when her back hits the high ceiling. The invisible grip disappears soon after, letting Eileen be the victim of gravity once again. The impact with the ground is loud and painful. She can barely register what just happened as blood rushes into her head with a deafening buzz.
Is she alive?
Seems so. The pain is far too agonizing for her to be dead.
Vision blurry, Eileen's whistling breath fills the room while she can feel her own blood disperse on the broken glass everywhere on the floor, piercing every part of her skin like it was nothing. Blinking the black spots away, Eileen can only watch as Tom Riddle walks calmy towards Myrtle. His wand is out, back turned on Eileen who spits more blood when she tries to speak.
"N-N... No...! Rid...dle, no."
He doesn't hear her, or doesn't want to. Myrtle is a witness, there is no way he's going to let her live. She is going to get killed. Myrtle will die in front of her and Eileen can do nothing.
Nothing at all.
"Y-You fucker!" she attempts to yell with blood in her mouth. She wouldn't let him do as he pleases. She couldn't. She has to do something. He aims at the unconscious ravenclaw.
Fuck.
"Riddle! Don't... you dare... take her life again!"
As she howls those words at him, Eileen lets go of the last ounce of consciousness in her body and gets swallowed by the sudden screen of darkness.
She blackouts.