Happy Deathday
"That bitch dropped fireworks in my potion! In the middle of class!" Daphne ranted. Andy was quietly formulating a way to get back at Danielle Play, the girl Daphne was talking about.
"Why don't you just put green hair dye into her shampoo?"
"Andy, you're a genius! But how do we get into her dorm?"
"The Gryffindor Common Room password is Wattlebird. Girl's dorms on the right," was Andy's reply. She barely looked up from her book.
"Andy!" Magnus shouted as he ran into the common room. She looked up immediately. "Think you can brew a Shrinking Solution?"
"Yes," Andy stood up.
"How quickly?"
"Give me six," Andy said, tapping her school shoes with her wand, causing it to produce wings, before flying off.
Daphne looked after them and sighed sadly. At first she had been excited at the fact Magnus Dragon was Andy's friend. But now she wished they weren't. Ever since Magnus came to Hogwarts, Andy had begun slowly drifting away from her. Now she spent more time off making potions than hanging out with Daphne.
It seemed like Daphne wasn't the only one who thought that way. Percival had stopped hanging out with Andy anymore, and Lily, Charles and Summer were drifting away to a group of Ravenclaws that went to their Chess club. Peter was... well, Peter; he didn't really have a friendship group, but even he was beginning to distance from Andy. Terence, and Magnus of course, were the only ones who seemed to be interested in the Tear. And even then Terence looked like he was there for Magnus rather than for Andy.
And throughout it all, it appeared as if Andy had hardly noticed the change in the group dynamic. Although, she had been rather sad a month ago, around the time when she and Percival had stopped talking.
~|~
Halloween was rarely interesting for Percival. He had hoped to spend this year with Andy, but since they were no longer speaking, he opted to simply go to Nick's Deathday Party with Alexander instead. When he arrived, he quickly spotted his friend standing in the corner, looking after Helena wistfully.
"If only I hadn't killed her," Alexander murmured to himself, "then I might have at least had a chance."
"You haven't spoken in 500 years. Maybe things changed," Percival responded anyway. Alexander sent him a disbelieving glance and raised an eyebrow.
"She doesn't deserve me, after what I did. No one does," Alexander looked down and Percival bumped his shoulder, causing his friend to look up at him.
"C'mon mate, it's Nick's deathday party. And one of the largest congregations of ghosts since Jacob's Memorial last century. Let's go meet some new people." Percival dragged his friend through the crowd and the ghost couldn't help but laugh. "Julier," Percival greeted, grinning. The ghost in question turned around and smiled, pulling Percival into a hug.
"Hey Percival. How are you? I haven't seen you since Jacob's Memorial," Julier replied, shoving his hand into his pockets. He was tall, skinny, silver-eyed and almost constantly in a good mood. Julier had died two decades before Jacob's memorial, and was only eighteen at the time. Hence why he chose to become a ghost. Well, that and revenge, but that's a long and complicated story. Julier, unlike most ghosts, wore the current muggle fashion, rather than what he had died in. Half because he wanted to, and half because the clothes in which he died in were no more than tatters.
“Been better, been worse," Percival answered, “you?”
”The same. Any interesting pranks happen recently?”
”Well, Hogwarts has had five pranking groups since I last saw you. The Kings decided to have a comeback a couple of decades back, the Marauders were some of the best, but Orpheus Mint could give them a run for their money, and then there is currently the Weasley Twins and Time,” Julier raised an eyebrow at the last name.
”Would Time be somehow related to you by any chance?”
”Yeah. She is— She was one of my best mates,” Julier nodded and chose to ignore the obvious sadness in Percival’s voice.
”Right, and the Marauders? I read something about them in the Daily Prophet around ten years back.”
"Let's just say none of them had a happy ending. Two of them, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, ended up dead, Sirius Black is still in Azkaban, and Remus Lupin had to survive it all and somehow carry on.”
“That is rather sad. Say, James’s son, he was Harry Potter, right? Take after his father in a pranking career?”
”Unfortunately, no," Alexander was about say more when Percival interrupted.
“I’m going to go annoy the 'Golden Trio', meet you by the cake in ten?” Alexander nodded.
”Don’t upset them too much," Julier called after Percival.
~|~
Percival joined them again just as a dozen ghost horses burst through the dungeon wall, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Julier started to clap to, but stopped when he noticed the glares on Alexander and Percival's faces.
The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging; a large ghost at the front, whose bearded head was under his arm, blowing the horn, leaped down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone apart from Percival, Alexander, Julier and Nick laughed) and strode over to Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.
"Nick!" He roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?" He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nick on the shoulder.
"Welcome, Patrick," said Nick stiffly.
"Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting the 'Golden Trio'. He gave a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again.
"Very amusing," Nick said darkly.
"Don't mind Nick!" shouted Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the hunt!"
"He's still as annoying as I remember," Alexander muttered.
"Maybe even more so," Percival murmured back. I will rip... Percival stiffened.
"Percival?" Alexander asked worriedly. I will tear...
"It's back," Percival said quietly. "Excuse me," he turned and walked quickly towards the exit. I will KILL...
"What's back?" Julier asked Alexander, who had, somehow, become paler.
"Come on," he said, flying after Percival.
Rip... Tear... Kill... Julier thought it was better not to ask questions as they traveled down hallway after hallway. Soo hungry... For so long... Percival swerved round a corner, and Alexander and Julier did the same. Kill...Time to kill... They darted up the marble staircase next to the Great Hall and onto the first floor. I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD! They flew up the next flight of stairs.
"It's going to kill someone!" Julier heard somebody behind them shout. Percival stopped abruptly, and the two ghosts did the same. On the wall ahead, shimmering foot high words had been written between two windows.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
Underneath it, hanging from a torch bracket, was Mrs Norris, Flich's cat. They heard splashing footsteps behind them, so Percival made himself appear as immaterial as possible, to make it seem as if he were also a ghost. It was the 'Golden Trio'.
"What's that thing – hanging underneath?" said Weasley, a slight quiver in his voice. The trio came closer.
"Shouldn't we try and help–" Potter began awkwardly.
"Trust me," said Weasley, "we don't want to be found here."
“He’s right," Julier said, “I’d get out of here if I were you.” The ghosts immediately zoomed off, leaving the 'Golden Trio' standing in front of the writing. Chattering and laughing filled the hall as students came crashing from either end of the corridor. The noise died immediately as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Potter, Weasley and Granger stood visible in the middle of the passage as silence fell among the mass of students.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Somebody shouted through the quiet. It was clearly a Malfoy. Oh how the once great house had fallen.
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Filch demanded as he shouldered his way through the crowd. "My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs Norris?" He shrieked. His eyes fell on Potter. "You! You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll–"
"Argus!" Dumbledore said as he arrived. In seconds he had passed the trio and detached Mrs Norris from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch, "you too, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger."
~|~
The ghosts of Hogwarts had a meeting the next day to discuss the Chamber of Secrets. Well, plus Julier who decided to stay for a few months. To his surprise, Percival was also invited, as Peeves of course, on the condition that he took the problem seriously. Julier, who had no idea who the hell ‘Peeves’ was, had to be filled in on a couple of things.
”We are here to discuss the unfortunate reopening of the Chamber of Secrets. Now, for those of you that are unaware, the Chamber—" Tom, the Fat Friar, was interrupted by Percival, who had opted out of his normal jokester clothes for something of the newest muggle fashion.
”The Chamber was made by my good old pal Salazar Slytherin to house his monster, which is a Basilisk for those of you that are unaware, and has been reopened several times by his descendants, AKA the Gaunt family. The ‘Heirs of Slytherin’, if you will. So now that’s out of the way, in a much more condensed version to what Tom would have given you, I suggest we actually discuss how the hell we’re meant to find out who the new ‘Heir of Slytherin’ is before somebody gets killed. Let’s just hope any targets see the Basilisk’s reflection instead of its actual eyes.” The assembled ghosts, bar Alexander, looked at Percival in shock. For most of them, it was the first time they had heard a serious sentence out of Percival’s mouth, let alone an entire paragraph.
”I can be serious when I want to be, you know,” Percival said, rolling his eyes.
”How do you know what Slytherin’s monster is?” Nick asked, not bothering to hide is disbelief.
”I was at Hogwarts when it all happened," Percival replied, as if stating the obvious.
”Yes, but I was too, yet I didn’t know," Helena shot back.
”Well I was—“ Percival was about to say that he was a Slytherin, but that would have implied that he had gone to Hogwarts as a student. “I hear things around the castle that others do not. Typically, I know what everybody is doing. It was no different back then.” Helena eyed him suspiciously, but dropped it.
”Now can we please get to the point! Sitting around answering questions, as fun as you may find it, is rather boring and I would rather be doing something else," Percival added.
”If you don’t want to be here, then why did you come?” Xander called across the room. He had died in a duel with a Dark Wizard about a two centuries ago.
”Because last time the Chamber was opened, a girl died. I would rather nobody got killed this time around, if it’s all the same. Now, to the point. We, well you, are ghosts. Nobody really notices us, so let’s use it to our advantage.”
”Scout out our respective houses to see if we can find the Heir?” Alexander suggested. Some other ghosts nodded in agreement.
One hour later, they had come up with an approximate plan. Percival became bored quickly, as a result of the near-constant arguing. The Hogwarts ghosts had not had a meeting in 20 years, and this was the reason why. There was always some feud, and bickering, taking place. Consequently, nobody in their right mind would call a full ghost meeting without good reason.
~|~
Daphne looked after Andy, who was no doubt off to brew some potion somewhere with Magnus, and quietly wondered how, after two years of close friendship, they barely ever even spoke to each other anymore. She had begun to notice it after that night on the astronomy tower. Andy's friend, Percival, acted strangely, especially after Allena Dumbledore revealed her name, and both he and Magnus appeared to know what she was talking about. In fact, Daphne felt that they only let her hang around them because of he family's connections to the European Circle.
Andy had refused Thornblood's offer, thankfully, but Daphne was still wary of the organisation. From what she had heard, they rarely took no for an answer. Somehow, word would get out that Andy was in possession of the Ace of Diamonds, and several societies would be after her. Spearhead would be looking for the missing card, Black Diamond would be competing amongst themselves to hold it, and several other groups would want to find the most powerful magic in the world.
So Daphne waited for the information to leak into the European Circle, and listened out for any hint that somebody might be after her friend.
~|~
Andy was on her way back from pranking Gryffindor Common Room when she overheard two third year Hufflepuffs discussing the petrification of Colin Creevey. She quietly followed them, listening in on the conversation.
"I can't believe a student was petrified." the Hufflepuff with black hair, Penelope, said.
"Neither can I. He was a muggleborn?" Penelope nodded. "Well, remember what that Malfoy boy said? 'You'll be next, Mudbloods'"
"You think it was Malfoy?"
"I think he has something to do with it, or at least knows something we don't."
"And what about Potter?" Penelope asked.
"Well, he must be connected to the Heir of Slytherin somehow. He was at the scene of Mrs Norris's petrification, and I heard that the Creevey boy was annoying him on a regular basis. Motive, and opportunity, right? But I don't think he has the means to do so. He's been against all the dark magic stuff since he was born. I don't get why he would be the Heir of Slytherin."
Andy turned down the next corridor, having heard enough. A student had been petrified, and people were blaming Harry Potter. Andy herself did not, for, like Penelope's friend had said, it would make no sense for him to be petrifying muggleborns. His best friend was one, for Merlin's sake!
Andy stopped her thought train for a moment, reflecting on the fact that it felt strange using the phrase 'for Merlin's sake' whilst knowing he was her friend's brother. Then again, Percival wasn't really her friend anymore, so she supposed it wasn't as wierd as it could have been.
She still couldn't get past the fact that Percival knew what Voldemort was planning, and did nothing. He could have prevented so many deaths, but, some Slytherins would argue, more importantly, he could have prevented a whole lot of hate and prejudice against those left living.
After much thought, Andy realised that was what she was most upset about. Not that people died, but that the consequences negatively affected Slytherins today. And, she supposed he had had no control over it, but all those hundreds of years ago, it had been partially his fault Salazar Slytherin left. And then history books turned it into something it was not, resulting in the greater population being prejudiced against Slytherins.
~|~
Magnus closed one of his Great-Grandfather's journal, his face a ghostly white. His ancestor had not only been an explorer, but he had discovered the location of the Tear, without the use of the Shadow Cards. Henry Dragon had stumbled upon an unusual place in the middle of a forest in Albania, searching for a magically altered Balkan Lynx, and approached the portal. It appeared to be like orange sparks around the edges, and the center was a shining blue. He had drawn a sketch in the journal, and done a quick painting in watercolour, as well a description of the surrounding area.
But more importantly, Henry Dragon had vowed to return to the location with the proper equipment. He had written that he would bring a different journal with him to go through the portal. But the one in Magnus's hands was the last journal of Henry Dragon, who had never returned from his last expedition.
Magnus felt the sudden urge to gather together what, and who, he could and travel through the Tear himself. But he quickly opposed the idea, telling himself to at least wait a few more years. Either way, he knew that one day he would go through the Tear and explore a new world, even if he never returned to this one.
“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”
-- Peter Pan