Chapter 22 – The Consequences of Inaction

Great Hall

Septima Vector was worried. All the professors were, at least she hoped her boss was actually worried, but she was also concerned for another reason. Arithmancy was her specialty and her mage sight gave her an added insight to the stability of Hogwarts and her magic.

While settling in for the night, having finished grading essays already, she had felt the castle swell in what could only be pleasure. Septima wasn't sure what had caused it but she had a feeling it was something to do with uniting the houses against the darkness that seemed to be building. It had been impossible to do anything but bask in the warmth radiating in the air, even if she was the only one who really felt it.

When she had finally been able to drag her overly relaxed body to bed, she had expected to sleep soundly and completely until her alarm awoke her in the morning. Being jolted awake at two something in the morning by feelings of rage, despair and confusion was more than unexpected. Sir Nicholas had found the Susan Bones and Luna Lovegood petrified on the fifth floor and the castle had known a second later because of his connection to her. Filius had been pounding on her door less than ten minutes later for the emergency staff meeting being held at three.

She had spoken with Filius, Severus, Bathsheda and Remus as they left the meeting. Her colleagues had been just as surprised and concerned as she and each had already planned to pay close attention to certain students that were closest to the victims of the attack. She and Remus in particular would be watching one green-eyed second year.

Now, the staff sat silently at their table at the head of the Great Hall and they waited for the students to arrive. The Headmaster had asked that the elves not serve breakfast until all but the two effected students were present. He had also announced magically that every student needed to head directly to the Great Hall, no excuses would be tolerated.

The second the headmaster finished announcing the names of the petrified students, Septima was nearly blinded by a surge of magic centered on the Ravenclaw table. Power built and then exploded out from the source. The candles floating above the tables were all extinguished instantly and the empty glasses lining the tables shattered. An unnatural wind seemed to swirl around him, causing his hair to shift with its currents. If anyone else had been watching, they would have seen Harry Potter's eyes flash becoming even brighter and swirling with unimaginable energy.

A moment later, the magic died down and nearly everything returned to normal. The only proof than anything odd had happened was the little piles of shattered glass on the table. The Headmaster laughed it off and claimed it was he who caused the glass to shatter, though his eyes focused in on Harry with a gleam of intense interest.

The announcement had been devastating for many that morning. Two of their own, two of their youngest had been subject to the same fate as their former defense professor.

While the thought of being petrified was terrifying to everyone in the castle, many students had found it highly amusing that Lockhart had fallen victim to the 'Heir.' Had he died, of course they would not have found it funny, but he would only be like that for a few months and then he would be fine. It was, for some, a fitting punishment for the torture he subjected the students to with his personal quiz and inability to control pixies.

Fellow students being attacked put a whole new light on just how dangerous their situation could become.

When the Headmaster had called for silence that morning, before any food had even appeared on the table, they had been confused. There were very few students who had any concern that morning, and it was those students who would be hit the hardest.

Harry and Hermione had not been able to find Luna that morning and none of her dorm mates had seen her since the night before when she claimed that Susan needed her and left the common room.

Hannah had been angry when Susan wasn't back before curfew and because of her anger had not mentioned the girl's absence. When she woke that morning and Susan was still missing, she was worried and immediately went to prefect Littlewood. To say that Littlewood was angered by Hannah's delay was an understatement.

The news of where those two students were, and what happened to them, saw fear sweep through the hall in record time. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both devastated for obvious reasons. The second- and first-year students in particular were saddened. Those of Hufflepuff were also guilty; more than a few wondered if their actions the night before had caused this to happen.

Gryffindors, while not directly involved, were outraged and wanted to fight whatever force that had attacked two innocent girls. To them this was cowardly and deserved a direct retaliation.

Slytherin was perhaps the most interesting group to watch. The vast majority were scared and saddened like the majority of the school. There were a few that were also shocked in a completely different way. The most obvious of these was Marcus Flint. Marcus had been prepared to stand behind the 'Heir' when he started offing the mudbloods but now he was afraid. The two attacked were not muggleborn, nor were they halfblood. Both students that had been petrified were pureblood. The Bones family had a greater standing in their society than his own and while the Lovegood family were often considered odd, they were very long lived. This was not how it was supposed to go.

Hannah Abbot was devastated. The fact that Susan would eventually be revived escaped her for a moment and it made her think about what her last conversation with her best friend had been. The fact that she had essentially said their friendship was over was painful. Throughout the meal she had been inconsolable and honestly, her year mates were just as bad. They all knew they had messed up and they couldn't wait for the chance to apologize to their missing friend.

The study group was a mess. Directly after the announcement they all congregated to eat, or not eat in most cases, at the Ravenclaw table, even Draco. The other ravens allowed this and also did not say anything about the two spaces the group left for their missing friends.

Headmaster's Office

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office and glared at the wall of portraits. They had yet to say anything but their smug faces said it all. Any moment now, one of those self-important bastards was going to say 'I told you so,' and there was nothing he could do to stop them. Sure, he could silence them, but Vindictus had proved time and again that he was immune to that particular power. The worst part was, they had told him.

More than a dozen former headmasters had made a point to tell him that Lockhead, or whatever his name was, would not be the last. At least seven of them had insisted that he start reaching out to potions suppliers so that he could determine how long it would take to get Mandrakes to the school to make the appropriate potion. Phineas and Vindictus had mockingly told him that his inaction would cause him more pain in the long run and had all but begged him to do just as he did; ignore their sound advice.

The current headmaster had hoped that things would progress like they had all those years ago when Tom had opened the chamber. No, he had no proof but really who else could it have been? Months had gone between each petrification, not weeks. He had only ever attacked one student at a time and only muggleborn students. Whoever was doing this had really jumped in head first it seemed. Not only did he attack two students but both were from pureblood families. With so short a time between Blockheart, Bones and Lovegood, he was unsure how the rest of the year would progress.

He had told the students that morning and he could see the fear in all their eyes. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were, acceptably, devastated. Gryffindor, as expected, was outraged and he could see their need for justice. What had confused him was the fear and concern on the faces of all of the Slytherins. Where was the vindication? The righteous pride in their brethren's success?

Harry Potter's reaction had also pleased him. The boy was meant to be their sword and shield, so seeing his sorrow, anger and determination meant that the boy was still developing as he should, despite not having the correct guidance. He would have to work harder at getting the boy under his tutelage.

With a heavy sigh, he shifted in his seat so that he was not leaning back in his chair. He supposed it was time to pen a few notes to suppliers to get quotes on Mandrakes.

"I told you so," Vindictus said in the blandest tone imaginable.

"Must you irritate me?"

"I believe we covered this, Albie," the dark-haired man in the portrait continued, "it brings me extreme pleasure to point out the failings of those who follow me. I would not get quite this much pleasure if you actually were trying."

"Thank you for proving us right," Phineas chose to add. "What will you do now? If you don't get your cards straight, Hogwarts might kick you out."

"What does it look like I am doing?"

"Owling your lawyers?" Vindictus sneered.

"I am, of course, owling potions suppliers and greenhouses to track down mature Mandrakes for the two students effected. My hope is to have some here no later than the start of next week." Luckily, most suppliers were out of the country so no one could possibly think it possible for him to move any quicker than that.

Before anyone else could comment, the door to his office slammed open and an enraged head of Gryffindor stormed into the room. "What are we going to do to fix this situation?"

"I am in the process of writing out letters to potions suppliers to track down mature Mandrakes," he looked at her using his grandfatherly twinkle. "It would not be appropriate to wait for the ones we are caring for after all."

The woman glared at him, "And why is it that you hadn't already done that? I know it can't have escaped your memory that Lockhart was already petrified and would need this same potion."

"My responsibility," he said as calmly as possible, "is and always will be the students. I could not justify the cost of acquiring a Mandrake for someone not in the employ of this school when we are already growing them. Now that students are affected, I will make room in the budget to free them of this state that much quicker."

"You could have started looking after Lockhart," Vindictus needed to interrupt, "just in case a student was attacked too."

Minerva smiled triumphantly, "Headmaster Veridian is correct Albus. The truly responsible thing would have been to start looking immediately, just in case."

Albus sighed dramatically, "Alas, Minerva. Hindsight really is 20/20 after all. We can spend a life time discussing what should have been done but that will only take time away from the actions we are forced to take to rectify the situation." He went back to his letter, that only had three words written, "was there anything else?"

"Amelia Bones will be here any minute to discuss the Chamber and the security of the school."

The quill in his hand snapped as he clenched his fists. "And why does Madam Bones know about this? This is a Hogwarts matter and the ministry has no bearing here."

"Amelia is the guardian of one of the victims. I alerted both her and Xenophilias Lovegood of what happened to the girls. Both are in the hospital wing now, hearing the medical news from Poppy. I have no doubt that Amelia will wish to speak with you."

"And why did you contact the guardians of the students? We did not do so the last time the chamber was opened."

"We did not contact the parents last time," Headmaster Dippet interjected, "because the affected children were all muggleborn and their parents could not come here to see their children. If you remember, I had Mandrakes to the school within four days of the first petrification, no matter the cost."

"And you had the wrong student punished," it was weak but it was his only comeback.

"Perhaps but Tom was a model student and a prefect. Hagrid, while nice enough, was known for getting in trouble for his attachment to one beast or another. The incidents stopped directly after he was removed from the castle."

"Because Tom didn't want to be barred from Hogwarts. He didn't want the school to close because that would have meant he was stuck at the orphanage and muggle school."

"While this is all fascinating," Madam Amelia Bones said from the doorway, her anger plain to see. "It is not why I am here. Thank you for contacting me, Minerva." She nodded at the Transfiguration mistress. "Your boss should have done it but I suppose as long as I was contacted, I can overlook the deviation from policy."

"I am sorry you had to come all the way here, Amelia," his twinkle in place, "I assure you I have everything in order."

"I don't think so, Dumbledore," Amelia seethed. "You see, if you had everything under control, you would have called the Aurors when Gilderoy Lockhart was attacked. You would have also already been in contact with a greenhouse or potion supplier so that you could heal those attacked. Had you done what you should have done, then Poppy would have been able to tell me when my niece, my only remaining family, would be healed. Instead, Albus 'too many names' Bloody Dumbledore didn't do any of that. Instead, he sat on his ass, sucked on a lemon drop and waited for the situation to get worse." Amelia slammed her hands down on his desk, looming over him. "Am I correct in my assumption that you had no intention of informing the guardians of the students that were attacked last night? Did Minerva go behind your back to call me?"

"Now, Amy," he raised his hands in a placating manner, "you know that Hogwarts predates the ministry. The ministry cannot act on behalf of Hogwarts."

"Don't start with me old man. There has to be some way that the school could ask for assistance."

"Actually," Headmistress Derwent pipped up, "the ministry can aid Hogwarts with the permission of the headmaster or the combined permission of three of four heads of house."

Minerva smirked, "Luckily the house ghosts have been keeping me updated on obscure policies, just in case. It turns out, all four heads of house thought it was a good idea to not only inform the parents of the students but to ask the DMLE for assistance."

"I believe the charter also states you need approval from the governors to supersede the headmaster," he said triumphantly.

Phineas Black smirked in his portrait, "Actually, this policy was written before the formation of the board so Minerva does not need to even bring this up with the board. But even if she did, I think they would side with her anyway, Albie."

Amelia looked at the painted man then at Minerva, "I thought the portraits were here to help the headmaster, not argue against him."

"My dear," Vindictus Veridian sneered, "we are here for the benefit of Hogwarts. We advise the headmaster but there is nothing written anywhere that says we have to help him when he is being an idiot. We can shut up and watch you fail but I personally enjoy watching Dumbles squirm."

Amelia blinked several times, still looking at Minerva. The Transfiguration master shrugged, "Vindictus greatly enjoys making everyone feel like an idiot. He is quite literally the bane of Albus's existence."

The head of the DMLE stared at her momentarily, somewhat confused that the magic of Hogwarts would allow such aggressive attitudes in the portraits of former headmasters. "This is your warning Albus. You have until Monday morning; it will take me that long to get my team set up and brief those I plan to put in place; unfortunately, I have to take extra time to make sure that none of them are blinded by your reputation as the ultimate leader of the light. It will be a lesson some of them need to learn. No man is infallible. At breakfast in five days, my Aurors will be here in the castle ensuring that everyone is where they should be and that sane rules have been laid down for the students and staff. If I don't like them, then I am taking over, whether you like it or not."

"And she will have the backing of the heads. We can no longer allow you to treat the safety of the students so cavalierly." There was nothing but disappointment in her eyes as she looked at the man she once considered her hero. "I don't know what happened to you, Albus but I cannot respect the man you have become."

All around the school, students, teachers, ghosts and creatures alike heard a clang. Hogwarts could not agree more with the sentiments of the fierce witches facing off against an old man with delusions of grandeur.

Hospital wing

Hannah Abbot arrived at the hospital wing both afraid and anxious to see her friend. Hearing that someone you care about was petrified just didn't tell you much. She had spent the morning in classes not paying attention, imagining what her friend might look like right now. Would she look different? Did petrification mean she had been turned to stone? Encased in glass? Covered in something?

Would there be evidence of the attack? Would her eyes be open or closed? Would it look like she was sleeping?

Her imagination was driving her crazy and she found herself flinching at every noise, real or imagined, expecting someone to jump out and attack her too. Worst of all, no one seemed to understand. Her year mates had tried to comfort her or offer up hope but it had only resulted in her getting angry and yelling a them. Her irrational behavior came to a head in the Great Hall at lunch. She had just gotten done yelling at Ernie, again, when Cedric and prefect Littlewood stepped in. Cedric had told her to calm down, for which she was about to scream at him, when Littlewood had told her that she had two options.

The first was to take a calming drought. The second, and the one the girl obviously wanted her to choose, go see Susan for herself. Luckily, the professors announced that classes for the rest of the day had been cancelled due to the incident and the complete lack of attention they were getting from students, so she could spend the rest of her day ensuring that Susan was uninjured or at least on the mend, even if she couldn't respond.

Hannah took a deep breath when she found herself standing just outside the hospital wing. The doors were large and more than a little intimidating. She actually hadn't been here once so had never had the chance to see them before.

Looking around the large room when she finally got the courage to open the door, she found her destination but she was not pleased. Hannah saw red when she saw who was surrounding the only occupied beds in the ward.

"This is all your fault," she screeched. "If you had just stayed with the other slimy snakes then Susan would be safe, with me. How dare you come here just to gloat about what you caused?"

Six students turned their attention to the irrational blond storming into the ward.

"Hannah," Neville started, raising his hands in a calming way. He was not able to continue.

The first interruption was expected. Madam Pomphrey did not like shouting in her ward and made her opinion known quickly. The Matron had only managed to gasp the young Hufflepuff's name before she too was interrupted.

"How dare you," one of the young men said quietly but with rage dripping from his tone. Draco Malfoy was done. He was done with the constant questions about his loyalties and the disparaging looks because of his family's reputation. Enough was enough. "How dare you accuse any of us of causing this to happen to Susan and Luna." The blond male Slytherin walked with controlled steps toward his Hufflepuff classmate. "I did not think that Puffs were supposed to condemn their peers before they had done anything wrong. I thought your house at least would allow my house mates to let our actions define us, not our parents reputations and actions." He looked at his friends and could see their pain and anger. "What gives you the right to blame us?"

"You're just like your…"

"NO, I AM NOT," Draco roared, cutting her off. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder, allowing him to calm himself briefly. "I am not my father, Hannah Abbot. If I were, I would strut around the castle in the same way that Pansy does. I would throw out insults at every opportunity and would purposefully antagonize Ronald Weasley, just to see his face match his hair. I am not the heir and if I knew who it was, I would curse him. Only a coward attacks defenseless children. It very easily could have been me and I would have no way to defend myself. Do you know why I refuse to act like my father? It's because he praises a man who tried to murder a baby. How pathetic is that?

"But that isn't important." He looked back to the beds occupied by girls he spent a decent amount of time with. "While I admit I am not very close to Susan and Luna, I do consider them friends. It took me a while to open up to the idea of letting myself have acquaintances outside Slytherin, let alone friends. But I made it there.

"While my father would curse half of them, I would do anything to protect them. I don't care who Hermione's parents are. She isn't her parents and she is far smarter than I am. What I care about right now is the fact that she hasn't stopped crying since this was announced.

"Had you told me on the train coming here in our first year that I would be friends with not only Harry Potter but also Neville Longbottom, I would have laughed at you. Now I can't imagine not sitting at that table in the library studying with them. I wish I was as open as those two are. Right now, I know both of them wish there was something they would do to help Susan and Luna but we all know there isn't. Harry is so angry that it was them, he is about ready to explode and Neville is right behind him. Merlin, counting Daphne and Blaise as my close friends would have been an impossible thought in those first few weeks of school but it's the truth. Daphne couldn't stand me when we were children and my father refused to let me have anything to do with Blaise because of his mother, but I like them. Daphne is far more Slytherin than I am and Blaise is a bigger quidditch fanatic than I will ever be. Most importantly, Daphne would fight a troll to cure them now, while Blaise is ready to sick his mother no whoever is responsible for this.

"I will admit that I find Luna to be strange. The girl talks about things that no one else can see but she is also the most perceptive person I have ever met." He studied Hannah for a moment, she was still angry but it looked like she was finally listening. "Did you know that Luna left the Ravenclaw common room last night because of the fight you had with Susan?"

"How could she…" Hannah started but was unable to finish her question because of her confusion. No Ravenclaw would have known about that unless one of her classmates told them but no one but Susan had left the dorms after the fight.

"Harry told us about it this morning after the announcement. Somehow Luna knew that Susan needed a friend so she went. Though it might sound terrible, I am glad that Luna is the way she is because it means Susan wasn't alone and I hope she and Luna had a chance to talk before the attack because no one can hold onto anger or pain if Luna is around."

Draco sighed and closed his eyes. "Hannah, what you don't seem to get is that Susan is my friend and it is my understanding that friends don't turn on each other. If I was the Heir, do you really think Susan and Luna would be my first student victims?"

"He is much more likely to choose Ronald Weasley," Blaise added with no trace of humor.

Hannah sniffed and shook her head. "I don't care what you say. You're the reason she is here. You may not be the one who picked her but if it wasn't for you slimy snakes we would not have gotten into a fight and she would not have left. If she had stayed in the common room, someone else would be laying in that bed and I would still have my best friend."

"That is not how that works, Hannah," Neville said in a quiet voice. "I assume your fight was about our study group and I am guessing you told Susan she would have to make a choice, you or the study group." Neville waited for her reluctant nod before continuing. "Do you trust Susan?"

"With my life?"

"If that is the case, then why can't you trust her judgement about us?"

"I trust you Neville." Hannah glared at the Slytherin students, "I just don't trust them."

"But I trust them. Harry and Hermione trust them. Luna and Susan trust them, so why can't you? Why does Susan need to abandon her friends to continue to be your friend?"

"Would you be afraid of me if I had been sorted into Slytherin?" Harry asked. "It was a possibility."

"But you're Harry Potter. You defeated You-Know-Who."

"But I also have a lot of ambition, a known Slytherin trait." Harry watched her struggle with that. "It is my opinion that there is a little Slytherin in everyone. Susan's dream of becoming the Head of the DMLE like her aunt is extremely ambitious."

"Harry is right." Daphne stepped up next to the green-eyed boy. "To take it a bit further, none of us are just one type of person. I think I am very hard working; I have to be to keep up with my Ravenclaw friends, and if I am not mistake that is typically a Hufflepuff trait."

Madam Pomphrey stepped in front of the girl then, "You should listen to them. Eventually, everyone realizes that your house does not define you. It is our hope that you learn that here, but some don't realize it until they get jobs and realize they can't refuse to work with the guy across the hall because he was sorted into a different house." She led the distraught girl to a chair near Susan's bed. "Do you think I am evil?"

"You're a healer, you can't be evil."

"Ah, but I was a Slytherin when I was a student myself, so based on your attitude toward Mister Malfoy, Miss Greengrass and Mister Zabini, I must also be evil." Shock crossed Hannah's face causing the Matron to nod, "it is my opinion that your house should really only matter on the quidditch pitch. Cheering for your team is all well and good as long as you aren't hexing opposing fans in the hallways."

"I just want her back," Hannah all but sobbed. "Why did everything have to change? Why did she leave me behind?"

"Everything changes, no matter how hard we wish it didn't." The group turned to see Amelia Bones standing in the doorway. From her expression, it looked as though she had been there for a while. "She invited you to follow her, Hannah, it was your choice to refuse. Susan is meeting new people and expanding her world, something I approve of whole heartedly. If I remember correctly, I had a conversation with the two of you before you left Hogwarts about the people and choices that would be opening to you."

"And you told us not to abandon each other."

Amelia raised a hand, "I told you that true friendship was rare and should be cherished. I also told you that Hogwarts would show you who your true friends were and would introduce you to the people who may very well shape your future. People are unique. No one is exactly like someone else and children are not their parents. Who we are is a choice and is tempered by how we are raised? Hannah, you can't allow the fear of what might happen to drive a wedge between you and Susan, but you can't avoid everyone just because you haven't known them for ten years either."

"I've never met my parents," Harry said sadly, "but I hope I am someone they would be proud of."

"My parents spoil me, but I don't do everything they say." Draco shrugged. "My father would insist that Hermione is incapable of being better than me at anything but the reality is, she gets better grades than me in every subject most of the time, but I believe I already covered that."

"We want to be your friends, Hannah," Neville had moved back to stand by Susan's bed and placed a hand on the petrified girl's arm. "But, as far as I am concerned, we are a package deal. Harry is my first friend and because of him I have the people in this room. Fred, George, Cedric and Roger, all people that I probably never would have had the bravery to speak to if not for my first friend. I will admit that I never thought I could possibly like Draco Malfoy but he has proven to be a loyal friend despite what his father thinks of us." He sighed, "My gran doesn't like the fact that I am friends with Draco, she threatened to take away my access to the greenhouses, but I stood up to her."

"Susan keeps mentioning that she invites you to study with us," Blaise shook his head. "She usually makes excuses for you, such has you have other plans, but we were fairly certain that Draco, Daphne and I were the reason you never joined. Honestly, we are okay with that. We know who we are and what we stand for."

"But we hope that one day you will see things the way Susan does." Daphne's voice was quiet but clearly heard. "We are all heartbroken that she is here, so why can't we all watch over her together?"

Harry looked to Amelia Bones, still standing behind Hannah, before offering the blonde Hufflepuff his hand, "Will you join us, Hannah?"

The lone Hufflepuff slowly reached out her hand and took the one offered to her. She nodded and allowed the green-eyed boy to pull her to the bed. In deference to her discomfort, Neville and Hermione stood on either side of Hannah, leaving a space for Susan's aunt if she joined them.

Harry, for his part, didn't think he could stand there any longer. When he had heard about the attack, his emotions had been out of control. Like the others, he was sad, and scared, but more than that, he was angry. This is something that should not have been allowed to happen but he had feared it, though he never expected it to happen to Susan and Luna. He had felt his magic bubbling up in side him and knew he was the reason the candles had gone out and the glasses shattered but he wasn't sure how his magic had managed it.

The second it was announced at lunch that the rest of the day's classes had been canceled, he had left for the hospital wing. His friends had been hot on his heels, all of them forgoing lunch in favor of seeing their friends were alive with their own eyes. Harry and Hermione had been most concerned with the possibility of death. They had come across a possibility for what Slytherin's monster might be the night before but had not had a chance to share their findings with the rest of the group.

A Basilisk. The largest, most deadly serpent in existence. Spiders, the text said, fled from this terrifying beast and both admitted they had seen less of the eight-legged creatures in the castle that year. Additionally, Harry had heard Hagrid complaining about something attacking his roosters and it was said that a rooster's call was the only thing that could kill the snake. Most terrifying of all, Basilisks could kill with a glance. It all fit, in a sick sort of way and Harry had to wonder if no one had ever discovered this because they just didn't want to believe it could be true so refused to even look.

Part of him hoped to meet the heir so that he could stop him; the rest feared there would be nothing he could do to protect his friends.

Corridor, Dungeons – Saturday afternoon

Marcus Flint was angry. This was not an uncommon state for the sixth-year student but this time it was much more severe. Normally, he was just angry about the normal things. He did not like muggleborn students, he tried not to think of the word Mudblood that often or he would use it and then get in trouble. Students under the age of fifteen annoyed him to no end, because they were just that stupid, even if they were smart. Hufflepuffs were pathetic, Ravenclaws obnoxious. Gryffindors were the subject of most of his ire simply because they were Gryffindors. Even other Slytherins caused him to dream about hexing them. The most prominent in his hex dreams at the moment was Imogen Aldridge, the self-important bitch.

Currently, he was angry about something that usually did not cause him any problems. Quidditch. If there was one place he could almost respect other students it was on the pitch. Though he loathed him, Marcus could admit that Wood was almost as good a captain as he was, and he grudgingly had to admit that Wood was the best keeper in the school and would probably make pro right out of school. He was also willing to take tactics from other teams if they worked. That was what he had been trying to do that day.

The Ravenclaw team had a practice squad, though they called them reserves. Marcus wasn't sure if he wanted a whole practice squad or not but was determined to have at least one backup for each position in case of injury or death. Loosing Higgs the way they did last year opened his eyes to the intelligence of Ravenclaws strategy and he had immediately started with having a spare seeker last year. It was a good thing too; Malfoy was a great seeker, though he was not Potter, and having time to train with the team as his reserve had meant that they weren't starting from scratch this year. His goal for the day was to find a pair of beaters. He wanted a pair because good beaters were surprisingly hard to find and one of the current ones was always in danger of being on academic suspension from the team, Snape did not let you participate in the team if you were failing any classes.

His irritation came with the fact that one of the boys who had bugged him about it all year last year had not shown. Five hopefuls had shown to his little tryout that day and Flint had only liked one of them. He had seen the pair of moronic simpletons, Crabbe and Goyle, play around with the Bludgers the year before so thought they would be perfect for his team. Both had the build he was looking for, thick with powerful looking arms that with training could be brutal. Most importantly, the pair spent so much time together they were practically the same person, making them able to anticipate each other. Marcus thought they could rival the Weasley twins with enough practice. Crabbe had apparently decided he was too good to try out.

Goyle had shown, and was the best of the lot of them. The boy really enjoyed hurling Bludgers at people. The third year, Milton, and the fifth years, Pence and Donald, were all puffs in his opinion; too concerned with fair play. Rivers, the sixth year, wasn't terrible but he refused to work with Goyle or the current first stringers so that made him useless.

When he saw Crabbe, he was going to hex the little shit.

"At least Goyle looks promising," Earl Hastings grunted. He was a sixth year like Flint.

"Would have been better if Crabbe showed," Edgar Winkle sounded bored. Edgar was a fifth year and was quieter than his partner but much more likely to give his opinion. "Saw him last year trying to knock that little Malfoy off his broom. Paired with Goyle, they are formidable."

"Well, when the boy realizes how he messed up, I'll hex him, then torture him until he understands that you respect your captain. Then I'll work his arse off so that he and Goyle become a better team that those twins."

"You think you can actually get them to be that good?" Edgar wondered.

"Rumor is they were all but raised together so they know each other inside out."

"Except that Goyle says Crabbe has been acting weird," Earl added.

Marcus smirked evilly, "A good hexing should set him straight."

Earl stopped walking, glaring down the hall. "Looks like now is your chance," he nodded toward the young boy standing in the opening to a passageway none of them remembered seeing before.

"Crabbe," Marcus shouted, causing the boy to turn. Oddly enough, he also smirked. "I told you to go to the pitch, and instead I find you sculking around in the dungeons. Do you enjoy wasting my time?"

Edgar took a step back, unsure of why he was suddenly felling uncomfortable. The boy's smile seemed extremely creepy. "Maybe we should go."

Before they could decide to hex or leave, Crabbe hissed. Behind him, a large shape appeared over his shoulders. The trio saw a large yellow eye and fell to the floor and knew no more.

Abandoned Classroom

Fred and George Weasley were concerned with the state of things. Before Harry, they might not have thought about potential dangers but their new brother had shown them that anything could happen to anyone. To prove that point, Susan Bones and Luna Lovegood were attacked and petrified by the supposed 'Heir' of Slytherin.

If this guy was trying to claim to be the 'Heir,' he probably should have started off attacking muggleborn students. The twins may not subscribe to the pureblood only ideas but they knew people who did and they would NOT appreciate the attack on Susan in particular. The Bones family while typically light, was extremely well respected even amongst the darkest of family because they resected tradition. Attacking Susan really had been a mistake on the 'Heir's' part if he expected to have any support.

The twins were doing something they never thought they would do. They were taking precautions. It hadn't come yet, but they expected restrictions were going to be placed on the movements of the students. The staff would see it as a potential precaution against future attacks, particularly the staff that actually cared about student safety. Professor Flitwick would be at the head of any safety measures and they were sure Sprout, Snape and McGonagall would back him quickly, even if the headmaster would make it seem like his idea.

Fred and George Weasley were not stupid, despite what many thought. They also tended to be great judges of character. Something about the headmaster just didn't sit right with them. Fred thought it was his garish choice in robes, while George was sure he was hiding something under that twinkle.

"Are the potions all is stasis?" Fred asked from his position at their storage shelves.

George nodded, finishing the last spell, "They are. Everything should keep until we take the spells down. If it doesn't, they are all at stages that will still be safe if something goes wrong. The worst we will get is a cauldron full of cement in that one on the end."

"Drawers are all locked up tight too. The rarest stuff is in my bag, just in case."

"Perfect. At least we will be able to tell Harry that we won't be wandering off until this is all sorted. I don't want to disappoint or worry our little brother."

"Especially not after Luna and Susan were attacked." Fred shook his head, "I know the Heir was probably going to go after Harry to begin with but did he think it was a good idea to piss him off first? The kid is scary when it comes to bullies."

"I'm glad we decided that we would never target a single person with pranks." George slung an arm around his brother's shoulders, "I don't want to have Harry as my enemy."

Fred staggered dramatically, "The horror of such a thought. Having Harry Potter, honorary Weasley twin, not loving Gred and Forge is just to terrifying to imagine."

"Too true Forge," George chuckled under his breath. "And while I love a good dramatic scene, I think it is time we head down to the great hall. Dinner will be served shortly and I suspect there will be some serious announcements."

"Sometimes, oh smarter twin, you really are wet blanket."

"For that I am sorry, my more attractive twin, but in this case, it must be done. For Harry."

Stepping out into the hall Fred looked at the mirror on the wall and nodded, meeting his brother's eyes. "For Harry."

"Passage behind the tapestry of the elephant or the one behind the suit of armor that leads to the picture of the ogre?"

Fred shoved his brother toward the left-hand side of the corridor, directly in front of the tapestry passage, "Elephant. Harry would appreciate the quicker route today and we have no need to stalk any snakes on their way to the Great Hall."

"See Fred, you can make the more responsible choice when you want to," George smirked as he pushed the fabric aside.

"Ah," a strangely toned voice said, causing the twins to focus on the opening. "More victims."

Fred raised an eyebrow at the shorter boy, "What do you want little snake?"

"And what do you mean victims," George sounded just a little nervous.

"Just what I said," the boy smirked, pointing his wand at them, the tip glowing with power. "More victims for the Heir of Slytherin."

The twins backed up quickly and started to reach for their wands.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," his eyes hardened. "While I am trying to avoid it while in the school, I am not afraid of casting a certain unforgiveable at you if I need to."

"All right," George raised his hands, "I won't go for my wand but I would like to know when you discovered you were the Heir Crabbe. It is Crabbe isn't it?"

The boy laughed, his tone dripping with malice and amusement. "You really think that lame child could pull this off. No, I may be using Crabbe but he is not me. I am greater than any before or after. I held a country ransom and it is my destiny to rule it."

"So, you're Vol... Voldemort then," Fred gulped. "Is this like Higgs from last year? Did you possess this second year? Is he going to die when you are done with him?"

Crabbe's shoulders moved in a shrug, "It is different from last year but the boy will still die, but his father would have gleefully offered him up if I had asked so you really shouldn't think anything of it."

"If you aren't afraid of killing him, why haven't you killed us yet?" George realized that was probably not the thing to ask but at this point he didn't expect to live out the day anyway.

"And keep my pet from having any fun? I think not. She has been arguing with me a little too much so I plan to force the issue. You will be the next victims of my dear, powerful Basilisk pet."

Fred, seeing that the end was near, felt braver than he really ought to be, "So you're too much of a coward to kill us yourself, your going to force a snake to do it for you?"

"No, I think it is just that Crabbe is too weak to cast those sorts of spells. He is afraid we will figure out that we could easily over power him."

Crabbe's face turned red, "AVADA…" he stopped himself. "No, I don't want Albus to stick his large nose into this just yet. I need to take care of a few more people before I reveal myself. There is still too much that still needs to be done." He continued to walk them backward. "Open," he hissed and a wall behind the twins opened. "Come my pet and meet some friends of mine. I expect you to kill these ones and I will be quite displeased if you fail me."

"I can not kill what is not a threat to the school."

"I am your master," he thundered in Parseltongue.

"Do you think that is Voldy or Crabbe's talent?" Fred wondered.

"Voldy. It has to be Voldy."

"Do shut up," Crabbe/Voldemort growled. He gripped them each by one arm and forced them to turn. "Meet my friend the Basilisk." With a smirk of his lips, twin red heads fell to the ground, alive but very much petrified.

Sorry for the delay, again. This is the home stretch everyone. I have most of the story written at this point and there are only three or four chapters left. Unfortunately, the one that is not completely finished is the one directly after this but it is in the works. Then, perhaps an epilogue.

And yes I know, I am a terrible person because I petrified the twins.