Fire And Ice - Yin and Yang (Harry Potter fanfiction)

The plan....it sucks.

It was ten p.m. by the time Periwinkle returned to the Gryffindor tower and told Hermione and Ron about the monster. Hermione had then proceeded to turn pale, while Ron turned green.

"How can- I mean- Professor Lockhart cannot be the monster," whispered Hermione with a trembling voice. "He-"

"I know it's him," said Periwinkle, her voice coming out more forcefully than intended. "Azalea tried to warn me and if I don't stop Lockhart, she will die, Hermione. As will the others."

"But he doesn't even look like the monster you described," said Ron, "I mean, if the monster you saw would have had sparkling white teeth, then I would say there's a likeness between them."

"I have to ask the four ghosts," said Periwinkle, looking around to make sure there was no one in the common room. "Last time, one of them said that I have to ask the right question. I believe I know now what it is."

Hermione and Ron traded a look. Both of them were unsure that Lockhart, the wizard whose hat always matched his robes and whose teeth shone brighter than a Lumos, was a soul-sucking monster with a gnarled face and yellow teeth. But they would try anything to stop more students from dying.

They looked at Periwinkle and nodded.

"I'll get my cloak," she said.

****

Potter had run off by the time he'd managed to get rid of Lockhart, but he didn't have the time to look for her. Professor Snape had instantly called for a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.

"Miss Potter and Miss Potter have been able to hear each other's thoughts whenever they were near Lockhart?" said Professor McGonagall disbelievingly. "And he is the monster? Do you know how- bizarre that sounds?"

Professor Snape scowled. "I am well aware of that, Minerva. However, I also know that neither of the Potter twins is a capable and convincing liar. Even if the monster is not Lockhart, he must have something to do with the ill students."

"And what about the four ghost children?" Professor Flitwick pressed on. "You mentioned that Miss Potter saw them again."

"Lockhart came before Potter finished talking," said Professor Snape distastefully. "But it sounded as if the monster has returned for something."

"Returned? How could it have returned without someone opening the chamber first?" said Professor McGonagall perplexed.

She turned to Professor Dumbledore, who stood by the window with his arms folded behind his back. He gazed earnestly into the darkness that hid the grounds from view.
"The chamber was opened fifty years ago and took four students from us," he spoke quietly, "and when we found that the chamber had been closed again, we assumed that the monster was once again trapped inside."

His lips thinned and he shook his head. "That was presumptuous of me."

"Surely you cannot mean that the monster was free? All these years?" spoke Professor McGonagall.

"If it feeds on the souls of others, how could it have survived all of these years, unnoticed?" Professor Flitwick voiced the most obvious problem.

Professor Dumbledore turned around. "It must have contented itself with a victim every few years, making it seem as if a natural occurrence was responsible."