Link of Hogwarts

Twenty-Three

Ron was pacing on the Common Room's carpet while Neville looked at the paper Link found in Hermione's closed fist, "Pipes? What does she means?"

Everyone has been escorted straight to their dorms by the staffs. Link looked at the items that were handed to him by McGonagall when they rushed to the infirmary upon being informed by a scared Fifth Year. They were Hermione's and one of them was a large book on Creatures. It seemed to him that Hermione was struck by inspiration and had rushed to gather the things required to further confirm her suspicion with them. She has also deduced that whatever it was that caused this petrification "travels via pipes,"

Neville looked up, "What, Link?"

Link opened the borrowed library book, "Hermione wrote down pipes because she believes that the creature travel via pipes," He expanded his theory for them, "I mean, whenever a student was found petrified, there's always something reflective and more often than not, it was water on the floor. That meant that something big and wet was travelling on the floor,"

Ron stopped his pacing, "Percy and the other Prefect must have thought that someone was up to a prank or something with all that water, that's why they follow it," There were drying water marks leading to Percy's body.

Neville took out his copied down Link's List, "That's why Mrs. Norris is scared of reflective surfaces, especially water puddles," He then added, "If we have a map of Hogwarts, I bet each of the victims were near a water source like the loos,"

Link nodded, "Colin was coming back from a toilet break when he was petrified," He pointed at 'indirect contact', "He saw the attacker through the camera. The Hufflepuff must have seen it through Sir Nick but Sir Nick had gotten the full attack...but a ghost can't be petrified, they don't have a physical form to harden,"

Ron looked at the list, "Which meant whatever it was that caused Nick to be blackened must be deadly....but Nick's a ghost, ghost can't die again..."

Neville cross out 'petrification', "It was supposed to kill...not petrify..." He was cold and shaking as he added his theory, "They survived because of indirect contact,"

Link nodded, "That lowered down the list of suspects," He quickly leafed through the book, "Slytherin is big on serpents, so I am sure their so called monster from the Chamber of Secrets are a type of serpent..."

He then stopped at a page, the same page that Hermione had placed a bookmark on, "Hermione's brilliant...maybe too brilliant..."

The group stared at the page depicting the Basilisk, the King of Serpents.

Neville pointed at a paragraph, "It says here that a Basilisk's poison has no cure, baring the tears of a Phoenix. It is so saturated in poison that a glance of its gaze itself is deadly," He blinked, "Hermione has a mirror in her hand,"

Link took out the compact mirror, "She knows the danger,"

Just as they were about to add suggestions, a Sixth Year student barged into the dorm, "Guys, Dumbledore's being sacked!"

The tower burst into picked discussion. Someone asked if Hogwarts getting closed but no one has a determined answer. Before things get any worse, McGonagall came into the Common Room and asked for the Weasleys. Neville and Link asked permission to accompany Ron and his brothers but before she could refuse, Ron asked for the same thing. She finally sighed and relented.

They followed the tired Head of House and wondered just what was going on. Link took the chance to ask, "Is it true that the Headmaster has been dismissed?"

McGonagall wanted to curse the lack of true secret in Hogwarts, "Unfortunately the board of governors could no longer ignore that lack of safety in Hogwarts and wanted to the Headmaster to take responsibility,"

Neville frowned, "That makes no sense?"

McGonagall looked at the young Longbottom, "What doesn't make sense, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville answered, "I mean, if they want the Headmaster to take responsibility then why take him away? He'll do more good being here,"

McGonagall shook her head, "I have no clue on what goes on in their head either," She then turned to address Ron and his brothers, "Mr. Weasley, be strong,"

With that ominous advice, she opened the door to the infirmary and Link could see that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were there. Fred and George along with Ron immediately found themselves being coddled by Mrs. Weasley. Between her crying and the Weasley's patriarch, Link and Neville heard the other shoe drop; Ginny Weasley has been taken by the Basilisk of Slytherin.

Link and Neville shared a look, not knowing what to say to the Weasley brothers. How do you tell someone to have heart when one by one, their family was accosted by misfortune? Neville turned away from the sight, his heart breaking for his friend. As the only child, he never knew how it was like to have siblings. At times he found himself jealous of Ron for having siblings to turn to for help and at others he was glad that he's alone by how much Ron griped about his siblings and their penchant to tease him.

Link said nothing. He just knew what Ron was feeling at that moment. He knew the numbing concern and the need to find, find, find her before the worse could happen. He recalled a world flooded by ocean, seagulls and pirates shooting him towards where She was held captive.

Aryll...

Flashes of mischievous smile, a wide toothy grin, warm dark eyes and tanned skin, a blue dress with hibiscus motif, adorable golden pigtails and penchant to make him run around come to mind and Link blinked back tears. His chest swells with the intense emotion of missing her, knowing that that life has come and gone.

He looked at Ron's pale face and shaking hands, Molly's tearful face and arms gathering her remaining broods, Arthur's stony face and distant eyes as he stared at his family, and he felt his fists gripping tighter. Ron looked up to see Link, face stony and cold, emotions washed clean but his eyes ablaze like twin blue flames.

There's an unspoken promise in that determined gaze, one he knew that Link will see through. Biting his lips, he nodded in thanks just as Link turned around and leaves. Neville looked around where he has been hiding his own tears and chased after Link.

A moment later, Ron excused himself and took off after his friends. Knowing Link, he must have narrowed down the possibilities of where Ginny could be. Link only investigated out of concern but he has never shown any want to seek out danger. He stuck closer to them the more dangerous Hogwarts became.

But now, two of his friends have been struck and Ron just knew that Link will throw himself in danger's path to stop it. As he had promised last year, he will not leave Link's back uncovered...