The Muggleborn Slytherin

The Message

Summer was creeping into the grounds. The weather was getting warmer, the skies were much clearer, and the students of Hogwarts were preparing themselves for their exams. Three days before, however, Professor McGonagall announced at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl on the Ravenclaw table.

"Not bloody likely," Adrian said, stabbing his fried egg with a fork. "She's not easily caught." He grinned across the table at Teddie.

The second-year gave a weak smile.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Oliver Wood from the Gryffindor table.

Theo rolled his eyes. "And they say Slytherin's have no feelings," he said.

His friends smirked.

Once the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

There was an explosion of cheers.

Teddie swallowed hard and her body trembled. She was twelve hours away from being caught out. She had to do something to salvage her involvement. Without actual proof that she had been blacking out, no one was going to believe that her involvement was purely against her will.

After the last attack on Sierra Waterstone, Madam Pomfrey had closed the doors to the Hospital Wing in fear that the Heir of Slytherin would come and finish her patients off, even the teachers were sticking by the rules and escorting students two and from classes.

Every morning, after breakfast, the teachers would separate their houses into groups assigned by years, and walk them to their respective classrooms. Teddie and her second-year companions were usually always headed by Professor Snape, but this morning they had Professor Lockhart.

For someone who had so often assured them that all danger had passed, only to be proven wrong straight away, Lockhart was now wholeheartedly convinced that it was hardly worth the trouble to see the students down corridors.

"Mark my words," Lockhart said, ushering them around a corner, "the first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be, 'It was Hagrid'. Frankly, I'm astonished that Professor McGonagall thinks all these security measures are necessary."

"I agree, sir," said Harry Potter. From beside him, Ron Weasley dropped his books, clearly in surprise.

Teddie exchanged an unsure glance with Theo. What was Harry playing at?

But Lockhart didn't seem to have noticed Ron's reaction, or maybe he just didn't care. He was too busy mumbling to himself about being up all night patrolling the corridors. "Thank you, Harry," he said.

So he had heard Harry, at the very least.

"We teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard all night," Lockhart continued.

"That's right," said Ron, nodding a little too enthusiastically. "Why don't you leave us here, Professor? We've only got one more corridor to go."

"You know, Weasley, I think I will," said Lockhart. "I really should go and prepare for my next class."