Planting The Seeds Of The End {Book 2 in the 'Rise Of Slytherin' series}

01

"Who?" McGonagall pressed. Louis could hardly bring himself to say it.

"He said... He said..."

"Salazar Slytherin," Rhiannon and Louise said together. Rhiannon was looking blankly at the wall. Horror was stitched into Louise's face.

***

Scribbling over the half-drawn head, Louise let out a badly suppressed groan. She grabbed the paper, tore it in two, crumpled the pieces up and threw them into the trash can under her black glass desk. They joined the collection of that day's many other 'failed' drawings. She kicked the can in frustration, furious at her inability to create something satisfactory. But was that really what she was so angered by? The answer was 'no', and Louise knew it.

She paused the music that had been blaring out into her ears, having turned it up so loud it hurt. It was one of the things she had been using as a distraction from what she knew was impossible for her to avoid: The day. Turning away from her desk, she glanced hopefully at the clock next to her bed. Almost quarter to one. Her heart sank. She just wanted today to end. Her head fell into her hands. It felt so heavy, so weighed down by thoughts and memories. She hated today. And she knew that she wasn't the only one. Because living a day without Hogwarts, especially this day, was a nightmare come to life.

***

"Don't be absurd," the Professor exclaimed. "Of course it wasn't... Him." She sounded like she was trying to assure herself rather than the students.

"Professor... He had Professor Yana under the Imperius Curse, and he--" Louis was cut short.

"How dare you suggest such a thing?!" McGonagall's voice was shrill, almost a screech. "Ten points from your house!"

"Professor, he's--" Louise interjected.

"Salazar Slytherin is dead, and I can assure you that he is not walking the corridors of Hogwarts cursing and killing teachers! No matter what happened to your poor friend!" They all flinched at the mention of Ellis. Her face softened when she saw their sadness. "I'm sorry. But believe me when I say that Salazar Slytherin is not the culprit of his... Fate. Understood?"

"Professor!" Alex spoke up suddenly. McGonagall looked down at him, surprised at his exclamation. "Please... We can show... We can show you Professor Yana."

***

Alex's Queen kicked the miniature black knight down, before dragging his unconcious body off of the chessboard.

"Black Bishop diagonally right four squares," came Ellis' command. The tiny figurine nodded and obeyed him, ending up just a few spaces away from a white castle.

They were in Ellis' living room, Alex sitting on the carpeted floor, next to the black and white checkered board. Ellis, meanwhile, was sitting on an armchair, watching the chess figures intently. Except-- he wasn't sitting. He was floating. Pale and flickering, he was a ghost.

This was something he'd had to get used to, something everyone in his life had had no choice but to get used to. But he wished terribly that no one had to. It was no way for anyone to live, let alone a twelve year-old. A twelve year-old who should have been at school, enjoying every second of his time there. He sighed, looking gloomily up at a framed picture of himself and his sister. It had been taken years ago, when life was much happier. Back when he was...

"Ellis? You alright?" Alex asked anxiously. Ellis took his attention away from the photograph and smiled sadly at Alex.

"Yeah," he lied unconvincingly. He often did this, fading in and out of the present, thinking back to when everything wasn't so... dark.

Alex's concern for Ellis was, really, what had drawn him to visit. It was the least he could do, he figured, when almost everything was so dull for his friend. Besides, it was a good way to keep his mind's eye trained away from school. Like Louise, he needed a distraction from the glum world of not being at Hogwarts.

***

The five of them, the four pupils and Professor McGonagall, made their way down the corridors, now accompanied by Professors Longbottom and Slughorn. Alex, Louis, Rhiannon and Louise all glanced over their shoulders occasionally, even jumping whenever someone stepped louder than usual. Alex had the horrific image in his mind's eye of McGonagall turning a corner, only to be blasted to smitherins. He shivered.

"By Merlin," came a weak, hoarse whisper. Alex looked up, to see the teachers standing over Yana. A sudden rush of cold overcame him, and he turned away to look at Rhiannon with fear practically ebbing from him. The same fear was in her eyes.

Slughorn was leaning over Yana, holding his wrist. He raised his head and nodded solemnly. "He's... He's dead."

They had all known it, but the word still struck them like lightning.

Every one of them stood as they were, absorbing the situation as best they could. Then, suddenly, a chorus of what sounded like thunder boomed in their ears. They all spun around, their rushing heartbeats caught in their heads.

"Stop where you are! State your name!" McGonagall shouted, wand in front of her.

"S'me!", came a gruff voice.

"Hagrid," sighed Professor Longbottom. Slowly, the huge, bearded figure stepped loudly around the corner, arms raised above his head. He saw Yana, and gasped, lowering them in shock.

"Is 'e...?" Longbottom gave a small nod.

"What is it, Hagrid?" McGonagall asked gently, but shakily. Hagrid continued to stare for a moment. Then, finally, tore his gaze away from Yana.

"Professor-- The Ministry're here. An' they're sayin'... They're sayin' that one of em's been killed. In Hogsmeade." A cold, shivering silence washed over them.

"Who by?" Slughorn spoke up, stepping forward. Hagrid shook his head and gulped, eyes shut.

"They say-- they say it was three of 'em."

"Three of who?" McGonagall pushed on delicately.

"Three students."