A new chapter is up! You've waited long enough! Thank you all for being so patient with me! I know it took a pretty long time. :/ sorry!
Any who! Enjoy!
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*Thump!*
We had all landed on the hard cold metal ground, with plenty of water puddles all around. We were in the pipes.
I looked around to check on everyone and saw everyone was gasping for their breath.
"Is everyone OK?" I whispered.
Everyone nods and it's then when I notice Joci kneeling over the ground.
I hurry over to her as I place my right hand on her shoulder, "You alright?"
"April...look." she slowly and gently lifts the palm of her hand from the ground and I see that it was stained red. Blood.
We exchange glances and then both look back at the ground and see it's also stained with blood. Not only that, but there was a trail of blood leading through the pipes.
"Come on guys, let's get this over with." Said Alex softly.
"Alex is right. I mean, if we just backed out now... I don't know how I'd sleep tonight. We have come this far, let's go through with it, putting aside the danger which may or may not lurk ahead. Agreed?" Amber remarked.
We all nodded in agreement as we straightened up.
"Lumos," I said as we all began walking in the dark, hollow pipes with very little light, following the blood stricken path leading to the underground room that only I knew awaited for us.
The thoughts that were jumping around my head were just mad. I think I've gone mad! With Riddle on the mind, it's hard to keep track!
I mean what if we go in and something goes wrong? We're not even supposed to be here, we're supposed to be at the ball!
I saw Riddle at the ball, so that means we won't run into him, right?
And so what we run into him?
' I shouldn't be afraid of him now, right? He and I are friends now...right?'
But what are the chances we'll run into him in the first place?
I let out a big sigh of frustration.
But I just have a feeling that the scream could be traced to something he has done.
As we were strutting along the winding, hollow, not to mention chilly pipes, Zach slowly walked over to me and as we started walking in sync he whispered gently into my ear, "I think I know where we're heading to," he pauses, "I was reading in the restricted section the other day and there was this section about someplace in the castle known as the Chamber of Secrets, built by Salazar Slytherin himself, for one day the heir of Salazar would be able to open the chamber and get rid of all the muggle borns attending Hogwarts."
Something just hit me. All this might be Tom's fault. He opened the Chamber, he's in Slytherin. He doesn't like muggles. Maybe he's the heir of Salazar Slytherin!
"Zach?" I ask abruptly.
"Mhm?"
"Who could have opened the Chamber? I mean given the current circumstances, who would want to kill all muggle borns?"
"Well, Salazar himself did most definitely not like the idea of muggles attending Hogwarts, so it would be reasonable to build a chamber for his future heir to finish the job he could not...haven't you done your Hogwarts history essay? It included some of that information, you couldn't have missed it."
I bit my lower lip. I completely forgot about it. It's due pretty soon too. Arg.
"Anyways, about who would have opened the chamber... I have a few suspicions, but is rather not speak of it if I'm not 100% sure it's accurate, and I'm not entirely sure my suspicions are leading to the right suspect." he finished.
"Do you know how we could stop whoever is behind all this before they hurt someone?" I ask with a hint of worry.
"No... but I suppose we could destroy the monster whatever it is that's suppose to be hidden in the chamber." he stated.
I nod as I try to stop all the questions popping up in my head about the chamber and the monster by trying to focus on where we were going, since we do have to find our way back up to the bathroom again once we find out who was screaming down here.
We were all walking in pairs for the rest of the foot journey. Angel and Joci were at the front, Amber and Alex in the middle, then Zach and and I in the back.
The only sound that came through the echoing walls of the pipes were the sound of our shoes slapping the wet ground, and a constant drip.
Grown tired of the silence and grown a bit nervous, I decide to strike up another conversation with Zach.
"I think I've gone crazy," I mumbled in a quite tone, so only Zach could hear me.
"What?" he chuckled.
I smiled as I repeated what I had just said, "I honestly think I've gone mad."
"You seem alright to me," he whispered back.
I looked over at him as his he stared at the path of blood we were all still tracking. He had light blonde hair, that had become a bit messy over the time that has passed this evening.
His hazel eyes looked up into mine.
"Thanks," I pat his back.
"I mean like, since I came to Hogwarts I've been involved
in so many things...that a regular student here wouldn't have to deal with. Suppose you could call me 'Lucky', to have this opportunity to try to help and all, and make history, but maybe I just wasn't cut out for this. One Wong move and it affects everyone."
"The last part is true. I think you're doing just fine here at Hogwarts. I mean you've made all the right choices as far as I know and you're a great addition to the Gryffindor house. You just might want to be careful what situations you put yourself in, you know?"
"I know," I paused for a half second and then started again, "Have you made any wrong choices?"
There were a few minutes of silence as we strolled along the metal pipes with the occasional sound of dripping water as a blanket of cold air surrounded us.
Finally Zach replied, " Many. You just gotta learn to learn from your wrong choices and make good ones."
Finally the trail of blood lead us out of the pipes and into the large swamp green room with the snake structures. But this time, we entered from behind the big sculpture of the man with the beard made of snake heads.
"Wh-where are we?" Angel asks.
I gulp and answer her, "The Chamber of Secrets,"
We continue walking inwards as Zach explains the whole story of The Chamber of Secrets to the whole group.
Last time, when I was here with Tom, there wasn't any sign of a monster. Hopefully there isn't one this time.
I budged everyone as I tried to make my way to the front of the pack, my mission: making sure everyone gets in and out safely.
As I stroll along the green pool of water in front of the gigantic cement head, I stop dead in my tracks.
I felt Amber's shoulder bump into mine.
"April, why'd you stop-" she gets cuts cut off the second she glanced at the sight before us.
It wasn't exactly a great 'sight' to behold, nor very breath taking... but very depressing.
"What is it?" asks Joci.
Angel stepped closer and caught a full view of the scene. She let out a shriek.
Alex and Zach quickly rushed over and they were exposed to the horrendous image as well.
There, a few feet from the pool of still, green water, rested the body of a boy.
After taking a few steps closer, I crouched beside him, not until then did I recognize the boy...Richard.
Amber was kneeling beside me, her eyes also filled with concern and worry.
I think she recognized him too.
He was lying motionless on the cold, wet, brick flooring. His robes and clothes all soaked with blood and cold water mixed between.
He looked as if he had been knocked out. But who would punch someone when they could easily curse them?
Zach rushed over to his other side, he leaned over and ever so gently placed his hand on Richard's chest, and brought his ears closer, and listened.
"He's alive...barely. His heart beats...very slow."
"I've read about this in an old spells & potions book my grandmum have to me," Joci stated as she shifted her glasses up her nose.
"I think, according to my reading, that he's been petrified. He should be able to live if we get him to Madame Ellen soon enough." she finished.
"What about the blood?" I asked.
"He might have been exposed to some torturous spells before hand," she shrugged.
"OK. Let's just get him and get out of here!"
As Angel placed her foot forward, there was a small splash of water coming from the hallway which was surrounded by the snake statues.
Our heads turned instantly towards the sound of water.
"What the devil is going on!?" I heard Tom growl. He stood in the middle of the path surrounded by snake statues.
He barged towards us with an angry scowl on his face.
We all froze. Joci and Angel were standing close to each other as they examined Tom. While Alex, Zach, Amber and I were hovering and kneeling over poor Richard.
"What do you think you're all doing here?" He spit out as he came to a full stop about 10 feet away from us.
"What are YOU doing here?" I asked.
Tom's dark brown eyes landed directly on me. His blazing stare burnt through my skull. As if he could burn through all my thoughts.
"For your information I am a prefect and it is my duty to find trouble makers and report them. Now, get away from him before you hurt him some more." he orders as his eyes shifted from me to Zach.
Zach didn't move.
'Tom please don't do anything crazy.'
I held in my breath.
"I asked," he paused to emphasize every word, "What are you doing down here?
"W-we were trying to save him, we heard a noise and came to see what's wrong, then we saw him like this." Angel stutters.
Tom lifted and eyebrow.
"Honest! We didn't do anything to harm him!" Angel pleaded.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" Tom said in the most sweetest tone.
I was taken aback at his tone. It went from super harsh to mega nice.
I was in awe. What the heck just happened?
"Alright then, we must get out of here, it is dangerous. Wouldn't want anymore of you petrified now do we? Let's get out of here." he added thoughtfully.
This was an act. I was 98% sure. Tom was cursing Richard the other day so now he's helping? No way.
I cross my arms refusing to believe his act.
Alex, and Zach carried Richard's body while Tom lead the pack through a different set of pipes.
The most scariest type of villain is an un expectable one. If there is one thing I have learned about Tom, is that he is VERY un expectable.
Finally we reached back up to the surface and we were all at ground level.
"Ok let's get Richard to the infirmary, quickly!" Alex exclaimed.
We all nodded and quickly found our way to the main hallway where we could see the ball was coming to an end.
Alex and Zach went off toward the opposite direction to the infirmary as the rest of us walked back to the ballroom.
Amber, Angel and Joci quickly thanked Tom for his assistance and went off to see if Max and his friends were still there. Before they ran off I reminded them not to speak of what happened. They all agreed that it should remain unspoken, and they were off.
"Aren't you going to go with your friends?" Tom asked not even looking in my direction, staring off into the distance.
"Nah," I replied.
He nodded as we walked some more.
'Now is a good time, ask him now, he's your friend now...right? He wouldn't get too mad.' says the voice in the back of my head.
"Do you know, by any chance what Richard was doing in the Chamber of Secrets?" I look at him with an unblinking expression trying to make it as obvious as possible that I knew he had something to do with it.
"No idea." he lied as smoothly as possible.
"Oh alright then. How about why he was petrified, or how YOU knew he was petrified?" I crossed my arms again and facing him this time.
He didn't stop walking, so I pulled at his sleeve and when that didn't work, I jumped in front of him.
"Don't make me hex you," he warned.
"Tell me." I commanded. I'm not giving up that easily.
He sighed of exasperation.
"It was obvious he was petrified! Anyone could recognize he had been petrified. And I assure you I had nothing to do with it."
I swing my hip to one side.
"And why should I believe you?"
He looked into my eyes with his dark brown ones.
He took a look around to make sure no one was looking, then quickly placed his hands on my hips and pushed me back into a wall.
Still having not let go, Tom pressed me to the wall, so hard that I could not move...at all. Even struggling seemed useless.
He had me pinned down, it did not hurt... but the feeling of helplessness over took me.
I could hear his heavy breathing as he moved closed to me. Inch by inch, little by little, slither by slither, jut like a snake.
I jostled in place as I struggled to make eye contact with him, and finally when I did, I was a bit relieved.
My body went from being all tense to relaxed and calm.
Tom's lanky yet strong body was pressed against mine, and my heart was beating so fast I swear I could feel it popping out of my chest. I hoped Tom didn't notice.
He brought his face very close to my face. I could now smell the scent of peppermint coming from his mouth.
Mmm...
'What the heck do you think you're doing Aurora?! Get it together!' I scolded myself.
Wait. Was he trying to KISS me?!
WHAT!
Wow Tom. Wooow...
Still unsure of what to do I just stood there as I watched him slowly bringing himself more and more closer, to me.
As he and his lips moved slowly towards my lips, I couldn't help but have the urge to want to kiss him as well.
So I, professor Stupid, leaned in a bit as well, in preparation.
I saw the edge of his mouth rise, forming a satisfied smirk, and I immediately regretted what I had just done. I quickly tried to pull back, but there was no where to back up to, only a solid brick wall. He kept leaning in.
"Be-cause 'April', I'm your friend, right?" He whispered in my ear with a whole lot of mock in his voice.
But how did he know I thought that thought earlier? Tom! Urg.
I stared right at him, checking out his dark brown hair that was slicked to one side with a bit of curls on the ends. Then down to his calm serene expression, and finally his thin soft lips. Which I idiotically displayed that I actually wanted to kiss, though he was probably only teasing or testing me. And the worst part, is that I let him! I let him get that close to me!
"April? Are you there?" I hear Max's voice bounce through the great corridor.
We hear steps and finally, from the corner, Max steps out.
"There you are," he pauses as he takes a look at the scene before him.
Me, Aurora, pressed to the corridors' walls. With Tom-
I turned my head away from Max and towards where Tom used to be standing.
There was no trace of Tom to be seen! Where'd he go? Probably apparated somewhere far from here, wouldn't want Max to see the both of us.
"What are you doing here all by yourself?" he questioned.
I turned towards him and as I opened my mouth to say something, he cut in, "Anyways, your friends were looking for you, they told me to tell you to meet in the Gryffindor common room."
I nodded.
"I'll be right there," I reassured.
"Okay, well, see you around." Max smiled and turned away towards the Ravenclaw common room.
I then hurried towards the Gryffindor common room, I whispered the password, and the picture of the big, chubby, singing lady swung open and I ran in and saw Amber, and the rest lounging on the couches near the fireplace.
"Hey," I make out in almost a whisper since I was rushing to get there. I was so tired, it had been an über long day and I just wanted to get some rest!
They all looked up at me.
"Hey," Amber said. "Where have you been?"
"I was just..." Then I remembered what went down with Tom and decided not to share.
"Nothing, it's not important. How's Richard? Did you guys take him to the infirmary? What did Madame Ellen say?"
"She said it's do-able, and that we did a good job bringing him to her because a few hours late, it would have been too late." remarked Zach as he combed his short spiky hair with his fingers.
'Hmm...too...late...'
"So he's going to be alright? Right?" I asked.
"Yes," replied Alex.
"Let's get some sleep, we could all use it." Angel suggested as we all nodded in agreement.
We all then got ready for bed, and the second I got in my pajamas I dived into my fluffy soft bed and was drifting off when Amber's voice won my attention.
"April?" she whispered as she tapped my shoulder gently.
"Yeah?"
"I was the last one to get out of the infirmary, and I overheard Madame Ellen speaking with Dumbeldore. They were saying how everyone needs to start taking precautions, and how this is going to be the start of something really bad." she ran out of breath.
"And, and I'm just scared." she finished.
"Why? Nothing and no one can hurt you as long as I'm here." I reassured.
Her panicked face softened, but then concern took over again.
"Be-Because, didn't you and Zach say things about the plan of Salazar slytherin to get rid of all muggle-borns? And how when the chamber is opened again, bad things are bound to happen, especially to muggle borns?"
"Yeah I remember."
"Richard was a muggle, I am a muggle. Whatever happened to Richard, could happen to me!"
I thought about it, and figured she was right. If Salazar wanted to get rid of all muggles, he would have a plan for all muggle-born students at hogwarts... which meant that my best friend's life was in danger.
It also means Tom is hiding something. Not like he has never his anything, but he's hiding something from me. I don't like to be lied to, or to be kept in the darkness on a subject such as this.
If Tom Riddle thought he could manipulate me, Aurora, just like how he manipulates everyone else...he doesn't know me well enough.
And how could he just leave me hanging back in the corridors?! Thinking he could just get away from me like THAT. I shook my head, no.
I'm coming for you Tom. And I'm going to stop whatever evil scheme that I'm 98% sure you're plotting. That is built to destroy all muggle-borns, including my BEST friend.
I'm going to find out what you're up to, cause you're not fooling me.
'Because I'm your friend, right?' His words echoed in my head.
Yeah. Right.
It's not like I don't want to be friends with him, I just thought... we were more than that, especially after the dance. I want him safe. I want him to be safe from himself. I don't want him to get hurt in the end, but should I sacrifice myself getting hurt?
Tom hasn't loved anyone and no one has ever loved him, he needs love more than anyone else. I've had multiple people who love me and care for me...but Tom...I think he only has me, and he doesn't even know that I do care for him.
But in need of love or not, he WILL NOT hurt my friends or any other muggle-borns at this school.
After those thoughts crossed my mind, my eye-lids drooped and covered my eyes. Then I slowly drifted off into dreamland, not knowing the destruction that lay ahead.
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A/N
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for taking a long time to upload, but I tried to make it the best possible!
The uploads will be a bit slower since school started and I get pretty busy, and have limited time for writing, so my apologies!!! 😁
Thank you all for being so patient!
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