| YEAR 2; CHAPTER FIVE |
BREAKTHROUGHS
COULD HE SAY HE HATED EXAMS? Because he did. The library might as well be a second home for him since he's spent all his time rereading this year's material for the past consecutive three weeks. Terry had visited him on the occasion to ask a few questions, but other than that he's been working alone.
Normally, Edwyn wouldn't bother all too much on his work. Yet, this year, it was crucial. He barely listened to a word his teachers have spoken this year, and now he's sure that he's completely behind in his work. All because he was too busy studying the things that actually interested him. It wasn't his fault that the teachers never delved more into the theory of things. It was as if they expected everyone to believe their words as law; and funnily enough, it worked.
Blaise and Draco continue to send glances his way in the library, and Cedric continued to try his damn hardest to drag Edwyn out of the library whenever he got the chance. And Harry... Well, Harry was still avoiding him. The thought left Edwyn conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to be angry. To scream and curse at himself for getting too close to the other boy. And, on the other, he felt... like he was just being tricked this entire time. It made sense; Why would Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Golden Boy, want to be friends with him. Nothing was interesting about Edwyn, and he certainly wasn't talented. Plus, he was a Slytherin, bane to all Gryffindors and most of the other houses.
Hermione was unable to join him anymore, either. She was petrified, and the thought was more than a little disturbing.
It's Transfiguration class now, and Edwyn was still not listening. Only looking out the window and into the Forbidden Forest. As if something intriguing might jump out if he looked long enough. Edwyn idly wondered if brooding would be a more fitting term for his state. It wasn't until the class ended, and lunchtime had begun. He continued to stare out the window, not feeling in the mood to rush out of the class.
McGonagall seemed to notice his lack of usual interest and asked him to speak to him later. Now he was sitting around wondering if it would be better to walk away from the inevitable conversation or sit through a gruelling few minutes.
A hand pulled him violently from his thoughts, and Edwyn found himself recoiling from the touch.
Looking up, he saw none other than Harry Potter looking down at him. A concerned expression plastered on that face. "Edwyn... I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Harry tells him.
Anger began to bubble, and Edwyn quickly looked away. Knowing exactly what Harry was apologizing for. He didn't voice his thoughts, or where they were headed.
"Why didn't you just ask me?" He pressed, looking out to the forest. A scowl forming. Harry reached a hand out to Edwyn, before retracting it. "We, uh, we wanted to get the answer from Malfoy."
Edwyn sighed, "Just... I feel like an idiot. I thought we were friends or at least close."
He looked at Harry, trying to understand why. Once again, he felt ignored. Just a forgettable stain on the grass. Was he really so stupid to think that a change of scenery would change everything? That for once, he could be normal.
Harry's face was pinched together. "I'm being rude, sorry." Edwyn eventually said, "You just lost Hermione, and here I am complaining about not being told about a stupid plan."
The words felt bland on his tongue and Edwyn looked back at the forest.
"No," Harry said, and Edwyn stared back at the boy, confused. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing, I should. You're right. We're supposed to be friends, and I completely went behind your back. I'm sorry."
Edwyn froze in place, not knowing what to say. The moment he felt as though he was getting somewhere, he's suddenly thrown right back at rock bottom. Then, he was thrown right back to where he was before. It was confusing, and Edwyn wasn't sure of how to deal with it.
What he did know, was that he felt tired, guilty, and more than a little bitter.
There was a moment of silence and the duelling session once again found its way into Edwyn's head. It was a risky move, yet Edwyn felt compelled. He continued to think of Cedric's words. A hereditary trait didn't mean he was evil. Harry had to understand that at least.
"Look, Harry... There's something I need to tell you... I should have said something earlier, but I wasn't sure how you'd react..."
Harry brows pinched themselves together, and the boy asked hesitantly, "What is it?"
"I..." This was the last time to back out, he thought before strengthening his resolve. "Listen, I know this is going to sound bad, but I'm also a Parselmouth."
Edwyn watched Harry's eyes widen. He suddenly understood that his decision was a bad idea. Any semblance of a friendship or acquaintanceship with Harry Potter was most definitely destroyed now.
He was an idiot, clinging to any form of acknowledgment he could find.
"You're... you're a Parselmouth..?" Harry eventually asked. Watching Edwyn with wary curiosity. Just like the children at the orphanage.
"I... I can't begin to understand how you must feel about Hermione being petrified. I just want to help." Edwyn tried his best to keep his voice level.
"Edwyn..." Harry started. This is it, Edwyn thought. He's going to be cast aside once more. "...Have you been hearing voices?"
His thoughts were silenced once Harry's question reached his ears. "I'm sorry?"
"Have you been hearing voices? Like, around the times of the petrifications?"
Edwyn considered taking the question as an insult but recalled the bone-chilling voice he heard at the beginning of the year. He had, of course, heard it again after that. Yet, he put it to the back of his mind when he remembered how his friends reacted to him 'hearing things.'
Deciding that he had nothing more to lose, he bowed his head. "The one in the walls...?"
Harry nodded quickly, "Exactly! Though, if we're the only ones who can hear it..."
The puzzle pieces joined together in Edwyn's head, the sibilant voice and the fact that they were the only ones who can understand it. It was the answer to almost everything that has been going on.
The creature must be able to move through the walls by the pipes.
"It's a snake," Edwyn mumbled. Repeating it despite himself, "It's a snake!"
"It can't be just any snake," Harry returned, "It's petrifying people."
Edwyn let out a puff of air as his brain shifted gears to accomodate for this new revelation. This was a mystery. And it was one that Edwyn was beginning to believe he could reveal. "Okay, what do we already know?"
Brows knitted together, Harry began to list things off. "Well, we know about the petrifications and Myrtle said that the thing that killed her had yellow eyes..." He paused momentarily before shouting, "The spiders!"
Edwyn shot a look at Harry. "Explain?"
"The spiders," Harry said again. "They're always running away from where the petrification took place."
Edwyn nodded, he could work with that. "So whatever this thing is, it's a snake with yellow eyes and it also scares away spiders."
They both sat in a silent agreement before Edwyn stood. "I'll go check my magical creatures' books. See what I can find."
Harry nodded. his eyes clouded in thought. "Sounds good."
As he turned to leave, Edwyn stopped. He wondered if this was a good idea, before hesitantly asking, "And... Harry?"
Harry looked at him again.
"I... know it's a lot to ask, but can you not tell anyone about my--our--ability? Just look at how they treated you, imagine how they'd react to a Slytherin speaker."
Edwyn studied Harry's face. Seeing the conflict that lay behind those green eyes. He knew that Harry most likely wanted to tell his friends. The longer the silence stretched on, the more Edwyn began to doubt his idea. Of course. Why would anything go the way he planned?
It was a stupid idea anyway.
They stood there silently; Harry staring at him and Edwyn staring back.
"Alright." It was more a sigh than anything, "I won't tell anyone. I promise."
Edwyn felt a bitter emotion form in the back of his head. Since when did a promise ever stop anyone? Instead of voicing his thought, he nodded. "Thanks--"
Professor McGonagall came into the room once again, Edwyn thought he could faintly see Snape through the closing door. Confusion was the only thing on his mind as he saw the professor give Harry a stern look.
"Mr Potter, this is a private discussion. I must ask you to leave."
There was a cold grip around Edwyn as it began to dawn on him, just how much trouble he was most likely in. It didn't escape his mind that he hadn't been turning his work in, and his test scores have plummeted drastically this past month alone. He winced at the expression on McGonagall's face as she turned to him. Somewhere between disappointed and frustrated.
Harry, on the other hand, nodded quickly. The boy clearly wanted to say something else but wisely chose against it. Before trotting away quietly, Harry gave him a brief farewell and a strained smile. Edwyn watched Harry's back in his retreat, but the knot in his abdomen urged his attention back to the professor.
"Mr Belmonte," she paused. "I want to understand why you're falling behind in class. You're clearly very gifted in transfiguration, and I only want the best for your education. I can only help if you tell me what the problem is."
There was a short silence when the professor stopped speaking. Edwyn wasn't all to sure what to say; he could lie, say that there was nothing wrong and he was doing his best to catch up.
The professor cut his thoughts off by speaking up again. "Mr Belmonte, I have to tell you, that I really do believe that you have a genuine future in transfiguration. Though, if this keeps going on, we will have to contact your guardian."
Edwyn went very still in his seat. It wasn't until just now that he realized, he didn't like the disappointment. With a hesitant voice, he finally spoke.
"...I, there's nothing wrong, professor. I swear. I'm trying my best to catch up right now."
He could hear the professor give a weary sigh. "Is there anything you want to ask me, regarding transfiguration or otherwise?"
This is his chance, said the annoying voice of his curiosity. Though, there was merit to the thought. If he asked his questions right, Professor McGonagall would stop worrying so much, and he'd also get the chance to learn more on Transfiguration than he could in class without digging through old tomes in the library again.
Throwing a reasonable amount of caution away, he spoke. "There was something I was wondering about, Professor."
McGonagall took a seat down in front of him, her eyes staring at him for a moment before answering. "And what is that?"
"I... Why aren't there any records of human transfiguration? Like, if someone wanted to transfigure a, erm, their eyes. Maybe hawk eyes for better eyesight or a new arm."
McGonagall's eyebrows furrowed deeply alongside a troubled frown. Edwyn didn't know what he had said wrong, but worry gnawed in his mind.
"Human transfiguration is forbidden, borderline dark. I do hope that you weren't thinking of transfiguring either yourself or a classmate, Mr Belmonte."
Edwyn's own eyebrows pinched together as he asked. "But why? You wouldn't know if it was good or bad if you never tried using it to help others."
There was another long sigh before an awkward silence fell upon the two inhabitants of the room. It felt like hours until the professor finally spoke.
"This isn't something I normally would speak of to second years, but I feel it prudent to help you understand." The professor paused momentarily, her eyes meeting his. "Long ago, there was a horrendous duel between two rival wizarding families which ended in the death of one. In retaliation, the grieving family transfigured the other into five-legged beasts that came to be known as Quintapeds. The transfigured beasts murdered their rivals and resisted all attempts to untransfigure them and were recorded to be uncommunicative and lost all human intelligence."
Edwyn didn't dare utter a syllable, and instead, patiently waited for the professor to continue speaking.
"When you transfigure a human, you also change their magic. And in doing so, you also change their mind. To transfigure yourself is to become less human. And while transfigurations are normally temporary, human transfiguration is permanent and can only be reversed by a Transfigurations Master."
After their conversation had ended, Edwyn had quickly left the room. He tried his best not to let his mind wander from the Professor's words. Perhaps there was a way, he thought. To transfigure oneself without altering the mind or magic.
If someone could transfigure organs, muscle tissues, or nerves, then that could open up a whole new medical branch of magic. Edwyn's mind continued to race at the implications of transfiguration as he walked passed the various portraits and corridors.