𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲: 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Beams of light filter through the windows, making patches on the floor. Sunlight washes the entire corridor in a hazy yellow and Adrian Pucey had to squint his eyes because of the brightness. The morning already had him in a sour mood. Breakfast wasn't going to be pleasant, he could tell.

He staggers forward slightly when someone rushes past him, hitting his shoulder in the process. He glares at the three first-year Slytherin students, specifically at the dark-haired boy who had bumped into him. The idiot didn't even bother to apologize. If he was in a good mood, he would have overlooked this and move on, but he woke up irrationally frustrated today and he needed to take it out on someone.

"Hey," he called, stopping the entire group. "You, with the black hair, aren't you going to apologize? What's your name?"

All three of them look at each other. There was only one dark-haired Slytherin with them but the boy didn't introduce himself immediately.

"Why?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Adrian's patience was wearing thin but he keeps his anger at bay and toys with his necklace instead. In his head, he was already counting from ten to one, slowly, like how his mother taught him. He was just reaching four when one of the boy's friends speaks up.

"Come on, answer him, Jason," urged a brunette. "Don't you recognize him?"

Jason narrows his eyes for a moment, then he recoils once he's taken a better look. He was obviously aware of Adrian's reputation as he starts spouting his full name followed by an apology. Adrian lets his words settle before he rolls his eyes and gestures for them to go away. Getting their attention was completely useless. He felt even more aggravated now.

"Come on, let's hurry," said the boy with dirty blond hair in their group. "We might miss the body if we don't."

Just as the trio was about to escape, Adrian stops them again.

"What body?" He questions.

Jason and his two friends glance at each other before looking at Adrian.

"You never heard the rumors?" Asked Jason. "A Hufflepuff was found petrified earlier this morning."

Adrian pauses at this information. His hold on his necklace tightens. The sun felt like it was burning through his eyeballs and giving him a headache. Annoyingly enough, his thoughts drifted instantly to a certain Hufflepuff, and he scoffs. Like that was even possible. It was highly unlikely. He should probably stop prying now. He didn't like gossips and he certainly wouldn't like to hear more details about this one.

"Do you have a name?" He blurted out before he could stop himself.

"No one knows," the blond continues, practically shaking with excitement. "But we heard it was a Mudblood, so we're heading there to see for ourselves."

Adrian didn't want to stick around. If the rumors turn out to be true, he wouldn't care. Not at all. Restrictions will be made all over the school just like last time and he was fine with it because he was Pure-blood. He had no reason to be worried.

But then he thinks of you again, lying and frozen on the ground like a statue, and he fails to ignore the churning feeling in his stomach.

△⃒⃘ ⌁☍ ❾¾

Rumors spread like the plague. It was no surprise that it was all everyone was talking about. By the time Professor McGonagall admits that another student had been petrified, it only made the whispering among the students worst. The identity of the student remained undisclosed to the public, but a few Hufflepuffs were starting to get ideas.

Susan had been fidgeting with her hands the whole time, biting her bottom lip to ground her from her intrusive thoughts. Delilah wasn't her usual bubbly self. She remained still on her seat and burned holes through the table with her stare. Fiona placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, noticing the way Delilah's eyes shone with unshed tears. Fiona was a nervous wreck on the inside, but panicking wasn't going to bring their missing roommate back.

Professor McGonagall went on to announce a few things: classes were canceled for the day, so everyone was ordered to stay in their common rooms to wait for their Head of the House and the upcoming Quidditch match will be discontinued.

Oliver Wood took full offense to the last one. He was off the moment everyone was led by teachers back to their dormitories after breakfast, saying something along the lines that they can't cancel Quidditch.

Harry was the unlucky one closest to him, so he had to endure everything his captain was saying. He was only half-listening anyway. His room was a mess when he returned yesterday after practice and Tom Riddle's diary was missing. That night he woke up thinking he heard the monster beneath the walls, whispering vile things about killing another student. He woke Ron up only for the redhead to tell him that it was probably just a nightmare.

Harry's thoughts were overlapping now and he was about to grab Ron and Hermione to discuss it when Percy acquires the attention of Hermione first.

"Don't linger in the corridor, Granger," he said, leading her back to the group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that were climbing up the marble staircase. "You heard McGonagall. We are to proceed to our common rooms and await further instructions."

"I noticed something," she said, ignoring Percy and heading straight to Ron and Harry. "Susan Bones and her roommates were being led away somewhere by Professor McGonagall."

"So?" Said Ron cluelessly.

Hermione's face scrunches up before she mentions your name. "They're being taken somewhere, and she wasn't with them," she explained slowly, her tone growing quiet at the end. "I...I haven't even seen her since breakfast."

Ron's eyes widen at her words. Harry felt cold sweat forming on his forehead, and he pesters Hermione again, asking if she wasn't just seeing things. She shakes her head to confirm what she saw and she looked ready to collapse at any moment. The prefect who was following behind her heard everything and was quick to reassure them.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Percy said hurriedly. "We don't know that. I'm sure she's perfectly fine, Granger."

But not even the prefect's words help to dissuade the tense atmosphere. Oliver had stopped talking and was now giving them unreadable sidelong looks, but otherwise remained quiet. Harry was certain he overheard them if Percy had. 

Harry couldn't help but blame himself. He heard the voice and merely thought of it as a nightmare that woke him up. He could have used his Invisibility Cloak to save you. He didn't care if he broke some stupid rules for going out at night again. He had been careless, and now you had to pay for the consequences.

"Bloody hell..." Ron said in an undertone. Just yesterday he had been feeding Bowtruckles with you. You were so happy when he last saw you the other day. The thought of you being petrified made his throat constrict and his stomach queasy.

Just when things started to calm down did everything go back to the events of the first petrification. The trio didn't have time to waste. They had to find answers soon. For your sake and the others.