She's A Fake ~ IV | d.m.

19. Right Through You

Winter break had come to an end as the rest of the students returned to Hogwarts.

After the little rendezvous with Bellatrix, we stayed at Hogwarts for the rest of the break. Bella didn't have much to do as she was forbidden to help with the cabinet, so she insisted on playing pranks on the students who stayed.

As for Draco and I, he worked on the cabinet and tried to put together a plan for the final night. I kept him company knowing that when the night comes, it'll all be in my hands.

When the trio returned, Ron was quite busy as he was with some girl all the time. As for Harry and Granger, they found themselves hangout with Draco and me, quite often, we figured it would vary their suspicions against us.

Then, of course, the little trips to the headmaster's office. The trips down memory lane, my task.

"I'd like to know where you get your information. Always more knowledgable than half the staff, you are." There was a peal of scattered laughter that followed until one boy spoke up.

Tom Riddle.

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?"

There sat a younger version of Slughorn, "Now, Tom. I couldn't tell you if I knew, could I? By the way, thank you for the pineapple. You're quite right, it is my favorite. But how did you know?"

"Intuition."

There was a chime of a clock and the ticking that grabbed Slughorn's attention, "Oh, gracious, is it that time already? Off you go, boys or Professor Dippet will have us all in detention."

The boys all got up to leave except Tom, he stayed behind as he tapped the same hourglass that still stands on Slughorn's office today.

"Look sharp, Tom. Don't want to be caught out of bed after hours," the professor spoke before seeing that he wouldn't leave, "Something on your mind, Tom?"

"Yes, sir. You see, I couldn't think of anyone else to go to. The other professors, well, they're not like you. They might misunderstand."

"Go on..."

"Well, I was in the library the other night, in the Restricted Section, and I read something rather odd about a bit of rare magic. And I thought perhaps you could illuminate me. It's called as I understand it..."

There was a muffled noise cutting his sentence off.

"I beg your pardon," Slughorn's face contorted and grew angry as he stepped forward pointing at the young boy, "I don't know anything about such things, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Now, get out of here at once, and don't let me ever catch you mentioning it again!"

And just like that, our surroundings went up in smoke as we pulled out of the Pensieve.

I stood normally, knowing exactly what the rare magic was. While Harry, stood unresponsive.

"Confused?" Dumbledore looked at me while I held a calm demeanor, "I'd be surprised if you weren't."

"Well, what happened? I don't understand." Harry perked up taking the headmaster's attention off me.

"This is perhaps the most important memory I've collected. It is also a lie. This memory has been tampered with, by the same person whose memory it is, our old friend, Professor Slughorn."

I stayed quiet, as Harry turned confused even more, "But why would he tamper with his own memory?"

"I suspect he's ashamed of it."

"Why?"

"Why, indeed? I asked you both to get to know Professor Slughorn, and you have done so. Now I want you to persuade him to divulge his true memory, any way you can."

"I don't know him that well, sir."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and glanced at me before dipping his fingers into the Pensieve water, "This memory is everything. Without it, we are blind. Without it, we leave the fate of our world, to chance. You have no choice. You must not fail."

Harry nodded before I followed with the same action, keeping quiet.

We both left and I stopped Harry who was going straight to Slughorn, "You can't go now, he'll see right through you."

"Scarlett, just trust me, I know what I'm doing."

I scowled but grabbed his arm apparating us outside of Slughorn's class, "Well, then be my guest. But don't say I didn't tell you so."

He mockingly nodded and walked in as I slid down against the wall, waiting for his class to end as Harry looked around the corner.

"I'll tell you more about bezoars in our next class. Right, off you go. Alys, don't forget your rat tail."

I sighed and motioned to Harry as the younger kids came walking out while Harry walked in.

"Aha, if it isn't the Prince of Potions himself, well, besides Miss Grindelwald of course. She takes after her mother." I smiled softly before rolling my eyes at what he called Harry.

"Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

I yawned and rested my eyes as I waited in the corner on the ground, for Harry, blocking out the rest of the world.

~

"Didn't he!" my eyes snapped open as I noticed Slughorn was waking my way, and furious too.

I apparated around the corner and walked back in the direction they were in, running into Slughorn making him drop his bag.

I bent down and picked it up, handing it to him with a smile, "Have a good night, Professor Slughorn."

He was startled but nodded, smiling again, "You as well, you as well Miss Grindelwald."

He walked off as Harry walked up to me, "Don't say it."

I chuckled as we walked through the halls, "I wasn't going to."

"I don't believe you. I can see it burning in your eyes, you want to."

"I want to, but I wasn't going to." I smiled as he rolled his eyes shoving me slightly, as I shoved him back as we left the corridors.

~

Later that night, Harry insisted we try again, so I followed him to Slughorn's living quarters as I hid behind a wall as Harry knocked.

"Yes. Oh, it's you, Potter. I- I'm sorry, I'm busy at the moment."

There was a sigh and then Harry groaned leaving without taking me with him. I was curious and had a few tricks up my sleeve, so I knocked on the door.

"Not right now, Potter! I'm busy!"

I let out a small laugh and called to him, "Sir, it isn't Harry, it's me. Scarlett Grindelwald."

There was a moment of silence before he unlocked the door.

"To what do I owe this please, dear?"