Darkest Desire - English

08

"I really don't know how my family handles this," Liz finally confessed to her friends. After an honest apology, Ginny and Luna had welcomed Liz back with open arms. There were no words to express how grateful Liz was for that. She had behaved horribly just because she was hurt. She should never have taken that out on them.
"Always being too angry and always that hate." Disgusted, Liz shook her head. "I feel totally burned out already."

"I'm glad we have you back, but tell me. Who were you so incredibly angry at?" asked Ginny. "When we heard that you even snapped at Riddle, we got really scared."

"It's a long story." Liz wasn't ready to share all the details. Mattheo hadn't approached her again since their last meeting, but word had spread throughout the student body that she was on his hit list. How was she supposed to say his name now without sending everyone into a panic?

"I had a sort of pen pal relationship with someone in our year, and somehow the person must have managed to jinx me. Because I don't know what I did that one weekend." That was a diplomatic summary, without giving too much away. Because she would rather die than have to tell them that she had been the one who had smeared the shameful message on the wall.

"Was it a boy?" grinned Ginny broadly. Everyone knew she only had eyes for Harry, and so had to satisfy her thirst for romantic gossip through others.

Luckily, Luna intervened this time as well. "Is that why you wrote so much in that worn out book? I was beginning to think it was so unlike you." And then after a pause. "I heard from my father that there are spells that can transport your consciousness into a book. Maybe that's why I didn't see you? Because you weren't in our world at all? Would make sense that your memory would have stayed in the book then, too."

"That would be a problem," Liz mused aloud. "Because I don't have the book anymore."

*

For a while, the friends were able to distract Liz from the lost weekend. Summer went, autumn came, and Liz had almost forgotten what had actually happened. Almost.

It was a mild morning, Liz still felt powerless and exhausted and had already gone to Madame Pomfrey's at sunrise to get one of her strengthening potions for the hundredth time.

"You're really beginning to worry me, Miss Black," the little woman remarked with watchful eyes. "You really ought to rest for a few days. If you're going to resist any examination, the least I can do is excuse you from class."

Liz was about to decline with thanks when the door to the hospital wing opened. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and a hovering student entered. Instantly Liz was forgotten and Madame Pomfrey rushed to the eye-catching team. Tiptoeing along, Liz followed to get at least some first-hand information.

"What happened?" the nurse asked, examining the motionless boy.
"We don't know. He was found petrified like this."

Petrified? Liz hid behind a partition.

"I'm afraid," the principal sighed, "that the chamber has indeed been opened."

Liz felt as if she, too, were petrified. The chamber. Her words on the wall. The chamber had been opened.

Had something released her that was now preying on the students?

*
"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Ginny insecurely as she distributed the candles on the floor. "It kind of looks like that Muggle magic, if you ask me."

Liz couldn't take it anymore. Her lost weekend was no longer a prank gone wrong. Someone had been attacked, and even if Collin was still alive, it was only a matter of time before the next student wasn't going to get off so lightly.