THE FIFTH FOUNDER ⚡️ [h.p./founders era]

Twenty-Eight

"There you are!" Salazar said to me from behind me, making me want to jump out of my own skin.

I was now just outside of the Great Hall, but I was still paranoid. I hadn't exactly come up with an excuse for the "present" I left in the chamber.

"Oh," I turned around and faked a smile, but as soon as I saw him, I didn't have to fake it anymore. I was genuinely happy to see him.

"Where have you been? I was worried when I didn't see you this morning." He lowered his voice a bit so that anyone around us wouldn't hear everything.

"I just woke up and couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk. I lost track of time and didn't realize how long I'd been gone." I laughed, feeling physical pain from lying so much. I'd never had this much trouble lying before.

"You should have woken me." He offered and I smiled up at him, trying to convey that I appreciated him.

"You just looked so content that I didn't want to ruin it." I breathed out a laugh. This part was true.

He scoffed and pulled me into his arms unexpectedly. This move was so sudden, especially from him, but I didn't fight it and welcomed his embrace.

After a moment, he let go, a more calloused expression taking over his brightened face.

"I have a few things to take care of, so I may not be able to spend much time with you today. But I will find you tonight." He promised me, squeezing my hands reassuringly.

"All right," I nodded. "I will miss you though."

His lips upturned in a small smile that I treasured greatly, before he pressed his lips to my forehead. I would have kept him there forever if I could, but he soon pulled away much to my disappointment.

"I'll see you later." He winked at me and was gone.

I watched him go down the hallway and out of sight, as I slowly let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

I couldn't keep this secret for long and I made up my mind that I would need to tell him as soon as possible. I knew that Salazar would understand more than any of the others would. If I told the others, I would be blamed and accused.

Salazar would hear out my concerns and help me find a better solution. While I should have thought to come to him before, I knew I was too far in to correct anything without his help yet. I couldn't fix it by myself.

He would know what to do.

I decided I would tell him as soon as I saw him again. I had no idea how long he would be gone, but he promised he would see me that night, so I had enough time to plan out what I would say.

I went back to my room, with a whole script planned out in my head. However, it wasn't much of a script when it was just the truth.

The next few hours were agonizing. I watched as the sun went down and I waited. And waited.

But Salazar never showed.

Maybe he was tired? I decided. He got caught up in his work and wanted to stay in his own room. Yes, that must be it.

I fell into a dreamless sleep that night, which was not normal for me, but now I realize it was my mind's way of preparing me for the nightmare I was about to live.

Sitting up, I decided I would go for a walk around the castle. I had hoped to run into Salazar, but I received no such luck.

Soon I reached his door. I debated leaving him in peace, but I was worried. Sighing, I reached up and knocked.

There was no answer.

I knocked again.

Nothing.

I opened the door, bracing myself to find every kind of horror waiting for me. However, the room was empty.

"Salazar?" I called out, just in case. Silence.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I left the room and shut the door behind me.

Maybe he was avoiding me. But why would he do that? I wondered. He was in such a happy mood the previous day.

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I had no proof, yet I just knew something was wrong.

I had to keep myself from running to find someone else in the castle.

The first person I found was Godric.

He was in the library, almost surprised to see me running in there with such urgency.

"Have you seen Salazar?" I asked him before he could get a word in.

"Not since yesterday." He shook his head. "Why?"

"I just, I haven't seen him either and he told me he would meet me last night," I started rambling, but I quickly stopped myself.

As I was thinking through the events of yesterday, the realization hit me. I felt like I could fall over.

"Oh no." I whispered, running out of the library without saying anything else.

"Lyra?" Godric stood up to follow me. "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer him. I just hoped and prayed to everything good that I was wrong.

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, up to the second floor, and then down the pathway into the chamber that I had just visited yesterday morning.

"What is this place? Lyra!" Godric called after me, still following but more closely now.

I could barely breathe as I reached the bottom. The door to the chamber was left open.

"No." I whispered before I shouted, "Godric, stay right here! If I don't come back in five minutes, come find me."

Godric was not normally one to follow instructions, but this time he did.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the chamber, keeping the door cracked open behind me.

And what I saw made me want to fall onto the ground and never get up. I felt my world crumble into a billion pieces, and this time it was all my own doing.

Salazar Slytherin laid cold on the stone ground, not moving. Not breathing. Dead.

That's when I knew. Only a basilisk could have done this much damage. That was the creature in the egg.

I didn't have much time to act, but I needed to get out of there before the basilisk found me.

Taking out my wand, I was barely able to utter, "Wingardium Leviosa," and levitate Salazar out of the cave.

Once we were out, I put him down and shut the chamber door.

I looked down at Salazar, not knowing what to do. I wanted to vomit, to cry, and to scream. But I couldn't, because I knew I would have to tell Godric what happened and he wasn't going to take it well.

"Lyra, what happened?" Godric asked hurriedly, kneeling down beside his friend. "How did you know he was down here?"

After I didn't say anything, he began to yell, "Answer me!"

How was I supposed to tell him that I killed his best friend?