Hidden Slytherin

Chapter 31 To Answer Your Question 'Piss Off'

They were walking down one twisting hall after another before they came to the statue of a griffin. Its wings were stretched and curving inwards as it stood on its hind legs.

"Vigil Felis," announced Headmistress McGonagall as she walked towards it, stepping into the space between its wings. At the witches words the statue began to turn, stairs appearing as it twisted upwards. "This way Miss. Come along now," the Headmistress called back.

Jane quickly stepped onto the stairs and was brought upwards. She climbed the steps as she tried to catch up to the women. At the last turn there was a small landing with a doorway. She walked in to see the Headmistress sitting behind a grand desk.

A fire burned away in the fireplace and the room was lined with bookshelves filled books and parchment. Above the built in shelves was a strip of portraits that looked down on the two. To her right a large cupboard sat. She jumped as the Headmistress asked her to sit. Jane's eyes swung back to the witch and quietly sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Well Miss Blackwell, I'm sure you've had quiet the fright."

Jane wasn't sure if that was a question but she silently nodded her head.

"Could you tell me what happened?"

"We were eating breakfast and the mail came. I wasn't expecting a package, so I was surprised when the owl dropped one in front of me. I-I didn't mean to open it, it just happened. I couldn't stop myself. I tried really an-and then I saw what was inside it..." Jane trailed off. She wondered how much more she needed to say. She felt like throwing up. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She pushed them back and tried to look for the rage she knew was buried inside her. It helped calm the storm and left her determined no to mess up. All she had wanted to do was stay hidden and now she was being interrogated by the Headmistress. Fucking douche canoe sending her the fucking murder package.

"And then?"

"I-it was a heart and it was beating," Jane swallowed. "In a box filled with poppies. There was a burn mark, on the heart, I think..." She let her voice waver. It was sadly easier then she had hoped it would be.

"Anything else?"

"No Headmistress."

"Miss Blackwell can you explain to me what you mean by you couldn't stop yourself."

"It was like watching something happen from behind a window. I knew I shouldn't, it just felt wrong, but my body was doing it anyway." She didn't have to fake the emotion in her voice. Again the bile stung her throat at the memory. The fact that some foreign magic slipped past any defense she had and simply forced her to act disgusted her. In some corner of her mind solutions and possible counter spells were already working themselves together. Maybe something she could store in an earring so it would always protect her.

"Miss?"

"Yes, sorry Headmistress. What were you saying?"

"I asked if there was anyone you could think of that could want to have scared you like this."

"No Headmistress," Jane said. She didn't even blink at the lie. It wasn't one really. They didn't want her scared, she was pretty sure they wanted her dead.

"Was there anything else that was out of the ordinary, a smell or sound perhaps?"

Jane tried to give it some thought, but nothing came to mind. "No Headmistress." She didn't even consider telling the Headmistress about what happened the day before.

The Headmistress watched her over the edge of her square rimmed glasses. "Alright, I would like you to go see Madam Pomfrey to get looked over. You will be excused from morning classes. As we do not know why you were targeted, she will be doing a full workup, and your parents will be informed." As McGonagall said this she waved her wand and a file with her name scrawled across the side landed on her desk.