LIFELINE | 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

▪︎ 37.

Breaking Percy's c.ai filters is my new hobby.

***

Hogwarts' worst days were here.

The Chamber wasn't closed. Dumbledore was gone. And the students were being holed up for safety.

They were getting extremely frustrated, but no one ever complained about it because they were scared that they might be next. Especially the remaining Muggle-borns. Except, Rehan, he seemed to behave like the Monster was beyond him, and he didn't care.

"But you should!" James yelled as Rehan rolled his eyes and walked away. "Come back here! Don't be alone!"

The day Dumbledore was asked to resign was also the day Hagrid, the gamekeeper, was taken away into Azkaban. Gilderoy Lockhart certainly thought will full confidence that Hagrid was the one who kept using the monster to hurt Muggle-borns.

Anyone who had a brain would know that Hagrid was just a giant fluffy human who would never think of hurting anyone. But seemed like Lockhart didn't posses one.

On the other hand, Draco Malfoy was strutting about the castle like everything was perfect.

"Let me go at him." Ron was gritting his teeth as he was being held by Dean Thomas and Harry as Eliza passed by them.

Like Professor McGonagall announced, the students were escorted to each class by a teacher. Even washrooms were escorted by a teacher. They felt safe, but it was also irritating being accompanied everywhere.

It was once again, a little later than usual, as everyone in the Gryffindor common room that people were studying, relaxing or talking. In the corner of the room, Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, and Ron were playing Exploding Snap.

"You both are losing too much," Eliza said to Ron and Harry as she peered over their games' scorecard.

Ron laughed nervously, going slightly red when Eliza drew near and talked to him, "I guess luck is not on our side today." He commented, nudging Harry.

Harry gave a small laugh too, nodding his head, "Yeah, it really isn't."

"Pull up a seat, Calderon, and play a few rounds with us." Fred offered as the cards separated into the patience game.

"Or," George said with a grin, "You can sit on my lap, I wouldn't mind." He said in a mockingly suggestive tone, making Eliza roll her eyes playfully, and Ron go a little pink. Ginny looked at her reaction because only she knew she was dating Percy.

"Good try, Georgie, but maybe use it someone who is actually interested in you, yeah?" Eliza said. "But no, I was just going to go up to bed, and you guys should too. It's getting late." She said, turning away and going to the girls' dormitory.

"You can always use my bed." George said sarcastically as the cards in front of him exploded in his face.

***

"There's still exams! I mean, Dumbledore is gone, and people are dying—" James was complaining loudly in the common room.

"Petrified, not dying." Rehan corrected.

James rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is all this and we're getting exams!"

"So you better start studying it's only a week away." Rehan said, making James glare at him and Claire sniggering over her Herbology homework.

"I still can't believe it. Exams!"

***

Three days before their exams, a new ray of sunshine was procured. 

"I have good news," Professor McGonagall said, and the Great Hall erupted in excited babbling

"Dumbledore's coming back!" Several people tried guessing joyfully.

 "You've caught the heir of Slytherin!" A girl from the Ravenclaw table squealed.

 "Quidditch matches are back on!" Oliver shouted excitedly.

"Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

Everyone in the hall cheered loudly. Even Oliver, who wanted Quidditch more than anything, yelled gleefully while Rehan grinned at him.

Claire and Eliza hugged each other in the excitement, James punching the air as he looked at them squealing in amusement. 

The Slytherin table, also, cheered and clapped, maybe not as much as the others.

Eliza, who was too busy hugging Claire, didn't notice Percy walking in. As he saw her so happy, he smiled before yawning, and not wanting to disturb her, he approached his youngest siblings.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."

Ginny jumped up, frightened, gave Percy a fleeting look, and ran away.

 Percy sat down, suppressing an urge to look at Eliza, and grabbed a mug from the center of the table. 

"Percy!" Ron said angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!"

 Halfway through his mug of tea, Percy choked, gulping with difficulty. "What sort of thing?" He said, coughing. 

"I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say—"

 "Oh – that – that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," Percy said at once, his blush creeping through at the thought of the memory.

 "How do you know?" Ron questioned, his brows raised. 

"Well – er – if you must know, Ginny – er – walked in on me the other day when I was – well, never mind – the point is, she spotted me doing something and I – um – I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I did think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, I'd just rather—" He stuttered, uncomfortably. 

 "What were you doing, Percy?" Ron asked, grinning. "Go on, tell us, we won't laugh." 

Percy didn't smile. He frowned and ignored Ron's teasing. "Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving." And refused to tell another word, trying his best not to blush as he relived the memory of Eliza telling him that she loved him.