"I'm sure it must be urgent that you're here?" Mcgonagall questioned, sitting at her mahogany desk, authoritative yet benign.
Aedos and Hortencia nodded.
"We saw something in the lake. A draugr we think." Aedos spoke. "that's why people went missing."
Mcgonagall sighed. "Girls. I understand you care for your peers but I assure you we have the situation under control. For now I'd focus on your studies." She made eye contact with Hortencia, focusing her words then to her. "And enjoying the term." Hortencia frowned.
"But that thing is dangerous-"
"Please return to your dormitories if that is all." Mcgonagall shot her down.
"I still have cause to talk with you. if you wouldn't mind headmistress?" Aedos inquired.
"Then I'll hear you out. Will you be staying, Hortencia?"
"No. Thank you." She replied with a suddenness. "I'll be going now-" she turned and briskly left before the awkwardness of their history could linger.
Shutting the ornate door behind her she let out a lethargic breath of annoyance. "All those stairs for nothing." She grumbled aloud. She began the dismal trudge back to the common room.
The followings of the day did nothing to serve the cause. Through the feast until lights out a cloud of anger governed her head. By the time of lights out it had barely simmered down. She couldn't barely rest. Suddenly she found herself sneaking through the halls on a mission.
The school at night was a dreary place. Cyclopean and sinister despite its normal atmosphere of invitation. Down Gargoyle corridor and up the marble stairs she went. She came to an ornate door.
"4, 10, 35." The door swung open. In she rushed. The office was empty, dark. Another door looked behind the desk. She opened it: a bedroom. She stood by the bedside, ready to awaken Mcgonagall but.. she stopped.
'What am I doing? This is stupid. No. No I have every right to do this.' Her conscience spiralled out of whack, she got so caught up in a moral bind that she didn't notice Mcgonagall stirring, awakening.
"Hortencia what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Mcgonagall voice pierced through the silence.
"You need to hear me out, there's something I the lake, I saw it!"
"Hortencia. You cannot be here after hours, I cannot give you special treatment-"
"Well you are! Aren't you? I'm a squib, me being here is special treatment."
"I need to keep an eye on you, you have a tendency to delinquency and it must be managed-"
"That's complete bullshit-" Hortencia paused. "I mean- baloney." Mcgonagall raised an eyebrow. "My point is that you should've listened to me. Okay?" She sighed. "That.. that was it. I'll go now." She started heading out of the room
"Miss Harding?" Mcgonagall called to her as Hortencia stood in the doorway. Hortencia turned around. "Detention for being out after hours. I told you, I will not be giving special treatment."
Hortencia nodded. She then left not closing the door behind her. "And 20 points from Slytherin-" she heard from the room, fading out as she got farther away. She couldn't fathom what she'd just done. That was insane, stupid.
By the time she'd returned to the dorm, the anger had entirely fizzled out. The whole venture sent her straight to sleep, though her mind was still troubled by the monster from the lake.
From light shaking by Aedos, she awoke, completely frazzled. She sped herself dressed and headed to breakfast in the main hall with Aedos. She sat just opposed to Chester, who was at the Ravenclaw table.
"So, how's your big mission going?" He asked, spry as always despite it being early morning.
"Really bad so far. Mcgonagall doesn't seem to be much help. So we might need to.." she rolled her eyes, half-jokingly. "Investigate ourselves like you said." She admitted.
"Yes!! The full Hogwarts experience!"
"Macabre and yet thrilling." Aedos chimed in, sat by Hortencia.
"Mm. Yeah." Hortencia started up through a mouthful of food. She swallowed it before continuing. "You wanna investigate at lunch?"
"Sure! I'll tell the others-"
"Oh god no. Chester don't do that I really don't think that's a good-"
"It'll be fine, Tence, don't worry." Chester assured, though he didn't seem to understand her concern.
Breakfast ended and into their next lessons they went.
Potions was dismal. In September it was freezing in the dungeons, though if was the same in summer. History like the day before was a miserable fest. All the lesson Hortencia and Chester caught eyes, a scheme forming in both their heads. Hortencia would glance over and Chester would look at her and tap his nose and wink. She would manage a smile back. She didn't see the zeal others did in secrets. Secrets were something she had to keep, not just some fun game. By the time Professor Binn had finished rambling about the Great Goblin War of 1301, all the students of his class rushed out as fast as plausible. Hortencia saw Chester waiting for her just outside.
"Shall we find Aedos?" She was beyond relieved to have the dreary lesson done.
"Definitely. Do you think she'd be in your common room?"
"Perhaps."
"Then let's start there."
The two headed for Slytherin common room. Upon entry they saw Aedos by the window, staring into the lake, a whimsical look in her eyes. Hortencia shuddered, the day before flooding back into her head.
"Aedos! Hey!" Chester, despite the severity of the situation, was still upbeat. Aedos waved back halfheartedly.
"The draugr has yet to show itself again." She muttered, gaze still fixed to the crystalline water.
"We should come to it then." Hortencia murmured. Chester looked at her in perturbed confusion. Aedos too looked her way though she seemed to have an idea forming itself in her mind.
"Gillyweed." Aedos thought aloud.
"I don't even know what that is." Chester stated.
"'Algasalus Syreni.' Underwater breathing. We could head straight into the lake, hunt the thing down."
"You know a lot about plants, huh?" Hortencia seemed impressed. Aedos nodded. Hortencia shrugged. "Seems like a good plan." Chester agreed.
"Now we just need to figure out how to get that stuff. You think they'd have it in the potions room?" Chester asked.
Hortencia replied, "We'll have to try."
YOU ARE READING
Hortencia Harding and the Draugr's wrath
Fanfiction"My parents are Portunus and Melpomene Harding. They are both in Azkaban. But I am not them and they are not me. I can forge my own path. I have to. Before I follow their lead."
