Reflections - Mattheo Riddle

Firenze

"So that's why they killed him," Kirra said quietly, withdrawing her gaze from Fred and George at last. 

Hermione then added, "When Bode tried to steal this weapon, something funny happened to him. I think there must be defensive spells on it, or around it, to stop people from touching it. That's why he was in St. Mungo's, his brain had gone all funny and he couldn't talk. But remember what the Healer told us? He was recovering. And they couldn't risk him getting better, could they? I mean, the shock of whatever happened when he touched that weapon probably made the Imperius Curse lift. Once he'd got his voice back, he'd explain what he'd been doing, wouldn't he? They would have known he'd been sent to steal the weapon. Of course, it would have been easy for Lucius Malfoy to put the curse on him. Never out of the Ministry, is he?"

"He was even hanging around that day I had my hearing," said Harry. "In the — hang on . . ." he said slowly. "He was in the Department of Mysteries corridor that day! Your dad said he was probably trying to sneak down and find out what happened in my hearing, but what if —"

"Sturgis," gasped Hermione, looking thunderstruck.

"Sorry?" said Ron, looking bewildered.

"Sturgis Podmore," said Hermione, breathlessly. "Arrested for trying to get through a door. Lucius Malfoy got him too. I bet he did it the day you saw him there, Harry. Sturgis had Moody's Invisibility Cloak, right?"

Kirra quickly caught on, "So what if he was standing guard by the door, invisible, and Malfoy heard him move, or guessed he was there, or just did the Imperius Curse on the off chance that a guard was there? So when Sturgis next had an opportunity — probably when it was his turn on guard duty again — he tried to get into the department to steal the weapon for Voldemort — Ron, be quiet — but he got caught and sent to Azkaban. . . ." She gazed at Harry.

"And now Rookwood's told Voldemort how to get the weapon?" Hermione asked

"I didn't hear all the conversation, but that's what it sounded like," said Harry. "Rookwood used to work there. . . . Maybe Voldemort'll send Rookwood to do it?"

Hermione nodded, apparently still lost in thought. Then, quite abruptly, she said, "But you shouldn't have seen this at all, Harry."

"What?" he said, taken aback.

"You're supposed to be learning how to close your mind to this sort of thing," said Hermione, suddenly stern.

"I know I am," said Harry. "But —"

"Well, I think we should just try and forget what you saw," said Hermione firmly. "And you ought to put in a bit more effort on your Occlumency from now on."

"well thats just silly Hermione," Kirra tried to argue, but then a small bickering session began between the two and Kirra couldnt really be bothered to continue it so she just turned to Fred and George, both of whom were more than happy to change the conversation.

/*

They were back at Hogwarts, and everything just appeared to be getting more and more dull as the days went on, the darkness creeping its way in. 

The Great Hall was quieter than usual, the usual chatter and laughter replaced by hushed conversations and the occasional clink of silverware. It was late in the afternoon, and the usual energy of the school felt distant, like a fading echo. 

Jasper, Theodore, Kirra, and Mattheo sat together at one of the long tables, their plates mostly untouched as they stared up the other end of the table at the raucous laughter coming from a group of Slytherins who had taken up a chorus of "Weasley Is Our King." It was so loud, even the ghosts in the Hall seemed to wince.