CHAPTER TEN: RIDDLE'S DIARY
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After the group had been lead into Lockhart's office, it was announced that the cat wasn't dead.
"She has been petrified," said Dumbledore, making eye-contact with Maya. It lasted for a split second and no one in the room seemed to notice, but the simple action alone made her feel queasy.
Filch began shrieking accusations towards Harry and Maya, mentioning a 'Kwikspell letter' and how Maya was 'the Devil's spawn', which had her glowering at him through the dim candle light. His confidence wavered. For a moment, it seemed Professor Snape was on their side, but that moment of salvation crumbled when he questioned their whereabouts.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron launched into an explanation about the Deathday Party, "...there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there—"
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" Leered Snape, his eyes glinting by the flickering flames, hinting to some maleficent intent. "And Riddle has been unusually — quiet, this evening. I don't recall your attendance at the feast."
Maya's eyes widened as she hurried to explain herself. "I was at the feast! You can ask my housemates, they'd have seen me there — but I left half-way..."
Filch's eyes narrowed. He was ready to pounce at any given moment to prove his accusations.
"Why?" questioned Snape, emerging from his corner of shadows. "Surely you weren't bored by the preparations?"
"I — I knew that the others wouldn't have eaten anything at the Deathday Party," she began, mind scrambling for a believable excuse, until she remembered something, "so I went to give them some food." From beside her, she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione relax. With a touch of amusement that felt out of place, Maya realised she was quite literally becoming a food bearer.
"So where is it?" sneered Snape, a flash of triumph on his face. They all froze.
"What?" She asked dumbly.
"Where's the food?"
"...I ate it," Maya mumbled quietly.
He was about to launch into a storm of questions, until Professor McGonagall stepped in.
"Really, Severus, stop interrogating the children!" she said sharply. "There is no evidence at all that these four have been involved — there is a chance they have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. No child is capable of such a thing, as I am sure you are aware, and they all seem shaken up by this entire ordeal. They don't need you probing them."
"Headmaster, there are obviously a set of suspicious circumstances regarding the petrification of Mrs Norris, and I suspect that these four aren't being entirely truthful." said Snape, ignoring McGonagall. "I suggest extreme penalties — if I may, I believe Potter should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
McGonagall burst into a fiery argument with Snape ("The cat hasn't been hit over the head with a broomstick—" "It may have been easily disposed of." "Really now, Severus, you are taking this too far—") while Dumbledore gave them what Maya felt was a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made her feel as if he could see right through her, and she wondered if he was using Legilimancy on them again.
"Innocent until proven guilty." Dumbledore announced firmly, while Filch sputtered and shrieked, his eyes popping with rage.
"My cat has been petrified! I want to see some punishment!"
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𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒 | h. potter
Fanfiction"Don't fucking touch me," she snarled, and turned her eye on the woman who had tried to grab her. The lanterns flickering above their heads shattered and the light snuffed out as a chill tore through the alley. She instantly backed away, signalling...
