Magic (5sos/l.h. Hogwarts AU)

Chapter 27

~A/N~ Apparently I learn best when I'm moving around and tapping my legs, and talking to myself so I feel sorry for anyone I have to sit next to in lessons lmao
Enjoy the chapter!
Leila xx

It came as a shock to us all when Hagrid and Dumbledore were suspended from the school and taken to Azkaban, to say the least, but I had more on my mind. So while Calum and Luke raged about how Hogwarts would never be safe without the two teachers and Ginny cried silently in the corner, I made mental notes on how to defeat the Basilisk.

Finding out that it was Lucius Malfoy that got rid of Dumbledore was a relief, because it meant that we had more of a reason to hate Malfoy, and many of my lunchtimes were spent listening to Calum and Luke complaining loudly about him while I watched Ginny push food around her plate.

I desperately wanted to tell her, and Luke and Calum. Ginny had descended into a new realm of what I was starting to believe was depression, and I was more worried about her than ever. It was unclear whether if I told her what was behind these attacks she would get better, or even help me look, but she hadn't taken my advice to look around corners with a mirror.

Her exact words were: "Let it get me."

That worried me even more than the threat of the Basilisk.

Even finding out we still had exams didn't stress me out as it normally would, and I felt no urge to revise or get good marks. After all, when the heir of Slytherin unleashed their wrath upon all muggleborns, no amount of exams were going to help me. And there was no exam in friendship, or anything for that matter to help me with Ginny.

So I just watched quietly as Luke rolled around the floor in despair at the news and Calum sat with a book on his head as though he would just absorb all the knowledge like a sponge.

"I can't believe we still have exams!" groaned Luke. "I haven't learnt a thing this year except that Lockhart likes lilac!"

"Honestly though, since Mrs Norris was petrified the teachers have completely given up on their job," added Calum. "Why have they decided now that they have to be normal again?"

It was a fair question, as I was sure nothing would be normal again.

***
"Please revise," Luke begged me as I sat in the common room, desperately flicking through a book for any information I could about the Basilisk. "There's something wrong with you. You're always revising!"

"Yeah," Calum joined in. "You're supposed to be the one telling us to revise, not the other way round."

"If Hermione was here, she would want you to keep learning," Luke said, which struck a sore spot in me and I stood up, unable to deal with their pestering any longer. I hadn't seen Hermione in a while, or Michael or Ashton, as Madame Pomfrey was now not allowing visitors into the hospital wing in case one was the heir of Slytherin coming to finish the victims off.

"BOO!" Fred jumped out from behind a pillar as I started to climb the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Screaming, I shot him the most poisonous glare I could muster before dashing up the rest of the stairs, vaguely able to hear George telling him that that was not the way to go about cheering me up.

They had been doing it a lot, the twins. Singing loudly around me, or pranking me to make me smile, but it wasn't working. It seemed nothing would any more.

Lying in my bed where I could hear Ginny's deep breathing as she stared at the ceiling, I tried to copy her. Maybe if it worked for my best friend it could work for me too.

***
Three days before our first exam, Professor McGonagall (who was acting as Headmistress in Dumbledore's place) made an announcement at breakfast.