Fear of a Name

Chapter Forty-Six: In Trouble Again

There was screaming coming from above me, screams of pain. It sounded like a girl.
I stood up quickly and looked around, taking in my surroundings. I had to take them in, for I wasn't where I was when I'd fallen asleep. I was in a cell. My cell. The one at the Manor.

Panicking, I tried to open the door, but something was wrong. I didn't have my wand. I couldn't do wandless magic. And now that I thought about it, I seemed to have shrunk as well.
Weird.

My thoughts were interrupted as another scream came from upstairs. I guessed the person screaming could be no older than ten. I started banging on the door of my cell, desperate for the screaming to stop, not caring what the consequences would be for me. I yelled as loud as I could, but still the screams continued. After a few minutes of this I gave up and slid down the wall to the floor, crying.

Then came the two words that seemed to make time stand still.
"Avada kedavra!"

***

"Ivory!"
Someone was shaking me, and I shot up immediately. It took me a few seconds to register what I was seeing — I was back in the library in my purse, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in front of me, looking worried. My necklace had gone ice cold under my robes.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah," I said quietly, wiping my sweaty face. "What happened?"
"You were thrashing around and yelling, I think you were having a nightmare," Hermione explained. "We've been trying to wake you for a while now."

So it wasn't real, just a dream. I let out a shaky sigh.
"Are you sure you're ok?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Like you said, it was just a nightmare," I said, trying to convince myself more than them, if I'm honest. I just couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that that had happened before.
Probably last time I had that nightmare.
They looked a little sceptical, but didn't say anything else on the matter.

I cast around in my mind for something matter-of-fact to say.
"Did you find anything?"
They looked a little confused.
"For the appeal," I explained, trying to take my own mind off the nightmare as much as theirs. "Did you find anything helpful?"
They all shook their heads.
"We've been through quite a few books, but we've got nothing yet," Harry said with a sigh.

"What's the time?" Ron asked, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving."
Hermione checked her watch.
"Merlin's beard, it's nearly the end of dinner!"
"No wonder I'm so hungry," Ron said, shutting the book in front of him and quickly putting it back on the shelf.
"Come on, we were supposed to be talking to Hagrid after dinner," Harry said, copying Ron.
Hermione and I both put our books back as well, then we grabbed our bags and climbed out of the purse, leaving our empty glasses and bowls on the table. I noticed Hermione hadn't touched any of her jelly and ice cream.

"Mistress Ivory and her friends must hurry!" one of the house elves said as I hastily put the purse in my pocket. "Mistress Ivory and her friends are late for dinner! Sir says they are looking for mistress Ivory and her friends!"
"You didn't tell anyone we were here, did you?" I said urgently.
"No, miss."
I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you. We really need to go now, bye!"

Without waiting for an answer, I started to run up to the great hall.
"Ivory — what's — the — rush?" Ron panted as he, Harry and Hermione tried to keep up with me.
"I'm just worried it was Snape who was looking for us," I muttered, running a little faster.

We slowed to a walk when we got to the entrance hall, trying to catch our breath.
"And where have you four been?"
Snape was standing in the doorway to the great hall, his arms crossed in front of him. I saw him look at Hermione, then at Ron, then Harry, before his eyes finally came to rest on me.
"Miss Riddle."

Before I could stop him, he'd used legilimency on me, and had clearly seen something. His eyes went to my pockets.
"Turn out your pockets."
I silently cursed in my head.
"I—"
"Turn out your pockets," he repeated, his voice cold.
"Sir, we haven't had any dinner," I said, stalling for time now. "Can we just—"
"Maybe you should have come to dinner on time then," he sneered, cutting across me. "Turn out your pockets. Now."

I put my hand into the pocket with my purse in, and was just about to pull it out, when—
"Severus, what are you doing?"
Lupin had come to our rescue, whether he knew it or not. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I have reason to believe Miss Riddle is carrying with her an illegally enchanted purse," Snape said, giving me a cold stare.

Lupin looked at me sharply.
"Ivory, is this true?"
"No, sir," I said quietly, looking down at the floor. I could feel that Harry, Ron and Hermione were all a little agitated; I hadn't told them that I'd illegally enchanted the purse.
"Then turn out your pockets," Snape said for the fourth time.
I didn't move.
"Turn out your pockets."

That's when I had a brainwave. I quickly did a wandless and non-verbal spell which sent the purse up to my bed in the dorm, then pulled my pockets inside out to show they were empty. Snape sneered as I looked up at him, this time making sure I had a strong occlumency barrier ready.
"What have you done with it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir," I said quietly.

Lupin was looking at me suspiciously, and I could tell that Harry, Ron and Hermione were confused. Snape just glared at me and said, "If I ever find you in possession of that purse, there will be—" he paused for a second, as if looking for the right word "—consequences. Is that understood?"
I looked down at the floor again.
"Yes, sir."
He started to walk away, then stopped and turned around again.
"And Miss Riddle, you have a detention in ten minutes. My office."
I sighed quietly, not even bothering to ask why.
"Yes sir."