Child of Grace: Chapter 21 - In The Forest Of The Night (Part 2)
ZeldaQueen: Well, after a weak raping of canon, we hopefully get some plot
Link: Don't hold your breath
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 21: In The Forest Of The Night (Part 2)"Follow the spiders?" Theo asked, the following morning. "What by Circe does that mean?
ZeldaQueen: You know, suethor, inserting your "clever" little wizarding asides isn't cute or charming. It just makes you look even more like you're ripping off Rowling
Milli snorted, rolling her dark-green eyes. "I think it is pretty self-explanatory."
Theo stuck his tongue out at her, and she laughed, reaching over to flick him.
Link: Ha ha, isn't this funny? It just makes me forget that Dumbledore is gone, Hagrid is in prison, and there's a bloodthirsty monster on the lose!
"Aside from that," he corrected, turning to Holly.
She shrugged slightly. "I'm not really sure," the smallest Slytherin stated.
ZeldaQueen: STOP GOING ON ABOUT HOW LITTLE SHE IS!
Link: Gah! My ears!
ZeldaQueen: Sorry! But Rowling got through just fine without saying "the scrawny Gryffindor" or "the black-haired boy" or other stuff like that. It's...annoying!
"Hence, why we are in the library, looking it up," Draco added with a cheeky smile. His grin was a nice change from the brooding silence of the night before. Even with Holly's assurance of his father's true intentions, the blond had still taken it all rather badly.
Link: And heaven forbid Holly's little band of groupies be upset about anything! Like I said, monster? No problem. Draco's delicate sensibilities being shaken? The horror!
The entire group of friends was currently sitting at one of the back tables, hidden in a convenient corner. It was Sunday and very early, the sun having only risen a short time before, but they were already gathered. Holly, Blaise, and Draco had quickly filled in everyone as soon as they had returned to the dorms the previous evening. They had understandably been shocked.
ZeldaQueen: (Group) "What do you mean, 'this is a fanfiction'?"
Hagrid was their only solid lead, and Dumbledore was probably the only reason there hadn't been an attack a day. And now, they were gone, banished by the same corruption that had allowed Voldemort to rise in the first place.
ZeldaQueen: What? The basilisk was just one of the many tools Voldemort used throughout his life. If anything, I'd say it was the horcruxes that allowed him to rise. Or stay risen. Whatever. The basilisk wasn't that important.
Link: I believe she's referring to the Ministry of Magic.
ZeldaQueen: What? *peers at screen* Ah yes, so she is.
*throws spork into wall*
BURN WITH THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND SUNS, YOU LITTLE WHORE!
Link: *ducking behind sofa* Well!
ZeldaQueen: I'm sorry, but she's just determined to blame everyone except Voldemort for Voldemort's rise, isn't she? And it's even more infuriating because Fudge didn't want to remove Dumbledore! Malfoy did!!!
Link: Well stop screaming! You're getting spit in my ears
ZeldaQueen: Right. And on another note, as I said before, if they thought so well of Dumbledore as a protector, why did they not go to him with information? Hmm?
Both were gone, their departing comments the only leads the Slytherins now had. The headmaster's statement was cryptic at best, and Holly had tried to puzzle it out to with no luck.
Link: Eh, it's because she's a selfish bitch who can't comprehend trusting in anyone else
The only thing she was able to come up with was that he meant for her to seek out help from her friends. Thankfully, Hagrid's statement was much easier to decipher, which had led them to their current course.
"But where should we begin looking?" Luna's dreamy voice drifted over; she had only learned of the events minutes before, not having stayed in Slytherin House the previous night.
Blaise seemed to be considering. "Probably in the section about magical creatures."
Link: No, really?
Holly nodded. "That does make sense. There was supposed to be a legendary monster in the chamber, and apparently, whatever it is, spiders flee from it."
ZeldaQueen: (Suethor) "I DIDN'T READ AHEAD, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T! HOLLY'S JUST THAT CLEVER! REALLY!!!"
There was a collective consensus, and they all proceeded to look. However, hours passed, and they hunted through countless books, searching for the elusive reference. It was tough going, even with their rather large group, due to the sheer size of the magical creatures section, which had several hundred books. Madam Pince arrived just after ten, immediately surprised by the fact that students were actually in the library.
Link: Why would she be surprised by that?
ZeldaQueen: Search me. In canon, it seemed like every other paragraph had at least one character hanging around there
She promptly kicked them all out, personally escorting them back to their Houses.
ZeldaQueen: Oh, aren't they special?
Apparently, they were all supposed to remain in their dorms.
Link: Weak excuse
ZeldaQueen: And they weren't told this? If students were all supposed to remain in their dorms, wouldn't there have been an announcement?
Over the next two weeks, their search was further hampered by the new restrictions that McGonagall placed. Students were no longer allowed to go around on their own, forced to move in packs. All Quidditch matches were cancelled as were all club meetings, study sessions, and any other extracurricular activities. Further, pupils were to remain within their own House whenever they were not in class, the Great Hall, or the library. This basically meant that Luna was all but forced from them.
ZeldaQueen: I love how this is being treated like some horrible inconvenience, rather than necessary precautions. In canon, Harry and Ron were in a stupor because Hermione was now a statue and Hagrid and Dumbledore were gone. These folks are just irritated
Link: (Sue) "How dare they restrict us in any way? Can't they see we're way too good for stuff like that?"
McGonagall stated it was so they could keep track of the blonde, who had a tendency to wander aimlessly around the castle, but Holly wasn't so sure she believed the excuse.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, with all of the students in Hogwarts, why is this reading like McGonagall is picking on Luna specifically? Weren't the laws just a blanket statement for the Heads of House and prefects to enforce?
Link: *coughs* Inconveniencing
ZeldaQueen: Right. How dare McGonagall not let Luna wander wherever she wants and potentially get killed or petrified? Never mind that she's under Hogwarts care and is their responsibility
After all, Luna could have merely stayed in Slytherin with them, just like Gavin did. Instead, she was forced back to the Eagle House, to those who often teased and taunted her.
Link: Okay, first she calls the Slytherins "the Serpents" and now Ravenclaws are "the Eagle House"? What?
ZeldaQueen: I'd like to think that Luna would understand that her personal safety and wellbeing and the prefects being able to account for her is more important than some obnoxious pricks
Thankfully, though, the Gavin agreed to return as well to watch out for her, but that also meant he wouldn't be able to spend time with the Slytherins except in the Great Hall and class.
Link: Thank lord! Who's Gavin?
ZeldaQueen: *checks sporking notes* Apparently he's also a Ravenclaw. And we get more flouncing about how these safety precautions are just so inconvenient. Bitch, Harry had plenty of inconveniences when he had to put up with security measures. Did he whine continuously? No! He knew that everyone was going to a lot of trouble to take care of him and make sure he didn't die!
Link: So...any particular reason why Luna would be singled out for this and not Gavin?
ZeldaQueen: Not that I see
Link: Okay then
These restrictions also made it rather difficult to find any spiders, which Hogwarts now seemed to lack. Theo and Milli spent one memorable day attempting to chase after an entire hoard of the little blighters, but their plans had been derailed by a passing Lockhart.
ZeldaQueen: That's not cute, suethor. That just seems more bitchy, especially given how horrible your little characters have been to Lockhart
At least, with Hermione's attack the school stopped believing Holly responsible for the entire mess. Apparently, everyone thought that the two girls were still close friends, and they couldn't see their saviour hurting one of her mates.
Link: So she doesn't count Hermione as a friend anymore? Interesting...
And then, there was the fact that since they were unable to spend a great deal of time hunting after clues, the second-years now had plenty of time to study for exams.
Yet, despite all of their hardships, the Slytherins somehow found time to sneak off to the library.
ZeldaQueen: First of all, "hardships" my Aunt Fanny! You just said that Holly wasn't being picked on anymore and she's got her groupies who are utterly devoted to protecting her delicate sensibilities.
Second of all, if they've just studying all of the time, why wouldn't they be able to get to the library?
Surprisingly, they eventually managed to find a reference to the spiders, though it was a confusing one at best. Holly and Blaise had been digging through a text about ancient and legendary beasts, skimming by entries on the phoenix, sphinx, and Acromantula,
ZeldaQueen: HA HA, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THAR!
Link: *holding ears* What?
ZeldaQueen: The suethor and her "clever" foreshadowing...oh never mind
when they had stumbled across a reference to the Basilisk:
ZeldaQueen: FUCK THIS SHIT!
Link: *did not even bother to unplug his ears and is pleasantly humming Zelda's Lullaby*
Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.
Link: And they're also, unfortunately, vulnerable to canon rape and Sues, like everyone else
"A Basilisk?" Draco questioned, coming up to read from over Holly's shoulder.
She inclined her head. "It partially fits, and it's the best we have. Spiders flee from it, which is probably what Hagrid meant. I mean, the few spiders we've found seem to be leaving the castle." The green-eyed girl reread the entry. "Plus, it's a serpent, the symbol of Slytherin. Salazar would most likely choose a monster like that."
ZeldaQueen: (Suethor) "I NEVER READ AHEAD, WHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING THAT?"
Link: So wait, if the author is trying to make it look like the Slytherins are all fantastic, why would Salazar have a monster left in the Chamber in the first place?
Blaise thoughtfully tapped his chin. "I vaguely remember Hagrid mentioning that something had killed off the school hens." He indicted part of the passage they had just read. "He thought it was a bugbear, but it might have been the Heir," the caramel-skinned boy said slowly.
ZeldaQueen: Actually, he thought it was a fox
"I know, but a Basilisk!" Draco stated loudly. "A bloody Basilisk. First, it's dragons, then it's a Cerberus, and now Basilisks! All we need now is a hippogriff or better yet… an Acromantula. Knowing our luck, we'll find one." He waved his hand through the air.
ZeldaQueen: And the author continues to think she's so wonderfully clever
Link: And I guess they're not going to actually tell anyone about this, are they?
"What's the big deal about a Basilisk?" Autumn asked walking over with Milli and Theo.
They had been attached by Draco's loud tone.
Link: *laughing* So they're cojoined or something?
ZeldaQueen: Suethor, I believe you wanted "attracted"
The blond rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you why it's a big deal. Put frankly, Basilisk kill things! They kill things very well and very easy," he explained carefully, albeit dramatically. "Looks can literally kill with them."
ZeldaQueen: I mean, really! Isn't this much better than canon's explanation? Why use a textbook excerpt when you could have someone rail about it in a "cool" manner?
Autumn paled significantly, and Milli patted her back, shooting Draco a menacing look.
Link: What is with these people? There are all of these terrible things going on and all they care about is if one of them gets offended
He dismissed it with a wave. Theo and Blaise looked at each other nervously, the idea of a murderous serpent finally sinking in. However, Holly merely read the entry for a third time.
"Well," the girl interrupted, "it might not be a Basilisk." The others all stared at her, and she explained, "Like Draco said, Basilisks can kill with a gaze, but no one has died yet. Someone did fifty years ago but not this time around."
Blaise quickly caught on, "They were only Petrified. Not killed but Petrified."
ZeldaQueen: You know, Harry and canon Ron figured out why that was in all of two seconds after seeing the entry. How are these folks supposed to be smarter?
"I don't think that Basilisks can do that," Milli put in after a moment, still rubbing Autumn's back.
Theo added, "Maybe if the glare was reflected or something, but what are the odds of that happening four times in a row."
Link: Bingo
ZeldaQueen: But they still don't get it! Aurgh!
Link: Even when they're trying to be smart, they're still complete dumbasses
"So it's not a Basilisk then?" Autumn asked hopefully, a gleam in her soft blue eyes.
"Who knows," the dark-haired girl answered. "But whatever it is, it can both kill and Petrify. I wonder what else it could do."
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, I cannot believe this! THEY HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT THERE AND THEY'RE DISMISSING IT! Suethor, I just got through with that sort of bull after sporking Meyer's novella! I am not in the mood for more!
No one had an answer.
Link: Don't they know that it's "forty-two"?
It was a day later that they caught a lucky break when Autumn saw a group of large spiders heading for the Forbidden Forest during Herbology. Immediately after classes ended, the Slytherin second-years gathered themselves in one of the study rooms, shooing a few first-years out.
Link: (Groupies) "Out, out, we need to hog the spotlight"
They mulled over the evidence, finally deciding that Holly, Blaise, and Draco were to go. The three were the best spell-casters. Plus, Holly would be able to woo any Basilisks that might attack them along the way,
Link: "Woo"? "WOO"??? Is she going to ask the frigging thing out? Offer it chocolates? Compliment how it looks in a dress?
ZeldaQueen: I'm wondering why they felt the need to imply that there was more than one Basilisk. Weren't they just going on about how unlikely it is that there are so many dangerous monsters at the school? And it would almost be impossible to hide more than one, I'd imagine
Draco knew a surprising amount of advanced curses, and Blaise was always useful to have around,
Link: - for sex
not to mention the fact that he was fairly calm in the face of danger.
ZeldaQueen: You were right, Link. This is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The trio escaped via use of Holly's Invisibility Cloak around midnight. They successfully managed to dodge the patrolling professors and to navigate their way to Hagrid's hut.
ZeldaQueen: Unlike canon Harry. Loser
Inside, Fang immediately hopped on Draco,
Link: - And began -
ZeldaQueen: Not another word!
Link: Well, excuuuuuuse me!
sending the boy staggering into Blaise as Holly whipped
Link: - out -
ZeldaQueen: Enough!
off the cloak and put it on the table. They wouldn't need it in the dark forest.
The three lit their wands as they stepped out the back door, Fang leading the way. Draco spotted two spiders crawling rapidly across the forest floor, and Holly directed the large hound to follow them. She could feel a prickling in the back of her mind, the same feeling she had with her red-gold stalker, but it more distant now, almost muted. Emerald eyes flickered around, but even with the wand light, it was too dark to see anything save the faint outline of trees.
ZeldaQueen: Here's hoping she gets eatten
Link: She won't. Didn't you say there were thirty or so more chapters left?
ZeldaQueen: One more than that. She updated recently
Link: ... I hate you
Minutes passed, and they wandered deeper into the forest, still following the spiders. Holly could feel soft whispers in the distance, but she had no idea who or what they were coming from. She heard the faint flapping of wings as they stepped off of the forest path. The trio exchanged looks, and the girl felt an incredible sense of foreboding as they went even deeper into the wood.
Link: Dear lord, this is boring
ZeldaQueen: I know! At least My Inner Life had hilarious spelling errors to amuse us
Link: Don't ever mention My Inner Life again
Suddenly, Holly felt a hoard of strange things quickly approaching them and mentally warned the boys.
Link: Harry couldn't do that because he sucks
ZeldaQueen: He couldn't do that because he wasn't telepathic!
They turned to flee, but it was too late.
ZeldaQueen: So what was the point of adding that?
The three were lifted off of their feet by large pinchers. Blaise choked, and both Holly and Draco let out girly shrieks.
Link: Okay, now that's funny!
She silenced after a moment, though Draco screamed for a second longer, and the girl fought the urge to struggle against her captor.
ZeldaQueen: Wow. She's such a Sue thaat she has to look better than her alleged best friend
Link: Either that or Draco's supposed to be the expy of Ron. And we know that this suethor thinks that Ron is just a silly guy who shrieks and eats and needs rescuing
It was a wise move considering that she was at least ten metres off the ground, being carried through the trees by what appeared to be an incredibly large spider. She held onto her wand, which was now darkened, for dear life.
Both: *chanting* Eat her! Eat her! Eat her!
They abruptly came into a clearing, the stars twinkling like mad above them. The three Slytherins and Fang were unceremoniously dropped to the forest floor, landing in a large heap. They scrambled to stand, finally getting a look at their surroundings. They were surrounded by dozens of spiders… dozens of incredibly large spiders.
ZeldaQueen: Wow! This would be so shocking if I never read the book!
Holly felt like she might faint on the spot; the two boys looked like they might, too.
One of the spiders that had captured them clicked its pincers, and Holly belated realised it was saying something.
"Aragog! Aragog!"
Link: We accept her, one of us!
ZeldaQueen: No one ever truly accepts a Sue
Link: Yeah, but I'm hoping that they'll mutilate her by the end
The Serpent's attention switched to a large, dome-like web in front of them and the enormous spider that was crawling down it. It was huge, the size of a small elephant, though its eyes were clouded over like it was blind.
Holly was hit by another sense of foreboding, but she felt a flare of the red-gold presence. She mentally warned the other two.
ZeldaQueen: ZOINKS! Whatever could be going on?
"What is it?" Aragog answered with a few clicks.
"Humans."
Aragog seemed interested, moving forward. "Is it Hagrid?
"Strangers."
Link: (Spiders) "Another Mary Sue trying to replace canon. Care to eat her?"
ZeldaQueen: (Aragog) "No, you know full well that Mary Sues give me horrible digestion problems! Just rip out her entrails with your pincers and listen to her dying shrieks"
Link: (Spiders) "Hooray!"
Aragog turned away. "Kill them. I was sleeping…"
Both: YES!!!
Draco let out a little squeak of terror, while Blaise's dark eyes widened, and he stiffened. He made to move in front of Holly, the other boy going to protect her back from the circling spiders.
ZeldaQueen: *swells with fury* YES, JUST FOCUS ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON PROTECTING THE SUE!
"We are friends of Hagrid," Holly quickly announced, her eyes glowing slightly.
There was a clack of the arachnids all around them.
Link: (Spiders) "Yeah, that's what they all say"
Aragog hesitated, and he clicked, "Hagrid had never sent men into our hollow before."
ZeldaQueen: He never sent Sues either, yet here one is
Holly's eyes flashed. "He is in trouble. That's why we have come."
The biggest spider seemed to be considering.
Link: What the fuck is with her describing things as "the littlest" or "the biggest"? It's like some sort of surreal Dr. Seuss book!
"In trouble, but why has he sent you?"
ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "That's easy! I'm a Mary Sue and I warped canon so that everything interesting happens to me!"
The girl lifted her chin, eyes glowing brightly enough to actually add light to the clearing. "Up at the school, they think that Hagrid has been attacking students.
Draco nodded and breathlessly put in, "They think that he has set loose a monster on them. They have taken him to Azkaban." Unconsciously, he reached for both of his friends.
Link: Not now, Draco. I know you're horny, but there's a time and a place for a threesome
The angry clicking of several dozen pincers filled the air.
"But that was years ago. Years and years ago," Aragog added after a moment. "I remember it well. That is why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid opened the Chamber and set me free."
Blaise finally spoke, "And you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?"
Aragog looked angry at the presumption. "I? I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg." He clicked his pincers in remembrance. "Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in the cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend and a good man. When I was discovered and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…"
Link: I take it that this is all stolen from canon?
ZeldaQueen: Yep. And after dealing with this for Bree Tanner, I'm just tuning it out. Hey, do you like S'mores?
Link: Yeah, sure. Why?
ZeldaQueen: Well, I snuck some in
Link: How will we heat the marshmallows?
ZeldaQueen: Well I kind of sat on them, so they're already pretty melted and squishy
Link: You're a really weird person, you know that?
Draco breathed out in relief, his pale face gaining colour. "So you never… never attacked anyone?"
The old spider answered, "Never. It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a toilet. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet."
ZeldaQueen: Are you really complaining?
Link: Not at all. Fork one over
ZeldaQueen: As you wish
Link: *noms*
"Girl in a toilet," Holly murmured to herself. Something instantly occurred to her, separate threads linked in her mind.
ZeldaQueen: And, of course, the Sue makes the connection immediately
Link: *through a mouthful of marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate* Hey, my brain works best when I'm in life-threatening situations! Why do you think that evil witch Jenna kept my doppleganger so lobotomized? She kept him out of battle
'Myrtle…'
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is unbelievable. She's surrounded by giant spiders, she's got almost all of them wanting to eat her, and she's able to make that connection right then and there??? How many times has she interacted with Myrtle, anyway? Harry and canon Ron and Hermione spent all of that time in the bathroom and then went through the "diary thrown through Myrtle" thing. None of that happened to the Sue! This is just Rose Potter all over!
"Do you know what did kill that girl?" Blaise asked. Not having been privy to his friend's epiphany,
Link: *sings* I will have vengence!
ZeldaQueen: God, if only!
he had continued. "Whatever it is, it's back-"
The spiders drowned out the rest of his statement.
"The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others," Aragog responded in a strange tone. "Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school." He seemed to tremble. "We do not speak of it! We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dreaded creature, though he asked me many times."
Holly felt a shiver of fear at the arachnids continued response. Her foreboding only seemed to be increasing, and even the familiar red-gold presence could not calm it.
ZeldaQueen: Please shut up about the stupid presence
She began to back away, silently telling Draco to grab Fang. He did, taking the hound's collar.
"Thank you then. We'll just be going," she tried to smile but couldn't manage it. The glow in her eyes continued to increase. Holly fingered her wand, which was partially up her sleeve.
Aragog almost laughed. "Go. I think not."
Both: Yes! Eat her! Please!
Holly felt another spike of uneasiness. She quietly released Draco, letting her wand drop into her hand. She didn't even need to urge her companions to go for theirs. Silently, the girl wished she had thought to conjure Saladin and take him along for this little trek. His poisonous bite would be very useful right about now, though Holly didn't know how effective it would be against several dozen giant spiders.
ZeldaQueen: Wow, I'm having flashbacks to Disobedience Writer's version of Harry. Her first thought is to kill the spiders rather than, I don't know, just run for it?
"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat, especially when it wanders so willingly into our midst." Aragog seemed momentarily saddened but quickly snapped out of it.
ZeldaQueen: Oh get over it! Aragog didn't care!
"Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."
The other spiders moved in immediately. A solid wall of arachnids surrounded them.
Holly cast the first spell that came to mind, remembering what Aragog had said.
"Lumos!"
Unexpectedly, Blaise and Draco yelled it at the same moment. There was a brilliant flash of light, far brighter than anything Holly had managed before. The spiders shrieked, fumbling backwards in their semi-blinded state. She felt the red-gold presence gathering.
Link: May I assume that this didn't happen in canon?
ZeldaQueen: Yes, you may. Harry and canon Ron were rescued by a car. Of course, Little Miss Mary Sue can keep her head in situations like these
The girl announced loudly, "If you kill us, the people at the school will come for you. Our friends know that we're here, and they'll tell the adults. Even you and your children could not stand against the wrath of an angry hoard of witches and wizards," she warned, her eyes now blazing.
Link: Eh, they'd probably thank the spiders for killing off such an obnoxious Mary Sue
ZeldaQueen: Yes Holly, threaten the hungry spiders that want your blood. That's smart
Aragog froze for a moment, obviously thinking over what she had said. However, he simply shrugged it off, and the others came at them again. Yet, his one moment of hesitation was all that was needed.
Link: They all leaped into a plot hole and escaped
Unexpectedly, there was a burst of fire mid-air, and every head swivelled around to look. Holly took the opportunity and grabbed Blaise's hand, and he in turn snatched Draco's free one. She dashed off, dragging the two boys and the hound in her wake. They raced through the forest and away from the spiders, who had now recovered from their shock. The arachnids tore after them, but it was too late.
Both: NO!
Fawkes the phoenix swooped in and grabbed the girl's arm, effortlessly lifting the three still connected second-years and the hound off of the ground.
ZeldaQueen: What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?
Link: Huh. Deus ex machina much?
ZeldaQueen: It's not that, she just stole the climax of the book! That's how Harry fights off the Basilisk! Fawkes appears and helps him! And in this case, it makes no sense! Fawkes showed up because Harry showed loyalty to Dumbledore! He told Riddle that Dumbledore would always be at Hogwarts and protect the students, and that's when Fawkes showed up! That's what Dumbledore meant when he said that help would always come to those who ask for it! And when, thus far, has Holly shown the slightest bit of loyalty to Dumbledore? Hmm? When?
The bird flew higher, soaring gracefully through the treetops before the spiders could even get off the ground. The forest was flashing by underneath them, Fawkes going at what should be impossible speeds.
Holly glanced back to ensure that they had everyone, which they did, only to see the trees racing by.
Within minutes, they were back at Hagrid's cabin, the phoenix lightly fluttering to the ground. Fang took off like a shot into the hut. The Slytherins warily collapsed to the ground, huddling to together with Holly in the middle. Blaise was pressed to her side, his hands in hers, and Draco's arms were around her waist, his face buried in her hair. They were all trembling.
Link: And everyone is clinging to the Sue for comfort. What a surprise
ZeldaQueen: What, no mention of how she trembles at their touch? I'm amazed!
Fawkes flew over to her shoulder.
"Thank you so much, Fawkes," she breathed. The bird chirped happily and rubbed her face with his.
"Yes, thanks," Draco added breathlessly.
"Thank you," Blaise finished.
They sat in silence for a few moments, trying to quiet their racing hearts. Fawkes simply nuzzled Holly's neck before giving the same treatment to the boys.
Link: Woah now!
ZeldaQueen: Again, makes no sense. It's loyalty to Dumbledore that calls Fawkes and Holly certainly wasn't showing that. How come suethors always miss stuff like that, huh?
Link: It's convenient to the plot
Draco started to mumble to himself. It was something along the lines of "'follow the spiders', he says."
Link: Yep, I think he's supposed to be Holly's version of Ron
ZeldaQueen: This fic can kiss my foot then. Ron is far more awesome than this wimp-bag
Blaise grunted his agreement and rubbed his face in his hands.
The girl turned to the phoenix as he returned to her shoulder. "So it was you that has been following me all this time." It was a statement, not a question.
Fawkes gave an affirmative chirp.
Link: Because Dumbledore's bird hasn't got anything better to do than stalk the Sue, I guess?
ZeldaQueen: I give up. Let's just end this chapter
Blaise and Draco looked up with surprise.
"Why?" Holly asked, wondering if it was actually possible for the bird to respond.
Fawkes merely gave her the phoenix equivalent of a sly smile and fluttered off of her shoulder and into the cabin. He returned within seconds, Holly's cloak in his talons. The bird dropped into in her lap.
She got the hint.
Link: The bird wants her to disappear. Clever animal
"Fine." The girl smiled, standing up.
Blaise and Draco followed, not even bothering to dust themselves off.
Link: They knew the Sue would want one more tumble before going inside
ZeldaQueen: Link!!!
Link: What? I'm bored!
"Thank you again."
And with that she flung the Invisibility Cloak around them. They started towards the castle, Fawkes following them all the way to the dungeons. Strangely, they ran into no one else, not even Professor Snape, along the way.
ZeldaQueen: Wow, everything is catering to the Sue in this
They were too tired to make the journey to Myrtle's toilet that night, so the three decided to do it the next morning. They had a free time after Defence, and Lockhart was the least likely to escort students all the way to the dorms… or to notice if they went missing.
ZeldaQueen: Ha ha, see how canon Harry sucked? He worried that that they couldn't get to Myrtle again!
Link: These clowns, on the other hand, act like it's a guarantee. You think the author read ahead?
ZeldaQueen: Heaven forbid!
Milli, Theo, and Autumn acted as decoys, distracting the dandy
ZeldaQueen: Right! New contest! Whenever the suethor uses an incredibly stupid name to describe something or someone, we come up with a more pleasant image or thought. I'll go first - hot fudge sundaes
Link: Well duh. It's nearly lunchtime
and allowing the other trio to slip away as they passed by a corridor that led to the girl's loo. Sneakily, Holly whipped out her ever useful cloak and covered them. The three Slytherins made it to the toilet and inside with no one the wiser, removing the cloak quickly so that the ghost wouldn't see it.
Link: And Myrtle would care...why?
ZeldaQueen: Beats me. No one ever talks to her, so it's not like she'd blab
Moaning Myrtle looked as they came up to her stall. "Oh, it's you," she stated when she saw Holly, who had used the loo several times before.
Link: I know it's referring to that particular bathroom, but that sentence makes it sound like we're being told that Holly went to the bathroom period in the past. To which I say, doy!
"What do you want this time?"
Link: (Sue) "Sex!"
ZeldaQueen: That's wrong on many levels
Holly gave her a solemn look. "We wanted to ask you how you died," the girl said quietly, trying to project a sense of trustfulness to the spectre.
Link: What the hell did that even mean?
ZeldaQueen: So the Sue tries to act serious while asking a personal question to a ghost she hardly knows, and expects this to make her seem trustworthy? What? They're just lucky that, by canon, Myrtle love talking about her death
Myrtle immediately perked up, her entire demeanour changing in an instant. "Ooooh, it was dreadful," she commented dramatically, seeming incredibly flattered. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses…"
She blathered on for a few moments about the other girl, strangely mentioning a wedding. Blaise's eyes glazed over slightly, and Draco looked as though he wanted to politely but forcefully shift her back on topic. However, they couldn't risk offending her.
Link: Wow. A ruder bunch of pricks I don't think I've ever met
ZeldaQueen: That's nice! Myrtle's actually acting happy about something and opening up and they're acting like she's reciting the Declaration of Independence for no reason. I might add that in canon, the story about being teased and dying and haunting Olive Hornby was... *counts* ten sentences long. Of those ten sentences, six described how a boy entered the bathroom as she was crying, said something in a strange language, and how she then left to stall to tell him to leave, saw yellow eyes, and died. Which means that six of the ten sentences were relevant to the story of how she died. I'd also like the record to note that the thing about the wedding happened in another part of the book and, if I recall, in and of itself only lasted a few sentences in passing
Finally, the ghost got back to the original question after Holly gave her a mental nudge.
Link: Because of course nothing gets done without the Almighty Holly there to help them along
"I was crying, and then, I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been," she added in an aside. "Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then…" The spectre paused dramatically. "I died."
Holly blinked. "How did you die?"
Myrtle shrugged. "No idea," she added loftily. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then, I was floating away…"
ZeldaQueen: Okay, there's the part of her canon explanation that was relevant. Which means that the suethor felt it necessary to imply that Myrtle went into a previous rant for no reason other than to mock her
Afterwards, the Slytherins quickly thanked the ghost and left, lest they have to listen to her babble again.
Link: Yes, because heaven forbid they be compassionate enough to spend a few minutes listening to the story of a girl who spent her life being picked on, only to be killed before her time!
ZeldaQueen: And I love how the author tries to handwave the rudeness by pointing out that they thanked her. "Look! It doesn't matter that they consider her story to be 'babbling'! They thanked her, after all!"
They travelled without problem to the Common Room, taking the cloak off in front of the portrait entrance. No one commented as they entered, and nobody would rat them out to a teacher for not staying with their year-mates. Nor would they comment on the fact that all of the second-years were gathering in the boys' dorm.
House solidarity was such a wonderful thing.
Link: And yet again with the inconvenience thing! Suethor, I really can't sympathize here
ZeldaQueen: You know what this reminds me of? Bella fucking Swan and her "I don't wanna wear a neck brace" schtick. Seriously, there's a murdering monster on the loose and these guys are under the care of the Hogwarts Staff. Why are they so offended that the teachers want all students accounted for?
The others were quickly filled in, and they spent the next few hours before dinner speculating. After the meal, Holly finally returned to her room, lying on her bed. She retrieved the diary from her bedside table, swiftly relating the previous night's occurrences, which she had been too tired to tell him earlier. From there, it was rather natural for her to add what they had just learned from the ghost.
ZeldaQueen: Oh Jesus Christ, he we go...
Link: *prepares to cover ears*
Eyes, Tom repeated after she had related her story. He had a distinctive sinking feeling. Eyes did you say?
He knew in that instant that it had to have been the Basilisk, that Myrtle's death truly was his fault.
ZeldaQueen: Nope, nope, not buying it. He knew it was his fault, because he sent it to kill someone
Yes, Holly answered carefully, curious about his whirling thoughts, she said it was a pair of "great, big, yellow eyes."
A wave of pure shock erupted from the diary, and the girl was forced to rapidly throw up her mental shields.
Link: I do believe that is among the dumbest sentences I've read in this thing
Yellow… that can't be! The ink appeared so quickly that it was nearly a blur. It can't be possible. It's simply impossible. But that means that it wasn't… It doesn't make any sense. Tom seemed to simply be writing his every thought.
Tom, what are you talking about? Holly was completely confused. The impressions she was receiving were chaotic and disjointed.
Link: Wait, didn't she say before that she couldn't read his mind or something?
ZeldaQueen: I don't know. I don't care. This is just...stupid. The suethor took Tom Riddle, a sneaky, cool, creep of a magnificent bastard and turned him into a spineless milksop
However, he didn't seem to even notice she was writing to him. But she had white eyes, not yellow. They always have white eyes, never yellow. It means that it couldn't have been her. It had to have been something else.
Link: This will be biting us later, won't it?
ZeldaQueen: Oh yeah
Tom's mental spiel continued for several moments, slowly calming as he accepted the bizarre revelation. Finally, he responded to the girl again.
Please, forgive me, Holly. It just surprised me greatly. I had believed one thing for so long, and now, I know that it wasn't true. I had thought that I…
Link: (Riddle) "Was in canon. It was such a shock to realize I was not!"
Tom? Holly was now exceptionally worried.
It's just that I…The writing paused for a moment before continuing. Holly, do you trust me?
ZeldaQueen: No
She hesitated, thinking about it.
Yes.
And she did. She truly did, despite the fact that he was a diary and that she had never had a clear mental reading of him. Holly did trust Tom.
ZeldaQueen: *desperately* Yes! A little bit of canon! Tom Riddle is charismatic and able to get people to trust him, then he tortures and kills and uses them! DO IT TO THE SUE, GO ON!!!
Yes. Yes, I do.
If Tom would have been able to, he would have inhaled sharply. Write my name in the air with your wand.
Link: Okay, this is starting to remind me of the "say my name, bitch" thing from Twilight
It was his moment of truth. It was time to tell her everything. He had been wrong for so long. He had felt so guilty, and with his new revelation, it was time to make things right.
ZeldaQueen: NO! NO! NO!!!!
Link: Oh stop it
ZeldaQueen: *sobbing* I hate this! I hate this suethor! How did she think this was likable?
What?
He responded with building nervousness. Please, just do it. Then, rearrange the letters. Tom again paused. I just ask that afterwards… give me a chance to explain.
Holly climbed off of her bed and pulled the curtains around her study space. She politely did as they diary-wizard asked, carefully writing the letters in the air.
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
She waved her wand… and gasped.
I am Lord Voldemort.
ZeldaQueen: WOW, BIG FUCKING SURPRISE!
AN: Most of the dialogue from the first section and scene with Aragog is taken directly from canon.
ZeldaQueen: Really? I never would have been able to tell!
Also, what is legal age in Britain? Is it seventeen or eighteen?
Link: I suppose looking it up yourself is out of the question?
To everyone who reviewed: Thanks
Link: - For all the fish
Chapter Twenty-Two: Riddle in the Dark
ZeldaQueen: Oh ha ha, I see what you did thar!
Ever Hopeful,
Azar
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Onward to: Chapter 22: Riddle in the Dark (part 1)
Back to: Chapter 21: In The Forest Of The Night (Part 1)
Return to: Table of Contents
Link: Don't hold your breath
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 21: In The Forest Of The Night (Part 2)"Follow the spiders?" Theo asked, the following morning. "What by Circe does that mean?
ZeldaQueen: You know, suethor, inserting your "clever" little wizarding asides isn't cute or charming. It just makes you look even more like you're ripping off Rowling
Milli snorted, rolling her dark-green eyes. "I think it is pretty self-explanatory."
Theo stuck his tongue out at her, and she laughed, reaching over to flick him.
Link: Ha ha, isn't this funny? It just makes me forget that Dumbledore is gone, Hagrid is in prison, and there's a bloodthirsty monster on the lose!
"Aside from that," he corrected, turning to Holly.
She shrugged slightly. "I'm not really sure," the smallest Slytherin stated.
ZeldaQueen: STOP GOING ON ABOUT HOW LITTLE SHE IS!
Link: Gah! My ears!
ZeldaQueen: Sorry! But Rowling got through just fine without saying "the scrawny Gryffindor" or "the black-haired boy" or other stuff like that. It's...annoying!
"Hence, why we are in the library, looking it up," Draco added with a cheeky smile. His grin was a nice change from the brooding silence of the night before. Even with Holly's assurance of his father's true intentions, the blond had still taken it all rather badly.
Link: And heaven forbid Holly's little band of groupies be upset about anything! Like I said, monster? No problem. Draco's delicate sensibilities being shaken? The horror!
The entire group of friends was currently sitting at one of the back tables, hidden in a convenient corner. It was Sunday and very early, the sun having only risen a short time before, but they were already gathered. Holly, Blaise, and Draco had quickly filled in everyone as soon as they had returned to the dorms the previous evening. They had understandably been shocked.
ZeldaQueen: (Group) "What do you mean, 'this is a fanfiction'?"
Hagrid was their only solid lead, and Dumbledore was probably the only reason there hadn't been an attack a day. And now, they were gone, banished by the same corruption that had allowed Voldemort to rise in the first place.
ZeldaQueen: What? The basilisk was just one of the many tools Voldemort used throughout his life. If anything, I'd say it was the horcruxes that allowed him to rise. Or stay risen. Whatever. The basilisk wasn't that important.
Link: I believe she's referring to the Ministry of Magic.
ZeldaQueen: What? *peers at screen* Ah yes, so she is.
*throws spork into wall*
BURN WITH THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND SUNS, YOU LITTLE WHORE!
Link: *ducking behind sofa* Well!
ZeldaQueen: I'm sorry, but she's just determined to blame everyone except Voldemort for Voldemort's rise, isn't she? And it's even more infuriating because Fudge didn't want to remove Dumbledore! Malfoy did!!!
Link: Well stop screaming! You're getting spit in my ears
ZeldaQueen: Right. And on another note, as I said before, if they thought so well of Dumbledore as a protector, why did they not go to him with information? Hmm?
Both were gone, their departing comments the only leads the Slytherins now had. The headmaster's statement was cryptic at best, and Holly had tried to puzzle it out to with no luck.
Link: Eh, it's because she's a selfish bitch who can't comprehend trusting in anyone else
The only thing she was able to come up with was that he meant for her to seek out help from her friends. Thankfully, Hagrid's statement was much easier to decipher, which had led them to their current course.
"But where should we begin looking?" Luna's dreamy voice drifted over; she had only learned of the events minutes before, not having stayed in Slytherin House the previous night.
Blaise seemed to be considering. "Probably in the section about magical creatures."
Link: No, really?
Holly nodded. "That does make sense. There was supposed to be a legendary monster in the chamber, and apparently, whatever it is, spiders flee from it."
ZeldaQueen: (Suethor) "I DIDN'T READ AHEAD, I CERTAINLY DIDN'T! HOLLY'S JUST THAT CLEVER! REALLY!!!"
There was a collective consensus, and they all proceeded to look. However, hours passed, and they hunted through countless books, searching for the elusive reference. It was tough going, even with their rather large group, due to the sheer size of the magical creatures section, which had several hundred books. Madam Pince arrived just after ten, immediately surprised by the fact that students were actually in the library.
Link: Why would she be surprised by that?
ZeldaQueen: Search me. In canon, it seemed like every other paragraph had at least one character hanging around there
She promptly kicked them all out, personally escorting them back to their Houses.
ZeldaQueen: Oh, aren't they special?
Apparently, they were all supposed to remain in their dorms.
Link: Weak excuse
ZeldaQueen: And they weren't told this? If students were all supposed to remain in their dorms, wouldn't there have been an announcement?
Over the next two weeks, their search was further hampered by the new restrictions that McGonagall placed. Students were no longer allowed to go around on their own, forced to move in packs. All Quidditch matches were cancelled as were all club meetings, study sessions, and any other extracurricular activities. Further, pupils were to remain within their own House whenever they were not in class, the Great Hall, or the library. This basically meant that Luna was all but forced from them.
ZeldaQueen: I love how this is being treated like some horrible inconvenience, rather than necessary precautions. In canon, Harry and Ron were in a stupor because Hermione was now a statue and Hagrid and Dumbledore were gone. These folks are just irritated
Link: (Sue) "How dare they restrict us in any way? Can't they see we're way too good for stuff like that?"
McGonagall stated it was so they could keep track of the blonde, who had a tendency to wander aimlessly around the castle, but Holly wasn't so sure she believed the excuse.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, with all of the students in Hogwarts, why is this reading like McGonagall is picking on Luna specifically? Weren't the laws just a blanket statement for the Heads of House and prefects to enforce?
Link: *coughs* Inconveniencing
ZeldaQueen: Right. How dare McGonagall not let Luna wander wherever she wants and potentially get killed or petrified? Never mind that she's under Hogwarts care and is their responsibility
After all, Luna could have merely stayed in Slytherin with them, just like Gavin did. Instead, she was forced back to the Eagle House, to those who often teased and taunted her.
Link: Okay, first she calls the Slytherins "the Serpents" and now Ravenclaws are "the Eagle House"? What?
ZeldaQueen: I'd like to think that Luna would understand that her personal safety and wellbeing and the prefects being able to account for her is more important than some obnoxious pricks
Thankfully, though, the Gavin agreed to return as well to watch out for her, but that also meant he wouldn't be able to spend time with the Slytherins except in the Great Hall and class.
Link: Thank lord! Who's Gavin?
ZeldaQueen: *checks sporking notes* Apparently he's also a Ravenclaw. And we get more flouncing about how these safety precautions are just so inconvenient. Bitch, Harry had plenty of inconveniences when he had to put up with security measures. Did he whine continuously? No! He knew that everyone was going to a lot of trouble to take care of him and make sure he didn't die!
Link: So...any particular reason why Luna would be singled out for this and not Gavin?
ZeldaQueen: Not that I see
Link: Okay then
These restrictions also made it rather difficult to find any spiders, which Hogwarts now seemed to lack. Theo and Milli spent one memorable day attempting to chase after an entire hoard of the little blighters, but their plans had been derailed by a passing Lockhart.
ZeldaQueen: That's not cute, suethor. That just seems more bitchy, especially given how horrible your little characters have been to Lockhart
At least, with Hermione's attack the school stopped believing Holly responsible for the entire mess. Apparently, everyone thought that the two girls were still close friends, and they couldn't see their saviour hurting one of her mates.
Link: So she doesn't count Hermione as a friend anymore? Interesting...
And then, there was the fact that since they were unable to spend a great deal of time hunting after clues, the second-years now had plenty of time to study for exams.
Yet, despite all of their hardships, the Slytherins somehow found time to sneak off to the library.
ZeldaQueen: First of all, "hardships" my Aunt Fanny! You just said that Holly wasn't being picked on anymore and she's got her groupies who are utterly devoted to protecting her delicate sensibilities.
Second of all, if they've just studying all of the time, why wouldn't they be able to get to the library?
Surprisingly, they eventually managed to find a reference to the spiders, though it was a confusing one at best. Holly and Blaise had been digging through a text about ancient and legendary beasts, skimming by entries on the phoenix, sphinx, and Acromantula,
ZeldaQueen: HA HA, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THAR!
Link: *holding ears* What?
ZeldaQueen: The suethor and her "clever" foreshadowing...oh never mind
when they had stumbled across a reference to the Basilisk:
ZeldaQueen: FUCK THIS SHIT!
Link: *did not even bother to unplug his ears and is pleasantly humming Zelda's Lullaby*
Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.
Link: And they're also, unfortunately, vulnerable to canon rape and Sues, like everyone else
"A Basilisk?" Draco questioned, coming up to read from over Holly's shoulder.
She inclined her head. "It partially fits, and it's the best we have. Spiders flee from it, which is probably what Hagrid meant. I mean, the few spiders we've found seem to be leaving the castle." The green-eyed girl reread the entry. "Plus, it's a serpent, the symbol of Slytherin. Salazar would most likely choose a monster like that."
ZeldaQueen: (Suethor) "I NEVER READ AHEAD, WHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING THAT?"
Link: So wait, if the author is trying to make it look like the Slytherins are all fantastic, why would Salazar have a monster left in the Chamber in the first place?
Blaise thoughtfully tapped his chin. "I vaguely remember Hagrid mentioning that something had killed off the school hens." He indicted part of the passage they had just read. "He thought it was a bugbear, but it might have been the Heir," the caramel-skinned boy said slowly.
ZeldaQueen: Actually, he thought it was a fox
"I know, but a Basilisk!" Draco stated loudly. "A bloody Basilisk. First, it's dragons, then it's a Cerberus, and now Basilisks! All we need now is a hippogriff or better yet… an Acromantula. Knowing our luck, we'll find one." He waved his hand through the air.
ZeldaQueen: And the author continues to think she's so wonderfully clever
Link: And I guess they're not going to actually tell anyone about this, are they?
"What's the big deal about a Basilisk?" Autumn asked walking over with Milli and Theo.
They had been attached by Draco's loud tone.
Link: *laughing* So they're cojoined or something?
ZeldaQueen: Suethor, I believe you wanted "attracted"
The blond rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you why it's a big deal. Put frankly, Basilisk kill things! They kill things very well and very easy," he explained carefully, albeit dramatically. "Looks can literally kill with them."
ZeldaQueen: I mean, really! Isn't this much better than canon's explanation? Why use a textbook excerpt when you could have someone rail about it in a "cool" manner?
Autumn paled significantly, and Milli patted her back, shooting Draco a menacing look.
Link: What is with these people? There are all of these terrible things going on and all they care about is if one of them gets offended
He dismissed it with a wave. Theo and Blaise looked at each other nervously, the idea of a murderous serpent finally sinking in. However, Holly merely read the entry for a third time.
"Well," the girl interrupted, "it might not be a Basilisk." The others all stared at her, and she explained, "Like Draco said, Basilisks can kill with a gaze, but no one has died yet. Someone did fifty years ago but not this time around."
Blaise quickly caught on, "They were only Petrified. Not killed but Petrified."
ZeldaQueen: You know, Harry and canon Ron figured out why that was in all of two seconds after seeing the entry. How are these folks supposed to be smarter?
"I don't think that Basilisks can do that," Milli put in after a moment, still rubbing Autumn's back.
Theo added, "Maybe if the glare was reflected or something, but what are the odds of that happening four times in a row."
Link: Bingo
ZeldaQueen: But they still don't get it! Aurgh!
Link: Even when they're trying to be smart, they're still complete dumbasses
"So it's not a Basilisk then?" Autumn asked hopefully, a gleam in her soft blue eyes.
"Who knows," the dark-haired girl answered. "But whatever it is, it can both kill and Petrify. I wonder what else it could do."
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, I cannot believe this! THEY HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT THERE AND THEY'RE DISMISSING IT! Suethor, I just got through with that sort of bull after sporking Meyer's novella! I am not in the mood for more!
No one had an answer.
Link: Don't they know that it's "forty-two"?
It was a day later that they caught a lucky break when Autumn saw a group of large spiders heading for the Forbidden Forest during Herbology. Immediately after classes ended, the Slytherin second-years gathered themselves in one of the study rooms, shooing a few first-years out.
Link: (Groupies) "Out, out, we need to hog the spotlight"
They mulled over the evidence, finally deciding that Holly, Blaise, and Draco were to go. The three were the best spell-casters. Plus, Holly would be able to woo any Basilisks that might attack them along the way,
Link: "Woo"? "WOO"??? Is she going to ask the frigging thing out? Offer it chocolates? Compliment how it looks in a dress?
ZeldaQueen: I'm wondering why they felt the need to imply that there was more than one Basilisk. Weren't they just going on about how unlikely it is that there are so many dangerous monsters at the school? And it would almost be impossible to hide more than one, I'd imagine
Draco knew a surprising amount of advanced curses, and Blaise was always useful to have around,
Link: - for sex
not to mention the fact that he was fairly calm in the face of danger.
ZeldaQueen: You were right, Link. This is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The trio escaped via use of Holly's Invisibility Cloak around midnight. They successfully managed to dodge the patrolling professors and to navigate their way to Hagrid's hut.
ZeldaQueen: Unlike canon Harry. Loser
Inside, Fang immediately hopped on Draco,
Link: - And began -
ZeldaQueen: Not another word!
Link: Well, excuuuuuuse me!
sending the boy staggering into Blaise as Holly whipped
Link: - out -
ZeldaQueen: Enough!
off the cloak and put it on the table. They wouldn't need it in the dark forest.
The three lit their wands as they stepped out the back door, Fang leading the way. Draco spotted two spiders crawling rapidly across the forest floor, and Holly directed the large hound to follow them. She could feel a prickling in the back of her mind, the same feeling she had with her red-gold stalker, but it more distant now, almost muted. Emerald eyes flickered around, but even with the wand light, it was too dark to see anything save the faint outline of trees.
ZeldaQueen: Here's hoping she gets eatten
Link: She won't. Didn't you say there were thirty or so more chapters left?
ZeldaQueen: One more than that. She updated recently
Link: ... I hate you
Minutes passed, and they wandered deeper into the forest, still following the spiders. Holly could feel soft whispers in the distance, but she had no idea who or what they were coming from. She heard the faint flapping of wings as they stepped off of the forest path. The trio exchanged looks, and the girl felt an incredible sense of foreboding as they went even deeper into the wood.
Link: Dear lord, this is boring
ZeldaQueen: I know! At least My Inner Life had hilarious spelling errors to amuse us
Link: Don't ever mention My Inner Life again
Suddenly, Holly felt a hoard of strange things quickly approaching them and mentally warned the boys.
Link: Harry couldn't do that because he sucks
ZeldaQueen: He couldn't do that because he wasn't telepathic!
They turned to flee, but it was too late.
ZeldaQueen: So what was the point of adding that?
The three were lifted off of their feet by large pinchers. Blaise choked, and both Holly and Draco let out girly shrieks.
Link: Okay, now that's funny!
She silenced after a moment, though Draco screamed for a second longer, and the girl fought the urge to struggle against her captor.
ZeldaQueen: Wow. She's such a Sue thaat she has to look better than her alleged best friend
Link: Either that or Draco's supposed to be the expy of Ron. And we know that this suethor thinks that Ron is just a silly guy who shrieks and eats and needs rescuing
It was a wise move considering that she was at least ten metres off the ground, being carried through the trees by what appeared to be an incredibly large spider. She held onto her wand, which was now darkened, for dear life.
Both: *chanting* Eat her! Eat her! Eat her!
They abruptly came into a clearing, the stars twinkling like mad above them. The three Slytherins and Fang were unceremoniously dropped to the forest floor, landing in a large heap. They scrambled to stand, finally getting a look at their surroundings. They were surrounded by dozens of spiders… dozens of incredibly large spiders.
ZeldaQueen: Wow! This would be so shocking if I never read the book!
Holly felt like she might faint on the spot; the two boys looked like they might, too.
One of the spiders that had captured them clicked its pincers, and Holly belated realised it was saying something.
"Aragog! Aragog!"
Link: We accept her, one of us!
ZeldaQueen: No one ever truly accepts a Sue
Link: Yeah, but I'm hoping that they'll mutilate her by the end
The Serpent's attention switched to a large, dome-like web in front of them and the enormous spider that was crawling down it. It was huge, the size of a small elephant, though its eyes were clouded over like it was blind.
Holly was hit by another sense of foreboding, but she felt a flare of the red-gold presence. She mentally warned the other two.
ZeldaQueen: ZOINKS! Whatever could be going on?
"What is it?" Aragog answered with a few clicks.
"Humans."
Aragog seemed interested, moving forward. "Is it Hagrid?
"Strangers."
Link: (Spiders) "Another Mary Sue trying to replace canon. Care to eat her?"
ZeldaQueen: (Aragog) "No, you know full well that Mary Sues give me horrible digestion problems! Just rip out her entrails with your pincers and listen to her dying shrieks"
Link: (Spiders) "Hooray!"
Aragog turned away. "Kill them. I was sleeping…"
Both: YES!!!
Draco let out a little squeak of terror, while Blaise's dark eyes widened, and he stiffened. He made to move in front of Holly, the other boy going to protect her back from the circling spiders.
ZeldaQueen: *swells with fury* YES, JUST FOCUS ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON PROTECTING THE SUE!
"We are friends of Hagrid," Holly quickly announced, her eyes glowing slightly.
There was a clack of the arachnids all around them.
Link: (Spiders) "Yeah, that's what they all say"
Aragog hesitated, and he clicked, "Hagrid had never sent men into our hollow before."
ZeldaQueen: He never sent Sues either, yet here one is
Holly's eyes flashed. "He is in trouble. That's why we have come."
The biggest spider seemed to be considering.
Link: What the fuck is with her describing things as "the littlest" or "the biggest"? It's like some sort of surreal Dr. Seuss book!
"In trouble, but why has he sent you?"
ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "That's easy! I'm a Mary Sue and I warped canon so that everything interesting happens to me!"
The girl lifted her chin, eyes glowing brightly enough to actually add light to the clearing. "Up at the school, they think that Hagrid has been attacking students.
Draco nodded and breathlessly put in, "They think that he has set loose a monster on them. They have taken him to Azkaban." Unconsciously, he reached for both of his friends.
Link: Not now, Draco. I know you're horny, but there's a time and a place for a threesome
The angry clicking of several dozen pincers filled the air.
"But that was years ago. Years and years ago," Aragog added after a moment. "I remember it well. That is why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid opened the Chamber and set me free."
Blaise finally spoke, "And you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?"
Aragog looked angry at the presumption. "I? I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg." He clicked his pincers in remembrance. "Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in the cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend and a good man. When I was discovered and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…"
Link: I take it that this is all stolen from canon?
ZeldaQueen: Yep. And after dealing with this for Bree Tanner, I'm just tuning it out. Hey, do you like S'mores?
Link: Yeah, sure. Why?
ZeldaQueen: Well, I snuck some in
Link: How will we heat the marshmallows?
ZeldaQueen: Well I kind of sat on them, so they're already pretty melted and squishy
Link: You're a really weird person, you know that?
Draco breathed out in relief, his pale face gaining colour. "So you never… never attacked anyone?"
The old spider answered, "Never. It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a toilet. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet."
ZeldaQueen: Are you really complaining?
Link: Not at all. Fork one over
ZeldaQueen: As you wish
Link: *noms*
"Girl in a toilet," Holly murmured to herself. Something instantly occurred to her, separate threads linked in her mind.
ZeldaQueen: And, of course, the Sue makes the connection immediately
Link: *through a mouthful of marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate* Hey, my brain works best when I'm in life-threatening situations! Why do you think that evil witch Jenna kept my doppleganger so lobotomized? She kept him out of battle
'Myrtle…'
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is unbelievable. She's surrounded by giant spiders, she's got almost all of them wanting to eat her, and she's able to make that connection right then and there??? How many times has she interacted with Myrtle, anyway? Harry and canon Ron and Hermione spent all of that time in the bathroom and then went through the "diary thrown through Myrtle" thing. None of that happened to the Sue! This is just Rose Potter all over!
"Do you know what did kill that girl?" Blaise asked. Not having been privy to his friend's epiphany,
Link: *sings* I will have vengence!
ZeldaQueen: God, if only!
he had continued. "Whatever it is, it's back-"
The spiders drowned out the rest of his statement.
"The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others," Aragog responded in a strange tone. "Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school." He seemed to tremble. "We do not speak of it! We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dreaded creature, though he asked me many times."
Holly felt a shiver of fear at the arachnids continued response. Her foreboding only seemed to be increasing, and even the familiar red-gold presence could not calm it.
ZeldaQueen: Please shut up about the stupid presence
She began to back away, silently telling Draco to grab Fang. He did, taking the hound's collar.
"Thank you then. We'll just be going," she tried to smile but couldn't manage it. The glow in her eyes continued to increase. Holly fingered her wand, which was partially up her sleeve.
Aragog almost laughed. "Go. I think not."
Both: Yes! Eat her! Please!
Holly felt another spike of uneasiness. She quietly released Draco, letting her wand drop into her hand. She didn't even need to urge her companions to go for theirs. Silently, the girl wished she had thought to conjure Saladin and take him along for this little trek. His poisonous bite would be very useful right about now, though Holly didn't know how effective it would be against several dozen giant spiders.
ZeldaQueen: Wow, I'm having flashbacks to Disobedience Writer's version of Harry. Her first thought is to kill the spiders rather than, I don't know, just run for it?
"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat, especially when it wanders so willingly into our midst." Aragog seemed momentarily saddened but quickly snapped out of it.
ZeldaQueen: Oh get over it! Aragog didn't care!
"Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."
The other spiders moved in immediately. A solid wall of arachnids surrounded them.
Holly cast the first spell that came to mind, remembering what Aragog had said.
"Lumos!"
Unexpectedly, Blaise and Draco yelled it at the same moment. There was a brilliant flash of light, far brighter than anything Holly had managed before. The spiders shrieked, fumbling backwards in their semi-blinded state. She felt the red-gold presence gathering.
Link: May I assume that this didn't happen in canon?
ZeldaQueen: Yes, you may. Harry and canon Ron were rescued by a car. Of course, Little Miss Mary Sue can keep her head in situations like these
The girl announced loudly, "If you kill us, the people at the school will come for you. Our friends know that we're here, and they'll tell the adults. Even you and your children could not stand against the wrath of an angry hoard of witches and wizards," she warned, her eyes now blazing.
Link: Eh, they'd probably thank the spiders for killing off such an obnoxious Mary Sue
ZeldaQueen: Yes Holly, threaten the hungry spiders that want your blood. That's smart
Aragog froze for a moment, obviously thinking over what she had said. However, he simply shrugged it off, and the others came at them again. Yet, his one moment of hesitation was all that was needed.
Link: They all leaped into a plot hole and escaped
Unexpectedly, there was a burst of fire mid-air, and every head swivelled around to look. Holly took the opportunity and grabbed Blaise's hand, and he in turn snatched Draco's free one. She dashed off, dragging the two boys and the hound in her wake. They raced through the forest and away from the spiders, who had now recovered from their shock. The arachnids tore after them, but it was too late.
Both: NO!
Fawkes the phoenix swooped in and grabbed the girl's arm, effortlessly lifting the three still connected second-years and the hound off of the ground.
ZeldaQueen: What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?
Link: Huh. Deus ex machina much?
ZeldaQueen: It's not that, she just stole the climax of the book! That's how Harry fights off the Basilisk! Fawkes appears and helps him! And in this case, it makes no sense! Fawkes showed up because Harry showed loyalty to Dumbledore! He told Riddle that Dumbledore would always be at Hogwarts and protect the students, and that's when Fawkes showed up! That's what Dumbledore meant when he said that help would always come to those who ask for it! And when, thus far, has Holly shown the slightest bit of loyalty to Dumbledore? Hmm? When?
The bird flew higher, soaring gracefully through the treetops before the spiders could even get off the ground. The forest was flashing by underneath them, Fawkes going at what should be impossible speeds.
Holly glanced back to ensure that they had everyone, which they did, only to see the trees racing by.
Within minutes, they were back at Hagrid's cabin, the phoenix lightly fluttering to the ground. Fang took off like a shot into the hut. The Slytherins warily collapsed to the ground, huddling to together with Holly in the middle. Blaise was pressed to her side, his hands in hers, and Draco's arms were around her waist, his face buried in her hair. They were all trembling.
Link: And everyone is clinging to the Sue for comfort. What a surprise
ZeldaQueen: What, no mention of how she trembles at their touch? I'm amazed!
Fawkes flew over to her shoulder.
"Thank you so much, Fawkes," she breathed. The bird chirped happily and rubbed her face with his.
"Yes, thanks," Draco added breathlessly.
"Thank you," Blaise finished.
They sat in silence for a few moments, trying to quiet their racing hearts. Fawkes simply nuzzled Holly's neck before giving the same treatment to the boys.
Link: Woah now!
ZeldaQueen: Again, makes no sense. It's loyalty to Dumbledore that calls Fawkes and Holly certainly wasn't showing that. How come suethors always miss stuff like that, huh?
Link: It's convenient to the plot
Draco started to mumble to himself. It was something along the lines of "'follow the spiders', he says."
Link: Yep, I think he's supposed to be Holly's version of Ron
ZeldaQueen: This fic can kiss my foot then. Ron is far more awesome than this wimp-bag
Blaise grunted his agreement and rubbed his face in his hands.
The girl turned to the phoenix as he returned to her shoulder. "So it was you that has been following me all this time." It was a statement, not a question.
Fawkes gave an affirmative chirp.
Link: Because Dumbledore's bird hasn't got anything better to do than stalk the Sue, I guess?
ZeldaQueen: I give up. Let's just end this chapter
Blaise and Draco looked up with surprise.
"Why?" Holly asked, wondering if it was actually possible for the bird to respond.
Fawkes merely gave her the phoenix equivalent of a sly smile and fluttered off of her shoulder and into the cabin. He returned within seconds, Holly's cloak in his talons. The bird dropped into in her lap.
She got the hint.
Link: The bird wants her to disappear. Clever animal
"Fine." The girl smiled, standing up.
Blaise and Draco followed, not even bothering to dust themselves off.
Link: They knew the Sue would want one more tumble before going inside
ZeldaQueen: Link!!!
Link: What? I'm bored!
"Thank you again."
And with that she flung the Invisibility Cloak around them. They started towards the castle, Fawkes following them all the way to the dungeons. Strangely, they ran into no one else, not even Professor Snape, along the way.
ZeldaQueen: Wow, everything is catering to the Sue in this
They were too tired to make the journey to Myrtle's toilet that night, so the three decided to do it the next morning. They had a free time after Defence, and Lockhart was the least likely to escort students all the way to the dorms… or to notice if they went missing.
ZeldaQueen: Ha ha, see how canon Harry sucked? He worried that that they couldn't get to Myrtle again!
Link: These clowns, on the other hand, act like it's a guarantee. You think the author read ahead?
ZeldaQueen: Heaven forbid!
Milli, Theo, and Autumn acted as decoys, distracting the dandy
ZeldaQueen: Right! New contest! Whenever the suethor uses an incredibly stupid name to describe something or someone, we come up with a more pleasant image or thought. I'll go first - hot fudge sundaes
Link: Well duh. It's nearly lunchtime
and allowing the other trio to slip away as they passed by a corridor that led to the girl's loo. Sneakily, Holly whipped out her ever useful cloak and covered them. The three Slytherins made it to the toilet and inside with no one the wiser, removing the cloak quickly so that the ghost wouldn't see it.
Link: And Myrtle would care...why?
ZeldaQueen: Beats me. No one ever talks to her, so it's not like she'd blab
Moaning Myrtle looked as they came up to her stall. "Oh, it's you," she stated when she saw Holly, who had used the loo several times before.
Link: I know it's referring to that particular bathroom, but that sentence makes it sound like we're being told that Holly went to the bathroom period in the past. To which I say, doy!
"What do you want this time?"
Link: (Sue) "Sex!"
ZeldaQueen: That's wrong on many levels
Holly gave her a solemn look. "We wanted to ask you how you died," the girl said quietly, trying to project a sense of trustfulness to the spectre.
Link: What the hell did that even mean?
ZeldaQueen: So the Sue tries to act serious while asking a personal question to a ghost she hardly knows, and expects this to make her seem trustworthy? What? They're just lucky that, by canon, Myrtle love talking about her death
Myrtle immediately perked up, her entire demeanour changing in an instant. "Ooooh, it was dreadful," she commented dramatically, seeming incredibly flattered. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses…"
She blathered on for a few moments about the other girl, strangely mentioning a wedding. Blaise's eyes glazed over slightly, and Draco looked as though he wanted to politely but forcefully shift her back on topic. However, they couldn't risk offending her.
Link: Wow. A ruder bunch of pricks I don't think I've ever met
ZeldaQueen: That's nice! Myrtle's actually acting happy about something and opening up and they're acting like she's reciting the Declaration of Independence for no reason. I might add that in canon, the story about being teased and dying and haunting Olive Hornby was... *counts* ten sentences long. Of those ten sentences, six described how a boy entered the bathroom as she was crying, said something in a strange language, and how she then left to stall to tell him to leave, saw yellow eyes, and died. Which means that six of the ten sentences were relevant to the story of how she died. I'd also like the record to note that the thing about the wedding happened in another part of the book and, if I recall, in and of itself only lasted a few sentences in passing
Finally, the ghost got back to the original question after Holly gave her a mental nudge.
Link: Because of course nothing gets done without the Almighty Holly there to help them along
"I was crying, and then, I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been," she added in an aside. "Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then…" The spectre paused dramatically. "I died."
Holly blinked. "How did you die?"
Myrtle shrugged. "No idea," she added loftily. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then, I was floating away…"
ZeldaQueen: Okay, there's the part of her canon explanation that was relevant. Which means that the suethor felt it necessary to imply that Myrtle went into a previous rant for no reason other than to mock her
Afterwards, the Slytherins quickly thanked the ghost and left, lest they have to listen to her babble again.
Link: Yes, because heaven forbid they be compassionate enough to spend a few minutes listening to the story of a girl who spent her life being picked on, only to be killed before her time!
ZeldaQueen: And I love how the author tries to handwave the rudeness by pointing out that they thanked her. "Look! It doesn't matter that they consider her story to be 'babbling'! They thanked her, after all!"
They travelled without problem to the Common Room, taking the cloak off in front of the portrait entrance. No one commented as they entered, and nobody would rat them out to a teacher for not staying with their year-mates. Nor would they comment on the fact that all of the second-years were gathering in the boys' dorm.
House solidarity was such a wonderful thing.
Link: And yet again with the inconvenience thing! Suethor, I really can't sympathize here
ZeldaQueen: You know what this reminds me of? Bella fucking Swan and her "I don't wanna wear a neck brace" schtick. Seriously, there's a murdering monster on the loose and these guys are under the care of the Hogwarts Staff. Why are they so offended that the teachers want all students accounted for?
The others were quickly filled in, and they spent the next few hours before dinner speculating. After the meal, Holly finally returned to her room, lying on her bed. She retrieved the diary from her bedside table, swiftly relating the previous night's occurrences, which she had been too tired to tell him earlier. From there, it was rather natural for her to add what they had just learned from the ghost.
ZeldaQueen: Oh Jesus Christ, he we go...
Link: *prepares to cover ears*
Eyes, Tom repeated after she had related her story. He had a distinctive sinking feeling. Eyes did you say?
He knew in that instant that it had to have been the Basilisk, that Myrtle's death truly was his fault.
ZeldaQueen: Nope, nope, not buying it. He knew it was his fault, because he sent it to kill someone
Yes, Holly answered carefully, curious about his whirling thoughts, she said it was a pair of "great, big, yellow eyes."
A wave of pure shock erupted from the diary, and the girl was forced to rapidly throw up her mental shields.
Link: I do believe that is among the dumbest sentences I've read in this thing
Yellow… that can't be! The ink appeared so quickly that it was nearly a blur. It can't be possible. It's simply impossible. But that means that it wasn't… It doesn't make any sense. Tom seemed to simply be writing his every thought.
Tom, what are you talking about? Holly was completely confused. The impressions she was receiving were chaotic and disjointed.
Link: Wait, didn't she say before that she couldn't read his mind or something?
ZeldaQueen: I don't know. I don't care. This is just...stupid. The suethor took Tom Riddle, a sneaky, cool, creep of a magnificent bastard and turned him into a spineless milksop
However, he didn't seem to even notice she was writing to him. But she had white eyes, not yellow. They always have white eyes, never yellow. It means that it couldn't have been her. It had to have been something else.
Link: This will be biting us later, won't it?
ZeldaQueen: Oh yeah
Tom's mental spiel continued for several moments, slowly calming as he accepted the bizarre revelation. Finally, he responded to the girl again.
Please, forgive me, Holly. It just surprised me greatly. I had believed one thing for so long, and now, I know that it wasn't true. I had thought that I…
Link: (Riddle) "Was in canon. It was such a shock to realize I was not!"
Tom? Holly was now exceptionally worried.
It's just that I…The writing paused for a moment before continuing. Holly, do you trust me?
ZeldaQueen: No
She hesitated, thinking about it.
Yes.
And she did. She truly did, despite the fact that he was a diary and that she had never had a clear mental reading of him. Holly did trust Tom.
ZeldaQueen: *desperately* Yes! A little bit of canon! Tom Riddle is charismatic and able to get people to trust him, then he tortures and kills and uses them! DO IT TO THE SUE, GO ON!!!
Yes. Yes, I do.
If Tom would have been able to, he would have inhaled sharply. Write my name in the air with your wand.
Link: Okay, this is starting to remind me of the "say my name, bitch" thing from Twilight
It was his moment of truth. It was time to tell her everything. He had been wrong for so long. He had felt so guilty, and with his new revelation, it was time to make things right.
ZeldaQueen: NO! NO! NO!!!!
Link: Oh stop it
ZeldaQueen: *sobbing* I hate this! I hate this suethor! How did she think this was likable?
What?
He responded with building nervousness. Please, just do it. Then, rearrange the letters. Tom again paused. I just ask that afterwards… give me a chance to explain.
Holly climbed off of her bed and pulled the curtains around her study space. She politely did as they diary-wizard asked, carefully writing the letters in the air.
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
She waved her wand… and gasped.
I am Lord Voldemort.
ZeldaQueen: WOW, BIG FUCKING SURPRISE!
AN: Most of the dialogue from the first section and scene with Aragog is taken directly from canon.
ZeldaQueen: Really? I never would have been able to tell!
Also, what is legal age in Britain? Is it seventeen or eighteen?
Link: I suppose looking it up yourself is out of the question?
To everyone who reviewed: Thanks
Link: - For all the fish
Chapter Twenty-Two: Riddle in the Dark
ZeldaQueen: Oh ha ha, I see what you did thar!
Ever Hopeful,
Azar
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Onward to: Chapter 22: Riddle in the Dark (part 1)
Back to: Chapter 21: In The Forest Of The Night (Part 1)
Return to: Table of Contents