100: Chapter 100 Suspicion and Panic

Before breakfast the next day, the corridors of Hogwarts were half empty. Students walked in groups, hugging the walls, quickening their pace when passing the second-floor staircase, while their gazes all pierced toward the Slytherins.

Pansy clutched her books tight, moving closer to Draco. "Why are they all looking at us?"

Zabini swept his gaze across the stairwell. "The cat was petrified, the wall says Heir of Slytherin; the name Slytherin is enough to keep them suspicious for an entire year."

Nott opened his small notebook. "Panic doesn't care about evidence; it only picks the most convenient targets."

Crabbe felt the silver spoon in his pocket. "If I carry this, will I not die?"

Draco pressed his hand back down. "Put it away. Don't be stupid enough to remind others that you know about the danger."

Allen walked at the back, his gaze sweeping over the residual water by the wall. "Don't move alone, don't go to the second floor, and don't argue with Gryffindor in front of the Professors."

Pansy turned back. "Who are you ordering around?"

Allen looked at the book in her hands. "Those who can understand."

Draco immediately raised his voice. "I have nothing to do with him; I just don't want my grades dragged down by the Sleep God."

Zabini followed, carrying his book. "That's harsh enough to write to your father."

As the group entered the Great Hall, the noise quieted down. Someone at the Hufflepuff table moved their seat, and a large number of gazes turned from the Gryffindor table.

Ron stared at Draco from two tables away. "Did you guys know about this last night?"

Draco put down his plate. "Weasley, was your cat petrified?"

Harry held onto Ron's arm. "Don't argue here."

Hermione looked at Allen. "When you said to watch the people around us last night, did you mean Ginny?"

Allen picked up his pumpkin juice. "You're already watching."

"That's not enough."

"Even if it's not enough, don't push her too hard."

Ron stood up halfway. "She is my sister. What exactly are you Slytherins trying to do?"

Draco tossed his fork back onto the plate. "The wall didn't say 'Malfoy was here'."

Percy turned and scolded Ron. Professor McGonagall also looked over from the teachers' table. Ron had no choice but to sit back down, still clutching his sleeve.

Allen hid the parchment under his Potion book and wrote down the time from last night.

Nott glanced at the beginning of the line. "After the banquet, second-floor corridor, torch bracket."

Allen continued writing. "Target: Filch's cat. Non-human. Indirect gaze petrification. No death."

Zabini raised his teacup to cover the paper. "Method confirmed?"

"Reflection in water or metal."

Draco looked over from across half a table. "So it didn't intend to kill?"

Allen stopped writing. "The diary is still testing the waters."

Pansy put down her bread. "You're talking in riddles again."

Zabini looked at her. "If you don't understand, don't ask. The words on the wall last night are enough to keep the whole school busy."

Pansy bit her lip. "Everyone is saying the Heir of Slytherin has returned."

Draco's eyes brightened, and he couldn't help but say, "Maybe the Heir of Slytherin really has returned."

Allen looked up. "Your father wouldn't be happy to hear you say that."

Draco's expression tightened. "What do you mean?"

"Anyone who says that publicly will be considered as having inside information."

Nott continued. "If the Professor presses you, you won't be able to explain."

Zabini added. "If the Board of Governors presses, your father won't be able to explain even more."

Draco gripped his fork, then released it a moment later. "I was just repeating rumors."

Allen folded the parchment. "Rumors can kill."

Draco pushed his plate away. "Fine, I won't say it."

Pansy asked in a low voice. "If the Heir of Slytherin really is from Slytherin, wouldn't we be safer?"

Nott closed his notebook. "How can you be sure the monster checks house crests when picking its targets?"

Pansy turned pale.

Allen tucked the parchment into his book. "The words on the wall are for the students to see; the Basilisk listens to the one who opens the door."

Crabbe felt his pocket again. "Then whose orders does it follow?"

Goyle squeezed out a sentence. "Someone who speaks Parseltongue?"

Draco immediately glared at him. "Don't say that word in the Great Hall."

Harry looked over from afar, and Hermione stopped writing as well.

Zabini pushed the teacup in front of Crabbe. "Drink your water and shut up."

At the other end of the Slytherin table, Flint and a few older students were huddled together, their voices getting louder.

"This is what Slytherin left behind. The whole school is trembling."

Pucey whispered in response. "I heard from my family that some on the Board of Governors already think Dumbledore can't control the school."

Another older student looked toward Gryffindor. "Muggle-borns should go home early."

Draco frowned. "Are they crazy?"

Nott looked at Allen. "Flint is drawing fire onto Slytherin."

Allen tore open his bread. "Let him."

"You're letting him?"

"Only when they jump high enough will people notice when they fall."

Pansy looked around uneasily. "But everyone suspects us now."

"Suspecting all of Slytherin is safer than suspecting a specific individual."

Draco understood. "The one who actually did it will hide where adults can't see."

Nott added. "Especially the one with the diary."

Draco was about to look toward the end of the Gryffindor table, but Allen spoke first. "Don't look."

Ginny sat with her head down, her plate barely touched, her schoolbag pressed against her knees. Hermione had already brought her plate over to sit beside her.

Hermione pushed a cup toward her. "Ginny, go to the Hospital Wing."

Ginny shook her head. "I just didn't sleep well."

Ron frowned. "Where were you last night? We looked for you for ages."

"I was in the dormitory."

Hermione stared at her schoolbag. "Is that diary still there?"

Ginny clutched her schoolbag tighter. "Why do you keep asking about it?"

Harry sat on the other side. "No one wants to take your things."

Ginny stood up and walked around Hermione. "You all think there's something wrong with me."

She walked quickly out of the Great Hall. Ron tried to chase after her, but was stopped by Hermione.

Harry stood up. "I'll go watch the stairwell, I won't get close."

Allen withdrew his peripheral vision. "Harry will follow."

Draco asked in a low voice. "Should we have someone watch?"

Nott closed his notebook. "I can."

"No."

Nott looked up.

Allen looked at him. "She has the diary by her side, there's a Basilisk in the walls, and Harry can speak Parseltongue. With all three together, whoever gets close becomes a variable."

"What if she goes to the second floor?"

"Let Gryffindor stop her themselves."

Draco frowned. "Can they stop her?"

"Even if they can't, it's better than you going."

Zabini continued. "A living informant is the only kind that's valuable."

Nott took a step back. "I'll watch the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, I won't get close to Ginny."

Allen nodded. "Just record the time. Don't follow her, don't enter the second floor, don't touch the diary."

Draco asked. "What if she comes out in the middle of the night?"

Allen looked at him. "You sleep."

"I'm asking a serious question."

"You definitely shouldn't follow at night. The Basilisk is in the pipes, the corridors are empty, and the Professors might not be able to make it in time."

Pansy pushed her cup away. "So we just have to wait for the next time?"

"Wait for evidence."

Draco said in a low voice. "Wait for it to attack again?"

Allen looked at him. "The first time was a cat. Only the second time will make the school unable to keep its mouth shut."

Breakfast ended. The prefects urged each house to go to their classrooms. Many students would rather take the long way around than pass through the second floor.

A Hufflepuff whispered. "Don't go that way, some Slytherins just walked past."

Another person added. "They must know who the Heir of Slytherin is."

Draco stopped.

Allen spoke from behind him. "Walk."

Draco gritted out the words. "I can make them shut up."

"And then let them confirm that you're feeling guilty?"

Zabini walked past. "Malfoy, keep your distance and keep your head."

Draco stared at the two of them, then finally turned and left.

After class, the Slytherin Common Room was noisier than usual. Flint and his group of older students were huddled by the fireplace talking about the blood-red words, and the younger students didn't dare go near.

Flint saw Draco and asked deliberately. "Malfoy, has your father said anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Draco stopped, putting his arrogance back on his face. "My father wouldn't tell family business to someone who only knows how to lose matches."

A few laughs rang out in the Common Room.

Flint's face turned ugly. "What did you say?"

Draco threw his schoolbag onto the sofa. "If you want to fish for information about the Board of Governors from me, you'd be better off focusing on your training."

After sitting down, Zabini commented. "More natural than this morning."

Nott opened his records. "Flint asking Malfoy shows that the older students are also looking for information."

Allen sat in the shadows of the fireplace. "He won't find any."

Draco sat three tables away, calling out across the crowd. "Potter, are you planning to oversleep again tonight?"

Allen opened his Potion book. "It's more useful than listening to you talk."

Pansy looked at them. "You guys are so childish."

Zabini held his tea. "As long as it's effective."

When the attention around them dissipated, Nott walked over to Allen under the guise of returning a book and pushed a slip of paper over.

"Ginny returned to the tower, Harry stopped at the stairwell for five minutes, Hermione went to the Library to borrow books, and Ron is throwing a tantrum in the Great Hall."

Allen finished reading. "Keep them busy."

Nott asked. "Are we really not going to follow Ginny?"

"No."

"If the diary controls her to open the door, we'll lose the first-hand trail."

Allen looked toward the fireplace. "Get too close, and you'll become the first-hand target."

Nott accepted this answer. "Then I'll watch for water trails, paintings, and the directions students avoid."

Allen nodded. "And Filch."

Zabini continued. "His cat was petrified; he'll notice anything unusual before the Professors."

Draco asked across the crowd. "Then what do I do?"

Allen didn't look at him. "Don't make excuses for your father, don't talk about the Heir of Slytherin, and don't get close to the Weasley Family girl."

Draco flipped his book loudly. "You really know how to boss people around."

"Because you lot always mess things up."

By the fireplace, Flint was still talking about the Chamber of Secrets. Several first-years turned pale. The green light of the lake shimmered against the ceiling, and every mention of the Heir of Slytherin in the Common Room felt like a noose tightening around Slytherin.

Allen wrote at the end of the parchment: First attack, Halloween night, non-human target, indirect gaze petrification, diary still in testing phase, panic beginning to spread.

Nott looked at the line of text. "Next step?"

Allen tucked the paper into the book pages. "Wait for Tom to want to prove himself a second time."

Draco looked over from afar. "And before that?"

Allen closed the book. "Go to class, eat, and don't get yourself killed."