Child Of Grace: Chapter 24 - Enemies Of The Heir (Part 2)
ZeldaQueen: Alrighty, lords and lasses, this is it. With this, we'll finally be done with the second year and Link will rejoin us. Strap in!
Oh, and on a non-sporking related front, it appears that Proposition 8 was overturned today. SUCK ON THAT, FRED PHELPS! *ahem* Excuse me for that
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 24: Enemies Of The Heir (Part 2)
Holly continued to look at Tom for several seconds, shifting in her seat. She flushed with embarrassment when she again realised just where she was sitting.
ZeldaQueen: What, was she sitting on his lap or something?
"Oh, sorry." She hastily hurried to her feet, Tom standing next to her.
"It's fine," he began, but the girl missed what he said as her attention was riveted on the redhead lying nearby.
ZeldaQueen: Nice that they remembered Ginny, finally, but that sort of makes it sound like Holly just got a crush on her or something
"Ginny." She rushed over, limping slightly as the healing powers of the tears had been spent entirely on the Basilisk poison.
ZeldaQueen: Oh great, now we're going to get a lot of angst over the broken ankle, aren't we?
"I completely forgot about Ginny," Holly admonished herself, even though it was understandable that she had. Especially so, when one considered the fact that she had been all but dead a few moments earlier.
ZeldaQueen: Oh yes, it's understandable that she'd forgotten about Ginny. It's not like THAT WAS THE SOLE REASON SHE WENT INTO THE CHAMBER AND FOUGHT THE BASILISK OR SOMETHING!
*seethes*
The second-year kneeled next to the other girl, shaking her once more. "Wake up, Ginny."
ZeldaQueen: Um, why is she still unconscious? In canon, destroying the diary was enough to save her
Tom moved in next to her. "I don't think that's going to work. Here, let me." He brought forth Holly's wand, attempting to give it to her, and she shot him a questioning look. "I was trying to heal you," he replied sheepishly. "And now, you can wake her up."
ZeldaQueen: You couldn't resist, could you, suethor? Just had to correct Riddle's "stealing" of the wand
"Oh… thanks for earlier," the girl responded with a faint blush.
ZeldaQueen: FOCUS ON GINNY, DAMN YOU!!!
She turned back to the problem at hand. "Er… I don't know how," she conceded. "You try."
"Do you think that magic will actually work for me?" he asked, fingering her wand.
The girl shrugged. "It certainly worked for the Heir of Hufflepuff, so why not?"
ZeldaQueen: God! Just shut up! FOCUS ON THE UNCONSCIOUS GIRL! STOP MAKING MOON EYES AT EACH OTHER!
He eyed both her and her wand, shaking his head. "Only one way to find out I suppose." Tom pointed it at Ginny. "Ennervate."
A light shot out of the tip, colliding with the redhead. The other two waited with baited breath, not that Tom actually needed to breathe. Nevertheless, a minute passed, and the Gryffindor didn't stir.
Both Tom and Holly looked stumped.
ZeldaQueen: Stumped? Would it kill them to show a little concern?
"Maybe wasn't just the spectre keeping her asleep? We probably need to get her to the Hospital Wing just the same," the second-year supplied after a moment, gently prodding Ginny. "She's almost completely immobile, Petrified even, just like the others. I don't think she can actually wake up yet."
ZeldaQueen: *headdesk* Yes, just act completely nonchalant. It's not like Ginny had an accident in class, she was kidnapped by a spirit, had God-knows-what done to her, and is immobile, however that makes sense. THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER AND YOU ARE ACTING LIKE IT'S A MINOR ANNOYANCE!!!
The girl turned to her companion. "Can you levitate her or something?"
The teenager considered. "I guess that I could," he said slowly.
ZeldaQueen: *drinks three times* Why can't Holly do this? It was made quite clear that she could do levitating spells before entering Hogwarts
However, Fawkes had other ideas. The phoenix fluttered down in front of them, brandishing his tail feathers. The Sorting Hat was clutched in his talons, frowning slightly, but he smiled when he noticed that Tom was looking.
ZeldaQueen: The Sorting Hat is frowning and smiling...what.
Oh God, still movie canon. For the record, I thought that was a rather stupid adaptation of the hat, personally
"Bugger, I forgot," Holly put in after a second, shaking her head. "Fawkes can carry us out easily and get Blaise and Draco along the way."
Tom's eyes widened. "I forgot, too." He hesitated, seeming to be thinking about something. "Er… Holly, what exactly are we going to say about me? I'm Voldemort…" A strange expression passed over his face. "Well, sort of. Anyway, I'm not sure how well Professor Dumbledore - or anyone else for that matter - would handle it."
ZeldaQueen: SHUT UP ABOUT THAT! I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE! FOCUS ON GINNY FOR MORE THAN TWO SECONDS, YOU ANGSTY JERKWAD!
That was certainly true. Most likely, anyone who discovered that Tom was alive and well would panic, cursing first and asking questions later. It was too dangerous for him to come back with her. He could be arrested on the spot or even destroyed. Perhaps he should just stay down here for the time being. When questioned, she would just deny his involvement, pretend that she knew nothing about it.
ZeldaQueen: You know, this bitch needs to go to jail. I mean it. She has done nothing but actively hide and cover up evidence for dangerous and important events. Whether she likes it or not, Riddle was heavily involved in this entire thing. He is a key witness. And they're putting more energy into protecting him than getting this fixed. And all because he's another groupie who stares into the Sue's eyes and holds her hand and tries to protect her angsty little feelings. *spits* Gad
"Er… I just won't say anything about you at all," Holly supplied very slowly, thinking it over. "Blaise, Draco, Luna, and I - we will just pretend we have no idea about you. We'll say that we deduced the location of the Chamber from what Myrtle said, and then… blast!" She growled suddenly as something occurred to her.
Tom gave her a confused glance.
"I'll have to explain about the Parseltongue," the girl belatedly explained. "But I suppose I can tell Dumbledore that in private. I think that I can trust him with it. He wouldn't say anything to anyone."
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, ARE YOU STILL HUNG UP ABOUT THAT??? What is the matter with you? You are hiding evidence, altering the truth, and I'm supposed to like you? You know, Harry just flat-out told the truth, even though it possibly meant that he and Ron would be punished or possibly even expelled for it!
Fawkes cooed his agreement.
ZeldaQueen: Oh Fawkes, not you too...
Tom soaked in her words. "But what about the fact that I'm…" He seemed at a loss for words to describe his situation. "The way I am now," he finally decided. "I will certainly be very hard to hide."
The girl froze. "I don't know," she replied after a moment. "I…"
ZeldaQueen: Ginny? Anyone? She might be concussed? Dying? Hello?
Her gaze drifted to the diary, which she hadn't even been aware he was still holding. Holly absentmindedly took it from his hands.
"Well, the Heir could freely move in and out of the Lifestone, so maybe you can do that with your diary."
The wizard nodded. Yet, unexpectedly, he hesitated, his eyes very wide.
"What about Fawkes and the Sorting Hat? They know about me, too," the dark-haired teenager said with a weak voice.
ZeldaQueen: Oh for the love of - they're a bird and a hat! The bird just made it clear that it agrees with this fuckwittery. The hat is a frigging hat. It can't tell them anything!
Holly blinked, turning to look at the phoenix, completely unsure what to say. However, there was something peculiar in the bird's demeanour as she looked into his green and gold eyes. She wasn't sure why, but somehow, the girl abruptly understood that they wouldn't have a problem on that front.
ZeldaQueen: *head desk*
"I don't think we'll have to worry about it, but it doesn't really matter at all if you can't go back into the diary," the Slytherin girl concluded, handing the book back.
Tom said, "Okay… in a minute. Just to be clear, you won't say anything about me?" It was a question and not a statement.
ZeldaQueen: Thank you for that. I certainly wasn't tipped off by the question mark
"No." Then, a smile twitched at the tips of her lips. "I'll blame it all on Blaise, Draco, and me. You won't even be mentioned."
ZeldaQueen: Just as soon as I'm able, I'm writing a fic where you get your scrawny ass arrested for all of this
The teenager inclined his head and gave her a very soft smile, the first she had ever seen from him. It was a nice change from the normal mask or smirk he seemed to favour, and it softened his features.
ZeldaQueen: Why do all of these people keep smirking? Does the suethor know the connotations behind that expression? Or is this like when Jenna openly admitted that she was being "mopey"?
Oh, and HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT GINNY ALREADY, YOU IDIOTS?
For a second, he truly looked like he was a normal sixteen-year-old. And not the least like the man who would one day murder her parents and countless others.
ZeldaQueen: Yes, you seem determined to ignore that bit, aren't you?
"Thank you, Holly… for everything," Tom said quietly, opening the diary.
He closed his eyes, just missing her return grin. An expression of pure concentration clouded his face. A second later,
ZeldaQueen: He had a mass bowel movement
and he disappeared within the pages of the diary.
Luckily, the girl caught the book before it could it the floor.
"Are you all right?" she asked, nervously waiting for a reply.
ZeldaQueen: For God's sake, he's in a book! WHY AREN'T YOU SHOWING THIS MUCH CONCERN FOR GINNY???
Belatedly, Holly realised that he might not have enough ink stored in the pages to respond, but her fear was proven groundless.
Yes. Perfectly fine. Though, it's really peculiar now. I can actually see what you are doing when the diary is open, not just hear you like before.
"Really? That is odd," Holly answered with a raise of her eyebrow. "I'm going to go now. Ginny really does need to get out of here."
ZeldaQueen: Thank you!
Fine. I'll talk to you later.
With that, the girl deposited the diary into her pocket and rose to her feet, favouring her left ankle.
ZeldaQueen: Shut up about your ankle. I don't care about it
Holly gently took hold of both Ginny's hand and Fawkes' tail feathers. The phoenix winked at her, while the Sorting Hat offered a smile and a slight nod.
The girl simply exhaled. "Anytime you're ready, Fawkes."
ZeldaQueen: And...that's it? Ginny's unconscious for this all? The heck? She was hardly in this thing at all! Wasn't the point of her role in year two to show how she was a shy, insecure girl who steadily grew to be more confident and social? I...okay, whatever
"So let me get this straight," Theo stated a few days later on the train ride home, looking highly exasperated.
ZeldaQueen: Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Suethor, you're skipping actually showing us the falling action? We're just getting it recapped? What the hell? If I wanted that, I'd read Twilight again!
The entire group of second-year Slytherins plus Luna and Gavin were gathered in a compartment that Tom had nicely expanded for them before quickly returning to the safety of his diary.
"Not only is your diary ensouled," the brunet boy went on, "but he happens to be the counterpart of Lord Voldemort, who used to really be the same bloke. Not only that, but he's the same Seer that allowed you to have visions." He ticked off his fingers, as if counting. "Further, since he absorbed the power in the Lifestone, he is almost completely alive now and can actually leave the diary's pages and walked around as long as it's close by. And when he's in it, Tom can see and hear what's going on around him, even if it's closed."
ZeldaQueen: Yes, this suethor definitely attended the Stephenie Meyer School Of Writing. WE KNOW ALL OF THIS! YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL IT AGAIN!
"Also," Gavin inserted himself, looking away from the window. "You discovered that the house-elf that has been 'helping' you was actually bonded to the Malfoys and that he had some demented notion that they were trying to hurt you."
ZeldaQueen: *swelling of fury*
You bitch. You horrible, horrible bitch! Leave Dobby alone! He's one of the best characters, he was brave and helped Harry even though he had to hurt himself for it! Leave him out of this!
Draco growled at the implication. "Yes, Dobby did think my parents were the cause, but we found out that they weren't. Their former associates-"
ZeldaQueen: Okay, hold on. How does this work. On one hand, we have that the Malfoys are all kitties and bunnies who weren't really behind this all and aren't the big meanies canon makes them out to be. If that's the case, why would Dobby think that they'd be going to hurt Holly? In canon, he knew that his family still supported Voldemort. That's why he knew that something dangerous was going on - he spent his entire life with these people. If the Malfoys really aren't horrible, why would he think that? And no, don't insult canon Dobby by saying "oh, he's just a silly little House Elf, he just was mistaken"
On the other hand, we have that the Malfoys apparently were framed well enough for this that Dobby was fooled into thinking they were behind it. If that's the case, it was an honest mistake and Draco has no right to be offended. Doubly so since Dobby was going out on a limb to help Holly, who is Draco's bestsest buddy and all
"Death Eaters, he means," Pansy clarified for everyone.
ZeldaQueen: (Suethor, through Pansy) "You know, the real bad guys! Not the Malfoys at all, nope!"
The blond shot her a look, but it was Holly who responded.
"Yes, the Death Eaters were really behind it, and the house-elf had overheard them giving Lucius a very vague warning. The house-elf misunderstood and thought that they were going to attack me, not the school." Her gaze drifted around the compartment. "However, Lucius had to wait until the way was clear before he could warn us, which is why he waited until after Yule."
ZeldaQueen: And she knew all of this how?
Also, if Lucius doesn't associate with the Death Eaters anymore, why would he be given this "vague" warning? Why wouldn't they just do the attack? Why would Lucius be the one to hand over the diary and the amulet? *groans*
The others had looks of pure bewilderment on their faces, not that anyone could really blame them. It was a rather convoluted explanation, which is why it had taken several days for them to completely understand. Even now, they were still confused.
ZeldaQueen: Me too, I'm still confused. Suethor, if your plot is so twisted that not even the characters can figure it out, I'd say something's wrong.
Of course, we all know that this is just an excuse for it to all be explained in laundry-list detail. *sigh* Proceed
Vincent and Greg were sitting with their mouths slightly open, just staring at their friends. In the mean time, Daphne and Cynthia kept exchanging puzzled looks, while Theo shook with silent laughter. Pansy absentmindedly chewed on her nails, a nervous habit that she despised and thought herself rid of. Autumn dazedly gaped at everyone, still focused on Lockhart's role in the entire mess. Gavin and Milli had very odd smiles on their faces, and Luna didn't seem to be paying the least bit attention, simply gazing out the window and singing to herself.
ZeldaQueen: I DON'T CARE!
And wait, after being told about the Basilisk, the Heir of Hufflepuff, Holly nearly dying, Riddle coming to life, Ginny nearly dying, and the fact that this was all orchestrated by Death Eaters, all Autumn cares about is Lockhart's role in it?
"That is really bizarre, Hols," Milli put in after a moment, shaking her head. "Is there anything else to add to that?"
ZeldaQueen: (Holly) "I'm really a man. And if you call me 'Hols' again, I'm hexing your tits off"
Holly nodded absentmindedly, thinking over her return from the Chamber of Secrets.
ZeldaQueen: Commencing recap in 5...4...3...2...1...
After she had taken hold of Fawkes, the phoenix had flown both her and Ginny first to Holly's friends and Lockhart before taking all of them directly to the McGonagall's office.
There, the Slytherins had been rather shocked to see not only the Transfiguration professor but also Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore himself. After the Weasleys and McGonagall had left to take both Ginny and the still befuddled Lockhart to the Hospital Wing, the three Slytherins had launched into their explanation, carefully leaving out all mention of Tom. Holly had teetered on the edge of revealing that she was Parselmouth, but she had been forced to tell in order to explain how they had got into the Chamber. Dumbledore's eyes had widened momentarily, a flash of something crossing them in an instant, but he had believed her completely when the girl had sworn that she hadn't used her ability to harm or attack anyone.
ZeldaQueen: Why would he care? In canon, he already knew - or at least suspected - that Harry was a Parslemouth. He's the one who's always going on about how just because people have certain origins or abilities doesn't automatically make them evil. He has the frigging ability to look into people's memories, for crying out loud! Why would he care?
And nice to see how the suethor condensed this all down into a few bland paragraphs. Everyone's happiness at Holly and Ginny's safe return? Mr. Weasley's very good point "don't trust anything that thinks for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain"? Ginny showing guilt and remorse for her actions? No, she's not even conscious for this. Ginny Weasley was pretty much just a MacGuffin for this frigging story. And for this I am extremely displeased
The headmaster's eyes had again momentarily widened, this time to the size of Galleons, when she had proceeded to the part about the Heir of Hufflepuff and the Lifestone, and the man had actually blinked rather stupidly in shock for several seconds before recovering.
ZeldaQueen: I'm going to throw something. Really. "Blinked rather stupidly"? You bitch! Even when Dumbledore was surprised by something, he never let on! And suethor dear, his surprise might have been a little more understandable IF YOU ACTUALLY GAVE US SOME BACKGROUND TO THE FRIGGING "HEIR OF HUFFLEPUFF"!
From there, the explanation had been rather straight forward, only stumbling when Holly had presented the sword she had used to destroy both the amulet and the Basilisk.
ZeldaQueen: What is with this suethor? Is she incapable of putting actual emotions into things?
At that point, it had been the three Slytherins turn to be surprised as the professor had carefully examined it, actually laughing at loud. He had proudly turned the sword over in his hands, showing them the name written on it: Godric Gryffindor.
ZeldaQueen: . . .
*clears throat*
ZeldaQueen: Okay suethor, I'm going to ask you this as nicely as possible.
WHY???
Why did Holly pull the Gryffindor sword? Why? SHE'S NOT A GRYFFINDOR! ONLY A TRUE GRYFFINDOR CAN PULL THAT SWORD OUT OF THE HAT! THAT WAS THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE REVEAL - THAT HARRY WAS A TRUE GRYFFINDOR!
*begins weeping * For the love of God, suethor, could you please at least try to keep consistent with such elementary canon details?
"Actually, I think we have pretty much covered everything," Holly conceded after she had turned the entire incident over in her mind. "Though we did learn why Professor Dumbledore was so surprised about the Lifestone. Apparently, he thought that this was all a plot by Voldemort," Holly stated, pausing as her friends flinched. "And that the attacks fifty years ago had been as well."
ZeldaQueen: Tee hee! Of course it wasn't! I mean, it's not like the entire thing was set up like it was an attack by Voldemort, just like in canon! It's not like the Heir of Hufflepuff thing came right out of left field!
I'm going to have to side with Dumbledore here. I'd like to think his surprise came from him realizing how far they've deviated from cano
Draco inserted himself, "You haven't told them the best part yet." He rubbed his hands together in glee and smiled wickedly. "You have to tell them about the Heir."
ZeldaQueen: This'll be rich.
And why is he grinning "wickedly"? Does he find the idea of an evil, life-sucking ghost to be amusing?
Holly exhaled slowly. "You see, the Lifestone contained the Heir of Hufflepuff, and the last known one was none other than Lord Grindelwald himself."
ZeldaQueen: Oh, my head...
Suethor, I'm going to put this in simple terms. Helga Hufflepuff was from the United Kingdom, most probably Wales. Grindelwald was from another part of Europe, probably Germany or Bulgaria. There is no evidence that Hufflepuff so much as was married, let alone had any children.
Now, theoretically it is possible that she had children and that one of said children moved to Germany. One would imagine that this would warrant mention before now, especially given how Grindlewad was basically a precursor to Voldemort. I refuse to accept this, since it's clear that you just made that connection to try to have an excuse for there to be an evil Hufflepuff Dark Lord, akin to Voldy.
And to this idiocy, dear suethor, I say BULLSHIT
Everyone was flabbergasted, echoing the same expression that had been on Dumbledore's face.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, wait a second, why would this shock Dumbledore? He worked with Grindlewald. He loved him. Wouldn't he have figured out before now if Grindlewald had, in fact, been the descendant of one of the most famous witches in England?
"It wasn't-" Pansy began, her face completely white.
ZeldaQueen: I'd certainly hope it wasn't, especially since Grindlewald isn't dead
"No," Holly hurriedly assured them. "But it was one of his ancestors, just some bloke from a few hundred years ago that wanted to gain power. However, Professor Dumbledore does suspect that Ginny may have received the Lifestone from a Death Eater, who probably got it from the Dark Lord, in turn."
ZeldaQueen: Okay, once more - why would Voldemort have the Lifestone? He hates being dependent on anything for eternal life, so it's not like he'd want to use it to drain life energy from people. If he had made it into a horcrux, he would have hidden it away somewhere. And that's the only interest Voldemort ever showed in any magical objects besides those to do with Slytherin - he wanted one to make a horcrux into, and that was the cup.
Also, how many eeeeevil Dark wizards is the suethor going to imply were in the Hufflepuff lineage?
Oh, and strap in, folks. We're about to get a bit of dialogue crammed into Luna's mouth which is just disgusting
Luna smiled dreamily to herself, and her voice cut into the conversation. "Well, had Ginny been friendly to me this year, we probably would have been able to free her earlier. It's too bad that she decided not to be friends anymore, even after all the time we spent with each other when we were little." She blinked owlishly and twirled her broomstick earrings. "Though, that might have been because I told her that I used to fancy Ronald."
ZeldaQueen: Yes folks, the suethor has the gall to make Luna blame Ginny for getting possessed. Oh yeah, it has nothing to do with the fact that Ginny was a scared, eleven-year-old girl who was lonely and desperate for affection (actually, how does the locket thing work? The only reason Ginny got possessed by the diary was that it wrote back to her and got her to trust it). Never mind the fact that Ginny was probably afraid of being arrested or kicked out of Hogwarts for being involved in the attacks, which I might add was exactly the same reason that Holly and her little friends stayed quiet for far too long. Never mind the huge, glaring fact that makes the entire thing so hypocritical I want to rip my hair out - Luna and Holly have been nothing but cold and distant to Ginny this entire time. They have done nothing to endear themselves to her. When she tries to open up and be friends with Holly on Valentine's Day, she is mocked and humiliated for her efforts. By Holly's own admittance, they are not close. Neither Luna nor Holly have told Ginny of their special mind powers, so she had no reason to think that they could have helped free her.
And who is getting blamed for this? Ginny. For not knowing that the two girls who weren't the least bit friendly or open could have saved her, Ginny is blamed. Basically, Luna is sitting there and going "Eh, too bad Ginny was too stupid to come to Almighty Us for help. Her loss".
This is...this is just staggering. This is horrible. This is just as bad as Rose Potter carving words into Ron's forehead or going "stop hitting yourself" to Hermione. I don't know how to properly express my disgust at this.
And when would Luna have confessed an attraction to Ron? She's twelve right now. And why would Ginny have cared?
"Er… did I just hear you right?" Theo started with a giggle, but the blonde interrupted.
"And what happened to the house-elf," Luna went on, ignoring everyone's shocked expressions. "Dobby, did you say? He did risk a great deal to warn you."
ZeldaQueen: That almost makes up for Luna's last comment. Thank you, Luna, for being the only person to remember that
The three Slytherins from the Chamber exchanged a glance. Holly sighed. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. Blaise laughed.
ZeldaQueen: And let's just see how this is butchered
"Hols here accidentally freed him," the caramel-skinned boy put in between chuckles.
Everyone's gaze drifted to her, and Holly sighed again.
ZeldaQueen: I love how she's acting exasperated that she just freed a creature from servitude
"Well, I sprained my ankle in the Chamber, while I was dodging the Basilisk, and it wasn't until after we had explained everything that I even realised it. I had taken my shoe and sock off for Professor Dumbledore and Fawkes to look at, but then, Lucius showed up, interrupting everything. Dobby was with him." She hesitated, and Blaise nudged her to get her to continue.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, why would she take off her sock and shoe in Dumbledore's office? I'm sure Madame Pomfrey would have been a better person to look at it and would have healed it in two seconds. She healed Neville's broken wrist that quickly.
And why is Lucius showing up? In the book, he was shocked and angry that the Basilisk was dead, Dumbledore was back, and Ginny survived. That was also why Dobby was there - Lucius left in such a hurry that Dobby was still polishing his shoes
"Well, my sock was on the desk, and Dobby came over, while everyone else was distracted," Holly carried on, finding the window suddenly very interesting. "He was probably trying to warn me again." Her best friend shot her a look, which she ignored. "Anyway, Draco came over to help me, and somehow, between the three of us - Fawkes, Draco, and me - we managed to knock my sock off. Well, Dobby caught it." She exhaled slowly. "In effect, we gave him clothes, so we basically freed him by accident."
ZeldaQueen: She freed him by accident. Okay. Where to begin with this one?
First of all, why was Lucius there? We're told nothing about this. Did he just decide to show up for shits and giggles? Again, the point of him showing up before was that he was angry that his plan failed! In other words, he did not want Dumbledore back or Ginny alive!
Second of all, way to kill a decent character point, suethor. The sock incident was a way Rowling showed that Harry was a nice guy - after all the trouble Dobby's "help" caused, Harry still wanted to free him. He knew that Dobby risked a lot and had to hurt himself, but did it anyway. He felt sorry that Dobby was stuck serving a horrible master and wanted to give him a shot at a better life. It was also a way to show that Harry avoided the trap that most wizards fell into, to only see House Elves as servants or inferior beings, since he cared about Dobby and treated him as an equal.
Here, we see that Miss Holly Potter, Our Heroine who we're supposed to root for and cheer on, did this all by accident. Meaning that she didn't care that Dobby was miserable as a servant, despite all he tried to do to help her. In fact, she has done nothing throughout this fic but mock him, laugh at him, and treat him like a pest. There is no acknowledgment over the fact that he is risking a lot to try to warn her about everything.
Last of all, soooo what's the deal with Dobby? Is he being mistreated and wants to be free, like in canon? If so, then the Malfoys aren't the Innocent Cheerful people the suethor's been making them out as. If they treat Dobby well, as I'm sure the suethor would like us to think, why would he want to be free? Canon shows clearly that House Elves love their masters and mistresses, if they're treated kindly. Kreacher was owned by a Dark wizarding family and was utterly devoted to them. The reason Dobby hated working for the Malfoys in the book was that they abused him. And thus, if he didn't want to be free, why would he abuse that clothes loophole? I got the feeling that he only counted it as a technicality because he wanted to be free.
Not to mention that the only reason this works is it Draco counts as Dobby's master as well as Lucius.
Everyone blinked. Theo let out a snort of laughter, Gavin and Milli soon joining him.
"Oh," Pansy commented after a heartbeat. "Will your father be mad, Draco?"
ZeldaQueen: Ha ha, hilarious! That's just so funny, the fact that someone was freed from slavery! But will Lucius be angry that he lost his slave, now that's the important question
The blond gave a sheepish smile. "Actually, he looked somewhat relieved. After he got over his shock… well, I actually think he found it rather funny." He shrugged. "We have plenty of other house-elves, so I don't think it will really matter in the long run."
ZeldaQueen: *bangs head on wall* No! No! No! NO! Malfoy would hate the idea of losing something that was his!
There was a moment of silence before Theo spoke again, conquering his mirth. "What did you do with him, then?"
"We just let him go," Draco replied. "Well, after he promised Holly not to try to save her life again."
They all snickered.
ZeldaQueen: That's not funny, you little bastards.
And what does he mean "what did you do with him"? No freaking duh, they let Dobby go, he was freed!
"So," Milli asked with slight confusion, still trying to clarify something, "you didn't tell anyone about the diary? No one at all? You just said that you followed Hagrid's clue, deduced it was Myrtle, and then questioned her. From there, you figured out it where the Chamber was." She gifted them with a more than slightly impressed look.
ZeldaQueen: This pointless laundry list of rehashing brought to you by Child Of Grace
"Correct," Blaise answered for Holly. "Well, Fawkes and the Sorting Hat know, but they won't be telling anyone."
Everyone just goggled at him, clearly wondering how they had managed that.
ZeldaQueen: Oh yes, how ever did you manage to get a bird and a hat to not tell this amazing secret?
"Wait," Autumn interrupted, finally coming out of her Lockhart induced stupor. "Earlier, I thought you said that you were actually lectured by Professor Snape for 'being so foolhardy as to actually go to the Chamber yourselves', not that I can blame him," she allowed. "Did that really happen?"
ZeldaQueen: Wait, what? When did this happen?
Blaise, Draco, and Holly made faces at the remembrance of their Head of House's hour long lecture - read tirade - which had involved a mixture of sarcasm, anger, and yelling on his part and a great deal of staring at the floor on theirs. The one the two boys had received the year previous had been bad enough, though Holly had managed to miss out on it due to the fact that she had been taken against her will. However, the most recent lecture certainly beat his original hands down.
ZeldaQueen: Erm, suethor? Any chance you can show us this stuff?
There were only two positive things they were willing to say about Professor Snape's sermon. One, their Head hadn't taken any points, actually looking at them with pride for a moment and awarding fifty points on top of the three hundred they had won from Headmaster Dumbledore. Though, Professor Snape had immediately taken ten each for sheer stupidity. Two, the Potions master had informed Holly that he didn't see her as a clone of her father, even though their Head of House had sarcastically commented that with her foolish behaviour it was becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between them.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, what? First of all, suethor, WHY DID YOU SKIP THIS? Clearly this was meant to be some sort of turning point in Holly and Snape's relationship, but you didn't show us it!
Second of all, Snape says that Holly's not like her dad, then says she is? Which is it?
"Also, we figured out how Lockhart got all the information for things in his books," Blaise stated smugly.
Pansy shot him an intrigued glance, while Autumn seemed completely put out.
"Remember how we told you about the Memory charm he tried to use on us." At their nods, Blaise went on, "Well, he's apparently very good at those."
ZeldaQueen: Okay, we all know this from canon. Why did the suethor think we needed to hear about it now?
"They're the only thing he's good at," Theo stated in an undertone, receiving a snicker from both Gavin and Milli for his efforts.
"Just about." Draco smirked. "Anyway," the blond went on, "the ponce has been casting them on people and simply taking credit for the things they did."
ZeldaQueen: HE HAS A NAME! STOP CALLING HIM THAT! *drinks furiously*
Autumn's eyes were very wide, and she looked like she might actually cry in disappointment.
ZeldaQueen: What is with this girl?
"This is simply too much to process at one time." Theo unexpectedly groaned, putting his face in his hands. "I think my head is going to explode."
ZeldaQueen: Please tell me that that's supposed to be sarcasm
Milli looked slightly green. "Mine, too."
"And mine," Gavin chimed in.
"Us, too," Vincent said, pointing at both he and Greg.
ZeldaQueen: Go ahead, I hope their heads all do explode!
"As if you have anything in them to begin with," Pansy commented in a false undertone.
Everyone laughed, even Autumn.
ZeldaQueen: Ha ha, isn't this all so whimsical? Shoot me!
After a moment, the chubby girl spoke again. "So is there anything else?" Milli asked rhetorically. "Any other revelations to dazzle us with."
ZeldaQueen: (Millicent) "Like my misuse of the word 'rhetorically' or my lack of question marks?"
Holly laughed nervously, glancing at Blaise, then Draco, and finally Luna. The first gave her an encouraging smile and a nod. The green-eyed girl knew it was time to tell her friends one last secret.
"Well, I'm a Mind Mage," Holly stated nonchalantly. "A telepath to be more exact."
"Oh, me, too," Luna inserted with a dazed smile, humming to herself. She twirled her earrings once more.
ZeldaQueen: Well, on one hand the Sue can't milk that for secret drama anymore. On the other hand, Sue-praising ahoy!
Gavin goggled at them. "How did you happen to discover this?"
The two girls exchanged a glance before Holly briefly explained. She touched upon the fact that she had known since before Hogwarts and that she had been too afraid to say anything before. After she was finished, the girl received several minutes of encouragement from her friends and pledges of secrecy.
ZeldaQueen: SHOW US STUFF!
Seriously suethor, we aren't being shown anything! Halcyon put more effort into Rose and Cedric's romance than you are into this oh-so-wonderful friendship!
Without warning, Theo moaned, "Now, I know my head will explode."
ZeldaQueen: Good
Everyone burst out in laughter.
After, they calmed somewhat, the conversation soon drifted back to the Chamber, the Basilisk, and other odds and ends.
ZeldaQueen: Which the suethor can't be bothered to tell us about
A few moments later, the train pulled into the station. Holly hugged each of her friends, receiving hearty squeezes from Milli and Theo. She walked with Luna over to meet the other girl's father, exchanging pleasantries with the odd man for several moments before being drug over to Draco's parents and doing the same.
ZeldaQueen: Which, again, the suethor hasn't got the imagination to actually describe
It was somewhat awkward speaking to Lucius Malfoy, especially with what Holly knew of him now, but she figured that she managed it well enough. She started to apologise about Dobby, but the aristocrat brushed her off, informing her that it wasn't her fault and that he would have been given clothes based on his actions alone.
ZeldaQueen: Meaning, what? He would have fired Dobby in disgrace for his actions? He would have rewarded him with freedom? What?
And oh yeah, suethor? YOU NEVER EXPLAINED LUCIUS'S ACTIONS! Why did he give Ginny the diary and the amulet? Was he blackmailed? Threatened? Why wasn't it a different Death Eater? And why wouldn't they give those things to someone who really mattered, like the Minister of Magic? Or an Auror? Ginny was chosen in canon because Lucius hated her father. And what was up with Dumbledore being kicked out? In canon, it was all Lucius's idea, with him threatening to curse everyone who wouldn't agree to it. You tried to imply that he was forced, but by whom? Why would the Death Eaters go through Lucius? Why not just do it themselves? There are already ones who work in the Ministry, after all
Afterwards, the two remaining Slytherins greeted Blaise's parents and chatted for a time, but they were interrupted when three others joined them.
Hermione, Neville, and Ron rushed up to her before Holly could move away, trapping her between them. The Slytherin had been actively avoiding them since her return from the Chamber and Professor Dumbledore's subsequent declaration that she had caught the culprit. But now, it seemed like she couldn't get away from them.
ZeldaQueen: God, I'm not looking forward to this
The three Gryffindors greeted her, immediately praising her for her bravery. Hermione asserted that she was exceptionally proud of Holly, especially for figuring out the mystery. Ron beamed and clapped her forcefully on the back, thanking her for saving his sister. Neville simply congratulated her, guiltily looking at the ground.
That was all well and good, except none of them apologised for doubting her or for believing the rumours. Ron even stated that he had known her innocent all along, the bushy-haired girl quickly agreeing.
ZeldaQueen: Oh, fuck you, you bitch, fuck you! You selfish twat! First of all, they were completely justified in suspecting you! You did nothing to endear yourself to them in the slightest! And now here they are, congratulating you and praising you for stuff you don't deserve and you're hung up on the fact that they aren't licking your boots.
And keep this all in mind for the next chapter, ladies and gents
Neville just flushed bright red, looking at his Housemates with an unreadable expression and asking her if her relatives would be proud.
"Are you insane?" Holly asked simply. "All those times I could have died, and I didn't manage it. They'll be furious."
ZeldaQueen: I sympathize
Blaise was the only one who didn't laugh; he knew it wasn't a joke.
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, will you stop with the angst already? Jesus, you took a light-hearted comment made in jest in canon and turned it into an overture for the world's smallest violin! GAH!
Instead, he simply waited until the Gryffindors drifted away to their own families and wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her for all he was worth. Eren and Dante looked on proudly.
ZeldaQueen: Who? Oh wait, are those his parents? What?
"Be good, Hols," Blaise murmured in her ear. "I plan to write at least twice a week… just in case. Keep the diary with you at all times, and if they - the Dursleys do anything - let me know."
There was a very peculiar gleam in his eyes, and Holly wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
ZeldaQueen: He's twelve, the horny bastard!
"I will," she promised, patting her pocket and the diary inside it. "I'll send you a letter tomorrow."
Blaise nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He pulled back, hooking her arm within his. "Mum, I'll be back in a minute. I just want to walk Holly over."
Eren smiled faintly, exchanging a look with her husband, but didn't say anything as her son escorted his friend to her caretakers.
ZeldaQueen: I don't care! End this chapter already!
Vernon fumed as the students came up to him and turned away without saying a word. However, Holly truly didn't care. It didn't matter to her at all. He didn't matter to her at all. The only people who did were the ones she had already said goodbye to.
"I'll see you soon," she said softly to Blaise, give his hand a squeeze before stepping away.
He smiled, but it faded as she turned and followed in Dursley's wake. His thoughts were already burning with how to release her from her own personal summer prison. The boy continued watching her long after she had disappeared into the crowd.
Deep inside, Blaise wondered if, and when, he would have to rescue her from her family.
Finite Incantatem
ZeldaQueen: God - fucking - God! Let's see, how would I rate this year? Nostalgia Critic?
Click to viewZeldaQueen: Thank you
AN: In case anyone is wondering, the Heir of Hufflepuff used a Recording spell to enter the Chamber. Myrtle made a reference to it in the previous chapter. Also, I know the plot was quite convoluted, so if you have any questions, just message me. I'll try to explain as best I can. Further, later on, I might come back and try to rework it some so that it makes more sense.
ZeldaQueen: You know, if you think your plot is so convoluted that people have to go to you for it to be straightened out, then why not fix it up before you publish it?
Incidentally, one thing that bugged me that I hadn't brought up before - the suethor claimed that we'd be seeing McGonagall being "anti-Holly" in regards to the Heir of Slytherin thing, but we haven't! All we've seen is Holly and Co saying that McGonagall won't believe them. Show! Don't give dubious claims!
Finally, it has come to my attention that I misnamed one of Blaise's sisters. She is Alexandria, not Alexia… like I had written in a number of places. Alexia was actually a Slytherin Prefect.
ZeldaQueen: That's...good to know...
To everyone who reviewed: Thanks
Chapter Twenty-Four: Child of Hope
Ever Hopeful,
Azar
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ZeldaQueen: Okay, sweet Jesus this was horrible! Alright, deeep breaths! On to year three, and she's only just finished year four. I can do this! Link will be returning next chapter. God, I need chocolate...
Onward to: Chapter 24: Child Of Hope (Part 1)
Back to: Chapter 23: Enemies Of The Heir (Part 1)
Return to: Table of Contents