Movers & Shakers

The next day all of the Slytherin’s were questioned. The chances were that a parselmouth would end up there, rather than any other house. There was no Quidditch match either. Due to recent events, Dumbledore thought it was unfit to have the two houses battle on the Quidditch field. Even so Kathrin, Farley, and Rengine headed down to the pitch anyways.

It wasn’t a particularly nice day. The sky was grey, which resembled most of the emotion spread among the castle; nervous and scared. First it was Gryffindor, but most students thought it was a matter of time before students from other houses would be attacked somehow. Everyone knew there were things happening outside Hogwarts, dark things, but nobody thought anything would happen in there. The school seemed so safe.

Kathrin and Rengine were playing a short game with Farley as the keeper. Both Kat and Ren knew Farley wasn’t a very good keeper, but he was the only other person awake that early and he had fun playing, even if he lost. Rengine ended up beating Kathrin in the end. Any other time Rengine would have boasted about beating Kat, but nobody was in the mood to bring anyone down.

The three were just exiting when Sydney bumped into Farley, still reading her book as she walked. Farley didn’t notice her until she fell over; he was much taller than her. He looked down apologetic and tried help her up. Sydney refused help and got up on her own with an insulted look on her face.

“I thought I’d find you here. I’ve been doing some-“

“Research” The three replied all at once.

Sydney stared at her with her eyebrow raised. “Well fine if you don’t want to know I’ll just leave”

“Wait!” Kat called after her. “What is it?”

“Well like I said, I’ve been looking some things up. If someone were to put a snake in the girls’ dorm, at the very least they’d need to open the portrait. They would also have to be a parselmouth, and most likely a hate for muggleborns.” Sydney took a deep breath, for she, herself was muggleborn. “So I looked up snakes and parselmouth’s. Then I came across a book about the chamber. It said-“

“The what?” Rengine asked looking confused.

“You’ve never heard of the chamber of secrets?”

“Nope” Rengine and Kathrin admitted. Sydney was dumbfounded.

“I have. In first year, one of the seventh year Slytherin’s told me if I didn’t move he’d stick me in the chamber.” Farley replied looking pleased with himself that he at least heard about it.

“Well the chamber of secrets is a rumor, supposedly chamber hidden in the school that Salazar Slytherin made himself. It’s said that when his heir returns to the school, the chamber will open and… purge the school.”

“When you say purge, you mean…” Rengine didn’t want to finish.

“Kill the muggleborns, yeah I think so.” Sydney continued. “I think someone got the idea from them. The chamber was opened a while ago. It didn’t say what happened though, just that a girl died. Anyways I think it’s a Slytherin. Not to be bias! But it was a snake, and parselmouth’s rarely get sorted into any other house.”

“We think it’s a Slytherin too; for some of the same reasons.” Rengine replied motioning to him and Kathrin. “We think its Felix.”

“I disagree.” Farley replied. Everyone looked shocked. “He would never get his hands that dirty.”

“I still think it was Michael.” Sydney admitted. “I don’t know how Sirius can prove he isn’t, so I still think it’s him. I mean she counter-jinxed him earlier that day!”

They argued about who they thought it was for a while before heading off to the grand hall for breakfast. The hall was filled with people. Lots of them were gossiping. Most people were staring at Melanie, but she just ate her cereal. Kat could see Peter and Sirius chatting with her. By the look on Sirius’ face he was trying to cheer her up.

“Look I’m okay! I don’t know why everyone feels they have to tell me a joke.” Melanie exclaimed getting up from the table. Everyone turned to watch her walk away.

“Knock! Knock!” Kathrin said when Melanie got up. Melanie sighed and tried to move, but Kathrin repeated herself in a harsh tone.

“Whose there?” Her voice sounded annoyed and uninterested, but she played along anyways.

“Moo”

“Moo who?” Melanie looked intrigued; she hadn’t heard that one before.

“Interrupting cow!” Kathrin said with a smile on her face. Melanie burst out laughing. Sirius turned, envious that Kat had managed to cheer her up.

“Merlin’s sake Kathrin” Sydney exclaimed. “Every time I tell you a muggle joke you tell it wrong.” Kathrin blushed as a couple people chuckled, Melanie was still laughing pretty hard. She couldn’t understand how it was that funny, those jokes got confusing sometimes.

Melanie tossed Kathrin a piece of toast and told Kat they better head to class. Sirius offered to walk them, and an incoming Remus tagged along. Kat guessed that Sirius wasn’t mad at her anymore. She still was a bit hurt by what he said though.

“It sucks that they cancelled Quidditch. Now you guys are against Hufflepuff next.” Sirius stated walking along side Kat.

“Yeah” Kathrin lied. She wasn’t looking forward to the match against Slytherin, and was glad they were going to be facing a different team.

“So Kitty Kat, do you know anymore muggle jokes?” Sirius teased and Kat hit him in the shoulder. Remus looked confused but Sirius mouthed ‘later’.

Soon enough they reached their charms class and said bye to their escorts. Kathrin could tell Melanie was starting to cheer up. She was never one for feeling glum for very long.



“What is all this?” Kathrin asked disgusted. There was a stinky candle filling the room with a terrible smell. She was also sure that the black flame wasn’t very healthy.

“It’s a snake repellant.” Clare said in a pleasant voice. “I know you think it won’t come back, but this is just in case.”

Kathrin plugged her nose. The smell was making her stomach turn and the wax on the candle was starting to bubble for some reason. She was about to grab her stuff and make a bed out in the common room when Melanie ran into the room.

“That’s it! I don’t care!” Melanie said grabbed the candle from the middle of the room, and walking out with it stretched as far away from her as possible. Clare made some outburst of disagreement but Melanie replied, “I don’t care!”

Clare walked out after her trying to retrieve her protective garbage sent candle. Kathrin cast a fresh sent smelling charm on the room and plopped onto her bed. It was nice to have some time alone. She looked around and smiled. It was quiet in the room, but she could hear the chatting down in the common room. She wasn’t a part of that commotion; no she was away from all that drama.



“Kathrin wake up!” Leona shook her.

“W-what time is it?”

“Late, but get up. Get up now!” Leona demanded in a loud whisper. She motioned her to follow. When Kathrin walked in the common room she could tell it was past curfew. Leona wasn’t one for sneaking out, she had a good record. Even so Kathrin still followed her without question.

They walked across the school grounds. Luckily they hadn’t been caught. Leona started walk faster as Kathrin stared at the forest. It wasn’t that long ago she was there at this time of night. Her arm was now healed, but she still remembered the pain and fear. She ran to catch up with Leona.

“I saw them and came to get you. Melanie would have… well that would’ve turned out badly. I didn’t want to get any of the boys either, I imagine it’s scary in their dorm.” Leona said.

Kat looked ahead of her to see three Slytherin’s. Felix Cooper, he was leaning on a tree laughing. Jonah Andrews, who was looking around nervously. Lastly she saw Michael Frey with his wand pointed at someone. When she got closer she realized that wasn’t just anyone. Farley was standing in front of Michael, with a bloody mouth and missing tooth.

Leona pulled out her wand and Kathrin hers. When Felix saw her his expression changed immediately. His cold look changed to a warm charming one. He turned to walk towards her. She laughed inside how she thought she would hex him.

“Kathrin, I know this looks bad but-“

Kathrin hit Felix straight in the face. It was the first time Kat had punched someone and it was affective, but there was a lot of anger behind that punch.

“Who the bloody hell, do you think you are?” Kathrin yelled at him. “You hate my friends and drag me away from them. You’re disgusted with my family, and my house. Yet you still flirt with me! I don’t get you!”

“You’re a pureblood and a looker.” He said with a cut on his lip. “It’s sad that you have a terrible personality. Let’s go guys, they can deal with this. Serpentsortia”

A snake few out of Felix’s wand. Kathrin turned to jinx him but he grabbed her leg and pulled it. Her wand fell onto the ground, she tried to reach for it, but Felix got it first. He got up quickly and threw it into the forest. Leona barely missed Michael, who was now running after Felix. He turned and disarmed her before she could do any other spells.

“Jonah come on.” Michael demanded walking backwards. Jonah looked at Michael, then back down at the snake. His eyes were filled with anger. A look he doesn’t wear very often. Michael shot him a look of disappointment and they ran off.

Kathrin, Leona, and Farley were all wandless. Farley stared at the snake and looked around for something to defeat it with. All of them had completely forgotten about Jonah, who was still standing there.

“Leave” He demanded. He wasn’t harsh, but more scared of anything.

“I would, but there is a snake in my way, again!” Leona retorted.

The distance between the snake and the trio was shortening and shortening. They didn’t know what to do. They had all been raised in a world of magic, where magic could solve anything. Jonah sighed and looked around hopelessly.

Kat shook as she heard a hiss. She looked at the snake, whose tongue wasn’t moving. Jonah got closer to the snake, speaking the ancient tongue, threatening the snake. Leona stepped back, not sure of whom she was scared of more. Farley’s eyes narrowed with anger, while Kathrin stood there, examining everything.

Eventually the snake slithered into the woods. Once it was for sure gone, Farley jumped at Jonah, grabbing him around the neck. “It was you! You attacked Melanie!”

“You don’t understand. I never wanted to! I have to obey them. It’s my family’s greatest honor to serve the Cooper’s and the Frey. We are in debt to both of them. I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to do it. I made told him not to kill anyone. I… I told him…”

Farley let go. His hands moved from Jonah’s neck, to the ground as he got up. Tears streamed down Jonah’s face, but he did not whimper. Kat understood. He was like the opposite of Sirius, someone who was given power, but casted it away. Jonah was a puppet, groomed to take orders from the other boys. He had never acted like a Slytherin. Kat always wondered why he was sorted there. He was a parselmouth.

“Don’t tell anyone… please”