It was during his first class of the day when a knock interrupted Flitwick's lecture. From the doorway walked Minerva McGonagall, quickly scanning the students present before settling on Harry. "Mister Potter, if you would accompany me to the medical ward, please."
The room fell silent, everyone knowing what it entailed. He rose, shakily, before packing up his supplies and hurrying after her. Seconds after they left the room, he whispered out the question he both needed an answer to and dreaded.
"Who?"
McGonagall looked away, "I'm sorry…"
It did nothing to ease the worry building in his stomach. What if this time they hadn't been so lucky? What if it wasn't a petrification? What if…
The rest of the trip was made in silence and felt as if it took years. Finally, the pair reached their destination with McGonagall pausing at the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and pushing it open.
Empty beds and the other frozen students faded into the background as Harry Potter focused in on the only sound echoing through the air. Sobs, desperate, heartbreaking sobs.
At the far end was Amaryllis, fists clenched into the sheets on a bed, crying into a frozen body, begging her sister to awaken.
But she wouldn't, neither would their friend who laid in a bed next to them. Harriet and Hermione, both staring up at the ceiling, faces as still as ice.
"Miss Potter…" the teacher next to him called, and their presence was finally brought to the girl's attention. How would she react? Would she be angry? Blame him for bringing this onto her sister?
Amy looked up, eyes red from crying before she stood and raced across the room. McGonagall stepped forward as if to offer solace for her student but was almost pushed aside as she wrapped her arms around Harry instead, face burrowing into his chest as she let out another deep sob.
He returned the hug automatically, gaze still on the two figures lying in the beds. The Gryffindor Head of House was saying something, but he wasn't paying attention. His entire world was focused on the crying girl held in his arms and the two petrified nearby.
****
Enough was enough. No matter what she thought of the Potter family, or what anyone thought, no one deserved to be froze in their own body for days, weeks, maybe even months on end.
How much evidence did Dumbledore need before acting? How many victims were required before she would finally see reason and call for an investigation? Would it be another student frozen? Another five injured? Or would it take a corpse to finally spur her to action?
That thought had been the final straw for Serena Snape, because somehow, deep down, she knew whose lifeless body would be laying on a bed while the family mourned. She knew whose green eyes would stare up at the ceiling, not frozen but faded into death.
Harry would take it on himself to investigate, he would act when no one else would. She knew this just as clearly as she could recite off the ingredients for a Wolfsbane potion. Hadn't the previous year been enough of an indication?
When all the others were fretting about pointing fingers and worrying, he had marched down and confronted the perpetrator, regardless of knowing who was responsible, or what they were capable of.
With someone he considered a sister hurt what was stopping him from doing the same now? But now it was different, now the stakes were higher. It wasn't an object to be stolen, it was monster that could kill with a glance, could destroy with a bite.
She wouldn't allow that to happen, wouldn't watch her former friend break while cradling the boy's body in her arms, wouldn't watch as the light left James Potter's eyes, wouldn't stand by while Harriet and Amaryllis became mere shadows of themselves with guilt and grief.
To hell with Dumbledore's plan, if the woman wouldn't do anything about Riddle, then she would.
Even if it took tearing down that wall that kept Hogwarts and the rest of society apart.
****
Harry spent the rest of the evening with his sister, often just sitting next to her in silence as they stared down at the frozen eyes. Eventually it was time for both to head back to their respective and it was then they were halted at the door by a pair of professors.
McGonagall gave a nod before gesturing for the redhead to follow her, while the wizard was escorted back to Slytherin by his own Head of House. Halfway down she gave an explanation that nearly tripped him. "You haven't heard yet, but Hogwarts will be going under curfew. No students permitted outside of assigned groups between classes and meals. No one out after that without direct permission. All clubs and Quidditch have been canceled."
"But…"
"Harry," the woman almost growled, "I don't want you even thinking about doing this by yourself. Stay away from the Chamber."
He promptly snarled in response, "Why, so more students can get hurt? No one is doing anything and look where it got us!"
Riddle let out a sigh, "Dumbledore is working on it."
"Working on it!? What is she 'working on'? We've known what is going on since the first attack and nothing has been done!"
She looked away, "Let us handle this, Harry. The students are unharmed, this isn't worth your life."
Harry stared at her for a moment, before turning and continuing down the hall, followed right behind by the woman. He didn't want to askhow it was being handled, didn't want to point out that no they weren't fine, and certainly didn't want to tell her that deep down, he wasn't sure what his life was worth.
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