Chapter 6: The First Petrified
Morning light, pale and weak, streamed through Iago Tower's window, its panes streaked with frost. The ruins' journey had been a success, a testament to their cohesion, but the hope was a thin veneer. Leo walked into his room, the floorboards creaking under his boots, the air heavy with the scent of old wood and wax. His breath caught, a sharp gasp. On his bed lay Pixel, his tiny form dull gray stone, cold and unmoving. The Beast Echo curse had found them, a present, immediate threat. My fault. I brought him here. His hands shook as he picked up the stone rat, its weight impossibly heavy, the chill biting his palms. I'm a monster magnet. A chipped mug on his desk, its handle cracked, stared back, a mute witness to his grief.
A low, guttural sound of shock escaped his lips. The door creaked open, Enid's footsteps soft but urgent. Her face, usually a canvas of emotion, turned to pure fury, her eyes blazing.
"Who did this?!"
She seethed, her hands balled into fists, her scarf slipping to reveal a tense jaw. Leo held the stone rat, his grief numb and hollow, a void in his chest. He pulled her into a hug, his voice a low rumble against her hair, the fabric soft but cold.
"We'll fix it. I promise."
[BEAST ECHO CONFIRMED. CONGRATS, YOU'VE GOT A MAGICAL SERIAL KILLER ON YOUR HANDS.]
A red alert flashed in his vision, sharp and jarring.
"Serial? Great."
He muttered, sarcasm a shield against the shock, his fingers tightening around Pixel's stone form. A morbid thought hit him.
"Garden ornament now."
Enid's tense shoulders shook with a small, tense chuckle, her eyes glistening. Humor's thin, but it's something. The grief gave way to a burning determination, a fire in his gut. I won't let this stand. A frayed curtain fluttered in the breeze, its edges unraveling, grounding him in the moment's weight.
The Infirmary smelled of sharp herbs and bubbling potions, a stark contrast to the despair clawing at Leo's chest. Madam Pomfrey's face was a mix of worry and calm, her apron stained with potion splashes, her wand glowing over Pixel's still form, its light casting soft shadows on the whitewashed walls.
"Beast Echo."
She confirmed, her voice steady but sad.
"We've seen it before. The only known cure… a potion brewed with Basilisk venom. From the Chamber of Secrets."
Leo's heart thudded, the air thick with antiseptic and hope. The Chamber. Of course.
"De-petrify potion or ornament life?"
He quipped, his sarcasm a fragile shield, his voice catching. Pomfrey huffed, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Ornament? Cheeky."
Her tone softened, her eyes kind. Hermione, beside him, her eyes wide with focus, spoke up.
"We need to research this. The Restricted Section. Now."
She's right. We've got a reason to act. Leo nodded, his voice flat with resolve.
"We're on it."
The Restricted Section was eerily quiet, its pages rustling like secrets on the wind, the air heavy with dust and old magic. A chipped lantern flickered, its flame casting jittery shadows. They found a tome, Curses of the Arcane, its pages whispering of a time long gone. A faint green light shone as Hermione opened it, the ink shifting into new words: "Ministry born." The Ministry hadn't just covered up the accident—they'd created the curse to control Outcasts, to sow fear. They weaponized this? Leo's blood boiled, the book's leather cover cracked under his grip.
[OF COURSE IT'S IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. BECAUSE SNAKES AND CURSES GO TOGETHER LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND NIGHTMARES.]
"Peanut nightmares? Tasty."
Leo muttered, a tense laugh escaping, the air thick with the scent of old parchment. Hermione's face was a study in shock and determination.
"Incredible!"
She whispered, triumph in her voice.
"We have to go. Now."
A girl with flowing blonde hair approached—Luna Lovegood, her eyes wide and curious.
"Nargles petrify too?"
Her voice was airy, a whimsical note in the gloom. Leo laughed, the absurdity a release.
"Nargles allies?"
He asked, a smile breaking through, her radish earrings glinting faintly. The plan was set: the Chamber, the Basilisk venom, their prize. [FIELD TRIP TO THE MOST CLICHÉ PLACE IN HOGWARTS. TRY NOT TO DIE.] I'll get you back, Pixel. A frayed page corner, curling like a beckoning finger, urged him toward the dangerous path ahead.