Next day:
After classes were over for the day, I called all of my siblings to the treehouse. We practiced in the Duelling Meadow (swords too).
Then everyone returned to the castle, apart from Lotty and I.
"They haven't tried putting Max on trial again,"Lotty updated me on the situation,"but I did overhear some of them saying 'something needs to be done about Max', and I heard Kenneth Brass saying that Silas was planning on 'dealing with him personally '."
"That doesn't sound good,"I said.
"I don't know if we'll be able to help him, but I've been trying to keep a look out,"Lotty said,"I don't think they'll put him on trial again, I think Silas is planning on punishing him secretly."
"The least we can do is support him,"I said,"if we're there for him, and he knows we care, that can help him a little."
"It's not really enough though,"Lotty said.
"It's better than nothing,"I said.
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Night 3 , OM Day 2
Next day:
I haven't been doing as badly in Potions Class as I used to. Professor Park made some condescending remarks on how I was almost acceptable now that I'd decided to start reading a book for once, instead of 'waltzing in the circle of madness' whatever that means.
Later:
I found Lotty. There was something I wanted to talk to her about.
"You know how Max said the tunnel lead to Silas' secret base?"I began.
"So?"Lotty said.
"He said he couldn't remember where it was, but we know where it is,"I said.
"You'd better not be thinking of going back there..."Lotty said.
"Don't worry, I don't want to go back there,"I said,"I just wish it wasn't so close to the treehouse. That means Silas' base must be directly underneath."
"Two enemy bases, both in the same place,"Lotty remarked.
"I'm a bit worried about the others,"I said,"especially Anita. Do you suppose Silas knows about the treehouse?"
"I get the idea we'd know by now if he knew,"Lotty reassured me.
-----------------
Night 4, OM Day 3.
Next day:
In DADA today, I saw Max, and I think something has happened. He was not looking very well. I looked over at him and tried to give him what I hoped to be a reassuring smile. He gave me a weak sort of smile back.
When class was over and everyone filed out into the hallway, I waited at the back for Max. He was the last to leave. He's been sort of separate from the other Gryffindors since they accused him of treason. Some of them have been mockingly referring to him as 'Peter' instead of Max. At first, I wondered why, but then I found out from Lotty that it was because they were accusing him of being a 'Peter Pettigrew'.
I get the idea from Lotty that the non-gang Gryffindors don't really know what's going on, and the others have been spreading rumours that Max trying to snitch on them about something unreasonable, so they're all treating him like a pariah.
When he came out the doorway, I pulled him aside.
"Are you alright?"I asked.
"It's alright,"he answered.
"Has anything happened?"I asked.
He tried to avoid eye-contact with me. I gave him a hug.
"Don't worry about me,"he said,"I'll be alright."
He smiled at me before walking away. I ran to catch up with the others on the way to the next class.
Later:
I was casually strolling through the courtyard in Hogwarts, on my way to dinner (which was starting soon in the Great Hall), when I noticed two Hufflepuff 1st Year boys fighting.
"Give it to me!"one demanded.
"No, she told me to guard it with my life! So I'm guarding it with my life!"the other boy insisted, dramatically.
He was lying on the ground, holding onto something tightly.
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"You can't trust anything a Slytherin tells you,"the other boy said.
I stopped walking and looked back at them.
"Get away from me!"the other boy yelled.
"Not until you show me what you're hiding!"
"I'll die first!"
I decided to intervene.
"Stop fighting!"I said.
"This is none of your business,"the aggressive one said.
"Looks like it's none of YOUR business either,"I said to him,"leave him alone!"
The boy pulled out his wand.
"Expelliarmus!"I was too quick for him.
I grabbed his wand before he could.
"You can have this back when you start behaving,"I said.
"I'm going to report you for stealing my wand!"the boy said, furious,"you stole my wand because I'm a Muggleborn!"
"I didn't even know you were a Muggleborn,"I said, throwing his wand back to him.
I looked around and realised the other boy was gone. He must have snook away while we were arguing.
Then, a few minutes later, I noticed Anita down the end of one of the long corridors. She was with two Hufflepuffs, and one of them was the boy that had been hiding an object. They appeared to be in the middle of a serious discussion.
Suddenly there was a pop, and a house-elf appeared. It spoke to them, ran off somewhere, and they all followed it.
By now, I was very curious. I tried to see where they went, but they went off too fast. I wonder what Anita is up to? At least she seems to be making friends.
A bit later:
As I was leaving the Great Hall after dinner, I was walking past the Gryffindor table, and I heard one of them calling Max 'Peter' again. I couldn't help myself, I was so filled with fury.
"Petter Pettigrew was a coward who betrayed his own friends to their deaths to save his own skin! The only person he cared about was himself!"I said,"how can you compare him with someone who stands up for what is right, even in the face of being excluded from his friends and punished. Someone who's willing to put himself in danger for the sake of people that aren't even his friends!"
"We don't need a Slytherin to lecture us on who is worthy to be a Gryffindor,"Lauren Golding said, coldly.
"I didn't say anything about being worthy to be a Gryffindor,"I objected,"but you certainly aren't!"
Lauren gasped.
"If we give you Max, will Slytherin House take him instead?"Luke Stevenson said,"oh - wait - I forgot! He can't! He's Muggleborn!"
The others laughed.
"No one wants him!"said Amber,"where is he anyway? He's run away!"
They all laughed again.
"There was you trying to say he wasn't a coward!"Luke shouted.
I walked away from them. I don't know how Lotty puts up with being surrounded by people like that all the time. It would drive me insane. Obviously Max quickly left the table, because it's embarrassing. I wouldn't have wanted to be there either, if it was me. I hoped I hadn't made anything worse.
Sometimes it seems like when you stand up for someone, you can just end up inviting more trouble for them. Sometimes you have to be careful, no matter how unfair something seems; but it's hard to constantly use discretion in the face of such blatant injustice!
In the evening:
I remembered the memory spell I need to learn. There are also some spells I need to practice for learning Parceltongue, and I haven't done any of those things. I don't know how I forgot, but I do still have enough time to get everything sorted out.
I decided to ask Professor Willow about the memory spell. He was in his office, as usual. He's usually always ready to talk to me about ancient runes, or help me with anything I don't properly understand. He knew how to do it, and showed me. It was actually really simple.
"Of course, if you want to revisit your memory, or share it with someone else, you need a Pensieve,"Professor Willow explained.
"That's alright,"I said,"I just wanted to know how to do it. Thank you, Professor."
I showed Priscilla right away.
A bit later:
I looked in the library for any information on a 'King Serpent'. I couldn't find anything, though I looked through all the books on animals and magical creatures. I decided to read the instructions on learning Parceltongue again, and I noticed something I'd missed before.
It said I needed to practise speaking to snakes while going through the process of drinking the snake potion doses. They temporarily grant you the ability to speak Parceltongue. For all I knew, I could probably already speak it now, but just wasn't aware.
I looked at the spells needed for learning. One of them was a Revealing Spell. Maybe that was for finding snakes? It wasn't too late to go outside and test my theory.
My first instinct was to go over to the treehouse and look for snakes around there, but then I remembered Silas has a secret base somewhere over there and decided it wasn't wise to go over there in the evening, alone.
So I went to the little woodland where the Foxhole Chamber is, and cast the Revealing Spell around there.
I soon found a snake! A larger-than-usual, bright green grass snake.
"Hello,"I said to it.
The snake looked at me.
"Could you tell me where to find the King Serpent?"I asked it.
"Why do you want to find the King Serpent?"it asked.
My heart pounded! It was actually working! Either it was working, or I was dreaming this!
"Because I would like to learn how to speak Parceltongue,"I answered.
"You're already talking to me now,"the snake said.
"Yes, but I haven't learnt it properly yet,"I said.
"The King Serpent is not friendly,"the snake answered,"and he doesn't like to be found by people like you."
"People like me?"I asked.
"Yes, people,"the snake responded,"if you wish to gain his trust, you will have to perform for him three tasks."
"They're not - bad - tasks, are they?"I asked.
"It depends on what you mean by bad tasks?"the snake said.
"I don't want to do anything I'm not supposed to,"I said.
"The first task,"said the snake,"is you have to deliver him three mice."
"Right,"I said.
"For him to eat,"the snake went on,"if the mice are good enough for him, then he will ask you to bring to him other kinds of food. Animals, you know - that he likes to eat. If you can complete all three tasks, and he's satisfied, he might decide to tell you what it is that you need to know."
"Ok, but don't I have to find him first?"I asked,"how will I know where to find him?"
"Follow me,"the snake said,"the King Serpent of this woods has his hole by this oak tree and these boulders. I'll let him know, and if you deliver the mice here soon, he'll tell you what to do next; but you won't be able to see him, you'll only be able to hear him."
"Alright,"I said,"sounds simple enough, I just have to look for three mice."
"Three fat mice!"the snake corrected me,"they have to be plump and juicy. Full of delicious nutrients. They must be satisfactory to his taste - any ordinary mice won't do!"
"Right,"I said.
I was wondering how I would be able to find three of those kinds of mice. Oh, well, the Revealing Spell ought to work with that.
I went around casting it, but it revealed no mice at all. Then I thought, what about inside the castle? I went back to Hogwarts and decided a good place to go would be the cellars where all the food is stored, and maybe even the castle kitchens. I could ask the house-elves down there if they knew where I could find any suitable mice.
They did! I couldn't believe my luck! Just the kind I need too! The house-elves helped me to catch them, and soon I had them in a cage. I left plenty of food in it with them.
"You'll keep an eye on them for me, won't you?"I asked the house-elves,"also keep feeding them?"
"Of course!"was the response.
"I'm going to come back for them tomorrow,"I said.
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Night 5, OM Day 4.