Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows

Chapter Four-Fourth Floor

"What?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Hogwarts was built on a section of land where an old mental institution was built in the medieval times," I said.

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"Listen," I said, as I pulled the book closer to me and I began reading aloud:

"In 1334, Sevijion Mental Institution was built on a hill. Patients were experimented on as well as tortured. Lord Alex Davis, was the head of the institution. Many believe that he himself was pure evil.

The patients one day turned on the nurses and the head of the facility. They killed everyone and went mad themselves. This place was pure evil. Lord Robert Scoris was against the place in the first place. He felt that torture and experiments on humans were cruel and inhuman. Lord Davis vowed to come back and kill descendents of Lord Scoris,"

"Weird," Ron breathed.

"So basically, Hogwarts was built on evil?" Harry said, slowly. "But why is it only appearing now? Why not years ago?"

"There's more," I said and continued to read:

"January 12^th is the anniversary of when the Sevijion Institution was burned down by its own patients 2 years after it was built.

Several years later, all of the descendents of Lord Scoris were killed except one. One managed to survive and produce children,"

"Who survived?" Ron asked. "January 12^th is three days away."

"It doesn't say but there's even more," I said.

"The institution was four levels. Level one had the basic nurses quarters and Lord Davis' chambers. The second through the third was patients rooms. The fourth is where the experimentation was conducted. Lord Davis held his patients against their will and forced them to do his bidding. He also kept slaves as well. The slaves slept on the fourth floor,"

"Bloody hell..." Ron breathed.

"Okay. So when Hogwarts was built, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff had no idea that what they were building on was evil?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so. They might've just thought that it was a great spot to build a castle," I said, shrugging.

"So that explains why Ron heard banging on the fourth floor," Harry said, slowly. "And why Neville..."

His voice trailed off.

"Yeah. But we've got a bigger problem. January 12^th is three days away right? If one of the descendents of Lord Scoris survived and had children, who was it? And what if they are in danger?" I said.

"How are we going to find the descendent?" Ron asked.

"By using a family tree," I said.

"Right. There's like over 200 students here. I don't think asking each of them to do a family tree for a project will go over well," Harry said.

My eyes caught something at the very bottom of the page.

"Wait...there's one last thing on the bottom," I said.

"The descendent has a mark on their side of Lord Scoris' kingdom,"

I showed them the mark:

It was a diamond shape with a four point star in the middle of it.

"Okay, so asking students so pull up their shirts is even better?" Ron asked.

"How else are we going to figure out who it is and possibly help save their life?" I demanded.

"I say we go first," Harry said.

Ron slowly lifted his vest and shirt up just barely enough so we could see his pale skin of his sides. There was no mark. Harry went next. Nothing.

Ron and Harry waited patiently. Sighing, I carefully lifted up my vest and shirt just enough to show them my sides and nothing else.

The color drained from Harry's face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Look at your side," he said, quietly.

I glanced down at my right side. Sure enough there was the symbol in what looked like black ink.

"Blimey," Ron said, weakly.

"How is that possible? My parents are both Muggles!" I said, quickly pulling my shirt down again.

"Hermione, I think the people that ran that 'hospital' were Muggles," Harry said, quietly. "There's nothing in the book that said it was run by witches or wizards?"

I quickly flipped through it, hoping for more details.

"No," I said, feeling a lump sitting in my stomach.

"I think it's time you talked to your parents here," Harry said, solemnly.

I nodded. "Come with me to the Owlery?"

"Sure," Harry said. "Ron?"

"Naw, I'm going back to the common room," Ron said, shaking his head.

"We won't be long," Harry said.

Ron nodded and we went our separate ways.

"I can't believe Muggles in the medieval times were...barbarians," Harry said.

"I know. The medieval times were rough and very violent. Very hard as well," I said. "But what I can't believe is I'm related to Lord Scoris."

"And in that case, Lord Davis is after you. You read what the book said. He wanted to kill all descendents of Lord Scoris," Harry said, gravely.

"Because Lord Scoris didn't want the 'hospital' built in the first place? There has to be more behind that," I said, as we reached the Owlery.

The owls were dozing. Hedwig, Harry's snowy white female hooted softly and fluttered down, landing on Harry's shoulder.

"Hey Hedwig," I said, affectionately. "We need you to take this letter to my parents." I said, as I pulled a piece of parchment out, a quill and ink bottle. Leaning on the windowsill, I dunked the tip of the quill into the ink and began writing a letter back home to mum and dad:

Dear Mum and Dad:

I read in the book, HOGWARTS: BEFORE THE SCHOOL, that Hogwarts was built on land where and old mental institution was built. It was called Sevijion. The head of it, Lord Davis, conducted cruel experiments on people and tortured them. It also said that Lord Scoris didn't want the 'hospital' built in the first place. Lord Davis vowed to get back at Lord Scoris for not wanting it built and threatened Lord Scoris' descendents. He killed them all except one who managed to get away and had kids. There's a strange mark on my side that matches the mark in the book said to belong to Lord Scoris' descendents. Please explain to me what's going on. There have been strange occurrences here at school, namely Ron, Harry and I are the only ones able to see this shadow. Two students were killed already. Please respond ASAP with Hedwig.

Love,

Hermione

"There. That should be good," I said as I rolled up the parchment.

Hedwig stuck out her leg and I attached the letter to her left leg. She extended her wings and took flight, flying out the window.

"I hope so. I'm not going to let some..." Harry's voice trailed off.

"Nearly six hundred year old," I offered.

"Right. I'm not going to let some nearly six hundred year old spook kill my best friend," he said angrily.

I smiled gratefully.

"Thanks,"

Harry nodded.

Then, he got that look that said he had an idea.

"What?" I asked, warily.

"Let's say we pay the fourth floor a little visit and see if we can find out more about it?"

My stomach somersaulted.

"Okay," I said, feeling my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

He and I pulled out our wands and said "Lumos!"

The tip of our wands was lit and we made our way up to the fourth floor.

The corridor was still the same. But suddenly, it seemed to change before our eyes. It no longer looked like Hogwarts. There were torches along the wall and bits of hay were scattered on the floor. I was starting to get terrified. Harry kept close to me as we made our way down the corridor. Modern wheelchairs were against the wall.

We came across a door with the words TORTURE CHAMBER on it. Harry and I looked at each other before we took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Immediately, a blast of ice cold air hit us. We saw men holding silver spikes and men and women were lying on tables as the men holding the spikes drove them into their bodies. I cried out and turned my face away, burying it into Harry's chest. Harry carefully backed out and then gently pulled me away from him.

"We'll keep going...don't worry," he said, gently.

I nodded and still felt very upset about what I just saw.

We kept walking down the corridor. Just then a man dressed in fancy robes with a high neckline appeared with several women at his side dressed in medieval dresses.

"Lord Davis...what do you think of our facility?" a man asked, appearing from one of the rooms.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful," the man dressed in fancy robes said. "I shall kill every descendent of Lord Scoris."

"Why my Lord?" the man asked.

"Because Lord Scoris went to the king and ordered a petition against building this 'hospital'. Thankfully, the king was on my side and declined it. Lord Scoris will think twice about crossing me again," Lord Davis said, smiling. He had dark hair and a mustache.

They began walking toward us. I grabbed Harry's arm. They walked right through us and disappeared. Harry and I turned around. The fourth floor returned to normal.

Then, something grabbed my arms and yanked me several feet in the air.

HARRY.

Something grabbed Hermione and lifted her several feet in the air. Her feet dangled a few feet off the ground.

"Help!" Hermione screamed, as she frantically tried to break free of whatever was holding her.

I reached up and grabbed her ankles, trying to pull her down.

Then, whatever it was flung her. She hit the stone wall and collapsed in a heap. I rushed over to her.

"Hermione?" I demanded.

She moaned. I grabbed her and quickly helped her to her feet. We hurriedly left the fourth floor and hit the third, and finally the second where the classrooms were. She had a small gash on her temple. Blood trickled down her left temple.

I managed to help her into the Gryffindor common room. Ron looked up.

"Bloody hell! What happened to her?" Ron cried.

"Something picked her up and flung her against the wall on the fourth floor," I said, as I pulled two chairs together and laid her down across them like a cot.

"Why in blazes were you on the fourth floor?" Ron asked.

I crouched down beside Hermione and gently shook her.

"To get some more info," I replied.

She finally moaned and opened her eyes.

"Harry? Oh thank God!" she cried as she flung her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her. I hugged her back.

"Are you alright?" I demanded.

"Yeah," Hermione nodded, but then she raised her hand to her left temple and felt the gash.

"Here," I said, as I groped around my pockets and found a handkerchief. I gently pressed the white handkerchief over the gash.

"So that's why Lord Davis wanted to kill Lord Scoris' descendents! Because he had originally wanted a petition against the place being built and Lord Davis felt he was double-crossing him!" Hermione said.

"But why? Were they friends?" Ron asked.

"I don't know...but that would make sense!" Hermione said, eagerly.

I began explaining to Ron what Hermione and I saw in the torture room. Ron cringed.

"Blimey," he muttered.

"We still won't know what Hermione's parents said yet. I think once they explain what's going on, we'll have a better picture and hopefully a way to stop it," I said.

HERMIONE.

Somehow when Harry said that, I felt considerably calmer than I had in the past few days and nights.

I wanted so badly to tell him how I felt and how his presence made me feel safer and calmer, but I couldn't in front of Ron.

I started feeling differently toward Harry the first time I met him. Our first year, I started feeling emotions for him, but they intensified when he saved Ron's younger sister, Ginny in our second year. Voldemort's diary had gotten into her hands and he was acting through her. Our third year Harry discovered his godfather, Sirius and also learned the truth that Wormtail had been Harry's parents Secret Keeper and turned them over to Voldemort. Our fourth year, Harry was thrown into a Tri-Wizard Tournament by our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that was really Barty Couch's son wanted to harm Harry. Our fifth year, Harry learned of a 'prophecy' made with him that the reason why Lord Voldemort wanted to kill him is because either Voldemort was killed by Harry, or Harry was killed by Voldemort. Neither of them could live as long as one of them was alive. I was hoping that it would be Voldemort that would be killed and not Harry.

Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius last year. Bellatrix was a faithful Deatheater. Each year, my feelings grew stronger and stronger until I was able to call my feelings...love.

At that point, all my emotions rose up, as if I was reliving each year again. I was terrified that Harry might do something that will cause us to lose him this year for good.

I was getting that nagging feeling again. Normally, my feelings turn out to be right.

Harry was watching me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I forced a smile.

"Yeah...I'm fine,"

Dam. Why'd I lie? I can be stubborn at times.

Harry was still watching me curiously.

"Don't worry, Mione. We'll stop this...trust me. If it's the last thing I do,"

Those words stung and the nagging feeling deepened.

Sighing, I followed Ron and Harry to the common room. It was time to go to bed.

I didn't know how I could sleep now knowing that I was a descendent. I hoped Mum and Dad could shine some light on it in the morning. I headed into the girls' dorm and climbed into bed. I turned over on my left side and fell into a troubled sleep.