Chapter 13: A Crescendo

Since the duelling club a few more attacks had taken place.

Snape continued to be in a foul mood over something whether it was student or Lockhart. He was still quick to ensure Lucy was safe and even collected her from the end of the school day from her last lesson. But she felt as though she had to tread carefully to ensure he wouldn't snap and scream bloody murder at her. So she took solace in Hermione who was also worried about the attacks.

The only thing that had been lifting her spirits was the next Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. When she arrived, broom in hand she was all smiles.

"Ready to go, Lucy?" Wood beamed.

"Absolutely, I've been ready for this since the end of the last match," she nodded eagerly.

The team headed out onto the pitch but were stopped abruptly by McGonagall. "I'm sorry, but due to recent events we've had to cancel the Quidditch match."

"They can't cancel quidditch!" Wood said in horror.

"I'm sorry, Wood, but they can."

"Has someone been petrified?" George asked.

"Hermione Granger," McGonagall exhaled. "She was found in the library."

Lucy gasped. Without thinking she pelted down to the hospital wing, McGonagall following close behind. Harry and Ron were already there and Lucy wasn't ready to see her friend as she was. Lying on the bed, her vacant expression gazing up to the intricate ceiling, one arm held stationary with her hand hovering near her ear. Lucy went as pale as Hermione.

She was next.

*

When Lucy arrived back in Snape's quarters she was quivering slightly. She was hoping that Snape was going to be there so she had someone to talk to but he was no where to be seen.

So she began distracting herself, she tore off her Quidditch uniform and got changed into her school clothes and then grabbed Lockhart's homework. She sat down with some fresh parchment, a quill and some ink and then reached for her bag —

But it was no where to be found. She looked desperately around and then realised she must've been so excited for Quidditch that she'd left it in the library.

Lucy huffed in frustration, she was in the mood to complete Lockhart's stupid homework and so she couldn't delay in finding all her notes and the required book.

"I'll be back soon, Angus," Lucy promised, to the sleeping cat on another chair. She made sure she had her wand on her before heading out.

Lucy pulled the marauders map out of her pocket and whispered to it. The ink flooded into view and she looked around for Snape. His personalised banner was patrolling the corridors near where the library was. If she went the public way she'd no doubt run into him and he'd no doubt be in a mood if he was patrolling.

Lucy found the secret passageway on the map that would bring her out to the other side of the library. She smiled when she found it in person and opened the door without second thought.

She placed her hand against the wall and dragged it along so she could ground herself. She was in pitch black after all and sort of liked the thrill of sneaking around. Lucy was just thinking about how she was beginning to turn into her father with her hatred of Lockhart when —

BANG.

Lucy jumped and stopped dead.

She whipped out her wand, shaking again. "Lumos!"

The light from her wand only illuminated half a metre of her spacial awareness which made her panic. Her breathing quickened but she stayed as quiet as possible. When she didn't hear the noise again for another minute she continued forward but with wand in hand.

It took Lucy a moment to realise that her hand still against the wall wasn't the thing making the hissing noise.

She stopped again. "Hello?"

Silence.

"Who's there?"

BANG.

She leant against the wall and her head began to spin. She couldn't work out which way was forward and which was back. All she could hear was the hissing and the sound of heartbeat inside her ear.

When the dizziness slowed she continued forward and listened to the sounds in her head at the pat pat pat of her feet until —

BANG.

CRUNCH.

She squealed and began to run, she didn't know where she was doing and it felt as though she was in a dream where it felt like she was running on the spot and was never going to escape the danger.

She couldn't even see the Marauders Map at this point as she was so panicked as her head spun.

The hissing and the sounds of something colliding with a hard surface had reached a crescendo and one took the others place just as it was about to die out.

What finished the crescendo was the shock of her slipping and falling over.

She had only a moment to scream before a cold shock overwhelmed her body.