Chapter 5
━━━━━━━━ ✥ ━━━━━━━━

"Are you and Harry dating?"

Adhara looked up from her letter and saw red hair. She sat on a windowsill of the abandoned corridor she found last year. It was where she went whenever she wanted to be alone. She was certain no one else knew about this place as it took many stops and turns to even find it. So she wondered how Ginny Weasley was able to locate it. The only way she could've done so was if she had followed her here. And somehow managed to stay out of the Slytherin's sight.

Adhara hadn't even suspected that she was being followed. She would've been impressed if it wasn't for the fact that yet another person now knew about her hideout. And this time it was someone she didn't voluntarily let in.

She frowned. "What?"

The girl swayed from feet to feet, looking uncomfortable. She had her hair tied up tightly, out of her face as much as possible, and she held onto two of her textbook, her grip seemed to be tighter around a leather-bound diary that looked mysteriously similar to the one buried in Adhara's trunk. She didn't look like she wanted to do this any more than Adhara did. Adhara wondered why they were then.

"Harry Potter. Are you two dating?"

Adhara wanted to swear. So she did.

Weasley stood up more straight. She looked at her with a determined look in her eyes, but Adhara noticed how her fists were shaking.

"Everyone is wondering the same, you know? You two spend an awful lot of time together, even though you're Slytherin."

Adhara was so taken aback by the question that she let the last bit of the comment slide. She normally couldn't care less about what others thought of her, but this felt out of bounds. The thought of her dating Harry, in fact, the thought of her dating anyone for that matter didn't sit right with her at all. It made her wrinkle her nose.

"That's absolutely gross. I would never date Harry."

Weasley looked offended. "Why not? What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. You can date him if you want."

"Wh-what? Why would I-"

Adhara huffed out a breath, throwing an annoyed look at the redhead. The tips of her ears matched her hair, and Adhara immediately understood the girl's motive.

She shoved her letter into her satchel. "There isn't anything wrong with Harry. I, personally, am not inclined to have any sorts of romantic relationships with the boy."

She looked at Weasley and found that she still wasn't getting it. Adhara rolled her eyes at the young Weasley's behaviour. It wasn't any of anyone's business what Harry and her relationship was. But the fact that people started making assumptions, only because he was a boy and she was a girl upset her.

Which was a new feeling entirely since she never cared about other people's opinions before.

"Let me ask you. How would you feel if I asked whether you were dating Ron or not?"

Weasley looked repulsed. "What?! That's disgusting! Why would I-"

"Exactly."

The girl's expression finally cleared, as if she just found the answer to all of the world's mysteries.

"Oh," she let out. And to be certain, she asked once more, "so you two definitely aren't together?"

It was a question Adhara didn't bother answering. She basically just told her that, what was the point of asking again? She thought about how much of a Gryffindor the Weasley really was. With her fierce eyes and the confidence in which she approached her. She thought about how Millie and she would probably be good friends. Or perhaps they would hate each other.

Then she remembered how she followed her here.

Adhara sat up more straight, stretching out her legs in front of her before crossing them. She leaned back into the window and surveyed Ginny Weasley from head to toe.

The girl in question furrowed her brows.

"What?"

"You know. You would've done well in Slytherin."

Her face blanched.

Adhara rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's a compliment. You're fierce and sneaky. Slytherin would've been perfect for you."

"I'm not evil."

"I never said you were."

━━━━

Harry noticed how Adhara wasn't the only student at Hogwarts who wore gloves. He was an oblivious person. Quite oblivious really, but even he would notice such an unusual choice in fashion.

Especially if it was something in common with one of his close friends.

He gathered Adhara wouldn't be the only member of Aleyne to attend Hogwarts, considering it was a wizarding orphanage after all. But he didn't expect the members to stand out so blatantly.

There was only a handful of students who wore gloves. And Harry was willing to bet they all knew each other, even if they pretended to not. There was a first-year Hufflepuff that followed Adhara around.

Harry hadn't noticed her until one day when Adhara walked into the library, saw the first year at their table and then marched right out.

He was going to ask her what that was about, but then he saw the silky blue that decorated the Hufflepuff's hands and the pieces fell into place.

It also made Harry realize the extent of the damage Aleyne caused. Or, more specifically, that 'Matron' Adhara kept mentioning had caused.

Harry had to swallow the lump in his throat several times whenever he remembered. This 'Matron' was the one who kept punishing them. And apparently, she also had a tendency to hide important information about the children's identity.

It didn't sit right with him that Adhara didn't know when her own birthday was when he was sure Matron had access to the information. Harry didn't like the fact the Adhara found out about her own mother's name only last year. Or that it took the help of her roommate from the orphanage to figure out what her own ethnicity was.

Even Harry knew about his own background. Vernon wouldn't stop making remarks about his father, and Harry figured his dark skin had to be explained some way since his green-eyed, red-haired mother certainly didn't.

(Even he wasn't oblivious enough to not figure that out.)

Harry didn't think this was fair. Neither of them already never met their parents. But to add on such a disconnection from their own identity, when none of this was their fault, didn't sound fair to him at all.

They didn't do anything, so why were they the ones paying the price?

━━━━

Hermione held her arm high in the air. She waved it around, trying to get the ghost's attention. "Please, sir!"

"Yes?" he asked, finally facing his students. Some of the students, who didn't care much about Hermione's questions, continued to write down notes, looking right through their professor and at the blackboard behind him.

"I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

That raised heads. Many students perked up at the question, Harry and Weasley especially. Ever since Mrs. Norris was found petrified, questions arose about the Chamber. Of course, the rumours quickly reached Adhara's common room. She noticed how Slytherins started to glance sideways with one another, trying to figure out which one of them could be the heir. Adhara found the whole ordeal ridiculous. The heir could very well be in another house. It's possible for Salazar's blood to run through the veins of any purebloods, and even half-bloods, despite what their robe colours may be. They were all somehow related after all.

Professor Binns put down his chalk, which Adhara didn't really understand how he was holding in the first place. "You must all already be aware of the four founders of your School. One of them, Slytherin, wished to be more selective about the students who could attend Hogwarts."

Adhara rolled her eyes. Here we go, more information to feed the prejudice against her House. Salazar Slytherin was an absolute nutter, but so were the other three founders (they decided to name the school 'Hogwarts' of all things). Just because someone like him was part of their House, it didn't mean they agreed with their opinions on blood status. It seemed like people tended to forget that blood status wasn't one of the criteria to join a House.

"According to the legend; Salazar Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing," Professor Binns continued. "Slytherin sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. They alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who he deemed unworthy to study magic."

"Muggleborns," Hermione stated dimly. Adhara, who sat next to her during History of Magic, reached for her hand. Hermione responded with a thankful smile. Silence reigned over the classroom. Adhara could feel Malfoy's gaze on her but pointedly ignored him.

"Precisely. Now, I must advise you all not to worry about such make beliefs. It's better you concentrate on your studies instead."

Ignoring the teacher's advice completely, multiple hands shot up. "Sir, what do you mean by 'the monster within'?!"

"How do you know that the chamber doesn't exist?"

"Nonsense! The castle has been searched countless times, and no such chamber has ever been located!"

"That may be because only the true heir could open it!"

Everyone started to point out their own theory, acting as if it was some sort of gossip session, no one bothering to understand that some of the students' lives were in danger until Professor Binns silenced them all. Hermione joined too, but Adhara could feel how her usually warm hands turned cold. She tightened her grip.

━━━━

"We can't go in there," Ron sounded gruff, "it's the girls' toilet."

Hermione waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Hardly anyone ever comes in here, Moaning Myrtle keeps everyone away."

"Moaning who?" Suddenly, Ron felt the hair on his nape rise. He could hear faint breathing in his right ear, so he slowly turned around. A pale grey figure hovered over him, face pulled into a grimace that made him wince.

"Boys. What are you boys doing in my bathroom?"

Hermione pulled both her friends aside. "He-hey Myrtle. I just wanted to umm— sh-show them how nice your bathroom looks." She gestures towards the stinky toilets and dirty tiles that shone due to water. The sight made the trio cringe.

The comment made Myrtle wail even loudly. She swished from one side of the room to another. "Nice? What's nice about this place? My life ended too early for me to enjoy it, and now I'm stuck in this place and can't even enjoy my own death!"

Ron stared at the dead girl from behind Hermione, his tall and lanky figure making it more difficult for him to hide than for Harry. He focused mostly on Myrtle's barely visible legs and how she was floating all about the place. Harry peaked over Hermione's other shoulder to ask the ghost a question.

"A cat was attacked here the other night. Did you see anything?"

Myrtle sharply came to a halt right in front of Harry. Her large dead eyes scanning him from head to toe from the other side of her glasses. They looked like they were bulging out of the sockets. All three kids took a step back.

"Came to ask something from me, did you? Is that all I'm useful for now that I'm dead?" she scoffed. The ghost faced away from them, crossing her arms. "Well, you're out of luck. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to pay attention to what you living folks were up to."

Ron decided to test his luck. "Are you sure you didn't—"

"Out!" Myrtle shrieked. "Out of my bathroom! Ohh, I'm dead! How dreadful my death is," she started sobbing violently, "no one ever visits me!" She then rose and flew towards a stall, drowning herself in the toilet and splashing dirty toilet water all over the trio as she disappeared.

The room suddenly became chillingly quiet. Ron and Harry stood silently behind Hermione, who in return said, "Well, it's a good thing we caught her on one of her cheerful days, right guys?"

Harry stared at her, mouth agape.

"Cheerful? That was cheerful? How is she on her bad days then?!" exclaimed Ron.

Hermione shrugged. "Much worst."

━━━━

Harry learned that the people around him could be sorted into two categories: the good and the evil.

It was a very simple philosophy, really. If Harry thought they were mean, then they were evil. And if he thought they were nice, then they were good.

The Dursleys were bad. The Weasleys were part of the good. Dumbledore was good, Voldemort was bad, there was no doubt about that. Blood purists were bad, and those who they called blood traitors were good.

Slytherins were evil, and Gryffindors were good. That was also clear. It was made even clearer during Professor Binns' lesson the other day when he learned that Salazar Slytherin himself was a blood purist.

People like Malfoy were bad, and people like Adhara were good.

But. Oh, wait. That didn't make sense. Adhara and Malfoy were both Slytherins. And didn't Ron make fun of Hermione at the beginning of last year? Don't the Weasley Twins hex students in the corridors? Wasn't Sirius Black, the man who betrayed his parents also a Gryffindor?

And what about Midge? He's a Hufflepuff, but he's obviously bad.

And who was he to decide whether someone was good or evil? Didn't that make him a bad person too?

Harry believed his entire life that people were sorted into two categories. But now that some of those categories seemed to overlap, Harry wasn't so sure anymore.

━━━━

Adhara learned that all the people around her fell under the same category: hypocrites. They were all hypocrites.

Matron was a hypocrite. She shamed the Black Family for aiding Voldemort during the War, yet still held prejudice against those who were not pure of blood. Adhara wondered what her opinions would be if Voldemort had won the War.

The Headmaster was a hypocrite. Believed to be the leader of the Light by many, why did he let so many people die during the War, whilst he still stood here, unscathed?

Sirius Black was a hypocrite. He left everything behind, even his own brother, and yet still ended up joining the Dark side at the end. (Which seemed absolutely ridiculous to Adhara.)

The Light were hypocrites. The Pureblood Light Families say they don't mind muggleborns but isn't it strange how they managed to stay pureblood for many generations? Their blood dating back to even those who call themselves Dark.

Regulus Black was a hypocrite. He told her he loved her, and yet he was nowhere to be found. He was a known Death Eater, then why did he warn Adhara against Voldemort?

If he was as much of a blood purist as people believed him to be, how was she, a half-blood but a Black by name, even here?

Adhara didn't know. And she wasn't sure she wanted to find out, which made her a hypocrite as well.

━━━━

Adhara sat at the foot of Harry's hospital bed. The situation strangely reminded her of the end of last year. Only this time, there wasn't a three-headed dog involved. Instead, there were whispers about a secret chamber and a petrified muggleborn laid in the bed opposite of them.

She watched Harry as he tried to eat his dinner—some sort of soup—with his wrong hand. The other one still sat useless by his side, wrapped in soft cloth bandages. It would've already been healed by now if Lockhart hadn't interfered.

"That man causes more trouble than he fixes. And yet he goes on about how talented he is," she remarked, poking Harry's sloppy arm.

"Hermione's still head over heels, though."

Adhara groaned. "Don't remind me. It's all she talks about."

She waited for some kind of response, but Harry said nothing. He was normally more sarcastic and engaged during their conversations, so it was strange seeing him so quiet. She noticed how he kept throwing glances at the first-year in the other bed.

Adhara sat aside her own bowl. She stretched out her leg and used her big toe to poke him on his injured arm again, causing him to glare at her.

So Adhara kicked him.

"None of them believe the rumours, you know."

The other three members of their mismatched friend group didn't join them that evening. They ate at the Great Hall, Millie either sat with the Gryffindors, or she pulled Hermione towards the Slytherins. Then Ron would be with his other roommates or brothers.

They visited in the afternoon, but Hermione and she noticed how Harry looked down when he saw Creevey in bed. So Adhara decided to come to see him.

"What?" His eyes flicked back to Creevey from time to time.

"Millie, Mione and Ron. They don't care about the rumours. We know it wasn't you, so stop thinking about it."

He opened his mouth a few times to say something, but no words came out, as if he was still figuring out what he was thinking himself.

He figured it out on his fourth attempt. "I should've been there to stop it."

Adhara stared, processing his words. "What?"

"I have to figure out what's going on."

"Why?"

"Because someone got hurt."

"Harry, this isn't any of your concern."

He bit his lip. "So? People are getting hurt, I should do something if I can."

"Not if it means putting yourself in danger in the process," she brought her legs back, sitting up straight, "Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout are already looking for a cure."

"But no one's doing anything to find the culprit!"

Adhara sighed, not wanting to have this conversation.

"We need to figure out who's behind all this!"

"This isn't really the time to clear your name."

"That's not-!" Harry stopped. He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. "That's not the point. I just want to help."

"And I'm telling you, there's no need for that. The teachers are taking care of it already."

Harry scoffed. "The teachers. You and I both know you don't trust the staff here as much as I do."

Adhara looked away.

"So why trust them with this?"

"I don't. But they haven't got any other choice but to take care of this. The school will close if things get out of hand, and they'll lose their jobs."

"They aren't doing enough."

Adhara was losing her patience.

"Then, what? You're going to be able to make things right again? The famous boy-who-lived?"

Harry's eyes went wide. "This has nothing to do with that!"

"Then what is it?"

"I just want to help!!"

He yelling at this point. Adhara didn't realize how tightly she was grabbing onto the bed railing. Her knuckles turned white. She didn't say anything else, not sure where to go from here. Bringing up the whole 'boy-who-lived' thing must have hurt him, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that right now. He was being an idiot.

"And I have a lead on who it is already."

Adhara rolled her eyes.

"I think Malfoy might be the heir."

Adhara scoffed, flinging herself off the hospital bed.

"That is utterly ridiculous."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Ron thinks it might be possible."

"Of course he does. He thinks all pureblood families are evil except his own," she was finally getting the picture.

"That's not true! He doesn't say anything about the Longbottoms, or the Diggory's or-"

"None of which are Slytherin. Obviously, he believes it's Malfoy. He's the perfect villain, isn't he? A Slytherin and a pureblood."

She looked at Harry to see him squirm in his spot. Her jaw tensed.

"And you think the same, don't you?"

"N-no! I just- it makes sense for it to be Malfoy, no? He's the heir to two pureblood families!"

Adhara wrapped her fingers around her thumbs, trying to prevent herself from digging her nails into her palm.

"Harry, I can assure you that Malfoy isn't the heir of Slytherin."

That, apparently, was enough to further anger the Potter.

"Why are you so hung up on defending him? He's the reason you didn't get into the Quidditch team."

"I'm not defending him, I'm just telling you you're wrong."

Harry didn't say anything for a long time. He brought his eyes onto his hands, which were clasped tightly in the sheets. His teeth scraped against each other as he thought things over. He was bitter and upset that Adhara didn't believe him. No one else was trusting him at the moment, so he thought at least she might.

"It is Malfoy. And I can prove it to you."

Adhara didn't respond. She was still looking away from him.

"I just need to catch him somewhere private. Somewhere he wouldn't hesitate to boast about his title."

Adhara furrowed her brows. She didn't like where this was going.

"His common room."

She let go of her thumbs. "No. Absolutely not."

"I only need the password and then-"

"I said no!"

Harry started shouting again. "So what? You're just going to sit aside and not do anything? Like you did last year? Is that the Slytherin way?!"

Adhara didn't want to hear him anymore. She glared at him one last time, saying: "You can come and talk to me when you're done being a prejudice idiot." And then she stalked out the Hospital Wing.

Harry said nothing, still staring at the spot Adhara was standing only seconds ago. She was angry, she even shouted at some point, but Harry couldn't figure what upset her so much. He didn't understand why she didn't believe it was Malfoy.

Harry's jaw locked into place. His breathing turned irregular again as he let go of the sheets. He put away Adhara's and his own half empty-bowl on the side table. He didn't feel hungry anymore.

━━━━━━━━ ✥ ━━━━━━━━