Chapter 10: The Fall of Terence Higgs
Terence Higgs concealed a dark smirk as he watched the young bookworm run crying down the hallway. It was a sign from Merlin himself to teach the young Mudblood a lesson, and get some enjoyment for himself at the same time.
'It is almost too easy' the boy pondered, as he slipped from the crowd and stealthily followed after her moments later. 'The Mudbloods always isolate themselves in the first few years, and who is going to believe them when they try and claim rape?'
It had become somewhat of a tradition for the Slytherin boy, just as it had been for his father. Choose one of the 'worthless' first or second years, wait for them to be alone, and then show them their place in the world.
On their knees, or their backs.
The best part? Most of the time they wouldn't even say anything. All it took was a bit of intimidation and bullying and they would silently endure the rest of their years looking over their shoulders. Even better when they would withdraw from the school instead.
Thus the older boy made his choice and followed the young girl at unawares, but neither noticed that their departure hadn't gone unnoticed, that a single pair of emerald-eyes followed them as they retreated down the passageway.
...
"A troll! A troll in the dungeon!"
One feinted professor later and Dumbledore had immediately called for all students to return to their assigned common rooms while the teachers went with him after the creature. No one thought to mention, for some odd reason, that the Slytherin dorms were in the dungeons themselves.
Nor did anyone notice the dark smile that had momentarily crossed a young boy's face.
...
"Oh little Mudblood" a teenage boy sang out, in a dark and awful tone, "where are youuuu?" His strides became almost whimsical as he journeyed down towards where his spell pointed him, true it was more fun to try and hunt for her but… well they didn't have that much time unfortunately.
As he neared the corridor which lead to the bathroom his heart rate began to increase, his palms sweating as his pupils dilated. The chase was almost as fun as the screams that would eventually reward him.
'Soon there will be a look of confusion on her face, then worry, finally fear and horror.' Those were his favorite moments, when you could see the thought processes go through the girl's face.
It was like the finest of wines.
Suddenly a sound behind the older boy alerted him to something else in the corridor, and spinning around he was faced with an odd reversal of situations.
First confusion, then worry, finally fear and horror. A troll stalked forward, as the boy slowly moved backwards, his mind trying to come up with a solution. Troll vision was supposed to be based on movement right? So if he just took slow steps then maybe…
The beast's eyes changed, glowing a bright green as a terrible smirk appeared on it's face.
The boy screamed out, before he was silenced with a sickening crash.
...
Minerva McGonagall could have gone a thousand years without seeing the sight before her. The teachers had stumbled upon the troll only moments beforehand, and a flurry of spellwork dropped the creature before it could even react. Then she spotted the bloody mess on the ground. It was the remains of something lying in a pool of blood.
Something with the remains of a tattered cloak mixed in with organs, bones, and muscles.
The transfiguration mistress turned, and emptied her stomach onto the floor. Glancing over she noticed that many of the others looked ill as well, and Dumbledore looked every bit as old as he was.
"It… it's a student…" Filius whispered out in horror."
"Severus?"
The potion expert covered his nose and mouth using one arm of his cloak, before slowly advancing forward, looking for any signs that might identify the child.
There seemed to be none, any house colors would have been mangled with the remains of the body, and covered in the fluids. The awful stench was a thing he never hoped to encounter again, as he retreated back to the other adults.
"Hard to say Headmaster… I suggest we… that we take a role call to see…" He couldn't say it, despite his own experiences and life up to this point even he didn't want to acknowledge what had happened so early on.
"To see who is missing…" Dumbledore finished, wiping a few tears from his old eyes. "Return to your common rooms, be discreet about it but find out… we need to inform the parents…"
"How could such a thing happen Albus?"
"I do not know Minerva… I simply do not know."
An hour later and only two students were missing, a first year Gryffindor and a fifth year Slytherin. When Hermione was found she was given detentions for a week and docked one hundred points, seconds later she had been pulled into a fierce hug by her head of house, who was silently crying tears of relief onto the girl.
Snape didn't have such luck, and had to inform the Headmaster
...
"I can't believe Higgs is dead…"
"I know right? Right good guy, strong Pureblood values."
Harry chuckled at the nearby whispers, earning a dark glare from the Malfoy heir. "Something funny Potter?"
"A bit" the boy shrugged, as he took another bite of his food, "I find it interesting that no one even bothered to find out why he was down there to begin with. Only two students were absent during this time, but not one teacher finds that odd."
"You think he was a Mudblood lover!? Terence Higgs was a great Quidditch player and an exemplary Slytherin. She would have been honored to even gain his attention!"
"Whatever you say Malfoy."
"You know Potter it is people like you that give the rest of us wizards a bad name. You had the potential to be great but then your father knocked up some stupid Mudblood whore and then we end up with someone like you . Worthless trash all around. Hell, I heard that they got themselves killed just so they didn't have to deal with the shame of raising you. Is it true Potter? Are you some unwanted bastard?"
Harry merely stared back at the blonde boy, and if Draco was being honest it was a tad creepy. There was no anger in his eyes, no fury or promise of retribution. He merely stared back, with an emotionless gaze.
"What's wrong Potter? Can't think of a good retort? Figures that a useless Half-Blood like yourself wouldn't be able to, isn't that right Crabbe?"
With a laugh the Malfoy heir turned to the boy seated on his left, only to freeze. Vincent Crabbe, along with the rest of the table on that side, was also staring at him. No conforming laughter, no snickers, no sneers… just stares.
"What's wrong with you? Fine just because none of you could understand my joke doesn't mean…"
But glancing to his other side was just as futile. More emotionless stares. Glancing around the room Draco Malfoy noticed something even more disturbing, it was silent, and all of those in attendance were staring… at him. Even the teachers, including his godfather, held him in their gaze. Their faces blank and empty, expressions never wavering even as the Slytherin first year stood and stormed towards the doorway.
"Fine! See if I care what any of you think! My father will hear of this, and when he does I will end up owning this wretched school!" Pushing the doors to the great hall open Draco stepped forward… and back into the room he had just emerged from. He blinked in confusion, what was going on? Was someone playing some sort of prank on him? Who dared to prank a Malfoy?
His eyes briefly snapped over to the Gryffindor table, but none of them even cracked a smile.
With a growl of annoyance the boy marched over to a different door, stepped through it and back into the main hall once more.
"DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!?" the boy screamed, not realizing that the various students had begun rising at this point.
He did notice when they began to advance towards him, slowly walking with their empty eyes. Draco pulled his wand out, walking backwards to put distance between the group as he did so, not that he had anything in mind but simply the act of doing so gave him hope to stop the oncoming mass.
"S-stay back!"
When he backed into the far wall he winced in shock, closing his eyes for just a moment. Upon opening them again the Malfoy heir wished that he hadn't. No eyes stared back at him… because they were all missing . Instead those advancing bodies had black, empty holes in their skulls, from which black fluid seemed to pour.
They reached out for him, grabbed onto him, pulled him down, and then…
A scream from the Slytherin table earned Severus Snape's attention, as his godson fell back off of the bench he had been sitting on, his eyes wide with terror as he shouted incoherently.
"S-s-s-stay back! STAY AWAY!"
"Mr. Malfoy what is the meaning of…"
But the boy quickly clambered to his feet and then bolted out of the room, earning confused gazes, and a few snickers from the Gryffindor table.
Turning around the potion master silently observed the student sitting across from where Draco had been moments prior, the student he had been insulting up until mere seconds ago.
Harry Potter merely shrugged, before returning to his meal.
....
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