Year 4 Chapter 26

The drums actually drummed. The guitars actually rang. The bass thrummed. I tapped my right foot against the floor, feeling the music roll off the walls of the Hall of Shadows. I took a deep breath, and then sang. The voice that came out wasn't mine, but belonged to the most flawless of singers, perfectly in tune with the accompanying power metal. The musical piece lasted for its intended minutes, and by the time I was done I exhaled in relief.

Finally, I had achieved the final step on the musical chart. Since I had no intention of finding a way to get Techno or Electronic to work, I'd be at ease with what I had achieved. The Gargoyles aligned against the walls emitted small gusts of ice and flames, their stone claws rasping against one another in an attempt at clapping.

"Thank you, thank you, you are a wonderful public," I beamed at them.

What I soon discovered, in that very afternoon, was that having opened the pipes throughout the school meant that the impromptu musical concert had been heard from the lowest floor to the highest one.

I ignored the pointed stares from those in the know, and quietly whistled my way out of any whatsoever discussion about the nature of the music. "Shade," Amanda said.

"Amanda," I answered amiably.

"Shade," Wayne said.

"Wayne," I parroted, the pleasant smile still on my face.

"Shade," Megan said, actually grinning at the trollish behavior.

"Megan," I said, happily smirking in turn.

"Now that we're done with saying our names, could you please make the next song be from Bon Jovi?" Amanda asked, and I simply hummed.

"Elton John," Wayne said. His voice was firm. "It's got to be Elton John."

"You have such bad tastes in music I'm surprised either of you are my friends," Megan said, huffing. "Mariah Carey," she said. "I want to hear Mariah Carey; her latest hit song's out already."

I shuddered, I shuddered and then scuttled away. "I have no idea what the three of you are talking about," I said quite honestly. "I do not know the mysterious musical performer, nor do I know where he might be found, thus-"

"Mister Umbrus," I froze, turning only ever so slightly to come face to face with Professor Flitwick's slightly sour expression. "From twelve o'clock to half past two you are allowed to play whatever music you wish," he continued, "I would suggest starting off with a genial rendition of Hogwarts' latest hits however, because our Frog Choir has quite the interesting renditions of our school's motto."

I inwardly wanted to cry.

Student Counselor, School Radio Host, and what next? No, I needed someone else to deal with the radio...wait a minute. Weren't there some students interested in that kind of work? My eyes narrowed like those of a hawk. Even if there were, I'd need another room for them to begin their radio-hosting behavior.

"Say professor," I said nonchalantly, "Could I have permission to use a room at Hogwarts for hosting a radio program?" I smiled as I said that.

It had to be the smile, because clearly, it was all I needed to get the diminutive professor to agree.

The rest of the setup required a bit more of magical engineering, as I liked to call it. Apparently, it followed the principle behind Howler letters. If one wanted to record a voice message on a piece of paper, one had to learn the charm, or buy an already prepared letter. Once it was done, the paper would automatically speak loudly the words written on it. This meant that, if one prepared a long enough parchment beforehand, pinned it to a megaphone, and attached the megaphone's end to the pipes, then the Radio System could pour through the school.

It was the same with music, if requiring musical notes.

"Shade," Amanda said, strangely looking worried as she found me working on the Radio Station, in the assigned room, "Shouldn't you be preparing for the Triwizard trial?"

"Eh," I shrugged. "I've got this in the bag."

I actually didn't, because I had yet to find the mysterious wizard that had tried to kill me, and I had yet to find out if they were the same who had put my name into the Goblet. I was actually wondering if it would be all right to touch the cup, and not instead leave it to someone else.

Then again, I just had to wait. Eventually, whatever evil was lurking in the background would come to the fray, and I'd hit it with a mallet. I'd hit it with a giant, iron mallet. Then, I'd give a spin to the chainsaw and finish the job.

Stone bracelets were in the meantime my new favorite pastime. Gargoyles didn't need to be humanoid, or animal in shape. Technically, any chunk of stone that could animate itself was worthy of the title. Ironically, this meant that bracelets that could snake around one's arms, or earrings that pointed North, were all acceptable Gargoyles. I was becoming quite good at it; though I valued my life above all, I reckoned it was the natural consequence of having to dodge, or not trusting oneself enough to be capable of dodging.

If one cannot dodge, then one needs to learn how to put something strong and sturdy between oneself and the enemy.

What surprised me the most was that on the fine morning of the final task, as Viktor Krum spoke with his parents, and Fleur with her family, I quietly flipped a picture book of Sirius Black's incredible voyages across the world as a free wizard. "You don't really realize how important freedom is until it's taken away from you," the man gushed, pointing at this or that picture while explaining where he had taken the photo.

Harry Potter was present too, ironically enough. Since he was Sirius' godson, and he was here as some kind of stand-in for the parents I never had, they were both present as part of my 'family'. I gave an awkward smile in Harry's direction, who returned it. There wasn't the typical green-puce coloring of envy at least. Either he had learned to keep his displeasure down, or he had just come to terms with it.

"I see," I said. "Well, guess you're having quite the load of fun then, Harry."

"Not really," Harry said, his voice strangely bitter. "I still have to go back to the Dursleys for the Summer."

"But I get to come by for frequent visits," Sirius replied, "And you wouldn't guess just how funny those muggles are when they get angry; they can change the color of their faces without magic, would you believe it?" he said, trying to sound innocent but instead merely sounding quite trollish.

"I think I would," I said in the end. "However I wouldn't want to meet them to find out," I continued with a sigh.

The real hit to my soul came at lunch. It was an offhanded remark, the kind that one would make without thinking, but which stuck to me. "Don't tell Remus, Harry, but this beats his lunch," Sirius said.

I glanced up from my own meal, "Is Professor Lupin all right?" I asked.

"As right as he can be," Sirius said, grumbling. "I'd never let a friend rot in the streets, that's for sure. And Grimmauld Place is big, and the cellar doors are sturdy enough," he added. "Got rid of the house elf too, that twisted bugger sodding off was the second greatest thing to ever happen to me."

My heart stopped beating.

That was the day my heart stopped beating.

It was in that moment.

In that precise instant of time, my heart decided not just to skip a beat, but to outright stop beating.

The Locket.

The God Damn Locket.

But maybe, just maybe, Kreacher hadn't brought it with him when he left?

Yes, and Skrewts could fly.

Honestly, it was good that I'd get to remove some much needed stress by brutalizing magical creatures in a magical maze.

Because the other option would be to brutalize the Room of Requirements, and that poor room didn't deserve my anger outbursts.

Manticores, Acromantulas and whatever else within the maze though, they did indeed deserve it.

And I would deliver.

I would deliver in spades.