A Changed Lestrange (1-2) (under editing)

13: Heir Of Slytherin

"Who could it be though?" asked Hermione quietly.

The four of them were sat in the common room, sitting as far away from Percy as possible. Ron kept blotting his charms homework with ink.

Earlier the day they had investigated the corridor where Mrs Norris had been attacked. Thankfully, Filch wasn't there patrolling, and they had been able to determine a few odd discoveries - including Ron's clear fear of spiders. They had discovered scorch marks along the wall and the girls toilet that Moaning Myrtle haunted.

In that restroom they had been properly introduced to Moaning Myrtle herself, who had been too depressed for their liking, but she told them she hadn't seen anything on the night of the attack.

Back in the common room, Ron's homework had eventually been blotted with ink so many times that it became unreadable, he slammed his book shut.

"Let's think," said Ron. "Who do we know that think Muggle-borns are scum?"

He looked at Hermione, Hermione looked back, unconvinced.

"Malfoy-"

"It makes sense," said Ashton very softly. "Did you hear him? He's constantly going on about the pure-blood supremacy nonsense. Could be him."

"Look at his family - er... technically your family too -" he said, looking at Ashton. "the whole lot have been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could be Salazar Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"The key - what, they could've had it for ages! Handing it down, father to son..." said Ron.

"Well... it's possible." said Hermione, slight skepticism in her voice.

"I don't think so, actually." said Ashton. "I know my cousin inside out, and if there's one thing I know, it's that he can't keep his mouth shut. Anything he's proud of, he'll go blabbing out to everyone he can think of just to show off like the little prick he is. Imagine if he was Slytherin's descendant. He would've made the whole school aware about it from day one. If it was him, we for sure would know by now."

"There's still a chance." said Hermione. "I'm sure Mr Malfoy has enough sense to tell his son to keep quiet about something like that, it's not something that the public should know. He's still a suspect, possibly."

"How do we prove it, though?" said Harry.

"A way," said Hermione quietly, her voice dropping with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous. Very, very dangerous. We'd be breaking fifty school rules, I expect."

Ashton raised an eyebrow. "You don't think..."

"I hate this," snapped Ron. "I hate when you two just telepathically agree on something and just leave me and Harry in silence. If, in a year or two, you feel like explaining whatever it is you're on about, please feel free."

"So..." said Hermione, ignoring Ron. "all we need to do then, is get into the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy some questions - without him knowing that it's us, of course."

"You say that like it's easy, it's bloody impossible." said Harry, skepticism clouding his voice, as Ron laughed.

"Harry." said Ashton firmly. "You have witnessed a man with two faces on one head attempt to kill you. Nothing's impossible here. Nothing."  

"Good point." 

"All we need..."

"is Polyjuice Potion!" Hermione shrieked, finishing Ashton's sentence.