Her Dark Artifice [t.r]

Chapter 6: Persuade me

VI

ON THE SATURDAY that all of Evadne's friends had decided to visit Hogsmeade, Evadne wanted to remain in the castle to conduct a little research into the murderous whispers in the walls that she'd been unable to quell since they first began. Donning her casual muggle clothes - a black circle skirt, a linen blouse, two-tone lace-up oxfords, and a knitted red pullover jumper - Evadne departed the warm solace of the Slytherin common room and made her way up to visit the library whilst it was empty. Upon entering the library, she was met with Madam Grey, the austere, grey-haired librarian that every first-year was terrified of.

"I'm looking for a book about... um." Evadne's thoughts spun in her mind.

What was she looking for, exactly?

She couldn't exactly tell Madam Grey that she was hearing a voice that wanted to kill muggleborns. She'd be sent to St. Mungo's in a heartbeat.

Madam Grey's desk was situated at the rear of the library, having been purposely stationed in front of the Restricted Section to prevent any curious students from wandering astray. Evadne cast a small glance over her shoulder to make sure no one she knew was loitering about.

The librarian looked up over the top of her thin, silver spectacles. She had a very crone-like face, and with her furrowed white brows and wrinkled skin, Evadne thought she looked eerily akin to a hag - a mere whisp of a woman, clad in the most ostentatious, velvetine crimson-coloured dress robes that Evadne had ever seen. A pale feather caked in blood.

Outside the window, the vertiginous slopes of the valley silhouetted themselves against the mullioned glass. It was a bright and clear day, full of warmth and promise. It was also the tail-end of September, so few Halloween decorations had sprung up throughout the Castle: cobwebs and enchanted spiders that found themselves hiding in the helmets of several coats of armor, floating skulls, and crooked broomsticks.

"Well?" Madam Grey drawled glumly.

Evadne smiled stupidly. "Um, I've been researching ancient types of magic and was wondering where I could find a book that talks about ..." she thought quickly. "When wizards go mad from hearing things. I need to do some research for a project."

Madam Grey quirked a dubious brow at her. "When wizards go mad from hearing things?" she reiterated glumly. Evadne gulped, nodding dumbly. "What sorts of things?"

"A voice that only they can hear."

"And what does this voice sound like?"

Evadne's mind reeled. "A hiss."

"A hiss?"

"Like a snake. A serpentine voice."

The librarian rolled her eyes. "So parseltongue?"