Chapter 18: Dueling Class
Cross finished dinner and left the dining hall, he saw Astoria talking and laughing with a few girls. A red haired girl, a black haired girl, and the blonde haired girl that Cross saw before. He spared her a glance before leaving, not wanting to interrupt Astoria and her new friends.
The blonde haired girl looked at his back and saw Blue fly out and land on his shoulder before chirping. She almost ran over but held herself back before hearing Astoria calling out to her and turning back with a smile, joining the conversation again.
Cross returned to his room and teleported to the Room of Requirement before merging with his clone and releasing another one. Cross gave him instructions before saying "I require a way to the Chamber of Secrets." a door formed on the wall and Cross walked through, coming to a bathroom.
Cross was confused and mumbled "The Chamber of Secrets is a bathroom?" a light shot out of the door and shined on a sink. Cross looked at the sink and saw a small snake pattern, he frowned in thought and heard a noise.
He immediately teleported back to the Room of Requirement and the door disappeared. He let out a breath and decided to go there tomorrow. He went back to his room and meditated, still trying to feel that element within him.
The next day
Cross walked into the bathroom again, he found out nobody used this bathroom. Which made things much easier, but apparently whoever told him that was a lying asshole. He walked in and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting in front of a cauldron.
The air stilled
Ron said "Oi! What are you doing here?" Carl and Blue popped out and growled/chirped, Ron was spooked and jumped back, hiding behind Harry. Cross walked over and sniffed before saying "I could say the same... Polyjuice potion.. Very dangerous." he looked at Hermione and shook his head saying "Isn't it better to study by yourself? Why are you always in every storm?"
He looked at Harry and Ron but didn't say anything, just sighed before looking back at Hermione and walking into a stall. Actually using the bathroom. Hermione had an awkward face and Harry looked at the stall Cross was in before saying "What does that mean?"
Cross walked out and washed his hands at the sink with the snake engraving as he said "I don't understand what you're trying to say, Mr. Potter." Harry added "Why shouldn't she hang out with us? Isn't that what you mean?"
Cross shook his head and dried his hands as he answered "I'm not Hermione's father, she can do what she wants." he looked over and said "Don't you find it odd that you are the center of everything that happens here? Just some food for thought, farewell." before leaving, deciding to come back later tonight.
A while later
Cross was standing in a crowd around a long platform with a bunch of other students. Cross was standing next to Astoria, her friends, Daphne, and Draco, specifically the blonde haired girl was standing right next to Cross and looking at him occasionally.
Lockeheart came up on the platform and walked down with some strange clothes as he said "Gather 'round! Gather 'round!" Cross and the rest of the guys groaned in annoyance seeing this fucking guy.
Lockeheart continued "Can everybody see me? Hear me? Excellent! In light of the dark events recently, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to make sure you can defend yourself, as I myself have done on countless occasions. Check my published works for further details." as he threw his cloak into the crowd.
Cross grumbled "Against many Pixies I'm sure.." Draco chuckled and the girls surrounding him glared at Cross, except for the blonde haired girl, who giggled.
Lockeheart said "Let me introduce my assistant! Professor Snape!" Snape walked up on the platform and Lockeheart added "He has agreed to help me with a demonstration, now I don't want any of you to worry. You'll still have your potions teacher after I'm done with him, never fear."
Lockeheart and Snape got into position as another round of annoyed groans rang out. Lockeheart and Snape turned around before stepping three steps away from each other before turning around. Snape said "Expelliarmus!" and blew Lockeheart away, some of the guys started cheering.
Snape felt his mouth twitch and Lockeheart got up off the ground saying "Very good, Professor, but it was quite easy to tell what you were going to do. Had I wanted, I could have blocked easily." Snape quipped "Perhaps it would be prudent to teach the students to block unfriendly spells.."
Lockeheart said "Right, of course! Let's get a volunteer pair.. uhhh... Potter, Weasley how about you two?" Snape interrupted "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells, he would send Potter to the infirmary in a match box. Might I suggest someone from my own house?"
Cross got a bad feeling and slipped into the crowd, but Snape continued "Greengrass, perhaps?" Cross cursed and Snape pulled him up saying "Don't disappoint me, boy."
Cross grumbled and looked at Snape, who glared at him and walked down.
Cross took out his wand and walked forward, Harry did the same and they held out their wands before bowing and taking three steps away from each other and turned around.
Cross' eyes flashed a tricky light and he smirked a bit before saying normally "Ducklifors!" a yellow spiral shot towards Harry and hit him, making a cloud of smoke.
The smoke cleared and a small duck with glasses was revealed. The duck quacked and Cross smiled with his eyes before heading off the stage, the duck kept quacking and Snape flicked his wand, returning Harry to normal.
Harry said "Wait, I didn't get to do anything." Cross shook his head and said "I can't block, Draco can though." as he pushed Draco out to the platform, done with being anywhere near the spotlight. Honestly the next person who forced him would catch an Avada Kadavra.
Cross looked at Snape, who nodded, albeit a bit strained, but still a nod nonetheless. Cross let out a breath as if he was relieved he did a good job, but really he was just glad to be cleared out of Snape's crosshairs.
The blonde girl next to him giggled and looked at Cross with a smile, Cross felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by this girl. He wasn't shy but the light in her eyes seemed to be a little fake, like she was also faking something.
Cross didn't know who this girl was but he didn't feel any malicious intention from her. That being said he also didn't know her intentions, he felt like she was trying to get close to him. Strangely his brain didn't go to maybe this girl likes me, but to maybe this girl is planning something. Perhaps his time at Hogwarts conditioned him to be permanently cautious?
He sighed to himself and thought that this must be the case because he wasn't like this before. All for survival he told himself, before ignoring the girl nd focusing on the duel in front of him.
Draco summoned a snake and it slithered towards Harry, but strangely Harry didn't do anything except start speaking Parseltongue to the snake. Cross was surprised he could speak Parseltongue, is wasn't something anyone could just learn.
Cross was a special case because he was naturally gifted, being a magical creature and all. But Harry was just a normal Human, Cross was confused on how he even knew it and thought of the soul in his mind. Perhaps it came from the soul?
Cross didn't know but the snake was about to bite another student from Ravenclaw, ultimately it was none of his business and he watched impassively as the snake got closer and closer, while Harry tried to tell it to stop.
Cross felt the scene was funny, it really did look like he was egging the snake on to bite the kid. Eventually Snape incinerated the snake and looked at Harry with a strange gaze. Draco came back to the group and Cross looked at him before nodding.
Draco smirked and said "Of course, I'm the best!" Astoria cheered and Cross felt his mouth twitch, the blonde girl looked at Cross deeply before smiling herself.
Cross turned his head and stared into her eyes without a word, wondering what she really wanted from him. Neither of them spoke and just stared at each other for a while. The others didn't say anything, Astoria opened her mouth, but Daphne clamped it shut whispering "Shh."
Astoria was confused and Daphne continued "Maybe Cross will get a girlfriend." Astoria's eyes widened and she flailed around in refusal.
Cross and the blonde haired girl didn't say a word until finally the blonde haired girl smiled brightly and said softly "I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood." Cross looked at her and said "Cross." before walking out of the class, opening his book and reading again.
Daphne was incensed and cursed "Damn cement head!" Luna giggled and didn't reply, knowing that that wasn't the case, thinking that she must try harder if she wants him to talk to her. Draco was just confused and Astoria cheered happily once again.
Later that night
Cross was in the self study room with a bunch of other students, when he saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Luna was sitting next to Cross and reading a strange book, Cross turned back to his book and kept reading.
Soon after
Cross left the study room, going to the bathroom from before. He walked into the bathroom and heard whimpering, he looked around the corner and saw a ghost crying. Cross was confused and said "Why are you crying?"
The ghost girl turned around and said "Who are you?" Cross said "Cross. You are?" the girl said "Myrtle. What are you doing here?" Cross shook his head and didn't answer, Myrtle harrumphed and said "Fine! Don't tell me!" Cross nodded and said "Okay, I won't." before ignoring her.
Myrtle started crying again and dived into the toilet, disappearing.
Cross touched the snake engraving on the sink and turned around, he pointed to the door and magically locked the door before turning back to the sink and scratching his neck, trying to figure out how to open it.
He assumed that since only the Heir could open it then the Heir must know Parseltongue as a requirement and spoke in Parseltongue "Open." the sinks started moving, expanding out before the sink with the snake engraving sank into the floor and revealed a big hole.
Cross scratched his head and muttered "Am I just supposed to jump in? Well whatever." he jumped down into the hole and slid along the side for a few seconds before landing on his feet. He looked up and saw the sinks closing back up as if it never opened in the first place.
He looked down and saw a bunch of bones, but they looked to be animal bones instead of human ones. Cross couldn't care less what kind of Bones they were, all he wanted to know was whether what he thought was in here, was indeed in here.
Cross started walking through the tunnels before coming cross a large shed snake skin. Cross got a little excited and continued past the skin to a door with several snakes on it, honestly Cross was getting bored with the snakes. Couldn't that old man mix it up a little?
Cross recited the password in Parseltongue to the door and a snake slithered around the edge before the door swung open revealing a giant area.
Cross climbed inside and landed on a platform with water on the sides. There were snake heads rising form the water on both sides leading to a giant head made of stone. Cross felt his mouth twitch as he looked at the stone head, this old man.. really..
Cross sighed and looked at the mouth, which seemed to be able to open. Cross continued the trend and said in Parseltongue "Come out little snake, I won't hurt you! I have food!"
The mouth opened and a giant snake head poked out, looking at Cross and sniffing. Cross smiled and looked at it directly in the eyes before saying "Come here." as he took out a big beast leg and waved it.
The Basilisk slithered out and slowly approached the meat before sniffing. Cross smiled and heard a voice in his mind "Who are you boy?" Cross smiled and said "A friend? Whatever makes you comfortable. I couldn't care less." the Basilisk looked at Cross and asked "Why aren't you petrified?" Cross shook his head and said "A lower species wants to petrify me? Are you joking?"
The Basilisk was silent for a moment before glaring at him saying "What are you, boy!" Cross smirked and said "An Elf, do you believe it?" the Basilisk nodded and said "No wonder. I'm Selena, what's your name, little elf boy."
Cross smiled and replied "Cross. Nice to meet you." Selena hummed and ate the beast leg before saying "What do you want from me?" Cross said "Why are you tired of living? Isn't staying here very nice and safe?" Selena was amused and said "An Elf, caring about Humans?"
Cross shook his head and said "No, I don't care but you're stirring up everything above. I unfortunately have to follow the rules to a certain extent, unlike you, and when you're petrifying all the mudbloods, etc. The rules and surveillance get tighter. You know what I'm talking about?"
Selena rolled her eyes and said "Do I look like a garden snake to you? Of course I understand. But I'm helpless. Really, I don't want to leave as everybody always tries to kill me. I'm effectively being forced to move around."
Cross tilted his head and twitched his ears as he asked "By who?" Selena said "Tom Riddle, the one who opened the Chamber 50 years ago." Cross frowned and said "Tom Riddle? Who is Tom Riddle?" Selena explained "A former student of Hogwarts. Though I have no idea what happened outside of this Chamber, he is currently a fragmented soul inside a book."
Cross was confused and asked "If he's a fragmented soul, then how can he even get here?" Selena said directly "He is controlling a little girl to open the Chamber and release me." Cross fell silent and rubbed his chin before asking "You can't resist?" Selena shook her head and further explained "50 years ago, he tricked me into signing a soul contract, forcing me to listen to his commands without question. Though it's only that soul fragment that has the power over me."
Cross said "How did he manage that?" Selena was embarrassed and said "I'd rather not say.." Cross rolled his eyes and said "Very well..." he heard the door behind him creaking. Cross frowned and made an eye out of string before throwing it into the ceiling as he said "Well, Selena. We will meet again, farewell."
Selena waved her tail and Cross nodded before teleporting away as the door opened behind him.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Monkey_Godking
Monkey_Godking Avada Kadavra!
*Explodes into a bunch of Power Stones*
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