Chapter 29: Mrs. Norris Petrified

Filch felt convinced by Malfoy's shout, so he pushed his way through the crowd, saying, "What is it, what happened?"

But when Filch saw Mrs. Norris stirring, he began shouting madly, "My cat! My cat! What happened to her?"

When Filch saw Ivan in the crowd, he went over to him and grabbed him by his shirt, shouting shrilly, "It was you, you killed my cat! I'm going to kill you, I'm going to..."

Ivan shook Filch's hands off him as he said, "Let go of me! I didn't touch a hair on that cat, no one touched it, it was like that when we arrived!"

Filch shouted loudly, "Liar, you're lying! Someone saw you commit murder, didn't they?"

Dumbledore shouted, "Filch!"

Dumbledore arrived on the scene, followed by other teachers. In an instant, he reached Ivan, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and untied the cat from the torch.

Dumbledore said to Filch and the boys, "Come with me, Filch. And you too, Mr. Mason, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."

Lockhart said hurriedly with a smile on his face, "My office is closer to here, Headmaster! You can use it if you want!"

Dumbledore nodded and said, "Thank you, Gilderoy!"

The silent crowd parted on either side to allow them passage.

They were led into Lockhart's darkened office, followed by Professor McGonagall and Snape. There was a ruckus on the walls, and Ivan saw many pictures of Lockhart moving about trying to hide wherever they could.

Lockhart lit a candle on a table and retreated to the back. Dumbledore placed Mrs. Norris on the clean table and began to examine her closely.

Dumbledore watched Mrs. Norris carefully, the tip of her long hawk nose almost touching the hair on Mrs. Norris's body, her long slender fingers gently poking here and there. Professor McGonagall was bent over, her face almost touching the cat as well, squinting intently.

Snape was behind them, half hidden in the shadows as he looked grim, his face had a very peculiar look on it, as if he was trying not to laugh. Lockhart was surrounding them and still giving advice.

Ivan, Harry, Ron and Hermione were exchanging glances nervously, they were sitting on chairs that were not illuminated by candlelight. Filch was behind them as he looked at Ivan as if he had already identified him as the murderer.

Lockhart said, "It must have been a curse that killed her, it was probably a spell that deformed and tortured the subject. I have seen this spell many times, I regret not being there because I know the spell that could have saved her."

When Filch heard Lockhart's words, he winced slightly with pain.

Then, suddenly, he slumped into a chair next to the table as he clutched his face in his hands, not daring to look at Mrs. Norris's miserable state.

At that moment, Dumbledore whispered a few words and used his wand to tap Mrs. Norris lightly, but there was no response, Mrs. Norris was still lying there stiffly.

Lockhart continued speaking, "Headmaster, this cat is dead! I remember a similar event in one of my books, where there was a series of seizures. At that time, I gave ordinary people a variety of charms to solve the problem."

Ivan plucked up his courage and said, "Professor, she's not dead, just petrified."

Ivan felt he had to say something, otherwise, if he let Lockhart continue to irritate Filch so much, Filch would probably jump up and try to kill him.

Filch roared, "Nonsense, you killed her!"

Dumbledore looked at Filch and whispered, "Mr. Mason is right, Mrs. Norris isn't dead, she's just petrified by strong dark magic, and it's impossible for a first year to have done that!"

Filch, spitefully, shouted, "He did, he did! You saw the words written on the wall with Mrs. Norris, she has repeatedly prevented him from entering the girls' bathroom on the third floor, he must have harbored a grudge!"

Ivan looked at Filch and said, "I didn't touch your cat!"

Snape rested his gaze on Ivan with a smirk on his face and said, "What was the famous Mr. Mason doing going into the girls' bathroom? perhaps something that could be published in your fancy newspaper?"

Ivan hastily explained things that even he didn't believe, "I'm looking for castle ghosts to help me provide news sources for my paper, I think it's necessary to talk to Myrtle the weepy, she's very familiar with Hogwarts, and quite a few of the girls like her."

Snape posed a series of questions that made Ivan weary, "Everything is full of holes, why were you in that place at a time you weren't supposed to be, why did you go to the upstairs corridor, why weren't you at the Halloween party?"

Fortunately he didn't have to explain himself as Harry, Ron and Hermione were quick to explain that they were at Nick Nearly Decapitated's Day of the Dead Party.

Harry hurried up and said, "Hundreds of ghosts can prove we were there."

Snape's dark eyes glowed in the candlelight as he said, "But, after that, why didn't you come to the party in the Great Hall? Why did you come up the corridor?"

Hermione explained, "Because Ron had a little misunderstanding with Myrtle the Weeper, we were going to apologize to her."

Snape with a smirk, said, "Apologizing to a ghost and skipping dinner? I don't think the food at a ghost party is suitable for the living."

Ron said aloud, "We weren't hungry."

But after his words, his stomach growled, which made Snape's grin become even more prominent.

Snape turned to look at Dumbledore and said, "In my opinion, Headmaster, I don't think they were completely honest. So we should probably cancel some of their privileges until they are willing to tell us the truth. Personally, I think we should suspend Mr. Mason's paper and have Mr. Potter quit the Quidditch team until they are honest."

Professor McGonagall spoke sternly, "To be honest, Severus. I see no reason to make these boys give up their favorite extracurricular activities, as the cat was not hit in the head with a newspaper or a broom, and there is no evidence that they did anything wrong."

Dumbledore looked at the four people with a questioning look, his eyes seemed to see through everything.

Dumbledore said firmly, "Until proven otherwise, they are innocent, Severus."

Snape looked annoyed, as did Filch.

Filch shouted angrily, "My cat is petrified, and I want to see someone punished!"

Dumbledore looked at Filch and, trying to calm him down, said, "We can cure her, Filch, Mrs. Sprout recently received a batch of Mandrakes, and once they are fully grown, we can make a potion to cure Mrs. Norris."

Lockhart interrupted and said, "I'll make it, I've done it hundreds of times, I can even do it in my sleep."

Snape looked coldly at Lockhart and said, "Excuse me! I think I'm the school's Potions teacher!"

There was an awkward silence with Lockhart feeling a little uncomfortable.

Dumbledore looked at Ivan, Harry, Ron and Hermione and said, "You may go."

They left quickly, almost running for the exit. As you leave Lockhart's office, enter an empty classroom and gently close the door.

In the darkness, Hermione squinted to look at Ivan, Harry and Ron.