Chapter 76

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Chapter 51- Beware.

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Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: "I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD!" His stomach lurched 

"It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces, he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps. Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last deserted passage.

"Harry, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything..." But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!" Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been drawn on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.

"What's that thing hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice. As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped. There was a large puddle of water on the floor. Thankfully, Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realised what it was at once and leapt backwards with a splash. 

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. However, what truly took their attention was the distraught face of Argus Filch, the caretaker himself. The frozen face. Filch was standing there next to his cat, his face a mixture of despair as well as horror as he looked at them, completely still. For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

 "Shouldn't we try and help ?" Harry began awkwardly, finding it very obvious that something was wrong here. And feeling two contrasting things: wanting to help as well as wanting to get as far away as possible.

"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here." But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people. In the next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, and the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat and the still form of the school caretaker. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone in the middle of the corridor as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet. "Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat. Though his expression dimmed at the sight of the caretaker before brightening once again a second later.

"Out of the way! What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Gilderoy Lockhart came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs Norris, his face looking on with seriousness, and then his gaze flicked to Filch, at which point he looked like he was in shock.

"The cat I-? Filch? What's happened to these two?" Professor Lockhart shouted, looking around at everyone. And then his eyes fell on Harry. "You!" He began. "Harry! What happened here! Tell me exactly! Don't miss out a single detail-"

"Gilderoy!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. "Perhaps we shouldn't be doing this in front of the students." In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. And then he flicked his wand at Filch, levitating the man into the air, which was off-putting as the man was still frozen stiff.

"Come with me, Gildeory," he said to the blonde Professor. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger." Professor Lockhart interjected here, moving to lead the way. "My office is nearest, Headmaster. We should try and figure this out and resolve it as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking strangely worried and serious, hurried after Dumbledore. So did Professors McGonagall and Snape. As they entered Lockhart's darkened office, there was a flicker of lights as the Professor flicked his wand and brightened the room before conjuring forth two tables, a small one and a big one. Dumbledore lay Mrs Norris on the small polished surface and Filch on the other before beginning to examine them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs on the edge of the room, watching.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur, and then he felt along the rim of Filch's nose. He was looking at them both closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was patiently waiting behind all of them, watching pensively.

"I only came upon the scene after the many students had found it. I was trying to ascertain exactly what had happened before you arrived, Headmaster. From my perspective, these three were the closest to the... bodies. I assumed they were the first upon the scene.' Lockhart's comments were punctuated by the cold silence as the other Professors listened on without saying anything. As much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he would feel for himself if Dumbledore believed Harry was to be blamed, he would be expelled for sure. All the other students were looking at him as if he had done it.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened. She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed. When Dumbledore turned his attention to Filch, he also remained much the same. "I have never seen anything like this before." said Lockhart, " It seems to be somewhat similar in effect to the full body bind curse in that it completely freezes the victim." Professor Snape and McGonagall look at him astounded.

"But, the victim in this case seems to be completely frozen stiff, with no signs of life. In fact, they are cold to the touch, unnaturally so. So I assume that this must also be an effect of whatever happened to them. This seems much too potent to be from a simple spell." The blonde Professor continues, but no one responds to him, Snape and McGonagall not knowing what to say to that and Dumbledore focusing on the bodies.

The silence continued for a few moments more before, at last, Dumbledore straightened up. "She's not dead, and neither is Argus," he said softly. At his words, everybody looked at the bodies, finding that difficult to believe, though Lockhart nodded his head slightly in agreement.

"Not dead?" choked Ron, freezing up when everybody looked at him before deciding to continue. "But why are they all- all stiff and frozen?" He questioned.

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore, touching the bodies once more, pressing against Filch's skin and showing its solid state. "But how I cannot say..."

"Perhaps we should ask Potter? " Spoke Snape menacingly, turning his cold and cruel face to Harry. "Lockhart did state that he was caught at the scene." Harry got a sick feeling in his stomach. Snape was picking him out again, especially as Lockhart mentioned Hermione and Ron as well, but Snape ignored that.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced -"

"Still, the boy was there first!" Snape spat, his dark eyes narrowing on Harry. "He was there before anyone else, which is highly coincidental! Surely, we should question him on what happened." Snape sneered at Harry. "And how he happened to find himself there." he finished.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including even his friends, no doubt thinking of him hearing voices. "You can ask Professor Lockhart. He will tell you!"

"And what will he tell us?" Snarled Snape. "All I am hearing is excuses, Potter. How about some actual details!" Snape was beginning to lose his temper. Usually, his cruelty was cold and overbearing, but something seems to have made him a lot more volatile today.

"If I might speak, Headmaster," Began Professor Lockhart from the side, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased. He was sure Lockhart was about to come to his rescue but also, at the same moment, doom him. He will reveal that Harry has been hearing voices that no one else has, which will definitely make everybody think he is crazy.

.

"Harry and his two friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight awkward curling of his mouth suggested that he partly doubted that. Snape interjected himself here.

"But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?" Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. "...There were hundreds of ghosts. They will tell you we were there. Professor Lockhart was there as well-"

"But why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. Harry was about to answer and say they were on their way when Snape spoke again before he could. "Why go up to that corridor?" Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, and Harry found himself looking at Professor Lockhart, waiting for the man to expose him hearing things. But he didn't. He merely looked back silently.

"Because- because-" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast. Something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.

"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties." Somehow, Snape knew about the disgusting food that the ghosts prepared. Harry wondered if Snape didn't have any friends when he attended Hogwarts and had to hang out with all the ghosts. It would make sense; only people who were already dead could bear his presence.

"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble. Harry could only turn to look at his friend in shock. That he would say such a thing and then have his stomach rumble at the exact same moment. Could he possibly have worse timing? Ron avoided Harry's eyes, his face completely red. When Harry turned his sight back to Snape, he could only see the big nasty grin on the man's face.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready, to be honest." Snape really went for his weak point. Everybody knew how much Harry loved to play Quidditch. They could see it on his face when he flew. Once again, Harry questioned why this man had it out for him.

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. They both weren't hit over the head with a broomstick. This is high-level dark magic, which I highly doubt Mr Potter is capable of. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong." Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Dumbledore said firmly, bringing an end to the matter. McGonagall looked pleased, while Gilderoy didn't show anything on his face. In direct contrast to the both of them, however, Snape looked furious.

"The Hogwarts caretaker has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "We need to do an investigation and punish the people responsible!"

"This will be investigated. And the correct people will be punished. Until then... We will be able to cure Argus and Mrs Norris." said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive the both of them." This time, he looked at Snape and stopped the man in his steps, preventing any further arguments.

"That is correct." Lockhart butted in. "I had the pleasure of helping Profesor Sprout with them, and the woman knows her stuff. I am sure she will be able to bring those Mandrakes up nicely and prepare the Mandrake Restorative Potion." He says, helping calm Harry's heart. Nobody had died, and it looked like Harry would not be blamed for any of this.

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school." There was a very awkward pause then. "Ah, yes, of course. I am sure with a Potions master like you on the case, these two will be back to healthy in no time. We can rest assured with you on the case, Severus." At Lockhart's words, Snape cringed. It looked like he would rather he didn't say anything in the first place.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. And they took the opportunity for what it was: an opportunity to escape. They went as quickly as they could without actually running. And then, when they were finally a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces.

"Do you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?" Harry asked, looking worried. He wondered if he had let something crucial out, something that could have helped the professors to find whoever had done this to the caretaker and his cat. The more Harry thought about it, the worse he felt.

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world. You will be lucky if they think you are simply mad and not anything worse." Harry feared to ask what the worse options were here. Worse than everybody thinking you were crazy? Harry could only surmise a possible mental institution, but he had never heard about one in the magical world.

Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?" Harry didn't know what he would do if even his friends began to think he was crazy. Harry really did not want to be mad. He had enough of that at the Dursleys, where every time something strange and unexplainable would happen, he would be shouted at, punished and told magic was not real.

"Of course we do, Harry. Still, hearing things that others can't is definitely worrying. We should try to figure out what this is before involving anybody else." Hermione said, wrapping him in a hug and reassuring him.

"'Course I do," Ron added quickly. "But, you must admit it's weird..." He awkwardly reached out, patting Harry on his shoulder.

"I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?" Harry didn't mention that it was written in blood either since he would rather not think about where that blood had come from. He just hoped it wasn't from Mrs Norris or Filch.

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once... It might have been my brother Bill. Or it could have been Fred and George trying to scare me." Ron rubbed his nose in thought.

"Also, why didn't Lockhart say anything?" said Harry. It was very weird how the man hadn't mentioned to the other Professors the voices Harry was hearing. And Harry had heard them twice in front of Lockhart.

"Isn't it obvious? Professor Lockhart knew you weren't to blame Harry and that pointing out the voices you were hearing would make you suspect number one." Hermione said enthusiastically. "He must want to focus on finding the real culprit, and that is why he didn't reveal it, so the other professors didn't waste their time investigating you." She finished with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure that was what he was doing." To Harry's surprise, Ron managed to stifle his snigger. "I'm sure it is not because the man is an idiot, and he probably just forgot about it. Or didn't think it was anything worth mentioning." He shook his head at Hermione.

"Ron!" Hermione said, scandalised, but before she could say anything else, a clock chimed, signalling the time. "Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else." 

And so they quickly headed back to the Gryffindor common rooms.

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