Rain on March 11th (Part 3)

Cedric had finally mustered the courage to ask Cho Chang to accompany him to Hogsmeade. They had just finished browsing Honeydukes when they overheard two Ravenclaw students discussing Joey's petrification.

"I know her—Ryan's sister. She got petrified too? I thought only half-bloods were being targeted."

"Maybe because her father's an American wizard. The heir of Slytherin might not recognize her as a pure-blood."

"This is terrible. Do you think the school will close?"

Cho tugged nervously at Cedric's sleeve. "Did they say Joey was petrified?"

Cedric's face darkened. The candy in his hand was nearly crushed as he clenched his fist. History was repeating itself, but this time, it was his friend who had been hurt.

Cho gently took the candy from his hand and placed it back on the shelf. "Let's go back and see her! I need to know how Joey's doing!"

Without hesitation, Cedric took Cho's hand, and the two hurried back to the castle. Neither of them noticed that this was the first time they'd held hands, but it felt completely natural, as if they'd been doing it forever.

When they reached the hospital wing, they found Flami standing by the window, startled by their sudden entrance.

"Merlin's beard! Why is everyone so dramatic today?" Flami exclaimed, clutching her chest. She hadn't even taken a sip of the water she'd poured earlier, and now she was being startled yet again.

Cedric, still catching his breath, gently patted Cho's back as she wiped her tears. He looked at Joey and Hermione, lying stiff on their beds, and asked, "What happened? How did they both get petrified?"

Flami sighed and explained the situation once more, feeling like she was becoming a professional narrator.

"Where's Fred?" Cedric asked, surprised that Fred wasn't there. Cho was already crying softly, her tears falling onto Joey's blanket.

"He and George left a couple of minutes before you arrived. They went to find help," Flami said, glancing at Cho. The girl looked adorable even when she cried, but Flami didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Help? What kind of help?" Cedric asked, confused.

Cho, noticing Flami's gaze, shyly greeted her. "Hi…"

Flami gave her a small smile before turning back to Cedric. "Harry found a note in Hermione's hand that said 'pipe.' He thinks the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is in Myrtle's bathroom. Fred and George went to find a professor to help."

"The pipe… Myrtle's bathroom…" Cedric's mind raced as he pieced everything together. He looked at Hermione with admiration. "She's truly a genius."

"Cho, stay here. I need to find someone who can help!" Cedric said, placing a hand on Cho's shoulder. "This problem will be solved soon. I'll make sure of it."

Cho nodded, her eyes filled with trust and support.

Cedric sprinted to the headmaster's office, his mind focused on one goal: getting Dumbledore to help Harry. As he passed the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, he heard a faint commotion but didn't stop to investigate. He needed to deliver this news to Dumbledore as quickly as possible.

———

Dumbledore was in the middle of drafting an order for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. He was particularly interested in their Lover's Quill and was running low on his favorite caterpillar gummies. The texture of the gummies reminded him of real bugs, but the taste was entirely different. He'd once eaten real caterpillars with his sister as a joke, and the memory brought a bittersweet smile to his face.

Just as he was about to finalize the order, blue flames erupted from the fireplace, and Professor Snape stormed into the room. He slammed his hands on Dumbledore's desk and growled, "Go to the second-floor girls' bathroom! Now!"

Dumbledore blinked, startled. "What?"

Before Snape could explain, green flames burst from the fireplace, and Sirius tumbled out, landing at Snape's feet.

Snape raised an eyebrow, looking down at Sirius with a mix of disdain and amusement. "How graceful."

Sirius scrambled to his feet, brushing himself off. "I heard Joey was petrified. What happened?"

"Your informants are quick, mutt," Snape said coldly.

"I'm the school caretaker! I have a right to know!" Sirius retorted, puffing out his chest. He turned to Dumbledore. "I didn't even tell Linda. What's going on?"

"Joey's petrified, but she'll recover once the mandrakes mature," Dumbledore said calmly. "Right, Severus?"

"If you keep wasting time, the mandrakes won't be enough," Snape snapped. "Perhaps the headmaster and Mr. Black don't mind being unemployed."

Dumbledore and Sirius exchanged a glance. "So… what do we do?" Sirius asked.

"Second floor. The girls' bathroom. Now!" Snape barked.

Without another word, Dumbledore and Sirius bolted from the room, with Fawkes the phoenix trailing behind them. Snape sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Gryffindors," he muttered.

———

Cedric arrived at the stone gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office just as Dumbledore and Sirius came rushing down the spiral staircase, nearly knocking him over.

"Cedric! What are you doing here? Sorry, no time to chat!" Sirius called over his shoulder as they ran past.

"Headmaster! Harry's in Myrtle's bathroom! The entrance to the Chamber is there!" Cedric shouted after them.

Dumbledore and Sirius skidded to a halt, turning to look at Cedric in surprise.

"Thank you, Cedric. We're on our way!" Dumbledore said with a smile before grabbing Fawkes' tail and disappearing in a flash of flames.

Cedric stared at the spot where they'd been, dumbfounded. "How did they…?"

"Because of a message from an idiot," Snape's voice came from the staircase. Cedric looked up to see the potions master descending, his expression as cold as ever.

Cedric didn't dare ask what Snape meant. Instead, he turned and ran to Myrtle's bathroom, where he found Fred and George standing over a dark, closing hole in the floor, Professor Lockhart looking dazed beside them.

"Where's the headmaster? Why are you here?" Cedric asked, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.

"Dumbledore and Sirius went in!" Fred said, his voice tight with worry. "They took Fawkes with them."

Cedric nodded, relieved. "The headmaster knows Parseltongue. He'll handle it."

———

None of the students knew what was happening inside the Chamber of Secrets. Fred and the others waited anxiously until Fawkes reappeared, carrying Dumbledore, Sirius, Harry, and Ron. The two boys were covered in blood, but Sirius assured everyone they were fine.

"They're just a bit dizzy," Dumbledore explained as Harry and Ron collapsed to the floor, vomiting.

Fred and George rushed to their friends' sides, patting their backs a little too vigorously. "You're okay! You're okay!" Fred said, though his voice wavered with relief.

"What happened?" Cedric asked, his eyes wide.

Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him. "Voldemort released the Basilisk. We arrived too late to stop him, but the Basilisk is dead. Unfortunately, Voldemort escaped."

"He turned into a snake!" Ron added, still looking queasy. "I saw him!"

Sirius sighed. "Hogwarts is vast, and the Forbidden Forest is full of snakes. We won't find him easily."

Dumbledore nodded, his expression grave. He knew someone in the school had helped Voldemort, but he didn't say it aloud. He would give that person another chance—for now.