ᴘʏʀʀʜɪᴄ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ// ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀᴜ

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror which caused the four gryffindors to cringe.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Bluebell .

"You!"he screeched and the girl took a step back . " You ! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll--"

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past the quartet and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Miss. King, Mr. Marcel, Miss Blood, Mr.Quinn"

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free--"

"Wanker" Roman murmurs

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Bluebell saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Bluebell, Eric, Roman and Lorena exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her 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 hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture - I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her..."

Lorena, Roman and Bluebell rolled their eyes at the man while Eric nodded as if he was making sense.

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as she detested Filch, which was a lot, Bluebell couldn't help feeling the slightest sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as she felt for herself If Dumbledore believed Filch, she would be expelled for sure.

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.

"...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..."

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.

At last Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly and Bluebell couldn't help but sigh in relief.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.