The Cursed Soul

Chapter 19

ÍROAS

And the night just turned out even weirder than I anticipated. Here I thought it would just be me finding out I could now talk to the horses, or any like creatures, and hearing a cold murderous voice. And the part that it's my first time encountering someone or something, a living that manages to conceal itself from my shadow sense. And now this? What in Merlin's beard is a chamber of secrets?

"It's written in blood." Hermione's a bit shaking voice pierced the silence encompassing the whole corridor.

Harry asked me if I could track down the owner of the voice. But the only thing I managed to say to him was a disappointed sigh. And we couldn't hear it now, like it just vanished from the face of the Earth.

Then, we saw something. Hanging underneath the words is a brown furry cat, dangled by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board and her eyes wide and staring. I heard Hermione choke, "Is that... is that Mrs. Norris?" The fact that no one uttered a word quickly confirmed everything. The caretaker's cat has been blatantly hanged like a dead animal, waiting to be seen by a predator. For a few seconds, we didn't move. Completely stunned by what we were witnessing.

"Is she dead?" Ron added.

Seeing the unmoving cat made me realize the low whisper in my head. Too low I could barely notice it. The sound is like a sinister whistle of the wind coming out from the darkness of the underworld, that's how it usually chimed in my head, but this... the cat's shadow is very faint to my ears, and it's eerie voice is like coming from very far away.

"I could still hear her shadow. Hazy, but still there. So she's not dead, yet." The next thing that happened was really chaotic. First came the horde of students fresh from the dinner at the Great Hall. Then Malfoy happened, reading the bloody words encrypted on the walls, out loud,

"Enemies of the heir, beware..." Malfoy looked at Hermione, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Then the owner of the cat suddenly showed himself through the crowd of scared looking students. For a moment nothing but pity came to me for the old guy. Especially when he saw his cat that life seemed zapped out from the eyes. But next thing I knew, he's trotting in Harry's direction with a murderous look on his face.

"You!" he growled, with a corrosive sort of tone, "What did you do to my cat!?"

"Are you mad? – Harry didn't even touch her!" I yelled, gaining his expression.

"Then it must be you! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you. I'll..."

"Argus!" interrupted with jurisdiction. Dumbledore and some other Professors came into the scene. The Headmaster quickly walked past us and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

He scanned the crowds around him, all eyes were on him. And when he stopped at us four, he beckoned us to step closer to him. As we did, he instructed the rest of the students to leave and go back to their dormitories.

As of the moment, I stood still next to Harry. Scowling at Filch, whose gaze is viciously peeling off Harry's skin and mine.

When the last student left the place, the Headmaster started to speak, "Come with me Argus. – You too Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger." Then he last called my name. But as he did, it didn't go unnoticed to me the warinness in his tone. Something he always has towards me, but I grew accustomed to that, nothing new to me,

"My office is the nearest Headmaster," Lockhart said happily, "It would be convenient for us all."

"If you insist, then... Lead the way."