The American Pure-Blood: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Book 2]

Chapter VII: Beware The Heir, A Prediction come true and Spiders

Someone's POV

                   Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, Harry and Kieran both heard the voice: "... I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD!" His stomach lurched--
                                                           "It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron, Hermione, Zach and Hector's bewildered faces, he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps - Harry and Kieran hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron, Hermione, Zach and Hector panting behind them, 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 daubed 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; Ron and Hermione grabbed him As Kieran, Zach and Hector got closer to the massage, soon harry, Ron and Hermione also inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All six of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward 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. For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Hector said,
                                                          "Let's get out of here."
                                                          "Good Idea" Zach said.
                                                          "Shouldn't we try and help -" Harry began awkwardly.
                                                         "Trust me," said Hector. "We don't want to be found here."
                                                           "Both Hector and Zach are right," Kieran added "This would be pretty incriminatory if--"

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; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends. The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Zach, Kieran and Hector 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. Zach and Hector balled their first ready to jump on Malfoy
                                                              "Don't you ever shut up Malf-" Kieran was saying but another voice interrupted him
                                                              "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 "My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. And his popping eyes fell on Harry but then went to Zach. "You!" he screeched. " 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 Harry, Ron, Hermione, Zach, Kieran and Hector and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Granger, Mr. Cunningham" Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.
                                                             "My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free--"
                                                             "Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.