Into The Multiverse

Chapter 19 - What a boring Duel

I frowned my eyes. I thought by helping Harry, Lucius Malfoy won't put the diary into Ginny's cauldron. Well, I was wrong. Ginny has the Horcrux, and I need to get it before shit gets worse.

Ron: Let's get out of here.

Harry: Shouldn't we try and help —

Ron: Trust me. 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 we stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; the 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, and I stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight. 

Filch: What's going on here? What's going on?

The busy corridor alerted Filch to arrive. Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

Filch: My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?

And his eyes fell on Harry.

Filch: You! You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll —

Dumbledore: Argus! 

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

Dumbledore: Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr.Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr. Ren. 

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. 

Lockhart: My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —

Dumbledore: Thank you, Gilderoy.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape. As we entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; I 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 laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione 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. 

Lockhart: It was definitely a curse that killed her — probably the TransmogrifianTorture — I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her. . . 

I looked at Mrs. Norris and used [Structural Analysis] on it.

Damien: She's been Petrified.

Everyone in the room looked at me.

Lockhart: Nonsense. Don't you see, she's been murdered—

Dumbledore: Yes, yes. Correct, Mr. Ren. She's not dead, Argus.

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

Filch: Not dead? But why's she all — all stiff and frozen?