The Telepath: A Hermione Granger x Male Reader Story

23) Rumours

"What's going on here? What's going on here?" called Filch who was no doubt attracted by Malfoy's scream.

He then saw Mrs Norris and stumbled back clutching his face.

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

His eyes then fell upon Y/N who's eyes were still glowing.

"You!" screeched Filch "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you!"

Filch reached for Y/N but was shoved away angrily.

"I haven't touched your stupid cat!" growled Y/N.

"I'll have you I will, you'll-"

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived and was tailed by the rest of the Hogwarts staff. He swept through the crowd and detached Mrs Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me Argus - you too, Mr Potter, Mr L/N, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley."

Lockhart stepped forward.

"You can use my office headmaster, it's nearest."

"Thank you, Gilderoy."

The crowd separated to let them pass. Lockhart looking excited, followed eagerly, along with Snape and McGonagall.

They entered Lockhart's office and Dumbledore laid Mrs Norris on a desk whilst Lockhart lit the candles.

Y/N and Hermione exchanged tense looks as they sat down in chairs just away from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was inspecting Mrs Norris closely through his half-moon spectacles. The rest of the staff in the room were still looking at Mrs Norris on the table. Except for Lockhart, his eyes kept straying towards Hermione and Y/N saw this out the corner of his eye.

*Keep your eyes to yourself or I'll feed them to you.* said Y/N in Lockhart's thoughts.

This caused him to look back towards Mrs Norris and start making suggestions.

"It was a 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 counter-curse that would've saved her."

Y/N was smirking in his chair but Filch started sobbing after hearing Lockhart's comments.

Dumbledore was now muttering words under his breath as he tapped Mrs Norris with his wand.

"... I remember something similar happening in Ouagadougou." continued Lockhart. "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography. I was able to provide the townspeople with an assortment of amulets which cleared the problem."

"You finished?" said Y/N. "She's not dead, you idiot."

"I think you'll find I have a bit more experience in thing likes this. How should you know the state of our dear Mrs Norris?"

"Mr L/N is right, Gilderoy. Mrs Norris is not dead. However, I must repeat Professor Lockhart's question. Mr L/N, how did you know that Mrs Norris wasn't dead?" announced Dumbledore causing Lockhart to back into the darkness.

"Well, I could tell her brain was still working, just not properly. Benefits of being a Legilimens I suppose." explained Y/N.

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged glances before Filch spoke out again.

"Not dead?" he choked "But she's all - stiff and frozen?"

"She's been petrified." said Dumbledore "But how, I cannot say..."