Chapter 9
Chapter Nine: 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.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.
And his popping eyes fell on Harry.
"Of course," Harry sighed, irritably. "I get blamed for this too."
Steve pulled him into side, giving him a one armed hug.
"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"
"You will do no such thing!" McGonagall screeched, jumping out of her chair. Her glare bored into Filch's head.
"You, so much as touch Harry, and I swear you will regret it!" James threatened.
"Minerva," Bones said, as calmly as she possibly could. It was a struggle, and you could hear the anger in her voice, but she was relatively calm and composed. On the outside at least. "I think it's time that you reevaluate Filch's employment at Hogwarts, if he's threatening to kill students, and hang them in the dungeons."
"I believe you are right." McGonagall said, her nostrils flaring.
This was met with loud cheering from the students.
"Argus!"
"I recognize that voice." Sirius said bitterly.
...
"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged worried looks. Thinking that their future selves were going to get in trouble, and get the blame like Harry had said.
...
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.
...
"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...."
"Oh, do shut up, Larry." Remus snapped.
"Larry?" Lavender Brown said.
"It's his real name." Kingsley explained.
"He changed it to Gilderoy, right before he released his first book." Kingsley commented.
"Larry... That sounds like an American name." Cho said in slight confusion.
"His mother's American." Flitwick piped up.
"That boy's got some intense Mommy Issues." Snape said, shaking his head in disgust.
"So, he's like a reversed Malfoy?" Ron whispered.
Which caused those closest to him to start giggling.
...
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
Scattered around the Hall, there were a few students who pouted into their goblets in disappointment.
They were then promptly smacked by their cat loving friends.
