Drarry Soulmates AU

Writing on the Wall

The four friends laugh and joke around with the remaining Marauders, Regulus and Lily until it's time for them to head back to their common room "Your four better get back to the common room, it's nearly curfew." Lily tells them, looking at her watch. Regulus smiles "We'll come and see you all again soon though, maybe one weekend." he lets them know. "Sounds great." Harry nods, the other three agreeing. "Go on then, before Filch catches you." James smiles, ruffling Harry's hair. The four of them get up and hid the five adults goodbye, walking out and heading back to the common room "That food was great!" Ron smiles. Harry goes to agree but stops when he hears the same voice from Lockhart's office "...rip...tear...kill..." it hisses, making Harry stumble slightly. Draco catches him "Hare?" he asks in worry. "Harry, what're you-?" Ron starts. "It's that voice again, shut up a minute." Harry tells them. "...soo hungry...for so long..." the voice hisses. "Listen!" said Harry says urgently. "...kill...time to kill..." the voice continues to hiss, growing fainter. "This way! Harry exclaims, running up stairs with the other three following. "Harry, what're we-" Ron starts. "SHH!" Harry tells him, straining his ears to listen for the voice. "...I smell blood...I SMELL BLOOD!" the voice hisses. "It's going to kill someone!" Harry shouts, beginning to run again.

They get to the second floor and down a deserted corridor "Harry, what was that all about? I couldn't hear anything..." Ron trails off as Hermione gasps. "Look!" Hermione tells them, pointing to the wall ahead. The four of them see writing on the wall in foot high lettering 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware'. "What's that thing, hanging underneath?" Ron asks with a slight quiver in his voice. They get closer, nearly slipping on the water in the floor a they jump back "It's Mrs Norris." Draco says in shock, the four of them seeing the cat stiff as it hangs from her tail from the torch bracket. "Let's get out of here." Ron suggests after a moment. "Shouldn't we try and help? Harry asks awkwardly. "Trust me. We don't want to be found here." Draco tells him. The four of them go to leave but stop as they hear the feast end, students beginning to pour down the hall from both ends. The noise stops as people spot Mrs Norris "'Enemies of the Heir, beware!' You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Nott shouts, pushing through to the front of the crowd with a grin on his face.

Filch pushes through the students "What's going on here? What's going on? My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shouts, his eyes falling on Harry "You! You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-" he starts. "Argus!" McGonagall calls, arriving with the other teacher, Regulus, Sirius and Remus. Harry looks at his parents and Uncles, fear on his face "It's alright Harry." Lily mouths. "Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger." McGonagall tells them. "My office is nearest, Headmistress- just upstairs - please feel free." Lockhart tells the headmaster. "Thank you, Gilderoy." McGonagall tells him. The crowd parts as McGonagall, Snape, Lockhart, James, Lily, Regulus, Sirius, Remus and the four friends head in the direction of Lockhart's office. The four friends stick close to Lily and James, Regulus, Sirius and Remus talking in quiet hushes as they follow them.

They eventually arrive at Lockhart's office, several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight with their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lights the candles on his desk and steps back, letting McGonagall lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and begin to examine her. The four preteens exchange tense looks as they sing into chairs, outside the pool of candlelight. Lily gives Harry's shoulder a comforting squeeze "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..." Lockhart says, James rolling his eyes subtly at the four friends. Harry fiddles with his sleeves as McGonagall checks Mrs Norris over "...remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou, a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..." Lockhart continues. "Blonde wouldn't know a curse if it danced naked in front of him." Regulus mutters under his breathe, the four teens having to bite their lips to hide their smiles.

McGonagall eventually finishes examining Mrs Norris "She's not dead, Argus." she soothes, making Lockhart stop abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented. "Not dead? But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?" Filch asks, looking at his cat. .She has been Petrified. But how, I cannot say..." McGonagall tells him. "Ah! I thought so!" Lockhart remarks. "Ask him!" Filch shrieks, pointing at Harry while red in the face. "No second year could have done this, it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-" McGonagall starts. "He did it, he did it! You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found - in my office - he knows I'm a - I'm a - He knows I'm a Squib!" Filch shouts angrily. "I never touched Mrs. Norris! And I don't even know what a Squib is." Harry defends. "Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!" Filch snarls. "What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Lily glares. "If I might speak, Headmistress. Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?" Snape asks. "Actually, Severus, Harry and the others was with James and I at Sir Nicholas' Deathday Party. After we had finished, they came to our office to meet with Regulus, Sirius and Remus. We all had our own Halloween feast together. They had only just left when we were alerted to what had happened." Lily cuts in, James, Regulus, Sirius and Remus all nodding in confirmation.

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch shouts. "We will be able to cure her, Argus, Professer Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris." McGonagall assures him. "I'll make it, I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep." Lockhart pipes up. "Excuse me. But I believe I am the Potions master at this school. However if Lily is willing, I would be thankful if she could help?" Snape cuts in. "Of course Severus." Lily nods. "You may go." McGonagall tells the four friends. "We'll make sure they get to the common room safely." Sirius pipes up. "Thank you Sirius." James nods. The four friends get up, following Sirius, Remus and Regulus out of the office "Are you four alright?" Remus asks. "Yeah, just shaken." Draco nods as they walk in the direction of the common room. "Good. Come on, let's get you three back safely." Regulus tells them.

The four friends get back to the common room and bid the adults goodnight before walking in "D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?" Harry asks. "No. Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." Ron responds. "You do believe me, don't you?" Harry asks. "'Course I do. But -you must admit it's weird..." Ron trails off. "I know it's weird. The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asks. "You know, it rings a sort of bell, I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once..." Draco trails off. "Same here...might've been Bill..." Ron suggests. "And what on earth's a Squib?" Harry asks. "Well - it's not funny really - but as it's Filch. A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much. He's bitter." Ron explains, stifling a laugh. Just then a clock chimes "Midnight. We'd better get to bed." Hermione tells the boys. "We'll see you in the morning." Draco nods, leading Harry up to the dorm as Ron gives Hermione a quick kiss goodnight.