Gaunt ~ Book 2

Twenty-six~Gaunt

a/n: Same reminder as usual, I'm combining J.K. Rowling's work with my own. Hope you enjoy!

The bathroom door opened and a voice said "It's me," Hermione dropped the book she had been holding which unfortunately fell in the cauldron on top of the toilet. Hermione gasped. She peered through the keyhole of the stall they were in, waving at Marvolo to get the book.

"Harry!" she said. "You gave us such a fright - come in —how's your arm?"

"Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the stall. 

"We'd've come to see you but, we decided to get started on the PolyJuice Potion," Ron explained as Harry, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "We decided this is the safest place to hide it."

Harry started to tell them about how Colin Creevey got petrified, but Hermione interrupted him.

"We already know — we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going —"

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron.

"There's something else," said Harry, watching Marvolo tear bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."

Ron, Hermione, and Marvolo looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him. Hermione, Ron, and Marvolo listened with their mouths open.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Marvolo said.

"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucis Malfoy must have opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monsters in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."

"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Maybe it can disguise itself — pretend to be a suit of armor or something — I've read about Cameleon Ghouls —"

"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled the empty lacewing back and looked at Harry.

"So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm. . . ." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.

Meanwhile, hidden from the reachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt rail before the other Gryffindor boys painted out that he was in no danger; he was pureblood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"They went for Filch first." Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Marvolo instantly sighed her list. Harry, Ron, and Hermione only signed her list because they heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him.

Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get that was from Snape's private stores.

"What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need."

Harry and Ron looked at her nervously. Marvolo listened intently

"I think I'd better do the actual stealing." Hermione continued in a matter-of fact tone. "You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."

Marvolo saw Harry smile feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindor's work while the Slytherins snickered appreciatively. Draco Malfoy, who was one of Snape's favorite students, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes and Ron and Harry, who knew if they retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say "Unfair."

Suddenly, in the desk next to Marvolo, Goyle's cauldron exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a face full and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate — Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Some of the Swelling Solution had hit Marvolo's arm and it was swelling painfully.

"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught - when I find out who did this —"

Half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed-up lips.

When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of a Filibuster Firework. There was a sudden hush.

"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

A week later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Marvolo were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Two Gryffindors in their year beckoned them over, looking excited.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" one of them said. "First meeting is tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days. . . ."

"What, do you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Could be useful," he said to Harry, Hermione, and Marvolo as they went to dinner. "Shall we go?"

Harry, Hermione, and Marvolo were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a gold stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young — maybe it'll be him."

"As long as it's not —" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.