COURTYARD
[The Gryffindor Quidditch team -- Anna, Fred, George, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson -- trail Oliver Wood through the courtyard, toward the distant Quidditch pitch. Several students are outside, studying.]
Wood: I spent the summer devising a whole new Quidditch program.
"I think he's even worse than you, Prongs." Said Sirius. James rolled his eyes.
Wood: We're going to train earlier, harder, and longer! (squinting) What the... I don't believe it! [Crossing the courtyard from the other side are seven boys in green robes, also carrying broomsticks. At their lead is Marcus Flint, trollish Slytherin Captain. Rose sitting at a table, looks up.]
"Here comes trouble." Sighted Remus.
Rose: Uh-oh. I smell trouble.
Wood: Clear out, Flint! I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today.
Flint: Easy, Wood. I've got a note. [As Wood snatches the parchment from Flint's hand, Rose comes up to join the others.]
Wood: 'I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker and chaser.' (looking up) You've got a new Seeker and Chaser? Who? [A pasty-faced girl and Black skinned girl pushes to the front. It's... Malfoy and Zabini.]
Anna: Malfoy?
Cassie: That's right. And that's not all that's new this year... [As one, the seven Slytherins hold out seven brand-new gleaming broomsticks. The Gryffindors look stunned.]
Rose: Those are Nimbus Two Thousand Ones.
"Of course they would use a bribe to get into the team." Scoffed Sirius. Slytherins glared at him.
"I'm sure she got in with her talent and i rewarded her by giving her and her team brooms." Said Lucius, glaring at Sirius.
"Sure." Said Sirius sarcastically. Slytherins glared at him. Remus nudged him and motioned him to not say anything.
Flint: A generous gift from Cassie's father. [Griffindors glared.]
GILDEROY LOCKHART'S OFFICE
[Camera pans the walls of Lockhart's office, lined with framed photographs of... Gilderoy Lockhart. Anna and Lockhart work by candlelight at an ornate desk. Bleary-eyed, Anna addresses envelopes, while a cheery Lockhart puts his signature to the stack of glossy photos bearing his image.]
Gilderoy Lockhart: Anna, Anna, Anna... Can you possibly imagine a better way to serve detention than by helping me answer my fan mail? [Anna forces a smile.]
"Thousands." Said James.
Gilderoy Lockhart: Fame's a fickle friend, Anna. Celebrity is as celebrity does. Remember that. [Anna nods, glancing gloomily at the towering stack of envelopes that remain. Dipping his quill, he starts to write, when... a chilly voice fills the room.]
Voice: Come... come to me...
Room froze in fear.
"What was that?!" Asked Lily.
Anna: What?
Gilderoy Lockhart: I was saying, six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all records!
Anna: No... not you, that... voice.
Gilderoy Lockhart: Voice?
Anna: That... voice. Didn't you hear it?
Gilderoy Lockhart: What are you talking about, Anna?
"Why can't he hear it?" Asked Narcissa. Everyone looks worried.
Gilderoy Lockhart: I think we're getting a bit drowsy. Great Scott -- and no wonder -- look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours!
"Four hours. FOUR! My poor goddaughter." Said Sirius.
"Why are you even so sure you're the godfather? Maybe i am." Said Remus.
"Dream on." Scoffed Sirius.
Gilderoy Lockhart: Dinner's nearly done! If you hurry you might make pudding. Spooky how the time flies when one's having fun!
Anna: Spooky.
CORRIDOR
[Anna passes quickly through the lengthening shadows of the empty corridor]
Voice: Blood... I smell blood... [Anna stops cold, looking around for the source of the voice.]
Voice: Let me rip you... let me kill you...
Everyone is more worried now.
"What the fuck is happening?!" Said nervous Evan.
[Anna steps to the wall, playing her fingers along the stone, then begins walk, slowly at first, then more quickly, as if following something, moving faster and faster, rounding the corner and coming face to face with... Rose.]
Rose: Anna!
Some jumped startled.
"Don't do that!" Said startled Lily.
Anna: Did you hear it?
Rose: Hear what?
Anna: That... voice.
Rose: Voice? What voice?
"She didn't hear it. Why?" Said Regulus.
Anna: (eyes darting around) I heard it first in Lockhart's office and then again, just --
Voice: Kill... Time to kill... [As Anna stiffens, Rose study her curiously.]
Anna: It's moving. I think it's going to... kill.
"And you are going toward it?!" Yelled Sirius.
"Have you really gone mad?!" Yelled Remus.
"It's all your fault!" Yelled worried Lily at James.
Rose: It says it's gonna kill and you're running toward it? This is whole new level of Moronic, even for us. [Anna runs off.]
"Exactly!" Said Evan.
Rose: (mutters) She's gonna be a death of me! [Rose follows Anna.]
"It would be cute if they weren't following strange voice which says it's gonna kill!" Said Barty.
[Anna dashes madly, taking the steps three at a time. She makes the landing, rushes through the archway and sleds to a stop, listening: Nothing. Slowly, he peers down. Water is oozing over the stone floor, surrounding her shoes. Her own reflection appears and, behind it, undulating like a dream... words. Rose comes huffing up.]
Rose: Anna, what are you doing? [She points. Shimmering on the wall are the words he saw reflected in water.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE.]
"That's a myth!" Said James in disbelief.
"We were summoned here by Hogwart's founder and are watching future. Is existance of chamber of secrets really that surprising?" Said Barty.
Rose: 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...?' Wait, What's that? Hanging underneath?
Anna: That's Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris.
[The cat hangs stiffly by her tail from a torch bracket, eyes open and blank. Anna's eyes shift to the adjacent window: near the topmost pane, Spiders scuttle up a silvery thread, fight to get through a crack in the glass.]
"Strange. I have nerver seen spider move like that." Said Narcissa.
Rose: (backing away) I... don't... like... spiders. [Suddenly, the stairwell is alive with voices and, seconds later, dozens of students stream forth, chattering... when they stop, seeing the wall and, standing before it, Anna and Rose. A thudding silence falls. Then Cassie pushes forward, eyes the wall, and grins nastily.]
Cassie: (loudly) Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!
Griffindors glared at Cassiopeia.
"Cassiopeia!" Scolded Narcissa. Lucius clearly agreed with his daughter's languege, but didn't say anything.
Theo: Cassie, It's not a game!
Cassie: Oh, come on! It's clearly a prank. Cat isn't even dead.
"Than it's terrible prank." Said Lily.
Blair: I don't know, it doesn't look like a prank and if it is, than it's really bad one.
"That's too far. Even for us." Said Remus.
Filch: What's going on here? Go on now!
"Oh. No." Said Marauders.
Filch: Make way... (stopping dead) Mrs. Norris! (rounding on Anna) You! You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll --
"Get away from my daughter!" Said Lily, her eyes shining with rage.
"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?!" Said James.
Dumbledore: Argus! [Dumbledore marches forward, trailed by a phalanx of teachers.]
Lily sights in relief, but still glares at Filch.
[Seeing the wall, Dumbledore's face darkens.]
Dumbledore: Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately. (to Anna, Rose) Everyone except you two.
"They have the worst luck." Said Evan.
[As the corridor empties, Dumbledore steps to the wall and, with extreme gentleness, removes Mrs. Norris.]
Gilderoy Lockhart: It was definitely a curse that killed her -- probably the Transmogrifian Torture. Encountered it myself once, in Ouagadougou. The full story's in my autobiography... [Rose and Anna roll their eyes.]
Dumbledore: She's not dead, Argus. She's been Petrified.
"Even the student could tell apart dead and petrified and DADA teacher can't!" Scoffed Lucius.
Gilderoy Lockhart: Precisely! So unlucky I wasn't there. I know the very countercurse that could have spared her... [Rose and Anna rolled their eyes again.]
Everyone roll their eyes.
Dumbledore: But how she's been Petrified ... I cannot say.
Filch: (pointing at Anna) Ask her! It's her that's done it. You saw what she wrote on the wall! Besides, she knows I'm -- I'm a Squib.
Anna: It's not true, sir! I swear! I never touched Mrs. Norris -- don't even know he is a Squib.
Filch: Rubbish! She saw my Kwikspell letter!
Anna: I thought you just had trouble with your magic! I didn't think that Hogwarts caretaker would be a squib!
Everyone agreed with her.
"Why would someone make a squib enormous magical school caretaker?" Asked Lily. James shrugged.
Snape: If I might, Headmaster... [The others turn, watch Snape separate from the shadows.]
Snape: Perhaps Potter and her friend were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time... [Could Snape be defending Anna and Rose blink. Them?]
Everyone offscreen looked shocked, too.
Snape: However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner.
"Now that's more like it. I was getting scared for a second there." Said Barty.
Gilderoy Lockhart: I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Anna was helping me answer my fan mail... [As Snape's lip curls in disgust, Rose leaps in.]
Rose: That's why I went looking for her, Professor. I'd just found her when Anna said...
Snape: (raising an eyebrow) Yes, Miss Weasley?
Anna: When I said I wasn't hungry.
"Why does she not just tell them?" Said Lily.
"Because she doesn't trust them. She went to them for help once and they turned her around." Said Regulus.
Anna: We were heading back to the Common Room and found Mrs. Norris. [Snape eyes Anna coldly, knowing she's lying. Anna looks at Dumbledore and finds Dumbledore studying her as well.]
Dumbledore: Innocent until proven guilty.
Filch: My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!
Dumbledore: We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When they have matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. In the meantime, I advise caution. To all.
YOU ARE READING
Anna Potter and Chamber of secrets
Hayran Kurgu[Book 2] In Anna's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a series of messages on the walls of the school's corridors warn that the "Chamber of Secrets" has been opened and that the "heir of Slytherin" would kill all pupils who d...
