Gryffindor boy - Ron Weasley x male oc

18

Harper blinked, looking around the corridor with a confused expression. He turned his head when he heard an approaching footsteps down the corridor and walked towards where the footsteps was and saw his friends.

Harry turned his head when he heard a single footsteps and saw a confused Harper approaching them. "Where were you, Harper?" He asked the boy.

Harper shakes his head, shrugging. "I don't know, It felt like I was sleepwalking and just woke up in the corridor." He answered, pointing where he had just come from. He looked at the wall and ignored the flooding floor, seeing the word.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...?" Hermione read what was on the wall with a confusion expression.

"What's that? Hanging underneath?" Ron asked.

"That's Mr. Filch cat. Mrs. Norris." Harper said, looking at the cat hanging stiffly by her tail from a torch bracket, eyes open and blank. Harper's eyes shift to the adjacent window: near the topmost pane, where spiders scuttle up a silvery thread, fighting to get through a crack in the glass.

"Look at that. Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" Hermione said, looking at Ron who is now hiding behind Harper with a scared look. "Ron?"

"I... don't... like... spiders." Ron said, hiding his face behind Harper's shoulder.

Suddenly, the staircase came alive with voices and, seconds later, dozens of students streamed forth, chattering, and when they stopped, seeing the wall and, standing before it, Harry, Ron, Harper and Hermione.

A thudding silence falls then Draco pushes forward, eyes the wall and grins nastily. "Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" He said, eyes finding Harper and Hermione, the former about to move forward with his hand raised but remembered that Ron is still holding onto him.

Mr. Filch suddenly appeared. "What's going on here? Go on now! Make way." He stopped dead in his tracks, looking at his cat. "Mrs. Norris!" He exclaimed, instantly turning to Harry. "You! You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll--"

"Argus!" Professor Dumbledore marches forward, trailed by a phalanx of teachers. Seeing the wall, Professor Dumbledore's face darkens. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately. Everyone except you four."

As the corridor empties, Professor Dumbledore steps to the wall and, with extreme gentleness, removes Mrs. Norris.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her-- probably the Transmogrifian Torture. Encountered it myself once, in Ouagadougou. The full story's in my--" Lockhart was cut off by Harper who was getting annoyed by him talking.

"No one's care Lockhart, a cat is hurt and you're bragging about what you've done?" Harper said, turning his head to look at Lockhart who suddenly looks stunned. He didn't notice the proud smile on Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape trying to hold back.

"She's not dead, Argus. She's been Petrified." Professor Dumbledore said, and Harper instantly turned his head to Lockhart, encouraging him to talk and see what would happen. "But how she's been Petrified... I cannot say."

"Ask him!" Mr. Filch said, pointing at Harry. "It's him that's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall! Besides, he knows I'm-- I'm a Squib."

"It's not true, sir! I swear! I never touched Mrs. Norris-- And I don't even know what a Squib is." Harry said, defending himself.

"Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!" Mr. Filch exclaimed.

"If I might, Headmaster..." Professor Snape, separating himself from the shadows. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

Harry and the others blink, not expecting Professor Snape to say that.

"However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner." Professor Snape said.

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail..." Lockhart said, ignoring the look on Harper's face.

"That's why Ron, Harper and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found him when Harry said..." Hermione stopped herself, not knowing what to say.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape urged, raising an eyebrow.

"When he said he wasn't hungry. We were heading back to the Common Room and found Mrs. Norris." Harper said without stuttering as he looked up at the Professors who were now looking at him.

"Innocent until proven guilty." Professor Dumbledore said, looking away from Harper.

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Mr. Filch exclaimed.

"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." Professor Dumbledore said, looking down at Harper who looked back at him with the eyes that was familiar to him a long time ago.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Harry, Ron, Harper and Hermione walk down the corridor.

"A Squib's someone who's born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any powers of their own." Ron explained to Harry. "It's what Filch is trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course. It's also why he hates students so much. He's bitter."

Hermione, who's only been half-listening-- as if trying to unravel something in her mind-- speaks then. "Harry. This voice. You said you heard it first in Lockhart's office?"

"Yes." Harry said.

"And did he hear it?" Hermione asked, looking at Harper with concern, wondering what could be in her brother's mind.

"He said he didn't." Harry said.

"Maybe he was lying." Ron said, taking Harper's hand and breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I hardly think someone with Gilderoy Lockhart's credentials would lie to one of his students, Ronald. Besides, if you recall, we didn't hear anything either." Hermione said.

"You do believe me, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Of course we do. It's just... it's a bit weird, isn't it? You hear this voice and then... Mrs. Norris turns up Petrified." Hermione said.

"I can't explain it-- it was scary." Harry said, frowning. "D'you think I should've told them! Dumbledore and the others, I mean."

"Are you mad!" Ron exclaimed.

"No, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign." Harper spoke for the first time.