Scarred from the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter Fan Fiction Retelling)

Chapter 9: Even His Scar Looks Guilty

"Potter did it, Potter did it!" Lavender shouted, pointing a finger at Harry.

McGonagall glared at her. "Ms. Brown, you don't even know what he did."

"I know, but he looks guilty AF. Even his scar looks guilty."

Harry stood between Ron and Hermione in front of the pink poster. The threatening message on it shimmered in the firelight as the entire school surrounded the scene of the crime, which not only included the message that read, The Chamber of Secrets Have Been Opened. Enemies of the Air, Beware. At the trio's feet was Mrs. Norris, lying completely still and stiff like someone had stuffed her.

McGonagall nudged the cat with her toe. "Wow, Potter. You hate cats this much? Remind me never to transfigure into one when I'm around you."

"I didn't touch her!" Harry said, stepping away from the cat.

"We just found her like this," Ron added, "all dead-looking and gross like usual."

"We did," Hermione said, "and you can trust me because I'm your favorite student."

"Filch is coming!" Angelina shouted.

"Hide the cat!" Hermione screamed guiltily.

Filch shoved Angelina and Katie aside like a couple of Bludgers. His mouth fell open when he saw Mrs. Norris lying on the ground in a puddle of water. "My cat!" he croaked. "My beloved wife! You drowned my cat in a puddle of her own pleading tears!"

Harry shook his head. "Actually, if you take the time to take a sip of the water in question, you'll find that it's toilet water. Moaning Myrtle—"

"You drowned her in the toilet!" Filch hollered. He fell to his knees and lifted his arms a little too dramatically into the air. "Nooooooooooo!"

"Someone shut him up!" Hooch yelled, covering her ears.

McGonagall grabbed Mrs. Norris and slapped Filch across the face with it. "Pull yourself together, Filch! While you're at it, pull your pants up." She dropped the cat back into the water.

"Never fear, for I am here," a feeble voice managed to bellow through the whisperings. Dumbledore stepped forward. He had a pumpkin juice stain on his shirt and a few drops of chowder in his beard. His eyes flickered with fear for a moment when he saw the message on the wall. "Last Halloween, there was a troll set loose in the castle. The year before that, my dancing skeletons caused a riot. I have come to the conclusion that Hogwarts is never safe on Halloween night." He pointed at Hermione. "You—"

"Are your favorite student ever," Hermione finished for him.

"Step away from the cat."

Hermione jumped. "I didn't do it. I'm just standing here like an innocent little lamb."

Dumbledore picked the stiff cat up by the tail. Its eyes were wide and glossy. "There is good news in this otherwise disastrous affair, Filch. Your cat is not dead. She's simply petrified."

"That's even worse," McGonagall said, frowning.

"How so, Minerva?"

"Well, imagine not being able to blink."

"That's torture!" Hannah cried, purposely blinking rapidly.

"There is a remedy for this predicament," Dumbledore continued. "A simple mandrake solution can revive petrified people. However, I understand Professor Sprout's single mandrake has been plantnapped."

"Did he just say mandrake?" Parvati yelped. She looked at Lavender. "What are we going to do? We're plantnappers!"

Lavender tightened her grasp on her Potions cauldron. The top of a leafy head poked out of it. "Don't worry, Aunt Parvati. No one's going to take our little precious Mannie away from us. We just show that much devotion as mother and aunt."