Star-Crossed

Chapter Forty-Four: Polyjuice

In the middle of the corridor, Nearly Headless Nick was floating, his head tilted grotesquely to the side, revealing the insides of his neck. But the ghost was frozen mid-air, paralyzed. And behind him, was the petrified form of Justin Finch-Fletchley.

My heart dropped into my stomach. The same boy Maggie had been defending me and Harry against before, was currently paralyzed on the floor in front of us. Harry shuffled past me and moved to Justin's side, crouching next to his inert form on the ground.

And just as he did, Filch left a doorway just behind us, the creak of the door causing both of us to whip around, eyes wide.

"Caught in the act," The caretaker snarled, "I'll have you out this time, Potters. Mark my words." He flashed us a wicked grin before he turned and walked away.

"No, Mr Filch!" I stammered, trying to scramble after him, "Y-y-you don't understand-" Though I stopped when Harry caught up to me and grabbed my wrist.

"It's no use, Natie." He uttered with a sigh. But something had caught my eye.

A trail of scuttling spiders were frantically crawling down the wall to our side. I frowned when I noticed them and walked along the trail of them and found they were escaping through a window further down the hall and into the courtyard outside, toward the forest.

"Odd..." I muttered as Harry watched over my shoulder, just as confused as I was.

Just as we were watching the spiders flee, Filch returned, ushering Professor Mcgonagall along behind him. She gasped in shock, finding Justin's and Sir Nicholas' bodies there frozen, then Harry and I standing, like deer in headlights behind them.

"Professor, I swear, we didn't-" Harry started to try and defend us. But Mcgonagall held up her hand, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"This is out of my hands, Mister Potter." She remarked sternly. "You both will have to come with me."

We bowed our heads, but did as we were told and followed her as she left the scene. But not before she ordered Filch to get Madame Pomfrey for Justin and the ghost.

We walked along in silence until Mcgonagall stopped us in front of a large opening in the wall holding a rather tall golden statue of a gryphon.

"Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you." She gestured toward the statue and Harry and I cautiously approached it.

"Sherbert lemon." Mcgonagall called from behind us, staring intently at the statue. I frowned in confusion for a moment until she moved her hands toward the opening and a rush of magic blew past us like a warm breeze.

A soft groan came from within the statue and then suddenly, it was moving. It twisted around clockwise and began to rise from the floor, revealing a staircase that almost seemed to grow the further the gryphon disappeared above. Harry and I moved and stepped onto the staircase as it was rising up.

We watched in silence until the stairs came to a stop in front of a door at the very top.

Harry stepped off of the stairs first, twisting the door open. I followed quietly behind him as we entered a large room filled to the brim with strange knick knacks and interesting items strewn all over the place.

The walls were absolutely covered with different portraits, some of which were snoring and sleeping peacefully in their frames.

"Professor Dumbledore?" I called out softly, nervous.

Harry and I walked into the centre of the room, waiting patiently. But both of us stopped short when we recognised the Sorting hat sitting before us on a shelf.