The Last Gaunt:Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets [Book 2]

Chapter XI: The Boy and the Ghost

Third Person POV

                     Kieran saw that both Zach and Harry turned on their heel and stormed out of the library, earning themselves a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook. He took this as an opportunity to try and Speak to Harry, so he followed behind them. As Kieran followed them who blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where they were going. They walked right into Hagrid which caused Kieran to be able to Catch up with them. 
                                                                     "Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up. Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.
                                                                     "All righ', Harry? Zach?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?" Before noticing Kieran "Hello Kieran"
                                                                  "Hi" Kieran said as He made his prescense known to Harry and Zach.
                                                                   "Canceled," said Harry, getting up.
                                                                   "What're you doing in here?" Zach asked Hagrid held up the limp rooster.
                                                                    "Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin Bugbear, an'I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop." He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snowflecked eyebrows. "Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an'bothered--"
                                                                       "It's nothing," he said. "Id better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books." He walked off, his mind still full of what Ernie had said about them. 
                                                                       "Harry let's forget What happened. Okay Those Hufflepuff, are jerks to be talking about us like that." Zach added as Kieran joined them
                                                                      "Wait up guys" Kieran said as he reach Harry's Side. "Harry, I need to tell you soemthing..."
                                                                     "What is it Kieran?" He answered "You believe those rumors that I am the Heir of Slytherin" He said clearly still a bit angry.
                                                                     "Not at all, but..." Kieran began taking a deep breath "I just... think we could be distant relatives"
                                                                    "What are you on about Kieran?" Zach asked as the boy walked.
                                                                    "I..." He was hessitating again "I'm a Parseltongue too Harry" He said looking at both of them. "Me and my whole family from my parents side" He said awkawdly,
                                                                  "Wait you are?" Harry looked surprised. "What are the odd that the two of us are parseltongues.
                                                                  "Really bad odds Harry" He said looking around "But... Yesterday when you talked to the snake... I was actually going to speak instead but hearing you made me stop." 
                                                                  "So there two ParselTongues in hogwarts..." Zach said before he looked at Kieran in the eye. "How do we know you aren't the Heir of Slytehrin. For all we know you are the one who caused Mrs Noris and Colon to get petrified."
                                                                  "Look I was with you guys When the attack on Mrs. Norris Happened, and I was..." Kieran hessitated before he spoke "Comming from my common room when i found Colin. Both times I was at the right place at the wrong time..." He sighed "Look... This all could be dangerous" He told them as the Stamped up the stairs "I have a feeling that whatever we are up against is-" But Kieran didn't finish his sentence beauce as they turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. Kieran had stopped dead in his track as Zach who was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor. Zach and Kieran's stomach felt as it was dissolved because, Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen. It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his  face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's. Kieran was shocked to the point he stared at the two boys who were the closest to The boy and the Ghost petrified. Harry  looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side. Zach stared frozen. They Just missed an attack and now He was ontop of the petrified victim and couldn't move. Harry could run, and no one would ever know he had been there. But he couldn't just leave them lying here... He had to get help... Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this? As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.
                                                                          "Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking--" Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Zach on top of Justin and then Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.
                                                                                     "Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry and Zach who finally snapped of his shocked stated and had gotten up and Kieran who was also caught with them
                                                                                     "That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply. Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:
                                                                                         "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off'students, you think it's good fun--"
                                                                                      "That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry, Zach and Kieran. Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry, Zac, Kieran and Professor McGonagall alone together.
                                                                                        "This way, Potter, Richardson, Cunnignham" she said.
                                                                                        "Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear We didn't--"
                                                                                           "This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly. They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle. "Lemon drop!" she said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Harry couldn't fail to be amazed. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As he, Zach, Kieran and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin. He knew now where he was being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived. As The followed Kieran heard Zach sigh. They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Harry, Zach and Kieran to wait and left them there, alone. Harry looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers'offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting. If he hadn't been scared out of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it. Kieran was looking at the room He had been in last year after he and Thorne and Blackwood were there after Kieran had used flipendo on Blackwood. So he already had seen the office.  It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat. Harry had walked behind the desk to put the sorting hat oo. He had it for a minute before  . He grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick. You're wrong," he said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around. Meanwhile Zach walked close to the Phoenix and smile at it. Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Kieran had seen the Phoenix before as he Joined Zach and Harry's side. Harry thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames. Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor. Zach chuckled, Kieran shook his head in amusement. The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.
                                                                          "Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire--" To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.
                                                                          "About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on." He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry."
                                                                          "Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes." after Zach said that the Phoenix rose from the Ashes to Harry's Surprise and Zach smiled wide.
                                                                           "It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."