Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1

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hospital wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry.'

Professor McGonagall was still staring at him, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice.

'Of course,' she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye. 'Of course, I realise this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been ... I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Granger. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given my permission.'

With that the three walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention. As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.

'That,' said Ron fervently, 'was the best story you've ever come up with.'

'I'm jealous I didn't think of it well done, Harry,' Amelia clapped him on the back.

They had no choice now but to go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that they had Professor McGonagall's permission to visit Hermione.

Madam Pomfrey let them in, but reluctantly.

'There's just no point talking to a Petrified person,' she said('No need to remind us of the obvious' Amelia grumbled bitterly), and they had to admit she was right when they'd taken their seats next to Hermione. It was plain that Hermione didn't have the faintest inkling that she had visitors, and that they might just as well tell her bedside cabinet not to worry for all the good it would do.

'Wonder if she did see the attacker, though?' said Ron, looking sadly at Hermione's rigid face. 'Because if he sneaked up on them all, no one'll ever know ...'

'Maybe she did. She shoved me down before I could even get a look at it. I'm not sure if I would want to now, though,' mumbled Amelia, her head hung low.

But Harry wasn't looking at Hermione's face. He was more interested in her right hand. It lay clenched on top of her blankets, and bending closer, he saw that a piece of paper was scrunched inside her fist.

Making sure that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere near, he pointed this out to Ron and Amelia.

'Try and get it out,' Ron whispered, shifting his chair so that he blocked Harry from Madam Pomfrey's view.

It was no easy task. Hermione's hand was clamped so tightly around the paper that Harry was sure he was going to tear it. While Ron kept watch he tugged and twisted, and at last, after several tense minutes, the paper came free.

(Book 2 is out)