Willow

C.17

After Sir Nick's speech, Willow and her friends gather with Willow's family  "I can't stand much more of this." Ron tells them, his teeth chattering. The orchestra goes back into action as the ghosts sweep back onto the dance floor. "Let's go." Harry agrees. "We'll see you all at christmas." Kol tells them, kissing his daughter's head as she and her friends all leave the party.  "Pudding might not be finished yet." Ron says hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall. Harry stumbles to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, looking around and squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway "Harry, what're you — ?" Willow asks. "It's that voice again — shut up a minute —" Harry tells them all, having told them about the voice he heard at Lockhart's detention. "Listen!" he tells them urgently, none of them hearing anything "This way!" he shouts, beginning to run up the stairs and into the entrance hall. He sprints up the marble staircase to the first floor, the others running after him. "Harry, what're we —" Draco starts. "SHH!" Harry cuts him off.

Harry stands still a second, listening "It's going to kill someone!" he shouts, ignoring their bewildered faces as he runs up the next flight of steps three at a time. They reach the second floor, Harry running round "Harry, what was that all about? I couldn't hear anything..." Ron trails off. Hermione gasps, pointing down the corridor "Look!" she tells them. They all walk over, looking at the wall where foot high words had been written on the wall 'THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE'. "What's that thing — hanging underneath?" Theo asks. Willow steps forward, being careful of the water on the floor "It's Mrs Norris..." she trails off, seeing the cat hanging from her tail on a torch bracket. "Let's get out of here." Ron pipes up "Shouldn't we try and help?" Harry asks awkwardly. "Trust me. We don't want to be found here." Ron tells him.

Suddenly, there's a rumble of chairs and footsteps as the feast ends. Willow closes her eyes, sending a psychic message to her Father, telling him and the rest of the family to get up to the second floor as fast as they can. Moments later, students come from both ends of the corridor. Everyone freezes at the sight of the words and Mrs Norris, the seven friends stood in front of it all "Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Snyder shouts.  "What's going on here? What's going on? My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris? You! You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll —" Filch starts screeching. "Argus!" Dumbledore interrupts. 

The Mikaelson's arrive, taking in the scene and rushing to the seven teenagers "Are you alright?" Kol asks, checking them over. "We're alright, Dad, we just... We found Mrs Norris like this..." Willow explains shakily. Dumbledore walks past them all, detaching Mrs Norris "Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Mikaelson, Mr Malfoy, Mr Nott, Mr Zabini." he tells them.  "My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —" Lockhart pipes up. "Thank you, Gilderoy." Dumbledore tells him. "We're coming too." Elijah tells Dumbledore, making him nod knowing he has no say.

The silent crowd parts to let everyone pass, Lockhart looking excited and important as he hurries after Dumbledore with McGonagall and Snape. They enter Lockhart's office, all his portraits dodging out of sight with their hair in rollers. Dumbledore lies Mrs Norris on the polished desk and begins to examine her "May I, Professor?" Freya asks. "Of course, Ms Mikaelson." Dumbledore tells her, letting her take a look. "It was definitely a curse that killed her — probably the Transmogrifian Torture — I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her..." Lockhart rambles, Filch letting out broken sobs.

Dumbledore mutters strange words under his breath, tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand to no avail "...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou, a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..." Lockhart continues, the portraits of Lockhart nodding in agreement. "She's not dead, Argus." Freya tells Filch. "Not dead? But why's she all — all stiff and frozen?" Filch asks her. "She has been Petrified." Dumbledore tells him. "Ah! I thought so!" Lockhart pipes up, Willow looking ready to punch him. "But how, I cannot say..." Dumbledore continues, Freya shaking her head indicating she doesn't know either. "Ask him!" Filch shrieks, pointing at Harry. "No second year could have done this. It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—" Dumbledore starts. "He did it, he did it! You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found — in my office — he knows I'm a — I'm a — He knows I'm a Squib!" Filch rants.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris! And I don't even know what a Squib is." Harry defends.  "Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!" Filch snarls. "If I might speak, Headmaster. Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?" Snape asks. "Actually, Severus, the children were with us at Sir Nicholas' Death Day Party. They only just left the party when Willow sent a message to me telling me to get to the corridor." Kol tells him. "But why not join the feast afterward? Why go up to that corridor?" Snape asks them. "Because we were tired and wanted to go to bed, we went with them because Hermione has a book I want to borrow and the boys came with me." Willow tells him, knowing Harry will look more suspicious if he mentions the voice. "Without any supper? I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties." Snape tells them. "We bought food along, Willow pre-warned us there wouldn't be any food." Hermione pipes up. "I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest." Snape sneers. "Really, Severus, I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong." McGonagall tells him.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore says firmly. "My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch screeches. "We will be able to cure her, Argus, Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs Norris." Dumbledore calmly explains. "I'll make it, I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep —" Lockhart starts. "Excuse me, but I believe I am the Potions master at this school." Snape cuts in, creating an awkward pause. "You may go." Dumbledore tells the seven friends. Kol kisses Willow's forehead, sending a psychic message into her head to send him a letter with what happened after the party. Willow hugs her Dad, Uncles and Aunt before leaving with her friends "Talk tomorrow." she tells Harry, Ron and Hermione, making them nod in agreement as they all split off.