The True Girl Who Lived

the writing on the wall

Chapter nine

Holly look at her father regulus. Regulus knew what she wanted when she look at him.

Walked over to her ask Emmett to move so he can sit.

Ginny run over to her mother for a cuddle. Billy and Charlie look at each other in confusion.

" What's going on here? " What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, argus filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs Norris and fell back , clutching his face in horror. " My cat! " My cat! " What's happened to Mrs Norris? He shrieked. And his popping eyes fell on albus. " You! He screeched , " you ! " You've murdered my cat! " You've killed her ! I kill you! " I'll_". " Argus! Dumbledore had arrived on the scene , followed by a number of other teachers.

Thank god". Said Carlisle, knowing when someone in anger they do something they regret. Jasper was looking at the cat ask " what can do that?

In seconds , he had swept past holly , albus , Ron and Hermione and detached Mrs Norris from the torch bracket. " Come with me, argus,' he said to filch . " You too, mr potter , miss Lovegood , Mr Weasley and miss Granger ".

" But they didn't do anything ". Said Esme.

Regulus answer " its how they run that school ". Regulus think he's gonna pull holly out after this ends.

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. " My office is nearest , headmaster _ just upstairs _ please feel free_". " Thank you , gilderoy,' said Dumbledore. The silent crowd parted to let them past . Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did professors McGonagall and snape. As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; holly saw several of the lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.

" What the". Said Emmett. " Even the pictures are wiredo.

The real lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back . Dumbledore laid Mrs Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her . Holly, albus , Ron and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching . The tip of Dumbledore's long , crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs Norris's fur . He was looking at her closely through his half_moon spectacles, his long fingers gentley prodding and poking . Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close , her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them , half in shadow , wearing a most peculiar expression: it was as through he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was hovering around all of them , making suggestions. " It was definitely a curse that killed her _ probably the transmogrify torture". " I've seen it used many times , so unlucky I wasn't there , I know the very counter curse that would have saved her"...

Fucker ! Said Rosalie.

Holly try not to laugh at that comment.

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by filch's dry , racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable  to look at Mrs norris , his face in his hands. Much as he detested filch,

" I never seen him like that". Said bill.

Holly  couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as she felt for herself. If Dumbledore believe filch , she would be expelled for sure. Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under  his breath and tapping Mrs Norris with his wand , but nothing happened: she continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed. " I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou,' said Lockhart , ' 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". The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked . One of them had forgotten to remove his hairnet. As last Dumbledore straightened up. " She's not dead, argus,' he said softly. Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented. " Not dead"? Choked filch , looking through his fingers at Mrs Norris. " But why's she all _ all stiff and frozen"? " She has been petrified,' said Dumbledore ( ' ah! " I thought so! Said Lockhart)