SuperPotterLock- The Chamber of Secrets

The Duelling Club

Castiel awoke early on Sunday morning. He quickly dressed and checked on Harry. He was still sleeping with his arm lying stiffly beside him. Careful not to wake Harry up, he felt up and down the arm to make sure all the bones had re-grown properly. Everything seemed to be there. He then went over to Colin and raised the high curtains to stop curious people from spying on him. Once he was satisfied that everything in the ward was just as it should be, ready for Madam Pomfrey, he walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, meeting Ron, Hermione and John on the stairs. As soon as he saw them he told them about what had happened the night before.

'We should start on the potion,' Hermione said in a hushed voice.

'Good idea,' John agreed. 'The sooner we get it done the better.'

Castiel glanced at him, astounded by how calm both he and Hermione were. It was well known that they were both Muggle-born, and if by some chance it was Malfoy behind the attacks they would be huge targets.

They rushed through their breakfast and hurried down to the dungeons. Hermione pulled out a small piece of paper once they reached the store cupboard. She ticked off the ingredients as she loaded her bag - and some of John's - with little paper packets. They may be allowed to help themselves to the store cupboard, but it was still best not to let Snape catch them taking so much or he might ask unwanted questions.

'I'll have to weigh these later and then bring back any spare,' Hermione muttered as she stuffed the last packet into John's bag.

'Where exactly are we going with this, Hermione?' Ron asked as the surfaced in the Entrance Hall. 'It's not like we can set up in the common room.'

'I know just the place.'

'You've got to be joking!' Ron exclaimed.

'Oh, for goodness' sake, Ron!' Hermione shot back.

'They'll catch us in a week!'

'I seriously doubt it.'

Hermione pushed open the door to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the 'Out of Order' sign still hung on it. John shrugged and followed, Castiel dithered for a moment before following suit and Ron shook his head incredulously.

Hermione was already kneeling in a cubicle next to John, who was handing her the packets out of his bag.

'You already brought your cauldron?' Ron asked, looking at the cauldron perched on top of the toilet.

'No, this is a school one. It might look weird if I turn up to Potions without my cauldron when it was perfectly fine last lesson,' she explained, poking her wand in the gap under the cauldron stand, creating the waterproof flames that she was so good at.

Over the next hour or so, Hermione worked on the potion, directing Ron and John around while Castiel stayed back, staring into space. He was slowly working together the pieces of the puzzle, but no matter what angle he spun it on, he couldn't help feeling that he was missing something - besides what the monster of Slytherin was.

The four of them jumped out of their skin when they heard a voice call through the door.

'It's just me.'

Hermione gasped and dropped her spoon.

'Harry,' she said. 'You gave us such a fright. Come in - how's your arm?'

'Fine,' Harry said, walking over to stand next to Castiel. He peered into the cubicle at the cauldron.

'We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the potion,' Ron explained to him. 'Castiel told us what happened last night and we thought that the sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better.'