Always There

Chapter 7

Harry and Olivia dashed madly, taking the steps three at a time. They made the landing and rushed through the archway. They slid to a stop and listened. Only to hear nothing. Slowly, they peered down.

Water oozed over the stone floor, surrounding their shoes. Olivia's own reflection appeared and behind it undulating like a dream world.

Ron and Hermione came huffing up."Harry, Olivia, what are you doing?" The two-pointed at the shimmering on the wall are the words she saw reflected in the water.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE.

"'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...?'" Hermione questioned as she read the wall. Olivia stood there frozen.

"What's that? Hanging underneath?" Ron asked and Harry went to look closer.

"That's Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris." The cat hung stiffly by her tail from a torch bracket, eyes open and blank. Harry's eyes shifted to the adjacent. Near the topmost pane, spiders scuttle up a silvery thread, fight to get through a crack in the glass.

"Look at that. Have you ever seen spiders act like that? Ron...?"

Ron backed away once he saw the spider. "I... don't... like... spiders." Suddenly, the stairwell was alive with voice. Seconds later, dozens of students streamed forth, chattering when they stopped, seeing the wall and standing before it.

A thudding silence fell over everyone. Then Draco pushed forward, eyeing the wall and grinned nastily. "Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Draco's eyes find Hermione, just as Filch appeared.

"What's going on here? Go on now! Make way." Filch stopped dead in his tracks. "Mrs. Norris!" He rounded to Harry and Olivia. "You! You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll -" he got cut off by Dumbledore.

"Argus!" Dumbledore marched forward, trailed by a phalanx of teachers. Seeing the wall, Dumbledore's face darkened.

"Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately." He turned to Harry, Ron,
Hermione, Olivia. "Everyone except you four." As the corridor emptied, Dumbledore stepped to the wall and, with extreme gentleness, removes Mrs. Norris.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her -- probably the Transmogrifian Torture. Encountered it myself once, in Ouagadougou. The full story's in my autobiography." Lockhart ranted and Dumbledore turned to Filch.

"She's not dead, Argus. She's been Petrified." Dumbledore explained to Filch as he handed the cat over.

"Precisely! So unlucky I wasn't there. I know the very countercurse that could have spared her..." Lockhart fell on deaf ears.

"But how she's been Petrified... I cannot say." Filch pointed at Harry while glaring at Olivia.

"Ask him! It's him that's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall! Besides, he knows I'm -- I'm a Squib."

"It's not true, sir! I swear! I never touched Mrs. Norris -- And I don't even know what a Squib is." Harry argued as Olivia tried to hide behind Harry. "Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!" Filch yelled and Snape intervened.

"If I might, Headmaster..." The others turned to watch Snape separate from the shadows. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time..." Could Snape be defending Harry. Harry thought as Snape motioned Olivia over to him. The others just blinked.

Olivia doesn't give any thought as she ran over to her father. "However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner." Snape wrapped an arm around his shaking daughter.

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Harry and Olivia were helping me answer my fan mail..." As Snape's lip curled in disgust, Hermione leaped in.

"That's why Ron and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found him when Harry and Olivia said." Hermione stopped dead in her sentence. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He asked for her to finish her sentence.

"When we said we weren't hungry. We were heading back to the Common Room and found Mrs. Norris." Snape eyes Harry coldly, knowing he was lying. Harry looked away and found Dumbledore studying him as well.

"Innocent until proven guilty," Dumbledore said as Snape tried to calm the shaking girl.

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch yelled and Dumbledore nodded his head.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When they have matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. In the meantime, I advise caution. To all." Harry, Ron and Hermione and Olivia walked down the corridor.

"A Squib's someone who's born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any powers of their own. It's why Filch is trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course. It's also why he hates students so much. He's bitter." Hermione, who's only been half-listening as if trying to unravel something in her mind spook, then.

"Harry. Olivia. This voice. You said you heard it first in Lockhart's office?" Hermione asked and Olivia nodded as Harry answered.

"Yes."

"And did he hear it?" Olivia shook her head as Harry answered.

"He said he didn't."

"Maybe he was lying." Ron butted in and Olivia shook her head.

"I hardly think someone with Gilderoy Lockhart's credentials would lie to one of his students, Ronald. Besides, if you recall, we didn't hear anything either." Hermione explained to the three.

"You do believe us, don't you?" Harry asked as Olivia zoned out.

"'Course we do. It's just... it's a bit weird, isn't it? You hear this voice and then... Mrs. Norris turns up Petrified." Hermione thought out loud as Olivia shivered.

"I can't explain it -- it was... scary." Olivia muttered frowning. "D'you think I should've told them -- Dumbledore and the others, I mean." Olivia asked.

"Are you mad!" Ron yelled and Olivia jumped.

"No, Harry, Olivia. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign." Hermione said and Olivia threw up a peace sign before going to find her father.

Olivia was so scared, no she was petrified. She didn't know why she was always pulled into this type of drama. She just wanted to finish her school year. She didn't want to be in any drama.

Olivia walked into her father's room. She plopped down into the couch and curled up. She let out a breath as she let herself relax.

She smiled as she fell asleep. Feeling better knowing that she was home.