Harry Potter - The Accidental Animagus

Chapter 50 - Prowling and Paranoia

It was Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who delivered the news the next morning: “There’s been an attack!”

“What?” the Common Room gasped.

“We went to visit Professor Lockhart before breakfast—”

“And he was there!”

“The little first year—the one with the camera.”

“Colin Creevey!” Hermione gasped.

“Yeah, him—all stiff and frozen, just like Mrs. Norris!”

“Lockhart said they brought him in the night.”

“It’s too bad he was laid up, or he might have been able to help him, Hermione,” Lavender glared at her.

“Hey, I was just trying to protect Harry,” she defended herself. “And if you can’t see how incompetent he is from that little episode, then I give up trying to convince you.”

“Lavender, Parvati,” Harry said softly before the girls could make a scene, “do the professors know what happened?”

“I think Lockhart does,” Lavender said. “He doesn’t want to tip them off, but I think he thinks the Chamber of Secrets is real, and it really is the Heir of Slytherin who did it.” Harry and Hermione strongly suspected Lockhart was bluffing.

“Oh, and he said Colin’s camera was all melted inside,” Parvati added. “What kind of thing does that?”

No one had an answer to that, nor to what could petrify people (and cats) like that.

“C’mon, let’s go to breakfast,” Harry mumbled to Hermione. They quickly left the Common Room. “Just what I need,” he groaned when they were out of earshot, “another mysterious evildoer causing trouble at school. Isn’t Hogwarts supposed to be the safest place in Britain?”

“I’m sure the professors are doing the best they can,” Hermione said, although she was looking a lot more nervous than before herself.

“Well, something needs to be done. Colin’s a friend—sort of, anyway, and there’s still Mrs. Norris to think about…” He leaned in close and whispered, “I think it’s time I tried going into the Slytherin dorms.”

“What? Harry, no, you musn’t,” Hermione hissed.

He shook his head: “I know McGonagall said not to, but this is important. If someone in Slytherin gives me a clue, maybe we can figure out who’s behind the attacks. Besides, this’ll give me an opportunity to get a whiff of Malfoy and Nott—ugh, as much as I don’t want to.”

“But what if you get caught?”

“I’ll just have to not get caught. Come on, we know the Heir’s not going after cats in particular, now. If he’s going after students, things could get really bad really fast. I’m sure you’re on his hit list.”

“Eep!” Hermione said in spite of herself, and she reluctantly nodded. She knew that full well, of course, but she’d been trying not to think about it.

“And I’m muggle-raised, and I’ve come out as one of the biggest muggle-lovers in school, and there’s what Dobby said,” Harry continued. “I could be on his list, too. I think it’s worth the risk.”