Keep Me In Your Memory

Chapter 12 - The Opening of the Chamber

The silence that hung in the air after Severus's announcement was thick with awkwardness and fear. Harry stared off over Severus's shoulder as the words he read over the years floated in and out of his mind reminding him of the fact that wolves and dogs shared the same ancestor. His breathing began to increase as images of Aunt Marge's dog Ripper gnawing on him, or chasing him up a tree, or even barking at him as he hid in the cupboard flashed through his mind. Each image caused his breathing to increase even more until he was hyperventilating and his vision was blocked by memories. In the back of his mind he swore he heard Severus calling out to him with soothing words. Words that tried to pierce the wall of memories, but could not.

Calm yourself.

A familiar voice whispered easily cutting through the wall of memories and sailing over to where he was mentally cowering. The fact that the voice was so familiar made Harry wonder where he had heard it from. The second his mind remembered exactly where he had heard the voice from, he was so shocked that he snapped out of his panic attack to see Severus's worried face.

"I'm-I'm fine." Harry wheezed out as his breath slowly began to calm down. He slipped off the desk and would have fallen to the ground because of his weak knees had he not caught the edge of the desk.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked concerned and a little scared.

"Yeah." Harry said nodded pushing off the desk and able to stand thanks to his knees no longer shaking. Severus sighed and leaned back in his chair while covering his face.

"If you do not want to meet Remus, I will not make you." He informed Harry, his voice holding sadness.

"Why would you think I don't want to meet him?" Harry asked.

"You are terrified of werewolves, and I do not blame you. Many people are terrified of werewolves, even I was once." Severus said with a humorless smile.

"I'm not terrified of werewolves." Harry said and Severus gave him a disbelieving look.

"Not terrified? Harry, you just had a panic attack after finding out Remus was one!" Severus pointed out and Harry blushed embarrassed.

"I really am not terrified of werewolves. I'm terrified of dogs." Harry muttered and an understanding filtered across Severus's face.

"I see." Severus said softly.

"It's almost time for the feast, and I need to apologize to some people." Harry said before turned and began to make his way towards the door as quickly as he could. He paused with his hand on the handle, "I trust you to not to put me in any danger." With that said Harry bolted out of the room.

~Keep Me In Your Memory~

Harry rushed through the halls trying to run from his embarrassment, he didn't even understand why he was embarrassed. He slid around the corner and ran into Hermione and Ron. "Oh!" Hermione cried out in shock.

"Sorry." Harry muttered stumbling back.

"Everything alright, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yup." Harry said and went to walk around the two.

"Are you sure? You're looking quite…" Hermione paused in speaking, it was clear that she was trying to find the politest way of saying he looked like shite.

"You look like death warmed over." Haiden said causing Ron to snicker as Hermione gasped in shock.

"Haiden! How could you say that to your brother!" Hermione reprimanded him. "I'm so sorry, Harry, don't listen to-"

"No, it's alright, Hermione. I'm sure I actually look worse." Harry muttered. "Anyway, I'm in a hurry. I'll see you at the feast."

"Actually, we're going to a Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party. You should come with us, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you joined us." Hermione invited him.

"A Deathday Party?" Harry asked before shaking his head. "Thanks for the invite, but I really can't. Wish Nearly Headless Nick a happy Deathday for me." Harry said before walking around them and continued on down the hall. A few minutes of walking, and getting turned around by the stairs he found himself in a random hall and late for the feast.

Harry gave an annoyed sigh as he turned to go back to try and make his way to the Great Hall. "...rip… tear… kill…" The same cold, murderous voice he had heard before sounded around him. He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway. "... soo hungry… for so long… kill… time to kill…" Harry began to panic, it was going to kill someone! He needed to warn someone! Harry turned and bolted away from where he was hoping to not only get away from the voice but also find someone to warn. "... I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!" His stomach lurched as he swung around a corner only to come to a sliding stop when he found Ginny writing on the wall in blood.

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

Was what she was writing. And once she was done, she quickly took the bucket filled with blood and ran away. Harry watched her frozen in fear as the memory of his dream replayed in his mind, only this time he clearly saw Ginny laying motionless on the ground. Harry didn't know how long he stood frozen in front of the bloody words, but it was long enough for Hermione, Haiden, and Ron to find him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked before gasping.

"What did you do?" Haiden demanded.

"I didn't do this! Ginny did!" Harry said.

"Lier!" Ron cried glaring at him.

"I'm not lying! I saw her!" Harry cried stomping his foot childishly.

"Then where is she, hm?" Ron demanded.

"She ran off!" Harry informed and Ron rolled his eyes.

"How convenient." Ron muttered and Harry turned his attention towards Hermione.

"I really did see Ginny writing on the wall." Harry told her and she looked conflicted. "You do believe me, don't you?"

"I- well…" Hermione stumbled looking between Harry and Ron. "What's that thing - hanging underneath?" She asked, slight quiver in her voice. They all looked over at the thing handing on the torch below the words. All four of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward, nearly slipping in the large puddle of water on the floor. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a bored, her eyes wide and staring.

"Let's get out of here." Ron said after a few minutes.

"Shouldn't we try and help-" Haiden began awkwardly.

"Trust me, we don't want to be found here." Ron said grabbing both Haiden and Hermione's arms and tried to back away. But it was too late. He had only forced them five steps before a rumble, as though a distant thunder, told them that the feast had ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud happy talk of well-fed people; the next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry found himself stood alone in the middle of the corridor; Ron apparently found a way to quickly sneak him, Haiden, and Hermione into the crowd; as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Draco shouted through the quiet. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he switched from grinning at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat to glaring at Hermione who was peeking around a seventh year Ravenclaw. She looked both pissed and apologetic.