Chapter 10
The necklace bounced on Cassidy's chest as she, Ron and Hermione ran after Harry, who seemed to be following a voice, a voice the others couldn't hear.
"Harry, wait! You're going so fast!" Hermione shouted, huffing beside the other two. Their footsteps thundered down the corridor, and Cassidy felt her necklace growing hotter with every step they made.
"Harry, slow down!" Cassidy yelled. She may have loved Quidditch and sports, but she was certainly not on the athletic side.
He ignored them, running further before he suddenly stopped in a hallway, looking around and walking slowly. The others finally caught up to him, walking alongside him.
"Harry, what in Merlin's beard are you going after?!" Cassidy exclaimed.
"Maybe it's something related to what happened in the trophy room, Cass." Ron mumbled thoughtfully. Cassidy didn't reply, looking away, and Hermione glanced at the two curiously.
Suddenly, Harry stopped the group, staring down at a trail of spiders.
"What the..." Cassidy whispered, brows furrowed.
"Strange," Harry mused, looking at the trail. "I've never seen spiders act like that."
"I don't like spiders." Ron said, bottom lip trembling in fear. Hermione looked at him incredulously, before the group's eyes followed the spider's trail.
"What the hell is that?" Cassidy exclaimed in fear, as the group looked up to where it led, the wall opposite them. A message was written in...
"Blood? Is that blood? Oh, Merlin, please take us, it's over." She said, closing her eyes in defeat while Hermione read out what was written.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir...beware."
"Hey, so I think we should all do ourselves a favor and get back to our cozy little beds, alright?" Cassidy said, plastering a nervous smile on her face as the others looked at the message with great interest... and fear.
"Cassidy," Hermione said lowly. "I think it is blood." She stepped closer to Cassidy, looking at the message in horror.
"No." Harry breathed, stepping closer to something Cassidy wasn't quite paying attention to.
"Harry? Harry, what are you doing?" Cassidy pleaded, eyes widening. "Usually, when you see danger, you're supposed to run away. You want me to demonstrate?" Her necklace was emitting a soft glow now, but the color had changed.
"Cassidy, your necklace!" Hermione gasped, prompting Ron to look at it, too.
"What...?" She looked down at it, surprise written all over her face.
It was glowing.
Glowing green.
"Oh, Merlin." She said shakily, "what's...what's it doing?"
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached, and Cassidy stuffed the necklace back into her robes quickly. She didn't want anyone to start asking questions she couldn't answer. Looking back at Harry, she clasped her hands over her mouth, seeing what he was staring at.
A cat.
Turned completely into stone.
But it wasn't just any cat.
"It's Filch's cat," Harry said, staring at her hanging by the tail. "Mrs. Norris."
"How in the world- " Cassidy started, before a crowd of Gryffindors caught up to where the four were. People gasped, looking at the spectacle in horror as Colin Creevey pulled out his camera, and Oliver Wood pushed it down gently. The Weasley twins looked at Cassidy, Ron and Hermione, eyebrows raised in a silent question. Cassidy shrugged, just as confused as they were. Murmurs of shock spread across the crowd, just as another crowd of Slytherins turned up.
Draco was at the forefront, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him.
"Enemies of the heir, beware?" Draco read out, incredulous. He looked towards where Ron, Hermione and Cassidy stood, sneering. "You'll be next, Mudbloods." He spat. Cassidy started towards him, but Ron and Hermione held her back, glaring at Malfoy as she struggled to get at him.
"What's going on here?!" Cassidy stopped struggling as she heard the grating voice of Filch cry out. "Come on, make way, make way." He pushed through the crowd, determined to see what all the fuss was about. He saw Harry, and strode up to him.
"Potter. What're you-"
When he saw Mrs. Norris, he stopped, and a flicker of an emotion other than disgust flashed across his face. Cassidy almost felt sorry for him.
"M-Mrs Norris." Filch breathed, shocked. His eyes flicked back to Harry.
"Y-you murdered my cat." He said accusingly, eyes narrowing.
Harry shook his head desperately.
"Oh, please." Cassidy scoffed, garnering the attention of some students, and Filch. "Nobody's after that stupid cat."
"Cass, quit it." Ron muttered in her ear.
"You must've helped him!" He hissed at Cassidy, and any nuance of sympathy she'd had before was washed away in an instant.
"I'll kill you." He grabbed Harry's collar, and he trembled in fear. "I'll KILL BOTH OF YOU!" He yelled, and Cassidy had to be held back yet again.
"Argus!" A voice called out.
Suddenly, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall strode into the hall, and students stepped aside to let them pass.
"Argus, I-" Dumbledore started, but stopped as he read the message on the wall. Cassidy's necklace cooled down, and she calmed down respectively.
"Everyone, proceed to the dormitories immediately." He announced, eyes never leaving the message on the wall.
Hermione, Harry, Cassidy and Ron immediately started to follow the leaving students, but Dumbledore's voice called out yet again.
"Everyone, except you four." He gestured to the four of them, and they immediately stopped in their tracks, turning around slowly. Cassidy caught Neville's frightened glance before he hurried off.
Now, with the hall mostly empty, (with Professors Snape, Lockhart and McGonagall still remaining with Dumbledore and Filch), the adults started to assess the situation. Cassidy glanced to Ron's hand, the one that had been bitten, and saw him cover it discreetly.
Lockhart strode over pompously, inspecting the frozen cat.
"She's not dead, Argus." Dumbledore said simply. "She has been...petrified."
The word sent a shiver down Cassidy's spine, and she felt a flicker of warmth from the pendant.
"Ah! I thought so!" Gilderoy piped up while Cassidy rolled her eyes. "So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the counter-curse that could've spared her."
"Do you know the counter-curse for debilitating narcissism?" Cassidy sneered, earning a sharp look from McGonagall. Despite himself, Ron snorted.
"Cassandra, silence." She scolded, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at her a little before he spoke.
"How she has been Petrified, I cannot say," Dumbledore admitted.
"Well, ask them," Filch pointed at Harry and Cassidy, glaring. "It was them that done it! You saw what they wrote on the wall. That girl even had the nerve to insult Mrs Norris!" He spat.
"That's not true, sir, I swear." Harry protested. "I never touched Mrs Norris, and neither did Cassidy."
"I did insult her, though." Cassidy said smugly, grinning. "Kind of. I only said nobody would waste their time going after her."
"Silence, girl!" Filch snapped.
"Cassandra." McGonagall warned, and Cassidy wiped the grin off her face.
"If I might, Headmaster," Snape spoke up, his drawling voice catching everyone's attention. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
While the other three's jaws dropped in shock, Cassidy grinned triumphantly.
"Exactly! Thank you, Professor Snape- wait, what?" She dropped her jaw, now matching her friend's expressions.
"However," Snape continued, "with the circumstances and our suspicions," he stepped closer to the group. "I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter or Sweet at dinner."
"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Gilderoy piped up. "See, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail." Professor Lockhart beamed, and Cassidy resisted the urge to roll her eyes for the thousandth time.
"And as much as I hate to admit it, the girl and Weasley were serving detention." Filch added, still glaring at Cassidy. "I gave it to her this afternoon, forgot to tell ya. Doesn't mean she couldn't have done something to Mrs Norris-"
"That's why I went looking for them, Professor," Hermione chipped in, talking slowly. "I wasn't aware that Cassidy and Ron were in detention. When we did find each other, we went looking for Harry. We just found him when he said-" Hermione looked at Harry, and he stared back at her, a silent message passed between the two.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape prompted, expectant.
"I said I wasn't hungry." Harry completed, looking up at Snape. He whipped his head towards Harry as Cassidy nodded in agreement, quiet for once.
"We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs Norris." He completed. Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry and Cassidy for a moment, then turned to Dumbledore.
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore mused, and Snape furrowed his brow.
"My cat has been Petrified," Filch spoke up, trembling. Cassidy cringed. "I wanna see some punishment!" He snapped.
"Maybe you should see yourself to a bath." Cassidy muttered. Thankfully none of the professors heard.
"We will be able to cure her, Argus." Dumbledore assured the caretaker. "As I understand, Madam Sprout has some very healthy growth of Mandrakes." Madam Sprout beamed, happy her efforts had been noticed. "Once matured, a potion will be made, which will revive Mrs. Norris." He explained.
they wrote on the wall. That girl even had the nerve to insult Mrs Norris!" He spat.
"That's not true, sir, I swear." Harry protested. "I never touched Mrs Norris, and neither did Cassidy."
"I did insult her, though." Cassidy said smugly, grinning. "Kind of. I only said nobody would waste their time going after her."
"Silence, girl!" Filch snapped.
"Cassandra." McGonagall warned, and Cassidy wiped the grin off her face.
"If I might, Headmaster," Snape spoke up, his drawling voice catching everyone's attention. "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
While the other three's jaws dropped in shock, Cassidy grinned triumphantly.
"Exactly! Thank you, Professor Snape- wait, what?" She dropped her jaw, now matching her friend's expressions.
"However," Snape continued, "with the circumstances and our suspicions," he stepped closer to the group. "I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter or Sweet at dinner."
"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Gilderoy piped up. "See, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail." Professor Lockhart beamed, and Cassidy resisted the urge to roll her eyes for the thousandth time.
"And as much as I hate to admit it, the girl and Weasley were serving detention." Filch added, still glaring at Cassidy. "I gave it to her this afternoon, forgot to tell ya. Doesn't mean she couldn't have done something to Mrs Norris-"
"That's why I went looking for them, Professor," Hermione chipped in, talking slowly. "I wasn't aware that Cassidy and Ron were in detention. When we did find each other, we went looking for Harry. We just found him when he said-" Hermione looked at Harry, and he stared back at her, a silent message passed between the two.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape prompted, expectant.
"I said I wasn't hungry." Harry completed, looking up at Snape. He whipped his head towards Harry as Cassidy nodded in agreement, quiet for once.
"We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs Norris." He completed. Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry and Cassidy for a moment, then turned to Dumbledore.
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore mused, and Snape furrowed his brow.
"My cat has been Petrified," Filch spoke up, trembling. Cassidy cringed. "I wanna see some punishment!" He snapped.
"Maybe you should see yourself to a bath." Cassidy muttered. Thankfully none of the professors heard.
"We will be able to cure her, Argus." Dumbledore assured the caretaker. "As I understand, Madam Sprout has some very healthy growth of Mandrakes." Madam Sprout beamed, happy her efforts had been noticed. "Once matured, a potion will be made, which will revive Mrs. Norris." He explained.
"Hooray." Cassidy deadpanned.
"In the meantime," Dumbledore said before Filch strangled the girl, "I strongly recommend caution." Dumbledore looked straight at Cassidy. She looked away, not able to meet his eye.
"To all."
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The stairs to the dormitories rotated, making Cassidy feel slightly nauseous as she, Ron, and Harry followed Hermione up.
"It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Hermione asked suddenly, not bothering to look back at them.
"Strange?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. Hermione whirled around, her bushy hair flying.
"You hear this voice, a voice only you can hear, Cassidy's necklace glowing a completely different color, Ron getting bitten, and Mrs. Norris getting Petrified? It's just... strange." Hermione frowned, a look of concern knitting her brow.
"'Strange' is an understatement, 'Mione," Cassidy sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"Do you think we should've told him?" Harry glanced at both Cassidy and Hermione. "Dumbledore, I mean? About the necklace, about the voices?"
"Are you mad?!" Ron exclaimed, eyes wide. Cassidy quickly nudged him to keep quiet.
"No, Harry," Hermione answered, shaking her head. "Even in the Wizarding World, hearing voices isn't a good sign. I doubt burning necklaces are either."
She turned back around and continued up the stairs. Cassidy lingered for a moment before catching up with her, but not before turning to Ron and pulling out her wand.
"Give me your hand," she said softly.
"What're you—?"
"Now," Cassidy repeated firmly, narrowing her eyes. Ron hesitated for a second before putting out his hand, the red bite mark clearly visible against his skin. Harry gasped when he saw it.
"I'm not great with healing spells, but it's worth a try," Cassidy muttered under her breath. Ron wasn't paying attention now, his eyes locked on her as she focused, her face soft in concentration and illuminated by the faint moonlight.
"Episkey," she whispered, tapping her wand gently over the bite mark. In an instant, the wound vanished, and Ron's skin was flawless once more.
"There," Cassidy breathed, a soft sigh of relief escaping her lips. "You alright now, Ron?"
Ron didn't answer immediately. His eyes were still fixed on her, and he was still holding her hand. Harry looked between the two of them, silently observing.
"Ron?" Cassidy's voice was soft, a question in her tone.
"Yeah," he said slowly, blinking as if coming out of a trance. "I'm alright, Cass."
Cassidy smiled faintly before hurrying up the stairs to catch up with Hermione. Her braids bounced with every step, and Ron stood there, watching her silently.
"She's right, you know," a painting suddenly said, its voice low and thoughtful, referencing Hermione's earlier words.
Ron and Harry exchanged an awkward glance before shaking their heads, muttering under their breath as they continued their ascent to the dormitories.