Pretty Girl
"Got jus' the thing. Set 'im down on that chair o'er there."
As Ron sits, Hagrid pitches a bucket between his knees. You look at Harry and Hermione, but Hagrid shrugs.
"Better out than in. Who was he tryin' ter curse anyway?"
"Malfoy. He called Hermione, well, I don't know exactly what it means."
"He called me an insita," Hermione whispered quietly.
"He didn'!"
Harry looks at you confused, and you sigh, "It means Inbreed. He's pretty much calling her a filthy pig who's family line intertwines. They call Muggle-borns that, implying the inbreeding is the only reason they have magic." You shake your head, "It's obviously not true."
"Yeh see, Harry. There are some wizards- like Malfoy's family- who think they're better than everyone else 'cause they're pure magic."
"That's horrible."
Ron belches forth a slug, before retorting, "It's disgusting!"
"An' it's codswallop ter boot. Dirty blood. There's 'ardly a wizard today that's not half-blood or less. If we 'adn't married Muggles we'd've died out long ago. Besides, they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do," He takes Hermione's shoulder, "Don' you think on it, Hermione. Don' you think on it fer a minute."
The walls of Lockhart's office are lined with framed photos of Gilderoy Lockhart. You and Lockhart work by candlelight at an ornate desk. Your eyes fall, as you address envelopes, while a cheery Lockhart puts his signature to the stack of glossy photos bearing his stipid face.
"Y/n, Y/n, Y/n... Can you possibly imagine a better way to serve detention than by helping me answer my fan mail."
You force a smile. "I suppose it could be worse. I could be in Snape's room with Harry."
Lockhart laughs, "Fame's a fickle friend, Y/n. Remember that."
You nod, but when he turns his back you roll your eyes. You glance at the overwhelming tower of stacked envelopes that remain. You groan, dipping your quill, though as you start to write a voice enters the room.
"Come.... Come to me..."
You look around the room, before looking at Lockhart, who has his back to you, "Excuse me?"
He turns to you confused, "What?"
"Why did you say that?"
"Say what? I didn't say anything." He shakes his head, "Six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all records!"
"There was a voice..."
"Voice? What are you talking about, Y/n?"
"Didn't you hear it?"
"I think we're getting a bit drowsy." He looks over at the clock, before gasping, "Great Scott- No wonder- We've been here nearly four hours," He laughs, "Dinner's nearly done! If you hurry you might make pudding. Spooky how time flies when one's having fun!"
"Yeah. Spooky."
You pass quickly through the lengthening shadows of the empty corridor when you hear the voice again.
"Blood... I smell blood..."
You stop cold, looking around for the source of the voice.
"Let me rip you... Let me kill you..."
You step to the wall, playing your fingers along the stone, then begin walking, slowly at first, then faster. You go around the corner running straight into-
"Hilliard?" You were taken aback by the male, not expecting to see him in the halls. But he was a Prefect, so you didn't know why you were surprised.
He smiles at you, "What are you doing out? I saw you missed dinner."
"Yeah, I had detention with Lockhart," You roll your eyes, and the male chuckles.
He then pulls a muffin out of his bag and hands it to you. You look at him uninterested, looking back and forth between him and the muffin.
"A muffin?"
He nods, "Yes. Here."
"Thank you?" You thank, kinda confused, and Hillard quickly picks up on it.
"It's a magic muffin, it's a full course meal."
"Oh, like that gum from Willy Wonka?"
He looks at you confused, "Willy Wonka?"
You shake your head, "Nevermind. Um, thank you again."
"Of course," He smiles, "You should get going, hate for you to get in trouble being somewhere you shouldn't."
Before you could question him about it, he walks off and you watch him. "Hmm. That was weird." You observe the colorful muffin. You hadn't noticed before, but the colors were unlike any muffin you had ever seen. It had pink, blue, and green swirling together. You took a bite, before tilting your head, "Hmm, strange. But not bad." You continue to walk, before running into Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
"Y/n!"
"Did you guys hear those voices?"
"You heard it too?" Your brother's eyes widen, "I heard it when I was with Snape."
"I think you're both crazy," Ron says, shaking his head. "What's that," He gestures towards the muffin.
"Muffin. Magical Muffin I guess," You say looking down at it, "It's okay."
"Where did you get it?"
"Somebody gave it to me, because I didn't have dinner."
"Yeah, we noticed." Hermione pushes.
"Kill... Time to kill..."
You and Harry visibly stiffen, causing Hermione and Ron to study you and him curiously.
"It's moving. I think it's going to..." Harry looks to you.
"Kill."
You both quickly run off, with the others close behind. You both dash madly, taking the steps three at a time. You make the landing, your brother close behind, before you both rush through an archway.
You stop, listening for anything, but there was nothing. Slowly, you peer down, water oozing over the stone floors, swallowing your shoes. Your brother stares at his own reflection that appears. Ron and Hermione finally come huffing up.
"What are you two doing?"
You point to the shimmering wall, that had big, bloody letters.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED ENEMIES OF THE HEIR. BEWARE.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened?" Hermione asks, before Ron points on something hanging.
"What's that? Hanging underneath?"
"That's Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris!"
The cat hangs from a torch bracket, stiffly by her tail. Your eyes move to a window, where spiders scuttle up a silvery thread, fighting to get through a crack.
"Look at that. Have you seen spiders act like that? Ron...?" Hermione turns to Ron, who was backing away, terrified.
"I... Don't.... Like.... Spiders."
Suddenly, there are voices coming from the stairway and seconds later, dozens of students steam forth.
"You've got to be kidding. We're going to look super suspicious." You whine, grabbing your head. Hermione is quick to recounter.
"We just explain we didn't do it."
"Yeah, cause that's going to work," Harry shakes his head. S
Suddenly the students stop and stare at the wall, you and the group, the wall again and repeat. A silence overcomes the area.
"It's not what it looks like?"
Harry elbows you, telling you to hush. Suddenly, your favorite Slytherin pushes forward, where he eyes the wall and then at your group.
"Enemies of the Heir beware? Is that supposed to be scary?"
"Shut up Malfoy," You step forward, "Before I show you something really scary. My fist and your face."
"Well, we all know who they're going for-" He looks towards Hermione and then you stand between him. Before you could hit him with another insult, Filch appears. You may not have liked the man, but you knew how much he loved that cat and your heart broke for him. That was until he turned towards you and your brother.
"You two! You have murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll-"
Yes, all sympathy was gone.
"Argus!" Dumbledore marches forward, the teachers trailing close behind. He looks towards the wall, his face quickly darkened. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately."
You turn to go back to the Gryffindor dorms, the other doing the same, but Dumbledore is quick to stop you all.
"Everyone expect you four."
"What!" You put your hands out, looking side to side.
The corridor quickly empties, Dumble steps to the wall and gently removes Mrs. Norris.
"It was definitely a curse that killed her- Probably the Transmogrifian Toture. Encountered it myself once, Ouagadougou. The full story's in my autobiography..."
"Man, does he ever shut up?" You question to Harry, whom shakes his head.
"She's not dead, Argus. She's been Petrified."
"Petrified? What do you mean? Like turned to stone."
Dumbledore turns to you, "Just like a Gorgon."
"It's to bad I wasn't there. I know the very countercurse that would of spared her..."
"Oh brother..." You roll your eyes.
"But how she's been Petrified... I cannot stay."
Filch points at you and then Harry, "Ask them! It's them that's done it. You saw what they wrote on the wall! Besides he," He points to Harry, "He knows I'm a.... Venenatum! And he probably told her!"
You look towards your brother who was shrugging. You both look back towards Dumbledore.
"We didn't, sir! I swear. I- we never touched Mrs. Norris! We've been in detention all night- Besides, we don't know what a Venenatum is!"
"Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter."
"What is a Kwikspell?" You look at your brother, before looking at Hermione.
"If I might, Headmaster..."
You all turn as Snape separates from the shadows.
"Perhaps the Potters and their friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time..."
You were taken aback. Snape, defending you and your brother? That was a new one. Guess anything could happen.
"However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Ms Potter at Dinner."
"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Y/n was helping me answer my fan mail..."
You could see Snape's face turn into a snarl and you knew Lockhart wasn't helping you.
"That's why Harry, Ron, and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found her when Y/n said..." She trails off.
Snape's eyebrow raises, "Yes, Miss Granger?"
"That I'm not hungry." You hold up the leftover muffin, "I already ate. We were heading back the Common Rooms when... you know.... We found Mrs. Norris."
Snape eyes you coldly, almost as if he knew you were lying. You look away and find Dumbledore studying you and your brother.
"Innocent until proven Guilty," Dumbledore says, nodding his head. Though, Filch was livid.
"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!"
Dumbledore sighs, "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."
You gulp, looking to the group. It wasn't a good look and you could only hope this was the only involvement you guys would have.
You all walk down the corridor. You were ahead and the others close behind. Finally, Ron speaks.
"A Venenatum is someone who's a magical born creature who doesn't have any powers of their own. It's not uncommon for Zombies to be Venenatum, because they're usually Muggle-Born's before death."
"Wait- So what are Zombies exactly?" Harry asks, obviously confused.
"Well, they were Muggles, they had magic, but were unable to use it until they died and their magic transforming them into a Zombie. All their magic usually goes into the transformation, which is why they're usually Venenatum. It's why he hates students. He's bitter." Ron finished.
Hermione, who was only half-listening, clearly something else occupying her mind, speaks, "Harry. You said you heard the voice in Snape's office and Y/n you heard it in Lockhart's?"
"Yes." You both speak at once.
"Did either of the Professors hear it?
"Well... No, Lockhart was confused, but what's new?" You joke and Hermione shakes her head.
"Snape said I was imaging things..."
"Maybe they were lying?" Ron suggested and Hermione shakes her head.
"Maybe Snape, but Gilderoy Lockhart's credentials would lie to one of his students, Ron. Besides, if you recall we didn't hear anything either. Only Harry and Y/n heard it.
"You don't believe us, do you?"
"Course we do. It's just... It's a bit weird, isn't it? You hear a voice and then... Mrs Norris turns up Petrified."
"I can't explain it... It was terrifying."
You nod your head, quickly agreeing with your brother.
"D'you think we should've told them! You know, Dumbledore and the others I mean."
Ron's eyes widen and he quickly shakes his head, "Are you mad?!?"
"No, Y/n. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign."
"Harry heard it, too, though." You defend.
"Yeah, but you guys are the only ones who heard it, so... Maybe if you weren't siblings it'd be different."
"Hell, maybe you're both crazy." Ron jokes and you glare at him.
"Not funny, Ron."