The Rogue Suit of Armour
After the whole debacle at Hallowe'en, with Catulus getting petrified, the rest of the quartet had grown, tense to say the least.
Sciurus did spend a lot of time in the library, but now it was as though she didn't even leave it unless it was for classes or Madam Pince kicked her out, researching petrification all day.
She would even forget to eat unless Delphinus reminded her, so lost she was.
Aelurus spent anytime out of class practicing and learning new spells, especially curses.
He had also gained a reputation for using said curses on anyone who annoyed him. He too forgot to eat at times unless Delphinus reminded him.
Delphinus, surprisingly, was the one who had kept a hold of his emotions, that wasn't to say that he wasn't upset.
He spend most of his time out of classes either besides Crystalline's bed in the hospital wing, or looking out for Aelurus and Sciurus.
***
Aelurus was wandering the castle, his eyes tired and gloomy, when he a clunk and turned around, dodging the blow just in time.
In front of him was a suit of armour, tall and proud, its metal sword shining.
Harry ducked as another hit was aimed at him.
He pointed his wand and exclaimed "Stupefy".
The suit of armour faltered, but it didn't have the effect it would have on a human.
It charged towards Aelurus, who roared "Expelliarmus", knocking the sword out of the suit's hand.
It weakened the suit, but it wasn't defenceless. It still had its metal limbs to rely on.
The suit aimed a punch onto Ael's chest, however he dodged, so the punch landed on his elbow instead.
He heard a sickening crack, and knew the bone had broken, though he didn't have time to wonder about it as another punch was aimed at him, dislocating the arm entirely.
Finally, he whispered, "Reducto."
It hit the suit right in the stomach, and it was blown to smithereens. All that was left was dust.
He looked around and saw familiar large, tennis-ball-like green eyes. He knew right then and there, who exactly was responsible for this...
***
"What! Dobby enchanted a suit of armour to attack you", Hermione whispered furiously to Harry, who was lying in the bed of the hospital wing.
"Why would he do that", Ron frowned.
"Maybe his masters ordered him to", Harry suggested.
Before they could get anything else out, Madam Pomfrey barged in and ordered Ron and Hermione to leave.
***
Hours and hours later, Harry was woken up from his sleep by someone sponging his forehead.
"What in the- Dobby!"
"Harry Potter came back to Hogwarts. Harry Potter lied to Dobby", the elf whispered sadly.
"No I didn't. I just said I wasn't going back to school, I never specified that the school was Hogwarts", Harry sighed.
"I'm sorry Dobby, but I'm a Snake. Twisting words, finding loopholes, keeping secrets, lying, it's second nature to me", Harry apologised.
"Why Harry Potter, why couldn't you have just stayed home", Dobby wailed.
"Dobby, Hogwarts is my home. Besides why did you set that suit of armour on me?", Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Dobby just wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to e sent home.
Dobby didn't think that Harry Potter was a powerful enough wizard to easily fight Dobby's suit of armour."
"Dobby why do you want me to be sent home?", Harry asked.
"There's a plot sir, a terrible plot.
Harry Potter is too important to lose.
Everyone is in danger, especially muggle-borns and blood-traitors now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more.", Dobby then gasped and clapped a hand on his mouth.
"So that's what's responsible for Catulus' state", Harry mused out loud.
Just then, footsteps echoed, close to the hospital wing, and Dobby popped away as soon as Dumbledore and McGonagall entered.
Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long woolly dressing gown and a nightcap.
He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue.
Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.
"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry's bed out of sight.
Harry lay quite still, pretending to be asleep. He heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress.
He heard a sharp intake of breath.
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.
"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."
"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall.
"We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."
Harry's stomach gave a horrible lurch. Slowly and carefully, he raised himself a few inches so he could look at the statue on the bed.
A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face.
It was Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.
"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate - who knows what might have--"
The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.
"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.
Dumbledore didn't answer. He opened the back of the camera.
"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.
A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic.
"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly. "All melted..."
"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.
"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."
Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore.
"But, Albus... surely... who?"
"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin.
"The question is, how..." And from what Harry could see of Professor McGonagall's shadowy face, she didn't understand this any better than he did.