Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is by J.K. Rowling.
10-The Dueling Club
On Sunday morning I woke up feeling much better physically, except the mild headache that was just enough to be annoying. Once Harry managed to pull out of sleep next to me Madame Pomfrey came bustling over to the two of us to give us breakfast. I keep sneaking looks over at the bed where I know Colin Creevey is at. He was plaguing my dreams last night.
I just keep picturing his enthusiastic face stalking Harry everywhere. Yes the kid did need to learn some boundary issues, but he was still young. Colin didn't deserve what happened to him. That's for sure. Madame Pomfrey starts checking over the three of us to see if we're okay. As soon as Madame Pomfrey is done checking Harry over, we're ready to go.
We really have to go tell Hermione and Ron what we just witnessed last night. "I still can't believe that Dobby would do that to you. I mean if he was trying to protect you you'd think that he'd at least want you to still be alive in the end." I comment hopping onto the staircase just as it started to move.
Harry huffs discontentedly beside me. I can tell that he's taking this badly. "You know I don't think that I've had a single normal day since I've become a wizard Jamie. Not one." Harry remarks offhandedly. I wince. Great now Harry has finally gone off his rocker. I'm never going to get some peace now.
"Well we are wizards and witches. Magic and mayhem happens to come pretty much hand in hand you know." I reply stepping off the staircase after him. Harry gives a grumpy grunt in return and I scowl. This boy is just trying to get my headache to grow.
We approach the Fat Lady and she looks at us with keen interest. "Another spectacular game! I'm sorry about the injuries dears but I get to lord it over Lord Farqhart on the seventh floor. That old bat never shuts up about how his house is superior. Well guess who has the upper hand now!" She bellows.
Her shout startles many other paintings. Harry quickly utters the password not wanting to make a bigger scene then the one that we already have. "Do you think that we're in trouble Harry… I mean the Chamber of Secrets… that's not exactly a happy place." I say softly.
My friend turns around and looks me in the eye. "Everything will be all right Jamie. We'll figure this out just like we figured this out last time." Harry tells me giving my hand a squeeze. I shoot him a wobbly smile and nod my head in understanding. We both look around the common room only to find that its empty. With a sigh we trudge back out to go search for our friends in a library.
If they're in there then Ron must have been forced against his will to go. Hermione does get this rather scary look on her face when it comes to homework though. I swear she seems to have the same power as the Petrificus totalus spell. We struck out on the library as well I get the feeling that Harry is becoming put off by the fact that we haven't been able to yet locate our friends.
As we exit the library we happen the run into Percy Weasley quite literally. He looks much happier then he has been. "Oh, hello, Harry," he says. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup — you earned fifty points!"
"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" asks Harry.
"No, I haven't," replies Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet. . . ." I can't help but smirk at that a little bit remembering the outburst between Ron and his brother the last time that Percy had come across us exiting the bathroom. Harry blushes knowing that he too was in there. With that Percy bids us farewell and escapes into his haven the library.
"Come on I know where they are. Come to think of it we should have thought of there first." Harry tells me. I sigh. Creepy mopey ghost's bathroom here we come.
After nearly killing ourselves throwing an experimental firework of Fred and George's down one hallway as a diversion to distract Filch, Harry and I managed to slip into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I'm not too terribly fond of the idea after the last way that she treated me. She wasn't as despicably horrifying as she usually was, which is scarier than if she was actually being nice.
I can hear they're voices from behind the one and only occupied and locked stall. "This is the prefects! 100 points from Gryffindor!" I call out jauntily. I hear metal clang and litany of muttered curses come from Ron, and Harry smacks my shoulder. I happen to notice the grin on his face though. The stall door swings open revealing the scowling face of Ron, and Hermione catching her breath with her hand over her heart.
"Merlin Jamie! That's not funny at all. You could seriously have given me a heart attack. What if something had gone wrong with the potion! You could end up with a monkey's tail for the rest of your life!" Hermione exclaims mellow dramatically.
"Well then people will be positively green with envy over the awesomeness of my tail, and wish to have one of their very own. I will rock that style." I declare flippantly. Ron chuckles while Harry snorts, and Hermione lets out a bemused giggle.
"Enough messing around." Harry says seriously, ending the lighthearted mood with a single blow. Hermione questions the states of our injuries before we go on though, and after thoroughly assuring the girl that we were indeed okay we get back to business.
It amused me to no end that the old cauldron was placed on the toilet seat with a fire beneath it in the bowl. I knew that Hermione was great with waterproof fires but this one was brilliant. I was going to have to remember this for a prank another day. Harry and I start to explain about Colin but Hermione cuts us off.
"We know, well practically the whole school knows. I swear no one knows how to keep a secret around this place." She tells us sadly.
"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarls Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin." I groan. Why do we have to go down this road again?
"There's something else," Harry says, watching Hermione tear bundles of knotgrass and throw them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."
Ron and Hermione look up, amazed. Harry tells them everything Dobby has told him — or hasn't told him. Hermione and Ron listen with their mouths open.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione squeaks. I can't tell who's more frightened at the idea Hermione or me.
"This settles it," says Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."
I feel my teeth start to grind. "Oh come off it! We don't even know if Malfoy is the one behind all of this. I still say he doesn't have the brain power or the guts to pull this off." I interject. Ron glares at me, and Hermione gives an understanding nod. Harry just shakes his head.
"We know Jamie and you have a point, but right now he's our best guess, and we just can't sit around here and wait for the monster to strike again. What if it had been Hermione last night?" Harry demands locking onto my gaze. I grit my teeth and glance over to my best girl friend.
I wouldn't know what to do without Hermione; she makes living in our dorm possible. "I would go hunt down the prat who did it and make them change her back, then I'd think about cursing them." I say honestly in a mumbled voice. I advert my eyes so that I don't have to look any of them in the face.
I feel a squeeze to my hand and glance up to see Hermione giving me a soft smile. I give her a shaky one back. I don't think that I could go on with losing another friend. "Maybe it can make itself invisible," Hermione says, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself — pretend to be a suit of armor or something — I've read about Chameleon Ghouls —"
"You read too much, Hermione," Ron groans, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumples up the empty lacewing bag and looked at us. "So you're telling me that Dobby is the one that closed the gate at the station and sent the rouge bludger at you? I think that I will strangle him the next time I see him." Ron says nodding his head.
"That's not even the worrisome part if Dobby doesn't stop trying to save Harry there won't be any Harry left to save." I finish gravely.
The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and is now lying as though dead in the hospital wing has spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air is suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion. The first years are now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.
Ginny Weasley, who sits next to Colin Creevey in Charms, is distraught, but I feel that Fred and George are going the wrong way about cheering her up. They are taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stop when Percy, apoplectic with rage, tells them he is going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny is having nightmares.
Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices is sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor second years pointed out that he is in no danger; he is a pureblood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.
"They went for Filch first," Neville says, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib." I feel bad for Neville he shouldn't be thinking of himself that way, but I don't have anyway to prove that unfortunately. So instead I try and talk him out of earing the foul smelling green onion. He refuses though, and I can't help but give up for I might have passed out if I had stood next to him for a second longer.
The second week of December finally rolled around, like usual McGonagall came around with the sign up sheet for those students who'd be staying in the castle that year. Kingsley is on a mission and we won't be seeing him for the holiday once again. I was disappointed in that. I wasn't so sure how my holiday was going to turn out this year, my guardian was busy and my brother still wasn't speaking to me.
I've been finding it harder lately to keep a positive outlook on things lately. The castle still has whispers of fear running through it, and with all the hostility that's risen in its wake it's really depressing. At least this holiday Harry, Ron, and Hermione will be spending it with me. We all have to be here for the Polyjuice potion.
One thing that definitely struck me as suspicious is that Malfoy is staying in the castle this winter as well. I know from experience that the Malfoy's throw a big holiday party every year. We were forced to attend one year, and after that whole debacle Kingsley told us that we were never going back again. Not that I minded terribly, Malfoy was a prat even back then.
Of course with him remaining in the castle that has my friends' guard's up. Ron was going on and on last night about how Malfoy was going to spend some quality time with his monster of break, and a theory about how the two are somehow related. I swear I have no idea how that boy gets these ideas in his head.
Harry on the other hand was thrilled that Malfoy was staying. "The holidays will be the perfect time to question Malfoy guys." Harry says to us excitedly after he scribbles his name down on the parchment and McGonagall has walked off far enough.
Unfortunately, the potion is only half finished. We still need the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place we are going to get them is from Snape's private stores. Harry and I privately feel that we'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch us robbing his office.
"What we need," says Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson looms nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need." Okay a diversion is definitely something that I can handle. As long as I'm not the one doing something bad to Snape, he hates me enough as it is.
"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continues in a matter-of-fact tone. "You three will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."
Harry smiles feebly and Ron grunts in mock offense. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class is about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.
Potions lessons take place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeds in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stand steaming between the wooden desks, on which stand brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowls through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the
Slytherins snigger appreciatively. Draco Malfoy, who is Snape's favorite student, keeps flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron and Harry, who know that if they retaliate they will get detention faster than you can say "Unfair." I'm working on my attempts to boil the weasel's mind with just the power of my thoughts, if only that happened to be one of the skills that I was given in life.
Hermione waits until Snape has turned to reduce Neville to tears, to nod her head to us in signal for starting the distraction. Oh this is going to be epic! I pull the Filibuster fireworks out of my pocket that I had sweet talked Fred and George into. I pass them along to Harry while continuing to stir my cauldron. My potion has started to smoke and I'm fairly certain that that's a good thing.
Harry prods the firework with his arm and it starts fizzling to life. Harry tosses it into the air and it lands beautifully in Goyle's cauldron. I smother my snicker behind the sleeve of my robe. This is going to be epic!
Goyle's potion explodes, showering the whole class. People shriek as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy gets a face-full and his nose begins to swell like a balloon; Goyle blunders around, his hands over his eyes, which have expanded to the size of a dinner plate — Snape is trying to restore calm and finds out what had happened. Through the confusion, I see Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.
"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roars. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught — when I find out who did this —" I bit down on my lower lip so hard that it bleeds to keep from laughing when Malfoy lumbers to the front of the class, his head lowered down by the melon of a nose that is now on his face. About half the class is rushing forward to get some of the draught. I glance over my notes one last time to make sure that my potion will be presentable enough, so that Snape won't dock too many points from me even though he's in a foul mood.
When everyone has taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings have subsided, Snape sweeps over to Goyle's cauldron and scoops out the twisted black remains of the firework. There is a sudden hush.
"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispers, "I shall make sure that person is expelled." I can practically hear Harry gulp from beside me. Snape has his gaze set on Harry the entire time that he's talking. I don't think that Snape saw him but you never can be too sure.
When the bell rings ten minutes later I've never been more pleased to be out of that dungeon classroom. The four of us make our way hurriedly up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom so that we can put the finishing touches on the potion. "He knows it's me! Snape knows that I blew up the potion!" Harry hisses to us, as we climb yet another set of stairs.
"Don't be barmy Harry. There were like ten students making a fuss about blown up body parts, he couldn't of seen you." Ron tells him trying to calm his best friend down. We finally make it to the bathroom and are able to slip in without too much difficulty.
Hermione gets straight to work on adding the stolen ingredients and I help her. I hear a saddened and weary sigh from above me. I glance up and see Myrtle lunging against the window sill above the bathroom stall. She's looking at all that's going on with a resigned air about her.
"You know I should have told on you." She starts almost lazily. Harry glances up at her, and Ron looks like he wants to throw something. That would not be a smart idea what so ever.
"Please Myrtle… this is important. Don't you want to stop the petrifications? This is just as much your home as it is ours!" Hermione pleads trying to find the ghost girl's good side. Again there's that flicker of something in Myrtle's eye that I had seen the last time that we'd talked, when she mentioned that she was doing a favor or an old friend.
"Come on Myrtle. This is really important." I tell her giving her a searching look. That glimmer goes through her eye again and I try and decipher what it is, but its gone too fast yet again.
"Fine. Its not like there's anything exciting going on in here anyway. Been a while since a good mishap." She says flippantly, floating into the air and out down into the toilet the next stall over with a splash. The four of us exchange incredulous looks.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron questions. Harry shrugs his shoulders, and I lean against the side of the stall. I don't know what's going on with that ghost but I'm sure as hell going to find out. Not even the three-headed hellhound will stop me.
"There! It should be ready in two weeks." Hermione exclaims finishing up the last touches of the potion. Now all it has to do is cook.
A week later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I are walking across the entrance hall when we see a small knot of people gathering around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that has just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckon us over, looking excited.
"They're starting a Dueling Club!" cries Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days. . . ."
"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" snorts Ron, but he, too, reads the sign with interest.
"Could be useful," he says to us as we walk into dinner. "Shall we go?" Harry grins and nods his head while I clap my hands together in excitement. Even Hermione seems interested in attending, though she claims it's only for the knowledge of the certain spells that are going to be used.
On our way over to our table I literally bump into somebody, and I'm almost knocked over, but a hand reaches out to steady me. I glance up opening my mouth to thank the person when I'm greeted by the same pair of blue eyes that I see every time that I look in the mirror.
"Luka…" I say awkwardly while rubbing my arm nervously. My friends sense the awkwardness of the situation and like any good Gryffindor would do, they flee for the safety of out table.
"Jamie… I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was going. I've had a lot on my mind recently." Luka says. I feel my mouth drop open. This is the most that he's spoken to me since the disaster that was the flying car wreck.
"S'okay no damage done." I mumble feeling uncomfortably self-conscious at the moment. Luka shifts his weight onto another foot and glances at me before turning his attention to the ground.
"Look Jamie I know that I've been a big prat for a while but… I'm sorry. I don't know how to handle situations like that like you can. I've never been in that much trouble my whole life. I know that it doesn't excuse my actions but I'm tired of not speaking anymore so I'm sorry. I feel terrible." Luka explains.
I stand there for a moment not quite believing what I hear coming out of my brother's mouth. It's rare for him to apologize when he thinks that he's done nothing wrong. "What's brought this all about?" I question. Luka shifts nervously again and runs a hand through his hair, his cheeks tingeing the slightest bit red.
"Ariana pretty much threw me head first into the lake. She was right steamed with me. She told me that I was the biggest prat that she knew and that I needed to grow up and be there for my sister, because whether I knew it or not I was driving her away." Luka tells me sheepishly. I can't help the grin that slips onto my face at that. I can totally imagine Ariana hanging him off the side of the lake.
"She's right you were a prat." I accuse punching him in the arm hard. Luka yelps slightly wincing while rubbing his sore muscles. "Don't do it again Luka. I might not remember how much I enjoy being a twin the next time that you do something stupid." I threaten, but there's a smile on my face now. My brother grins at me, and we share a quick hug.
It's still slightly awkward between the two of us but its much better than it was a few minutes ago. "You going to the dueling club tonight?" I ask him. Luka nods his head and walks me to my table.
"Yeah but I'm slightly worried about who's going to teach it. Usually the DADA professor would be running such an event." He tells me cautiously. My eyes widen and I shake my head with fear. No! That man is a menace, he shouldn't even be allowed within ten feet of a wand! Great so this is going to suck more than an eggplant flavored Bertie-Botts Every flavored bean!
We made our way back down to the Great Hall at eight that night. I was dreading the possibility of what might be happening behind those closed doors. I really didn't need to be losing my ears tonight; I've already spent too much time in the hospital wing as it is.
The long dining tables have vanished and a golden stage has appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling is velvety black once more and most of the school seems to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.
"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" chirps Hermione as we edge into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young — maybe it'll be him."
"As long as it's not —" Harry begins, but he ends on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart is walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black. I have to fight back tears and the inexplicable feeling of dashing out of the hall never to return.
If the two of them are under the same roof for a dueling lesson then the word has surely come to an end. I catch my brother's eye and we both roll them. This is going to be a nightmare. Hermione looks like all her dreams have come true at once as her gaze fixes on Lockhart.
Lockhart waves an arm for silence and calls, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!
"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works."
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," says Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry — you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" I'm more worried about having to pick Lockhart up off the floor.
"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron mutters. Harry and I snicker at that and Hermione shoots the three of us a reproachful look.
Snape's upper lip is curling. I wonder why Lockhart is still smiling; if Snape was looking at us like that we'd have been running as fast as we could in the opposite direction. Lockhart and Snape turn to face each other and bow; at least, Lockhart does, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerks his head irritably. Then they raise their wands like swords in front of them. Oh Merlin.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart explains the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"I wouldn't bet on that," I murmur, watching Snape baring his teeth.
"One — two — three —" Both of them swing their wands above their heads and point them at their opponent; Snape cries: "Expelliarmus!" There is a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart is blasted off his feet: He flies backward off the stage, smashing into the wall, and slides down it to sprawl on the floor. I can't help but grin at that.
Maybe I should have placed money on that. It was a sure bet that Snape was going to annihilate Lockhart. I'm surprised that the man can even dress himself. Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheer. Hermione is dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squeals through her fingers.
"Who cares?" Harry and Ron say together. Lockhart is getting up unsteadily to his feet. His hat has fallen off and his wavy hair is standing on end. If only he could see his reflection now, he'd faint.
"Well, there you have it!" he cries, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ."
Snape is looking murderous. I don't blame him. Possibly Lockhart has noticed, because he says, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me —" The pair go through the students partnering them up to work on disarming one another. Lockhart reaches me and I suppress a groan.
"Pendragon you'll be with Dumbledore. I'm curious to see how the two of you have developed your magical capabilities against one another." He says jauntily clapping his hand onto my shoulder making me wince. I hate that he's so close. Ariana shoots me a pained albeit sympathetic look.
At least my paring isn't anywhere near as bad as my friends. Ron got partnered with Finnigan and Hermione with Millicent Bulstrode. I shiver just thinking of the girl she's about two times the size of me, and I'm bigger than Hermione! Harry of course has the worst pairing for Snape loathes him the most.
Harry gets the joy of fighting Malfoy. The smarmy git looks like Christmas has come early and I suppose that for him it has. We all separated off into our pairs, and I shoot my friends nervous looks. Ariana catches my eye and gives me a sympathetic look until she has to spin around and we're both pacing away from each other.
"Wands at the ready!" shouts Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to Disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one . . . two . . . three —"
I see a flash of silver light go off by Harry on two, but when three comes, I dodge the Expelliarmus that Ariana had sent my way, and returned one right back, and I was satisfied to watch her wand flick out of her hand and onto the ground. She grins at me and gives me a thumbs up while bending down to retrieve her fallen wand. What I didn't realize until I dropped my wand down to my side is that the rest of the Great Hall had fallen into chaos.
A haze of greenish smoke is hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin are lying on the floor, panting; Ron is holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand has done; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode are still moving; Millicent has Hermione in a headlock and Hermione is whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Harry and I leap forward and pull Millicent off. It was difficult: She is a lot bigger than we are.
"Dear, dear," says Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan. . . . Careful there, Miss Fawcett. . . . Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot —"
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," says Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glances at Snape, whose black eyes glint, and looks quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair — Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you —"
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," snaps Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" says Snape with a twisted smile.
"Excellent idea!" cries Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.
"Now, Harry," explains Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempting a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirks as Lockhart quickly picks it up, saying, "Whoops — my wand is a little overexcited —"
I groan and face palm. I'm not going to have a best friend anymore at the rate that this duel is looking. Poor Harry looks about ready to pass out as he attempts to get the buffoon to show him the wand movement again. I'm not even sure that it's a real spell.
"You're friend is going to get creamed." Luka says slipping beside Ariana and me. Ron and Hermione look on nervously from in front of us. Come on Harry you can do it, he's no one special just a git of a weasel.
"Three — two — one — go!" Lockhart counts off. Malfoy raises his wand quickly and bellows, "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand explodes. I watch, aghast, as a long black snake shoots out of it, falls heavily onto the floor between them, and raises itself, ready to strike. There are screams as the crowd backs swiftly away, clearing the floor.
"Don't move, Potter," drawls Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it. . . ."
"Allow me!" shouts Lockhart. He brandishes his wand at the snake and there is a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flies ten feet into the air and falls back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithers straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raises itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Ariana gasps sharply from beside me and grips on to my arm tightly, her fingernails biting into my arm. That's when Harry does the single most terrifying thing that he's ever done since I've met him and that's saying something since I've seen him stand in front of the mutated face of Voldemort.
He takes a few steps closer to the snake and opens his mouth. What comes out of it though is not words but guttural hissing noises, that send a shiver down my spine. The snake rears back from Justin and turns to face Harry hissing at him as he does. Harry hisses right back, and before anything else can happen Justin shouts at Harry, "What do you think you're playing at?" He cries a squeak to his voice. Harry give him a confused look. Merlin saggy pants I never imagined that Harry was a parselmouth.
With a poof of smoke the snake disappears having been destroyed by professor Snape. Everyone is looking at Harry with wide eyes, and the whispers have started up ten fold. "He's a parselmouth?" Ariana asks me leaning in so that I can hear.
"I didn't know…" I admit never taking my gaze off of my best friend. I wonder how many things there are about him that I don't know? Ron and Hermione rush forward tugging Harry to the door of the Great Hall.
"You know what this will mean don't you." Luka tells me a serious glint in his eye. Before I have time to question my brother about his curious word choice, I have to run to catch up with my friends. Harry needs me more then they do right now. I catch up to them in the common room in Gryffindor tower.
Ron looks like he's going to be sick, and Hermione's brow is furrowed in thought. "I know," Harry says. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once — long story — but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to — that was before I knew I was a wizard —"
"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeats faintly.
"So?" Harry says. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't," I tell Harry sitting down next to him. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is bad."
"What's bad?" asks Harry. I can tell that he's starting to get angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin —"
"Oh, that's what you said to it?" Ron interrupts.
"What d'you mean? You were there — you heard me —" Harry starts.
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," I tell Harry placing my hand on his arm gently to try and lessen the blow that's going to come.
"Snake language. You could have been saying anything — no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something — it was creepy, you know —" Harry gapes at us.
"I spoke a different language? But — I didn't realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?" Harry looks so confused that I feel terrible for him. He really doesn't know what he's doing.
"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he demands. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"
"It matters," says Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." Harry's mouth drops open.
"Exactly," I tell him. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something —"
"But I'm not," cries Harry, with panic.
"You'll find that hard to prove," Hermione tells him. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be." Harry sighs and drops his head into his hands. I rub his back in circles trying to calm the boy down. I don't know what this is going to mean for the group but I haven't given up on Harry yet, and there's no way that I'm going to now.
Who knows maybe his skills in snake charming will come in use one day?
By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night has turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term is canceled: Professor Sprout wants to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.
Harry decided that he was going to use his newfound time to sulk in front of the fire. Ron and Hermione are playing a game of wizard's chest and I'm adding a new charmed paper to my collection. I finish the last incantation, and smile at my depiction of Justin's hair standing straight up on his head. I had the cobra slither after him each time the paper Justin ran away.
Ron through that it was brilliant while Harry and Hermione both glared at me. I in turn just shrugged my shoulders. The castle is becoming too fraught with tension. People just need to relax a little. Maybe I'll talk to my second favorite pair of twins and see what they're willing to be up for. Ron finally slams his bishop down on the chessboard and turns his glare to Harry.
"If finding Justin is that important to you Harry then go ahead and do so!" Ron cries glaring at his best friend.
"I agree Harry. Sitting here and sulking isn't going to do you or anyone any good." I tell him. Harry gets up and storms off through the portrait hole. The three of us share a look and a collective sigh. Sometimes being Harry's friend is stressful.
After a few minutes I get up and sigh. I return my stuff to my room, and go back down to the hall to tell my friends that I'm going to go and look for my brother. They don't need to know that I'm really going to go and look for Fred and George. Hermione would probably try and sit on me to stop from going and cooking up some scheme that's going to get me in trouble.
With a grin and a wave bye I slip out of the portrait and start going through the halls that I know that the twins like to hang out in since no one ever really looks there except for Filch when he has to. I took a step onto one of the deserted corridor only to hear a shout come from ahead of me.
"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" Peeves bellows zooming past me and out of sight. I start running before I even can process what's going on. I skid to a stop when I come across a sight that I wish that I hadn't seen.
Justin Fitch-Fletchly is on the ground starting at the ceiling with a horrified look on his face. He's frozen solid not blinking or breathing. The thing that's creepier though is the face that Nearly Headless Nick floats next to him with his head lolling on his body, in a similarly petrified state. People crowd in around me looking at the scene.
The final piece that makes this a nightmare is Harry's stunned look on his face right next to the victims. Can ghosts even be petrified? Professor McGonagall came running though, sending off a bang with her wand to quiet the people. Justin is rushed to the hospital wing and McGonagall gives Harry a sad look.
"Come with me Potter." She snaps at Harry. I step forward and grab Harry's arm.
"Pendragon I advise you to go back to your dormitory." McGonagall barks. I jump releasing my friend. Harry shoots me a wide pleading look as he's being lead away. Don't worry Harry I don't think that you did it. If you did then Malfoy would have been frozen multiple times before now. I run my hand through my hair and release a sigh.
Okay we seriously need to do something. I spot a pair of identical redheads at the other end of the corridor. I catch their eye, and motion for us to get out of here. I just hope that all of this mess will be cleared up soon. I don't want to be facing another unknown danger for the second year in a row.