Hospital Wing

When Harry woke up, he found himself at the Hospital Wing. Looking around, he noticed Neville, Hermione, Seamus and Parvati at the door, talking to each other. He couldn't see Madam Pomfrey, but he heard her voice coming from somewhere close to where he was, probably talking to herself.

"Hey.", he tried to say, but his voice was hoarse. Thankfully, it was enough to get his friends' attention.

"Harry.", Neville ran to his side. "We were waiting for you to wake up. Madam Pomfrey said you might need some help to change clothes.", he explained. Harry looked at the girls suspiciously, making them all laugh.

"Don't worry, Harry. Hermione and I are here just to check if you'll be fine, we don't really want to see your underwear.", Parvati winked, just as Madam Pomfrey walked in the room.

"Ah, good, you're up. Come on, now, this won't be pleasant.", she said, clearly angry. "Honestly, I don't know what he was thinking, trying to fix your bones, some professors are just...", she trailed off. Harry found himself nodding. "Drink this.", Madam Pomfrey told him, giving him a glass.

"Merlin!", he shouted as soon as he gulped it down. "This is awful!"

"Regrowing bones is a nasty business, Mr. Potter.", she muttered. "Now, if your friends can help you into your pyjamas.", Neville and Seamus were on it, first putting a curtain around Harry's bed, while Hermione and Parvati waited. Once they were done, the girls joined them and started talking about the Bludger. It was obvious it had been fixed, but they couldn't think of anyone who would've done it. Harry was still fuming over the fact that no professor had done anything about it.

"I mean, they were right there! They were watching the match, they saw the Bludger and they just let it continue! Are they blind?", he exclaimed.

"Harry, there are many amazing things about Hogwarts, but... I don't think safety is one of them. Let's face it, after last year, I'm not surprised about this. We have to be careful.", Hermione said. The others simply nodded in agreement and he sighed.

Harry had been sleeping for a few hours when he woke up in the middle of the night with a gasp. He noticed his leg was feeling terrible and was about to groan in pain when someone sponged his forehead. Startled, he yelped and looked around.

"Dobby?", Harry asked.

"Harry Potter came back to school.", the House-Elf whispered. He looked upset. "Dobby tried to warn Harry Potter. Why didn't Harry Potter stay home when Dobby took away his things? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when his new suitcase attacked him?", and now the little creature looked beyond miserable.

"You had no right to take my clothes and books from my house and...", Harry gasped. "How do you know my suitcase attacked me?", he asked. Dobby's lips trembled and that was all the confirmation Harry needed. "Why would you do that?", he roared.

"Harry Potter must go home!", the House-Elf shrieked. "Doesn't he understand how dangerous it is for him to be here? Dobby thought that his Bludger would be enough to make..."

"Your Bludger?", Harry punched his mattress in anger. "Why are you trying to kill me?", he shouted.

"Not kill you, sir! Dobby would never hurt Harry Potter!", Dobby said. "Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home! Dobby is trying to help Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, yeah. Good job, Dobby.", Harry muttered. "If you keep trying to help me, I'll end up dead. Do you even have a reason to help me or is this just a big joke to you?"

"Harry Potter doesn't understand what he did last year.", the tiny creature whispered. "Dobby heard it all from his masters. How He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named almost rose back. How he almost got the Philosopher's Stone. Harry Potter stopped him. Harry Potter didn't let him come back and be immortal.", Dobby looked down. "Life was terrible, more than now, when The Dark Lord was at the height of his powers. And thanks to Harry Potter, he didn't come back.", and the House-Elf looked at Harry with so much admiration that the boy felt uncomfortable. "And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more…"

Dobby stopped talking and took Harry's water jug. Before he could do anything, the House-Elf was already hitting himself on the head. Harry was about to stop him when Dobby put the jug down and went back to Harry's bed.

"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?", Harry whispered. He had suspected there was, of course, but it was good to have it confirmed. "And it's been opened before…", he said to himself, deliberating over this new information. Then, he looked at the House-Elf. "But, Dobby… I'm not Muggle-Born. I'm not in danger. Why do you think you have to protect me?"

"Please, Harry Potter, do not ask more of poor Dobby.", he whimpered. Then, he froze. "Dobby must go.", he whispered, and he was gone. One second later, Harry heard footsteps.

"Harry? Who are you talking to?", a voice asked.

"Ginny?", he was startled. "What are you doing here? It's late.", Harry saw the girl approaching his bed. She seemed tired. She also looked much paler and thinner than when they first met. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No. I just…", but she just shook her head. "Maybe I am a little sick.", Ginny admitted. "I don't really remember getting out of the Common Room.", she whispered.

"Maybe you should lie down on a bed and wait here until Madam Pomfrey wakes up.", he suggested.

"I don't think that's necessary.", she replied. "I think I'm just a little overwhelmed by all the classes.", Ginny sat on the edge of Harry's bed. "Say, has Colin been around?"

"Colin?", Harry asked. "Uh, no. Why would've been here? Was he feeling sick too?"

"No.", Ginny answered. She sighed. "Look, I know this will sound crazy, but… I almost remember him walking with me. It feels like a dream I had in a long time ago, but I remember that we were talking. And then I remember that he looked a little apprehensive, but I'm sure he went to his room and came back with his camera. I think we left the Common Room together."

"Ginny, you really don't sound well.", Harry gently said. She looked at him and he was surprised to see that she was scared.

"Harry.", she whimpered. "I have the feeling something bad happened. But I can't remember anything.", he put his arm over her shoulder and was going to hug his friend, but they heard footsteps. Before Harry could blink, Ginny was already hiding underneath his bed. "Don't tell anyone I'm here, please. I don't want people to think I'm crazy.", she whispered. He nodded, even though she couldn't see him.

Harry pretended he was sleeping, but he soon realised that if anyone looked at his bed, they'd see he was wearing his glasses. Fortunately, nobody even thought of checking if he was awake. Harry noticed Dumbledore first, and he was carrying something. It looked like a statue, he thought, and then he saw McGonagall carrying the other part of it. They put the statue on a bed.

"Get Madam Pomfrey.", Dumbledore whispered. McGonagall came back with Madam Pomfrey in a minute.

"What happened?", she asked him, looking at the statue.

"Another attack.", the Headmaster replied. "Minerva found him on the stairs.", Attack? Him? Who's 'him'?, Harry thought, feeling desperate. Not able to just stay still anymore, Harry slowly raised himself a little so he could get a look on who had been attacked.

Colin.

NO!, his mind shouted. What did that mean? Had it attacked Ginny too? Was that why she couldn't remember what exactly had happened? Harry suddenly felt even more worried about his friend.

"Petrified?", Madam Pomfrey whispered.

"Yes.", replied Professor McGonagall. She stuttered another sentence, clearly still shocked about the whole incident. Dumbledore, however, took the camera from Colin. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?", but the Headmaster simply opened it, without saying a word.

"Good gracious!", exclaimed Madam Pomfrey. A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry felt the smell of burnt plastic and it almost made him sick. "Melted... All melted…", she sounded intrigued by it.

"What does this mean, Albus?", Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again.", Dumbledore answered.

"But, Albus… surely… who?", Harry knew his Transfiguration professor was feeling as scared as he was.

"The question is not who." said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how…"

The three adults quickly blocked Colin's bed with high curtains and agreed to talk more about it with the rest of the staff in the morning. Harry waited for them to leave before he rose himself again.

"Ginny?", he whispered. He saw his friend slowly standing up. She was crying. "Oh, Ginny, it's all right. Really. They'll use the potion once the Mandrakes are ready and Colin will be back.", he said, as soothingly as possible. But it only made her sob.

"Harry, I don't...", Ginny sobbed again. "I don't understand what's happening.", he took her hand, trying to calm her down.

"Don't worry, Ginny. We'll figure this out.", Harry muttered, already planning a long conversation with his friends. He was sure now that, whatever was petrifying people, had attacked Ginny too, and he had to prevent it from happening again. Who knew what could happen next time?