A/N: Re-uploaded for your enjoyment! Please review.
During the Easter holidays, we were handed out subject selection forms, for our third year. I ended up selecting Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. I had no idea what I was planning on doing in my future, unawares of most of the magical world, but they certainly sounded like the most interesting subjects. And Harry, Ron and Hermione were doing them too, so I relaxed.
Well, I relaxed until Hermione was petrified, anyway. After that, the teachers gave us new rules, new restrictions. I sat in one of the more hidden armchairs, listening, seeing the chances of sneaking out to meet Draco slimming by the minute. Fear began to settle its wings over the castle, and students were to be escorted to their classes. It was clear even to the newest students that something was indeed very wrong… and the Professors didn't know what to do. The clock kept ticking and another student was petrified, when the worst news of all came.
Ginny Weasley had been taken by the monster.
Professor McGonagall came and told us the news with a saddened expression. I assumed the other heads of house would be doing the same over the castle. Then, she laid the shocking news upon us. By the end of the week, all students were to be sent home, as the threat had become too great. After Professor McGonagall had left, Harry and Ron disappeared, sneaking out. Again. I had a feeling I knew they were going to search for Ron's sister, and I quickly stepped out of the common room intent upon following. It was a stupid idea, she had been taken into the very Chamber itself – a Chamber so well hidden it hadn't been located since Hogwarts founding. I looked left and right down the corridor, realising my mistake. Something I hadn't thought of... how I was going to follow them, when they had the Invisibility Cloak.
'I can see them.' Spark piped up, picking up my stray thoughts. 'They're walking this way.' He flew off, leading me silently after Harry and Ron. They led me down to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where I couldn't follow, for Professor Lockheart seeing me. And as Spark and I hovered outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, listening hard to the voices within, Professor McGonagall came down the corridor and caught us. Both.
"Miss Potter!" She called, looking with shock at Spark, who hissed in surprise, and landed on my shoulder. She frowned disapprovingly at me. "Come with me immediately. You have a detention for disobeying school rules, especially in a time such as this! And I feel you have a lot of explaining to do." Her eyes darted to Spark again. I followed her meekly to the Transfiguration classroom, mind whirling with a way to weasel my way out of this. She sat me down in a front row seat, standing in front of her desk, tapping her wand against her robes, expression stern. Well, stern-er than usual.
"First, young lady, explain."
"What do you want me to explain, Professor?"
"Firstly, where did you get this – this…"
"Dragon-lizard." I supplied wearily.
"Yes. This dragon-lizard."
"I can't say, Professor." I had no intention of getting Fred and George into trouble too.
"Is it… real?" She asked. "I do know my history, and dragon-lizards are meant to be extinct."
'It?' Spark squeaked outrageously. 'Real? I should bite her. Then she'd know I was real.'
'Not a good idea, she'd probably give me another detention.' I warned him quickly. "He is very real, Professor. And I think he's last one. I don't know for sure, I found his egg quite by accident, not knowing what it was."
"And you're not going to say where you got him?" She clarified. I shook my head. She frowned. "I could give you another detention for that, Miss Potter." She scolded me.
"I really can't say, Professor." I repeated.
"Very well then. You now have two detentions that I shall find for you. How long have you had the dragon-lizard?"
I really had to think about that one. "Umm, about six months now." I was surprised. It seemed a lot less than that. Professor McGonagall seemed surprised too.
"Six months?" She asked incredulously. "And no one knows about him?"
"No, Professor." I said, mentally flicking through the school.
"How have you been feeding him?"
"At first, I went to the kitchens, and then just got little bits from the table at mealtimes." I slumped down onto the desk, worrying about Harry, Ron and Ginny. The ominous news of her abduction hung over my head, and here I was racking up detentions.
"You have named him?"
"Spark." I replied, somewhat ruefully. Not a very imaginative name, I did admit to myself.
She sighed. "Very well then. I suppose you have to keep him? Dragon-lizards were not extensively studied, or if they were, the notes weren't well kept."
"Yes, Professor. According to him, even if I wanted to I couldn't get rid of him. Something about bonding at hatching."
Professor McGonagall sighed again. "Now, for your detentions…"
"I happen to have a job that needs doing, Professor." Professor Snape said dispassionately, striding in. "I would be quite happy to let her do that as a detention, rather than do it myself."
"Professor," Professor McGonagall replied coolly. "She has two detentions, and happens to be in Gryffindor – my house-therefore I choose her punishment."
Professor Snapes' expression did not change. "I was merely suggesting an option. If you wish to decide two detentions for her yourself, I will retract my offer."
I sat there in silence, waiting for the teachers to decide on something. In silence, Professor McGonagall gave in.
"Very well then. Amy, you will go with Professor Snape to complete one of your detentions. See me tomorrow night for your next."
I stood quietly, and Spark flew to my shoulder. "Thank you, Professor." I said, following Professor Snape into the hallway.
I stood in Professor Snape's office, waiting for him to speak. Spark still sat quietly on my shoulder, looking around curiously.
'At least I get to see things now. Everything's kinda boring from the roof.' He crept closer to my neck. 'I am going to be allowed to sit on your shoulder now, right? It hurts my wings, flying all day.'
I sighed slightly, only enough for him to catch. 'Yes, I suppose you could. You're going to attract a lot of attention though.'
'Isn't that a good thing? The other humans seem to like it. Especially that one.' A picture of Draco Malfoy popped into my head, stamped with the dislike of Spark had for him. I sighed quietly again.
'He's not actually that bad.' I told him, again.
A moment later, I was on my way to the Slytherin common room, armed with slips of paper to deliver to certain Slytherins' and a disgruntled dragon-lizard. And a few minutes after that, I was on my way back to Professor Snape's office, followed by a few Slytherins, and a certain blonde one at my side, peering closely at the hissing dragon-lizard on my shoulder.
Professor Snape sent off a few of them on other errands, as I stood near the wall, waiting. He didn't, however, send off Draco. Instead, Draco sat in the spare chair.
"Amy, if you could take stock of the potion ingredients." Professor Snape commanded, waving his hand at the walls, covered in shelves of jars and bottles. I found a ladder, and started counting, working my way from the top. Professor Snape left the room, with Draco trailing behind him. I heard them talking, but couldn't listen in, or else I would lose count. Idly, I wondered whether Professor Snape had done that on purpose. Probably, I decided. I went back to counting, wondering about what they were discussing. I was just getting into thinking mode, distracted by my own events, when Spark reminded me why I had detention in the first place – Harry and Ron sneaking off to the Chamber of Secrets. I dropped the jar I was holding, turning (with difficulty) to face the dragon-lizard on my shoulder.
"I forgot!" I whispered in shock.
'I'd noticed.' Spark replied sarcastically. I turned and ran out the door, which Professor Snape had just opened at the crash of breaking glass.
"Sorry, Professor!" I called back over my shoulder. Spark was hissing at being jolted.
'Where are they?' I asked him, reaching the Entrance Hall. It was deserted, for a change.
'They just got out. This way!' Spark told me; flying up the staircase I followed him, running through deserted corridors until I saw them. They were headed to Professor McGonagall's office. They didn't look too good; they were all covered in muck and slime, and Harry was also covered in blood. I opened my mouth to speak, but Harry shook his head, mouthing 'later', as he knocked on the door, and pushed it open.