Hello. Sorry about the wait. I was spending too much time talking to my boyfriend and watching Charmed for the third time. Plus, I was reading the new book that I got for Christmas. Enjoy!

Autumn's P.O.V

I stood there, pale-faced, and rooted to the spot that I was standing in. I don't know why this was bothering and scaring me so much. That was way beyond me.

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

No doubt that he was attracted to Malfoy's shouts, Mr. Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. When he saw Mrs. Norris, he fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. His eyes fell on Harry.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-" he accused.

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had finally arrived, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus" he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger. I would ask Miss. Potter to follow, but I don't think she can on her own" he said to Harry. He was absolutely right. I couldn't move, nevertheless talk! My senses are shuting down, but I can still hear and see clearly. Is someone forcing me to go through this torture!? Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster-just upstairs-please feel free-" he offered.

"Thank you, Gilderoy" Dumbledore said. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore. As did Professors McGonagall and Snape. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione were following them, I faintly felt a tug on my arm, and suddenly I was moving again. I guess I was being pulled along since I couldn't follow on my own. As we entered Lockhart's darkened office, there was a flurry of movement across the walls. Several of the Lockharts in the pictures lining the walls were dodging out of sight, their hair in curlers. Why would his pictures need those!? The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. I wonder if he also sleeps with curlers in his hair. That would be both funny and weird for a grown man to wear curlers, but it would make some sense. That would explain how his hair is so...poofy, I guess. Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the smooth, polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight. Hermione pulled me down into a chair next to her. The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his crescent glasses. Did I ever mention how cool they were? There awesome! How did they make them like that? Dumbledore's long fingers were gently prodding and poking Mrs. Norris. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression. It was as if he was trying hard not to smile. Did I somehow end up in an alternate universe where Snape smiles in the last couple minutes? Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions. On the other hand, since Lockhart's here, I'm pretty sure I'm in the same universe.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her-probably the Transmogrifian Torture-I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her..." Lockhart said. His comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. They sounded horrible, in my opinion. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as I disliked Filch, but I couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him. Losing someone is hard, I can tell you that, but from what I saw, Mrs. Norris is all Filch has. I was also worried for us though. If Dumbledore believed Filch, then we all might be expelled for sure. Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened. Mrs. Norris continued to look as if she had been recently stuffed.

"...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou, a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..." Lockhart said. The pictures of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. What a bunch of bolony. At last, Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus" he said softly. Oh thank god. I didn't like the feeling of a dead cat. Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented. Thank you, Dumbledore, for shutting him up for a second!

"Not dead? But why's she all-all stiff and frozen?" Filch asked, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris.

"She has been Petrified" Dumbledore answered.

"Ah! I thought so!" Lockhart interrupted. No you didn't! Stop being rude!

"But how, I cannot say..." Dumbledore continued. I can find out, and I will. No matter what. I just probably not like the results.

"Ask him!" Filch shrieked, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry. What is he talking about!? He didn't do anything!

" No second year could have done this" Dumbledore said firmly. At least he was on my side. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-" he continued.

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found-in my office-he knows I'm a-I'm a-" Filch exclaimed, his face working to find the right word. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finished.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry exclaimed loudly. That was loud enough to make me jump a little. Nobody noticed as everyone was looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is" he added.

"Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!" Filch snarled.

"If I might speak, Headmaster" Snape spoke from the shadows. As much as I think that he could be a good guy once you get to know him, I still think that whatever he says might not do us any good.

"Potter, his sister, and their friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time" he supplied. My eyes widened. He actually said something helpful. Back to the thought about alternate universes. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?" he asked.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party.

"...there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there-"

"But why not join the feast afterward? Why go up that corridor?" Snape asked, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, hoping he had a satisfying answer.

"Because-because-" Harry tried to answer.

"Because they were helping me to the common room" I lied. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all jumped at the sound of my voice. Even I jumped a little at how my voice sounded. It sounded raspy and dry, like I've been crying for hours.

"Without any supper?" Snape questioned, a triumphant smile flickering across his face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties" he added.

"While that may be true, Professor Snape, I was too tired and exhuasted to eat. I was so tired that I stumbled into doors and fell a few times, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to help me up to the common room before heading back to eat" I elaborated. Snape seemed to search me for a moment.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Miss. Potter is not being entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if she was deprived of certain privileges until she is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel she should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until she is ready to be honest" Snape suggested. Yeah, okay. I'll be honest. We were in the upstairs corridor because we were chasing a killing disembodied voice that only me and Harry could hear. Do you think ANYONE would believe that? That says 'Insane Asylum' all over it.

"Really, Severus" Professor McGonagall started sharply. "I see no reason to stop the girl from playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter, his sister, or their friends did anything wrong" she said. At least she's on my side with this.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus" he said firmly. Both Snape and Filch were furious.

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch shrieked, his eyes popping.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to produce some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris" Dumbledore reassured patiently. Wow. Talk about timing with the Mandrakes. It's almost like she knew that this might happen.

"I'll make it. I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep-" Lockhart butted in. I would NOT trust him with that kind of responsibility. I wouldn't trust him with my life, like some people, (*cough* Hermione *cough*).

"Excuse me, but I believe I am the Potions master" Snape said icily. (AN: That is so close to my name. You just change the 'I' in the middle to something else. Start guessing!) A very awkward pause followed afterward.

"You may go" Dumbledore said. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I stood up. We exited the room as quickly as we could without actually running. When we were a floor up, we turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind me. I saw their faces clearly, but they might be having trouble in the dark. I saw Harry squint through his glasses, most likely to see better.

"D'you think we should have told them about that voice me and Elsa heard?" Harry asked.

Done. Hey! Finally updated! Sorry. This weekend was, technically, my birthday, so I couldn't do much. I also have a lit boyfriend! My life is becoming more complicated by the year. Updates might be slower because of this. See you later. Review?