Jade could feel herself moving, and watched the world before her eyes bounce along. She couldn't move her body. It was like watching a movie, except she could feel what was happening. Everyone and everything around her was so large, it didn't make sense. What was going on? She began to hear things as well as her awareness spread further.
"Three attacks today, after so long with none." That was Madame Pomfrey's voice.
"This does not bode well." That was Dumbledore.
"We need to find the one responsible." That was Snape, but...there was rage and sadness in his voice. What was going on?
She could see she was in the Hospital Wing, and three bodies were being laid on the beds. She suddenly leapt upward, landing on one of them.
"Now see here!" Madame Pomfrey again.
"That's her cat." That was Argus Filch. "Leave her be, Poppy."
She was on a surface resembling a giant blanket, staring at her own face, locked in an expression of fear. The Demon Fire Crystal was glowing around her neck. What was going on?
She felt herself reach for the crystal, and saw a white paw cross her vision to touch it. She understood. "I'm inside Ruby," she said in shock. She spoke as though she talked aloud, but it only seemed to sound within her own mind.
The paw withdrew before touching the crystal, and Jade felt Ruby relax. "There you are," a purring voice said within her thoughts. "I wondered why I couldn't smell your soul. Don't scare me like that, Mom."
"Ruby?" Jade said in shock. "I can hear you? You can hear me?" Then she paused. "Mom?"
"What?" Ruby asked, leaning back to wash her paw. Jade tried not to think about the taste of fur...and the things Ruby was washing off. "Would you rather I call you something else? I certainly wouldn't call you mistress. I'm not a dog."
"You could call me by name." Jade mentally shook her head. Why was she arguing with her cat?
"When you've grown into your name, I will." Ruby turned her head. "Oh, they've brought your friends."
Jade saw through Ruby's eyes as Harry and Ron came in. She watched, surprised, as Harry came immediately to her side...and Ron went to Hermione's. "Hermione was attacked too?" Jade asked, shocked.
Ruby continued to lick herself. "I wouldn't know. You're my responsibility, not her."
Jade watched, sad, as Harry clutched her hand, standing over her body. "Please, Ruby, can I - I mean we - "
Ruby stretched, then walked over to Harry, rubbing her head against his side, purring. "I was getting there. Besides, he's your best chance to get back in your own body. The one controlling that monster wants you all dead, and I'm not about to let that happen." As Harry began to rub Ruby's head, she continued, "Besides, scar boy gives good caresses when he thinks you and the owl aren't looking. I like him. I might actually learn his name someday."
Jade wanted to say more, but Ruby was right. Harry's gentle caress on Ruby's head felt really good, and she couldn't help but relax.
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Harry went through his day after leaving the Hospital Wing rather woodenly. The image of Jade and Hermione lying there as though carved from stone wouldn't leave his mind. To make it worse, Ruby stuck close to his side on the way back to the common room, and sat in his lap while they were there, sadness seeming to droop from her whiskers. He knew he had to do something, anything.
Although he and Ron went down to Hagrid's - Ruby in tow, though not under the Invisibility Cloak - they didn't learn anything useful beyond Hagrid's rather cryptic clue to follow the spiders. However, a few other things had caught Harry's eye, leaving him somewhat confused. On the way there, they had passed Snape standing guard...and Ruby had gone right up to him, mewling sadly. Snape had glanced down at Ruby...and then leaned down to pet her. Although Ron swore he had to be mad to think this, Harry was certain he saw the beginnings of unshed tears in Snape's eyes as he did so. Also, Ruby seemed to perk up at the clue to follow the spiders, constantly looking towards the Forbidden Forest.
Two weeks later, in Potions class, Snape's unusual behavior shocked everyone though. Malfoy had been strutting about with Dumbledore's removal, and he suggested Professor Snape apply for the job. Snape hadn't responded. When Malfoy went on to talk about the Mudbloods not leaving, and the next one dying, Snape slammed his hand down on Malfoy's desk, making everyone jump.
"You would do well, Mr. Malfoy, to be silent on matters beyond your limited comprehension," Snape said coldly, his eyes hard as agates as he stared at Malfoy, his eyes filled with a level of hate normally reserved for Harry. As everyone stared like he'd grown a second head, Malfoy nodded mutely. He then walked back to the front of the class, passing by Harry's desk as he did so. He paused there, seeing that Ruby sat on the desk next to Harry. He took a moment to idly scratch Ruby behind the ears before the bell rang, and proceeded to escort everyone to their next class, leaving everyone wide eyed with shock.
In Herbology, many of the Gryffindors gossiped, telling the Hufflepuffs what had happened. While it was by now common knowledge that Snape had been giving private lessons to Jade - a Gryffindor - this latest behavior left many confused. Hannah from Hufflepuff, sharing the table with Harry and Ron, put it best. "It's almost as though it were his own daughter attacked."
Seeming to ignore what was going on, Ruby calmly dug a claw into Harry and Ron's legs to get their attention, staring at the line of spiders heading straight for the Forbidden Forest. She seemed quite pleased that they'd finally gotten her message about the spiders and the forest.
Late that night, Harry and Ron snuck out to Hagrid's hut to collect Fang. All it took was one swipe from Ruby's paw - she still stuck close by them - to get Fang to behave.
When they reached the center of the forest, they met Aragog, and discussed what they could with him of the monster in the castle. When Aragog was about to bid them farewell, Ruby suddenly leapt to Harry's shoulder, fur all the way extended and spitting and snarling. Aragog paused, and began to reply in a furious sequence of clickings and snappings. This conversation went on for some time. Then Aragog turned back to Harry. "Is what she says true? You hunt the monster from the school to prove Hagrid's innocence?"
Harry thought quickly. "That's right! It...it attacked two of my friends. No one's died yet...this time...but unless the creature - and the one controlling it - is stopped, the school will be closed and Hagrid will be left in Azkaban. If...if we can find the creature and catch - or kill - it, we'll be able to prove Hagrid's innocence, and they'll have to release him!"
The spider's all began to click and snap furiously again, drowning out any other noise...but then Aragog roared.
"ENOUGH!" he commanded his children. "I, we, owe everything to Hagrid. If not for him, I would not live to have found this hollow. If not for Hagrid, Mosag would not have been brought to me, and none of you would be alive! In this, I will make the final decision. If there is a chance Hagrid may be freed...exonerated...I will take it!" Aragog turned to Harry. "Boy, how sure are you of your ability to stop the monster of the school?"
Harry swallowed. He didn't even know what the creature was, or why he seemed to be able to hear it. As he opened his mouth to answer honestly, images flashed through his mind. Images of Jade: as he'd first met her, of their first year at Hogwarts together, how happy she was to learn magic...of her sorrow at the beginning of her second year, the weight that seemed to be on her soul...of the joy that his poem valentine had brought her...of her laying there in the Hospital Wing, unmoving and afraid. The world before him for one brief moment was cast in a white sheen.
"I will not fail," he said. It wasn't a promise. It was a statement of fact.
In the moment the world had glowed white, he had seen all the spiders pull back as though afraid...save Aragog, who had watched calmly. He turned and gestured to a group of his children. "Escort them out of the forest. Let nothing touch them." As the group leapt to obey, Aragog turned back to Harry. "Good luck, Child of Truth."
As Harry and Ron were escorted out, Ron turned to Harry. "What do you think Aragog meant when he called you that?"
Harry shrugged. "No idea." Ruby also seemed quite perplexed...but at the same time uninterested.
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*Why did Aragog call Harry Child of Truth?* Jade asked Ruby silently, for what felt like the umpteenth time.
*What makes you think I know anything?* Ruby asked, calmly washing her paw.
*Because you weren't surprised by him saying it!*
*Valid point. Yes, I know why he called him that.*
Jade waited for a while. *And?* she insisted at last.
*It's a secret.*
Jade screamed silently in frustration. *Why won't you tell me?*
*Because you don't need to know. By the way, once you get back to your body, do you think you could see about changing my diet? I've never been all that fond of Meow Mix, and your crafting sales have certainly given you enough money to afford some premium foods for me.*
Jade sighed. She should have known better than to argue with a cat. *Any preferences?* At least Ruby seemed to take it as given that she would get back to her own body.
*I'll let you know,* Ruby replied calmly. *Oh look, it's the idiot's class again.*
Jade noticed they were once again at Lockhart teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Jade sighed to herself. When Gilderoy reached down to pet Ruby, she spun, hissing, taking a swipe at him before he pulled back. *Okay, I know I hate him for my own reasons, but why do you?* Jade asked her cat.
*I don't. I just don't want him touching me. He tastes bad.*
Jade chuckled to herself. After Harry and Ron were able to ditch Lockhart, Ruby followed them as they headed towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom...and when they detoured to go visit the Hospital Wing. She was rather surprised by what the paper Hermione had revealed. *I thought a basalisk was a lizard with the head of a chicken?* she said in confusion.
*That's a cockatrice,* Ruby replied calmly.
*Aren't they the same thing?*
*Does that mean you're a monkey's uncle?*
*...right, I'll shut up.*
*Finally. It's crowded with you in here.*
*...thanks.*
*Any time.*
As Harry and Ron figured out the answers to what had been happening, Jade couldn't help but internally nod along. Now it all started to make sense. She had found where the missing puzzle piece belonged. *Now all we have to do is get Harry to the Chamber of Secrets soon enough to command the Basilisk not to attack anyone else, and he can then wait for whoever HAS been doing it and turn them into McGonagall.*
*Somehow, I doubt it will be that easy,* Ruby said blandly. *But we can hope.*
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Harry couldn't help but feel frustrated at how slow things were moving. A frentic energy was beginning to fill him. He knew - somehow - that he had to face whatever was in the Chamber, and soon. He and Ron had cornered Lockhart, and pushed him towards the entrance and down ahead of them. Ruby had not been happy about going into the sewers, but she had refused to leave Harry's side. Then Lockhart had tried to use Ron's wand - the one Jade had made for him - and for some reason, the spell had leapt out of the wrong end, causing an explosive backlash that collapsed the tunnel, leaving Harry and Ruby on one side and Ron and Lockhart on the other. He continued down the long corridor, wand at the ready.
Once in the Chamber itself, he raced forward to check on Ginny, shocked at the state she was in. The discovery that Tom Riddle was Voldemort, and using Ginny to ressurect himself, was a great shock, but it only led Ruby to hiss defiance. Nothing seemed to faze that cat. When Fawkes came in response to Harry's words about Dumbledore, it had surprised Tom. He recovered quickly, however.
"Let's pit the great Harry Potter and all the defenders he can gather, against the powers of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin!"
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Jade watched through Ruby's eyes as Harry battled the basilisk. At first, she'd feared to meet its gaze, but Fawkes took care of that rather rapidly by pecking its eyes out. Ruby knew better than to try and attack something that big, and mostly just made noise to distract it. Harry had to run around the chamber, dodging and swinging the sword that had come out of the Sorting Hat. Then it seemed Tom Riddle had lost his patience. He began aiming Harry's wand, seeking to curse Harry.
*If he hits Harry, he's dead!* Jade cried silently.
*Even if he doesn't, dodging curses and a snake is too much for anyone. One will kill him eventually.* Ruby seemed as upset as Jade. *But he's still mostly a ghost. I can't touch him.*
* A ghost...* Jade began searching through her magic. *The only way I could be in your body is through an Astral Projection...*
Ruby shivered. *Jade...do you know what you're doing?*
*...I hope so.* Finally, Jade found what she was looking for. Reaching through her magic, she seized the tie that bound her to her body...
...and severed it.
To be continued...