When a Rose Becomes a Thorn

Part Two:

R e v e n g e i s B i t t e r s w e e t



Claw looked happily into the mirror.

"Laurel's gone," she muttered. "She's done with. She spoke too much...she always did. And she never had the right words..."

These thoughts angered Claw. She picked up the glass vase her mother had given her for her birthday and smashed it on the floor.

"Brace yourself," she said. "She's gone. You took care of her...but that's not what's in important. I need...Harry. For all he's done...he's..."

She let out a scream of rage. She took one of Laurel's books and hurled it at the mirror.

"Stop it...stop looking at me!!" she screamed at herself in the mirror. "You follow me everywhere, watching...like him!"

Claw braced herself. She couldn't act suspicious. She had to stay normal. She had to punish him.

*****

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione.

"Okay, okay," he said. "So someone's dead, and this Claw girl's after me. Do you think the two could possibly have a connection?"

"Well," said Hermione. "Laurel Moscovitz started the Claw thing. So I think the two probably have a connection...Laurel was smart. So assuming Claw killed her, she could hurt you too."

"What we need to find out," said Harry. "Is who Claw is."

"We have no clues whatsoever!" said Ron. "Only this Laurel girl..."

"Who was Laurel friends with?" asked Harry.

Hermione and Ron shrugged.

"But, be rational Harry," said Hermione. "I doubt any of her friends are Claw."

*****

Parvati walked slowly down the corridor. It was dark here. And empty. There were no teachers around. She shivered, think about what Padma had said about Laurel. and what Lavender had said about Claw. She could bet Claw killed Laurel. But who were Laurel's friends? And why was Claw after Harry.

Suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks. It was like a lightbulb flashed above her head.

"Oh my gosh...Claw is-"

All of a sudden, a girl jumped out of the shadows.

"Good guessing, girly," she said. "I'm Claw. But unfortunatly, I can't exactly let you go, considering you'd blab it all over the place, and...I'm sorry. You'll be seeing Laurel soon, though..." And then she laughed.

*****

"So," said Harry. "We still have no suspects of who Claw is, and-"

A blood-curdling scream cut him off. It wasn't in the common room. It was in the hallways somewhere. And it did NOT sound good.

"Uh-oh," said Ron. "That sounded bad."

*****

"The scream shouldn't have happened," thought Claw, as she fled down the hall. "Well, at least that nosy one is finished."

Oh yes. But she had bigger plans for getting Harry.

*****

Professor McGonagall looked around at her house, with tears in her eyes.

"Your housemate...Parvati Patil...has been found...deceased."

Harry looked in shock at Ron and Hermione.

"We don't know what to do," said Professor McGonagall. "It is obvious this is a student, here, and to think...well, we can't close Hogwarts. School must go on. We'll figure this out, I...I'm sorry..."

"It was Claw," said Hermione, her eyes glazing over. "I know it had to be Claw. We need to find out who she is. Immediatly."