Chapter 20: Let Second Year Begin!
It was my suggestion of getting everything into the Ford Anglia the night before we left for King's Cross that saved a lot of trouble the next morning. In the book, there had been several problems that could've been solved simply by preparing earlier than they had. Since I had always been a very prompt person, I didn't want anything to go wrong the next morning.
When we woke at dawn, however, there was still an awful lot to do, including cooking breakfast for the added number of people, making certain everything was in the trunks (believe me, that alone took an hour at the very least), and then there was the problem of stuffing people into the car. Even with Mr. Weasley's additions, it was a tight squeeze getting all the people into the car. Mrs. Weasley even had to content with making a third seat within the car for us (not visible to people outside, though).
When we got to King's Cross, we had to get out of the car in small groups and bundles, because if a Muggle saw this many people getting out of one car at once, they'd definitely walk over to have a look at the supposedly normal Ford.
Harry, Tom, Trunks, and I were the last to exit the car, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. We walked to Platforms 9 and 10, making all the while certain no Muggles were watching as an enormous group of people were slowly disappearing into a supposedly solid wall.
I was very glad we'd had that talk with Dobby about his "saving our lives" bit because I sure didn't want to miss the train this time because he had blocked the wall with his elf magic. When we settled into a compartment, however, we discovered our...somewhat small problem. There was absolutely no way we were all going to fit into that tiny compartment, where the maximum amount of people was eight, nine if someone sat on the floor or in someone's .
In the end, it was Harry, Hermione, Ron, Tom, Trunks, Jupiter, Susan, Draco, Ginny, and I sat in the one compartment, me sitting in Trunks' lap, Ginny in Ron's. Mr. Weasley saw this and decided to help us out a bit, and, to my surprise and delight, widened the seats magically so that we had enough room to each sit cross-legged in the seat, with the small exception of me. I wasn't too mad about this, however, because it meant I could still sit in Trunks' lap. The entire row scooted over so Ginny could sit down, and there was still a little breathing room for each person.
The room was silent as we left the station. When we'd reached one of the many farms along the way to Hogwarts, however, everyone exploded with talk and laughter. It was like an enormous reunion had broken out among friends, which it was, but louder still. There was so much to talk about that no one was silent for long. Even Ginny couldn't remain silent, which was a shock because she'd always been quiet with Harry in the room.
I didn't whisper a word of what I knew would happen this year. I let them have their fun...we were only twelve, after all, and twelve-year-olds needed fun or they would become like Draco had been before he'd met his cousin Jupiter.
"Hey, Draco," I said as we fell finally into silence. "Whatever happened to Crabbe and Goyle?"
"Those two?" Draco said with a slightly hollow laugh. "They both failed their finals." There was a silence so imposing I excepted crickets to start chirping any minute.
"What do you mean, they failed?" I said shrilly.
"I meant it as I said it, they both failed," he shrugged. "The didn't study at all, they hardly ever, if ever, paid attention in class, so they failed their finals."
"Oh."
The compartment remained silent for the exception of several loud snores coming from Ron. Everyone but Trunks, Harry, Draco and I were asleep.
"I can't say I'm surprised," I said after a while, "I mean, you don't study or pay attention, there's bound to be trouble later on."
"You should've seen their dads when they got home," Draco said, his mouth covered up slightly as he struggled to not laugh. "I know it's no laughing matter to get kicked out of Hogwarts for failing your final, but their dads were so mad..."
"I can just imagine," I mused from my seat.
We woke the others as we neared the school. I slipped my cloak over my jeans and T-shirt and smiled as I noticed that cloaks fit me despite the fact that I'd grown over the holidays. Shin was with us in spirit despite his overall death in this dimension.
(Too bad we didn't take the car this time...I loved Harry's words right before the flew into the Whomping Willow..."WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!"...too George of the Jungle...heh heh...oops, nothing to do with this story...let's get back before the blue dragon comes back [Inside joke for those who know me ^-^])
The train pulled to a stop in front of the school and the first years followed Hagrid to the lake for their ride across it. Us second years followed the older kids to horseless carriages. The rest of us waved to Ginny and climbed, four to a carriage, into them. Us four cousins climbed into one, waving to the others as we sped off for the castle.
***
The Sorting Ceremony began shortly after we sat down, reunited with the exception of Ginny, at the Griffindor table. The Sorting Hat sang its song (brand new one) and then student after new student was placed in each House evenly.
The evening was almost a repeat of our own first night at Hogwarts, with the one exception that Draco was our friend, as was Susan and a lot of other people. However, Dumbledore called me out just before we were to exit the room. Trunks stayed behind with me, as did Harry and Tom.
"Yes, Headmaster?" I said as I walked up to him.
"Minerva, could I ask you to stay to lead them back to the Tower after I'm through?" he asked our strict Transfiguration teacher.
"Of course."
"Angel, I know about what you did to Mr. Malfoy," Albus said, looking at me measuringly.
"I'm sorry, sir, really, I am, it's just that-"
"Oh, not to worry," he said, chortling. "I found it quite amusing what you did. However, several people saw the fight and it was placed on the front page of the Daily Prophet."
"Oh, dear," I said, my face flushing.
"The press have requested an interview with you," he told me. "Do you wish to continue on with this?"
"Yes," I answered promptly. "I think it's time that the wizarding world, at least, knew what was going on. It'd given them a little more to be cautious about, after all."
"All right, but I do want to congratulate you on a job well done," he said, his pale blue eyes twinkling. "I think Lucius will think twice before messing with anyone, let alone you." I nodded and he nodded, telling us we could follow Professor McGonagall to our dorm.
***
The next morning began with the last time I'd tell my story to anyone. A reporter had a pen ready but I asked her to put it away. Someone taped to speech and gave it to her and we were left at that.
Well, that is until it came out in the papers the next Sunday. The story was front and center and it had seven pages completely dedicated to what I'd said. It had a rather nice-looking picture of Trunks, Tom, and I on the front cover, my tail wagging behind me in a fashion that reminded me strongly of the confidence I'd only seen in Trunks.
Well, you can just imagine what happened at our second Defense of the Dark Arts class. Lockhart was so unnervingly happy to see that I wasn't the only famous person around that he assigned seats in the room, placing Harry, Trunks, Tom, and I in the front, alongside Hermione and Ron, thank goodness.
"Hello, Angel, positively brilliant speech on Monday..." he said in his overly exuberant voice as he settled down the class. Then, my chest filled with dread. He had a cage. A cage on his desk. I knew what was in that cage. I didn't want what it was to be let out into the room.
The entire room held its breath as he lifted the veil over the cage. I was the only one in the room that seemed in the slightest worried.
What is it, Angel? Why are you so tense? Trunks asked me in my mind, looking at me sidelong.
Those are pixies, Trunks. You've no idea how much damage those little things can do. I was grim as I told him and Lockhart seemed to be the only one in the room that seemed pleased with my reaction.
"Ah, you know of Cornish pixies' mischievous nature, do you, Angel?" Lockhart asked as I nodded my head furiously. The electric-blue eight-inch pixies were staring at me as I them. I was prepared to make any Charms that I found in my mind to stop the little things from completely destroying the classroom.
"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly, so the whole room could hear. "Let's see what you make of them!" He released them and they immediately began reeking havoc onto the now-frightened class. I did Freezing Charm after Freezing Charm on them as Harry, Hermione, and Trunks joined me, followed quickly by Jupiter. Ron joined only as the last two pixies were raising Neville out of his seat. Both Ron and I fired at once, freezing not only the pixies, but Neville as well. We stuffed the pixies back into their cage and then did the counterspell on Neville as we took our seats in front of the awe-filled room.
"Excellent work, all of you!" Lockhart said proudly. "120 points to Griffindor, well done, you six. Excellent idea, Angel, a Freezing Charm, well done." As the class settled down, he handed out the quiz to see how well we had read his books.
When we were through, only Hermione and I got them all correct.
"Well done, Angel, Hermione, you both remembered well that my favorite color is lilac," he congratulated us as he gave us each 20 more points to Griffindor. "And might I have a word with you after class, Angel?"
"Sure, Professor, my pleasure," I said coolly as the bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the class. I turned to the others. "I'll meet you guys later, let me talk to Professor Lockhart." Trunks hesitated until I gave him a small glare.
Go, Trunks, I need to talk to the fraud alone, I told him. He merely nodded and left with Tom and Harry.
"I must say, I'm a great deal impressed, Angel," Lockhart said.
"You should be," I said coldly. "You're a fraud, Lockhart, the only thing you've ever done properly is your Memory Charms."
"H-How did-"
"You already know how I knew," I told him sharply. "I've read the books, I know you almost completely through. A person is as a person does, Lockhart. As I've told many before, the outer appearance is nothing to me. And I know what's inside you."
"So you know."
"Yeah," I said, "And no matter how many Memory Charms you do, you can't erase that information, I know it for a fact. Just to cut it to the chase, Professor, I want to teach you as I know. Memory Charms won't be the only thing in your repertoire when I'm through with you."
"You'll really do that?" he asked, seeming surprised.
"Yeah," I said with wink. "One thing I didn't mention to the press was that Tom is the reborn version of Voldemort. And you won't tell him that, I want him to have a good rebirth so he won't resort back to his old way of doing things. See, I believe in second chances, Lockhart. I myself have been given three of them. How many are you going to have?"
"I-I dunno," he said stupidly.
"We'll see about it." I said, walking away. "But I'll see you again. Perhaps soon, perhaps not." My back turned and I left the room.
***
Quidditch practice started on that Saturday, at dawn. Luckily, I was used to waking up at dawn, but Harry and Tom certainly were not. They complained readily for an hour until I threatened to start training them in my martial arts, in which they had to wake up at four in the morning to start. Neither dared to utter another sound until we were in the air and were practicing.
I told the others my plans for Lockhart and we started his "magic training" that Sunday. We only worked for two hours then quit, each time only doing one spell or charm, then leaving it up to Lockhart to practice.
Throughout all this, Colin Creevy was following the both of us (Harry and I) all over the place and nothing seemed to please him more than to say "All right, Harry?" or "What's up, Angel?" and hear "Hello, Colin" from either one of us. He finally got his picture of Trunks, Tom, Harry, and I in front of the fireplace and we all signed it for him. He finally left us alone after a while, but at least Lockhart wasn't being a big pain in the butt.
But the thing that really made me feel kind of bad was the fact that Malfoy wasn't on the Slytherin team with his little Nimbus Two Thousand and One under his arm. Flint, the Slytherin team captain, was trying his hardest to find a new Seeker, but Draco absolutely refused to get on a broomstick against Harry or I.
It was the night after our first Quidditch match, Sunday, and Harry, Tom, Trunks, and I were coming in from our second practice, particularly tired.
"Come...Come to me...let me rip you...let me tear you...let me kill you...let me kill you..." the voice rang out over the school as though the creature had spoken into the intercom system.
"Harry," I said with my voice full of fear. "Harry, did you hear that?" He nodded, dumbstruck.
"Hear what?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah, what?" Tom said.
"I-I think it...it came from this way!" I raced up the stairs, following the voice quite well. The others rushed after me, their weariness forgotten as we searched high and low for the voice I knew we wouldn't find.
The mystery had begun again.
***
Halloween came and I was downright glad we'd be in the Great Hall when Mrs. Norris was Petrified. We had just finished a terrific Halloween feast and were heading back to our dormitory when Harry and I heard it again.
"...rip...tear...kill..."
"Harry, it's that voice again!" I cried shrilly.
"Let's go after it," he said, nodding and running off toward the source of the voice.
"...soo hungry...for so long..."
"I think we'd better get back to the dormitory," I said with an ill sort of greenish tint in my cheeks. The others nodded and we quickly ran back to the dormitory.
We weren't the last ones to get in. Ginny came racing in a few moments later, followed by a very bewildered-looking Jupiter.
"Someone killed Filch's cat!" she shrieked, pointing in the direction of Moaning Myrtle's toilet (It's a very prominent issue in the second book, all right? Moaning Myrtle is a ghost who haunts an out-of-order girl's bathroom and I'm not saying anything more on the subject).
Several wanted to go and see the gray Mrs. Norris dead for themselves, but Percy wouldn't hear of it.
"You'll stay right here, the lot of you!" he shouted, guarding the door. I grabbed the Invisibility Cloak from my room and threw it over what few of us that were paying attention amid the chaos. Luckily, Neville had forgotten the password and was waiting outside for someone to tell it to him. He happily clambered into the room while we raced down the hall, our boots and tennis shoes crashing onto the floor loudly as I tucked my cloak back into my pack, which was on me at all times now.
"Mrs. Norris, speak to me!" Filch was shouting at the frozen cat hoarsely.
"Mr. Filch, what happened?" I asked him as I raced up to him, "Someone in our dormitory came in shouting that your cat was dead and-" I gave a loud gasp. "Mrs. Norris!" The fat gray cat was hanging from a nail, stiff as a board, with a bit of red writing beneath her:
The Chamber of Secrets has Been Opened! Enemies of the Heir, Beware!
"Who was this 'somebody'?" Filch growled. "Whoever it was killed my cat!"
"I can't remember," I stammered as though I were trying to keep up an image of someone. "But never mind that, maybe there's something Professor Dumbledore can do. I'll go get him. You guys stay here with Mr. Filch." Trunks looked like he was about ready to catch my arm as I sprinted down the hall as fast as my feet could carry me toward Professor Dumbledore's ki, which was luckily quite close.
"Professor...Dumbledore..." I gasped, "Mr. Filch's cat...the girls' bathroom....come...quickly..." I took several deep breaths as Dumbledore tried to console me to speak in a string he could understand.
"What about Mr. Filch's cat, Angel?" he asked, looking quite concerned. I swallowed as I finally caught my breath.
"It looks like it's either dead or Petrified, sir, come quickly," I tugged his arm and was followed also by Professor McGonagall and Lockhart.
"Argus!" Dumbledore shouted as he saw, "Come along, Argus, let us see what we can do for Mrs. Norris." Trunks had taken the cat from the wall ever so gently and was prodding her slightly and shaking her, as though he thought she would wake up at any moment.
Everyone followed closely behind the headmaster as we made our way, solemnly silent, up the stairs to Lockhart's office. Trunks, Tom, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were quiet as we stared at the gray-furred cat. I was suddenly reminded of Hermione, Susan, and I as I stared at the cat. I hoped not one of us would end up like that cat.
Or worse, as worse proclaims.
Filch was sobbing his eyes out, not daring to look at his cat.
"Mr. Filch, don't worry," I tried to console him. "I think she was only Petrified, and Professor Sprout just started on some Mandrakes, so if she is only Petrified, you'll have her back really soon, good as new." He looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. Mr. Filch had lost all matter of his pride and indignant nature toward the students.
"You really think she was only Petrified, kid?" he croaked.
"Indeed, Angel is correct, Argus," Professor Dumbledore said from behind me in a very gentle way. "Mrs. Norris was only Petrified, but by what, we have few clues."
"Ask them, they're the ones who ran up to me when I discovered her," Mr. Filch said harshly.
"Argus, don't be ridiculous," Dumbledore told him. "They were in their common room when the other student informed them of this. However, the student kept their face well-hidden, so even I do not know who it is."
Filch stared at us accusingly, then sighed.
"How long will it take to bring Mrs. Norris back?" he asked softly, looking back at his stiff cat for the first time since they had entered the room.
"As soon as the Mandrakes have reached full size, though I'm not quite certain," Dumbledore said ponderingly. "Don't worry, though, Argus, everything will be all right."
"So true, Headmaster," I said with a dazzling smile at Filch. "Some things are well worth the wait. And the awakening of a friend is one of them." Trunks put his arm around my shoulders and held me against him slightly.
"She's right, Mr. Filch, it's hard to get through it, but once she wakes up, everything will go back to normal," he told the janitor. "Or as normal as it can get around this castle." Dumbledore nodded, chortling at Trunks' small joke. The other teachers slowly got up and left and Dumbledore gave Mrs. Norris to a shiny-eyed Filch to take to Madam Pomfrey. Soon, the only ones left in the room was our small group, Dumbledore, and Lockhart.
"Well, that's taken up a bit of excitement," Dumbledore said lightly. "I've seen you've been getting some instruction from one of our prize students, Gilderoy." He beamed at me and my face went scarlet.
"Yes, sir, Angel's been giving me lessons in things...er, other than Memory Charms," Lockhart said uncomfortably.
"I suspect she knows something she's not telling us, Gilderoy," Dumbledore's eyes were fixed on me. "I also suspect that it has a lot more to do with lives other than Mr. Filch's cat." I nodded with a pink flush in my cheeks.
"Tom, Ron, Hermione, you guys go back to the Tower, I need to speak with the Headmaster and Professor Lockhart a moment," I told them. "Trunks, you stay here. Harry, it's your choice, mostly." Of course, Harry decided to stay.
"All right, let's here it," Dumbledore told me with a voice so gentle, one would think he was talking to a child rather than the person waiting to help save the world.
"Harry and Trunks won't quite know what I'm talking about, but here goes," I told them. "The Chamber of Secrets is about to be opened a second time, Professor, by the same person as last time. And I don't mean Hagrid." Harry and Trunks gaped at me.
"Again?" Dumbledore asked, an eyebrow raised. "By Tom, you mean?"
"Tom?"
"What's he got to do with anything?" Trunks asked, rather shrilly, if you ask me.
"Not our Tom," I said hastily. "Lucius Malfoy passed on a bit of Voldemort's old school things to someone, but the original person didn't receive it. It was supposed to have been Ginny, but I don't think it was her because I would've seen it. Voldemort controls whoever has this piece of him through his memories rather than his present self. Through this piece, he controls whoever it is and opens the Chamber of Secrets."
"Most interesting..." Dumbledore said, "He was one of the brightest students of his year, he was. Not many people know he was originally called Tom Riddle."
"Yes, I know all that," I told him. "However, the mystery is one again because I don't know who has this piece."
"What is the piece?" he asked.
"A black diary with T.M. Riddle on the front," I exclaimed promptly.
"Hmm...you suspect that the same person who told you of Argus' cat dying, or rather, being Petrified, is the same person in possession of this diary?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I think. Ginny was the one in the book, but now I'm not too sure. I mean, me being here, Dirken, Trunks, we've changed a lot of the original stuff...but not too much that it's strayed from the original plot too much. I find that quite unnerving, though, because I'll expect things to happen and if they don't, then I don't know precisely what's going on and I'm basically lost."
"Isn't that the fun part of life?" Dumbledore asked with an unmistakable wink.
"Yes," I smiled at him, "I suppose you're right."
"I doubt Miss Weasley has the book now, but I'm certain that someone in your House does," he told me. "But I'll let you find that information on your own. After all, it is your second childhood, not mine." And before I could say a word, he was gone.
***