Chapter Sixteen
No Longer Safe
"Where's Harry?" Squall asked, eyeing Rinoa after the Quidditch match.
"Er . . . the hospital." She said in a small voice.
"The hospital?" Squall repeated incredulously. "I thought he just fell of his broom . . ."
"Yeah well, I tried to fix his broken arm!" Rinoa admitted laughing nervously.
Squall shook his head, unable to help a small smirk cross his lips, "Rinoa, I love you, but you're terrible at first aid spells."
She shook her head at him, "I know, I know . . . But still, what did you think of the match, a pretty good one, eh?"
"Yeah." Squall admitted, pulling Rinoa into a hug. "That Harry's sure got talent, just like James. Draco wasn't bad either, though, a bit of a surprise since I can't remember Quistis ever being that good at Quidditch, or even, caring about it, really. I suppose he gets that from his father."
"His father." Rinoa wrinkled her nose, "Quidditch talent isn't the only thing he got from the Malfoy in his blood-he's also got his dad's stuck up personality."
"Why did Quistis ever marry that git anyways? I thought for sure she and Remus-"
Rinoa shrugged, "You're guess is as good as mine. I wasn't even invited to the wedding, being the 'disgrace to my pure-blood wizard name' as I am from marrying a mudblood." She winked.
This would have been an insult coming from anyone else, but Squall knew she said adoringly and he kissed her. "Well, that wasn't Quistis' fault though, was it, I mean her parents organized the entire thing. Bastards they were, too. I wouldn't be surprise if-"
At that minute a sudden scream jolted them from each other's arms, "That came from the hall!" Rinoa shouted, and the two ran out to wear Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster Dumbledore was standing over the body of a student.
The girl lay motionless on the ground, her eyes wide and blank. "Nafia!" Squall said, quickly racing to her.
"No!" Rinoa cried, clapping a hand over her mouth in terror.
Dumbledore had a worried expression in his sagacious eyes. "She has been petrified. I have already called for Madam Pomfrey . . . she should be alright everyone . . ." But he still appeared worried.
"Sir, what happened?" Squall asked.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, gazing into the distance sadly, "It seems to be as we'd most feared . . ."
Harry lay in his bed in the infirmary, re-growing the bones in his arm was painful. Suddenly he heard the bodiless voice again, only it was not alone, he thought he heard a woman's voice, it was deep and raspy. Now the two voices were talking with each other, Harry's head pounded, why was hearing voices? Why were they talking to each other? To him? Why couldn't anyone else hear them? What did it all mean?
Suddenly there was a thump at the end of his bed and Harry sat bolt up, but it was only Dobby, the house elf. "Dobby, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, relieved and annoyed at the same time.
"Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts!" Dobby insisted, "It is no longer safe here. That is why Dobby tried to stop Harry Potter from getting on the train . . ."
"What? That was you?" Harry demanded furiously.
"Then Dobby thought his bludger . . ."
"Your bludger? Dobby!" Harry cried, struggling to sit up with his arm in the sling. "I just might strangle you!"
"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. He gets them five times a day from his family. The wizard family he is bound to serve until he is freed by his master, if his master presents him clothes." Dobby said this so piteously Harry had to feel a bit sorry for him. "History must not repeat itself. Harry must leave." Dobby then began to hit himself in the head again.
Suddenly voices and footsteps entered the infirmary; Harry fell back on the bed as Dobby disappeared. Dumbledore, Pomfrey and group of teachers were carrying in a student who was petrified. Harry opened one eye a tiny bit to see who it was and let out a gasp of surprise when he recognized it as Nafia Kinneas. Luckily, the teachers were to busy talking amongst themselves to hear him, or notice that he was now staring wide eyed at the petrified girl.
"Does this mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened . . .?" Rinoa asked nervously.
"Of course it does!" Squall said before Dumbledore answered.
"But what will we tell the students and the staff?" McGonagall asked.
"The truth . . ." Dumbledore said softly, "That Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is no longer safe. For it appears to be that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again."
"Where's Harry?" Squall asked, eyeing Rinoa after the Quidditch match.
"Er . . . the hospital." She said in a small voice.
"The hospital?" Squall repeated incredulously. "I thought he just fell of his broom . . ."
"Yeah well, I tried to fix his broken arm!" Rinoa admitted laughing nervously.
Squall shook his head, unable to help a small smirk cross his lips, "Rinoa, I love you, but you're terrible at first aid spells."
She shook her head at him, "I know, I know . . . But still, what did you think of the match, a pretty good one, eh?"
"Yeah." Squall admitted, pulling Rinoa into a hug. "That Harry's sure got talent, just like James. Draco wasn't bad either, though, a bit of a surprise since I can't remember Quistis ever being that good at Quidditch, or even, caring about it, really. I suppose he gets that from his father."
"His father." Rinoa wrinkled her nose, "Quidditch talent isn't the only thing he got from the Malfoy in his blood-he's also got his dad's stuck up personality."
"Why did Quistis ever marry that git anyways? I thought for sure she and Remus-"
Rinoa shrugged, "You're guess is as good as mine. I wasn't even invited to the wedding, being the 'disgrace to my pure-blood wizard name' as I am from marrying a mudblood." She winked.
This would have been an insult coming from anyone else, but Squall knew she said adoringly and he kissed her. "Well, that wasn't Quistis' fault though, was it, I mean her parents organized the entire thing. Bastards they were, too. I wouldn't be surprise if-"
At that minute a sudden scream jolted them from each other's arms, "That came from the hall!" Rinoa shouted, and the two ran out to wear Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster Dumbledore was standing over the body of a student.
The girl lay motionless on the ground, her eyes wide and blank. "Nafia!" Squall said, quickly racing to her.
"No!" Rinoa cried, clapping a hand over her mouth in terror.
Dumbledore had a worried expression in his sagacious eyes. "She has been petrified. I have already called for Madam Pomfrey . . . she should be alright everyone . . ." But he still appeared worried.
"Sir, what happened?" Squall asked.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, gazing into the distance sadly, "It seems to be as we'd most feared . . ."
Harry lay in his bed in the infirmary, re-growing the bones in his arm was painful. Suddenly he heard the bodiless voice again, only it was not alone, he thought he heard a woman's voice, it was deep and raspy. Now the two voices were talking with each other, Harry's head pounded, why was hearing voices? Why were they talking to each other? To him? Why couldn't anyone else hear them? What did it all mean?
Suddenly there was a thump at the end of his bed and Harry sat bolt up, but it was only Dobby, the house elf. "Dobby, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, relieved and annoyed at the same time.
"Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts!" Dobby insisted, "It is no longer safe here. That is why Dobby tried to stop Harry Potter from getting on the train . . ."
"What? That was you?" Harry demanded furiously.
"Then Dobby thought his bludger . . ."
"Your bludger? Dobby!" Harry cried, struggling to sit up with his arm in the sling. "I just might strangle you!"
"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. He gets them five times a day from his family. The wizard family he is bound to serve until he is freed by his master, if his master presents him clothes." Dobby said this so piteously Harry had to feel a bit sorry for him. "History must not repeat itself. Harry must leave." Dobby then began to hit himself in the head again.
Suddenly voices and footsteps entered the infirmary; Harry fell back on the bed as Dobby disappeared. Dumbledore, Pomfrey and group of teachers were carrying in a student who was petrified. Harry opened one eye a tiny bit to see who it was and let out a gasp of surprise when he recognized it as Nafia Kinneas. Luckily, the teachers were to busy talking amongst themselves to hear him, or notice that he was now staring wide eyed at the petrified girl.
"Does this mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened . . .?" Rinoa asked nervously.
"Of course it does!" Squall said before Dumbledore answered.
"But what will we tell the students and the staff?" McGonagall asked.
"The truth . . ." Dumbledore said softly, "That Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is no longer safe. For it appears to be that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again."