Anything that's not blatant is a riddle
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Author's penname: Elixa Amethyst
Voices of the Past Part II
Written March 2002 onwards, pre Order of the Phoenix.
All characters and things you recognise, are © JKRowling, no infringement intended.

All references to "mediwizard" mean healer.
Read Part I at ?storyid1672635

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Chapter Fourteen

Screams in the Night

The screams woke me because of my sensitive feline ears. I sat up quickly, establishing that the screams came from the dormitory next door- the sixth year girl's dormitory. I leapt off my bed, and ran to the door, opening it with ease with a perfected spell to open it by mind without a wand. I ran the short distance to the next door and found it open. I rushed through, trying to keep to the shadows. There was a figure in the middle of the room, standing over Susan. I ran with all the speed I could managed and launched myself; teeth and claws ready up at the face of the figure. I heard a howl, and the face of the figure stared into mine as we hit the floor together. I was seized by the neck by Severus who I'd attacked. He threw me off and I lay hissing at him for a minute the other side of Susan's bed. I sneezed as an owl feather tickled my nose.

"What is going on in here?" A Scottish accented voice asked, and the lights came on. I should think the Professor didn't expect to see Professor Snape getting up off the floor and me hissing at him from the other side of Susan's bed. I looked around at the other beds and I saw they were all asleep- and Susan was too. Who had screamed and why had no one woken now? I had a feeling Professor McGonagall was about to ask the same questions.

"The two of you better have a good explanation for this." She snapped. I looked over at Severus, who was looking very annoyed.

Two minutes later we were standing in the Slytherin common room. I'd jumped up onto one of the tables to give me some height.

"I heard screaming." Severus explained.

"I did too Professor, from next door." McGonagall had her arms folded. She didn't look at me; her eyes were fixed on Severus.

"Someone's been up and about, and they've managed to break through the anti-apparation charms. They were looking for something. Severus sat down and continued to explain.

"I heard footsteps outside my office. I was working late into the night on the potion for Elixa, and I thought it was someone like Potter coming to help himself to some supplies. It wasn't though, as far as I know. I followed the noise up the corridor and I saw the Slytherin common room entrance open. I don't know of any student in this house who owns an invisibility cloak, at least who has made it known. That's when the screaming started. I thought at once that it must be a dark wizard again, like the one that got in last year. The last of the screaming came from the sixth year female dormitory, which was why I was in there." McGonagall seemed to take his word.

"And you, young… lady?"

"I heard the screaming, and came in, I saw Severus, and thought he was a dark wizard, and attacked." The fire that McGonagall had lit in the fireplace was burning low, illuminating just us. I'd noticed it was redder and more yellow than any fire I'd seen Severus conjure.

"This is the second time we've had someone in who shouldn't have been. Not even Peeves can open the entrances to common rooms. There was someone wandering about, I heard him or her too, which was why I got up. Whoever it was must be getting in somehow. What they are looking for though, we don't know." I had the feeling I was being watched. I glanced round; my cat's eyes making the dark room look lighter. Something just moved over by the door to my dormitory… Severus and Minerva turned to look, and whatever it was vanished.

"It's there- hiding." I said, every muscle in my feline form ready to attack. It took a while for me to relax again, although I didn't see any further movement.

I went back to my dormitory to try and sleep after Severus and Minerva had left. I was pacing around my bed in a frustrated way, so I returned to the common room. There were too many questions in my head. What did a dark wizard want in here, why was he or she looking in the sixth year dorm if for instance they were looking for me like last time? Why did they pass the staff chambers of McGonagall? Dumbledore had the necklace, why not go to him? Why hadn't Professor Moody picked up on something? How had they got in? Why had Susan been put into Slytherin? Had something happened to Susan in Albania? Why did Peterson encourage them to go there? Several hundred more questions filled my mind, each battling for space. I put my head down and put my paws on my head and gently shook it. A cat had a smaller brain and I needed all the room to think that I could get. Owl feathers… Another one, sitting on the chair opposite. I leapt across and sniffed. Owls…That was a way of getting in- the owlery!

I couldn't recall any registered animagi who could turn into an owl. I didn't particularly want to go to the library at this time of night, or as it was now, the morning, but as I'd come up with a strong possibility I was determined to see it through.
Slinking down the corridor in the shadows was easy as long as I didn't bump into Mrs Norris. Amazingly I reached the library without being seen. If I could then a dark wizard could easily too, even with two teachers on their tail it seemed. It didn't take me long to locate the register of animagi in the transfiguration section, but getting it down would be more difficult. I sat staring at the book for a while before it started to shift. I kept concentrating, but just as I was about to levitate it, a flicker of light indicating a ghost appeared at the entrance to the library. It distracted me, and the book plummeted to the floor. I ran underneath the table beside me, and the book hit the floor with the most tremendous bang. I was done for. Quirrell appeared within seconds, and picked up the book.
"Miss Amethyst, what are you doing under the table?" I crawled out and looked up at Quirrell's translucent disapproving face.

"Well speak up Prefect!" He snapped, reminding me of Snape when he got angry.

"I was looking up animagi in the register professor."

"I can see you were doing that, but at this time of night? Are you trying to get yourself expelled!" The glare he'd used in that first careers lesson met my eyes.

"This is research into how someone is getting into the school professor." Quirrell folded his arms.
"Is it really? I don't believe you are being entirely honest Miss Amethyst. I of all people should know what it feels like to be controlled by Voldermort." I looked as shocked as I could as a cat.

"I'm not under the control of anyone!" I exclaimed.

"You may not realise until it's too late-." I gave a deep-throated meow and growl.

"For your language Miss Amethyst- I will take five points from Slytherin, and for being out at night generally a further twenty, I am then going to take thirty more points considering you knew there was an intruder in the castle. I shall also be checking to see what other things you have been doing in relation to rules this term and see that you lose your prefects badge!" My jaw dropped.

"Language?" I questioned.

"You just swore at me in cat."