Disclaimer: It's all Rowling's. Not mine.

Blind Faith

Chapter Two

September, 1993

Big. Black. Dog.

I woke up with a start, my breath coming in quiet gasps. My eyelids lifted.

Not that I could actually see anything.

It had been so strange... it was like a dream except I had no concept of light and colour. How could I dream? The words had reverberated around my head. I struggled to remember them. I knew at least one of them had begun with b...

"Tom!" Ginny's voice mumbled in her sleep. I heard her tossing in her bed next to mine. "Please, leave me alone… please… I don't want to…. it wasn't my fault."

I felt my way over to her bed, almost falling flat on my face when I tripped over my shoes. "Wake up Ginny!" I reached out tentatively, and shook her. "C'mon Gin, wake up!"

"Amber?"

I breathed out the breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Are you OK?" I asked nervously.

"Amber, you know that whole Chamber of Secrets business last year?" she whispered.

I grimaced. "How could I not," I replied. Last year, the Heir of Slytherin, Gryffindor's opposing house, had opened the Chamber of Secrets and set loose some kind of monster. I think I heard that it was a giant snake or something. Anyway, it went around petrifying students. In fact, I think Hermione was petrified. They had Dumbledore taken out of the school for some reason or another, and Ginny was taken down into the Chamber.

It had been the worst moment of my life, when Ginny went to the bathroom before Potions and never came back. I'd gone to McGonagall after lunch when Ginny hadn't turned up. I'd been in Charms when the announcement had sounded.

"All students to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately please."

"Ginny," I whispered. Masses of students pushed past me, heading up to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms. I had to know where she was, so instead of turning right when I got to the door, my stick clutched in my sweating hand and my wand in the other, I went left, the portraits whispering instructions to me.

"Where's the staff room?" I asked the Fat Friar pleadingly.

"Just ahead and on your left," he said rather gravely for him.

"Thanks," I said quickly, before, heading off down the corridor. It had taken me ages to get here, and the meeting had already started when I pressed my ear against the door. McGonagall's voice filtered through, "It has happened. A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

I gasped. "How can you be sure?" Snape demanded, his usually cool indifferent tone sounding slightly uncertain.

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who's usually indifferent voice sounded abnormally shaky, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

"Ginny," I whispered again. She'd been taken, and I'd been too late to do anything about it. I felt like a failure as a friend.

No. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. Maybe if I kept thinking that, I thought, my intuition would turn out wrong for once.

Yes. That would be my mantra.

It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her.

"Who is it?" Madam Hooch's accented tones were definitely not steady. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley."

OK. New mantra.

She'll be OK. She'll be OK. She'll be OK.

The world could have stopped spinning at that moment and I wouldn't have cared. It was Ginny! I'd been right! I'd never hated my instincts more than at that moment.

Suddenly a pair of footsteps broke my depressed thoughts. I had to hide! No one could find me here!

My stick hit a suit of armour and I quickly ducked behind it, still managing to catch the conversation going on behind the door.

"-the students home tomorrow. This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said..."

The jovial bouncy footsteps (cough Lockhart cough) passed my suit of armour and opened the door. "So sorry- dozed off- what have I missed?"

I wanted to jump out and strangle him at that moment. What an idiot! My best friend could be dead, and he wasn't in the slightest concerned!

"Just the man," Snape's absolutely dulcet tone went. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Snape is a bloody genius.

A lying evil biased genius, but still a genius.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout, catching on. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

Sprout too?

"I- well, I-" Lockhart spluttered.

I almost felt sorry for him.

But only almost.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

This was brilliant. Ginny would have loved it.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized I would never see her again. Or, per say, hear her, since I'd never seen her in the first place. But Ginny was the most compassionate person I knew, excepting people she was pissed off at and those she hated. And her brothers. She had almost cried when everyone had laughed at her Valentine she'd sent Harry. It was another one of the reasons I hated Malfoy. She never did anything to him. She was nice to everyone.

Especially to me. She'd befriended me even though I was a burden, would laugh at my sarcastic jokes, and helped me around the school.

"D-did I? I don't recall..."

I'd changed my mind.

SUCKED IN LOCKHART! MHUAHAHAHAHAAAA!

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. Scheming bastard. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

"I... I really never... You may have misunderstood..."

I slightly maniacal smirk graced my face. Ginny's apparent capturement had unhinged me slightly, and although I would had found this funnier if she were here, right now, a more sadistic amusement filled me rather than the not-quite-innocent hilarity that would have.

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of you way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last.

The apocalypse has come. McGonagall has turned into a manipulating bitch.

"V-very well. I'll- I'll be in my office, getting- getting ready."

His now not-so-bouncy footsteps echoed down the corridor, and McGonagall said somewhat angrily, "Right. That's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students of what has happened. Tell them that the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please ake sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."

The teachers' footsteps faded away, one by one.

I sat down on Ginny's bed as she told me how it had been her, and about the diary, and about the nightmares. I was shocked. I had had no idea.

"D-do you hate me?" she whispered, barely audibly.

"Of course I don't hate you Ginny!" I exclaimed. "You're my best friend. It wasn't your fault!"

It took some time until I had convinced Ginny that it wasn't her, but Riddle. She then helped me pull out a pair of jeans and my school shirt, which I couldn't find in my trunk.

It was quite late when we finally got down to the great hall for breakfast. She handed me some toast, and I ate it plain. Since I couldn't stand pumpkin juice (I mean, how weird is it?) I just drank water. Ginny came and charmed my timetable so it was in Braille. "So we have... Herbology then Defence," Ginny said, "Hopefully it wont turn out to be a joke like last year."

"Maybe we'll actually," I lowered my voice conspiratorially, "learn something."

"Dear Merlin, you think?" Ginny copied my mocking sarcastic tone, "Never."

Herbology went as I'd expected- fairly badly, since I couldn't see what I was doing. I only got bitten a couple of dozen times by the mandrakes we were re-potting, on the other hand, becoming deaf as well as blind caused me to fall over at least half a dozen times.

While I was nursing my injured fingers, we ran into Hagrid, who joyously cave both of us a hug, nearly breaking my ribs.

"Nice to see you too, Hagrid," Ginny gasped out, "Hagrid, do you think you could let us breathe?"

When we arrived at the Defence room after lunch, apparently no one was there. Supposedly. "Maybe he's hiding under an invisibility cloak, I said to Ginny. "Dumbledore implied someone had one."

"Or maybe he's standing right behind you," Ginny responded wryly. "Hi Professor."

"You know I hate it when you do that," I muttered to her as I went into the classroom, taking the first empty chair I could find with my stick.

While taking the role, Lupin paused at my name. "Hart, Amber," he went after a brief pause.

I raised one hand into a two fingered salute and replied with the usual, "Absent."

He ignored me.

Why did he keep doing that? I wondered while listening to see if he hesitated with anyone else's name. Did I do something? Was it because I was blind? I had thought he was a pretty nice guy, but it just made me feel so guilty of something I didn't do.

When he finished with, "Weasley, Ginervra," and Ginny replied with, "Actually, it's just Ginny," I heard a rustle of papers and his chair moving back. "You can put those books away," he said firmly, "Today will be a practical lesson."

"Please let it not be cornish pixies," I whispered to Ginny. Ron had told Ginny who had told me that they had wreaked absolute havoc over the classroom.

Professor Lupin must have heard me, because he said, "No, we will not be dealing with cornish pixies, Amber. Can anyone tell me what you have already learnt? Yes, Colin?"

"Uh... we've learnt..." Colin drew out, thinking hard. For perhaps the first time of his life. He was obsessed with two things- photography and Harry Potter.

I wasn't sure, but I thought he might be gay.

"Absolutely nothing," Ginny said firmly. Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room.

"No, wait," I said, my mouth yet again operating on it's own, "At the duelling club, Snape taught us Expelliarmus."

I should have a sign stuck to me, reading 'Caution: Mouth operates faster than brain.'

"Professor Snape, Amber. Is that it?"

"Lockhart was an idiot," Joe, a guy who was almost as sarcastic as me said, "His class was a complete joke."

"His greatest ambition was to make his own line of hair-care potions," I agreed, "Can you really expect anything else from a guy like that?" As far as guys went, Joe was pretty decent.

Professor Lupin continued the lesson from there, asking us to stand up and move our chairs and desks to the wall, clearing a space in the room. "Find yourself a partner, and find yourselves a space in the room." Ginny promptly latched her hand onto mine and pulled me over to where I thought the corner of the room must be. "We'll start by practicing the tickling charm. Repeat after me, no, not with wands, Joe, rictusempra."

"Rictusempra," chorused the whole class, myself included.

I sort of hoped that Ginny couldn't be able to do it. I was very ticklish.

"Can anyone tell me how a tickling charm may be used in a duel?" Lupin's voice called over the silence easily. "Ginny?"

"Um, your opponent wouldn't be able to cast any spells from laughing?" she asked stumbling slightly. "And couldn't it also be a distraction?"

"Very good, take five points for Gryffindor," Professor Lupin continued. I smiled slightly. At least he seemed to like Ginny. "Can anyone define a continuous spell and a manual spell?"

I could almost hear the whole class thinking 'A what what?'

"Amber?"

IS THIS DUDE TRYING TO EMBARRASS ME, 'CAUSE IF HE IS, HE'S DOING A BLOODY AWSOME JOB!

"Uh," I said slowly, thinking hard. I'd read about them somewhere in the Standard Book of Spells, but I couldn't quite remember. I fiddled with the ring on my finger while I thought. "A continuous spell is a spell that... that..."

Suddenly, a conversation between male voices that I could have sworn I had never heard before in my life echoed around in my head:

"So, a continustus spell-"

"Continuous spell, Wormtail. Not continustus."

"So a continuous spell is a spell that never stops?"

"No, a continuous spell is a spell that when you hit someone with it, it doesn't stop until someone says the counter-spell or counter-jinx or counter-curse or whatever. They normally wear off after a while though. Haven't you been listening to Professor Bates at all, Wormtail?"

"You haven't been either, Prongs."

"True, Moony."

"You do know that we covered this in second year."

"...Really?"

"Prongs, you're an idiot."

"Hey Padfoot. You back from detention with Minnie, then?"

"Obviously."

"So what's a manual spell, Moony?"

"A spell that when you cast it on a subject, you've got to keep your wand on them to hold it."

"Thanks Moony."

"So what's a spell that changes the object's physical position like, say, a summoning charm? It's not a continuous spell, because the banishing charm is a sister spell, not a counter-spell, and it can't be a manual spell, because technically, there doesn't have to be a specific subject. So what of it Moony?"

"...I have no idea Padfoot."

"Miss Hart?"

I started. "What?"

I seriously meant it. What the hell was that? Who was Wormtail, Prongs, Moony and Padfoot?

Wait, that sounds terrible.

Maybe Prongs, Moony, Padfoot and Wormtail?

No, that didn't sound right either.

"Amber, if you don't answer, I'll have to take points off Gryffindor."

That got to me. "Oh! Right."

Even though he did say it very mildly. Actually, everything about him was mild; his temper, his voice, his accent (distinctly English) his footsteps etc...

From this day forth, you shall be known as Mild Lupin!

In any case, if these voices were right about their information, I could rule out that it was just some random daydream.

And were something to think about.

"A... um, continuous spell is... uh," I struggled to remember what the voice had said, "is a spell that once you hit someone with it, it automatically keeps going, so you could just walk off and they'd still be effected by the spell, but it wears off after some time I think, or you can use a counter-curse or counter-jinx or counter-spell or counter-hex or whatever, and a…. um…. a…."

"Manual spell," Lupin prompted.

"Yeah, that one, uhh... is a spell that you have to keep the wand on the subject, and it's lifted by just raising your wand?"

Realizing that I'd just been talking a hundred miles an hour and I should probably shut up some time soon, I firmly closed my mouth and thought, Yep. Mouth definitely operates faster than brain.

"Excellently put, take ten points to Gryffindor. The tickling charm itself is a continuous spell, so I think we should all practice the counter-spell. After me now. Finite incantartem..."

Where had the voices come from? I wondered. How could I have been right? Was it my subconscious's way of making me remember the information I'd forgotten?

"Now, could I have two volunteers, yes, Ginny, Amber, I think you should do quite nicely. Ginny, if you could please attempt to cast the tickling charm on Miss Hart."

Why me?

"Ginny, you volunteered us?" I said, quite loudly and causing the rest of the class to laugh.

"Eh," Ginny said, sounding somewhat unconcerned. I take back what I said about her being the nicest person alive. "Oops. Rictusempra!"

It was like a thousand hands were tickling my midriff. I burst into hysterical laughter, my hands automatically going to my stomach to try and guard off the merciless attack. Of course, it was a spell, how on earth was I supposed to guard off a spell with my hands. "Ginny-" giggle. "Please-" another wave of hysterical laughter escaped me and I fell to my knees, my sunglasses slipping off my face, but the tickling sensation was so, well, tickling, that I didn't particularly care.

You know, I thought while giggling helplessly, back in muggle primary, they said that tickling caused laughter, which released endorphins, which made you happy. I didn't think much of this statement, but otherwise, I couldn't explain my laughter. I gasped for breath. "Gin- mercy- gonna be sorry-"

Suddenly, I was able to breath again. "Professor," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "I've changed my mind. That spell is lethal, you hear me, lethal."

"I'm so sorry, Amber," I heard Ginny's voice vaguely, "I forgot the counter-spell."

I sent my second best glare at her. Or at least in her voice's general direction.

And I'm pretty sure she's not a ventriloquist.

I think.

As Professor Lupin instructed everyone to get into pairs and start practicing, Ginny pulled my arm around her shoulders and pulled me to my feet. She shoved my stick into my hands (god... how wrong would that sound if I was a guy?) and yet again apologized. When Lupin finally came back to us and asked if I needed to go to the hospital wing, to which I turned around so I was facing him and said in only a slightly sarcastic tone, "No, I'm perfectly fine and dandy. I only am finding it a bit hard to breathe."

But the sharp intake of breath and the words which escaped his lips in only a whisper, "Merlin, your eyes," caused me to blink in surprise. Not that it made a difference to my non-existent vision.

But something about my eyes-that-don't-work were familiar to Lupin.

And I wanted to know what.

But in the meantime, I pushed it to the back of my mind. I thought that my hearing voices was more important. Lupin knowing my eyes could come later.

I accioed my wand and sunnies and hastily shoved them on. I didn't like people looking at them. Ginny helped me up and we continued practicing.

On first try, I managed the tickling spell, and actually managed to hit Ginny. I then- ahem- forgot to use the counter-charm.

After the lesson Ginny muttered in my ear, making me start, "Come on- I need to talk to you."

Ginny pulled me over into a room- judging by the desk I bumped into an empty classroom- and said, "What was that all about?"

"What was what about?" I asked, bewildered.

"Your eyes! When he saw them- it was like his favourite dog had died," I could hear her footsteps pacing back and forth across the wooden floor. "He recognised them, Amber."

"Dun dun dunnnnn," I went, just trying to lighten the mood, but then realizing something myself. "Wait... he recognised my eyes, you say?"

"Yes..."

I panicked. My stick fell from my fingers, and the blood drained from my face. "Amber, are you OK?" Ginny asked, concernedly, "You just went white."

"Mum always said I had my father's eyes."

A/N I actually finished this chapter a while ago. But I wanted to see if I'd get any more reviews. Apparently not.

I know a lot more people are reading and not reviewing, so can you please find it in your heart to take thirty seconds out of your time and review! If I don't get five reviews for the next chapter, I will discontinue this story.

Actually, that's a downright lie. I've almost finished the next chapter.

Poll:

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