Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

AN1: Thank you for the support. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.


September 5th 1992

It is the first weekend since Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville retuned to Hogwarts and ever since they started to look into it Hermione and Harry have been researching all about Wizarding law, trying to find out a way to get Sirius a trial, as well as doing their normal work. As they are both sure that neither Ron nor Neville will understand why they are doing what they are doing neither has mentioned their extra-curricular activity to their friends.

Due to the fact that Ron and Neville woke to a note from Harry that informed them that Oliver Wood has called a Quidditch practice Hermione, Ron and Neville quickly grabbed some food from the Great Hall before heading down to watch, what they assume to be the last bit of the Quidditch practice but they are surprised to learn that it hasn't even started yet, so they take seats in the stands.

The three second years haven't been sitting in the stands long when they see what looks to be the Slytherin team walk onto the pitch too.

"That's not going to end well." Hermione says worried as the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams meet and so she gets up and hurries onto the field, Neville and Ron right behind her.

"Oh, look" Flint, the Slytherin captain says as Hermione, Ron and Neville approach, "A field invasion."

"What's happening?" Ron ask Harry.

"Why aren't you playing?" Neville asks.

"And what's he doing here?" Hermione adds, looking at Malfoy in his Slytherin Qudditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker." Malfoy reveals, "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's brought our team." Malfoy says smugly, "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle of those Cleansweep fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." Malfoy says, causing the Slytherin team to howl with laughter.

Hearing that Hermione moves forward so that she is only a few steps away from Malfoy, while the rest of both the teams are several steps away from them, "At least no one in the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in." She says to her cousin, standing tall against him, "They all got in on pure talent." She says.

Clearly angry Malfoy goes to say something, but then he realises something better, so he smirks, and takes several steps towards Hermione lowers his voice, only doing so because he doesn't want anyone else to know what he is about to say, he doesn't want the shame, but he does want Hermione to know that he knows, "No one asked your opinion, you blood traitor scum. You're a disgrace to the Black name" Malfoy spits, his voice only loud enough for Hermione to hear.

"Huh, I guess you're not as clueless as I thought you were, dear cousin, I'm disappointed I always thought being clueless was your best trait." Hermione says with a smirk, which would have reminded Remus of Sirius if he saw, before turning around to head back to the others.

Being angry at what Hermione said, and being annoyed that his words seemingly had no effect Malfoy pulls his wand to curse his cousin but before he can Ron yells,

"EAT SLUGS." But instead of hitting him there is a bang that echoes and a jet of green light shoots out of Ron's broken wand, hitting him in the stomach and causing him to go flying back into the grass.

"RON." Fred, George, Harry, Hermione and Neville yell, all running over to where he landed.

"Ron, Ron, are you alright?" Hermione asks as the group reach him. As they do Ron opens his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth and onto his lap.

Seeing that the Slytherin team become paralysed with laughter. Flint doubles over and has to hold on to his new broomstick for support. Malfoy falls to all fours and bangs on the ground with his fist. The Gryffindor's on the other hand all gather around Ron, who keeps belching large, glistening slugs and while they are all trying to be supportive the truth is that no one really wants to touch him.

"We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest." Harry says to Hermione and Neville and together, the three of them pull Ron up by the arms.

As it turns out getting Ron up was the easy part as when the foursome try to move they find their path by the first year, Colin, who has become rather obsessed with Harry, and wants a picture of the excitement,

"Get out the way, Colin." Harry says angrily as he, Hermione and Neville support Ron and get him out of the stadium, across the grounds, towards the edge of the forest.

"Nearly there, Ron." Neville says supportively, "You'll be all right in a minute." He says.

"Almost there." Hermione adds as they get within twenty feet of Hagrid's house and just as they do the door opens, but it isn't Hagrid who is walking out, it's Lockhart.

"Quick, behind here." Harry hisses as he drags Ron behind a nearby bush, both Hermione and Neville following quiet willingly as even though she does have a small crush on Lockhart Hermione prefers him when he's not speaking.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing." Lockhart informs Hagrid, "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you don't already have one. I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, goodbye." Lockhart says before striding away, towards the castle.

As they don't want to deal with Lockhart Harry, Hermione and Neville wait until Lockhart is out of sight and then they pull Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door; knocking urgently.

A few seconds later Hagrid opens the door, looking grumpy but as soon as he sees who it is his expression brightens.

"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me, come in, come in, thougt you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again." Hagrid explains, "What's wrong?" he asks, noticing the looks that are on Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville's faces.

"Ron tried to curse someone and it rebounded on him." Neville explains as Harry and Hermione help Ron over the threshold and into the chair, "Now he's belching slugs." He explains.

"I see." Hagrid says as he grabs something then walks over, "Better out than in." he says as he places a large copper basin in front of Ron, "Get 'em all up, Ron."

"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop." Hermione says, feeling guilty, "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand." He says, looking guilty, "You didn't have to do that, I can handle Malfoy." Hermione tells him, as Hagrid starts to bustle around to make them tea.

"I… wanted…. To…." Ron says between belching up slugs, "Owed… that…. To…. You." Ron explains it being clear that he feels guilty for the way he treated Hermione the last couple of months, something which makes Neville think that it's about time.

"What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Harry asks as he scratches Fang's ears.

"Givin' me advice on getting' kelpies out of a well." Hagrid grows as he moves a half-plucked rooster off the table so that he can set down the teapot, "Like I don't know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle." Hagrid says, causing Harry and Neville to look surprised as neither have ever seen Hagrid criticise a teacher before.

"That's a bit unfair, Hagrid, I mean I know that there is stuff in his books that clearly isn't true, things that are wrong, but there must be some truth, Albus obviously thought he was the best man for the job." Hermione comments.

"He was the on'y man for the job." Hagrid says as he offers a plate of treacle fudge to the others while Ron coughs some slugs in the basins, "An' I mean the on'y one. Getting' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts Job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me, who was he tryin' ter curse?" Hagrid asks curious.

"Malfoy." Harry answers, "He tried to curse Hermione when her back was turned." Harry explains, "What did you two say to each other?" Harry asks Hermione as he couldn't hear what was going on but wants to know.

"He called me a blood traitor scum, said that I was a disgrace to the Black name and so I said that I guess he's not as clueless as I thought, and I called him dear cousin." Hermione explains, "I don't think he liked that much." Hermione explains, finding a little bit of joy about that.

"But, but, but, I didn't think many people knew that you existed." Neville says, looking at Hermione in surprise.

"They don't. But, when we were at Diagon Alley I think Lucius Malfoy recognized Papa and saw me and put the pieces together." Hermione explains.

"How…. he know?" Ron asks, between coughing up slugs.

"Malfoy's Mum's a Black. She probably has a self-updating Black family tree and when I was born I would have been added to it, so she would know." Hermione explains.

"Why'd he say that quietly? Wouldn't he want to announce that?" Harry asks confused.

"He wouldn't want his Slytherin friends to know that we're related." Hermione explains, "You should have just let him curse me." She says to Ron.

"It's a good thin' he didn' who knows what he would have done." Hagrid says with a frown, "An' if Ron had cursed Malfoy Lucius Malfoy would have come marching up to the school, demanding trouble." Hagrid comments and Harry, Hermione and Neville drift into silence as they drink their tea, as Ron belches up his slugs.


Many hours late Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville have learnt that Hagrid is using magic to grow pumpkins, they learnt that Ron's little sister has been visiting with Lockhart and Ron and Harry have gone off to do their detentions. Ron with Filch and Harry with Lockhart.

It is late and Hermione is one of the few people who is still in the Common Room, looking through the law books she borrowed from the library when someone sits down across from her.

"Anything?" Harry's voice asks.

"No, not yet." Hermione says as she looks up and as she does she realises that something is wrong with him, "What's wrong? What's happed?" She asks worried.

"When I was doing my detention I heard a voice, a horrible voice, it was ice cold and full of venom, it said, come to me, let me rip you, let me tear you, let me kill you." Harry reveals, causing Hermione to look worried, "But Lockhart said he didn't hear anything."

"That's odd." Hermione says with a frown, "Do you think maybe he did hear and just didn't want to admit it?"

"It's possible, but I don't understand why he wouldn't admit it." Harry admits, "It was really strange, and just filled me with dread, like something horrible is going on." He reveals.

"That's really not good." Hermione says, looking worried, "Maybe you should write, Papa, see what he thinks." She suggests, wanting to do something to help.

"Could I put something like this in a letter?" Harry asks, having no idea, "I'm guessing that hearing a voice that Lockhart couldn't hear means the same thing here that it does in the muggle world"

"Yeah, it does." Hermione admits, "I guess we'll just have to keep our eyes out, and tell Papa when we see him."

"Yeah, guess so." Harry responds and the two of them drift into silence while they sit and not long after they both head off to bed.


October 11th 1992

It has been over a month since Hermione, Harry, Neville and Ron returned to school and ever since then the four of them have been getting used to being back at school.

It is a Sunday afternoon and Hermione is sitting out by her tree, reading law books where she has been all day as she needed some time alone.

As she is so focused on what she is doing Hermione doesn't hear footsteps or someone sitting down next to her.

"Hermione." A voice says, causing Hermione to jump.

"Harry, you scared me." Hermione tells him, sounding shocked.

"Sorry." Harry says, telling the truth, "Here, you didn't come in for lunch." Harry says handing Hermione some food.

"Thanks."

"Have you found anything?" Harry asks curious.

"No." Hermione says with a frown, as she eats some of the food, "It's been a month and the only thing I know is that he was technically never convicted." Hermione says, looking far from happy.

"What about the old law I found a few days ago?" Harry asks, "I thought that was promising."

"It was." Hermione confirms, "The head, the heir, of one of the old families, one of the sacred twenty-eight can demand a trial for a member of their family."

"So, what's the problem?" Harry asks, not seeing the problem, "The Black Family is one of the sacred twenty-eight and you're the heir." He comments, having learnt a lot about wizarding laws and customs in the past month.

"All true, but until I am seventeen Dad's the head of the family and he can't demand a trial for himself." Hermione explains, "I wouldn't be able to do anything until then and I would like to do something before then." She admits.

"I don't blame you there." Harry admits and the two of them drift into silence.

"Do you think….." Hermione starts to say, breaking the silence after about a minute, but before she can finish her thoughts it starts to pour with rain.

"RUN." Harry says and he and Hermione both pick up everything in a hurry and go running back towards the castle.

Due to the fact that 'Hermione's Tree' is pretty far away from the castle by the time Harry and Hermione get inside the castle they are both soaking wet.

Once they get inside Harry and Hermione look at each other and they can't help, but burst out laughing when they see each other, both looking like drowned rats.

"No, I shouldn't be laughing, not today, not when Papa will be in so much pain soon." Hermione says, forcing herself to stop.

"Hermione, you shouldn't feel guilty for laughing, Remus wouldn't want that." Harry tells her, "You know that." He says, trying to give her a comforting look, but it has a bit less of an effect because of how ridiculous he looks.

"Yeah, I do." Hermione confirms, pushing her dripping hair out of her face.

"Now, we better get upstairs before Filch finds us, or worse, Snape." Harry says.

"Yeah, we really should." Hermione confirms and they both head upstairs, both hoping that they don't run into or Filch or Snape, Harry still carrying some of Hermione's books.


Many, many hours later Hermione is the only person still up in the common room while everyone else is up in bed.

Like she does quiet often during full moons Hermione is sitting in the window sill just staring out at the moon.

Hermione honestly has no idea how long she has been sitting there when someone puts a blanket over her, and sits down next to her.

"Here, you're your Papa's daughter so I know you could use this." Neville says, handing Hermione a block of chocolate.

"Thanks, Nev." Hermione says, sounding grateful, as she takes the chocolate.

"Do you want to talk?" Neville asks as Hermione opens the chocolate and breaks of a piece.

"The last few have been bad, Nev, really bad." Hermione says, telling him something that he already knows, "And it's taking him longer to recover." Hermione explains, "It's not fair." She says, a tear coming to her eye as she hates that her Papa suffers so much, she hates that things are so hard for him.

"No, it's not." Neville confirms, putting his arm around his friend, "I know it might not help, Mione, but Remus is tough, we've both seen that. He'll get through this." Neville says, trying to be reassuring.

"He has to." Hermione answers as she puts a piece of chocolate into her mouth, knowing that she needs her Papa to be okay as she doesn't know what she would do if he ever isn't.

"I know." Neville says squeezing Hermione's shoulder.

For a while Neville just sits with Hermione before he has to head up to bed, leaving Hermione alone staring at the moon.


October 12th 1992

Due to the fact that Hermione only went to bed an hour before she had to wake up she is feeling quiet exhausted and while Harry and Neville understand why she is so tired and snippy to a degree, Ron has absolutely no clue, but he figures that he shouldn't ask.

"Oh, I really don't have the energy for this." Hermione mutters to Harry as they walk into potions.

"Neither do I, and I've actually slept." Harry comments as the two of them walk over to their seats.

"I slept. Forty minutes counts as sleeping." Hermione whispers to Harry.

"No, it doesn't." Harry responds as they sit down.

For the next half an hour Snape gives his lecture about the potion they are going to make and as takes his notes Harry looks at Hermione out of the corner of his eye and sees that she has fallen asleep, somehow managing to do so while sitting up.

"Mione." Harry hisses, trying to get her to wake up, but to his horror, his hiss wasn't as quiet as he was intending and Snape turns to look at them, and the second he does he realises about Hermione and realising that he has to act quickly, planning on apologising later, Harry quickly elbows Hermione in the side under the table, causing her to suddenly open her eyes and look confused.

"Well, well, well, Ms Granger. Is my teaching getting in the way of your sleeping?" Snape asks with a sneer.

"No Sir, I'm listening." Hermione answers, completely lying, hoping that she is being convincing.

"Really, in that case what was the last thing I said?" Snape asks Hermione, it being clear that he doesn't believe her, and as he does Harry pushes his notes over to Hermione, trying to do so without Snape realising.

"The Wiggenweld Potion is an incredibly difficult potion that has the ability to awaken a person from a magically induced sleep." Hermione answers, reading Harry's notes out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, lying is not accepted at Hogwarts, Ms. Granger, and neither is cheating Mr. Potter, detention for both of you." Snape says, giving the two of them the looks of loathing that they are all too familiar with, "And ten points each from Gryffindor." Snape says and as he does Hermione and Harry just return the looks, neither of them having the energy to get into another fight with Snape.


Hours later, after dinner, both Hermione and Harry have been called to Minerva's office.

"Close the door Harry, Hermione." Minerva tells the pair and Harry does so. Once he does Harry and Hermione walk over, Hermione being amazed that she is actually still functioning right now, "What happened today?" She asks the pair as they sit down.

"Hermione didn't get much sleep last night because she was worried about Remus with it being a full moon, and because of that she fell asleep briefly in Snape's class. I woke her up and then Snape challenged her to repeat what the last thing he said was. So, I moved my notes so that she could read them and Snape gave us both detention." Harry explains.

"I see." Minerva says, looking sympathetically at Hermione who looks like she is about to fall asleep in her chair, "I believe it may be best if Remus isn't informed of his particular detention." She comments as she knows Remus will Just blame himself.

"Thank you." Hermione says, looking at Minerva in gratitude, "Have you heard from Papa? Is he okay?" she asks worried.

"I have heard from him; he's recovering." Minerva reveals, "And I think receiving letters from the two of you in the morning will help him with that recovery."

"Yes, Minerva." Harry and Hermione say together.

"Good, go write those letters and then get some sleep." Minerva says, there being no room for questioning in her voice.

"Yes, Professor." Harry and Hermione say together and they both get up and head out of the office, both planning on writing their letters and then Hermione is going straight to bed.


31st October 1992

It has been almost three weeks since Hermione fell asleep in potions and ever since Snape has been looking for even more reasons to punishing Harry and Hermione and because of that they have both been working harder in all their other classes to try and make up for all the points that Snape is taking from them.

It is Halloween but Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville aren't at the feast but rather at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party as he helped Harry out of a spot of trouble and he said that they would all attended.

The foursome have been at the party for a while and as they have struggled to stay warm due to all the ghosts they have already been almost sick as they smell the mouldy food that ghosts can almost taste, have had to deal with Peeves and a very unpleasant ghost that haunts a bathroom by the name of Moaning Myrtle.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Nick asks as he floats up to the foursome.

"Oh, yes." They all say in perfect unison, all lying.

"Not a bad turnout." Nick says, looking rather proud, "The Wailing Widow came all the way from Kent."

"That's great, Nick." Neville says, forcing a smile as Nick always helps him when he is lost so he wants to be nice.

"Thank you." Nick says, returning the smile, not realising that it is forced, "It's nearly time for my speech, I better go and warn the orchestra." He comments, but before he can move The orchestra suddenly stops playing. As it does everyone in the dungeon falls silent, and ghosts start to look around in excitement as a hunting horn sounds.

"Oh, here we go." Nick says, sounding bitter, and suddenly a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horsemen burst in, the ghosts start to clap and the foursome start to as well, but then they notice the sight on Nick's face so they quickly stop.

The ghosts' horses preform a quick show and the leader of the pack, a man with a bearded head under his arm, walks over to Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck as he does,

"Nick. How are you? Head still hanging in there?" he asks as he claps Nick on the shoulder.

"Welcome Patrick." Nick says.

"Live 'uns." Patrick says spotting Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville, giving a fake jump of astonishment, causing his head to fall off again.

"Very amusing." Nick says darkly.

"Don't mind Nick!" Patrick's head from the floor says, "Still upset that we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say, look at the fellow."

"I think." Harry says, getting a look from Nick, "That Nick's very frightening and er…." Harry starts to say trailing off.

"Ha!" Patrick's head yells, "Bet you asked you to say that!" he says.

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech." Nick says and he attempts to start his speech but as the Headless Hunt has just started a game of Head Hockey he finds that no one is listening.

"I can't stand much more of this." Ron mutters to the others.

"Me either." Neville say, completely agreeing.

"Let's go." Harry says, agreeing as well and together the four of them back towards the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and after about a minute they manage to get into the passageway that lead up to the party.

"Pudding might not be finished yet." Neville comments, "There might still be chocolate left." He adds, looking at Hermione.

"Hopefully." Ron says and he leads the way to the entrance hall but all a sudden Harry freezes.

"Harry?" Hermione asks concerned.

"I just heard it again, that voice." Harry says as Harry starts to look up and down the dimly lit passageways.

"What voice?" Ron and Neville ask confused as Hermione was the only one Harry told about what he heard.

"Shut up a minute." Harry says, "Listen!" Harry says urgently and Hermione, Ron and Neville freeze, watching but they don't hear anything.

"We don't hear the voice Harry." Hermione informs him.

"THIS WAY." Harry shouts at the other three and he begins to run, Hermione, Neville and Ron running right behind him.

Together the four run up the stairs, into the entrance hall where the babble from the feast can be heard, up the marble staircase to the first floor,

"Harry, what are we….." Neville starts to ask.

"SHHH." Harry tells him, "IT'S GOING TO KILL SOMEONE!" he shouts to the confusion of Hermione, Ron and Neville and Harry once more starts to run, up the next flight of stairs, around the second floor, Hermione, Neville and Ron running right behind them, Neville almost tripping several times, and the four of them don't stop until they are turn a corner into the last, deserted passage,

"Harry, what was that all about?" Ron asks, "I couldn't hear anything." He says and as he does Hermione gives a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!" Hermione says as something is shining on the wall ahead. After exchanging looks the four of them approach slowly squinting through the darkness.

"Because this isn't creepy." Neville mutters to himself, his voice too quiet for the others to hear and once they are close enough the four see that foot-high words have been doubled on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by flaming torches are the words,

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"Oh god." Neville says, sounding both horrified and terrified.

"What's that thing, hanging underneath?" Ron asks, a slight quiver to his voice. At Ron's voice they all edge closer to the words, and as they do Neville and Harry both almost slip on a puddle of water but Ron grabs Harry before he falls and Hermione grabs Neville, and they all inched towards the message, their eyes fixed on the dark shadow beneath it.

Seconds later the three of them realize what it is and they leap backwards, causing the water to splash. Below the words Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, is hanging by her tail from the torch bracket, looking stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds the four of them just stand in horror, none of them having any idea what to do or say,

"Let's get out of here." Ron tells the others, being the first to speak.

"Shouldn't we wait and try and help…" Harry tarts to say.

"No, we really don't want to be found here." Neville says, realising why Ron was suggesting that, but it's too late as a rumble, almost like a distant thunder tells them that the feast has ended.

From either end of the corridor that they are standing comes a sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

As the students walking down the corridor spot the hanging cat the noise suddenly dies, and Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ron stand in the middle of the corridor.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware!" Malfoy's voice yells, "Blood Traitors and Mudblood's will be next!" He yells as he grins at the sight of the hanging immobile cat.

"What's going on here? What's going on?" Filch asks as he pushes his way through the crowd, and then, the second he sees Mrs. Norris he falls back and clutches his face in horror, "MY CAT! MY CAT. What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" He shrikes, his popping eyes falling on Harry, "YOU! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll….."

"Argus!" Albus says, arriving on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers, and in seconds he sweeps past Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ron and detaches Mrs. Norris from the torch.

"Come with me, Argus." Albus tells Filch, "You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Weasley." Albus says and as he does Lockhart steps forward,

"My office is nearest, Headmaster, just upstairs, please feel free." Lockhart offers.

"Thank you, Gilderoy." Albus says and the silent crowed parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Minerva and Snape.

As they follow behind Albus the four second years don't say a single word to one another, all being terrified that they are in a lot trouble, and for only the second time ever Harry finds himself being terrified that he's going to let down his guardian.

A few minutes later they enter Lockhart's darkened office. As they enter Lockhart lights the candles on his desk and stands back. Once there is light Albus lays Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and begins to examine her. Having no idea what else to do Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ron exchange tense looks and sink into the chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

The tip of Albus's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He is looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Minerva is almost bent over, her eyes narrowing as she looks. Snape on the other hand looks back at the four second years, wearing a particular expression, almost like he is trying hard not to smile.

Lockhart on the other hand is hovering around all of them, making suggestions that everyone is ignoring. As Lockhart mutters Filch starts to sob and he sumps in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.

After a few minutes of Albus bending over, pocking, prodding and muttering to himself he finally stands up,

"She's not dead, Argus." Albus says, his voice soft.

"Not dead?" Filch asks, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris, "But why's she all stiff and frozen?" he asks confused.

"She has been Petrified." Albus says,

"Ah I thought so!" Lockhart says, completely contradicting what he has been saying.

"But how, I cannot say." Albus admits.

"Ask him!" Filch shrikes, turning his blotched face to Harry.

"No second year could have done this." Dumbledore says firmly, "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced!"

"Maybe he had some help." Snape says, his eyes lingering on Hermione as in his opinion if a Potter has done something a Black was in on it too, no matter the generation.

"I wouldn't." Hermione says angrily.

"He did it! He did it!" Filch spats, "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found, in my office, he knows I'm a, I'm am." Filch says, "He knows I'm a Squib." He finishes.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris." Harry says loudly, "And I don't care that you're a Squib."

"Rubbish!" Snarled Filch, "He saw my Kwikspell letter."

"If I might speak, Headmaster." Snape says, and both Hermione and Harry feel dread in the pits of their stomachs, both thinking that anything Snape says won't end well for either of them.

"Potter, Granger and their friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." Snape says, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it, "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"

"We were at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party." Hermione quickly says.

"He invited us days ago." Harry adds.

"There were hundreds of ghosts." Neville says.

"They'll tell you we were there." Ron finishes.

"But why not join the feast afterwards?" Snap asks, his eyes glittering in the candlelight, "Why go up to the corridor?" he asks and Neville and Ron look at Harry, while Hermione forces herself not to as she knows it will make it obvious that they are making it up as they go along.

"Because, because…." Harry says, his heart thumping as he doesn't think it would be a good idea to tell the truth.

"We were tried and wanted to go to bed." Hermione quickly says, it being the first thing she can think off.

"Without any super?" Snape ask as a triumphant smile flickers across his face, "I didn't think ghosts provide food fit for living people at their parties."

"We weren't hungry." Ron says as his stomach gives a huge rumble.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter and Granger are not being entirely truthful, it might be a good idea if they were deprived of certain privileges until they are ready to tell the whole story. Personally, I feel that Potter should be taken off the Gryffindor Qudditch team until he's ready to tell the truth, and a months detention would be fitting punishment for Granger."

"Really, Severus?" Minerva says sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hut over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter or Granger have done anything wrong." Minerva says as Albus gives Hermione and Harry a searching look, making them both feel as if they are being X-rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Albus says as Snape looks furious, as did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" He shrikes, his eyes once more popping, "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus." Albus tells him patiently, "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it." Lockhart butted in, "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep."

"Excuse me." Snape says, "But I believe I am the potion master at this school." Snape says, causing a very awkward pause.

"You may go." Albus tells Hermione, Harry, Neville and Ron.

As they really don't need be told twice the four second years leave the room, going as fast as they can without actually running. Once they are a floor up from Lockhart's office the four of them turn into an empty classroom and close the door behind them.

"Do you think I should have told them about the voice I heard?" Harry asks, looking at the other four through the darkness.

"No, you were right the other week." Hermione tells him, knowing that it may not have ended well for Harry if he had.

"Hearing voices no one else can see isn't good, even in the wizarding word." Ron says.

"You do believe me, don't you?" Harry asks, looking between the other three.

"Of course." Hermione, Ron and Neville say.

"But, you must admit it's weird." Ron comments.

"I know it's weird." Harry says, "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened. What's that supposed to mean?" he asks.

"You know; it rings a sort of bell." Ron comments, "I think someone told me a story about a secret camber at Hogwarts one, might've been Bill." Ron says, looking uncertain.

"Mione, you've read Hogwarts, A History countless times, does it sound familiar to you?" Neville asks curious.

"Vaguely." Hermione answers, "But I'm not sure why." She admits and as she does a clock chimes.

"Midnight." Neville realises.

"We should go, before Snape find us and makes up pay for something else." Harry says and the other three nod in agreement. And so, the group of four head out of the room, Hermione reaching over and giving Harry's hand a squeeze and supportive smile as they go.


PLEASE REVIEW

PLEASE REVIEW

PLEASE REVIEW