Chapter 4: Mrs. Norris

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers and Willow.

~ Baby? ~ Willow projected.

Dawn smiled at Willow. ~ I was with Harry, Ron and Hermione. We happened upon the scene. ~

Dumbledore detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Dawn."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster—just upstairs—please feel free—"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Willow, McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her.

"I happened upon the scene while patrolling the corridors," Dawn said.

Dumbledore only nodded as he looked closely at the cat as he prodded and poked her.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her—probably the Transmogrifian Torture—I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her…" Lockhart said. His comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs.

Dumbledore muttered some words under his breath and tapped Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.

"…I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once…"

At last Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

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

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart). "But how, I cannot say…"

"I believe I know," Dawn said as Dumbledore looked at her. "Willow."

Willow opened a portal and reached in retrieving a book from hers and Dawn's bedroom. "This was one of the few tomes that mentioned the Chamber of Secrets."

"And where did you find it?" Snape asked.

"Cobb and Webb's," Willow said.

"That is a store that sells items related to the dark arts," Snape said.

Willow waved a hand in dismissal at Snape's comment. "A while back Dawn heard what sounded like a voice. She went to Albus and I started researching."

"I told Dawn about the Chamber and the creature supposedly hidden within," Dumbledore said.

"I looked through the books here and found brief mentions in Hogwarts: A History. I went to Flourish and Blotts and asked for any books on Hogwarts. Again all I found were very brief mentions. Nothing concrete," Willow said. "I checked several stores in Knockturn Alley before finding a book that held references to the Chamber of Secrets. This book," She held up the book," is a biography on Salazar Slytherin's life. He doesn't go into how to get into the Chamber or even where it is. But he does tell about the creature within, a basilisk."

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "A basilisk could petrify someone as long as they did not look it directly in the eye."

"Exactly," Dawn said.

"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked, his eyes popping. "How are we going to fix this?"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professer 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," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was a very awkward pause.

"We should step up patrols of the school and grounds," Dumbledore said. "Last time this creature was lose it went after muggle-borns. Therefor any muggle-born teacher should be accompanied at all times. Muggle-born students should be watched closely as possible without infringing on their privacy."

For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked.

One day Willow and Dawn were heading for their classroom as they passed Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," they heard Harry say.

"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.

Dawn and Willow looked at each and turned on their heels and jogged up to the trio.

"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked before he noticed Dawn and Willow beside them. "Hello, professors."

"Come with us," Willow said as she opened a portal. The trio followed by Willow and Dawn stepped through into Willow and Dawn's office. "We can speak freely here."

"There is a Chamber of Secrets," Dawn said. "The staff has been ordered by Dumbledore to keep the information secret so as not to panic the students."

"What about Mrs. Norris?" Hermione asked.

"She will be fine once the mandrakes in the greenhouse are old enough and a potion can be brewed," Willow said.

"And how did she get that way?" Harry asked.

Willow pulled out a book and handed it to Hermione. "Read what's on the cover."

"The Life and Times of Salazar Slytherin," Hermione read.

"It doesn't tell how to get into the Chamber," Willow said. "It does state what the beast might be. A basilisk. If you can manage to see it only in reflection you will be petrified. If you manage to see it directly you will be killed. The last time this creature was released a student was killed."

"Myrtle," Dawn said. "Moaning Myrtle."

"That's why you said you've been meaning to talk to her," Harry said.

"Yes," Dawn said. "She may remember how she died. And that could provide a clue to how to get into the Chamber."

"Wait if the Chamber was opened before," Harry said as he looked at Ron and Hermione. "That means that the Heir may not be a current student."

"You're correct," Dawn said. "The heir maybe Voldemort." She noticed that Ron flinched at the name. "Sorry, I know how some of you are with his name. Anyways Dumbledore believes he may be the one that opened the Chamber last time. Some evidence lends to that. Especially with what happened to Hagrid."

"What happened to Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"He was expelled and his wand snapped," Willow said. "He had a pet acromantula that the Ministry believed was responsible for the attacks. Voldemort," Ron flinched, "… sorry, Ron … pointed the finger at Hagrid himself. Probably to draw suspicion away from himself."

"Which also means he could have told his followers how to enter and they could have told one of their children," Hermione said. "Who can it be, though? Who'd want to frighten all the Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.

"If you're talking about Malfoy—"

"It is possible," Willow said. "After we sent you three to the Gryffindor Tower. He came with the crowd of students. We heard him say—You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

"And what was he doing with that crowd anyways," Dawn said. "They were all heading up to their dormitories. Slytherin dormitories are in the dungeons."

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.

"Look at his family," said Harry. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"They could've have known how to open the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son…"

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible…"

"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.

"There are two ways," Dawn said. "One is a Wiccan spell. The other is Polyjuice potion. Both have their drawbacks, but both would get the job done. Someone would glamour themselves either with the spell or the potion to look like Malfoy's friends. While the others subdued Crabbe and Goyle, the glamoured individuals would take their place and find out directly from the horse's mouth."

"What are the drawbacks?" Ron asked.

"First major drawback of Polyjuice potion is that it takes a month to brew," Dawn said. "Once taken it lasts only an hour, unless you drink more before the time is up. Another drawback is you physically change to look like the person you're replacing, and from what I've heard it is a painful transformation. The spell once learned can be utilized at any time. The drawback to it is the need for some concentration on the spell. You would not be able to let it lapse or the spell would end at the wrong time."

"How long would it take to learn the spell?" Harry asked.

"Depends on the three of you," Willow said. "It is an easy spell to learn, just not an easy spell to master because of amount of concentration needed. You could get it down in a day or it could be a month."

"What if we practiced and learned it up till the Christmas holidays," Hermione suggested. "There would be fewer students and it would easier to take Crabbe and Goyle's places then."

"Agreed," Willow and Dawn said.