The next few weeks passed mostly uneventfully for the quartet. September was rolling through and their classes were beginning to get more intense. Many were travelling off the theory they'd focused on for much of first year, and now the second years were beginning to add a longer list of spells to their arsenal.
They were in Transfiguration later that week learning about Reparifarge, a spell that allowed the user to reverse the effects on a transfigured target, when McGonagall called Y/N back.
'What have you done this time?' asked Ron as he, Harry and Hermione finished packing up their stuff.
'Probably performed the spell too perfectly,' said Y/N shrugging. 'This is actually one of the few times I actually don't think I did anything.'
The trio took their leave and Y/N wandered up to McGonagall's desk.
'I had a very interesting conversation with Oliver Wood yesterday Y/N, when exactly were you intending to tell me you were trying out for Quidditch? I thought you weren't a fan?' she asked him.
'I didn't really try out for it as such,' said Y/N. 'After we went to get Harry, Fred and George told me I'd make a good chaser. Then after we left your office on Saturday, they dragged me down to the pitch, had me try out against the other chasers and Wood. He said the other chasers are in sync and already have spaces on the team, so I'd be reserve but I should get my shot.'
'Well it's still brilliant news, and here I was thinking you wouldn't be a player,' she beamed at him. 'You may not be my son by blood but you certainly are by spirit.'
'I've heard you were an Ex-Quidditch pro?' he asked, raising an eyebrow. 'Kept that one quiet.'
'Not really, you just never seemed interested in the sport. I had you watch a few matches when you were younger but you always lost focus. I even saw you last year in the stands, you didn't seem too bothered.'
'I cheered for Harry but it never really felt like my thing, still doesn't to be totally honest, but it was fun, and apparently I'm good so. I just need to pick up a broom.'
'Wood said you were thinking about the Nimbus two thousand and one?'
'Yeah,' said Y/N, 'Draco Malfoy's father bought one for every member of the Slytherin team, so I want to get one too. Won't be as fancy to him if I'm on it.'
'Tell them to take the money out of my vault.'
'What!? No!'
'See it as an early Christmas present, and probably birthday,' she said, smiling at him. 'It's worth it to see my son on the pitch.' Y/N felt himself blush slightly but nodded.
'If you're sure mum.'
'I am. Now go, don't want to give Filius a reason to take points off you.' And with a wave, Y/N left.
'How'd it go?' asked Hermione as Y/N sped in through the door with an apology to Professor Flitwick and sank down into his seat next to her.
'She's offered to pay for my broom for me,' said Y/N quietly so no one else could hear. 'Says she wants to see me on the pitch.'
'That's really sweet of her! You'll have to take me on another trip once you've got it,' said Hermione and she winked at him.
'I thought you didn't like heights?'
'I think I can tolerate them, as long as I have you with me.'
'Well next time we won't confine ourselves to the Quidditch Pitch, we can tour the castle from the air.'
'Sounds amazing,' she said, gazing off as if deep in thought, but was snapped out a moment later as Professor Flitwick swept past.
()()()()()()
The days rolled by and before too long they had arrived on the day Y/N had been half dreading for a while. September 19th. He couldn't help but feel like his gift for Hermione was a shot in the dark. He was worried she wouldn't like it. After what had happened last year with Pippa and the small Gyroscope that still hang around his neck, he wanted to make sure he impressed.
The morning of the 19th came and he slipped out of bed. At his request, Ves had been sleeping in his dorm and she too now stirred as Y/N moved. He tied the letter to her leg and stroked her head.
'I owe you girl,' he whispered. She clicked her beak affectionately at him before turning and fluttering out the window. He dressed and scooped up the package that he'd received at breakfast the day Ron had gotten the Howler before slipping out of his dorm and making his way downstairs.
He settled himself down in the common room and pretended to be reading a book, whereas he was actually listening for the fluttering of wings. Before long, Ves fluttered back in, the note no longer tied to her leg. She settled herself down on the sofa across from where Y/N was sitting and hooted.
'And she didn't wake up?'
Ves hooted.
'Brilliant, very well-done girl,' he pulled an owl treat from his pocket and threw it for her to catch, she snapped it up and then tucked her head away under her wing. Y/N went back to his book.
Another half an hour or so must have passed before he heard the creak of the girls dormitory door and in walked Hermione, her hair was slightly messier than usual and she was still rubbing sleep from her eye. It was an oddly good look on her.
'Morning Y/N,' she said, stifling a yawn as she wandered over to join him. 'What was that note all about? You've got someone to introduce me to?'
He stood up and span her around to sit in the chair, and he handed her the package.
'Happy Birthday.'
She looked confused before unwrapping the parcel and gasping. There, lying in the brown wrapper, was a long silver otter stretched out across the surface. She scooped it up and the otter immediately raised its head to look at her. It then crawled across her palm and upon reaching her wrist, span itself around her arm and seized its own tail, forming into a bracelet.
'You give me the idea with Pip,' said Y/N as he rubbed the ring on his finger fondly, 'she's been so fun to just have around, I thought you might like one for yourself. I remember your story about the otter so I-'
But he was cut off as Hermione launched herself at him and pulled him into a fierce hug which he happily returned, beaming. They broke apart and Hermione leant in, kissing him on the cheek. Y/N felt his face set alight.
'It's perfect,' said Hermione, gazing down at the otter again.
'It's not quite blue fire,' said Y/N, 'but scratch the top of its head.' Hermione did so and the otter raised its head, its mouth opened and a small stream of bubbles came floating out of it. 'Not as cool I know, but it's the best I could-'
'Shut up,' Hermione cut across him. 'It's brilliant, thank you Y/N.'
'It should lengthen and shrink as it needs to fit your wrist, just don't be weirded out if you take it off and it's super long.'
Hermione laughed as she ran her finger over it lightly. Y/N squeezed his phoenix rings tail and Pippa sprang to life and fluttered over to meet the new arrival. The otter unravelled itself from Hermione's wrist and the two dropped to the carpeted floor of the common room, chasing each other. Hermione pulled Y/N into the chair with her so they were sharing it and the two of them watched fondly as the tiny silver animals scampered under and around the furniture. Ves watched them with one open eye whilst her head was still tucked under her wing.
Before long the rest of their friends arrived and wished Hermione a happy birthday. She'd received presents off her parents, Harry, Ron and Hagrid, and Ginny had even given her a small diary, stating that she knew Hermione had one but that it always went to Y/N so she thought she'd want one for her own thoughts.
'What happened to the one I stole from you last year?' asked Y/N
'I might have… maybe… used all the pages' said Hermione 'I had a lot to say okay!' she cried defensively as Y/N raised his eyebrows
They headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast but were stopped just inside the doorway as Professor McGonagall stepped out with something under her arm.
'Ah, Y/N,' she smiled, 'I was just going to come looking for you,' she took the parcel out from under her arm and held it out. The shape of the package made it quite obvious as to what was inside.
Y/N glanced around to make sure no one bar the quartet and McGonagall were around before stepping forward and hugged her.
'Thanks mum,' he whispered and she rubbed his head lightly.
'Do make sure we beat Slytherin won't you? We may not have won the Quidditch cup last year, but it was a relief to not hear Severus' gloating that we'd lost all together. Same to you, Potter,' she said with a nod to Harry before she swept back into the Great Hall.
Y/N placed the package down and unwrapped it. Out fell the sleek black and silver handle of his very own Nimbus Two Thousand and One.
'Grab the Quidditch team would you? Bring them down to the pitch,' he asked Harry and he seized Hermione's hand, dragging her outside the front doors of the castle.
'Y/N what-?' but she was silenced as Y/N threw a leg over his broom and held out a hand for her. She hesitated for a moment then climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He kicked off and soared into the air.
It was so light, so easy, so fast. The broom obeyed his every flick, move and indication without question. He soared easily through the air, pulling off several drifts and quick turns that began with Hermione screaming at him and ended with her whooping as he did it. Before long, he saw several small specs heading across the grounds, so he turned his attention towards the Quidditch Pitch and began soaring over.
'I promised you once I had it we'd take another spin,' Y/N called to Hermione over the rushing of wind. Hermione laughed.
'Good to know you can keep a promise. Suppose that means I'm allowed to hold you to your other ones?'
'You aren't allowed to use my own words against me like that!'
'Are you telling me you're planning on breaking your promises?'
Y/N was silent for a moment.
'I can't win here so I'm going to shut up.'
Hermione laughed and squeezed him tightly resting her head against his back.
'Thank you Y/N, I'd be more than happy to do this again with you some time.'
'Whenever you want, 'Mione.'
Y/N landed in the main body of the pitch just in time to see the entire team plus Ron jogging along to meet them.
'Saw you flying about up there!' called Wood as he approached. 'That's one hell of a broom.'
'That she is,' said Y/N, handing it over to him. 'Me and Hermione need to go get breakfast, and I think you wanted to do some Charms homework didn't you?' he asked, looking at her and she nodded. 'Take your time with it, don't break it, you're all welcome to have a go. Once you're done bring it, back for me yeah?' he asked Harry and Ron who both nodded looking awestruck.
With a wave, he and Hermione made their way back up to the castle as Wood clambered onto the broom and kicked off.
()()()()()()
September rolled into October and a wave of damp and cold weather swept across the castle. Many people ended up falling ill with colds, Hermione and Ginny included. Most of Y/N's evenings for a week or so was spent trying to talk them both into taking the pepper-up potions that Madam Pomfrey was attempting to give out. Hermione was fairly easy to convince, Ginny however kept refusing, stating that she wasn't ill.
Whilst she didn't have many of the symptoms, she was very pale so eventually, with Percy's help, Y/N managed to convince her to take the potion. For a few hours, she looked like a walking campfire.
'It'll do you some good!' he said to her as she glared at him from over the top of 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'. 'There's no harm in taking it even if you aren't ill.'
'There is harm!' she snapped pointing at her ear, the steam still erupting from it like a boiled kettle.
'It is a little bit embarrassing…' said Hermione quietly from next to Y/N as steam poured out of her ears too.
'You two aren't the only people in the common room with it happening!' Y/N said, gesturing at the roughly fifteen other students who's ears were doing the same.
'None of them are ginger though,' said Ginny.
'I think it's a good look!' said Y/N, 'shows that fiery temper.'
'You drink it then if it's so amazing,' said Ginny, pushing one of the spare potions towards him.
Y/N shrugged and drank it, he felt it warm his insides. Then he felt as though his stomach was bubbling and, sure enough, a few moments later and he saw out of the corner of eye as the steam began flying out of his ears. He placed his fingers in his ears, blocking the steam from escaping, and opened his mouth. The steam came soaring out.
'I'm like a dragon,' he said, pretending to breathe fire on the desk.
Ginny laughed and Hermione cracked a smile, shaking her head at him as she went back to her work.
'Of course you'd find a way to make it entertaining,' said Ginny.
'Best of a bad situation,' shrugged Y/N, leaning back in his chair.
'Aren't you meant to be doing that anyway?' said Ginny, pointing to the two-line long potion essay in front of Y/N.
'Ah, you see, I have a trick for that,' said Y/N smugly.
'You aren't copying my work,' said Hermione without looking up.
'My trick appears to not be working this time.'
Hermione smacked his arm as Ginny laughed again. A moment later and they were joined by Harry. Ginny immediately went bright red and hid behind her Transfiguration book.
'There you go!' said Y/N. 'If you're going to look like a walking fire, at least own it. The red suits you.' Ginny threw her book at him before scarpering off towards the girl's dormitories.
'She's going to have to come back for this at some point,' said Y/N, rubbing the spot on his forehead where the book had hit him and tucking it away in his bag.
'Where's Ron?' asked Harry, taking Ginny's vacated seat. 'And why are you smoking? You caught it too?'
'Nope. Ginny just dared me to cause I was telling her it wasn't so bad. So now I'm dealing with this for a few hours. And as for Ron, I believe he did a runner with Seamus and Dean when we told him we were going to be doing Snape's potion essay,' Y/N looked around as if checking for someone then lowered his voice to a whisper. 'I think the ingredients scare him.'
Harry shook his head, smirking and pulled out his own essay.
Hermione rolled up her parchment and passed it across to Harry who beamed at her.
'Thanks Hermione,' he said as he began using it for his own notes.
'Excuse me?' said Y/N, turning his eyes onto her. 'So what's this then? Is this how the best friend gets replaced? Over one little potions essay?'
'Ah, you see, I have a trick for that,' she said, smirking.
'You did not just do that.'
'And what are you going to do if I did?'
'Nothing,' said Y/N, turning and looking around for the common room for something. '…myself,' he clarified as he raised his hand, and the grey barn owl that had been being pampered by Alicia and Angelina came fluttering over. 'Grab her diary for me would you?' he said to the owl as he pointed a thumb at Hermione. Ves hooted and soared out the common room window.
'Y/N!' yelled Hermione and she moved to get up, but Y/N grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down into the chair before standing up himself and blocking her from standing.
'Don't pick fights you can't win, 'Mione.'
'You're right.'
'What?' Y/N was shocked.
'You're right, I can't win. Guess Ves is just going to have to get my diary. Woe is me.'
It shouldn't have been that easy.
Y/N looked at Harry who was smirking at the display in front of him and he just shrugged.
'I don't trust her, Harry.'
'I'm not helping you, mate,' he said, his eyes going back to his potions essay.
Y/N turned suspicious eyes on Hermione and a moment later, Ves returned with the leather-bound diary Ginny had given to Hermione for her birthday. Ves landed on the desk and hopped over to Hermione, looking apologetic. Hermione cooed and began stroking her.
'Don't do a job for me then immediately apologise for it!' called Y/N glaring at the owl. Ves hooted but kept her head pressed against Hermione's hand.
'You reading it then?' Hermione asked him, looking at the diary.
Y/N kept a suspicious gaze on her as he opened the diary and flicked through the first few pages. It was empty. But he could have sworn…
'I thought you said you'd been using it?' he asked Hermione but she simply shrugged. Then it dawned on Y/N. He closed his eyes and felt out. 'Ahhh, invisibility ink, very clever' he said opening his eyes. He watched the smirk immediately fall from Hermione's face and she launched herself at him.
A few minutes later and Y/N was rubbing his head as Hermione made her way up to her dormitory to hide her diary again.
'Bested by a levitation charm,' he grunted as he slunk back into his seat.
'She's the best witch in our year for a reason,' laughed Harry. 'Your own fault for trying her.'
'Passed the time though didn't it? Plus it's worth it to see her laugh.'
'Oh really?' said Harry.
Y/N felt his face flush.
'Harry James Potter, if you tell her a single word of what just left my mouth-'
'You going to steal my diary too?'
Y/N glared at him just as Hermione re-joined them. She waved her wand and her essay duplicated into a perfect replica. She handed it to Y/N.
'Hope you've learnt your lesson,' she said as she did so.
'Yeah, yeah, you're the superior magician,' Y/N responded grumpily as he took the essay from her. 'Thanks 'Mione'
She blushed slightly but nodded and took to gazing out of the window, playing idly with her bracelet.
'How do you even read it anyway?' asked Y/N after a few minutes of their quills scratching away. 'Does it have a counter-charm?'
'Why should I tell you after that little stunt?'
'I've learnt my lesson?'
Hermione shook her head but pulled out of her pocket what looked like a small red muggle eraser.
'You actually use it?' Y/N asked, looking at the revealer in her hand.
'Of course I do,' she said as she replaced it into her pocket, 'it's from you.'
Y/N felt a warm feeling rush through his body that definitely wasn't the Pepper-Up potion. It was at that moment that the portrait hole swung open and in came Ron, Dean and Seamus. Ron waved goodbye to them as he made his way over to the trio.
'Brilliant,' said Harry, putting his quill down. 'Now that you're here-' and he told the others about a run in he'd had with Nearly Headless Nick and his promise to attend his deathday party.
'A deathday party?' said Hermione excitedly. 'I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those. It'll be fascinating, won't it Y/N?'
'To be fair, I am interested to see exactly how ghosts party. I didn't realise I needed to know until now,' he said thoughtfully.
'Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died? Sounds dead depressing to me,' said Ron.
'Please don't tell me you did that on purpose,' said Y/N.
'Did what?'
'Good.'
Ron was looking confused as Y/N turned to watch the common room. He saw Fred and George messing with a Salamander that they'd taken from Care of Magical Creatures, they seemed to be trying to feed it a firework. Y/N shook his head, returning to his potions essay.
A few moments later and the salamander went soaring around the room in a shower of noise and sparks. The quartet watched it soar around before it landed back near the twins and scurried into the warmth of the fire.
'Ohhhhhh, dead depressing, cause they're ghosts. I get it,' said Ron around ten minutes later.
'Oh sweet Merlin,' said Y/N as Harry and Hermione laughed.
As Halloween crept closer, Harry confided that he was beginning to regret his decision to go to the Deathday party instead of the Halloween feast. There was rumours that Dumbledore had hired a troop of dancing skeletons, and Hagrid's pumpkins were rivalling small houses.
'A promise is a promise!' Hermione said the third time Harry had brought it up, 'You said you'd go to the party.'
'Come on mate,' said Y/N. 'Me and 'Mione are going and we didn't even get to do the Halloween feast last year.'
'What do you mean?' asked Ron.
'Halloween was the evening the troll caved my chest in, Ron.'
'Oh right, yeah.'
So, on Halloween evening, the quartet made their way straight past the Great Hall and instead began heading down into the dungeons. The corridor to the party had been lined with candles. It was meant to look cheerful, but Y/N figured the dungeons didn't really do well when lit up invitingly. And sadly they didn't really help with the temperature as it got colder the deeper in they got. The noise that rang through sounded like nails along a blackboard and he saw Harry wince slightly.
'Is that supposed to be music?' Ron asked as they turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick hovering in front of a black draped doorway.
'My dear friends,' he said mournfully. 'Welcome, welcome, so pleased you could come.'
'A pleasure to be here, Nick,' said Y/N, bowing slightly. Nick returned the gesture with a smile as he waved them inside.
It was a genuinely incredible sight. The dungeon was filled with hundreds of ghosts waltzing around a dance floor as an orchestra on a raised stand played over them. A chandelier overhead covered the room in a deep blue light and their breath rose in front of them. Y/N spotted Hermione shivering and turned to the boys.
'Think you can keep yourselves entertained for a while?' he asked. The two looked confused but nodded as he turned to look at Hermione.
'Y/N?' she asked, but he seized her hand and pulled her out to the dance floor. He placed a hand around her waist and wrapped his other in hers. 'I thought you didn't dance?' she asked as they began swaying across the floor.
'I don't care,' he smiled down at her as he twirled her away from him. 'Need to keep warm somehow don't we?' They drifted slowly across the dance floor; the music wasn't the best but it was worth it to be there with her.
'Glad to see you're enjoying yourselves,' came Nick's voice as they waltzed past him.
'It's a unique experience,' said Y/N smiling at him. 'It is a little bit chilly down here though.'
Nick clasped a hand to his forehead.
'Of course! I am so sorry my friends. Temperature has never been a concern for us.'
But Y/N and Hermione both shook their heads.
'We've managed fine Nick, if anything I'm getting a bit warm,' said Hermione who was indeed quite pink in the face. 'Thank you for hosting.'
Sir Nick bowed low again and moved off across the floor to speak to some of his other guests.
'We should probably find the others soon,' said Y/N. Hermione groaned but nodded. Y/N went to move off but his legs wouldn't obey him, they just kept moving into the next dance step.
'One more?' he asked her after a few moments of neither pulling away.
'One more.'
After three more 'one mores', they finally moved off and found Ron and Harry hovering by the food table. Most of the food was rotten and smelt horrifically. There was even a massive grey cake that had written on it in very thick icing, the words:
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
died 31st October, 1492
'Admiring the Halloween feast?' asked Y/N as he and Hermione approached them.
'Just watched a ghost float through as if trying to eat it,' said Harry, pointing at the retreating figure of a portly ghost. 'This is weird.'
'They've probably let it rot to give it a stronger flavour,' said Hermione as she winced away from it.
'Can we move? I feel sick,' said Ron. They backed away, but were stopped from moving anywhere else as a little man swooped up from under the table.
'Hello, Peeves,' said Harry cautiously as the poltergeist floated above them, grinning evilly.
'Nibbles?' he said as he held out a bowl of nuts covered in fungus.
'We're good thanks Peeves,' said Y/N.
'Saw you two dancing around the floor,' said Peeves, smiling at Y/N and Hermione, 'think you might want a new dance partner, L/N.'
'No I'm really okay Peeves-' he said, but Peeves had already turned away.
'OY! MYRTLE!'
'Oh no, Peeves, really that's not necessary,' Hermione said frantically, 'Y/N doesn't need to dance with her- Oh, hello Myrtle.'
The ghost of a girl had floated over. She looked glum, had long hair and very thick glasses.
'How are you Myrtle?' said Hermione brightly. Myrtle sniffed.
'Mr L/N was just saying about how beautiful he thought you looked tonight,' cackled Peeves. 'Saying he'd love to have a dance with you.' Myrtle turned her eyes onto Y/N who smiled weakly.
'You're making fun of me,' she said, her eyes were shining with tears.
'Honestly Myrtle, whilst Peeves may be making up the dancing part,' Y/N glared at Peeves as he spoke, 'the first part was true, I do think you look absolutely stunning.' Myrtle looked at him confused but her face didn't look as suspicious as before.
'You're the first person to say something like that,' she said. 'Normally I hear people calling me all sorts, Fat Myrtle, Ugly Myrtle, miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!'
'You forgot pimply,' Peeves hissed at her, and the shining tears in her eyes that had almost subsided came back full force. She wailed and sped away from them, being followed by Peeves who was insulting her more.
'You think she's beautiful do you?' whispered Hermione as Nick floated over and engaged in conversation with Ron and Harry. Y/N could have sworn he'd heard a hint of jealousy in her voice underneath the teasing note.
'Don't worry,' he said, wrapping an arm around her. 'No one in this room is more stunning than you, that's why I chose you to be my date.'
'D-d-date?' Hermione stammered turning bright red and looking up at him, Y/N smirked down at her as she stammered. She was saved from creating a response however as the orchestra stopped. Y/N took his eyes off her and looked over towards them, which gave her a few moments to fan her face and try to regather herself.
'Oh, here we go,' said Nick bitterly as a hunting horn sounded throughout the room.
Through the wall burst around a dozen ghosts riding on horses, each rider was missing their head. The room began to clap but Y/N, seeing the look on Nick's face, didn't. Hermione Ron and Harry fell silent a moment later, following his gaze.
The horses charged into the middle of the dance floor, rearing and whinnying to the gasping crowd. At the very front was a large ghost who seemed to be holding his head under his arm, it was the one that had blown the horn. He held his head up so he could see above the crowd, he seemed to catch sight of Nick as he reattached his head to his neck and made his way over to them.
'Nick!' he roared. 'How are you? Head still hanging in there?' He gave a hearty laugh and clapped Nick on the shoulder.
'Welcome, Patrick,' said Nick. He looked furious.
'Live 'uns!' said Sir Patrick, spotting the quartet and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment so that his head fell off. The crowd apparently thought this was hilarious.
'Very amusing,' said Nearly Headless Nick darkly.
'Don't mind Nick!' shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. 'Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say, look at the fellow-'
Y/N didn't get what this Patrick meant but he was saved asking by Harry's interruption.
'I think, Nick's very frightening and er—'
'Ha!' yelled Sir Patrick's head. 'Bet he asked you to say that!'
Nick strode away announcing to them all that it was time for his speech, clearly not enjoying Sir Patrick being the centre of attention. Nick managed maybe eight words or so of his speech before Sir Patrick and the rest of the headless hunt began throwing their heads for the entertainment of the guests.
'Think it's time for us to leave,' said Hermione, grabbing Y/N's arm and pulling him towards the entrance of the dungeon, Harry and Ron hurrying along behind them. They left the dungeon and began heading back up the corridor towards the Entrance Hall.
'Pudding might not be finished yet,' said Ron hopefully, but a moment later and Harry stopped dead. Y/N was first to notice and he came to stop, which meant he almost pulled Hermione over as she was still holding his arm.
'It's that voice again,' Harry said as Y/N turned to face him. 'Hold on a minute.' Y/N listened. He couldn't hear anything bar the distant sound of the cheering ghosts. He looked back to Hermione and Ron but they seemed just as lost.
'This way!' Harry shouted and he went sprinting past them towards the Entrance Hall. Y/N took off after him, Hermione being dragged along.
'But pudding-' said Ron weakly before running after them.
They stopped in the Entrance Hall, Harry seemed to be listening again.
'Maybe we could-' began Ron again but Harry yelled over him.
'It's going to kill someone!' and he sprinted towards the marble staircase, they once again took off after him. Y/N felt his stomach lurch. A wandering voice that only Harry could hear and was threatening to kill someone? This wasn't good. They eventually arrived at the second floor, in a long-deserted passageway.
'What was that all about?' asked Ron, trying to catch his breath.
Hermione gasped. Y/N looked at her and then followed her gaze towards the wall of the corridor, there was what seemed to be some form of writing emblazoned there. Y/N untangled his arm from Hermione's and walked forward to look at it.
There, written across the wall, in what was almost definitely blood, were words, shimmering in the dancing light from the torches.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN
OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
'What's that? Hanging underneath?' asked Ron, his voice seemed to be shaking. Y/N began to move but slipped, there was a very large puddle of water on the floor. He caught himself and edged forward, being more careful this time. He realised what it was when he was only a couple of feet away and he took several steps backwards in horror.
Mrs Norris was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket, she was as stiff as the stone gargoyles that flanked the walls, her eyes wide open and staring straight ahead. Y/N didn't move, he couldn't take his eyes off the cat.
'Let's get out of here,' came Ron's voice from somewhere nearby.
'Shouldn't we try to help?' said Harry weakly but Y/N shook his head.
'Ron's right, we can't stay here, we need to leave.' But they were already too late.
A distant barrage of noise hit them, indicating that the feast was over, and from both ends of the corridor came a flood of students making their way back towards their respective common rooms. The noise died almost as suddenly as it had arrived as those at the front saw who was in the corridor, and what was written on the wall. The silence was deafening.
'Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!' came Malfoy's voice, who'd shoved his way to the front of one of the crowds. He looked ecstatic. Y/N rounded on him, drawing his wand.
'I've warned you already Malfoy don't-' but he was interrupted by the last voice he'd wanted to hear right now.
'What's going on here? What's going on?' said Filch as he shuffled his way into view.
(A/N: Hi there folks! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. This was honestly one of my favourite ones to write so far throughout the entire thing. I was enjoying the back and forth between characters so much and it very much sets the scene and tempo for some of Y/N's sense of humour going forward
Just wanted to thank you all for reading and for being here. I've seen a lot of love on this fic recently and honestly it gives me no end of delight to see. Love you all for even being here and I hope you enjoy what's next. Cause from this point forward. It gets real)
