Ron was enjoying the whimsical Halloween feast that each student was enthusiastically taking part in. He was determined to enjoy it unlike last year's fiasco. After the morning near mess up mentioning Hermione's parents and the fact he knew that Harry's parents had been killed on a Halloween night, and the troll in the bathroom last year... he wanted this year to be better.
The classes had for the most part been festively fun, from the singing jack o'lantern charms with Professor Flitwick, to the ever boring Professor Binns trying to spice up class by utilizing the history of ghosts and other Halloween spooks... Well, he did try. The only teacher who actually seemed to make Halloween worse was Professor Snape who was far more sour than he was on any other day. He had been aggressively removing points from each house, except Slytherin of course and being especially aggressive towards Gryffindors. Even the Prefects weren't safe as he had seen Percy and some girl he had been with have points docked for something or other. But the feast was the true crown jewel of the night.
The Great Hall was bright and festive despite the lack of the ghosts that appeared the year prior. He enjoyed the bright Jack o'lanterns and the epic feast with roast chicken, tender pork, beef strips and a variety of vegetables, roasted mashed and steamed along with steaming rolls and vats of butter with milk and water and to those who enjoyed it, pumpkin juice to wash it all down. If not for the fact he hadn't had a chance to use the restroom before dinner, it would be perfect.
"I'll be right back guys. Got an urgent matter to take care of."
Harry, Hermione and Neville all gave their acknowledgement as he made his way out of the grand hall to take care of business. He walked with a purpose towards the closest restroom. He jumped as a parade of ghosts flew in front of him, ghosts he had never seen before, each missing their heads. He felt his stomach flip and made an about turn. Who knew how many were there or why they were entering Hogwarts?
So, he took the long way to the restroom. He waited a few minutes hoping that the unknown and rather grotesque ghosts would be gone when he went back. He reached into his pocket to feel the soft gloves Doctor Strange gave him, and had him use to practice his sorcery. It was reassuring to know they were there, him having safe access to the spells Doctor Strange had taught him.
One day he'd be able to do it without gloves according to Doctor Strange. Once he understood his magic better. For now they were quite a comfort. Odd as it was.
He splashed a bit of water on his face and made his way back to the great hall. A chill went down his spine as he walked the empty stone halls. He looked around to see only the stone walls and a distant moving painting. He turned his back to the painting to head back to the great hall.
With each step, he wondered just why the restroom was as far away as it was. Lost in his thoughts he froze when he heard a splash beneath his feet. His eyes darted to the floor to see a rapidly growing flow of water. Curiosity and dread filled him.
He hoped it was some prank pulled by Peeves. But the all too quiet hall told him otherwise.
He followed the water. Steeping carefully, he tried not to get his shoes drenched. He noticed the water was higly reflective, deeper than just cleaning the floors.
Ron continued, picking up the pace as water kept flooding the corridors. He didn't hear the tell tale cackle of Peeves. Just the water and his own foot falls. It felt, off. It was only when he turned a corner did his own heartbeat become the only sound he could hear. His feet felt like led as they carrid him down the hall towards an anomaly along the wall. There, hanging by a torch, by tail no less, was a feline. One with familiar but strangely unmoving eyes.
She spun lazily in her free hang, until her glassy eyes seemingly locked with his. It was eery and he could feel fear claw at his heart and stomach. He glanced to his left and right for a mere moment before reminding himself that he was alone.
The torch light flickering off the water's reflection didn't matters much. Still, he moved closer hoping the cat wasn't dead and merely stunned or something. As he drew closer, he noticed something wrong with the wall. Something dripping?
With ice settling in his veins, he walked closer to see what it was.
He was surprised that there were words in a terrifying fresh red that still seemed wet.
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened... Enemies of the heir beware.
Ron's heartbeat sped up, thundering in his ears over the flowing water beneath his feet.
Was, was that blood? Was that Mrs. Norris's blood?
He felt like throwing up. His pulse sped up and he turned to run. Back to the great hall. Back to where he could tell what he had seen.
In retrospect, it wasn't the worst thing he had seen. Poor timing with agents, the attack on New York, and just earlier in the year he had experienced the Devil's Snare. But those eyes were just unsettling.
He took off running towards the Great Hall. He ignored how the water splashed up his legs and onto his robe in favor of making it to someone who he could tell what happened. Someone who could make it right.
His mind went to his friends, then darted away. He trusted his friends. He had gone below the school to help Harry stop a criminal teacher along with Hermione. Neville was the sensible one and would only go up with him to tell a teacher. When he reached the Great Hall, he knew he'd have to pass his friends.
He didn't hesitate to barge into the Great Hall. No one seemed to notice his entrance as the feast was well under way. He took a few labored breaths as his eyes looked around. The teachers were all sitting prominently in front of everyone. But he saw someone a little closer who maybe would not freak out so much after living with Fred and George. In a split second decision, he sped walked over to Percy, ignoring any fleeting glance in his direction as he was the only student up. Once close enough, he grabbed Percy's shoulder to get his attention.
Percy turned to face Ron with a perplexed expression, not expecting someone to interrupt his meal.
"Ron? Do you need something?" Percy asked in a professional and controlled tone with only a trace of genuine curiosity bleeding through.
"Can I talk to you. Now?"
Percy pursed his lips and quirked a brow at his youngest brother's request. Ron never asked for help. Mainly because he had been kept seperate since he was a baby and didn't really interact with them despite being at Hogwarts 3/4 of the year.
"Of course. What do you need to talk about Ron?"
"Erm... Not here," Ron added. His eyes darted to the doors he just came out of. Percy looked over Ron's face carefully. He then went to the table, took his napkin and took a curtesywipe of his lips and excused himself from the table.
"Just a moment. I'll be back."
He stood, then followed Ron. Both did their best to ignore the curious looks of the students and faculty as Percy followed Ron out of the Great Hall. Once the doors were closed, no doubt whispers were being shared among on the other side being ignored by the two brothers.
"You needed to speak with me Ron?" Percy asked in a slightly more caring tone.
"Percy, someone hung Mrs. Norris by her tail, she's not moving and there is writing in blood on the wall," Ron spoke quickly. Percy blinked at Ron.
"Ron, did Fred and George put you up to this?"
"Percy!" Ron shrilly hissed, "I went to the bathroom and tried to avoid some headless ghosts, found the floor flooded and found Mrs. Norris hanging by a torch with blood on the wall."
Percy's face went stony.
"Show me."
Ron ran towards the location with Percy hot on his heels. The stone floor soon was found wet and flooded, much like Ron had told Percy. When Mrs. Norris's body came into view, Percy grabbed Ron's arm, preventing him from running closer. Ron jerked back towards Percy unprepared for the action. He turned to see Percy's serious face.
"Hold on a moment Ron."
Ron looked at Percy curiously as he pulled parchment and a quill from an inner pocket in his robe. He then pulled out a bottle of ink.
"Please hold this Ron."
Ron held the ink as Percy wrote a quick message giving their location. Percy pocketed the quill, then the ink as the ink on the paper dried. He then pulled out his wand.
"Avifors McGonagall," he said with his wand moving as a swish and a flick. Before Ron's eyes, the parchment shifted into a small songbird, flying up through the air towards the Great hall.
"What was that?" Ron asked.
"Oh. It's a transfiguration spell. You should be learning it in your fourth year."
"Avifors..." Ron muttered, pointedly looking away from the hanging cat. He didn't know why it bothered him so much.
"When I was became a prefect, Professor McGonagall taught us prefects that you can have the bird go to a certain person as you cast the spell, and they can shift the bird back into an object with the "Finite Incantatum" spell," Percy explained, keeping Ron's mind occupied from the unsettling discovery.
"Sounds interesting."
"Yes. Just don't tell Fred or George please. I can only imagine the mischief they'd get into if they knew that particular aspect of the spell."
Given what Ron had seen from the twins, he didn't doubt Percy's worry.
"Who did you send the note to?" Ron asked not liking the silence at the moment. If anything, he wanted his dad. It may have been childish, but everything seemed less scary with him around. Even if he wasn't a magical individual.
"Professor McGonagall. She is the Deputy Head Mistress and Professor Dumbledore will have a lot of attention on him as the Head Master at a party. Professor McGonagall should be able to handle the situation quietly."
"Good heavens!" a startled and familiar voice spoke out.
Percy and Ron faced the new arrival of Professor McGonagall and Flich who had a look of devastation.
"You! What have you done!?" Flich demanded in a broken tone. His eyes glaring hatefully at Ron. They were nowhere near as unnerving as Mrs. Norris's unseeing glass eyes.
"Argus. Please." With the two stern words, Filch held his tongue but none of his distain or sadness regarding his beloved cat. McGonagall pulled out her wand and cast, "Lumos."
Her wand glowed brightly, making an even light as she walked closer to Mrs. Norris. She abruptly stopped and put out her light.
"Argus. Block off this corridor. Let no students through."
"And what will you do about him?" he hissed towards Ron, "Going after and killing her-"
"She's not dead Argus. Merely petrified. Not a magic either of these boys are capable of performing," she explained, nipping the idea that either of them did this to her in the bud. Well, to the best of her ability. Filch was a fairly paranoid man.
"Mister Weasley," McGonagall redirected to Percy, "Take your brother back to the common room. The feast is almost over. Your dinners will be sent up there."
"Yes Professor," Percy responded.
"Before you go," she added, "I am sure I don't need to tell you boys not to tell other students about this."
Ron nodded at her but knew that he would be asking Hermione and Neville questions and he wasn't not going to tell Harry if he was going to Hermione and Neville.
"We won't Professor," Percy agreed. "C'mon Ron."
Ron followed Percy back to the common room, finding two plates filled with food that both seemed to favor. Sitting in relative silence, they quickly finished their meals.
"My friends are going to ask where I've been."
"I feel like I need to ask why you were out of the Great hall in the first place," Percy pointed out.
"I had to go to the bathroom. Took the long way as a parade of Headless Ghosts appeared in front of me and I had no idea what was going on," Ron admitted. Percy looked perplexed but didn't ask anything more.
"I would say, just tell them that Peeves was causing a bit of a spill in the hall with soapy water and other ghosts were trying to admonish him and you took the long way back to avoid the chaos. You got me to try and end the chaos when it got simply, more out of hand and I contacted Professor McGonagall. She in turn got Filch to clean the mess left by Peeves."
Ron just stared at Percy.
"That's actually a pretty good lie."
"Sadly, one of the things I've picked up from Fred and George."
"Say Percy?"
"Yes Ron?"
"What is the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Nothing for us to worry about I'm sure. Probably just a prank of some kind."
"Doesn't it seem a bit, overkill for a prank?" Ron pointed out, "There was blood on the walls."
"Just last year, someone thought it would be funny to let a troll into the castle," Percy pointed out.
So maybe Hogwarts was a bit more casually twisted than Ron wanted to admit.
New Chapter. And Math made me proud.
Guys, between the three stories I have written for this series, I have had half a million hits. I just want to say thank you all, you all have no idea how much that means to me.
This chapter has taken forever for me to get out because none of them felt right. Then, I realized there was no need to try and force something that shouldn't happen, and just go with something natural.