Harry met up with Neville and Hermione the following day, after proving to Madam Pomfrey's satisfaction that his arm had regrown its bones correctly - an arduous task involving a fair amount of dexterity. Apparently the problem was not regrowing bone; it was regrowing it exactly as it had been so it didn't damage any nerves or blood vessels.
"Harry, how's your arm? I hear that Skele-grow isn't the nicest experience."
Harry shrugged, "Good as new, but a little stiff because I couldn't really move it deliberately at all last night. I've been through worse though."
"After last year that isn't an encouraging statement."
Harry laughed at that, replying, "Fair point. But have you heard yet? Colin Creevy got petrified last night!"
Hermione and Neville nodded.
"The school is buzzing with speculation about what happened and what's going to be done about it. People are really worried for their safety."
"Speaking of safety," Harry began, then realized they were still near the hospital wing and under potential eyes and ears of the staff, "…we should go back to the common room, in case whatever did it is still lurking around."
The pair glanced at him, since that didn't sound like his normal, courageous self, but they followed him back to Gryffindor tower without questioning it too much.
Once safe and secure in their favorite nook of the red and gold decorated room, Neville was first to demand, "Alright, spill, who are you and where is the real Harry?"
Harry chuckled saying, "Relax guys, it's me, I just didn't want to be spied on when I told you this. Remember that house elf I told you about at the beginning of the year? He showed up again."
From there Harry relayed the details of what had happened, and how he had determined the identity of Dobby's master.
"Very smooth Harry, but you could have told him not to hit himself," Hermione complained.
"First, he broke my arm. Second, I don't think that would've worked since I'm not his master." But feeling guilty he looked toward Neville, "Right?"
Neville nodded.
Hermione huffed, "Alright, but what are we going to do with this information?"
Neville looked uncomfortable, but said, "I'm not sure we can do anything."
The other two looked at him incredulously.
"I don't like the idea of not doing anything either, but…" he paused and sighed, "Gran says our family has never been like this, but a lot of the older families don't pay any real mind to house elves. I don't think your word that Dobby is abused and that he knows Malfoy is up to something will do much good."
Hermione looked aghast, but Harry was contemplative, and asked, "But what if it isn't just my word? What if it's my memory?"
Now it was Hermione and Neville's turn to give Harry an odd look.
"Hermione, do you happen to have an empty ink bottle? I have an idea."
Trusting him implicitly, Hermione reached into her bag and fished one out, casting a little spell to clear it out of residual ink. Looking around, Harry then remembered what Madam Bones had told him earlier in the year and pulled a pair of silvery memory strands from his head. He put them into the bottle and then plugged it up, before reaching into his own bag for writing materials.
"Harry, what was that and what are you doing?"
"Remember when Susan's aunt showed up with all the aurors? She coached me through submitting memories as evidence. My word might not be enough to get anything done, but my memories and testimony might."
The pair just gawked at him as he completed his noted, and Harry rolled it up and handed both the ink and bottle to Hermione. "Could you give these to Susan when you next see her? I'd do it myself but passing notes during herbology might look a little weird…" He trailed off, slightly embarrassed. He could handle the prospect of something roaming the school and petrifying people, but rumors about him passing love letters during class? Nope.
Shortly before Christmas break, with rumors and accusations about the identity of the Heir of Slytherin flying back and forth amongst the students, signs began appearing advertising a Dueling Club. Harry and Neville were wary because it seemed like the kind of stunt Lockhart would pull, but to support Hermione they went. Besides, there was always the slim chance that a more competent professor was putting it on, right?
Unfortunately both were true in the worst of ways. It was indeed Gilderoy Lockharts show, but he had somehow roped Snape of all professors into helping him.
Shockingly though, they did manage to teach something. On the count of three atop an improvised stage, Lockhart made ridiculous flailing motions with his wand, while Snape simply aimed and snarled, "Expelliarmus!" and Lockhart's wand, as well as Lockhart himself, went flying.
Lockhart got up, made some excuse about wanting to show people the Disarming Charm, and then decided to start pairing students up to practice.
"We should split up." Harry murmured.
Looking as though he might have been petrified himself, Neville asked, "What? Why?"
"Snape's going to split us up by force, we both know it, but if at least one of us is near Lockhart we might get paired up with people who don't hate our guts."
Neville looked reluctant, but nodded. He and Hermione left Harry behind, and Harry himself remained where he was; if Malfoy or another bigot showed up, he'd look like lonely bait.
As it was, Harry's instincts were correct. Since Lockhart reached them first, Hermione was paired up with Parvati's twin Padma, and Neville was paired up with Ron, which might not have been great but also wasn't an unmitigated disaster. However, Snape had not-so-subtly made a beeline for Harry, breaking up pairs of friends on his way.
"Mr. Potter, alone at last are you?"
Snape was attempting to loom threateningly, but Harry glared back refusing to be cowed. What was he going to do anyway? Out himself as a dark wizard? Short of that all he could do was pair him up with Malfoy and Harry figured he was going to anyway; all the hatred in the world wouldn't stop Snape from being just as predictable as any other bully.
A vein in Snape's temple seemed to throb as if in response to Harry's thoughts, but he did indeed call Malfoy over, leaving Harry feeling equal parts resigned and smug.
Lockhart called out, "Remember, disarm only, and begin!"
Naturally Malfoy did not cast a single disarming charm, but hair simply sidestepped the heavily-telegraphed stinging spells so that they'd hit Malfoy's fellow Slytherins, a fact that didn't seem to deter Malfoy at all.
"Hold still Scarhead!"
"Aim better Inbred."
Thrity seconds of absolute chaos later Lockhart shouted, "Stop! STOP!" He actually looked angry for a moment before pasting that smile back on his face and saying, "Perhaps we should do this differently eh? How about a student demonstration. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, come up here please."
Malfoy went up to Snape who leaned down and whispered something that prompted Draco to smile. Harry, stuck with Lockhart, received, "Now, when he goes to cast, do this," at which point Lockhart flailed a bit before dropping his wand. "Whoops, now off you go then!"
Harry rolled his eyes and prepared to dodge whatever Malfoy fired at him.
"On three boys. One, two-"
"Serpensortia!"
A snake - a venomous one going by coloration - shot out of Malfoy's wand landing between them. Harry was rather unimpressed.
"Don't move Mr. Potter," Snape said, looking smug.
"I got it!" Lockhart called. He then fired something at the snake that blasted it towards the audience and agitated it.
Harry acted instinctively, and before it could strike at the nearby Hufflepuff - Justin Finch-Fletchley if Harry recalled - he yanked on its tail to pull it towards himself. The serpent whirled on him and Harry said, "Calm down," at which point the snake relaxed and a hush fell over the audience.
Harry looked around as he gathered up the placid snake, which flicked its tongue out and hissed to him, "I smell their fear… really that's not me, I promise."
Harry could see the fear too and was about to reply to it, but Snape dispelled it. He was giving Harry a calculating look, and murmurs were starting to break out. Lockhart seemed gobsmacked into silence. Harry left, the wall of students parting before him. Perhaps it was time to start wearing the invisibility cloak.
"I told you back in first year that people think Parseltongue is a dark art." Neville said, a few days later on in their study area.
"I know, I know, but I never realized they thought it was this bad." Harry replied.
When people saw him they recoiled in fear. Fred and George, ever the jokesters, warded him off with garlic and religious implements (though they did make clear later that they were joking), and one person even saw him coming out of the loo and screamed.
"You're not helping when you lurk about in the invisibility cloak you know," Hermione added.
"I get tired of people staring at me like I'm about to sprout fangs and spit venom."
"I think they're more worried about you spitting fire to be honest," Luna commented.
Harry was infinitely grateful to Luna for not being afraid of him after the revelation that he was a Parselmouth made the rounds in the school rumor mill. By the end of day people were talking about how the snake had been too large to fit in the room properly and had nearly eaten everyone before Dumbledore had arrived to banish it.
"At least it can't possibly get worse…"
Later in the week, Harry heard that the rumors were growing ever larger because Justin of all people was continually embellishing the tale. Harry was looking for him to set things straight, but that was when things did take a turn for the worse.
Between classes Harry heard something.
"Rip… tear… kill…"
The voice seemed to be coming from the wall, and Harry followed it as far as he could, until he saw something that made his blood run cold.
Justin Finch-Fletchley was standing frozen, a look of utter terror on his face, but far, far more frightening was the immobilized and charred looking Nearly Headless Nick floating right in front of him. What manner of magic or monster could do such damage to a ghost?
There was also that strange smell, just like when Mrs. Norris had been attacked, but why did it tug at his memory?
Then at the worst moment Peeves appeared from a nearby classroom, dusting off his hands as if he'd just finished a fine piece of work.
"Well, well, ickle Harry Potty all alone in the-"
Peeves froze as he saw Nick's equal parts scorched and frozen form.
Harry made placating gestures but Peeves screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! THERE'S BEEN AN ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE!"
Doors began opening and shutting as some people barricaded themselves in rooms and others stormed out to investigate. The first to come upon the scene was Professor McGonagall, her entire curious class in tow.
That night, Harry was confined to Gryffindor tower.
"Harry, what happened in the past few hours?" Hermione half demanded, half pleaded.
"I know you're not the attacker Harry, so what's going on?"
"Well…" Harry began, "I kind of lost my cool…"
Professor McGonagall, after sending her class back to their common rooms, had lead him up to Dumbledore's office, saying that whether he was the attacker or not, the incriminating nature of the scene took matters out of her hands.
Harry sat in the office alone, glaring daggers at Fawkes, who did not reciprocate but seemed indifferent to his presence.
Dumbledore arrived shortly thereafter and sat down at his desk across from Harry.
They sat there in silence for a time. Harry had heard all about how manipulators liked to use awkward silences to make people talk. Harry liked the quiet though - he could think things through.
"Well Harry, is there anything you would like to tell me?" the Headmaster asked at last.
Harry icily replied, "I came upon that scene as it was. Unless you'd like to tell me where my Uncle Jet Jaguar is, we have nothing to further to discuss."
Dumbledore sighed heavily, "Harry, you realize that we have only your word that you are not responsible. In a situation as incriminating as this, that may not be enough…" he trailed off, no doubt so that Harry's mind could fill in the blanks with all sorts of unpleasant prospects.
Harry wasn't afraid though, and called his bluff. "If you believe I'm guilty, go ahead and expel me. I have a home and a family that loves me to go back to. I am not afraid of you."
"Well I should certainly hope not Harry, but I am not the one to be afraid of. If you are not the guilty party, we are allies in this - we both want to catch the true culprit."
Harry glared at the Headmaster, barely suppressing a growl. Speaking with sparks flying from his mouth Harry snarled, "You tried to send me to a family that would abuse me, abducted my uncle, and tried to use your hold on him to leverage me into obeying you. You may do your worst headmaster, because we are not allies!"
"And after that he placed me under tower arrest pending an official investigation." Harry finished.
"Oh, Harry, why did you do that?" Hermione cried.
Neville patted his shoulder but shook his head. "That wasn't the best idea mate."
Harry shrugged, "The pieces may fall where they may, but I am nobody's puppet, and I will not submit to such a role. We'll just have to say what the day brings."
The next morning brought a shock is what it did though. The Quibbler had gotten quite a few subscribers with Harry's official interview, but this one would get many more for the Daily Prophet.
Lucius Malfoy Behind Chamber of Secrets Attacks! House Elf Star Witness!
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Did you miss me? I know it's been a while, but I've been struggling with real-life issues and experimenting with other hobbies. But writing is my true calling, and so here I am once again! My apologies for the cliffhanger here, but all chapters must end at some point. Here's hoping that there is never a hiatus as long as that again.
Speaking of which, you, yes you behind the screen, can help prevent that! I'm making a Discord server for my fans to congregate so that I can actually see all the people who loved this story. Because when other people get hyped up about my writing, I get hyped up about my writing too! If you know how to join a Discord server it's as simple as opening the app, clicking the plus sign, and entering the standard Discord invite opening followed by PfGmbgk. I hope to see you all there, even you, and especially you!