(Here is another update on Lucy Potter for your lovely peoples! I hope you enjoy. I apologize again that it's taking me so long to get these updates ready. I own nothing but my OCs.)
...
"Who on earth would want to kill an old cat?" Lucy wondered aloud scooping up Athene as if to shield her from Mrs. Norris's fate as she continued to stare mortified at the poor creature.
Harry started to shake his head pondering the same thing when Ron suddenly bumped into him whimpering as if a troll had just happened by him.
"Ouch Ron!" Hermione complained as Ron slipped and bumped heads with her. "There's spiders!...I don't like spiders!" He whined pointing a shaking finger at the window opposite from the girls bathroom.
Harry, Lucy and Hermione turned to note the line of little spiders Ron had seen which were crawling from the bathroom to the open window just as the rest of the students appeared from dinner in the Great Hall.
Lucy inched instinctively closer to Harry as the students from Slytherin and Gryffindor stopped and swarmed around them looking up to notice not only Mrs. Norris, but the threatening message on the wall as well.
"Enemies of the Heir beware?" Draco read scornfully, glancing at the Potters before his eyes fell on Hermione. "You'll be next Mudbloods."
Ron started to lunge at him, but Harry pulled him back just as a familiar voice echoed from behind them. "What's this?...What's going on here? Come on! Make way! Make way!" Mr Filch rasped, pushing his way through the mob of students.
In dread of his reaction when he saw his cat, Lucy backed up even more and let out a yelp when she trod on someone's foot.
"Whoa! Easy there Lu." "You all right?" George asked as he and Fred steadied her. Lucy didn't answer since Mr. Filch had just arrived into the middle of the crowd and his face blanched devoid nearly of all color when he looked up to see what everyone else was staring at.
"Mi...Mrs. Norris?" The caretaker stammered, his eyes widening in shock and horror when he saw his beloved his pet.
The Potters and their friends flinched when the old caretaker suddenly fixed a dangerous stare in their direction. "Potters..." He looked from Lucy to Harry. Harry shook his head. "No Mr. Filch-."
"You...murdered my cat?!" A crazed look seemed to come over Filch's face as he rounded on Harry. "No..." Harry squeaked, but Mr. Filch grabbed him by the front of his robes.
"I'll kill ya!" He snapped lifting the boy so that he was forced to stand on tip toe. "I'll kill ya both!" Lucy lunged forward, reaching with one hand still holding onto Athene to stop Mr. Filch. "No! Mr. Filch!-."
"Argus!" The rest of the students parted to the sides at the sharp commanding voice, allowing not only Professor Dumbledore, but Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and even Professor Lockhart through to investigate the situation.
Upon noticing the Headmaster, Filch released his grip on Harry, but the same crazed look remained in his eyes. Dumbledore looked over at the lettering on the wall before addressing the crowd of students in the hallway.
"Everyone...will proceed to their dormitories immediately." The Headmaster ordered quietly not taking his eyes off the wall as he spoke.
The House Prefects taking their cues well began to lead the other students away. The Potters, Ron and Hermione turned to follow the other Gryffindors when Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"Everyone except...you four." The old Headmaster gestured to the four friends causing them to halt reluctantly in the hallway.
For a moment no one spoke as the corridor quickly emptied out. It was quiet save for the sound of pattering footsteps and Mr. Filch's haggard breathing as he peered up at his cat again.
For a brief moment Lucy felt sorry for him, but then she remembered how he had quickly accused her and her brother of attacking Mrs. Norris and the feelings went away.
"She's not dead Argus." Dumbledore spoke comfortingly to the caretaker as Snape and McGonagall took turns studying the bloodied words on the wall while Lockhart on the other hand took more interest in observing Mrs. Norris.
"She has only been petrified."
"Petrified?" Lucy wondered in a whisper. Hermione nodded her head. "Of course!" She whispered back. "That explains the way Mrs. Norris's paws are all splayed. Like she was surprised." She looked up at the cat again.
"Ah! So unlucky I wasn't here. I know exactly the countercurse that could have spared her." Lockhart suddenly interjected earning a wary eyed look from McGonagall.
"Yeah just like you knew how to take care of those pixies?" Ron muttered under his breath.
Dumbledore paid no attention to Lockhart's braggings. "But how she has been petrified I cannot say."
"Ask them!" Filch suddenly turned on the four second years again, his glare lingering on Harry and Lucy longer than the others. "It's one of them that's done it! Most likely one of the Potters! You've seen what they wrote on the wall!" He raged spitting out Lucy and Harry's last name as if it were repulsive.
Harry shook his head. "It's not true Sir! I swear! I didn't touch Mrs. Norris. None of us did!" He protested.
Lucy nodded her head in agreement while still holding onto her own cat in a protective way. "Rubbish!" Filch spat.
"Headmaster if may," Snape suddenly spoke up leaning towards the Headmaster's ear. "I think perhaps the Potters and their friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." He murmured surprising Harry and Lucy with his seeming attempt to understand and defend them.
"However," The Potions Master continued, his usual drawl and scowl returning to his voice and expression. "I won't deny that the circumstances are suspicious. I for one don't recall seeing either Potter at dinner and I specifically released Miss Potter from her detention in plenty of time for her to get her supper." He fixed Lucy with an especially unnerving glare that made her flush and look away.
"I'm afraid that's partially my doing Severus." Lockhart spoke up again, not moving from his place behind Mrs. Norris. "You see Mr. Potter was serving his detention with me and we got rather carried away with answering my fan mail." He grinned flashing his perfect white teeth.
Hermione, Ron and even Lucy stared at Harry for a moment.
Answering fan mail?...Really? What kind of detention is that? Lucy wondered bewilderedly. Harry snuck her a quick annoyed glance.
Believe me it wasn't as fun as you'd think.
"That's why Ron and I went looking for Harry and Lucy, Professor." Hermione chimed in a bit uncertainly at first drawing the Potters' attention back to the main matter.
"We had actually just found them when Lucy said..." She started and trailed off looking at her best friend uncertainly.
"Yes?...Miss Granger?" Snape pressed lightly without taking his gaze from the four second years. Lucy tried to speak up.
"W-when I said-."
"When she said she wasn't hungry and wanted to go to bed early." Harry cut off his sister and finished her sentence for her. "We were heading to the common room together when we found Mrs. Norris." He explained nimbly working to keep his expression smooth.
Lucy tried to do the same and Dumbledore looked satisfied. "Innocent until proven guilty then." He said as if that settled the matter.
"My cat...has been petrified." Filch began to shake and his face began to turn a deep shade of red. "I want to see some punishment!" He shrieked.
"Calm yourself Argus. We will be able to cure her." Dumbledore tried to soothe the caretaker in his usual gentle tone of voice. "As I understand it, Madam Sprout in the Herbology Department has a healthy growth of mandrakes in her care which when matured can be made into a potion that will revive Mrs. Norris." He explained.
"You're sure?" Filch seemed desolate. Dumbledore nodded his head.
"In the mean time," The old Professor turned his gaze back onto the four children as they stood uncertain of their fate in the corridor. "I strongly recommend caution to all."
The four first years nodded their heads in acknowledgement then turned to head back to the Gryffindor Tower together when the Headmaster dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
"The nerve of Filch!" Ron exclaimed once they were safely out of earshot of the Professors. "Accusing us of killing his cat."
"We don't even know how to petrify." Lucy added. Hermione nodded her head. "It's not a spell any student wizard or witch would know. Even the Petrificus Totalus spell I used on Neville last year couldn't do what happened to Mrs. Norris...It's rather strange really."
"Strange?" Lucy inquired, amazed at how calm her friend was. "Hermione! It's a nightmare!" She exclaimed.
Hermione turned to face her. "I know." She conceded expressing her own worry. "But you two heard a voice earlier, didn't you? A voice only you two can hear and then not five minutes later Mrs. Norris turns up petrified with a cryptic message written in blood on the wall."
"What you mean...you didn't hear the voice?" Lucy felt the blood drain from her face at the implications.
Harry frowned at this too. "So do you think...do you think I should have told Professor Dumbledore about it? The voice Lucy and I heard?" He looked at his sister. "Maybe he could have-."
"Are you mental Mate?" Ron interrupted.
Hermione shook her head. "No Harry. Even in the wizarding world hearing voices isn't a good sign." Harry and Lucy exchanged fearful glances at that. Great...
...
"Did you hear?...Filch's cat got attacked last night!"
"They say that the Potter Twins had something to do with it."
"No! Harry and Lucy wouldn't do something like that? Would they?"
"Well they say that Lucy's cat led them right to it..and they marked the crime with the lettering on the wall."
"No way!"
"I always hated cats."
"Can you believe this?" Ron wrinkled his nose in disgust as the four friends passed through the murmuring crowd to breakfast in the Great Hall the following morning.
"I mean people actually believe that you two would attack someone's cat! Even if it is Filch's cat!" Harry and Lucy exchanged brief glances and sighed as people stopped whispering and stared at them as they passed by.
"Well I guess Malfoy's been busy last night." Harry muttered bitterly as they reached their usual place at the Gryffindor Table.
"He's probably not the only one." Lucy glanced over at the other house tables noting Malfoy as he appeared to be regaling some of his housemates with his speculations concerning the events of last night.
There was even a girl sitting on his lap acting as if fully enraptured by what he was saying although there wasn't anyone in the castle by now who didn't know about Filch's cat.
Hermione, alone of her friends seemed determined to focus only on the most important matters.
"Well regardless, we have to get to the bottom of this and fast! It's the only way to clear both your names." Hermione insisted, grabbing a bowl of fruit salad and helping herself to some before offering it to Lucy.
"And how are we going to do that?" Harry asked as Lucy passed him the fruit salad after serving herself. Hermione bit her lip. "Well...first we have to find out more about the Chamber of Secrets and who opened it. It also wouldn't hurt to learn about the Heir of Slytherin too. The more the we know the better our chances will be." She proposed.
Ron groaned. "Oh no. That means we'll have to go to the library." He complained staring at his plate as if its contents suddenly revolted him. Lucy shot him a mildly reprimanding look.
"You got any better ideas? Researching in the library helped us before last year when Professor Quirrell was after the Sorceror's stone. I think it's a great place to start." She said looking at Hermione with a slight smile while Ron continued to look sour.
"She's right you know." Harry spoke to his best friend matter-of-factly before turning to face the girls. "Let's meet in the library today during noon break and see what we can find out."
Hermione nodded her head approvingly at the proposal. "I'll start with the books I checked out for light reading. There's one in particular that might have some useful information." She said, her smile brightening at the prospect of another group skull session.
Ron in stark contrast suppressed another groan and nodded his head reluctantly.
"Oh hey Lucy!" Neville suddenly rushed up, almost tripping over his robes in his attempt to stop by Lucy's seat. Lucy felt her cheeks turn pink as people chittered at Neville's awkward clumsiness.
"Hi Neville." She answered in a very small voice.
"Iiii just wanted to say that...I don't believe what they're saying about you and Harry. I know you're innocent! I know you two wouldn't attack anyone." Neville confessed between gasps for air in the midst of a sudden uncomfortable lull in the buzz of conversation in the Great Hall.
Hermione, seeing that Lucy was getting embarrassed since everyone at the Gryffindor table was staring, tried to remedy the situation. "Neville I don't think this is a good time." She spoke in a firm voice that was not unkind.
"Oh...right then. See you later Lucy." Neville smiled sweetly at the girl before getting up from the table.
Lucy offered him a half smile before frowning and averting her eyes quickly under the curious and teasing stares of those around her.
"Shooting for a prize a bit out of your reach, aren't you Fatbattom?" Malfoy crowed loudly from the Slytherin table setting the others in an uproar.
Neville became immediately subdued by the laughter, but before he could hide himself among the crowd of Gryffindors at the table, he slipped in a puddle of pumpkin juice someone had spilled and landed on his rump on the cold stone floor.
Malfoy sneered as the hall burst into laughter at this.
"Looking to become the next Mr. Potter, Lumpbottom?" He asked. The students, especially those in Slytherin laughed harder at this. Neville's ears turned red and Lucy felt her cheeks flame as the boy hastily picked himself and awkwardly sat down somewhere further away at the Gryffindor table.
"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry suddenly stood from his seat and stared at his nemesis from across the vast chamber.
The room fell suddenly silent, but only for a moment. "Or what Potter? You'll turn me into a statue like that filthy squib's cat?" Draco challenged.
Harry started to lunge towards him when Ron grabbed him by the sleeve of his robe stopping him none too soon.
"Mr. Malfoy that will do! The rest of you back to your meals! Classes begin sharply in ten minutes!" Snape snapped glowering at the students until they all resumed eating and sat back down in their seats.
Reluctantly Harry did the same, breathing heavily as the Ron slowly loosened his hold. "That was close Mate. You already have a month of detention. You don't need more." Ron whispered as loud as he dared as Snape passed by on his way to the Teacher's table.
Harry gritted his teeth and clenched a fist as the Potions Master cast a cursory glance in his direction. "Maybe not, but Malfoy doesn't need to keep getting off easy either." He muttered once he was sure Professor Snape was out of earshot.
Ron scoffed. "Yeah except Snape favors Slytherin and Malfoy's practically his favorite." Harry sighed at that. Hermione put her foot down.
"We can't let him distract us. If someone else gets petrified next they could decide to close the school! Especially if it's a student. If we're going to find out what's really going on we have to stay focused and we have to keep out of trouble!" She spoke sharply looking all three of her friends in the eyes including Lucy until they all nodded their heads at her.
"Right." Harry responded, shooting one last scowl over his shoulder towards the Slytherin table before digging into his breakfast.
...
"Quiet!" Professor McGonagall ordered as the four friends quickly found seats in Transfigurations class later that day. As they sat down they noticed that each desk had a small animal perched upon the right hand corner.
"Now today we will begin learning another rudimentary spell which in of itself is not the most useful. However the technique you will learn and the potency of the spell will provide a decent practice for when you begin to learn more advanced spellwork in the future. Let's begin with everyone taking out their wands. You should all have a raven or a rat on your desk." The old professor instructed, waving her arms as she spoke.
Hermione and Lucy started to bend over to grab their wands from their bags when a small parchment ball hit Hermione in the head.
Frowning Hermione picked up the ball and opened the paper while still bent over her bookbag. "Lucy..." She whispered surprising Lucy since Hermione was not normally one to whisper or do anything she wasn't supposed to in class.
When the younger Potter looked at her questioningly, Hermione handed her the crumpled up piece of parchment.
Inside was a crude little drawing of a girl with brown hair being kissed on the cheek by a boy with bucked teeth. It was charmed to be animated so that the brown haired girl's eyes widened every time the boy kissed her.
Lucy's face turned red again, only this time in indignance. She peeked over her left shoulder to see Malfoy snickering at his joke with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Psst! Hey Potters!" A girl sitting on Lucy's left whispered flicking her hair carelessly behind an ear while Professor McGonagall continued to explain the fine properties of the transfiguration spell she was about to teach them.
Lucy recognized her as the girl who had been flirting with Draco during breakfast and swallowed slowly as Harry barely looked at her.
"Is it true? Did you two really attack a cat and write on the wall using its blood?"
"No Pansy, Lucy didn't. She was probably too busy snogging her new boyfriend." The girl sitting next to the one who was called Pansy sniggered catching Professor's McGonagall's attention.
"Ladies! If you are quite finished amusing yourselves I would very much appreciate it if you would all please return your attention to the lesson immediately. Wands at the ready." The Deputy Headmistress ordered, fixing them with a stern stare.
Lucy and Hermione immediately straightened in their seats and looked subdued while the Slytherin girls barely acknowledged her. "Yes Professor."
Professor McGonagall looked satisfied.
"As I was saying then, this spell when cast correctly will allow you to transform animals into water goblets. The trick is to hold your wand very steady and speak the incantation in as clear a voice as you can manage. Like so." Professor McGonagall walked over to where the raven sat still perched on its stand.
As the class watched she pointed the tip of her wand at the bird and tapped it three times upon the its back. "One, two three...Fera Verto." She spoke in a clear firm tone of voice.
With a short scrawk the bird transformed immediately into a sparkly silver water goblet leaving only a single black feather which came floating slowly down onto McGonagall's desk.
The class gasped and murmured with amazement while Professor McGonagall carefully took the glass and set it down next to the feather before instructing the students to practice the spell with the animal provided for them.
Obediently everyone set to work and though Hermione as usual was able to make the spell work within only a couple tries, most of the class seemed to struggle with it.
Ron especially struggled with his taped up broken wand which made it nearly impossible for him to keep it steady as he spoke the enchantment.
"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall spoke sternly when Ron only managed to turn his rat into a very furry cup with a tail still attached to it. It was even still squeaking.
Harry sighed and turned to exchange a quick glance with Lucy while the rest of the class chittered at the scene. They and Hermione all knew that Ron was avoiding sending a letter to his parents asking for a new wand since he felt he was still in deep trouble for stealing the car and losing it earlier that year.
But McGonagall's right. He can't keep using a broken wand. Lucy thought, practicing the spell again as the crow on her desk squawked sharply making her flinch. Harry agreed and spoke the incantation himself again.
"Fera Verto!"
Finally, Lucy's bird turned slowly into a shining brass water goblet and she smiled at her success after a moment before turning to see how her brother was doing.
"Professor McGonagall?" Hermione suddenly interrupted the flow of class, raising her hand as she always did to get her Professors' attention.
"Yes Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked, well used to the girl's tendency to ask lots of questions in class.
"I was wondering..." Hermione began slowly as Lucy stared at her questioningly. "...I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets. Considering recent events." She said tactfully acting as if she were merely curious for academic purposes.
The Potters knew however as did Ron that Hermione was asking out of necessity and pent up frustration since their time in the library earlier yielded no results.
Her question though not only succeeded in silencing Professor McGonagall for a moment, but the entire class as well.
Finally McGonagall found her voice and cleared it quietly as if to gather herself. "Oh very well...I suppose you do deserve some sort of explanation." She began to pace in front of her desk as if trying to figure out how best to breach the subject to her young charges.
"As you all know of course...Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. They are so named Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and..Salazar Slytherin."
McGongall turned suddenly and began to walk up down the aisles between all the little desks. "Now while three of them coexisted peacefully together in harmony, one did not." She continued.
"Three guesses on which one that was." Ron muttered under his breath. Harry gave him a knowing look.
"Salazar Slytherin," McGonagall nodded in Ron's direction as she paused briefly between his desk and Hermione's. "Wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within only all magic families. In other words purebloods." She continued her walk till she was standing next to Malfoy's desk.
Harry turned and saw the corner of Malfoy's mouth twitch in a smirk at that statement. "However he was unable to sway the others to this way of thinking, so he decided to leave the school."
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows in thought at that. "Now according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle before he left, which is now known as the Chamber...of secrets." Professor McGonagall continued to regale her class, slowly making her way back to the front of the classroom.
"Shortly before departing, Slytherin sealed the entrance to the chamber until the time when his own true heir should return to the school. For the heir alone would be able to open the chamber...and unleash the horror within and by so doing purge the school of all those who in Slytherin's view...were unworthy to study magic." The Deputy Headmistress sighed a little as she spoke these words as if even speaking of it caused her great pain.
Hermione frowned as she understood what McGonagall was saying. "Mudbloods." She muttered. Professor McGonagall grimly nodded her head.
"Naturally...the school was searched many times over the years since Slytherin first abandoned Hogwarts. No such chamber was ever found." She informed her class leaning against her desk as if for support.
The students began to murmur amongst themselves at this announcement. Harry and Lucy were wondering the same things that their classmates were.
If there was no chamber of secrets how come someone now claimed that it had been opened last night?
And if the chamber was indeed real and was opened last night, did that mean that the Heir of Slytherin was here somewhere amongst them?
"Professor?" Hermione spoke up again as the murmurs started to get out of control. "What exactly does Legend tell us...lies within the chamber?" She asked looking as if she did not exactly know if she wanted to hear the answer.
McGonagall hesitated briefly before responding. "Well the chamber...is said to be the home of something only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home...of a monster." She finished bleakly.
A cold shiver ran down Lucy's spine at that and Harry felt his own blood chill over as the murmurs started up again.
A Monster?...A Monster with the ability to petrify? The twins exchanged another look and even without reaching out to their special connection, they knew that the other was thinking and feeling the same thing.
We've got to get to the bottom of this!
...
"Do you think it's true?" Ron asked as they walked out from Transfigurations Class and headed towards the Gryffindor Tower. "Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?"
"Of course Ron! Couldn't you tell?" Hermione spoke a bit shortly though she managed to gather herself in the next minute. "McGonagall's worried. All the Professors are I bet."
"Except for Professor Lockhart." Harry couldn't help adding. Lucy wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, but somehow I don't believe he really knows a spell that could have prevented petrification." She murmured, remembering all to well how he failed them during their first Defense Against Dark Arts class during the incident with the cornish pixies.
"He could." Hermione turned towards her in a considering way.
"Well regardless, if there is a Chamber of Secrets..." Harry interrupted. "Aaand it really has been opened...then that means-."
"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts." Lucy picked up the sentence and finished it for him. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the question is though who is it?" She wondered. Ron did not hesitate. "Let's see. Who do we know who thinks that all Muggle-borns are scum?" He asked with bitter sarcasm.
Hermione groaned. "If you're talking about Malfoy-."
"Of course! You all heard him last night! You'll be next Mudbloods." Ron quoted looking towards Harry and Lucy for support.
The Twins unlike Hermione actually seemed to be considering Ron's theory. "It does kinda make sense." Lucy said quietly.
"Malfoy the Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione asked. "He may be a prat and a total git, but even he couldn't think up something like this on his own." She tried to reason.
Harry furrowed his brow. "But think about it Hermione." He said considering. "I mean the whole Malfoy family probably has been in Slytherin House for centuries and he has the same attitude as Salazar Slytherin did about muggle-borns."
Hermione did not seem convinced yet. "Still I'm not sure...it does make some sense, but we'd have to do more research before we can make such a claim against Malfoy."
Ron pounced on an idea. "What about Crabbe and Goyle? They must know something! Maybe we could trick them into telling!"
"Oh even they aren't that thick!" Hermione sighed trying to be patient. "But there might be another way to find out." She continued, looking between her friends until she had their attention.
"What do you mean?" Lucy inquired eager for a solution. Hermione chewed her lip.
"Well...there's a potion I could brew, but it would be difficult to make. Not to mention we would be breaking about fifty school rules and it would be dangerous...very dangerous." Hermione explained a bit hesitantly.
Harry clenched his jaw. "If it's the only chance we've got."
"People would start to get suspicious if we keep asking questions about the Chamber of Secrets in classes." Lucy agreed.
"All right then. It's settled. What kind of potion is this Hermione?" Ron asked just as a group of students filed out into the hall from the left corridor.
Hermione put a finger to her lips. "Not here. Meet me in the Library after supper. I'll show you there." She whispered.
Her three friends nodded their understanding then they each split their separate ways.
...
"Here it is!" Hermione appeared around a corner of the library with a large old book between her arms. Ron and Harry both jumped a bit as she dropped it on a table and flipped to a page near the middle of the tome.
"See page 254 section...Here! The Polyjuice Potion." She pointed as she read. "Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another." Hermione whispered as loudly as she dared.
Lucy smiled a bit as she looked up from the book she was looking through to read over her friend's shoulder.
"Brilliant! We could make this and use it transform into someone from Slytherin. That way Malfoy won't get suspicious when we ask him about the Heir of Slytherin." She whispered at the same level as Hermione.
"You mean if Harry and I drink that...we'll turn into Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yes." Hermione nodded her head. "But there's a catch..." She began, looking down over the list of ingredients and brewing instructions for the potion.
"Wicked!" Ron interrupted before Hermione continue. "Malfoy'll tell us anything!" He said with glee. Harry and Lucy nodded their agreement. Hermione on the other hand shot him a look.
"But the Polyjuice Potion is one of the trickiest potions to make. I've never seen one as complicated as this one in our potions book." Hermione pressed her lips together and motioned towards the opened page in the book.
Harry, Ron and Lucy glanced at it. "I see...well how long would it take to make?" Harry asked, being the first to look back up at his friend.
Hermione gnawed on her lower lip. "A month...and a lot of these ingredients are very hard to find. Very difficult." That made Ron and Lucy look up from the book.
"A month? Are you sure Hermione?" Lucy asked looking quite worried.
Hermione nodded her head. "Afraid so. If we try to rush the process even a little bit the effects could be disastrous." She looked down at the book again.
"But Hermione!" Harry protested trying to restrain himself. "If Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the Muggle-Borns in the school by then!"
Hermione sighed and tucked some of her hair behind her ear before responding. "I know, but it's the only chance we've got...though I can't think of any place we can find these top three ingredients aside from Professor Snape's potion stores." She added more to herself than to others.
Lucy leaned over to look at the page again. "Well...I think these ones can be found at the Black Lake and I'm going out there tonight for my detention since I ruined Professor Snape's store of Lakeworm guts. I'll gather them separately and hide them in my robes before I return to the dungeon." She proposed to her friends.
Hermione offered her a tiny smile. "Excellent. I'll see what I can do about the rest of the ingredients and I'll try to sneak some Slytherin robes from the laundry room too. You two..." Here she motioned towards Harry and Ron.
"Try to get some hairs or nail clippings from Crabbe and Goyle. We'll need them if you're going to change into them with the potion." She instructed.
Harry and Ron nodded their heads though Ron looked more visibly disgusted at the idea. "We'll get to it. You girls do whatever you can to get that potion made." Harry responded.
Hermione and Lucy nodded and exchanged glances. "We will."
...
Eww! How disgusting! Lucy grimaced as she carefully clutched the sample of lakeworm guts she had painstakingly gathered for Professor Snape.
She had spent the last couple hours gathering and gutting the worms herself by the Black Lake while also picking other ingredients needed for the polyjuice potion.
The work was absolutely revolting and she was sure it would take forever to get the smell out of her hands and robes. Not to mention she was quite cold and damp from going into the lake.
Making a mental note to herself to change into clean dry clothes before going to meet Hermione in their secret meeting place, Lucy started to round a corner towards the dungeon when she heard an ominously familiar chilling sound.
I thirst!...I thirst!...blood!...
Terrified, Lucy started to run faster skidding around a corner towards the stairs that led down into the dungeon when she ran smack into something...or rather someone.
"Whoa! All right there Lucy?" Sir Nicholas asked, his icy and transparent body passing through the girl like a sheet made of the icy winter winds.
"F-fine." Lucy responded, catching herself on the stair railing and trying not to let her teeth chatter too loudly as she hurried off towards Professor Snape's office.
However she was going so fast now thinking only of getting out of the cold and away from that horrible snake like voice that was still muttering lowly that she was no longer watching where she was going.
As her right foot hit the corner of the top of the stairs, it suddenly flew out from under her and her left leg was quick to follow.
Lucy gasped then winced as she landed flat on her back, slamming her left elbow hard against the ground in an attempt to keep from hitting her head.
As she caught her breath, the young witch frantically began to check through her robes for her bottles of potion ingredients.
Oh thank Merlin! Lucy sighed with relief, finding the vial of lakeworm guts as well as the other secret ingredients still in tact in her pocket. Then when she tried to get up, a slight stinging pain resonated from her elbow. Uh Oh...
...