ATTACK ON NICK
The arm was totally cured, when Natasha had woken up the next day. The hospital wing was totally deserted. She sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Natasha had changed behind yesterday. Seeing that She was awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with a breakfast tray and then began bending and stretching her arm and fingers.
"All in order," she said as She clumsily fed himself porridge left-handed. "When you've finished eating, you may leave.". Natasha was relieved that, she was able to finally leave the hospital.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.", Natasha said nodding to the matron. The matron just smiled and nodded back at her. Natasha dressed as quickly as She could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell her three friends about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there. Natasha left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to and feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether She had her bones back or not. But then she knew that, there was also the important and pressing matter of the potion, that they were preparing. Natasha hoped that, she will find them on the girl's toilet that was the moaning myrtle's toilet. As Natasha passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.
"Oh, hello, Natasha," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup - you earned fifty points!"
"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Natasha.
"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet ..."
"Oh Percy! I will make sure that he won't. The last time was because he wanted to meet myrtle.", Natasha said as she did not want Percy took start looking for Ron in the bathroom.
"Oh, I know that, you will make sure of that. You are a perfect law abiding student, though you get into bad situations even if you don't want it.", Percy said with a smile. Satisfied that, her words did make the intended impact, Natasha watched Percy walk out of sight, and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. she opened the door and heard her friends' voices coming from a locked stall. "It's me," he said, closing the door behind her. There was a clunk, a splash, and a gasp from within the stall and he saw Hermione's eye peering through the keyhole.
"Natasha!" she said. "You gave us such a fright - come in. How's your arm?"
"Fine," said Natasha, squeezing into the stall. An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told Natasha they had lit a fire beneath it. "I see that, you have already started working for the potion.", she said with a look towards the cauldron.
"We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion,", Simran explained as Natasha, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."
Simran then realized that, there was no Ron present in the toilet and asked, "Where is Ron?"
"Oh! He refused to come into the toilet, saying that he is really not comfortable coming here.", Hermione said with a look at the brewing potion. "I hope that I have done the preparations right. "
"I am sure that you would have done it very well, after all you are also one of the bright students of the potions class, and gets the potions right many of the times.", Natasha said smiling.
Hermione blushed a little. "It is good that, Ron did not come. Four of us can't fit in this place, and nobody will give another suspicion about three girls in this toilet.", Simran said.
"This might rouse some suspicions as, no one uses this toilet anymore.", Hermione said, and Simran nodded in understanding.
Suddenly Natasha remembered about Colin, and she started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted. "We already know - we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going-", Hermione said.
"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better,", said Simran in an angry tone. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin. Hell, here I was thinking that, he was just joking around all the time."
"Even I thought that, he might be a good person somewhere inside there. I am open to the possibility of, him not being the heir.", Natasha said. "There's something else," Natasha said tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."
Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Natasha told them everything Dobby had told her - or hadn't told her. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.
"Maybe it was his father or his grandfather who did it last time, and that person must have told Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby's told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school.", Simran said.
"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armour or something - I've read about Chameleon Ghouls who can mend themselves with the surroundings."
"Did you know that, Collin had an argument with Ron just after we went out of the hospital?", Simran asked.
"No. How would I know that? I never met Ron before coming here, Remember? And what happened that, Creevy just pissed Ron off?", Natasha asked.
"Creevy wanted to take more and more pictures of you. Ron was really angry due to the fact that, he is irritating you like hell.", Hermione said. "So, he told Collin to piss off!"
"That must have been why Collin was sneaking out at night. Poor guy, I really shouldn't have been bad to him.", Natasha said sadly.
The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone. Even the teachers now were taking extra security measures every now and then. The only people who looked less than fearful were Draco and his gang. Even the other Slytherins were really scared. Natasha wondered if she was wrong about Draco from the very beginning.
Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Natasha felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.
Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pure-blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.
"They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."
In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Natasha, Ron, Simran and Hermione signed her list. Simran was staying at the castle, not only for the potion, but also as her home was really far away. They had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him. Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores.
They made a plan to make a diversion in the potions class, so that Natasha could secretly sneak into the stores and get the ingredient. Natasha was seriously hating the plan they had made.
"If Professor Snape hears about this, he will hate me! He is really going to kill me if he finds out what happened.", Natasha said sadly.
"Well, we really don't have a choice for this, do we? This is the only way, that this can be done.", Simran said. Ron and Hermione nodded their heads in agreement.
Potions lessons took place in one of the large dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively. Like usual the Professor ignored Natasha's work. He only took notice of it until the last moment, and he did give good marks to her, unlike the other Gryffindors, even Hermione who was nearly as good as her in the subject. The whole situation puzzled her, and she had a feeling that her mother must have something in it.
Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favorite student, kept flicking puffer-fish eyes at Ron, who knew that if he retaliated they would get detention faster than you could say "Unfair."
Simran's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but she had her mind on more important things. She was waiting for Natasha's signal, and she hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion. When Snape turned, and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Simran's eye and nodded. Simran knew that, the signal was either Hermione's or Natasha's.
Simran then nodded at Ron, and he ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Ron straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.
Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate. Natasha knew that it was her time to go and get it, and slipped out as Professor Snape was trying to calm the class down. She felt really bad for the professor, but she knew this plan was for the good, and hoped that it would work. She then opened the cupboard door, and took the ingredient she wanted, and quickly snuck out to her place. She saw that more than half of the class was near the Professor's desk, to cure their boils.
When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush. "If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled.". Ron arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression. Snape was looking right at him, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have been more welcome.
"He knew it was me,", Ron told his friends as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell.". Natasha knew that, Professor would have suspected him, as he was the biggest troublemaker in the line of sight of that cauldron. Natasha threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and Hermione began to stir feverishly. "It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily.
"Snape can't prove it was you", said Simran reassuringly to Ron. "What can he do?"
"Knowing Snape, something foul." , said Ron as the potion frothed and bubbled.
A week later, the four of them were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited. "They're starting a Duelling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days...". Natasha knew that, Seamus was right, with the business of a chamber full of secrets being opened, troubling times were coming if they will not act fast.
"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?", asked Simran. but he, too, read the sign with interest.
"Could be useful,", she said to the other three as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?". Natasha and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.
"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him.".
"I really hope that it is him. He is a really good teacher.", said Simran with a smile. Ron just kept quiet, and Natasha knew that even he was anxious to see who the teacher. "As long as it's not -", Ron began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.
Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"
"Great! Just great! Just the person I wanted to be our teacher.", Natasha said sarcastically shaking her head with sadness. Ron had a face that said the same thing. Simran was looking absolutely shocked, while Hermione was really excited.
"Oh, I really can't wait for this! We can finally see him in action!", Hermione said excitedly. Her three friends looked at each other, and shook their heads.
"At least we have Professor Snape with him.", Natasha said with a sigh of relief. "I think even he will be good as well."
"That just makes the thing even more dreadful.", Simran and Ron said simultaneously. They both hated the professor to the core.
"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works. Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!", Lockhart said with a wide smile.
"I think he should be more worried about himself than the Professor. I can't wait to see Professor Snape kick Lockhart's ass!", said Natasha happily. "That will surely shut the idiot's mouth for good."
Ron and Simran looked a bit cheerful after that. They definitely hated Lockhart than Professor Snape. But Hermione was looking a bit angry, "I am telling you, Natasha. He is not a fraud. It is going to be proven today."
Snape's upper lip was curling. Ron wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"I wouldn't bet on that,", Simran murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.
"One - two - three-", Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Natasha smiled and gave a small cheer. "You deserved that, you git!", she whispered. But she knew that, Lockhart might find a way to get out of this sticky situation. Hermione was shocked to see her favorite professor defeated, and on the floor.
"Do you think he's all right?", she squealed through her fingers.
"Who cares?" said Ron and Simran said together. They were now looking really happy. Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.
"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown - yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."
Natasha was now really furious though, she was expecting exactly this to happen. Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me-"
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Natasha and Simran first. "Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. And Simran- ". Simran then went close to Hermione so that, she will get her but the Professor said, "No Ms. Simran you are going to be paired with Pansy, and as for Ms. Potter- ", the Professor said looking at Natasha. "You will pair with Mr. Malfoy.".
Natasha was stunned for a moment. "She was to have a duel with Draco? Well, that will make the things really interesting.", she thought.
Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Natasha of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return. "Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"
Natasha and Malfoy barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.
"I think I will make it a bit easier with you, Potter. You being a girl and all.", Draco said with a smirk.
"Bring your best, Malfoy!", she told with an equal smirk.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents - only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents - one ... two ... three-"
Natasha swung his wand high, but Malfoy had already started on "two": His spell hit Natasha so hard she felt as though she'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. She stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Natasha pointed her wand straight at Draco and shouted, "Rictusempra!"
A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing. Natasha smiled and looked at the two Professors. Professor Snape gave a small nod. Natasha wondered if this was a setup, for Natasha to have a small revenge for Draco calling her friend a foul word. "I said disarm only!", Lockhart shouted.
A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; Simran was looking at a defeated Pansy with a smirk on her face, but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Natasha leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. It was difficult: She was a lot bigger than she was.
"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan..."
"Careful there, Miss Fawcett... Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you-", he said.
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox."
Neville's round, pink face went pinker. "How about Malfoy and Potter?" said Snape with a twisted smile. "I think Mr. Malfoy would want a rematch."
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Natasha and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room. "Now, Natasha," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this.". He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops - my wand is a little overexcited-"
Natasha struggled to laugh at her Professor, and turned to face Malfoy again.
"Scared, that I will get you this time, Potter?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.
"You wish,", said Natasha out of the corner of her mouth.
Lockhart cuffed Natasha merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Natasha!"
"What, drop my wand?", she asked. But Lockhart wasn't listening. "Three - two - one - go!" he shouted.
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!". The end of his wand exploded. Natasha watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. "Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly a bit shocked the sight of Natasha standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike. Natasha wasn't sure what made her do it. She wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All She knew was that her legs were carrying her forward as though She was on casters and that She had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Leave him alone!" And miraculously - inexplicably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Natasha. Natasha felt the fear drain out of her. She knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how She knew it, she couldn't have explained.
He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful - but certainly not angry and scared. "What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Natasha could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall. Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Natasha in an unexpected way: he was looking at her in utter shock He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls.
Severus Snape couldn't believe what had happened just in from of him. Natasha Potter had just seemingly spoken to a snake. By the looks of it, he knew that she was trying to save her friend. Severus was totally shocked. How can a Potter or an Evans be a Parselmouth? He knew that, Lily was never one, nor was Natasha's father. The whole situation was just confusing.
Then Natasha felt a tugging on the back of her robes.
"Come on," said Ron's voice in her ear. "Move - come on-"
Ron steered him out of the hall, Hermione and Simran hurrying alongside them. Simran did not have an expression like the other two. She only had an expression of confusion. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Natasha didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room.
Then Ron pushed Natasha into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"
"Yeah I am. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once - long story - but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard-"
"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.
"So?" said Natasha. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Natasha, this is bad."
"What's bad?" said Natasha, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"
"Oh, that's what you said to it?", Ron asked with relief on his face. By the look of Hermione, Natasha knew that even she did not have a clue.
"Yeah, you idiot that was what he told to him. What did you think he said to the snake?", Simran asked with a curious look.
Ron and Hermione then looked at Simran with a shocked look. "What do you mean? How will you know, what she said?", Ron asked suspiciously.
"Well, I am a Parselmouth too. Many of the witches and wizards in India can too, even some first gens as first gens are mostly descended from squibs.", Simran said matter of factedly.
Natasha smiled at Simran with a smile. Ron shook his head. He was looking as though someone had died. Natasha couldn't see what was so terrible. Even Simran was demanding answers with a look on her face. "Maybe it is common in India, Sim! But being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent.", Ron said.
Hermione had a horrified look on her face. Natasha's mouth fell open. "Now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-granddaughter or something-", Ron said.
"But I am surely not!", Natasha argued.
"Yeah! She is definitely not a dark wizard! Or maybe you are, and there maybe another descendant in the castle.", Simran said. "I am sure that is possible."
"Yes! But I am sure that I am not!", Natasha said.
"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."
"Then if I am, it is sure that, there is someone else here who is too, who is making this happen.", Natasha said.
"I really hate to think that, you and Malfoy could be related.", Ron said shaking his head,
"I hate to know, how the school will react to this. They might think that, you are making all these happen.", Hermione said.
"We will be always with you, Natasha. Whatever others say, we know that you will not do anything like that.", Simran said reassuringly. "To prove that you are innocent, we need a confession from Malfoy git."
By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey. Then Natasha went on for a walk, just to clear her mind about all the things that happened. She went to the Library just to read some books.
A group of the Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they didn't seem to be working. Between the long lines of high bookshelves, Natasha could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. She couldn't see whether Justin was among them. She was walking toward them when something of what they were saying met his ears, and she paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility section.
"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told her he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?". Then they went on a long debate about, whether or not Natasha was dark. She got really angry, when they came to the conclusion that she was dark. She then decided that, the best course of action is to talk to the boy, and explain to him that, she was trying to save him.
Clearing her throat loudly, she stepped out from behind the bookshelves. Every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been Petrified by the sight of her, and the colour was draining out of Ernie's face. "Hello," said Natasha. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."
The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie. "What do you want with him?" said Ernie in a quavering voice.
"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Duelling Club," said Natasha.
Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."
"Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Natasha.
"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."
"I didn't chase it at him!" Natasha said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!"
"It was a very near miss," said Ernie. "And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so-"
"- I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Natasha fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?"
"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.
"I don't exactly hate them anymore, and my best friend is a muggleborn for merlin's sake.", Natasha shouted, with a small tear coming out.
"Maybe you are making her a friend just to make a diversion, that you are good.", Ernie argued.
Natasha could not take it anymore and ran out of the Library crying. She was now being accused of something she would never do. It was just too much to take in. But then after running for some time, she then thought that she had to be strong, and should not be crying like this. She then wiped her tears and started walking.
She then walked into something very large and solid, which knocked her backward onto the floor.
"Oh, hello, Hagrid," , Natasha said, looking up.
Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.
"All righ', Natasha?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh in class?"
"Cancelled," said Natasha, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"
Hagrid held up the limp rooster. "Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop." He peered more closely at Natasha from under his thick, snow flecked eyebrows. "Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an'bothered-"
Natasha couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about her. "It's nothing," She said. "I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books.". She was halfway down the passage when She tripped headlong over something lying on the floor. She turned to squint at what She'd fallen over and felt as though her stomach had dissolved. Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Natasha had ever seen.
It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's. Natasha got to her feet, her breathing fast and shallow, her heart doing a kind of drumroll against her ribs. She looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.
She could run, and no one would ever know She had been there. But She couldn't just leave them lying here... She had to get help... Would anyone believe She hadn't had anything to do with this? As She stood there, panicking, a door right next to her opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out. "Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking-"
Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Natasha could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"
Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Natasha found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene. "Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Natasha.
"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply. Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, you're killing off' students, you think it's good fun-"
Natasha was almost in tears again. Everything that just happened was really bad for her. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Natasha and Professor McGonagall alone together. "This way, Potter," she said.
"Professor,", said Natasha at once, "I swear I didn't-"
"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.
They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.
"Lemon drop!" she said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind her split in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Natasha couldn't fail to be amazed. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As She and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Natasha heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Natasha saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.
She knew now where She was being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived.