Hermione Granger turned around and hissed while Harry jumped after hearing the voice.
Pansy was snickering and pointing to the message and looked extremely pleased and full of herself. "What? Did I say something wrong? That message is clearly talking about those dirty blooded mudbloods!" She cackled and some Slytherins snickered along with her.
Al stood forward to protest but Filch swept in looking extremely upset.
"No! No! Ms. Norris!" then he turned and bitterly faced Harry. "It's you isn't it? You killed my cat!"
"He didn't!" Al protested- fed up with the entire commotion. Harry looked slightly taken aback but strongly insisted that he had no idea what was going on.
Ed circled the frozen cat. It obviously didn't look too alive. But. . . It certainly didn't. . . feel dead.
Dumbledore, McGongall and Snape also arrived at the scene to find an upset Al, surprised Harry, clueless Ron and Hermione. They almost missed Ed who was crouched to observe the cat. Lockhart trailed behind them trying to "reassure" the students.
"What happened here?" Dumbledore inquired but with a lack of mirth that he usually had.
"Harry Potter here killed my cat!" Filch exclaimed in rage before anyone else could respond. Harry looked flabbergasted and immediately looked for help from Dumbledore. The entire crowd remained silent to observe.
"Oh! Pity I arrived too late! As you see, I have lots of experience with the-" Lockhart almost excitedly said.
"She's not dead," Ed stood up from his crouched position- shocking the students who hadn't noticed him. Draco looked almost scared at the Edward standing next to the frozen cat and was being illuminated by the candles.
'Elric is an extremely powerful person,' Draco thought with awe when he saw how Ed stood with confidence in his eyes and his shoulders pulled back confidently. He felt as if it was a trick of the light but with the candles lighting up the figure, he saw a incredibly knowledgeable warrior instead of just a student.
"What do you know?!" Filch screeched in pain. Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder and Filch bitterly kept his mouth shut.
"Elric is correct, Ms. Norris is simply petrified," Dumbledore concluded when he went to pick up Ms. Norris for further inspection. Alphonse slightly turned his nose at how quickly Professor Lockhart jumped in saying he knew that from the very beginning.
"Um, how about we talk about this somewhere else?" Al quickly spoke up, trying to move away from the other gossiping students. Dumbledore looked down briefly and nodded his head quickly in agreement. Lockhart immediately jumped forward and started gesturing to his room. The students immediately all parted for the professors, Harry, Edward and Alphonse to pass by.
"Its alright Harry, we know you are innocent," Alphonse reassured Harry as they walked. He got a shaky nod in response.
Lockhart pushed open his doors with flourish and the rest of them were greeted with multiple winking faces of Lockhart- all in different states of dress. Ed was so distracted that he didn't even turn up his nose to mutter a foul word.
Dumbledore gently placed Ms. Norris on the empty desk and continued to poke it. Ed quickly pushed past the other professors and leaned over the table. He squinted, poked and gently ruffled the petrified cat.
The room was deadly silent before Dumbledore got up from his position and declared, "In one month, the mandrakes should be ready for harvest. Then Ms. Norris should be fine."
"I can do it! I can-" Lockhart interjected quickly and started to make his big motions again.
"Ex-"
"I think Professor Snape can do it," Ed said quickly- ignoring Lockart and interrupting Snape.
Harry was slightly taken aback at how quickly Ed responded- as if he expected Lockhart to say such thing. There seemed to be a silent mutual agreement and the professors started to speak in a hushed tone and Dumbledore left Ms. Norris at the table top in order to converse with the other teachers as well.
Slightly peeved because he felt like he was being ignored, Harry turned to see Al also run to the table and take the side opposite of the one his brother took to observe Ms. Norris. They also began to talk in hushed whispers as they gently prodded the petrified form of Ms. Norris. From his peripheral vision, he saw Snape give them a quick glance then back to his conversation.
Feeling left out, Harry was about to approach the cat when Dumbledore dismissed them for the night.
"Now now, that's enough commotion for a night. Well, well, goodnight you guys."
"No! He hurt my cat! I want to see some punishment!" Filch argued.
Snape sneered and turned around to face Harry, "Oh yes, we almost forgot the real question-"
"I didn't do it!" Harry protested with his mouth set on a straight line.
Snape curled his lips and glared at Harry again. "Well, do tell us why you were there."
"We were invited by Sir Nicholas to attend his Deathday party, sir," Alphonse politely responded for Harry.
"Why did you go into that corridor? Why not go to the feast? Seeing as it is your first year here, wouldn't you be greatly excited to go there?" Snape asked again- this time directing his questions at Al.
"Well," Al quickly snuck a glance at Harry then turned back to Snape, "I didn't really feel like going to the party after what I saw at the Sir Nicholas' party."
"I-I wasn't feeling hungry," Harry lied terribly as his stomach gave a loud rumble.
"Well, I would say-" Snape leaned back and looked smug- ready to punish him- but Ed interjected just as quickly.
"It was a mere coincidence, there was no time for Harry to do anything to the cat as we arrived at the scene just mere seconds after he did- no, nanoseconds."
Dumbledore nodded his head and voiced his agreement. "I believe in Edward as well. Don't worry, Ms. Norris is fine, Filch. We will find who did it and for now- goodnight all."
Harry stood rigid and clenched his fist tightly but Al quickly pulled on his robe out into the dark halls.
"Don't try to fight it, they let you go. They will find the true culprit soon," Al reassured Harry as he lightly dragged him back to the Gryffindor tower.
Ed stomped back into the dungeon after he had separated with Snape and the chatter in the common room died as soon as they noticed him and parted for him to pass. It didn't stay quiet for long before the chatter rose again.
Ed ripped off his robe and quickly scrubbed his teeth before entering his shared bedroom and changed into his pajamas in record speed, lest anyone sees his metal.
He sat in the bed and was about to pull over the blanket before he heard rustling on his other side.
"How did you know it was petrified, Elric?" Draco curiously asked.
Ed mentally rolled his eyes and irritably turned to answer, "You wouldn't know but, that's not how a dead creature is structured or feels like. Certainly, it looks dead, but if it were so, the muscles relax and so the rigid position of the cat won't be kept in that way. Additionally, it was found hanging on the torch, and if it was really dead, it wouldn't have been able to do that."
Draco nodded after considering for a while himself. "That does make sense, how do you know that though, Elric?"
Ed sighed heavily through his nose and thought how he should answer. "I know a lot more things that you wouldn't even dream of knowing. Oh, I hate secrets too, 'night."
The smaller blond pulled his covers over his head as he plopped heavily onto his bed. Draco wrinkled his nose at Ed's cryptic response but also turned to sleep as well.
Loud, it was very loud the next morning. There was a great number of talk about Harry being the one to open the chamber and also killing Ms. Norris. Ed sighed heavily and slouched on the Slytherin table. Immediately, the other students parted even slightly so Ed would have a place to sit at the table.
"Not sitting with your brother today?" Pansy sneered. Ed glared at her with narrowed eyes and she nervously stepped back- not being sneering at him again.
"Joining us Elric?" Draco showed up and rose his eyebrows in amusement. Crabbe and Goyle politely nodded to Elric behind Draco.
"Guess so, Al said he wanted to just eat at his table today." Ed grumbled and shoved a piece of bacon fiercely into his mouth.
Draco looked up as Crabbe and Goyle sat in front of Ed and also started to eat. He frowned slightly after seeing all the attention that Harry was getting but noticed that Al- even though it was very tiny- was slightly getting attention from the other people as well. Shrugging it off as something stupid, he took his seat at the table next to Ed.
Harry groaned as the people at the table seemed to avoid him. He could hear the whispers- as if he couldn't hear their very loud gossiping.
"Are you feeling alright, Harry?" Al asked as he sat down at his table. Harry looked slightly surprised at Al sitting with them but kinda shrugged.
"I guess, people keep on saying that I am the person who opened the chamber- even though I didn't!"
"I-I believe in you Harry!" Ginny squeaked. She looked miserable and had red puffy eyes. She gave him a wavering smile and quickly sat down to eat breakfast. Al watched her curiously but didn't ask.
"Don't worry about Ms. Norris, Ginny," Ron 'reassured' his little sister as he chewed on his breakfast. "You don't know much about her but I'd say we are well off without her."
Ginny looked scandalized at Ron and quickly got up from her table and started to head off to class. Al quickly got up and grabbed his bag and followed behind Ginny. He was able to see Ron's confused look at his sister's retreating back before leaving.
"What class do we have first?"
Ginny jumped and turned quickly around to see Alphonse behind her. She sniffed and quickly wiped her face in case there were tears. "Uh, we have Charms first. S-sorry for that earlier. You didn't need to follow me."
"Nah, its all good. How are you feeling now?"
"Um, well, its just that. . .um, its nothing!"
Al knew that she was hiding something but felt like it wasn't right to push so he simply stopped asking and nodded understandingly. "Well, let's head off to class then!"
Al felt like there were much more eyes staring at him than usual but he brushed it off quickly as his imagination.
But. . . he couldn't stop the constant prickling sensation of hateful eyes or the hushed whispers that seemed to be present wherever he went- even without Harry being around.
Ed looked up from his gigantic mound of books to see Harry's group enter the library and Hermione quickly running off to scout the shelves. He turned to see Ron measure his assignment and drop his jaw in shock.
"Why is it still off?!" Ron cried and moaned before grabbing his quill and trying to randomly scribble some more information.
"Still working on that?" Ed asked- amused at Ron's suffering.
"Why you-" Ron growled then huffed. "Why, you done?"
Ed proudly reached into his bag and pulled out his 3 feet 5 essay for History. "I was done the day he assigned it."
Ron looked conflicted on whether he should ask Ed or not until Hermione appeared. She looked upset and sighed.
"All of the Hogwarts, A History has been lent out!" Hermione collapsed onto one of the chairs in the library. She heavily sighed again and said, "I wish I brought my copy but I left it home in order to bring all the Lockhart books. . ."
"Trying to read up on the Chamber of Secrets?" Ed inquired and sat on a chair in front of her. Harry and Ron followed and sat on either sides.
"Of course! I read through all the other stories already but I just can't seem to find it!" She buried her head into her hands and drew out a long sigh.
"Wait, what is the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked- not wanting to be kept in the dark.
"It's the chamber that was supposedly opened that night." Ed quickly supplied. "However, the "what is it" part is unknown and that's why many people come to the library looking. I just sent a message home for my copy."
"Hermione, can I?" Ron sheepishly held his essay out and Hermione's expression sharpened quickly and she gave a quick refusal.
Ed quirked his eyebrows in amusement then got up from his seat and headed back to the table where he originally was at to pick up all his stuff and to head off to Potions- double with Hufflepuff.
"Where are you guys headed?" Al asked when he saw Harry, Hermione and Ron in the hallway where the accident happened.
"Nothing!" Ron quickly responded first.
"Why are you standing in front of. . .the girls' room?"
"Uh, we, uh, er" Ron intelligently spluttered and Hermione sighed before opening the door and gesturing for the males to follow. Harry entered first then Al- not before apologizing. Ron shuffled in quickly after.
Al carefully stepped to the side of the bathroom as not to step on the rubbish on the ground. It looked extremely gloomy and Al felt a bit disheartened after seeing the state of the bathroom.
Hermione went directly to the last stall in the bathroom and greeted Myrtle- the female ghost Al saw at the party. She looked miserable as ever and was poking her chin. She did look pretty surprised to see a girl and three guys looking in her stall.
"Why are these guys here?"
"Um, I just wanted them to come and see how nice it is here."
Harry whispered in Hermione's ear and Al had to do his best not to flinch.
"Why are you whispering? Are you saying bad things about me?!" Myrtle moaned and scrunched her face.
"It seems to be happening a lot lately doesn't it? The whispering," Al sympathetically whispered back to Myrtle.
"You too?" Myrtle looked to Al and sniffed and he nodded sadly.
"No no! We are not saying bad things about you! We, uh, just wanted to ask if you saw anything Halloween night! There was a cat that was attacked right outside."
Myrtle sniffed, "No, I didn't see anyone. I was so upset because of Peeves so I tried to kill myself but I-I remembered that I was-"
"Already dead?" Ron supplied helpfully.
Myrtle moaned and splashed into the toilet. She cried and hid herself in the toilet- after splashing the three of them- not Al- with water.
"Well, that was pretty cheerful of Myrtle. Let's go now, at this rate, she won't say anything."
Al chose to stay behind and see if he could ask Myrtle anymore questions and heard the loud exclamation of one of Ron's brothers. He sighed and leaned against the stall.
"What should I do Myrtle?"
Sorry for taking so long to update!
I did say I was going to try at least once a month but things have gotten so busy Orz
Anyhow, short ish chapter but this was kinda the chapter I was really looking forward to write when I first started the story.
Was my main inspiration really haha, does the house placements kind of make sense now? :D
Hopefully I will get better at writing these sort of things. . .
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED/FAVORITED/REVIEWED my story :D
Love you guys ^^
