The Rogue Bludger
After the extremely disastrous incident with the pixies, Lockhart didn't bring in any other creatures in the class.
What he would instead do is just read passages from his own books, sometimes enacting the most dramatic parts. He'd normally pick Arthur to help out with the reconstructions. So far, he was forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager who Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since he had dealt with him.
During the latest Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, Arthur got hauled to the front of the class against his will and had to act as a werewolf. If he didn't need to have Lockhart in a good mood, he would've flat out refused as he was sick and tired of helping this vain narcissist with these reenactments.
"Nice loud howl, Arthur, exactly, and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced, like this, slammed him to the floor. Thus, with one hand, I managed to hold him down, with my other, I put my wand to his throat, I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm, he let out a piteous moan. Go on, Arthur, higher than that, good, the fur vanished, the fangs shrunk and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective, and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."
The bell rang and Lockhart launched onto his feet. Finally, Arthur couldn't take it anymore.
"Homework: compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"
The whole class all left except for the trio, who all gathered at the back of the room.
"You ready?" Arthur muttered to Chrys.
"Yeah. Here we go…." She replied.
She approached Lockhart's desk with a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, both boys right behind her.
"Excuse me, Professor?" She said in a soft and slightly awkward manner. "I wanted to, er… get this book out of the library. For background reading." She held the piece of paper out, hand shaking slightly. "But… it's in the Restricted Section of the library. I need a teacher to sign for it. It would help me understand what you said in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting poisons…."
"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" Lockhart said, smiling widely at her as he took the note from her. "Possibly my favourite book. You enjoyed it?"
"Definitely." Chrys replied, pretending to be so eager. "Very clever how you trapped that last one with the tea strainer…."
"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student in the year a little extra help." He warmly said, pulling out a large peacock quill. "Yes, nice, isn't it?" He said, misinterpreting David's expression. "I usually save it for book signings."
He then scrawled an absurdly large loopy signature on the note before handing it back to Chrys.
"So, Arthur…" Lockhart said as Chrys folded the note and placed it in her bag. "...tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players…."
Arthur made an indistinct noise, hiding the fact that he was feeling offended from being called a less able player when he knew for sure that he'd make Lockhart look a lot like Neville during that flying lesson over a year ago.
Regardless, he hurried off to join up with David and Chrys.
"If he wasn't a teacher, I'd give him boils and pimples." He snarled as he joined up with them.
"He didn't even look at the book we wanted." David added.
"He truly has to be a brainless git." Chrys noted as they made it to the library.
Eventually, they met Madam Pince, the librarian, who was a thin and irritable woman, reminding Arthur of a vulture.
"Moste Potente Potions?" She repeated with suspicions, taking Chrys' note. She held it up to the light, trying to detect if it was a forgery, but it passed the test. She went off between the lofty shelves, returning several minutes later with a large and mouldy book. Chrys carefully put it in her bag and they left, looking casual to avoid suspicions.
Five minutes later, they kept themselves in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as it was the last place anyone would think of going, partly because it was out of order and so they'd have privacy. Of course, Myrtle herself was crying loudly in her cubicle but they ignored her as she ignored them.
Chrys opened up Moste Potente Potions carefully and all three bent over, looking at the damp spotted pages. They all immediately understood why this book belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions inside the book had effects that were just too gruesome to think about and there were some disturbing illustrations like a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and another where a witch sprouted several pairs of arms out of her head.
"Here…." Chrys said, having found the right page that had the heading The Polyjuice Potion. There were drawings of people halfway through transforming into someone else. Arthur felt disturbed when he noticed the looks of intense pain on the faces, hoping the potion wouldn't really be as painful as it looked.
"This has to be the most complicated potion I've ever seen." Chrys noted as they all looked at the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxwood and knotgrass…" She then murmured, running a finger down the list of ingredients. "These are easy enough. They're in the student store cupboard so we can help ourselves to it. Oh, powdered horn of a Bicorn, have no idea where we can get that. Shredded Boomslang skin, that's gonna be tricky and naturally a bit of whoever we want to change into."
"Please tell me it doesn't require blood… or even a toenail." David cringed in disgust.
"No… we can just use their hairs. And we just add that last." Chrys assured him, which seemed to ease his discomfort.
"I'm sure that stuff like shredded Boomslang skin would be in Snape's private stores… which means we may have to break into them…." Arthur realised, seeing that this may turn out to be difficult.
"But how long would it take to make the potion?" David questioned.
"Fluxwood has to be picked at the full moon and lacewings have to be stewed for twenty one days… I'd guess that it would be ready in a month if we had all the ingredients." Chrys explained, leaving the boys with their jaws dropped.
"A month? Draco would've attacked half of the Muggle-Borns in the school by then!" David hissed.
"I'm aware of that! But it's the only chance we have, right now." Chrys hissed back at him.
After that, they all left the bathroom and David whispered to Arthur that he had to make Draco look like an idiot during the match tomorrow.
Arthur found himself waking up earlier than usual the following day on Saturday morning. He was feeling his insides churning at the fact that he and the rest of the Gryffindor team had to face a team with the fastest racing brooms in the world so far.
Arthur felt the most desire to beat Slytherin, just so he can make Draco truly look like an idiot.
So after half an hour of laying in his bed, he got dressed and went to have an early breakfast, where he joined the rest of the team, all of whom were huddled together on the long, empty table. They all looked so uptight and hardly spoke, no doubt feeling the same things Arthur did.
Once eleven o'clock approached, the whole school made their way to the stadium. The day was muggy with some thunder in the air. David and Chrys, as well Mike, hurried over wishing Arthur luck as he entered the changing rooms. The whole team pulled on their scarlet uniforms and then sat to listen to Woods routine pre-match pep talk.
"Slytherin have better brooms than us, no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers…" ("True." Kevin muttered.) "...and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."
Wood then turned to Arthur, his chest heaving with emotion.
"It'll be down to you, Arthur, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Arthur, because we've got to win today, we've got to."
"Don't worry, I have all the motivation to wipe that stupid grin on all of their faces." Arthur told him, earning fist bumps to the shoulder by the Merlon twins.
They all walked out onto the pitch where they heard deafening noises around them. The majority of if were cheers from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as the latter two houses also want to see Slytherin be beaten. Then there's Slytherin house where they made hisses and boos that were just as noticeable.
Madam Hooch, the Quidditch referee and teacher for flying lessons, asked both Wood and Flint to shake hands. They both gave the other threatening stares and grabbed their hands harder than usual.
"On my whistle, three… two… one…." She said.
Then with the roar of the crowd to speed them all upwards, all fourteen players rose to the leaden sky. Arthur flew higher than the rest, looking around like a hawk to find the Snitch.
"Alright there, Scarhead?" Draco yelled, shooting under him to just be a showoff on his broom.
Arthur, though, didn't reply because at that moment, a heavy black Bludger shot right at him. He was able to avoid it in time and it actually ruffled his hair.
"Talk about a close one!" Kevin said as he streaked past Arthur with his club and whacked the Bludger with an almighty swing towards Adrien Pucey. But then the Bludger changed direction in mid air and shot right at Arthur again.
Arthur was thinking fast enough that he dropped quickly to avoid it. Kevin then hit it hard towards Draco but once more, the Bludger swerved and shot back at Arthur's head.
Seeing that it was clearly tampered with, Arthur decided to give it a chase and so he put on a burst of speed and zoomed to the other end of the pitch, still hearing the Bludger whistling behind him.
He was thinking that maybe the Slytherin team somehow bewitched it to chase after Arthur only as Bludgers never concentrate on one player only.
He saw Jack waiting for the Bludger at the other end and so he ducked as he swung at the Bludger with as much strength and the Bludger got knocked off course.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Jack bellowed in frustration as the Bludger suddenly got back to magnetically being attracted towards Arthur and pelted after him again, forcing Arthur to fly off at top speed.
It was now starting to rain and he felt heavy drops hit his face, narrowly missing his eyes. He was so focused on getting away from the Bludger that he didn't know what was going on with the rest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, the commentator, say "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero.".
The Slytherins' superior brooms were definitely doing their jobs as the rogue Bludger was trying to knock Arthur off his broom, probably smashing his head open in the process as well.
Now both Jack and Kevin were flying so close on either side that Arthur couldn't see anything other than their arms flailing so he had no chance to find the Snitch.
"That… thing… is… tampered… with…." Jack grunted as he swung his bat to hit the Bludger from attacking Arthur again.
"Time out!" Kevin said, signalling to Wood as he was stopping the Bludger from breaking Arthur's nose.
Wood got the message as Madam Hooch's whistle rang out. Arthur and the twins were diving to the ground, avoiding the mad Bludger.
"What's going on?" Wood said as the Gryffindor team all huddled together, whilst the Slytherins in the crows all jeered. "We're being flattened. Jack, Kevin, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"
"We were busy trying to stop a clearly tampered Bludger from killing Arthur." Kevin angrily snapped at him. "It just won't leave him alone. The Slytherins had to have fixed it."
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…." Wood said anxiously.
Madam Hooch walked over to them and over her shoulder, Arthur looked and saw the whole Slytherin team jeering and pointing at him.
"Look…" He said as she was getting nearer and nearer. "...with the two of you with me the whole time, I can't see where the Snitch is. Just go back with the rest of the team while I deal with the rogue git."
"No way, it'll rip your head off." Jack retorted.
Wood looked back and forth between his Seeker and Beaters.
"Oliver, this is mad. You can't let Arthur deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry." Alicia Spinnet said angrily.
"NO! If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit and there's no way we're losing to Slytherin all because of one mad Bludger! Tell them to leave me be, Oliver!" Arthur snapped.
"Damn you, Wood! If you didn't tell him to get the Snitch or die trying!" Kevin spat into Wood's face.
Madam Hooch had finally joined them.
"Ready to resume play?" She asked Wood, who looked at Arthur's look of determination.
"Alright." He said. "Jack, Kevin, you heard Arthur, leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."
The rain now started to fall more heavily.
When Hooch's whistle rang, Arthur kicked hard into the air and heard the whoosh of the Bludger behind him. With that, he flew higher and higher. He then looped, swooped, spiralled, zigzagged and rolled.
Feeling a little bit dizzy he still kept his eyes wide open despite having raindrops hit his eyes now. He suddenly flipped upside down to avoid another dive from the Bludger.
He was hearing laughter coming from the Slytherins in the crowd, thinking he looked stupid, but he knew that the Bludger was heavy and couldn't make changes in direction as fast as him.
He started what can be described as a rollercoaster ride as he went around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver curtains of rain to the Gryffindor goalposts, where Adrien Pucey was trying to get a score past Wood.
Arthur's ear caught the whistling of the Bludger as it had missed him again as he turned right over and sped in the opposite direction.
"Training for the ballet, Pendergast?" Draco yelled as Arthur had to do a stupid kind of twirl to avoid the Bludger.
Off he fled, the Bludger trailed a few feet behind him and then as he glared at Draco with pure hatred, he saw it. The Golden Snitch. It hovered just inches above Draco's left ear and Draco himself was so busy laughing that he didn't notice, like an idiot.
Then for just an agonising moment, Arthur hung mid air, not even daring to Draco in case he notices the Snitch.
WHAM!
Arthur berated himself as he stayed still for a second too long, allowing the Bludger to hit him at last, smashing his elbow and breaking his arm.
Finding himself dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he ended up sliding sideways on his rain covered broom, one knee still crooked over it and his right arm dangling uselessly.
He saw the Bludger coming to pelt him again, but aiming for his face this time. He managed to swerve out of the way as a drive overpowered his numb brain: Get the Snitch. Make Draco look like an idiot.
Through both the rain and pain he dived for the sneering face below him, seeing Draco's eyes widen with fear, as he thought that Arthur was going to attack him.
"What the -" He gasped, moving out of the way.
Arthur pulled out his one good arm off of his broom and snatched wildly, feeling his hands clamped around the Snitch tightly but all that was left gripping his broom was his legs and there was a yell from the crowd as he headed right at the patch of now wet sand underneath the goalposts.
With a thud, he hit the wet sand and rolled off of his broom. He saw that his arm was hanging at a strange angle. Feeling nothing but pain, he heard a distant whistling and shouting but he was solely focused on the Snitch in his hand.
"Ha… losers…." He muttered, thinking of the Slytherins before he fainted.
When he came around, rain was still falling on his face, he was still laid on the sand and someone was leaning over him. Upon seeing the glittering teeth, he groaned.
"Not you…." He moaned. Knowing Lockhart, he'll just make his injury worse.
"Doesn't know what he's saying." Lockhart said loudly to the anxious Gryffindors who all pressed around them. "Not to worry, Arthur. I'm about to fix your arm."
"NO! Madam Pomfrey can do it!" Arthur roared at him. He then tried sitting up but the pain that consumed his body was terrible. He then heard a certain clicking.
"Can you NOT take a photo of this, COLIN?" He roared again.
"Lie back, Arthur." Lockhart said soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times."
"Just take me to Pomfrey in the hospital wing." Arthur demanded.
"He should really, Professor." A muddy Wood said, who grinned despite having an injured Seeker. "Great capture, Arthur, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say."
Looking through the forest of legs, Arthur spotted both Jack and Kevin wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box, seeing that it was still putting up a fight.
"Stand back." Lockhart said as he rolled up his jade green sleeves.
"No… don't…." Arthur said weakly, but Lockhart just twirled his wand and in a second, he directed it at Arthur's arm.
He felt an unpleasant sensation starting at his shoulder and spread to his fingertips. It was as though his whole arm was deflated. He didn't even want to look at what was going on. He even shut his eyes, facing away from his arm, though his worst fears were true when everyone above him gasped and Colin clicked away madly. His arm no longer hurt and it didn't even feel like an arm.
The bones in his arms were all gone. And he was now beyond furious at Lockhart.
"Ah." Said culprit gasped. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Arthur, just toddle up to the hospital wing. Ah, Mr Merlon, Miss Ranger, would you escort him? And Madam Pomfrey will be able to, er, tidy you up a bit."
As he got to his feet, he felt lopsided. He prepared himself by taking a deep breath to look at his right side and nearly felt like passing out again.
Poking out from the end of his uniform was what can be described as a thick, flesh coloured rubber glove.
Madam Pomfrey definitely wasn't pleased.
"You should have come straight to me!" She raged, holding the limp reminder of what was a working arm half an hour ago.
"I would have if Lockhart didn't insist on making my bones disappear." Arthur hissed through gritted teeth. Madam Pomfrey shook her head muttering something about responsibility.
"I can mend bones in a second, but growing them back -"
"Can you?" Arthur asked, truly desperate.
"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful." She said grimly, throwing him a pair of pyjamas. "You'll have to stay the night…."
Chrys waited outside of the curtain that was drawn around Arthur's bed while David helped him into his pyjamas. It had taken a while to place the rubbery, boneless arm into the sleeve.
"How anyone can stick up for that idiot now is beyond me." David spat as he pulled Arthur's limp fingers through the cuff.
"He clearly didn't know what he was doing. It's like he's just trying to get involved with everything to look like a hero." Chrys agreed with him.
Once finally dressed in pyjamas, Arthur swung himself onto the bed with his arm flapping pointlessly.
Both Chrys and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain, the latter holding a bottle that had the label 'Skele-Gro'.
"You're in for a rough night. Regrowing bones is a nasty business." She then said, pouring out a steaming beakerful, handing it to him.
When he drank it, he fought against the urge to spit it back out. It burned his mouth and throat as it went down, which then made him cough.
As she was tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, she left, leaving David and Chrys to help Arthur gulp some water down.
"Well… if there's a brightside to all of this, we won." David said with a grin forming on his face. "That was one hell of a catch. And Draco… he looked like he was ready to kill someone!"
"Just how could he have fixed the Bludger?" Chrys questioned darkly.
"We'll just have to ask him that when we have the Polyjuice Potion." Arthur said, sinking into the pillows.
The door of the hospital wing suddenly burst open and while filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team arrived to see Arthur.
"Fantastic flying, Arthur!" Kevin congratulated him. "I saw Flint yelling at Draco about how he didn't notice the Snitch on top of his head. Draco truly looked like he was beyond contempt."
They all had brought cakes, sweets and bottles of pumpkin juice, gathering around Arthur's bed and as it was all about to become a party, Madam Pomfrey stormed over and shouted. "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!"
And so Arthur was no left alone with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains he now felt in his arm.
Many more hours later, Arthur suddenly awoke in the pitch dark, whimpering in pain as his arm felt like it was filled with large splinters. At first, he thought that was what woke him up but to his horror, he realised that someone was sponging his forehead in the darkness.
"Get off me!" He roared, swinging his good arm, hitting a small figure. "Dobby!"
Said house elf's goggling tennis ball eyes peered at him through the darkness. There was also a single tear running down his long, pointed nose.
"Arthur Pendergast came back to school." He whispered in absolute misery. "Dobby warned and warned Arthur Pendergast. Ah, sir, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Arthur Pendergast go back home when he missed the train?"
Arthur grew angry as he heaved himself up on his pillows and shoved Dobby's sponge away.
"I knew it! I knew you were the one that stopped the barrier letting me and David through!" He spat.
"Indeed yes, sir." Dobby said, his lips trembling and nodding his head vigorously with his ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for Arthur Pendergast and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterwards…" He showed all ten of his long bandaged fingers. "...but Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Arthur Pendergast was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Arthur Pendergast would get to school another way!"
He rocked back and forth, shaking his ugly head.
"Dobby was so shocked when he heard Arthur Pendergast was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir…."
Arthur had slumped back onto his pillows, fuming.
"You could've gotten me and David expelled." He told him, fiercely. "Now you'd better sod off before my bones grow back because I might strangle you."
What he got in response was a weak smile from Dobby.
"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."
He then blew his nose on a corner of the dirty pillowcase that he wore. Arthur's anger ebbed slightly at how pathetic he looked.
"Why do you even wear that thing?" He asked.
"This, sir?" Dobby said, plucking the pillowcase. "'Tis is a mark of the house elf's enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever."
Dobby then mopped his bulging eyes before suddenly saying "Arthur Pendergast must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make -"
"Your Bludger?" Arthur's anger grew once more. "So you're the one who tried to kill me with that Bludger?"
"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" Dobby looked shocked. "Dobby wants to save Arthur Pendergast's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir! Dobby only wanted Arthur Pendergast hurt enough to be sent home!"
"Are you even gonna tell me why you wanted to send me home in pieces?" Arthur snarled in anger.
"Ah, if Arthur Pendergast only knew!" Dobby groaned as more tears dripped onto his pillowcase. "If he knew what he meant to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, us dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He Who Must Not Be Named was at the height of his powers, sir!" He admitted as he dried his face.
"But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He Who Must Not Be Named. Arthur Pendergast survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Arthur Pendergast shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the dark days would never end, sir…. And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Arthur Pendergast stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more -"
Dobby froze with a horror struck expression and grabbed Arthur's water jug from the bedside table, cracking it over his head, toppling out of sight. Then a second later, he crawled back onto the bed, cross eyed as he muttered "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby…."
Arthur was shocked to learn of this new revelation, which now made the mystery thicken.
"So there truly is a Chamber of Secrets? And that it's been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!" He whispered loudly before seizing the elf's bony wrist as he was inching towards the water jug.
"Look, I'm not even a Muggle-Born. How could I be in danger?"
"Ah, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby." The house elf stammered. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Arthur Pendergast must not be here when they happen. Go home, Arthur Pendergast. Go home. Arthur Pendergast must not meddle in this, sir, 'tis too dangerous -"
"Shut up!" Arthur cut him off. "Tell me, who is it? Who opened it last time?" He still kept a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to ensure he didn't hit himself again with the jug.
"Dobby can't, sir, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" Dobby squealed. "Go home, Arthur Pendergast, go home!"
"NO! I am not going anywhere!" Arthur fiercely shot his request down. "One of my best friends is a Muggle-Born and I will not let her die if the Chamber has been opened!"
"Arthur Pendergast risks his own life for his friends!" Dobby moaned in miserable ecstasy. "So noble! So valiant! But he must save himself, he must, Arthur Pendergast must not -"
He suddenly froze as his bat-like ears were quivering. Arthur heard it as well. Footsteps coming down the passageway outside the hospital wing.
"Dobby must go!" The elf breathed, looking terrified, before a loud crack rang in the air and Arthur's fist now clenched on thin air. Without hesitation, he slumped back into bed, eyes focused on the dark doorway as the footsteps came nearer.
The next moment, Dumbledore backed in, wearing a long and woolly dressing gown and a nightcap. He seems to be carrying what looked to be a statue but Arthur suspected that it was something else, much to his horror. McGonagall then appeared a second later, carrying its feet. The two then heaved it into a bed.
"Get Madam Pomfrey." Dumbledore whispered and McGonagall hurried past Arthur's bed out of sight. Arthur lay very still, looking as though he's still asleep. He then heard urgent voices before McGonagall came back into view with Madam Pomfrey following her as she pulled a cardigan over her nightdress. He then heard a sharp intake of breath.
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, who was bending over the statue on the bed.
"Another attack." He said. "Minerva found him on the stairs."
Arthur's heart sank as it meant that a student has now been Petrified.
"There were a bunch of grapes next to him." McGonagall said. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Pendergast."
Arthur's stomach now gave a horrible lurch as he slowly and carefully raised himself a few inches to look at the Petrified body on the bed. With a ray of moonlight laying across its staring face, Arthur could see that it was Colin Creevey, whose eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.
"Petrified?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"Yes." McGonagall nodded. "But I shudder to think…. If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate, who knows what might have…."
All three of them stared down at Colin before Dumbledore leaned forward and prised out the camera from Colin's rigid grasp.
"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" McGonagall asked eagerly.
Dumbledore didn't even answer her as he prised open the back of the camera.
"Good gracious!" Madam Pomfrey gasped.
There was a jet of steam hissing out of the camera. Arthur could smell burnt plastic despite being three beds away.
"Melted… all melted…." Madam Pomfrey said, wonderingly.
"What does this mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked urgently.
"It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."
This made Madam Pomfrey clap a hand over her mouth. And with Dumbledore confirming what Dobby said, Arthur didn't like this at all. McGonagall also stared at Dumbledore.
"But Albus… surely… who…."
"The question is not who." He said, eyes focused on Colin. "The question is how…."
Based on McGonagall's expression in the darkness, she didn't understand any of this as much as Arthur.
There we go... Draco looked like a real idiot and Lockhart has proven once more that he's a fraud. Just wait until the next chapter for another chance for that and for Arthur to start finding himself ostracised by most of the school.