Second last chapter is here! Contains friendship, Grace/Harry conversation, Protective Grace and a big shock.
Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Harry Potter.
Updated: 6/7/2014
Chapter Seventeen: Look After You
Grace fell wildly out of bed the next morning at the sound of music blasting from the radio next to Miranda's bed. Wearily rubbing her eyes she realized with one look to the clock that she had slept in for half an hour.
"You're lucky you woke up now," Ciara remarked while Grace hastily got dressed. "One more minute and I would've thrown Bellus on you. Claws and all."
As if to prove her point she nudged the fluffy, white cat in question.
"Had bad dreams," Grace lied, tripping into her shoes. "Didn't get to sleep until 4am."
At least the last part was true; after the spider hunt, Grace had tossed and turned or what felt like forever until she fell into a restless sleep.
"I'm sure those dreams are where you got mud stains and ripped jeans from," Lara said dryly.
Grace scowled at her observant friend before ducking into their adjoined bathroom, where Hannah was brushing her wet hair out gently.
"Have you seen the notice?" she asked.
Grace shook her head.
"Exams are coming up," Hannah informed her. "They're not cancelling them."
"What?" Grace cried with a toothbrush in her mouth. "As if I haven't got enough on my plate already!"
Hannah gave her a weird look, laughing somewhat nervously. Grace had just finished brushing her teeth when Miranda came in.
"I still can't believe it," she groaned. "Trina gets out of exams and we don't."
Grace didn't even get the chance to make some sarcastic remark since Lara spoke up before she could.
"Don't worry about it," Lara assured them. "I've copied revision sheets out for all of you," she dug out sheets of paper from her bag and started to hand them out just as Grace walked back in the room. "Here Grace, Ciara, Trina . . ."
Lara trailed off as she remembered that Trina was not in fact there, that her usually messy bed remained empty so, for now, she would not need a revision sheet.
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Lara was keeping them to a tight studying schedule three days before they were to take their exams. Miranda and Grace was taking a well-deserved break from the constant test practise by sitting with Harry and Ron for breakfast that morning when Professor McGonagall stood up to make an announcement.
"I have good news."
Grace looked up eagerly, hoping that she would say that the culprit had been caught without the students' knowledge. Around her everyone started to yell suggestions up at Professor McGonagall as if she had asked them to guess.
"Dumbledore's coming back!" was the common joyful cry.
"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" one Ravenclaw girl hoped.
As soon as the hall was quiet enough to talk Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."
Grace screamed out with surprise at the same time as many others.
"We'll get to see Trina tonight," Grace informed Miranda pointlessly with a wide grin on her face. "Imagine how happy Oliver will be!"
"Look at him now; I think he's in shock," Miranda pointed. "Turns out Trina doesn't get of exams then. She'll be pleased."
Grace rolled her eyes at Miranda. She turned her head at movement beside her to see Ginny sit between her and Ron. There was something off in the way she peered around the room and twisted seemingly sweaty hands in her lap.
"What's wrong?" Grace frowned, pausing in the act of helping herself to more porridge.
Ginny didn't answer at first but rather flicked her eyes up and down the Gryffindor, like she was frightened of something.
"Spit it out," Ron said with her eyes on her.
"I've got to tell you something," Ginny murmured while avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
Ginny opened her mouth.
"What?" Ron pressed.
Harry leaned in closer to make sure that only Grace, Ginny and Ron could hear him, "Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"
Ginny drew a deep breath and prepared to speak again when Percy appeared behind her, exhaustion clear on his face.
"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving; I've only just come off patrol duty."
Ginny jumped in the air, stumbled out of her seat and scampered away. A look of outrage made its way onto Grace's face at Percy blatantly rude attitude towards his sister and how he interrupted what she was about to say.
"Hey, Miranda, Grace, time for more study."
Grace and Miranda sighed together at Lara's call and reluctantly waved goodbye to Harry and Ron. Even though Ginny had made her worry even more, she could never have guessed the circumstances in which she would next see those two.
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Even though the school was still in a state of distress, Professor Binns continued to lecture them on various wizard criminals over the years. So far he hadn't even gotten past the 14th century.
Grace, like everyone else in the class, wasn't listening to a word he said. Unlike everyone else though, she wasn't chatting animatedly about every single thing that a teenager could possibly talk about. Instead her thoughts kept wandering back to Aragog and Ginny and Trina and Hermione. There were so many questions she wanted answers to and she wasn't sure she could wait for Trina to wait up.
Why did Hermione need her mirror anyway? Did it have anything to do with the monster Aragog mentioned? Could he have been telling the truth at all that night? If so, then why was the girl's body found in a bathroom of all places? Could that be near the location of the Chamber? Maybe Ginny knew something about it. That could be the reason she was so jittery this morning.
"Well I personally am upset that the attacks have stopped," Callidus drawled from a few seats in front of her. "They were helping the school for the greater good."
"Are you purposely quoting Grindelwald or are you that much of a conceited asshole on your own?" Grace snapped at him, coming out of her daze at his words. "Because I know you're stupid but that's just beyond words. If you say that Trina being petrified is for the greater good one more time I swear I will not be afraid to try out some of those curses we read about!"
"Maybe slow working poison would be better," Ciara suggested.
Callidus scowled at the smirks on their faces and decided to give them the cold shoulder. John was frowning thoughtfully at Grace until she caught his eye and raised her eyebrows, staring straight into his blue eyes. He hastily looked away and turned back to Callidus.
"What was that?" Lara exploded. "One second you're staring off into space and the next you're jumping down his throat. It's like you're possessed or something."
Grace's eyes went wide. If there was a light bulb above her head it would have turned on. The school bell rang at the perfect time, signalling Grace's escape.
"I have to go," she said, snatching up her bag. "I think I might know what's going on."
"What? Grace?" Miranda called after her. Grace didn't seem to hear as she raced through the corridors towards the first years. Professor Binns never followed them to their next class so that was one thing not to worry about.
Lara's comment about possession had rung a bell in her head. Aragog had said the last attack was years ago so maybe, somehow, the Heir of Slytherin was working through another student.
And Ginny Weasley knew about it.
"George!" Grace gasped, skidding to a halt in front of the younger Heathridge. "Where's Ginny?"
"Er . . . she went to the bathroom," George answered, alarmed by Grace's urgency.
Grace's first thought was that something had happened to her.
"Which bathroom?" Grace pressed.
"I- I think it was the one up stairs. Near the first attack."
"Thanks, George. Trina'll be back soon. Oh and do you mind holding my bag?"
With that Grace sprinted off again, leaving George to gape after her with her bag held limply in his hands. Her destination this time was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She had never really liked the place; it gave an overall aura of depression, not helped by Myrtle's attitude. But if Ginny was there alone then Grace wanted to make sure she was alright.
Grace rounded the corner to that corridor and stopped. Under the first red message was another: Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.
Oh hell it won't, Grace thought.
At the distance end of the corridor Ginny's figure made its way in to the bathroom. Even from this far away Grace could see the glassy look in her eyes and the red liquid dripping from her fingers.
"Ginny!" Grace called out to no avail.
Her footsteps made great echoing slaps against the stone floor but she still only got to the door in time to see Ginny free-fall down a massive hole beneath one of the sinks.
"I wouldn't follow her down there if I were you," Moaning Myrtle commented as Grace approached the edge of the hole. "You're both likely to stay down there."
"Well thanks Myrtle," Grace nodded. There was a spark flickering in her eyes. "But I plan on coming back up."
Grace didn't even spare Myrtle another glance before plunging down into the depths beyond the hole's mouth. Darkness engulfed her almost immidiatly as she twisted and turned down the spiralling tunnel. Right as she started to see a light, the rough, grazing stone started to get slimy. Just as Grace though she couldn't take it anymore she shot out of the tunnel like a cork.
There was no one in the dripping cavern when Grace stood up onto her wobbling legs. From the mould gathered in the corner, Grace assumed she was under the black lake.
It didn't take long for Grace to remember why she was here. Ginny had already disappeared further into the cavernous chamber.
Grace had no idea where she was going. The only thing she had to follow was Grace's footsteps. She held her wand up the entire time, passing a giant snake skin that almost made her stop on her way. It did make her walk forward with a bit more caution.
Finally she arrived at a circular door, set with snakes around the edges. Gulping, Grace moved closer to the door. It went in a straight downward drop. The only way to get down below was a rickety metal ladder attached to the wall.
By the time she dropped of the last rung, Grace could make out a dark figure standing over a motionless Ginny.
"Hey!" Grace shouted, running full-pelt past marble statues of snakes. "Get away from her!"
"Grace Potter. I knew you or your brother would come."
Well Grace is stupid isn't she? Please review with any comments, questions or advice. Thanks!