While the Other Inhales

(it wouldn't let me finish the chapter title)

Another chapter should be coming very soon since it's half done already!

Thanks Juliefan1, the crazy brit, & khaoula McGamoura for reviewing! Thanks carlos20dgm, khaoula McGamoura, Juliefan1, & dancer4813 for favoriting or adding Tabby Cats & Wizards to their alerts.

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling.

Minerva walked up to her young charge and as she walked past her, she spoke, "Miss Wyte, this way." She knew she was being rather curt with the child, but she couldn't help but be frustrated. She cared about this child more than she was allowed to, and yet, this child was trying to close her out. Annabelle needed to quit this game before she lost.

As they walked, Minerva guided her up the corridors with a number of students milling around them. Suddenly though, all movement halted and a hush fell over the crowd. Minerva heard Argus yelling up ahead and she pushed her way through the crowd in time to see Albus reprimanding the caretaker.

Mrs. Norris was hung up by her tail next to words that looked to be written in blood.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Albus called the three second year students to follow him up to Professor Lockhart's office and Minerva couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course, he was getting in the middle of it. Still, she followed after her husband along with Snape and Annabelle. She instructed Annabelle to wait outside as she walked into Gilderoy's office.

Minerva shut the door softly behind her and turned her attention to the frozen cat. As annoying as her caretaker was, Mrs. Norris could actually be quite social and was very pleasant to Minerva. Dumbledore stood over Mrs. Norris with his nose barely an inch above her fur and was poking and prodding her all over the place. Minerva bent down beside him and narrowed her eyes. This did seem very suspicious, and her subs were involved. This was not good.

Lockhart began making suggestions and suddenly stopped and looked toward the door. "Minerva, your pupil is sitting outside! She can hear us!" He then picked up his wand and pointed it toward the door, "Silencio!" However, he mispronounced the word and the spell backfired, making it incredibly easy for Annabelle to hear everything.

She could hear Filch's racking sobs and Minerva's sighs. Lockhart continued making suggestions and claiming that if he was there, she never would have died. She could even hear Dumbledore as he began to mutter spells over Mrs. Norris and tapped his wand against her stiff body.

Annabelle gasped when she heard Dumbledore's next comment. She's not dead?

There was a momentary silence in the room before Filch broke the silence. "Not dead? But why's she all – all stiff and frozen?" Another sob shook his body and Minerva frowned. This night was not going well at all. She looked to her husband for an explanation.

Albus returned her gaze before shifting it back to Argus momentarily. "She's been Petrified, but how, I cannot say…"

"Ah! I thought so!" exclaimed Lockhart as Filch screeched, "Ask him!" He pointed a crooked finger at Harry and glowered at the child.

Minerva stepped between the caretaker and her cub as Dumbledore began to speak. "No second year could have done this. It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"

"He did it, he did it! You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found – in my office – he knows I'm a – I'm a –" His face scrunched up and he glared disrespectfully at Dumbledore. "He knows I'm a Squib!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Minerva spun around to look at her student as she stepped to the side, letting Albus look at him. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

Annabelle found herself thoroughly confused by this point. What was a Squib? How had Mrs. Norris been Petrified? Why did they think that three second year Gryffindors had done something so, supposedly, horrible? The arguing continued and Annabelle couldn't help but feel sorry for Hermione, Ron, and Harry. From what she'd heard, they didn't sound like bad people. They just appeared to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surely, that wasn't a crime.

Annabelle had tuned out the whole conversation until she heard Minerva again, and this time she sounded more than frustrated. "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."

However, silence consumed the room for a moment before Albus spoke. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus."

"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked. "I want to see some punishment!"

Albus calmly spoke again, this time completely focused on Argus Filch. "We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made to revive Mrs. Norris."

Lockhart began to exclaim that he'd make it and was naming different reasons when Snape interrupted him, his voice extremely cold. "Excuse me, but I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

Again, there was a pregnant pause before anyone spoke again. When they did, it was Albus, telling the trio they could leave.

The three students got up and sped down the hallway, not sparing a glance in her direction. They went up the nearest staircase and disappeared.

Annabelle figured she'd see them up in the common room later, but first she had to serve a detention with McGonagall. She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. It had to be getting rather late by now. She closed her eyes and fell asleep listening to Severus and Minerva bicker back and forth.

Minerva knew she was being foolish. Bickering with a colleague, especially Severus was going to get her nowhere. She glanced toward Albus, who was sitting there, smiling patiently at her. At her nod, he pulled himself up from a rather sunken armchair and spoke, "I believe it's well past time for us to get to bed, and I believe Minerva still has a student outside. Though, I'd be surprised if she hadn't already fallen asleep. It is past midnight, my dear."

Without glancing toward either wizard, Minerva spun around and practically ran to the door, swinging it open and glancing to the side. "Oh, kitten." Minerva knelt down beside her student and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, tracing the girl's jaw line with her thumb. "Miss Wyte, you need to wake up."

Annabelle began to stir and subconsciously reached for Minerva's hand. After a moment, she realized it was simply her teacher, not the wonderful figure from her dreams. This woman was here to punish her for being up late, not to take care of her. She dropped the hand and her gaze. "Sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to fall asleep." Yawning, Annabelle stood up on shaky legs and glanced around them. They appeared to be alone and Annabelle feared the inevitable blow.

However, Minerva noticed her student's reserve and lifted her chin again. "You should go to bed. Your detention will be moved to tomorrow immediately following your flying lesson with Madame Hooch. Now, can you make it to Gryffindor common room by yourself, or shall I walk you?"

Annabelle shrugged noncommittally. "I'll be fine, I guess." She turned away from Minerva's hand and began to slowly make her way to Gryffindor common room.

"Actually, I don't want you to be caught out of bed past curfew. I'll walk you to your dormitory." The elder witch caught up with Annabelle and barely refrained from wrapping an arm around her. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Minerva decided they could begin their discussion now. "Miss Wyte, why does Miss Weasley have a black eye? She refused to tell me how it happened, only that you were involved."

Again, the younger witch shrugged. "We were fooling around. People get hurt." Annabelle hated lying to her teacher, but there was no way that she could possibly tell her teacher. What would he do if he found out?

"Miss Wyte, I doubt you were simply fooling around. However, I do not expect you to tell me what exactly you were doing. It is late, so I'll let you be."

Annabelle was uncomfortable with the silence that fell over them again. The only sound that could be heard was that of their footsteps on the ground as they made their way up another staircase. "What are you going to do to me if I don't tell you?"

Minerva pondered her question for a moment. What could she do to the girl? "Since it's your first offence, I see no reason to punish you beyond tomorrow. You will spend your time writing lines under my supervision." She nodded her head, feeling that was sufficient punishment for being out of bed late. Of course, Minerva also knew she was lying, but she hoped that Annabelle would learn to trust her on her own time. Plus, was it really any of Minerva's business anyway?

"So, I need to be at your office shortly after 9:30, then?"

"Yes. Have Ro…Madame Hooch send word if you're going to be late." Now, they had made it back to the common room and Minerva cleared her throat and spoke. "Flibbertigibbet." She glanced toward Annabelle as she slipped inside and began her journey up the stairs. Once she was well out of hearing range Minerva sighed and leaned on the doorframe. "Goodnight, kitten."