"That's it! I'm done with this guy. I mean, he tried to kill me!"

"Calm down, Justin. I don't think he was trying to-"

"Stop! Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"That! That thing you do where you always defend Potter. You saw him! He's the Heir of Slytherin!"

"No, he's not."

"Y/N, I was there, we all were. He's a parselmouth. Salazar Slytherin was one too." Susan said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry to break it to you, Y/N, but Potter could be the Heir. I mean, it can't all be coincidence... Since he came to this school weird things have been happening. It's only his second year and suddenly the Chamber of Secrets has been opened." Hannah said.

"And when we found Mrs Norris and the bloody wall, he was standing there." Susan said.

We had just returned to our common room after what had happened in the Dueling Club. Everyone was visibly on edge... but it can't be Harry. He would never harm anyone on purpose.

"I told you, I was there when we found him. He was near the D.A.D.A. classroom, and we discovered the wall together. It wasn't him." I reasoned.

"How can you still defend him! He tried to kill me!"

"No, he didn't. The snake wanted to but Harry prevented it from attacking you."

"How do you know? What are a parselmouth too?"

"No, but I saw what was happening. It was going to attack you, but then Harry spoke to it and it stopped and turned to look at him."

"Yeah, right. D-"

"Why do you always have to behave like children?" Ernie said.

He had already sat on his armchair, and was again reading a book.

Justin seemed to calm down a bit and he sat down on the sofa.

"Maybe he's the Heir, maybe not. But the fact that he's a parselmouth, isn't good." Susan said, caressing my back. "You should stay away from him, Y/N, for your own good. You can't risk it."

"Don't forget, you are a Muggle-born. And the Heir, whoever it is, is after you, Justin and everyone else like you in this school." Hannah said.

"I'm going to go for a walk." Justin said, as he stormed off.

]

I was in my room, studying Herbology when I heard a knock on the door. Susan came in and told me to come to the common room.

She had left before I could ask her what was going on. I put down my textbook and quickly followed her. As I exited my room, I saw Professor Sprout. She had an unreadable expression on her face, but I could sense something was wrong.

"Now that you're all here, I'm afraid there is something I need to show you." Professor Sprout said, concerned. "Follow me."

Susan, Hannah, Ernie, and I followed her to the hospital wing. No... don't tell me...

I gasped when I saw Justin laying there, motionless, almost... lifeless in that bed.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hannah bursting out in tears and Susan consoling her. Ernie didn't have any visible reaction, but it was obvious he was too stunned to do or say anything.

]

I can't believe what was happening. Justin had been petrified some days ago. How long before it attacked another student? How long before it stopped petrifing and started killing? I had tried to be optimistic at first, but now, suddenly, the monster became too real.Then I saw Harry and Ron sitting on a bench.

I walked up to them. "Hi."

"Hi." Ron answered without looking at me.

That struck me as odd.

"Guys? Everything alright?"

"No, nothing's 'alright'." Harry said in an angry tone.

"What's going on?" I asked, concerned.

"Hermione... she was petrified." Ron said.

I didn't say anything. I just stared at them. It can't be... Hermione is strong and smart. Surely, this is some kind of joke or a big misunderstanding. Right?

No one heard my question to answer it, but it wasn't necessary. I knew the answer myself, I was just afraid to accept it as the truth.

I left. I didn't know where I was going. Classes were over for today. After around 20 minutes of walking without a final destination, I ended up in front of my common room. I gave up and got in.

Ernie wasn't sitting on his armchair. No... not him too. It can't be, right? He's a pure-blood. But what if-

"Are you going to stare at that chair for long?"

The voice startled me. It was Ernie. I turned around and saw him holding a packet of biscuits.

"Hi." I said in a weird, high-pitched voice.

He scanned me with his eyes.

"I assume you heard about Granger." He said as he walked past me.

"You knew?"

"Of course I did." He sat down on his armchair. "I know everything that's happening in these halls."

"How-"

"That's not important. Just don't let those attacks bring you down. Besides, your friend Potter is probably going to save the day again." He said that last sentence in a more hushed tone and bit off half of the biscuit he was holding.

"Wait, so you don't believe Harry is the Heir of Slytherin?"

He looked at me like I was disappointing him and reached his hand into the box.

"Biscuit?" he asked.

I looked at him for a moment but then took it.

I sat down on the sofa next to him and enjoyed the treat in silence.

]

Time had passed, and now we were in our common room, waiting for Justin. Madam Pomfrey had told us that the Mandrake juice was ready. So, everyone who was petrified would be cured. The teachers said that the threat was taken care of. Harry and Ron were the ones who took care of it and saved Ginny.

"Do you think everything went okay?" Hannah asked, for what seemed to be the 100th time.

"Yes, Hannah, don't worry." Susan said, in an effort to calm her down.

"It seems trivial to worry that much about Justin's safe recovery. Madam Pomfrey is an experienced healer and excellent at her work. The cure with the Mandrake juice leaves little to no room for unfortunate events, given that the potion is made correctly. And you know that he'll be released from the Ward today. So? I don't understand. What is it that worries you?"

Hannah looked at him for a second. Once she had registered what Ernie had just said, she yelled at him to shut up. And he did.

"Hey there, strangers." Justin said from the doorway of our common room. We all ran to him, and Hannah was the first one to hug him tightly. Maybe a little too tightly.

"Ok, who would have known that after I escaped the monster, I'd die in the hands of my best friend." Justin jokingly said, and Hannah released him.

Susan and I both hugged him - not nearly as long or tight as Hannah - and Ernie.. wait. Where was Ernie?

I looked behind me, and I saw Ernie still sitting in his armchair. He looked up at me without rising his head.

"Told you." he said and returned to his book.

I swear that boy and his books. I know that he cared about Justin, and he was relieved now that he was okay, but he really didn't want to show it for some reason. He is being distant.

He wasn't like that last year. But this year, it seemed like he was always reading a book. Honestly, I think it served as a distraction and a way for him to avoid talking to other people. He was getting colder, and I didn't like that. I didn't even know why.

Justin sighed. "A pleasure as always, Ernie."

]

Half an hour or so after, we went to the Dining Hall to eat dinner. Everyone was greeting Nearly Headless Nick, and Hufflepuffs were celebrating for Justin's return.

Then a smiling Hermione appeared at the door, and she ran to Harry, hugging him. Finally, now I can rest assured that all of my friends were safe and sound.

Hermione and Ron went for a hug but suddenly stopped and settled for a handshake instead. Kinda weird, but ok?

Dumbledore announced that 'in light of recent events', which probably are the monster that petrified the students, exams would be canceled.

Wow, now that's quite the treat. But I guess it is fair. With all the students getting petrified and the fear spread amongst all the others, some students weren't able to attend many lessons or have enough time to study and prepare for the exams and others would have been too busy worrying about their friends and wondering if they were next to focus.

As I was thinking all that, the doors opened, and Hagrid came in. From what I heard, he was sent to Azkaban for openng the Chamber of Secrets, but we knew that wasn't true. Hagrid would never do that.

He stood in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and he was saying something to them, but I couldn't hear exactly what. Then Harry hugged him. Dumbledore stood up and clapped. McGonagall joined him, and soon, the whole room was cheering for Hagrid as all the students had stood up and formed a kind of circle around him. Yes, that is Hogwarts.

]

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah." he said, examining a leaf that had previously fallen on his head.

"Honesty Harry, you've got to tell me, how do you manage to almost die at the end of the school year, two years in a row?"

"I... well, I don't know. But I'm fine now. Besides, I am the 'boy who lived', aren't I?"

I just shook my head and tried to enjoy the scene around us, even if it simply was a bunch of students walking around in a yard. I was going to cherish these last moments of our second year in Hogwarts.

And just like that, we are done with our second year. See ya!