Chapter 12：QUIDDITCH AND THE FIRST ATTACK

I'm sorry that is has been a bit since I updated this story, hopefully this makes up for the long wait and you can all forgive me the long wait.

QUIDDITCH AND THE FIRST ATTACK

"What's going on?" said Terence, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Gryffindor spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"The Gryffindor's don't need a spy." Spoke Bole with scowl as he pointed to the ground. "They're here in person." At this, everyone whipped their heads round to look at where Bole was pointing, and sure enough, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was making its way onto the pitch clad in their practice uniform.

"I don't believe it!" Higg's hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!"

Terence shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole, followed.

"Higg's is going to blow his top." Harry thought to himself with glee as he followed the Slytherin team down to the ground.

Flora and Hestia Carrow, the two new third year chasers followed him down onto the ground; Kevin Bletchley, Miles' younger brother had replaced his brother as the starting keeper after training with his brother for three years and being Slytherin's reserve keeper. Miles had his lifelong dream after graduating last year and had been signed to the Yorkshire Quidditch team on a five-year deal, the first year would see him training under their starting keeper who was retiring in a year.

"Wood." Higg's bellowed at the Gryffindor Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Oliver Wood was even larger than Higg's. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Higg's."

"But I booked the field!" said Higg's, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Wood. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor McGonagall. I, Professor M. McGonagall, give the Gryffindor team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'. "

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Higg's, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six larger figures before them came a smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Hestia Carrow, looking at Malfoy with dislike. Her twin Flora just stood sneering at the small blonde boy.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Angelina Johnston as the whole Gryffindor team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Gryffindor team."

All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under Slytherin's noses in the early morning sun.

"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Wood carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" - he smiled nastily at Flora and Hestia, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives -" sweeps the board with them."

None of the Slytherin team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.

"Oh, look," said one of the Weasley twins. "A field invasion."

Daphne and Tracy were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" Daphne asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?"

She was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Gryffindor Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Greengrass," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team.

Daphne and Tracy gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of them.

"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Slytherin team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

The Gryffindor team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Slytherin team had to buy their way in," said Daphne sharply. "They got in on pure talent."

The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat. Causing half the people there to gasp, even some of the Gryffindor team, though they quickly hid their shock.

"How dare you." Tracy shrieked in anger.

Bole plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Wood's arm at Malfoy's face.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of Bole's wand and streaked across the pitch but Wood was quicker and managed to block the spell with a shield.

"Diffindo." Wood roared firing a spell back at Bole who just as easily blocked it with a shield.

And just like that, the Quidditch pitch turned into a battlefield as the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams faced each other wands raised, nobody paid attention to Daphne and Tracy sprinting off the field to get help, they were hoping to find their head of house.

"Confringo." Harry whispered firing the blasting hex at one of the Weasley twins. The hex hit on target and blasted the twin off his across the ground breaking quite a few ribs and bruising his kidneys from his hard fall onto his back.

"Incendio." Malfoy's voice shouted and the next second a jet of flames were rushing at Harry, who quickly fired a jet of water at the flames extinguishing the flames and soaked Malfoy in the process.

"Stupefy." Harry's stunning spell was right on target and just like that, Malfoy was out of the battle.

Five minutes later and the entire Gryffindor team were knocked out and bound by ropes as the Slytherin team debated amongst themselves what they should do with the Gryffindor team, Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole were all for levitating them into the lake and letting them drowned. However, before the two beaters could really begin to argue that it was nothing less than the Gryffindor team deserved, Daphne and Tracy returned with Professor Snape.

"Explain," Snape demanded of his Quidditch captain. Higg's then began explaining how they had gotten up early on a Saturday in order to begin their Quidditch training.

"Yes, I clearly remember giving you all permission to begin Quidditch training a week earlier than the other three teams." Snape said before nodding for Higg's to continue with how this mess all started; once Higg's had, finished explaining everything that had occurred that morning Snape was seething with anger.

"So McGonagall thought she could undermine my authority as a teacher and give the Gryffindork's permission to practice today did she." Snape spat with rage as he removed his wand and woke the Gryffindor team.

"Professor Snape, the Slytherin's attac…" That was as far as Wood got.

"Silence, I don't want to hear a word from any of you." Snape snapped at the sixth year boy. "For your actions this morning Gryffindor will lose forty points…"

"That's not fair you greasy bat." One of the Weasley twins yelled in outrage.

"EACH." Snape growled in rage, he would have taking just the forty points and given them a week's detention if they Weasley twin had kept his mouth shut. "And detention every night for the next month." The Gryffindor team looked up at him shocked while the Slytherin team did their best to conceal their grins.

"Now get your common room and stay there until it's time for lunch." He growled as he released them from their bindings. Once the Gryffindor team had left the pitch, grumbling to themselves, Snape turned to his Quidditch players.

"30 points each for excellent teamwork in taking out your enemies quickly and effectively." He smirked as his Snakes gave a cheer of happiness. "Oh and thirty each to Miss's Greengrass and Davis for quick thinking to get an adult's help." And with that, Snape made his way back up to the castle as the Slytherin's restarted their training.

That morning the Slytherin team had their best ever practice; the Gryffindor's were completely out of running for the house cup, they had already been in negative points before the Quidditch incident thanks to Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnigan flying that car at the first day of the school year and now they had lost another 280 points. Meanwhile, with the 270 points that the Slytherin team, Daphne, and Tracy had just earned, Slytherin were well ahead in the running for the house cup, it was without a doubt Slytherin's cup once again for the 9th year running.

Two weeks later Harry had a surprise for the Slytherin team once again.

"Nimbus 2001's." Higg's grinned as Harry handed his teammates the seven highly polished, brand-new custom-made brooms.

"Custom-made at that." Harry grinned as he pointed out the silver lettering opposite the gold lettering spelling out Nimbus 2001.

"Hogwarts best keeper." Kevin Bletchley read aloud with a face-splitting grin.

"Superstar Seeker." Higg's laughed with appreciation as he clapped Harry on the back.

"Dynamo Beater." Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole read aloud with shit-eating grins

"Hogwarts hottest chasers." The Carrow twins read in unison with large grins before they both kissed Harry on each cheek, causing Harry to grin wider.

"And what does yours say?" Higgs asked with a grin.

"Prince of Slytherin." Harry laughed; the nickname that Marcus Flit had given him last year had stuck so Harry had decided to have that on his broom.

"And if you look closer at your brooms you will notice that they are done out in dark Slytherin green instead of the normal black." Harry pointed out with a grin.

"Brooms truly fit for the Slytherin kings of Quidditch." Kevin laughed Bole, Derrick and Higg's laughing with him.

"And Queen's." Hestia laughed shaking a finger at the keeper.

"Of course milady." Kevin laughed with a mock bow in front of the Twins.

"Rise minion." Mock sneered Flora raising her hand slightly.

"Ooh that tone of voice gets my blood pumping, TO MY LOINS! OH!" Kevin grinned at the twins wagging his eyebrows whilst the four other boys broke up laughing at their keepers antics, followed soon after by the other three players.

"So, what are we going to do with the nimbus 2000's that you bought last year?" Higg's asked Harry once they had all gotten their laughing under control.

"Well I was thinking we could give them to our reserve team." Harry answered with a smirk.

"We don't have a reserve team." Bole pointed out.

"Not yet we don't and neither do any of the other three teams." Harry began his smirk growing. "But we are going to recruit one and when we have practice we can do an hour of drills and tactics and then spend the rest of the time having mock matches, thus we get better at playing and so do the reserves." He finished his explanation with a full-blown smirk that was soon mirrored on the other six players' faces.

"Nice one Potter, I love how your mind works, even if the other houses get themselves a reserve team, none of the other reserves will be on Nimbus 2000's." Higg's laughed gleefully.

"Exactly, it's a win-win either way." Harry replied with a self-satisfied sigh.

Three days later and they had a full reserve team, surprisingly the reserve team was female dominated as Daphne, Tracy and Blaise Zabini became the second all girl chaser trio in the school and very surprisingly Pansy Parkinson became the reserve Seeker. Theodore Nott managed to secure himself as the reserve keeper happy with the knowledge that in his fourth year he would be the starting keeper until his 7th year. Gemma Farley a fifth year perfect and Sadie Baldock a third year roommate of the Carrow twins became the new beaters.

For the next month before the first Quidditch match of the year Harry kept ahead in his studies keeping his spot as the top student in his year and his model student persona firmly in place. Not a one person in the entire castle apart from Daphne and Tracy suspected that the well-mannered, helpful second year had a much darker side.

Harry attended his training with Master Flitwick for an hour each night. Some nights he learned advanced charms and some nights they had duels, Harry was always battered and bruised after the duels, never coming close to beating the small duelling champion but he was definitely improving.

The two Slytherin teams also got better and better the more they practiced, in fact now when they had a mock match it was hard to tell which team would win as the reserves were just as good as the starting team players. And the demon on a broom known as Harry Potter found it harder and harder to score against either keeper, which raised both keepers' spirits knowing that Harry was easily the best chaser at Hogwarts. Thus, it should be easy to stop the other team's chasers. Even more surprisingly, the Slytherin's had managed to keep it a secret that they had Nimbus 2001's and a reserve team from the rest of the school. Unsurprisingly the Slytherin's were feeling very confident about the Quidditch season. Not even their head of house, Snape, knew about the brooms and reserve team.

Quidditch

"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three... two... one..." and she blew on her whistle as she launched the Quaffle into the air as high as she could.

"THE QUAFFLE IS RELESED, THE PLAYERS ARE AIRBOURNE AND THE GAME IS ON." Lee Jordan roared into the microphone in pure excitement, knowing that this would be an exciting and close match with both teams flying on Nimbus 2001's.

"AND FLORA CARROW HAS THE QUAFFLE FOR SLYTHERIN AND SHE'S OFF UP THE PITCH LEAVING THE GRYFFINDOR'S CONFUSED. CLEALY THEY HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR THE DEMON POTTER AS THEY HAD ALL SHOT AT HIM AS SOON AS THE GAME BEGAN."

The Gryffindor players couldn't believe that the top scorer from last year had not even attempted to grab the Quaffle. And as Flora scored the first goal of the match, putting Slytherin in front, Harry just sat on his broom smirking and waving at the Gryffindor players.

"Ha, the Gryffindor's all shot at Harry expecting him to have the Quaffle and left the field wide open." Pansy Parkinson laughed with glee as she sat in the Slytherin reserve hut down on the pitch. If one were to look at the Gryffindor hut, they would only see two reserve players.

"WOOD PASSES THE QUAFFLE TO KATIE AND THE GAME IS BACK ON, SLYTHERIN ARE LEADING BY TEN POINTS." Lee Jordan roared into the microphone.

"AND LOOK AT KATIE FLY SHE'S ALMOST AT THE SLYTHERIN GOALS, SHE SHOOTS, OH AND KEVIN BLECHLEY MAKES A SEPCTACULER SAVE AS HE THROWS THE QUAFFLE BACK INTO PLAY." The Gryffindor supporters groaned in unison.

"HESTIA CARROW HAS THE QUAFFLE, SHE DODGES A SPEEDING BLUDGER, PASSES THE WEASLEY BEATERS. OH BOY, HESTIA HAS PASSED TO POTTER, AND THE DEMON CHASER IS OFF LIKE A ROCKET. HE SCORES TEN POINTS TO SLYTHERIN." The Slytherin supporters were going wild in the stands as the Gryffindor supporters groaned in disappointment.

The Carrow twins managed to score another three goals apiece putting the score at 80-0 in Slytherin's favour. Harry meanwhile was terrorising Draco Malfoy. Every time the blonde-haired boy tried to search for the snitch, Harry would appear out of nowhere and shoot at him going full speed, missing crashing into the blonde boy by mere inches.

Within half an hour Slytherin where a hundred points ahead and Draco Malfoy was a nervous wreck, every time a green and silver clad player flew near him he would flinch violently and close his eyes waiting for the impact's that would never come.

"OOH THAT HAD TO HAVE HURT, SLYTHERIN CAPTIAN AND SEEKER, HIGG'S TOOK A NASTY BLUDGER TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND APPEARS TO BE UNCONSCIOUS." Higg's was in fact knocked out and had begun falling off his broom but luckily the Carrow twins had been near him and had managed to catch him and lower him to the floor as Hooch blew her whistle stopping the game.

Madam Pomfrey raced onto the pitch and began running her wand over Higg's.

"He has a concussion, there's no way he can continue playing." The healer announced moments later.

"Do you have another player to take his place or do you wish to forfeit." Hooch asked the Slytherin team.

"Pansy Parkinson is our reserve Seeker." Harry answered as he motioned Pansy over.

"Very well, play will resume in two minutes." Hooch informed them with a nod before getting back onto her broom and flying over to Lee Jordan so he could announce the change.

"What's going on Harry?" Pansy asked as she reached his side and watched as Madam Pomfrey left the pitch levitating Higg's.

"Higg's has a concussion and can't continue, so you have to take over from him." Harry explained as he picked up Higg's Nimbus 2001.

"Okay." Pansy replied with wide eyes and a nervous voice.

"You'll be fine Pansy, just take slow deep breathes until the whistle blows." Harry said as he patted the girl gently on the shoulder. "Here Higg's won't be needing this for the moment." He said as he handed Pansy the Nimbus 2001 wanting her and Draco to be evenly matched in brooms.

"Thanks, I hope I don't let the team down." Pansy said with a nervous smile.

"You won't let us down Pansy, even if you don't get the Snitch, as long as you do your best, that's all we ask of you and we won't think any less of you." Harry said as he mounted his broom flowed by Pansy before they both flew into the air.

"AND SECOND YEAR PANSY PARKINSON REPLACES HIGG'S AS THE SLYTHRIN SEEKER DUE TO HIGG'S BEEN INJURED THANKS TO A BLUDGER TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD." Lee Jordan announced into the microphone causing the Gryffindor supporters to begin laughing thinking that the Slytherin's were so desperate not to forfeit that they had just grabbed anyone to play as the seeker.

"HOOCH RELEASES THE QUAFFLE AND THE GAME IS BACK ON." Jordan yelled to roaring approval of the supporters. "POTTER GRABS THE QUAFFLE ONCE MORE ANNND HE'S OFF UP THE PITCH. HE DODGES THE WEASLEY TWINS AND THE THREE GRYFFINDOR CHASERS, HE SHOOTS LEFT, NO HE PASSED TO FLORA WHO SHOOTS RIGHT AND SCORES."

And that's how the game played out for the next fifteen minutes as Harry and the Carrow twins kept scoring on the Gryffindor keeper, Oliver Wood. Putting the score at 220-0 in favour of the Slytherin's. Until…

"WAS THAT THE SNITCH?" Jordan roared as he and the rest of the students rose from their seats to watch the two seekers race towards the tiny gold ball.

Pansy was in her element as she raced across the pitch, dodging players and bludger's as fast as she could, Malfoy was training behind her by mere feet.

"COME ON MALFOY GET THAT SNITCH." Lee Jordan roared in excitement. "NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THIS BUT COME ON DRACO YOU CAN DO IT LAD!"

However, as the Gryffindor's, Hufflepuff's and most of the Ravenclaw's cheered on Malfoy, the Slytherin Supporters began making themselves heard once more.

"LET'S GO PANSY." Clap, clap. "LET'S GO PANSY." Clap, clap. "LET'S GO PANSY."

Pansy grinned as she heard her housemates cheering her on. Moments later the Snitch shot skywards and Pansy followed it into an almost straight upwards race, followed by Draco who managed to pull neck and neck with her.

"GO ON GIRL." Harry roared at her as she passed him, Pansy's grin widened.

They were almost 200 feet above play as the Snitch finally levelled out, before shooting across the pitch, seconds later and the Snitch shot towards the ground in a spiralling dive, Pansy and Draco seconds behind it.

It was a most spectacular sight as the two Seekers preformed a spiralling dive, full speed towards the ground. Malfoy pulled out of the dive fifty feet above the ground but Pansy urged her broom to go faster. Moments later the Snitch levelled out and shot across the Pitch, Pansy right on its tail, her feet actually skimming the grass.

For the next two minutes, the Snitch led her all over the pitch weaving in and out of players and a one point round and round one of the Gryffindor goal posts as it flew higher and higher until…

"YEESSS." Pansy roared in victory as she finally grabbed the tiny gold ball in her hand and she pulled above the game her arm raised in victory.

"AND PANSY PARKINSON HAS GOT THE SNITCH, BY MERLIN WHAT A CHASE FOR THE SNITCH THAT GIRL JUST PREFORMED, THE REST OF THE HOGWARTS SEEKERS BEWARE PANSY PARKINSON SEEMS TO BE A BORN SEEKER." Jordan roared into the microphone he voice hoarse from shouting for the last two hours.

"I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WOULDN'T LET US DOWN" Harry roared grinning ear to ear as he crashed into Pansy giving the girl a bone crushing hug in his excitement, nothing got the adrenaline pumping like a game of Quidditch, even for a cold bloodied killer like Harry James Potter.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY CAUGHT THE SNITCH." Pansy screamed in joy as she hugged him back just as tightly.

"What do you expect with the chase you just gave?" Shouted Bole as he clapped Pansy on the back. "At one point I was convinced you were going to smashing into the ground."

"I don't know what came over me; I just gave into the rush of the chase." Pansy grinned widely. As the Carrow, twins hugged her tightly before the rest of the team moved in to show the girl their appreciation.

"SLYTHRIN MOVE INTO 1ST PLACE IN THE RACE FOR THE QUIDDITCH CUP BEATING THE GRYFFINDOR'S SOUNDLY, 400-0, I'M LEE JORDAN AND IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUCE THIS GAME TO YOU ALL, UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND WHEN RAVENCLAW AND HUFFLEPUFF FACE OFF."

Three of the four houses began leaving the stadium as the Slytherin supporters joined their team on the pitch. Snape shook each of the player's hands congratulating them on the win before the rest of the Slytherin house members lifted the players onto their shoulders and began carrying them off the pitch and towards the castle. Even the reserve players who didn't even play were granted this honour. Snape was leading the way with a shit-eating grin on his face and as they passed McGonagall into the castle, Snape actually kissed his hand before mockingly waving at the Gryffindor head.

"Looks like the trophy will be mine for the 7th year in a row." Snape called over his shoulder as he led his snakes down into the dungeons.

Five minutes later and the Slytherin common room was jumping with noise as the celebration party began; Firewhiskey and Butterbeer was flowing and the Hogwarts house elves served the parting students food as no one wanted to go to the great hall for dinner. Even Snape stayed for a glass of Firewhiskey before leaving his snakes to party as he went to finish grading essays.

Higg's joined the celebration three hours into it and when he was informed of their win and Pansy catching the Snitch he gave the girl a hug before he shook Harry's hand thanking him as it had been Harry's idea to have a full reserve team trained up and it had paid off in spades.

However the most surprising thing to happen that day, in fact that year happened half an hour after Higg's had joined the celebration. Harry was stood talking to his roommate Theodore Nott when someone spun him round and he caught sight of Pansy Parkinson before her lips crashed against his and she began kissing him.

Harry was stunned for a moment as the rest of Slytherin house began wolf whistling. Harry soon got his wits about him and instead of pushing the girl away he began kissing her back as his arms came up to encircle her shoulders and Pansy wrapped her arms around his waist.

After they came up for air Harry and Pansy grinned at each other before grabbing drinks and going to a secluded corner to practice tongue wrestling some more.

Halloween (two weeks later)

Harry and Pansy had left the Halloween feast early and were talking a walk around the castle talking about their schoolwork and stealing the odd kiss as they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage on the second floor.

"How far are you into Flitwick's essay?" Harry asked his new girlfriend of two weeks. Even after two weeks, Harry couldn't believe he and Pansy were a couple.

But Pansy gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What's that thing - hanging underneath?" said Pansy, a slight quiver in her voice.

As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Pansy grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. Both of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Harry said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help -" Pansy began awkwardly.

"Trust me," said Harry. "We don't want to be found here."

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry and Pansy stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

What's going on here? What's going on?"

Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry and Pansy and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter and Miss Parkinson."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free-"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered, Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry and Pansy exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture - I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter curse that would have saved her..."

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a tiny little bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure. Pansy too as an accomplice.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened. She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.

"...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full stories in my autobiography; I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..."

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls agreed all nodding, as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.

At last, Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart). "But how, I cannot say..."

"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockhart's on the walls.

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch.

"Then why were you both in that corridor before anybody else." McGonagall asked in a harsh voice.

"Because we decided to take a walk around the castle after the feast and talk." Harry replied in a growl as he glared at the Gryffindor head of house.

"That sounds very suspicious." McGonagall growled and glared right back at Harry.

"What taking a walk after a large meal, yeh very iffy." Harry spat with a sneer as his eyes darkened and his hand twitched as though he wanted to draw his wand and curse the professor where she stood. In fact, he did want to do just that.

"You wouldn't dare draw your wand on me." McGonagall shouted as she drew her own wand, she had seen Harry's hand twitch towards where she knew he kept his wand.

"HOW DARE YOU DRAW YOUR WAND ON MY STUDENT, WHEN HE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG?" Snape roared in fury as he pulled out his own wand and pointed it at McGonagall.

"ENOUGH." Dumbledore bellowed as he glared at the two professors who were squaring up to each other. "Minerva, put away your wand and wait for me in my office, we shall discuss you drawing a wand on a student." He turned to Snape but the potions master had already put his wand away.

After McGonagall had left in a huff, Dumbledore turned to Harry and Pansy, he noticed that the girl seemed very tense with what had just transpired and was clutching Harry's arm for dear life as she cuddled into his side.

"You both may go back to your common room." Dumbledore informed them gently with a smile.

"What about what Potter did to my cat." Filch shouted pointing his bony finger at Harry.

"I do not believe Harry or Miss Parkinson had anything to do with what happened to Mrs. Norris." Dumbledore said in a gentle voice as he put a hand on Filch's shoulder.

""Innocent until proven guilty." Snape said as he began leading Harry and Pansy out of the room.

Filch looked furious.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep-"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily as he turned to glare at the DADA professor. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school, I believe that I will make the Draught." And with that, he led Harry and Pansy out of the classroom and towards the common room in the dungeons.

End of Chapter.

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