Chapter 20: It Can't Wait

Chris shouted as she ran towards Colin. She touched his hand which was hard as a stone. Chris started to sweat.

What to do? What to do?

Just then someone came towards them.

"Miss. Norton?"

Chris looked up and saw Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall was shocked to see Colin.

"What happened Miss. Norton?"

Professor Dumbledore came from another side.

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall said as he saw him.

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Professor Dumbledore looked at Chris and Colin.

"To the Hospital Wing." He ordered.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall carried Colin's statue-like body. Chris was following them behind. She felt like someone was stabbing her heart. The guilt of Harry's hand injury wasn't even gone when this happened to Colin. Ginny wasn't talking to her either. She clenched her fist. She was angry with herself.

As they placed Colin on a bed in Hospital wing,

"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried to get Madam Pomfrey.

Soon Professor McGonagall came back followed by Madam Pomfrey. She took a sharp breath.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.

"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "But I think Miss. Norton will able to explain what happened."

Madam Pomfrey noticed Chris who was standing near the wall.

"She was there too?" Madam Pomfrey asked looking surprised.

"Yes. I was passing by when I heard Miss. Norton's scream." Said Professor McGonagall. "What happened Miss. Norton?"

"I... Ummm...." Chris was trembling. She took a few deep breaths then said, "Colin wanted to meet Harry and give some fruits to him. He asked me to come with him. I agreed. We were on our way to here when I saw...." Chris paused.

"You saw what?" Professor McGonagall asked hurriedly.

"I saw someone's robes. Someone was hiding from us. I tried to follow that person but couldn't find him or her, and by the time I came back, Colin was on the floor. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have left him alone." Chris's voice trembled again. "Professor is he also petrified?"

"Yes." Said Professor Dumbledore. "And I think if you would've been there with him then you could've been attacked too."

All of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.

"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.

Dumbledore opened the back of the camera.

"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.

A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. There was a strong smell of burnt plastic.

"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly. "All melted ..."

Chris gathered herself and asked directly to Professor Dumbledore, "It's the monster within the chamber, isn't Professor?"

This time her voice wasn't trembling nor there was fear, it was a determination in her voice.

"Miss. Norton!" Professor McGonagall tried to stop Chris but Professor Dumbledore said, "It's alright Minerva. They have the right to know." He looked at Chris. "Yes. Miss. Norton. I also think the same. And it means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore.

"But.... who?"

"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how...."

Is that mean Professor Dumbledore knows who the heir is? Or he thinks who opened the chamber is less important than... how that person opened it?

"Minerva I will ask you to escort Miss. Norton to the Gryffindor tower. I think she should not go alone." Professor Dumbledore' voice brought Chris back from her thoughts.

"Sure... Professor..." Professor McGonagall said and turned towards Chris. Chris nodded and was about to leave the wing when Dumbledore's voice sounded again, "Try not to wander around alone, Miss. Norton."

Chris looked back at Colin and left. That night was very difficult for Chris. She wanted to let out her anger, guilt, pain. She wanted to scream but there was no way. She went to her room and silently fell on her bed. Her eyes were sleepless. She stared at the window for hours. Finally, when she closed her eyes, her nightmares came back.

She was in the middle of the forest, standing in front of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. They were standing face to face, glaring at each other.

"I am asking you for the last time. Where is the Chamber, Salazar?" Godric Gryffindor roared.

"Do you think after insulting me, you will get an answer from me?" Salazar Slytherin answered angrily.

"I didn't say anything wrong about you. You're selfish and only think about yourself. We asked you to make the Chamber defend our school from enemies not to encourage your low intentions."

"That is enough Godric. Who are you, to talk about low intentions! You are asking about the chamber so that you can kill what is inside it." Salazar said angrily.

"Yes, I do .... to save my students."

"You mean the Muggle-borns... Don't worry. Muggles are cowards. They always try to destroy the unknown .... and when they couldn't able to destroy it they run away from it. They will run away from Hogwarts in no time, after listening to the tale of my secret chamber." He smirked.

"I will make sure they don't Salazar. I will prove you wrong." Godric said clenching his fist.

Chris woke up. After leaving the dormitory Chris didn't want to go for breakfast but out of habit, her legs brought her to Great Hall. As she realized she was in Great Hall she turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Luna came in front of her.

Without thinking, Chris hugged Luna. Luna didn't give any sign of feeling surprised and patted Chris's back. "There. There."

After some time they sat on a table and Chris told Luna about Colin. Surprisingly she was feeling much better.

"Stop beating yourself over it, Chris. It's not your fault."

"I don't..." before Chris can finish Hermione and Ron came towards her running.

"Chris! Is that true... Colin?" Hermione was out of words.

"Yes. I was with him." Chris whispered.

"Really? What happened?" Ron asked.

Chris repeated everything.... what she saw and what happened...

"We have to start our work, Chris. We can't wait anymore." Hermione said after listening to everything.

Chris looked at Luna debating, that she should say anything about their investigations or not.

"It's alright. Tell me when you feel like it. I'm always here to listen or talk. I trust you." Luna said and gave a big smile.

"Thanks, Luna. I'll tell you soon." Chris said, gave her a quick hug and left with Ron and Hermione. They quickly gathered the ingredients from the student store-cupboard but two ingredients were not there. Hermione assured she will manage it. Then Hermione took them to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Are you sure it's safe here?" Chris asked as they entered.

"Absolutely. This is the safest place. No one will think we are here." Hermione replied happily.

"Except Percy," Ron added.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"He saw us last time when we were here and took house points." Ron snorted.

Chris sighed.

"I hope he didn't catch us, again." She said.

"Don't worry. He won't." Hermione said as she conjured a portable, waterproof fire and perched an old cauldron on it.

Suddenly a shrieking sound came from a stall.

"What's that?" Startled Chris asked.

"Myrtle," Ron answered.

Myrtle started to cry noisily.

"You start Hermione," Chris said and went towards the stall where Myrtle was.

"Hello, Myrtle." She said with a smile.

Myrtle abruptly stopped.

"You're that nice girl," Myrtle said.

"... er... Thanks... I'm Chris."

"Yes. Yes. I remember. You see, my memory is very sharp. If I notice something clearly I never forget it."

"... Ummm ... so I was saying. We're working on ... something here...."

"So?" Myrtle said curiously.

"Nothing... just don't tell anyone please..." Chris was going to ask her not to make noise but she realized it'll not work so she said something else.

Myrtle suddenly giggled shocking Chris.

"I'm not so stupid, Chris. When I saw your friends coming here for the second time I understood you all are up to something. Don't worry. I'm not Peeves. You were nice to me. I'll not tell anyone, though, no one listens to me." She said and rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over the place and vanishing from sight. Chris raised her eyebrows in amazement then came back to Ron and Hermione.