Rosabella Black|Daughter of Sirius Black|(Book 2)

Aragog

Rosabella's Point of View:

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle. Sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right. No better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.

Harry, Ron and I had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.
  
"We're taking no more chances. No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off. . ." Madam Pomfrey told us severely through a crack in the infirmary door.

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.

Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand then Dumbledore's. The trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow. Harry looked everywhere he went, helped rather reluctantly by Ron and I. I hated every minute if spider hunting but if it meant catch who's responsible for all this then it would be worth it.

We were hampered, of course, by the fact that we weren't allowed to wander off on our own but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors. Most of our fellow students seemed glad that we were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but I found it very irksome.

One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy. We didn't realize what he was so pleased about until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry and I overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle.
   
"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore. I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in. . ." Malfoy said, not troubling to keep his voice down.

Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.
  
"Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?" Malfoy said loudly.
   
"Now, now, Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough." Snape said, though he couldn't suppress a thin - lipped smile.
   
"Yeah, right. I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job - I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir -" Malfoy said, smirking.

Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.
  
"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now. Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger -" Malfoy went on.

The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky. At Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool right after me. My intent was to bash Malfoy's head off the desk. In the scramble to collect bags and books, our attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.

Harry was holding me back as Seamus and Dean held Ron back. I fought against Harry's hold.
  
"Let me at him. I'll smash his head in so hard he'll never leave Saint Mungo's!" I growled.
  
"I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands -" Ron growled as Seamus and Dean held him back.
   
"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology." Snape barked over the class's heads, and off we marched, with Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus and I  bringing up the rear.