Finding The Light

How Embarassing (edited)

"Let's get out of here," Ron said, but it was too late.

There was a rumble of footsteps and students were suddenly all around us. It was silent for a few minutes, but Malfoy shoved his way through with a smirk.

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

Well that was typical, and completely expected. I just shook my head at his un-originallity.

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

We all gulped as Filch rounded the corner, took one look at Mrs Norris and then came down on Harry and I. I would have let out a terrified scream at his face it the other teachers hadn't arrived.

"Argus!" Dumbledore called warningly. In seconds, he had swept past us and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and Miss Sparrow."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly and said, "My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free -"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore who shot me an amused look as Snape caught me by my collar in my attempt to sneak off.

Once the door was closed, Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. The four of us exchanged tense looks waited.

"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 . . ."

"Oh would you shut up!" I snapped, "This is important, you're not!"

"Miss Sparrow," McGonagall said, but I could see a small smile.

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

I threw the first book I found, clunking Lockhart on the head, now Dumbledore and even Snape were hiding smiles. Snape too! That must have been the first time ever! Well, it was more a smirk to be honest but it was something.

"She's not dead, Argus," Dumbledore said softly

"Not dead?" choked Filch, "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore.

"Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart, "Ouch!" Another book had hit him, this time in the gut.

"But how, I cannot say . . . ."

"Ask them two!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry and I.

I quickly hid the book i had raised over my head and whistled innocently.

"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! He found - in my office - he knows I'm a – and last year you said – you said she used dangerous magic!"

"OI, ADVANCED MAGIC NOT DANGEROUS AND I DID NOTHING TO YOUR STUPID CAT!" I yelled.

"We never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry exclaimed. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape, "Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"