The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter 12

"The two of you are a handful. It seems like I see you everyday even during the school year outside of class for one thing or another," he said with a slight smile.

"Don't even try to act like you don't love it. You love seeing our gorgeous faces," I replied sarcastically.

"Whatever you say, my dear. Now are you two going to stay and make my life miserable tonight and drink all my tea or are you going back upstairs?"

"We're staying," I said with a smirk.

"We can leave if you want," Blake said.

"Nah don't even give him an option to get rid of us. All he would do is something boring like read a book or grade some papers, we are so much more fun than that."

"Much louder too," Severus chimed.

We stayed down there for another hour and a half before it was time to go to bed. We passed the time joking around and drinking tea. We didn't mention a serious topic the rest of the night. We just talked about our trips to Hogsmeade that would be starting soon for this year. They always started about mid October.

Finally it was time to go back up and go to bed, "Okay Blake it's time to get back upstairs, it's getting close to curfew."

"What do you mean? Both of you are going upstairs?" Severus asked.

I cursed myself mentally. It's not that I don't trust Severus, it's just that he was a teacher and the head of Slytherin for that matter. I wasn't sure how he was going to react when we told him Blake was staying with us.

I twisted my hands and said, "Blake may sorta be staying in the Gryffindor's dormitory because Draco and his friends kicked him out of the Slytherin one. Please don't tell McGonagall, he can't go back there. It's working out, and no one even knows. Please don't."

Severus held up his hands in defense, "Of course I won't. I'm glad you're safer at night. I'll be a great deal less worried now. Okay off to bed for the both of you then."

It was sweet that he cared about Blake's well behind and obviously Blake was touched because he couldn't get the smile off his face.

Up until Halloween our lives were pretty much uneventful. The dementors were still here but they hadn't caused any more problems. I had extra classes Monday thru Thursday, and on Thursdays Blake joined me and my father to learn some Dark Arts and how to protect his mind. On Fridays we kept holding our spell club which was going strong and everyone seemed to love. On the weekends when we didn't have classes we all hung out somewhere in the castle and a few times Blake and I went down to the dungeons and just hung out with Severus. Ginny was with us sometimes but she also made friends in her year and hung out with them a lot too. Blake staying in the Gryffindor dormitory was working out perfectly as no one seemed to suspect a thing.

On Halloween the Great Hall looked amazing at dinner. Professor Flitwick had worked to charm some pumpkins to light up and float at the ceiling instead of the normal candles. The drapery had been changed to orange and black and had little jack-o-lanterns on them. There was candy corn and a lot of other candy on the table. I had even convinced Severus to change the white vest he always wore to a deep orange, so he was dressed in orange and black.

At the end of dinner Harry asked, "Did you guys hear that?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah I could've sworn someone said kill but I don't know where it was coming from."

"I didn't hear anything guys," Hermione said, "Maybe you just are hearing someone talking in the hall or something."

I heard someone say kill again and Harry must've too because he stood up and said, "I heard it again."

"I didn't hear anything mate," Ron said.

"We need to go check it out. I heard something," I said.

I got Blake's attention and he got up as we did and left the Great Hall with us. The voice was louder out here.

We started walking until the voice got louder and louder. Hermione, Ron and Blake looked confused as Harry and I raced through the castle following the voice.

Finally the voice got louder and louder until it stopped. Harry and I kept walking until the end of the corridor near where the dungeons were, where there was something hanging from the wall.

We ran up to it nearing slipping on the slippery floor, and saw it was a cat hanging upside down. I looked closer and saw it was Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. Above the cat there was something written. It read, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.

Hermione asked, "The voice led you here?"

Harry and I nodded while looking at each other horrified.

Suddenly there was a large group of kids of all ages wearing green that rounded the corner and saw us at the end of the corridor. They all came towards us as we stood there in fear.

Once they were upon us someone read aloud, "Enemies of the heir beware, what does that mean?"

"Is that Filch's cat?" someone else asked.

"I think those Gryffindors did this," another person called out.

Suddenly the crowd parted slightly as I saw my father and Filch make their way to the front.

"What happened to my cat? Did you five kill it?" Filch asked hysterical.

I saw Dumbledore walk over and he said, "It appears to me that your cat is not dead, merely petrified. I've heard that Professor Sprout has been working with Mandrakes, I'm sure we can whip up something to get her un-petrified soon."

"What were you five doing here anyways? Your dormitory isn't over here," Severus asked.

I lied, "We were going with Blake to get something from his dormitory quick before going to the library."

Severus shook his head and said, "Very well."

Filch said, "They need to be punished! My cat is petrified; I need to see some punishment."

"I don't believe they did anything to your cat but we will investigate into it," Dumbledore told him calmly.

"I bet one of these rotten kids did it," Filch muttered.

"That is most likely the case, but as Dumbledore said, we can't prove it yet. I will personally look into this for you though," Severus assured him.

Dumbledore encouraged everyone to go to their dormitory and soon everyone had gone away except for the five of us with Filch, Dumbledore and Severus.

Dumbledore said, "I believe you when you say you have nothing to do with this but I'm afraid there is obviously some evidence to counter your word. I'll tell McGonagall what has happened and she'll look into this case for you four and since Professor Snape is your head of house Mr. Cox I'm sure he will take care of looking into your case. You should all be getting back to your dormitory to get some sleep or to talk. Mr. Filch why don't you come with me and we'll go speak with Professor Sprout about how long until the Mandrakes will be matured."
Filch walked off with Dumbledore glaring at us as he left.

The five of us stood there along with my father now.