The Teacher's Son

Chapter 15

McGonagall watched as the second years wrote their quiz. Most of them seemed to at least have a general idea of what was going on.

Her gaze drifted to Harry and she frowned. He seemed fidgety. At least, more fidgety than normal.

He glanced up at her and smiled weakly, then went back to the quiz.

McGonagall sighed.

As she collected the quizzes, she raised an eyebrow at her son, asking him a silent question.

Harry hesitated, then shook his head. Whatever this thing was that he had been hearing, his mum probably already knew what it was.

McGonagall stacked the parchment on her desk and turned to the class. 

"Today we will be discussing..."

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"Come on, let's go!" Ron said quietly.

"We promised Nick we would stay. It's his death day party, we have to be polite." Hermione insisted.

"I think we've been here long enough for it to be polite." Harry said, starting to skirt the room on his way to the door.

Hermione sighed as Ron followed, then moved to catch up with them.

Once they were out of the door, Harry started towards the exit to the dungeons.

"Y'know, if we hurry we can still have a little bit to eat at the Halloween Feast." Ron said hopefully.

Hermione nodded. "The death day party didn't have food, no one would ask questions if we went and got food now, even though there's not much left of the feast, probably."

Harry opened his mouth to answer, then froze.

"Rip....tear....kill..."

"Do you hear that?" He asked his friends.

"Hear what, Harry?" Hermione frowned.

"That voice!" Harry exclaimed.

"There's no voice, Harry." Ron said slowly.

"Let me rip you....tear you....kill you!"

"There is!" Harry ran down the hall. "Come on, we gotta follow it!"

"But Harry, we can't hear it!" Hermione protested, running after him.

Harry ignored them, following the voice.

"I smell....blood....I smell blood!" The voice cheered menacingly.

"Hurry, it's closing in! It's gonna kill!" Harry tried to speed up, but slipped as he turned the corner. He barely registered the water all over the floor as he looked down, more focused on getting to his feet. He was determined to find out what this thing was.

"Harry wait!" Hermione shouted.

He ignored her.

Harry's feet splashed through the water that was flooding the corridor.

"Moaning Myrtle's been at it again." He heard Hermione mutter.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked.

Harry slid to a stop, staring at the wall. 

"Oh my...." Hermione said quietly.

"Is that Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked.

"Yep." Harry said, his voice shaking a little.

Just then, the three of them heard the loud footsteps of hundreds of teenagers headed their way.

Harry turned, hoping to find somewhere where the three of them weren't so conspicuous.

No such luck. The students turned the corners and came face to face with Harry, Ron and Hermione standing under a frozen cat hanging from a torch-holder with a message scrawled on the wall behind them in blood.

'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware.'

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Minerva shooed the students away as the professors talked. She heard Lockhart's boastful tones and rolled her eyes.

Harry, Ron and Hermione stood off to the side, watching the other teachers. She caught Harry's eye and gave him a look that said 'we'll be discussing this.'

The raven-haired boy paled, but he nodded.

Filch carefully detached his cat from the fixture, whimpering quietly.

"Now, Argus, we can fix her, she's only petrified." Dumbledore said soothingly.

"Too bad I wasn't there. I know just the counter-curse that could have saved her." Lockhart said confidently.

Of course you did. Minerva thought.

The teachers followed Dumbledore as he led a distraught Filch down the corridor.

Harry, Ron and Hermione moved to follow, but McGonagall stopped them.

"You two will be going back to your dorms now. Mr. Potter, come with me." 

He nodded, but Hermione seemed to have different ideas.

"Don't just punish Harry, Professor, we all went, we were at Nick's death day party together."

"I am aware of the events that transpired in the dungeon. I need to speak with Harry alone." McGonagall told her coldly.

Hermione looked at her feet, nodding meekly.

"Good. Mr. Potter, come with me." McGonagall's robes swished as she turned and headed down the hallway.

Only one thing went through Harry's mind.

I'm screwed.

[A/N Lockhart's annoying to write, even if I only write little bits at a time]