Bat-Bogey Hexers

19

Everyone was beyond exited for the upcoming Halloween feast. There were rumors that Dumbledore had hired a troop of dancing skeletons. While Ginny was just as exited as anyone else, she never made it to the feast.

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Ginny blinked at her own reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be at the Halloween feast. Where was she anyway. Ginny looked around and recognized it as the out of order girls bathroom. Ginny thought hard. Last she remembered was heading down to the great hall with the other Gryffindors, then pausing to use the bathroom. But this had not been the bathroom she'd gone into...had it?

Ginny looked down into the sink below. Her hands were resting on the porcelain edges and her eyes widened when she saw them. Her heart jumped. Her hands...were covered...in...blood. For a moment all Ginny could do was gaze in horror while her mind went completely and utterly blank.

Blood.

Ginny took a deep breath and lifted a hand up to her face for closer inspection. Wait, thought Ginny as she eyed the red gloppy stuff. That isn't blood! It's paint! For a moment Ginny could breath freely again. But within seconds more unanswered questions were popping into her mind. Why was she in this bathroom? Why hadn't she gone down to the feast? Why were her hands covered in paint?

Ginny's mind screamed in confusion as she washed her hands off under the cold water. The paint turned a pinkish color as it rushed off her hands and down the curves of the sink bowl.

She dried her hands on her robes then headed out of the bathroom. The floor was flooded with water. Ginny sloshed through it as she crossed the room. She opened the door to step out, and was alarmed to find the hall filled with people and murmuring. She quickly shut the door. What was going on?

After a moment of shock, Ginny slowly reopened the door just a crack. The sight that met her eyes made her stomach churn. Mrs Norris, the Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch's cat, was hanging from a torch bracket post her body rigid and stiff. Dead, Ginny thought in horror. Professor Dumbledore came into view and detached the poor cat from where she hung.

His calm voice came floating into the bathroom through the cracked open door.

"Come with me Argus. You, too, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley Miss Granger."

Ginny frowned in confusion. What did Ron, Harry and Hermione have to do with Filch's cat, poor thing. Ginny could here murmurings and shifting feet, but could only Dumbledore was in sight.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster- just upstairs -please feel free-"

The eager voice undoubtedly belonged to Gilderoy Lockhart. This was confirmed when Dumbledore said "Thank you, Gilderoy,"

Dumbledore moved out of view and was followed by Filch. Filch's shoulders were shaking with sobs. No one liked the caretaker, but Ginny couldn't help but feel bad for him right then.

"Let's go check it out!" Ginny heard a boy yell. The professors must've left.

"No Cormac, get away from there!" Ginny heard her own brother, Percy, yell.

Two third year boys came running into view despite the prefects warning. Ginny hastily shut the bathroom door so they wouldn't see her. She pressed her ear up the door.

"Go up to bed right now! This is a crime scene, not a playground!" Percy yelled.

Ginny waited until the voices and footsteps had faded away. Then she cautiously poked her head out. Finding the hallway empty, Ginny stepped out.

It was just as flooded as the bathroom. Ginny looked about nervously. She had no idea what had happened to Mrs Norris but something must've killed the cat, and it could be lurking about. However there was nothing out of order...then Ginny noticed the paint. Foot high words had been daubed on the hallway.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BERN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE.

It wasn't the words that made Ginny's eyes widen in horror. No, it was the paint. The paint, which was exactly the same color as the paint that had been on her hands.

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"Draco Malfoy's right you know," said Morgana as the first year, Slytherin girls entered their dormitory. She sat in the edge of her bed with an exited expression on her face. "Mudblood's will be next,"

Her and Bertha both looked at Ava, who didn't return the girl's stares as she brushed out her curls before bed. Viola busied herself with caring for her pets, not wanting to get mixed up in the mess.

After the Halloween feast -which had been very grand and even almost fun as the other Slytherins had excepted her much more since she'd hexed Hugo- all the students had been heading up to bed when there was a huge hubbub in the hallway. Something about the "Chamber of Secretes" was written on the wall and Argus Filch's cat was apparently dead. It was all very confusing. Dumbledore had called Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger along with him and the other professors. But that was only after Draco Malfoy had pushed to the front of the crowd and shouted "Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next mudbloods!"

The excitement in the boys pale face made Viola feel sick. What was wrong with him? He wanted people to die? Viola'd caught sight of Harry glaring at Malfoy.

"What even is the Chamber of Secrets?" Bertha asked now, in the dormitory.

"It's a secrete chamber created by Salazar Slytherin because, well obviously, because he was far superior to the other Hogwarts founder! It was opened a about fifty years ago," Morgana said with a laugh. "Honestly haven't you heard your parents talking about it? It's a famous story, although my parents won't say who opened it last..."

"So...what's the big deal with the Chamber?" asked Bertha. "Is it scary?"

The delight on Morgana's face only grew. "Supposedly there is a monster who dwells there!"

That piqued Viola's interest. She stood from where she'd been squatting by her pet cage. Monty the snake was in her arms. "What kind of a monster?" Viola asked with interest.

"I've heard it's a giant snake!" Said Morgana.

Bertha's small eyes fell on Monty. She yelped and pointed at Viola. "It's you! You opened the Chamber of Secrets! That's the snake!"

"Don't be an idiot Bertha!" Morgana scoffed. "It's a snake much bigger than that puny one!"

"Oh," said Bertha.

Viola was very curious about the whole thing. Animals were one of the most interesting things in life. Caring for them and learning about them made her happier than anything else did. Seeing Mrs Norris's stiff, dead body had been awful for her, even if Mrs Norris was a cranky creature. And even though it was probably this snake that had killed the cat, Viola would love to see a fascinating, new creature.

The girls fell silent as they got in bed, but Viola had no doubt they were all thinking of the same thing.

"Goodnight Ava," Morgana said, when she was under her covers. Ava looked around in surprise. Morgana smiled at the muggle born girl. "You probably won't be around for much longer so I figured I should start being nicer to you,"

Ava just stared at Morgana, the emotion she was feeling completely invisible. Viola could only stare at Morgana. The girl had the most cold heart Viola had encountered, even colder than Viola's mothers or Draco Malfoys.