Halloween was here. Everyone but Evangeline was in a happy mood. All day, Evangeline had been looking worried, like she expected something to happen, but she wouldn’t say a word about it when asked.
Later on, Evangeline, Harry, Hermione and Ron made their way to the Great Hall. Plates of sumptuous food lay on the table but Evangeline didn’t take much – she had only eaten an egg when she gasped and dropped her fork.
“What’s going on?” asked Harry, Ron and Hermione simultaneously but a fraction of a second later, Harry heard the voice again and he knew Evangeline could hear it too.
“… rip… tear… kill… soo hungry… for so long… kill… time to kill… I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!”
His stomach lurched — “It’s going to kill someone!” he shouted, and ignoring Ron’s and Hermione’s bewildered faces, he jumped up. Everyone was looking at them now.
“Harry, no! You have to stay, it’s too dangerous!” shouted Evangeline as Harry made to go out.
“Don’t you understand, it wants to kill!” shouted Harry at her in exasperation. “I think I know more than you! That’s why I was so distracted the whole day! I can see it! The Chamber of Secrets is re-opened!” she yelled back. Harry did not know what the chamber of secrets is, but he knew it was bad because it caused an outbreak of panic with the teachers. Without waiting, she sprang off, shouted for Harry, Hermione and Ron to stay and sprinted out of the hall. Harry, Hermione and Ron stared at each other and then ran off after her, ignoring the teachers that were calling them back. “If she thinks we’re going to leave her to fend for herself, she’s wrong!” said Ron.
When they finally caught up to her, it was when she had stopped dead. “What, what?” asked Ron, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor. “Look!”
Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE
“What’s that thing — hanging underneath?” said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.
As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped — there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron, Evangeline and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.
Mrs. Norris, the caretaker’s cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.
“What’s going on here? What’s going on?” Argus Filch, the old caretaker, appeared from the other end of the corridor. He then saw Mrs Norris.
“My cat! My cat! What’s happened to Mrs. Norris?” he shrieked. And his popping eyes fell on Harry. “You!” he screeched. “You! You’ve murdered my cat! You’ve killed her! I’ll kill you! I’ll —”
“Argus!”
Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Evangeline, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. “Come with me, Argus,” he said to Filch. “You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss Millenia, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger.”
Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. “My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —”
“Thank you, Gilderoy,” said Dumbledore.
