The One With Dobby's Information

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Astraea, Ron and Hermione had been working for almost an hour when the heard the door open. Astraea focused to hear the thoughts of the person. All she heard was:

'I hope it's not Percy'

'I hope I don't get attacked'

'I can't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again'

Harry! Astraea relaxed.

"It's me," he said, closing the door behind him, confirming Harry's theory. Hermione's eye peered through the keyhole.

"Harry!" she said. "You gave us such a fright — come in — how's your arm?"

"Fine," said Harry, squeezing into the stall. 

"We'd've come to meet you, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained as Harry, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."

"And to suffocate", Astraea added.

Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted.

"We already know — we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going —"

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."

"There's something else," said Harry, watching Astraea tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."

Harry told them everything Dobby had told him — or hadn't told him. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open, while Astraea was trying to process why Dobby seems familiar.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.

"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."

"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself — pretend to be a suit of armor or something — I've read about Chameleon Ghouls —"

"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Harry. "So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm. . . ." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."

"Guys", Astraea spoke at last. They looked at her. "I don't think it's Malfoy, I've been trying to read his mind every time I see him, all he thinks about is Harry. If you ask me, that's gay and creepy"

Ron laughed, "Don't be homophobic"

"You know I'm not, but Draco is not dangerous. Neither is Lucius", she replied.

"Let's be on the safe side", said Harry. 

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The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

Astraea, who students started bullying more, was distraught, but Fred and George were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. Every time they failed since she could easily read their minds and detect what's going to happen. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her they are causing Astraea nightmares.

In the second week of December, Minnie came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, and Hermione signed her list; they had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious. Astraea signed for two reasons; one to help with the Polyjuice Potion and two because as usual her mother has work. Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Astraea heard Harry think  he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch him robbing his office. It made her laugh.


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Editinggg!!!

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