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WEEKS HAD PASSED since that confrontation with the Gryffindors. That day had been Elara's second year celebrating Halloween at Hogwarts.
The Halloween feast had just ended. Last year's Halloween feast was ruined because of a loose troll in the Dungeons, and thankfully this year nothing remotely close to that had happened. But attending a school like Hogwarts, by the end of the night Halloween was described as anything but nice.
The Slytherin duo, their Hufflepuff and everyone else from the Great Hall were heading back to their dorms. There was loud happy talk leaving everyone's mouths.
The noise became extinct as people in the front spotted a hanging cat. It was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker Filch's cat. She was stiff as a board, eyes wide and staring as she hung by her tail from a torch bracket.
Many students in the crowd moved forward to see why everyone had stopped talking and moving so suddenly. In the middle of the corridor, it was no surprise Potter, Weasley and Granger stood alone. Of course trouble always followed these three.
There was something shimmering in the light casted by the flaming torches. It caught Elara's eyes. There were foot-high words written on the wall.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
Was that blood they were written in? Elara wondered, narrowing her eyes at the wording. That was certainly a very gruesome thing to do.
She turned to Draco first. Then her eyes flickered to Blaise, Millicent and Theo. They all wordlessly asked each other if they had been the ones to do such a thing. But the obvious answer was no.
The girl hadn't noticed how Potter stared at her and Draco accusingly. He didn't want to, but he was wondering to himself if they were the cause of this. If they were the reason he was hearing a voice in his head.
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Upon seeing Mrs. Norris, the man fell back, clutching his face in horror.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" He shrieked, then his eyes fell on Potter. "You!" The caretaker screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll—"
"Argus!"
Dumbledore had arrived at the scene, followed by numerous other teachers. Within seconds, the Headmaster detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Come with me, Argus," Dumbledore said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. "My office is nearest, Headmaster, just upstairs. Please feel free–"
