Elizabeth Kane and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 16

I wondered, briefly, if dad would continue to have the job over the summer or if it was a winter job only. I didn't have much time to ponder this because I had a flash of vision that made me sick. Ginny Weasley was laying on some stones, dead.

I stood up quickly, making multiple Hufflepuffs around me look up. No one bothered with me though and I went in search of Ginny.

I found her and sat with her. We'd hung a handful of times over the past couple of months, though she liked to be with her friend group. At the moment, she was hanging with her friends in the library. I politely asked if I could sit with them and they all said yes, giggling slightly, and continuing a conversation about the newest gossip magazine.

I didn't join it. For one thing, I didn't like gossip magazines and never took out a subscription for them. For another, I was simply here because I was going to keep tabs on Ginny for the rest of the school year. Perhaps I hadn't intervened with the petrified students, but that was because I knew the effects were reversible. Death wasn't reversible.

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𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 the first exam, Professor McGonagall made an announcement at breakfast. "I have good news."

I had expected the Great Hall to go silent while people listened to what this news might be. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect as people started shouting out the sort of news they might like to hear.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" Was one wish of multiple people.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin?" Was another wish, mostly among the Ravenclaws.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" Oliver Wood practically shouted above everyone else. This made me laugh.

There many other shouts including cancelled exams, Lockhart being fired, Lockhart being kept for another year, and a strange wish of Hogwarts food now including American pizza. I laughed at the last one. What was American pizza? I'd have to ask Trang when she came home this summer. It sounded like a disease.

"Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

The Great Hall erupted into cheers.

Ron looked happier than he had in days, "It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then." he said to Harry and I. "Hermione'll have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over."

I laughed aloud with Harry. Real, true laughter.

Just then, Ginny sat down at the table, surprising me. She didn't usually approach Ron or I when Harry was with us. She looked, understandably, nervous and tense. Her hands were twisting in her lap.

"What's up?" Ron asked, not particularly looking closely at her as he helped himself to some porridge.

I frowned at him, pausing in the middle of getting my own bowl of porridge.

Ginny didn't say anything, but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table as though to see who might possibly be listening.

"Spit it out." Ron said, a bit rudely I though. But he was also looking at her with a look of concern on his face.

She started to rock back and forth where she was sitting and mumbled, "I've got to tell you something." She wouldn't look at Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked.