Chapter Seven; The Voice
October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup Potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.
Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened which was why June's brother wasn't found in Gryffindor Tower late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween.
Inside the common room, June, James, Ginny and Maribelle sat on the squishy, comfortable armchairs and couch. They sat comfortably in front of the warm fireplace chatting lazily, their laughter mingling with the other bustling of the Gryffindor common room. June's smile radiated genuine happiness making her smile infectious.
"So bored," June laughed, lazily lying her head over the back of the couch.
"Are we boring you?" James lightheartedly teased.
"What? No, I just miss going outside,"
"Why don't we play a game?" Maribelle suggested.
The four pulled out a deck of cards and started to play a game of Exploding Snaps. Again there chattering and laughter mingled with the rest of the bustle of the Gryffindor common room. the small noises of the exploding cards were unheard over the chatter of the other Gryffindor students.
After a long while, Harry returned to the common room drenched in mud and muck and was soaked to the bone. He hurried up to the boys' dormitories to presumably change. June was confused about how Harry had managed to get so muddy when Quidditch was a game you play in the sky. When Harry came back down, he waved her over.
"A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly, as June joined them. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those — it'll be fascinating!"
"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me. . . ."
"I would assume a deathday part would be like a birthday party. Ghost would celebrate their deathday like how we would celebrate our birthdays. They probably find it an accomplishment, for each year they're still in the live realm. " June informed the other ginger.
The rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.
Harry was at the point of telling June, Ron, and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when a salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room. June watched the sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions.
By the time Halloween arrived, Harry was openly regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party.
"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily."You said you'd go to the deathday party."
So at seven o'clock, there was a lack of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumours that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment. June had decided against joining the three because she had promised her friends that she'd join them for Halloween. Ginny had said she was feeling ill so she didn't join them.
The rumours had been true. As they ate and enjoyed the delicious feast a troupe of dancing skeletons entertain them. The Great Hall clattered with the clinking of utensils hitting their plates and the banter between houses as everyone enjoyed the night. June's friends, laughed at June and James as they passed witty comments back and forth, both faking annoyance while they joked. The whole night was going swell.
That was until June heard the voice. the Phantom voice that seemingly only she could hear. June was sitting happily when she heard it. It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.
". . . rip . . . tear . . . kill . . ."
Quickly, June looked furiously around the boisterous Great Hall, while everyone else looked unbothered by the horrible voice. Her friends looked at her curiously, and June brushed it off. Only for the voice to return.
". . . soo hungry . . . for so long . . ."
June urgently looked around the Great Hall again, again gaining the attention of her friends again. June thought she must have looked insane to her friends. Again she brushed them off, but she didn't relax, like how she did earlier. She kept her ears parked and listened hard for the voice again, and her body stayed stiff. June's eyes watched the exits of the embodiment of the voice to show itself. but it never did, but the disembodied voice came again.
". . . kill . . . time to kill . . ."
Fear gripped her. The voice now sounded closer. This time June didn't look around the Hall, or she didn't make it known. June's eyes flickered from the door behind the staff table the main entrance into the hall. Fear gripped her. From the floor above, andgrowing fainter, she heard the voice again.
". . . I smell blood. . . . I SMELL BLOOD!"
Her stomach lurched. While everyone else enjoyed the pudding, June was on the edge of her seat, gripped by fear, watching the exits for a quick escape. The voice was looking to kill somebody, and June was useless to do anything.
Quickly after the voice faded and didn't return, the school was dismissed to the common rooms and beds. As they made their way through the corridors, June realized that the floor was coated in water. After an eye roll and the thought of, Moaning Myrtle most have flooded the girls' washroom again. The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as June and the people infront spotted the hanging cat. And there, alone in the middle of the corridor, stood Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
There was something shining on the wall. Squinting through the darkness June saw foot-high words had beendaubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the lightcast by the flaming torches.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEENOPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
There was something hanging underneath the words. Quickly, June registered what it was and almost tripped over her own feet upon a gasp passing her lips. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from thetorch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. Silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.
Then someone shouted through the quiet.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"
It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat. Suddenly, the regained silence was broken again.
"What's going on here? What's going on?"
Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. His eyes then landed 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 ofother teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Come with me, Argus," he 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 —"
"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.
The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did ProfessorsMcGonagall and Snape. After the teachers left to deal with the problem, Percy Weasley and the other Prefects took charged and guided their house students back to the appropriate house common rooms. The chatter didn't return for the Gryffindors as they made their way quickly to Gryffindor Tower.