"WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO celebrate the day they died?" Ron questioned as he finished off his Potions homework. "Sounds dead depressing to me..."
Rain hit the windows as the firelight glowed causing the room to light up, displaying all of the people that sat in the common room.
Aria, Harry, Ron and Hermione were discussing what Harry had found out after detention about filch and the Kwikspell as well as his promise to Nick that he would go to his deathday party.
Aria tilted her head at the ginger boy her short under grown nails tapping against the seat cushion of the couch she was sitting on before humming out, "have much experience with that Ron? I think it's a distinguished way to look at a bad experience. After all, dying is just a wild night and a new road."
~~
At seven o'clock, the quartet held their promise and walked straight past the doorway to the Great Hall and down the passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party. The girl, of course, had her robes wrapped around her body to block out the cold of the castle which Aria was thankful for considering it seemed that every step the quartet took the temperature dropped.
A shiver went down the girls spine as what sounded like thousand of fingernails scraping against a blackboard hit her ears she scrunched up her nose in slight confusion.
"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered quietly as they turned a corner and saw Nick standing at the doorway with black velvet drapes.
"My dear friends," he greeted "welcome, welcome... so pleased you could come."
The ghost swept off his hat and bowed them inside and so they entered. The dungeon was filled with hundreds of translucent people drifting around the dance floor, waltzing almost dreadfully. It was like stepping into a freezer -- you could see their breath rise in a mist before them as they breath.
"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested which Aria nodded to in agreement.
"Careful not to walk through anyone," Ron stated nervously as they set off around the edge of the dance floor.
As they walked around observing the people who decided to make their appearance Hermione's hand was quick to grab Aria's arm in protest causing the girl to come to a pit stop.
"What?" Aria asked confused
"It's Moaning Myrtle," Hermione stressed to which Aria's eyes widened shortly.
"Who?" Harry asked as they backtracked quickly.
"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," Aria explained to the boys quickly.
"She haunts a toilet?"
"Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you —" Hermione continued but was cut off by Ron's sudden voice.
"Look, food!"
Aria rolled her eyes at the boy's excitement and they approached the table. A disgusting whiff hit their noses as Aria's eyes observed the food in front of her.
Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes,burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold and,in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
died 31st October, 1492
A ghost approached the table nearby and crouched low and walked through it his mouth opened wide so that it passed through one of the salmon.
"Can you taste it if you walk through it?" Harry asked him curiously.
"Almost," he replied sadly before drifting away causing Aria to frown slightly.
"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," Hermione suggested.
"Most likely," Aria nodded
"Can we move? I feel sick." Ron asked as they turned around yet they turned to a halt when a man swooped by suddenly from under the table.
"Hello, Peeves." Aria greeted with a kind smile.
"Nibbles?" he offed to which Aria shook her head.
"No thanks," Hermione and Aria replied together.
"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," Peeves hummed "Rude you was about poor Myrtle,"
The ghost paused before taking a deep breath and bellowing, "OY! MYRTLE!"
Aria's eyes widened as she exchanged a glance with Hermione who looked frantically worried.
"Oh, no, peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset. I didn't mean it, I don't mind her -- er, hello, Myrtle."
"What?" Myrtle greeted sulkily.
"How are you, Myrtle?" Hermione asked is a fake bright voice.
"It's nice to see you out of the toilet." Hermione nodded causing Aria to let out a short chuckle under her breath which earned a short nudge from Hermione and a glare as Myrtle sniffed.
"Miss Granger was just talking about you ----" Peeves told the girl.
"Just saying --- saying ----" Hermione stuttered out
"She was just saying how nice you look tonight, jeez Mione spit it out." Aria joked lightly at the last part as Myrtle eyed the girls suspiciously.
"You're making fun of me," Myrtle began to weep.
"No-- honestly -- didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" Hermione asked the boys nudging them in the ribs.
"Oh, yeah--"
"she did--"
"don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped tears flooding down her face as Peeves chuckled happily causing Aria to glare at the man.
"D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"
"You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed causing her to burst into tears and fled the dungeon.
"Peeves!" Aria exclaimed but Peeves only laughed at the girl and took off after Myrtle yelling, "Pimply! Pimply!"
"oh, dear," Hermione stated sadly as Nick drifted towards them.
"Enjoying yourselves?" he asked
"oh yes." they lied.
"Not a bad turnout," he stated proudly "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent. . . . It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra."
The orchestra came to a quick stop and everyone fell silent as a hunting horn sounded.
"Oh, here we go." he stated bitterly.
Through the dungeon walls dozen of ghost horses each with a headless horseman riding them. The assembly clapped wildly and Harry began to but when Aria caught Nick's facial expression she grabbed the boys hand causing him to stop and look at her confused she shook her head and nudged towards Nick which caused Harry's hands to fall to his sides once again.
The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and a ghost leapt down lifting his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd as everyone laughed and he walked over Nick squashing his head back onto his neck.
"Nick!" he roared "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"
"Welcome, Patrick." Nick stated stiffly. Patrick spotted the quarter standing nearby and exclaimed with a fake jump of astonishment so that his head fell off again causing the crowd to howl with laughter, "Live 'uns!"
"Very amusing," Nick stated darkly.
"Don't mind Nick!" Patrick's head said from the floor.
"Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say —look at the fellow--"
"I think," Harry spoke hurriedly "Nick's very — frightening and — er —"
"Ha! Bet he asked you to say that!" Patrick's head yelled
"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" Nick stated loudly striding towards the podium
"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow...."
However everyone seemed to be distracted by the headless hunt's head hockey game that they had started and no one would listen.
"I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered his teeth chattering
"Me neither," Aria shook her head hugging herself as ghosts swept back to the floor creating a cold wind.
"Let's go," Harry agreed
They backed out of the room awkwardly and hurried back up the passageway.
"Pudding might now be finished yet," Ron stated hopefully
It wasn't until Harry came to a stumbled halt, clutching the stone wall, that they came to a stop.
"Harry, what're you ---"
"It's that voice again -- shut up a minute--"
"Listen!" Harry exclaimed urgently causing the trio to freeze watching him.
But as Aria obeyed and attempted to listen the girl heard almost a murderous voice.
"... let me in.... you can't hide from me forever..."
Aria's eyes shot open to see Harry in front of her with a concerned look plastered on his face.
"did you hear it?" he asked
"No, I forgot to do my potions assignment... of course I heard it!" she hissed sarcastically. The two took of up the stairs and trying to use the voice to locate where it was strongest and it wasn't until the girl came to a sudden halt when Harry grabbed the girls arm before her feet touched the blood that was spilled across the ground, her eyes followed it to see that on the wall better two windows of shimmering light casted by flaming torches was written,
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEENOPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
"What's that thing --- hanging underneath?" Ron asked a slight quiver in his voice. As they approached closer they noticed that the thing hanging underneath the words was no other then Mrs. Norris hanging by her tail from the torch bracket, still as a board.
"Let's get out of here." Ron declared
"Shouldn't we try and help --" Harry began
"Trust me, we don't want to be found here." Ron urged.
Yet it was too late, students had left the Great Hall and were now bustling towards their area. But the chattering noise became quiet instantly as they spotted what was in front of the quarter.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Draco called out stalking forward a grin on his face.
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Filch exclaimed pushing his way forward through the crowd yet when his eyes landed on Mrs. Norris he fell back clutching his face in horror.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked his eyes landing on Harry who was in front of Aria, Ron and Hermione in peer sight.
"You!" He screeched "You! You have murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll --"
He was cut off strictly by Dumbledore as the professor arrived on the scene followed by a number of other teachers.
"Argus!"
"Come with me, Argus." he stated after sweeping by the quartet and detaching Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. "You too, Mr. Potter, Miss Anderson, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
Lockhart took this chance to step forward eagerly
"My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —"
"Thank you, Gilderoy," Dumbledore stated almost coldly as the now silent crowd parted to let them pass. The professors following after them.
Once they entered Lockhart's office Aria swallowed nervously as her eyes flickered around the room. She knew that if the pranks she pulled with the twins over the recent year, or the broom race with Draco and Harry didn't get her expelled this for sure will because it did not look good for their sake.
Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on a surface and began to examine her. The quartet exchanged looks before sinking into chairs outside the pool of candlelight watching the scene.
"It was definitely a curse that killed her — probably the Transmogrifian Torture — I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter curse that would have saved her---" Lockhart comments were punctuated by Filch's sobs as he slumped into a chair his face in his hands.
After Dumbledore tapped his wand on Mrs. Norris, muttering strange words under his breath Lockhart spoke up, "I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..."
"She's not dead, Argus." Dumbledore finally said softy causing Lockhart to stop quickly.
"Not dead?" Filch questioned looking at the cat. "But why's she all --- all stiff and frozen?"
"She has been Petrified." Dumbledore concluded
"Ah! I thought so!" Lockhart exclaimed
"But how, I cannot say..." Dumbledore continued
"Ash him!" Filch exclaimed pointing at Harry.
"Harry had nothing to do with this!" Aria declared briskly. But they ignored her.
"No second year could have done this," Dumbledore stated firmly
"It would take Dark Magic of the most advance --"
"They did it, They did it!" Filch exclaimed "You saw what they wrote on the wall! He found -- in my office -- he knows i'm a -- i'm ---" Filch stuttered out gesturing towards Harry before moving to aria "he knows i'm a Squib! and her connection towards dark magic is extremely vulnerable and she could've assisted him --"
"Argus!" Dumbledore exclaimed
"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry stated loudly "and I don't even know what a Squib is."
"Rubbish!" Filch snarled "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"
"If I might speak, Headmaster." Snape introduced from the shadows.
"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." he began "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"
The Quarter launched in explanation about the deathday party.
"But why not join the feat afterward? Why go up to that corridor?" Snape questioned
"Because --- because ---" Harry stuttered out as the trio looked at the boy.
"Because we were tired and wanted to go to bed." he finalized.
"Without any supper?" Snape asked a small grin on his face "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."
"We weren't hungry," Ron stated loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble causing his smile to widen.
"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he paused "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest and perhaps even possibly Anderson as well for extreme precautions."
"Really Severus," McGonagall stated sharply "I see no reason to stop the two playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter or Anderson has done anything wrong."
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore stated firmly.
"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked "I want to see some punishment!"
"We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep--"
"Excuse me," Snape interrupted "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."
There was a short awkward pause as Dumbledore told the quartet they could leave and so they did, quickly. When they were a floor above the office they went into an empty classroom and closed the door behind them.
"D'you think I should've told them about the voice Aria and I heard?"
"No," Ron said with no hesitation "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
"You do believe us, don't you?" Aria piped up quietly.
"Course I do." Ron said quickly "But -- you must admit it's weird...."
"I know it's weird," Harry nodded "The whole thing's weird. What was the writing on the wall about? 'The Chamber Has Been Opened'. . . . What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, it rings a sort of bell. I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once . . . might've been Bill." Ron stated slowly.
"And what on earth's Squib?" Harry asked causing Ron to let out a short laugh as Aria rolled her eyes.
"Well -- it's not funny really -- but as it's Filch--" Ron chuckled
"A squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual." Aria explained.
"If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much. He's bitter." Ron finished as a clock chimed
"Midnight," Harry concluded "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."
Once they made their way to the common room and bid their good nights, Aria and Hermione pulled on their pajamas quietly and climbed into their nearby beds flickering off the light on the nightstand between them letting their eyes adjust to the dark room.
[edited: yes! (11-01-20)]