Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
Dumbledore Answers Harry - Chapter 21 - The Next Attack
The next month went by quickly, with everyone speculating about the Chamber of Secrets. Most of the students accepted the explanation that Harry and Hermione were kissing in a cave at the time of the attack. For one thing, they didn't think a muggleborn would lie for the heir of Slytherin, whose goal is to kill all muggleborns. For another thing, Harry was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. It had been announced that Madam Pomfrey would be able to get mature mandrakes just after Christmas, so Mr. Filch would be revived before the next term.
Without Filch there to terrorize the students, the atmosphere was extremely pleasant, despite Nott strutting around happily. Nott's good mood did not go unnoticed by Harry or most of the Potter's Army. The idiot, just like his predecessor Malfoy (who was still living with his mother in one of Harry's houses), always acted in a way that brought suspicion upon himself. Harry had his people keep an eye on Nott after Filch was petrified, but they couldn't find him doing anything unusual.
Dumbledore hired a young witch named Mindy Weaver to take Filch's place as caretaker. She'd been a Hufflepuff who'd done well in charms, but not much else. She had finished Hogwarts the year before Harry started. She had short brown hair and blue eyes. She was short and a bit plump, but was pleasant to be around.
Using cleaning charms, she was able to clean the entire castle in one day, as opposed to the cranky squib who took a week to do the same job. Fortunately, Dumbledore didn't punish her for being efficient by giving her more work. She would clean the entire castle every Sunday and relax for the rest of the week. She had a few students in her office for tea almost every day. Everybody liked her a whole lot more than Filch, and Harry had heard rumors that the staff was putting pressure on Albus to sack Argus as soon as he was unpetrified.
Hermione had immediately looked up the Chamber of Secrets in her copy of `Hogwarts, a History.' Every day she was grateful for the magically expanded trunks that Harry had bought both her and Ginny the previous year. Even her entire collection of books easily fit into it. She'd noticed that every copy of that book had been checked out of the library.
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Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were revising in the library when a blonde Ravenclaw girl wearing a necklace of butterbeer caps walked up. "Ginny, Now that I've gotten away from the upside-down ultries, I think it would be a good time to work on our potions essay."
The redhead looked up, startled. "What? Oh, Luna. I guess so." She looked at her friends. "Guys, this is Luna Lovegood. Luna, this Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."
"You're the leader of Potter's Army."
He blushed at the title. "Er, yes."
"I should thank you. Some of your soldiers saved my life last year."
"I'm glad we could help."
"Have you found the double-headed dingbat that attacked Mr. Filch yet?"
"The what?" asked Hermione.
"The double-headed dingbat," Luna answered patiently while Ginny buried her face in her hands. "They are pink bats that have red ears that are shaped like stars, and have two heads. When both mouths sing `London Bridge is Falling Down' into both of your ears at the same time, you get petrified. My father wrote an article about them in the Quibbler last summer. Don't you subscribe?"
Harry had the distinct impression that this girl was out of her mind. He noticed that Hermione was shaking her head in disbelieve, yet remaining silent. "Er, no."
"Oh, you really should subscribe. The Quibbler contains information on many rare species. I can get you an order form."
"Why don't we get another table where we can work on our project?" interrupted Ginny.
"Oh. Harry and Hermione want to be alone. That happens when a triple-beaked hegling is around. It was nice to meet you. See you later."
"Thank goodness," said Hermione once the second-years were out of earshot. "I can't believe anyone actually believes the Quibbler. I thought it was just a joke that even the writers didn't take seriously. But if the daughter of one of the writers is taking that rubbish seriously…"
"I think Luna seemed nice, if a little strange. Anyway, she's a friend of Ginny's."
"It looked more like a partner for a school project," corrected Hermione. "Probably an assigned partner."
Before Harry could respond, he heard a voice coming out of the walls. "Must kill. Let me rip you and eat you."
"Who said that?"
"Said what, Harry?" asked Hermione, looking around to see if someone might have whispered to her boyfriend.
"It wants to kill," he whispered as he got up and left the library.
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Hermione quickly grabbed their stuff and followed him. She saw him standing down the hall. He appeared to be listening intently to something she couldn't hear. He noticed her and said, "This way!"
As she followed him, even on a staircase, she realized that they were heading in the direction of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Look at this!" Harry shouted toward her. She ran to find a boy lying on the floor petrified with a camera in front of his face.
She gasped in horror as she realized, "It's Colin Creevey!"
"I know," said Harry. He then appeared to be concentrating. "Whatever did this is still around! Take care of Colin!" He ran around a corner and disappeared from Hermione's sight.
Seconds later she heard Peeves' voice echoing in the hall. "What's Potty in such a hurry for? Potty wants…"
"I don't have time for this, Peeves!" Harry shouted. "I…" Hermione heard a loud thump, and then a door close. She stood there for about sixty seconds, too terrified to look around the corner as her eyes began to fill with unshed tears.
She was brought out of her stupor by a voice calling behind her. "Hey, Hermione, we saw you leave the library in a hurry! Is that Colin? Where's Harry?"
Hermione turned to see Ginny, who'd asked the questions, standing with Luna. Shakily, the brunette answered. "Yes, it is Colin. Harry ran around the corner. He was arguing with Peeves, and then I think he fell."
Ginny looked both upset and horrified. "You THINK he fell! Haven't you even checked? I thought you were looking after him!"
Ignoring Ginny's words, Hermione turned and walked around the corner to find that she was right. Harry was lying completely still on his back, and Peeves was floating as though frozen stiff. Tears started falling down her face.
"I should have stopped him," Hermione muttered as Ginny turned around the corner and screamed. "He thought he heard whatever attacked Colin and was after it." She sniffled as she tried to recall every detail. "I, I heard a door close." She looked around and saw that the only door nearby was the door to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Miss Granger! Miss Weasley! Miss Lovegood! What's happened?" Professor McGonagall was approaching them from the other direction.
Ginny just stood there pale and in shock, and Hermione didn't want to hear Luna's reply, so she decided to answer. Swallowing hard, she slowly said, "We were in the library, and Harry heard something talking about killing and ran off to follow it. I didn't hear the voice, but I followed him. I guess Ginny and Luna followed us. Anyway, Harry and I came across Colin lying petrified on the floor. He's around that corner." She pointed the direction she'd come from.
"Not him too?" asked Minerva, looking horrified.
"Yes." She took a deep breath as the tears continued falling down her eyes. "Harry heard the voice again and ran around the corner. I heard him arguing with Peeves until I heard him fall. I then heard a door close. I, I think it was this one."
"Then get away from it. I shall investigate." Minerva pulled out her wand and slowly opened the door that Hermione had walked away from. After she'd looked in the room, she went back to the girls looking very pale. "It would appear that Moaning Myrtle is petrified as well.
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Please review. Thank you to those who have.
I hope you don't mind Harry being petrified. I've never seen it done before. I've also thought that it's strange that Myrtle didn't see the basilisk in `Chamber of Secrets.'
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