ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE!

OCTOBER 1992

2nd Year

• • • •

Annabelle, Ron and Hermione were walking through the corridors after abandoning the feast, looking for Harry, when Annabelle suddenly stopped, looking around as she heard and ominous whisper run through the air, sending chills down her spine.

"What is it, Anna?" Hermione questioned, once she and Ron noticed the girl had stopped.

Annabelle turned back to her friends, licking her lips, "Nothing." She said quietly, shaking her head.

The three continued their search for Harry, Annabelle still hearing the voice, making her glance around wearily. They turned a corner, coming face to face with none other than the boy they had been searching for.

"Harry..." Hermione said in relief.

"Did you hear it?" Harry asked the three of them.

Ron looked at him. concerned and confused, "Hear what?"

"That voice." Harry said, making Annabelle snap her head towards her brother.

Hermione looked at him, starting to get concerned herself, "Voice? What voice?"

"I heard it," Annabelle said, and now it was her turn to be looked at with worry and concern, "That's why I stopped earlier."

"I- heard it first in Lockhart's office, and then, again, just—," The Potter twins heard the voice once more.

"It's time."

Harry and Annabelle started getting tense.

"It's moving." Annabelle said.

"I think it's going to kill." Harry finished, causing Harry and Annabelle to rush past their friends and down the corridor, following the eerie whispers.

"'Kill'?" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione and Ron started to run after the pair, "Harry, Annabelle, wait! Not so fast!" The girl cried.

Harry and Annabelle turned a corner, before coming to a stop in the middle of the corridor. They then looked down to see the floor was wet before Harry walked to the right, as Ron and Hermione ran to catch up with them, also stopping abruptly when they and Annabelle followed Harry's line of sight, seeing numerous spiders scurrying away through a crack in the window.

"Strange...," Harry whispered, "I've never seen spiders act like that."

"I don't like spiders," Ron said, they then glanced at something else on the floor, "What's that?" The boy asked.

The quartet gazed at a puddle of water, where they saw what appeared to be bloody writing, then look up at the wall to see foreboding words written in blood.

"'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.'" Annabelle read.

Hermione gulped, "It's written in blood."

Harry looked to the left, "Oh, no."

Hermione and Annabelle followed Harry's gaze and both girls gasped when the two of them saw what Harry was seeing. They watched as Harry walked toward a torch on the wall, where tied to the torch is Mrs. Norris, frozen and seemingly scarred by something.

"It's Filch's cat," Harry said, "It's Mrs. Norris."

Behind them, Percy walker into the corridor, leading the other Gryffindor house students. Soon enough, the corridor filled with students, and Hermione, Ron and Annabelle moved to stand with the crowd, whilst Harry stayed by Mrs. Norris, watching the crowd, who gazed at the bloody writing and Mrs. Norris, Madame Pomfrey expresses horror and shock and Colin gets his camera ready, but Percy stopped him.

"'Enemies of the Heir, beware.," Draco read, before looking at the Gryffindor house students, "You'll be next, Mudbloods." He spat, making Ron scowl and glare at the Slytherin.

"What's going on here?" Filch's voice yelled, as the man pushed his way through the crowd, "Go on, make way, make way," He said, pushing to the front of the crowd, glarinh at Harry, "Potter... what are you...?" The caretaker gazed past Harry at the frozen form of his cat and trembled, "Mrs. Norris?" He glared at Harry again, "You murdered my cat."

Harry shook his head, "No. No."

"I'll kill you," Filch said, smiling wickedly at Harry, then grabbing him by the shirt, making Draco, Crabbe and Goyle smirk, "I'll kill you!"

"Argus?" Professor Dumbledore's voice called, making Filch let go of Harry, as the students stepped aside as Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape arrive on the scene, "Argus, I...," Dumbledore glanced at the writing on the wall, "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately," The students all turned to leave, and Harry, Ron, Annabelle and Hermione followed, "Everyone except," They all stopped and Professor Dumbledore gestured to the quartet, "You four."

The four second years sighed, before they turned to face the man.

"Ravenclaws, follow me!" A Ravenclaw Prefect called, other prefects following, leading the rest of the school back to their common rooms.

Dumbledore turned to Filch, "She's not dead, Argus."

Filch trembled, presumably from relief and confusion.

"She has been petrified." The Headmaster continued.

"Ah. Thought so. So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the countercurse that could've spared her." Lockhart said, gaining looks.

"But how she has been petrified I cannot say." Professor Dumbledore continued.

Filch gestured towards Harry, "Ask him. It's him that done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall." He accused.

Harry turned to Dumbledore, "It's not true, sir. I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris."

"Rubbish." Filch exclaimed.

"If I might, headmaster," Professor Snape interjected, "Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," He said, making the four look at each other in shock, "However," And the shock left, "The circumstances are suspicious. I for one don't recall seeing Potter at dinner."

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Lockhart told the man, "You see, Harry was helping me answer my fanmail."

"That's why Ron, Annabelle and I went looking for him, Professor," Hermione told the man, "We just found him when he said..." She trailed off, looking at Harry, not whether or not to reveal that the Potter twins were hearing voices.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" Snape pushed.

"When I said I wasn't hungry," Harry spike up, making Snape turns towards him, "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris."

Snape turned towards Professor Dumbledore.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." The Headmaster told him.

Snape smiled slightly, as Filch spoke up once again, "My cat has been petrified. I want to see some punishment!" He cried.

LWe will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When matured, a potion will be made, which will revive Mrs. Norris," Dumbledore said, as Filch still trembled, "And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution...," He turned to the four students, "To all."

The four looked back at Dumbledore and nodded slightly.

***

Harry, Annabelle, Ron, and Hermione were walking along the Grand Staircase, as the numerous staircases changed.

Hermione then spoke up as they ascend the stairs, "It's a bit strange isn't it?"

"'Strange'?" Harry questioned.

Hermione and Annabelle both stopped on the staircase, in front of the boys, turning to face them.

"She's right, Harry," Annabelle told her brother, "We hear this voice, a voice only we can hear, and then Mrs. Norris turns up petrified. It's just... strange."

"You think we should've told them, Dumbledore and the others, I mean?" Harry asked.

"Are you mad?" Ron exclaimed.

"No, Harry." Annabelle shook her head.

Hermione nodded, "They're right, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign." She said, giving both of the twins a sad sigh, before taking her best friend's hand, turning around and walking along.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, before a man in one of the paintings said, "She's right, you know."

Harry and Ron glanced at him, then each other, before walking along, catching up with the girls, continuing their way back to the Common Room.