Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 57 Sense of Urgency

When Ike heard the Parseltongue, Harry naturally heard it too.

One second they were focused on Malfoy, the next they had to follow the sound.

However, Harry has no way to leave right now.

"What happened?"

The gathered crowd attracted Filch, who pushed his way through and immediately spotted Mrs. Lorris lying on the ground. He screamed, "What's wrong with you, baby!"

Then, with her bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry, she pointed at him and shouted, "It was you! It was you! You killed my cat!"

"Argus." Dumbledore, a step behind, pulled Filch back from fighting Harry and his two companions, and the other professors followed suit.

Upon seeing the blood-written words on the wall, Dumbledore paused for a moment, then picked up Lady Norris and said, "Alright, let's not gather here anymore..."

"The prefects are taking the students back to their dormitories. Argus, come with me." Dumbledore turned to Harry, Argus, and Argus. "And you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger."

"Minerva, please arrange for someone to send Sir Nicholas to Bobby..."

"Principal, why don't we go to my office? It's very close by," Lockhart said suddenly, dressed in his magnificent clothes.

"Thank you, Gilderoy." Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly looked at Ike and called out, "Mr. Stradt, you should come with me too. I need your opinion."

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore." Ike nodded.

Stuart and Terry looked at Ike with worried eyes. Ike smiled, shook his head, waved his hand, and followed.

Ike was very familiar with the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office; he had been there quite often last year. However, it had completely changed.

When Quirrell was still here, this place was dark and filled with boxes of all sizes. Now the boxes are gone, and the walls are covered with portraits of Lockhart.

When everyone came in, Lockhart in the portrait seemed to be frightened and hurriedly hid. When he reappeared, he had changed into clothes just like Lockhart's.

Lockhart lit the candles, illuminating the office, and then stepped aside. Dumbledore placed Mrs. Norris on the gleaming desk and began to examine her carefully.

For a moment, everyone stared nervously at Dumbledore. Dumbledore bent down, his face almost touching Mrs. Norris's hair, poking and prodding here and there with his fingers. Professor McGonagall also bent down, standing opposite Dumbledore, squinting as she observed. Professor Snape stood to the side, his eyes occasionally sweeping over the bewildered Harry, Mehmed, and Ike, and occasionally giving him a strange look.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout were more relaxed, chatting quietly to each other, though it was unclear what they were saying.

Lockhart also leaned over to take a look, stroked his chin, and said confidently, "It must have been killed by a curse, probably a transfiguration torture spell. I've seen others use this spell when I was traveling before. It's a real shame I wasn't there; I happen to know how to break the spell and could have saved it..."

"It's not dead, Filch," Dumbledore said, poking Mrs. Norris's stiff body with his wand and nodding. "It's petrified."

"Petrified?" Filch, who had been sobbing, suddenly froze, then choked out, "My Lady Lawrence isn't dead?"

"I assure you, Argus, it is not dead," Dumbledore replied.

"Yes, that's what I think too," Lockhart interjected. "However, I haven't figured out why."

"It was him!" Filch suddenly pointed at Harry. "He did it! You saw what he wrote on the wall. He discovered my secret. He knew I was... a... Squib!"

"I didn't touch Mrs. Lorris!" Harry shouted back. "I don't even know what a Squib is!"

"You're lying!" Filch was very agitated and reached out to grab Harry, but Professor Snape stopped him with one hand.

Snape's lips curled into a mocking smile, his emotionless eyes fixed on Harry, and he said, "Allow me to say something, Dumbledore..."

"Perhaps Potter and his friends just happened to be there at that time, but in the meantime, he also needs to explain to us why he didn't attend the dinner?"

"We've received an invitation from Sir Nicholas to his death anniversary banquet!" Hermione replied quickly. "There are hundreds of ghosts who can testify to that!"

“We’ll check that out ourselves, Miss Granger,” Snape said. “But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t attend the dinner…”

"And why was Sir Nicholas there?"

"I...we're tired, we want to go back to sleep!" Harry stammered. "We're leaving now, Sir Nicholas might...maybe he's coming to see us..."

"Ha!" Snape scoffed, turning to Dumbledore. "Clearly, Mr. Potter and his cronies aren't telling the truth. I think we should take some action..."

"Perhaps a little truth serum will teach them what honesty is."

"We won't do that, Severus." Dumbledore looked at Harry with a probing gaze. "There is no direct evidence that they are guilty."

"But my cat..." Filch was anxious, but Dumbledore interrupted him by raising his hand slightly. "It's just petrified. We can heal it."

After saying that, she looked at Professor Sprout and asked, "Pomona, how is the mandrake growing?"

"They're fantastic," Sprout replied.

Dumbledore nodded, a hint of relief in his voice: "Very good. I know a potion recipe that can undo their petrification, so don't worry, Argus."

"As for you..." Dumbledore looked at Harry and his two companions, "you may leave..."

He then looked at Ike: "Mr. Stradl, you'll have to wait a moment."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave a quick bow to the professors in the room and hurriedly left. Once on the fourth floor, Harry pulled Ron and Hermione into a classroom.

Harry closed the door gently and whispered, "I heard that voice again!"

"What?" Ron was confused. "What was that sound?"

"Right there, right where those words are, I heard that voice again!" Harry exclaimed urgently. "It...it said, 'Next, it's me!'"

"You should have told Dumbledore, Harry," the little witch said seriously.

"Don't say it!" Ron hurriedly said. "Hearing things that others can't hear is not a good sign, even in the magical world."

"Don't you believe me, Ron?"

"Of course I believe you, but you have to admit, the whole thing is very strange..."

"I know it's bizarre!" Harry said. "The words on the wall are one thing, and the voice is another!"

"But Ron, it says..."

"I'm next!"

(End of this chapter)