Hidden Family

Chapter XXIX

31st October, 1992

Hogwarts

The school year to date had gone remarkably well, not counting the DADA classes of course.  Harry could hardly believe Dumbledore would hire such an incompetent teacher.  Surely the man couldn’t be as foolish as Lockhart’s many admirers; he must realize the man was a fraud.  

“I appreciate you two spending time with me this evening,” Harry was saying as the trio of friends made their way towards Ravenclaw tower.  

“You know we don’t mind Harry.  It’s a pleasant change from the noise of the Great Hall,” Draco said.

“And with Draco calling on his house elf to provide treats we don’t even miss out on the feast,” Hermione reminded him.

Harry smiled.  “He’s an odd little fellow isn’t he?” he asked, remembering the elf.

“Dobby has always been a little strange,” Draco admitted.  “Did you know he actually wants to be free?”

“Why shouldn’t he want to be free?” Hermione asked.  “I think it’s shameful that house elves are kept as slaves.  We certainly wouldn’t like it if they kept us as slaves.”

Harry couldn’t argue Hermione’s point.  He had first hand experience as a house elf of sorts after all.

Draco bit back the retort he wished to make, reminding himself that Hermione didn’t know about house elves.  It wasn’t something that would be in any books on Wizarding culture being such an ordinary part of life it was one of those things everybody simply knew.

“It’s not slavery, not exactly,” Draco said.  

Hermione narrowed her eyes tamping down her natural inclination to argue. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you see house elves need to be bonded to a wizard or witch.  They have magic of their own, of course, but without a bonding they grow weak, eventually losing their sanity.  If that happens they are a danger to all around them, including themselves,” Draco explained.

“But then why should Dobby wish to be free?”

“I don’t know, nobody does,” Draco truthfully replied.  “There are stories of house elves that need no bonding but those are legends.”

“Perhaps it isn’t a legend after all,” Harry reasonably pointed out.  Suddenly he stopped, head tilted to one side as if he were listening to something.

“What is it Harry?” Hermione asked.

“A voice,” Harry absently replied as he once more began to walk.

Hermione and Draco shared a concerned look.  “Harry there isn’t any voice,” Hermione hesitantly told him.  Should she contact Ginger, she wondered?

“But I...” he trailed off as they rounded a corner and Hermione screamed.

“The Chamber is opened. Enemies of the heir beware,” Draco read.

“What?” Harry asked.  He had been so shocked by the scene on the floor that he hadn’t noticed anything else.

“On the wall,” Draco replied pointing to where a message had been left.  In front of the wall was a first year Gryffindor and Mrs. Norris, the caretaker’s cat.  The boy lay in a puddle of water while the cat had been somehow attached to the wall itself.  Neither was moving.

“What have you done?” a distraught voice asked causing the children to turn away from the wall.

“We just found them like this,” Harry answered.  

“Lies,” Filch countered.  “You’ve killed her,” he cried.  Moving to the wall he reached out to touch his cat.  “Why did you have to kill her?  She was a good cat, she never hurt you,” Filch rounded on the trio.

“We didn’t,” the children cried.

“Argus calm down,” Dumbledore said as he came upon the scene; one of the portraits having alerted him to the confrontation.  

“But headmaster they’ve...”

“Now Argus I’m sure the children had nothing to do with this,” Dumbledore soothed.  Stepping closer he carefully examined both victims.  “You’ll be happy to know neither is dead, they are only petrified.”

“Oh only petrified, well that’s so much better isn’t it headmaster?” Filch snapped.  Petrified might as well be dead.

“Actually it is, for petrification can be cured,” Albus calmly pointed out. He took no notice of the distraught man’s behaviour. “We shall transport Mrs. Norris and Mr. Creevey,” for the boy was Colin Creevey known about the school for constantly trailing after Harry with a camera, “to the hospital wing.  Madame Pomfrey shall, I’m sure, have them restored to themselves in good time.”

“What about this Albus?” Minerva asked indicating the wall.  She had arrived upon the scene while Albus was attempting to soothe Filch.

Albus frowned.  “Yes it is most troublesome.  We shall of course attempt to find the culprit.  Begin with the portraits, one of them may have seen something.”

“And what of these children?”

“Yes, yes, question them first,” Albus nodded.  “With any luck we shall soon find our culprit.”

Minerva sighed.  Albus never seemed to take anything seriously when it involved children.  He seemed to forget that many of the children in their care were nearly adults and as capable as of extreme acts of violence as an adult.  She sometimes wondered if children weren’t more capable of cruelty than any adult.  “Very well Albus,” was all she said however.  

She waited for Filch and Albus to leave, taking the victims of the attack with them.  Turning to the children she frowned when she spotted Malfoy.  Like Albus she didn’t believe for a moment that he was a good influence on Harry Potter.  “What can you children tell me about this?”

“Nothing Professor,” Hermione answered for them all.  “We were just on our way to Ravenclaw tower when we found Colin and Mrs. Norris.”

“You saw nothing?” Minerva asked.

“No ma’am,” Hermione confirmed.

“Mr. Potter? Mr. Malfoy?”

“It’s like Hermione said Professor.  We were only on our way to the tower when we saw them,” Harry replied.  He had decided not to mention the voice he’d heard.  

“Exactly, we came around the corner and there they were,” Draco added.

Minerva sighed.  “Very well, you may go,” she dismissed them.  

TBC...

Please feed the muse with reviews. Thanks for all of the wonderful and supportive reviews. Hope you will continue to enjoy the story.