Chapter 69: Hogwarts under a Spell?

The first one who comprehended Harry's words was Malfoy, who was previously about to shout something through the crowd of gathered students. "What's that supposed to mean, Potter?" he asked.

"Well, I mean, why did suddenly the whole school decide to randomly walk into the second floor after the feast to a girl's bathroom instead of returning to their common rooms if the feast was over? The Slytherin common room is somewhere in the dungeons. You are literally walking in the wrong direction. The other houses too, there is nothing here that could make you leave the Great Staircase on this floor, besides if all of you suddenly have an unexplainable desire to use the loo or the start of a weird new tradition that Dumbledore thought of," explained Harry to them as they stared at him, confused.

"Eh, I don't know. I was just walking with the others," muttered Malfoy, confused.

"That's concerning. Just walking behind others without thinking, maybe you guys are under a spell?" guessed Harry calmly. "Or why would all of you walk towards a place for no reason where a petrified cat is hanging with some concerning message on the wall."

Mutters broke out as they realized that he was right. If this wasn't some plot convenience in a fictional story, then someone must have placed a spell on them to guide them towards this place.

Malfoy shook his head before shouting, "This doesn't matter! More importantly, enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" once again guiding general attention onto the petrified cat and the five people already present in the corridor.

"What on earth is happening here? What's all this commotion?" Argus Filch's voice echoed through the corridor, drawn to the scene by the loud shouts from Malfoy. With determination, he pushed his way through the gathering crowd, his aged form straining against the sea of curious onlookers. But as his eyes landed on Mrs. Norris, his expression shifted from curiosity to sheer horror, causing him to stagger backward, his hands instinctively clutching his face in disbelief and dismay.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked while trying to find the culprit amongst the students.

Seeing his chance to cause more trouble, Malfoy injected, with a malicious grin, "We don't know, maybe Potter knows, as all of us found him here with your cat already hanging there, Mr. Filch."

'Okay, you want fucking war, Malfoy. I don't know what your parents told you over the summer, but it's on,' thought Harry as he shot a glare at the blond-haired boy.

Mr. Filch's popping eyes fell on Harry. "You!" he screeched as he tried to grab Harry, who stepped backward. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll—"

"Argus!" Dumbledore's commanding voice reverberated as he arrived on the chaotic scene, accompanied by a group of other teachers. With remarkable speed, he glided past Harry, his friends, and the bewildered crowd, his presence radiating authority and calm. In a matter of moments, he reached Mrs. Norris, gently detaching her from the torch bracket with a practiced touch, showing both tenderness and concern for the injured cat.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Greengrass, Miss Davis, Miss Patil."

And of course, the attention-seeking Lockhart was also present and stepped forward eagerly. "My office is nearest, Headmaster—just upstairs—please feel free—"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore, as did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's office, they could see the ridiculous decor of the room. It was filled with portraits and pictures of himself that were moving around the wall. How shallow could a person become?

"If we are in trouble, Professors, shouldn't Professor Flitwick, as our Head of House, also be here?" asked Harry as they all arrived in the office.

Dumbledore carefully laid Mrs. Norris on the smooth, polished surface, examining her while replying, "No need to worry, Mr. Potter. I will, of course, inform Professor Flitwick later, but you are not in trouble."

Snape looked disappointed by that statement. He probably hoped to have them worry longer but chose to remain quiet as Dumbledore continued to examine the cat. Filch, meanwhile, looked offended and wanted to say something but got interrupted by Lockhart.

"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 countercurse that would have saved her…" Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs.

While Harry could just shake his head, he said, "She is petrified... and by just seeing that Mrs. Norris is still intact, just unmoving, not completely deformed like the Transmogrifian Torture would have made her, people can see that it wasn't that," explained Harry with a sigh.

Lockhart blushed in embarrassment, while Snape looked sharply at Harry. "You are quite well informed of Dark Magic, Mr. Potter. Are we doing some illegal studies?"

"No, I am just studying Defense Against the Dark Arts normally. How am I supposed to defend myself if I am not aware of what I am attacked with? You can find a good description of the curse in 'Defense Against the Darkest Times' in the library, Professor, if you need to refresh your knowledge. It has quite good descriptions and how to counter the darker arts without directly teaching them. And also, the name is also quite descriptive," replied Harry with a polite smile.

Before Snape snapped at that cheeky comment, Dumbledore interrupted them. "Mr. Potter is right. She is not dead, Argus," he said softly, making Lockhart also stop before he could come up with another theory. "She has been petrified," said Dumbledore. "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry. "He was the first one there."

"No second-year student could have done that," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"

'I beg to differ. I probably could,' thought Harry but didn't say it out loud. Instead, he replied differently, "Also, finding her first doesn't make us the culprits. There were five of us returning from Nick's Deathday Party when the girls needed to visit the bath before we go to the Great Hall to try to get some food from the feast. The second-floor bathroom was the closest. That's where we found Mrs. Norris," he explained without mentioning the voice he heard. This was his adventure this year.

"Lies! He has to be the culprit. He did it!" shouted Filch.

"No, I didn't. You can ask the ghosts where we were. And we were together the whole time. But the culprit must have been in the Great Hall. Isn't it strange that all students suddenly decide to head to the second-floor bathroom, where none of their common rooms are? Someone must have a large-scale Confundus or something similar," explained Harry, still weirded out that nobody was thinking about that.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. But he didn't feel anyone trying to invade his mind. "Hmm, this is indeed strange. I will have to investigate it," he said before turning to Filch and Snape. "Innocent until proven guilty," he said firmly to both men.

"My cat has been petrified!" Filch shrieked angrily, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "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."

Interrupting the conversation, Lockhart eagerly interjected, "I can make it! I've done it countless times before. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep—"

Cutting him off, Snape's voice dripped with icy disdain as he declared, "Excuse me, but I believe I am the Potions Master at this school." The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Recognizing the tension, Dumbledore swiftly intervened, saying, "You may go," directing his words to Harry and his friends, who wasted no time in leaving the room as quickly as possible.

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