"What's going on here? What's going on?"

Argus Filch comes pushing through the students. Attracted by the crowd and Draco's yelling, no doubt. Vanessa feels almost a twinge of pity for the caretaker at the sight he's about to see.

Sure enough when his eyes land on Mrs. Norris he falls back, clutching his face in horror. The poor man. The only creature who seems to even care for him, hanging, frozen, dead. She imagines she'd react the same if she found precious Nox in a similar position.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" He shrieks. The pain in his voice as evident as the horror and anger on his face. She sees the moment his eyes land on Harry, who looks just as dumbstruck as the rest of the students at the scene before them.

"You!" Filch screeches. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"

"Argus!" Dumbledore's thundering voice silences the hall. He walks up flanked by many of the teacher. He moves past Harry and his friends and removes Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket she's attached to. All of the students watch the scene unfold before them.

"Come with me, Argus," he says to Filch, his voice calmer. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger."

"My office is nearest, Headmaster," Lockhart steps forward far too eagerly. "Just upstairs - please feel free -"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," Dumbledore nods. Vanessa and Draco move with the crowd to make way for them to move. All the students silent as they watch. Professors McGonagall and Snape follow along with Lockhart joining, again far too eagerly. No doubt excited to be mixing himself up right in the middle of all of this. Material for a new book, no doubt.

As they depart the rest of the teachers move into action. They spread out, making the students leave.

"Go along, children!" Professor Sprout starts shooing them away. "Off to your houses, nothing to see here! Prefects, Head Boys and Girls, please gather your house!" The crowd of students slowly separate and everyone starts heading to their houses. The Slytherin Head girl is giving orders to the older students while the Head Boy takes charge of the younger ones.

A chatter flows over all of the students as they depart. A lot of assumptions and speculation on what occured is already flowing amongst them. Harry's name, of course, is the primary topic.

"Draco," Vanessa starts. They have fallen behind the rest of the Slytherins. He glances at her, urging her to continue. "What's the Chamber of Secrets?" She always feels so foolish asking him anything about the wizarding world that she isn't aware of. He has never made her feel bad for not knowing, but it usually ends in a tirade about the "despicable Muggles" that raised her.

She wishes there was a book, Magical World 101, something that summarizes everything magical for those not raised in the environment. It would save her from a lot of foolish questions. Hmm, maybe she should write one. Future muggleborn students would thank her.

"Ah," He nods. "They say it's a myth, a legend, that has no proof of existence. They're wrong of course. Salazar Slytherin didn't want anyone but pure bloods at Hogwarts." He smirks a bit, no doubt proud at his blood heritage. "He created the Chamber of Secrets to house a creature. Afterwards, he sealed it, in hopes that his true heir would open the Chamber so that the school can be cleansed of those who don't belong."

"You seem to be so confident that it is not a myth" She looks at him, stopping in place. She recalls the excitement in his eyes when standing before Harry. How the rush of joy flowed over him as he shouted those words. "Are you the one who hurt that cat and wrote that on the wall?" He looks at her in shock.

"I would never - ever - touch that useless Squib's cat." He frowns. Oh no, she wasn't trying to offend him. She shouldn't have asked that.

"What's a Squib?" She questions quickly, trying to change the subject. The offended look is quickly replaced by an evil grin.

"Oh, that's even worse than a Mudblood!" He laughs, it echoes off the corridor walls. "It's a person born from a family of witches and wizards with no magic at all! I'd say even worse than a Muggle! Being from a family of magic and not an ounce for yourself. That's the biggest smack in the face, and it makes you absolutely useless to wizarding society."

"You think he's a Squib?" She thinks for a moment. Come to think of it, she's never seen Filch do magic, she can't even recall seeing him with a wand. A squib... How horrid a life that must be.

"That poor excuse of a life? There's no doubt he's a Squib. It's a wonder he can even show his face at this school. Must be jealous of children for something he'll never have." He laughs again and continues on to the common room.

She walks in silence, replaying Draco's words in her mind. Cleansed of those who don't belong. Would she even belong? Her father came from wizards but her mother was a muggleborn. If the Chamber is real... would she be cleansed from the school? Would whatever horrible creature that resides within come for her? Surely it will... But she was placed in Slytherin, why be placed in that house if she wasn't worthy?

That night she sleeps fitfully. Her dreams back in full force. Dark. Frozen. Terrified. Something is very wrong.

The next few days is only filled with chatter of the incident. It's the only thing anyone can talk about. The school is also swept with word about the Chamber of Secrets. Apparently Professor Binns told the Gryffindor second years about the myth. Draco fully insists it's not a myth. And thanks to the information of the Chamber being spread around, the Slytherin house has gotten even more of a cold shoulder than usual. They were disliked before, not they're absolutely despised.

Filch, not wanting to let the attack of his cat be forgotten, had taken to pacing the spot she was found hanging. He tried everything he could to scrub away the words on the wall, but had no luck. Any student who walks too close to the "crime scene" is eyed suspiciously or even outright accused of harming Mrs. Norris. When he isn't pacing, he's roaming the halls, looking as forlorn as ever. Merlin, help any student who gets in his way.

Students have been screamed at, threatened, and even given detention for anything that set him off. One Slytherin fifth year got detention for "Purposely bragging about having her cat." All she had been doing is walking the corridor trailed by her sweet calico kitty.

Draco is astounded the caretaker is still around despite the extra mistreatment of the students. Draco is especially shocked after he got too close to the wall where the writing is. Filch shouted something fierce at Draco, calling him many horrid names. Then he quickly turned his words to Vanessa. Saying his rant with "nothing good can come from troublemaking Potters." Dammit Harry.

"When my father hears about this," he huffs. "That filthy Squib will be on the streets so quickly."

"Oh come on, Draco." Vanessa rolls her eyes, trying to pretend as if the yelling hadn't bothered her. She's heard worse from the Dursley's... Filch's words should mean nothing. "You brought it upon us both. You know he's been stalking the area hoping the culprit will return. You specifically went there to bother him."

"That's quite irrelevant. Besides, you didn't have to follow." He rolls his eyes in return. Yeah right, had she not followed he would have acted as though he didn't care, but he handles rejection just about as well as she does. "He had no right to yell at me and especially not you either."

"Blame Harry for that." She shakes her head. "He seems to have it out for my brother. And apparently, by extension, me."

"My father will have him fired so quickly." Draco balls his fists. She's touched he cares so much, but she also knows he's saving face because Filch really laid into him.

"No need to kick the poor man while he's down. He's already lost his cat, are you really going to take his job and possibly get him kicked out of the only home he has? I can't imagine he has a place outside this castle." Draco huffs a laugh at this.

"Fine, but if he yells at you or me again I'm going directly to the owlry and sending my father a letter. I'll be sure he will regret speaking to a superior being in such a way."

"I'm sure you will, Draco." She bumps his shoulder. His words make her roll her eyes even harder. Superior at being an arse maybe.

A couple of Hufflepuff firsts years pass by, one squeaking and pulling her friend's arm, both giving Vanessa and Draco a wide berth. They whisper animatedly as they throw her a wary stare before passing and rushing off.

Instances like this have been happening in increasing frequency. More than once Vanessa has heard "Potter" harshly whispered around. She is also quick to notice other houses avoiding her specifically more than the rest of the Slytherin students. And not to mention the wild glances people throw between her and Harry. There must be some insane rumors spreading. Harry is always doing something and it seems this time she's being pulled right into it without warning.

"They think you may be the Heir of Slytherin," Draco says once the Hufflepuffs pass.

"What?" She looks at him in shock. "You're kidding, right?"

"Well, they actually think it's both you and Potter. He was discovered near the cat and you are a Slytherin. Add in the twins thing. It's surely a recipe for disaster." He shrugs and laughs.

"That's not funny. I'm not the heir. And Harry most definitely is not." She says in disbelief.

"I'm well aware of that fact," Draco laugh more. His flippant attitude about this is not amusing.

"You'd be a more believable heir than Harry and I." She glares at him.

"I wish," Draco sighs. She crosses her arms. He just grins in amusement.

"Let us hope these rumors blow over soon." She huffs. "The sooner I'm back to being ignored by the rest of the school population the better."

"Oh please, by the end of the week they'll move on to someone else." Draco chuckles. Fingers crossed he is correct.