Chapter 29 The Petrified Mrs. Norris

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

Filch, no doubt drawn to Malfoy's shout, squeezed his shoulders through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs Norris, stumbled back a few steps, grabbed his face with his hands in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs Norris?" he screamed, almost fainting.

"It's you!" Filch suddenly walked over and grabbed Ivan, screaming, "You killed my cat, killed it! I'm going to kill you, I'm going to... "

"Let go of me!" Ivan knocked off Filch's hand. "I didn't touch the cat's hair, and no one touched him. It was like this when we came."

"Lying, you're lying!" Filch screamed loudly. "Someone saw you murdered, didn't they?!"

"Felch!"

Dumbledore rushed to the scene, followed by many other teachers. In the blink of an eye, he walked over to Ivan, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and undid Mrs Norris from the torch holder

"Come with me, Filch," he said to Filch. "And you, Mr. Mason, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

Lockhart hurried forward, dancing and saying, "My office is closest to here, Headmaster! It's upstairs, you can go there."

"Thank you, Gilderoy!" Dumbledore nodded.

The silent crowd parted to allow them to pass.

They entered his dimly lit office, led by Lockhart, followed by Professor McGonagall and Snape. There was a commotion on the office wall, and Ivan saw Lockhart in the photo hid in a panic, with curling rollers in their hair.

At this point, the real Lockhart lit the candle on the table and stepped back. Dumbledore put Lady Norris on the polished table and began to examine it carefully.

He looked very carefully, the tip of his long hooked nose almost touched the fur on Mrs. Norris's body, and his slender fingers gently poked here and there. Professor McGonagall bent over, his face almost touching the cat, and squinted his eyes.

Snape stood behind them, half-hidden in the shadows, looking gloomy, with an odd expression on his face, as if trying to keep himself from laughing. Lockhart hovered around them, constantly scheming.

Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances nervously, and sat shyly on a few chairs that were not illuminated by candles. Filch stood behind them, staring at Ivan, as if he had already decided that he was the murderer of the cat.

"It must have been a spell that killed it, probably a shapeshifting and torture spell. I've seen people use this spell many times, and it's a pity I wasn't there, I just happened to know the spell that could have saved it. "

Hearing Lockhart's words, Filch, who was standing behind Ivan, twitched sadly.

Then, he suddenly slumped on a chair beside the table, covering his face with his hands, not daring to look at Mrs. Norris, looking very pitiful.

At this time, Dumbledore whispered some strange words and tapped Mrs Norris with his wand, but there was no response. Mrs. Norris still lay there stiffly, like a freshly prepared specimen.

"Headmaster, the cat is dead!" Lockhart said. "I remember something similar happened in Ouagadougou, a series of attacks, detailed in my autobiography. Various amulets were provided and the problem was solved in one fell swoop."

"Professor, it's not dead, it's just petrified."

Ai Wen felt that he had to say something, otherwise he would let Lockhart continue to irritate Filch so much, and the latter would probably jump over to find him desperately.

"Nonsense, you killed him!" Filch screamed aloft.

"Mr. Mason is right, it's not dead, Filch," Dumbledore said softly. "It's petrified, an advanced black magic that a first-year student can't do."

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his plump face turned purple, "you saw what he wrote on the wall, my Mrs Norris. He must have held a grudge for preventing him from entering the girls' bathroom on the third floor many times."

"I didn't, I didn't touch the cat at all!"

"Then, why did the famous Mr. Know-it-all try to enter a girls' bathroom?" Snape glanced gloomily at Ai Wen, "Is there anything there that can be published in your nonsense newspaper?"

"I, I'm looking for the ghost in the castle to provide news sources for my newspaper, and I think it's necessary to talk to Crying Myrtle, she is very familiar with Hogwarts, and many girls like her." Ai Wen stammered and explained that he didn't even believe what he said.

"I doubt it." Snape's lips twitched in a sneer, his eyes turned to Harry, who was sitting beside him, "The whole thing is full of a series of doubts, why are you at that time? Being in that place, why did you go to the corridor above, why didn't you attend the Halloween party?"

Snape asked a series of questions that made Ivan feel like he had a hundred thousand whys.

Luckily he didn't have to call him back, Harry, Ron and Hermione scrambled to explain that they were going to the death party.

"Hundreds of ghosts come and they can prove we're there."

"But after that, why not come to the party?" Snape's dark eyes gleamed in the candlelight. "Why go up the hallway?"

"Because Ron had a little misunderstanding with Weeping Myrtle at the death party, we're going to her to apologize."

"Apologizing to a ghost for not having dinner?" A smug smile flashed across Snape's thin face. "I think the food provided by ghosts at the party is probably not suitable for living people."

"We're not hungry," Ron exclaimed, as his stomach rumbled and Snape's ugly smile became more pronounced.

"My opinion, Principal, they're not telling the whole truth," he said. "We should probably take away some of their privileges until they're willing to tell us the truth. Personally, I think it's better for Mason to stop his share. Ridiculous newspaper, telling Potter to leave the Gryffindor Quidditch team until they're honest."

"Honestly, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason for these kids to stop their favorite extracurricular activities, the cat wasn't hit in the head by a newspaper or a broom, and there's no evidence that They did anything wrong."

Dumbledore glanced at the four of them with inquiring eyes, staring at them with bright blue eyes, as if to see through everything.

"As long as you're not convicted, you're innocent, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked exasperated, as did Filch.

"My cat was petrified and I would love to see someone get some punishment!"

"We can cure it, Filch," said Dumbledore patiently. "Mrs. Sprout got some mandrakes recently, and once they're grown, I'll have a medicine for Lori. Madam Si has come back to life."

"I'll make it," Lockhart interjected. "I must have made it a hundred times. I can make mandrakes while dreaming."

"Excuse me!" said Snape coldly. "I think I'm the potions teacher at this school."

There was an embarrassing silence, and Lockhart twisted uncomfortably.

"You can go." Dumbledore said to Ivan, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

They went as fast as they could, almost running. When they got to the upper floor of Lockhart's office, they got into an empty classroom and closed the door softly.

In the darkness, Hermione squinted at Ivan, Harry and Ron.

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