Karina's POV

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight. Everyone decided to have a "study" session in Pansy and I's room tonight. And when I say study I mean gossip and talk.

Daphne and Astoria were also here. Not sure why Astoria was here but wherever her sister went she followed. Daphne sat next to Gregory while Astoria sat next to Crabbe on the couch by the door. Blaise sat on Pansy's bed with here beside him while Draco and I laid on mine.

Draco rubs his thumb against the back of my hand while we listen to the bickering of the idiots.

"No! We will go to a fair and that's final." Daphne says while crossing her arms.

"Nobody wants to go to a fair Daphne." Blaise pouts.

"Do you have a better idea honey?" Pansy asks him while patting his face.

No they are not together. They just tease each other.... a lot.

"No but I will think of one. And when I do it will be amazing."

"Seriously Blaise what's wrong with the fair. It's cute and fun. We can go on rides and play games while winning cute prizes."

"Isn't that a muggle thing?" Draco finally says something making everyone look at him.

They all look confused then look back at him.

"You're right it is." Astoria is the first to agree. No surprise there.

"I think it would be fun."

Again the room goes quiet and everyone snaps their heads over to look at me, who is smiling widely at the thought of the fair.

"I think it would be really cute. It's different. Why not try it?" I sit up and look down at Draco who seems to be in his own thoughts slightly frowning.

"Mm I don't know Karina." Gregory says with a small grimace.

"You know what why not. We don't know what the fair is. It's new and different to us. We ca-can tr-try it." Draco stammers while everyone stares with wide eyes.

"Seriously?" Astoria asks glaring at me.

"Yeah seriously." Draco says then glances up at me with a slight smile.

"Well alright then but when are we going to go and how are we supposedly getting there?" Blaise says looking at Daphne with a pointed look.

Everyone's attention is back on the two so I take this time to talk to Draco.

"Why'd you change your mind Draco? All the years I've known you, you've never once wanted anything to do with a muggle or go near them."

He lays on his side then pats infront of him. I roll my eyes with a grin then lay down on my side right infront of him. I stare and get lost in his silver eyes.

"I don't know. You just seemed so excited about it. You want to go so why not. I want to make you happy."

"Aw Draco that's so sweet." His cheeks go red as I smirk. Leaning closer I give him a peck then move away.

He pouts as I sit back up and pay attention to the group. When Blaise brings up the point of money, I hear something - something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles on my nightstand and the babbling and arguing of Daphne and Blaise.

It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.

"Come ... come to me.... Let me rip you.... Let me tear you .... Let me kill you . . . ."

I jump and gasp making Draco sit up quickly and look at me.
"What?" he said loudly.

"I heard something."
"Something like what?"

"A voice... a creepy weird voice."
Draco stares at me with a puzzled look on his face then he looks around the room.

"That - that voice that said- you didn't hear it?"

"What are you talking about, Karina? I just hear Daphne and Blaise bickering like cats. Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy?"

I don't answer but strain my ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except the bickering cats. Feeling dazed I lay back down and stare at the ceiling.
I know I heard something.

"Here you want to lay and take a rest? I'll wake you when they all leave."

He lays down and I cuddle up to him with my face in his chest and his arms holding me. His hands rub my back as my eyes become heavier. The last thing I remember is Draco kissing my forehead and whispering something that I can't quite put together.

================================================================================================================================================================

Rain was lashing at the windows, in the Great Hall which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. Many people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander.

Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people. Harry was at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room.

The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from Harry's mind.

"What in the world?"

Fred and George turn around to see Karina standing behind them holding her books with curiosity covering her face.

"Karina!!" The two red heads dive towards her but then stop and back up with a frown on their face.

"Oh wait we're not speaking to you." George says while crossing his arms.

Karina's eyebrows furrow, "What? Why not?"

The two twins glance at each other then back at the pouting Slytherin.

"Well you rudely insulted Hermione. Remember?" Fred secretly points at Hermione who has her head burrowed in a book.

Karina says oh and glances over at the muggle. She cringes then looks back at Fred and George slightly smiling.

"Look boys I'm going to say this one time so you listen and you listen clearly. I don't apologize but since I like you two I will make an exception. I'm so sorry that I called Granger that word. It was mean and rude. Am I forgiven now?"

Karina shows puppy dog eyes while pouting and the boys sigh then pull her into a hug.

"Fine!"

"Yay!"

As the three hug, Hermione looks up from her book and frowns.

"Fred, George, why are you hugging that?"

Karina pulls away from the hug with a glare and opens her mouth to yell at Hermione until Fred covers her mouth with his hand.

"Come on Hermione. Karina is our friend. You both need to be nice." George says while patting Karina on the head.

"ugh whatever." Hermione sighs then looks back at her book.

Karina pulls her elbow back into Fred's stomach making him let her go.

"Never do that again Weasley." Karina smirks then walks away to the Slytherin table.

"Quite the friend." Ron says as he sits at the table staring at his brother who is hunched over.

Fred and George start arguing with Ron as Harry distracts himself with his sleeves. Out of nowhere he heard it ". . . rip . . . tear . . . kill . . ."

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office. He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"Harry, what're you -?"

"It's that voice again- shut up a minute-"

". . . soo hungry . . . for so long . . ."

"Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching him.

". . . kill . . . time to kill . . ."

The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"This way," he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall.

It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind him.

"Harry, what're we -"

"SHH!"

Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: ". . . I smell blood. . . . I SMELL BLOOD!"

His stomach lurched "It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces, he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage. Suddenly they bump into someone making them fall on the floor.

"Ouch seriously?"

Harry looks down to see Karina glaring at him.

"Karina? What are you doing here?" Harry asks as he helps her up. She dusts off her robe then pulls out her wand.

"I heard something. Some kind of weird creepy voice. No one believed me so I went and followed it."

Harry looks at her wondering why it seemed like they were the only two that heard the voice. As he opens his mouth to ask her more about the voice he is interrupted.

"Harry, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything..."

But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor. "Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. the chamber of secrets has been opened. enemies of the heir, beware.

"What's that thing - hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All four of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash..Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. For a few seconds, they didn't move.

Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help -" Harry began awkwardly.

"Trust me," said Ron.

"Yeah Harry this looks bad... we don't want to be found here." Karina says as she slightly pulls Harry and Ron's arms still looking at Mrs.Norris.

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends. The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat.

Harry, Ron, Karina, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight. Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

He glances over at Karina with confusion.

"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

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

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past the four and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Grey."

Lockhart 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. Draco sadly looks at Karina as she is pulled away by Harry and Ron. She glances back at Draco and shrugs with a sad smile. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks while Karina looked calm and collected. The four sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching the teachers all quietly argue.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"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."

Karina scoffs and rolls her eyes at Lockhart's comments which were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.

". . . I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once ..."

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.

At last Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart). "But how, I cannot say . . . ."

"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found - in my office - he knows I'm a I'm a -" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finished.

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"He's tellling the truth!" Karina yells at Mr Filch while pleading at Professor Snape who was her houses leader.

Harry looks over with confusion wondering why she is being nice all of a sudden.

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of forboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.

"Potter, his friends, and Miss Grey may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. ". . . there were hundreds of ghosts, theyll tell you we were there -"

"But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.

"Because - because -" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.

"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."

"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble.

Snape's nasty smile widened.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong. And what of Miss Grey, Severus?"

Everyone turns to Karina who is just looking out the window.

"I wasn't feeling well. I was on the way to Madam Pomfrey and I heard something."

She says nothing else as Snape gives Professor McGonagall a rude look.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling lightblue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious. So did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

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

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was a very awkward pause.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, Karina, and Hermione.

They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces.

"D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

Something in Ron's voice made Karina ask, "You do believe him, don't you?"

"'Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But -you must admit it's weird ...."

"I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill . . . ."

"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry.

To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.

"Well - it's not funny really - but as it's Filch, he said. "A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile.

"He's just bitter." Karina smirks as she walks with the two.

Hermione walks behind the three glaring at Karina. She doesn't know why she feels as if Karina has taken her place.

A clock chimed somewhere.

"Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."

"Oh come on Harry-" Karina starts but is interrupted quickly.

Harry grabs her hand making her stop walking and holds onto her shoulders.

"Listen Karina... He only likes you because you are in his house. He hates us and you know it. I'm still wondering why you don't hate us. Or at least when you stopped."

"Look you guys may piss me off sometimes- mmm well a lot of the time but I guess somewhere deep down in my dark soul you and Ron are kind of cool." Karina strains with a face of pain as she looks at the two boys smiling at her.

"You tell anyone I told you that and I'll put a hex on you so bad you won't know even know your own name."

The two boys watch as Karina walks away. Harry's eyes go down and watch her hips as they swish side to side. Suddenly he feels a slap on the head.

"Ow what was that for?!" He turns around to see Hermione glaring at him.

"Did you forget that I'm standing right here? Or that she's a Slytherin. Or that she is Malfoy's girlfriend?"

"Um no actually I didn't Hermione. Why do you say that?" Harry says as his cheeks turn pink.

"You know why." Hermione looks back at the hallway where Karina just disappeared.

"Hermione just leave him alone. She may be pretty but it's not like Harry likes her more than a friend right?"

Ron and Hermione look at Harry who is shocked at the conversation coming back to him.

"Yeah she's just a friend definitely."

Harry lies and watches Ron and Hermione's face change from confusion to happiness in seconds.

"Good like I said before she is a Slytherin and she's Malfoy's. It would never work." Hermione says as she starts walking away. Ron shrugs at Harry then follows behind her.

Harry look down the hallway that Karina used and thinks to himself, 'I know it wouldn't work but why do I still feel as though I should try.'