"What's happened? What's going on?"
Filch's voice rang out. He shouldered his way through the crowd, then saw Mrs. Norris hanging on the wall. He staggered back a few steps, clutching his face in horror.
"My cat!" he shrieked. "How could this happen? My cat!!"
Then he stared fixedly at everyone present with bloodshot eyes. Malfoy, who had pushed through the crowd to stand at the front, naturally bore the brunt of it.
"It was you!" He stretched out his vulture-like hands. "You killed my cat! I'll kill you, I'll-"
Faced with Filch, who looked ready to devour him, Malfoy backed away a few steps in terror.
"It wasn't me, it wasn't me." He shook his head repeatedly.
"Argus!"
Dumbledore arrived at the scene with many other teachers behind him. The students pressed to either side, clearing a path for the headmaster.
Dumbledore walked straight toward the wall, studied it cautiously for a while, then took out his wand and waved it. He took Mrs. Norris down from the torch bracket and glanced at the writing above.
He laid Mrs. Norris on the floor, then recited an incantation and tapped her gently with his wand. There was no response, however. Mrs. Norris still lay there stiffly, like a freshly prepared specimen.
Dumbledore frowned slightly and looked up at the young wizards gathered together.
"Who was the first to discover this?" he asked.
But the young wizards looked at one another, and not one of them answered.
"It must have been him! He killed my cat!" Filch shrieked, pointing at Malfoy, who had been standing at the front of the crowd.
Dumbledore glanced at Malfoy, who shook his head and waved his hands frantically.
"It wasn't me. I was the last to arrive, Headmaster."
"It must have been... it must have