A/N: I felt very bad for my lack of talent all those years ago and although I'm not as good as others, I find my talent for writing has greatly increased. So I really wanted to revamp my very first fan fiction and change it a bit.
Disclaimer:
As before, this is an altered version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and you should be familiar with the book or movie because I've tried to center this fan fiction more on my character this time. The passages used from the book or movie belong to J.K. Rowling; the Nightwalker is a creation of Dungeons and Dragons and all the rest belongs to me.
Chapter 1
After the Sorting ceremony Headmaster Dumbledore rose to his feet and the Great Hall fell quiet.
"I welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts," he began. "Now, before the feast I would like to introduce one last student who will be joining the second years."
Heads turned as a person strode up the isle with their hood up to stand before the small rise. She gave a curt nod to Dumbledore and turned to face the students.
"Please welcome Gale Glider," he went on. "Earlier Sorting has placed her with Slytherin."
He gestured to the table under the silver and green banner. Accompanied by the applause of the Slytherin students Gale took her place next to Draco Malfoy. With a final word to announce the feast the Headmaster took his seat and the tables filled with foods and drinks.
Keeping her face hidden beneath the hood Gale took in her surroundings as the students around her began to eat to their hearts content. She noticed one of the Professors come in through the teacher's entrance to fetch the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall. She mildly wondered if this had anything to do with the flying contraption she had seen on her way to Hogwarts. The Headmaster disappeared not long after and her curiosity increased.
"Why aren't you eating?" asked Malfoy. "It's not poisoned or anything."
Gale looked at her empty plate, but didn't give answer. The boy shrugged and continued to eat.
An hour passed until Professors' Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape returned to the Great Hall. The later took a look at his new students when his eyes fell on Gale and she gave a slight bow. His mild pleasure at this little show of respect was barely visible for an instant as his expression turned cold once more and he took his seat.
When it was time to head to their Houses Gale followed the Slytherins to the dungeons and found herself standing before her four-poster bed. Undoing the dark green drapes she let them fall to conceal the bed and placed her palm against the satin. As though on a second thought she took out her wand and pointed it as well, muttering a string of arcane words.
"What are you doing?" asked Pansy Parkinson, one of the four roommates.
"I put a curse on these drapes," she said in a low voice. "It's advisable you don't touch or try to move them with other objects."
Unconcerned by their reactions, Gale crawled into her bed and was quickly lost from sight. The odd sound akin of metal rubbing metal was the last sound the other's heard as they made ready for bed.
….
Early the next morning, while everyone was still sound asleep, Gale left the dormitory to take a long cold shower. Dressed and ready afterwards she quietly left the Common room and took her time in the dungeon corridors; she loved the cold air down here. Eventually she reached the Great Hall and marveled at the space of this grand empty room. It was refreshing in a way. The ceiling was still darkened by the remnants of night, paling stars twinkling stubbornly through the silk like blanket of clouds wafting in the sleepy breezes.
She was completely lost in that sky until a hand gently fell on her shoulder. Gale spun around, stepping out of reach.
"I didn't mean to startle you so," smiled Dumbledore.
"It's alright," said Gale adjusting her robe a bit. "My mind was elsewhere."
"It's only 5:30am, why are you up so early?" asked Dumbledore.
"I've been up since three," admitted Gale. "I don't sleep long."
The surprise was evident in his eyes as he twirled the tip of his long beard.
"Be that as it may, you're still under curfew my dear," he said kindly.
"Forgive me," she said after a short silence. "It completely slipped my mind."
"One time is quite alright; however I would ask you return to your common room for now."
"Thank you Headmaster."
Gale quickly took her leave and returned to the common room where she spent the rest of the time idling in front of one of the magical windows. This morning it was a nice high view and she sighed, loosing herself to her daydreaming for the remaining few hours.
After she made sure curfew was over, Gale headed back to the Great Hall. This time there were a few other students already present and over time the rest of them arrived. Among the last arrivals was Parkinson who was covered in purple and orange spots. She stormed right up to Gale and pointed her finger in accusation.
"What did you do to me," she shrieked.
"Had I forgotten to mention my trunk was protected? Forgive me," said Gale dryly.
Some of the Slytherins began to jeer and laugh until Parkinson ran out of the hall crying. Then Malfoy suddenly sneered and raised his voice to be heard.
"So, famous Harry Potter comes to breakfast like the rest of us," he taunted.
Again the Slytherins erupted in laughter except for Gale who straightened up at the mention of Harry's name.
"So this is Harry Potter," she said quietly to herself.
"He look," said Ron as they took their seats. "That guy's staring at you."
"That guy is the new girl I told you about," said Hermione. "She kept her hood up all throughout yesterday's feast too. "
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and as soon as he saw Gale his scar began to sting a little. It was hardly anything like the time he battled Voldemort, but it still unsettled him a little.
His trance was interrupted when Ron elbowed him in the side.
"What's up with you?" he asked. "Got the hots for a Slytherin now?"
When it was time the Headmaster clapped into his hands and breakfast appeared.
"Let me guess, you're not eating again," said Malfoy as he scooped eggs onto his plate.
Gale ignored him and looked at her empty plate with a sigh. A sudden commotion swept her attention towards the cloud of owls swooping in through the large windows. One of the students exclaimed his happiness for the arrival of the mail and Gale too was glad to accept her package from a regal hazel owl. She paid the winged deliverer and undid the simple brown paper to reveal a small wooden box. She was about to open it when the booming voice of someone's howler startled her. It was directed at the red haired boy next to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, as the sender was kind enough the yell. It was mildly amusing, but she didn't join in the ensuing laughter after the howler had finished, leaving the boy in stunned silence. Turning her attention back to her box, she took her silver goblet and filled it with water. Then she took out two crystalline stones the size of pearls and crushed them in her hand, dropping the fine powder into her water. It shortly glowed a light blue before turning clear again, frosting the goblet. Draco was too busy jeering at Harry and Ron to notice, but Professor Snape was watching every move with interest. Gale cupped her hands around the goblet and muttered a string of arcane syllables. When she finished she drank deeply until it was emptied. Professor Snape watched her lift her hand and was astonished when her skin turned to scales and back in a wave. She seemed visibly more relaxed than before.
Before it was time for classes each Head of House went along their tables handing out the course schedule and when Professor Snape reached Gale he leaned in.
"Come with me Miss Glider, now," he said.
Gale tucked the box into her robe pocket and stood to follow him. He led her up several flights of stairs and into the hospital wing. There they were met by a very annoyed healer.
"I've tried just about everything and all it does is change and get worse," she huffed.
Professor Snape raised his hand for her to calm down and turned to Gale.
"If you would be so kind as to explain what it is you have done to Miss Parkinson," he said with quiet authority.
"I had placed some… protection on my personal affects," she said in a low voice. "And it seems she felt the need to touch one of them."
"Undo it," he said crossing his arms.
"Of course," she said walking to the bed.
Gale placed her hand on Parkinson's shoulder and pulled out her wand almost as an afterthought. After a short harsh sounding phrase the girl's brown horns and oversized teeth receded and the sickly yellow fur seemed to wither and disappear. It was not much improvement, but Parkinson looked like her old self again.
"Good as new," she said dryly.
"Thank heavens," breathed Madam Pomfrey.
"I should be getting to classes Professor," said Gale. "May I go?"
"You may," said Snape. "But you will be punished for this."
"Of course," she said before leaving.
When she was gone Madam Pomfrey turned on Snape.
"If I'm not mistaken that was a multy change curse," she said.
"It was," said Snape.
"What irresponsible parents would teach that to a twelve year old?! In the worst cases people have died!"
"I will deal with her, as I've said," said Snape. "Make sure Miss Parkinson wakes up soon. Good day."
….
As the week passed less and less Slytherins tried to find out what was under Gale's hood and generally left her alone after a foolish 6th year had tried and miserably failed to just pull it down.
Saturday morning was no different than any other morning as Gale wiled away the curfew in the common room. Later at breakfast she went through the same routine Professor Snape had come to almost expect from her and wasn't surprised that she no longer seemed to want to make sure of the results. He had tried to find out what it was she was doing, but without knowing what she crushed into the water he didn't get very far.
Gale sighed as she looked at the almost empty contains of her box. She knew these would be the last for good as her stash of them had run out as well. One couldn't send what one doesn't have and her acquaintance was unable to locate more of them.
"This might prove a problem," she muttered before downing her potion.
After finishing, Gale went up to the library for lack of better things to do and stayed there until she heard two boys talking about the sport of Quidditch. She recognized the voice of Harry Potter and quickly put away her book to follow them from a distance. She found the entire Gryffindor team had assembled and stood off to the side to watch them as they mounted their brooms and kicked off into the sky to practice their game. Watching them fly so high up made something twitch beneath the back of her robe and she let out a long wishful sigh.
It wasn't long until their practice was interrupted by the arrival of the Slytherin team. There was an argument between the team captains until Flint presented the other captain with a scroll containing the permission of Professor Snape for the Slytherin team to practice. It interested her and she quietly approached them.
"Who's your new Seeker?" asked Harry as he stepped up next to Oliver Wood.
"I am," was the smug reply.
The Slytherins parted as Draco made his way up to Harry.
"Surprised Potter?" he sneered. "And look what my father generously donated to the team."
He held up his Nimbus 2001 with a cold smile.
"I wondered how you got on the team," shouted Ron, who alongside Hermione arrived on the scene. "Seems like money is the only way for you then is it?"
"Not like you would know," sneered Malfoy. "Your family is so poor you couldn't even afford to buy new school robes, not to mention a new wand!"
"Shove it Malfoy," snapped Harry.
"Oh, so sorry Potter; can't stand not being in the spotlight" spat Malfoy. "I really don't see why having an ugly cut on one's forehead would make someone famous. I certainly wouldn't want it."
"At least he didn't have to buy himself into the team Malfoy," said Hermione. "He got in on pure talent!"
"Oh, the filthy little mudblood has something to say, does she?"
The Slytherins roared with laughter while the other's shouted with outrage.
"How dare you?!" shrieked Alicia.
"You'll pay for that!"
Ron tore out his spell-o-taped wand and pointed it at Malfoy. With a big bang a bright light shot out the bottom and hit Ron in the stomach with such force it sent him flying. Malfoy used the opportunity to whip out his own wand and pointed it at the fallen student.
"This is how it's done Weasley."
Gale was in his face before he had a chance to cast a spell.
"That's enough," she growled.
"And what pray tell are you going to do about it?" he spat.
Gale moved closer to Malfoy and leaned in close to his ear.
"Nothing compared to what will happen to your father when the other's find out he's not as loyal as he claimed to be," she whispered. "Just think what will happen after he so shamelessly denied him."
Malfoy turned paler than ever and staggered back a few steps.
"Let's just start our training," he said with a slight tremble as he pocketed his wand.
As Ron began to spit up slugs, Harry and Hermione helped him up and left for the game keeper's hut.
Near lunchtime the three of them found Gale waiting halfway back to the castle.
"Is he still spitting up slugs?" she asked once they were in earshot.
Ron doubled over and spat out three small ones in answer and Gale approached him. She placed her hand on his stomach and it felt like something was suddenly removed there. Ron felt loads better at once.
"Hey thanks," he said.
Gale just turned and left for the castle without a word when Harry jogged up behind her.
"Hey wait; I want to thank you for stepping in like that earlier," he said. "My name is Harry Potter by the way. Just what did you say to Malfoy?"
"That's none of your business," she said quietly and quickened her step.
Harry stopped with a frown.
"What's her problem?" asked Hermione as she walked up.
"I'm just glad she cured me," said Ron. "Come one, it's almost time for lunch."
……..
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. For those who've read the "original" Heir of Slytherin, I'd appreciate it if you tell me which you find better as the chapters progress.
Later Days, Imako the Demon Wolf