"Come with me, I have to show you something," Murphy whispered into Bellamy's ear, taking up his hand in his own. Bellamy was taken quite by surprise as he was suddenly dragged down the corridors. He had been looking for Murphy all day and now was his chance to tell him.
"Murphy, I-"
"Just wait! If people catch us, we'll get in trouble, dumbass," Murphy shushed him.
"Never stopped you before," Bellamy mumbled, thinking back to the time when they cut class to make out in the open hallways of the castle.
Murphy turned a corner toward the girl's bathroom that was out of order and looked about the darkening hallways for any bystanders that would catch them.
"Seriously Murphy-"
Murphy turned to shush him once more and opened the door of the bathroom. The two entered silently and looked about. A quiet sob came from one of the bathroom stalls, but stopped once the boys walked in.
"Murphy, we shouldn't be in here," Bellamy whispered, "We're going to get in trouble."
"Who's there?" a young girl's voice came from the same stall, sounding irritated. A ghostly head popped up over the top of the stall wall.
Murphy rushed over to the bathroom sinks and seemed to be searching for something.
"You!" the little girl snarled, levitating up into the light of the window. The sunlight cast right through her transparent body.
"Charlotte, please! Don't get us in trouble!" Murphy whispered irritably.
"You are in trouble! You shouldn't be in here!" Charlotte squeaked, floating down to them.
Murphy turned his attention back to the sinks and began to speak in a language Bellamy had never heard before. The sinks began to separate, revealing a tunnel that went down in the ground below. Charlotte wailed in fear of the sight and retreated back to her bathroom stall with a splash into the toilet.
"Murphy, what the hell is going on?!" Bellamy looked at him with surprised eyes.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Murphy smirked at him.
"What is this?" Bellamy asked, utterly confused.
"Come on, I'll show you," Murphy stated, pulling at Bellamy's hand.
"Are we seriously going to jump down there?" Bellamy asked.
"What, are you scared?" Murphy teased him. He kissed him quick before jumping down, into the tunnel.
"Murphy!" Bellamy shouted. Without hesitation, Bellamy jumped down after him, the smell of sewage and rotting animals filling his nose on the way down. He landed in a pile of small animal bones and brushed himself off as he regained his footing. Murphy had already started his way into the tunnel across from him, waving a hand for him to catch up.
Bellamy made his way forward and finally caught up with Murphy.
"This isn't safe. We shouldn't be down here," Bellamy suggested.
"It's fine. Trust me," Murphy reassured him as they approached a large, circular door with snakes on it, "I found out that I can talk to snakes."
Murphy turned towards the door and spoke in the strange language once more, slowly unlocking the snakes to open the door.
"Wait…what?" Bellamy was taken aback.
"It's called parseltongue. I looked it up. Pretty neat, huh?" Murphy turned to look at Bellamy, attempting to show off, but Bellamy looked less than impressed and more concerned.
"But…that giant snake…" Bellamy started hesitantly.
"It's called a Basilisk, Bell, and it led me here, to the Chamber of Secrets," Murphy replied. The door opened and revealed the chamber. Giant snake head statues lined the hall, bearing their threatening fangs. They led up to the Basilisk that lay limply on the floor, blood pouring from wounds. Its eyes were closed, too weak to open them.
Murphy turned and saw the seen in anguish. He ran to it in a panic and reached the creature. It was still alive, but barely.
"Murphy…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Bellamy began to tear up.
"You did this?" Murphy turned on Bellamy, shouting.
"I thought it was after you! I thought it was going to kill you!" Bellamy tried to defend himself.
Murphy took out his wand, but could not bring himself to point it at Bellamy.
"It knew I could communicate with it. It was trying to seek me out!" Murphy began to cry, "It was going to answer all my questions about what's happening to me!"
"Murphy, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I was just trying to protect you," Bellamy attempted to cool down the situation, but it only seemed to anger Murphy more.
"How will I ever know what I am, now? What kind of a monster am I?" Murphy's screams echoed through the tunnels, leaving an eerie reverberation that hung about them. He held up his wand and pointed it at Bellamy. Bellamy raised his hands in surrender, eyes filled with sorrow.
"Murphy, please-"
"SHUT UP!" Murphy's words sliced the air around them.
Silence suddenly overtook them as the basilisk took its last breath. Murphy turned to it and put a shaking hand upon its thick skin. Tears poured down his face.
"How'd you do it?" Murphy asked through sobs.
"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," Bellamy replied.
"Where the HELL did you get the sword of Godric Gryffindor!?" Murphy snapped back around at him, raising his wand on him once more.
"I've always had it. I don't know why. I thought this was the reason for me having it," Bellamy confessed.
"You just thought," Murphy mocked him, flinging his hands up in the air in exasperation.
"I didn't know."
"He didn't know."
"Stop it!" Bellamy shouted at him, lowering his hands as he was fed up with the argument.
He stormed over toward Murphy, ignoring the wand that threatened him in his direction. He pushed Murphy so his back was against the basilisk.
"Arguing is NOT going to bring your snake back to life, Murphy. You want answers? I owe you answers, then. Let's get the hell out of here and I will help you find your goddamn answers," Bellamy growled at him. He finally backed off and began to walk back out of the tunnel.
Sheepishly, Murphy pulled himself off the basilisk and wiped the tears from his face, following behind Bellamy. Bellamy suddenly turned to face him once more.
"And for god's sakes, Murphy," Bellamy looked at him sympathetically, "You're not a monster."
A smile crept its way into Murphy's expression as the two continued back up the tunnels to the castle in silence.