This is the second book of my "no Ginny" story

This is the second book of my "no Ginny" story. I didn't think it would be so difficult to take her out of this story but since she was instrumental to the plot of this particular book, it was. Hopefully I did well. In the last book I tried to keep Eris out of the fray as much as possible while at the same time incorporating her. I needed to build as much character background as possible so hopefully it wasn't too boring. The Chamber of Secrets is a turning point for our poor Eris. There is NO WAY she could be in this book without being totally immersed in it. You'll see why later. There will be more interaction and setup between the two house leads.

I named my girl Eris because she is the winged goddess of discord in Greek mythology. Eris is a newly discovered dwarf planet as well. Rowling sometimes named her characters after bodies in the cosmos that were named after gods and goddess of old. I thought it only fitting that Discord would be in Slytherin.

I don't know her mother yet. To be honest, I didn't give it too much thought. I was more consumed with finding Eris as a character and leading her through the 7 books. Her father is important, though. I guess we'll discover the details together, hmmm?

Warnings: As I said in the summary. This book will mature with the characters. I will maintain as true to real life kids as I can. It was a while ago that I was 12 but I'm pretty sure they aren't as squeaky clean as Rowling portrayed them. There will probably be cursing in this chapter since I know 12 year olds can have potty mouths. Each chapter will have its own warnings.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the body my soul inhabits.

Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets:

Harry was running down a long stone hallway, gasping for breath and clutching his abdomen. No…that wasn't right. It felt odd, like it wasn't his body. He was looking out through someone else's eyes. Something wasn't right. The pain was too intense, why was he still running? He rounded a corner, clawing at the walls for balance and nearly fell. Harry was frightened beyond anything he had ever felt before. He knew he had to keep running, something was coming up behind him. Sobbing as he ran Harry couldn't look behind him because the fear was too great. His eyes blurred with tears and he stumbled into a room, slamming the door behind him. It was a dead end. He looked around frantically until his eyes found a fireplace. He rushed for it just as the door burst open…

Harry screamed and screamed until his throat was raw and he realized he was in his own room, safe and sound. Panting horribly, Harry lowered his head in his hands and wept. He was shaking all over. He couldn't remember ever feeling this bad. He thought he had died.

The sound of people stirring brought Harry back to normal. The noise of his nightmare must have woken up the Dursley's.

"Well, this is going to be a bad day." Harry mumbled and got up to face the music. The dream slowly faded but he would never forget the feelings it gave him.

:

Eris twisted a blade of grass in her hand. It was summer and she was taking a break from her studies to visit with the Malfoy's. School was going to start up again soon and she couldn't wait. It wasn't like she ever got a complete break from education, her father had seen to that, but she was tired of being alone with her studies. She wanted to be with everyone back at Hogwarts.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco came up behind her and sat down on the grass. They were on the lawn at Malfoy Manor, enjoying the pleasant summer weather and taking for granted the opportunity to be outside. It was rare because both Snape and Lord Malfoy disliked idle children.

"School." Eris replied and tossed the piece of grass down.

"Why?" Draco really looked bewildered and Eris smiled and pushed him in the shoulder.

"It's almost upon us and we still haven't thought of a suitable punishment for Gryffindor."

"Well, it's not like we've had time and besides, Blaise and Pansy were out of the country this summer. We couldn't very well plan with them." Draco lay down on his back, crossing his arms under his head and looked at the sky. "We have all school year to think of something."

"You're such a procrastinator." Eris picked another blade of grass.

"When I have a chance to be, I am." Draco yawned and closed his eyes. "Now, relax. It's the only time you can until they find out we're doing nothing and make us do something."

Eris sighed and turned toward Draco. She then bent over him and tickled his nostril with the blade of grass. His nose twitched and he grimaced, sneezing violently. Eris let out a light chuckle and turned back to the Malfoy's generous view, ignoring the returned glare. Things were certainly peaceful lately. It only made Eris apprehensive. Calm before a storm and all that.

"I wonder why Uncle Malfoy refused my audience earlier." Eris mused out loud.

She had just arrived at Malfoy Manor to spend the week with the family while her father readied his curriculum for the coming year and was eager to greet everyone. Narcissa was visiting friends for brunch but she was sure that Luscius would be glad to see her. He was in his study pacing when she came in. He greeted her but was terribly short. He told her to go play and sent her off.

"Maybe he realized what a pain you were and wants nothing to do with you anymore." Draco said lightly from his spot on the ground.

"Oh, Draco, are you getting me confused with you again?" Eris stood up and brushed herself off. "We look nothing alike."

"Thank god." Draco opened one eye and peered at Eris' scowl with amusement.

"Enough of this, let's go." Eris commanded and held out her hand for Draco to take. She helped him up and started toward the lake that bordered the perimeter of the property.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked as he followed.

"We're going swimming in that lake over there." Eris pointed but really didn't need to. It was a semi large lake.

"You think we're dressed suitably for that?" Draco asked.

"Yes, I have short pants and a tee-shirt as well as you. It's perfectly acceptable." Eris smiled over her shoulder and started running toward the water. Draco really didn't need to be convinced and was already flinging his shoes off as he ran.

They swam and played for the better half of the day, calling on the house elves for a lunch picnic around noon. Draco never questioned the need to play but Eris couldn't shake the feeling that this may be their last real chance at childhood. Her sense of urgency was peeked but she didn't know why. By the time they stumbled back to the manor, they were exhausted. It was nearly dinner time and Narcissa was in the sitting room when the children snuck in the side door, trying to be quiet and failing miserably. The two wouldn't stop arguing.

"It's really not my fault you can't say no to me." Eris was whispering furiously. "It's also not my fault you fear your father."

"Shut up! He'll scold you just as bad as me." Draco whispered too, albeit not as softly. "I have never shown up as dirty as I am right now."

"You most certainly haven't" Narcissa said from the entry way. The two kids froze and turned towards the new presence of Narcissa Malfoy.

She surveyed the children and raised a delicate eyebrow. Their hair was matted to their faces and hanging in limp clumps due to water and silt. They were both covered from head to toe with either mud or grass. Their clothes looked like Narcissa needed to just cut her losses and destroy them. Draco was missing a shoe.

"I fell." Draco started immediately, looking wide eyed at his mother. He turned to look at Eris and she returned his look, highly amused. "We fell. In the lake."

"We decided to celebrate the end of summer before returning to our studies in Hogwarts, Aunt Cissi." Eris dismissed Draco's excuse and decided to tell the truth. "I just didn't think we'd get this filthy."

"And that you are. Draco was right; you both have never come back to the house this out of sorts." Narcissa put her hands on her hips but her face remained slightly amused. "And Eris, is that anyway for a lady to act? You must be presentable at all times. What if we had had guests?"

"I suppose that would have put you in a bad spot." Eris straightened her stance and stared at Narcissa evenly. It just looked ridiculous with her mud baby look.

"Do we have guests?" Draco asked. His eyes were blinking innocently, just as ridiculous looking.

"That's not the point, dear." Narcissa was beginning to smile and that didn't bode well for her scolding. Eris saw this and decided to exploit her Godmother's good humor. She reached over and pulled on the hem of Draco's shirt. It was stiff and just rocked on his shoulders. Narcissa gave a sharp laugh before covering her mouth with the back of her hand and looking away. "Go away, both of you. Clean up before Luscius sees you."

"Thanks. We'll be presentable before dinner." Eris called over her shoulder as the two sprinted upstairs.

Narcissa shook her head and went back into the parlor. She poured herself a small glass of firewhiskey. Those two had a lot they were going to have to deal with. She could only do so much to make their lives a little easier.

:

Harry stuffed a fork full of pancakes in his mouth and savored the taste of butter and home made syrup on flat-cakes. The summer had taken a turn for the better when he was abducted from the Dursley's by Ron and his twin brothers, Fred and George, and brought to their house in a flying car for the rest of the summer. He was feeling a little down because Uncle Vernon had barred him inside his room after an elf named Dobby managed to trash the kitchen. He had no idea why or how the elf managed to make so much of a mess but that didn't mean Harry didn't get punished on his behalf. Still, He couldn't forget what the elf had said.

"Harry Potter is in trouble. Don't go back to Hogwarts this year."

Harry shook his head. The creature had apprehended the letters from his new friends and dumped a cake on a house guest during a Dursley party. All so Harry would have to stay home this school year. That just wouldn't be possible. Now that Harry had experienced Hogwarts and all the wonders it housed, he couldn't possibly NOT go! He had friends now. He had control over a power he didn't even know existed a year ago. It didn't matter how dangerous things got. Harry felt more at home in the Wizarding world than anywhere else.

"So I was thinking we should go to Daigon Alley by floo tomorrow before the train leaves." Molly Weasley, Ron's Mum, said conversationally. "That way everything we get will be packed already and we don't have to re-pack later-on."

"There are a lot of books listed here. How are going to buy them all?" Ron said, still fingering his Hogwarts letter. They had received them that morning before sitting down to eat. Harry didn't know what half the stuff they talked about was but he supposed he'll learn. He's going to make the wizard world his home.

"We'll manage." Mrs. Weasley smiled and took a bite out of her scrambled eggs. Harry had to admire the woman. She was the only female in a family of 7 boys including Arthur, Molly's husband. Since all of her boys were getting older and Ron, the youngest, was now old enough to go to Hogwarts Harry wondered what she did with all the newly acquired free time.

Arthur was a strange guy. Harry had many interesting conversations with the elder Weasley in regards to the many quirks of Muggle England. Included but not limited to the function of a rubber duck.

"What do we do until tomorrow?" Fred, or was it George, asked and looked to his brother.

"I think we should try to catch the garden gnomes so Harry can see one. I don't think he's ever seen one." George, or was it Fred, replied and they got up from the table. Molly was swatting them with a dish cloth.

"Don't over excite them! I just put in a new flower bed and I don't want it disrupted overly!"

The twins interrupted Harry's confused, "Gnomes?" and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him behind them. Ron grinned and followed closely after. He liked introducing Harry to new things in the Wizarding world. It was like rediscovering them himself.

After an over exhilarating romp in the garden, in which Mrs. Weasley's horrified wailings echoed from the kitchen, Harry and the boys explored the area surrounding the Burrow in search for pixies. Harry never remembered having so much fun.

:

Eris couldn't sleep that night. School started the next day and she was traveling with the Malfoy's to Daigon Alley to buy school supplies. She wasn't sure why they waited until that last minute for it or why the whole family was going but neither did she ask questions. It wasn't her place. Besides, Draco did ask and received a scolding for his troubles. She learned from his mistakes. She softly padded down the stairs toward the kitchen in search of cookies and milk. Dobby, the personal servant of Lord Malfoy, was always quick to give in to her requests. He was a kind creature, that elf. Far too nice to be in service of Lucius. Despite her admiration toward her Godfather's stature and power she knew mistreatment when she saw it. Magical creatures were dear to her heart after all.

Dobby wasn't in the kitchen but rather was listening outside Lord Luscius' Study. It gave Eris a pause for she never saw a house elf act sneaky before. She tilted her head and walked toward Dobby. His ears twitched and he spun around, eyes wide. Eris put her finger to her mouth in a "shh". He blinked and sidled up to her, looking decidedly worried.

"Master and Mistress are speaking." Dobby whispered. Eris knelt down to him. The elf was already looking around the area for something to punish himself with and he was rubbing his hands together nervously.

"Is that so? What are they saying?" Eris didn't want to get the house elf into trouble so she whispered as softly as she could. She was still too amazed the thing was eaves dropping to feel anything but curiosity. Dobby was starting to shake with the need to either flee or hit himself so Eris made her voice firm and authoritative. "Do NOT punish yourself, Dobby."

"Yes, Mistress Eris." Dobby squeaked out but didn't look any better than he did before.

"Let's go and hear what they're saying, hmm?" Eris gave Dobby a smile and straightened herself. She pushed the creature gently back to the door where he was before. He looked up at her with his tear filled big eyes and Eris made her smile as sweet as possible before taking position on the other side of the door for herself. She knelt down again and put her ear up to the wall. After a little while of looking at her as if she was crazy the house elf did the same.

"I don't like the idea of that being in the same place as Draco and Eris." That was Narcissa's voice and she sounded worried.

"It wouldn't do anything to them and you know it. The Dark Lord is only after the unworthy." Luscius sounded annoyed and Eris looked over to Dobby in confusion. He looked scared.

"Unworthy meaning Potter's boy." It was hard to determine whether Narcissa agreed or disagreed. Hearing Potter's name Eris pushed more firmly against the wall and strained her ears. What were they going on about?

"He is a threat and he needs to be dealt with before he gets dangerous." Luscius was getting angry. Even Eris could tell that and she couldn't see his face. Why was Narcissa provoking him? Why did Luscius deem Harry as a threat? What was going to happen to him? Eris didn't like this at all. By the looks of Dobby, he didn't either. He was currently staring off into space and gnawing his fist.

"What do you intend to do with it?" Narcissa's voice lowered in defeat.

"I'm thinking of slipping it in with the Weasley child. He'll bring it into Hogwarts unknowingly. It'll continue its job from there on its own." Luscius was decided.

Eris made a signal toward Dobby and rushed him into the kitchen before the door to the study opened. Once they were there she snagged his little hand and went the round about way back toward her room. Once there Dobby ran full speed into the wall of her chamber, repeatedly beating his head into the stone. Eris was thankful stone walls dulled noise.

"Dobby, Dobby! Calm down!" The elf was muttering nonsense words and repeatedly calling himself bad. "You aren't bad! You're a very good elf! The best I've ever seen now stop it this instant!"

"Dobby went against the Master Malfoy. Dobby knows he is going to do it again!" The house elf wailed and Eris rushed to put her hand over his mouth.

"That's fine! You do what you have to. You can punish yourself how YOU see fit later but do not let Harry or the Weasley's get whatever it is that Lord Malfoy intends to give them, got it?" Eris had no idea why she was going against her Godfather but whatever it was that he had planned wasn't good. Narcissa's complaints were evident enough.

"Mistress Eris doesn't want harm to come to Harry Potter?" Dobby's eyes were big with awe and Eris forced down a grimace. Oh, she didn't care either way but if the other students were in harms way she had a bit of a problem with it. If it disrupted her school life she wouldn't stand for it. If one of the Weasleys was harmed and Charlie lost a brother then she hated it. She knew her Godfather never did anything by halves. Whatever he had planned was going to be big.

"No damage must come to him or Ron. That's what I want." Eris said after a while. Dobby nodded furiously.

"Yes, yes, Dobby will do what he can to help Harry Potter and Harry Potter's friend." Dobby gave Eris a wide grin. "Mistress Eris is so good. She is so kind to Dobby and Harry Potter!"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Don't tell anyone about this conversation. You may leave me now. I need to sleep before I depart tomorrow." Eris dismissed the house elf and went back to bed. Although she tried, no sleep came to her for the rest of the night.

:

Harry had never used a floo network before so that was an experience he'd remember. He didn't know you could travel from fireplace to fireplace in the Wizarding world.

He looked around frantically until his eyes found a fireplace. He rushed for it…

Harry shook his head to clear it of the horrible dream. He was walking with Hagrid through the streets of Daigon Alley when he was bombarded with arms full of Hermione.

"Harry! I'm glad to see you again! What on earth happened to you?" Hermione frowned at his broken glasses and dusty face. He had mispronounced the name to Daigon Alley as he threw the floo powder to the ground and ended up someplace far seedier. The 'landing' hadn't been too gentle either. Luckily he was found and rescued by Hagrid. Hermoine gave a long suffering sigh before taking out her wand. "repairo"

"Thanks for that!" Harry smiled as he checked out his newly fixed glasses. "That's one I'm going to have to remember."

They met back up with the Weasley clan and went about getting their things ready for school. Harry had just walked up to a book store when he noticed the frenzy of the patrons inside.

"Oh! I heard he was here today! Hurry, let's see if we can't get an autograph!" Molly squealed just like a school girl. That fact scared the Weasley's and Harry and they exchanged horrified glances.

"Who's here?" Harry asked. The boys shrugged and Hermione sighed again.

"It's Gilderoy Lockheart." She declared as if they were meant to know this but have failed miserably. "He's a famous wizard who has won many battles against Dark wizards. He also writes books about his adventures."

"Oh." Harry started out while the Weasley boys chuckled behind him. One of the twins sarcastically declared this Lockheart fellow "Humble Gilderoy" as Hermoine sniffed and entered the building.

"Well, then. Let's go see this fantastic wizard and find out what the big fuss was." Ron grinned and followed Hermione.

He was a pretty boy. Harry wrinkled his nose at the fluffy man sitting behind the desk merrily signing autographs, smiling at the photographers and flirting with housewives. Most of his admirers her female, sighing like lovesick fools. He was aghast at seeing Hermione and Molly, side by side, among the fluttering women. They were bonding over their mutual admiration for the poof. Just when Harry was going to turn around and find something else to amuse himself with, Lockheart glanced up and saw him.

"Harry Potter…" Lockheart stood up and beamed. The crowd was already parting around Harry so the man could have better access to him and before Harry knew it he had a lace clad arm wrapped around his shoulder and the flash of the camera lights in his face. "To think that two of the most famous wizards are together in the same room and you all get to witness!"

Above the chaos Draco, Blaise, Pansy and Eris had taken refuge in a loft area of the store. Eris had actively sought out her two other friends when they arrived in Daigon Alley. The three of them amused themselves by reading Lockheart's books and laughing at how absurd it was while Draco was scowling and leaning over the balcony, observing the scene below.

"Listen to this," Pansy said, finding a quote from one of Lockheart's books. "'As I saw the dragon slowly approach me, murder in his eyes, I was reminded that I had only a pocket dagger at my ready. I knew I would only get one chance to bring him down'"

Blaise erupted in peels of laughter, clutching his stomach and falling to his side. Pansy giggled at both the quote and from Blaise's reaction. Eris smiled softly at her two friends and then looked at Draco.

"What's wrong?" Eris asked. Draco had gotten sullen all of a sudden.

"Saint Potter is here. He's hamming it up for the Prophet photographers." Draco spat out. Eris got up and approached him while Pansy had taken to tearing out pages of the book, crumpling it up and throwing them at Blaise. Blaise was still in the ending throes of laughter.

"So?" Eris leaned over the balcony to survey the scene. Harry was there alright but he didn't look like he was hamming it up at all. Eris concluded that he looked down right uncomfortable.

"So?! He doesn't deserve it! None of it!" Draco turned and stormed down the stairs. He paused midway and opened a book while slyly watching Harry for his moment to attack. Eris sighed and turned back toward the other two Slytherins. They had started a small war with crumpled up pieces of Lockheart's book.

"Wise up you two. Prince Draco's all fussy." She looked over her shoulder at Draco knowing he heard her. He glared at her, tore out a page of the book to pocket it and clamored down the stairs once Harry was free of the paparazzi.

"Uh Oh. He was demoted to Prince." Pansy grinned while she got up off the floor. She was no doubt remembering last year but truth be told, Eris had forgotten.

"More importantly he's going to try and fight Potter." Blaise was getting interested. The three of them slowly made their own way downstairs.

"Leave him alone." Ron growled at Harry's side.

"What's this Potter? You've got yourself a girlfriend? Or is it you who's the girlfriend? You know, I just can't tell." Draco was smirking fully and savoring the red that leaked into Ron's face. Eris was just going to interrupt when Lord Malfoy came into the store. He gently pushed his son out of the way to address the Weasleys. Eris' hand tightened on the hand rail on the stairs. Was this when he was going to do something? Didn't he say he was going to give something to the Weasleys?

"Now, now, Draco. Is that anyway to act?" Luscius was drawling more than usual. Eris recognized it as his condescending tone. The voice he used when speaking to people he was sure was lower than him on the social latter. Watching the face of Arthur Weasley, Eris would say the man has heard it before. Luscius was gazing at Harry far longer than he needed to and it was making Eris nervous.

"I see that the Weasleys are sparing no expense on getting their children the best," Luscius picked up a couple of Ron's books from his pale, looking at them with distaste, "Second hand material money can buy."

"They don't need expensive items to be good people. They do that on their own." Hermione inserted herself into the conversation with a sneer. Molly clucked at her side and patted the girl on the shoulder. Draco turned his attention to the frizzy haired girl and scowled.

"And you must be Hermione Granger. Draco has told me about you." Eris almost snorted in disbelief until she saw the tips of Draco's ears turn pink then she settled on smirking at him, which he steadfastly ignored but reddened more. "Muggleborn aren't you?"

"Yes." Hermoine lifted her chin proudly.

"Troubling what company you keep Weasley" Luscius turned back to Arthur. "Any good self respecting Wizard would avoid such activities."

"Apparently you and I have a different opinion on what makes a good self respecting Wizard and the company they keep." Arthur was starting to get as red as his hair. Molly had taken to glaring at Lord Malfoy and petting Hermoine on the head. Everyone else just looked on to see what would happen next "Some company could be frowned upon by the ministry and as far as I can tell, there are no rules again Muggleborns."

"Indeed…"

Luscius was clenching the books he held until his knuckles were white and Eris knew it was only a matter of time before hexes started flying. It simply wouldn't do to have such a commotion focused on them. Who knows what Luscius could do in the tussle? Eris looked around until she saw a bunch of books piled high on a shelf to the side of the stairs. They reached past the hand rail. She moved her elbow into them and knocked them down. There was a huge bang, gathering attention from everywhere in the store and startling the two adults out of their confrontation.

"Oops" Eris said when everyone turned to look at her but she didn't look sorry at all, rather, she was annoyed. Draco and Harry both smiled appreciatively at her for the interruption but she scowled at them in return. Why are they happy? First Draco had been talking about Granger to his father but stayed silent when he called him on it and then Harry, having no part in the discussion at all, is happy someone stepped in? He should have done it himself. Why are they forcing her to be charitable? At least she didn't think Luscius did anything untoward to The Weasleys. Her job was done. Crisis adverted.

"Well, as stimulating as our conversations are Weasley, I have more important matters to attend to than a little squabble with the poor." Luscius returned Ron's books and made his exit.

"Prat…" Ron mumbled under his breath. Malfoy shouldered him hard as he pushed past him to follow his father out of the store. Eris looked back to her two friends and they were just sparkling with enjoyment. She rolled her eyes and started down the stairs.

"Hey, Eris…" Harry called to her. His head was bowed but he looked up at her with a look that made her scowl. "Thanks…"

"Whatever, you and your clan can clean that mess up. Isn't that what subservient people do?" Eris sniffed and raised her chin as she passed. Harry narrowed his eyes but said no more. Which was good because Eris didn't know what she'd do if he confronted her. She didn't think saying she overheard Lord Malfoy talking about hurting him and using the Weasleys would go over well. Just as well as saying she was only concerned about it because she remembered her infatuation with Charlie and wanted his family to be safe and happy. Yeah, Harry would like hearing that.

Once outside Pansy leered expectedly while Blaise shook his head behind her. She walked silently like that for a while until Draco, too, showed up and looked at her…waiting.

"Ok! What? What is it you three?" Eris rounded on them. They raised their eyebrows and continued to wait. Eris sighed. She knew she acted relatively out of character but she couldn't tell them the truth. Draco wouldn't want to hear about the dastardly plans his father was coming up with nor did he want to hear about her getting in the way of them. "They were making a scene."

"And the scene you made by tossing books around?" Blaise was enjoying himself way to much for Eris' comfort.

"I didn't toss them. I just let them fall." Eris crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You were just itching for a confrontation and chances were that if there was a large commotion and hexes started flying, you'd be the first one to pretend you didn't know the ones involved."

Blaise stuck his hands in his pockets and looked towards his feet.

"What about before we left? You and Harry seemed pretty cozy." It was Pansy's turn to speak and she turned the full heat of her glare on the short haired girl. Pansy put her lips into a thin line but still waited for the excuse. Draco quirked an eyebrow at that and seemed interested in the reply.

"Harry is a complete idiot who thinks anything done around him that makes his life a bit easier was done FOR him. He hasn't yet discovered he isn't the center of the universe." Eris smiled cruelly. "I don't think I've ever seen you speak out for anyone, not even yourself. Because I didn't see the merit in the situation you want to find fault in me? When you can manage to act instead of following everyone's lead is the day I'll take you a bit more seriously."

Pansy's lips quivered and her cheeks were blotchy with offense. Eris waited for her to defend herself and then shook her head in disappointment when it didn't happen.

"What about—" Draco started but Eris had turned toward him and poked him ruthlessly in his chest.

"You! Don't even get me started on you! You were acting childishly the entire time! What? You don't have the attention that Harry Potter has? Oh, poor you! I'm sure that if you were to ask him to trade places he'd leap at the chance! Before you let your jealousy get the better of you, you should LOOK AROUND YOU!" Eris was getting out of hand, she knew it but she couldn't help it. Her normal calm was fractured and she was sure that all she needed to do was let it out and she'll be back to normal. "You act without thinking! If you wanted to show Potter up then all you have to do is SHOW POTTER UP! None of this petty squabbling anymore because it makes you seem immature. If you want the lime light then you aught to do something worth it."

"I'm not jealous…" Draco muttered

"Oh come off it." Eris rolled her eyes and stalked off. Her superior crown was again firmly on her head as she left the three shamed Slytherins behind. She needed to calm down.

:

Eris tapped her quill on the desk in the Slytherin common room and stared into the fire. She hadn't talked to Draco, Blaise or Pansy during the whole train ride and half of the first feast in Hogwarts. That's when they started to show up one by one and apologize to her for acting out of line. Well, Pansy said she was sorry. Blaise said she was probably right and Draco, the last to approach her, just grunted and decided to pretend it never happened. She was ok with that. She wanted to pretend it didn't happen either. That is until she decided to let Draco know why she truly interfered. She didn't know how he'd react.

"Pst."

Eris stopped tapping and looked around. She knew she heard something but no one else in the common room was looking at her.

"Pst. Mistress Eris…" Something whispered to her from under the desk. Eris scooted back from the desk a bit and looked underneath. She blinked but the house elf was still there. "Dobby must speak with you."

Eris looked around the common room again and then quickly wrote down. "In the hall, two minutes, right outside common room door" on a piece of parchment, folded it and slipped it underneath. She felt the small elf grab the paper and a second later he was gone. Eris waited a little bit and stood up to stretch. She wouldn't give excuses, why should she? It just wouldn't do to stand up immediately and rush to the corridor, though.

Outside she looked around until she saw Dobby waving frantically from beside a statue of armor. She headed that way silently wondering what he wanted. Didn't she foil her Godfather's plan earlier? Eris tried to remember if she saw either Harry or Ron that night at dinner but drew a blank. She simply wasn't looking for them.

"Mistress Eris, Dobby must speak with you on some important manner!" Dobby was dry washing his hands nervously.

"What is it Dobby?" Eris whispered.

"It's Harry Potter, Mistress Eris!" The Elf wailed. "Dobby tried to keep him away from the school because it's dangerous but he is still coming!"

"Why is it dangerous?" Eris was starting to get worried again. She HAD stopped him hadn't she? "Is it still the matter before?"

"Master Malfoy was pleased. He finished what he had to do. He gave the Weasley boy the item."

"When?!"

"Dobby doesn't know. Dobby tried to stop Harry Potter by blocking his way to the train but Harry Potter is arriving by flying car."

"Ok. It's ok." Eris reached down and patted Dobby on the head absentmindedly. When did that happen? How did he do it? What was it? "I'll see what I can do about this, Dobby. You continue to watch Harry. Is he arriving tonight by this flying car?"

The house elf nodded and Eris sent him away. Ten to one he was going to go punish himself for his failure and Eris fought the urge to scold herself as well. She failed just as much, if not more, than Dobby did. Eris racked her brain to remember when Luscious had the opportunity to complete his mission. She turned sharply and headed for the entryway. She'll just have to wait for Harry and Ron to arrive and then search their things.

:

The car was weaving horribly as they approached. Harry could see the courtyard below and tried to get Ron to steer the flying car towards it. It dipped, did a barrel roll and headed straight for the gigantic tree that was to the right of the place he had wanted to go.

"Ron! Pull up!" Harry shouted and pointed uselessly at the tree. How could his red haired friend miss the thing?

"Too late, mate!" Ron gritted out before they crashed into the tree.

They were resting on the top of the tree blinking at each other in shock before they both broke into a grin. Well it wasn't perfect but they landed in one piece, right? Hedwig made a startled sound in the back of the car and both boys turned their heads in time to see the branches of the tree swinging hatefully at the car. They braced themselves for the impact. There was a large bang, a sickening sound that Harry deduced was the bottom of the car scraping along the branches and a jolt before the car started tumbling down the branches toward the ground. They readied themselves as they came in contact with the solid ground. It wasn't as hard as Harry thought and suddenly everything was ejected from the car. Ron made an "oof" sound as he landed on the ground outside but Harry was caught up in the seat buckle. The big tree reared back to take another swing at the car and Harry gritted his teeth as the impact rattled him.

"Harry, hold on! I'm coming" Ron yelled and ran around the front of the car. He started pulling at Harry in an attempt to release him from the seat buckle but all it did was secure him more.

"Ron. You're not helping." Harry yelped as another hit made his head slam on the side of the door. He heard chuckling from further behind Ron and strained his head to see around him as Ron turned as well.

"Bit of a problem?" Eris cocked her head to the side as she approached the two boys. She walked around their thrown items, curiously looking down at them.

"Yes, I'm stuck and this tree wants to kill me!" Harry managed to keep himself relatively still as another hit rocked the car. Eris pulled out a pretty dagger from inside her robes and moved closer to the car. Ron's eyes widened comically and he pulled out his wand before he realized it was broken from their collision. Then he stared at it in dismay.

"You both are idiots." Eris raised an eyebrow at Ron's broken wand and paused while the tree slammed into the car again before reaching around Harry and cutting through the seat belt as if it was warm butter. Harry stumbled out and scrambled away from the tree. The car started up again and drove away. Harry glared at it.

"Now it drives to safety away from the pummeling man beating tree!" Harry threw his hands up as Ron took his place beside him and Eris pocketed the dagger. Harry didn't thank her this time. He was starting learn that she did good things without thinking but when called on it she lashes out. He thought she might be embarrassed. Either that or the daughter of Professor Snape didn't want to be associated with him. As Eris turned back to Harry and Ron he noticed the distinct look she gave him. It was the look Snape gave him right before deducting house points and giving him detention. Like superiority, a healthy dose of smugness and mixed with a bit of malice.

"Follow me." Eris started back toward the castle. "Leave your items. You'll probably be leaving soon."

She was going to take them to her father to deal with. It also gave her an opportunity to go back to the yard and go through their things.

:

Eris was fuming. The bloody items weren't back at the tree! The damned house elves must have cleaned the boys' belongings up and brought them to Gryffindor tower. She paced her common room angrily as her three friends watched her curiously. She wouldn't tell them why just yet. She really needed to feel them out to see if they would be loyal to her or if they would jump at the chance to do harm to Harry and Ron despite her desires not to.

"We're not going to know why you're so angry are we?" Draco said after a while of silence.

"Potter and Weasley crash landed a flying car that they stole into a Whomping Willow, were seen by Muggles in said car, and arrived late to Hogwarts. Yet they are still allowed to stay here as opposed to being expelled. They were given detention and docked points as a punishment." Her father had told her all of this after she returned from the tree empty handed. She had hoped that the boys would be sent home with the harmful item out of Hogwarts but no such luck. Dumbledore must have intervened. Did the old man know what he was allowing into their school?

"WHAT!? That's bullshit!" Draco stood up so fast that his chair fell behind him; he slammed his hands on the desk and caused an ink spilling. He didn't care. He was beyond livid. Eris was mildly impressed. "See! That's what I was talking about before! Saint Potter never does wrong!"

"You know…I'm beginning to see your point." Blaise said from his position on the couch by the fire. To his right, Pansy nodded her agreement.

"Regardless, my father couldn't do anything. The decision came from higher up." Eris sighed and leaned against the back of the couch.

"Dumbledore…the old coot." Draco hissed.

"What are we going to do about it?" Pansy asked.

"What else? Get even and make them wish they HAD been expelled." Eris said. If she had more eyes watching the two boys then the likelihood catching any oddities would be increased. She didn't have to tell her three friends they were helping to keep Ron and Harry safe.

:

Quidditch practice began and Eris was surprised to find out that Draco had written his father the first night at Hogwarts and asked him to make sure he was placed on the team this year. He made quite a show of telling her how he was going to be a better Seeker than Harry and everyone will know what a flake the other boy was. Eris knew Draco was an exceptional flier but she doubted he had the innate skill that Harry had. What was starting to irk her was that Draco wasn't telling her everything anymore. He never mentioned Granger to her and now Quidditch. What else hadn't he told her?

She was sitting in the grass on the outskirts of the Quidditch practice field with Pansy and Blaise (who wouldn't be caught dead in the horrible Quidditch uniforms) waiting for the confrontation of Slytherin and Gryffindor. It was also Draco's big debut. She wouldn't miss it for the world.

"How do you think it will turn out?" Pansy asked casually as she picked a blade of grass and let it float away in the wind.

"It's going to be a complete disaster. One of the Gryffindors is bound to say something snarky and the Slytherins will retaliate with ample hostility. It will be chaos." Eris reached over and plucked a strand of hair from Blaise's head from where he dosed peacefully. He jerked awake and glared somewhat fearfully at Eris as he rubbed his head. "Pay attention."

"Look! There they go!" Pansy pointed as a red clad group met a green clad group in the center of the field.

They exchanged a few words and Draco went up to the front of the pack. Eris saw Granger step forward and say something. Her face was completely smug about something and Eris exchanged glances with Pansy. Eris raised one finger and smiled knowingly.

"I can't hear anything from here. Let's go up and join the fray." Blaise stood up and dusted himself off.

The two girls followed him but as they approached Eris saw Draco say something to Granger. The Slytherins all laughed and Granger looked shocked. The Gryffindors rose up in indignation and Ron stepped forward, his broken wand out. Just as the trio arrived Ron's face contorted horribly and a slug plopped out of his mouth and onto the ground. This made the Slytherins laugh more but Eris just looked sideways at the redhead with disgust. Harry and Granger helped their friend away as the rest of the Gryffindors conceded to their defeat.

"What happened?" Eris asked as she looked down at the slug.

"The Mudblood started talking out of turn. I just shut her up." Draco's head was raised in pride but Eris clenched her jaw painfully.

"Where'd you hear that word?" Eris said in a low and dangerous voice. The other Slytherins found interesting things to do and see around them while Eris stared at Draco. He didn't lower his chin and returned her stare.

"My father uses it. It's fitting, don't you think?" Draco was daring her to stick up for the Muggle-born. He was putting her in a bad spot and she's going to make him pay. Eris shrugged nonchalantly.

"A bit crass but fitting nonetheless." Eris said lightly. "I'm surprised your father uses such words. I hear dock workers use it."

Draco's eyes were like steel but Eris smiled supremely. Everyone else pretended not to hear but you could feel the tension in the air. She stepped closer to the blond boy until she was right next to him. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Do not test me again."

"Well, have fun practicing." She called over her shoulder as she walked away. Pansy was quick to follow her and Blaise, after grinning at a Quidditch member like he won a battle against them, followed soon after.

:

Halloween night. Eris will remember that night for a long time. It was the night that Ms. Norris was petrified. More than that, it was the night Eris stopped trusting Draco Malfoy and it was the night she realized the plot Luscius made was underway. Quite a shock really but after her fight with him on the Quidditch field, Draco seemed distant. He went to her and grunted in his usual way that said "let's not fight anymore". But he still managed to be even more hostile to the trio of Gryffindor friends and didn't let her interrupt anymore. It was like he was trying to prove something. Eris decided to wait, watch and see.

The night they found Ms. Norris, Eris was walking with Pansy and Blaise in the hallways after attending a moderately interesting Halloween party. She thought she heard a whisper a couple of times but continued to listen to her two friend's inane ramblings while leaving half an ear open for more noises. They ran into Ron Weasley first. He made like he was going to turn around and go the other way when he saw them but instead brushed past them in a hurry. It was sort of odd but the three Slytherins decided to continue on their path even though Eris secretly wanted to follow him. Then they came upon Draco. He immediately joined them as if he'd been their all along and they came to a silent decision that he was. Whoever asked, they'd say Draco was with them. As they rounded a corner they came upon the scene.

Ms. Norris was petrified. There was another group of people on the other side that included the Harry, Ron and Hermione. On the wall was an eerie message:

The Chamber of Secrets is open. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.

That's when Draco said the thing that caused the distrust Eris now felt. He looked pointedly at Granger and sneered.

"You'll be next Mudbloods"

The professors showed up soon afterward and told everyone to go back to their dormitories. As Eris turned to leave with the rest of the students she overheard Dumbledore ask Harry, Ron and Hermione to stay. Then she felt an ushering arm steer her away from the rest of the students. She glanced up to see her father. He looked a little stone faced.

"Wait here for a moment. We might need to speak with you." He whispered. Eris stayed where she was and watched her father head back to the area where the rest of the professors were interrogating the Gryffindor trio. Filch was making a scene and accusing Harry of harming his cat. Madam Pomfrey was already setting about removing the petrified cat from its perch. After a while the three were told to go and Eris felt the eyes of every teacher present fall on her. She had never felt so disconcerted in her life.

"Eris." Dumbledore began. He exchanged a significant glace with Snape. One that Eris didn't miss but it confused her nonetheless. "We might need you to watch the student body and see if anyone is out of sorts lately. Did you happen to see something tonight that was a bit odd? Where were you?"

Ah. Eris knew he was interrogating her as well. The question was why. She thought about telling the Headmaster about Draco, the whispers, and Ron but the fact that they were suspecting her put her off. Would anything she told them seem like an excuse? A bit of 'the lady doth protest too much'? Eris didn't know but neither would she trust anyone about this. Especially ones who were looking at her like they thought she was the one who petrified Ms. Norris. Even her father was looking at her like he wanted a full confession. She was going to keep it simple and keep it truthful. After all, she honestly didn't do anything wrong.

"I was walking with Draco, Blaise and Pansy after a Halloween party. We happened upon the incident only AFTER the Gryffindors."

Dumbledore stared at her silently for a while and she knew the older man's mind was working something out. She knew the look because she often made the look herself. Just when she was about to start fidgeting Dumbledore let her go. It was the oddest night of her life as yet.

:

"Listen to this." Hermione dropped an over sized book on top of Ron and Harry's open ones. The book was labeled "Hogwarts, A History". The two boys looked at the book but waited for Hermione to keep going. They certainly didn't want to read the thing themselves. "It says here that a chamber was opened here at Hogwarts fifty years ago and that a student was killed as a result. This has to be the same Chamber, right? It certainly coincides with what we got out of Professor McGonagall"

"You would think…" Harry started as he sat up and leaned over the book to take a look himself. After being accused of the crime, Harry felt in only necessary to find the true culprit. The three friends had been researching since the Ms. Norris incident till their eyes practically bled.

"Does it say anything about voices?" Ron whispered. They agreed to keep the fact that Harry was hearing a voice during the time the attack happened to themselves. It was never good to hear voices no one else did. Even in the Wizarding world.

"No…" Hermione whispered back. She wasn't very comfortable with her friend hearing voices. She looked worriedly at Harry but he wasn't looking at the book anymore. Her eyes darted around to see what caught his eye until she saw Eris leaning against the shelves not too far away, flipping through a book. She could have heard the entire exchange save the whispering. She hoped anyway. Hermione leaned toward Harry, close enough that her whisper could be heard by him and only him. "What do you think? You think she has something to do with it?"

"Maybe." Harry whispered back. "Take a look at the title of her book. She's researching the Chamber too, I think."

Sure enough, when Hermione read the cover it clearly stated "Cures and Curses. Petrified A to Z." Suddenly Eris' eyes darted up from her book and locked on the table that Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at. The two friends quickly looked at their books and pretended to discuss their findings (Ron had been too busy to notice anything). When they looked up again, she was gone.

"I think it would be wise to keep an eye on her." Hermione said. "She's clearly up to something."

Harry agreed. It seemed to be that wherever danger stalked, Eris was somewhere around.

:

The Gryffindor/Slytherin game was nerve racking for Eris. Both Draco and Harry were injured. Harry more so with Professor Lockhart's speedy "cure" for a broken bone. Eris blamed herself for the injury. Dobby had came to her before the game and asked her what he should do. He was a little panicked after what happened with Ms. Norris and rightfully so. He assumed the "enemy of the Heir" was Harry Potter. Eris was inclined to agree, however, she was impatient at the time because of another tense moment with Draco and said to simply "get Harry out of Hogwarts". Dobby took that as "Maim him" evidently.

She couldn't seem too worried over the fallen Gryffindor so she took her place by Draco's side. She was concerned for her long time friend, as well; no amount of distrust as of late could ruin her feelings for the blond boy. However, he wasn't as badly hurt as he let on.

"You were too cocky." Eris smiled down at her comrade as he lay moaning dramatically on the medical bed. Draco's face turned red and he huffed as he threw his head back into the pillow.

"Yeah, and I ruined my chance to show up Potter." Draco said miserably. Eris was beginning to understand why Draco had been acting the way he has. After what Eris told him, he felt he had to be better than Harry. Well, if that's the case then he's doing it all wrong. And what about being uncommonly horrid to Granger? "My father was at the game too. I've disappointed him."

Yes, well there was that too. Living up to Luscius' expectations has to be somewhat difficult. Eris put her hand on Draco's forehead and mussed up his hair. Maybe Draco was overcompensating with Granger because he happened to have respect for the brainy girl and his father would never acknowledge that. Some pureblooded wizards and witches didn't have the ability that that Muggle-born girl did. The incident in Lockhart's class was a prime example. He let out a bunch of trouble making pixies but failed to corral them and control them. Hermione cast an immobilis to stop further destruction. Of course, Eris had been highly amused with the chaos and offered no help. Seeing her peers run around like idiots was funny. Why on earth would she try and stop that? Regardless, Granger showed herself as a very apt witch. That didn't stop discrimination, though. Luckily, her father had told her that it didn't matter what the family line was, as long as they weren't stupid with a wand. "Even pure bloods could be completely incompetent. Remember that. Education is what makes a good witch or wizard. Even ones with a small magical signature could be powerful if they focus and learn a certain thing." Eris always remembers her father's lectures. Unfortunately, Draco wasn't as fortunate as she was growing up. In his desire to be accepted by his father, somewhere down the line Draco did not retain much knowledge Snape threw his way.

"With the things going on lately. Your father is the least of your worries." Eris said. Draco opened one eye from where he lied on the pillow and stared curiously at her.

"You talking about the Chamber of Secrets thing?"

"What else?" Eris knelt by his bed and lowered her voice. "I did a bit of research and it turns out that the Chamber of secrets has been opened before. Fifty Years ago a girl was killed by whatever is housed in it."

"Nothing has been killed yet." Draco said in a whisper as well. He seemed to be back to his old self with her. It is usually the case when they get to conspire together. Eris was glad.

"'Yet' is the operative word. Upon further research on what can kill as well as petrify I've found some pretty interesting things." Eris didn't know what the connection between Lord Malfoy's mysterious object he implanted in Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets is yet but she was still researching.

"Do tell" Draco's eyes were shinning and Eris could feel her affection growing for the boy again. Maybe she could trust him.

"Not here. Heal up. I'll speak with you later." She gave a meaningful glance to where Harry was just taking a skelegrow potion and Draco nodded his understanding. She won't tell him everything but she had a feeling Draco would be able to help her out in the future if she could just get him out of his father's influence. Time will tell. She left him in the hospital wing to find Pansy and Blaise. As she left, Eris nodded to Crabbe and Goyle as she entered the room. If she recruited these to unwittingly spy on Draco, she should be completely sure of his loyalties (or if he was truly the heir). "Watch over him. I expect you two to make sure no harm comes to Draco."

Smiling as they nodded and hurried to Draco's side, Eris left. Pansy and Blaise will help her with some other plans she might have. Mind working in overdrive just the way she liked it.