Charming the Snake
by
FashionStarlet

Note: Okay, just a little fun bit for those of you who wondered what happened with the Chamber of Secrets. Hope you like it! :)

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YEAR TWO:
Dripping Blood III


Closing the Chamber

"You have to do something, Harry!" Daphne rolled her eyes as Harry shrugged indifferently. "You can't just leave the whole school hanging! Who knows what the Ministry might do? It doesn't matter if all the attacks have 'mysteriously' stopped."

Ginny leaned back, her eyes surveying the dark, abandoned classroom in which the five Slytherins were gathered in. She patted the black snake – Veneficus – that Harry had given her. Even though she knew she wouldn't be able to keep her pet at her house, Harry had volunteered to take care of it. Ginny smiled at the thought, and turned to look at her brown-eyed friend. Hermione had been one of the first people to return to her original state, even though Professor Sprout still hadn't finished the second batch of remedies. The brunette in question was currently staring at the ground, a calculating look on her face.

"Daphne's got a point," Draco said, as he double-checked the silencing charms. "The whole school is on about how you're a Dark Lord, and that really doesn't help with your innocent facade. The Dark Lord wants your alliance to be secret, and that doesn't really come into effect if everyone thinks you're going dark."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Since when did you know the Dark Lord so well? You sound as if you've studied 'Dark Tactics 101' for the past 12 years of your life."

"I did grow up with Lucius Malfoy," Draco reminded her, "You never know, Red."

"Stop calling me 'Red'! It makes me sound like a matchstick...or some Scarlet Woman!" Ginny glared at the blonde. "If you don't stop calling me that, I'll take to calling you 'Dragon'."

Daphne sniggered, "I'd like to see Parkinson when she hears you calling her Drakie-Poo a dragon."

Draco blushed, "Stop it! You know very well that I detest that pug-faced lady!"

"Now who's 'Red'?" Ginny giggled, "Besides, we all know who you want to be your lady."

Draco's face flushed a darker red, and Harry shot them both an amused look. "As entertaining as this little fight is, do you mind if we get back to the topic at hand?"

Hermione looked up, and spoke for the first time, "I think the most logical thing to do is somehow let everyone know that the Chamber is closed, without arising suspicion from any other students or teachers. It has to have no evidence pointing to Harry either. If Draco is right, and we need to lower anything that points to Harry's involvement with Voldemort, it would probably be best if Harry did something similar to what happened in First Year. Something heroic, reckless and Gryffindor, that will put him in the good graces of everyone once again."

Daphne stared at her brunette friend for a while, before exclaiming, "This is why I'm not the strategist in the group!"

"We all know that you don't have the brains, Daphne," Draco snickered, "You don't have to be modest about it."

"Says the boy who got detention for performing a sleeping charm on himself," shot back Daphne, ready to defend herself at any cost. Ginny smirked from behind Daphne.

The blonde boy glared at her furiously, "Shut up, Daphne. And stop smirking, Red!"

"What did I tell you about calling me 'Red'!" growled Ginny.

Harry and Hermione exchanged exasperated looks. Harry coughed and cleared his throat, "AS we were saying – something heroic to get in the good graces of everyone!"

"What?" Ginny snapped, distracted. She turned around and then shot Harry an apologetic look, "Sorry. What were we talking about?"

"Well," Hermione cut in, "at first I played with the thought of simply projecting an image saying, 'The Chamber has been closed', but I figured we could do something that shines the spotlight of innocence onto Harry. We can be inventive, and have a little fun with it – but pranking isn't exactly my scene, so I though you guys could put in a little input."

Harry's face became serious, "I do like the idea of putting that message on the wall, though we could touch it up a bit. Still, I think we should add something on top of that, just for fun."

Draco looked pensive, "Well, being educated in Dark Tactics 101, like Re- Ginny over here pointed out, I think the best way to go is with something completely ridiculous, but somewhat realistic and dangerous."

"Do you have any ideas, Oh-Dark-One?" Daphne mocked, and Hermione stifled a giggle at the imitation of Draco.

Draco ignored her, "Actually, I have a vague idea of what we could do, but I don't think you'll like it much, Ginny. It is simple; really, all you have to do is..."


Dumbledore smiled, happily, as he nibbled on a Pumpkin Pasty. The house elves cooked a great meal, whether they were in times of distress or not. The Headmaster was completely oblivious to the happenings outside the Great Hall, as well as the worried glances the students were exchanging. The events of the Chamber of Secrets – as well as the petrifactions – were clearly at the back of his mind. For now.


Minerva McGonagall sighed, as she tucked back a strand of her hair. Ever since the petrifactions, she had become more and more tense, and at this rate, she would soon be as paranoid as Moody. She glanced up at the time, which was projected on top of a small model of Hogwarts. Dinner was already half-way through. She had to get there soon.

Closing her office door, she tightened her robes, and started to walk briskly towards the stairs. As she approached them, she saw something red in the corner of her eyes. Fear overtook her, and she nervously crept forward to the wall. The same wall where the first message had been written. Her blood ran cold as she read the red words that filled the wall.

GINEVRA WEASLEY HAS BEEN TAKEN.
HER SKELETON SHALL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER.


"A student has been taken!" Minerva cried, as she burst into the Great Hall. Everyone froze, their faces carved in shock, as they turned to face the distraught Transfiguration teacher. "Ginny Weasley has been taken hostage – right into the Chamber!"

Two red-heads at the Gryffindor table paled, and looked at each other as if they were going to cry. Fred and George would kill themselves if they let their baby sister get slaughtered by some stupid beast! They started to stand up, but Ron pulled them down. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his brain was screaming to go to help his sister, but the only thing he could see was her hand hitting his cheek.

People started to scream, as the realisation hit them. Dumbledore stood up and cast a quick Sonorous charm on himself. "SILENCE!"

The Great Hall became silent, though everyone still looked panicked. Suddenly, someone stood up at the Slytherin table. Everyone turned to look at who had made the noise, and some were surprised to see Harry Potter walking to the entrance to the Great Hall. "I – Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived – shall go save the beautiful Ginevra Weasley, and bring her to the safety of her beloved family, if it is the last thing I do!"

Hermione tried not to hit her head on the table.


The whole school climbed into their beds that day, fretting about the confrontation between Harry Potter and Slytherin's beast. They didn't know that below the school, in Salazar's Private Quarters, five Slytherins were huddled up in green sleeping bags, laughing and having popcorn, whilst doing their Transfiguration Homework.

Well, did you honestly think that Harry Potter was going to battle a Basilisk? Pssht!


The Daily Prophet – which had been printing information about how horrible Dumbledore was to let all those children get petrified – had a Special Edition out that day. The heading "CHAMBER OF SECRETS – REVEALED!" brought the attention of everyone who passed by. It told them about how Harry Potter had to fight Medusa – Salazar Slytherin's secret wife – who had been petrifying people in her grief, as she had only just found out about his demise.

It was an amusing issue, really. Everyone bought it easily, and those who were suspicious, didn't dare to question their Saviour (with the exception of Severus Snape, of course). They were too scared and relieved to question anyone. Besides, that was just the Prophet's version. In Harry's opinion, his version was much more realistic. Hermione still felt like banging her head on the wall.

Still, the last message on the wall eliminated the chance of anyone disagreeing with Harry's story of saving Ginny. In the same red blood that brought nightmares to the select few, it read:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN CLOSED...FOR NOW.


Footnote: I just had to put this in there. I wanted to have a little fun, so here it is! I know that the Wizarding World isn't really that gullible (though, they are in the OotP), but to those who disagreed, would they really proclaim war against the BWL?

POLL: Should Sirius be Neutral/Dark/Light, and how about Remus? What should Harry's Patronus/Animagus be?