Green and Silver

(Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.)

[This oneshot starts in the middle of their second year.]

~*~*~X~*~*~

Pipes

~*~*~X~*~*~

Blaise Zabini, Age 12

Blaise had Transfigurations next, with the Gryffindors. He waited to leave until Pansy and Roy had left to go to class first though. He prefered to walk by himself.

When he got there he was the last one. He silently slipped into the last empty seat as McGonagall entered the room. He spotted Malfoy, with Goyle next to him, and Pansy and her bushy-haired friend from the Great Hall behind them. Blaise was seated across the aisle from Malfoy.

"Could I have your attention, please," McGonagall called. "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals," she stepped forward next to an exotic looking bird perched on a wooden stick, "into water goblets...like so," the professor said, as she pointed her wand. "One," she tapped the bird with her wand, "two," she did so again, "three. Vera Verto." With those words the bird miraculously transformed into a silver water goblet that fell onto the professor's desk. Most of the kids gasped in amazement. Blaise didn't. He had seen wizards transform things into way more than a mere water goblet. He was ready for this exercise.

"Now, who would like to go first?" McGonagall walked down the steps and down the rows of students. She stopped at the redhead boy, the annoying one. "Mr. Weasley. One, two, three, Vera Verto." She nodded.

The boy nodded and cleared his throat, pointing his wand at a rat sitting on top of his books. "Vera Verto," he croaked.

The water goblet that formed next was not a normal water goblet. Blaise stared at it. It had brown fur around the cup, and stemming from the handle was a rat's tail. Snickers were heard throughout the room. Then the cup started squeaking, much like a rat, and the laughs got louder.

McGonagall shook her head. "That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley."

It was only now that Blaise actually paid attention to the boy's wand. It was bent near the top, and there was tape strung around it. He vaguely wondered how in the world that could have happened. Then he quickly lost interest.

"Look at his wand," Malfoy said. Blaise scoffed in response.

The girl sitting next to Pansy, Granger, raised her hand. "Professor...I was wondering if you could tell us about...the Chamber of Secrets."

The professor looked surprised. Almost every face looked up as the girl uttered the words. Blaise glanced at Malfoy to see him, for once, paying full attention to the professor.

McGonagall was silent for a moment; then, "Very well. Well, you all know of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin."

This was no news to Blaise. He kept listening.

"Now three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not."

"Three guesses who," the redheaded boy muttered.

McGonagall continued. "Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all magic families; in other words, purebloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school." She gave a short pause. "Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing he sealed it, until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the chamber and unleash the horror within and by so doing purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were not worthy to study magic."

"Muggleborns," Pansy's friend said with a slightly sharp tone.

Aha. The girl doesn't like Muggleborns. She must be half or pure blooded, then, Blaise concluded.

"Well, naturally the school has been searched many times. No such chamber," she started to retreat back to the front of the room, "has been found."

"Professor," the girl continued, "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the chamber?"

McGonagall turned around to face the class. "The chamber was known to be home to something that only the heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home of a monster. Now, students, back to the subject at hand, I reckon we've wasted enough time. You two," she pointed at Goyle and Malfoy, "Your turn. Let's see your water goblets." For the rest of the class, the second-year students made somewhat animal-like water goblets with their newly learned spell.

The halls were flooded with students after class. Blaise, Pansy, Hermione, Draco, and Goyle were speed walking, practically running, back to the Common Room. Blaise did not wish to rush, but the other Slytherins were dragging him along.

"I swear, I'm not the heir," Draco said quickly. "I want to know who is!"

"Shush, we don't need people to hear," Pansy spat. "Wait till we get to the Common Room!"

In the Common Room, the students sat in the largest alcove, located in the smaller chamber of the Common Room. Blaise felt like he was in the Black Lake himself. He looked up, seeing Grindylows swim above his head.

"I've got to tell you something," Granger said, looking back at her friends. "My brother sent me a letter this morning." She pulled it out and read it aloud. "I think-"

"Hang on," Draco cut in, "Remember what you told me this summer? About our fathers?"

"Yes, I was just getting to that," Granger snapped, slightly exasperated. "Draco's father came to my home and he and my father were talking...about the Dark Lord." Her voice was a whisper now.

"What!" Pansy gasped. Goyle shushed her, and she shoved him in response. "Hermione," Pansy asked, "Are you a follower of the Dark-"

"Yes! No! I dunno," She interrupted. "I think my parents are."

So she was confused. Blaise himself wasn't quite sure what was going on with the Dark Lord. Not that he really cared.

"Didn't the Potter boy defeat him last spring? I thought he was gone." Goyle looked confused as he said the words.

"That's what I thought too, but my father, he said, 'When the Dark Lord rises again, and you know he will.' That means he's coming back..." Granger trailed off.

"And what about the Chamber of Secrets? That can't be a coincidence either," Pansy wondered. "The heir of Slytherin is meant to open it. D'you think it'll open this year?"

"As long as that monster in there gets rid of the Mudbloods," Draco said with a disgusted tone. "I want them gone. Salazar Slytherin did too."

"But McGonagall said the Chamber was never found," Goyle muttered.

"Yes, you dimwit, of course it hasn't been found, can't you see, only the heir of Slytherin can get inside! Obviously the old hags wouldn't know where it is." Draco turned on the boy.

Blaise snickered quietly.

"Something funny, Blaise?" Malfoy turned on him.

"No," Blaise said, standing up, "But I've got to get going."

"To where?" Malfoy pressed.

"Library," Blaise replied.

"Oh, I'll go with you," the Granger girl said.

"Of course you will, Hermione, you'd never pass up a chance to go to the library," Pansy teased.

"Oh, shut it," said Granger.

"Well, I'm off to Dueling Club. It's our first meeting, and Snape says I can duel first." Malfoy jumped up. "Goyle! You're coming, too." At that Goyle scrambled up and the two boys left.

"You ready, Blaise?" said Granger. Blaise nodded and they were off too.

They were leaving the Common Room when Granger said, "I heard the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago-"

"What is it with you lot and the Chamber of Secrets?" Blaise said in a hushed tone as other kids walked by them.

"I want to know more about it," Granger answered innocently. "I'm going to research it in the library If Pansy and Draco trust you, so do I. I trust them. I'm going to find out what's going on, and you're going to help me. The others don't have the patience to look through books." As they arrived at the library, Granger stopped at the door. "You go in and start, I'll be right back." Granger turned to go.

"Hang on," Blaise stopped her, "Where are you going?"

"To get permission to enter the Restricted Section, we can't go in without a note from a professor," Hermione said impatiently. She ran off and Blaise entered the library by himself.

~*~*~X~*~*~

It had been half an hour. Blaise had looked through a manner of books, the topics ranging broadly from the history of Hogwarts, famous pureblood wizards, magical creatures, and more.

Blaise was tired. And annoyed.

Where was Granger? At this point Blaise had given up the search and had now gone to completing his Potions essay and his Charms exercises.

A sudden slam on the table in front of him made him look up. The girl was back. With a pile of books and a crumpled piece of parchment.

"I've got permission to enter the Restricted Section," Granger gasped, out of breath.

"From whom?" Blaise snorted.

"Professor Lockhart, I asked him to write me a note and he declined, but then I just asked him for his autograph and I wrote the rest of the note." She smiled triumphantly. "The librarian accepted it. I just got these books," she slammed her hand on the pile in front of her, "from the Restricted Section."

Blaise was slightly impressed. After sifting through the new pile of books for a few minutes or so, Malfoy and Goyle came running up behind them, effectively earning a "No running!" hiss from Madam Pince.

"Draco!" Hermione whispered loudly. "What're you running for?"

"You won't believe what just happened," Draco panted. "I dueled Harry Potter, and I conjured a snake to fight him, but… he was talking to it. And then he told the snake in Parseltongue to attack some prat in the audience!"

"Hang on," Granger said. "Are you saying the Potter boy can speak Parseltongue?"

Now even Blaise was taken by surprise. "Couldn't Salazar Slytherin speak Parseltongue?"

"I dunno, probably," Granger responded. "No...he can," she continued, leading the other two back to the table Blaise had been sitting at. She took one the books Blaise looked through earlier about famous pureblood wizards and turned to the chapter on Salazar Slytherin. "Look," she pointed to the text. "'Salazar Slytherin most likely chose the basilisk serpent as Slytherin House's animal of choice due to his rare ability to speak in Parseltongue.'" She turned back to the other two. "It is said anyone who can speak to snakes is somehow related to Slytherin. Like Harry Potter."

"And if he's related to Slytherin…" Blaise's brows furrowed deeply. "Exactly how big is a basilisk?"

"Not sure," said Draco, confused. "Why?"

Granger responded, "Let's find out." The trio went to look for books on magical creatures, and, sure enough, found text on basilisks. "It says here they are quite large," Granger announced. Several Ravenclaws at the next table turned and shushed her. Draco spat in their direction.

"Quite large…" Granger pondered. Then, it was as if Blaise could physically see the lightbulb flashing above her head.

"Well, on with it," Blaise prodded.

"A basilisk," the girl whispered. "That's what the monster is inside the Chamber of Secrets. Salazar Slytherin made the Chamber and put inside it a basilisk only he, as well as his true heir, could control! I can't believe we missed this before!" Granger grabbed the book and kept reading. "Look. 'The Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.' That explains why so many people in the castle are getting Petrified."

"Petrified, not killed," Blaise corrected.

"Oh, right. Drat! Hang on...maybe...maybe those Petrified...maybe they didn't look at the basilisk directly. Does that make any sense?"

"What d'you mean, not directly?" Malfoy said sharply. "Like, through a mirror or something?"

"Yes! Maybe," Granger replied. "Fletcher, he must've seen him through the ghost of Gryffindor, the one who's head is nearly cut off...And there was water where Filch's cat had seen the beast, it could've seen the snake's reflection...and the first year probably saw it through his camera lens. Right! That makes perfect sense!" Granger kept rambling.

Both Blaise and Malfoy were astonished at this conclusion and how quickly Granger was able to come up with it. The four of them then rushed to the main courtyard, where their friends were waiting, eager to tell the rest of their friends their new shocking discovery.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Hermione Granger, age 12

When Hermione, Blaise, Goyle and Draco reached the courtyard, they told Pansy and Crabbe what they had figured out in the library.

"And it makes sense that Potter is always there when Petrified people are found!" Pansy cut in. "Filch's dirty cat, Nearly Headless Nick, Justin Fletcher, that first-year who always has the camera,-"

"Right," Hermione continued. That was true. Whenever a new victim of the basilisk was found, Harry Potter was always at the scene.

"Probably commanding the snake to attack," Goyle said.

"No." Everyone turned to Draco, waiting for more. "He can't be the heir of Slytherin. He's a Mudblood lover and has friends who are blood traitors. He can't be the heir of Slytherin!"

"Then explain how he speaks Parseltongue, Draco," Pansy cut in.

Draco was at a loss for words.

"Wait," Hermione said slowly. "There had to be an heir of Slytherin that went to Hogwarts fifty years ago," she said. "Harry Potter wasn't here then."

"Why fifty years ago?" said Crabbe.

"That was the last time the Chamber was opened," Goyle muttered to him.

"Who was here that we can ask?" Pansy demanded.

"Someone died that year too," Hermione continued. "A Mudblood."

"Dunno who it is," Goyle said.

"Does it matter?" Blaise sighed. "It was fifty years ago."

Hermione sighed. In a way, Zabini was right. Knowing who opened the Chamber fifty years ago would not help her find out anything useful. Even if she could figure out where the entrance was, she could not open it because she was not an heir to Slytherin. Neither was any of her friends.

However, it still bothered her the Potter boy was the heir. It just didn't make any sense. Hermione vowed to more investigating on her own the next time she got the chance.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Hermione was in the library once again, back in the Restricted Section. She was currently flipping through the same book she had earlier, about magical beasts. She was on the chapter about serpents, on the basilisk page.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there

is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as

the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and

live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched

beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from

its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and

all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.

Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the

Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

Hermione racked her brain. If this creature was really that large, it had to have an effective method of getting around inside the school. It couldn't go through the corridors, or a much larger number of people would have seen it by now. The only other way she could think of was the plumbing. A snake would fit inside pipes. That would mean it had to be coming out of someplace that was not visited frequently.

Hermione thought long and hard. The bathrooms were obviously all used at all hours of the day. That couldn't be it, then.

Hermione felt a shiver. The Bloody Baron just passed through her, and he turned around at the sound of her surprised gasp.

"Hermione at the library, what a surprise," he said. "School project?"

"Sort of," Hermione muttered. "Er, could I ask you a confidential question?"

The Baron furrowed his brows. "Of what sort?"

"About the Chamber of Secrets."

Now the Baron's brows were raised. The ghost turned around and floated down an aisle of books. Hermione followed him. "Go on," the ghost said.

"Do you know who opened the Chamber fifty years ago?" Hermione sucked in a breath. She knew the Baron had a short temper and was not the nicest ghost around. But she had to know.

The Baron grimaced. "Why on earth do you want to know?"

"I want to know who the heir is, and how the snake's getting around," Hermione answered in an innocent tone.

"Snake?" The Baron narrowed his eyes. "How'd you know the creature inside the Chamber is a snake?"

Hermione mentally kicked herself. "Well, I, er, did my research. I think," she said, "It may be using the pipes. The plumbing. But all the bathrooms are used every day. I don't know how it would get around."

The Baron stared at her for a minute, as if debating whether to help her or not. Then, finally he said, "Not all the bathrooms are in use. Ever heard of Moaning Myrtle?"

"Yes," Hermione said. The ghost of a Mudblood girl.

"The bathroom she resides in is not in use at all. No one goes in there, she told me so."

Hermione was suddenly intrigued. That had to be the answer. And if the basilisk exited the Chamber through there…

That's where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was. It had to be. She had found it.

"The Chamber," Hermione whispered. The Baron nodded sharply. "That's correct, girl," he growled. "But you did not-" he flew through her and turned around, making Hermione gasp again, "hear it from me." Then he whooshed away.

Hermione wasted no time. She left the library, not bothering to put the books back. She turned the corner…

...And ran straight into Harry Potter.

"Ouch, watch where you're going!" he said.

"Oh, shut it, move out of my way!" She shoved him to the side.

Potter narrowed his eyes. "I saw you and the Bloody Baron." Potter held up the ripped book page she wrote on earlier. "You think the basilisk is moving through the pipes. You-"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she interrupted, ripped the paper from his hands, and stalked away. She was not in the mood to put up with the Potter boy today.

She headed straight for the Common Room, up to the entrance of the boys dormitories. She saw Marcus Flint walk out as she arrived at the door.

"Trying to sneak in?" he smirked.

"Have you seen Draco? I need to talk with him," she gasped, a little out of breath.

"He's probably just getting out of class, he might be in the courtyard," he answered. "See you, Hermione." He slid past her and walked down the stairs.

Hermione was not about to go all the way to the courtyard. Instead, she headed straight to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

She stepped foot inside. As she guessed it would be, the bathroom was empty. Hermione examined every sink, every stall. There was nothing.

Frustrated and impatient, Hermione spoke aloud. "Moaning Myrtle!"

A squeal came from above her. The silvery ghost flew down upon her, and straight through her. The ghost wailed and turned around, pale with sleek dark hair and glasses. Her face held a grimace. "What do you want?"

"I have a question for you," Hermione said, not faltering. "How did you die?"

"If you think I am going to answer you, Slytherin," she sneered, "You're delusional. Get out of my bathroom!"

"I know you died fifty years ago when the Chamber was last opened," Hermione blurted. She wasn't sure if it was true, but she had a hunch. Judging by Moaning Myrtle's facial reaction, Hermione was right.

"And?" Moaning Myrtle spat.

"You died by a basilisk, didn't you?" Hermione questioned. "You looked into its eyes."

"I didn't mean to," the ghost whimpered. "Someone let it out, to kill Mudbloods like me." Her face filled with rage. "You had better not be thinking about letting that thing out again!" Moaning Myrtle flew upwards, toward the ceiling, and wailed loudly. She looked down at Hermione. "Why do you even care?"

"I want to know who opened the Chamber fifty years ago. Who was Slytherin's heir." Hermione turned and walked toward the sinks. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Everyone thinks the heir this year is Harry Potter." She whirled around. "That's a lie."

Myrtle hummed, slowly floating back down to Hermione. "It was the boy," she sobbed. "He had the black little book, a diary, and he spoke to the snake in its own language. He was evil."

"Diary?" Hermione asked. "Who was the boy?"

"Tom," Moaning Myrtle, who was now floating right in front of Hermione, whispered. "Tom Riddle."

~*~*~X~*~*~

"I don't give a rat's arse who Tom Riddle is," Draco bellowed. "It doesn't matter. Did you find the entrance to the Chamber?"

"Yes, I did. We're going down there."

"Wh-what?" Draco stuttered. "Why?"

"I want to see it for myself."

"B-But the basilisk, it'll kill us," Draco continued. "I'm not going!"

Hermione sighed. Again, Draco had no balls. "Yes, you are."

"There's no way for us to get in, Hermione," Pansy said. "None of us speak Parseltongue."

Hermione sighed again. Pansy was, unfortunately, correct. They couldn't get inside, no matter how much they knew about the Chamber. All of Hermione's work was for nothing.

Goyle sneered. "The Potter boy does."

Hermione seethed. Of course Potter spoke Parseltongue. Potter did everything. If Potter spoke the snake language, that meant he was related to whoever this Tom Riddle was. If they could get Potter to open the Chamber, they could get inside.

"We can get Potter to open it," Hermione suggested.

"Hermione!" Pansy was impatient. "Why on earth d'you want to go down there for?"

Hermione did not want to admit she only wanted to go down there to satiate her curiosity. So she ignored the question. "Draco, we should find Potter," Hermione said.

"Fine," Draco said, satisfied he would be able to bother Potter again. Hermione, Draco, Pansy and Goyle ran down the corridor. After turning a few corners, they heard noises. Hermione pushed everyone behind the wall and peered down the next corridor.

She saw three figures, one tall and blond and the other two short with dark cloaks on.

"Hang on," Hermione whispered. "Is that-"

"Lockhart," Pansy whispered back. "And-"

"Potter and Weasley," Goyle finished. "Well, we found them. What's that lot doing together?"

"No idea," Hermione answered, confused. Why on earth would Potter be with Lockhart?

It was then that Hermione finally realized where they were going.

They were headed to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, which was down the next corridor.

"They know," Hermione said, leaving their hiding spot. "They know where the Chamber's entrance is. Come on!" They ran down the hall. Potter, Weasley and Lockhart had already turned the corner.

Hermione and her friends turned the corner as well. They ran down the next corridor, all the way to the lavatory.

Hermione walked inside. It was empty. Even Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be found. But it was what Hermione saw instead that intrigued her the most.

All the sinks were moved to the side, and in their old place was a giant hole in the middle of the floor.

A hole big enough for a basilisk.

They had done it. They'd found the Chamber's entrance.

"Alright, we've got to hurry," Hermione said. "Potter and them are already down there. I want to know why."

"Hang on, I'm not going down there, you can't even see the bottom," Draco spat at her. "You're mad!"

"Yeah, me neither!" Goyle agreed.

Hermione heard a sound. She shushed her friends and strained her ears.

Footsteps. And they were getting louder.

"Hurry!" she said. Jump down!"

"Merlin's beard, Hermione, I'm not going down!" Pansy whisper yelled.

Hermione tried to shove her. The two girls turned toward the door. Sure enough, a figure rounded the corner in green robes.

"What is this?" Professor McGonagall gasped. "What are you doing? Get away from there!" She rushed forward and ushered the students away. Hermione groaned. They would never get down there now.

"Granger, Malfoy, how did you manage to do this?" the teacher said sternly.

"It's the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, we've found it-"

"Get. Out." Everyone turned toward the entrance to the lavatory. Snape stood there, dark and gruesome, staring straight at Hermione and Draco. "Out!"

The students did not hesitate. They quietly stalked out of the bathroom, with McGonagall behind them. Snape went into the bathroom and didn't come out. He probably went down the hole, Hermione thought. Hermione and her friends, however, were headed to Dumbledore's office. No doubt they were in deep trouble, and all without having even entered the Chamber of Secrets at all. Potter had won once again.

~*~*~X~*~*~

Thanks for all your patience, I meant to update this story a month ago but for some reason the Doc Manager wouldn't let me upload the document for this chapter...I finally figured out I needed to use Google Chrome, not Safari. Chapter 8 and 9 are almost done and on the way! Reviews are appreciated!