CHAPTER SEVEN- THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
JANUARY 27TH, 2006
It has been a week since Leo Valdez had been petrified. Dumbledore had a special assembly to inform that the Ministry has ordered protective charms around the castle. But rumors have it that Dumbledore is going to get sacked.
Percy walked down the hallway along with Grover and Annabeth. Sure Leo was annoying, but it feels kind of lonely without him. Percy imagined how it would feel like, not being able to do anything, not moving.
'Good News' Annabeth said 'Professor Sprout has been harvesting Mandrakes to get them back.'
'But they will take a whole month or two to mature' Grover complained
The topic has been on the hot ever since the school found out about the message. But no one knows what the chamber is or who the heir refers to.
'Who do you think the Heir is' Percy blurted out
'No clue' Annabeth said 'I tried to look in the library, nothing useful, unless it is in the Restricted Section'
'Great' Percy muttered 'What now, we sneak in'
'And get caught, and expelled, Never' Annabeth said at once 'Find another way, Perce, or I am out'
'Perce?' Percy asked
'Your nickname' Annabeth said 'You said we were friends and it is our job to give others nicknames'
'I liked Sea Boy better' Grover muttered, as Annabeth went the other way and Grover and Percy walked up the staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower. They stopped in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. She looked at them
'Password' She asked
'Dancing Fairies' Percy muttered
'Cute, aren't they' The Fat Lady replied as the portrait swung open, revealing the passage leading to Gryffindor Common Room. Percy and Grover climbed in. He was greeted by the sight of Rachel Elizabeth Dare talking to her friend. As he passed her, he overheard a bit of what she said
'Yes, I am sure it was that Luke of Slytherin'
Percy stopped in his tracks, did he suspect Luke, kind of. He turned towards Rachel
'Hey, Rachel, what were you talking about just know' he asked her
Rachel looked at him, and Percy could tell she was turning red, he could hear her friend giggling
'About Luke' he added
'Oh right' Rachel said 'Well, sometime after Christmas Vacations, I ran into him at the Owlery, you know, I was sending this letter, and I spotted him with a package. And I swear I saw a Ministry of Magic seal on it'
'What happened afterwards' Percy asked
'Oh, he spotted me, turned pale and ran' She said, as Percy nodded. He could still hear Rachel's friend giggling louder.
FEBRUARY 5TH, 2006
Percy strolled down the corridor alone. Secretly, he blamed himself for what happened to Leo. If he had not allowed him to go their alone, he might not be petrified. What troubles him more is what is this Chamber of Secrets and what did Leo see that turned him into a statue.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar old voice
'Did you give it a try, Percy' Chiron asked, as he trotted towards him.
'No, I am sorry Chiron, It kind of slipped off my mind' Percy replied, but in truth, every time he tried, he remembered Poseidon, and that made him angry and he would not ask.
'Oh, well it figures keeping in mind the recent events' Chiron said 'Your friend was found petrified, no wonder it slipped of your mind'
'Yes' Percy muttered, but then he noticed something. In the dim light of the corridor, he spotted dirty blonde hair of a boy, wearing green Slytherin robes heading straight forward.
Percy didn't know why Luke was strolling down this corridor, he had heard Thalia talk that there was a ghost of a former student haunting the bathrooms. But he remembered what Rachel said about him having the package
'Will you excuse me, Chiron' Percy said 'I just remembered I have to meet Grover', and he rushed down the corridor before Chiron could say anything. Percy went into the direction Luke did. He was standing outside the haunted bathroom, clutching something on his chest. Percy came to the conclusion that it was a locket.
Just as Percy raised his wand, Luke looked sideways and spotted him. Panicking, Percy ran towards the other side. He thought Luke was on his trail, he would catch him any second and curse him like he did last time.
But the curse never came, maybe Luke hadn't actually seen him and he just thought he had. Percy didn't look what was coming ahead, and collided.
He would have taken anyone, even a teacher, but not Zoe Nightshade. As he got up to run, Zoe grabbed his collar.
'And where might you be heading, Mr. Jackson' Zoe hissed
'Gryffindor Tower' Percy lied
Zoe raised her brows
'Mr. Jackson, I am well aware that the Gryffindor Tower is the other way' she said 'Spit it out, what were you doing'
Uh-oh, he didn't have any other choice than tell her the truth. Sighing, he said
'I was following Luke'
'Why' she asked
'Because I think he opened the Chamber, if you don't believe me, see for yourself, he was standing outside the haunted Girl's Bathroom'
Zoe stared at him
'Wait here' she said as she headed in the direction. Percy didn't need to be told to do so. Some minutes later, Zoe returned.
'Nobody is there, Jackson' she said
'What' Percy said 'He might have ran, I swear I saw him'
'It is none of your concern what the chamber is, I find you poking around, I will take house points next time' She warned
Percy grumbled and made it look like he was heading back to the Gryffindor Tower, he would come out at night.
LATER THAT NIGHT
'Wake up, Grover, wake up' Percy whispered, as he shook Grover awake.
'Percy, what' Grover yelped as he woke up
'Shhhh' Percy put a finger at his lip to indicate that he has to keep quite. He heard Charles Beckendorf, and for a second thought that he had woken up, but Charles was only mumbling in his sleep.
'Get out off the bed' Percy said
'Why' Grover asked
'We are doing some investigation' he said
'On what' Grover asked
'The Chamber' Percy said 'I think Luke has something to do with it'
'Why do you think its him' he asked
'He hates us' Percy said 'He hates Dumbeldore for taking his Prefect Title, of course, it would be the perfect vengeance, to get Dumbledore sacked after some of these incidents, knowing him, it wouldn't hurt him to see some students in those, petrified states, plus, remember what Rachel said, it has been bugging me'
'Does Annabeth know we are doing this' Grover asked
'Of Course not, you think she would allow us to break school rules'
'Nope' Grover said 'Not at all'
'Exactly' Percy said
Grover got out of the bed, grumbling as he put his slippers on and followed Percy towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. They made sure to make no noise, as they approached the portrait, Grover noticed that the lady was sleeping
'Open up, Lady'
The Fat Lady woke up with a start, looked at Percy and frowned
'You know what time is it, don't you'
'Yes, open please'
The Fat Lady grumbled as the portrait swung open. Percy and Grover climbed out of the portrait as it shut behind them
'Lumos' both of them muttered, as the tips of their wands lit up. Looking both sides, Percy proceeded to walk, Grover on his trail.
'Where are we going' he asked
'The Haunted Bathroom' Percy said
'What' Grover said, taken back 'Why there'
'Because' Percy said 'Luke was acting weird out there'
Grover grumbled and followed Percy. Evading the Prefects and Mr. Filch, they finally stood outside the bathroom.
'Let's do it' Percy said, as he took a deep breath and pushed open the door. It creaked as he jumped, thinking someone heard him.
'What are you doing' he heard a raspy voice
'Oh' he turned to face the ghost in front of him, it was a girl in the school robes wearing spectacles and having pigtails.
'You are Moaning Myrtle, We wanted to ask you something about the boy' Percy said
Her eyes narrowed 'What boy' she asked
'Oh, you know, Luke Castellan' Percy said 'One who wears Slytherin Robes and has dirty blonde hair, and a locket' he added
'Slytherin' She hissed 'What could I say about them, they used to tease me'
'Umm, Ghost Girl' Grover said 'Please answer the question'
'Oh right, but what will I get in return' she asked
'Oh, I will be your… friend' Percy said
'Friend?' Myrtle said suspiciously
'Yes, I will visit you in this wonderful… bathroom' He said 'Now, please'
Myrtle groaned
'That boy stands over there' she said, pointing towards a sink
'Why' Grover asked
She shot him a look 'You think I don't have better things to do'
'But what does he do'
'I don't know, except the fact that he makes random noises'
'You didn't question what a boy was doing in a Girl's Bathroom' Percy asked
'You are boys too, did I question what you are doing here' She shot back
Percy was about to say something, when he heard a voice a familiar one
'Who's there' Zoe asked
Gulping, Percy turned to see Grover looking panicked, he heard footsteps heading their way. He turned to Myrtle
'Please tell her you are making these noises' He asked
'Why' Myrtle asked
'We are your friends, aren't we' Percy asked, as he heard the footsteps grow near, but instead of entering, it ran. But he heard another pair of footsteps, was someone out of bed too
Myrtle grumbled as she went outside, Percy and Grover hid in the nearest Cubicle.
'Was it you Myrtle' Zoe asked
'All me' Myrtle replied, Percy felt relieved that she didn't sell him out. After Zoe left, the two thanked Myrtle and left. After entering the Gryffindor Tower, they headed towards the Dormitory, but one thing bugged Percy, who was the other who was out of bed. Who had Zoe actually seen.
THE NEXT DAY
The corridor was crowded, Percy didn't make out what has happened, but he heard murmurs.
'The Heir is at it again' someone said
Percy pushed the crowd to see who had been the victim this time, and his heart ached at seeing who it was.
Calypso was slumped in a corner, her eyes widened and she was open-mouthed. A mirror in her hand. Percy was pushed backwards by a familiar figure. Zoe sat next to her sister's petrified body. Percy slipped out of the crowd.
A while later, he heard Professor Dumbledore coming down, and saw Calypso's petrified body being carried away. As he turned, he faced Zoe. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to a corner
'What are you doing' he asked, as he got released off her hold. Percy noticed that Zoe was crying.
'Tell me' she said 'Tell me what you found out'
'What are you saying' Percy asked
'I know you were at Myrtle's Bathroom last night' she said 'I saw you run away, what did you learn'
'Myrtle said he hangs around the bathroom, and makes random noises' he confessed
Zoe shot him a look and left, he was sure the look meant clear "What was she expecting from him". Percy sat there for a while, before leaving.
Later, he found Annabeth rushing towards him, looking delighted.
'I found it' She said 'I found out about the Chamber of Secrets'
HEY READERS
REGARDING THE RECENT REVIEW, WELL, THEY WILL BE GREEK, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JASON, REYNA, FRANK AND HAZEL(THEY WILL APPEAR LATER ON)
