N/A Thanks for the reviews. Here's another quick update :) My secret is that I've written loads of stuff/chapters while I was still writing my other HP fic.

Here's the last Salesman's introduction... I think it's pretty obvious what type of Slytherin he is.... oh and Corvus exchanges his first words with Potter :D


When the Levee Breaks

Student: Jeremy Richard Petzold, Slytherin… 17 February 1991

Incident: Confusing matter. Involves the Weasley twins. Twins say Petzold tried to infest their book bags with fleas. Petzold says Twins attacked
him with fleas. Petzold pushed one twin down flight of stairs. Other twin punched Petzold, sent him to nurses.

Punishment: One night's detention, cleaning pumpkin patch. Separate punishment for Weasleys, see atttachment.

Authorized by: A. Filch

XXX

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Foot-high words had been written in red paint on the wall between two windows and hanging by her tail on a torch bracket was Mrs. Norris, stiff as a board. Potter, Weasley and Granger stood trapped in the middle as everyone came up from the Great Hall at the corridor's other end.

Corvus had just read the words when someone broke the quiet. "Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next Mudbloods!" shouted Malfoy, his eyes alive with glee.

Corvus turned to his friend, finding him paled and horrified. Seeing Max like this nearly convinced Corvus to panic too.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" shrieked Filch before the crime scene.

"Max…" But Max wouldn't respond, his eyes were unblinkingly staring at the words glistening on the wall.

"You!" Filch pointed at Potter. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"Argus!" Dumbledore had arrived, followed by the other teachers. He swept past Potter and detached the cat from the torch bracket. He left with Potter and his friends with the heads of House close behind, plus Lockhart and Filch. A silence lasted until they disappeared up the stairs, then everyone broke out in urgent whispers.

"Max, are you alright?"

"That paint is still wet, it couldn't have happened too long ago," determined Max, shaken. "I mean- if we got here just a little earlier…"

"Come off it! It's probably just a cover-up, some student took out Filch's stupid cat and claimed it was Slytherin's heir," Corvus quickly came up with an alternative. Everyone in Slytherin knew about the Chamber of Secrets. It was sort of tradition for the seventh years to let the first years in on all the dark secrets of Slytherin history. But it was a myth. Right? "Let's face it, everyone in this castle would've liked to do that cat in."

Students started feeling brave enough to closely examine the writing. As the crowd moved, Corvus could spot the other Salesmen. "Did you see what happened?" Jeremy asked them immediately. He too looked lively and excited. "Did you see Slytherin's heir do it?"

"We only saw what everyone else did. Nothing," Corvus told him.

"You think Potter did this?" frowned Louis. He obviously couldn't believe it, but Potter was the only suspect…

"He can't be the heir!" said Jeremy indignantly, "That's preposterous, Louis! Potter's a half-blood and a blood-traitor!"

Louis covered his ear, as Jeremy was practically shouting in it. His light blue eyes narrowed resentfully, "Pipe down, Pretzel, I was just asking. And did you see anyone else here? No, so shut the-"

"Alright everyone, break it up!" Percy Weasley's command interrupted Louis' last remark. He and the other Prefects began ushering people away from the scene. Corvus was actually relieved to have Percy pushing them about. He didn't like the feel of this, even though his mind kept telling him it was hoax. He kept thinking of Mrs. Norris stiff form, her eyes wide and staring…

The scene reeked of Dark Magic.

"I can't wait," said Malfoy loudly as the Slytherins descended back into the dungeons. "We'll get to sit back and enjoy ourselves while everyone else shakes in their boots. And Dumbledore's can't do a thing about it, he's no match for Slytherin's heir."

"But isn't the Chamber of Secrets just a legend?" Xiomara Brazda asked weakly. She and her girlfriends had linked arms for added security.

"Father told me, the Chamber was opened fifty years ago," Malfoy was more than happy to divulge everyone, "And a Mudblood was killed."

People were shocked. Some were unsure about believing it. But there were a few who looked like they were being promised the greatest show on earth. Jeremy was one of these people.

"It's just a matter of time then," he said. "Dumbledore's going to have to expel all the Mudbloods, for their own good. They never belonged here to begin with."

"They stuck around after the first opening of the Chamber, didn't they?" a boy a year below Corvus said. He was a weedy kid, with a rabbity-sort of appearance. Corvus could vaguely remember him speaking to Malfoy a few times. He wasn't a part of Malfoy's regular gang. "And why would the heir bother attacking a cat?"

"Obviously he's starting off small, Nott," replied Draco sharply.

"Yeah! He needs to test out the waters, figure out what he can get away with," agreed Jeremy. Corvus discreetly checked on Max. He was staring ahead, miles away from everyone around him.

"Who do you think is next?" Crabbe asked Malfoy.

"A Mudblood, obviously."

"Probably a first year, they'd be the easiest to take out," Cassius Warrington said, "That's what I'd do."

"Isn't the heir suppose to unleash some monster from the Chamber, or something?" asked Blaise Zabini, trying to act uninterested, but his comment was clearly intended to illicit a reaction. Indeed, it made one first year yelp pitifully.

"Do you think he'll stop at purging just Hogwarts of Muggles? Maybe he'll clean up the rest of Britain," said Jeremy, hopeful. This was getting ridiculous.

"For Merlin's sake, give it a rest!" Corvus broke out. They had reached the stone door to the commons. "We sound like a group of gossiping old women! We have no idea. We're not Slytherin's heir. So lets stop acting like we know what we're talking about because it's getting embarrassing."

"You nervous about something, Blackstone?" challenged Pansy. "Hiding a few Mudblood skeletons in your closet?" Max blinked, jolted out of his daze.

"As if, Parkinson," Corvus laughed curtly. "I have nothing to worry about. I'm pureblood, at the top of my year and bloody brilliant at everything I do. But you, Parkinson, you have some catching up to do. Because I reckon Slytherin's heir isn't too proud of deadbeats like you whose losing at every subject. Your blood-status will only get you so far."

Parkinson blushed deeply. Everyone hushed. What he said applied to a lot of them.

X
X

Of course there was little to talk about at school but the attack. Filch was pacing the spot where she had been attacked every day. At night he especially moped around there, which made it easier for the Salesmen to slip out of the castle.

Every night, people in Slytherin discussed nothing but the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone had an opinion on who was next, and what kind of monster Slytherin's heir controlled. Most popular was the prediction that the monster was some sort of serpent. Some people quickly established themselves as 'Slytherin experts' who claimed to understand how the tides were going to change. Jeremy had built himself up as one of these experts.

Corvus kept coolly brushing it aside. It was a surprisingly wise move. When people saw him unconcerned about the Chamber of Secrets, people presumed it was because he had nothing to fear. If he had nothing to fear, he must be pureblood. Besides, those in Slytherin were rarely suspicious of each others' blood status. Many just presumed that their housemates had to be mostly pureblood to be in Slytherin. Only Jeremy had the gall to ask people about their ancestry. And Jeremy was easy to ignore.

Max never mentioned the Chamber of Secrets either. Together they kept all their energy focused on schoolwork, the Salesmen and on becoming an Animagus. They had managed to turn furniture into lizards, but only simple garden lizards. They would have to master transforming them into complex lizards before they moved on. Corvus' iguana had just been beginner's luck.

After cold-blooded animals, came warm-blooded animals. It was rather draining, having to go to class, run the Salesmen and then practice Animagi. Corvus hadn't really imagined how much he'd be juggling when he came up with the plan. It all seemed so simple when he wrote it down.

As they were third-years now, they got to visit Hogsmeade on weekends. Their first trip was the weekend after the attack. It was a completely different experience to sneaking into the village in the cover of night.

The others were at the Three Broomstick Inn enjoying their Hogsmeade trip, but Corvus and Jeremy went to Hog's Head to drop off a new list for their middleman, Dung, and to pick up whatever Dung had for them. They never got to see his face, or learned his real name. He was disguised under a black balaclava. Corvus and Max met him when they paid him to get them a bottle of Fire Whiskey. That night was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

"Alright, Dung?"

"Aye, been good." He slyly pulled out a small lockbox from under his balaclava. "Got all ye talismans, amulets and other protective devices ye ordered," he told him. "Most of 'em are duds tho'."

"Perfect."

"We're not going to stop those Mudbloods from getting what's coming to them," Jeremy declared.

"Keep your damn voice down!" hissed Corvus. A few people glanced over at the word 'Mudbloods.'

"Huh, best not to let the owner hear ye talking like that," Dung looked over his shoulder cautiously. Annoyed, Corvus grabbed the lockbox and replaced it with rather fat coin purse. Dung felt the weight of the purse, able to tell the exact amount by feel. "Ah," he relished the feel of money. "Always a pleasure doin' business wiv ye lads."

X
X

"I swear, Pretzel, if you don't stop staring at me, I'll hit you with a Conjunctivitus curse." Corvus was working on his Muggle Studies' essay while the Salesmen did their regular paperwork in the back of the library. Jeremy was looking at him disapprovingly.

"Do you think it's safe to be taking a class like that? Especially now?"

"Yes, I do." Corvus looked up for a second to dip his quill in ink, and he caught sight of something. A puffy mane of brown hair quickly ducked behind a nearby bookshelf. He wrinkled his brow, trying to think of who it might be. Then another head popped out, a black-haired and bespectacled face everyone knew well, Harry Potter.

Corvus sat back, amused. Potter looked nervous and he motioned for Granger and Weasley to come out from the behind the bookshelf. The second years whispered to each other as they inched towards their table. Max was sitting next to him checking last month's profits when Corvus poked, for him to look up. The others quickly noticed the advancing trio as well.

"Er- hello," said Potter. He was standing slightly ahead of the others. Obviously he'd been elected to speak.

"Potter," hissed Jeremy venomously. Corvus rolled his eyes at him and then turned his full attention to Potter. He smirked. What did the Boy Who Lived want from them?

"Hello yourself, Potter. Forgive Pretzel here, his mother never taught him manners."

Jeremy's jaw dropped, as if Corvus had slapped him. Louis and Anwar looked pleased Corvus had put him in his place.

"Right… huh- we were wondering, I mean, we have a few things- thought we could order, just some things for- huh," he struggled. He looked back to his friends for help.

"You want to order something?" asked Louis. The Salesmen exchanged quick looks. These three were clueless about how this was done, weren't they?

"Did you come with a shopping list?" asked Corvus brightly. Max gave him an incredulous look. Potter was relieved and he quickly took out a short list of potions ingredients from his pocket. He handed them over to Corvus.

"Corvus, what are you doing?" asked Max through clenched teeth. Corvus replied by handing the list to Max. He scanned it, and noted that the rare ingredients listed were nearly everything you needed for a Polyjuice Potion.

"Interesting list you got, Potter," remarked Corvus slowly.

"Hm, yeah, well, it's just a few things," stammered Potter.

"Just a few things you'd like to order from the Salesmen, right?" Corvus's friends were getting edgy now… Corvus was tempting the boundaries of their Code of Silence.

"Yeah," he admitted. Corvus grinned deeply and leaned forward on his elbows. Potter bent towards him to listen.

"You could get in trouble because of this," he told him. "And I'm not just talking about the ingredients, I'm talking about you coming here, coming to us like this," he gestured to them. His tone grew menacingly. "Just because you're the Boy Who Lived, Potter, doesn't mean you're above the rules, especially not the Salesmen's rules."

Potter pulled away and narrowed his eyes angrily when Louis, Anwar and Jeremy started laughing at him. Even Max cracked a half-smile.

Max handed the list back to Potter. "We're not the Salesmen," he told him. "To contact the Salesmen you send an owl, addressed to Sal's Guys. They then contact you to set up an order. Again, we are not the Salesmen."

"That's rubbish!" snapped Weasley angrily.

"You really want to pick a fight, Weasley?" sneered Anwar.

"What will your mummy think?" asked Louis, leering.

"Come on, let's go," Granger urged them as she grabbed both their arms. She pulled with her full weight to move them away. The two Gryffindor boys glared at Corvus and the others until they went out of view.

"Malfoy's right," snickered Louis, "it's just too easy with him."

"Well played, Blackstone," complimented Anwar. Corvus nodded appreciatively.

"That Potter's real thickheaded, isn't he?" Jeremy started harshly. "As if we're going to do business with a blood-traitor like him! And his Mudblood girlfriend's paws were probably all over that list as well. The likes of them aren't welcomed among us. "

Corvus' smile dropped. They were so close to just enjoying themselves at other people's expense, but Jeremy had to ruin it…

"If Potter was aware of the proper protocol," Max spoke up, his eyes burning with frustration, "there would be no problem doing business with him."

"What are you talking about? Do you have death wish? The Chamber has been opened again, the Salesmen can't be seen doing business with anyone who isn't a respectable pureblood."

"The Salesmen cater to whoever has money," Max reminded him. He was angrier than Corvus had ever seen him. His voice grew meaner with every word. "We're a business, not some spin-off of the Death Eaters, Petzold. So I suggest you shut up before your ignorant remarks reaches the ears of our customers and they decide they'd rather not do business with narrow-minded, backward, fascists losers like you."

Max stood up, shaking with anger. He held his bag open and flicked his wand, magically gathering all his things before leaving. The other Salesmen were left flabberghasted. Simply flabberghasted.