AUTHORS NOTE!
Hey people! How is everyone? Thanks to everyone that reviewed, and Annabeth Luxa Potter, yours always make me laugh! And Max Artemis Potter, thanks for your reviews, and don't worry about it.
I hope you like this chapter, and I have a quick question that has nothing to do with Fanfiction.
Who watched Teen Wolf? The one with Scott, Alison, Stiles and Derek? It is the best show in the world! Review with your answer.
Enjoy,
-Rach ;)
Max's POV
I didn't mention the voice to anyone. How could I tell my friends that I have a voice in my head, telling me not to open the Chamber of Secrets, something I have never heard of may I add. That night, I wrote to Tom. I told him everything, about new voice I was hearing in my head, the School, about Donovan, even my crush on Harry. He wrote back, and told me that everything would be alright. I smiled as I fell asleep, knowing that Tom would always be there for me, when no one else would...
The next morning, Harry was looking very troubled and confused. "Whats wrong, Harry?" I ask as I pour Pumpkin Juice into a goblet. In a hushed whisper, Harry told us about his detention with Lockhart last night.
"Well, I was signing Lockhart's pictures and answering fan mail-" Iggy snorted, and laughed, "He's giving you practice Harry, for when people start sending you letters and asking for autographs!" Harry glowered at Iggy, and when Iggy's broad grin dropped, Harry continued, "After a few hours, I heard a voice," he said, and my head snapped up. Could Harry hear the voice too? Was I not the only one?
"What did the voice say?" I asked, proud that my voice remained calm and steady. Harry licked his lips, and leaned in closer so only we could hear him. Ron didn't look interested, so I'm guessing Harry already told him.
"Well...It said `Let me rip you...Let me kill you...I want to rip you...' Lockhart couldn't hear a thing. What do you guys think that meant?" I frowned. Harry was telling us about a voice only he heard, so maybe I should tell them about what I heard. I opened my mouth as my friends contemplated why Harry was hearing homicidal voices, but Hermione took that moment to give a loud squeal.
We all stared at her, and she beamed, "We have Professor Lockhart today! Oh, I'm so exited! What do you think the class will be like, Max?"
I didn't even stop to take a breath as I said, "Completely rubbish." We laughed, and just as I was going to tell them my problem, the bell rang. I rolled my eyes, and decided to tell them at lunch.
The day dragged by slowly, and by the time Lockahart's class came around, all I wanted to do was take a long, hot shower and go to sleep. We waited outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for Lockhart. Defense Against the Dark Arts was my favorite subject last year, but when I found out that my teacher killed the closest thing I had to a father, I did some tough thinking about that. And even now, with this idiot as our teacher, I was starting to hate the subject.
Lockhart came strutting down the hall, and all the girls- except me- started fixing they're hair, or straightening they're robes. I even noticed that Pansy Parkinson, a girl in Slytherin, had put on make-up. I mean, seriously, we were twelve years old!
Lockhart opened the door, and Hermione ran to sit in the front, along with every other girl. I rolled my eyes, smirking. Harry and Fang sat at a table, while Ron and Iggy sat at the table in front. There was a spare seat next to Fang and Harry, so I sat there. Neville, not noticing that every single girl was sitting in the front so Lockhart will notice them, was sitting next to Susan Bones. Lockhart strode around the class, looking everyone in the eyes as he passed. When he looked at me, I glared at him. He frowned, but kept going and didn't look at me for the rest of the class.
He picked up one of Neville's books, which was mainly his face, and a tiny space at the bottom for the title. "Me," he said, smiling that flashing smile. "I am Gilderoy Lockhart. Order of Merlin, Third Class, Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five time winner of the Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile, but I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her," he chuckled.
I banged my head on the table...repeatedly.
"I've decided to start off our lesson with a little quiz," Lockhart continued. I stopped banging my head and looked at him. Yes, I thought, A test! Something that won't involve him talking about himself, and I don't have to look at him!"
I was very, very wrong.
He handed out the parchment, and I looked at it in shock. Every single question was about Lockhart.
1) What is Gilderoy Lockhart s favorite color?
2) What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
3) What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
It went on like that until question 54, asking when his birthday was. I looked at Harry, who was staring at the page as if it just tried to bite him. I looked at the front of the class, and wasn't surprised to see Hermione bending over the page and her quill going ninety miles an hour. I shrugged and guessed all the answers on the sheet.
A few minutes later, Lockhart collected them and looked over them. "Hardly anyone remembered that my favorite colour is lilac! And I said in Wandering With Werewolves that my ideal gift would be peace between magic and non-magic humans! You kids need to read my books again!" He flicked through the pages again and smiled, "Although, Miss Hermione Granger knew that my secret ambition was to rid the world of evil, and make my own brand of hair-care potions. Where's Miss Granger?"
Hermione slowly raised her hand, and I could tell she was blushing. Lockhart gave ten points to Gryffindor. Ron and Iggy was staring at Lockhart with looks of stunned disbelief, and Fang was shaking with silent laughter, and so was Seamus and Dean. Harry looked like he wanted to jump out the window. I was feeling the same.
Lockhart suddenly dropped his smile, and his face grew serious. "I'm going to warn you now. What we are about to do is very dangerous, and I ask you to remain calm," he said. Fang stopped laughing, and looked at me with his eyebrows raised. I shrugged, and looked back to the front of the class. Lockhart is after bringing out a large cage, covered in a blue cloth. I watched the cage, glaring at it. When the flock was at the School, we were kept in dog-crates.
Lockhart swept his twinkling gaze around the class, then dramatically he whipped the cloth off the cage and I started laughing. Inside the cage were bright blue pixies!
Seamus, who was laughing with me, gasped out between laughs, "Cornish pixies?"
Lockhart looked at everyone, as if trying to see whether someone was going to pass out of fright at the sight of pixies. "Yes, sir. Cornish pixies," Lockahrt said, taking Seamus's laughter as a shout of fright.
"Well..there not very dangerous, are they?" I said, and Lockhart stared at me. "Do not be sure, Miss Ride! Lets see what you think of them now!" He opened the cage door, and all the bright blue pixies flew out, there little wings moving so fast you couldn't see them. The flew everywhere, and they started ripping books, snapping quills, and even started pulling at Neville's dark hair. One flew right at my face, and I shrieked and dived out of the way.
I heard Fang crying out, and I looked up to see a pixie circulated his head. I grabbed the biggest Lockhart book, and whacked the pixie in the direction of Draco Malfoy, who was screaming in the corner, hiding behind Crabbe and Goyle.
I looked at Fang and found out why he had cried out. There were three long, red slashes on his cheek. The pixie had slashed him with its claws. It was bleeding, and Fang looked really mad. Some pixies flew through the window, shattering glass everywhere,and Neville was being lifted into the air by his ears. There were papers flying everywhere, and they started throwing ink bottles in every direction. They were throwing the pictures from the walls out the broken window, and even some bags. It was pure chaos.
Everyone was screaming and running towards the door. I stayed with Harry, Fang, Iggy and Ron. We looked for Hermione, and saw her hitting Cornish pixies with her books. Her brown bushy hair was swinging around her face.
Lockhart was looking panicked, and when he saw that we were the only ones left in the room, he pointed at us, and shouted, "You six! I'll ask you to get them, and just put them back in the cage!" And with that, ,he was out the door with everyone else.
Hermione pointed her wand at the pixies, and started using the immobilizing them one by one. I pulled out mine, and started doing the same. "Can you believe that git!" Iggy snapped, throwing the pixies roughly into the cage. "He's a complete nutter," I said, freezing another pixie. Fang was holding his hand to his cheek, but there was still blood leaking from his fingers.
"Come on! He wants us to get some first-hand experience! Look at all the things he's done-" Hermione said, closing the cage when all the pixies were locked in.
"All the things he says he's done," I muttered.
September flashed by into October. I was exhausted with all the homework we were getting, and all the Quidditch practice Wood was making the team do. Many kids were getting sick, including Ginny. It was only a cold, but she still had to go to the hospital wing.
On Saturday night, we had Quidditch training, in the rain. I walked back to the castle on my own, having been the first one to leave. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team, just told us that the Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones were wicked fast. All I could think was, if there that fast, how can we beat them in our first match next month?
I entered the castle, dripping mud everywhere. I made my way to Gryffindor common room, and was almost jumped with joy when I saw that the fire was cackling happily in the fire-place. I found Hermione, Fang, Iggy and Ron by the window. I walked past them without them noticing me. I went up to the dormitory, and I took a fast hot shower. When I finished, and when I dried myself and put on some warm clothes, I went down to the common room. Harry was there now, and it looked like they were all having a serious conversation.
Harry was still covered in mud, but that didn't seem to be annoying him. I walked over just in time to hear Harry saying. "Deathday party. I promised."
"What's a Deathday party?" I asked, sitting in the vacant chair by the window. They looked at me, noticing my wet hair and my change of clothes. "Its when a ghost celebrates the day they died," Hermione explained. I raised my eyebrows, thinking how that would be something very strange to attend.
"And who's Deathday party is it?" I asked, messing with my hair. "Nearly Headless Nick's. Apparently, he's been dead five hundred years," Harry said. "When is it, mate?" Iggy asked, looking bored. "Halloween, in the dungeons," Harry answered, knowing the reaction that Ron and Iggy were going to have, seeing as they're only love was they're stomachs.
"What? But were going to miss the feast! Can't you just tell him we can't go?" Ron said, Iggy agreeing. "I promised," Harry said.
"Besides, there has to be food there, right?" I said, water falling onto my pants from my hair.
"But whats the point in celebrating the day you died?" asked Fang, gazing out the window. "Sounds pretty depressing to me," he whispered.
The rain battered against the tower windows, and it seemed as if all the Gryffindor students were in the common room, either just talking, laughing or doing homework. Fred and George, who had taken a green salamander from their Care of Magical Creatures class, were tying it to a Filibuster Firework to see what would happen.
Harry looked like he wanted to tell us something else, when the Firework, with the terrified creature attached to it, whizzed around the round-tower. There were bangs and sparks, and Percy Weasley was shouting at the twins, and finally the salamander flew into the fire, and that was that. Percy spent the next half and hour shouting at Fred and George about how they were reckless and about animal cruelty. We spent the rest of the night laughing with the twins and talking about the upcoming Deathday party.
On Halloween night, I could tell Harry was regretting his promise to the Gryffindor ghost. Everyone was chatting happily about the feast in the Great Hall as we made our way to the dungeons. I really wasn't in the mood to go anywhere, really. I had a pounding headache and a twisting feeling in my stomach. I had been writing in the diary to Tom before it was time for us to leave, and I've been feeling odd ever since. Although, normally I would of thought there was something weird with the diary, and Tom, but I knew Tom would never do anything to hurt me. Tom was my friend, and friends didn't hurt each other.
We entered the dungeon the party was being held in, following the sound of the horrible music that sounded like nails running down a chalk-board. Nearly Headless Nick was standing in the doorway, looking mournful. "Welcome, friends...Welcome, and please enjoy the evening," he said in a slow, sad voice. The room was incredible. It was full of ghosts, some I recognized as the ghosts that glided the corridors of Hogwarts, and some I've never seen before.
There were ghosts hovering over a small stage, playing what looked like saws. Everything was black, and the room was as cold as a freezer, and we could see our breath in the air. All the ghosts were floating around, looking depressed and chatting to each other. Ron and Iggy spotted the food table at the same time, and said together, "Come on! I'm starving!" We were dragged over to the food table, and I smelled it first.
It was the smell of all rotting food put together. And thats because the table was full of nothing but rotting food. On the table was a large grey cake in the shape of a gravestone, saying:
Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Porpington
Died 31st October 1492.
I looked at Harry. His parents had died on Halloween, eleven years ago today. He didn't seem to be thinking about that. I doubted he wanted to think about it. I most surly wouldn't. My eyes started watering from the smell. Because of everything the whitecoats did to me and the rest of the flock, we all had enhanced senses, so for me, Fang and Iggy, the smell of the rotten food was more strong, making me what to throw up.
"Can we move?" I asked, dabbing at my eyes. No one spoke, we just moved as one. No one seemed to notice us, but when we were in the middle of the room, Hermione grabbed my arm and said, "Oh, no. Lets go the other way. I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle." My eyes widened. Moaning Myrtle was a teenage ghost that haunted a cubicle in the girls bathroom on the first floor. The bathroom was put out-of-order this year because Myrtle kept flooding the place.
"Who?" the boys asked. I vaguely heard Hermione's answer. My vision blurred, and I felt like I lost control of my own mind. Well, thats because I did.
Tom Riddle Junior POV (through Max's mind)
At last, I had finally penetrated the girls mind. The child was strong, I must say that. It took me two months to posses the freak. Although, her and her family as she put them, might come in handy when I finally get my body back. They were all very powerful, I must say.
It was taking a lot of my energy to make Maximum do this. I controlled her thoughts, and made her tell her little friends that she had to go to the bathroom. She left without anyone questioning her, and I directed her to the girl's bathroom on the first floor. There was water all over the floor outside. That stupid ghost-girl must have flooded the place. She ignored the `Out of Order' sign, and walked right in, and there was even more water in here. I ordered her to go over to the sink. I could feel the girl trying to regain control, but I pushed her back. This Maximum Ride was a very strong person.
Now for the tricky part. I managed to make her talk perfectly in English, but what about the snake speaking language, Parseltounge? Ride opened her mouth on my command, and I was pleased to hear her voice, normally filled with sarcasm, hissed, "Open," in Parseltounge. To anyone who couldn't speak the noble language of snakes, it would just sound like hissing.
Ride called the monster that lived in the Chamber of Secrets, and we waited for it. When it emerged, after fifty years if sleep, I felt the girls heart-beat quicken. It was a truly horrible minster to look at, but I couldn't think of anything more beautiful. Ride told it what to do, and it went back into the pipes to follow its order. Ride left the bathroom when I told her too. I couldn't have her gone to long, or Potter and his friends would suspect something. I had a sudden brain-wave, and made Ride do something else.
As I ordered her, she found something sharp enough and made a long, deep slash on her finger. As soon as it started bleeding, she started carrying on my message on the wall. As she wrote, a cat that was prowling towards us suddenly froze as it saw the bright orange eyes of the monster reflected in the water. When Ride finished the message, she picked up the stiff cat and made it hang from its tail on a torch-bracket.
When she had finished her work for today, I commanded her to go back to the ghastly party. As soon as she was through the door, I left her mind and returned to what I was. Nothing more that a worthless memory. For now.
Max's POV
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was still in the dungeon for Nick's Deathday party. I felt a sharp stinging in my finger on my left-hand and looked down. It was bleeding really badly, and I wrapped in my school robes. I saw the only other living people in the room and made my way over to them. Thats strange, I thought as I made my way through the crowd of dead people, trying not to go through anyone. Last thing I remember, I was with them, and we were talking about Moaning Myrtle...
I stood beside Ron, and none of them seemed shocked that I had disappeared and now just suddenly appear. I decided not to mention it, not wanting them to think I was crazy.I saw that there were ghosts with they're head under there elbows, riding on dead horses, and they were shouting battle-cries. I saw Hermione looking at the floating body of Myrtle, who was gliding over to the door. "What happened?" I asked, noticing how calm my voice sounded even though my heart was hammering against my chest.
"Hermione insulted Myrtle," Iggy explained. "Really? Am I finally rubbing off on you, Hermione?" I said, grinning. I was known for being a trouble-maker, and for telling people what I honestly thought of them.
"No! I didn't mean to insult her! She just takes everything the wrong way!" Hermione snapped. We laughed, then stopped when one of the musical saws started doing a solo. "Let's leave," I muttered. "You missed the Headless Hunt," Fang said. "I'm guessing they were the people on horses with no heads," I said sarcastically. He grinned, and we left the dungeons. I felt the warmth rush back into my body, and sighed in relief. I flexed my wings a bit, felling the stiffness in them. I needed to go flying in the morning...
All thoughts of flying ran straight out of my mind as we walked down a corridor and Harry gasped, "Did you hear that?"
"Hear-?" I started but Harry interrupted me. "Shh!" he snapped waving his arm up and down. He came to a halt, running his hands around the wall. "Did he eat something at the party?" I heard Iggy say. Suddenly, Harry's head snapped up, and he shouted, "Its going to kill someone!" He started running down the hall, and we followed him up the stairs and onto the first floor. I felt a bit of deja vu, but shook it away as Harry came to a sudden stop.
"Harry, have you gone mental?" Iggy said, not even out of breath. Neither was Fang or me, but Hermione and Ron were leaning against the wall, clutching they're sides and panting.
Hermione gave a sudden gasp. "Look! There!" She pointed further down the corridor, and even I could see something glistering on the wall. We approached slowly, and then we all stopped in front of the wall.
Written on the wall, in something that looked like blood, which it probably was, was foot-high words, saying:
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemy of the heir, beware.
My stomach gave an uneasy twist, and I did my best to hide my bleeding finger. I don't why I did this, something told me to do so. We were all staring at the glistening words, until Fang, oddly, broke the stunned silence. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know, Fang. But whats that over there?" Iggy said, pointing to a torch bracket. We walked over, and Hermione took a sharp breath. Mrs Norris, Filch's cat, was hanging by her tail from the bracket. I felt more deja vu, but shook it away as well. "We should leave," I said.
Harry, who was looking very awkward, said, "Should we not try and help-"
"We can't help, Harry!" I didn't know how, but I knew it was true. "We don't want to be found here," Fang said, grabbing Hermione's elbow and started walking with the shocked girl. But it was too late. There was the distant sound of laughter and conversation, and it was getting louder every minuted, and it was also coming from all sides so we were trapped.
The chatter dyed down as soon as people started coming down the corridor. I saw Ginny with the other Gryffindors, looking at the message and Mrs Norris with fear in her eyes. I was terrified as well, although I shouldn't be, I had nothing to do with this... I think...
There was a bewitched silence. You could of heard a spider scuttling through the crowd, it was that quiet. But someone broke it, and they shouted, "You'll be next Mudbloods!" I looked in the direction of the shout. Of course, it was Draco Malfoy. I wonder if he knew there was a big chunk of chicken in his teeth...Probably not, because he kept smiling, showing off the chicken.
I also noticed how his pale face was flushed, and he looked the happiest I have ever seen him as he took in the sight of the motionless cat.
Oh my God! With this authors note, its 4,428 words! That is the longest chapter I have ever written! And it only took me 2 days.
I hoped it wasn't bad, and I hope everyone liked it! Please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!
Question: Do you think Jeb is a good guy, or a bad guy? I can't make up my mind!
Oh, and I'd also like to say
GOOD LUCK IRELAND IN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP!
REVIEW!
-Rach ;)
