Phil's pov
When Jennifer got onto the train that Nick Fury asked him to come in, when Phil got there that Director Fury told him that he would be in Portland once more. This time it was to track down one of their agents that defected, he did let Aubrey know he was coming and she offered him a place to stay once more. He really didn't want to for he felt he would put her into more danger than he has already since the started secretly dating. The only other one that knows was Jennifer, though he did figure that Jennifer would bring up that he has a girlfriend to her friends of which he didn't mind for that was something he expected her to do at some point. Besides none of her friends are aware of the fact that Phil and Jennifer were agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Well Jennifer was still in training but she was still an agent none the less and knew more than other training agents. So in that respect that Phil wasn't too bothered by that fact, plus Aubrey was aware of the fact that not only were Jennifer and himself agents to S.H.I.E.L.D. but a witch and wizard.
He was a bit worried about telling Aubrey about being a wizard at first, for he wasn't sure of how she would react but she accepted it none the less. Plus Shadow managed to send a few letters to Jennifer during the summer when they were in Portland. When shadow first came with a letter that it weirded Jennifer out till Phil told her that it was one for the wizards to communicate with each other. After that, that Aubrey got used to it, however Aubrey insisted on Phil staying with her so he found himself sleeping in her apartment once more. He has been there for two weeks when one night he fell asleep on the couch one night without meaning to. When he woke up the next morning that he noticed a few things, one that he was not in the bedroom that Aubrey gave him and two that he felt something on his chest. At first he thought it was blanket or pillow or something till he felt whatever it was shift, Phil opened his eyes and sat up a little bit. It was Aubrey, her arms were halfway around his neck and her head was on his chest and she was still sound asleep. Phil thought of moving but he really didn't want though so he closed hai eyes once more,he was about ready to go back to sleep when he heard a tapping noise. He felt Aubrey shift and suddenly he felt her hands go on his chest to sat up properly, Phil opened his eyes and sat up more properly and looked to the window.
"What is it?" Thankfully the sun was just coming out so he could make out an owl at the window, it was shadow with a letter form Jennifer.
"It's Shadow, so Jennifer must have sent a letter." Phil got off the couch as Aubrey rubbed her eyes.
"Not that I mind Shadow but I think it might be helpfully if Jennifer had a cell phone with her so that she can call you instead." Phil opened the window and Shadow flew in before landing on the table and holding her leg out. As Phil took off he letter that he spoke.
"Well, magic and technology don't always get along unless if you managed to control your magic around the technology like I have. Jennifer can do it since I taught her of how to do it, for it was needed since she is training into be an agent. However not everyone has that kind of control at Hogwarts, though I had ask Tony to come up with something so that a cell phone would work in a place like Hogwarts." Shadow remained where she as as Phil opened the letter and read it.
Dear dad,
I had a good first week at school so far, first off Lockhart is lame as well as full of himself. After telling him to back on the first day and after what happen at Foourish and Blotts that he left me alone. Though it is because we are both avoided each other now, of which is just fine with me. Also there is a muggle born, Colin, that wanted my picture, Colin is annoying but I have to say the picture he too of me was funny since Lockhart was trying to drag me into the picture but failed after my picture self punched picture Lockhart in the stomach. So my opinion of Colin went up a little after seeing that picture, just because of funny the picture was. Also I am the Gryffindor quidditch team as a chaser. However Oliver had us wake up early on the first Saturday after school started and I slept though most of his speech of where he was talking about his idea for the upcoming year. Though when he went to practice that the Slytherin team came out to practice because they have a new seeker, Draco Malfoy. Apparently his father brought the team new broomsticks. However something happened that made the Slytherin team leave the field, so if need be there is a chance you may need to come out. You see Neville used a spell on Malfoy and Malfoy belched out slugs, this was because he called Hermione the worst thing that he could think of and I don't need to write it for you to know what I am taking about. If his father tries to do anything to get rid of Neville do you mind if you step in place of Neville's father.
Love Jennifer
PS. All right, I thought I add this after I got up in the morning. Last night as I was falling asleep, but before I got there that I heard this voice coming from the walls. It chilled me to the bones, I haven't told anyone else but is it normal for someone to hear voices inside walls?
Aubrey was reading over his shoulder as he read the letter, when Phil looked at her that Aubrey seems confused. He wasn't surprised since he hasn't told her everything about the wizarding world since there wasn't much of a reason to.
"What is quidditch?"
"A wizarding spot."
"All right, but what did he call Hermione?"
"You don't need to worry about, Aubrey." Phil got a piece of paper and a pen before he wrote back to Jennifer and he gave the letter to Shadow before she flew out of the window.
Jennifer's pov
Jennifer and the others managed to visit Hagrid, in Sunday of their first weekend, it was much like her first visit to Hagrid she came to Hogwarts. When October arrived that a damp chill went over the grounds and into the castle, Madam Pomfrey was kept busy. For a sudden spread of colds went among the students and staff, her pepper up potion worked instantly. But it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward, Percy managed to get Ginny to takes some after a while. Jennifer was getting a little worried bout Ginny when she started to look pale for some odd reason. Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end. The lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. During his time that Shadow came back with a letter form her father one morning, Jennifer didn't dare opened it till that night when the others were asleep, unlike in the past for Jennifer didn't want to bring up of what she heard as she going to sleep that one night. As soon as the others were asleep that Jennifer opened the letter.
Dear Jennifer,
I am surprised that you got on the tema so fast, I hope you have fun as chaser. Do you mind if you get a picture of you and Lockhart? For I am sure it is a good laugh to see it. I am at least glad that you don't have to deal with Lockhart too much now. As for Malfoy and Neville, I will be glad to stop Malfoy's father from doing anything if I have to. Though it is too bad that there is no picture of Malfoy throwing up the slugs, that would be amusing to have as well. As for that voice you heard, I am not sure what to make of it, I never heard any voice from the walls of Hogwarts. It is not very common in either world to hear voices in walls, can anyone else hear the voices? Also let me know if you hear the voices again.
Your father
Jennifer wasn't sure if anyone else could hear the voices or not, she just shrugged the though of the voice for now till it happens again. However Oliver seem to decided to give the team regular training sessions, even with all the rain and mud. That was one one stormy Saturday afternoon, a few days before Halloween, that Jennifer and Harry were drenched to the skin and splatter with mud. Though their spirits were not too high since Fred and George, who have been spying on the Slytherins, seen the speed of the new Nimbus two thousand and ones. That the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs shooting through the air like missiles. Jennifer managed to leave before Harry from the quidditch field and thankfully for Jennifer that she didn't run into Filch. When Harry got back shortly after Jennifer changed and showered that Harry came back and told them of what happened with filch and nearly headless Nick, as well as telling them about aNick's death day party.
"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died? I never heard of such a thing, however my father raised me in the muggle world." Jennifer left out the fact that she seen and heard stranger things than celebrating the day that they died, but it was strange none the less. Rain was still lashing the windows of which were inky black now, but in the common room was bright and cheerful, the firelight glowered over the countless squashy armchairs where the Gryffindors saw reading, talking or doing homework. But in the case of Fred and George Weasley that they were trying to find out what happens of you fed a filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred 'rescued' the brilliant orange fire dwelling lizard from a care of magical creatures class and it was currently a mouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people. Harry was about ready to say something else when they found out what happen to the salamander.
For the Salamander suddenly whizzed into he air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly around the room. Jennifer smiled as she watched the salamander whirled around the room, even though she seeen a lot of strange and new things while she has been part of S.H.I.E.L.D., there still things they amazed her of the wizarding world. Percy was bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George as there was a spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth. Than the salamander managed to make it's escape into the fire accompanying explosions. When Halloween arrived that Jennifer wished that she was going to the feast instead of the death day party with Harry, Hermione,Ginny and Neville. It seems Harry regretted the promise he made to Nick as well, but Hermione reminded Harry of his promise.
"A promise is a promise. You said you'd go to the deathday party." So at seven at night that Jennifer, Harry, Neville and Hermione walked past the doorway to the packed great hall and directed their steps towards the dungeons. Ginny would have come but she said that she wasn't feeling very well, so they went on without her. The passageway leading to Nearly Headless aNick's party was lined with candles, but the effect was far from cheerful. There were long thin, jet blacked tapers, al burning bright blue, casting a dim ghostly light even over their living faces. The temperance seem to drop with every stop that they took, as Jennifer shivered and drew her robes tightly around herself that she heard an eerie sound of a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.
"Please tell me that is not music?" Jennifer whispered it to the other three as they turned a corner before they saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes. When he saw them that he spoke mournfully
"My dear friends. Welcome, welcome . . . so pleased you could come. . . ." Nick swept his plumed hat and bowed them inside, it was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly white translucent people that were mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor. The ghosts were waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws played by an orchestra on a raised black draped platform. A chandelier was overhead blazing midnight blue with a thousand more black candles, their breath rose in a mist before them, it was like stepping into a freezer or Alaska.
"Shall we have a look around?" Jennifer shrugged when Harry said that.
"May as well but be careful not to walk through anyone." So they walkedf around the edge of the dance floor. So that the four of them passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. Jennifer wasn't surprised to see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts. Jennifer still doesn't know what happened to that ghost or why he was covered in blood, there times that she wanted to ask but than she almost ran into Hermione of who stopped abruptly.
"Oh, no. Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle -"
"Who?" They backtracked quickly as Harry spoke, Jennifer didn't need to ask since Jennifer was all too well aware of Moaning Myrtle. Jennifer was the one that responded
"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor." Neville looked stunned but he spoke none the less.
"She haunts a toilet?"
"Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you -"
"Look, food!" It was Neville who spoke up, she noticed where Neville was looking, now that Neville had mentioned it that she was getting hungry. On the other side of the dungeon was a long table that was covered in black velvet, the approach pee the table eagerly but the next moments hey stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters, cakes that burned charcoal black and were heaped on salters there were a great maggoty haggis, and a slab of cheeks covered in furry tree mold. In the pride of place that there was an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone with two like icing for king the words, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington died 31st October, 1492. Jennifer watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table before crouching low and walked through it. His mouth was held so wife that it passed through one of the stinking salmon, when he walker through it that the ghost looked sad. It was Harry who spoke.
"Can you taste it if you walk though it?"
"Almost." The ghost drifted away.
"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor." Hermione was pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis. Jennifer was not feeling very good at the moment, she knows why though and she wanted to get away from the food.
"Can we move? I feel sick." Jennifer and the others are,y turned around when Peeves swooped suddenly from under the table and stopped in midair in front of them. Peeves was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie and a broad grin on his wide wicked face.
"Hello, Peeves."
"Nibbles?" He offered them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus. It was Hermione who responded.
"No thanks."
"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle. Rude you was about poor Myrtle." Peeves took a deep breath before he bellowed. "OY! MYRTLE!"
"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset." Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her - er, hello, Myrtle." The squat ghost of a girl glided over, her face was gloomy and was half hidden behind lank hair and thick pearly spectacles.
"What?" Myrtle sounded sulkily.
"How are you, Myrtle?" Hermione spoke in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet." Myrtle sniffed
"Miss Granger was just talking about you -"
"Just saying - saying - how nice you look tonight." Hermione was glaring at Peeves. However Myrtle was eyeing Hermione suspiciously.
"You're making fun of me." There were silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.
"No - honestly - didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" Hermione nudged Harry and Neville painfully in the ribs or it looked like it at any rate, Jennifer joined in as well.
"Oh, yeah -"
"She did -"
"I heard her -"
"Don't lie to me." Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while Peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!" Peeves hissed in Myrtle's ear.
"You've forgotten pimply." Peeves hissed in her ear. Moaning Myrtle burst into anguished sobs before she fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after Myrtle pelting her with moldy peanuts and he was yelling."Pimply! Pimply!"
"Oh, dear." Nearly Headless Nick was drifting towards them through the crowd.
"Enjoying yourselves?"
"Oh, yes." All four of them said it at once, Jennifer wasn't sure of what else to tell Nearly Headless Nick about his death day party.
"Not a bad turnout. The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent. . . . It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra. . . ." The orchestra stopped playing at very moment, everyone in the in the dungeon fell silent. It seems that all of the ghosts were looking around in excitement as a hunting horn sounded.
"Oh, here we go." Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each was ridden by a headless horsemen. The assembly clapped wildly, Jennifer stood there and watched, Harry clapped but stopped when he saw Nick's face. The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor before halting, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost of who held his bearded head under his arm, it was from that position that he was blowing the born. The ghost leapt down before he lifted his head high into the air so he could seen over the crowd of which made everyone laugh. Apparently he was looking for Nick for he squashed his head back onto his neck and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick.
"Nick! How are you? Head still hanging in there?" He gave a hearth laugh before he clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder. Nick spoke rather stiffly.
"Welcome, Patrick."
"Live 'uns!" Sir Patrick spotted Harry, Neville, Jennifer and Hermione before giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again. He crowd was laughing with howling now, Jennifer looked down at the head, unsure of what to make of it.
"Very amusing." Sir Patrick's head shouted from the floor.
"Don't mind Nick! Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say - look at the fellow -" with a meaningful look form Nick that Harry spoke up.
"I think. Nick's very - frightening and - er -"
"Ha! Bet he asked you to say that!"
"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" Nearly Headless Nick stride over the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.
"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow . . ." After that, that no one heard much more, Sir Patrick and the rest of the headless hunt started a game of head hockey. Because of it that the crowd were turning to watch the game instead of listening to Nearly Headless Nick. Nearly Headless Nick tried to recapture his audience but he gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers. Jennifer was cold and hungry, sure she has gone on for a while without food but the disgusting food on the table and the cold were making her hungry for real food.
"I can't stand much more of this." The orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor. It seem Harry was thinking along the same lines as Jennifer.
"Let's go." The went back towards the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, a minute later that they were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles. Jennifer hoped that here was still something to eat from the feast upstairs.
"I am hoping that the feast is still going on." Jennifer lead the way toward the steps to the entrance hall. But than Jennifer heard the voice again.
". . . rip . . . tear . . . kill . . ." It was the same voice, the same cold murderous voice that she heard in her dorm, she stumbled to a halt and was clutching the stone wall listening and looking around. She looked up and down the passageway, the others seem confused by her actions, she wondered if that me as that they can't hear the voice.
"Jennifer, what're you -?"
"Can't you the voices?"
". . . soo hungry . . . for so long . . ."
"Listen!" The others were froze watching Jennifer, watching her.
". . . kill . . . time to kill . . ." The voice was growing fainter, it was like it was moving away from her, a mixture of fear and excited gripped her, but she wasn't going to act up the excitement till she was sure that the others could hear the voice. Jennifer looked at he others, it was Harry that responded.
"What voice are you talking about?" Jennifer bit her lip, if she could hear it but they couldn't hear it than that was not a good sign.
"You can't hear it? The voice sounds cold and murderous." Harry shook his head. Jennifer looked up the stairs in front of them. "I have a bad feeling about this." Jennifer heard the voice again but it was much further away almost like it was coming from the second floor.
". . . I smell blood. . . . I SMELL BLOOD!" Her stomach tied up in Knots when she heard that.
"I believe, whatever I am hearing that it is going to kill in someone."
"How can you be sure?" Jennifer looked at Neville when he said that Neville looked frighten, Jennifer felt as frighten as Neville looked.
"It might be me, but the voice said that it smelled blood." They looked at each other before heading up the stairs, as they entered the entrance hall ghost the rest of the students were leaving the great hall. Now Jennifer couldn't hear the voice, with one look at each other that they decided to go to the common room before they talk more about what happen. So they went up the next couple of floors to go to the common room. However when they reached one corridor that students stopped, Jennifer wondered when they stopped. It seem that all the chattering and noise die down as well, Jennifer managed to get to the front as well as Hermione, Harry and Neville.
When they reached the front of the group that Jennifer gasp at the sight before her. Ron and his two friends were standing in the middle of the corridor with the whole school looking at the as well as what was behind them. There was foot high words that was daubed on the wall between two windows shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. 'The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.' Hanging by her tail from the torch bracket was Mrs. Norris, than someone shouted through the quiet and managed to push his way through the crow doing so,
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" It was Draoc Malfoy, his cold eyes were alive, his usually bloodless face flushed as he grinned at the sight of the hanging immobile cat.
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted by Malfoy's shout or that is what Jennifer assumed, Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. When he reached the front that he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" Filch was shrieking, than his eyes landed on Ron. "You! You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"
"Argus!" It was Dumbledore, followed by other teachers, he swept past Ron and his two friends before he detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Huntington, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Jameston."
"Thank you, Gilderoy." The silent crowd parted to let them pass, Lockhart looked excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore as well as Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. After they left that Hermione, Jennifer, Neville and Harry entered an empty classroom and closed the door before she looked at her friends.
"Do you think that I should have brought up the voice I heard before Rumbledore left with the other teachers?" It was Harry who spoke.
"No. Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." Jennifer looked at Harry of who looked unsure.
"You do believe me, don't you?"
"Of course, I do. But -you must admit it's weird ..."
"I know it's weird. The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, it rings a sort of bell, I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill . . . ." For the next few days that the school could only talk about the attack on Mrs. Norris, Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot of where she was attacked. It was like Filch thought that the attacker might come back to that spot, there times of when she saw a Filch scrub the message on her wall with a few products but there was no effect. The words gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone, when Filch was at the scene that he skulk through the corridors and lung out at unsuspecting students for rubbish things and try to put them into detention for it. However it seems that Ginny was reacting badly, after a year of knowing her that Jennifer knows that Ginny loves cats. But they both know of much a pain Mrs. Norris can be, Ron tried to make Ginny feel better.
"Honestly, we're much better off without her. Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts. They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking -" Ron added that last part as Ginny turned white. The attack had an effect on Hermione, it was quite normal for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading but she almost did nothing else. Jennifer, Neville or Harry could get much of a response from Hermione, Ginny seem to have distance herself from the four of them as well. Harry and Jennifer were held back in potions of where Snape made them scrape tube worms off the desks. After a quick lunch that they went upstairs to meet Neville in he library. When they reached there that they saw Justin from Hufflpeuff that was in Herbology with them coming towards them. Harry was about ready to say something when Ron had came in with his two friends, Justin saw the three of them and hat was he turned and sped off in the opposite direction. Harry and Jennifer looked at each other.
"Why did he do that?" Jennifer thought about, she remembered Filch yelling something about the heir of Slytherin and cursing Ron for what he did.
"I think it is because of Filech, at one point I heard cursing Ron and yelling about the heir of Slytherin. He might think Ron is the heir or something, I am not sure why they would think that." Soon enough they found Neville writing his history of magic assignment or at least he was finishing it up. and he just barely measured his homework assignment, when Jennifer sat down next to Neville that she spoke.
"Where is Hermione?" As Jennifer said that, that Harry grabbed the tape measure and unrolling his own homework. Neville pointed along the shelves.
"Somewhere over there. Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas." Jennifer and Harry told Neville about Justin running away from Ron and what Jennifer thought of why Justin did that.
"It is either when Jennifer said or it's Lockhart." Just than Hemione emerged from between a couple of bookshelves, she looked irritable but she seem ready to talk to them at last. She sat next to Jennifer and Neville.
"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out. And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."
"Why do you want it?"
"The same reason everyone else wants it, to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"What's that?"
"That's just it. I can't remember. And I can't find the story anywhere else -" As Harry and Hermione spoke that Jennifer thought back to the stories her father told her. She remembered him telling about the chamber of Secrets before but she couldn't remember the story behind it either.
"My father told me about the chamber of Secrets as a bedtime story shortly after he got me when I was eight." When Jennifer said that, that Harry looked at her.
"I thought you were with your father the whole time."
"No, for about seven years I was with a muggle family before my father learned about it and took me away from them." Just than the bell rang, Jennifer and Harry lead the way to history of magic with Neville and Hermione behind them. History of magic was boring, but in many ways it beats Defense against Dark arts for no one could sleep in defense against the dark arts classes, not with Lockhart. Plus history of magic was taught by their only ghost teacher, professor Binns, that day it was not much different or at least it started out that way. Jennifer had her head on her table trying to sleep when she felt movement besides her. Jennifer looked up and she was surprised to see Hermione with her hand up, all right normally that was not surprising but with history of magic, Hermione never put her hand up before. There were times that Jennifer was sure Hermione slept through history of magic, Professor Binns glanced up and saw Hermione's hand up and he looked amazed.
"Miss - er -?"
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." A few things happen at once, Dean Thomas, who was sitting with his mouth open gazing out of the window had jerked out of his trance. Lavender brown's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk. Harry nearly fell out of his chair and would have hit Jennifer's desk if had fell from his desk. But his nots fell to the floor when he jerked his he's do up and his arm went slid across the desk. That made Jennifer giggle when Harry did that, Harry blushed Weasley red when she giggled at him. The only reaction that Professor Binns had was blinking.
"My subject is History of Magic, I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk. "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers." Professor Binns stuttered to a halt as Hermione raised her hand on the air waving it again,
"Miss Grant?"
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" With how much amazement that Professor Binns that Jennifer was sure that no student ever interrupted him dead or alive before.
"Well, yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale -" The whole class was hanging onto Professor Binns's words, he looked at them all, every face turned to his, it was clear that he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.
"Oh, very well. Let me see ... the Chamber of Secrets ... You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution." Professor Binns paused, gazing around the room before going on. "For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic." There was silence as he finished the story, it wasn't he usual sleepy silence that filled this room. It was an unease silence that filled the room, everyone went on watching him hoping for me, but Professor Binns looked annoyed with this story that they wanted to hear,
"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course. Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible." This time Jennifer raised her hand, Professor Binns looked surprised but nodded to her before she spoke.
"Sir - what exactly do you mean by the `horror within' the Chamber?"
"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control." The class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist." Professor Binns was shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."
"But, sir, if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty. If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"
"But, Professor, you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"
"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather, I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"
"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" It seems that Professor Binns had enough at that point.
"That will do. It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!" Within five minutes that the class was back into it's usual state.