Having dinner in the Great Hall, Alex sits with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy.
"Why are you late?" Draco asks worriedly.
"I'll tell you later." Alex states making Draco nod. Arriving to the common room after dinner and they are dismissed, Draco and Alex are at the back by themselves, "Harry kissed me." Alex whispers to Draco.
"What?" Draco hisses in shock.
"I know." Alex nods.
"Did you kiss him back?" Watching Alex nod, Draco smirks, "What are your thoughts?"
"I don't know. I don't know if he wanted to or it was to make me stop arguing with Filch." Alex sighs, "Relationships and boys are confusing."
"You shouldn't date until you're more mature."
"I'm more mature than you are." Alex states.
"True." Draco agrees, "But not by much."
As they continue to talk about the kiss, Draco is worried Harry is going to hurt Alex and break her heart.
"So the barrier was closed?" Draco whispers, "Before the train was leaving?"
"Yeah. It's like someone was trying to stop us from getting to school." Alex frowns confused.
"Someone could have been trying to protect you."
"I guess."
After saying good night, the cousins head up to their dorms. Lying in her bed, Alex stares out of her window under the Black Lake. Watching mermaid people swim back and forth, Alex notice how they are all swimming faster than the year before.
The next morning, Alex awakes to Pansy shaking her awake.
"We're late." Pansy speaks softly.
"Late for what?" Alex asks groggy.
"For breakfast." Nodding, Alex crawls out of bed and changes into her uniform. Carrying the black book, journal, whatever you want to call it, in her bag, Alex is terrified.
Arriving to breakfast, Alex eats quickly as Snape gives her, her schedule. Finding out she has Defence Against the Dark Arts second, Alex bites her bottom lip.
"Ready to go to Charms class?" Draco asks approaching Alex and Pansy.
"Sure." Alex agrees getting to her feet.
Walking out of the Great Hall, Alex walks with her cousin, his friends and her friend Pansy to Charms class.
During Charms, Alex heads to the washroom with her bag, feeling the book burn into her back. Walking into the washroom that no one ever comes into because of Moaning Myrtle, Alex pulls out the book. Opening it, Alex reads her order from Voldemort.
Russo, do as I say. Open the Chamber of Secrets.
Confused, Alex writes in it asking how.
Giving Alex directions, Alex feels the taps looking for the serpent. Stepping back, Alex says open in Parseltongue. Just like Voldemort wrote.
Watching in shock as the entrance appears, Alex bites her lip scared to go down.
"Alex, if you die down there, we can be friends." Alex jumps turning to the window where Moaning Myrtle is sitting.
"Why can't we be friends if I'm alive?" Alex questions slipping her hair into a ponytail.
"You work for You-Know-Who."
"You know?" Alex whispers.
"No kidding." Myrtle rolls her eyes. Sitting down, Alex slips forward going down into the chamber. Reaching the bottom, Alex lands on her hands and knees finding bones.
"Ew." Alex whispers getting to her feet, pulling out her wand from her sleeve of her sweater. Walking down the tunnel walking passed snake skin, it clicks into Alex's mind, the monster is a snake. A huge one at that.
Arriving to a door, Alex opens it speaking in Parseltongue. Climbing through, Alex jumps off the ladder to find a man standing at the end of the path way.
"Welcome, Alex Russo, to my Chamber of Secrets." The man greets. Recognizing the voice, it's Voldemort.
"Dark Lord?" Alex asks confused walking over to him.
"Yes. This is my younger self from my time at Hogwarts." Voldemort nods. Nodding back, Alex stops in front of him, "From here on out, I will control the monster. Make sure Potter gets the book."
"Okay. It will take time, but I'll do it."
"Good. You still have tasks to do. Make Potter find the chamber, let the school know it's open, make people think they know who the Heir of Slytherin is."
"How can I do that without getting caught?"
"Write messages on walls in blood. Can you do that?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now go back up and close the entrance of the chamber. I will do the rest."
"Okay." Alex nods before leaving.
"Oh, and Russo," Voldemort calls. Turning, Alex faces him, "If you fail, I will kill your mudblood friend and family when I return for good."
Smirking seeing Alex's scared face, Alex gulps and nods. Rushing out, Alex makes her way out using a fourth year spell Theresa taught her last year.
After writing the first message three days after meeting up with Voldemort, Alex hangs up the paralyzed Mrs. Norris, and uses her own blood to write the message. Bandaging the wound and using her robe to hide it, Alex scrubs her hands clean in the forgotten washroom.
Hearing running feet, Alex turns off the tap and rushes to the door to find Hermione, Ron and Harry running down the corridor toward the message.
Running after them, Alex stops behind them as a crowd forms.
"You'll be next mudblood." Draco sneers knowing Alex wouldn't let anything happen to Hermione and that he will be punched later.
Seeing Hermione's scared face, Alex places her hand on Hermione's arm making her turn to her. Hugging Alex tightly, Alex holds her.
"I won't let anything happen to you." Alex whispers in Hermione's ear. Wincing as Hermione accidentally grabs the wound area of her arm; Hermione looks down and let's go. Lifting the robe's sleeve, Hermione stares at Alex seeing the bloody bandage.
"Please don't." Alex begs in a whisper. Hiding the wound, Hermione searches Alex's eyes to find fear and worry.
"You four," Alex and Hermione jumps to find Dumbledore looking at the four of them, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Alex, "Come to my office." Nodding, the four of them follow Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape to Dumbledore's office.
Arriving to the office, Alex stands in the shadows biting her lip so hard that it's bleeding. As Harry, Ron and Hermione leave after telling their story, it's down to Alex. Gulping at the door closes; Alex walks over and takes a seat.
"Miss Russo, why was Miss Granger looking at your arm?" McGonagall asks.
"I hurt it and it's bleeding." Alex states. Walking over to the twelve-year-old, McGonagall gets Alex to show it and heals it immediately without thinking.
Snape has been at Voldemort's meetings and he performed the Unbreakable Vow with Theresa to always protect Alex. He also knows Alex is Voldemort's slave again for this year.
After Alex leaves, Snape turns to Dumbledore once McGonagall leaves a few minutes after Alex.
"The Dark Lord is using Miss Russo to get to Mr. Potter." Snape whispers to Dumbledore.
"How is he doing that?" Dumbledore asks.
"I don't know. I honestly don't know."
"Does other Death Eaters know?"
"No, only Lucius Malfoy and Theresa Russo."
"Why didn't they fill you in?"
"I don't know. I don't want to ask, but I know I have to. Theresa only told me little parts and get me to protect Miss Russo."
With Alex, she is writing in the book to Voldemort asking how she could give the book to Harry. Watching Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy walk in, Alex notices something is odd about them.
"Where have you been?" Draco asks them sitting down with a box someone left on the table.
"Probably getting sugary snacks again." Alex chuckles shifting so her feet are on Draco's lap.
"Yes. Alex is right." Crabbe smiles.
"Why are you smiling?" Draco snaps. Immediately making his face back to normal, Alex rolls her eyes.
"Pansy, have you and the idiots got caught for being out after curfew?" Alex questions looking to Pansy.
"Yes." Pansy nods.
"Have you figured out anything about the chamber and the monster yet?" Seeing Pansy look at her confused, Alex knows for a fact it's not Pansy. She also gathered all the information Pansy gave her.
"Why are you looking at her odd? You already gave Alex what you know." Draco glares.
"She's not Pansy." Alex states softly,
"Who are you?" Draco orders, "This also means Crabbe and Goyle aren't them either."
"We are looking to see if you know who the Heir of Slytherin is and who opened the chamber." Pansy's clone answers to only be elbowed, "Ow."
Snorting, Alex looks at them amused.
"Like we will tell you." Alex snarls.
"I told you we should have used Malfoy." Crabbe hisses, "She tells him everything."
"We can hear you."
"Actually," Goyle starts.
"Guys, for bloody hell, shut up." Pansy snaps. Seeing Pansy's hair start to turn brown and curly, Alex pieces it together.
"Hermione?" Alex whispers, making everyone to turn to her.
"How," Pansy 'Hermione', starts.
"You guys might want to leave if you want everyone to believe you're still who you say you are." Realizing what Alex means, Hermione gets up and drags Crabbe and Goyle, most likely Harry and Ron, out. Getting up, Alex turns to Draco who follows.
Running out of the common room, they bolt down the corridor following the retreating figures.
Arriving to the washroom, Draco and Alex stop.
"I'm not going in there." Draco looks at it disgusted.
"Draco, it's out of order and has been for years." Alex rolls her eyes dragging Draco inside.
"I don't want to be in here."
"Just get in there." Alex groans forcing Draco inside then locking the door, "Now move." Rolling his eyes, Draco walks forward annoyed. Opening his mouth to say something, Alex glares at him making him stay silent.
Hearing Hermione's, Ron's and Harry's voices, they turn the corner to see them look sick and themselves in the Slytherin robes.
"Wow, I was right." Alex smirks looking at them.
"How did you know?" Ron questions.
"Well, long story short, you three clearly can't pull off the idiots and Pansy. They are so stupid." Alex states, "But they are loyal and good friends, but really stupid."
"What do you mean?" Harry blushes as Alex looks at him.
"Whenever Crabbe and Goyle are around us, they either argue over which dessert is better from dinner or struggle with homework. They are never that calm and awkward. Pansy, well," Alex struggles how to describe her.
"Is a brat." Draco jumps in chuckling, "She always copies Alex on her homework and talk about crushes and stuff." Blushing, Alex looks away from Harry and looks at the ground.
"Alex?" Looking to Harry blushing harder, Harry smiles, "May I speak to you?"
"Harry, you can talk about your crush on Alex later. We need answers about the Chamber of Secrets." Ron steps in making Harry blush harder.
"The Heir of Slytherin is passed down to The Dark Lord. Clearly he has someone working on the inside to open the chamber." Alex states.
"Do you know the monster and why Harry could hear it?" Hermione questions. Looking from Harry to Hermione and back, Alex looks surprised.
"You can hear it?" Alex whispers.
"Yes." Harry nods.
"Do you know why?"
"We think it's a snake."
"Why do you think that?"
"I spoke with a snake last year and understood what it was saying to me."
"You're Parselmouth. That's what it means."
"How?"
"The Dark Lord is too. It's very rare."
"So do you know if it's a snake?"
"Yes. It is."
"How do you know?" Ron wonders.
"I just do. I can't explain it."
"Is it like last year how you worked with You-Know-Who?"
"Yes."
"You're working with him again?" Hermione whispers.
"I have no choice. He will kill you and my family if I fail on giving Harry the book."
"What book?" Harry jumps in again.
"His way to communicate with you. But my mission from him is not finished yet."
"When it's done, give it to me."
"Okay." Alex speaks softly.
"Alex, everything will be okay."
"No it's not."
"Why?"
"He wants to kill you, Harry. I can't let that happen. But if I don't help him he will kill my family and Hermione."
"We will find a way to get around it."
"Thank you."
"Do you know who opened the chamber?" Ron sighs.
"I did." Alex states sadly.
"Figures."
"What does that mean?" Alex glares.
"You always get into danger. You try to kill Harry."
"No I don't."
"Yes you do. Last year, and now this year."
"I don't mean to." Alex whimpers as tears immediately fall from her eyes.
"Weasel, you have no bloody hell reason to hurt my cousin." Draco growls before pulling out his wand pointing it at Ron, "She risked her life to save Potter last year along with Granger."
"Draco, he's not worth it." Alex whispers sniffling. Running out of the washroom, Draco sprints after Alex.
In the corridor, Draco pulls Alex into a hug, letting his cousin cry.
"Want me to go curse him?" Draco whispers knowing Alex wouldn't want him to, but she could agree for all they could know.
"No." Alex whispers, her voice breaking.
"Let's head back to the common room."
"We have to find Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle."
"Come on." Taking Alex's hand, Draco pulls her back into the washroom and orders the three friends where their missing friends are.
"I'll show you." Harry offers.
"No, Granger. Both you and Weasel stay away from Alex." Draco snaps, "Get moving Granger."
After finding Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, Alex holds back to talk to Hermione.
"You know Ron is wrong right?" Hermione whispers stopping Alex all together, "He had no right to say that to you. If anything you saved Harry and I that night, more than once."
"I don't mean to try and get Harry killed." Alex's chin quivers not believing her best friend.
"Alex," Hermione gently forces Alex to look at her.
"Ron is wrong all together. You don't try to get Harry killed."
"Really?"
"Honest." Nodding softly, Hermione pulls Alex into a hug rubbing Alex's back soothingly.