Chapter 11: Black Rocks Fly
Sirius Black, recently appointed Defense Agains the Dark Arts teacher, strode with a purpose. Neville and Harry were following him at his request. The headmaster of Hogwarts had charged him with stopping the beast and finding the chamber of secrets. For that Sirius said he would need an invaluable tool. One he explained to Neville and Harry that he gave up years ago.
"Filch!" Sirius barked loudly coming into the caretaker's office. The older man jumped at the professor's sudden entrance, stuffing an envelope he was reading hastily into his desk.
"How can I help you professor?" said Filch regaining some of his senses and sneered slightly as he said professor. Sirius ignored it. "I need something you took from me and never returned." The man had a thoughtful expression on his face, muttering to himself until finally he said, "I don'e recall any particular items, sir."
"This would look like a large folded spare piece of parchment that insults anyone who tries to read it." the teacher explained patiently.
"Let me take a look at my files." said Filch getting up from his desk to his filing system he had set up. It looked like Filch had documented every office ever committed that was caught on school grounds. It was a very large system and what looked like thousands of files. After two hours of searching the caretaker said, "It isn't here. It would be right here in this box."
Sirius wasted not time getting up and dusting himself off. "Good day, Mr. Filch, thank you for your time." he said fromally and the older man ducked his head in acknowledgement.
After they left the office and were out of earshot of Filch Sirius asked the boys, "Who are the biggest troublemakers in the school?
"Fred and George Weasley." Harry said with little hesistation. Neville agreed nodding.
Class had been called off because of the attack and so Professor Black could work freely to discover the Chamber of Secrets. They made their way to Gryffindor Tower. Upon entering the common room Sirius spotted the Weasley twins and Lee Jordon in the corner of the room looking a somthing talking in hushed tones. After they saw who came in George took out his wand, muttered something and tapped what looked him a piece of parchment.
Without a word of greeting the Professor was at the boys in a few strides.
"Good morning profesor Black." Fred said with a smile. The other boys did to. Sirius did not smile. "I need you to give me that parchment boys." he held out his hand waiting.
"It's just a spare bit of parchment, sir, nothing important. "George defneded
"Then you won't mind parting with it." Whith great reluctant to let it go putting it in Professor Black's hand.
It was completely blank. A fews eyes were on them and Hermione had joined the group. "You six come with me to my office." the professor ordered.
Silently they quickly went to his office in the DADA classroom. After closing the door Professor Black took a seat behind his desk laying out the parchment neatly. The twins and Lee looked nervous.
Taking out his wand he put it on the parchment and looked the twins in their eyes. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
Lines and letters erupted from the wand tip and filled the parchment, much like the eyes of the youths before him.
"Bloody Hell!" the twins shouted together and Lee yelled out, "No Way!"
Harry, Neville and Hermione laughed at the boys reaction and Sirius smiled. On the top of the parchment could be read, "The Marauder's Map."
The twins leapt back with a look of total shock on their faces. "Your, your a Marauder." Fred whispered in reverence, his face one of complete awe. His twin reflected his expression. "Let me guess. Prongs, right?" George said gaining back some of his senses.
Professor Black shook his head. "No Prongs is Harry's father."
"I knew you were the son of a Marauder Harry!" Fred shouted happily clapping him on the back.
"So then you are Padfoot." Lee said.
Their teacher nodded. "I promise we will talk later and that you can have this, if I do say so myself, magnificient map when I am done with it."
The twins were rendered speechless and Harry swore they looked like they were about to cry. Lee answered for them. "Thank you professor."
"Now I need to ask you boys. Have you seen anything unusual lately? Students out of bounds, in places they shouldn't be or teachers?" Professor Black said in all seriousness.
They shook their heads. "Sorry, sir, we have been following Draco Malfoy lately, we heard him spouting his mouth about how muggleborns would be dying, before Luna Lovegood was attacked." At the looks of surprise at knowing already, George pointed to the map. "You were all together and she is still in the hospital wing."
The professor nodded. "It would be strange for Mr. Malfoy to be the heir to attack a pureblood. It does not make sense." he said more to himself than those around him.
"Harry I need your help. I want you to organize the Round Table to keep an eye on everyone. You will be my eyes and ears in the castle. Coordinate with the Head Boy and Head Girl so you can utilize the Prefects." Harry nodded that he understood.
"Hermione will you help me with some research in the library. We need to find out what this creature or monster is. Slytherin's symbol is a snake, start there."
"Yes sir." Hermione said happily.
Sirius turned to Neville. "Please help Harry, Coordinate with the ghosts, Sir Nicolas can help you there. Focus on the first years. They will be the most vulnerable."
"I will." Neville answered.
"Here." Sirius handed the map back to the twins and Lee. "On second thought you hold on to this. Look for anyone going off on their own and report it to me."
With a wave of his wand a hand held mirror appeared in the professors hand. "Just say my name, Sirius, into it and I will answer as soon as I can."
The Fred and George took the mirror with care and promised to do exactly as he asked.
"Hermione come with me to the library, the rest of you know what to do."
The next few weeks were busy. The prefects were on constant patrol. Harry had worked out schedules with the Head Boy and Girl to utilize Round Table members and paired up the students for protection. Ginny had not been happy to be paired up with her brother Ron. She glared at Hermione who had suggested the idea and that she be paired with her brother instead of Harry. It was Harry's idea to mix the years to be paired up to keep the first years safer.
There was no sign of the chamber being opened again or another attack. That did not stop Rita Skeeter from latching on to the story. When it was revealed that a pureblood was attacked, Lucius Malfoy was up in arms. He demanded the headmaster resign or find who was responsible. He even threatened to take his son, as well as other students, out of the school if the culprit was not caught quickly.
In the furor that followed cause Hagrid to be sent to Azkaban after Rita had written that years ago the groundskeeper was accused of releasing a creature in the school that killed at girl. Even though Mr. Malfoy was quoted by Rita as saying, "Mr. Hagrid, while involved with the last time the chamber was opened, could hardly be the heir of Slytherin. I believe the person responsible is still on the loose. I have spoke with the other governors. We are in agreement that if Albus Dumbledore end this threat soon we will be forced to replace him. If another student is attacked, we may have no choice."
Harry was frustrated. With no attacks in weeks it was getting harder to maintain the security measures they had in place. One fellow student in particular was an annoyance in the extreme. "Ron, where is Ginny?"
"I don't know. With her friends I think?"
"She is your sister and your partner. You need to know. What if she is attacked?"
Ron just shrugged. "It has been weeks Harry, maybe the danger is over."
Harry was about to ask Ron if the monster had been caught or the chamber found when the red head's eyes went wide. Following his gaze he saw a trail of spiders almost running in appearance to escape the castle. Ron ran off. "Get back here." Harry called out chasing him. Rounding the corner he saw a strange sight. Ron had seen two people and was waving his hand in front of them.
"No." Harry whispered to himself his breath catching as he came up to.
Hermione and Professor Black were petrified. Harry fought down the tears as he felt enormous saddness at his Uncle and friend unable to move. He was broken from his ever decending thoughts by Professor McGonagall making an announcement over the school.
"All students are to report to their dormitories at once." she ordered
"Ron go get help." Harry said facing the petrified forms of Hermione and Sirius.
The red head nodded once and raced to the Gryffindor common room.
It was then Harry noticed a piece of paper in Hermione's hand. On the top with a strange picture of a snake was the word, Basilisk. Quickly Harry took in everything describing the snake. It would be monsterously large. Born from Dark Magic. Spiders flee before it. It can kill with just a look from its eyes. Its weakness was the crow of a rooster, which can kill it.
His eyes drifted to the margins of the page. There were a few notes there. One said pipes in Hermione's handwriting. Another note in Sirius's handwriting was 2nd Floor Bathroom along with a name, Ginny Weasley. They had everything they needed to stop what was happening in the school.
Harry got out his mirror. His mother answered immediately.
"Harry, I was about to call you. I can't reach Sirius. Neville just told Alice that there is a new message about the Chamber. Someone has been taken there." Lily said her voice full of worry.
"Ginny Weasley." Harry said. "Sirius and Hermione figured it all out, but they got petrified."
"No." Lily's voice barely came over the mirror. "I am calling your father. The Aurors will be there shortly."
"Mum wait. Tell Dad to go to the second floor bathroom." she nodded and her face faded off the mirror leaving his own pale reflection.