A/N: Apologies fans for all the delays life has managed to get in the way over the last few days
So here are the next few chapters of Chamber of Secrets
Dennis excitedly turned to the correct page and began to read. "The Writing on the Wall."
"Hopefully we get some answers," Cho said to her best friend.
"I've always wanted to know what happened when the headmaster took Potter and his friends away," Marietta said quietly back.
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
In spite of her great dislike of the man, Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Filch after all she knew she would be devastated if anything happened to Crookshanks
"This isn't going to be good," Tonks sighed. "He's most likely going to see Harry and jump to the conclusion that he did it."
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.
"He must've felt horrible, Mrs. Norris is basically his life," Molly said sadly.
"Filch is a git," Ron muttered.
"Ronald!" Molly scolded. "Just because someone isn't the nicest doesn't mean that he deserves to have his pet harmed!"
"I didn't say he did," Ron mumbled.
And his popping eyes fell on Harry.
Snuffles growled.
The Weasleys, Hermione, Neville and the rest of Harry's friends glared at Filch.
"Of course, blame Harry for everything," Ginny snapped.
"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"
"A member of the school staff shouldn't be threatening students," Amelia said with a frown.
Dumbledore sighed. "I agree, I will have a talk with him."
"Argus!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Someone should've probably done that sooner," Bill said. "It isn't good that all of the students saw that."
"It probably gave the little kids nightmares," Fleur said shooting a glare at the caretaker.
"Come with me Argus," he said to Filch. "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
"Why are you taking them?" Remus asked frowning. "You can't possibly think those three have anything to do with it."
"I merely wanted to question them as they were the first to arrive at the scene," Dumbledore told him.
"The headmaster having Harry stay back just fueled the rumors that he was the heir," Dean said.
"People thought that Harry was the heir?" Charlie and Bill asked.
"Of course they did," Harry said annoyed. "Every time something bad happens everyone blames me."
Everyone who thought Harry was the heir shifted guiltily in their seats.
Lockhart stepped forward eagerly. "My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free -"
"Just what everyone needs, all he's going to do is make things worse," Charlie said.
"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important,
Many of the students rolled their eyes.
"Of course he was," Justin said will an eye roll.
hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.
As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.
The hall broke into laughter.
"Even his photographic selves are complete pansies," Cormac sneered.
The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back.
"At least he had enough sense to stay out of the way," Sue Li said.
Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching. The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur.
He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking.
"Why was he poking her?" Sally-Anne asked.
"He was probably trying to figure out what was wrong with her," Megan Jones told her.
"When I first saw her hanging there, I thought that she was dead," Sally-Anne said.
Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: it was as though he was trying hard not to smile.
Most of the hall turned to stare at him, shooting him odd looks.
Snape had to use almost all his self control in order to not roll his eyes. "I didn't find the situation amusing, however Lockhart was prancing around like a school girl spewing the most ridiculous nonsense." Snape told the hall with a sneer.
And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions. "It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture.
Pathetic imbecile thought Snape with a sneer
"What's that?" Many of the students asked.
"I've never heard of it," Bill said looking thoughtful.
"That's because it's ridiculous nonsense," McGonagall said stiffly. "It doesn't exist."
I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved her ..."
"If he had been there he might have been petrified himself" said Lee Jordan sounding disappointed
Snorts were heard all around the hall.
"Or he would've just removed her organs," Harry muttered bitterly.
Ron heard Harry and had to cough in order to suppress a snort.
Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, raking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.
Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him,
"Such a sweet boy," Molly cooed. Several girls in the hall nodded in agreement.
Fred and George snickered at Harry as he turned red.
though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself.
Harry was sent many understanding looks.
"I don't blame you mate," Dean told him. "If I was in your situation I would've felt sorry for myself."
Harry shrugged. "I didn't think they would believe me when I told them I hadn't done it."
"Why not?" Euan asked with a frown.
"You've read about my relatives, and what happened in my first year. I'm not exactly used to adults believing me," Harry said in a somewhat cold voice.
Many people sent him pitying looks and McGonagall looked ashamed.
If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.
"I would never believe you capable of something like that," Dumbledore said quietly but everyone still heard him.
Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened: she continued to look as though she had recently been stuffed.
"I know that Mrs. Norris is fine now, but if she hadn't been, Filch could've always kept her like that," Fred said.
"Yeah, I can see it now, you walk into Filch's office and there's Mrs. Norris propped up on his desk," George added.
"Fred! George! I can't believe you would say such things!" Molly yelled.
Filch was glaring at the twins, the adults were sending them disapproving looks, the girls were sending them disgusted looks and many of the boys were attempting to cover up snickers.
"... I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography.
"Of course it is," Harry muttered.
I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets which cleared the matter up at once ..."
"He's just full of wonderful stories to tell isn't he?" Charlie asked with an annoyed look on his face.
"You have no idea." Harry muttered, having been on the receiving end of many of Lockhart's 'fascinating stories', he knows he has way too many of them.
The photographs of Lockhart of the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked.
"All those Lockhart's..." Fred trailed off with a shudder.
One of them had forgotten to remove his hairnet.
Ron snorted.
At last Dumbledore straightened up. "She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.
More eyes were rolled at this sentence.
"How many did he say he prevented?" Remus asked the potions professor.
Snape gave Remus a cold look. "I think he was at number thirteen."
Harry snorted. "He's never saved one life let alone thirteen."
"No dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"
"She had been Petrified," said Dumbledore
"She was petrified?" Bill asked.
"What kind of monster does that?" Charlie asked furrowing his brows.
"A big one," Harry mumbled too quietly for anyone to hear.
"I'm sure if we read everyone will find out," Dumbledore said calmly.
("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart).
"Sure you did," Susan said dryly.
"Didn't he just say moments before that she was murdered?" Lisa Turpin asked raising her eyebrows.
"But how, I cannot say ..."
"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry.
'They shouldn't go around blaming my pup.' Sirius thought angrily.
"He didn't do anything!" Harry's friends shouted.
"No second year could've petrified the cat," Moody grunted. "Anyone with a brain could tell you that."
Filch shot the ex-auror a cold look while hugging Mrs. Norris to his chest.
"No second-year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly."It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced -"
"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. " You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found - in my office - he knows I'm a - I'm a -" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a squib!" he finished.
"For Merlin's sake!" Hermione exclaimed exasperated. "Do you really think Harry would go around petrifying people's pets just because they're a squib?"
"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."
"You don't know what a squib is Potter?" Malfoy sneered.
"Of course I didn't Malfoy," Harry snapped. "In case you forgot I was raised by muggles!"
"What is a squib?" A first year Hufflepuff muggleborn asked.
"I'm sure the book will explain," Hannah told her kindly.
"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"
"Which didn't even mention the word squib," Bill pointed out.
"Filch just needed someone to blame," Hermione said with a sigh. "And of course he chose Harry."
"Hooray for me," Harry muttered bitterly.
"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.
"Of course not," Harry said. "The only time he talks to me or even mentions my name it's followed by an insult."
Snape turned towards Harry and glared.
"What?" Harry snapped. "You know it's true."
"Watch your tone Mr. Potter," Snape said silkily.
Harry rolled his eyes and rubbed his scar which had begun to burn.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him quietly.
"I'm fine," Harry told her.
Hermione didn't look like she believed him but she didn't say anything else.
"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said,
"Was it really Snape who said that?" Neville asked looking genuinely surprised.
"Wait for it," Ron said, remembering what Snape said next.
a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it, "but we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"
"Ah, that makes more sense," Neville said.
"How do you know he wasn't?" Tonks asked in a cold tone, a tone that didn't suit her at all.
Snape sneered. "They aren't exactly hard to spot."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the Deathday Party, "... there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there -"
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"
"He's got you there unfortunately," Kingsley pointed out. "It will be hard to explain how you ended up there, unless you tell them about the voice."
"Which he didn't," McGonagall said shooting the trio a stern look.
"You either wouldn't of believed me or thought I was going crazy," Harry told the staff.
"I would've believed you Mr. Potter," Dumbledore told him.
"Well it's not like it matters now," Harry said rather harshly, he was feeling angry, he had been since the beginning of this chapter. He couldn't tell if it was because he was angry at Dumbledore or for some other reason, he rubbed his scar again. He noticed that Hermione was watching him worriedly, he sent her a reassuring smile.
Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. "Because - because -" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.
Fred and George both shook their heads.
"It would've been much more believable if you hadn't stuttered," Fred pointed out.
"And if you didn't have Ron with you," George told him. "Everyone knows that Ron is always hungry."
"Yeah," Fred said. "There's no way he would've gone to bed without food."
Ron turned red as many people snickered.
"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face.
Snuffles growled. 'That greasy git would be happy about getting little kids in trouble.'
"Why are you always trying to get them into trouble?" Bill asked getting sick of Snape picking on the trio.
Snape sneered. "Because they're always doing something wrong."
Harry rolled his eyes. 'I highly doubt that's the real reason.'
Ron shot the potions master a glare. "We are not," he muttered.
"I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."
"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly, as his stomach gave a huge rumble.
The hall burst out laughing.
"I don't think they're going to believe that," Daphne said looking amused.
Snape's nasty smile widened.
The friends of the trio shot Snape glares or in Neville's case an annoyed look.
"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthfully," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."
"What?" Charlie yelled.
"You tried to take him off the team!" Oliver yelled looking scandalized.
"Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?" Angelina asked shooting her professor a glare. "Not that I think any of them should've gotten into any trouble but Ron and Hermione were there too."
"Really Severus?" Sprout said giving Snape a disappointed look.
"It's because he knows the only way Slytherin will be Gryffindor is if Harry's not on the team," George said loudly.
The Slytherins and Snape shot George glares.
"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick.
The hall broke into fits of laughter.
"That was brilliant professor!" George and Fred exclaimed.
"I knew you had it in you Minerva," Remus said chuckling.
McGonagall tried to look stern but her lips were twitching.
Umbridge was sneering at everyone. 'Really now, the teachers at this school need to act more mature.'
There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."
"Since when does there need to be evidence?" Ron asked harshly. "Everyone always blames Harry for everything." Ron was annoyed that everyone always blamed his best friend for everything. He had enough going on in his life, he didn't need everyone blaming him for stuff he didn't do.
Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he was being x-rayed.
"I hate it when he does that." Several students muttered.
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly. Snape looked furious. So did Filch. "My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"
"He always wants to see some punishment," Mandy Brocklehurst said sending a wary look towards the caretaker.
"We'll be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Madam Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made which will revive Mrs. Norris."
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times, I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"
"He actually said that in front of Severus?" Remus asked.
"He did," Snape said through gritted teeth.
"I thought Severus was going to kill him right then and there," McGonagall said, Harry could see her lips twitching.
"Oh I wanted too," Snape said in a tone of voice that sent shivers down the younger students spines.
"You should be honored that someone as talented as Gilderoy wanted to make the potion," Umbridge said with a rude sniff.
Everyone in the hall stared at her in exasperation.
"Have you not been listening to the same book we have?" Harry snapped. "If he would've made the potion everyone who took it would've died."
"Mr. Potter! You will show me respect," Umbridge simpered.
Harry snorted and Umbridge narrowed her eyes at him.
"Harry," Hermione hissed.
Harry just shrugged and turned away. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried looks.
"Excuse me," said Snape icily, "but I believe I am the potions master at this school." There was a very awkward pause.
"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces. "D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"
"Yes." All of the adults in the hall besides Moody said.
"They would've thought you were going crazy," Moody grunted.
"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
"It's not," Susan said. "But we all know that Harry isn't crazy."
Zacharias snorted. "Speak for yourself."
Those who heard him sent him glares.
Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"
"Of course I did!" Ron said quickly. "It was just weird that's all."
"Course I do," said Ron quickly. "But - you must admit it's weird ..."
"I know it's weird," said Harry. "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," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill ..."
"I read about it in Hogwarts a History," Bill said. "But it doesn't tell you much, just that it's a chamber that Salazar Slytherin supposedly built, it doesn't go into details."
"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry. To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.
The adults sent Ron disapproving looks.
"Well - it's not funny really - but as it's Filch ..." he said.
"It's not funny at all!" Molly yelled.
"A squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."
"I think if all my family was magical and I wasn't I'd be bitter too," Romilda said.
A clock chimed somewhere. "Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."
Snape internally rolled his eyes. 'Does he really think I have nothing better to do then to try and get him into trouble?'
For a few days, the school could talk of little but the attack on Mrs. Norris.
"That's all anyone talked about," Leanne said.
"Everyone was freaked out," Lisa said.
Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back.
"I doubt whoever was behind the attacks would return to the scene of the crime," Bill said.
"I also don't think him standing there would've really helped matters," Charlie added.
Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with "Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover", but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.
"Are they still there?" Tonks asked.
"No," McGonagall answered. "By the end of the year the words were gone."
"I'm just glad they're gone," Hermione said. "No one needs to remember that." She shuddered.
Harry was still feeling angry but he pushed it away to comfort his best friend, he squeezed her hand and she shot him a grateful smile.
When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy".
"He really should've taken a vacation," Tonk said seriously. "He shouldn't of been around kids like that."
"For all of the undeserved detentions we received that year we should get that many taken off this year," Fred said.
"I agree dear brother of mine," George said loudly. "After all, that would only be fair."
The trio snorted.
"I'm sure you two deserved every detention you received," Molly said not sounding at all happy about that.
Fred and George gasped dramatically.
"We never do anything to deserve detention!" Fred yelled in mock indignation.
Most of the hall snorted and the Weasley twins smiled and high fived.
Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat-lover.
Ginny blanched but only the twins noticed. Fred got up to sit on the other side of his sister, he and George each grabbed one of her hands, she gave them a small smile in return.
"But you hadn't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."
Molly looked like she was going to yell but Arthur gently touched her arm.
"If you yell every time they do something wrong or say something you don't like, you're going to lose your voice," Arthur told his wife.
Molly shot him a look but nodded her head.
Ginny's lip trembled.
"Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time.
'That had just made me feel worse.' Ginny thought.
I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled.
Filch sent a harsh glare at Ron and began to mutter under his breath about horrible brats.
I'm only joking -" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.
The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.
"That's not exactly unusual," Pansy sneered.
Harry and Ron both glared at the Slytherin girl.
Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out. Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.
"Ew." Parvarti and Lavender both said.
After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology coming towards him Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly and sped off in the opposite direction.
"Wasn't he the one who was excited to talk to him the first day of class?" Tonks asked.
"Yep." Harry said, he knew what was coming up, the whole school was about to think he was evil.
"Why'd he run away?" Charlie asked.
"You'll see," was all Harry said.
Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards".
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short ..."
"It's not like he actually reads the essays," Charlie said. "He won't know the difference."
"Mr. Weasley!" "Charlie!" Molly and McGonagall both yelled.
"What?" Charlie asked sheepishly.
The twins snickered.
said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll, "and Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny."
"Why did you do so much?" Anthony asked.
Hermione turned red from all the looks she was receiving. "I like to be thorough."
"There's a difference between being thorough and just writing way too much," Ron muttered.
"Like you'd know anything about being thorough Ronald!" Hermione snapped.
"Oh yeah? Well-" Ron began but was cut off.
"Be quiet! Both of you," Harry said as he rubbed his scar.
"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework. "Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves, "looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."
Hermione sent Ron a hurt look.
Harry sighed at the look on his best friends face. "He didn't mean anything by it Mione," he whispered to her.
"I know," she whispered back.
Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him. "Dunno why you care, I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron,
"Thanks Ron," Justin said sarcastically.
"Oh yeah...uh sorry about that," Ron said turning red.
"It's fine," Justin told him. "I admit when we first met I was a little...excitable."
scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great -"
Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them. "All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been taken out,"
"Don't you have that book?" Neville asked. "I remember when we first met you quoted it."
"Yeah, but I couldn't bring it with all the Lockhart books," Hermione told him.
"I thought she had the thing bloody memorized," Draco muttered.
"You're just jealous that she's smarter than you Malfoy," Tracey said.
Draco turned to her and sneered. "Shut up Davis," he snapped.
she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. "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 does everyone want to read it all of a sudden?" Tonks asked. "Most people never read that book."
"Were you not listening when Bill spoke earlier?" Moody grunted gruffly. "It has information on the chamber."
"Oh...yeah," Tonks said rubbing the back of her neck.
"Why do you want it?" said Harry.
"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"What's that?" said Harry quickly.
"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else -"
"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.
The teachers sent Ron stern looks and he quickly turned red and looked away.
"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it."
"You had ten days to finish an assignment and you didn't?" Molly asked severely.
"Molly dear-" Arthur began but he was cut off.
"You're okay with this?" Molly yelled.
"No of course not, but yelling about this now won't make a difference," Arthur said trying to calm her down. "We can talk about it later."
"I-" Molly began.
"Mum stop!" Ron yelled. "This happened three years ago! Everything in this book happened three years ago! I can't change anything that happened, Harry can't, Hermione can't, Fred and George can't, no one can! And I'm not going to apologize for something I did when I was twelve!"
Everyone in the hall was staring at Ron in shock, especially the rest of the Weasley's. No one would've guessed that out of all of her kids it would be Ron to finally get sick of her scolding.
Ron turned crimson when he realized that he actually said all of that out loud.
"I think we should continue to read," Dumbledore said after no one spoke for a minute.
Dennis quickly began to read once more.
"I only need another two inches, go on ..."
The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
"Do they always argue?" Lavender asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
At the same time Ron and Hermione said, "No."
"We don't really fight that much do we?" Ron asked.
"Yes, you really do," Harry said a little harsher than he meant to.
Hermione flinched back and Harry sighed.
"Im sorry Hermione...I...I don't..." Harry said not knowing what to say, he can't understand why he's feeling so angry all of a sudden. The past half an hour he's had moments where he just feels angry for no reason.
"It's okay," Hermione said quickly. "We'll talk about whatever is bothering you later."
History of Magic was the dullest subject on their timetable. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard.
"And even that gets boring after the first couple lessons," Michael Corner muttered.
Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead.
"How exactly does a person not notice that they're dead?" Jimmy Peakes asked.
Nobody had an answer for him so Dennis continued to read.
He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff-room fire; is routine had not varied in the slightest since.
Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming round long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again.
"You really need to get a new teacher for that class Albus," McGonagall said her lips thinning.
"I would actually like that class if the teacher made it interesting," Harry said suddenly. Everyone in the hall turned to look at him, they were all surprised.
"So would I," Justin said.
"I'd still find it boring," Ron muttered causing the twins to snicker.
Albus sighed. "I'll see what I can do."
He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before.
Several people leaned forward.
Hermione put up her hand.
"But you do that in every class," George said.
"Not in History of Magic," Harry said. "No one raises their hand in that class."
Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.
"That's really pathetic," Tonks said. "A teacher shouldn't be amazed that a student raises their hand in class."
"Especially if that student's Hermione," Ron muttered. Harry had to cover up a snort with a cough.
"Miss -er -?"
"Granger, professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.
"He probably won't say anything," Terry said.
Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk.
All of the teachers with the exception of Snape who scowled and Umbridge who just continued to glare, sighed.
Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends."
"Most myths have some basis in fact," Bill said.
"And it's not a legend," Harry said dully.
"Do I want to know how you know this?" Charlie asked.
"Probably not," Harry answered honestly.
He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a sub-committee of Sardinian sorcerers -" He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.
"Hermione has always been very persistent," Harry said with a fond smile.
"Miss Grant?"
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.
"Probably," Tonks muttered.
"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale ..." But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word.
"The first and last time that happened," Dean said chuckling.
"It was the only history lesson I've ever been to that was even remotely interesting," Ron said.
He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest. "Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see ... the Chamber of secrets ..."
"I can't believe you actually got him to interrupt his lesson," Remus said.
"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 Huffelpuff, Rowena Ravenclawand 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." He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued, "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.
"But really that's to be expected," Hermione said. "A group of people, no matter how close, family or friends will fight sometimes. I mean, Harry and Ron are my best friends but we still fight. No relationship is conflict free."
"I quite agree Miss Granger," Dumbledore said eyes twinkling.
A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others.
"No surprise there." Several people muttered.
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.
"Of course Slytherin started all the pureblood mania," Ron growled.
"It's kind of understandable." Hermione said then sighed when everyone looked at her shocked. "I don't agree that purebloods are better than muggleborns or half-bloods, but you have to think of the time period they were in. Back then those who were thought to be witches or wizards were hunted and persecuted. They had a reason for wanting to keep muggles away from the wizarding world."
"That's true," Harry said and everyone turned their looks to him. "The Dursley's treat me horrible because I have magic, I wouldn't want them anywhere near Hogwarts. But Hermione's right purebloods aren't any better than anyone else. The Dursley's think they're better than wizards and some purebloods think they're better than muggleborns, neither is true. Hermione is the smartest witch in our year and she's a muggleborn, and some of the purebloods well...let's just say they aren't better than anyone else."
"We also don't know what exactly any of the founders opinions really were," Hermione said. "So we shouldn't just say Slytherin was an evil loony, because we don't know what we really thought. After all everything I read about Harry before coming to Hogwarts was complete fiction, so who's to say if what we've read about Slytherin is true or not?"
Everyone stared at the two of them in shock, most of them had never thought of it in that way before.
"I agree," Daphne said loudly. Many of the Slytherins sent her glares but other Slytherins looked thoughtful.
Harry sent the Slytherin girl a small smile. 'She's definitely not like most Slytherins.'
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling brighter than usual. "Very well said Miss Granger, Mr. Potter."
After a moment of silence Dennis continued to read.
After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.
"It must've been a horrible fight for him to just leave his home," Luna said sadly. "He put a lot of himself into the castle."
Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
This line broke some of the tension that had started to build and many people chuckled.
"I love your imagination Harry," Neville said while he was laughing.
"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.
"I don't blame him," Moody said gruffly. "You never tell anyone all of your secrets."
"I'm sure he wasn't the only one to have some sort of secret room," Remus said. "There have been rumors that Rowena Ravenclaw had a secret library."
"All of the founders probably built some sort of secret hideout," Tonks said.
"But I doubt all of the other founders hide outs had giant bloody snakes hidden in them," Ron muttered to Harry.
Harry snorted. "No, probably not."
Slytherin, according to 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,
"I don't like the sound of that," Tonks said.
"Nor do I," Amelia said looking intently at the book.
and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."
There was a silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed. "The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "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."
"Well I highly doubt he would've made it easy to find," Moody said as though anyone who would think it should be easy to find was a complete moron. "He most likely made it where only one of his heirs would be able to enter it."
Hermione's hand was back in the air. "Sir - what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"
"I don't think I want to know," Fleur said quietly grabbing Bill's hand.
"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.
The class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."
"Just because he hasn't seen it does not mean it doesn't exist," Harry said. "Believe me, it exist."
"I highly doubt that Mr. Potter," Umbridge simpered.
Harry didn't even bother responding he just rolled his eyes.
"Then how exactly do you think Mrs. Norris was petrified?" A seventh year Ravenclaw asked.
"Dark magic of course," Umbridge said her eyes narrowing.
All over the hall people were either rolling their eyes or scoffing. Even those who don't like Harry and would love to prove him a liar know that it exists.
"But, sir," said Seamus Finnegan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Exactly," Moody grunted.
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"
"Headmasters aren't infallible," Remus said. "The founders would be able to hide a chamber, and keep it hidden from anyone, even future headmasters or headmistresses."
"But, Professor," piped up Pavarti Patil, "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," snapped Professor Binns.
Fred and George snorted.
"Does he ever get anyones name right?" George asked amused.
"No," Parvarti said.
"I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"
"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough.
"The students made good points," Kingsley said.
"Even if Dumbledore had found the chamber, he wouldn't of been able to get in," Harry said.
"Why not?" Charlie asked.
"You'll see," Harry said.
Charlie groaned. "I'm getting really sick of everyone saying you'll see."
"Wait, how would you know that Dumbledore wouldn't be able to get in?" Bill asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You'll see," Harry said again.
Charlie sighed and Bill squeezed Fleur's hand.
"I don't think I'm going to like we're going to end up reading about you and the chamber," Bill said.
"Probably not," Harry said.
"That will do," he said sharply. "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 solid, believable, verifiable fact!"
And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.
"Of course," Sprout sighed.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione,
The Slytherins shot Ron cold looks.
as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home ..."
Several people shot Ron glares which caused him to flinch.
"I didn't know!" Ron yelled quickly. "I'm sorry Harry."
"It's alright," Harry said with a shrug. "I never told you, it's not your fault you didn't know."
Hermione nodded fervently,
The glares switched to Hermione and she quickly apologized too but Harry waved it off.
but Harry didn't say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly. Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting him in Slytherin.
"You really should have told us Harry," Hermione told him quietly.
Harry shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal and it never came up."
"You were worrying about it an entire year later, of course it's a big deal," Hermione said quickly. "And of course it never came up, we had no reason to ask if the sorting hat considered putting you in another house."
Harry sighed. "It's fine Hermione."
Hermione huffed but let it go for now.
He could remember it as though it was yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he'd placed the Hat on his head a year before. "You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that ..."
But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin house's reputation for turning out dark wizards, had thought desperately, "Not Slytherin!" and the Hat had said, "Oh well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor ..."
As they were shunted along the throng, Colin Creevey went past. "Hiya, Harry!"
"Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically.
"You must've seen him a lot for saying hello to him to be automatic," Fred said amused.
"I did, I still do," Harry said.
"Harry - Harry - a boy in my class has been saying you're -"
"What were people saying?" Remus asked, even though he has a pretty good idea.
"I'm sure we'll read it soon enough," Harry said sullenly.
Remus sighed, Harry's words confirmed his suspicion.
But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him towards the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.
"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered. "That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect, "said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so, as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.
"Oh come on," Tonks groaned. "So what that he was the first at the scene on Halloween, so were Ron and Hermione, and no one is blaming them."
"That's because I'm Harry bloody Potter," Harry said bitterly. "I'm always either the hero or the villain."
"I can't believe people actually thought you were behind the attack," Charlie said, he was genuinely surprised they would blame such a kind boy.
Bill shot Justin an annoyed look. "Neither can I."
Sprout looked at her Hufflepuff in disappointment. 'I can't believe one of my Puffs just accuses an innocent boy over something so horrible. I hope the rest of them don't as well.'
Justin moved in his seat guiltily.
"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.
Harry snorted. "Everyone in the entire wizarding world will believe anything."
Most of the people in the hall sent him pitying looks, knowing he must be talking about everything the Daily Prophets been saying about him since Cedric's death.
The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty. "D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.
"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well - human."
As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened.
"Harry," Remus groaned. "Please tell me that the three of you didn't go poking around?"
Harry shrugged. "We honestly didn't walk there that day on purpose, but once we were there we figured there was no harm in looking around."
"Of course you didn't," Snape sneered. "You three need to learn to mind your own business."
"I'm glad we didn't mind our own business," Ron said quietly so only Harry and Hermione could hear. "If we did then Ginny would be dead right now."
They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The Chamber has been opened."
"That's where Filch has been keeping guard,"
"Filch is extremely lucky that he wasn't attacked spending so much time by the entrance to the chamber," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.
"Well with him there Ginny probably didn't want to risk going into the bathroom," Harry told her.
Ron muttered. They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.
"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.
"What would you have done if the monster had shown up?" Bill asked frowning.
"Or if the person who was behind the attack came back," Charlie added also frowning.
"It was in the middle of the day," Ron said.
"That's not the point Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sternly. "You three should've left it for adults to figure out."
"Yeah because that worked out so well in our first year," Ron muttered.
"Scorch marks!" he said. "Here - and here -" "Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny ..." Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack in the glass.
"That's unusual behavior for spiders," Charlie said to himself.
A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside. "Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.
"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?" He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back, and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.
Draco smirked and shot Ron an amused look, Harry saw and shot the Slytherin a glare.
"What's up?" said Harry.
"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron tensely.
"Why not?" Dean asked.
Ron shook his head. "I don't wanna talk about it," he muttered.
"I'm sure the book will say," Harry said.
"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in potions loads of times ..."
"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window.
"I just don't like the way they move ..." Hermione giggled.
"That's not very nice Hermione," Remus said.
Hermione looked ashamed. "I know and I'm sorry Ron, you just seemed so brave while we were saving the stone in first year. I didn't think you'd be scared of something as small as a spider."
"It's okay," Ron muttered he felt a jolt of happiness that she thought he was brave.
"It's not funny," said Ron fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick.
Many people shot the twins glares, not knowing which one was Fred.
"I was only five!" Fred said in his defense. "It was accidental magic, it's not like I did it on purpose."
You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and ..." He broke off, shuddering.
"I don't blame you," Neville muttered.
"After second year my fear of them became a lot worse," Ron shuddered.
"Why?" Several people asked.
"You'll see," Ron said quickly.
Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.
Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."
"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door." He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.
"What's wrong?" Molly asked fretfully.
"What's the matter?" said Harry.
Harry broke into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Charlie asked.
Harry shook his head. "Ron had me worried for a second and then...you'll see."
"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly, "that's a girls' toilet."
The hall broke into laughter.
"I see what you meant Harry," Charlie said amused.
"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."
"She's always flooding the bathroom," Hannah said.
And ignoring the large "Out of Order" sign, she opened the door. It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked and spotted mirror were a row of chipped, stone sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by stubs of a few candles burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the cubicles were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.
"A ghost can't do that much damage," Moody grunted. "Something else has been in there."
"Like what?" Tonks asked.
"The monster maybe," Terry said.
"The girls bathrooms at Hogwarts don't seem very safe," Romilda muttered.
Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off towards the end cubicle. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?" Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on the cistern of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.
"This is a girls bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."
"Obviously," Zacharias sneered.
"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how - er - nice it is in here." She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.
Fred and George snorted.
"I don't think she'll believe that," Fred told her.
"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione.
"You probably should've asked her yourself Harry," Tonks told him. "Myrtle is very sensitive, she probably thought you were talking about her."
"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.
"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask -"
"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead."
"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only -"
"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"
"If she was so miserable why'd she come back as a ghost?" Cormac asked. "That seems stupid."
"We wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly, "because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."
Several people shot Hermione amused looks.
"Her front door?" Charlie asked, his lips twitching.
"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.
"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here that night and tried to kill myself.
Amused looks and raised eyebrows were sent towards the book.
"Uh...she does realize that she's dead doesn't she?" Neville asked awkwardly.
Then, of course, I remembered that I'm - that I'm -"
"Already dead," said Ron helpfully.
The twins snorted as several people rolled their eyes.
"Your little brother isn't very tactful is he?" Fleur asked Bill quietly.
"Not at all," Bill whispered.
Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over and dived head first into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight; from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.
Some of the girls wrinkled their noses.
"She's very dramatic," Anthony said amused.
Harry and Ron stood there with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle...
"If that's cheerful I'd hate to see her miserable," Stewart Ackerley said.
come on, let's go." Harry barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump. "RON!"
"Enter the prat." George and Fred said.
Percy shot his twin brothers a glare.
Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.
"Well I wasn't expecting to see my brother and his best friends walk out of the girls bathroom," Percy said stiffly.
"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you -?"
"Honestly if I saw my little brother walking out of the girls bathroom I'd be shocked too," Oliver Rivers said.
"He does have a point," Bill pointed out.
Ron shot his older brother an annoyed look.
"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know ..." Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.
"Get - away - from - there -" he said, striding towards them and starting to chivvy them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner ..."
"It's not like it mattered, everyone already thought he was the heir," Ron said.
"Just because everyone already suspects him doesn't mean you have to give them another reason to," Remus said.
"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"
"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled; I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out. You might think of her, all the first-years are thoroughly over-excited by this business -"
George and Fred each squeezed one of their sisters hands.
"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were reddening now. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy!"
"That's not true," Percy said too quietly for anyone to hear.
"He cares," Arthur said.
The twins and Ron snorted causing Arthur to sigh.
"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work or I'll write to Mum!"
"That's low," Ernie said.
Harry, Ron and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove smudges, it ignited the parchment.
"You really should've told us that your wand broke," Arthur told his youngest son.
Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit.
"This can't be good," Fred said.
"If Hermione stops doing her homework you know somethings up," George announced to the hall.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I do think some things are more important than homework," she muttered.
Harry heard her and sent her an amused look.
"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"
"Voldemort and his death eaters," Moody grunted.
Umbridge and Fudge both glared at the ex-auror who wasn't fazed in the slightest.
"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?" He looked at Hermione.
Hermione looked back, unconvinced. "If you're talking about Malfoy -"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course you would think it's me."
Harry shot him an annoyed look. "You didn't exactly say anything to make us believe otherwise, and your opinions of muggleborns are known to everyone."
Draco sneered at him and Harry rolled his eyes.
"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!' Come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him -"
"He really didn't help himself by saying that," Neville said.
"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.
"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them has been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."
'He definitely is evil enough.' Arthur thought.
"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son ..."
"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible ..."
"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.
"You don't," Molly said. "You let the teachers handle it."
"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect."
Everyone in the hall turned to look at Hermione in shock.
"Is Hermione actually suggesting that you break schools rules?" Fred asked in shock.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall said sternly. "What exactly did you suggest?"
Hermione paled and look down.
The adults in the hall groaned and the students instantly look interested.
"Whatever she suggested is gonna be good," George said rubbing his hands together.
"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.
"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."
"That's not possible," Cho said.
Snape, Moody and Remus realized what she was suggesting and their eyes widened.
"But that's impossible," Harry said, as Ron laughed.
"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."
A deafening silence filled the great hall as everyone looked at the trio who were trying to look as innocent as possible.
"How exactly were you planning on getting polyjuice potion?" McGonagall asked her lips thin.
"You three made it didn't you?" Remus asked pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Impossible." Many people said.
"There is no way that three second years could've made polyjuice potion," Snape sneered.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Severus," Moody said with a twisted smile. "These three seem to have a knack for doing the impossible."
"And one of them just happens to be Hermione Granger," Fred said.
"Smartest witch of her age," George added.
"If anyone could make it she could," Fred and George said together.
"You better not have!" Molly and McGonagall both said.
"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.
"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago -"
"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.
Snape glared at Ron and Molly shot him a disapproving look.
"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."
"If it didn't involve brewing a dangerous potion that is much to advanced for second years to be attempting and against the rules it would actually be a good plan," Remus admitted.
"This Polyjuice Potion stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins for ever?"
"That wouldn't be good," Neville said.
"That is only one of the possible consequences you could have faced," Snape hissed. "Do you know just how many different horrible things could happen if you were to brew the potion wrong?" Snape's eyes were narrowed on the trio. "Which is why it's a NEWT level potion," he snapped.
"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently, "but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult... Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."
"How exactly did you get it from there Mr. Potter?" Umbridge asked with a sickly sweet smile.
"We had permission," Harry said with a smirk.
"Let me guess," Sprout huffed. "Lockhart?"
Hermione nodded and the teachers exchanged half annoyed, half exasperated looks.
There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: you needed a signed note of permission from a teacher. "Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."
"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance ..."
"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick ..."
"Definitely Lockhart." Fred and George said.
"That's the end of this chapter," Dennis announced to the hall. "Who wants to read next."
"I will," Alicia said grabbing the book.
So please vote in the poll on my page it will end on Friday, July 13th as to which fanfic I will do alongside the Hogwarts series