Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter etc.
Thanks to WWE-Little-Angel for reviewing.
Chapter 12:
Dumbledore had left the school. Though Malfoy wanted him to leave, he couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy at his absence.
Malfoy approached Lockhart at the end of his defence-against-the-dark-arts lesson, just before the class were escorted to the Great Hall for dinner.
"Yes, Mr Malfoy?" asked Lockhart, his voice not as confident as usual.
Malfoy sighed, feeling stupid for asking permission, but the last thing he needed was Lucian finding out what he was doing.
"Sir," he said quietly, "I was wondering if you could take me to the hospital wing?"
"Why, are you feeling ill?"
Malfoy shook his head, "Someone I know was petrified and I wanted to visit her."
Lockhart gave Malfoy a warm smile, "Of course, I'll take the class to dinner and drop you off on the way."
Malfoy nodded his head, thanking the professor and lined up with his classmates as Lockhart led them out of the room. Once in the hospital wing, he almost sprinted over to Alison's body. He sat in the seat next to her bed and watched her. His eyes were brimming with tears but he wiped the away before they could fall. He spun around when he heard two people enter the ward: Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They spotted him sitting with Alison. Malfoy snarled at them.
"Don't tell anybody!" he snapped, and turned back to face Alison.
He could hear the other two speaking and couldn't help but listen to what they were saying.
"What's that?" he heard Ron ask.
"Ron," said Harry, "this is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked! Come on!"
Harry and Ron ran out of the ward. Malfoy spun around again and followed them. They had stopped near a torch. Malfoy stayed hidden behind a corner. He heard Harry speaking.
"Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it. Ron, this is it! The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak – it's a snake!"
"But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" asked Ron.
Malfoy watched Harry's puzzled expression and something clicked. He stepped out from his hiding place and spoke to his enemies.
"Because no one looked at it directly in the eye," he said.
Ron looked at him, disgusted, "What are you doing here?"
Harry stopped Ron from saying anything else and turned to Malfoy, "What do you mean?"
"That Creevey kid, he had his camera, right? The Hufflepuff saw through Nearly-Headless-Nick who couldn't die again because he is a ghost..."
Harry interrupted, "Hermione had the mirror; she was prepared. And, Alison..."
"She was found just outside the library – there is a window, she probably saw the reflection in that!" said Malfoy.
Though uncomfortable with Malfoy's presence, Ron spoke up, "And Mrs Norris? I'm pretty sure that she didn't have a camera or a mirror."
"The water," said Harry, "there was water on the floor that night: she only saw the basilisk's reflection!" He looked at a piece of paper in his hand, "Spiders flee before it. It all fits!"
"But how's the basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake, someone would have seen it!" said Ron.
"Hermione's answered that too," said Harry, pointing at the paper.
"Pipes? It's using the plumbing?"
"Remember what Aragog said about that girl fifty years ago? She died in a bathroom?" asked Harry, forgetting Malfoy's presence, "What if she never left?"
"Moaning Myrtle!" exclaimed Ron.
McGonagall's voice could be heard throughout the school, making the three boys jump.
"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once! All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately!"
Malfoy followed Harry and Ron to the second floor corridor and watched the teachers gather around the wall.
"As you can see," said McGonagall, "the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I'm afraid that this is the end of Hogwarts."
Lockhart strolled along the corridor cheerfully, "So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?"
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart," said Snape, "your moment has come at last."
"My moment?" asked Lockhart nervously.
Snape explained, "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"
Lockhart went pale.
"That's settled," said McGonagall, "We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."
"Very well," said Lockhart with a nervous smile, "I'll just be in my office getting- getting ready!"
He strolled off much quicker than he had arrived.
Madam Pomfrey turned to McGonagall, "Who is it that the monster has taken, Minerva?"
"Ginny Weasley," stated McGonagall.
Ron tensed up. Malfoy watched as the teachers walked away and turned to the other two.
"Take your information to Lockhart and make sure that whoever has done this to Alison is punished!" he instructed. He turned to Ron and kept his face emotionless, "I hope you find your sister, Weasley."
Ron smiled sadly. Harry nodded and looked determined.
Malfoy cleared his throat, "You tell anyone about this and I'll hex you into oblivion!"
He rushed off to the Slytherin common room and hoped that they would sort things out.
The next chapter is the final one! I have already started to write for Prisoner of Azkaban so I'll hopefully update soon. Thanks for reading.