Sorry it's taken me SOOO long to write the next chapter up. I started writing a story, that I'm hoping to get published soon, and I wanted to get that taken care of, at least started before I worked on anything else again.
"But how's the Basilisk getting around all this time?" Crabbe asked quietly?
"The pipes, you know the plumbing. It's the only way it wouldn't be seen by anyone." The blonde spoke up, causing the other three to nod in agreement; Harry tugged on Draco' arm causing him to stop. "You two, go ahead, we'll meet you back in the Slytherin Common Room." Crabbe and Goyle obeyed, and rushed back to where they were told to go.
"Draco, remember what you said, well what your father said. About the Chamber being last opened fifty years ago, and a mudblood died? What if the mudblood never did leave? I heard that there's some girl, called Moaning Myrtle in the upstairs girls lavatory. She died fifty years ago. Don't know exactly how she died, but that's what I heard." Potter and Malfoy walked down the corridor together, back towards the Slytherin Common Room. They whispered between one another about some possible ideas, but nothing all that serious.
"All students return to their dormitories at once, all teachers report to the second-floor corridor." McGonagall's voice boomed over the loud speaker. The two boys rushed to the hallway and hid around the corner out of the teachers' vision.
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened."
"Minerva, none of the Slytherin students are taken. I can assure you." Severus muttered. Harry and Draco read the wall quietly before rehiding themselves. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'
"With her still missing, the students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." The Gryffindor head of house muttered. The few teachers, whom had shown up, glanced up at Lockhart as he showed up rather late.
"Sorry, I dozed off. What have I missed?"
"A girl has been snatched by the monster. Your moment has come at last." Professor Snape explained.
"M-m-my moment?"
"Weren't you just saying last night that you've known all along where the Chamber of Secrets is?" Severus mocked.
"That's settled, we'll leave you to deal with the monster Lockhart. After all, your skills are legend." McGonagall reminded him.
"R-r-right. I'll just go back to my office… and… get ready." Gilderoy walked back towards his office.
"Who is it that the monster has taken, Minerva?" Madam Pomphrey asked shyly.
Her answer was short and to the point. "Luna Lovegood." All the rest of the teachers left as Malfoy and Potter rushed to Lockhart' office.
"Lockhart is completely useless, but if we save the school, we'll be heroes. Might even get something for the risk." Draco mumbled.
"But he's going to try and get into the Chamber; we can tell him what we know. As dangerous as it is, we might end up going with him." Harry reminded him.
"Professor, we have some information for you!" Draco exclaimed as they opened the door. Gilderoy was packing up all his things, causing both boys to stop.
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter. Urgent call. Unavoidable. Got to go. Sorry about the Lovegood girl. Most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I."
"But you're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Draco protested.
"You're running away from all that stuff you said in your books?!" It dawned on Harry. "You lied, you're a fraud. You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done."
"My books wouldn't have sold half as well, if people didn't think I'd done those things."
"Is there anything you can do?"
"Yes Mr. Malfoy, as a matter of fact there is. I'm exceptionally gifted at Memory Charms. You see, otherwise all those wizards would have gone blabbing and I wouldn't have sold another book." Gilderoy thought. "I'm, uh, going to have to do the same to both of you." He turned to grab his wand, but the two boys pulled their wands out first, pointing them at the elder male.
"Don't even think about it." Harry motioned with his wand for Lockhart to lower his. Lockhart did and dropped it to the floor. Malfoy, Potter and Lockhart wandered the halls, thinking some.
"Hey Potter, remember that girl my Father told me about? The one that died 50 years ago in the girls' bathroom; supposedly, she's still in there."
"Oh, I heard about her. Moaning Myrtle I think her nickname is." Draco nodded some to the statement. The three males made their way into the girls' lavatory, hearing crying.
"Are… you Moaning Myrtle?" Draco asked, Lockhart still stood in front of the two younger males, who still had their wands pointed in his direction.
"Yes, you must be Harry Potter." Her gaze fell on Harry, who nodded.
"Listen, we came here to ask you… how you died." The scarred boy asked.
"It happened in this very cubicle. I'd hidden myself, because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying and then, I heard somebody come in. They said something funny, a kind of made-up language. I realized it was a boy, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away, and I died."
"Just like that? How?" Malfoy asked, as Harry thought.
"I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes over there by that sink." The girl motioned towards the sink, then turned and started moaning and crying once again.