A/N: Hi all. :) I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Looks like a few more chapters and we're off to The Prisoner of Azkaban. ;) I'm so excited, but I think I'm going to make this story only until OoTP. What do you think? Leave your answer with a review~ ^-^
Spoiler Alert for PoA: Lots and lots of Fremione! Mehehehe. :)) So keep up with me guys!
Disclaimer: It's been in my Christmas wish list for years and Santa hasn't yet given it to me. :(
"Rambling"
by SJRegina
Hermione always found herself rambling whenever in the presence of the one and only Fred Weasley, but that's just how Fred liked it.
Chapter 13: The Chamber of Secrets
Hermione hadn't been able to have a conversation with Ginny. She was beginning to worry a lot for her friend. She noticed that after the incident with the petrification of Mrs. Norris, she had never been the same before. As if she was very disturbed. Ron said she was a cat lover but Hermione felt like there was something more to it.
Harry and Ron had been trying to lighten up her mood, but it seemed like not even Harry's sweetness didn't even budge her.
The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for her to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to. Not even the twins who teased her often with the all the reading.
It was not until the following Wednesday did they find out.
They were at the back of the library doing a three-foot essay Professor Binns had assigned to them as homework for History of Magic about "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."
Ron was measuring his homework with his eyebrows furrowed in frustration and a tape measure in his hand.
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short 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."
"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 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," 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 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.
"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it -"
"I only need another two inches, come on -" The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
History of Magic was the next subject on their schedule. 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.
Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. 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; his routine had not varied in the slightest since.
Today was just like his usual. 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 to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again.
Hermione thought it was very rude of them. She usually was the only one who listened intently and scribbled down notes like mad. But today was a little bit different.
He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before.
It took her a lot of thinking about this and finally came to the conclusion that she just had to. She knew this would be helpful for the others who were curious. She was sure he would have an answer. With a deep breath, Hermione put up her hand.
Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.
"Miss - er -?"
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice. Although inside, she was quite nervous.
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 Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk.
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." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk and continued,
"In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers-"
He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.
"Miss Granger?"
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"
Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.
"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. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Hermione 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..."
Hermione held the front of her table firmly, as if she might be literally blown away by the answer.
"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 Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and 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. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts."
Hermione like everyone else was listening intently and absorbing each and every word he spoke.
"He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy."
Hermione felt pale at that.
"After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"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."
Hermione wanted to scribble the information down but she decided to just listen like everyone. This was something she would surely not forget.
"Slytherin, according to the 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, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."
There was 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."
Hermione's hand was back in the air. She could not settle for such little information, it was very clearly lectured but there were a lot of missing pieces there.
"Yes, Miss Granger." Professor Binns sighed and shook his head in disbelief.
"Sir," She swallowed thickly, "what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"
"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."
"But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"
"But, Professor," piped up Parvati 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. "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.
"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 history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"
And within 5 awkward minutes, everything had gone back to normal.
Hermione needed to know more. And she wasn't going to stop until she does. Especially with the knowledge that there was a possibility that if the Chamber of Secrets have really been opened and that the monster from within it kills students like- her.
The bell rang and Hermione quickly arranged her things in a proper and neat manner. Harry and Ron went away earlier and she was just now walking outside the door.
"Hi Fred! Hi George!" Hermione's face lit up when he saw two of his best mates coming inside the door.
"Hey Hermione." Fred and George both made big identical grins. The 4th years students were next she presumed.
She hugged each one of them. Fred hugged her a little longer and that made her blush. But she quickly shrugged it off by pretending to straighten her robes.
"You two are a bit early today." Hermione raised her brow.
"We've heard somebody outside say that boring ol' Binns here talked about the Chamber of Secrets."
"Said there was someone who asked, must be a nutter. But brave." Fred and George both nodded at each other and Hermione blushed.
"Wanted to get in early, we might get him to say it again! That's surely something we just won't miss" Hermione blushed even brighter.
"Oh, I don't know. I doubt he would."
"Why not?" George raised his brow.
"Because he sort of got annoyed."
"Who even asked him anyway?" Fred piped up.
Hermione looked back at both of them and started to walk back slowly. "Me." She breathed before running away to her next class.
"Bye!" Hermione waved over them as she ran away. George chuckled and went inside the room.
"That Hermione sure is special."
Fred beamed at the running form and smiled softly as it became tinier and tinier until it turned and was gone.
"Indeed she is." Fred smiled before following George inside.
~.~
It was night time and everybody was just going to sleep. Rumors had gone off during dinner about the information of the Chamber of Secrets and who the 'Heir of Slytherin' was. Many people had suspected Harry but Fred and George took it as a laugh.
He and George were laughing outside, but inside they were really worried about Ginny. They had never seen her more upset, she'd been crying her eyes out for days and it hurt them. The best they could do was make her giggle from a few pranks and jokes but then she'll eventually go back to crying.
Fred rolled over in his bed again, he couldn't sleep. He was not only thinking about Ginny, but also the incident that happened when Malfoy insulted his family. He admitted that although his insult on Hermione was just down right wrong, his insult on his family was painfully right.
"Gred, can't sleep?" He opened his hangings and saw George's hangings open too.
"Yeah." They were both whispering. Clarity wasn't really necessary as their beds were close together.
"What's wrong?" George stood up and sat beside Fred putting a concerned hand on his shoulder.
That was one of the perks of having a twin bond, one would always know if the other wasn't alright. They's just feel it on instinct. It ran through their veins.
"Georgie, have you ever thought of what you wanted to be after Hogwarts?" He looked at George seriously.
"Honestly, not really." George smiled faintly and let go of the hand behind Fred. "Never really thought about it." George looked above, looking at nothing in particular.
They were having a serious conversation, it was very rare but it was always special.
"Well, I've always seen myself as a prankster till the end." Fred smiled at George, George smiled back with an identical grin.
"I suggest a joke shop would fit us quite nicely." George smirked mischievously.
"George, I've been thinking the exact same thing." The boys then laughed earning glares from their room mates. It was then that started the idea of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
A/N: Just wanted to add that last part their, I was always curious when the twins had ever started thinking of WWW. So poof! I made up my own back story. Mehehehe~ :))