The Chamber of Secrets

For a few days the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Mr. Filch kept it fresh by pacing in front of the spot where it happened, as though the attacker may return. That only happened in movies and stories, or someone entirely depraved. He had tried to scrub the eerie words from the wall, but they still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.

Fred and George said Ginny wasn't it taking it well, as she was an avid cat love. Hermione wasn't liking it either. Nox was pretty fed up too, he didn't seem to want to leave my side. Even to the point of following me into classrooms. Nox had a reputation now around the castle, and he was well known to be left alone, so no one tried to remove him from the room.

We were History of Magic listening to Professor Binns, whom was droning on in a monotone voice about the International Warlock Convention of 1289, when he was amazed when Hermione had suddenly raised her hand.

"Miss – er - ?"

"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

At the mention of the name, many students stirred awake. Professor Binns blinked.

"My subject is History of Magic," he said in a wheezy voice. "I deal with FACTS Miss Granger, not myths and legends."

He took a breath and returned to the lecture, however stuttered to a halt when Hermione's hand waving in the air again.

"Miss Grant?"

I fought to snicker at the wrong name.

"Please sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

Professor Binns stared at her in amazement. And I had to hand it to Hermione, I was fairly sure no student, while alive or dead, had EVER interrupted him.

"Well," Professor Binns said slowly. "Yes, one could argue that I suppose. However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous - "

However he seemed at a loss for words. He was thrown off by such an unusual amount of interest on the subject.

"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."

Although he was a ghost, he still held the attention of everyone in the room. He was a great story-teller.

"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 disagreements arose between them. A rift began to grow between Salazar Slytherin and the other founders. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts."

I frowned at that.

"He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be unworthy, and untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Slytherin left the school."

Professor Binns pause again. I was struggling not to laugh as he was pursing hi slips, and the image of a turtle popped into my head. I really had hung around the twins too long.

"Reliable, historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But those honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story tells that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. 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, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all those unworthy to study magic."

"Muggle-born," I thought glumly.

The room was quiet and unease floated in the air.

"Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a Chamber, many times, but the most learned witches and wizards, it does not exist." He said faintly annoyed.

Hermione's hand was in the air again.

"Sir – what 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."

"A dirty great snake, knowing Slytherin and their love for the leg-less reptiles." I thought morbidly.

"But sir," Seamus said, now awake. "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," pipped 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 – "

They all made very valid points, but it seems Professor Binns was at his limit.

"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, facts!"

I was partially shocked as his outburst. I don't think I had seen such emotion from him. And within five minutes the class and sunk back into its normal boring routine.

Even though the Chamber of Secrets was all anyone would talk about, I still had an uneasy feeling on the attack. Whatever attacked Mrs. Norris was dangerous and made me edgy and unsafe. I asked Fred and George if they had found anything in their romps around the school looking for secret passages. Over the years they had found a bunch of hidden passageways throughout the castle. But none, to their knowledge remotely reminisced of the 'Chamber of Secrets'. Thus this began the raunchy innuendos and faces flushed with blush and hitting the twins with whatever I could grab for teasing me.