Harry woke up the next morning to bright sunshine and an arm with all the bones in it. Madame Pomfrey had a small breakfast lined-up for him and then after a cursory check-up discharged him. As he left the Hospital Wing he saw that screens had been drawn across Colin's bed which prevented anyone from noticing him. Harry strapped on his wrist-watch and then cursed. His new wrist-watch was completely destroyed. It seemed that the bludger had actually hit the watch, effectively smashing it. Harry made his way to the common-room where his entry was greeted by a loud cheer by the Gryffindors. It was a bit of a subdued cheer though and Harry guessed that Colin's news had indeed spread out among the students. He reached his dorm to find a note from Ron, asking him to meet Ron and Hermione in the library. Harry grabbed his bag and then set off towards the library.
As he was walking through the corridors, he realized that a lot of students seemed to be giving him a wide berth. He groaned loudly, it seemed that the fact that he was in the Hospital Wing, re-growing bones at the time Colin was attacked hadn't diminished other students' belief about him being the Slytherin Heir. He reached the library to find Ron and Hermione buried behind mountains of books. Hermione was reading page after page with furious concentration and Ron was dawdling through the page.
"You guys got some homework assignment that I don't know of?" Harry asked as he sat down across the two.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed without looking up from her book. "You are up."
"And you can look at me. The bludger broke my arm, not my face." Harry replied as Ron started laughing.
"Ha-ha. Very funny, anyways it is your eyes that girls like not your face." Hermione replied. "And we…………"
"Whoa! Hold it, girls what?" Harry asked quite surprised. He had always thought that being infatuated rather being in love with Ginny since aged 11 years was highly irregular and bordering on perhaps pervert. It had always sort of held him back if you might. He really needed to talk to someone about it. But whom?
"Well girls like your eyes more than anything." Hermione replied back in a manner as if talking about the weather. Seeing Harry's confused looks. "Never mind that Harry, we will talk about that later. But what are we going to do about the Chamber of Secrets and Malfoy?"
Harry looked at Hermione; he had never seen her so pumped up or rather determined about anything, except finishing homework on time that is. "Well Dobby came to visit me last night." Harry began and related the night's events to both Ron and Harry.
"Well, if he doesn't stop trying to save your life, he is going to end-up killing you." Ron said.
"We have to do something Harry, this heir could be well on his way to kill me next. I am a muggleborn." Hermione exclaimed.
Harry didn't reply immediately. He knew that his reply would mean a lot to Hermione and he needed to handle it very carefully. "Hermione, even if there is very little that we can do about the heir whoever it is, what we can do is try and look around the castle looking around for clues that might have been left around by the heir. Or indeed clues to where the chamber might be perhaps."
"But what about Malfoy?" Ron asked. It seemed that he too was bent on believing that Malfoy was the heir.
"I am telling you Ron, Malfoy can't be the heir. If I were the heir I would want to look as neutral as possible to the outside world. Not be known and seen as a muggleborn-hater. If Malfoy was indeed this heir, he wouldn't be strutting around as a Slytherin prince. There is very little chance that we might actually find this the heir. I am sure that Professor Dumbledore has been looking for him;" Harry paused for a moment. "Or indeed her and he hasn't found the heir yet, we stand very little chance. However we have a fair chance of finding the heir with the map and indeed the help of the ghosts."
"You do realize that we haven't asked Peeves about the chamber yet." Ron interjected.
"Yeah, we need to do that soon, very soon. So Hermione can we go along this lines for now?" Harry completed.
Hermione did not reply immediately. "We could use a truth potion on Malfoy."
"You do know that in all probability that is illegal and immoral?" Harry asked her and Hermione hung her head.
"It's just so frustrating. I mean we have as equal a chance as purebloods to be wizards and witches. And……." Hermione began but was stopped by Ron.
"We know that Hermione and we agree completely. Please cool down." Ron said and Hermione did stop her rant but she still looked rather agitated.
The trio spent the rest of the day in the common-room reading up new charms, which is Hermione spent the time looking up new charms while Harry and Ron spent the time trying them out. The one charm which Ron and even Harry liked the most was the summoning charm. The idea of simply 'accioing' things while sitting down instead of getting up and getting them, appealed a lot to Ron. While Harry simply wanted to get it right as he was having a lot of trouble with it. It was the first charm that was actually troubling him.
Hermione always hated these reading ahead on charms and spells sessions as Harry seemed to take to them rather easily, while she would find it rather tough. Harry had a theory that Hermione found them tough as she had a mental block about them. A block which said that a Professor hadn't taught them yet so they shouldn't be able to perform it. Hermione of course refused to believe that. Ron was always rather cool about learning new spells. He learnt to perform them only if that particular spell interested him. But after Harry managed to perform any spell, Ron used to always mysteriously develop a sudden interest in that spell and learn it.
Harry had sought out Peeves and asked him about the Chamber of Secrets, but Peeves knew nothing about it. He assured 'Rusty' and 'Scarhead' that none of the old ghosts knew anything about it either. Harry had sort of expected Peeves or the ghosts not to know anything about it otherwise Professor Dumbledore would have found out about the Chamber from the ghosts. But what really surprised him was the fact that, Professor Dumbledore hadn't infact asked the ghosts about it but he didn't dwell over it as it wouldn't have mattered anyways.
On Wednesday Harry, with Hagrid's help had carved out a plaque. He took that plaque and placed it over the infirmary doors with Peeves' help. It read: Madame Pomfrey—Resident Seer, Hogwarts. Needless to say, Madame Pomfrey wasn't impressed.
"The next time you need medical attention Potter, I am not going to give you any. You will have to find a phoenix for that." Madame Pomfrey lashed out at Harry during breakfast in front of an about half-full Great Hall.
"Phoenix, Mam? I don't understand." Harry replied genuinely confused.
"Phoenix tears can cure most diseases and also heal all kinds of wounds. However Phoenixes don't give their tears that is they don't cry for anyone." Hermione supplied without looking up from her History book.
"Oh. You are on, Mam." Harry said and Madame Pomfrey stalked away muttering about mad Potters.
The one person who was really fuming over Madame Pomfrey being named as the resident seer was Professor Sybil Trelawney. Professor Trelawney was the Divination professor in the school and she was absolutely livid that Harry had the temerity to actually call someone else, a healer none the less with absolutely no training in Divination a 'seer'. After hearing about the plaque from a faithful student of hers she had actually come down from her isolated tower to dinner on Friday to confront Harry about the plaque.
"Mr. Potter, how dare you insult me?"
Harry looked-up from his dinner and his immediate impression was that of a large, glittering insect. Harry focused properly on her and saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.
"Insult you Mam?" Harry asked genuinely confused. He had never heard of her, leave alone met her. "I don't even know who you are."
She looked stumped for a moment but continued on unfazed. "I am Sybil Trelawney, the divination professor and hence by right the resident seer in Hogwarts. How dare you call some healer a resident seer when I am right here?"
Harry looked around and realized that a lot of older girls were looking up at him with a great interest. He groaned, he always seemed to have a way of upsetting the girls in Hogwarts. At least Ginny seemed to be eating breakfast with minimum attention on his exchange.
"Well Mam, Madame Pomfrey has predicted two or three things correctly so far. So I simply called her the 'resident-seer' in appreciation of that." Harry replied evenly.
"But I am the seer in the school." Sybil Trelawney replied with almost desperation. "I want a plaque too."
"Err; I don't have another plaque Mam." Harry said the first thing that came to his mind.
Trelawney looked offended by that and looked angry. "The GRIM hangs over you, Harry Potter. Death follows you everywhere that you go. Death will catch you because the Grim hangs over you."
Harry had absolutely no idea what Trelawney had said. The only thing that he understood was that death followed him everywhere, which was completely true and he certainly didn't need anyone to tell him that. The Grim he guessed must be some kind of omen of death as she had used it in conjecture with death hanging over him. He didn't think that her words mattered anything. "Ok, Mam. Thanks for the….err….warning." Harry replied the only thing that made sense.
Trelawney sniffed and then turned around and left the Great Hall. Harry sat down to complete his meal, but realized that almost the entire student body was staring at him. "What is wrong?" He asked Ron.
"The Grim hangs over you, Harry. It means that you will die soon." Ron replied very softly.
"Yeah sure." Harry replied dismissively. "And the Chudley Cannons will win the league."
"No Harry you don't understand, the Grim scares the shit out of most people. My uncle…….." Ron began but was interrupted by Harry.
"We are not having this discussion Ron. C'mon you are believing a lady, a professor who came down from god knows where to demand that she be given a seer-plaque too." Ron thought over it for a moment and then smiled and then returned to his dinner.
"So I guess, you will not be opting for divination next year?" Hermione asked.
"Not unless, Madame Pomfrey agrees to teach us." Harry replied without missing a beat and half of the Gryffindor Table began laughing which made Harry realize that no conversation in the Great Hall was ever private.
As the week drew to a close the paranoia in the castle had reached fever pitch. A lot of non-Gryffindor students were avoiding Harry literally like the plague now. Percy was keeping out a look on Harry like a Hawk. Everytime Harry left the common-room after dinnertime but before curfew Percy set out to follow him, at least he tried to follow Harry like some detective but everytime Harry realized that Percy was following him, Harry would increase his speed, turn around a corridor and go through the nearest secret-passageway effectively throwing Percy off his tracks. Harry had gotten angry at first but gradually he found it rather funny to throw Percy off his trail and then watch a frustrated and tired Percy return to the common-room only to find Harry calmly sitting on a table and studying.
About a week later Harry came down to the common-room to find a large crowd in front of the notice board. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.
"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days."
"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest.
"Could be useful," he said to Harry and Hermione as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?"
Harry and Hermione were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.
"Whom do you think will be conducting the club?" Ron asked.
"As long as it isn't Lockhart anyone…….." No sooner had Harry uttered the word 'Lockhart', most of the students burst into applause as unbelievably Lockhart climbed onto the stage followed by none other than Snape.
"Oh, we are going to learn so much from him." Began Hermione excitedly. "He must be so good at dueling……" She was interrupted by Lockhart flashing his smile and beginning to talk.
"Well, well welcome to the first session of our dueling club. The headmaster has kindly given me permission to start one in view of the recent developments in the castle and Professor Snape has agreed to be my assistant."
Lockhart paused for a moment as some as some students started clapping again. Harry looked at Snape who looked murderous and probably for the first time Harry was glad that Snape was involved in it. Harry was damn sure that Snape was going to murder Lockhart.
"He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart announced and Snape's bottom lip curled.
"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear making him laugh.
Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.
"One - two - three -"
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered.
Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.
"Who cares?" said Harry and Ron together.
Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end. "Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown - yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ."
Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -"
Lockhart and Snape began pairing off students. Harry and Ron by silent mutual agreement came together, but Snape had different ideas for them.
"Time to break the dream team I think." Snape began with a smirk. "Weasley you can partner McMillan and Potter, I think you can partner Malfoy. Let's see how you really do."
Harry groaned, not because he was afraid of Malfoy but because he knew that Malfoy wouldn't play fair and with Snape around he would get away with it. He stepped onto the stage with the others and Malfoy faced him after a moment.
"Scared Potter?" Malfoy smirked out. Harry decided not to reply at all.
"All-right ladies and gentlemen. Only practice the disarming charm please. Nothing else." Lockhart said. "Begin on my count, One……Two……Thr……."
As Harry had expected, Malfoy belted out "Expelliarmus" well before Lockhart had finished off three. But Harry was ready for it and he jumped out of the way in the nick of time. He turned around and shot a tickling charm at Malfoy which caught him right on the abdomen and Malfoy began laughing out loudly. Suddenly between the laughs Malfoy managed to fire the 'leg-locker' curse at Harry which he deftly stepped around but lost his balance as Neville came out of no-where and crashed into him.
For a few moments Harry was confused and in this time Malfoy had stopped laughing and was back on his legs. Harry saw Malfoy get up but he was still on the ground. Malfoy smirked and then shot a curse which Harry had never seen, but he instinctively knew that he better avoid it and hence tried to roll away from it. He didn't manage it completely and the curse caught him just on the leg and it cut through his robes but didn't do any damage to the skin. Harry realized that Malfoy was getting a bit too serious. Harry did the first thing that came to his mind. He aimed his wand at Malfoy and cried out "Wingardium Leviosa."
Malfoy looked surprised for a moment and then suddenly, he started rising up in the air. As he climbed up almost 6-7metres into the air he started screaming and that got the attention of the entire Great Hall.
"Everybody STOP!" It was Snape. Everyone except Harry stopped dueling. Harry had a feeling that he couldn't simply stop putting fire into the spell. "Potter, slowly lower Malfoy down. Don't do it too quickly or Malfoy will fall."
Harry didn't want to do it but lowered him slowly anyways. About three feet above the ground he couldn't resist it and simply dropped him onto the ground. Malfoy screamed for barely a moment before he realized that he was on the ground. He got-up and walked away with his cheeks flushed red and the majority of the Great Hall laughing away.
"How did you do that?" It was Snape who had asked Harry in a surprisingly civil tone.
"Do what?" Harry asked confusedly. He looked at Ron and Hermione who were laughing and looking impressed respectively.
"Get off the stage Potter." Snape had gotten back to his usual tone. Harry shrugged and got down near Ron and Hermione.
"What happened? Why in the world did Snape look so impressed?" Harry asked Hermione.
"Don't you ever read the theory behind a charm?" She questioned by means of an answer but continued on without waiting for Harry's reply. "The levitation charm cannot be used with living beings. The power that is magic needed to lift a living being so high is not generated by that spell. 'Mobilicorpus' is used for lifting people, but that too only a few feet into the air not metres into the air."
"Oh." Harry replied as he only half-heartedly watched Lockhart demonstrate how to block the Expelliarmus, though he ended up only dropping the wand. Harry had a feeling that the manner in which he had felt 'magic' or indeed 'power' flow from his body into the spell had allowed him to levitate Malfoy. His reverie was broken by Lockhart in front of his face.
"C'mon up Harry. Let's see you block the disarming charm." Lockhart said jovially and practically dragged Harry onto the stage. Out of the corner of his eyes Harry saw Snape gesture Malfoy onto the stage.
"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops -my wand is a little overexcited -"
Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Harry couldn't believe it. Lockhart had actually dropped his wand as a way of blocking a spell and Hermione practically worshipped him. Harry was sure that Snape had come up with some kind of unblockable spell or something judging by the smirk on Malfoy's face. Harry had a feeling that Malfoy desperately wanted to get back at him for levitating him. Harry tried to remember a blocking spell, but he couldn't remember how to parry a spell or how to conjure up a shield. Deciding that jumping out of the way would be his best bet Harry stepped in front of Malfoy.
Lockhart began the countdown. "One—Two—Three—Go!"
Malfoy raised his wand and bellowed out. "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it ...
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Suddenly Harry realized that he could actually talk to snakes as he remembered the Boa Constrictor incident. He rushed forward and screamed out, "Stop." The snake froze immediately and stopped mid-strike. "Come here and don't bite anybody." Harry ordered the snake.
The snake hesitated for a moment and then turned around. "You are a speaker. Our kind is bound to obey you." The snake said and started sliding towards the stage.
Harry jumped down from the stage and bent down and collected the snake in his arms. The snake coiled around his arms. "Don't bite me either." Surprisingly the snake bobbed his up and down. Harry heaved a sigh of relief and looked up for the first time since Malfoy had conjured up the snake. The first person he saw was Justin, who was white as a sheet and looked angry at the same time.
"Wh….What are you playing at Potter?" Justin demanded and then stormed out of the Great Hall. Harry looked around the Hall and realized that everyone was looking at him with cold, livid and almost murderous looks. Harry couldn't imagine where those looks came from. There was an angry buzz around the Great Hall and it was all directed towards Harry and he couldn't wonder why.
Harry turned around and looked at Snape who had a cold, shrewd and calculating look on his face a look that Harry couldn't quite place. Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke.
"Whoa, why did you get rid of the snake Sir?" Harry asked a bit irritably.
Snape looked at Harry as if he had grown an extra-head. "It is one of the most poisonous snaked in the world Potter."
"I had told it not to bite anybody, or did you not listen, Sir?" Harry asked his irritation increasing as he was sure that Snape had asked Malfoy to conjure it up in the first place.
Snape didn't reply to that and instead gave another long look towards Harry and then swept out of the Great Hall. Harry looked around and realized that the mutterings in the Hall were becoming louder and louder and he also noticed Ron and Hermione walking towards him. Ron was the first one to reach him.
"Let's get out of here mate before it becomes a total mad-house." Ron said and started moving towards the exit. Harry realized that the moment anyone spotted him they gave him a wide berth. He had a feeling that the talking with the snake wasn't going to make him particularly popular.
"What is happening?" A very confused Harry asked Ron and Hermione.
The two exchanged a look before Hermione replied. "You are a parselmouth, Harry." Seeing Harry's confused looks Hermione explained further. "You can talk to snakes. Parseltongue is the snake language if you might."
"Yes, I know that I can speak to snakes. So what? I just saved Justin's life." Harry replied agitatedly.
"So that is what you were saying." Ron remarked. Seeing the puzzled looks on Harry's face, Ron continued. "It only sounded as 'hissing' to us."
As Harry thought over it, he remembered what Piers had said after the zoo incident. 'Potter was hissing to the snake, weren't you?' Guessing from everyone's reaction in the Great Hall, being a parselmouth seemed to rather bad quality.
"Why exactly is being a parselmouth such a big deal?" Harry asked.
"I can't believe you haven't read about it Harry. Salazar Slytherin was a parselmouth and now everyone is going to……." Hermione began.
"….be convinced that, I am the heir of Slytherin." Harry finished glumly. The rest of the journey to the tower was spent in complete silence.
Harry hardly slept that night. Could he really be the heir of Slytherin? Even if he was, Harry was sure that he wasn't setting that monster onto people. It was ridiculous, why in the world would he want to kill muggleborns, he most certainly wasn't prejudiced and certainly not evil. He couldn't imagine himself killing anyone; it was a wonder how anyone could even think that he was responsible for the petrifications. To top it off he was trying to save Justin from getting bitten by the snake. Justin wouldn't have been in that position if it hadn't been for the stupid spell from Lockhart and Harry was sure that the snake wouldn't have been there if it hadn't been for Snape's advise to Malfoy. Harry finally fell into an uneasy sleep only a few hours before dawn.
Harry woke up the next day deciding to sort out matters with Justin in Herbology. But by the next morning snowfall had turned into a heavy blizzard which meant that the Herbology lesson was cancelled. The trio was sitting in the common-room finishing their transfiguration homework when the twins came by.
"Little Harrikins, we come in peace….." They began but stopped after noticing the look on Harry's face. "You are going to have a hard time mate. Just heard some Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seventh years discussing you in the library. The stories have gotten huge mate. They are talking about you being you-know-who's incarnation et all. It seems that you used Dark Magic to get rid of You-know-Who. Even your flying skills are now being attributed to dark magic. You enchanting the pixies is dark magic now."
Harry couldn't take it anymore. "I am going for a ride on my broom. Anyone interested?"
Fred, George, Ron and Hermione all stared at him. Hermione spoke up after a moment. "There is a blizzard out there and the temperature is sub-zero Harry. You will….."
"Yeah well I am the heir of Slytherin and an expert in Dark Magic; maybe I will get rid of the snow too." Harry screamed out and stormed towards his dorm.
The three Weasleys and Hermione only stared after him. "Maybe one of you should go out with him." Hermione suggested half-heartedly.
"Yeah right, on a broom in this weather and take-off from the window. None of us is Harry." The twins replied.
Meanwhile Harry collected his broom and got into his Quidditch robes. A minute later he was in the air and right in the middle of the blizzard. But he hardly noticed the blizzard, the cold and the high winds as he took off at top speed towards the Quidditch pitch. The winds were continuously blowing him off-course but he managed to somehow get back on course within a few seconds almost subconsciously. As he started going into one dive after another he couldn't help but imagine about what probably most of the students were thinking about him in the school.
Used dark magic to get rid of Voldemort, honestly. Dark magic at the age of 1 that must have been something. For a wild moment Harry wondered if he should announce to the school that Voldemort was actually among them for an entire year and he is not dead, he is without form, but he isn't a ghost. Being good at flying was suddenly dark magic. At the back of his mind, Harry knew that it was ridiculous on certain levels rather every level and sometime later he might actually laugh over it but right now it was pissing him off like hell. Harry couldn't believe that people would actually believe that. A few months ago he was a hero for vanquishing Voldemort and now, he was the re-incarnation of Voldemort himself.
Harry wondered who all really believed this. He sincerely hoped that Ginny hadn't or he would find it impossible to know her better. Thinking about Ginny made his heart grow constrict in the rib-cage. The end of the term was almost unto them and Harry had made no progress at all. It wasn't as if he hadn't tried. But everytime Harry sat down next to or anywhere Ginny, she would practically run away from there, after toppling a few objects that is. Eventually Harry had taken to observing her cute-freckled face from some distance. If nothing he could at least enjoy a few moments of bliss as he took in her face. Harry had a feeling that life at Hogwarts wasn't really agreeing with her. She always seemed to be tired and forlorn. Colin was one of the very few people that Harry had ever seen her with and that probably explained her dejection.
Harry let out practically a roar of frustration. This year was supposed to be straight-forward. Voldemort wasn't around and Harry was supposed to get to know Ginny better, play Quidditch, and jaunt around the castle with Ron and Peeves, try and make Snape go mad, and somehow try and make Lockhart leave. These were his objectives at the start of the year but somewhere along the line in three months they had all fallen apart. Ginny still went beet-red around him and fled the scene and his heart never stopped beating madly around Ginny. Quidditch was going all-right except for a mad bludger which broke his hand. Snape had still managed to remain sane inspite of not being able to fail Harry even once. Lockhart pranced around the castle like Professor Dumbledore was his protégé.
Tired of having to adjust his course each time as he dived due to the high winds, Harry stopped diving and flew into the blizzard. It was then that Harry realized that it was damn cold and rather windy. The snow was rushing past his face and he could barely see. The water-repelling charm certainly didn't repel snow as effectively as it did the water. He flew over the stands and noticed the lake out of the corner of his eyes. Surprisingly the lake's surface wasn't frozen yet. Harry flew over the lake and observed the surface of the lake. Suddenly he had an absolutely mad idea.
He flew over the lake once more as he contemplated his action. He removed his glasses and put them into a pocket and hoped that he wouldn't lose them. He flew another loop around the lake and climbed-up into the air gradually. He was finally starting to feel the cold and the wind. Finishing that loop he started diving straight for the middle of lake. He gained speed as he approached the surface and instead of pulling out of the dive as he would have done he went straight into the water.
The water might not have been frozen but it certainly was freezing cold. Harry could barely keep his eyes open. But he had to check out a few things. He was now completely immersed in water and was still going down. He tried to move the shaft to the left and miraculously the broom moved to the left too. He tried to level out the broom and amazingly the broom leveled out and started moving in a horizontal direction. Harry was rather ecstatic; brooms did indeed fly or work in water. Happy that his little experiment had worked out and cold as hell Harry jerked his broom upwards. He managed it with some difficulty but the broom did start moving up towards the surface. He tried to negotiate that much more speed from the broom as he neared the surface and then shot out of the water at the fastest speed that his Nimbus 2000 could manage.
Just as Harry broke through the surface of the water, two loud sighs of relief could have been heard over the blizzard just on the edge of the lake. The third person didn't give out a sigh of relief but a sound of disappointment that clearly said he would have rather preferred Harry to be entombed in the icy waters of the lake. The two sighs of relief belonged to Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore while the sound of disappointment obviously belonged to Snape. The three watched as Harry broke out of the surface of the water and then headed back towards the castle.
"Well, it seems that it would be prudent if we returned back to the castle." Professor Dumbledore screamed out over the sound of the blizzard. Professor McGonagall nodded and Snape had already started walking back towards the castle in a huff.
Meanwhile Harry had landed back into the Gryffindor tower and made his way back to his dorm. The dorm was empty and he realized that he had been out in the blizzard for well over two hours. Just as he was about to change out of his Quidditch robes, Percy stormed into the dorm.
"Mr. Potter, where the hell have you been?" Percy asked clearly short on breath.
Harry only raised his eyebrows as he tried to unfasten the buttons on his robes. The robes seemed to have frozen up. He tried again but to no use. Percy meanwhile seemed to have lost his patience.
"I asked, where the hell have you been, Potter?" Percy asked again as he drew out his wand.
Harry became irritated again. The exhilaration over the flight and the underwater ride simply seemed to have washed off. "I was off to the chambers. Percy having a cup of tea with my hairy monster. Do you have a problem with that?" Harry replied as he drew out his wand to too.
Percy was quite surprised and almost fired a spell. But Harry pointed his wand towards himself and said 'calefacio'. He clearly hadn't performed the spell correctly as within a few moments he began sweating like hell but at least he wasn't cold anymore. Percy meanwhile regained his power of speech after Harry's cup of tea declaration.
"Mr. Potter you are expected to be in Professor Dumbledore's office. The prefects and the professors have been searching for you." Percy said, his old pompous voice was back.
"Why, exactly?" Harry stopped removing his Quidditch robes.
"There has been another attack, attacks and you were missing again, Mr. Potter. The Headmaster's office please." Percy ordered Harry.
Harry groaned as he grabbed his wand from his bed again and stalked out of the dorm doors and towards the common-room. He entered the common-room to see everyone facing the portrait-hole with anticipation written large on their faces. Groaning loudly, Harry made his way towards the portal and people began literally jumping out of his way. Harry saw Ron and Hermione trying to make their way towards him but he wasn't in a mood for discussing anything so he slammed the portrait-hole behind him. This also had the advantage of slowing down Percy as he certainly didn't want Percy's company all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office.
Harry practically ran down the corridor and towards the centaur. Two seconds later Harry was on the spiral staircase shutting the stone panel behind him. Harry actually climbed down a level and then crossed over to the other wing before making it to the seventh floor office of Professor Dumbledore. He came to standstill before the stone gargoyles and he realized that leaving behind Percy might not have been such a great idea after-all. He tried to remember what Professor McGonagall had said before entering the office at the start of the year. After a few moments he finally remembered, "Lemon Drops' he said out aloud and amazingly the gargoyles jumped open. Harry stepped onto the escalator and reached the polished wooden doors and knocked on it. But no-one answered. Guessing that no-one was inside the office Harry opened the door and stepped into it.
The office looked as grand and as imposing as it had on the first occasion. Only this time Harry had an opportunity to look around. The wizards and witches in the portraits were all sleeping. Harry had a feeling that it was nothing but an act and they were all probably spying on him for Professor Dumbledore in the sly. Harry spotted the Sorting Hat and not for the first time wondered about his sorting. On an impulse Harry reached out, grabbed the hat and pulled it on.
It was silent for a few moments under the Hat and then Harry heard the voice that he had heard almost a year and a half ago. "Ah, Mr. Potter I certainly wasn't expecting you today. How can I help you today?"
"Well I guess you do know what I am going to ask."
"That I certainly do Mr. Potter but as I told you an year ago, I prefer to be polite from time to time. Now onto your current dilemma. You Mr. Potter are overlooking something from our conversation. I had said that all the four houses would fit you like second skin……"
"But you had said that Slytherin would lead me onto path of greatness or something."
"That I had and I still stand by it."
"Then I should be in Slytherin, not in Gryffindor." Harry said dejectedly.
"But if I remember correctly Mr. Potter you said that you didn't want anymore greatness."
"So?"
"That's make a lot of difference. Some people are born great. Some people are made out to be great by people. Some people have greatness thrust onto them at a very young. Some people become great by their own actions. Some people encourage others around them onto a path of greatness. Can you guess to which category you belong, Mr. Potter?"
"Err; I am the one who has been made out to be great by people."
"No Mr. Potter, you belong to every single category that I just mentioned. Think about it. The house to which you belong is hardly significant. I am not Merlin; I am simply a thinking cap with years and years of experience."
Harry was silent for a moment and suddenly he realized something and before he could ask the hat answered.
"Yes, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once before. Exactly fifty years ago and a girl was killed at that time. Don't ask me anything more, Albus wouldn't like me telling you anything else."
"Err; thanks. Thanks for the information and the advice too. I will remember that for sure."
"I know that you will, Mr. Potter."
Harry removed the hat and placed it back onto the stool. Harry looked around the office and wondered where in the world had Professor Dumbledore had disappeared. He looked at the books' cabinet and saw titles that made his head whirl. Wondering whether any of the books would hold any information about magical maps, Harry started flicking through some books. But soon he realized that even if they did hold any information there was no way that he would understand anything. He put the books away and started looking through the cabinets. There were some odd-shaped instruments on the shelves and even a round bowl on a shelf. The last cabinet was which surprised Harry the most. There was an old, very old broom in the vertical cabinet. It looked like an Oakshaft but clearly wasn't an Oakshaft as it was much slimmer than the Oakshaft. Clearly Professor Dumbledore played Quidditch at some point in his life too.
"Yes Harry, I was a Quidditch player of moderate capabilities in my times. Though I certainly couldn't be compared to the skill that you show." Harry jerked away from the cabinet so quickly that he was sure that his neck had cracked. He looked near the door and realized that Professor Dumbledore had returned to his office and with him were Professor McGonagall and Snape of all the persons. Harry looked at the professors and realized that they were all looking a bit irritated and Snape looked mad with anger.
"Take a seat Harry." Professor Dumbledore said as the Professors sat around a coffee table and Snape poured three glasses of Firewhisky Harry guessed from the label. Harry moved slowly, wondering where exactly this 'session' was going to head to and sat down on a chair at one side of the table. As he sat there he had a feeling of being cornered but he ignored that and sat down comfortably.
"Would you like some coffee or tea perhaps Harry?" Professor Dumbledore asked. Harry noticed that Snape looked ready to burst and Harry suppresses a smile.
"No, thank-you Sir, I am good." Harry replied and no sooner had he finished the sentence Snape jumped in.
"Why are you in your Quidditch robes 'again' Potter?" Snape asked. Harry had a feeling that he wanted to ask much more with that question.
"Well my big hairy monster likes the Quidditch robes; that is why I was wearing them 'again'." Harry replied a bit scornfully but he was tired of people looking at him suspiciously.
"Ten points from Gryffindor Potter." Snape spat out.
"Thank You professor, I believe that is exactly my intention as the Slytherin heir to make sure that Gryffindor loses the House Cup." Harry replied without missing a beat.
"Mr. Potter that is quite enough." It was Professor McGonagall and Harry knew that it was time to back down. "What do you have to say for yourself? We did see your dive into the lake, would you please explain that to us?"
"Err…..how could you see me, I was…..I mean there is a blizzard out there?" Harry replied with a question.
"After Mr. Flinch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick were found petrified we went about searching for you and Miss Grange kindly informed us that you had developed suicidal tendencies and jumped out of the window during a blizzard and had gone flying. So with great difficult the three of us made our way to the Quidditch pitch only to witness you going into one dive after another. People have been killed while simply flying during blizzards Harry and you were practicing precision diving. However before we could stop you, you flew over to the lake and then missed your dive and went underwater and then somehow managed to come back up. Would you kindly explain your actions to us?" Professor McGonagall finished and then gulped down her remaining drink.
"Err….I didn't miss my dive over the lake, Mam." Harry replied. At the raised eyebrows around the table Harry elucidated further. "Well, I wanted to see whether brooms can be flown underwater just the way they can be flown in the air. So I purposely dived into the water under my own power and amazingly the broom flies rather glides around in the water almost as same as it does in the air but you need a lot more power to change directions and all, also the speed is quite reduced due to the drag of the water but I couldn't guess how less the speed was as I had nothing to compare with and I had also removed my glasses before going in."
Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were silent but Snape jumped in. "You expect us to believe that, Potter? Whom do you take us for? Idiots?"
"I never miss dives Sir. Your own Chasers and beaters will attest to that." Harry replied evenly and Snape could only gnash his teeth in frustration. Harry chanced a look at Professor McGonagall and he knew that she was probably going to cut off his limbs and then leave him in the forests for some animals to eat while being alive.
"There are foolish things to do Mr. Potter, then there are crazy things to do and then there are nonsensically preposterous things to do. Any idea under which section your actions would fall?" Professor McGonagall asked and stopped. Harry had a feeling that the drink was responsible for the short speech.
"I wasn't thinking straight Mam; I should have thought what would have happened if the broom didn't actually fly…err….glide in the water." Harry replied.
"And pray, what would have you done were you thinking straight Potter?" Snape couldn't simply sit quiet.
"Well for one I wouldn't have done it in a blizzard. I would have had someone with a boat or something nearby or someone with an excellent summoning charm………" Harry began but stopped after noticing the look on Professor McGonagall's face.
"100 points from Gryffindor and a week-long detention and that means 7-days not five." Professor McGonagall announced and Snape looked like Christmas had come early.
"Err….mam about those detentions can I not have them with Lockhart?" Harry asked and continued on noticing the raised eyebrows. "He makes me reply to all his fan-mail and gives me lectures about how to present myself to the female population and how to impress girls and all that kind of stuff, so could you……" Harry trailed off.
"Seven in the evening starting tomorrow, my office. Now I believe the real reason behind you being here should be addressed." Professor McGonagall said as she gave a significant look towards the Headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore stopped smiling, nodded and cleared his throat before speaking. "Now Harry I don't believe that you are in any way responsible for the attacks and please do not let others who might believe pull you down." Professor Dumbledore paused for a moment as he allowed Harry to process what he had just been told. "However I would like to talk to you."
Dumbledore tapped his long finger together as he considered Harry. "Is there anything that you would like to tell me about? Absolutely anything?"
Harry considered telling Professor Dumbledore about the disembodied voice but decided against it for the nth time. Ron's comment about hearing voices that no-one else heard wasn't a good sign even in the magical world kept on preventing him from doing that. As Harry was thinking about it he suddenly realized something.
"Sir which animal petrifies it's victims?" Harry asked the Headmaster.
"Don't you think we considered that Potter?" As usual Snape had to butt in. "No animal absolutely no known animal petrifies it's victims. Petrification of this serious degree can only be achieved by dark magic."
"Oh." Harry replied. "But it has to be an animal, right because the story says that……."
"It is just a story, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said. "There has been no proof about the chamber or about the monster."
"What about when it was opened 50 years ago?" Harry asked knowing that he was perhaps revealing a lot. As far as he was concerned the chamber existed as Dobby had said so. It was a flimsy reason to believe in something but Harry's gut feeling was to trust Dobby.
"How do you know about that?" Professor Dumbledore asked surprise written large over his face.
"The hat told me." Harry replied. "After I asked him."
"No concrete proof Harry absolutely no concrete proof about that. There was only one attack and it claimed a girl's life. There was no proof about the chamber then except for a similar writing on the wall claiming it's existence. The girl wasn't petrified but killed and from what could be gauged by healers from her dead body, she could have been killed by a curse than an animal." Professor Dumbledore.
Harry was silent for a moment. Something about the whole thing didn't make sense. Then suddenly he remembered Professor Dumbledore's words in the Hospital Wing after Colin was found. 'The chamber of secrets has been opened for sure….' 'The question is not who but how….' Professor Dumbledore was lying to him. If his comments in the Hospital Wing were anything to go by Professor Dumbledore certainly didn't believe that the chamber was a myth. Holy Shit! Professor Dumbledore was lying to him because he too believed that Harry had something to do with the attacks. Great Harry thought now even the Headmaster believes that you are the heir of Slytherin, life couldn't be better. Harry fought to bring his emotions under control before speaking-up again.
"Oh, I guess then that's all I know."
"All right Harry, you can leave now." Professor Dumbledore said and Harry immediately got up and practically ran out of the office.
"Potter knew something more, didn't he?" Snape asked as soon as Harry out.
Dumbledore took another swig of his firewhisky. "You know very-well Severus that he isn't responsible. What I am more afraid of is that, I had the feeling that for some reason he suspects that I believe he is the heir too. Though I cannot fathom why in the world would he think so."
Nobody could come up with a satisfactory answer to that. "Well at least the Quidditch Cup is in my office again." Professor McGonagall said casually, a bit too casually.
"What do you mean Minerva?" Snape shot back.
"Oh come-on Severus, can anyone from your team fly a broom in a blizzard leave alone underwater." Snape couldn't come up with a reply to that and gnashed away his teeth in irritation.
Harry took a long detour back to the Gryffindor Tower. He hardly wanted to face the rest of the Gryffindors right now. The last thing he wanted to know was that Ron and Hermione too believed him to be the heir. The Headmaster believing him to be the heir was enough of a revelation for one day. At the back of his mind he knew that Ron. Hermione and even the twins didn't believe him to be the heir but that didn't stop him from being insecure. And now with Professor Dumbledore himself believing him to be the heir, his days in Hogwarts literally seemed to be numbered. Another attack perhaps and that would be it. Harry decided that the only way he was going to redeem himself if you might was by either catching the person responsible for the current attacks or by at least finding the location of the chamber of secrets. For started he at least needed to be around when the next attack took place. Harry let out a huge sigh as he entered Peeves' classroom and crashed into the mattress that was there, he had thought that his life would be easier once he was away from the Dursleys and at Hogwarts, but boy was he wrong or what………