Updated: June 16th, 2017

Chapter 21: The Entrance of Death

"She knew something, Cora. She'd found out something…something big. That's why she was taken. I mean she was – she's a pureblood. There can't be any other reason, can there?"

I sighed. Ron had been asking me all sorts of crazy questions while we slowly walked up to Lockhart's office. I had no idea what to say to him. I just comforted him by rubbing his back or telling him Ginny was going to be okay.

Harry, on the other hand, wanted answers, "Come on. The quicker we get to Lockhart's, the better. He may be a brainless git, but he's going to try to get in the Chamber. We can tell him what we know…find out what he knows…"

"Do you think there's any chance at all she's not, you know…" Ron asked, stopping us just before the professor's classroom door.

I glanced at my worried friend. His eyes were brimmed red. "We'll find her," reassured Harry. "Ginny's going to be fine." Ron nodded firmly and went inside the classroom. I looked at Harry, he was troubled. I knew he didn't even believe what he just said.

Harry, Ron, and I dashed inside Lockhart's office. We stopped dead once we saw what was going on. The office was stripped down to the shelves. Not a single thing on them, bare down to the carpets. Two large trunks stood open in the middle of the round room. Lockhart's eyes widened when he saw us.

"Are you going somewhere," Harry asked Lockhart in a threatening manner.

"Um, well, yes…urgent call…" he gulped as he started throwing things in the trunks. "Absolutely unavoidable. Got to go…"

"What about my sister," Ron asked angrily. I knew our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a coward.

"Well, as for that – most unfortunate. No one regrets more that I…"

"REGRET! You only regret digging yourself a hole you can't get out of," I spat. "You can't go now!"

"I must say when I took the job, nothing in the job description…"

"So you're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books," Harry asked incredulously.

"Books can be misleading."

"You wrote them," Harry and I shouted at the same time.

Lockhart chuckled, "Do use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I had done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save some village from werewolves! He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all…"

"You're a fraud," Harry accused (and rightfully so). You've been taking credit for what other wizards have done!"

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Lockhart smiled, resting his leg of the now full trunk. "There was work involved. I had to track these people down and ask them exactly how they managed to do it. No, it's not all book signings and publicity photos. You want fame; you have to be prepared for a long, hard slog."

"Is there anything you can do," Ron asked, disgusted.

"Yes, now that you mention it," Lockhart turned his back to us. I grabbed Ron and Harry's robes at the elbow and pulled them back. I had a feeling something bad was about to happen. "I am rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would go blabbing and I'd never sell another book. I'm afraid I'll have to do the same to you three, lest you do the same."

Lockhart spun around, wand pointed in our faces. But we, being younger, were much quicker. "Three against one, Professor. Expelliarmus." His wand flew out of his hand and on the floor. I mocked him, "I'm rather gifted with Disarming Charms."

"You're coming with us," Harry flicked his wand towards the door and Lockhart went out, his hands raised to his chest.

Quietly, the four of us made our way down to the girl's bathroom to see Moaning Myrtle. Harry, Ron, and I had Lockhart walking ahead of us, our wands at his back. Moaning Myrtle floated above the cistern doing what she always does…moaning.

"What? Who's there? Oh…" she smiled all flirty like when she saw us. "Hello, Harry. What do you want?"

Harry looked at me and Ron. With his head, Ron motioned to Harry to ask Myrtle the question. I just scrunched up my nose. Harry stared up at the bathroom ghost, "To ask how you died."

Myrtle looked flattered, "Oh, it was dreadful. It happened right here…in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard someone come in."

"Who was it, Myrtle," Harry asked.

"I don't know! I was distraught," she yelled. I winced. "But they said something funny. A kind of made-up language. And I realized it was a boy speaking. So, I unlocked the door to tell him to GO AWAY, and…I died."

"Just like that? How…"

"No idea. I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. Over there…"

Myrtle pointed to the sinks. Harry hurried over followed by Ron as I kept my wand and eyes on Lockhart. The two checked the pipes below the sinks and the tile above. Ron went to the other side when Harry stopped. He traced something with his fingers. "This is it! This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

"Say something, Harry," Ron told him excitedly. "Say something in Parseltongue." Harry stared at the tiny snake on the side of the faucet and hissed in a strange accent. With a loud crack the circular group of sinks opened and a large, dark pipe was exposed.

"Excellent, Harry, good work. Well then…I'll just be going. There's no need for me," Lockhart began to back up.

"Oh, yes there is," I grabbed onto his cloak, pulling him forward. "You first. Someone has to make sure it's safe."

We three pointed our wands at the older man. "Now, what good will it do?"

"A bloody lot of good if it's a two-hundred foot drop onto jagged rocks," Ron replied.

Lockhart gulped and peered down. Ron and Harry both gave him a nudge and he toppled headfirst and out of sight. He hollered and yelled for the longest time. Finally we heard his voice, "It's really quite filthy down here."

"Alright," Harry said, looking at me and Ron. "Let's get it over with."

He was about to jump down when Moaning Myrtle spoke up, "Harry, if you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet."

"Um, thanks, Myrtle," he turned and jumped into the black abyss.

"Well then, you next," Ron cleared his throat. I rolled my eyes.

"Baby," I muttered and I jumped down after Harry.