Chapter 37: Secret Chambers

Harry walked into the Great Hall alone, looking around. Since the dance was open to all the years, there were little first and second years running around, giggling. Harry smiled, walking over to a table and looked around for his friends.

He grinned as he saw Neville and Hannah kissing under some mistletoe, then get teased by a whole bunch of younger years nearby. He saw a whole bunch of people out on the dance floor, although Ron and Seamus were off to the side, talking. Harry was reminded of what happened at the last ball and got slightly worried that Ron might try something again. Ginny was looking irritated at Seamus, standing next to him, Harry assumed he was her date.

He saw Blaise and Susan dancing, then switched partners over to Hannah and Neville. He sighed as he watched them all, wishing he could dance with-

"Harry, how are you?" Minerva asked, sitting across from him.

"Fine. I just arrived, actually."

"Ah, so how are things going? You seem a little tired lately."

Harry gave her a small smile. "Just a lot going on."

"Of course, getting ready for exams and such can be a little stressful as well. I heard about the DA's workshop hosted by Miss Bones, I was quite impressed to hear about what they covered…" She gave him a knowing smile.

Harry grinned. "I let her borrow the book you gave me for my birthday. The kids seemed to love the flashier stuff."

"Of course…" She paused for a moment, looking at him carefully. "Your scars are fading."

Harry grinned. "Guinea pig for an experimental potion."

"Oh, who made it?"

"Sorry, cant tell." Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Alright then. So…you think they'll fade completely?"

"Hopefully by spring, maybe graduation."

"That would be nice…so…who is your date this evening?" She asked, looking around.

Harry grinned sheepishly. "Forgot to get one."

She chuckled. "Right, you forgot. Well, at least you don't have to show off to anyone this time…this year's is much better, I think, not so formal."

"Yeah. I think the kids are having fun." He glanced over to see two of them looking rather suspicious around the punchbowl. "Ah, a little too much."

Minerva followed his gaze. "Ah, I must be off then, I shall see you later." And then she strode off quickly to the punchbowl.

Harry grinned, watching her pull them away and give them a talking to. His friends stopped by to say hello, but were rather busy with their dates, so didn't stay long. He checked his watch and thought he'd been there long enough, and slipped out of the Great Hall.

Christmas day, he'd gotten permission to visit the kids, so he spent the day with them. It was fun. Harry had gotten a batch of wolfsbane for all of them, as well as a whole stack of fairy tale books and coloring books. He also had gotten a few school books as well.

He pulled a few strings with Moody and had gotten wands for each of them. He smiled at the looks on their faces as they held their wands in their hands.

He went back to the school that night and slept. And slept. And slept. He knew that he would be very busy coming up.

Using the books, they arranged to meet in the school at 2AM. A team of six Unspeakables had arrived silently, all dressed in their usual midnight blue. Harry gave one of them the scrolls and the translations as soon as they were in a secure area, and the Unspeakable had taken out a bag and place them inside gingerly.

"Shall we?" Harry said quietly, leading the way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She was luckily not there when they arrived, and Harry opened the passage way. They went down to the chamber and looked around.

"What is all this rubble from?"

"A cave in. But the entrance is close." Harry said quietly, banishing the rubble and opening the entrance way. The unspeakables didn't blink an eye as the snakes moved and unlocked, and Harry entered the Chamber. He made a face at the decomposing Basilisk in the middle of the Chamber.

"They didn't do anything with it?"

"Couldn't get back inside, could they?" Harry said quietly, looking around for any clues. He watched the Unspeakables spread out systematically, analyzing the chamber. He sighed, idly walking towards Salazar's head, making a face at it. The man must have had a big ego to have such a huge statue of himself.

He ran his hands over the face slowly, jumping back as one of the man's earlobes moved in his hand. The entire room's walls lit up with a shimmering light, and he heard all the Unspeakables gasped. Harry looked around in awe, seeing all sorts of runes etched in light. "What did you do?" One of them asked, turning to him.

"I just moved his earlobe." Harry said nervously with wide eyes, looking around.

All of the Unspeakables took out strange looking cameras and recorders from their bags, taking pictures of all the walls. As soon as they were finished, they turned to Harry. "Does anything else move?"

Harry frowned, running his hands over the man's face once more. He touched the man's eye, the pupil, to be exact, and it slid back. Harry jumped back as the face moved forward and slid up, revealing a passage way.

Harry shivered. "This is where the basilisk came from before…I think it was the only one…I hope it was." He fingered his wand nervously, then watched the Unspeakables go into the passage. Harry fidgeted for a moment before walking inside, not hearing any screaming or anything.

There was a tunnel right off to the side, wet and cold, and went through the passageway that continued up in the center. Harry opened a door and saw the Unspeakables going over the room. It looked like a study.

Harry walked forward, touching the desk slightly. Everything was dust free, like it had been just opened yesterday. He looked to the unlit fireplace off to the side and wondered if this room could be accessed by floo.

He saw the Unspeakables flipping through books and checking titles. Harry glanced at the names. Thankfully, they were all in English. He probably thought that someone who'd gone through the trouble of accessing the chamber would have been worthy of finding his study.

He bit his lip, scanning the bookshelves, and he spotted a rather large book. It was rather beaten up looking. He grabbed it and grinned. "This is a parseltongue to English translator." Now they don't have to depend on me to translate parseltongue things…

One of the Unspeakables grabbed the book, scanning down some of the pages. "He's right-"

Harry sighed. Looking around at the place, he felt like he should be more excited about all of this but…he just had feeling there was something missing, something bigger than all this, but they wouldn't find it here. He watched the Unspeakables fawn over the translator, probably one of the few in existence. He got a strange feeling as he looked at their expressions...something wasnt right. He couldnt quite place it, and it made him uncomfortable.

He hummed as he went back to the desk, going through the drawers, and grabbing what looked like a journal.

Salazar Slytherin's Diary

He slipped it into his robes quickly when no one was looking. He knew this would be important somehow, not just because of who the man was, but…he knew that whatever this big thing was, this would lead him to it.

The Unspeakables left at dawn, their bags packed to the brim, even though they were all charmed and warded to hold all sorts of things. The study looked rather bare now, and Harry was left standing in the entrance hall, exhausted. Thank Merlin it was Saturday. He went back to his room silently, yawning as he prepared to go to sleep after a long night.

The first day back to classes, Harry was walking to class when Susan looked at him carefully. "There's something different about you…I know you didn't get a haircut, it's as long as ever…your scars are fading?"

Hannah and Neville turned to look at Harry's face, staring at it. Harry blushed. "Yeah, I'm a guinea pig for an experimental potion."

"Cool, you think it'll go away completely?"

"Hopefully." Harry murmured, continuing onto class. He really didn't like people talking about his scars.

--

Harry idly nibbled on a sugar quill in the library, Salazar's diary hidden in his Ancient Runes book. Neville and Susan were glancing every so often his way, but he didn't notice…this book was terribly interesting.

When I met Rowena, I fell in love instantly. She was so brilliant, and so full of life that I had to have her. Of course, I had just been widowed, left with my son, and she with a daughter of her own, her husband abandoning her when he found out she was a witch.

As the school was built, our love grew. I didn't dare to step beyond the bounds of propriety, but she knew I loved her dearly. She knew of my chamber, she helped me build the wards around it to keep it protected.

Her love of knowledge made me make a translator for the language I was born with, she was fascinated with snakes for some reason, just as I was. Godric never understood our love of snakes, of course, he didn't understand anything much except for playing with his swords.

I knew she had a study of her own hidden away, but she was a very private person, I had only visited once. I was in awe of it. Stained glass windows stretched to the ceiling, showing the forest outside, it was near the south corridor, two floors above where Helga had the elves stationed. She was quite clever in hiding it away from Godric, who was disdainfully ignorant of Pythia and her love of snakes.

As far as I know, I was the only one she ever showed her study to, I think that means she truly loved me, but she went on sabbatical and died, and everything went to hell…

Harry sniffled, wiping an eye. "Ancient Runes makes you cry?" Neville asked curiously.

Harry looked away. "No. Just…a cold or something." He closed his book, with the diary still inside, opening his Charms book while he was making plans in his mind to look for the Chamber soon.

A few nights later, he was looking around the corridor he thought it could be in, and bumped into Severus.

"Potter, what are you doing here?" Harry glanced around at the sleeping portraits, motioning for the man to follow him. He didn't know why, but it just felt right for Severus to come with him for this.

Harry scanned the walls, looking for any clue, and finally spotted it. It was a small statue of a woman, eyes closed, a snake around her feet. He touched the top of her head and whispered. "Open."

The statue moved to the side slowly, and left a small passageway. Severus looked at him curiously, and Harry motioned for him to follow him. The passageway closed behind them, and Harry looked around the pitch black enclosed space.

"Where are we?" Severus finally asked softly, standing a bit too close to Harry.

"This is a passageway that is supposed to lead to Rowena Ravenclaw's study-"

"What?"

"I've been reading about it, and I went looking for it tonight. I'm glad you came with me. My adventures aren't much fun if I don't have anyone to share them with." Harry said softly, taking Severus hand in his and pulling forward.

Harry was met with a wall at the end. He pressed his hand to it. "Open"

It grew slightly warm and slid open, and Harry walked in. It was mostly dark, lit only by Moonlight streaming in through the huge windows, falling on bookshelves and a massive table, papers stacked everywhere, perfectly preserved. He spotted a bed off to the side, unmade, and papers were strewn on the floor around it.

Harry smiled. "This is it." He whispered. Severus looked around and found a lamp. He lit it, and all the other lamps lit at the same time.

Harry smiled. Rowena was a messy girl, apparently. "So, you just wanted to find it? Or are you looking for something specific?"

Harry turned to Severus, biting his lip. "I don't know. I feel something…is important here…."

"Feel? Harry…"

Harry looked away, turning his back on the man. Would Severus believe? Understand him?

"I'm a Seer." He whispered.