The End of Hogwarts

The next day there was an announcement to dampen everyone's mood. Kristen Pimento of Gryffindor House had been found petrified in a corridor.

"It's awful!" said Pansy, with relish. "It looks like she had just got out her compact and mirror to powder her face and she was frozen in position."

"Vain and snooty to the end," grunted Crabbe.

Sadie glared at him through the eyeholes in her mask. "I can't believe you'd say that at a time like this."

"You're so crass, Crabbe," said Tracy sniffing.

Harry numbly spooned cereal into his mouth. This had all gone too far. Where would it end?

"Could Hagrid know anything about it?" he muttered to Sadie as they filed out of the Great Hall. "If he was a scapegoat. He may know something of some use."

"Maybe. Maybe," said Sadie. "Ohh, it's gonna be awkward asking him about it. But we gotta." She put her little hand to her green forehead for a moment and closed her eyes. Then she turned to look at Harry. "Let's sneak out tonight when the others are asleep."

00O00

Harry and Sadie snuck out of the Slytherin Common Room after sunset, draped in the Invisibility Cloak. Chip was in a bag tied around Sadie's waist. The corridors were crowded with teachers, prefects and ghosts on patrol. They had to tiptoe pass Morgana on the way to the oak front doors. Her hooded eyes seemed to linger on them, but she couldn't possibly see through the Cloak. It was with relief that they emerged into the clear, starry night.

"Are you awake, hon?" Sadie asked Chip.

"Yes!" squeaked Chip loudly.

"Hush! Not so loud," said Harry. "Wait 'til we get away from the castle…"

They hurried towards Hagrid's cabin, flung the cloak off and knocked on the door. Hagrid flung it open, aiming a crossbow at them! Fang the boarhound was barking loudly behind him.

Hagrid lowered the crossbow. "Oh! What're you two doin' here?"

"What's that for?" asked Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

"I've bin expectin'… doesn't matter… sit down."

Hagrid poured them large mugs of boiling water (he'd forgotten to add tea). He hardly seemed to know what he was doing.

"Are you OK, Hagrid?" squeaked Chip. "Don't worry, we're your friends."

"I – I'm sorry to have to bring this up, Hagrid…" said Sadie, her voice quivering. "We know what happened fifty years ago…"

But then there was a loud knock at the door. Sadie grabbed Chip and she and Harry dived under the cloak and sat in the corner.

Dumbledore entered the cabin, accompanied by a small, portly man in a pinstriped suit and lime green bowler hat.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge. "Four attacks on Muggle Borns. The Ministry must act. For a short stretch only… I have to take you to Azkaban, Hagrid."

Beside Harry, Sadie stiffened.

"I never…" said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore.

"Let it be understood that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore.

"I've got to be seen doing something," said Fudge uncomfortably.

"A true leader concerns himself with what is right, not how he is seen," said Dumbledore coolly.

There was a knock at the door and Lucius Malfoy entered the cabin.

"Get outta my house!" demanded Hagrid.

"My dear man, I've no pleasure at all being in your… ah… do you call this a house?" said Lucius. "I merely called at the school and was told the headmaster would be here." He took out a long roll of parchment. "Dreadful thing, Dumbledore, but the governors feel you're losing our touch. This is an Order of Suspension. All twelve of us have voted. You must step aside."

"Oh now, see here Lucius. Dumbledore suspended? Last thing we want right now," said Fudge.

"The appointment – or suspension - of the Headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Lucius. "Dumbledore has done nothing to stop the attacks, and all twelve of us have voted."

"An' how many did yer have to threaten and blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" Demanded Hagrid.

"Temper temper," said Lucius. "You mustn't shout that the Dementors like that."

"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, causing Fang to cower and whimper.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore. "If the governors want my suspension, I shall of course step aside. But I am sure I can rely on good hearts – shining lights in the Darkness – to succeed where I could not."

Dumbledore's penetrating gaze was fixed on Sadie and Harry. Could he see them?

"A cryptically strange sentiment," said Lucius.

Hagrid was about to speak, but Dumbledore silenced him and the three men left the cabin.

"I'll need someone ter feed Fang while I'm away!" said Hagrid, and slammed the cabin door.

Sadie pulled the cloak off. "I can't blame the governors for suspending Dumbledore. Evidence is he's done absolutely nothing to stop the attacks. But poor Hagrid! Azkaban is terrible! So appalling and inhumane…" she shuddered. "Dumbledore was right about the Minister at least."

"That was Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic?" said Harry. Sadie nodded.

Fang was howling and scratching at the door. "I can only hope he will be out soon, Fang," said Sadie glumly.

00O00

Deputy Headmistress McGonagall had assumed the reins of power at the school, a move which Lucius informed Draco via owl post was only temporary. It was not known what, if any, new ideas the old witch had for catching the Heir. She ran her Transfiguration class just the same as always, which meant that Harry and his friends struggled mightily and mostly failed to understand. Potions class afterwards was always a mood booster after such torment, and Harry was glad to descend into the dungeons for Professor Snape's lecture.

"You'd think now that she's Acting Headmistress that she'd have better things to do than read two feet from each of us," Tracy complained as they walked. "Like catching the Heir of Slytherin, perhaps."

"A task far beyond her miniscule abilities," said Pansy, smirking.

Tracy sighed. "You're right, Pansy. None of her ideas worked before, and they won't work now either."

"She won't last," Theo predicted. "I don't think she has the right temperament for the job."

"Who does?" Daphne asked as she pushed open the door to the Potions classroom.

"Professor Snape," Draco answered her. "I say, that's a brilliant idea." As the Slytherins entered the empty laboratory and took their seats, he posed the question. "Professor? Why don't you apply for the Headmaster's job, sir? McGonagall's only filling in; we all know it. I know you'd have Father's vote. I'll tell him what a good teacher you are."

Snape couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Now, now, Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Ha ha. I doubt!" said Draco.

Further discussion was interrupted by the belated arrival of the Gryffindors.

00O00

New security measures were announced that night, so Harry and Sadie could only conveniently feed Fang in the afternoons. All students were to be escorted from lesson to lesson by a teacher. When not in class, students were required to remain in their Houses. Curfew now started after dinner, and violations would be severely punished.

Worst of all, Quidditch practices had been suspended. For once Slytherin House and Gryffindor House were in complete agreement - this was going too far. Slytherin's Captain, Bletchley, and Gryffindor's Captain, Wood, even went to McGonagall together to plead for mercy to no avail.

Harry chafed at the new restrictions, as did his friends. The Slytherins had to endure glares and mutterings from the other Houses for the stigma of the Heir having been a Slytherin.

"The Heir wouldn't dare attack them," muttered Lavender Brown as McGonagall escorted them all to Potions one Friday. "I bet they're just loving this."

Sadie glared at Lavender, her blue eyes bright with anger. Hermione grimaced and gave Sadie an apologetic smile. But an incident that really annoyed Harry occurred in Defence Against the Dark Arts, when Lockhart bounded into the classroom looking downright buoyant, but he stopped in his tracks and stared at them. "What a bunch of glum faces!" The class stared back at him. "Come now, I know that none of you were in danger from the beast, but surely you have friends in other Houses who were? There should be a bit more cheer in this room, even if you are all Slytherins."

Pansy raised her hand. "Why should there be more cheer, Sir?"

"The danger has passed now, Miss Parkinson," said Lockhart, in a tone suggesting that Pansy was being a bit slow. "The culprit has been taken away!"

"Says who?" said Harry.

"My dear boy," said Lockhart, "The Minister for Magic would not have taken Hagrid away if he had not been one hundred percent sure he was guilty."

"Oh yes he would," said Sadie bitterly.

"I flatter myself that I know a touch more about events that night than you do, McIntyre."

Harry stood up. "You don't know anything," he said, amazed at his own nerve, "and I've got better things to do than listen to you tell stories about how great you are."

Harry shouldered his bag and walked defiantly past the sputtering idiot and out the door. Every one of his friends stood up and followed him. Nobody said anything until they were back in the stone safety of the dungeons, and then Theo doubled over with laughter. The rest of the gang degenerated into hysterics.

"That was perfect," Theo wheezed. "Harry, bloody brilliant."

"Should have done it months ago," Millie said from the floor.

00O00

Cora's pregnancy was in its final phase now. It was a comical sight to see her waddling around her room. Her green face glowed when Harry and Sadie came to visit her. She hadn't been able to do all her cleaning duties lately, but she had carved different baby toys out of wood.

"These are so cute!" said Sadie.

"Yes! I know I'd love them," said Chip.

Harry still wasn't sure how to feel about this. His mother had made toys for him once. Did this mean that he was being replaced? Would Cora like her new baby better than him because it was her biological child?

"Gilderoy will marry me this Summer," said Cora smiling. "We've worked it out."

Harry cringed at the sound of her calling Lockhart "Gilderoy." Lockhart made Harry feel very uncomfortable. Nothing good would come of him being in their lives.

00O00

In Herbology class on Friday morning, Professor Sprout had some news.

"The Mandrakes are coming along quite splendidly," she had told them. "Their acne is just clearing up, and soon they'll be trying to move into each others pots. That's when they're fully mature. Then Professor Snape can stew them and make a potion to cure those poor children in the Hospital Wing."

"Oh good!" said Sadie. "I just hope one of them can identify the culprit."

"We must have faith, McIntyre," said Professor Sprout, nodding at her.

"It's kind of frustrating that there wasn't a quicker cure," said Sadie, shifting uncomfortably on her seat. "Is a cure that involved waiting around for months really the best that conventional Healing could come up with?"

Lisa Turpin of Ravenclaw rolled her eyes. "Don't start rambling about Dark Magic again, please."

"Now, now…" said Professor Sprout. "McIntyre's heart is in the right place. I really wish I could have whipped up a cure immediately, but the best things never come easily."

00O00

Harry was trying to eat something for lunch when Professor McGonagall strode into the Great Hall. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. Her jaw was square as she stopped in front of the High Table and faced the students.

"Attention, everyone," the old witch said. "I have an announcement to make." A hush fell instantly. A sea of wide eyes looked expectantly toward the Deputy Headmistress. "All students will return to their common rooms immediately. Curfew is now in effect, and any student who breaks it does so at risk of his own life."

"Oh no, on no…" moaned Sadie covering her eyes with her hands.

"Take a deep breath, Mummy," urged Chip. "You'll know what to do. You always do. Remember your adventure last year."

"But I don't know what to do," said Sadie. "You heard what McGonagall said. The monster must have killed someone."

Harry took the inconsolable Sadie to the boy's dorm and sat on his fourposter where she pressed her masked face against his chest.

There was a knock at the door and Percy Weasley entered. He looked a frightful mess, which was very unusual for the neat and tidy prefect. Harry could see traces of tears on his cheeks, and his lips were pale and bloodless.

Sadie looked up. "What's wrong?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Brave Percy is upset? It must be terrible if he cannot handle it," said Chip.

"This only concerns Potter," Percy whispered. "I'm sorry she hurt your friend, but please don't kill her."

"Kill who?" said Harry.

"What are you driveling about?" Demanded Sadie. "Explain!"

"I'm talking about Ginny. I know she was taken into the Chamber, and it's obvious you're the Heir, Potter. You speak Parseltongue, you defeated a Dark Lord as an infant, and the only reason to take Ginny, a pure-blood, would have to be a personal vendetta. She helped attack Malfoy, but I'm asking you to give her back. I have something more valuable."

"Oh no!" said Sadie, letting out a long breath. "The Heir took Ginny? Percy, I'm so, so sorry!"

"What?" Harry was not pleased to discover that he could still be shocked today. Ginny was a Weasley. A pure-blood. What was going on?

Percy misinterpreted Harry's terse 'what' as meaning 'what can you give me?'

"It's a map," he said. "It show you all the passages of the school and where everyone is. The possibilities of this are limitless for you. It's much better than some revenge on a first year."

"Get it through your head – Harry is not the Heir!" snapped Sadie.

"Mummy is right. You are silly," squeaked Chip.

Harry didn't bother to try and correct Percy's assumption that he was the Heir. He was intrigued. He knew where some of the secret passages were, but a map that showed them all? That was quite a treasure.

"What do you mean it shows where everyone is?"

"I took this from my brothers on Halloween. It was this that led them to Malfoy. Allow me to demonstrate." Percy pulled out a folded over bit of parchment. He smoothed the thing out on Harry's desk. "Tap it with your wand and say, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'"

"Where's your wand?"

"Snape took it. He doesn't want me to go off half-cocked looking for the Heir. Fortunately, I knew where to find you."

Sadie rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

Harry obligingly drew his wand and said the requisite words. At once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that his wand had touched. They joined each other, criss-crossed, and fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words that proclaimed:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

The Marauders Map

Percy opened the folds of the parchment and revealed a wondrous map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. What made it truly remarkable, though, were the tiny ink dots moving around on it, each labelled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over it. A bunch of labeled dots in the center of the parchment showed that the teachers were having a meeting.

"Percy, this is incredible."

"What an invention. Surely the Darkness blessed the creator," breathed Sadie.

"It shows everything: people, pets, ghosts, secret passages, everything," said Percy. "I've been searching, and I can't find Ginny anywhere on it. The Chamber of Secrets isn't on there either. Anybody can read it, but you can wipe it clean by tapping it with your wand and saying, 'Mischief managed!'"

"You worked out the secrets?" He knew Percy was smart, but deciphering this artefact must have taken ages.

"Let's just say that Fred and George were persuaded to tell me its secrets."

Which meant they probably hadn't enjoyed it. "Percy, you're wonderful," said Harry grinning.

"Thank you. I knew that part would please you. So can I have Ginny now?" Percy pleaded. "I won't tell the teachers it was you. I'll keep it secret. You can do with me what you wish. Blindfold me, leave me here to wait, whatever."

"Percy, this map is fantastic, but I'm afraid it doesn't help," Harry had to say.

"It's like you said, it doesn't show the Chamber," said Sadie, grimacing and wringing her hands together.

Percy fell to his knees with a choked sob. "It's not enough to tempt you, Potter? Then take my life. I'll give you anything you want! Just please don't take Ginny! She's only eleven. My family can't lose her!"

"Percy, please, we'll get Ginny back!" said Sadie, her voice quivering like she was close to tears at the sight of Percy losing it. "Just go… calm down. Take a drink of water."

"Will we get her back?" asked Harry.

"Yes, yes, there might be a way," said Sadie.

"Alright, Percy, I accept your offer of your life," said Harry irritably. "Now get out and leave us alone."

Percy bowed. "My life for my sister."

"Done," said Harry.

When Percy left, Harry rounded on Sadie. "So, what's your idea?"

"Necromancy!" she said. "A Muggleborn died last time the Chamber was opened. There's an outside change we might be able to conjure her ghost. There's a spell for summoning a ghost who has information you need…"

Sadie brought the Codex Mortis from out of her purple satchel and picked up Chip. Harry followed her into the secret room she had found near his dorm. She had drawn a circle in purple chalk in the middle of the floor. She waved her dragon heart string wand, and drew a circle in the air with a stream of blue fire. She murmured a string of weird sounding word and mists swirled around them.

"I summon forth the shade of one who can help us in our hour of need," murmured Sadie. "Will the departed spirit come?"

A pale, silver shadow slid into the room. It was the Bloody Baron, Slytherin's House ghost.

"No, no, that wasn't supposed to happen," said Sadie. "What went wrong. Sorry Baron…"

Harry ignored her and concentrated on the Baron.

"Baron? I can't open the Chamber; I don't know where it is." Had anyone questioned the ghosts? "Can you tell me?"

The Baron hissed sibilantly. "One who can help you is on the second floor. The one who died in that bathroom."

Harry started. "You can't mean - you don't - Moaning Myrtle?"

"You are a Parselmouth, Potter," said the Baron. "And I believe you have a secret. A voice that only you can hear."

"Wait!" said Sadie. "You're saying that Harry heard the monster of Slytherin? That must mean it's a great snake or toad. Like a basilisk or a cockatrice?"

"Is that not obvious?" said the Baron. The silver blood down his front shimmered. "Your Necromancy may not have worked as you intended. It distorted the effects of time around us. Hours have already passed." The Baron faded from sight.

Sadie gathered her Dark items in her satchel and Harry and Sadie emerged from the dorm stairwell to find the Common Room deserted. Where was everyone?

"The Baron said hours had passed, didn't he?" said Sadie anxiously.

"What does that mean, Mummy?" asked Chip.

"It means that we got caught in a time distortion bubble," said Sadie. "I really, really hope we're not too late. We desperately need the teachers' help if we're going into the Chamber of Secrets. One of them will have to look after Chip too."

"You're coming back from the Chamber, though, Mummy?" asked Chip.

"Oh, Chip. I don't know what to tell you," said Sadie. "But if we have the teachers to help, we will turn the tables on the Heir."

She put Chip in her bag and they left the Common Room.

The castle felt downright abandoned. No teachers patrolled the corridors. No prefects asked their business.

"Where is everyone?" asked Harry. "Have they all left?"

"It's starting to look that way," said Sadie. "They must have evacuated and left us behind. If so, then the place is locked down and taken off the Floo network as well."

It looked like she was right. Every teacher's office was empty. Darkness had fallen when they reached Lockhart's.

"Ah! Someone's in there," said Sadie.

They could hear scraping thumps and hurried footsteps. Sadie knocked and there was sudden silence. Then the door opened a crack and they saw Lockhart peering out.

"Professor, we know how to bring down the Heir of Slytherin!" said Sadie. "Has everyone evacuated? We know where the Chamber is and we know about the monster."

"Well… alright." Lockhart opened the door and they entered.

Lockhart had stripped the office and packed everything into two large trunks.

"I've got to go," said Lockhart. "Everyone else has evacuated, but Professor McGonagall thought it amusing to leave me behind to take care of the monster. But I've just had an urgent call. I have to leave now."

"You're running away? After all the stuff in your books?" said Harry, curling his lip.

"Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" said Sadie, breathing through her nose.

"My dear girl, do be sensible," said Lockhart. "My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done those things. Who wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves? And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a hare lip. I mean, come on…"

Sadie stared at him, her blue eyes wide and horrified.

"So basically you just stole the credit for what other people have done," said Harry. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Harry, Harry, it wasn't that simple," said Lockhart. "I had to track these people down, ask them exactly how they did it and then put a Memory Charm on them. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. They're Ministry gold standard. If you want fame, be prepared for a long hard slog. Not you though, Harry. You got it handed to you. I'm afraid I won't be marrying your mother. She's been evacuated now, but you'll never hear from me again. Now I've got to put a Memory Charm on you and Miss McIntyre, so you can't blab my secrets everywhere…"

He raised his wand and Harry raised his, but at that moment, Sadie threw something at Lockhart. It looked like a little black bug. It bit Lockhart on the neck and he seized up, his body going rigid, and he collapsed to the floor.

Sadie pointed her wand at him. "No. You won't be obliviating anyone, ever again. Everyone must know you're a fraud."

"I'm bitten! I'm poisoned!" wailed Lockhart.

"No, you're just paralysed for a day and a night," said Sadie. "It wears off after that."

"Let's force him to go into the Chamber ahead of us," said Harry, feeling a surge of vindictive pleasure at the thought. He hated Lockhart for walking out on his mother. But he wasn't surprised. Actually, he was glad that Lockhart would never be his Dad!

"Lockhart should be a meat shield," said Harry. "In case there's anything deadly dangerous waiting for us he can go ahead without a wand and get the brunt of it."

"No! Please, have mercy…" began Lockhart.

"You'll get no mercy," said Harry, but Sadie shook her head, her purple hair rippling and bouncing.

"No," said Sadie. "Murder is never justified. We can lock him up here."

"Oh, thank you!" said Lockhart.

"Now tell me the truth," said Sadie, pointing her wand at him. "The castle is in lockdown, isn't it? There's no one else here?"

"Indeed," said Lockhart. "McGonagall took them all away. The place is under a ward now."

"Then there's only one thing for it," said Sadie. "Silencio!" She waved her wand at Lockhart, whose voice magically went silent.

They locked the office door behind them.

"It's do dangerous for you to come with us, Chip," said Sadie.

Chip reached out of the bag, grabbing her arm. "Don't leave me!"

"Can Chip really die again, if it's a basilisk or a cockatrice?" Asked Harry.

"No…" said Sadie.

"Then I can help," said Chip.

Sadie sighed and shook her head. "I'll have two of you to worry about."

"Hey! I'm as capable as you," said Harry.

Sadie smiled at him.

In no time at all they were up on the second floor, where the writing on the wall had spawned the whole mess.

Harry shuddered as he read the second message from the Heir of Slytherin: "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

Sadie grimaced at the message. They pushed open the door to the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the toilet tank in the last stall looking miserable as usual.

"What do you want?" she asked when she saw them.

"To ask you how you died," Harry said promptly.

Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she'd never been asked such a flattering question.

"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. Hissing and spitting without drawing breath. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then-" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."

"How?" Harry asked.

"No idea," Myrtle replied in a hushed voice. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away. . . ." She looked dreamily at Harry. "Then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" Harry pressed.

"Somewhere there," Myrtle answered, waving vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet.

It looked like an ordinary sink. Then Harry saw it: scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"That tap's never worked," said Myrtle brightly as he tried to turn it.

"Say something, Harry," said Sadie. "Something in Parseltongue."

"But-" Harry thought hard. The only times he'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when he'd been faced with a real snake. He stared hard at the tiny engraving, trying to imagine it was real.

"Open up," he said.

He looked at Sadie.

"Not Parseltongue," she said.

Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive. If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.

"Open," he said.

Except that the words weren't what he heard. A strange hissing had escaped him, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

Harry grimaced. "Another dark hole. Just like last year, remember?"

Sadie sighed. "Except that now we don't have our friends to help."