Busy week

The week started pretty well for Minerva. She got to enjoy her tea in the Great Hall, had a lovely chat with Aurora about the total lunar eclipse that was happening at the end of the month and that coincided with the full moon. There were a few rare spells they could perform then.

Her eyes travelled to the Gryffindor table. A lot of laughter and chatting, talking over each other. She focused on Ginevra Weasley for a second. It was not like she didn't think it possible for a Weasley to be this quiet or didn't secretly pray for it, but the girl was acting strange.

Even Percy that followed the rulers and was tamer than all of his brothers seemed livelier and more talkative. She knew Ginny was doing fine in her classes and had a good head on her shoulders and was way too young to be lovelorn, so maybe it was a lingering issue.

She decided to call Percy into her office straight after breakfast. The Prefect rushed in before she even got to it herself.

"Yes, Professor, you called me?" He asked. "What did Fred and George do now?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your sister"

"Ginny? But she has been very quiet."

"Exactly. I have seen her before she got to school on a few occasions. Don't you think she is a bit too quiet?"

"Well, now that you have mentioned it…" He scratched his head.

"Can you talk to her? Or keep an eye on her and report back?"

"Yes, Professor," He bowed and made his way out.

Her door didn't even fully close when Lee Jordan breezed in.

"Yes, mister Jordan?"

"I have lost my giant tarantula"

She felt a headache coming. "Lost it?"

"She was in her terrarium before I got to bed and this morning she was gone."

"And why do you have a giant tarantula in your room?" She started rubbing the base of her nose – a habit she was trying to break for years.

"Well, owls are boring and I am allergic to cats."

"How long have you been had it for?"

Lee avoids her eyes. "Freshman year."

"Of course… Can you… put some posters in the Common Room? I will keep an eye out for it."

"Thank you, Professor," Lee grinned and made his way out.

"I need more tea," Minerva mutters in his wake.

A few days later Percy Wesley came to report about his sister. He had a leather bound notebook with rather meticulous notes.

"So to summarize, your sister only has friends in the evening tutoring session with Severus and none in her dorm."

"It appears so, Professor."

"Where does she spend most of her free time?"

Percy's cheeks redden and he whispers.

"In the 3rd floor lavatory"

"The Moaning Myrtle's?"

"Yes, madam… And what is weird, she is not the only one. I've seen more people go in at different intervals… Maybe they have a club."

"A club? In a lavatory?"

"Maybe the girls' ones are bigger on the inside," He muttered.

"Yes, mister Weasley, thank you. That is all"

"Is… is she in trouble?" Percy asked at the door.

"I don't think so," Minerva smiled warmly at him.

That evening, Minerva decided to do some investigation herself. She used a Disillusionment Charm on herself and walked to the 3rd floor lavatory. She didn't get to see Ginny, but something just as strange. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom all sneaked in.

Minerva followed them inside. Luckily, they were arguing loudly among themselves -they were no Marauders- although she was close enough for them to hear her footsteps.

Inside the room, there was a cauldron slowly bubbling in a corner. Granger was dishing out instructions to the other two and then they put the potion in three separate containers and put 3 strands of hair in each one.

Pollyjuice. Minerva was secretly impressed. She ended the clocking spell before they got to drink it and cleared her throat loudly.

Ron Weasley dropped his vial and it smashed into the ground.

"Bloody Hell."

"Indeed. Now can anyone tell me what you are doing here?"

The three looked at each other and neither spoke.

"I can see the Pollyjuice and I can give you detention just for that, but I would rather hear the whole story.

"We… think someone in Slytherin is the Heir and we wanted to investigate," Granger said.

"And who are you investigating?"

Silence again.

"I can always expel you for a stunt like this."

"Harry Potter, we think it is Harry Potter," Ron Weasley said.

"We want to rule him out," Granger said glaring at him.

"You three in my office! And dump that vial, my dear," she told Hermione. "That is not a human hair."

Hermione looked horrified and dumped her potion.

"You bring yours, Mister Longbottom"

Neville gulped and followed the others.

It took her 30 minutes, but she managed to cox the story out of them. Ron got scared when in dueling class Potter spoke Parseltongue and started suspecting him. Then Neville devised the plan and they both pushed Granger into it, using her loyalty and willingness to prove them wrong.

They planned to sneak into the dungeons and get information from Potter and Black to make them admit of being the Heir, she assumed. Not the best plan, but they put a lot of dedication into it and made a good looking potion.

She took 50 points from each, even if it hit her house twice as hard and sent them to their dorms. She did confiscate the potion, of course.

Severus was thankfully not asleep yet and was in her office just a few minutes after he was called. He took a seat and listened to the story and inspected the potion. Minerva could see he was secretly proud, but mostly he was worried about Black and Potter.

It was no secret between the staff that Severus was very protective of those two.

"Do you think there is any truth behind it?" She asked when they were both having tea.

"The boy is in Slytherin and a Parselmouth."

"The chamber has been opened, Severus."

"And it automatically has to be a Slytherin?"

"No, but it must be a student."

"Are you sure? We have a suspect from last time still living at the school."

"You think Hagrid was guilty?" She widened her eyes.

"He was convicted and expelled… But he was in the same year as Riddle."

"Riddle is dead," She said in a certain tone.

"We would have known if he was back," Severus said dryly.

"So who do you think it is then?" Minerva asked. "There are a lot of Death Eater offspring's… Maybe Riddle taught someone how to open the Chamber"

"He was never the one to share his secrets" Severus said darkly.

"Maybe you should have a chat with Black and Potter."

"I told you they are not guilty!" Severus's eyes sparkled.

"But maybe they know something," Minerva said.

Severus agreed begrudgingly.

The next evening, when she got to her office, Severus was waiting there with Potter and Black looking pretty solemn on chairs in front of him.

"You better hear this yourself," He said barely containing his rage. "So, boys, please, tell Professor McGonagall what you told me."

The boys looked down.

"Draco, now," Severus snapped.

"We know how to open the Chamber."

Minerva walked briskly to her chair and sat down.

"But we didn't hurt anyone," Potter talked over his friend.

"So is or isn't a monster in the chamber?" Minerva asked.

"She is not a monster," Harry muttered under his breath.

Minerva looked up at Severus. He was simmering.

"She?"

"Her name is Selina, she is a basilisk and Salazar's familiar," Harry said.

Minerva looked on stunned.

"But someone is controlling her. Someone having the blood of the heir, she makes her hurt people, but she only stuns them," Harry said.

"What about the girl she killed in the past?" Severus snapped.

"She didn't know Myrtle was there…" Harry said looking down.

"A basilisk… under the school… how does she ever move around?"

"Pipes," Harry mumbled.

"We can easily fix the issue with a rooster from Hogsmeade," She told Severus.

"I will send a letter to Rosmerta."

"Please, do not kill her, she is innocent," Harry turned his pleading eyes to Severus. Minerva could literally see his resolve melt.

"I will escort you to your dorms, and be sure you stay there!" He said and ushered them out.

"Always… All the time there is something happening it is a Potter and a Black." She mutters in the now deserted room.

They decided to go into the Chamber the very next day. Severus and Minerva armed with a rooster. It could be the beginning of a rather unsavory joke, Minerva thought.

They needed Potter to open it, since he refused to teach them how to say it. The entrance was from Mythtle's lavatory indeed. Harry hissed the password to a sink and the entrance opened before them.

When they opened the main door to the Chamber itself, Harry run ahead of them. He hissed something into the dark and the basilisk emerged to greet him. Minerva was not one to be scared easily, but the creature was huge, with shiny dark green scales and fangs that were as big as Harry.

Severus called the student back, but he was already petting the huge creature.

"I told you she is not dangerous," Harry said.

"You know a lot of creatures can pretend or disguise themselves," Severus said trying to step closer and drag Harry back.

"She smelled the rooster on you and still let you in," He said.

"Mister Potter, step back this instant."

Harry seemed reluctant, but complied.

Severus stepped in front of him as soon as he was in range. He looked grateful at Minerva.

"Ask who is controlling her," He said.

"She doesn't know, she said voices are different when hissing. It seems familiar."

"Familiar? She was only awake years ago," Severus said turning to Minerva.

"She hears someone coming," Harry said and looked back at the tunnels they came from.

"Ask her to get back in her den," Severus said.

Harry hissed his command and the basilisk retreated.

Severus looked concerned, probably wondering how to shove Harry so he was more protected from the basilisk behind and the unknown danger in front. It was rather heartwarming.

The steps were getting closer, clear now. Small steps, child's feet – Minerva remarked with dread.

From the dark and wet tunnel came into the lighted Chamber Ginny Weasley. She was wearing her Hogwarts Robes, muddy and wet at the bottoms. Her eyes were wide open and she was clutching a leather bound book in her arms.

"Weasley!?" Severus's voice was higher than usual. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny didn't answer, she continued to stare on ahead and walk into the chamber.

Minerva grabbed her arm.

"Miss Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"

Ginny didn't even turn towards her, just stubbornly tried to move forward.

"She is possessed," Severus said.

"She is the one… The master," Harry remarked.

Just then the cave shook and the basilisks appeared again, this time from one of the statue's mouths. Using this break as her chance, Ginny shoved Minerva and walked to the center of the room.

"What is happening?" Harry asked.

Severus shoved him towards the entrance to the Chamber and stood in front of him.

Ginny put the book down and the pages started turning on their own. A blue mist emerged and solidified into a ghost. A pale ghost of a former student, in Slytherin robes and with a Prefect Badge.

"Tom Riddle," Severus said.

"Salazar's heir", Harry hissed.

"I didn't mean to accelerate my plans like this, but I assume it can't be helped," The ghost said. His form solidified more till it was not transparent anymore. Ginny collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.

"What do you want?" Minerva asked.

"What I always wanted", the ghost grinned. "This time with the added motivation of getting a body"

"A body?" Minerva asked.

"I was thinking of just killing the golden boy, but then… how about controlling it?" The ghost grinned. "After all, he did defeat the Dark Lord."

"I didn't, my parents did. And why do you care about Voldemort? He was after your time."

"Oh my dear, Voldemort is my past, present and future," He started writing his full name in flaming letter.

"He is the young version of Voldemort," Severus said drily.

The ghost turned to him with scorching eyes.

"Oh and you know all about that, don't you, Professor Snape. How is your arm?"

"You are not possessing any of my students," Minerva said vicious.

"Already did… For months and any of your protectors noticed? I could have killed anytime and she would have been just another ghost."

"You didn't even die here," Severus said.

"No, he didn't, so he is not haunting an area… He is haunting an object," Minerva completed.

"Accio Diary!" Severus said.

The leather bound book flew into his arms.

"You don't think he actually made a…"Minerva turned to her colleague.

"Incendio!' He flickered his wand. Flames appeared, but the book didn't burn.

"I could stay and watch you struggle further, but I am on a schedule," Riddle said and hissed something to the basilisk behind him.

The monster dashed towards them and Severus pushed Harry out of the room.

"Go, bring Dumbledore!" He ordered.

"Promise me you won't kill Selina!" Harry pleaded.

"Now, Harry!"

"Promise!"

"Fine, now go!"

The boy rushed down the corridor.

The basilisk prepared for another attack. Severus sighed and vanished the rooster.

"What is the plan?" Minerva asked firing a spell at the basilisk. "How do we destroy a Horcrux?"

"Not many methods… It's a very dark magic… We need a very potent venom or a light magic based weapon."

"We have a potent venom source," Minerva said dodging another attack and casting a shield.

"Not really know how to milk a basilisk, you know," The potion master snapped.

The basilisk attacked the shield. It smashed its head against it and tried to bite around it.

A drop of venom glistened from its fangs and dripped along the shield.

Severus caught it in a flask from his robes and poured in on the book in his hand. The venom started working immediately and the ghost of Tom Riddle became paler and paler till it disappeared.

The basilisk stopped attacking as soon as he was gone. Her eyes cleared and she closed them as soon as she was aware of people in the room. She hissed distressed.

"Should we transfigurate another rooster?" Minerva asked.

"No… I… She doesn't look as dangerous, maybe Hagrid can help with her. She is older and lived here longer than us," Severus said.

Minerva tried not to smile.

They rushed in to Ginny and took her to the infirmary.

It was only a few hours later, while Minerva was informing Molly Weasley about her daughter's condition, when Harry barged into the infirmary and went straight to Severus.

"You promised!" He accused darkly.

"Your… pet is unharmed," Severus said looking at Minerva.

"Oh," The boy halted in his steps. "Thank you!" He turned his beaming face towards Severus.

"It was not a favor, she is very hard to destroy that's all!" Severus said.

Harry knew he was bluffing, but decided not to call him on it. Minerva suppressed a smile on her face, terribly inappropriate with a scolding Molly Weasley watching you.

And so concluded the busiest week Minerva had in a long time. And it was not even close to the end of the second term. At least the Chamber deal was done. Who knew how many more students would have been affected.

The rest of the semester was thankfully calmer. It was a bit of a commotion at Valentine's with Lockhart employing dwarves – against school regulations, mind you – to deliver valentines. Poor Severus was enraged, but the students had a lot of fun with it.

Even Ginny gave Harry one, which was a step up in her progress, but made the boy very embarrassed, and at lunch in the Great Hall too.

The rest of the year was not that eventful. Pomona grew her mandrake crop in time to help the few affected students. Parents stopped pushing the Ministry to get tighter security and even Lockhart announced he was not coming back for his second year to teach.

In the end, the year was overall pretty good in Minerva's books, at least in the end. Even Lee Jordan found his spider. She was still tempted to ban it for the future, but the rules were a bit loopy on the pet policy. Harry was keeping a snake now, so she could be a bit lenient.