Despite the fact that the teachers tried to pretend everything was normal following the Halloween petrification, things were changing with the seasons. The day after Halloween, Blaise had checked out a copy of Hogwarts, A History. He later noted that he got the library's last copy, as everyone apparently was very eager to read up on the Chamber of Secrets to figure out what was going on.
"The four founders of Hogwarts—Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin—decided to create a school where witches and wizards could learn to control their magic free in an environment of muggle persecution. However, Slytherin disagreed with the other Founders on matters related to witches and wizards of muggle decent. He believed that only those with magical lineage could be trusted to keep the sacred secrets of the wizarding world," Blaise read. He was sitting in the armchair by the fire, while the first year Slytherins gathered around him, wanting to hear about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. He continued to read at the insistence of his friends. "It was after this argument had run its course that Slytherin decided he was better off without the other three founders, and left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, many people believe that Slytherin left his secrets behind, in the form of a secret chamber somewhere in the castle with an unidentified beast inside, that would have the power to rid the school of the muggleborns he hated. The legend says that only the Heir of Slytherin, who would possess the founder's powers and abilities, has the ability to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the beast hidden within. And that's all it says here," he finished.
Draco nodded. "Finally, someone is doing some good around here." Pansy nodded her agreement. She was probably the only person in the room who hated muggleborns more than Draco Malfoy.
Throughout the school, there were whispers of Potter being the Heir of Slytherin.
Theo was one of the firm followers of that theory.
"It just makes sense," he said to his friends as they walked across the castle to Defense Against the Dark Arts one Friday afternoon. "He was already at the scene of the crime when the other students arrived. He was just standing there, with his friends. He looked guilty. Isn't that at least a little bit suspicious to you guys?"
Daphne shrugged. "Well… I suppose…"
"Wouldn't the Heir of Slytherin be a Slytherin?" Avalon asked.
Blaise shrugged. "Not necessarily. For example, your sister Lucy is the heir of your parents, and while they were in Slytherin, the Hat put her into Gryffindor. I don't think Slytherin's heir would need to be in the same house."
"Which explains why you-know-who wanted to kill Potter as a baby. The kid was a threat. He knew that Potter was the Heir of Slytherin, and wanted to make sure that no one would ever come close to toppling his regime." By this point, Theo was waving his arms wildly about as he tried to make his point. "But, since Slytherin's raw power courses through Potter's veins, you-know-who didn't stand a chance, and he was completely obliterated. Until last spring, when he tried to return and Potter defeated him again. How else do you explain a kid battling you-know-who twice and winning?"
"You know, usually everything Theo says is tripe, but this makes sense," Daphne muttered.
"No it doesn't," Avalon countered. "Why would Potter want to get rid of muggleborns? His best friend Granger is one, remember?"
Theo and Daphne paused, looking at each other, wondering which of them was going to come up with the killer argument that explained why Potter would want to kill his best friend and those like her. "Maybe that's his cover. Who would suspect Potter as having a secret vendetta against muggleborns if he's known to be friends with them?"
"Wasn't he raised by muggles? Why would he be prejudiced against them?"
By this point, they had reached Lockhart's classroom and they slipped into their seats, halting their conversation in its tracks. Their professor cleared his throat loudly. "Good afternoon, students! Welcome to another class with me, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the Great Gilderoy Lockhart. I'm going to tell a story I'm sure you all have been dying to hear: my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf. Now, I know you've read all about the feat in my bestselling book, Wanderings with Werewolves, but I'm going to show you all a reenactment. I'm going to need a volunteer to play the Wagga Wagga Werewolf."
No one raised a hand.
"All right, the lucky winner is… Gregory Goyle! Come up here, chap. You have quite the shoes to fill—Harry Potter played a very convincing werewolf in yesterday's class."
Avalon, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne exchanged looks at the mention of Potter's name.
Although a few believed that Potter truly was the Heir of Slytherin, some students had other ideas, especially Potter's friends, something Avalon would find out the hard way. That following week at dinner, she walked up to Neville at the Gryffindor table with a confused expression on her face. "Hey, Nev, what's going on?" she asked. "You weren't in the library today. Did you forget it was Tuesday?"
"Right. Sorry. I… umm…"
From Neville's side, Finnigan glared at her. Then he coughed loudly. Neville looked from Avalon to Finnigan, then back to Avalon.
"What's going on?" Avalon asked.
"I don't know. I just… with everything that's going on now, and all of my schoolwork, I don't know if I really have time for our tutoring sessions. Maybe it'd be best if we just…" his voice trailed off and he looked at Finnigan, who raised his eyebrows and nodded. Whatever Neville was trying to say had been rehearsed with him. "If we just didn't…"
"Is it because I'm a Slytherin? And everything that's going on right now? The attack on Mrs. Norris?"
"No, it's not that, I'm just…"
Avalon shrugged at his words. "I get it, Neville. You're scared. People are scared. They don't know what's going. And just like everyone else, you want answers. You want someone to blame. I understand. But I'm sure that you know, somewhere in your heart, that I have absolutely nothing to do with this. I came from the feast like everyone else."
There was a long pause as her friend fought for the words to say. "Are you sure? You can be wishy washy sometimes. Ron told us about what happened when you stayed with his family. One minute, you apologize for being an arsehole, and the second you get back with your Slytherin friends you go back to your old prejudiced ways. And when I talk to you, you're rarely ever paying attention. You just stare off into space, thinking about your own problems. I have problems too, Avalon. Friends listen. You don't."
Everything Neville was saying rang true, and Avalon knew this.
But she had never seen Neville so upset. Even when Draco was tormenting him, he was never like this. It was a horrible combination of anger and sadness. His face was turning red and his hand was trembling. "Neville, I—"
"I'm not finished." Neville closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. Avalon tried not to focus on the fact that he was crying at this point. "You're no different from Malfoy, or Pansy Parkinson, or any of them. You hate Ron and his family for being blood traitors, but you call me your friend. I have a question for you. What's the difference between me and Ron? Am I just one muggle-loving comment away from your bullying?"
"I would never hurt you. Where is this coming from?"
"A couple days ago, you knocked Hermione's books out of her hands on the stairs," Neville said. "You hate her for being a muggleborn."
"Look, I don't—"
Finnigan put his hand on Neville's shoulder. "I think you need to leave, Steele."
"Oh. That's where it's coming from. Don't let him bully you into saying things you don't mean," Avalon said. She folded her arms across her chest and tried to hide the quiver in her voice. "You're one of my best friends, Neville, you know that."
After a moment, Neville looked up at Avalon. His face had returned to its normal hue. "I think Seamus is right. You should go."
She didn't move.
"It's all right," Neville added after a moment. "I have to go check on my bowtruckle branch anyway. I'll see you around, Avalon." He stood up quickly and rushed out of the Great Hall, his head down as he made sure not to turn back and look at her. Avalon was left, standing in front of Finnigan and his best friend Dean Thomas, wondering what had just happened.
"Feel free to leave any time."
Avalon started to walk away, but whirled back around to face Finnigan, her hands propped on her hips like she had seen Lucy do countless times while arguing with their father. She narrowed her eyes at the Gryffindor boy and tried to shoot daggers. After a moment, she spat in his direction, "Go to hell, Finnigan."
His smirk faltered for a moment, but Avalon was already on her way back to the Slytherin table.
When she sat down, her friends could see that something was wrong—especially because they had been able to see the exchange between Avalon, Neville, and Finnigan, and Neville's hasty exit—but they knew her well enough to leave her alone until she decided to open up to them. But soon, tears began fall, and wordlessly, Daphne wrapped her arms around Avalon. The girl sniffled into Daphne's uniform jumper. The boys were silent as well, for the first time since Avalon had known them.
By the next morning, Daphne, Theo and Blaise had somehow managed to find out exactly what had been said, and they took matters into their own hands.
Avalon had just finished battling Pansy and Millicent for one of the showers and was toweling her hair dry when Daphne pranced into the dorm and flopped onto Avalon's bed. She grinned up at her friend. "Why are you so happy?"
"Let's just say that Finnigan may have gotten what was coming to him." As she spoke, Daphne twirled her wand through her fingers nonchalantly. Her smile only widened. "We figured you probably didn't want us to do anything to Longbottom, so we left him alone, but I cast a pretty nasty Jelly-Legs Jinx on Finnigan on his way to breakfast. He fell in front of that Lavender Brown girl, too. I think he fancies her." Avalon made a face at the mention of Finnigan's potential crush.
"I love you guys."
"I know, but wait, it gets better: Finnigan fell down the stairs. He's spending morning classes in the Hospital Wing drinking Skele-Gro."
Avalon pulled on a clean white shirt and began to tie her tie. Knowing that Finnigan had gotten what he deserved took away some of the pain of Neville ditching her. She wasn't looking forward to seeing him in Double Potions that day, and it was unlikely that Snape would let them switch partners based on a small personal conflict. The only choice was to suck it up. Maybe he'd blow something up and Snape would put him with Finnigan and her with Daphne instead. At least then he'd be with someone he actually considered to be a friend and Avalon would work with someone who wouldn't stab her in the back.
Regardless of the outcome, it was going to be a long day.
