For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. Lyla had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly'' and "looking happy."

Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover.

"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."

Ginny's lip trembled.

"Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Arabella assured her over lunch one day. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time."

"I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before she's expelled. only joking—" Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite normal for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors had their usual double potions together, and Lyla was running very late. As she raced through the corridors, she saw Anthony Goldstein, the Ravenclaw boy from Herbology, coming toward her. She had just opened her mouth to say hello when Anthony caught sight of her, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction.

Lyla found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor James had asked for a three-foot-long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."

"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short,'' Ron said furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll.

Theo huffed heavily and tossed his potions book down, scowling.

"Snape and his essays," he grumbled, "and people say he favors Slytherin…"

"Theo, if you add Lionfish spine and Salpeter together, they explore," said Blaise, eyeing his friend's essay with a frown. "Remind me never to take a potion from you."

Daphne snorted, while Lyla looked at Arabella with worry.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Lyla, looking around curiously."She said she'd meet us, yet she's nowhere to be found…"

"Somewhere over there," said Arabella, pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book."

"I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas," laughed Theo.

Lyla told them about how Anthony reacted at the sight of her.

"Dunno why you care so much," said a new voice, and Draco came stumbling in. Setting his bulging book bag down, he looked at Lyla with a raised brow. "I've always thought he was a bit of an idiot," he continued, "you know, all that junk about Lockhart being so great —"

Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last, seemed ready to talk to them.

"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out," she said, slumping down in her chair. "And there's a two-week waiting list. Ooh, I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."

"Why do you want it?" asked Draco.

"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"What's that?" said Lyla.

"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else—"

"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.

"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly stern. "You've had ten days to finish it —"

"I only need another two inches, come on —"

The bell rang.

History of Magic was beginning to turn into a dull subject. Professor James was a cheerful American witch who taught with chalk illustrations jumping around the classroom madly as she talked. As she opened her notes and began to read, two stick figures leaped high into the air, while others scrambled around writing out names and dates. She had been speaking for half an hour when Daphne slowly raised her hand.

Professor James, glancing up in the middle of her dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked confused. Hardly anyone disrupted her when she was talking about something extensive.

"Miss Greengrass?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets."

The energy in the room zapped dangerously, and those who had been sitting with their gazes unfocused open, jerked out of their trances.

Professor James blinked.

"My subject is History of Magic," she said after an uncomfortable pause. "I deal with the facts, Miss Greengrass, not myths or legends."

"Please, ma'am, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

The American witch was looking at her in amazement.

"Well," sighed Professor James slowly, "yes, one could argue that I suppose." She peered at Daphne as though she had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous some might say—"

But the whole class was now hanging on Professor James's every word.

"Oh, well," she said. "Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets… what is there… yes. You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago— the precise date is uncertain — by the greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

She paused, frowning before continuing.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Professor James paused again, pursing her lips. "Reliable historical sources tell us this much," she said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

There was silence as he finished telling the story. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch her, hoping for more. Professor James looked faintly annoyed.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," she said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Daphne's hand was back in the air.

"Ma'am— what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor James.

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor James, shuffling through her notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."

"But, sir," said Draco, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

"Nonsense," said Professor James in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing —"

"But, Professor," piped up Theodore, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it—"

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't," snapped Professor James. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —"

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't—" began Blaise, but Professor James had had enough.

"That will do," she snapped sharply. "It is a myth! And It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

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