THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

It was morning, and the students were at the Transfiguration class. Professor McGonagall was standing in the front of the class. Every student had their animals with them, on top of the tables.

- Could I have your attention, please? Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets. – there was some chattering along the class. - Like so. – She turned to a bird resting on a post to her right. She tapped with her wand as she spoke. – One, two, three, Vera Verto. - a stream of magic emitted from her wand, and the bird became a goblet. Everyone expressed amazement. - Now it's your turn! Who would like to go first? Ah! Mister Weasley. One, two, three, Vera Verto.

- Ahem! – Ron tapped his wand towards his rat, Scabbers, three times. – Vera Verto. – his wand caused Scabbers to turn into a furry goblet with his tail moving around while squeaking. Some students laughed.

- That wand needs replacing, Mister Weasley. – Hermione raised her hand. - Yes, Miss Granger?

- Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets. – everyone looked at her with surprise.

- My subject is Transfiguration, Miss Granger.

- Yes, Professor. But there seems to be very little written about the Chamber of Secrets. For those of us with a personal interest in the subject, that is…disturbing. – Draco looked at Hermione with amusement. Alex looked at McGonagall, waiting for her response.

- Very well. You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Three of the founders co-existed quite harmoniously. One did not.

- Guess who? – said Ron to Harry. Alex hated when everyone assumed the worst of Slytherin. There were meanies and bullies in all of the other houses, but apparently, people just focused on the ones that came from Slytherin.

- Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. According to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic…

- Muggle-born. – said Hermione.

- Yes. Naturally, the school has been searched many times for such a chamber. It has never been found.

- Professor, what exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber? – asked Alex.

- The Chamber is said to be home to something which the heir of Slytherin alone can control. It is said to be home…to a monster. – Ron looked at Draco, who devilish smiled at him.

- Don't tease them. – whispered Alex to him. He looked back at her with a grin on his face.

- I know, I know…

Alex, Harry, Hermione and Ron threaded their way through the teeming corridor. Up ahead, Draco walked with Crabbe and Goyle.

- Do you think it's true? Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets? – asked Ron.

- Yes. Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are. – answered Hermione.

- But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it's really been opened, that means… – Harry said.

- The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts. The question is, who is it? – said Alex.

- Let's think. – Ron said with mock on his voice, looking at Draco ahead of them. - Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum.

- If you're talking about him… - Alex said looking at Ron.

- Of course! You heard what he called Hermione.

- We all heard, Ron. But Malfoy? The Heir of Slytherin? – Hermione had a look of disbelief.

- Maybe Ron's right, girls. I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries. – said Harry, which got Alex mad.

- Okay, you need to stop with that awful thought about Slytherin. What about me? Am I an evil witch? I'm a Slytherin, after all.

- That's not what I meant, Alex…

- Yes, it is. It's what you always mean. Draco may be a prick sometimes, I know, but you behave just like him when you say stuff like that about an entire house. Just so you know, wizards from all the houses joined you know who. Even Gryffindors. Some of them, still rotting in Azkaban, so stop discriminating my house like that. – Alex turned her back to her friends, and started walking away. – Oh, and by the way, Draco may be wrong sometimes, but he's not the heir of Slytherin.

Alex walked away and headed to her next class. For the rest of the day, she ignored the trio. They were her friends, and she loved them, but she hated their prejudices against Slytherin. She was doing some homework at the library, on her own, when Ron sat in front of her, and Harry and Hermione to her sides. She looked at them and rolled her eyes.

- What do you want?

- Apologise. – said Harry.

- Well, good luck with that… - Hermione looked at Ron, and he got something out of his robe. – What's that?

- Open it! – said Hermione. She did as her friend said. It was a waffle.

- A waffle? Wait, how did you…

- Malfoy told us. – Alex had a surprised look on her face.

- You talked with Draco?

- I wouldn't call it a conversation, but yes. – said Hermione smiling. – We told him that you were mad at us for something we said about him and that you defended him.

- He laughed and said we deserved it. – said Ron with a shrug.

- Yeah, but we asked him what could we do to apologise and, well…He said that since he had called Hermione a mudblood, he would tell us. – said Harry.

- He said that whenever you get mad at him, he gives you a waffle so…we thought it was worth the try. – Hermione gave Alex a soft smile. – So, do you forgive us?

- I'm still in shock. You talked with Draco. That's…some kind of miracle! – she laughed. Alex looked at the waffle and took a bite. – It's delicious. You're forgiven. But, stop with that paranoia with Slytherin, please. It's super annoying.

- We'll try. – Ron smiled at her.

- Anyways, now that you've forgiven us…we need to talk about the plan. – Hermione looked at her.

- The plan…what plan?

- Maybe you're right, and Malfoy it's not the heir…

- Oh my god…

- But! He could know something, maybe heard his father say anything. Lucius Malfoy is not a nice person, you told me yourself.

- …You're right. Still, if Draco knew anything, he would have told me.

- We just want to make sure everything's fine, Alex. – Harry said.

- What's your plan, anyways?

- Polyjuice potion. It can transform the drinker into the physical form of another. Harry and Ron will turn into Crabbe and Goyle, I'll turn into Pansy Parkinson, I've seen her following Draco around, and you will be you. That way, we will be able to talk with him and see if he knows something. What do you think?

- I think, Hermione, that it's a waste of time. But if you're not going to stop, I'll help. That way you'll see that Draco doesn't know anything.

With that, the Slytherin girl made peace with her friends, and they started tracing a plan to create the Polyjuice potion.