[A/N. As with all my other stories I have to apoligise for the long time in which it has taken for me to write and post this. I have no real excuse other than I am lazy. I also mentioned on my other stories that I'd try to update all my stories more regularly after this weekend in which I am uploading another chapter for them all.]

Chapter Eight: The Serpent of Slytherin.

"..so that's about it." I finished telling Jenny about the conversation Martin and I had overheard that morning as the two of us made our way down towards the Quidditch pitch for practice. "What do you think?"

"I don't know." Jenny admitted, her brow furrowed with concentration. "It sounds like Michael's promised to do something for Snape and Snape's concerned he's having second thoughts about it."

"Right," I agreed. "But what? Do you think it's something evil?"

"Evil?" Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that's exaggerating a bit Sam? I mean sure, Snape's not the nicest person in the world, but I don't think he's evil. And I certainly don't think Michael is."

I sighed. "But Snape sounded mean.."

"Snape always sounds mean." Jenny replied. "Look Sam, can I speak honestly here?"

I nodded.

"I know last year was a little..well..strange for us what with Merlin, and the ghost's council, and Voldemort trying to kill us, but don't go thinking things are mysterious and strange all the time this year. I know that our parents had some adventures here all the time, but that doesn't mean we will too. Can't we just enjoy our time here without having to live in the shadow of the famous Harry Potter?" Jenny asked.

My jaw dropped and I felt my face pale. "For your information," I said stiffly. "I'm hardly trying to copy Dad and the others. If you don't want to think there is anything strange going on then don't."

"Sam." Jenny said shaking her head. "Don't go getting all offended. I just don't think there is anything in this."

"So the fact that Michael is using a fake name and Snape was threatening him doesn't seem strange to you?" I asked, avoiding her gaze as we neared the pitch.

"No." Jenny said. "And further more- it's none of our business."

"None of our business?" I repeated and stopped in my tracks. "You're kidding right?"

"No." Jenny said again, and then she pushed her hair back from her face with a sigh. "Sam, please let it be. There is nothing strange going on at Hogwarts like there was last year, and I for one am not going to waste my time looking for things which aren't there."

"Fine." I said coldly. "Just fine." And I stormed on ahead from her. Last year she'd been as curious as Martin and I as to what was going on with Merlin and the Ghosts Council. This year she was acting as though nothing was up and I didn't get it. I had to admit also the comment about my Dad hurt me slightly. I didn't think I was anything like Dad. Dad was one of a kind having defeated the worlds' greatest evil wizard on many occasions, and we'd only defeated him once. I also didn't think that it was very likely that Voldemort would come back and try to kill me again. But the thing which really got to me was Jenny's insinuation that I wanted to find an adventure at school every year so I could be like Dad, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. I didn't. But I DID think there was something strange going on, and if Jenny wanted to stick her head in the sand and pretend there was nothing up then that was fine with me!

Johnson gave me a big grin as I strode onto the pitch ahead of Jenny. "You look angry and determined Sam- just like a keeper should. We've got to get ready for the game against Hufflepuff this weekend." He said. "Now gather round. We're going to try a new formation today, something I came up with the other week."

Once up in the air my anger at Jenny disappeared and for the next hour or so we practiced hard and I had no time to even think of anything but Quidditch. Sitting on my broom by the goals I saw Jenny fly under Luke, and then loop up to fly over Emily and get the snitch. I had to admit that it WAS pretty impressive. Maybe having Jenny on the team was going to be better than I'd thought it would be. In fact maybe this second year at Hogwarts was going to be even better than the first!

*****

I trudged up towards the school later on, exhausted, my broom hanging limply from one hand. "Potter, wait up." Someone called and I turned to see one of the girls on my team, Jessica, hurrying after me. I didn't know her very well as she was currently a fifth year student.

"So, that was one hell of a practice today. I thought Baston was obsessed, but I think Johnston's just as bad." She told me with a tired grin.

"Dad was telling me once about the captain he had when he first made the team- before he was captain that is- a guy named Wood. Dad said that Wood had them practicing in all kinds of weather including rain and thunderstorms he was so determined." I replied.

Jessica laughed. "Well I hope Johnston's not that obsessed. I'm not a big fan of playing in the rain." She said, and then she frowned slightly. "Sam, I was watching you during practice and I couldn't help but notice you were giving Jenny some strange looks. I know that with your Dad being Harry Potter and all you're probably a bit disappointed that you didn't get the seekers spot-"

I interrupted her. "I was at first, but only for a few minutes. Actually I decided that being keeper was probably better for me than being seeker. This way I won't get compared with Dad all the time." I explained.

She nodded wisely. "Yeah, I bet being the son of Harry Potter can be a little hard at times?"

I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Jenny before practice. "It can." I said. "Some people seem to think I want to compete with Dad, to be better than him in everything and not just Quidditch."

"It would be understandable if you did though." Jessica said as we entered the castle, and began the trek up the stairs. "I mean everyone knows the details of Harry Potter's ever year here. How in first year he saved the Philosophers Stone from Voldemort, how in his second year he saved someone from the Basilisk and closed the Chamber of Secrets, how in his third year he-"

"I know, I know." I interrupted again. "But I don't really think about it. Dad and I are pretty different and I have no intentions of having to be the same as him." I wished Jenny were here to hear that since she thought I was imagining things when it came to Snape and Michael simply to be like Dad.

Someone was racing down the stairs and Jessica and I moved to the side of the staircase quickly. It was Michael, or Professor Mitchell if we're going to be technical about it. He stopped when he saw us. "On your way up to the common room?" He asked us breathlessly.

"Sure are." Jessica said, and she peered at him closely. "Sir, are you all right?"

"Fine, fine." He replied. "I recommend you go up to your rooms then quick smart." And before we could ask him why, he was rushing down the stairs again.

"Weird one that." Jessica said shaking her head as we started up the staircase again. "But then the last three charms teachers we've had here have been a bit strange. Professor Symonds only lasted a year, and then Horring was here two years, and now Mitchell."

I didn't comment on that; what could I say? I agreed with her one hundred percent- even if some people didn't.

We came out onto the fifth floor landing and turned to walk down the corridor towards the next staircase when we both stopped simultaneously. There, written in huge black letters on the wall were the words "The Serpent of Slytherin at last returns to Hogwarts. Enemies of the Heir beware." It took me a moment before I remembered the words on the piece of parchment Georgia had found on her bed: The serpent of Slytherin is back. Enemies of the Heir beware.

"What on earth?" Jessica muttered and she moved closer to the wall, and then stopped in her tracks. "SAM!" She cried, pointing upwards. My gaze followed her hand and there, floating in mid-air with his head thrown back and his eyes rolled back in their sockets was none other than Peeves the poltergeist.

There was the sound of steps coming closer. And then the headmistress came into the hall. "What's up children?" She asked casually, and then she saw the words and Peeves and her mouth formed an O.

"Professor McGonagall, what does it mean?" I asked recovering my voice.

"I'm sure," She said slowly. "That it means nothing and is merely a student playing a stupid joke."

"But when the Chamber of Secrets-" I began, but she interrupted me.

"Mr. Potter, this has nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets. The chamber has been destroyed and I'll thank you to keep ideas like that to yourself and not scare other members of the school." The headmistress snapped curtly. "The caretaker will remove the writing before it gets seen by too many people."

Jessica spoke up now. "Professor McGonagall," she said. "What's wrong with Peeves?"

The headmistress looked worried briefly, before replying "I'm sure he's had too much to drink or something. The ghosts were celebrating something earlier in the day and more than likely Peeves overdosed. He'll be fine. Now if you two don't mind I want you both to go up to your dormitories please."

We went up, not speaking. I for one was thinking about the words written on both the piece of parchment- which was still in my dressing gown pocket- and the wall. I was trying to think what I'd heard about the Chamber of Secrets, but all I'd ever heard was basically from other people, never from Dad who'd been directly involved in it. But something I did know, as did everyone in our world- the words "Enemies of the heir beware" had been found on the wall on both occasions that the chamber had been opened. And then another thought occurred to me, one which made me gasp and Jessica look at me strangely: why had Michael been rushing down the stairs? Had he seen the writing on the wall?

We went through the entrance to the common room giving the fat lady the password "Gizzards" and Jessica was calling for everyone to listen. They did as she related her tale of what we'd found on the wall- despite the headmistress asking us to keep it quiet.

"The wordings similar to when the Chamber of Secrets was opened." Francine said frowning. "I don't like this one bit."

"But the headmistress assured Sam it wasn't the chamber, that the chamber had been destroyed." Jessica argued.

"It has." Francine replied. "But I can't help but notice the similarities."
Everyone started talking at once then about what they thought was going on. I saw Jenny watching me silently, but when I looked at her, she looked away. Now was she still going to claim there was nothing strange going on at Hogwarts?