Chapter Thirteen
The Chamber of Secrets
"What do you suppose the writing on the wall last night meant by 'the Chamber of Secrets has been opened . . . enemies of the heir beware?'" Ron asked Harry and Hermione over the bustle of moving students in the Great Hall.
Malfoy, who had evidently overheard them, sneered, "It means, Weasley, that the heir of Slythrin is going to take back the school on all your filthy little mudblood friends are as good as dead."
"Back off, Malfoy!" Nadia and Nafia said defiantly.
"Or what? I'm not afraid of two little girls!" Draco shot at them.
"Yeah, and we're not afraid of a pampered little rich kid!" Nadia shouted.
Things could have gotten really ugly, but Professor Heartilly, who was on lunch duty, strode over to their table, and interrupted them. "Malfoy what are you doing over here?" She asked.
". . . Nothing." He grumbled reluctantly, and turned back to his Slythrin table, leaving the Gryffindors glaring angrily after him.
Rinoa sighed, "You guys should all be friends, y'know this house thing is-"
"Friends?!" Ron cried, "With that?! Ha!"
Rinoa frowned, "I'm serious."
"Oh! Professor!" Hermione asked suddenly, "Can you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Rinoa paused; she frowned even more as she looked down at Hermione, Ron, Harry, and the twins. As she was pausing, the Weasley twins sauntered over as well, and took seats at the Gryffindor table. "What's up?" They asked, eyeing the teacher.
"We want to know about the chamber!" Nafia informed Fred.
"Cool!" Agreed Fred, "C'mon, Prof, tell us!"
"Yeah, you can tell us!" George encouraged, "Honest."
Rinoa still looked concerned, "It isn't that simple you guys . . . this is serious." Now the entire Great Hall was as silent as it would have been for one of Dumbledore's speeches. The Slythin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables had all stopped talking and were listening as closely as the Gryffindors.
"Okay . . . it goes like this . . . Like a thousand years ago Hogwarts was founded by four wizards, right? Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slythrin, as we all know. Well those first three they got along alright, but Slythrin, he was . . . different. He only wanted um . . . 'pure-blood' wizards and witches to get into Hogwarts, when the other three wouldn't agree to this, he left. But when he left he claimed that he had a secret chamber somewhere in the school and that one day when his heir returned to the school it would be opened again." She took a breath; the entire school was hanging on to her every word. "They say a-they say a monster lives there that only he can control . . ."
At that moment, McGonagall and Snape both strode into the Great Hall to find it utterly quiet; the students who should have been talking loudly and eating were in a stunned stupor. They guessed what had happened. "Rinoa you didn't . . ." McGonagall began.
"Of course she did the girl's a walking catastrophe!" Snape snapped irritably.
"You'll only worry them." The transfiguration teacher said in a low voice, but the Hall was so quiet now that they could all hear anyways.
"We have a right to know." Dean Thomas said softly.
McGonagall looked at him for a moment, and he blushed and turned away, but to everyone's surprise she nodded a little, and her eyes were deep and sad with thought. ". . . Everyone, naturally the school has been searched hundreds of times . . . this chamber does not exist . . ." But she sounded less than sure, and if Professor McGonagall was worried . . . well, that was the scariest thing Harry and the others could imagine, especially Hermione who gave Harry a seriously worried look.
Within the next few moments, Professor Heartilly left with McGonagall and Snape and the Great Hall resumed some of its usual talk. Harry turned to the others. "Well, do you guys think this is true?"
"Of course it's true!" Hermione squeaked, "Look at how worried McGonagall is!"
"But who's the heir of Slythrin?" Fred asked.
Nafia cocked her head to the side, "I dunno . . . uh, MALFOY, maybe?"
They might have laughed, if it wasn't so serious.
"Yeah he sure has a grudge against mudbloods, alright." Ron agreed, "And his whole family is the evil rich snotty type. I wouldn't be surprised if it was him!"
It was at that moment when Harry noticed Ron's younger sister, Ginny Weasley, who was sitting at their table, looking particularly frightened by this message, although the Weasley's were pure-blood wizards, so he didn't know why . . . Harry moved to say something, but at that minute, Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch sports team ran up to their table. "Harry!" He said, "I want you and Fred and George on the field and ready to practice! Our first game is in a week!"
Harry had nearly forgotten, and they were playing against Slythrin.
*
Rinoa cast an aggravated look at Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall. "They do have a right to know, you know."
"You'll only scare them, my dear . . ." Minerva said in a comforting and grandmotherly voice. "The last thing we need right now is a panic . . ."
Severus, on the other hand, was quite less consoling, "This is great just GREAT! We have a catastrophe on our hands and you go and tell the students! The STUDENTS! Possibly the thickest creatures on the face of the earth-"
"I think they can handle the truth-" Rinoa said, but he utterly ignored her.
"I bet the Daily Prophet will have a field day with this too! Just wait for it to leak out, especially with that little nitwit Colin Creevey running around taking pictures of everything like a madman!"
"Hey, c'mon he's only a first year!" Rinoa said, "And even for you, Professor," She said with sarcasm, "I don't think that's a very nice thing to say."
Severus glared at her indignantly, "Where do you get the idea that you can just-" "Oh come off it!" Rinoa stomped her foot on the ground and placed her hands squarely on her hips. "We're practically the same age, you know! We went to school together! You have no seniority over me; even if it doesn't look like it, so don't you try any of that 'I'm all superior' stuff with me, buddy!"
Severus appeared quite taken aback by being called 'buddy' but quickly recovered, and in his snide tone, replied airily, "Well, then Professor Heartilly," He administered the title with as much sarcasm as she had, "We shall simply have to wait and see where exactly your reckless trust in dim- witted students lands this school, shan't we?"
"Indeed!" She replied and they both went off their separate ways in a huff.
Professor Sprout, who had just entered the teacher's lounge looked slightly flabbergasted at the mild outburst between Snape and Heartilly, she turned to McGonagall for some sort of an explanation.
"Oh dear . . ." Professor Minerva McGonagall sighed, raising one hand to the side of her face in thought, "I'm afraid Severus never has forgiven Rinoa, you see."
"Well-what on earth did she do?" Professor Sprout asked.
"She danced with him."
"What do you suppose the writing on the wall last night meant by 'the Chamber of Secrets has been opened . . . enemies of the heir beware?'" Ron asked Harry and Hermione over the bustle of moving students in the Great Hall.
Malfoy, who had evidently overheard them, sneered, "It means, Weasley, that the heir of Slythrin is going to take back the school on all your filthy little mudblood friends are as good as dead."
"Back off, Malfoy!" Nadia and Nafia said defiantly.
"Or what? I'm not afraid of two little girls!" Draco shot at them.
"Yeah, and we're not afraid of a pampered little rich kid!" Nadia shouted.
Things could have gotten really ugly, but Professor Heartilly, who was on lunch duty, strode over to their table, and interrupted them. "Malfoy what are you doing over here?" She asked.
". . . Nothing." He grumbled reluctantly, and turned back to his Slythrin table, leaving the Gryffindors glaring angrily after him.
Rinoa sighed, "You guys should all be friends, y'know this house thing is-"
"Friends?!" Ron cried, "With that?! Ha!"
Rinoa frowned, "I'm serious."
"Oh! Professor!" Hermione asked suddenly, "Can you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Rinoa paused; she frowned even more as she looked down at Hermione, Ron, Harry, and the twins. As she was pausing, the Weasley twins sauntered over as well, and took seats at the Gryffindor table. "What's up?" They asked, eyeing the teacher.
"We want to know about the chamber!" Nafia informed Fred.
"Cool!" Agreed Fred, "C'mon, Prof, tell us!"
"Yeah, you can tell us!" George encouraged, "Honest."
Rinoa still looked concerned, "It isn't that simple you guys . . . this is serious." Now the entire Great Hall was as silent as it would have been for one of Dumbledore's speeches. The Slythin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables had all stopped talking and were listening as closely as the Gryffindors.
"Okay . . . it goes like this . . . Like a thousand years ago Hogwarts was founded by four wizards, right? Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slythrin, as we all know. Well those first three they got along alright, but Slythrin, he was . . . different. He only wanted um . . . 'pure-blood' wizards and witches to get into Hogwarts, when the other three wouldn't agree to this, he left. But when he left he claimed that he had a secret chamber somewhere in the school and that one day when his heir returned to the school it would be opened again." She took a breath; the entire school was hanging on to her every word. "They say a-they say a monster lives there that only he can control . . ."
At that moment, McGonagall and Snape both strode into the Great Hall to find it utterly quiet; the students who should have been talking loudly and eating were in a stunned stupor. They guessed what had happened. "Rinoa you didn't . . ." McGonagall began.
"Of course she did the girl's a walking catastrophe!" Snape snapped irritably.
"You'll only worry them." The transfiguration teacher said in a low voice, but the Hall was so quiet now that they could all hear anyways.
"We have a right to know." Dean Thomas said softly.
McGonagall looked at him for a moment, and he blushed and turned away, but to everyone's surprise she nodded a little, and her eyes were deep and sad with thought. ". . . Everyone, naturally the school has been searched hundreds of times . . . this chamber does not exist . . ." But she sounded less than sure, and if Professor McGonagall was worried . . . well, that was the scariest thing Harry and the others could imagine, especially Hermione who gave Harry a seriously worried look.
Within the next few moments, Professor Heartilly left with McGonagall and Snape and the Great Hall resumed some of its usual talk. Harry turned to the others. "Well, do you guys think this is true?"
"Of course it's true!" Hermione squeaked, "Look at how worried McGonagall is!"
"But who's the heir of Slythrin?" Fred asked.
Nafia cocked her head to the side, "I dunno . . . uh, MALFOY, maybe?"
They might have laughed, if it wasn't so serious.
"Yeah he sure has a grudge against mudbloods, alright." Ron agreed, "And his whole family is the evil rich snotty type. I wouldn't be surprised if it was him!"
It was at that moment when Harry noticed Ron's younger sister, Ginny Weasley, who was sitting at their table, looking particularly frightened by this message, although the Weasley's were pure-blood wizards, so he didn't know why . . . Harry moved to say something, but at that minute, Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch sports team ran up to their table. "Harry!" He said, "I want you and Fred and George on the field and ready to practice! Our first game is in a week!"
Harry had nearly forgotten, and they were playing against Slythrin.
*
Rinoa cast an aggravated look at Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall. "They do have a right to know, you know."
"You'll only scare them, my dear . . ." Minerva said in a comforting and grandmotherly voice. "The last thing we need right now is a panic . . ."
Severus, on the other hand, was quite less consoling, "This is great just GREAT! We have a catastrophe on our hands and you go and tell the students! The STUDENTS! Possibly the thickest creatures on the face of the earth-"
"I think they can handle the truth-" Rinoa said, but he utterly ignored her.
"I bet the Daily Prophet will have a field day with this too! Just wait for it to leak out, especially with that little nitwit Colin Creevey running around taking pictures of everything like a madman!"
"Hey, c'mon he's only a first year!" Rinoa said, "And even for you, Professor," She said with sarcasm, "I don't think that's a very nice thing to say."
Severus glared at her indignantly, "Where do you get the idea that you can just-" "Oh come off it!" Rinoa stomped her foot on the ground and placed her hands squarely on her hips. "We're practically the same age, you know! We went to school together! You have no seniority over me; even if it doesn't look like it, so don't you try any of that 'I'm all superior' stuff with me, buddy!"
Severus appeared quite taken aback by being called 'buddy' but quickly recovered, and in his snide tone, replied airily, "Well, then Professor Heartilly," He administered the title with as much sarcasm as she had, "We shall simply have to wait and see where exactly your reckless trust in dim- witted students lands this school, shan't we?"
"Indeed!" She replied and they both went off their separate ways in a huff.
Professor Sprout, who had just entered the teacher's lounge looked slightly flabbergasted at the mild outburst between Snape and Heartilly, she turned to McGonagall for some sort of an explanation.
"Oh dear . . ." Professor Minerva McGonagall sighed, raising one hand to the side of her face in thought, "I'm afraid Severus never has forgiven Rinoa, you see."
"Well-what on earth did she do?" Professor Sprout asked.
"She danced with him."