Parseltounge

"Speech"

Thoughts/Telepathy

/flashback/

Chapter 7

THE STONE?

Severus left Harry at the entrance to the Slytherin common room and headed back up to the infirmary. He was rather amazed at how well behaved the raven, Ann, had been. She had sat quietly on Harry's shoulder the entire walk from the headmaster's office. When he arrived at the infirmary a section of the room was curtained off. He could hear Poppy muttering hear scanning spells. He moved quietly and gracefully toward the partition. He stopped before he could see behind it and cleared his throat noisily. The sound caught Kira's attention because she said, "Hello again Professor Snape."

Poppy then added, "We will be with you in a moment, if you could wait where you are please."

"Of course Madam Pomfrey," replied Severus silkily. He took a few steps back and waited. He heard a few more whispered charms before Poppy said, "Go on dear and put your robe back on." She then stepped around the partition and looked at the snarky potions master. "Ms. Riddle is receiving a clean bill of health. She will be taking the potions her father sent her and a few pepper-up potions for the next few days."

Severus nodded, "That is good news. Is she ready to return to the common room or will she need to stay the night?"

Kira walked around the partition and said, "I'll be returning to the dorms."

Poppy nodded, "Yes you are. Now I'll just get those pepper-up potions and Professor Snape can escort you back to your dorm." She then walked to her potion storage room and fetched four days worth of the potion.

Severus waited as Poppy told Kira the directions for using the pepper-up potion. Kira thanked the medi-witch and then stepped over to Severus. She smirked slightly, "I'm ready when you are sir."

Severus nodded, "This way Ms. Riddle." He set a hand on her shoulder and guided her out of the infirmary. He stayed half a pace behind her as she slowly walked down to the dungeons. She stopped at the entrance and said, "Godric Gryffindor." The snake caving hissed and the slate black entrance rippled. Kira hid a slight smile at the snake's comment and then entered. Severus followed; he had caught her smile and wondered what was so funny that the carving could possibly have said.

Inside the common room Harry, Draco and Blaise waited on the couches. Ann was still with them, perched on the mantle of the fireplace. The three serpents looked up as the Professor and their fourth member entered. Draco tilted his head slightly and asked, "Is everything okay Professor?"

"Yes Mr. Malfoy. I just came to make sure Ms. Riddle got back safely." Severus' voice was soft and one could hear the veiled concern, if one was used to slight vocal inflections speaking volumes.

"Thank you Professor," said Harry.

Severus nodded and then left the common room. Harry helped Kira over to the couches and then sat back down. Kira sat down and removed the packet of potions from her pocket. She hissed Return to normal size at the potion case it contained. The case enlarged to about five times its size. She opened it and took out one potion vial. After draining the potion she then hissed Reduce in size to a fifth of your original size. The potion case shrunk to the size it had been during transit.

Harry, Draco and Blaise had waited 'patiently' while she did that. Draco whined, if you knew how to read Malfoy vocal inflections, "Come on, I know your father sent a letter. Read it already."

Blaise and Harry shook their heads in response. Kira smirked and dug the letter out of her pocket. She broke the seal and unfolded it. She then began to read out loud;

":Dearest Daughter and Son,

I know you will be reading this with Blaise and Draco present; that is fine for I will not say anything they cannot hear. I want to let you know that in spite of my words to the contrary in the letter to Dumbledore, I am very proud of your actions earlier today. I know I was away when you called earlier and I'm sorry I was unable to tell you that in person. If you feel the need to let others, outside of house Slytherin, know of your parentage you may do so. I warn against that revelation of course, but I know you both read people exceptionally well.

Tell Draco and Blaise that their loyalty to you reflects on their personal and family honor. Let them know that their continued friendship and loyalty will be remembered and they shall always be considered part of our family. Remember to look out for one another and to reach out to the outcasts of the other houses. Do not forget why we sent you both to Hogwarts, learning magic was only part of the reason. Don't forget to make friends and well as contacts and followers. Stay safe, my heirs, and never forget that your mother and I love you both.

Father :"

Draco and Blaise smiled slightly. Harry looked up toward Ann and smiled. Kira folded the letter and said, "Let's go down to the clubhouse. The potion has kicked in enough that I should be fine.

Harry nodded, "I'll get the map and my cloak; Blaise can get yours." Blaise nodded and headed to the dorms with Harry. Draco looked at Kira as they sat alone, waiting, and smirked. She shook her head in response. Harry and Blaise returned to the room carrying shimmering cloaks. Harry also had an aged folded piece of parchment.

Blaise helped Kira stand and the two girls got under the cloak. After they disappeared from view Harry, with Ann on his shoulder, and Draco got under his cloak. There was a whisper of, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," from Harry.

Alright sis, move out the door, the hall way is clear.

Roger will-co, was her mental reply.

The black entrance rippled a moment later and then a few seconds after that it rippled again. Quiet footsteps could be heard moving away from the Slytherin dorm. Stay near the wall and move quietly. The only person currently in the halls is Filch and he is near Gryffindor tower.

Good, Blaise and I will be as silent as mice. The footsteps moved quickly through the halls until they became small splashes outside of Myrtle's bathroom. The splashes moved to the door and passed over the threshold as the door opened. The door closed. It's safe to remove the cloaks.

Kira smiled as she pulled the cloak off of herself and Blaise in response to Harry's thought. Harry pulled off his cloak as well. He then tapped wand to parchment and whispered, "Mischief managed."

Kira slowly walked to the sink and hissed Stairway open. The wall slid open and revealed the stairs. Harry took the lead with Draco right behind him. Kira stepped in next and Blaise brought up the rear position. Ann was silent as they descended. Kira hissed Close once all four were within the narrow staircase.

Harry hissed Open when he reached the black marble entrance of the chamber. The quartet entered the strangely cozy chamber of secrets. Ann flew from Harry's shoulder and transformed. Mrs. Riddle looked at the four children, "I cannot believe the audacity of that man. Who does he think he is? Telling you what your parents would and wouldn't want you to be. He is far worse than any so called dark wizard I have ever known. At least Tom doesn't hide the fact that he uses his Death Eaters; that horrible man will need to be punished for his insolence very soon."

The quartet smirked. Draco said, "Hello auntie..."

"Hi Mrs. Riddle," Blaise said at the same time.

"Hi mom," added Harry as he smiled at the antics of his two friends.

Kira shook her head and huffed a quiet laugh before saying, "Hello Mom." She then walked over and hugged the lovely woman.

Mrs. Riddle smiled and shook her head at herself. "Hello children," she looked around the chamber after releasing her daughter. "Tom wasn't joking when he said this place was impressive." The kids nodded as she moved to the couches. They sat down and she let her beautiful eyes travel over the four children. "So tell me everything that has happened thus far." The quartet launched into a tale of everything that had happened so far that year. When they finished talking she said, "Well it sounds like this year has been rather enjoyable so far and I hate to change that but I'm afraid I have to. Tom has heard some rather disturbing news."

"What is wrong mother?" asked Harry.

"Apparently there is a wanna-be dark lord on the rise. He has his eye set on immortality and has tried to steal the philosopher's stone from Gringotts. He failed because the stone had been removed prior to the break in. We believe it is currently in Dumbledore's keeping. Tom wants you to pay attention to anything unusual and keep us informed."

"Well the third floor corridor is considered forbidden, and according to Hermione, Ron Weasley says there's a giant three headed dog inside." Harry informed her.

"Hm... take out the map again," Mrs Riddle instructed. Harry did so and activated it. She took it from him and looked at it. She said, "Most magnificent Marauders is there anything unusual in the third floor corridor? I am thinking trap doors, hidden passages, or false walls."

Writing scrawled across the parchment Who inquires of the fabulous Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail?

Mrs. Riddle quirked her lip and replied, "Feather-head"

The writing changed styles Ah, the most lovely Feather-head, well for such an esteemed princess of magic we will reveal to you that there is a trap door which leads to a series of caverns under the castle.

"Can you show me the place these caverns lead to on the map?"

The writing changed yet again For the Feather-brained one, anything. The caverns are a chain of rooms which ends only twenty meters from the north wall of this room. By the way... when did the Chamber of Secrets get added to our map?

"When the heirs of the Legacy came to Hogwarts," Mrs Riddle replied. "Thank you most wonderful Wormtail, Prongs, Padfoot and Moony. Mischief managed." The map became blank again.

"That's the north wall," said Harry as he pointed to the wall with the entrance into the catacombs.

"What's beyond that door?" asked Mrs. Riddle.

"The Basilisk and the catacombs under the school," answered Kira.

"Is there anyway into that final cavernous room, do you think?" asked her mother.

"Possibly, there are a lot of ancient parsel-spells all over the chamber and catacombs." Harry told her while Kira nodded in agreement.

"Well if there is, please find it. If you can retrieve the stone, that would be even better."

"If we find it, what do we do with it?" asked Draco.

"Send word so Tom or I can retrieve it from you."

"Yes Ma'am," all four responded.

She chuckled, "Now, Tom said there is an apparition point within the chamber, where is it?"

"It's the eight pointed star in the corner," replied Harry as he pointed to it.

Mrs. Riddle smiled, stood and hugged all four children. She then walked over to the chaos star and said, "Be safe and get to bed soon."

"We will auntie..." Blaise and Draco said.

While Harry and Kira said at the same time, "We will mom."

Mrs. Riddle then disapparated from within Hogwarts wards. Her use of the star activated it for later use as a place to apparate into Hogwarts, so long as you had a connection to the chamber or the star. The quartet then used the House door for Slytherin in order to reach the common room without any encounters. They all fell exhausted into their beds. Kira barely remembered to take her second threshold potion before she fell unconscious.

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I know this is earlier than a week and I'm happy.

Anyway I have good news and bad news. Bad news is I am normally an abysmally slow typist. Good news is the first year is finished in its handwritten form, so all I have to do is type it. So that leads to the, I plan on updating once a week because I type so slowly, there is a reason I am not a receptionist of computer programmer. ï