Part Ten
Harry had detention with Lockhart that evening…right during dinner. Ron, Hermione and Erin ate and then Erin said she'd be back in a minute. Ron and Hermione wandered out into the Entrance Hall to wait for her. She was back with a something wrapped up that she put in her bag when they asked her about it. "Nevermind." She said. "I just thought Harry might be hungry after enduring 5 hours with Lockhart."
"I wouldn't be surprised." Ron said. "Unless the bloke makes him completely lose his appetite."
"Well, if that happens, I'll just eat it." Erin said.
"We know." Hermione and Ron said at the same time and laughed.
They went up the staircase towards the staircases and got to the hallway outside of Lockhart's room. "Harry!" Erin called as she saw him at the end of the hall.
Harry looked at them. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Erin asked.
"That voice." He persisted.
"Voice, what voice?" Hermione asked sounding a bit scared.
Harry paused listening. "It's going to kill."
"Kill?" Ron asked.
"Harry, wait!" Hermione called, because Harry had taken off down the hall.
They followed and found water all over the floor. Harry saw something reflected in it, as he got closer. Erin stood beside him. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware."
They were all looking at the wall. "It's written in blood…" Hermione said.
Harry turned looking curiously at something beside it. He was right next to it before he realized what it was…a cat…hanging by its tail from a torch. "It's Filch's cat." He whispered.
"Let's get out of here." Erin said grabbing Harry's arm. It was too late…this was the hallway that everyone came to, to get to the staircases. Students, on both sides, soon surrounded them.
"Enemies of the Heir Beware…" Malfoy said. "You'll be next Mudbloods."
"You'll be next if you don't shut up." Erin said.
"Hey, what's going on?" They heard Filch's voice coming closer. "What's goin on? Out of the way, out of the way." He saw them standing there. "Potter? What are you…?" He caught sight of Mrs. Norris. "Mrs. Norris?" He asked and then stared at Harry. "You've murdered my cat…"
"No." Harry said.
Filch moved forward. Erin's wand was out and pointing it at him. "Filch, no!"
"I'll kill ya!" He yelled not caring about Erin standing between him and Harry.
"No!" Erin yelled.
"I'll kill ya!" He yelled.
"Argus!" Dumbledore made his way through the students. "Argus, I—" He was a little surprised with the scene he saw in front of him. The message, the cat, Harry not knowing what to do, Erin with her wand pointed at Filch and Filch looming over them ready to kill them. "Everyone, please, go back to their dormitories, now." Erin grabbed Harry's hand. "Except…" Everyone stopped. "You four." No one had to guess who he was referring to. It was always them.
They turned back and Filch looked just as murderous as ever. "He killed my cat." Filch said. "Or she did." Erin rolled her eyes. "You saw what was written on the wall. He knows I'm a Squib!"
Erin sighed. "Oh, for goodness sake, who cares?" She said under her breath.
"She isn't dead, Argus." Dumbledore said, he had been examining her while Filch talked. "She has been petrified."
"Oh, how lucky I wasn't there, I know precisely the counter-curse that could have spared her." Lockhart obviously, butting in where he didn't belong.
"But, how, I cannot say…" Dumbledore said after giving Lockhart a look that could only be described as 'Riiiiiight.'
"Ask them!" Filch said pointing straight at the two. "They're the ones that did it! And she threatened me!"
"Yeah, you were going towards Harry with a murderous look in your eyes and what the bloody hell do you expect me to do?" Erin yelled at him.
"Settle down, Erin." Dumbledore said. "Argus, no second year could have done this. It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"
"Don't tell me that! You know what the girl comes from! I wouldn't have ever been surprised if her father couldn't have done that sort of thing the day he came to Hogwarts!"
"Shut up!" Erin shouted.
"Her father knew things at 11 than most at 40 didn't know! A deranged lunatic, I'd be very surprised if she wasn't the same way!" Filch spat at her.
Erin growled like a wolf and launched herself at the man. Dumbledore caught her just in time. "Shut up! You don't know anything! Never! Never talk about my father like that! You gutless arse! You cowardly, spineless flobberworm!" Dumbledore was having quite a time holding the girl back. She was strong and she could struggle.
"We never touched Mrs. Norris." Harry said. "Erin, come on, calm down."
"If I might speak, Headmaster." Snape, joy, "Potter and his friends might simply have been in the wrong place and the wrong time." Was Snape actually defending them? "However," Ah, yes, "The circumstances are suspicious, I for one do not recall seeing Potter at dinner."
"That would be my fault, Severus." Lockhart said. "You see Harry was helping me answer my fan mail."
"It's called detention and I can't think of a worse punishment." Erin said.
"Erin." Dumbledore said a little warningly. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus.
"We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris." Harry said.
"We just found him, Professor." Hermione said. "When he said—" She looked at Harry.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry said.
"My cat has been petrified!" Filch yelled. "I want to see some punishment!"
"We will be able to cure her, Argus. I am told that Professor Sprout," The woman looked surprised. "Has just procured a healthy bunch of Mandrakes," She smiled and McGonagall looked at the woman warmly, much different than her looks toward Lockhart. "As soon as they are full-size we will have the potion made to restore her." He turned toward Erin, still being a bit restrained in his arms and to the three behind them. "You four may go. Erin, are you all right now?"
"Yes." Erin said a little sulkily.
"Good. Off to bed." He said letting go of her and tapping her in the right direction.
Once they were a ways from the teachers they found an empty classroom and sat down at the back where they found some pillows. Erin took out the package she had. "Hungry, Harry?"
"Starving." He said. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it." She replied.
"Do you think I should have told them about the voice I heard?" Harry asked.
"What was the voice?" Erin asked.
"Well, it sounded kind of weird…" He admitted. "Low and breathy, I guess. It just kept saying that it wanted to rip and kill and tear."
Hermione sighed. "No, Harry, you shouldn't have told them. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices is not a good sign."
"But what was the voice?" Harry asked. "And why am I the only one that can hear it?"
Hermione shrugged. Ron had his mouth full of a pie and Erin was looking thoughtful. "I am not sure, Harry, but there are so many reasons and so many guesses. Give us some time and we'll figure it out."
"Ok." Harry said. "What's the Chamber of Secrets?"
Ron spoke, with his mouth full, "I think Bill told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts…I can't remember though."
Erin nodded. "Yes, it's a legend…Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the most powerful wizards and witches of the age…" Even Hermione was leaning forward and listening eagerly. "Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle and invited children with magical abilities to study here and be safe from the outside world, which, as you know, was just beginning its hunts for magical users. Everything was harmonious for a few years…because there never were such friends as Helga and Rowena or Godric and Salazar, but then there began to be…disagreements about the students. You see in the beginning they existed very harmoniously, Salazar chose those of cunning and resourcefulness, Godric chose those with honor and courage, Rowena those with wisdom and a hunger for knowledge and Helga said she'd teach the rest and anyone who wanted to learn. Salazar thought they should be more selective in choosing the students. He felt that learning should be kept among the purebloods. He didn't trust those of Muggle-parentage. After a time there was a huge fight amongst the four of them and Slytherin left the school never to return. That is the historical reference after that it is clouded in legend and hearsay. The legend states that before leaving the school Slytherin built a secret chamber and in that chamber a monster is said to reside. The monster can be controlled by Slytherin's own true heir and the monster will purge the school of all who are unworthy, according to Slytherin, to study magic."
"Muggle-borns." Hermione said.
"Yes." Erin nodded. "According to history the school has been searched many times and no chamber has been found."
"Is there a chamber?" Harry asked.
"I don't know." The girl said. "I do know this though, the legend clearly states only Slytherin's heir can open the chamber and unleash the horror within. So only his heir would be able to find it."
"So the chamber has never been opened?" Hermione asked.
Erin bit her lip. "The thing is, I think it was." She was whispering now. The other three leaned closer. Erin looked around making sure they were alone. "I overheard someone say once that the chamber had been opened at Hogwarts and there…there was a death at Hogwarts because of it."
The next day they still hadn't stopped discussing it. "I always knew Slytherin was a loony." Ron snorted. "I didn't know he started the pureblood stuff. If the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin I would have gone straight home!"
Erin sighed. "It tried to put me in. I wouldn't let it though." She said slipping her bag onto her favorite chair in the common room.
"Really?" Harry asked. "It tried putting me in too."
"Silly thing." Erin said shaking her head.
"It considered putting me in Ravenclaw." Hermione said shrugging. "Just how things are."
"Time for dinner and I'm starved." Erin said.
There was a lot of whispering and pointing as they went down to the Great Hall. "I thought we were over this." Harry said rubbing his scar a little. It didn't hurt, but he just felt weird.
"It's not your scar." Hermione said.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
Hermione sighed. "I overheard some girls in the bathroom between classes…they were saying either you or Erin was Slytherin's Heir."
"How would they know?" Harry asked confused.
"The story is in a book and all the copies have been checked out of the library." Erin explained.
"Not as detailed as your account, though." Ron said.
Erin blushed a little and shrugged. "Ron." Hermione said warningly.
After eating they went back to the corridor, thankfully it was deserted; everyone else was still at dinner. They were checking it for clues. "There are scorch marks." Harry said. "Here and here."
"What about the water?" Erin asked and then looked toward the end of the hall. "Oh, Moaning Myrtle, that makes sense."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Someone must have upset her, she floods the bathroom when she's upset." Hermione said delicately.
Harry reached the end of the hall and took the doorknob in his hand. Ron's hit it away. "Ron…"
"We can't go in there! It's a girls' bathroom!"
"Oh, Ron." Hermione said sighing.
"No one will be in there." Erin said opening the door.
"Come on, let's have a look." Hermione said following Erin inside.
Harry followed, hey, he didn't care, and Ron came after him blushing the same color as his hair. Inside were a bunch of sinks arranged in a circle and around the corner were the stalls. Erin peaked inside each stall. "Myrtle's not here." She said cheerfully.
"Good." Hermione said. "It's terribly hard to come in here and try to go with her yelling at you or crying. The end stall is hers, but she'll haunt all of them."
"She doesn't mind me so much." Erin said. "But that's because I ignore her or tell her to be quiet. I think she actually likes me."
Hermione giggled. "Probably."
"Well, nothing in here." Harry said. "Let's go."
Harry opened the door and held it for the girls and Ron. "RON!" An absolutely horrified voice came from down the hall. They all looked up to see Percy running towards them. "What do you think you're doing? That's a girl's bathroom!"
"Just having a look around." Ron said.
"Do you know how this looks?" He yelled at them. "Coming here while everyone else is at dinner?"
"We never laid a finger on that cat!" Ron argued.
"Then why are you here? It doesn't—" Percy just seemed to realize that Hermione and Erin were there. They always were, but now Percy was looking from them to Harry and Ron and back again. "Oh, this just keeps getting worse!" He said. "You four were sneaking off to snog in a girl's bathroom? Oh the humiliation." Percy said.
"What?" Erin and Hermione cried out.
"Percy, it's not—" Erin tried to explain.
"Last year you guys are caught on the Astronomy Tower at midnight to find a dragon place and now it's a girl's bathroom?" Percy shook his head, he looked like he was freaking out, if it hadn't been this, it would have been hilarious. "Just go!" He yelled at them. "If I ever catch the four of you where you shouldn't be again…" He seemed at a loss for words. "I'll tell Mum, that's what I'll do!" From anyone else, but a Weasley, that would have been funny, but the four of them were staring at him mouths open looking aghast.
"You can't be serious!" Ron spluttered out. "You wouldn't tell Mum!"
"Watch me!" Percy shouted. "Now go!"
They went. There was no way that Percy was going to listen to them. He thought they were making out in a bathroom, well, fine, the ponce.