Wish Upon A Falling Star
A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! Only fourteen more sleeps to HBP!
Chapter Fourteen: The Rogue BludgerHarry and Ron ran down the staircase, pushing through the other people who were sure to be late for class. The second class of the day was to start any minute, and they had just started descending the staircase. They had gone back to Gryffindor tower after Defense Against The Dark Arts, because Ron thought he left his History of Magic essay on his bed. He hadn't. After a few minutes, frantically turning the boy's dorm upside down in his search, he found it in his copy of Voyages with A Vampire.
They were going to be late. Ron suggested they slide down the banister, but Harry didn't think that was such a great idea. So they ran down the stone steps, three at a time. The bell went as they just cam to the fourth floor. They ran at full speed towards the History of Magic classroom. They ran into the classroom, and breathed out a sigh of relief when they realised that Professor Potter was not there yet.
They took the two seats in the front Hermione had saved for them. She didn't really need to go to all the trouble. No one liked to sit in the front. Professor Potter came in seconds later.
"Sorry I'm late," she told the class, "I got held up." She placed her inkpot on her desk. "Can you please hand in your assignments? Just place them in a neat pile on my desk."
Harry picked up his, Ron and Hermione's essays. Ron had still been scribbling away quickly on his parchment, and looked slightly annoyed when Harry took it away from under his nose. "I'm an inch short!" he whispered loudly.
"Ron, I doubt the teachers measure them."
Ron's ears turned pink. Harry took them up and placed them on his mother's desk. She smiled at him and stood up as he went back to his desk. "Now our segment on Goblin Wars ends. Until the end of the year we will be learning about the history of Hogwarts. I borrowed the library's copies of Hogwarts: A History, because I understand the book was not on your book list. Please take one book each, and pass them around the room in a clockwise direction."
Lily handed the pile of old looking books to Ron. He took the top one and passed it to Hermione. Hermione took her book, smiling. "We're finally learning something interesting," she whispered to Harry, as she passed the book pile to him. He nodded his assent as he turned to pass the books to Parvati, who was sitting behind him.
In a few minutes, every one in the class had a book. "What do you want to learn about this lesson? Mind you, it has to be about the history of Hogwarts." Lily asked the class, as she sat back behind her desk. She picked up a banana that had been placed on her desk, and inspected it closely before setting it down again.
Hermione raised her hand, but for once she was not the only one. Behind her, Dean Thomas had his hand up too.
"Mr. Thomas?" Professor Potter asked.
"The Chamber of Secrets," he said, and by the looks on everyone's faces, they wanted to learn about it too. Hermione lowered her hand disappointedly.
"It's only a legend…" Professor Potter started, but trailed off, because it looked like she was unsure if it was a legend herself. The school had been buzzing with rumours of the Chamber of Secrets ever since Halloween. How ever odd a school Hogwarts may be, secret chambers weren't opened and cats didn't turn up nearly dead every day.
Hermione raised her hand again. Professor Potter nodded. "But don't the roots of all legends lie in history?" she asked.
"Yes…I guess that is true. Turn to page 77 in your textbooks." There was the sound of people flipping through pages. "Who would like to read?" she asked the class.
Harry raised his hand. His mum nodded at him. He leaned in closer to the book, and started to read.
Chapter IX: Myths and Legends The Chamber of SecretsAs you all know, Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, by four of the greatest wizards of the age, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin.
History tells us that Salazar Slytherin had a disagreement with the other three about what kind of people to take into Hogwarts. Slytherin thought that only those from all-Wizarding families should be allowed in, while the others thought anyone with magical talent had the right to be educated at Hogwarts.
These differences soon led to Slytherin leaving the school. Legend says that Slytherin built a secret chamber within the school. Inside that chamber, is a monster that will purge all those that Slytherin thought were unworthy to study magic. The monster is one that is said to be able to be controlled by Slytherin's one true heir.
"Thank-you, Mr. Potter," Professor Potter said, sweeping her dark red hair behind her shoulders. Harry looked up. The class were looking at Professor Potter. "Cla--" she was interrupted because of the sounding of the bell. After it finished, she added, "Classes are ending half an hour early today, because a new duelling club is starting, and some of the teachers wanted to do an duelling exhibition in the Great Hall. It is compulsory to attend. Before you all leave in excitement, could you please return the books to the front of the room?" she asked. She smiled at the class, straightened her light blue robes, collected the essays and exited the classroom. The students followed suit. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the last to leave.
"So that who Salazar Slytherin was." Ron said as they walked down a staircase. "Some twisted old loony who thought muggle-borns were bad…I always thought he was evil, you know, because of the Slytherins, but I didn't know he was the one who started all that 'pure-blood is best' stuff!"
"So do you like History of Magic now, Ron?" Hermione enquired, as she fiddled with her tie.
"To be truthful," Ron stated, talking more to Harry than Hermione, "Your mum's better than Binns any day!"
Harry smiled. "Anyone's better than Binns. He was so old he was meant to be history, not teaching it."
Ron and Hermione laughed as they went down the marble Grand Staircase. They turned into the Great Hall. The four house tables had been banished to the walls, and instead, there was a long platform in the middle of the hall. In the middle, Harry saw the one person that he didn't appreciate seeing run a duelling club. Lockhart. If this club was like any of his lessons…or his robes, which were a pale pink. Harry thought they looked nice…on a girl at any rate.
"Gather round, gather round," he shouted to the crowd. He flashed them all a smile, showing them his white, perfect teeth. It made the girls sigh and the boys feel sick. What kind of man wore pink, anyway?
"Welcome to the first Dueling Club meeting!" he announced. "Today, Professors Snape and Potter have kindly agreed to demonstrate a duel for us. So I welcome them up to the stage!"
Professor Potter and Snape walked up to the stage. Snape was glaring at Lockhart lividly. If looks could kill…they wouldn't have to deal with Lockhart anymore.
His mum and Snape stood on oppisite sides of the stage. They both took their wands out.
"On the count of three…" Lockhart started. "One…two…three…"
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Snape shouted, as he swung his wand over his shoulder.
"Protego!" his mum shouted, casting a shield around herself, deflecting Snape's spell to somewhere harmless.
"Serpensortia!" Snape shouted. A thin, black, snake popped out of the end of his wand. The snake hissed. He looked at Snape curiously. What did Snape hope to gain with a snake? He thought. He backed away slightly, as the snake came near him. All it did was come nearer, and lunged at his leg.
Up on the stage, Lily saw Snape's snake attack Harry. She was distracted, and made a move to attack the snake before it attacked Harry. Snape took advantage of this momentary lack of concentration and yelled, "EXPELLIARMUS" once more.
Lily couldn't defend herself in time. Her wand went flying out of her hand and she was thrown off her feet. There was a loud 'crack' as Lily landed on top of her left arm. She paled and pushed her body off her arm. It looked alright…it wasn't twisted to any grotesque angle, but it just bloody hurt. She heard spitting and sputtering. Standing up gingerly, trying to move her arm as little as possible, she saw Harry hissing at the snake…talking Parseltongue. Where had he learnt such a talent? The snake backed off Harry and started to head towards a Hufflepuff second year Lily recognized as Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Harry hissed at the snake again. It suddenly lunged and backed off. Lily pointed her wand at it and muttered, "Evanesco." The snake disappeared. She clutched at her broken arm.
"What do you think you're playing at, Potter?" Justin Finch-Fletchley shouted at Harry before stalking off with some of his Hufflepuff friends. Everyone took this as a sign to leave. Lily moved through the dispersing crowd until she reached Harry.
"You're a parselmouth?" she whispered to Harry as they set off, out of the Great Hall.
"A what?" Harry asked blankly.
"A parselmouth! It means you can speak to snakes."
"I-I was talking another language? And I didn't even know it?" he asked, shocked.
They had turned into a deserted corridor. Lily knelt down and put her right hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, just promise me you'll be careful."
"Why? What's going to happen?"
"Harry," Lily looked into his eyes which were wide and confused. "Just promise me, alright?"
"I promise." Harry said sincerely.
"Thank-you, Harry."
Lily stood up and hugged Harry, turned around, and walked off in the direction of the Hospital Wing, clutching her arm. Harry heard footsteps coming in his direction. He spun around and saw Ron and Hermione.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're a parselmouth!" She looked shocked, her eyes were wide.
"I know," Harry said gloomily.
"Then why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked. Both Ron and Hermione looked horrible, like someone had died.
"Because I only just found out myself."
"People are going to think you're the heir of Slytherin now." Ron added.
"What? Why?"
"Salazar Slytherin was a parselmouth, that's why the symbol of Slytherin is a snake!" Hermione said quickly in a hushed voice.
"People are going to think you're his great, great, great, grandson or something." Ron stated.
"Why does it matter? Only Mrs. Norris has been attacked so far!"
Hermione shook her head. "Last week a cat, next week a student. Then maybe a ghost. You just can't know, Harry. I wonder…you know that voice you heard on Halloween--"
"What, are you going to say I'm going crazy, am I?" Harry exclaimed angrily.
"No, Harry, I'm not. All I'm trying to tell you is to be careful!"
"You and everyone else. I'm not the heir of Slytherin, am I?" Harry said uncertainly.
"He lived over a thousand years ago. You may find that hard to prove." Hermione stated.
"C'mon. Let's go back to the tower, maybe finish that Transfiguration homework." Ron said, trying to break up their conversation.
Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement, and together climbed the staircase.
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It was mid November, and Hogwarts was normal. Well as normal as Hogwarts could be. It was warm for winter, and the majority of students were outside enjoying the last few minutes of reasonably good weather before winter kicked in.
However, Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't outside, taking advantage of the sun's overtime hours. Ever since learning about the Chamber of Secrets, and Salazar Slytherin, they had been looking for a way to interrogate Malfoy, because Hermione was determined to find out more about the Chamber.
Hermione brushed some of her bushy, brown hair, behind her ears, and showed Ron and Harry a piece of parchment, with Professor Lockhart's loopy signature on it, granting her permission to the restricted section. "He didn't even check what book I wanted!" she told them.
"Are you sure he didn't think you were asking for an autograph?" Ron asked, smiling slightly.
Hermione blushed, her face turning slightly pink. "Of course not. I told him that I wanted to get a book to help clarify something in Voyages with a Vampire." Hermione walked off to Madam Pince to show her the signature. Madam Pince looked at it closely under the light, as if determined to find it was a fake. She eventually handed it back to Hermione. Hermione walked to the Restricted Section and looked at the collection of books. There were so many books in here! She walked up the aisle until the title of the book caught her eye. Moste Ponte Potions. Aha! There it was! She pulled the heavy volume off its shelf.
She headed back to the table and opened the book. It was immediately obvious to them why the book was in the Restricted Section. There were some potions with effects too frightening to think about, and the pictures were just as gruesome. Hermione ignored these, however, and flipped through the pages until she found it. The Polyjuice Potion.
She quickly read through the list of required ingredients. "This is the hardest potion I've ever seen!" she gasped.
Ron read over her shoulder. "Shredded boomslang skin? That's not in the student's stores. Where are we going to get some of these ingredients?"
Harry had walked over to both of them and read over Hermione's other shoulder. "Snape's private stores," he stated as he sat down in the library chair oppisite Hermione.
"We're going to steal from Snape?" Ron asked, as he sat down in the seat next to Hermione.
"Don't think of it as steal, think of it as permanent borrowing," Hermione mumbled into the book as she read the instructions.
"Hermione! You're encouraging us to break the rules!" Ron exclaimed.
"What do you think is worse, Ron, stealing a couple of potions ingredients or Malfoy attacking half the Muggleborns in the school?" Hermione asked, brushing her hair out of her face.
Ron ignored the question. "How long d'you think this potion will take to make?"
"Hmm…" Hermione started, running her finger down the page "These lacewings have to be stewed for twenty-one days…and the fluxweed needs to be picked at the full moon…about a month."
"What does this potion do exactly?" Harry asked at the same time Ron exclaimed, "A month!"
"The Polyjuice potion!" Hermione exclaimed. "Snape mentioned it in class three weeks ago. It can change the drinkers appearance!"
"So all we have to do is drink this magic potion…and then BAM, we're a Slytherin?" Harry asked.
"We need a little bit of who we're changing into, of course," Hermione added, pointing to the said ingredient.
"That sounds like cannibalism." Ron stated.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to be flesh, Ron, it could be hair."
"Oh," he said in realisation. "But no toenails!"
"But where are we going to prepare this potion? In the boys dorm?" Harry asked skeptically, eyeing the page.
Hermione closed her eyes in thought for a second then opened them happily. "I've thought of the perfect place. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," she told them.
"Moaning Myrtle? Wasn't she that ghost girl we saw at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party? The one with lots of mean, derogatory, nicknames?" Harry asked.
"Yes. She haunts a bathroom on the second floor, right near the wall on Halloween."
"So when do you suggest we start?"
"We should start on Sunday, since tomorrow is Harry's Quidditch match." Hermione picked up the heavy potions book and walked off to Gryffindor tower.
"You know, it would be so much easier if you just knocked Malfoy off his broom tomorrow," Ron said loudly to Harry. They walked out of the library. Madam Pince was glaring at them for being noisy.
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Harry woke up early the next morning. It was a cloudy day, the sky was gray and the clouds looked like they were bursting with water to pour on unsuspecting people's heads. Harry stood up and got dressed in his scarlet Quidditch robes and made his way down stairs. At the Gryffindor table sat the rest of the team, there was no-one else up this early. They all had breakfast on their plates, crispy bacon and scrambled eggs, but none of them seemed to be eating their food, apart from Wood.
At eleven o'clock, the school headed out for the first Quidditch match of the season.
Harry went to the changing room with the rest of the team, even though he was already dressed, so he could hear Wood's pre-match pep talk.
"Alright," Oliver started, pacing up and down in front of the rest of the team. "The Slytherins may all have new brooms, but we have better people on our brooms. They're going to regret letting Malfoy on their team!" In an undertone he whispered to Harry, "You have to prove to him there's more to Quidditch than having a rich daddy. You have to get the snitch today, Harry, or die trying."
"So no pressure there, Harry!" Fred said, having overheard. He winked to Harry.
Harry nodded. He really didn't need Wood to tell him this. He felt the same way too. The team went outside to the Quidditch pitch, where nearly the whole school had come to watch. He saw his mum sitting in the teacher's stands next to Snape and his heart swelled. She waved to him. She had managed to obtain a Gryffindor scarf from somewhere, and she was wearing it around her neck. Teachers didn't usually show favour to one particular house unless they were the Head of one, but everyone knew Lily Potter was a Gryffindor. Snape, however, was glaring at him. He didn't let that get him down. Snape always glared at him.
"Wood, Flint, shake hands." Madam Hooch, a stern looking woman with hawk like eyes told them. They did so, squeezing each other's hands so tightly Harry thought they were going to break.
"On my whistle…three…two…one!" Madam Hooch blew into her whistle.
Fifteen brooms flew up into the air. A mix of scarlet, green and gray. Harry saw Malfoy rise on his Nimbus 2001. "Feeling alright, Scarhead?" Malfoy taunted Harry.
"Just fine, actually," Harry replied.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes, and flew off in search of the snitch. Harry rose up in the air, looking for a view of the small, golden, ball. It had started raining softly, and raindrops fell on his glasses, fogging them up. Harry dodged as a Bludger came his way. George Weasley came flying in his direction, holding his bat high up in the air, hitting the Bludger hard in the direction of Malfoy.
"Alright there, Harry?" he yelled, his freckles gleaming in the sun that had broken in between the clouds. "That's done it."
Harry nodded, and ducked again. The Bludger had come back! George followed it and hit it towards Marcus Flint. "Wonder why it came back?" George pondered. He didn't have much time, because in a matter of seconds it had returned, sending Harry into a spin to avoid it. "Someone's…tampered…with…this…Bludger!" he exclaimed, as he went to hit it off again.
"How could they, though? The Quidditch equipment's been in Madam's Hooch's office since practice!" Harry wiped his rain-streaked glasses, and ducked again. Through the rain, he saw his mum. She was mouthing something at him, waving her arms above her head. Harry faintly heard the word, '…careful!' The bludger came back, but he couldn't dodge in time. George tried to hit it away, but it was too late. The iron-cast ball hitHarry on the front of his head.
The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was his mother screaming "NO, HARRY!"
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A/N: Think about it…he could have been hit on the temple and died instantaneously. But the boy-who-lived can't die without beating the evil, bad, wizard first! Anyway, review responses on my bio. Please review, or if you have any constructive criticism either…hopefully be able to update soon, my parents keep trying to make me spend more time outside. They say I spend too much time indoors.
'Til next time,
Thoughts And Pondering.