Girls bathroom. Day. A gloomy place. Cracked mirrors. Chipped sinks. Guttering candles. Harry and Ron huddle over a small, bubbling cauldron, as Hermione adds strange ingredients.

"Again? You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?"

"Of course. Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here. And now he's taught Draco how to do it".

"Maybe. We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure".

"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight, in the middle of a girl's lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught?"

"No. No one ever comes in here".

"Why?"

"Moaning Myrtle".

"Who?"

"Moaning Myrtle".

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?"

There is a loud, piercing screech, and the ghost of a young girl comes racing out of the wall. Face to face with Ron.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!"

Harry's eyes wide see the ghost of Moaning Myrtle. "I wouldn't expect you to know me! Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle? Huh...aaaah!"

Myrtle sobs loudly, dives head first into the toilet. "She's a little sensitive".

"Sensitive? She's a ghost!"

"That's why they call her Moaning Myrtle. She's been here forever".

Harry studies the floor then looks up at Hermione and Ron. "I hear Professor Lockhart trying to teach us how to duel your opponent".

"Of course". Hermione said excitement. "With Slytherin. Great hall".

Snape office. Lockhart entered with his perfect smile. Snape folded the paper. "What do you want?" He asked.

"Are you forgetting, Professor? Today. You and your Slytherin house must learn how to duel".

Snape rolled his eyes. How couldn't he forget, he'd been chasing those jobs as Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher. Dumbledore hadn't approved it yet.

"I'm not".

"Well, come along then!" Lockhart bolts out from Snape's office.

Later. The students rushed into the great hall. Hermione, Harry and Ron walking in the corridor. She can't wait to see the duels because of Lockhart.

She kept her smile. As they three entered the great hall. "Exciting isn't it?"

"Sure. Your favorite teacher is here". Ron points at Lockhart. "I can't believe Dumbledore let him teach here. Look what he did before. Now.. this?"

"Obviously, Ron. We should give him a chance".

"If I were Dumbledore I'd fire him".

Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Her eyes suddenly drop at crowded students, then to Slytherin where Snape stood.

Obviously Snape has been looking at her since she walked in here. She snapped. Her eyes wandered around the room. She doesn't want her eyes to meet Snape.

Golden stage has been erected. Lockhart struts to the top. Harry, Ron, Hermione and a good number of other students watch.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! In light of the dark events of recent weeks. Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions- for full details, see my published works".

Hermione sees Lockhart's charming smile caught her eyes. Snape noticed and felt jealousy. Why not Hermione smile like that to me? Snape asked himself.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry- you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear".

"What's the fun in that?"

"No, Ron. He asks Snape dueling. I cannot let him hurt".

"The greasy git or the bloody git you worried about?"

"Of course blood..?" Hermione blink. "Professor Lockhart of course. I won't let him get hurt".

Lockhart and Snape face each other and bow.

They turn, walk ten paces, then... spin ... wands poised like swords.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course".

"I wouldn't bet on that". As Harry is eyeing Snape.

"One, two, three.."

"Expelliarmus!"

A dazzling flash of scarlet light bursts forth and blasts Lockhart off his feet and into the wall behind. Every girl's students are shocked to see him.

Especially Hermione. "Do you think he's all right?"

"Who cares?" said Ron.

Hermione turned to him. Lockhart rising unsteadily.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious- ah- what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy".

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor".

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Ah... Let's have a volunteer pair! Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"

Malfoy and Harry eye each other malevolently as they take their places on stage. Grudgingly, they bow to each other.

"Good luck, Potter".

"Thank you, sir".

"Wands at the ready"

Draco smirking. "Scared, Potter?"

"You wish".

They turn, walk ten paces, then whirl, wands poised. "On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One, two-"

"Everte statum!"

Draco fires early, knocking Harry off his feet with a blast of white light. He jumps up, points his wand.

"Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hits Malfoy dead in the stomach. He doubles up, wheezing. Snape snarled to him, his hand caught Draco's back neck, stood him up and began dueling again.

"I said disarm only!"

"Serpensortia!"

To Harry's horror, the tip of Malfoy's wand explodes and a long black snake slithers forth.

Snape smiles with amusement. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you".

"Allow me, Professor Snape. Alarte ascendare!"

Lockhart flicks his wand. The snake flies into the air, hisses in rage, and slithers straight towards Justin Finch Fletchley.

As students scream, Harry, oddly calm, approaches the snake. It rises, fangs exposed, poised to strike Justin.

Sya- hassa- she. Sya- hasi- heth. Sya- hasi- heth.

"Vipera evanesca".

Snape waves his wand and the snake vanishes in a puff of black smoke, then regards Harry with a look that is both shrewd and calculating.

Snape eyes on Harry then terrified Hermione. "Class dismissed!" said Snape. He watched Hermione bolt out from the great hall.

Ron and Hermione usher Harry inside. Harry glances up, sees Ginny Weasley staring down at him from the top of the stairs.

As their eyes meet, she turns for the girls' dormitory. "You're a Parselmouth? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?"

"You can talk to snakes".

"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. Uh, once! But, so what? I bet loads of people here can do it".

"No, they can't. It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad.

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin".

"Oh, that's what you said to it!"

"You were there! You heard me!"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language?"

"I spoke a different language? But- I didn't realize I- how can I speak a language without knowing I can?"

"I don't know, Harry, but it sounded like you were egging the snake on, or something".

Silence. Hermione spoke back. "Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of the Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too".

"Exactly! Now the whole school's gonna think you're his great- great great grandson, or something".

"But I'm not... I can't be".

"He lived a thousand years ago, for all we know, you could be".

As Gryffindors stream into the room, they eye Harry warily. Even Seamus, Neville, and Dean Thomas walk by without a word.

"Wasn't your fault, Harry. We're scared too".

Snape slammed his door. Grit his teeth. A snake? That snake could attack Hermione without his fast action.

This is all Potter's fault! Lily..? Your son..

Hogwarts day. The trio study. Harry, burdened by dark thoughts, looks up at Ron. He smiles at Harry, then, seconds later, Hermione does the same - something forced about it all.

Unable to bear it, Harry gathers his books, gets up from the table. Hermione felt bad for once.

Great Hall. Night. The Christmas Feast. The Hall glimmers grandly as snowflakes tumble from the ceiling.

Harry and Ron sit with Hermione. "Everything's set. We just need a bit of who you're changing into".

"Crabbe and Goyle".

"We also need to make sure that the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating Malfoy".

"How?"

Hermione holds up a pair of small cakes.

"I've got it all worked out. I filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Simple, but powerful".

Ron glances at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who presently are eating everything in front of them.

"Now, once they're asleep, hide them in the broomstick cupboard and pull out a few of their hairs, and put on their uniforms".

"Whose hair are you ripping out then?"

"I've already got mine".

She removes a small vial. Inside is a tiny hair. "Millicent Bulstrode. I got this off her robes".

Hermione rising from the table. "I'm going to go check on the Polyjuice Potion".

Hermione points to the cakes in front of her. "Make sure that Crabbe and Goyle find these".

Hermione exits. Ron looks at Harry. "Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?"

"Good evening, Miss Granger. What so in hurry?" Snape blocks her way. "Didn't you eat?"

"I've got something to do''. She is about to walk past him. Snape gently grabs her arm. "Let go, Professor!"

Snape met her eyes, then let go of her arm. Hermione running in the corridor.. Snape entering the great hall.

Girl's bathroom later. Hermione, wearing a Slytherin robe, hovers over a smoking cauldron.

Harry and Ron enter. "Did you get it?" Harry and Ron hold up their hands. In each a tuft of hair. Hermione points to a pair of Slytherin robes.

"I sneaked those out of the laundry".

Harry and Ron nod, glance at the cauldron. The potion resembles a thick, dark, bubbling mud.

"I'm sure I've done everything right. It looks like the book said it should. Once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves".

"Now what?"

"We'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves..."

Harry and Ron grimace. Being poured into three glasses. Harry and Ron have changed into the Slytherin robes. All three raise their glasses.

Drop the hairs. The potion turns shades of yellow, brown, and..

"Ugh- essence of Crabbe".

"Cheers!"

They nod. Drink. Ron swallows grimly, doubles over. "I think I'm gonna be sick!" He runs into a stall.

"Me too".

Ron runs into a stall followed by Hermione. Inside the stall, Ron bends over the toilet, watches his reflection morph into Crabbe.

In the cracked mirror, Harry watches his face contort into the thick features of Goyle.

Hermione looks at her arm. Patches of fur begin to spread across her wrist and hand. Terrified. Ron emerges from his stall, a dead ringer for Crabbe.

"Ughh! Ron".

"Uh... Harry?"

"Ron!"

"Bloody hell! Harry".

"We still sound like ourselves. You need to sound more like Crabbe, Ron".

"Uh... Bloody hell".

"Excellent. But where's Hermione?"

Hermione inside the stall. "I- I don't think I'm going. You go on without me!"

"Hermione, are you okay?"

"Just go. You're wasting time!"

Later that. Harry and Ron sprint toward the desecrated wall, their bodies metamorphosing, until, finally, as they hit the door.

They are fully themselves once more. "That was close!"

"Hermione, come out. We've got loads to tell you!"

"Go away!"

As Harry and Ron exchange a puzzled glance, Moaning Myrtle spirals into view, looking disturbingly... happy.

"Ahh! Wait till you see. It's awful! He- ha, ha, he- hee!"

The stall's lock slides back. The door opens slowly. "Hermione? A- are you ok?"

"Do you remember me telling you that the Polyjuice Potion was only for human transformations?"

Even in shadow, they can see Hermione's face is covered in fur, her eyes yellow, and pointed ears, poke through her hair.

"It was cat's hair I plucked off Millicent Bulstrode's robes". She slowly turns to the boys. "Look at my face".

"Look at your tail!" Ron looks happy to see Hermione like that.

Harry turns to Ron then back to Hermione. "We'll need to go to hospital wings. Now!"