Chapter 22
I was in the common room a few days later, with a pad of parchment and a quill, trying to find a connection the attacks, who was behind it, and what the monster was. I just had to clear my name. Since Macmillan called me out in the Great Hall I've been called "Miss Slytherin.". The very thought made me shiver.
I was getting increasingly annoyed. Nothing seemed to make sense to me! I was almost glad to see Ivy walk through the door of the common room (I had yet to learn how she found them out so fast).
"Hey, Hannah!" Ivy said cheerfully, sitting next to me on the couch "How are you?"
I shook my head "Not so well." I said, tossing yet another piece of parchment into the fire "I've been trying to figure out what the connections between the attacks were for ages, and I keep drawing blanks!" I explained, starting my investigation over by writing the names of the attacked again.
"Don't worry about it. I think you will." Ivy said, smiling as she took the pad out of my hands "So, has Pansy still been getting clingy with Draco?"
I nodded "Yes." I said coldly. I had forgiven Ivy for most things, I just have yet to forgive her for setting Pansy on Draco.
"Well, don't give up!" Ivy said, almost…too cheerfully.
I cocked my head to the side and looked at my best friend. She was acting odd. Calling Draco by his first name, and not "Malfoy". I was suspicious.
"Do you know something I don't?" I asked, squinting my eyes as I looked at Ivy "You seem a little too happy today."
"No." Ivy drawled suspiciously "Say, why don't we go to Nightshade's?"
I smirked, but my suspicious look remained "Sure." I said accusingly, taking my wand and standing up.
"All right, let's go!" Ivy said, following me up to my dorm "We can spend the afternoon hanging out and we can sleep in here." she added, way too cheerfully.
I stopped right in my tracks and turned around "You…want to sleep…in here?" I asked, now certain she was up to something.
"Sure, why not?" Ivy said, grinning as I pulled on my cloak "I mean, your room mates are nice."
I stood up straighter and started to think. That wasn't the Ivy I knew. The Ivy I knew would never call Draco "Draco". She'd call him Malfoy. And the Ivy I knew would never be caught dead sleeping in the dungeons. What was she up to? I thought.
"What's going on?" I asked finally, turning toward my best friend.
"Nothing." Ivy said, obviously trying to sound convincing.
"Seriously, what's going on?" I asked, staring at Ivy like a cop trying to get an answer out of a suspect.
"Look, Han, nothing's wrong." Ivy said handing me my wand "I-I just wanted to spend some time with you."
"I'm going to go see Harry." I said, starting for the common room door.
"No!" Ivy yelled, blocking my way.
"Ivy!" I gasped, shocked "You never tried to stop me from seeing Harry before. Now I want to know. What the Skinner's going on!" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.
"He-He's just busy ok!" Ivy said quickly, tensing as I started to try to go around her.
"With what? I could help him." I asked, trying to get through the door.
"Just stuff." Ivy said, still blocking my way "It's not that important." she added, a little tense.
Ivy was lying to me. I knew it. She lied that way before she showed me that shiner over the summer.
"I will read your mind, so help me, I will!" I threatened, staring Ivy down.
"Try me." Ivy said, lowering her arms and crossing them.
So I did. And…nothing.
"What the heck!" I shouted, gaping.
"Look, all Harry told me was that I should hang out with you all day." Ivy explained, sounding as if she was hiding something. Something…secretive.
"Does this have anything to do with the Chamber of Secrets?" I demanded, getting annoyed at this point and trying not to let it show.
"I-I, look I can't say anything, please just-" Ivy started, stammering out a see through explanation.
"Ivy, I know when you're lying to me." I said, crossing my arms "And we aren't going anywhere until I know what in the name of Jeff Skinner is going on."
"Ok, it does!" Ivy shouted, admitting defeat "But I have to keep you in here!"
I started putting two and two together. Ivy wanted me in here, Harry was busy and it had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets.
"What's Harry up to?" I demanded, glaring at Ivy unintentionally.
"Will it keep you here?" Ivy asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes." I lied, nodding. If Harry was in trouble, he'd need my help.
Ivy looked at me suspiciously and sighed "The monster attacking the students is a Basilisk. It took Ginny and Harry, Ron and Lockhart went to save her in the Chamber of Secrets."
I shot up off the sofa and started to run, cursing Harry as I went.
Why the hell did he not want me to help him? Why didn't he tell me this stuff? I deserved to know, damn it!
I stopped running when someone grabbed my arm.
Ivy.
"Look, only Harry, Ron and I know where it is and only Harry can get in anyways so you can't help him." Ivy said gravely, tightening her grip on my arm.
I wrenched my arm out of Ivy's grip and looked up into her eyes, pleading "Please, V." I said "I got to know. Where is it and how can I get in?"
"I can't tell you, Hannah. I have to keep you away from there." Ivy said, looking down on me.
"Why?" I asked, annoyed.
"Because it's too dangerous." Ivy said gravely "If you look into the Basilisk's eyes, it kills you. And the students attacked saw them through something."
"So?" I snapped, letting Ivy go and turning around "Harry gets to go in! Why can't I?"
"Because he can speak Parsletongue, snake language. That's why he can get in, you can't. And he has Ron and they're getting Ginny."
"Then why didn't he ask me to go?" I demanded "I could've helped!"
"Because Harry worries and Moaning Myrtle isn't the nicest person to be around." Ivy explained, then stopping to swear under her breath.
"Harry worries about what?" I asked raising my eyebrows in confusion "And who's Moaning Myrtle?"
"No one." Ivy said quickly "Harry's just afraid you'll get hurt."
"So that gives him the right to go into the Chamber of Secrets, with a Basilisk, and Skinner knows what else, and risk his own ass? I'm going to help him, Ivy, whether you and him want me to or not!"
"There is no way…" Ivy starts, but she stops, closing her eyes for a second "Follow me." she said when she opened them again, starting out of the dungeon.
I smirked triumphantly and followed her.
"You can wipe that bloody smirk off your face, because I'm only bringing you because something went wrong." Ivy said as we entered a bathroom with the ghost of a girl picking a spot on her chin at one of the mirrors "Hello, Myrtle." Ivy greeted the ghost before we stopped at a sink.
I looked down, frowning "This is the Chamber of Secrets?" I asked, peering into the drain hole "What went wrong? Did Harry get stuck in the drainpipe?" I asked, snickering "I'm funny." I remarked, smirking.
Ivy flashed me a "Honestly, is this the proper time to be saying that?" look before closing her eyes. The next thing I heard was a lot of hissing and the sink opened up to reveal a slide.
"Stay here." Ivy said starting to position herself to go down.
"No way!" I said, pulling her out of the way and sliding down myself.
"HANNAH POTTER!" Ivy yelled as I slid down "Don't be haunting me if you die down there! Malfoy's gonna kill you!"
…
I pulled out my wand when I reached the foot of the slide.
"Lumos Maxima." I whispered as I walked, the light of my wand leading my path.
I heard a whimper and I shut my eyes tightly. If that was the Basilisk, I didn't want to die or be Petrified right when I entered the Chamber.
"Hannah?" a voice called out.
I risked opening my eyes and saw Ron with Lockhart.
"Ron!" I called out, relieved "What's up with him?" I asked, jerking a thumb at Lockhart, who was humming some stupid song.
"He tried to blank our memories." Ron explained, giving Lockhart a kick. I smirked when Lockhart said "OW!"
"More importantly, what are you doing in here!" Ron shouted, pointing at me "Didn't Ivy try to keep you away from here?"
I nodded "Yeah, she tried. But least you forget I'm a Slytherin. And I'll do anything to get what I want. Now if you'll excuse me."
I brushed past Ron and through a small gap in a rock cave in. I smirked again when I got to the other side.
Being the runt twin has its advantages! I thought as I walked past two pillars into the main Chamber.
I saw Ginny lying at the foot of a statue of Salazar Slytherin, beneath her a pool of blood. I looked around for Harry, and found him with a large snake cornering him.
I gasped as some handsome dark haired older teen looked at me and grinned evilly. He laughed a high, cold laugh.
My scar burned.
