For the next few days, all anyone could talk about was what happened on Halloween night.
Filch kept it in everyone's minds by setting up camp where Mrs Norris was attacked while they waited for the Mandrakes from Bunny's Warren.
Once Jack and Harry saw him scrubbing at the message on the wall with 'Mrs Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover' but to no effect.
When Filch wasn't at the scene of the crime he was sulking around the school trying to catch anyone to make them as miserable as he was.
Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed too. According to Ron she was a great cat-lover.
"But you hadn't gotten to really know Mrs Norris," Ron said trying to cheer her up.
"Stuff like this doesn't normally here," Jack said trying to make her feel better "They'll catch the person who did it and everything will be all well and good again. Trust me."
"You promise?" Ginny asked hugging her books tightly to her.
"Would I trick you?" Jack asked smiling.
"Well..." she said unsure.
"Ok bad question. But this time I promise I'm not tricking you ok?" Jack said coming down to her height "You have to believe in me. And know that, even though I'm not one of your brothers, if there is anything you want to talk about I'll be there to listen ok?"
Smiling Ginny nodded and hugged Jack.
o0o
The attack also seemed to have an effect on Hermione too.
It wasn't unusual to find her in the library morning noon and just before curfew, but she normally wasn't in there every free minute of every day. And every time Jack, Ron or Harry tried to ask her why, she didn't really give that much of an answer.
o0o
On Wednesday the Mandrakes from Bunny finally arrived.
Snape made Jack stay behind after Potions so they could get started on the potion that should get Mrs Norris back to normal.
Once it was made Snape said, because they weren't fresh mandrakes, it needed to stew for about a week and let Jack leave.
Glad to be out of there, Jack made it up to the library where he saw Harry talking to Ron, about the odd behavior of Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"All I did was say 'Hello' and he looked scared and ran away." he said measuring his homework.
"I don't know why you're so bothered," Ron said trying it seemed to make his writing as big as possible to reach the amount their History of Magic teacher Professor Binns asked for. "I thought he was a bit of an idiot. All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great."
"Oh but he is great Ron," Jack said smiling when the red head looked up in surprise "He's a great-load-of-smelly-old-yak-dung. I don't know what it is, but there's something not right about him. Not the same way as with Quirrell last year, but his stories don't fit together, and the way he acts so smart and yet he can't so the simplest things. Honestly!"
"Now Jack, no need to say such hurtful words about someone, even if they are true," Elisa's voice said as she and Hermione came up behind them and joined them at the table.
"All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been checked out. And there's a two-week waiting list." Hermione said "I wish I hadn't left mine at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."
"Hermione, have you ever thought about asking your friends for help, before going on a rampage among the books in the Library?" Jack asked in a dry bored like voice mixed with a 'I don't believe this' tone.
"Of course," Hermione said sounding confused "Why?"
"Because I have my copy of that book in my own trunk upstairs." Jack said slowly so the message would get past the amount of Pride that was blocking the obvious solution section in her brain.
This answer made Elisa giggle as she remembered what happened last year when this sort of situation happened before.
Turning red Hermione was about to ask Jack if she could borrow the book, when Harry asked her: "Why do you want it?"
"The same reason everyone-else wants it," Hermione said "To read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"What's that?" Jack and Harry asked together – Ron too busy with his homework and Elisa not really caring.
"That's just it, I can't remember," said Hermione.
At the sound of the word 'Remember' Baby Tooth popped her head out from Jack's pocket and over to Hermione placing a tiny hand on the girls forehead.
"Uh..." She said not sure what to do.
"Shh..." Jack said telling Hermione not to move "She's trying to help you remember."
After a bit Baby backed away rubbing her head and looking a little dizzy.
"Oh dear is she ok?" Elisa asked catching Baby as she started falling to the table.
"Probably just needs some rest," Jack said looking the fairy over "Did it help?" he asked Hermione.
"No." she said.
"Probably has something to do with everything else you have in there," Elisa said placing a now sleeping Baby Tooth in her own pocket "It was too much for her."
"Why don't we just ask one of the teachers?" Jack asked before a fight could break out. "We are due to class in a few minutes anyway."
Agreeing on that they all went their separate ways, Elisa saying she'll look after Baby until she woke up and going to Care of Magical Creatures, while the others went off to History of Magic, all the way Ron asking Hermione to help his with his homework.
o0o
History of Magic was the dullest subject on their timetable, and the only subject taught by a ghost.
The most exciting thing that happened in his classes – when Jack wasn't messing around to try and cheer everyone up, was the teacher coming into the room through the blackboard.
Professor Binns had a slow dull voice which most of the time sent everyone to sleep, only to wake up every now and again to note down something and got names and places mixed up, before going to sleep again.
It was halfway through the class when something happened in this class that never happened before. Hermione put up her hand.
Professor Binns looked up amazed.
"Miss – er –?"
"Granger Sir. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." she said in a clear voice so Professor Binns could understand.
At this a few of the other students looked up or turned their heads from looking out the window to focus on the new and more exciting events.
Neville even accidentally slipped his elbow off his desk.
"My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry wheezy voice "I deal with facts Miss Granger not myths and legends." he cleared his voice to start again when Jack said:
"But Sir, there are no such things as Facts." he said sticking up his hand to be seen "We may know something now and think it a fact, but then however many years later it could be proves it was wrong."
This made everyone think about this some nodding in agreement.
"Also, myths legends have to have some scene of truth to them otherwise they wouldn't have gotten started and the stories passed on in the first place," Jack continued, sounding like he was speaking from experience.
"Well," Professor Binns said slowly, thinking about this "I suppose, one could argue with that. "But the legend Miss Grant is speaking off is very sensational, even ludicrous ..."
But now the whole class was hanging on Professor Binns's every word.
He looked at all of them and sighed.
"Oh very well," he said slowly "Let's see the Chamber of Secrets...
"As you all know, of course, Hogwarts was founded over 1000 years ago by four of the greatest witches and wizards of that time. The four houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far away from the prying eyes of Muggles as this was a time when they believed Magic was feared."
He paused, looked around the room, saw everyone was still awake and listening, and continued.
"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together selecting those who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between Slytherin and the other founders, for he believed that all magical learning should be taught and kept within all-magic families. He disliked the idea of taking in students from Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while there was a serious disagreement among Gryffindor and Slytherin on the subject and Slytherin left."
Again Professor Binns paused to catch his breath.
"But not before, it is said, that he built a secret chamber within the walls of the school of which the other founders knew nothing about.
Slytherin, according to legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none but his own true heir would be able to open it and unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."
There was a silence in the class room, but it wasn't the usual dull boring silence. It was the 'I cannot believe this, I have nothing to say' silence.
"The whole thing is nonsense, of course." he said "Naturally the school has been searched countless times, and no such chamber exists."
Hermione's hand was in the air again.
"Sir, what did you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?" she asked.
"There is to be believed a creature of some sorts that none but the heir of Slytherin could control." Professor Binns said.
The whole class looked rather worried now.
"I tell you it does not exist. There is no Chamber, and there is no monster." Professor Binns said going though his notes wanting to get back to his lesson.
"But Sir," Seamus called out "If the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Nonsense, O'Flahtery" Professor Binns said in an aggravated tone.
"But what if you have to use Dark Magic to find the Chamber?" Pavati asked.
"Just because one doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean they can't," Binns answered firmly. "I repeat in the sake of Dumbledore - "
"But Sir, maybe you gotta be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't –" Dean Thomas began but Professor Binns had had enough.
"That will do!" Professor Binns said firmly making all questions halt. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is no evidence whatsoever that Slytherin ever built more than a secret broom-cupboard."
Smirking Jack was about to say something to this but Hermione elbowed him to make him shut up.
"I regret telling you such a foolish story!" Binns said "We will return to history, to solid, believable, truthful fact!"
And within five minutes nearly the whole glass was asleep again.