When the Writing on the Walls was Discovered

All the teachers feared what was going to happen. Of course, they all heard about the opening on the chamber fifty years ago and the student who had been murdered (probably one of the worst students have had killed and remained a ghost in the opinions of some of the professors) and knowing that it might be here again. No teacher was able to make light of this.

Of course, there is the chance that someone had read or heard about the chamber and decided to pull an elaborate prank after it. Filch was by no means a cheery person in general but after this happening to Mrs. Norris he was bound to be more unpleasant.

All of the teachers minus Dumbledore, Professor Trelawny, and Professor Binns were in a classroom not far from the writing and if you peered out of the window, you can still see it there, the glistening blood that none of them had been able to wipe off. Whatever it was, it was protected by a powerful spell. Lockhart was mumbling on and on about a creature he faced here and there and knowing what he could have done to save Mrs. Norris because of it but not a single person took a bite from that piece of fruits. Honestly all of them were too tired, scared, and confused to actually get annoyed at him.

"Or this time when I was in Australia, this man had a talisman which - "

"Oh will you shut up," Burbage snapped. It wasn't in her nature to be someone to lose her temper. "This is serious, the students can be in danger and knowing 'what could have helped had only so and so occurred' isn't much help."

"She's right," Snape said in response. "If the Chamber of Secrets really is opened then who knows when someone will die. Isn't that what happened last time, anyway?"

McGonagall shook her head in disbelief, "I wasn't here when the Chamber was opened last time, but the stories I heard were horrific. Most students feared even leaving their dorms and some of them had even faked injuries to be protected in the hospital wing."

"And what made it worse was some of the Slytherins who felt they weren't in danger would constantly mock and tease the Muggleborns constantly, making the fear worse," continued Grubbly-Plank.

Snape snorted. Sadly, he couldn't deny that that was indeed something his Slytherins would do. Showing favouritism still didn't blind his from their faults. "The only person who is said to be able to open the chamber and release the monster is the heir of Slytherin. As far as I was aware though, the Slytherin line has been done for a couple centuries or so. I think Dumbledore said the Gaunts were the last. Whoever is opening it now has to be someone who found out about it and learned how to use it."

"But that could be anyone," Sprout chimed in. "And who knows, maybe an heir was hidden for a while. It's not farfetched to think that."

Snape nodded, "I'll keep an eye out." Even Snape couldn't deny the serious situation that this was. The last thing they needed was to have say the Weasley twins end up dead, becoming ghosts and being the ghost version of Peeves. He could almost shiver at the thought.

Lockhart puffed out his chest and faced everyone, "Don't worry, whoever is doing this will stop once they realize I am on the lookout. Have no fear!" And he walked out of the room with his ego held high.

Everyone just shook their heads and continued their conversation. "Anyway," Flitwick chimed in, "I'll figure out a charm to at least hide the writing. Maybe we can at least disguise it."

"Good idea, and in the meantime stay vigilant," McGonagall warned then everyone began splitting off.

McGonagall was the last to leave and on her way to her chambers she passed by Filch who was busy cleaning the floors halfheartedly. She went up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump where he stood. "I'm sorry, Argus. You should go to bed, no one will blame you."

"This place is filthy. It needs cleaning," and he went back to it.

"Yes, but not tonight. Go to bed." She led him away from his broom and his cleaning down to his room. He had no fight in him to tell McGonagall off for interfering with his job.

In her mind, she hoped it was nothing more than a simple prank on Filch. If that was the case then she knew that no one else was in danger and this year can just be a good old boring year.