It was the night of the Halloween feast. I sat at the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Klaus and the girls, happily stuffing my face with sweets of all kinds and occasionally gulping down some pumpkin juice.

It had been roughly two weeks since my favour-date with Wood, and the entire bloody school knew all about it, or so it seemed. However, many were under the impression that there had been much snogging going on when there obviously had not been. Of course, Wood's little comment about polishing his stick afterwards hadn't helped eased the situation. It seemed that he was dead set on tarnishing my reputation.

Rose, Fiona, and Carrie had defended me tirelessly when we were walking between classes through the corridors and stupid students would make snide remarks about Wood's wood to me. It was rather touching, though I'd often done the same for them in years past.

Avoiding Wood as I had so desired after fleeing had been exceedingly difficult, as it seemed he purposefully made sure he was constantly in the way, and he was also in several of my classes. Apparently, the professors thought it was an entertainingly sick joke to pair me with William Wallace. Or he bribed them so that we were always partners. At the moment, I favored the latter idea as I wouldn't dare to think that my professors hated me so much. After all, I was a Ravenclaw and came from a very esteemed family.

Klaus elbowed me, bringing me from my revelry and I glared at him. "What?" I asked, swallowing the toffee I'd just shoved into my mouth. It went down sluggishly, briefly leading me to worry that I would choke.

"Rose was trying to get your attention."

"Oh, er, right." I looked at Rose, "Something I can help you with, dear?"

"Oliver's been staring at the back of your head this entire time."

"Good for him."

Fiona raised her eyebrows, "Seriously, Rue?"

I groaned, shoving a lolly into my mouth. Lecture time.

Carrie bobbed in her seat, leaning over her plate, "You told us yourself you didn't think it was such an awful date."

"Yeah, because I felt guilty!" I interjected.

Carrie huffed, "Right, because you upset him. Come off it."

"Carrie's right," Fiona nodded in agreement. "I think you two are right perfect for each other, and you just can't handle that fact, which is why you've thrown yourself, and dragged the rest of us with you, into early morning Quidditch practices and plotting for the first Gryffindor match."

Rose perked up, "So you are plotting?"

Fiona rolled her eyes, "Yeah, and she's trying to get the entire team in on it, you know. We've all been practically force to-"

"Stop," I hissed, motioning for them to lower their voices. I scanned the Hufflepuff table and then turned and scanned the Gryffindor table. I briefly made eye contact with Wood, which was painfully awkward for me, before turning back to the gang.

"So, what's this grand scheme of yours that you've yet to tell me and Carrie here?" Rose asked.

I looked at Klaus, and he held his hands over his ears, indicating he wasn't listening. He preferred to distance himself from his mad little sister's evil plans.

"Well, you see, I've bought everyone kilts, right? All of us on the team, anyway. And we're all going to wear them, and I bribed-"

Fiona coughed, "More like coerced."

I shot her a glare before continuing, "I bribed some band members, and Jamison, to play the bagpipes rather obnoxiously."

"Ooh, what are you going to play?" Carrie whispered, pushing a lemon drop into her mouth.

"'Scotland the Brave,' obviously," I smirked triumphantly.

"Rue," Rose said, sitting back on the bench, "sometimes you are bloody brilliant. It is amazing."

"Yeah," Carrie agreed, "if that doesn't distract Oliver, I have no idea what will."

"Fantastic, let's just inflate Rue's already giant ego," Fiona said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Now, now," Klaus interjected, "I'd rather we not do that. I'm the one who has to live with her, after all."

"Yeah, during the hols," Fiona said under her breath.

"That's bad enough," Klaus laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "I am sitting right here, you know."

Klaus stood, mussing my hair, and then turned to go to the Hufflepuff table to sit with Anna. I stared after him and sighed. Carrie poked me.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, er, nothing at all."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "I know that look."

Fiona cocked her head to the side, studying me. "The I'm-jealous-my-brother-is-in-a-stable-relationship look?"

"None other than that very one," Rose nodded.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands and shaking my head.

"Oh, c'mon, Rue. You know you are. Look at them," Fiona gestured towards Klaus and Anna who were snuggled against each other, smiling amiably amongst their seventh year mates. I huffed. They were far too cutesy for me.

"I'm not jealous," I defended.

"You could very well be in such a relationship," Carrie said from beside me, gently patting my shoulder. I shrugged her hand off and looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"As I mentioned earlier," Rose said, her eyes sliding from mine to something behind me, "Wood has been staring at you all night. I mean, look, Gwinnett's barely got him to join in the conversation!"

I perked up. Tristan!

"If you're going to suggest I go after Wood, as you have, I refuse. Instead, I'm going to wholeheartedly and passionately focus on Operation: T Gwinn as soon as I've executed this Quidditch plot."

All three rolled their eyes. "You're so blind," Fiona finally sighed.

"I am not. I do believe that Tristan fancies me some."

"Yes, that much is obvious," Carrie said, sipping at her juice.

"What, that she thinks he fancies her, or he does?" Fiona asked, turning her gaze to the boy in question.

"Both," Rose answered, dragging her own eyes from staring at Wood who was apparently still staring at me.

"So, I don't see why I shouldn't go after him, then," I said. "Now, I'd prefer you lot just support me in this because I think I know what's best for me, yeah?"

No one said anything for a time until Rose spoke up.

"Rue, in regard to going after blokes, excluding Oliver, I have no more faith in you than in a stewed prune."

We stood and left the Great Hall, having had our fill of candies. I didn't fail to notice a certain group of Gryffindor blokes had also stood, along with a few smatterings of others across the Hall.

All of us filed into the same corridor, trying to stay with our mates. With my luck, I got separated from Rose, Fiona and Carrie and soon found myself walking with none other than Wood.

"Rue," he acknowledged me, offering a gentle smile.

I scoffed.

"Yes, Wood?"

"Happy Halloween."

"Yeah, you too. Where's Tristan?" I quickly changed the subject.

"He's speaking to some Hufflepuff girl, I believe."

"Right, sure." I rolled my eyes. He was trying to make me jealous. As though Rue Von Straussburg gets jealous, especially of a Hufflepuff. Wood was probably just making things up.

However, the flow of students came to a halt suddenly, and, had Wood not grabbed my arm and pulled me back against him, I would have run right into some second year who stood in the middle of the hallway behind the Golden Trio. I looked up at Wood and started to struggle in his grasp.

He paid me no mind, his eyes instead fixed on the wall. I followed his gaze and gasped, my heart sinking and stomach churning at what I saw. I stopped struggling and found myself leaning into his chest, my fingers twisting around the fabric of his robes. His arms squeezed around me, holding me in place protectively.

Hanging from a torch was a motionless Mrs. Norris, and a foreboding, gleaming warning was written on the wall:

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.

Woah, two chapters in one day. In the span of a few hours. Now that is seriously impressive. I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't a total let down after the favour-date chapter. I'll likely have another chapter up tomorrow as I don't want to keep you all in suspense. I don't own the Harry Potter universe, only the characters and situations you do not recognize. I also used a little quote from Shakespeare's Henry IV. Of course, I will once again BEG FOR REVIEWS. I am a lowly writer; reviews fuel my creativity. Also, if you would kindly go to check out the story my dear friend thesmilingpirate will be posting/has posted, a post-epilogue fic, I would love you ever so much. Yours.