CHAPTER 7
Blood was on the walls beside the first floor girls' bathroom. Beside it was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. She was hanging from a bar by her tail stiffly. One look and Summer fell into unconsciousness.
"Think everything's okay, Madam Pomfrey?" Professor McGonagall's voice came to Summer, a few moments later.
"She's not Petrified, thank goodness. Miss Ashland's recovering well." Madam Pomprey's reply confused Summer greatly. Petrified? She opened her eyes.
"What happened, professor?" Summer asked.
"You know Mrs. Norris was well...stiff right? We think you fainted at the sight of the blood writing on the walls." Professor McGonagall explained. "'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.' was the writing on the wall."
"What is a Chamber of Secrets?" Summer went slightly pink at the thought of Draco bringing her up to the hospital wing.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you right now. You need to rest." Professor McGonagall said, before leaving.
The next day, Summer was well again and she was able to continue her classes. She sat beside Ashley and Ginny at breakfast. They'd gotten over the shock of finding out that Summer was a Parselmouth and they were back to normal topics.
"We have History of Magic right?" Ginny asked.
"Yup. Maybe Professor Binns might be able to tell us about the Chamber of Secrets." Summer said.
"Why do you want to know?" Ashley asked.
"It just seems interesting." Summer shrugged, she turned back to Ginny, who was writing in a black notebook.
"Ginny, where did you go after Summer left the common room?" Ashley asked.
"What? Oh, I think I might've went to the bathroom or something." Ginny replied absently.
"Okay...Come on, let's get to History of Magic." Summer checked her black watch before the girls went to their class. After twenty minutes into the class, Summer raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss —"
"Ashland, sir. Can you please tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?" Summer asked.
"I talk about facts not legends or myths." Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher, said. Then Summer raised her hand again.
"Miss Askfield?"
"Ashland, sir. But don't all facts start with legends or myths, sir?" Summer asked again.
"Well yes." Professor Binns said slowly.
"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution." He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.
"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school." Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," Professor Binns said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.
"Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic." Professor Binns said.
"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible." This time, Ashley rasied her hand.
"Sir, what exactly is the 'horror within' the Chamber?" Ashley asked.
"Some sort of monster, in which only the Heir of Slytherin can control." Professor Binns said. A few pair of eyes darted towards Summer.
"Now, class, let's get back to actual facts about history." Professor Binns said impatiently.
"Why would they think I'm the Heir of Slytherin? Besides, a heir is a boy and a heiress is a girl." Summer said uncomfortably when the class ended.
"They have bees in their brains for all I know." Ashley agreed with Summer. Ginny was writing furiously in her black notebook, as if taking notes.
"Let's get to lunch now. Maybe your lover boy would send you something." Ashley teased Summer.
END OF CHAPTER 7!
New chapters will be posted daily! Please R & R! Thanks for reading!
~R.J. Malfoy