Father and I were in Knockturn Alley on business and we ran into the last person I ever expected to see, Harry Potter with Hagrid.

"Hello there, Natalie. How ya been?" Hagrid greeted loudly.

"Hi, Hagrid. I'm all right. Hello, Harry. And this is my Father." He shook hands with them. "Well, hopefully see you soon. But we have to go. Bye." I really wanted to ask why Harry was covered in soot and his glasses broken, but Father and I had a job to do. We were going to blackmail the Malfoy's by getting evidence that he has illegal objects in his household that could send him to Azkaban. We need to know if has any connections with the Dark Lord and such.

First we went to pay a visit to Mr. Burgin, the last transaction Malfoy made.

"Ah, Fredrick," Mr. Burgin greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was wondering if you have any new stock or will receive any soon."

"But of course." He lead us to a tall book case. "These glass eyes just came to us from Egypt, they are twins, and if you place one in one room, you will be able to see anything through the other, great for spying. It also has x-ray vision, and gives you the ability to see behind you without turning around. Dead useful. But I'll give it to you for fifty galleons."

"Tempting, but no. but I believe I saw a true vampire fang in the back of the store the last time I was here, if you don't mind showing it to me?"

"Yes." He left with Father, and that was my cue to look at Mr. Borgin's records. Nothing. I opened his desk drawers, nothing but parchment. I opened the bottom drawer, and found an envelope with a list of artifacts, signed by Lucius Malfoy, bingo. I did a spell to duplicate the letter and went to Father and pretend to want to leave to tell him the job is done. With smile on my face, we left and got my school supplies.

On the train to Hogwarts, I noticed that Harry and Ron weren't on the train, turns out that they were locked out of the barrier and were so determined to come to school that drove a flying car all the way there.

On the first day of school, everyone assembled in the Great Hall for breakfast, but people heard something that affected anybody's day, someone received a howler. The howler belonged to Ron, and I never knew a mother to yell as loud as Mrs. Weasley did. The people closest to Ron immediately covered their ears, others just stared as Ron grew as red as his hair. But what was soon to be dealt with in class would be louder than Ron's howler, they were the mandrakes.

Sure, they looked cute, but they were vicious. People had to careful when they were changing the mandrakes' pots since they didn't want it too close to their face or they would knock off the earmuffs which were protecting one's hearing. I found this task to be very difficult since my ears are very sensitive. Eventually, the screams got so loud that I motioned Professor Sprouts that I was leaving. Outside greenhouse 3, I just sat waiting for the all clear sign, but until then, I started on my Herbology homework. It was rather nice, until I was interrupted by Pansy Parkinson.

"Hello," She said to me in her. I looked at her, and then returned to my work. Why would she want to talk to me? Probably wants to insult me. "What's the matter? Cat caught your tongue?" she asked in her shrilly voice, laughing.

"Leave me alone, Pansy."

"Now why would I do a thing like that?"

"Because, I can do things that you'll regret."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, scram or feel the wrath."

She just looked at me.

"So, you're not so tough without your entourage. Now beat it." She's an idiot. "Would you rather me just insult you like you enjoy doing to others, or would you to be physically hurt?"

"What the hell?" She really could have an evil scowl.

I sent a bird to peck her, that seemed a better compromise. It would hurt her physically and insult her.

People heard Pansy shrieking in pain so now there was a crowd surrounding her, watching a bird peck her. It was a wonderful sight, but I just left the scene so she couldn't peg anything on me.

For my next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, there is new teacher: Gilderoy Lockheart. I already met him, and he's a poser and a fake. The first time I ever laid eyes on him was when he visited my house when I was eight. He wished to speak with Father alone, but I went to my normal hiding place in the closet in Father's office. Lockheart wanted to know how father defeated twelve Death Eaters simultaneously. As if Father would reveal his secrets. Why would he want to know that? Make a long journey to a stranger's just to inquire about defeating some bad guys? Something was wrong. Father never revealed anything, and Lockheart left rather disappointed.

But even my dislike of Lockheart for what he did four years ago didn't stop my suspicion towards him. Not even the greatest of wizards are able to accomplish as much as he has without so much as a scratch on his face or becoming grim. He has remained a pretty boy with a happy, arrogant face. Father wasn't very happy with the school's choice of a teacher, but then again that position is considered "cursed", so no one really wants to take the risk with that job. On the first day of class, all of the girls, including Hillary, sat in the front in order to be seen by him and I, some other uncaring girls, and the boys sat in the back.

"Welcome students! I am Gilderoy Lockheart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. But why do I need to tell you all that, of course you already know me. Now I see you all have my books, good good. Just to let you know, some of you might face your darkest fears in this room. But right now, let's see how well you read my books by a small quiz."

We all groaned when he past out a quiz, that turned out to be almost sixty questions, and it was all about him. How conceited can you be? I mean how are we supposed to know what his favorite color is? Or what his secret ambition is? If it's a secret ambition obviously you don't want others to know about it. Turns out, all of the answers were in the book. So his secret ambition turned out to be in a best-seller's.

Then after being disappointed in the test scores, he set some pixies loose. He supposedly did it in another second year class and just left the students to deal with them. If he can't learn from his mistakes why in the world is he even a teacher. When the pixies were loose, everyone was screaming, hiding under desks, or batting the pixies away from them. I pulled out my wand and said a spell that forced all of the pixies back in their cage. I don't know why I chose to use the wand, I think it's beginning to grow on me, not sure. But it was a mistake since everyone knew it was I who put all the pixies back. I hate it when people stare at me, so I just left. I wasn't as if I was going to get in trouble since the so called Professor Lockheart just left the students to deal with the pixies. But I seriously need to stop walking out of classes, it isn't a very good habit to get into. What drove me into major insanity was even after the worst lesson of my life, Hillary still gushed over him like he was the best thing that has happened in the school since magic.

Soon into the school year, I woke up rather early, so I decided to sit in the stands of the quiditch field. I couldn't think of anyone looking for me here or even being there that early in the morning. It was nice to take a pause from the world and stare at the sky. But my thoughts were sadly intruded a few hours later by a quarrel. I sat up and saw the Slytherin and Gryffindor quiditch team fighting about field time. They were fighting, throwing insults back and forth to each other. Then Ron and Hermione joined them since they always felt the need to join every matter that doesn't concern him. Malfoy, the new Seeker, insulted Hermione by calling her a Mudblood. But Ron just couldn't tell Malfoy to lay off, no. He took out his broken wand and sent a spell that would cause the attacked person to upchuck slugs. His spell backfired and he got hit with the spell instead of Malfoy. I couldn't stop laughing from seeing Ron throw up slugs, but I had to go before Hillary will send the squad after me.

That night, while I was sleeping, voices woke me.

"Come…come to me… Let me rip you… Let me tear you… Let me kill you." It was in Parseltongue, which worried me. Who else spoke it besides me, Father, and the Dark Lord? I had to find out. It might be a snake, but I've never heard a snake speak of killing like that. Most snakes only kill for survival or protection. This sounded more human. I knew what I had to do, I apperated home.

"Father, something has happened, There was someone speaking Parseltongue."

He looked alert for someone at midnight. "Was it human?"

"I'm not sure. But it sounded human, it was talking about killing and tearing someone into pieces. No snake would talk like that."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Just like humans, there are snakes that just want to kill."

"But do you think there is anyone else that's a Parselmouth in school?"

"I have an assumption that Harry is from the night the Dark Lord disappeared. But I'm not completely positive, but until you are sure, do not speak to him in Parseltongue or he will find out more than he needs to right now. Now go back to the castle, you have school tomorrow."

I smiled I hate it when I'm talking business with him and then he gets in a parent mode. "All right, Father. Goodnight."

"Good night." I apperated back to my bed and went to sleep.

Halloween came around and it was rather dull unlike last year with the troll, but it was still fun. There was mountains of food, of course. And huge pumpkins and awesome decorations with live bats. But soon it was over and everyone was going to go back to their common room. And that was when we saw it, the writing on the wall. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. My eyes got big, it was opened when my father was a first-year, it killed a girl. I backed off into a corner where no one would see me and warned my Father.

"Father, what do I do? The Chamber of Secrets has been opened!"

"The first thing that you must do is remain calm. Now I know whose voice you heard in the beginning of school, it's the monster inside the Chamber."

"What is the monster?"

"That I am not sure about. It was opened when I was a first-year. But it must be a snake if you heard it. I'll look into it. See if Salazar left any clues in his books as to what the creature lays in that Chamber."

"Father, it said that the enemies of the Heir beware. Who is that?"

"That would be you. You remember that Salazar Slytherin picked only certain students of certain blood into his house, correct." I nodded. "Well the enemies would be those of Muggle descent. The last time the Chamber was opened, it killed a girl and petrified other, those that were petrified were Muggle-born."

"But that means… me."

"Yes, I believe it will be like Medusa's face, do not look at it or it will kill you. But unlike Medusa, if you look at it through it's reflection, it will petrify you."

"So then I'll just have to carry a mirror everywhere with me so that it won't kill me. Petrified is better than being dead."

"There is someone that might give you answers. Look for Myrtle, in the bathroom. I believe that she was the one that was killed by the monster. Ask her what she remembers about it, where it attacked her, things like that. We need to know how to control this thing. If anything, I believe that the Dark Lord is trying to work his way into the castle by petrifying or killing all of the Muggle-borns first so it will make his job easier when he takes over."

"That doesn't make sense, Father."

"Maybe, but I believe the Dark Lord is behind this and we need to know how."

"All right, but I need to go now." I apperated home.

The following day, I did just that. But I wasn't going to just be rude to her and demand answers, first I needed her to trust me, to be my friend. And that will take a lot of work, but hopefully no one will die before then. She wasn't that hard, she was very trusting, bit clingy. However I couldn't risk upsetting her or she would dreadful. I went once a week, at first just saying hello to her and using the bathroom. Eventually I began to talk to her. I knew she craved seeing others in "pain" while she remained fine. So I told her how this one person was always so mean to me. I even put on the tears. Man, it was annoying to act like that, but I have to do what I have to. My big worry was Hillary, she will kill me if she finds that I "tell" more stuff to Myrtle than her. But thank G-d no one comes in here.

During one of my visits to the bathroom, I actually overheard Harry and his friends talking. I hid in the stall. "Don't tell them I'm here." I whispered to Myrtle. I heard them talking about what happened Halloween, they wanted information from Myrtle. They made mistakes in insulting her. They truly are idiots in the arts of charm So the only people who are smart in this school either comes from Slytherin or Ravenclaw, the others are idiots from what I've seen. And I really thought Hermione had potential. They left quickly after finding no information from Myrtle. Myrtle was in hysteria and I quickly left before she made the bathroom an indoor water park.

Later in November, I enjoyed my visits to the bathroom, but I had to be very quiet and careful. Turns out, I'm not the only one who enjoys the privacy of the girls' bathroom. Harry, Hermione, and Ron thought it's a good idea to make a polygenic potion in the bathroom and inquire Malfoy if he's the Heir of Slytherin. They thought that since everyone in his family has been in Slytherin than he must be related to the great Salazar Slytherin himself. If they actually wanted facts, I could tell them that just because a certain family has been in one house for generations, doesn't necessarily mean that thy are related to the founder of the house.

There was a dueling club that was starting in the school. but I found out the none other than the fake Lockheart would be teaching it, so I skipped it, not even if Hillary threatened me. But it turns out I should've went, Harry revealed that he is a parselmouth. The next day in the library, I overheard some Hufflepuff talking about the Chamber of Secrets. Their discussion included the famous Harry Potter and how he might be the Heir of Slytherin. Yeah right, I thought. Harry might be, but he's way too nice to even think about hurting people. They all acted stiff when Harry actually approached the, wanting to talk to a boy named Justin. I discovered that Justin was going to be attacked by a snake and Harry saved him. But what everyone saw was that Harry sent a snake on Justin. Harry was about to leave the library when I caught him.

"Harry I need to talk to you really fast, do you have minute?"

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

That was when Hermione and Ron showed up. "I mean alone. Hermione and Ron, do you mind?"

They all exchanged glances, but they left.

"I heard what happened at the dueling club," I said in Parseltongue. Seeing if it is true that he can't suspect it.

"Yes, but I didn't set the snake on Justin," He answered back in Parseltongue. "I didn't even realize I was talking in another language."

"Okay, Harry. I don't know if you realized it, but we are having a conversation in Parseltongue."

"What, I am? So that means you're also one. How come you can do it on demand and I can't tell the difference."

"I'm not exactly sure. But this secret that I just shared with may not be shared with anyone. Understood?"

"Yes."

"I mean it, if I hear that you leaked, I can make life difficult for you."

"Um, all right. Is there anyone else in this school that speaks it?"

"None that I can see."

"Oh." He sounded very disappointed.

I took out my snake from my pocket. "If you here the voices again, I need you to take out Fanni, my snake, and tell me where you here the voices. Can you do that?"

"Okay, now you are starting to creep me out."

"Look, we're the only ones in this school who can speak to snakes. So most likely, we are the only ones who knows where the beast is. So we need a way to communicate if we want the petrifying to stop."

"How do I know that you aren't doing it yourself. Like you said, we are the only ones who can speak to it."

"All right, I will tell you why. I'm Muggle-born, so it could be after me next. Now will you do it?"

He took the snake. "Do I need to feed it or anything?"

"He knows how to find his own food. Just put him in your book bag in the morning so if you do here the voices he can find me quickly and I can maybe figure out how the beast is moving around."

"Okay. Look I have to go."

"Yeah, me too. Bye." Well, that was completely awkward.

There was too much tension here in the castle, I need to go to the lake. I found a tree to lean against and stared at the horizon, watching birds fly into the sunset. I wish I could be free, I hate being here, I need space to be who I truly am. While staring at the sky, I was interrupted.

"Well, well, well. Look whose breaking school rules." Malfoy taunted. His friends laughed at his stupid remark.

"You mean yourselves?"

"I would be a little bit nicer to me. You see I outnumber you. And there is no one to save you."

"And you think I need saving?"

"Well there are four of us, and one of you."

"No, there is one of me and one of you. Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott are just bystanders. Now leave."

He eyed my lunch. "Well, boys, we haven't eaten in a while, let's have a bite." Goyle went straight for my cauldron cake, Crabbe took my pumpkin juice and my sandwich, and Malfoy took my chocolate frog. Only Nott didn't take anything. I closed my eyes and the cake grow in his mouth until Goyle was throwing it up. Juice sprayed out of Crabbe's nose, ears, mouth, and ears. For Malfoy, I had a special treat, I made the frogs multiply until they covered his body. They ran away screaming on the top of their lungs, but before they reached the castle, they stopped upchucking, spraying juice, and chocolate frogs stopped attacking. I smiled at my good work, until I saw Nott.

"Well? Aren't you going to follow them?"

"Um, no. did you do that?"

"What do you think?"

"Yes?"

"Good answer. So are you just gonna stand there and look awkward?"

"No. C-could I sit with you?"

"Whatever." He sat, and I resumed looking at the horizon. The sun was sinking, so it reflected beautifully against the water.

"Do you do this often?"

I sighed. "Look, I don't like to talk when I'm thinking. So you could sit here in silence or you can go away." Amazingly enough, he listened. After the sun finished setting, we went back to the castle. "Okay, so if you want to get back to the common room without getting caught, you have to trust me."

He nodded.

"Now close your eyes." He obeyed. "Now do not open your eyes until I tell you to. Nod if you understand." He nodded. I apperated us just outside the common room. I took him through the entrance and then told him to open his eyes. Thank G-d it was mostly empty with only a few sixth and seventh years there.

He looked around confused. "What just happened?"

"You came through the door into the common room."

"But how did we get here?"

"Walk."

"What are you?"

"Pardon?"

"You did crazy things to other people. And now you somehow took us from outside the castle into the common room in two seconds."

"No I didn't." He stretched the truth, so he's lying.

"Well how else could you explain it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm going to my dorm." I walked away, Hillary was still awake and in the mood to talk, so I listened.

The next day, Theodore Nott looked for me in the Great Hall and sat next to me.

"Who are you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I am Natalie, good to know my name gets around."

"No, not that. I'm not talking about your name. I mean who are you. Tell me about yourself."

"And I would tell you because?"

"You did some crazy stuff last night and I need to know how the heck you did that, and I need to know who the hack you are."

"What do you want to know?"

"How did you do that stuff last night."

"No offense, but the first I ever spoke to you was last night, so I will not tell you that. How about this, what do you know about me?"

"I know you're smart. Whenever there are question that nobody knows the answer to, you always seem to know the answer. I know you're extremely quiet, I guess that's why you are good friends with Hillary since she will talk you to death. And I know you extremely secretive. You like to disappear for hours at a time and no one seems to know where you go."

"Well, let's keep it that way. How about you tell me about yourself."

"What's to tell? I come from an all Slytherin family. I'm quiet. I saw my mother die. My Father doesn't pay much attention to me. Now your turn."

"When was that part of the agreement?" I stood up and went to a torture lesson with Lockheart. Now he doesn't bother letting creatures free, nor does he teach. He only reads passages from his book. As if that would help us.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Ogoticks?"

"What is the point of you reading us your books if we already did?"

"Ah, because, my dear, is because of by reading my books repeatedly, you will be able to know what to do in that specific situation."

"So you want us to go to random cities and fight off vampires?"

He laughed. "Of course not."

"Then shouldn't be learning something a bit more practical. Such as how do we protect ourselves if someone performs a disarming charm?"

"Well, you should have already learned that."

"Of course, sir. But I was thinking more that what happens if that were to happen how would we defend ourselves?"

"You are the student, so if have already learned it, than this should be a review for you."

"Forget it, sir."

"Now that's better, now getting back to my book."

Some stupid rules were now taking action, the school actually thought that they could prevent me from leaving my common room for any reason? Well they were sadly mistaken. I did anything to get away from my dorm, anything I could. One time, I was almost caught, luckily, I knew a spell to make noise in a different corridor.

I didn't get as far as I'd like with Myrtle. She told me how she died, but to me, that wasn't enough. All she could tell me was seeing yellow eyes, yeah I get it, snakes have yellow eyes. But I wanted to know what kind. Who did it. How they did it. But before I could ask her where it happened, someone through a book at her. She went crazy and flooded the bathroom. thank goodness I left before I was completely soaked.

The book that was thrown at Myrtle turned up later in Potter's arms. I don't know how he acquired it, or why, but I need o find out. Tonight I need to watch his dorm.

That night, he and Ron were talking about the book. It was fifty-years-old and belonged to none other than Tom Riddle. That was serious. Father always told that the Dark Lord's name was Tom Riddle.

I went home, I could smell father heating up potatoes and beef. "Father, a book of the Dark Lord's found it's way to Harry Potter."

He put the food down and stared at me. "Was it a spell book?"

"I don't think so. I think he said it was a diary."

"That could be serious, has he read anything?"

I shook my head. "It was blank."

"All right, go back to school. I'll tell you tomorrow what we should do with the book.

But the next day didn't happen. Instead, I was attacked! Just standing in potions room, I looked into my cauldron that I was brewing for extra credit. (Snape conveniently left the room) I looked into the potion, and I saw two great, big yellow eyes stare into it. Instantly, my body froze and I toppled forward, spewing the potion all over me.

Afterward, I was in a deep sleep, waking up in time for the end-of-the-year-feast. Later I found that Harry had went down into the Chamber and retrieved Ginny Weasley, who supposedly opened the Chamber. The Dark Lord made an appearance to Harry through a fifty-year-old diary. When I came into the Great Hall along with the others who were petrified, I wasn't being attacked by Hillary, but instead she ignored me. I just sat eating dinner by myself. But then I was embarrassed by everyone in my house.

"Hey look, it's the Mud-blood girl who's ruining the Slytherin pride!" A fourth-year Slytherin boy yelled. I caused the pumpkin juice pitcher he was holding to brake in his hands, shooting juice all over himself. People laughed both at the comment and at the state of the fourth-year. But I knew for sure that next year would be bad. Now everyone knew my secret of being Muggle-born and I felt a new wave of hatred towards me. Not even Hillary would talk to me, which was strange since I always had to be the one to shut her up. Hopefully she'll be ably to get past me being Muggle-Born. I mean she's friendly with the Muggle-born in the other houses, why am I any different? All throughout the night all I heard from other Slyetherin's was "Salazar's shame!" or "Slytherin Mud-blood!" Then with the students from the other groups, I was completely ignored, all they did was stare at like I was a freak. Correction they already knew that, now I just had it to the extreme. But it was Hillary that bothered me the most.

But then Hagrid came into the Hall. He first went to Harry, but then he made his way over to me. I couldn't help but happily cry, he survived being in Azkaban and I woke up from being petrified. I didn't know I could be as emotional as I just was, but it was wonderful to see Hagrid again. He was my one true human friend. It didn't matter that he was two years older than father or that he works for the school, I think he's wonderful.

When I returned to my dormitory, I asked Hillary why she was reacting so badly to it.

"You want to know why? Because you never tell me anything about yourself. And you kept a major secret from me! One day I'm in Herbology, and then I'm pulled out of class just to learn that my best friend has been petrified. I never thought you would be since you never told me that you were Muggle born. You made it sound like you were at least a half-blood. How are you so up to date with everything if you don't have any wizarding family?"

"Well, I never told you this, but I'm adopted."

"Really?" She got excited at the idea. "did your real parents find out that you were a witch and give you to the first wizard they saw? or did your parents get killed by a wizard?"

"None of the above. My parents were more mundane than any other Muggle I know. And so the person who adopted me took me away from them when I was little so that I could live with him and live my life freely as a witch."

"That is so cool. I am so sorry about the silent treatment. But, like, I was just so annoyed at you for not even trusting me to keep a secret that you are Muggle-born."

"Yeah. Hey look I'm kind of tired. Do you mind if I turn in early?"

"Nope, good night." I didn't really want to go to bed, but I need to go see what Harry is up to. Maybe he and Ron would reenact to his friends what actually happened down their.

Another school year over, and I never even caught sight of the Dark Lord that whole year. Oh, well, next year I will complete my mission.