A/N: Thanks you all so much for tolerating my slow and random posts. I'm only sixteen, which is why my writing is so bad, and why I'm unable to post chapters more often. It's really the matter of writing them over posting. So, yep, school's got me busy! I'm not happy about it, but there isn't much I can do. I'm trying my best to get new chapters out, along with working on a few other stories for myself. I probably won't post those for a while. Anyway, thanks for dealing with all my crap, and I'd appreciate it if you left a review! Enjoy, loves! :))

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides my OC, Skylar Wolf, and the made-up animal companions. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling as well as respective owners. :)

Word Count: 2,588

"Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets! I swear it! I… I saw it!" Harry insisted to the recovered Hermione, Ron, and Skylar.

"It can't be Hagrid," Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "It just can't be."

"It isn't." Skylar reassured the brunette.

"But I saw-" Harry started.

"I don't know what you saw, Harry, but there's no way in Hell that Hagrid would ever do something like that." Skylar stormed off angrily. She re-entered the dorms in a huff, letting her guard down a bit when she saw Neville.

"Hullo, Skylar." He greeted her cheerfully. She waved shyly at the brunette.

"Hey, Neville. How are you?"

"I'm fine, er...but you look upset."

"Yeah…" Skylar scratched at the back of her neck, "Harry kind of said something that upset me…"

"Oh, I understand completely." Neville assured the redhead, making her chuckle as she remembered the events of the year before. They walked up the stairs to the dorms, separating to go to each dorm.

"Oh dear!" Skylar heard Neville cry. She ran into the boy's dorm and gasped at the sight in front of her. Harry's trunk was wide open along with the dresser drawers, and his clothing and possessions were strewn haphazardly across the bed and floor.

"Go get Harry." Skylar whispered. Neville ran out of the door, leaving Skylar to stare at the mess in dismay. She was a very neat person, and this… well it nearly gave her a heart attack.

"It had to be a Gryffindor." Hermione said after they had returned and examined the scene, "Nobody else knows our password. Unless, it wasn't a student…" Skylar began cleaning the room with her wand, pausing when she heard a noise within a pile of discarded clothing. She levitated the pile, leaving a black kitten on the floor.

"Celeste?" She exclaimed as the little, black cat padded over to her. "Have you been here the whole time?" She scooped up the feline who was busy rubbing against her leg. "Hmm, it had to be a student," Skylar decided, "They all know she likes to wander." She explained, scratching between Celeste's ears.

"Well, whoever it was, they were looking for something." Ron concluded.

"And they found it…" Harry responded as the mess was magically cleared away, leaving nothing behind, "Tom Riddle's diary is gone."

Harry pulled Skylar down the stairs, clad in his gold and red Quidditch robes. She wore hers too, even though she wasn't playing. Her outfit consisted of her Quidditch robes, a Quidditch shirt, jean shorts, her Gryffindor scarf, knee-high socks, gold-colored tennis shoes, gold star earrings, and the chain that held her parent's wedding rings and mother's engagement ring. Ron and Hermione followed closely behind the Seekers.

"Hey Ginny!" Ron called, startling his younger sister, "Are you going to the match?" She shook her head silently before walking off. "I tell you, she gets weirder and weirder by the day…" He nudged Harry.

"Kill this time… Let me rip… Tear." Both Skylar and Harry froze, their friends staring at them oddly.

"No… don't tell me…" Ron trailed off as he noticed their fearful expressions.

"It must be Parseltongue…" Skylar muttered to herself.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, startling the redhead.

"Well, so far, only Harry and I can hear this voice," Skylar explained, "And we both happen to be Parselmouths. Plus, Salazar Slytherin...serpents...basilisk…" Skylar clapped a hand over her mouth as she uttered the last word.

"I-I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" Hermione glanced at Skylar before running up the stairs.

"No…" Skylar's eyes widened.

"What?" Both Harry and Ron looked at her. She shook her head.

"She's a Muggle-born, and she just discovered what the creature was, she's in danger…"

"What should we do?" Ron asked.

"Go, Harry needs to be at the game. I'll figure it out." The boys nodded and headed out, leaving Skylar to race to the library. She was too late. Hermione lay by the bookshelf, petrified, one hand outstretched. "Hermione!" She shouted. The librarian came over to shush her, but froze when she saw the petrified student.

"Oh, dear. Let me get Madam Pomfrey."

Skylar sat beside Hermione's bed in the hospital wing, hand clutching onto the brunette's stiff one. Madam Pomfrey leaned over to check Hermione's vitals.

"Hermione!" Skylar heard Ron yell, before the two boys raced over to the bed.

"I was too late." Skylar whispered, a stray tear escaping her eye.

"She was found near the library. Along with this." Professor McGonagall held up a small, circular mirror, "Does this mean anything to you?" Harry shook his head somberly before Skylar could say anything, allowing the Gryffindor head of house to leave. Another tear streaked down her cheek as she saw the book page clenched in her outstretched fist.

"Oh God…" Skylar rubbed at her already puffy eyes, "This is all my fault. If I had just said something...or gone with you…" She stared at the brunette sullenly before running off to the dorms.

At precisely 6:00 at night, Professor McGonagall, as the Gryffindor Head of House, came in to make an announcement to all the Gryffindor students. By this point, just about every student was afraid of what was to come, what with the increase in attacks and all. McGonagall unrolled a scrap of parchment, adjusted her cat-eye glasses, and began reading.

"All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evenings," None of the students appeared surprised or upset - they were all too scared to protest against safety, "You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions." McGonagall rolled up the scrap of parchment before tucking it in her signature, emerald green robes. She adjusted her glasses once more and addressed the Gryffindors, "I should tell you this. Unless the culprit is caught, it is likely that the school will be closed." She finished, a grim silence sweeping over the Common Room. As she left, the students erupted in cries of protest.

"Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe?" Neville prompted, "Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin - why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" Many students nodded and mumbled their agreements.

"They can't close Hogwarts," Seamus protested, "Where would we all go?" More whispers and nods of agreement ensued.

"I don't care what anyone says," Dean stated firmly, "As long as Dumbledore's here, Hogwarts will be here." His statement seemed to satisfy most of the students, for they quietly agreed and dispersed. From behind Neville, Skylar could see Harry and Ron whispering to each other, Ron's eyes widening in shock. She assumed they were planning to sneak out during the night, even though it was past curfew. She huffed indignantly before scurrying up the stairs to the dormitory. A storm cloud was brewing over her head as the redhead furrowed her manicured brows. Why did the boys always exclude her? It was just another repeat of primary school, before she'd come to Hogwarts. The girls would always exchange cruel whispers behind her back and the boys would constantly tug at her ponytail and push her to the floor.

The furrowed brow and angry frown soon transformed into watery eyes and a quivering lip as Skylar struggled to hold back her tears. Especially since Hermione was petrified, she'd felt even more alone. The redhead rummaged through a bag of her belongings before pulling out a small bag of razor blades. She proceeded to slice her inner arms and flat stomach until the burning sensation in both areas felt numb. Skylar returned the razor blades to their original hiding spot before curling up in a fetal position and cried herself to sleep.

When Skylar awoke, all the cuts had scabbed over with dried blood, and she no longer felt the numbing in her arms and stomach. Spotting the droplets of dried blood on her sheets, the redhead withdrew the dragon-based wand and used the Scouring Charm to remove all the stains from sight. Satisfied with her work, she pulled on the heather-grey sweater that Mrs. Weasley had knitted for her the summer before. The cyan "S" on the front was a bit frayed, but Skylar had clothing worse for wear than the comfy garment. It nearly fit her now, since she'd grown up a few inches. The sleeves still hung past her hands, although just barely, and the sweater was still generally loose around her skinny form. Christmas had already passed, back when they boys had used the Polyjuice Potions, and Mrs. Weasley had offered her another sweater. But Skylar had refused, insisting she couldn't let go of the old one, plus, she argued, it still fit.

It was well into May, nearly five months after Skylar's twelfth birthday. She hadn't told her friends when her birthday was, and they had assumed it was sometime over the summer, between school years. Today marked the 24th of May. Only four days ago Skylar had discovered a secret hidden deep within the Dark Forest. She had only gone out there to cure her boredom and guilt for Hermione's paralysis.

Flashback:

Skylar wandered through the forest, the end of her black cloak trailing along the dirt path, strewn leaves and pine needles attaching themselves to the cotton material. The darkness of the sky encased her completely, save for the small orb of light being given off from the tip of her wand. The tiny light trail led her forward, sneaker-covered feet trudging quietly through the woods. The redhead came across a small clearing surrounded by trees. Their foliage blocked out most of the starry, night sky. Skylar took a seat on a thick log, resting her wand on her lap. She lowered her hood, releasing her crimson curls. They tumbled over her shoulders and back, vibrant even in the darkness. She rested herself on her elbows, craning her head to stare at the stars above. A rumbling noise jolted her from her daze, and Skylar jumped to her feet.

She followed the rumbling noise until she came across a pile of discarded tree branches and dirt. She used her wand to levitate chunks of debris away, until a pale, blue paint was revealed.

"Oh!" She gasped, clearing more of the rubble away, "It's the Ford Anglia!" The headlamps were flickering, the paint covered in scratches and dirt. The Ford Anglia grumbled, as if speaking to the girl. "It's almost as though...it's alive…" Skylar stared at the car before shaking her head and laughing. "As if! A living car! Sounds like something out of a fairytale!" She walked off, leaving the crumpled car behind. She had a feeling it would come to use sometime in the near future.

Another noise startled Skylar, although this one sounded more… alive. The sound was faint, a quiet whimper, almost. Skylar presumed it was a hurt animal, most likely a fox or a deer. She again followed the noise to its source. The first thing she noticed was the shining metal reflecting the moonlight, it's sharp, iron teeth clenching down on a thin leg. The thick, metal contraption resembled a bear trap. In fact, it might have been. Skylar wasn't exactly an expert at differentiating animal traps. The leg held by the trap was white, with a small hoof at the end. The creature that was trapped had three other spindly legs, besides the injured one, and slick, white fur with a mane to match. Skylar was surprised to see a horse in the forest, even more so when she spotted the small, twisted horn adorning the calf's head. It was a unicorn.

"Oh dear!" Skylar gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. The unicorn continued whimpering, as if it hadn't even noticed the redhead. It must have, for she wasn't exactly quiet. "Don't move!" Skylar ordered the wild animal, ignoring the irony of her words. She bent down and got to work on dismantling the trap. After a few minutes of fiddling, the trap sprang open, releasing the injured animal. The young unicorn crumpled to the ground in a heap. The redhead ripped a bit of cloth from her cloak and tied it around the puncture wound in an attempt to stop the silver blood, which had already spilled all over the trap and the dirt floor. The infant struggled to stand on all fours, but managed, while putting hardly any pressure on its injured appendage.

"Now, where is your mother?" Skylar wondered, looking around the pitch-black forest. The unicorn gently nudged her hand, and Skylar was surprised to watch in image appear in her head. She could see herself and Harry, along with a hooded figure lying over a dead unicorn. She remembered this - they had caught Voldemort/Professor Quirrell drinking unicorn blood at an attempt of immortality. From the perspective she was seeing, Skylar could only assume the memory was from the calf's eyes. The dead unicorn they had found must have been its mother.

"Oh! Poor thing!" Skylar cooed, gently wrapping her arms around the unicorn's neck. When she pulled back from the embrace, she noticed the unicorn no longer seemed frightened. Perhaps it was because Skylar saved it from the trap, or perhaps it was simply her gentle personality. Either way, she couldn't deny that the silver gaze holding her own was full of kindness and admiration. She held out a hand to the unicorn, allowing it to collect her scent before relaxing into her palm. "Oh!" Skylar gasped as the unicorn began rubbing against her legs, not unlike a dog. She giggled and pet the unicorn. Tears of joy and excitement filled in her aqua eyes. "It's not everyday you get to pet a unicorn!" She said aloud, wiping away the glistening tears. She bent down and stared at the animal. "I need to go now." She told it, not expecting it to understand her in the least. The unicorn whinnied, as if it didn't want her to go. "Perhaps I'll come back tomorrow to visit." Skylar reassured the animal. "Oh! And I could bring Celeste!" The unicorn seemed to approve, for it rubbed its muzzle lovingly against the redhead's cheek. "Now, be careful, and rest that leg!" She put on a strict tone before turning around and running back to the dormitories.

End of Flashback

Skylar laughed to herself, remembering how she'd gone back the next day, with said companion. Her black kitten had chased the unicorn around, the two acting like best friends. They reminded her of dogs, with their playful manner and joyful air. Celeste had certainly taken a liking to the unicorn, and vice versa. Through a series of questions, Skylar had discovered that the unicorn was a female, which explained her close bond with the two. She had also presented the she-unicorn with a variety of names, who had snorted happily when she reached Luna. Luna and Celeste had become Skylar's distractions from reality, although she knew it wouldn't last for too long. Not with what was going on at Hogwarts, and certainly not if Harry and Ron had anything to say about it. She desperately wanted to help, to save the petrified students and rid of the monster - the Basilisk - but she didn't know how. She certainly wasn't brave, although she still would risk her life and safety for any of her friends.

She knew what she had to do.