-Chapter Nine-

Hidden Secrets That Are Hidden… Secretly

"So what do you think it is?"

Harry watched Professor Willow as he sat cross-legged on the desk of the classroom they had quickly ducked into. Harry had shown him the smoke bomb he had taken and Willow had whipped out a pair of glasses (which he called his 'Brainy Specs') and was examining the smoke bomb intently.

"I have no idea," said Willow. "Never seen anything like it. Which is very worrying."

"Why?" asked Harry, confused.

"Because part of an Auror's job is to be able to recognise anything from the Wizarding World at a moments notice. This object is from neither the Wizarding nor Muggle Worlds."

"So what does that mean?" asked Harry, slightly unnerved by where the conversation was heading.

"That this situation could be a lot bigger than it seems," said Willow, handing the smoke bomb back to Harry absent-mindedly and getting up from the desk."Tell me everything that happened in that room."

He listened on in silence as Harry quickly told him everything that had happened, a grim look on his face. "So, should we tell Dumbledore?" asked Harry once he had finished.

"No," said Willow abruptly. "I'll tell Dumbledore. You need to return to your common room and. Do not tell anyone about this." He suddenly snatched the Bomb out of Harry's hand and was out through the door before what he had said had fully sunk in. "Hey, wait a minute!" cried Harry, hurrying out into the corridor. But there was no sign of anyone. Willow had vanished.

"So what did you do?" Asked Hermione.

Harry looked at her. He was sitting with Ron and Hermione in a group of armchairs closest to the the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry had just finished telling Ron and Hermione what he'd seen, much to their horror.

"Well, I ran to Dumbledore's office, hoping to head Willow off but there was no sign of him. I tried various passwords like Cockroach Cluster, Jelly Slugs, Flavoured Warts (1), but none of them worked."

Ron shook his head in confusion. "But why doesn't he want us involved?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Harry asked, his temper flaring up suddenly. "He wants to try and deal with it by himself so that the Ministry can pretend that it never happened! They don't want to admit that Voldemort managed to get past their precious additional security and made them look bad!"

Ron and Hermione looked at him in alarm for a few moments, shocked by his outburst.

"So… what do we do now?" asked Ron hesitatingly. "Without that smoke bomb nobody will believe you."

"The Death Eaters can't have just been hiding in the Room of Requirement," said Harry thoughtfully. "Where else could they be hiding?" They all sat in silence for a minute, each one going over possible places in their heads.

"The third floor!" said Hermione suddenly. "The room on the third floor corridor, where the Philosopher's Stone was!"

"That's it!" cried Harry, leaping to his feet. "Let's check it out!"

"But what about the Room of Requirement?" asked Ron. "There might still be something there."

"You're right," said Harry. "I'll go and check it out, you guys have a look at the Third Floor Corridor. But be careful!"

Harry rushed over to the room of Requirement as fast as he could, but was disappointed to find that the door into the room had vanished. He tried walking backwards and forwards while thinking various phrases that could match up to what he had seen, but the door stubbornly refused to appear. Eventually Harry gave up and decided to make his way to the corridor on the third floor, only to meet Ron and Hermione on the way. "Find anything?"

"No luck," said Ron apologetically. "Place is all sealed up and the door looks like it hasn't been opened in years. Hermione tried to open it with some charms but Filch turned up and chased us off."

"I don't think they could have hidden there anyway," said Hermione. "That door's the only way into those rooms and the Death Eaters wouldn't want to be seen in the corridors. Besides, everyone knows about it, I'm sure the teachers would be quick to check it."

Harry shook his head in disappointment. "They must be somewhere else then."

"It would have to be big, somewhere they could all operate from," said Ron thoughtfully.

"And it would have to be well hidden, somewhere not even the Teachers know of," added Hermione. "What do you think, Harry?"

Harry had walked away a few steps, lost in thought. Finally he turned around.

"They're in the Chamber Of Secrets."

"It makes sense!" said Harry excitedly as he they headed towards the Girl's Bathroom. "The Chamber was used by Voldemort when he was younger to terrorise the school, so he'd have told the Death Eaters how to open it, and what better place to carry out his work than the secret chamber of Salazar Slytherin (2)?"

"I really do think we should tell Dumbledore Harry!" said Hermione breathlessly as she tried to keep up.

"Yeah mate, you've gotta calm down. Dumbledore will know what to do!" said Ron.

"Dumbledore doesn't seem to want my help," snapped Harry. "In which case I don't want his. Let's go."

They reached the door to the bathroom and stopped. Harry motioned from Ron and Hermione to stay where they were and crept forward and put an ear to the door and listened intently, but could not hear anything (3). He carefully pushed the door open, wand at the ready, and stepped inside.

The bathroom was empty. Harry leaned out and indicated to Ron and Hermione that it was all clear.

"Where's Moaning Myrtle?" asked Ron as they stepped inside. "Thought she'd be in here causing all the toilets to flood or something." Moaning Myrtle was the ghost of a former student who had died and still not gotten over it, and was known to get upset over anything and everything. Today, though, the bathroom was completely empty.

"So how do you open the Chamber?" asked Hermione, interested despite herself. She had been left petrified the last time it had been opened and had been unable to see it.

"It's fairly simple," said Harry, crossing over to one of the sinks. "I just need to command it to open in Parseltongue." He cleared his throat and attempted to say "Open up", but to him it just sounded like a random hiss. The sink immediately sank into the ground, revealing a pipe wide enough for them to step into.

"Well done, Harry!" said Ron, giving Harry a slap on the back.

But Harry was looking at the Entrance in growing horror. "I didn't say anything, somebody must be coming out! Hide!"

Each of them ducked into separate cubicles, hastily locking the doors. Harry sat on the toilet and drew his legs up, determined not to be seen. On the other side of the door he could hear the sound of someone emerging from the Entrance and heavy footsteps as they crossed the room, only for the footsteps to stop suddenly, and then the person turning around.

Harry held his breath. Whoever it was had noticed the locked cubicles.

The footsteps resumed, more slowly, and began pacing around the room. Harry saw a shadow appear at the foot of the door and stop. He slowly pulled out his wand. Just go, nothing to see here. I didn't hear you. He thought desperately. Eventually, the figure turned away from the door, apparently giving up. Harry began to breathe a sigh of relief just as the door was smashed open.

Harry was grabbed by two large hands and thrown out of the cubicle by the Death Eater that had found him, hitting the opposite cubicle with a loud crash. From inside it he heard Ron swear loudly. The Death Eater reached into its robe for its wand. Harry went to grab his own but it wasn't there - it had been flung away from him in the struggle and was lying against the far wall. In desperation Harry flung himself forward, grabbing the Death Eater's wrist with both hands and trying to knock it's wand away, but the Death Eater had tremendous strength and effortlessly threw him off, sending him across the room and hitting the wall, landing near his wand and stunning him.

The Death Eater was raising his wand for a finishing spell when the cubicle door behind him was flung open and Ron leapt out, wand at the ready. "Stupe-"

The Death Eater reacted faster than lightning, spinning around and hitting Ron with a spell at point blank range. Ron was flung back into the cubicle and landed with a loud crash. He did not get up.

"RON!" bellowed Harry in alarm, grabbing his wand and staggering to his feet. He raised his wand and shouted "STUPEFY!". Two bolts hit the Death Eater simultaneously - one from Harry's wand and the other from behind - and he fell to the floor, revealing Hermione behind him, wand also raised. Without even bothering to examine the Death Eater she hurried over to Ron, her face white. Harry hurried over, quickly checking that the Death Eater was unconscious, and examined Ron.

"I think he's okay," said Harry in relief. "He's just unconscious." Harry fought down the panic that was building inside. It was his fault Ron was here. If anything happened to him… "We need to get Ron to the Hospital Wing," he continued. "Help me with him!" They tried to lift him up but the small cubicle made it difficult to pick him up with pulling him out first, and they were too worried that doing so could harm Ron even more and eventually they had to give up.

"We'll have to go for help," said Harry. "Come on, it'll only take a minute!"

"I'm not leaving him!" cried Hermione. "And one of us needs to stay here to guard him!" she indicated the unconscious Death Eater.

"All right, fine. I'll be back in a minute!" said Harry quickly, before rushing out of the room.

Harry ran through the corridors as fast as he could, hoping to get to the Hospital Wing before it was too late. He turned a corner and suddenly heard voices ahead of him. He approached the next corner cautiously but was relieved when McGonagall and Willow appeared round the corner.

"What is it, Potter?" asked McGonagall as she noticed Harry.

"Professor, it's Ron. He's been injured by a Death Eater."

"A Death Eater? Where?" asked Willow urgently.

"In the girl's bathroom, follow me!" said Harry. He lead them back through the corridors and they were soon outside the Girl's bathroom. "It's in here," said Harry, opening the door. "We knocked him -" he broke off in surprise at what was waiting for him in the bathroom.

Both Ron and Hermione were lying unconscious on the floor, the Death Eater had vanished and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was closed.

Willow crossed to Hermione and Ron and checked them over. Hermione had a nasty looking gash in her forehead. "They should be okay. We need to get them to the sickbay quickly, though." He waved his wand and two stretcher's appeared beneath Ron and Hermione, lifting them carefully off the floor and floating out of the room with Willow close behind.

"Would you care to explain what has happened, Potter?" asked McGonagall, staring at Harry with a hint of suspicion.

Harry took a deep breath and told her everything that had happened. McGonagall listened on with a growing look of disbelief on her face. "Potter, you can't be serious," she aid after he had finished. "The very idea of Death Eaters being in Hogwarts…"

"I know what I saw!" said Harry loudly. He was fed up of people not believing him. "I know it sounds ridiculous but it's the truth! Now we have to tell Dumbledore."

McGonagall stared at him for a few moments, before finally nodding her head. "Very well. Come with me." She turned and left, Harry close behind.

They arrived outside Dumbledore's office shortly thereafter. Harry had tried asking McGonagall about what Dumbledore was doing that kept him hidden away so much, but she only responded with vague answers. Harry was beginning to wonder whether even she didn't know what Dumbledore was doing. Could that mean that Dumbledore didn't trust anyone? Could Harry? Had just told everything to the wrong person? He shook his head. He was starting to get paranoid.

McGonagall leaned towards the stone gargoyle that blocked the entrance."Chocolate Frog."

The gargoyle did not move.

McGonagall tried again. "Chocolate Frog!" but the gargoyle remained still. McGonagall let out a sigh of frustration. "Professor Dumbledore must have changed it again. Come with me, Potter." The two of them walked to the Staffroom. Once they were there McGonagall turned to Harry. "Wait here, I will be back once I've gotten the password." She stepped inside and closed the door.

Left alone, Harry leaned against the wall. He hadn't realised how exhausted he was. His back ached from where he'd landed after being thrown across the room by the Death Eater. He hoped McGonagall wouldn't take long - Who knew what the Death Eaters were up to?

Minutes crawled by, and there was still no sign of McGonagall. Harry tried to enter but the door wouldn't budge. What was taking so long? He hoped Willow had gotten Ron and Hermione to the Hospital Wing okay.

Willow… Would he go back to the bathroom and try to find the entrance to the Chamber? He'd be wasting his time anyway, it could only be opened by speaking Parseltongue. In a sudden burst of frustration Harry knocked on the door as loudly as he could, but there was no sign of any movement from inside. What was taking so long?

After another twenty minutes Harry couldn't wait any longer. If he couldn't get help from McGonagall or Dumbledore he'd have to go with Willow.

Harry arrived back at the Girl's Bathroom and went straight in. He was not surprised to find Willow looking around the room, examining everything carefully. "Are you looking for something, Professor?"

Willow spun around. "Harry! Why are you doing here? Your friends are fine, but you should be telling Dumbledore what happened!"

"Yes, we went to Dumbledore's office but he-"

"-was busy?" finished Willow. "I know. He spends nearly all of his time now working some top secret project of his against Lord Voldemort."

"Too busy to make sure Hogwarts is safe?" asked Harry in disbelief.

"The thought of Hogwarts being invaded doesn't occur to the Wizarding World. There are too many precautions taken to ensure none of the schools can be invaded. Which is why I'm here."

"You?" asked Harry, confused.

"Yep, as a precaution!" said Willow cheerfully. "There have been occasional sightings of Death Eaters in Hogsmeade. Hogwarts was in need of a Defence Against the Darks Art Teacher so I took the position."

"But why have you been working alone?" asked Harry incredulously. "I could have helped! Look at what I found by myself!"

"I know, and you have done well, but you are too young Harry. You are not of age yet." said Willow with finality.

Harry fought down the rage inside of him and played his trump card. "And now you're trying to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets? You won't be able to without my help."

"How so?"

Harry smiled in victory. "Only someone who can speak Parseltongue can open it."

Willow laughed. He knew when he was beaten. "All right Harry, open it."

Harry turned to the sink and and hissed "Open." Before their eyes the sink slid into the ground and the opening appeared.

"Brilliant Harry!" grinned Willow. "Shall we?"

Harry stepped up to the pipe and slid his body into it, sliding into the darkness...

Appendix

(1) A flavoured jelly sweet that bursts when squeezed, releasing variety of flavoured juices. Not very popular.

(2) Not many people realise that there was another Chamber of Secrets, apparently created by Rowena Ravencalw, allegedly as a place to pine after loved one's whose hearts are already taken. It was only discovered in the 50th Century after the ruins of Hogwarts were discovered and it is not known if anyone ever used it.

(3) All rooms at Hogwarts have soundproof charms cast on them