"Hermione Granger has been petrified." Pansy announced with a very excited tone as she pranced into the Common Room after the announcement had been made that everyone was to return to their respective Common Rooms at once and leave the Quidditch pitch.
"What?" I sat up right away in the chair I had claimed as mine.
"That's why we all had to come back here. I heard some Ravenclaws talking about it on my way down." She sat on the arm of the chair I was in and smiled at all of us. "Isn't this wonderful? No more nosey Mudblood!"
"I knew it would get her eventually." Draco looked satisfied with the information Pansy had shared. I seemed to be the only Slytherin who was affected by the news, but that was because I was the only Slytherin who knew her and who had Muggle blood in me.
Professor Snape came in and read out a new set of rules that were set in place and warned us that if anyone had any information about the Chamber, they ought to come forward immediately or else the school would be shut down if anything more were to happen. I felt my heart sink at the news. I couldn't imagine having to go back to a completely normal, Muggle life after everything I had learnt in the past couple of years at Hogwarts if the school really did shut down. I hoped that nothing more would happen and that the school would return to normal, even though I knew that was mostly just wishful thinking.
With Hermione not around, I knew that Harry and Ron would continue trying to figure out what was going on in the school, but I wasn't sure how far they would really get. I didn't bother to try and offer to help them, not wanting to get involved any further after the two of them showed that they really didn't trust me very much earlier on when they suspected Draco of being the heir. I had resisted from telling my mum about the attacks that had been happening all year, but after the news about Hermione I knew I had to tell her. She was worried for me and even told me that she thought I should go home to be safe, but I assured her that I didn't need to leave the school. Mum tried to convince me otherwise over the course of a couple of weeks, but eventually gave up when I kept refusing.
The biggest shock of the year came when Draco told us that his father and the other governors of Hogwarts had signed a motion that would remove Dumbledore from the school. That news had spread through the school and caused a panic through all of the Muggle-borns who were afraid that without his protection, the next attack would end up with someone's death. Draco was smug that his father was able to remove Dumbledore, but even some of the Slytherins were a little skeptical about the decision. McGonagall had stepped up and was acting as Headmistress while Dumbledore was away, and as hard as she tried to assure everyone that everything would be alright, she couldn't do what Dumbledore could.
"Ana?" Draco's voice startled me out of my daydream. "What did you get for this question about Wiggentree?" Draco pointed to the empty spot on his parchment and I quickly glanced down at my own work and showed it to him.
As the year was coming to a close, the pressure of exams only added to the tension that was already thick throughout the halls of Hogwarts. Draco, Daphne and I had been going to the library more often to get away from our housemates that found it more interesting to gossip rather than focus on our exams.
The three of us were startled by the announcement that commanded all students to go back to their Common Rooms right away. "Do you think there's been another attack?" Daphne asked as we gathered our things into our bags and left the library.
I shrugged, and Draco said nothing as we continued our way to the Common Room. Everyone seemed to be just as confused as we were as we all sat around and waited for Snape to come in and explain. It took about twenty minutes before the portrait finally opened and our Head of House walked in, the entire Common Room falling silent.
"A girl has been taken into the Chamber." The room was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop onto the rug. "The school is going to close. Pack your things, the train will be leaving tomorrow afternoon. Your parents have been notified already."
With that, Snape walked back out of the Common Room. It seemed to take everyone a moment to process the news before people started to slowly go into their dormitories. I glanced at Daphne who looked just as terrified as I felt.
"Who do you think it was?" I wasn't expecting to get any sort of response from anyone, but I wasn't shocked when I heard Draco speak.
"Too bad Granger is already petrified. It would have been perfect if it had been her."
"Draco." Daphne seemed to have had enough of Draco talking about Hermione and all the other Muggle-borns as if they weren't really people. "There is a girl stuck somewhere with a monster and she could very well be dead. Maybe have some sympathy."
She quickly got up and stormed to our dormitory, leaving Draco stunned. He never expected Daphne to stand up to him in the way she had, and it seemed to have shut him up. I got up and followed Daphne, sitting down on my bed and not moving.
"I don't want to leave." I said quietly.
"I don't either." Daphne was sitting on her bed as well, staring down at the ground. "I didn't think that something like this would happen."
I was silent, but I agreed with her. As much as I didn't want to leave the school, I was afraid to stay in the school in case whatever it was the resided within the Chamber chose to strike again. After a while I finally started to slowly pack up my belongings once Pansy and Millicent joined us in the room. I found it impossible to sleep that night, so I laid in my bed staring up at the ceiling for hours until I finally fell asleep for what only seemed like a couple of minutes before Daphne was waking me up to go to the Great Hall for breakfast.
The whole mood of the school was sombre as we all ate our last meal that we would have at Hogwarts. There were not conversations, just the sound of utensils occasionally scraping against a plate. It wasn't until Filch came running into the Great Hall towards McGonagall that anyone said anything. There were a few whispers as the acting Headmistress quickly stood up and rushed out of the room. The whispers grew louder as Snape then followed and we were left wondering what if the news that Filch had delivered had been something even more tragic than the girl being taken into the Chamber. We didn't have to wait long until McGonagall came back in with a small smile on her face and walked towards the podium at the head of the room.
"Attention, everyone." Her voice echoed throughout the room. "Something has happened related to the girl that was taken into the Chamber."
She let the whispers build up again for a moment before Dumbledore came striding into the room and took the spot in front of the podium. "The Chamber of Secrets has been closed for good. The missing girl, Ginny Weasley, has been retrieved and is recovering in the Hospital Wing as we speak. Hogwarts will no longer be closing, and all of your things have been returned to your dormitories and letter sent to your families. Classes have been cancelled for the remainder of the day, so enjoy the sunny weather."
Cheers erupted from everyone in the Great Hall, both from the sight of Dumbledore back at the school and that we wouldn't have to go home early. Draco didn't look pleased that Dumbledore was back, but I could tell he was relieved that we didn't have to go home just yet. Following Dumbledore's advice, our friend group made our way towards the lake for the day and found a tree to huddle under.
It was only a few days after that it was announced that the petrified students would be woken up. The sight of Hermione and all of the other Muggle-borns arriving back into the Great Hall was a relief to me. An even greater relief was when Dumbledore announced that all school exams would be cancelled, despite how much I had studied for them. The last couple of weeks of school were quiet as the school finally was able to relax after the constant threat of something terrible happening had finally passed. I wasn't as sad to go home once the year ended, I was rather excited to see my mum again after I thought that there was a possibility that I would never see her again.
"Do you think next year will be quieter?" Daphne asked with a laugh as we boarded the train to go home.
"We can only hope."