AN: Well, here is chapter 3! It is a bit early, but it is *technically* Monday! I hope you all enjoy! Remember, the Dursley's abused Harry pretty badly during his stays there before Hogwarts, so he would have never been brought to the zoo where Harry talked to the snake!
~oOoOoOo~
The first two months back at Hogwarts sped by Harry, and his friends. They were getting into more advanced magic in all of their classes, other than Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lockhart had an interesting ability to make every lesson about himself, with them barely skimming on topics about defense spells, jinxes, hexes, and even some creatures. Professor Snape was also as surly as ever, with each class that had passed by eliminating more points from the Gryffindors.
However, the small group of friends managed on, and Hermione had continued earning as much points as she could in all of their classes which resulted in the rest of the school trying to catch up.
It was the day of the Halloween feast, and the three friends were currently wondering around the castle, trying to find something to do for the rest of the saturday. They currently could not find Ginny anywhere, but Luna was perusing the shelves in the library. They trio soon settled around her, when Luna stated that she thought Ginny was with them? When they each shared a confused glance, they all figured that Luna was just confused.
They stayed with Luna in the library most of the day, with Ron only complaining a few times about the studying, but they did manage to get most of their homework done for the next week.
They were all working on their new Potions assignment, when Luna noticed that dinner had already started. So, they began packing all of their school supplies away, before hurriedly heading down to dinner. However, before they had a chance to get there, they noticed the first floor corridor with an unused girls toilet was flooded, they walked slowly through the water.
They didn't know what was the cause, but turning the corner, they found a stiff Mrs. Norris hanging from a lamp sconce, and what looked like blood on the walls.
Petrified, they each read the message, before Harry voiced it aloud, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir... beware."
"What is the Chamber of Secrets?" asked Harry.
"I'm not sure, I never read about it in Hogwarts, A History, or any other book for that matter," answered Hermione.
Before any of the students could speculate anymore, they heard the impending footsteps from the students heading their way.
Hurriedly, they ran backwards some and hid in an alcove, so they wouldn't be seen by any of the other students.
The other students had all stopped at the scene, so the trio cautiously joined the group. Before long, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Lockhart were there as well, pushing students back and urging them to their common rooms.
"You'll be next, mudbloods!" they heard Draco shout before he turned and walked away with his goons, Crabbe and Goyle following him.
The group of friends started back the long trek to the common rooms themselves, but before they reached the second floor, Harry heard a voice.
"Blood, I smell blood! I will not harm them, but I smell blood!" the voice shrieked.
"Guys, did you hear that?" asked Harry.
"Hear what?" replied Hermione.
"I don't hear anything except us and my stomach," answered Ron.
"I heard someone talking about blood, and students. Wait, I hear it again," Harry said before running down the hall.
"I'm not meant for this. Hogwarts is not under attack. I want to sleep now."
"Hurry guys, it's getting away!"
"Harry! Harry, no one is saying anything. Come back, Harry!" yelled Ron.
Harry chased after the voice, but soon came to a dead end at an unused hallway. His friends caught up to him a few minutes later.
"I swear, I heard a voice. One of you guys must have heard it too?" he said as he turned towards them.
"No, we told you that we haven't heard anything."
Disappointed, Harry started walking back the way them came again, with the rest following behind them. He knew he heard a voice. But why couldn't no one else hear it as well?
~oOoOoOo~
Two weeks had passed since Harry first heard the voice, but he couldn't get the rest of his friends to believe that he heard something. At first, he was pretty upset, but he realized that they might just be ignoring it, so they wouldn't get into the middle of it.
Harry was walking down one of the halls to the library, before he came upon Colin Creevey laying in the middle of the floor with his camera smoking. Rushing up to him, he found that Colin was cold and hard to the touch, and wouldn't answer to him.
"Colin! Colin, wake up!" yelled Harry with no avail. Harry rushed to the nearest classroom to find a teacher, and found Professor McGonagall teaching a class of sixth years.
"Yes, Mr Potter?" she asked sternly, when he poked his head through the door.
"There's been a- there's been an emergency Professor."
"Is that so. Class, finish reading the chapter, if I hear one peep, everyone will be in detention for a week!" she commanded before she left the room.
Harry led her to the connecting hall and showed her where Colin's body laid.
"I was heading to the library when I found him, he wouldn't respond to me at all, and he's extremely cold and hard, Professor. What's wrong with him?"
"I do not know, Mr Potter. Thank you for alerting me, go ahead and head to the library as I take care of this."
Harry watched as she levitated Colin towards what he assumed was the infirmary, before he headed off again.
Later that night, when the group of friends arrived back to the common room, they found a group of students surrounding the club board. They easily inserted themselves into the front of the group and read what was posted.
Professor Lockhart's Dueling Club
Starting on November 5th, I will be personally hosting a dueling club to learn how to duel.
I will be gloriously teaching each of you how to properly duel, and learning offensive and defensive spells!
All year groups are welcomed, sign your name below, and remember the date to meet! Thank you!
Backing away after they all signed their names, they discussed the probability of any of them actually learning anything.
The week waiting for the club to start passed quickly, with no more incidents or voices. Harry and his friends headed into the Great Hall, were it would take place, and saw a large raised platform going across the room. It had a rug going across, the was a deep royal blue in color, with silver moons and stars going across. The room was dim, with the sconces going around the room barely lit. The dining tables and teachers dias was no longer in the room. Multiple students from different houses were already there, surrounding the platform. Professor Lockhart stood in the middle, with his hands on his hips, and a awful smile on his face.
"Gather round, gather round! Don't be shy, come on, yes, that's it!" shouted Lockhart at all of the gathering students.
"Today, we are going to go over the basics of dueling, and I have enlisted the help of Professor Snape! Don't worry everyone, you will still have your Potions Professor when I'm through with him!" he said as Snape walked onto the platform.
"On three…" he started as they got into a dueling stance, aiming their wands at the other. Lockhart barely got the number three out of his mouth before he was blasted backwards, falling hard on the edge.
He hurriedly stood up and dusted his robes off before turning a condescending eye towards Snape. "Now, now. That was not a proper duel and you know it, Severus! Now again, after three."
Snape let Lockhart finish counting, before he was blasted backwards once again. Professor Lockhart had an aggravated look on his face, before he suggested students to duel against each other.
"Ah, how about Harry Potter? Come on up, my boy! Let's show everyone your knack for defense!" Lockhart commanded.
"If I may, Gilderoy, suggest one of my own students with his own knack for defense. Draco, get up here!" demanded Snape as Harry was climbing onto the platform.
Each Professor showed their choice of duelist the proper stance, and telling them to only use 'expelliarmus.'
"Remember boys, only the disarming spell. Now, on three. One… Two… Three!" yelled Lockhart.
"Expelliarmus!" shouted Harry as he waved his wand.
"Serpensortia!" spelled Draco back. A great, long black snack flew out of the tip of Draco's wand and clashed against Harry's spell. The hall grew quiet as they each watched the snake advance towards Harry.
"Stop, little snake. Come here," whispered Harry. However, the snake did not listen and swooped towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff in their year.
"Do not harm him, little snake. Come here!" added Harry.
"You are not my master!" replied the snake as it snapped at Justin. However, before he could sink his fangs into him, Professor Snape vanished the snake.
The club was then dismissed, with a reminder that their next lesson date would be posted on the club board in their common rooms. Harry followed after his friends, who were oddly quiet.
"Why didn't you tell us you were a Parselmouth, Harry?" asked Ron when they were away from everyone else.
"A what?" replied Harry.
"A Parselmouth - someone who can talk to snakes. Harry, what did you say to the snake, it looked like you were telling it to attack Justin," asked Hermione.
"People were saying bad things about you, Harry," added Ginny, blunt with her words.
"I swear, I wasn't telling it to him him, I was telling it to stop, and to come to me. But, guys, it talked back to me, and said that I wasn't his master?"
"Draco would've been his master, since he was the one who conjured it. That's a bit of nasty magic there, however. It's usually only taught to sixth years and above, since the snake can do actual damage," answered Hermione.
"So you didn't hear it talk? You only heard it hissing?"
"Yes," they all said as they shared worried looks.
"Do you know what this means? That voice I've been hearing, what if it's a snake?"
"That's highly… It's probable. But why wouldn't we hear it's hissing? Especially if it's as loud as you say it is?" wondered Hermione.
"Maybe it doesn't hiss?" asked Luna.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, I'm not sure it's all bad.
With that, they all headed back to their common room, having no idea that Justin Finch-Fletchley would be found petrified, along with the ghost of Nearly-Headless Nick, in the halls the next day.
