The next few weeks went by horridly, almost everyone had kept away from me, even Draco and Hermione were staying away. It seemed Harry was getting the same treatment. I had found myself in the library this evening reading, as usual, Harry had joined me, apparently, both Ron and Hermione had been awkward around him, too. We had been left alone in the library. I felt bad for Harry, he seemed to have it worse, he seemed to be less fine with people treating him this way. Bothered by people being scared of him. I honestly was alright with it, it meant I would be left alone. What bothered me was that my few friends were being so distant.
"Why are people hating me for this?" Harry whispered, when some Hufflepuffs ran out of the library after they looked our way.
I shrugged, as I finished my charms essay, "They'll get over it, you're nothing to be scared of" I informed him, "You're not scary to begin with"
"And you are?" Harry questioned, looking to me, "You're not scary either"
"Scarier than you'll ever be." I stated, giving him a soft smile, "Anyways, I've been meaning to ask, how did you know Parseltongue?"
He sighed, "I didn't know that I knew, what about you, you were talking to the snake too?"
"I learned it from a book, I had no idea what the snake was saying, I was going of its body language and my instinct." I mumbled, "You didn't know you -or we were speaking another language?"
He shook his head, "I didn't even know it was a thing"
I studied him, for a hint to second guess him, but he was simply not lying, "No worries Harry, perhaps your parents knew the language and it was passed down that or it was..." I looked at the scar on his forehead.
"You think, my scare is how I can speak it?" Harry questioned, "You think, Voldemort is the cause?" He whispered.
I simply shrugged, "maybe? Is it that far-fetched to think that? He was on the back of Quirrells head, I still can't wrap my mind around it"
He shrugged, "true, anyways, it's almost time for class" He shared, packing up his stuff, I did the same, realizing the time, Capone on my shoulder now.
Walking down the long halls, we were rushing to the stairs. I saw something ahead, slowing down, while Harry kept running, down the hall only to fall tripping over what was on the floor, I gasped, once I realized what it was.
"Oh no." I whispered, recognizing Justin Finch-Fletchley laying on the floor. I didn't even notice Nearly Headless Nick floating close by, I dropped to my knees, placing a hand on Justins neck, he had a pulse, a faint one, but he was alive. While I was on the ground, I noticed his shocked expression, he was petrified. I then looked at Harry, this isn't good. With Harry and I here. We were just going to get blamed for this. I then looked away as I hear yelling, that was Peeves, he had flown onto the scene, bloody hell.
All the doors in the hall then fly open, countless students pour out of their classes filling the corridor, seeing Harry and I on the ground, with Justin Finch-Fletchley between us, petrified. I looked up at Harry whom stared at me with a worried look, as he knew the troubles we were going to have now.
"Caught in the act they both are!" Yelled a student, point at us.
Thankfully, Professor McGonagall came on to scene, "That will do, Macmillan" She snapped. Walking closer.
"I-" Harry started, to explain.
I looked to McGonagall, "We didn't do this" I whispered, pleading almost.
" , I want you to go to the great hall and wait there, come with me" She ordered, looking between us.
"Wait there for what?" I questioned worried.
"Professors Snape and Dumbledore" She responded, "Now go before there is a scene"
I looked to Harry, nodding a goodbye and giving a reassuring smile, I then made my way through the crowd making my way to the great hall.
Sitting on the stairs in the great hall, for what felt like it had been hours. It was darker outside, and the castle was quiet. How long was I going to have to stew here? Capone was on my knee looking up at me, tilting his head. Questioning me, on how I was.
"It's alright" I said to him, but trying to comfort myself. This was a bad situation. Harry and I now have bigger targets on our backs, we would be hit by accusations, while whoever the real heir is, is going to go on with the attacking. I could be looking for him, the unknown man, or woman. I could be figuring out whom the beast was. As I sat there in thought I'm brought to the real world, my attention to the door as Snape walked in
Picking Capone off my knee, I stood up, "Professor, neither Harry or I are responsible for Finch-Fletchley, it's the beast from the chambers" I pleaded, worried to be blamed.
"Come" he ordered, without argument I followed him out of the great hall. Through the halls to the stone gargoyle that was the way into Dumbledores office.
"Lemon drops" Snape whispered, the password. The gargoyle then spun upwards, leaving steps behind it, "go up, Dumbledore will be waiting, I'll be here to escort you to the dorms, as it'll be past cerfew" he instructed.
I looked at him, "Sir, I didn't do anything, nor has Harry" I whispered, afraid to go up, would I be expelled? No, no way, surely they all understand. Right?
Snape just motioned for me to go up, which I did. In his office, I notice Dumbledore wasn't here. Didn't Snape say he'd be here? I walked around the room, looking around at the books and portraits of the past headmasters on the walls. Even the four founders. at his desk I saw the sorting hat... Why had it placed me in Slytherin? Did it know something about me, that even I didn't know? Looking over my shoulder making sure no one else was here, aside from the large red bird. I then walked towards the desk, picking up the hat. What did this enchanted hat know? Why had it put me in Slytherin? Am I more like Salazar than Rowena? I turned the hat over, looking inside it. Why? Did it see me becoming evil alike most of the memorable wizards and witches from the house?
"Ah, Amber Rose. I see you went for the sorting hat as well, hm?" I spun around, spooked by the voice of Dumbledore. He was standing in the middle of the room looking at the hat in my hand, "I understand, if I were in your position, or anyone else, they'd want answers as well. It's sometimes best not to question the way things are"
"I can agree, but this is about me" I whispered softly, he then walked closer, I looked up at him, he placed a hand on my shoulder, "I think there are more pressing matters however, Harry and I didn't do anything, we found-"
He lifted his hand, singling me to stop talking, then he spoke soothingly, "I, I don't believe either of you did this either" I looked at him in shocked, he believed the truth! His eyes twinkled at my face, "Yes, now I'm told you speak Parselmouth, you were able to pick it up, alone"
I nodded, "I found a guide in the library, it interested me, when I was looking for information on the Chambers" I informed him.
He was quiet, as if digesting the knowledge, "You're a very bright, powerful witch. I'm not surprised that you picked it up, but I must warn you-"
I knew where he was going with this, "It's something else I have in common with Voldemort." I replied, "I know." I also know who he's also Tom Riddle, he's related to Salazar somehow, he has part of himself in a diary, -that I had - and I bet he opened the chambers fifty years ago, released the reptile that killed Myrtle, when she looked at it.
He peered over me, past me, "Now, as I asked Harry earlier. Do you have anything else you'd wish to tell me?"
I thought carefully about what to say, I wanted to ask about Tom Riddle, about the serpent of the chambers. Would he even discuss either topics with me? I just end up shaking my head, then look at the bird, "That bird, what is it exactly?" I questioned, looking at the red bird with golden tail feathers.
"Ah yes, Fawks is a phoenix." He responded, the bird then let out its little sound.
I nodded, "A phoenix, bursts into flames when it's old and it can heal wounds even the venom of a basilisk..." I stopped talking, once the name of the serpent left my mouth. It's gaze it killed it's victims with direct eye contact, I gaped at the realization. Could it be that a basilisk is the beast of the chambers? Could it be what's in the walls. Why didn't I think of it before? I nodded at Dumbledore and walked down the steps, where Snape was, proceeding to lead me to the commons room.
Once in the Slytherin commons, instead of going to bed, I noticed it was empty. I looked to the painting the portrait of Salazar. I practically jumped up the stairs, "A basilisk!" I wanted to yell at him, "it's a basilisk" I repeated, as the man in the image looked to me, with a look that confirmed my thoughts, the monster was a basilisk. He then looked away, not interested in talking. It was alright however, as I had the information I needed. I just needed to find where the king snake lived.
I the holidays came, I decided to stay at school, not that I really wanted to go home. I was in no rush, others however were rushing to go home, due to what's happening here. Harry, Hermione, Ron and his siblings were staying, and so were Draco and his fat pair. There was barely anyone here, aside from the teachers in the school.
I had decided to sit outside, enjoying the winter wonderland, Capone tucked into my shirt. I wasn't doing anything, Just leaning against the wall, enjoying the look of the cool evening. I cold hear someone running, in the opened hallway behind me I turned to see Ginny running down the hall.
"Ginny!" I yelled, but she didn't turn around, she just kept running. I shrugged, whatever. I then went to the library, to spend the rest of my holiday.
In the library I had opened a book on the king snake, the basilisk, I thought if I could find out its habitats, I could figure out where in the castle it rested. What I've learned so far is, the snake giant serpent wasn't a natural creature, but the first one was bred, made by; Herpo the Foul was the first to breed on, hatching it from a chicken egg under a toad. It resulted in the snake, it wasn't a natural creature. The breeding of them was then banned, during the Medieval times. It was classified as a wizard-killer, being a XXXXX creature. It cannot be domesticated due to its immense powers; killing people with eye contact immediately, i also learned that with indirect contact, its stare would only be left petrified. Perhaps, it was able to be controlled? Salazar did it after all, and apparently so had Tom.
The kind snake was able to grow up to fifty feet long, was dark green in color with large yellow eyes, matching what Myrtle had seen. It also lived for approximately nine hundred years, it could explain how it was able to live for the past fifty or more years, but how did it didn't explain how it lived for as long as Salazars day. There had to be something else. involved. A spell to keep it alive for so long?