Ron and Hermione followed Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Lockhart, staring at Harry desperately clinging to Rose, who looked like a statue. Filch's cat was being carried by Professor McGonagall, and Filch also followed, sobbing in grief for what he'd lost. They entered Professor Lockhart's office and it was only then that Ron and Hermione realized Professor Snape was with them also. Professor Dumbledore, who had been levitating Rose and Harry, lowered them to the desk and stared at them gravely, moving close to Rose along with Professor McGonagall, gently tapping her with his wand, prodding her with his fingers. Professor Lockhart was speaking in the background, perhaps offering suggestions.
"It was definitely a curse that killed them, probably the Transmogrifian Torture, I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved them..."
"As it so happens, Gilderoy, neither Rose nor Mrs. Norris are dead. They are merely petrified." Professor Dumbledore said.
Ron and Hermione sighed with relief and Harry looked up into Dumbledore's blue eyes.
"Heal, her." Harry said in a flat, emotionless tone that sent chills down Hermione's spine. "Heal, my, Rose."
"I am afraid that is currently not possible. However, Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive both Rose and Mrs. Norris." Professor Dumbledore said patiently, but in a tone of deep grief and regret.
"I, need, Rose." Harry stated, his tone becoming even flatter and less emotionless if it was at all possible. "Feel, everything, slipping, away."
Professor Dumbledore stared on gravely, but was brought out of his contemplation by Hermione who shouted, "Professor Dumbledore, what does that mean? Why is everything slipping away from him? Can you do anything? You have to! You can't let him die!"
"Be calm, Ms. Granger." Professor Dumbledore responded.
"But..." Hermione began.
"There are two poss abilities that, I believe, are relevant to the circumstances." Professor Dumbledore stated firmly. "Either Harry Potter will, along with Rose, become petrified himself, though as he was not directly exposed to the method of petrification, such a thing will proceed more slowly. The other is more unlikely, but, perhaps, may still occur. Their very bond may prevent Rose from remaining petrified, though I believe only such a thing will be possible if Harry Potter has the will to heal her."
"I, try... Nothing..." The Harry half stated, the pauses between his words lengthening, his face and eyes starting to look as rigid as Rose's were.
From his point of view, everything was slowing and becoming more difficult, Harry didn't remove his eyes from Rose, but he was starting to feel something else, a fierce desperation to heal her, to make her come back to him. As if moving through a thick mud, Harry began to lean closer to Rose, staring into her glassy blue eyes.
"There must be something, anything..." Hermione said frantically.
"At present, there is nothing I am able to accomplish." Professor Dumbledore replied.
"Then I will!" Filch howled in grief and rage. "I demand to see some punishment!"
"You still hold the belief that Harry petrified both of them, Argus? I can assure you that such a thing is far beyond him. In addition, it would be most similar to asking you to freeze an arm, your face, perhaps, or any other of your body parts. To Harry, Rose is as much a part as your own limb. It is inconceivable to me to imagine the pain Harry is currently enduring, but one way or another, it will end." Professor Dumbledore put a hand reassuringly on Harry's back and muttered, "Hold on, Harry. It will end soon."
"Rose... Come... Back... Now..." Harry stated, seconds between his words now. Hermione let out a choked sob, staring on in horror.
"Do something, Professor, do something!" She cried. Ron looked pale and gulped.
"I can do nothing." Professor Dumbledore said, unshed tears in his blue eyes.
"Rose... Is... Pretty..." Harry stated in a whisper as he drew closer to her, his face inches from hers.
"That she is." Professor Dumbledore responded with a hitch in his voice. "You need not worry, Harry. It will end soon."
"Yes..." Harry stated, and very slowly, his lips pressed to the cold, rigid ones of Rose.
Hermione let out a howl of grief and clung to Ron, who staggered slightly. Both were crying and the Professor's gazed on, Dumbledore and McGonagall without expression, Professor Snape looking somehow concerned, and Professor Lockhart looking grave. Filch had his head in his hands, shaking with silent sobs, though his were likely directed at his cat rather than either Harry or Rose.
A gentle, golden light started to pour from Harry into Rose as they watched. Hermione gasped and Professor Dumbledore's eyes widened. Something like triumph seemed to flash across his face before Rose suddenly came to life again as if someone switched on a robot. The Harry and Rose being was back and Harry tangled his hands in Rose's long hair as she did the same to him, both bodies kissing gently as the golden light grew brighter. Everything became clear again and well defined, even more so than ever before. The Harry and Rose being clung to each other and started to cry in deep, wrenching sobs of relief and terror at what they'd just experienced, what the Harry half had experienced. The gap in the Rose half's memory was being filled with the events that had happened with the Harry half, and thoughts and feelings that had been out of sink were returning to their normal state, everything shared, everything one as it should be. Shaking and sobbing, the Harry and Rose being climbed from the desk and clutched each other's hands tightly before hugging again, faces buried in the other's shoulder as their emotions whirled within them. They never, ever wanted to go through anything like that again.
"I think," Professor Dumbledore said gently. "That you would be wise to return to your common room. I shall escort the four of you there."
The Harry and Rose being moved to their friends. The Harry half grabbed Hermione who put an arm around his shoulders, the Rose half gripping Ron's arm, both simply feeling the sensations of the world. It was like moving from the darkness into a bright, illuminating light. They proceeded to the Gryffindor common room with Professor Dumbledore. After entering, he left them and the Harry and Rose being pulled Ron and Hermione into their room. Once the door was closed and locked behind them, they let go of their friends and turned to face them, still terrified.
"I need to tell you what happened." They said, voices shaking. "I have to talk about it..."
"It's okay." Hermione said gently. "You don't have to tell us."
"Please..." The Harry and Rose being pleaded. "I need to tell you, please... I can't just keep this to myself."
"Okay." Hermione said, reaching out and patting them on their shoulders.
"The Rose half was running, running to the second floor." The Harry and Rose being began, clutching each other's hands and feeling grounded with the normal and natural way of things, two bodies, two minds, the world with all its clarity and definition again. "She slipped on water, tried to reach out to break her fall, heard a slithering and saw a flash of yellow..."
The Harry and Rose being took a deep breath, some tears rolling down their faces.
"It was horrible, like someone ripped everything you are in two, the world flat, dull. It was like everything had a thick curtain over it and all the feeling was taken out of the world, out of everything..." The Harry and Rose being said hesitantly, feeling a need to get it out, to tell their friends. "I wasn't the Harry and Rose being anymore, it wasn't even the Harry half that I was, it was just Harry, only Harry. It was so unnatural, one body, senses flat and dull because there wasn't that from the Rose half anymore, there wasn't even a Rose half it was just Rose, only Rose... And I couldn't think as fast, it was only Harry, just Harry's mind, Rose was gone, torn away with force. You saw the Harry half run."
"Yeah." Hermione said, her voice catching. Ron stared on, still pail, some tears in his eyes.
"Getting to Rose was all that mattered to me, I had to find her, had to make her come back. But when I found her, she was nothing more than a statue and I knew, I just knew that she would be that way forever and ever, and ever..." The Harry and Rose being trailed off and Hermione let out a choked sob.
"I couldn't let her go, she was all that mattered. She was so still, so beautiful, I knew I couldn't just leave her. I had to stay. I stayed no matter what, felt my empty feelings becoming a terrible grief, but returning to that hollow emptiness afterward. And I didn't even notice, but even then, I was becoming slower in my thoughts, movements, as if I was gradually, slowly becoming just as petrified as Rose." The Harry and Rose being shuttered.
"It wasn't until Professor Dumbledore said there might be a chance that I felt determined to save her, to heal her. I could only think of one thing to do. The thought was so absurd, but Rose was the sleeping beauty, so I moved slowly and even slower, trying with everything that I had to kiss her and bring her back to me. I felt her lips on mine, so cold and rigid like stone, but my determination stayed. Everything seemed to freeze for an instant and everything rushed back, as if the son had been brought into a dark world. It felt right to be kissing her then, but it was so terrifying, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. Rose was terrified because I was afraid, but she didn't know why, didn't understand. Our thoughts were separated, she desperately wanted to comfort me and I was so scared of what had happened, relieved to have her back with me, terrified that we would remain separated forever. Our thoughts and feelings gradually returned to the natural way, one set of thoughts, one mind in two, and the Harry and Rose being was back."
They sighed with relief and felt as if a giant burden had been released from them. Somehow, they felt as if they would never go through such a thing again, as if their bond, the Single Soul Bond that they possessed, was stronger than it had ever been, binding them so tightly that anything which effected one, at least in a magical sense, would also effect the other. That was as it should be.
"Thanks, Hermione, Ron." The Harry and Rose being said, smiling a little. "Thanks for listening, I needed to say that."
"I'm glad you're back with us, that was terrible to see." Ron said in relief and Hermione moved to hug them, the Harry and Rose being hugging her back.
A long few minutes passed as the Harry and Rose being sat on the bed, Ron and Hermione looking around the room with interest. Both seemed to be searching for something to get their mind off of what had happened.
"I've never heard of such a room before, not until you two used it the first night." Hermione said with fascinated interest.
"Professor Dumbledore told me it's for married couples." The Harry and Rose being replied. "Magic considers us married, so we can use it."
"That wasn't in Hogwarts, A History." Hermione responded.
"Neither was the sorting ceremony, or you'd have known what to do." The Harry and Rose being responded with a grin.
"Is it comfortable here?" Ron asked.
"Yes, it's nice and warm when I'm sleeping, sometimes I don't want to get up." The Harry and Rose being replied. "But on another subject, there's something... I heard a voice before the Rose half took off to try and track it down."
"I remember you mentioned that." Hermione said.
"It was cold, murderous, it sounded as if it was determined to kill and would do so at any cost." The Harry and Rose being said. "It almost seemed to have a hissing with it. I heard something slithering before the Rose half was ripped from me."
"Do you know what it was?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"No, but I think we should search for clues." The Harry and Rose being responded.
"Go back there, after what you experienced?" Ron asked. "Maybe that's not a good idea."
"I'm sure it'll be fine, and besides, I need to face it again, to know that corridor isn't necessarily associated with anything evil or terrible." The Harry and Rose being replied.
"Okay." Hermione said. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure." The Harry and Rose being responded. "I'm also sure that nothing, nothing like that will ever happen again. Either I'll be completely petrified or not, not half way again. So you don't have to worry about that."
"How do you know?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure, I just feel like that's the case, like the bond I have is more powerful than it was before somehow." The Harry and Rose being replied.
"You look tired." Hermione said. "Maybe we should leave you to sleep."
"Yeah. I do feel tired now that you mentioned it." The Harry and Rose being stated.
"Well, we'll let you sleep, then." Ron responded as he and Hermione headed for the door. "Night, mate."
"Night, Ron, Hermione." The Harry and Rose being replied.
Once Ron and Hermione left, they changed and climbed into bed, hugging each other close. Somehow, the contact now seemed more intimate, more comfortable somehow. Slowly, hesitantly, the Harry and Rose being kissed, feeling as if the contact was right, as if it fit exactly what they were meant to do. They felt shivers of pleasure from the act, and slowly, the Harry and Rose being caressed each other, feeling the coolness of the Harry half's hands on the Rose half's skin, the hot warmth of the Rose half's hands on the Harry half's skin. Embracing firmly but gently, they quickly drifted into a relaxed sleep, and unnoticed to them, a soft golden light caused their bodies to glow before sinking into them.
The next day, the Harry and Rose being woke earlier than most, changing into clothes for the day and feeling more energy and focus than they ever had. Everything seemed more in sync somehow, more defined, more one from the two bodies. They were thrilled at the sensations and the Rose half moved around the room, touching and staring at things as the Harry half finished dressing, the Harry and Rose being marveling at the increased feel that their two bodies were one being. They didn't know or care what consequences, if any, they would have from this increased level to how they'd always been, they only enjoyed what was natural and right.
Calmly, the Harry and Rose being pushed open the door to their room and quietly closed it behind them, moving across the common room and exiting. It was five o'clock, so they reasoned it was safe enough to proceed where they wanted to go. They moved through the empty corridors, gazing in two different directions, watching both sides of the corridors at once. As they walked, they clasped hands and felt a shiver of pleasure move through their bodies. This was right somehow, this was the way it was meant to be. It wasn't a relationship with them self as they'd thought, it was simply their bodies and the path they were supposed to take. The Harry and Rose being no longer felt awkward about the potential for a relationship between the male and female, only felt a deep sense that it was natural just as their peculiar way of living was.
The Rose half listened and watched carefully as the Harry and Rose being approached the second floor corridor where the Rose half had been ripped from them, tearing apart the Harry and Rose being. Their heart pounded and all was quiet. Carefully, they stepped into the passage and the Harry and Rose being took different sides to look at. The water that had been on the floor was gone, but the Rose half spotted words that the Harry half hadn't noticed before. They gleamed on the wall between two windows and were about a foot high.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
The Harry half got on his hands and knees, carefully searching for any clues he might find on the floor. He found a couple of scorch marks as the Rose half gazed intently at the windows on either side of the words. At the top of one, several spiders were climbing a long, silvery thread, almost seeming to be frantic with the desire to get out. As the Harry half stood, the Rose half joined him and they moved along the hall, gazing at the doors. One led to a girls bathroom, and curious, the Rose half crouched, moving her hands along the door. The bottom of it was slightly damp, indicating this was likely the place the water had come from. Given that this was the girls bathroom on the second floor, the Harry and Rose being reasoned that Moaning Myrtle might have had something to do with the water being there, though they couldn't know for certain. After the Harry and Rose being straightened, they heard shuffling footsteps approaching and quickly moved off. Filch, eyes red from crying, hobbled into view with a bottle of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover in his hands. They didn't stick around to find out what he was doing, simply moved off.
Roomers ran wild about the attack on Rose and Mrs. Norris, no one talking of anything else for several days. People swamped the Harry and Rose being with questions, particularly the Rose half, wanting to know why she wasn't petrified anymore. The Harry and Rose being got a great deal of practice telling their story in a short form, and eventually, simply ended up saying, "The Harry half needed the Rose half and kissed his sleeping beauty back to life."
Girls in particular, Muggle born ones who understood the reference, would get misty-eyed at the proclamation and found it quite romantic. The Harry and Rose being didn't find it romantic, it was simply a fact.
Filch could be found pacing the corridor where the attack had happened, perhaps hoping the attacker would return so he could give them punishment. The Harry and Rose being felt sorry for him and had seen him scrubbing the wall to try and remove the words, but nothing happened. They remained gleaming as brightly as ever. He didn't let students forget what had happened, either, moving through the corridors with red eyes and trying to put students in detention for things like breathing loudly or looking happy. Of course, such things never worked, and the Harry and Rose being were glad that there was some type of checks and balance system in place for him.
Ginny, Ron's younger sister, was very disturbed by what had happened to Mrs. Norris. According to Ron, she loved cats a great deal and had tried to reassure her, making a joke that perhaps the attacker would petrify Filch before being caught. The Harry and Rose being hoped that didn't happen.
Hermione could be found reading almost constantly, and despite what the Harry and Rose being asked, they couldn't discover why. It wasn't until Wednesday, the forth of November, that they found out what she was up to. After having been held back by Snape in Potions, the Harry and Rose being had a quick lunch before making their way to the library to meet Ron. Justin Finch-Fletchley was coming toward them and the Harry and Rose being said hello. Justin only turned and sped away from them, though seemed to move away from the Rose half in particular.
That wasn't surprising to the Harry and Rose being, as there had been whispers about the Rose half going dark, joining with the rest of the Black's, and some day, perhaps, she would join up with You-Know-Who and drag Harry along with her. They paid little attention to such talk, though, as it was complete rubbish. The Harry and Rose being would never join Voldemort. And using such aliases as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was simply ridiculous in their opinion, and something they decided not to do ever again.
Ron could be found in the back of the library measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for three feet on the Medieval Assembly of European Wizards. The Harry and Rose being had already finished the assignment given to them, and instead, was working on practicing non-verbal magic. Speaking allowed seemed to strengthen their magic, but they were starting to understand and get the hang of performing magic quietly.
As the Harry and Rose being approached Ron, he looked up, then back down at his paper and let it go. It sprang back into a roll.
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short... And Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny." Ron said angrily.
"Where is she?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Somewhere over there." Ron pointed to a set of shelves. "I think she's trying to read the entire library before Christmas."
"Before I came up here, I ran into Justin Finch-Fletchley, you know, the Hufflepuff from Herbology?" The Harry and Rose being said. Ron nodded in acknowledgement. "He ran away from me for some reason."
"Hmm." Ron stated as he started writing, trying to make his letters as large as possible. "Dunno why you care. I thought he was a bit of an idiot. All that junk about Lockhart being so great..."
"Oh, please, everyone thinks that." The Harry and Rose being responded as Hermione emerged from between the book shelves, looking irritable, but ready to talk with them. She sat next to the Rose half and the Harry and Rose being smiled at her.
"Hi, Hermione." They said.
"Hello, Harry and Rose being." She said absently, then added in a more irritable voice, "All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out, and there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."
"Why do you want it?" The Harry and Rose being asked curiously.
"The same reason everyone else wants it, to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione responded.
"The Chamber of Secrets." The Harry and Rose being pondered. "Doesn't ring a bell, what is it?"
"That's just it. I can't remember." Hermione bit her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else."
"Hermione, let me read your composition." Ron said desperately as he checked his watch. Hermione looked suddenly severe.
"You know, Ron, if you'd have actually worked on that and didn't procrastinate so much, you'd have been finished by now." The Harry and Rose being said with a grin.
"But I only need another two inches..." Ron began.
"Copying another's work isn't the proper way to learn, Ron. You're not borrowing mine." Hermione replied in a severe voice. "The Harry and Rose being is right, you should have been working on that throughout the ten days you've had to finish it."
The bell rang during Hermione's lecture and they all stood, Ron and Hermione arguing as the Harry and Rose being followed behind them to History of Magic, the dullest subject they had. Professor Binns was an ancient, shriveled ghost of a man who, people said, had gotten up one morning from the armchair in the staff room, leaving his body behind. The most exciting thing that ever happened was him floating through the black board before teaching. He never varied his routine and had a voice that droned on and on, flat, dull, and something that either made you want to fall asleep or work on something else. As a result, the Harry and Rose being often worked ahead from the books they had, though were mindful to pay attention to what assignments he gave so they could turn them in.
As expected, the day was as boring as it ever was. Professor Binns opened his notes and read in a flat, droning voice as he always did, lulling everyone into a stupor. The Harry and Rose being let them self doze, leaning against each other, the Rose half's cheek on the Harry half's head, his head on her shoulder. The voice of the ghost had just started to become background noise when something changed. The Harry and Rose being sat up and stared at Hermione, who had risen her hand. Professor Binns looked rather amazed.
"Miss... Er..." He said.
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." She said in a clear voice.
Dean Thomas jerked out of his trance, having been staring out the window with his mouth open. Lavender Brown rose her head from her arms. Neville Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk and he hastily sat up. Professor Binns blinked.
"My subject is History of Magic. I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." Professor Binns said in his dry, dull tones before clearing his throat and continuing on with his lecture. "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers..." He stopped again, Hermione's hand waving in the air. "Miss Grant?"
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" Hermione asked.
Professor Binns was staring at her in amazement and the Harry and Rose being wondered if anyone had ever interrupted him before now, weather he'd been alive or dead.
"Well, yes, one could argue that, I suppose." Professor Binns stated slowly, gazing at Hermione as if he'd never seen a student before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale..."
The entire class was attentive, sitting straight up and looking at him with wrapped attention. Professor Binns gazed at all of them, amazed at the attention he was now receiving.
"Oh, very well." Professor Binns said slowly. "The Chamber of Secrets... You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, the precise date is uncertain, by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."
Professor Binns paused and gazed around briefly before continuing.
"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
Professor Binns paused once again, his lips pressed together. He looked like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"Reliable historical sources tell us this much. But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."
Silence fell, but unlike usual, the silence was an uneasy, alert silence rather than a sleepy and inattentive one. Everyone looked at Professor Binns, who looked irritated, though the students were hoping to hear more. After a moment, he spoke again.
"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course." Professor Binns stated. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."
Hermione rose her hand again.
"Sir, what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?" Hermione asked.
"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control." Professor Binns responded.
The Harry and Rose being thought of the slithering sound, the flash of yellow. They shuttered a little in their seats. A monster indeed, perhaps some type of snake, though it would have to be something unusual. As they thought and remembered the memory of the Rose half staring at the yellow reflection, they realized it was a reflection of eyes. The Harry and Rose being gripped hands and gazed around at their nervous classmates.
"I tell you, the thing does not exist." Professor Binns shuffled his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."
"But, sir, if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?" Seamus Finnigan asked.
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty,. If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing..." Professor Binns began in an aggravated tone.
"But, Professor, you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it..." Parvati Patil began, but was interrupted by Professor Binns.
"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather." Professor Binns snapped. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore..."
Again, Professor Binns was cut off, this time by Dean Thomas.
"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't..."
Professor Binns had had enough of the idle speculating and questions, however, and stated sharply, "That will do. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"
And like that, Professor Binns continued on with his boringly familiar lecture. The Harry and Rose being didn't doze now, though their mind was whirling with speculation about what the monster could be, remembering what the Rose half had heard, the reflection of the yellow eyes that had ripped her from the Harry half. They remembered the voice and its hissing undertone, the sound the Rose half had heard just before looking at the reflection of the yellow eyes. A snake seemed likely given everything that they'd heard, but who knew with the magical world. Something could resemble a snake in sound and voice, but be something quite different. As the Harry and Rose being thought, they gazed around at the class falling into their usual stupor, and when the bell rang, they eagerly got up.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony." Ron told the Harry and Rose being and Hermione, the four of them moving through the crowded corridors to drop off their bags before they went to eat dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home..."
Hermione nodded in agreement and the Harry and Rose being remembered, as if it were yesterday, their own sorting. The hat had told them, "I do believe Slytherin would put you on the path of greatness. It's all here in your mind, are you so sure you don't want Slytherin?" They had fervently thought, "Gryffindor." It was something the Harry and Rose being had never told Ron and Hermione, as they'd never considered it anything out of the ordinary. Now, however, with the talk of the Chamber of Secrets and Slytherin's heir, they wondered if it had been the better decision in the beginning to say nothing, despite having thoughts about telling them. Their thoughts were interrupted as Colin spoke.
"Hiya, Harry and Rose!"
"Hullo, Colin." The Harry and Rose being responded, almost automatically.
"Harry, Harry, a boy in my class has been saying you're..." Colin began, but was so small he was forced to go toward the great hall with the tide of people moving in that direction. He then squeaked, "See you, Harry, Rose!" They lost sight of him as he was swept away, turning back to Hermione and Ron.
"What's a boy in his class saying about the Harry half?" Hermione asked.
The Harry and Rose being still felt delighted at Hermione's acceptance of them, even now. Even more so in a way since her use of the terminology they considered proper sounded almost automatic. They beamed, though their faces fell into a bit of a frown moments later as a thought dawned on them.
"Maybe that the Harry half's Slytherin's heir." The Harry and Rose being stated. They remembered how Justin had run from them earlier that day.
"People here will believe anything." Ron said in disgust.
As the crowd thinned, they were able to climb the staircase without difficulty. Thoughts lingered in the Harry and Rose being's mind, thoughts about the Chamber, its monster, and Slytherin's heir, whoever that was. As they reached the landing, Ron asked Hermione, "D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?"
"I don't know." Hermione frowned. "Dumbledore couldn't cure either Mrs. Norris or the Rose half, and given what the Harry and Rose being told us, I wonder if whatever this monster is isn't human."
They stopped in the corridor where the Harry and Rose being had been ripped apart, and where the peculiar words continued to gleam on the wall. An empty chair was against the wall where the words were, which Ron speculated was where Filch had been keeping guard. They all looked at one another in the deserted corridor.
"I came here the day after to look for clues." The Harry and Rose being stated. "I found some scorch marks and what looked like a line of spiders desperately trying to climb from that window." The Rose half pointed. "And this bathroom was where the water came from that night." The Harry half pointed at the door.
"That's a girls bathroom." Ron said.
"Yes, how very astute of you, Ron. There may be hope for you yet." The Harry and Rose being grinned.
"I wonder if Moaning Myrtle knows anything." Hermione said as she headed toward the door.
"But Hermione, we can't go in there." Ron said.
"Nonsense, no one goes in there anyway. Besides, it's out of order, see?" Hermione indicated the sign and they all drew close, Hermione leading the way into the gloomiest bathroom the Harry and Rose being had ever seen.
A mirror, large and cracked, was above a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp, reflecting the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles burning low in their holders. The wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched, one of them dangling off its hinges.
Putting her fingers to her lips, Hermione moved to the stall at the very end. When she reached it, she asked, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"
The Harry and Rose being, along with Ron, went to look. Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.
"This is a girls' bathroom. They're not girls." She eyed Ron and the Harry half suspiciously.
"No. I just wanted to show them how, er, nice it is in here." Hermione responded, waving vaguely at the mirror and damp floor.
"Ask if she saw anything." The Harry half mouthed at Hermione.
"What are you whispering?" Myrtle asked, staring at him.
"Nothing, I was mouthing." The Harry half replied. "We w..."
Myrtle cut him off, voice choked with sobs.
"I wish people would stop talking behind my back, I do have feelings, you know."
"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you." Hermione replied. "The Harry..."
"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" Myrtle howled. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"
"We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately, because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween." Hermione quickly responded.
"Did you see anyone here that night?" The Harry and Rose being asked. "Anyone suspicious?"
"I wasn't paying attention." Myrtle stated dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm, that I'm..."
"Already dead?" Ron added helpfully.
Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up, turned over in the air, then dove head first into the toilet, splashing water all over them. Though she couldn't be seen any longer, her sobs sounded as if they were coming from the U-bend. Ron stood with his mouth hanging open and the Harry and Rose being frowned. Hermione shrugged.
"Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle... Come on, let's go." Hermione said.
They left the bathroom, and as the Rose half closed the door, a loud voice made them all jump.
"RON!" Percy Weasley stated in a strict tone, looking completely shocked, his prefect badge gleaming. "That's a girls' bathroom! What were you..."
"Just having a look around." Ron stated, shrugging. "For clues, you know."
Percy swelled in a manner that reminded the Harry and Rose being of Mrs. Weasley when she was angry. Quickly, the Harry and Rose being started to make their way in another direction as Percy strode toward them, flapping his arms and trying to wave them on. Ron and Percy argued for a bit, Percy indicating Ginny was crying and taking five points from Gryffindor when Ron accused him of not caring about her. He then strode off with the back of his neck looking as red as Ron's ears, and they continued with no more information than they'd had before.