Chapter 7

Harriet's P.O.V

When I was eventually let out of the Hospital Wing, the first thing Hermione said to me was. "Do you have a copy of Hogwarts a History?"

"Uh, yeah but."

"Where is it?" She interrupted. "My trunk why do you." But she ran off before I could finish talking. "Well that was rude." I said to Harry, who shrugged and said. "She's been trying to get hold of it since the attack, I'm surprised she even needs it. I thought she'd memorised the thing." I shrugged. "Who knows? Did you check the sight for clues? Like the water and were it came from?" Harry shook his head. "No, we were waiting for you to get out."

"We should have time tomorrow as it's Saturday."

"Yeah, we should get to class."

"What do we have?"

"History of magic." I groaned as we ran down the corridor. History was, eventful. For the first time ever a student asked a question, Hermione. Binns almost froze at the attention he was getting as he told us about the chamber of secrets and the monster inside it. "But it is nothing but myth." Binns insisted when the lesson. "That's what they said about the Greek gods." I said out the corner of my mouth to Harry, he grinned at me. "Slytherin was as loony as Dumbledore is and probably power hungry to boot." Ron said . "Probably." Hermione agreed. "Come on, we need to get to Transfiguration." I said. Collin appeared next to us. "Harry, Harriet. A boy in my class is saying that you're..." The crowd of third years pulled Collin along. "Wonder what a boy in his class is saying about you guys." Neville frowned. "That we're the heirs of Slytherin probably." Harry glowered. "Come on, we know it's not true." I said. "And besides, we're going to be late." Ron said as we pushed against the crowd. We got to McGonagall's class just in time. I wasn't behind thanks to Hermione bringing me the work but the class was uneventful next to History which will defiantly never happen again.

The next evening after Harry's quidditch practice and our homework, we went back up to the second floor. The words where still on the wall, glistening like blood in the candle light. "Why is there a chair?" I asked. "Filch has been patrolling." Ron said. "That's weird." I said. "Just a bit, yeah." Harry agreed. 2At least the water's all gone." Hermione pointed out. "I wonder where it came from." Ron said. "No idea. Let's have a look around." Harry said. After a bit Hermione called us over to the window. "Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" She pointed to the window where a line of mini spiders were climbing out the window. "No." I said as Ron whimpered. We turned to look at him, he'd pressed himself up against the opposite wall and was shaking in fright. "Ron, I don't think the wall want's to merge with you." I laughed. "Spider." Ron whimpered. "Oh. You're scared of spiders." Harry said. Hermione stifled a giggle. "It's not funny!" Ron protested. "If you must know, when I was three. Fred turned my, my teddy into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick. You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and!" Harry patted his shoulder. "It's ok, every single Athena kid is terrified of spiders." Ron looked at little better at this. "Hay look." Hermione pointed to near the girls bathroom where a small puddle of water was seeping from under the door. "Come on." Ron said, eager to get far away from the spiders. He went to turn the handle but he snatched his hand back like it had hurt him. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked. "Can't go in there. It's the girls bathroom." Ron's ears went pink. I glanced at Hermione and we burst out laughing. "That's Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!" Hermione giggled. "No one goes in there." I grinned. "It's still a girls bathroom." Ron protested. "Fine, you two stay out here and we'll go in. Ok?" I suggested. "With the spiders?"

"Yes Ronald. With the spiders."

"I'm not staying here." Ron said, going pale and opening the door. "You're not a girl." Myrtle said as we entered. "Excuse me. If we're not girls, hen what are we?" I crossed my arms. "You two are girls. But boys aren't allowed in here."

"Well deal with it. We need to asked you a question."

"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry whispered in Hermione's ear. "What are you whispering?" Myrtle starred at him. "Nothing," Harry said quickly. "We wanted to ask -"

"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" Myrtle choked, tears glistening with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead -"

"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," I said gently. "Harry only -"

"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," Hermione said quickly. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."

"Did you see anyone near here that night?" Harry interrupted. "I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle 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 said helpfully. "Not helping." I hissed as Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over us and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend. Harry and Ron stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle ... Come on, let's go." Harry had barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made us jump. "RON!" Percy Weasely had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face. "That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you -?"

"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know -" Percy swelled in a manner that reminded me of Mrs. Weasely. "Get - away - from - there -" Perry said, striding toward us and starting to push us along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner -"

"Why shouldn't we be here?" Ron stopped short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"

"That's what I told Ginny," Percy glared at us fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of her, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business -"

"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were now reddening. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy -"

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I'll write to Mum!" And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears. "I guess, next time. Only Harriet and I should investigate the girls bathroom." Hermione looked like she was supressing a smile. "And Ron, you should work or your tact. Reminding Myrtle she's dead probably wasn't the best thing to do." I grinned. "Come on, I need some dinner." Ron said and we managed to get down to the Great Hall before the main corse. "What happened to you guys?" Neville asked, seeing that Harry, Ron and Hermione were wet. "Myrtle." I said, stealing the plate of sausages from under Fred's nose. "Hay!" Fred protested, trying to get it back. "Nuh, get you own, I've been living off the hospital wing food since the beginning of term." I said, holding the plate away from him. "Is it really that bad?" Hermione asked. "I've had worse but almost nothing comperes to the Hogwarts food."

"I bet Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin." Ron said, not paying attention to his food. "That. Is a stupid idea, Malfoy wouldn't have the brain capacity to know here the chamber is, let alone open it." Hermione said. "But didn't you hear him last night? 'You'll be next Mudbloods' It's obviously him. His father probably worked out how to open it when he went to school here and now he's past the key onto Draco." Our jaws fell. "Ron, who messed with your brain, please go back to your normal self. You're scaring me." George said. Ron scowled. "He does have a point though. Draco is a likely culprit." Hermione said. "But we'll need proof. That potion Snape told us about last lesson might help. But it'll be in the Restricted section of the library." Hermione trailed off, starring into the enchanted heavens. "Hay Harriet, what's with all the black?" Neville asked. "What?" I looed down at my clothes. I was dressed in a black jumper, a black skirt and black socks. The only splash of colour were my bright purple high tops. "Never mind." I said sadly, forcing back tears and starring at my plate. "You ok Harriet?" Hermione asked. "Fine." I said as Fred gently took my hand under the table. "Is it something to do with Camp?" George asked, my head shot up, I'd forgotten I'd shown the twins and Neville around camp. "It's Percy. My brother, he's, he's." My shoulders shook and all the tears I'd been holding back all day erupted, pouring down my cheeks. "Harriet, why didn't you tell us?" Hermione laid a hand on my shoulder. I just shook my head. "Would you look at this. Who upset Potter? I'd like to give them a medal. Did someone kill you little pet kitty?" The drawling, sneering voice of Draco Malfoy came from behind me. "Fuck off Malfoy." Harry growled. "Oh, look at Potter. All protective of his wussy sister." Malfoy sneered. I launched myself at Malfoy, I think my tiger claws may have appeared at one point but it might just have been my daggers. Malfoy and I fell to the ground and I started pummelling him. I was surprised that Crabbe and Goyle didn't attack me but I think the others were stopping them. When the teachers intervened Malfoy was pretty much a breathing, bloody pulp. "Miss Potter! 100 points from Gryffindor and detention for the next three months!" McGonagall practically yelled. "He had it coming." I crossed my arms. "What did he do?" I turned my head away and pressed my mouth closed. "You young lady, are grounded until Summer." McGonagall dragged me out of the Great Hall and up to the Griffindor common room. "You're not allowed out of the common room after classes except to go to meals and at the weekends you have to be back here by seven PM. Do you understand?" She said with a voice of steal. "Yes Professor McGonagall." I muttered, not meeting her eyes. "Good." She turned and left. I sank into the poufy couch in front of the fire. It was about half an hour before the other Gryffindors came back. I was lifted up on their shoulders and paraded around the common room. Only Percy disapproved. "Put her down! She's being punished." He tried to break the crowd up. "Oh have some fun Perc! It was Malfoy!" Fred grinned from next to me. Percy grumbled and stalked off to bed. "Hay Fred." He grinned up at me. "Yeah?"

"I'm taller then you now." Everyone laughed. "You ok now?" Neville asked as I was put on my feet. "Not until I know he's alive." I said, meaning Percy, not Malfoy. "I'm sure he is." Neville smiled uneasily and disappeared into the crowd. "That was quite the fight." Fred grinned at me. "Yeah, but I think I might have damaged my punching arm." I said, rubbing my aching shoulder. "It was worth it though."

"Totally. He can join Flint in the Hospital wing."

"Yeah. Soon you'll put the whole house in there." He grinned. "Don't wanna lose any more points. Or any more free time."

"I heard McGonagall grounded you, is that true?"

"Yeah, no leaving the common room after classes except for food, and I have to be in the common room by seven on the weekends."

"That sucks."

"One way to put it. But it could be worse."

"Yeah." He yawned. "Tiered?" I smiled. "You could say that." He grinned. "Harriet, we need to go to bed." Hermione appeared next to me. "Coming, bye Fred." I followed Hermione. "So." She grinned at me as we climbed the stairs. "What?"

"You and Fred." I blushed and pushed her gently. "Shup." Hermione laughed and opened our door. "I'm guessing Harry doesn't know."

"We're leaving him to figure it out for himself." I shrugged and grabbed my pyjamas. "Might take him awhile." She called from behind her hangings. "Probably." I drew my own hangings and began wriggling out of my black outfit. "Harriet?" Annabeth's voice called. "Annabeth!" I shoved my head out of my gold hangings there was a rainbow shimmering with Annabeth's face in it.. "Harriet." She was grinning. "What? Is it Percy? Is he alive?"

"Ask him for yourself." She stepped to one side and Percy's head appeared. "Percy!" I almost hugged the rainbow. "Fred told me that Annabeth told him you were dead!"

"No, I just got lost."

"Yeah, after blowing up a volcano." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Typical." I giggled. "Percy! Annabeth!" Chiron's voice called from the background. "Well, we gotta go. See you." The rainbow disappeared, Hermione grinned at me from her bed. "Well, seems you beat Malfoy up for nothing."

"He electrocuted me the first week back. So I think he disserved it. Night Hermione." I said, pulling my head back in and snuggling under my covers. "Night Harriet." She called back and I fell asleep, glad that my brother was alive and that I was back home in Gryffindor tower.