Dear Diary

1 September 1992

Severus Snape followed the Headmaster and the Potter brat into the former's office. Minerva trailed along in his wake. He had better things to do then to deal with Potter's Spawn tonight. Slytherin House had a rather large intake of students that night and it was his responsibility to see them introduced to their new House and settled. Instead, he had to be here dealing with … this.

Albus settled into his normal throne-like chair. Then he waited for his 'guests' to settle down after his customary offer of his favourite candies. Potter naturally sat in the seat centred right in front of the Headmaster's desk like the little prince he obviously thought he was, Salazar help him.

"Ah, Mr Potter, how was your summer?" the Headmaster asked in his 'kind grandfather' mode.

"Very nice, professor. And yours?"

"Rather busy but it was a nice respite from the rigours of running Hogwarts."

"That's good."

"I actually stopped by your aunt's this summer to ensure you were adjusting to being back in the Muggle world. I was rather surprised to not find you there. I had wanted to congratulate you on finishing third in your class behind Ms Granger and Ms Patil. Quite an accomplishment."

"Thank you for that, professor." The Potter brat made a small shrug and answered the implied question. "Several of my friends offered to let me stay with them over the summer. I wrote Aunt Petunia before the end of the term and asked her permission. She was so excited that I wasn't returning she actually sent me a whole pound for my birthday." Severus could see Albus wasn't happy about that answer by the tension about the elder wizard's eyes.

"Now, Harry, I am sure your family missed you at home over the summer."

The little brat had the temerity to disagree with the Headmaster. "I doubt it, professor. They don't consider me family and that house was definitely never a 'home' to me." Potter snickered derisively. "If that troll last year had killed me Uncle Vernon would have probably sent whoever was responsible a thank-you note."

Minerva spoke up for the first time. "Surely you are exaggerating, Mr Potter. Life there couldn't have been that bad." Severus could hear the pleading in her tone.

'Trying to convince him or yourself, Minerva?' he thought with a mental sneer.

"Enough of this," Snape interrupted. Merlin knew if he didn't they would soon be holding the brat's hand and having house-elves feeding him grapes. "I have more important matters to be about than to listen to Potter whine about his eggs being slightly undercooked." Albus gave him a disapproving glance that Severus easily ignored.

"Yes well, Harry, we are here to talk about the incident on the Express today."

"He should be expelled for striking a fellow student," Severus sneered.

"Severus," Minerva snapped. "It was not that significant an incident to warrant such a punishment."

Potter ignored the two professors and responded to Dumbledore. "Malfoy came into our compartment, shot off his mouth looking to provoke a fight. I gave him what he was looking for."

Dumbledore consulted a sheet in front of him. "According to Madam Pomfrey, Mr Malfoy has a sprained jaw and two teeth had to be magically regrown. He will be able to attend classes tomorrow but he is in for a most uncomfortable night." He looked up at Potter with disappointment on his face. "It is never an acceptable behaviour to physically strike one of your fellow students."

"Malfoy came into our compartment and called Hermione a 'mudblood', Ron a 'blood-traitor' and the Patil sisters 'a pair of wogs only fit to clean his manor and be whores'. If anything I let him off light with only a single backhand to that big mouth of his."

The three professors looked at the composed but angry twelve year-old in shock. Severus was not shocked at what his godson had said. The boy was almost quoting his father verbatim. What shocked the Potions Professor was the calm, deliberate manner the Potter brat had spoken. He sounded much more like an adult than a student.

Dumbledore was the first one to set aside his shock. "We shall deal with what Mr Malfoy said. However, I still cannot allow this to stand. You shall have three nights detention with Hagrid assisting in his duties as he assigns. I do not expect to hear of a repeat of this incident. Thank you, Mr Potter. You may return to the Gryffindor tower now."

Potter stood up at the dismissal. He turned towards the door before pausing and turning to look Severus straight in the eye. Brilliant green eyes met Severus's black eyes stare.

"Professor, would you please pass a message on for me? Let Malfoy know that the next time he crosses the line into hurting my friends there will not be a third time. If he wants to fight me he knows where to find me, but leave my friends out of it. And if he ever calls my mother that name again, I will bury him where he stands." Then Potter was gone before any of the professors could react.

"Dear Merlin, what happened on that train?" Minerva whispered. She turned on Dumbledore and started in on him. Severus ignored them. For the second time in five minutes he was completely shocked. For the first time looking at the Potter spawn he hadn't seen James Potter. He hadn't even seen Lily either.

He'd seen Michael Evans.

When Severus Snape returned to Spinners End after his Second year, Tobias Snape was already roaring drunk. When he noticed the return of his magical son he'd exploded into a rage. Tobias Snape was a petty man with no great gift; an office worker doing accounting work at a nearby foundry. Severus always suspected the elder Snape was intimidated by his son's obvious greater intelligence. Whether it was jealousy over magical or intellectual gifts or the fact he was a small-minded man that took out his anger and frustrations on a defenceless child didn't really matter. What mattered was the severe beating that followed.

Lily eventually found him in the weed-infested 'park' near their houses. She dragged her battered and bleeding best friend back to her house. Her mum, Patricia Evans, patched up her daughter's friend even as her eldest daughter looked on disapprovingly.

Then Michael Evans returned home. He was a foreman in the same plant where Tobias Snape was employed. That is where the similarity ended. The Evans man shared his youngest daughter's eyes but he was incredibly strong from lifting heavy loads all day in the heat of the foundry. While he wasn't built like a Muggle body builder, he was arguably the strongest man in the plant. He was also fairly intelligent and a leader amongst the workers. He also was known for a wicked temper and being the last man standing in pub brawls. He never started the fights but by God he finished them.

When Mr Evans heard what happened, he simply nodded and offered to walk Severus home. (The laws of the time hadn't given him much choice.) During the short walk to Spinner's End, Severus took comfort in the man's quiet, solid presence.

When he arrived home, Severus opened the door and Mr Evans followed him in. Tobias Snape saw his son and started yelling and moved forward to strike him again. He never noticed Mr Evans until the man's hand was clamped about his neck and hoisting him off the floor. Mr Evans effortlessly held the man above the floor and delivered a promise that if Tobias Snape ever touched his son again in anger it would not happen a third time.

The scared little man never touched his son again.

The expression, tone, and even the words were almost exactly what Severus Snape had just experienced again … except this time they were directed towards him. The only Muggle ever to defend Severus Snape and now to see him again in his grandson...

"Severus?" Dumbledore called out. "Severus, are you okay?"

"Potter is dangerous. He should be expelled."

"Come now Severus. I am sure if we simply keep them separated for now their tempers will cool."

Snape forced a sneer onto his face. "Mark my words, professor. Potter is the most dangerous student you've allowed in this school since the Dark Lord himself. Maybe even worse. The Dark Lord fought for power. Potter will do it because he thinks he is right."

Severus left without another word. He needed to reign in his Slytherins. They would have to take their revenge subtly, not through open confrontations with Potter. Yes, Potter was only a Second year now but time would take care of that. The brat was third in his class academically and was showing signs of being potentially the most magically gifted student in several years no matter what he told the brat in class. The Prophecy said Potter would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. What could that be but magical power?

In any case, Potter was a danger to his students. The brat might be the key to eventually stopping the most evil wizard to ever exist but Potter was a danger to his students NOW. Somehow he would have to make the Headmaster see that.

-I-

2 September 1992

The small creature arrived at his destination. All summer he had tried his best to find the Great One, but the creature's best wasn't good enough. He deserved to be punished.

He stared down on the sleeping form of the Great One. So much goodness and power mixed into one being! Here was the One-That-Gave-Hope-To-All-Beings! The Great Harry Potter!

Oh how he hoped the Great One would accept his warning. The Dark Ones were moving again and they sought to extinguish the Great One! That couldn't be allowed to happen! Bad Family were part of this. (Dobby would have to iron his fingers later for that thought!) Bad Master wanted Great Harry Potter dead. Bad Master ordered Dobby not to tell anyone Bad Family business. So Dobby couldn't. But it wasn't Bad Family business if Great Harry Potter wasn't where Bad Family sets their trap! No, Dobby couldn't fail!

The Great Harry Potter's eyes suddenly opened and glowed with Power in the darkness. Dobby was so surprised he never thought to pop away. And then Great Harry Potter had him by the throat. But Dobby was used to that. Old Not-So-Bad Master did that too.

"Who are you?" Great Harry Potter demanded in a low whisper.

"I is Dobby, Harry Potter. Dobby the House-Elf." Great Harry Potter loosened his grip.

"Why are you here?"

"Dobby is here to warn Harry Potter! Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts! There is great danger! Harry Potter must leave!"

"Is it Voldemort?"

Dobby clapped his hands over his ears as the name invoked visions of the horrible times. "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!"

Some muttering came from another bed. Great Harry Potter quickly rose from his bed and walked into the nearby loo. He closed the door behind him and set Dobby down on the counter.

"Sorry about that," Great Harry Potter murmured. "I know people don't like saying that name." Dobby felt the tears start to form. Great Harry Potter was apologizing to him!

Great Harry Potter sighed. "Dobby why are you crying?"

"Great Harry Potter apologized to Dobby! Wizards never apologize to house-elves!"

The Great Wizard grimaced uncomfortably. "Yah well, I'll just say I've been there too." He coughed. "Now what is this warning?"

"Dobby try to find you all summer but Harry Potter not with his family! Terrible things are planned for this year! Harry Potter is too important. He must stay safe!"

"What terrible things? Who is plotting them? Is it Vol- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Not – not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir –" Dobby answered with a particular nod. He hoped Great Harry Potter understood what he was trying to say.

"I can't leave Hogwarts, Dobby," the Great One answered. "I don't really have anywhere else to go until I am old enough to be on my own. My relatives don't want me."

"Harry Potter's family doesn't want him?" Dobby asked in disbelief.

"They hate magic," the Great One explained. "But I am told they are the only family I have left so I have to stay with them." Dobby felt his eyes start to tear again but this time in grief and anger. Great Harry Potter had no one! Dobby would find Harry Potter a family of his own! Then Great Harry Potter could leave Hogwarts and be safe!

"Don't worry, Harry Potter. Dobby will find you a family!" Dobby nodded his emphasis. "Stay safe, Harry Potter, until Dobby comes back!" With a pop he was gone. An elf on a mission.

-II-

15 October 1992

The Ravenclaws followed the Gryffindor students into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Except for the very first class with the disaster with the pixies, Professor Lockhart simply lectured the class on events from his various books. Last week it was yetis and the week before was vampires.

Padma watched Harry as the students sat down. The students had been whispering about Harry since the writing on the wall and Mrs Norris was petrified. For some reason they ignored the fact Harry was with Hermione, Ron, and herself when the cat was discovered. Instead they just focused on Harry. It didn't make any sense to the logical Patil.

Harry just seemed to shrug it off- like it was all a big joke. However, Padma had learnt to read her closest male friend better than that. He was angry about the whispers but was keeping it inside. Thank Merlin that idiot Malfoy hadn't tried anything recently.

"Ah, welcome class to another wonderful session of Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Lockhart announced breezily as he waltzed into the room. "Are you all ready for another exciting glimpse into the world behind the veil that are the Dark Arts?"

Padma watched the man move into the room and start his lecture on werewolves. Padma was beginning to come about to Harry's position that the professor was a fraud of the first order. Listening to the man's descriptions matched little with the outside research Padma had done on the behaviour of feral werewolves. The werewolf the professor described seemed completely in control like it was under the influence of Wolfsbane Potion.

"Now, I shall act out my famous battle with the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Ah, Mr Potter, if you would please assist me again?"

Harry stood up but it was obvious that it was the last thing he wanted to do. Padma could hear Corner snickering behind her as Harry walked up.

"Nice loud howl, Harry- exactly – and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced – like this – slammed him to the floor – thus – with one hand, I managed to hold him down – with my other, I put wand to his throat – I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm – he let out a piteous moan – go on, Harry – higher than that – good – the fur vanished the fangs shrunk – the he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective – and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks." (HP CoS p 162 US hardcover)

Harry stood up from the floor and said, "Excuse me professor, but I don't think the class and I can really understand what a great feat you managed, sir." Padma was instantly wary - Harry was up to something. He was never that polite unless he was up to something. Unfortunately, Lockhart didn't know him that well.

"Whatever, do you mean, Harry?"

"Well, sir. I am just a small boy, not a huge werewolf. It just doesn't do justice to have me fill in for the werewolf as I am."

"I know – I know, young Harry. However we must make do with what we have," the author-professor responded while flashing his smile at the class.

"I had an idea, professor. If Hermione cast a glamour on me to make me look like a werewolf, then the class would get the full impact of what you dealt with."

The professor seemed to consider it. Padma didn't think her friend was capable of casting such a spell. The professor seemed doubtful also but Harry assured him that she was more than capable.

"Very well. Ms Granger, your assistance please?"

Hermione walked up while glaring at the small smile on Harry's face. Now Padma was sure Harry was up to something and most of the rest of the class was coming to the same conclusion. When Hermione reached Harry he whispered something quietly into her ear before stepping away to remove his robes. Padma winced a bit to see the scruffy, oversized Muggle clothes Harry insisted on wearing under his school robes.

"No need to get disrobed for this, Harry," Lockhart assured him with a look of distaste on his face as he took in Harry's clothes.

"Just trying to get into the role, professor. It is method acting."

"Of course, I recognized that my dear boy," Lockhart assured him. Padma didn't know what he meant by 'method acting' and doubted Lockhart knew either. "Do what you must."

Harry returned to his place in front of the classroom. "Okay, professor. I am all set."

"Once Ms Granger completes her glamour, advance on me just as before," Lockhart instructed.

Hermione made the complex wand patterns required for a glamour spell. Padma wanted to watch her cast but her attention quickly focused on Harry.

Harry threw his head back and let out a howl that sent chills down Padma's spine. At the same time, thick black fur was sprouting out all over his body as he grew. His head morphed into a giant representation of a wolf while his hands became massive claws with wicked looking nails the looked incredibly sharp. Padma was terrified and she was sitting twenty feet away.

Harry turned towards the Defence professor and let out a growl that seemed to reverberate through the bones of everyone in the room. The famed professor took one look at that horrible visage and let out a girlish squeal before dropping to the ground in a dead faint.

Harry the Werewolf sat back on his haunches and let out an odd sound. It took Padma a moment but she realized that Harry was laughing. Not just laughing but full out, rib-holding laughter. Now when the werewolf glamour looked out at the classroom, the creature's face seemed amused with his tongue hanging out to one side.

It gave Padma the impression of a giant, very dangerous, puppy.

Hermione must have released her spell because Harry suddenly shrank back into his normal form.

"Wow, mate. You actually made the git faint," Ron congratulated his friend.

Harry replaced his glasses and said, "He'll have to change his robes before lunch too." Just then the bell rang announcing the end of class.

"Guess there's no homework!" Ron cheered.

Padma and Su Li joined their Gryffindor friends as they walked out of the Defence classroom. Something just happened in the class and she didn't understand it. The three Gryffindors shared a secret. How did Hermione manage to cast that glamour? And that looked nothing like any werewolf she had ever seen pictures of. It reminded her more of stories she'd heard from her dada, her grandfather, on their visits to India when she was a child.

She would talk to Harry later to find out what just happened and how he did it. She didn't need to make a scene now.

As the other students left, Lavender and Parvati stayed behind franticly trying to wake their dashing professor while trying to avoid the growing pool coming from under the wizard.

-III-

The Gryffindors were a bit surprised when Ernie McMillan dropped into the seat across from Harry. After the events of the Duelling Club the night before and the whispers this morning of Harry's Parselmouth abilities, most students were going out of their way to avoid the Second year wizard. Behind Ernie stood Padma, Susan, Hannah, and Justin. The four grouped in behind Ernie.

"So, Potter, am I right thinking you are not the Heir of Slytherin?" he bluntly asked.

"Mmm, no." Ernie looked shocked. The entire Hall fell silent as they tried to listen into the conversation. Had Potter just admitted it?

"Then you are the Heir of Slytherin?" Ernie asked trying to clarify.

"No, sorry. I said 'no' meaning 'yes'."

"'No,' meaning 'yes'"? Look, I want a straight answer. Are you or are you not the Heir of Slytherin, yes or no?"

"Um, no."

"'No', you are, or 'no' you aren't?"

"Yes"

"Enough!" Hermione exploded. "We have a lot of students scared right now and we don't have time for your stupidity!"

Ernie gave her a mock frustrated look. "Well, there is still some confusion as to whether or not he's the Heir of Slytherin. "

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration. "That's not true."

Ernie leaned forward and jabbed his finger into the table. "That there isn't any confusion, or that you're not the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Either. Or both."

"Just give me a clear answer!"

"Certainly! er- What was the question?"

"Are you the Heir of Slytherin?"

"No!"

"Ernie smiled. "Okay, I just wanted to clear that up."

The students (and some teachers) were trying to digest this conversation when Ernie and Harry started to laugh.

"Honestly!" Hermione huffed. "You two with your stupid movie quotes! You have half the Great Hall completely confused as to what just happened. How is that supposed to make any of this better?"

"I made Harry laugh," Ernie answered with a cheeky smile. "We know Harry too well to believe any of that rubbish. The Heir of Slytherin wouldn't be watching Muggle cinema, be best friends with a Muggleborn, or a Half-blood himself."

Hermione huffed again and went back to eating her meal. While she disapproved of Ernie's method, she did appreciate the loyalty he had shown Harry. It seemed like the entire school, including some of the professors, were willing to believe Harry was the Heir of Slytherin on the flimsiest of evidence. It seemed like only Harry's closest friends hadn't fallen into line with that view. She had not read much on the subject of mass psychology but it did seem a bit startling to the thirteen year-old with how fast the students moved from venerating the Boy-Who-Lived to vilifying Harry Potter.

-IV-

Scottish air in January was cold and crisp. The light wind blew around the dusting of snow spotting the ground. With the new moon, the grounds around Hogwarts were dark with only the distant stars and a few remaining lights from Hogwarts providing light. It was well after midnight and the grounds were silent.

Harry enjoyed this time. He missed his time alone in the woods back in Surrey. He loved having friends but the castle walls often felt like they were closing in on Harry. The Beast wasn't able to come out too often due to the risk of exposing his secret. So he cherished these times when he could enjoy his furry form. The silence of the night was not as silent to his ears as the nocturnal inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest went about the night's routine.

The centaurs stayed close to their camp with guards in place while the giant spiders, wolves and other predators were stalking the forest. A small tribe of forest trolls lived near the centre of the forest not far from a pair of Welsh Green dragons that had somehow escaped Ministry (and Hagrid's) notice. Fluffy now made his home deep in the forest and was thrilled to see his playmate from last year again. Harry found dozens of species living inside the forest, some he recognized from Muggle myths and others he had no clue.

School had been tense lately with someone claiming to have opened the Chamber of Secrets and attacking students and the odd demon-cat. No one had been killed so far, but several students were petrified in the Hospital Wing including Justin F-F, Colin Creevey, and Lavender Brown. Harry had tried to find the monster but hadn't been successful. He'd heard the whispering words but had no sight of the creature. The monster's scent was throughout the castle. It smelled somewhat reptilian to Harry but not like any snake he'd smelt before. It was mostly snake but also something else. The only way he could describe it was it didn't smell natural. Hermione was trying to identify the creature but nothing fit the creatures that petrified their prey.

Harry thought of the old movie "Clash of the Titians". Medusa was half-snake/half-human in that movie and her gaze could turn people to stone. But people turned to stone were dead. Petrification was more like an over-powered Stunning Spell or some kind of stasis. None of the snake or snake-like creatures Hermione had found in the library could do that without leaving wounds like bite marks behind.

The Beast loped easily towards the forest edge. The cold air felt comfortable through his fur. He had to force himself not to howl his excitement of the chance to be free for a bit.

His path took him not far from Hagrid's hut. He wasn't too concerned. This late the gentle half-giant would be fast asleep and Fang knew Harry in either form and wouldn't bark.

"Hello Harry Potter," a voice greeted him.

The Beast skidded to a halt. From near the chicken coops appeared a young girl he barely recognized. He'd seen her with Ron's little sister and knew she wasn't a Gryffindor but that was about it. How had she known who the Beast was?

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone I saw you. It is a good night to be out. Have you seen and snallicks in the forest? Or a snorcrak?"

Harry dropped back into his human form. "How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Did you change?" she responded in a slightly distracted voice. "I am afraid I haven't quite been myself. I don't even remember deciding to go for a walk tonight but I don't mind since it meant I got to meet you."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Er- I am Harry. What is your name?"

"My name? I am Luna. But they are all starting to call my Looney. Looney Luna Lovegood, it has a nice flow and it all alliterates. Ravenclaws are clever that way. I am sure if I was in Gryffindor it would be some silly pun or reference to an animal. What animal would I be? I bet they call you Furry. Or maybe Fuzzy." Harry didn't have an answer for that but he did feel his head starting to hurt already.

"How do two pieces of darkness make so much light?" Luna asked suddenly.

"What light?" Harry asked. "It is nearly pitch dark out here."

Luna giggled. "You're right, Harry Potter. But don't worry, I am sure you will be able to see sooner or later. Well, I have to go now. I need to get up early so I can find where my shoes have walked off to. Good night, Furry Potter!"

Harry watched the odd Ravenclaw Firstie skip through the darkness back towards the castle. What had that been about? He still didn't know how she knew about his Beast form. Sure, Ron and Hermione knew. And he'd told Ernie and Padma over the holidays when he'd stayed with Ernie's family. But he was sure none of them would have told anything especially to a First year none of them really knew.

Harry changed back into the Beast and resumed his run towards the Forest. He hoped the night air would help clear his head. It was probably too late to see Madam Pomfrey for a potion to fight the migraine he felt coming on.

-V-

12 March 1993

"The Heir took her! She is missing! We have to get her back! I can't lose her!"

Harry grabbed the smaller girl as she ran past.

"He took who? Calm down and tell me," Harry said.

The little red-head looked up into the eyes of her hero. "He took Luna! He took Luna into the Chamber of Secrets! There was a new message on the wall. The professors took a roll of all the students and she was the only one missing! She's my best friend! Please Harry, you have to save her!"

"He took Luna Lovegood?" Harry asked. "Little blonde Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, yes! Please, you have to help me!" Ginny pleaded.

Percy Weasley entered the common room just then and announced, "The professors want all students to assemble in the Great Hall in five minutes, no exceptions! Everyone out!"

Ginny grabbed hold of Harry. "Please, Harry, you have to help her. You're the Boy-Who-Lived! I know she's been acting odder than normal this year but she is still my friend."

"You mean she is not normally that … crazy-sounding?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, that is her normal. But sometimes she'd get all cold sounding and tell me to leave her alone. Then she would act later like it never happened."

"Did you tell anyone?" Harry asked.

"I said something to Professor Flitwick and he said he'd talk to her last month but I never heard anything more. She wasn't like this before we came to Hogwarts. She doesn't tell me anything - just writes it into the diary I gave her."

"Come on, you two. You're the last ones here," Percy demanded. "I will give you both detention!"

Harry and Ginny made their way out of the common room although not without Ginny making some parting shots at her officious older brother. They were almost to the Great Hall when they ran into Ron and Ernie followed by Professor Sprout.

"Harry!" Ron yelled. "Hermione and Padma have been petrified!"

Harry felt his stomach drop. "When?"

"Just now, this morning," Ernie answered solemnly. The normally excitable Hufflepuff looked really shaken. "They left me in the library to go to the loo. I found them outside of Myrtle's bathroom."

"You can talk inside the Great Hall," Percy demanded. "Now move!"

Ron snapped and started yelling at his brother. Ginny joined in which pulled in Professor Sprout. The professor started herding the squabbling siblings into the Great Hall. When she tried to pull Ernie along he came out of his shock enough to add to the mayhem. This eventually drew Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"They refuse to obey Professor Dumbledore's commands, professor!" Percy reported.

"It's not that bad," Professor Sprout reassured her colleague in a calm manner. "The poor dears are simply in shock from the attack on their friends."

"I see," the Transfiguration professor answered. "And where is Mr Potter?"

The professor and prefect looked around but the most famous (or notorious) student in Hogwarts was missing.

-VI-

Harry moved under his Invisibility Cloak towards the bathroom where his friends were petrified. He was angry about what had happened to his friends but he also wanted to find the odd little blonde. She gave him a migraine and insisted in calling him Furry Potter to the amusement of much of the school. They thought it was a play on a synonym for a certain pronunciation of his name. Even the Slytherins had started to use it to mock him. However for all that she still managed to get him laughing on a few occasions and God knew he'd needed chances to laugh this year.

Entering the lavatory, Harry paused to sniff. The scents threatened to overwhelm him. He sorted through them and caught Hermione and Padma's scents along with Luna and the monster also. Oddly, Luna's scent only seemed to lead into the loo. Could she still be in here?

"Oh, what are you doing in here?" a girl's voice rang out.

Harry turned to find the ghost of a witch in an old style of Hogwarts robes. He guessed she'd been in Fourth or Fifth year when she died.

"Hello, I am Harry. I am looking for a friend of mine that disappeared from here. Can you help me?"

The ghost witch's expression changed while Harry spoke. Now she was smiling shyly at him. "No one much comes in here anymore. Two girls came in earlier but they just used the loo and left without saying a word to poor Myrtle. Then another girl came in but she just used the sink. She made some noise and then - whoosh! – poor Myrtle was pushed out of her place! Right down the pipes and into the Black Lake! The horrible squid tried to play with me."

"The last girl that came in – was it right after the other girls left?" Harry asked.

"Um, maybe. I'm not too good about keeping track of time. Even if I wasn't dead." The ghosts face clouded up and she started to wail. "Oh, I am dead!" she screamed out before flying into a nearby toilet with a 'plunk!'.

Harry ignored the stray mental question of how an intangible ghost managed to make a small splash entering a toilet bowl and turned to the sink. Luna's scent was stronger here. His eyes darted around looking for a clue, a sign, something!

After five minutes, Harry was ready to give it up as a bad job. He smacked his hand down in frustration. When he lifted his hand, he realized he'd just gotten … something on it. It looked kind of like make-up of some type. With a huff of frustration, Harry walked over to wash it off.

As he washed his hands he ideally noted the snake motif embedded onto the splash plate behind the sink. He glanced down the counter and realized it was the only one. Odd. He looked back at the snake. It seemed to slither a bit.

Was it a marker for the entrance?

Harry looked around for some sign of a trigger mechanism. He expected a rune of some type but reckoned a mechanical trigger was possible also. After several fruitless minutes of searching, he returned his attention to the snake engraving.

"How do I get you to open?" he asked in frustration. The snake gave a particular twitch in response and a second later, Harry heard the sound of stone grinding behind him. Turing he found a section of the floor had given way to reveal a wide tunnel dropping into blackness below.

Open? The Chamber of Secrets and the password to reveal its entrance is open? So much for Salazar being the cunning Founder. Harry considered for a moment. Why hadn't it been found before? Accidently if nothing else. After almost ten centuries at some point at least once someone had to say 'open' while looking at the sink's engraving.

Harry set that aside as he knelt down at the side of the tunnel. The scent of the monster was almost overpowering. It had definitely been through here recently. He touched the side of the tunnel expecting stone. It was metal, lead he thought. This wasn't a tunnel, it was a pipe. A beam of light from his wand showed a bend in the pipe just a few metres down.

"This is a really stupid idea," Harry muttered to himself. He sat on the edge of the pipe and slowly lowered himself down. Maybe the pipe levelled out after the bend. It was just a short drop to the bend. He should be fine. At least that is what he was telling himself.

Harry let go of the edge expecting a short drop to the bend. That is what happened. But what he didn't count on was the accumulated slime of possibly centuries of growth. As his feet hit the pipe bend, they slipped out from under him. The scream he let out as he continued to slide down the pipe was cut off as the bathroom floor returned to cover the pipe opening.

Notes:

- Harry and Ernie's dialogue comes from the movie Clue. The pair spent a large portion of Harry's summer visit watching movies and exchanging movie quotes.

- Ernie often gets the short-end of fanfiction because of his encounter with Harry in CoS where he said he was a Pureblood going nine generations back. However, he also refused to believe Harry put his name into the goblet in OotP. His comment was he learnt his lesson with the whole Heir of Slytherin incident. He was also a student leader during the final battle in DH (while Zach Smith slithered out the back).

- Some of Dobby's lines came directly from CoS or were based on dialogue from the book. It shows up here in italics