Chapter 10
I do not own Harry Potter in any way.
A/N - The longest chapter so far! 3 pages in Word! I hope you like it.
The next day they had Transfiguration.
"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall asked, "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals in water goblets. Like so". McGonagall performed the spell and the bird on her desk transformed into a beautiful crystal water goblet. "Now it's your turn. Who would like to go first?" McGonagall asked, "Ah, Mr. Weasley. One, two, three, Vera Verto".
Ron performed the spell, but because of his wand, his rat turned into a furry goblet with a tail. Everyone laughed at him.
"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley", McGonagall told him.
Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss Granger", McGonagall said.
"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets", she said.
McGonagall hesitated before answering. "Very well. You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not", McGonagall said.
"Three guesses who", Ron remarked.
"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods", McGonagall explained.
Rosalie looked down at her desk. She didn't even know if she was a pureblood or not. Her father wouldn't tell her who her mother was.
"Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it…until that time when his own true Heir returned to the school. The Heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic", McGonagall explained.
"Muggle-borns", Hermione said.
Draco had told her that the last time the Chamber had been opened, a muggle-born died.
Rosalie didn't care for Hermione, but she didn't want her to die.
"Naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found", McGonagall told them.
"Professor? What does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?" Hermione asked.
"The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home of a monster", McGonagall said.
Ron looked back at Draco, who smirked.
"Did you see Weasel-bee's face?" Draco laughed, "Probably thinks I'm the Heir of Slytherin or something".
"Well you don't care for muggle-borns", Rosalie said.
"Are you taking his side?" Draco snapped.
"That's not what I said, Draco!" Rosalie yelled.
The Slytherin's rolled their eyes.
Draco and Rosalie always fought and usually had to be broken up by Blaise and Pansy or Professor Snape.
"I'm just saying that maybe if you didn't act the way you do, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wouldn't hate you as much!" Rosalie snapped.
"What is the meaning of this?" Flitwick asked coming out of his classroom.
"Nothing professor", Rosalie said storming off. She made her way to the courtyard and found a quiet corner. She wrapped her arms around herself and started crying. "Rosalie?" she heard. She looked up and saw Neville. "Oh, hey Neville", she said wiping at her cheeks.
He handed her a tissue.
"Thanks", she said wiping her eyes.
"Malfoy upset you, didn't he?" Neville asked her.
Rosalie just nodded.
"Maybe you should have lunch with us…the Gryffindors", he said. He helped her up and they made their way to the Great Hall.
That Saturday was the first quidditch game against Gryffindor.
"Rosalie, are you going to the game?" Blaise asked her.
She shook her head.
"Come on. I know you're angry at Draco, but I'm sure it would mean the world to him if you went", Blaise told her.
"I really don't feel like it, Blaise", she told him.
"Okay", he said, "I hope you feel better".
Rosalie was left alone in the common room with her thoughts.
When Draco returned, he was covered in bruises.
"Draco?" Rosalie asked worriedly, "What the bloody hell happened to you?"
"I fell off my broom. Father is disappointed", he said.
Rosalie wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"We would've won if it wasn't for the bludger", Draco told her.
"Bludger?" she asked him.
"Some bludger was following Potter while we were chasing the snitch and I lost control of my broom", Draco said.
"Well, there's always the next one", Rosalie told him.
"But on the plus side, Lockhart vanished Potter's bones in his arm", Draco said.
"Vanished his bones? That's horrible!" Rosalie said.
"Why do you care about Potter?" Draco asked her.
"I don't!" Rosalie said, "I've just heard regrowing bones is painful".
Draco and Rosalie were still walking on thin ice around each other when Snape and Lockhart started the dueling club.
"Gather round. Gather round. Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works", Lockhart said. He pulled off his cloak and threw it into the crowd.
Alicia Spinnet from Gryffindor caught it and the girls around her gasped.
Rosalie rolled her eyes.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape", Lockhart said.
Rosalie's heart sped up.
Draco slipped his arms around Rosalie's waist, in an effort to calm her.
"He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration", Lockhart said.
"Relax Rose. He'll be fine", Draco told her.
"I don't any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear", Lockhart said.
The two drew their wands and walked towards each other.
They bowed to each other and walked towards their respective ends of the stage.
"One. Two. Three!" Lockhart said.
"Expelliarmus!" Snape said and Lockhart went flying.
Rosalie laughed.
"See, Rose?" Draco said.
"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do", Lockhart said, "If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy".
"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor", Snape said.
"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart asked.
"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my house? Malfoy, perhaps?" Snape said.
Rosalie's heart stopped. She clutched onto Draco.
"I'll be fine", he told her and climbed up on the stage.
"I suggest you try to impress her", Severus said quietly to his godson.
Draco and Harry walked up to each other, bowed, and then returned to their ends of the table.
"I've got a bad feeling about this", Rosalie said.
"On the count of thee, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One. Two", Lockhart said.
"Everte Statum!" Draco yelled.
Harry flipped backward into the air and then landed by Lockhart's feet.
Rosalie and Pansy clapped quietly as Draco smirked.
Harry got back up and yelled, "Rictusempra!"
Draco was blasted backward and landed at Snape's feet. Draco looked up at his godfather.
Snape grabbed Draco by his collar and pulled him up.
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart reminded them.
"Serpensortia!" Draco yelled and a snake flew out of his wand.
The snake slithered up to Harry.
Draco looked up at his godfather, waiting to be praised, but Snape brushed past him.
"Don't move, Potter. I'll get of it for you", Snape told him.
"Allow me, Professor Snape", Lockhart said.
"Alarte Ascendare!"
The snake flew up into the air and landed back on the stage.
Harry walked towards it and started speaking Parseltongue.
Everyone, including Snape himself, was shocked.
"Vipera Evanesca", Snape chanted and the snake burned up.
Everyone made their way back to their common rooms.
"So Potter's a Parselmouth?" Draco said, "Now everyone is going to think he's the Heir of Slytherin!"
"Who knows, maybe he'll get expelled!" Pansy said.
While the two laughed, Rosalie couldn't help but think that something didn't feel right.