Harry could barely breathe as he stood there in the hallway with the entire school body surrounding him.

"I..." he struggled as his Head of House approached him from the group, the man's eyes flicking between the words written in blood on the wall and then to Harry. "I didn't do it, sir."

"He's at the scene of the crime!" Ronald shouted from where he stood next to Hermione and his sister. "Of course, he did it!"

"Quiet, Weasley!" Snape snapped and then turned towards an approaching Dumbledore.

"Everyone return to their dormitories at once," Dumbledore ordered and no one argued as they shuffled away from the scene.

Snape's cloak billowed as he spun back around to face Harry.

"Where were you during the Halloween feast, Mister Potter?" he demanded.

"I...I was..." Harry struggled over answering.

"He was killing me cat, that's what!" Filch snapped, pointing at Harry. "I'll kill him! I will!"

"Argus," Dumbledore spoke in a calm voice, but it was enough to silence the man.

"I was at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party," Harry blurted. "He invited me, so I thought I'd go for a short bit and then make it back for the feast. It took longer than I thought it would to leave, but you can ask him! You can ask all the ghosts! They were all there! I...uh...I think they were all there."

Snape nodded slowly. "I believe you, Mister Potter."

"But?"

"But you are still here at the scene of the crime."

"But it was like this when I got here!" Harry insisted. "I didn't do it, sir!"

"He's killed my cat!" Filch stated. "I want to see some punishment!"

"I'm sure Mister Potter was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time," Snape stepped over towards the cat. "And it appears your cat is not dead, Argus, merely petrified."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief at hearing this.

The teachers discussed a cure for the cat and then Harry was sent on his way to his dorm.

Draco practically jumped him the moment he entered the Common Room.

"How'd you do it, Potter?" Draco asked in awe. "How'd you open the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I...I didn't," Harry told him. "It wasn't me. I don't know who did it."

Draco crossed his arms in annoyance at this news.

"And here I thought you were finally getting useful, Potter."

"Him?" a boy Harry recognized as Theodore Nott commented from where he was sitting on a couch. "Useful? Since when?"

Harry walked over and sat down next to Theodore, who raised a brow at this.

"Do any of you have any ideas who it could be then?"

"Who cares?" Draco asked as he plopped down across from Harry. "They're obviously on our side. I bet they'll start going after Mudbloods next."

Harry glanced across the Common Room to where Higgs and Pucey were sitting, the latter slightly paler than Harry remembered him being.

"Worried for your boyfriend?" Nott asked in a silky voice, reminding Harry of Professor Snape.

"He's a Muggle-born," Harry said as Draco turned to look at the older Slytherins. "Do you think whoever it is will go after him?"

Nott shrugged. "I don't see why not. Besides, you see the way he acts about that Granger girl?"

"She's two years younger than him!" Harry gasped at the implication.

"I know," Nott's eyes narrowed as a smile played onto his lips. "Gross, isn't it?"

Harry stood.

"I'm going to bed."

"Right," Theodore reached for a book. "Night, Potter."

He gave a wave, but said nothing else as he made his way to his room. He paused when he heard that voice again as it slithered across his mind. This time he tried even harder to ignore it.

"Hermione knows something," Harry stated to Adrian as the two walked off of the Quidditch Pitch. "I heard her whispering with that Neville boy. I'm not sure what though. She's not exactly talking to me anymore."

"Knows something about what?" Adrian asked after a pause.

"The Chamber of Secrets."

"Ah," Adrian ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Well, what are you going to do, exactly? You can't talk to her and nothing short of Polyjuice Potion or Veritaserum is going to change that."

Harry didn't comment as that thought revolved through his mind.

It seemed to be the thinking of most of the school that Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin, which the young Slytherin did nothing to stop the rumors. Still, Hermione Granger had been researching and Harry needed to find out exactly what it was she was learning. The entire Chamber of Secrets bothered him if only because he knew Adrian Pucey would be a target.

"Harry," Adrian stopped the boy and faced him, worry on the older Slytherin's face. "Promise me you're not going to go try and solve this like some Gryffindor."

Harry looked down, knowing he couldn't lie well enough yet.

"Harry," Adrian forced the younger Slytherin to look at him again. "Promise you won't."

"I...promise."

It was a lie.

Harry lay in the infirmary while just outside Snape and Madam Pomfrey were having a shouting match against Professor Lockhart. Harry flinched when it sounded like someone had gotten smacked. Then there was silence and Madam Pomfrey returned to her station. Snape eventually returned, looking particularly angry, and stared down at Harry with aggravation.

"I didn't mean for him to heal me, sir!" Harry immediately told the man. "He got there before anyone else! I tried to stop him! I swear!"

Snape held up his hand and Harry fell silent.

"I believe you," Snape stated. "For now, get some rest. You have a long night ahead of you."

Harry nodded and watched his Head of House leave the infirmary. With a great sigh, he tried to relax.

Snape stared down his nose at Harry almost as if the boy had sprouted a second head.

"No," the man finally answered. "Absolutely not."

"But why, sir?" Harry asked as he stared up at the man. "I just need a little of..."

"Because I know exactly what those ingredients would be used for," Snape answered coldly. "And that is strictly forbidden."

"But..." Harry paused and then feigned innocent. "What would they be used for, sir?"

"Don't you dare try that on me!" Snape threw his quill at the boy and Harry had to cover his face to keep from getting his eye poked out. "You are intending to use it for Polyjuice Potion!"

"Please, sir!" Harry insisted. "I just want to try the potion out!"

"And what benefit would you have in using it?" Snape snarled.

"I don't intend to use it," Harry tried lying again. "I just want to see if I could make it!"

"How do you even know about that potion?"

"Professor Lockhart gave me permission to check out Moste Potente Potions from the restricted section, sir, and I found it there."

"The answer is still no."

"But..."

"I said no, Mister Potter!"

Harry gave an exasperated sigh and then blurted, "But I want the potion to hide from Weasley!"

Snape's mouth opened, but then he shut it again.

"Mister Weasley has been causing you problems?"

Harry looked down at the floor. "N-no, sir."

"Don't lie to me."

Harry fought over how to proceed. He wasn't a good liar, but if he twisted the truth it could work out for him.

"He thinks I opened the Chamber of Secrets."

"Because you're a parselmouth?"

Harry cringed as he remembered the dueling club's failure and his use of parseltongue.

"Yes, sir."

Snape took a long moment before speaking again.

"As much as I can...sympathize with you, Mister Potter, such a potion is not...appropriate for your age."

"But..."

"And I as your Head of House could never give you permission to take such ingredients." Snape stood and headed for the door. "As I would have no choice but to prohibit any student I had learned intended to make such a potion."

Snape looked at Harry pointedly.

"I will be retrieving Professor McGonagall to discuss Mister Weasley's actions against you."

He stepped out of the room, only to poke his head back inside the office.

"The boomslang skin is on the second shelf."

Harry grinned as he stood from his seat, Snape now gone.