Chapter 9 - CHAMBER AND SECRETS

Daphne POV

"UGH, who does the ferret think he is, sticking his nose around in my business!"

I was livid, every chance to talk to Harry had be blocked. Nevermind me trying to go to Hogsmeade with him, I couldn't even get to know him! Much less talk! I was frustrated. We were heading towards the abandoned girls bathroom where nobody ever goes to as Tracey sensed my incoming explosion.

"Just be patient, it isn't like he is trying to ignore you!" exclaimed Tracey.

We were approaching the bathroom quickly now.

"It's annoying though! Especially when Granger and Weasley keep hauling Harry away, I barely have any chances to talk to him at all and they are blocking me every time! That annoying ferret is also always on my heel as well, UGH".

I slammed open the bathroom door only to find something completely unexpected.

Harry Potter in a girl's bathroom? I have been trying to talk to him all week, and he shows up now? Wait why is he in the girls bathroom?

I was so confused that I barely listened to what Tracey yelled out.

Harry quickly raised his hands up and hurriedly said, "I can explain, I can explain, I swear!"

I then snapped out of my daze and marched over to him.

"Why in Morgana's name are you in a girl's bathroom?! EXPLAIN! NOW!" I yelled. Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "What I tell you guys must stay between us okay? This is important, and I really don't want even more rumors to spread about me".

I narrowed my eyes at him before Tracey and I both reluctantly nodded. Harry's stiffened shoulders then deflated. He sighed and pondered for a moment before pointing at the sink.

"This is the entrance to the chamber of secrets".

What? This bloody sink is...?

Tracey started laughing before she cackled out with laughter.

"Yeah right Potter, was that the best excuse you could come up with? Hahaha".

Tracey continued to cackle as I watched Potter approach the sink. Then a hissing sound escaped his lips.

Parseltongue!

Then all of a sudden the sink expanded, the eight pillars that formed an octagonally shaped sink expanded outwards until a hole appeared in the ground. I took a moment to recover from shock. During this time Harry drew his wand. I was about to draw mine when he lit up his wand with a Lumos and peered down the hole.

I relaxed a bit as I looked over at Tracey. Her eyes were wide, and her jaw seems to have been dislocated as she stood there completely floored at the discovery of the entrance to the chamber of secrets. I looked at Harry, and I saw him about to jump down when I rushed forward and grabbed him.

"Are you an idiot, it's dangerous down there!"

He blushed slightly, then I realized why.

My face was inches from his as I grabbed a fistful of his robes.

I promptly let go, taking a few steps back looking slightly embarrassed. I was trying my best to not blush.

"It is okay, the Basilisk is dead, besides I will be back soon".

I shook my head fervently, "No, Harry I am not leaving you to go down their alone, Tracey can stay here and prevent anyone else from coming in the bathroom, but you will need an extra wand to watch your back down their, what if there is something else down there?"

I smiled inwardly at my quick and brilliant thinking. I finally managed to find a chance to talk to Harry alone and prevent Tracey's shenanigans at the same time.

I looked over and saw Tracey pouting, slightly put out. I returned my focus to Harry who reluctantly nodded.

"Okay...I will go first then, I will wait for you down there…"

He then jumped down into the hole and disappeared. I stood at the edge of the gap and became really nervous all of a sudden.

Maybe going to the chamber and to talk wasn't a good idea.

I was second guessing myself when a shove came from behind and I slipped and fell into the hole. I knew who it was the moment she shoved me.

"TRACCCEEEYYY!"

I screamed as I slid down towards the chamber. I heard distant laughing as I plummeted down towards the bottom. I landed with a crunch. I looked down and saw a bunch of fish bones.

Disgusting! And I thought it would be something amazing down here...

I looked up and saw Harry casting a couple of spells.

They must be detection and monitoring spells! How can he perform them? We don't start learning them until our OWLs year!

I was about to ask him about his magic when he turned around and grinned, he then pointed his wand at me. My heart raced and I fumbled for my wand.

He whispered, "Scourgify".

Instantly I felt cleaner and more refreshed. He then lowered his wand. I stood up slightly angry at him for not giving me any warning.

"Give me some warning next time Harry, I thought you were going to curse me!"

He looked taken aback from my comments, his grin instantly disappearing.

"Sorry Daphne, that was a bit thoughtless of me".

I then walked over a reassuringly put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, I was just flustered and surprised".

We then walked towards a circular door with snakes. While we walked, Harry explained why he was down here. He said that Dumbledore was doing an experiment, and required basilisk venom. I tried to ease in the topic of Hogsmeade, but I never had the chance, as I completely forgot about it after I saw what seemed to be basilisk hide. I gasped when we passed the shredded basilisk skin.

This basilisk must be sixty feat or longer! Merlin's beard, Harry fought this last year?!

He then hissed again and the circular door opened.

"BLOODY HELL!" I screamed.

Inside the chamber, near what seems to be a statue of the Head of Salazar Slytherin was a giant dead basilisk. The skin hasn't rotten away it seems. Harry and I walked towards it. He took out a vial from his robes and with a wave of his wand, a basilisk fang came loose and float towards his vial in mid-air. I then watched Harry again, he wordlessly tilted the venom soaked fang and had the vial filled with venom. After making sure he got all the venom out of the fang he left it on the floor next to the basilisk.

"Well that's it, let's go".

I snapped out of my dazed expression and raised my hand.

"Hold up Harry, have you ever even considered the rest of it, what about the hide?"

Harry turned around and looked at the dead basilisk.

"Harry, the hide of a basilisk is incredibly strong and magic resistant, it would sell for billions of galleons on the market".

He turned to look at me and was shocked momentarily before he turned back around to stare at the basilisk. He then shifted his feet slightly.

"Well I guess I should ask Dumbledore about-"

"It is yours, Harry, by right of conquest, since you slew the basilisk it is yours. Dumbledore doesn't have a say in what you do with it".

I smirked as I watched him stunned, unable to talk. His expression then darkened a bit.

He whispered, "Perhaps another time…"

I was about to ask what he meant when he abruptly called out, "Fawks!"

Then a bird appeared in a ball of fire and rested on Harry's shoulder. It trilled out a melodious sound as Harry petted it.

Merlin's beard, that is a phoenix!

"Fawks, can you please take me and Daphne to the entrance first, then take me to Dumbledore?"

The phoenix trilled again. Harry then grabbed my hand, I blushed slightly at the contact.

His hand was so warm.

Although, before he could notice we were composed in a ball of flame, all of a sudden we stood back in the abandoned girl's bathroom on the second floor.

Harry POV

After arriving in the girl's bathroom, I turned to Daphne to thank her for telling me about the basilisk rights of conquest when I realized I was still holding her hand. I let go of her soft hand and took a few steps back. I held a breath in to try avoid the blush threatening to appear on my face.

"Thanks for accompanying me down there Daphne, I better get going to Dumbledore, I'll…"

She noticed my pause as well and looked at me with concern.

"I'll see you around".

Fawks then burst another set of flames and I was no longer standing face to face with a certain beautiful blond haired Slytherin.