Chapter 10

"Let me rip you. Let me kill you. Kill, kill, kill."

"What's gotten into you Lestrange?" Draco asked as his features scrunched together in worry and confusion. Reece, Draco and a pile of students were moving through the school aimlessly for film plot reasons. He was near to vacant with a face full of emptiness and Malfoy was slightly fazed.

"Nothing." Reece quickly replied as he was snapped out of the daze. "Could have sworn I heard something, that's all." Unknown to all but one, Reece had indeed heard something. A sadistic, smooth voice that was threatening the life of someone that was possibly nearby. "Hey, look at those sneaky bastards." He pointed to a line of spiders that seemed to be scuttling down the hall in the opposite direction that the group was heading.

"Spiders?" Theodore Nott asked from behind them. "Christ, I hate the blasted things." Crabbe and Goyle giggled blunderingly but soon stopped when Draco gave them a look that told them to be quiet.

"Kill."

"Ah shut the fuck up." Reece uttered under his breath. It was as if he was the only one that was able to hear the whispering. Who was it going to kill? Why was it even talking, and more importantly why could he hear it? Under the tough guy mask – it was creeping him out. The crowd of students had now started walking along a corridor that's floor was covered by a thin layer of water. The three Gryffindors were already standing in front of what looked to be… oh hell no. Was that blood? And a dead cat? Filch's cat? Well at least the bloody thing won't be grassing people up now; props to whoever hung it up. Reece couldn't help but think like this as it was true.

"Enemies of the heir beware?" Draco spoke loudly as if it was the most bizarre thing in the world. "You'll be next mudbloods." He spat while turning his focus to Granger. The two were glaring at each other while Reece just stared up at the wall.

"What's going on 'ere? Go on make way, make way." Filch snarled as he pushed through the crowd of students further down the corridor. "Potter what were you…?" Filch stopped speaking immediately when he noticed his beloved cat strung up by its tail. "Mrs Norris. You've murdered my cat." Harry started shaking his head in denial at the accusation but Filch continued. "I'll kill ya. I'll kill ya."

"Argus. Argus-" Dumbledore froze for a brief second when he saw the writing on the wall. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately." No one dared argue and turned to leave hastily. "Everyone except you three." He pointed at Harry and co. Draco snarled but turned quickly but Reece on the other hand waited a few moments. He moved to his left and put his palm against the wall, attempting to somehow hear the voice once again. McGonagall – who had been ushering students away – glared sternly at him.

"Something you want to say Mister Lestrange?" She asked strictly.

"I don't want to say anything Professor." Reece replied quietly, his attention elsewhere.

"Then what are you still doing here?" Dumbledore questioned as he observed the cat.

"Waiting." He answered quietly. Reece had now moved a few steps back, trying to see if a different part of the wall would work.

"Waiting for what?" McGonagall snapped shrewdly. She would not have a repeat of last year in front of fellow staff members.

"It."

Snape had appeared during McGonagall's lesson (much to her annoyance) and dragged Reece up to Dumbledore's study and left him there without explanation. He knew not to touch anything just in case, so he just stood by the desk waiting for Dumbledore to arrive.

"Ah Mister Lestrange, I'm glad you haven't left." Albus said calmly as he entered his office space. "Take a seat." Reece obliged and sat in a chair that was in front of the desk. Dumbledore reached his chair and slumped down into it, his posture faltering slightly. "What is 'it'?"

"I don't know." He shrugged quickly, avoiding saying something cheeky or rude. "A voice."

"A voice." Dumbledore repeated as his voice wavered a little. "If it is true, and the chamber of secrets has been opened, it is possible you heard the voice of the creature that mythically inhabits the space." Reece just looked at the headmaster, his face full of confusion and doubt. "Perhaps… no." He cut himself of slowly. "Maybe so. Do you know of the Hogwarts founders Reece?"

"Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin?"

"Yes." Dumbledore muttered to himself. This guy was pretty nuts in Reece's opinion. "Please keep what I am about to tell you to yourself," Reece nodded, agreeing the confidentiality. "It is widely known that Salazar was quite set in his ways, only wanting pureblood wizards to attend the school. But those were not the only ways that he was set in. Slytherin had a sibling. An older sister that was almost completely wiped from history."

"And why's that important?" Reece asked rather arrogantly.

"The reason she was removed from the history of wizardry was quite simple. She was in love with a woman. Bear in mind this was over a thousand years ago, so being exiled like this was not out of the ordinary. It is important because everyone knows that he-who-must-not-be-named was a decedent of Salazar Slytherin – an heir if you will. However, only few know of the second Slytherin. Therefore no one ever knew if there was an heir on her side." Dumbledore paused. His eyes were full of conflicted twinkles and darkness. "That is until now. Legend says that a monstrous creature lives in the chamber, awaiting the heir of Slytherin. So I must ask you, have you spoken to it?"

"I don't even know how to speak to bloody creatures." Reece spat in disgust. He was certainly not going to let the blame be pinned on him. "For crying out loud I haven't heard anything like that before. It was only when we were near the cat that I heard it, hissing the word kill and stuff."

"I'm going to presume that you read and absorb knowledge Reece. Tell me if I'm wrong as I'm just going off of your exam results." Reece shook his head as he did enjoy knowing things that others didn't. "Can you guess what the creature is? As you've said it does hiss." Dumbledore seemed to play a lot of games and Lestrange didn't like it at all.

"Unless it's a snake," Reece said without thinking properly. Only when Dumbledore's eyebrow rose did it click. "Shit."

"Mind your language." Albus scolded.

"There's supposed to be a basilisk down there?"

"That is what the legend says." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "And only the heir – who can speak and understand parseltongue – can control it." He stopped abruptly and took a sweet out of the bowl on his desk. "Therefore, I am suggesting that as you can hear a voice, you could possibly be the lost ancestor of the Slytherin family." Reece wasn't overly shocked, he was just doubting the theory. "As I said I don't want this leaving this room. First of all I cannot be one hundred percent certain. And second of all if people thought you petrified Filch's cat I'd have to take action."

"You're saying that only I can control this thing if it's real?" Maybe a bit of power would do him good.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. But I ask you not to try and contact or control this monster. If it is being handled by someone, or something you may only rile it up even more. And if that's the case I can't risk lives having you stay in Hogwarts." Dumbledore said; the doubt in his voice as clear as day.

Reece was in the library searching for two things. One, someone to harass/annoy. And two, a book that had information about basilisks and parseltongue in. He was walking past a row when a certain someone caught his eye. Number one, check. Hermione Granger was reaching for a book and Reece couldn't just leave her be. Potter and the Weasel weren't even anywhere in sight. He stood right behind her, looking over her shoulder at the book she had just picked out.

"Moste Potente Potions?" He muttered observationally. "It isn't even spelt right." Hermione circled round to face him quickly; clearly not liking the fact that she was in a vulnerable position. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak, just as he cut in. "Why'd you need a book like that mudblood?"

"A bit of light reading, for your information." She scowled in reply. Something was keeping her there. Although the horrid Slytherin may have followed her if she went to find Ron and Harry, she replied to him as if it was a preferred option.

"I highly doubt that." Reece laughed in a way that was far from pleasant. "A polyjuice potion no less? Interesting." He drawled smoothly, placing his hands behind his back and leaning over her slightly.

"Just leave me alone." Hermione whispered bossily.

"Quite a difficult potion to make that is." Reece raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, ignoring her previous statement.

"So?" She asked sassily. The book was now held tightly under her arm and Reece couldn't help but chuckle silently.

"Don't just dismiss me 'cause I'm mean Granger. I was second in the exams last year, so that means I'm nearly as good as you. Therefore, I would like to offer my help." The ends of his words were awfully drawn out but he seemed sincere nonetheless. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing for Reece. Yes she was still a mudblood, below him and all that. But now he was interested in the science behind polyjuice potions and what it took to make one.

"You bully people mercilessly and always join in on making fun of people with Malfoy. Why would I even consider saying yes?"

"You'd consider it because two heads are better than one. You can take all the credit if you're so set on being the best. Potter and Weasel don't even need to know that we've spoken about it." This was definitely a strange proposition. Perhaps he'd been spending too much time with Daphne and Blaise instead of hanging around with Draco. Maybe he was going a little soft?

"You can help if you promise not to be mean and call me names." Hermione said after a long, thoughtful silence. Well that was easy. He'd been a bully to her and her friends since the start of Hogwarts. And he was a snake. "I'll tell you if and when I've got hold of the right ingredients to start brewing it."

"Don't worry about the ingredients, I'll get them – prove I'm a reliable partner." Reece said suavely as he leant sideways against the end of the bookshelf beside him. "I'll rob them from Snape's storage before the weeks over. Where do you want them dropping off?"

"Out of order girl's bathroom." Hermione whispered once she had thought of the place.

"Doesn't that stupid Myrtle girl squeal around in there?" Reece asked with a judgemental frown. The ghost was known to be the second most irritating spirit at Hogwarts, as Peeves took first place on the list.

"I've already warned you, I won't let you help me if you're mean." Granger scolded him as if he were a child.

"I wasn't being mean. I was just saying that girls have told me she's fucking annoying." Reece pouted unintentionally as he folded his arms tightly over his chest.

"Stop being horrible and stop swearing or I'll be the one to wash your mouth out with soap." Wow she was getting on his nerves already. "Myrtle's just emotionally fragile. She is dead after all."

"I swear, if I was a ghost I'd be like Peeves. Taking the mick out of people and jumping out at them would be way more fun than wailing in a bathroom all day being sad about the fact that you're dead."