It was somewhere around noon when I decided that it was time for me to pay a visit to professor Dumbledore and tell him about my encounter with Moaning Myrtle that had happened two days ago. I arrived really quickly considering the fact that Slytherin common room and Dumbledore's office are on opposite sides of the castle. I rarely go there because the office is located on seventh floor, and am a lazy person.
"Sherbet lemon!" I said to golden gargoyle that guarded the staircase that led to the office. I was one of the few people that knew the password, aside for me only professor McGonagall, Hagrid and my dad knew it so this made me feel somehow special.
My hand was just few millimeters away form the door ready to knock on it when old but joyful voice sipped form the office calling me to come in.
"Good afternoon professor!" I said making my way inside. Dumbledore was standing somewhere in the middle of the staircase holding a book in his hands and on his shoulder stood Fawkes in his tiny form. He probably had his burning day a week or two ago since his beautiful red and gold feathers had started showing up.
" Christine what brings you to my office?" Dumbledore said closing the book.
"I have few information I would like to share with you." I said not taking my eyes from the phoenix. "And I see that Fawkes had his burning day."
"Ah yes." Dumbledore took the bird in his hand and handed it to me. "Harry was here when it happened." He smiled softly but I wasn't pleased with the fact that Potter was able to se it but I wasn't.
"Sorry that I misted your burning day buddy! I wish I could have seen it!" I gently stroked the bird's head with my finger making sure not to hurt his new baby feathers. And in return I received very silent 'It is okay' and a small nuzzle on my palm.
"Would you care to join me for a cup of tea?" Dumbledore asked breaking the contact I had with Fawkes.
"Oh, I don't whish to take too much of your time! I just came to tell you about few things that happened last week." I stretched my arms to return the bird to his owner, but Dumbledore refused to take him. Instead he turned around and went on the upper level of the office.
I quietly followed him curious to see where he was going. Upper level of the office was much smaller compered to the rest, but it was much more cozy. In the middle of the wall was big window that faced the entrance door and all around it were roof high shelves full of books. In the middle of the room stood gigantic globe, and on the right side space for sitting with small coffee table.
Dumbledore motioned me to sit down and I obeyed without question.
"There is no such thing as wasting time when it comes to tea. And besides I was already planning on having one!" He said handing me my cup and making his way in front of me. "Now tell me what has been bothering you!"
~Three days ago~
I was walking along the corridor where the first attack happened trying figure out what exactly happened that night. After Potter's and Weasley's little visit to our common room I was certain that the great trio was once again trying to play heroes, so I decided to try and find the truth myself because I'm not gonna let them find hidden chamber in the castle that I know as back of my palm. I know every little hidden passage and room so I'm positive that I will succeed, and besides this was mater of pride.
When I arrived I realized that the floor was somehow soaked as if there was large amount of water but now it's almost gone, and the writing on the wall was still there and I have no idea why professors hadn't clean it up. The only way for water to be here was from girls bathroom. To be precise bathroom where Moaning Myrtle was. I decided to go inside and ask her if she knows something.
I slowly entered the bathroom. The floor was wet and I could see traces of glass polyjuice potion in the sink. They were careless thinking that no one comes here.
"Myrtle are you here?" I asked but nothing but soft and quiet sobs could be heard.
"Myrtle?" I followed the sound all the way to the last cabin.
"What happened?" In the cabin was Myrtle who was sitting on the toilet crying.
"I saw it again!" She said between sobs, and I placed my hands on her knees. My hands hovered where her knees were supposed to be, since you can't touch a ghost.
"What did you saw?"
"Those yellow eyes I saw the night I died!" I stood there looking blankly at her.
"Christine I was so scared! I..I died once and I don't want to disappear!" Her cries were painful to listen, she was clearly shaken.
"I know...I know. I will make sure to find who was responsible, but you need to tell me what you remember of that day. I know that it is a painful memory but..."
"You are my only friend who is willing to spend time with me so don't worry, I will help you as much as I can!" She cut me of and flew to the ceiling.
"Aside from those eyes and giant teeth I didn't see anything else!" my face fell this wasn't of any help it could be anything "But I remember hearing the sound of crawling, then and even now!" She finished enthusiastically. "Is that of any help."
"The only thing I can say it's the fact that it is some kind of animal that crawl, has yellow eyes and it kills people!" I leaned on one of the sinks that looked clean. "But one thing I don't understand. How come that you died but all this kids were just petrified?"
Myrtle just shrugged not knowing the answer.
After summing out our theories we didn't come up with any normal or logical answer and after an hour or so we give up on this and we just talked about normal teenage things. I realized that her and me would get along really good if I lived when she was alive. It's such a shame that she had to die so young she is really amazing when you get to know her.
Later that day I went to Hagrid to ask if he knows something since there is no better expert on magical creatures than him. But to my surprise when I arrived Hagrid wasn't alone. In front of his house were some people. I hid behind one of the bushes as close as I could. I could see Dumbledore and one man unknown to me, talking to Hagrid.
"Hagrid this has gone too far, tow muggle-born students are petrified and if this continues we will have no other choice than to take you away!" Unknown man said.
I wasn't able to hear the conversation before I made my plaice in the bush but this was enough for me to grasp the situation.
"Not the Azkaban! I didn't do it, I could never!" Hagrid pleaded.
"Hagrid you always had that weird kind of connection with monsters, and don't make me repeat what happened fifty years ago. A student died Hagrid!" The man was now whisper shouting and I couldn't take it anymore. They were accusing Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets and releasing the monster. I jumped out from my hiding place and run towards Hagrid. I stood in between Hagrid and a unknown man and shouted.
"Don't you dare take him away! He didn't do anything wrong!" Only after my shouting I had realized that there was one more person here, and that person was no other then Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father.
"Oh Miss. Moore, fancy seeing you here!" Lucius said with disgusting smile on his face. He offered me his hand and I unwillingly shook it.
"Fancy seeing you too sir!" I fought the urge to clean my hand on my robe.
"And who might you be Miss?" I almost forgot why was I here in the first place.
"I'm Esther Moore sir!" I put my most noble smile I could manage.
"Cornelius Fudge! Nice to meet you." He said shaking my hand. Upon hearing his name I instantly recognized who this men was. ' Minister for Magic?! Merlin beard I just shouted at the Minister!' I was practically screaming in my head. This was exactly type of person my father warned me about. Why am I not calm and collected as he is?
"So Miss Moore, care to explain why are you outside of the castle so close to the curfew?" Dumbledore spoke up in his usual calm voice, and I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Sir, I apologize but I had some important question for Hagrid. He was helping me with some task for Herbology since we all know how bad I'm in it. And that is the time I saw you accusing an innocent man for the things he would never do!" I said slightly bowing my had to show them that I still respect them. 'At least I'm skillful liar.'
"Innocent man?" Fudge looked at me clearly disagreeing with my statement. "Miss I must say that you can not come up with such rush decisions just because you believe someone, because even the person you believe the most in, can end up deceiving you!"
"Cornelius, I must say but I'm very found of this girl. Why not we listen to her and test her theory?" Lucius said placing hand on Fudge's shoulder. I couldn't believe my ears did Lucius Malfoy just helped my out?
Fudge wasn't exactly up for the idea but he agreed. "So Miss More, if your theory is right you and Hagrid have my sincere apology!" He raised his hand " But if more incidents happen or we find more clues that Hagrid here is the cause for all this mess then you young lady will be going to the same place as him!" 'Did he said that he will send me to Azkaban?! I know that Hagrid is innocent but I can't do anything if something happen again!' I was scared but at the same time I was not. Really weird feeling.
"Cornelius! You can't be serious?! She is just a child!" Dumbledore almost shouted causing me to jump. I had never heard Dumbledore shouting.
"I'm sorry Albus but if she is ready to defend the suspect than she need to be ready to face consequences!" Fudge said but I couldn't hear half of it. My mind was somewhere else. I was already thinking of my next step. 'I need to tell Hermione she will be able to help me. I'm sure!' I thought when Hagrid spoke up.
"No! I will go! Just don't take her there!" He tried to walk past me but I put my hands on his belly. "No, Hagrid! I know that you weren't the one who done those awful things. You love kids as much as you love your animals and no one can tell otherwise. So believe in me as much as I believe in you!" I said hugging him tightly, and he responded with lifting me up and small "Thank you!" emerged from his mouth.
"Now that this was settled I would like to have a word with you while we walk back to the castle!" Fudge said and started walking away. "And Albus I hope that I will hear a report from you soon?"
After saying my goodbyes to Dumbledore and Hagrid I hurried to catch up with Fudge and Lucius.
"You are one interesting girl." He half turned to look at me. He was walking rather funny. On one side you could se Lucius who was walking gracefully, with neatly done blond hair and his head high, and on the other side there was Fudge, an old man slightly bent with hands behind his back and no matter how expensive his suit was he just looked cheap and unkempt standing next to Lucius. "Tell me what year are you now?"
"Second sir."
"I see you are the same age as Lucius boy. Great. Great." It felt like he was talking with himself but I tried to follow. "I believe that you are in Slytherin." He looked at me smiling.
"Yes, but how did you know!" I wasn't in my uniform since it was Saturday and there were no classes today.
"Great house isn't it?" I just nodded. "I could sense your ambition and cunningness."
We had some small talk all the way towards the entrance and even after that I still didn't liked the guy. He tried way to hard to ask me some personal stuff that it felt as if he was interrogating me. And maybe he actually was.
"Thank you for escorting me to the castle!" I said trying to go away from them as quickly as possible.
"It was our pleasure!" Fudge said.
"Miss Moore I hope to see you more with Draco. I feel like you two will get along really well!" Lucius spoke for the first time since the three of us were alone.
"I sure will. He is a great friend of mine!" I smiled as sweetly as I could. After all I was my father's daughter I need to maintaining my image of a sweet and innocent child so that I could always play that card when I'm in trouble.
The two of them said theirs goodbyes and Apparate into the night.
~Back to present~
I have told Dumbledore everything from how Potter and Weasley were in Slytherin common room to what Moaning Myrtle had told me and he just nodded throughout the whole conversation, at some point I wasn't even sure if he was listening.
"That would be it!" I said finally finishing.
"I see. Christine thank you for all the information it will be of great help. But I must say, you really need to stop getting yourself in trouble" He put his hand on my shoulder. "Your father cares a lot about you and believe when I say that he needs you as much as you need him. So keep yourself safe and let us deal with this mess." He smiled softly finishing his last sip of his milk tea.
After finishing our teas I said my thanks for the great time I spent with him. I returned now asleep Fawkes to Dumbledore and as if he didn't say anything about staying safe I disposed that sentence out of my head and made my way towards library hoping that I will find Hermione buried in books as always.
Immediately after separating from Dumbledore I went to library to look for Hermione. And I was right she was at our favorite place surrounded by piles of books. She was reading an gigantic book under the green light that shined from the lamp on the desk.
"Can I join you?" I whispered making sure not to bother people around us.
"Esther?!" He immediately slammed the book shut. "Yea, of course you can!" She smiled but I could see that she was nervous from miles away.
"What are you looking for?" I asked taking one of the books from the table.
"I... uh...I'm looking for..ee!" She was definitely trying to hide something from me.
"You know that there is no need to lie to me." I looked her dead in the eye.
"What are you talking about? Why would I lie you?!" She faked being confused.
"I know about the polyjuice potion!" I lifted my eyebrows, and I enjoyed looking at her face that changed color in just few seconds.
"I...I.. How did you find out?!"
"Remember we are at Hogwarts, even the walls have ears!" I laughed it of "And word of advice. Never let those two dimwits to do anything important alone!" My smile spread all the way to the ears.
She had that giant smile on her face that quickly changed into sad expression "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you." She took my hands in hers. "But Harry and Ron wouldn't let me. They believed that you or Draco were Heir of Slytherin!"
"Don't worry. I know so it is okay!" I can't say that I wasn't hurt but I get her point. "So what are we looking for?"
Hermione and I spent almost whole month looking for clues. The two of us practically started living in the library. Every time we didn't had classes we were in the library. We slept and even ate there. From time to time Draco would pay us a visit bringing me something to eat and I would share that with Hermione.
It was already beginning of May and as always we were in the library. Today we decided to sneak out from our dormitories after the curfew so we could sum up the things we found out so far in peace.
"As far as we know this monster has yellow eyes, crawls, it's fairly large in size and it is able to kill and petrify its prey." I started listing all the things we got.
"Don't forget that it is probably moving through the pipes since that way it can hide himself." Hermione added.
" Yes that too! Okay so first thing that we could think of was the snake, since the serpent represents Slytherin. But we crossed that out since no one was bitten so there were no way that snake was involved!" I said scratching the snake out.
"Yes but there is that thing that Harry constantly complained about. He said that he could hear voices coming out from the wall and we now know that you and him are both able to speak Parseltongue." Hermione suddenly changed her tone. "Hey have you ever heard some strange noises?"
"Actually yes but I never really paid attention to them since I'm used to hearing all kind of voices. This is Hogwarts and I understand animals so!" I shrugged.
"We already found out that this creature isn't Gorgon since he turn people to stone, so lets say that it is some kind of snake but that doesn't explain how he sometimes kill and sometimes don't!"
I nodded, we were missing something really important and I could feel that it was right in front of our noses. "As I remember Myrtle told me that the only thing she saw before she was killed were big yellow eyes so what do you think is there any monster that kills with its eyes?"
"I'm not sure. I have this one that matches the description perfectly but it doesn't explain the petrification part." She pulled one medium sized book with red covers, and quickly run through the pages. "Here!" She handed me the book so I could see.
"With the many fearsome beasts that roam our land non is more deadly than the basilisk, capable of living for hundreds of years instant death awaits for any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it.." I suddenly stopped.
"Hermione this could be it!" I looked hopefully at her.
"That is what I thought too!" She jumped from excitement. "We are missing something!"
I shook my head and dropped it into my palms, trying to think of what all the victims had in common. I accidentally looked at my cup of tea and saw my reflection in it, and then it hit me. "Hermione do you thing that maybe by not looking directly at basilisk eyes it's power to kill could be reduced?" I was thinking about how the victims were found.
"Probably yes!"
"So what if it is true. Miss Norris was surrounded by water, and Colin was found with his camera on his face!"
"And that boy from Hufflepuff probably saw basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick!" Hermione finished and it all came together. So in the end it was basilisk who was responsible for everything.
We jumped from happiness. "But this doesn't clears Hagrid's name! We need to tell someone quickly!" I said a little bit too loud. And soon after we heard some movement in the library. Filch has probably heard us.
In hurry I tear the page with information about basilisk. "Hey you are not allowed to do that!" Hermione whispered grabbing my hand.
"I will fix it later. Here you keep it!" I showed the paper into her hand. "Now we must run!" And so we did.
We hid behind one bookshelf waiting for Filch to go away, but the library was completely silent. While I was looking through the gapes in between the books trying to make out what was happening in almost completely dark room, Hermione started searching through her purse that I noticed only now. She pulled out small hand mirror and looked at it.
"What are you going to do with that?" There was only one light on and that was table lamp on our desk so I didn't quite understand what she was truing too see, all until she made a sigh for me to keep quiet. Only then I could hear slight rustling. Filch wasn't the one that entered the library, it was basilisk.
As soon as I realized that the monster was here I froze. Hermione quickly pulled me by my arm so I would stay close to her. We were facing the wall clearly terrified to the point I could feel our legs shaking. The sounds of crawling were getting closer and closer and now even the voices started.
"Kill.. Kill.. Let me kill!" Low husky voice seamed as if it was coming from all sides surrounding us completely.
"It's here." I whispered my voice shaking badly. I hugged Hermione tightly waiting for basilisk ether to go away or to show in our mirror. And unfortunately giant toothy grin and big yellow eyes appeared and suddenly everything went black.
Loud noises waked me up, but when my vision cleared I realized the only thing I was able to see was white ceiling. I tried to move but in vain, I couldn't move a muscle. I started panicking. 'What is happening, why I can't move?!' My mind was racing and my breathing was quicker but I somehow was lost of breath, and I felt like I was suffocating.
I felt like I was loosing consciousness because of my panic attack, when I heard a familiar voices.
"What do you mean she was petrified?!" I would recognize that cold and bitter voice anywhere, it was Draco. "Whose fault was this?!" He was now practically shouting.
"Calm down Mr. Malfoy." Old and husky voice said. That voice probably belonged to Dumbledore. " I was nobodies fault, they just happened to be there."
"With who was she with?" Draco said bitterly.
"Mr. Malfoy.." Dumbledore tried to calm him down.
"Christine is a pureblood witch and monster from chamber does not attack purebloods! So with who she was?!"
"Miss Granger!" New voice appeared.
'Dad!' My dad has come. I wanted to jump out of the bed to hug him but I couldn't.
~Draco's POV~
"Miss Granger!" A voice from behind said.
"Professor Snape?!" My breath stopped in my throat. I didn't notice when he entered the room.
"I believe I told you not to make mistake when it comes to my daughter. What would you do if someone have heard you?" Snape said angrily.
"I apologize. I was angry." I bowed my head a little. "Professor no one is telling me anything."
"She was with Miss Granger here." He ignored my explanation and continued to talk. "She has also been petrified."
"That filthy little mud-blood!" Words bitterly ran through my mouth. "It was someone's fault after all!"
"Watch it Malfoy!" Voice I despise the most appeared behind me. All three of us turned to look at the person who just entered the Hospital Wing. "Potter?!" I said bitterly 'Do this people know how to knock?' I mean seriously someone would get a hart attack from all this jumping from the back.
"Mr. Potter I would advice you to keep your comments for yourself." Snape said making Potter to shut up and I just smirked.
At some point Potter, Weasley along with Dumbledore went to be by Granger's side and I was left with very angry Snape.
We were just sitting in silence by Christine's bed for more than thirty minutes. In the back Potter's disgusting voice could be heard and it was so irritating but I couldn't leave.
After few more minutes of unbearable silence Snape suddenly exhaled loudly, slightly lifting his head that until now was resting in his palms. "I would like to ask you for a favor." He wasn't looking at me, he was examining Christine's face that was frozen with scared expression on her face. I can't even imagine how she must have felt, facing that monster that could have easily killed her.
"Could you stay with her and keep her company when I'm not around?" He looked at me for a second, then he shifted his gaze towards her again. "I won't be able to visit her as much as I would want to, since it will rise suspicion!"
"I will!" I was already planning on visiting her every day but at this moment that was the only thing I could say to the man that was clearly hurting from the inside. 'Must be nice having a father that loved you that much' I instantly remembered my father who would constantly look at me with disappointment in his eyes. Even when I had fallen of my broom when I first started learning how to ride it. I was only five and when I fallen I broke my arm, but he didn't care. 'Disappointment, useless, stupid!' Those words constantly repeated in my head as infinite loop.
When Dumbledore stood up to go along with him Snape also left, his eyes never leaving his daughter face. That face stuck in a scream would hunt his dreams for many nights. Mine too.
~Christine's POV~
Many days had past after I was put in the Hospital Wing, but I wasn't alone all the time. My dad had come as often as he could. He was being careful, I know, but I still missed him. He would come and tell me how his day was, he tried to tell me what they were doing in the classes but he would always be stopped by people entering to visit other patients. Madam Pomfrey would check on me frequently but she never talked. She believed that I was sleeping, but I wasn't. Why? That I do not know. The one who made my time, being trapped in my own body, bearable was Draco. He came every day.
At the beginning he would just talk about his day, what he was doing and so, sometimes he would bring Blaze with him and they will keep me company by playing card games or chess. They would put the board on the stool beside the bed and for hours I would hear just loud tapping and smashing of magic chess pieces. But recently Draco would come alone and he would read me stories for hours. Every time he would bring me a different book. His voice was pleasant to listen to when he wasn't being sarcastic.
But today was the third day in a row that he didn't come, and I was bored to death. When he was there at least I was able to forget that I was immobile. The third day passed without anyone visiting me. I was trying to fall asleep for who knows which time, and finally after so many failed tries when my mind started to shut down, I had started hearing slight hushing sound. At first I thought that I was hearing things and that after almost a month my mind started playing tricks on me. But in mater of few minutes the sounds got louder and it reminded me of snake's crawling, but much louder.
I realized that weirdly enough I wasn't crazy when I felt the weight of something on me. Large black figure appeared in my line of sigh and I immediately knew what it was.
'Basilisk!' In my mind I was screaming but no sound could be heard from me. I felt like all my body was tense and on fire, my own mind was ripping in pieces trying to make me move. But nothing happened. I was frozen like a puppet looking at a creature that was the reason for my current state and it will probably be the reason of my death.
Basilisk looked at me his yellow eyes shinning in the dark room. As a reflex I had tried to close my eyes, but I couldn't do it, instead I was looking directly at his eyes, it felt as if his eyes pierced deep into my soul. But it didn't kill me. My inside screams stopped and I was now studding the creature before me. It felt like eternity pasted but then it suddenly spoke.
"I'm ssss... sorry!" Rusty voice followed by hissing filed the room. "Master..rrr, I had made a grave missstake!"
'I'm definitely going crazy!' The fact that basilisk was talking wasn't much of a surprise but the things he was saying were unimaginable.
"I have never meant sss to hurt my masssster but the other one made mee!" Basilisk said lowering his giant head closer to mine. "Now I mussst go, he isss calling again!" He then proceed to press his head on my face. I expected it to hurt but he was surprisingly gentle. He then turned to leave and just before his upper body left mine I heard soft 'Forgive me!' and then silence.
I was once again alone with my thoughts, only now I was thinking of everything that has happened in those last few minutes. I ended up coming to the conclusion that basilisk wasn't that bad but he was being controlled by someone. Which in this case was heir of Slytherin. But something wasn't adding up. Why did he called me 'master', was it maybe because I could understand him or maybe it was because I was from Slytherin.
I was piking my brain looking for answer for more then half an hour when suddenly my head started to hurt. I ignore it thinking that it was due to all the stuff that has happened and the lack of sleep. But that pain quickly spread to my eyes, and my vision blurred. My eyes were burning so bad that it felt like someone just ripped them out. Seconds later sharp pain sped across my leg, then my lower abdomen and now my whole body was hurting. I couldn't see, my ears were ringing but I still looked like nothing was happening. Ringing in my ears become screams who weren't mine but as soon as that happened I could feel something inside me dying and it felt like I was dying with it too. My screams combined with screams of dying basilisk and unknowingly my own screams erupted from my body alarming Madam Pomfrey. But in mater of seconds everything stopped.
Complete silence. I, still petrified, lied there in bed slowly loosing consciousness and with tears soaking my face. But the tears weren't clear, they were red and my eyes, no longer blue, but dull grey.