Edit: 8/12/18

Chapter 8: Winter, Polyjuice and Kidnappings

Winter hit Hogwarts and with it came Christmas. But this time around it was different from the traditional and Angel could not help but be disappointed. It seemed that her parents had decided to spend a luxurious Christmas in Paris - alone. This meant that she and her brother would spend her birthday, and Christmas at Hogwarts. She frowned at the thought.

And with that came winter which gifted them with the unbearable cold; no one was immune to it. Currently Angel was wearing her cloak and her uniform under, with a deep green and silver scarf. While it didn't seem like many layers, with three heating charms, it was all she needed.

"Oh don't be glum will you, you'll get wrinkles" Pansy teased.

Pansy walked along her best friend. She was matching Angel as her raven-hair was tied in a tight bun. Angel looked at her and rolled her eyes at her comment. Pansy was so different than her but she did love her to bits.

"Shut up you loon" was her only response.

"I take that personally," a voice said.

They turned to see Luna Lovegood with a dreamy smile placed on her face. She was also wearing the same clothes, but she wore her Ravenclaw scarf and a big pink cotton clip on her hair. Angel hated to admit it, but Luna was in fact someone interesting to talk to. She had read the Quibbler, and while it was absolutely horrendous, it made her smile.

"Hello Luna" she said politely.

"Hello Angel, hello Pansy" she said wistfully.

Pansy blinked.

"I'll see you later Angel…nice seeing you Lovegood" she uttered slightly uncomfortable.

She waved and her hips swished as she walked away. Pansy figured it was best to get away before Lovegood got all weird. In turn Angel found it quite nice to hang around with the Ravenclaw. Because despite their differences, the blonde was quite insightful..somewhat. So as Pansy left, Angel signaled Luna to follow and the girls walked at a steady pace.

"So, I heard what happened" Luna began "You are lucky,"

Angel looked at her confused. What was she talking about? How could she be lucky after passing out from a snake?

"How so?"

"Well you were protected by the Dinglhoppers" Luna said showing her the new issue of the Quibbler. Angel cracked a smile slightly.

"Go one Luna I'm listening" She said in a tone that was clearly faking enthusiam. But Luna didn't seem to notice or care.

It was surreal that they had become friends, but seeing as they did share the same classes and they were potion class partners, conversation was bound to happen. Their differences worked for them, Angel was as blunt when she wanted to be, and Luna was the one that never took it to heart.

"Dinglehoppers are magical lake fairies that cling one ones head. It protects people of bad omens and auras"

Angel smiled fondly at Luna she couldn't help it. As they reached the black lake they sat down, the chilly ground was ignored with a simple heating charm. The view was beautiful and it had soon become their spot to look out to the lake.

"So, will it protect me from everything?" Angel asked with curiosity.

Luna's eyes turned a brighter blue and she looked straight at the Black Lake. She stayed quiet after a while and Angel was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She looked at Luna and as she parted her lips to say something, Luna began to speak.

"Sometimes the purest things can't protect people from the darkest of destinies."

Angel looked at Luna and had to admit she was frightened by the comment. She cleared her throat and managed to utter a few words.

"Luna are you alright?'' she asked.

Luna nodded blinking a few times as if she caught the oddness of her tone too before she smiled. Back to normal it seemed.

"Let's go to the loo?"

"Sure, Luna, the heating charm isn't all that successful" Angel admitted.

They got up and walked back towards Hogwarts grounds. Angel was oblivious as Luna's eyes were concentrating on her satchel. Luna felt something, something that she couldn't explain, but that didn't feel right. Something was off in Angel's aura, and she knew it was something she held very close.

"Luna?" Angel asked confused.

"Let's go" Luna said rushing her.

As they entered the loo, Angel decided to enter the stalls. The other girl was acting too odd for her taste. Luna waited and hummed a song that the bloofers taught her. Her eyes led her to the satchel once more and she couldn't help it. She bent down and searched Angel's bag. As she found was she was looking for, she smiled wistfully and took out the diary.

"By Merlin" she whispered.

She didn't like the aura of it and she threw it in her own colorful satchel and closed it shut trying to ignore the badness of it. She knew she would throw it in the place where no one would find it. Angel slipped out a few seconds after and washed her hands.

"Come on Luna, we should start on our Potions assignment" Angel said.

As they walked off, Luna knew she had saved her friend. She knew that Angel still called her loony to her Slytherin friends, but she stuck it out, knowing that eventually she would be needed. She smiled and hummed, trying to teach the reluctant Angel the song.

"Fine Luna you win" she relented, "how does the bloofers song go?"

Luna clapped her hands.

"There once was a bloofer named Charles…"

…

Later in the Day…

Luna looked around in the empty restroom and threw the item in a random stall. She wiped her hands and skipped away knowing she did a favor to Angel. As far as she knew, she was regaining color in her cheeks and she looked more comfortable with herself.

But as she skipped away, she failed to hear the whimpers that soon turned into a full-blown tantrum. Sadly it would not be the end of the book, but only it's beginning. It would become the cancer of Hogwarts.

…

Two weeks later…

Harry and Ron were ready. Despite the mistake that Hermione made, they decided to go forward with their plan and go to the Slytherin Common Room. The only issue was that they were very uncomfortable with their appearance.

"Bloody Hell" Ron continued to mutter as they reached the Slytherin Common room.

"We still sound like each other" Harry said "Let's try sounding like them"

"Bloody Hell" Ron repeated in a lower tone.

"Excellent" Harry smiled.

Feeding the goons cupcakes wasn't hard at all. In fact it was too easy. The problem was finding the Slytherin Common room. As they were trapped in the corridor, they were asked their names and they were confused as to who was who.

"Crabbe! Goyle!" they heard.

They turned to see an annoyed Draco coming their way. Behind him were lighter steps signaling his sister following behind him.

"Pigging out all this time?" Draco asked.

Angel looked at Goyle and tilted her head. Harry forced himself not to flush at her staring; it made him very uncomfortable and nervous.

"Greg?" she asked, "Why are you wearing glasses?"

"Um, um reading?" he said.

Angel covered her mouth and giggled. It definitely sounded odd.

"Reading?" Angel repeated sounding amused.

"I didn't know you could read" Draco said confused.

Angel smothered her laughter at his comment. It was true Gregory wasn't the brightest student. Draco shrugged and turned to face Percy. Seemed that they weren't as alone as they thought.

"And what are you doing here Weasley?" He asked arrogantly.

"Mind your attitude Malfoy" Percy hissed.

Draco pushed through him and began to walk. Ron immediately followed trying not to trip, while Angel tugged Harry behind.

"What?" he asked.

"You always carry by books Greg." she reminded him annoyed.

He winced at the feeling of carrying so many books; it was as if he was with Hermione. He walked behind her watching her walk confidently in front of him. Turning to face him she looked a bit embarrassed.

"I forgot. Greg…thanks for my present," she said smiling. "I liked those dyed quills"

Harry nodded nervously and was confused by her attitude. How was it that she was so cruel to him when Goyle was treated nicely? He felt frustrated at the realization that is until he heard the rest of her statement.

"You do need to stop trying though. Greg I only like you as a friend" she said and patted Harry's

hand.

He nodded confused and then it hit him, he felt some type of tug at how she was kinder to the blundering idiot than to him. She walked ahead to catch up to Draco leaving Harry in his thoughts. They finally reached the Slytherin Common Room, and they looked at the foreign surroundings.

Draco plopped himself on the couch taking up most space on the large couch. In turn, Angel curled herself near the edge of the same couch, very much like a cat as she sat on her legs and curled around the warmth. They were in the snake's mouth and they didn't know what to do at all.

"What are you waiting for? Sit" Draco ordered them.

They followed his command and sat down next to each other in the opposing couch. As they relaxed Draco decided to begin the conversation.

"You know, you would never know the Weasleys were pureblood the way they act" Draco began.

Angel cracked a smile.

"They're the embarrassment to the wizarding world" Angel smirked at that. Noticing something odd she asked "What's wrong with you Crabbe?"

Harry nudged Ron immediately.

"Stomachache" he grumbled.

Draco merely lifted his brow and continued to talk.

"You know" Angel continued their conversation "I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't made a report on all these attacks"

Draco nodded.

"I suppose Dumbledore is trying to shush it all up" Draco added. "Father always said

Dumbledore was the worst thing that ever happened to this place"

Harry was getting angry and his cheeks flushed.

"You're wrong!" he bellowed out.

Draco looked at him surprised, as did Angel. She stayed quiet as Draco stood up and stared down at the pair.

"What?" he hissed. "You think there's someone worse than Dumbledore?"

Ron shook his head like crazy denying the comment. Angel looked like she didn't want to be there anymore. She was never comfortable with the way that her brother exerted his power.

"Harry Potter?" Harry replied gulping.

Draco's demeanor didn't change that is until a smirk appeared and he snorted in agreement. Harry noticed that his sister hadn't replied to anything, on the contrary she looked as if the rug very interesting.

"Good one Goyle," Draco began "You're absolutely right. Saint Potter! And people actually think that he's the heir of Slytherin?"

As Harry and Ron stared at one another, Angel's eyes trailed towards Coeur who was doing something very unusual. She was rubbing herself along Goyle's leg; as far as Angel knew, she hated Goyle, but now it was purring against him.

Harry looked down at the feline and begged her with his eyes that she would leave him alone. Being a kneazle she tilted her head and strutted over to climb on Angel's lap, who was now caressing her and staring at Goyle suspiciously.

"Do you know who's behind it?" Harry asked still a little tense.

Draco walked along the common room oblivious to the scene.

"I told you yesterday I didn't, don't you ever listen?" Draco said.

Angel looked at Draco and sighed.

"But father did say that it's been fifty years since the chamber was opened.-" Angel began.

"-He wouldn't tell us who it, but whoever opened it was expelled. And-" Draco interrupted.

"-The last time the chamber of secrets was opened a muggleborn died. So, it's' only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time." Angel finished ignoring Draco's glare.

"I hope its Granger" Draco commented with a smirk.

Angel shook her head \, her brother truly hated that beaver. Ron got up angrily and before he could charge at the pair, Harry stopped him.

"What's wrong with you two?" Draco asked annoyed. "You're acting very odd"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and began to notice the time was running out.

"Scar" Ron whispered pointed at Harry's forehead.

"Hair" Harry whispered, as it turned red.

They began to run out of the common room.

"Where are you guys going?" Angel called out.

"Idiots come back!" Draco yelled.

….

Months Later…

"Tom Riddle's Diary is gone"

Harry, Ron and Hermione were devastated. It seemed that the diary that they had found with Moaning Myrtle had disappeared from Harry's chest. Unbeknownst to them, a feline had taken it.

She began to scurry towards her mistress. It seemed that it was something her mistress needed to properly rest. Her need grew each and every night. The feline had noticed that her mistress was no longer sleeping and instead tossed and turned during the night. She continued to mumble "Tom" repeatedly during her sleep. Her dreams no longer involved the Potter boy, but that Tom thing.

She meowed and purred as her mistress petted her. The only problem was that she had failed to notice the vacant stare that her mistress had. Angel let out a cold smile and petted her cat. Her eyes failed to show the spark of life, all that consumed her was that she had her diary once more.

"Good Coeur" she purred at her feline.

…

One Week later…

It had happened. Hermione was the next to be petrified, and that was a major blow for him. She was found in the restricted section with a mirror and was caught by whatever caused her to be petrified. Harry had held her hand softly and shivered at how cold she felt; his best friend, the brains of the trio was gone.

They had gone to search at Hagrid's hut, only to be led by man-eating spiders. He knew that Ron still had nightmares about it. As he had visited Hermione once more, he had gotten another piece of the puzzle. Hermione held the piece of paper and the basilisk and their ways now made sense.

It seemed that the people petrified had never seen the "yellow eyes" that Myrtle had described. Mrs. Norris had seen the basilisk through the water, Creevey through his camera, Justin through Headless Nick, Nick was already dead so it didn't affect him seeing the basilisk, and Hermione through the mirror. The great snake was not seen because it travelled through the pipes of Hogwarts.

"All teachers to the second floor corridor immediately" was heard through the whole school.

Ron and Harry rushed to the second floor corridor to see who the victim was this time. They hid as they heard footsteps scurrying their way.

"As you can see, the heir of Slytherin has left another message" McGonagall said pointing towards the wall. She placed a shaky hand on her chest and trembled. "Our worst fear has been realized"

Harry and Ron listened on to their conversation.

"Not only was one student petrified, but another was taken by the heir into the chamber itself" she continued in a shaky tone. "The students must be sent home, I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts"

They heard another person heading their direction and turned to face a cheery Lockhart.

"So sorry, dozed off, what have I missed?" he asked.

"A girl has been petrified, and another girl has been snatched. Your moment has come at last" Snape droned.

"M-m-my mo-mo-moment?" Lockhart asked shakily.

"Well, weren't you saying all last night that you knew all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was?" Snape asked curiously.

"Then it's settled" McGonagall interrupted. "We'll leave you to deal with the monster Gilderoy. Your skills after all are legend."

He gulped and then smiled charmingly.

"Very well" he said. "I'll just…I'll just be in my office getting ready"

And he then walked away. Madame Pomfrey then turned to face Professor McGonagall.

"Who is it that the monsters taken Minerva?" she asked.

"That's the question I ask myself," Snape added.

"He has petrified Ginny Weasley, and taken Angel Malfoy," she said with a nervous tone.

Snape looked at her with surprise, but quickly hid it in his emotionless demeanor. It seemed his niece was now at the hands of the monster. As they all dispersed, Harry and Ron walked towards the wall only to read:

"Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever" in blood.

Ron took in a deep breath and was glad that at least his sister was just petrified. Harry on the other hand was crushed.

"Malfoy" he whispered to himself.