Thoughts: 'Blah. Blah. Blah."
Flashback: Blah. Blah. Blah. ( [END]FLASHBACK before/after them)
Hedwig: "Blah. Blah. Blah."
Parseltongue: {Blah. Blah. Blah.}
Letters/Articles/Writing: Blah. Blah. Blah.
Chapter 7
It is halfway through their last class of the day, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Harry and Draco have finally decided to utilize the journals Lucius Malfoy had gifted to them for Christmas last year. Currently, Professor Lockhart is dodging yet another question about the Chamber of Secrets that was posed by one of the Gryffindor girls. It seems that all of the Professors are attempting to keep the cryptic message that was left above Mrs. Norris under wraps, especially since it's now Halloween and people are supposed to be in high spirits for the upcoming festivities.
Since the entire class has proceeded in a similar manner, and they really don't tend to learn anything in Lockhart's class, either way, Harry and Draco have been corresponding back and forth on various things; quizzing each other on upcoming test material, making fun of Lockhart, and discussing what the cryptic message could mean, for example.
Harry,
I'm really not sure what that message could mean, or what could have done that to Mrs. Norris. But, the fact that you heard a voice right before we stumbled upon it could be important. I would say that you should tell someone, but even in the Wizarding World, hearing voices is a bad sign.
Perhaps we should talk to Snape about the Chamber? He should know something, and he's the staff member who is most likely to tell us what we want to know.
What are the effects of the Disarming Charm?
~Draco
Draco,
The Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) is used to send whatever the opponent is holding, typically a wand, flying out of their grasp. When the charm is particularly powerful, it can even send the opponent flying, sometimes knocking them out. It is commonly used in dueling practices.
I think you may be right. I should talk to Snape. He may be able to provide some insight as to what may have happened.
What is the difference between the Scourge Charm and the Scouring Charm?
~Harry
Harry,
There is not a significant difference between the two in one aspect, however, the Scouring Charm is more versatile when it comes to cleansing. The Scourge Charm is used solely to clean up ectoplasm, while the Scouring Charm can be used to clean a plethora of things. The Scourge Charm can also be used to frighten spirits, such as ghosts or poltergeists.
Would you like me to accompany you when we speak to Snape? When?
~Draco
Draco,
Yes; We should do it later. Maybe in a week or two?
~Harry
Lockhart dismisses the class as soon as Harry is finished answering Draco's question. They both put away their journals, quills, and inkwells before they go to exit the classroom. Before they do, Lockhart calls out to them. Harry and Draco freeze, fearing that they have been caught, however, Lockhart merely says, "You two looked like you were taking rather extensive notes. I'm glad; I do have so many useful things to tell you, after all. And you may be able to sell those notes later." He winks at them and laughs, turning away and sitting at his desk. With a roll of their eyes, they leave, walking down the corridor in the direction of the Slytherin common room.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Harry and Draco are walking to the pitch for Quidditch practice, bickering about when to tell Snape about the voice Harry had heard on the day of Mrs. Norris' petrification.
"Yes, but I think we should at least wait 'til after Halloween. He's probably stressed enough as it is. If you really want to talk to someone tonight, we should contact your father with those journals and see what he thinks about this whole thing." Harry says diplomatically.
Draco sighs. "I guess you're right. But we tell him as soon as we're done at practice."
"Before the feast?"
"Yes; We should receive a reply by the time it's over."
"Yeah, okay." Harry concedes as they reach the changing rooms where the rest of the team is already getting into their gear. Harry and Draco make quick work of putting on their uniform, grabbing their brooms, and making their way onto the pitch with the rest of the team.
"Our first game of the season will be on November 7th against Gryffindor. Most of their team is the same as last year, but their new seeker is a second-year named Dean Thomas. I've seen them practice, and they are good, just like last year. But we're better. But, that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you losers slack off. We have the pitch booked every other day for the next week. Be there, or you're off the team. Are we clear?" The Slytherin team members all nod their understanding, and when Flint is sure that his message is received he shouts, "Now get your arses in the air and show me what you've got!"
Everyone scrambles onto their broom and kicks off the ground, soaring into the air to begin the warm-up maneuvers.
~~~TIme Skip~~~
Harry and Draco are sore and exhausted when they return to their dorm after Quidditch practice is finally over. Marcus had worked them longer and harder than ever, making them do the maneuvers over and over again until he deemed them acceptable.
Draco immediately flops face-first onto his bed, groaning into the blanket with his legs hanging comically off the side. Harry, however, decides that it would be in his best interest to collapse to the floor in the doorway, lying on his back, half of his body inside the room with his feet sticking out into the stairway.
"Wow," Blaise exclaims from his bed. "What happened to you two? Was practice really that bad?"
Harry groans from his new home on the floor while Draco raises his head to look at Blaise. "You have no idea." He whines, burying his face in the blanket once more.
"Roll over, Draco, unless you want to suffocate." Harry calls from the floor, not bothering to lift his head to see if he actually does what he's told.
"No, just let me die here." Draco replies, his voice muffled.
"Oh, so I have to do what you tell me to whenever my continued health is in question, but you don't when the roles are reversed? That's hypocritical. I thought we've been over this. Dying bad. Breathing good. Don't make me come over there, Draco Malfoy." Harry threatens, still lying on the floor. He really doesn't want to get up, but he will if Draco continues to be a prat.
"Fine, fine, just stop nagging. It's giving me a headache." Draco says, rolling over onto his back.
"I win." Harry mumbles just loud enough so the blonde can hear him.
"I will turn back over. Don't test me."
"Will you two shut up? Some of us are actually trying to get some work done before the feast." Theo shouts from his bed, where he has his Charms textbook open in front of him and pieces of parchment spread out around him.
Draco agrees with Theo, mostly to avoid the no doubt dramatic comment that Harry is about to fling at him in retaliation. "Theo's right; There actually is something that we need to do, Harry, remember?" Draco sits up, looking at Harry pointedly, waiting for the raven-haired boy to catch his meaning. Draco can see the exact moment where Harry realizes what he means and he laughs at the dumb look on Harry's face. "Come on, you." Draco says teasingly, getting to his feet and going to pull Harry up from the floor, dragging him out of the room, making sure to grab his bag from the foot of his bed as he goes.
When they reach the common room they find a secluded spot in the corner by the chessboard to take out Draco's journal and write to his father about the recent attack. They're hoping that he will have some information on the Chamber of Secrets, or maybe be able to tell them why Harry was hearing a voice right before they found Mrs. Norris.
They were talking about it after they returned to their dorm that night. They both concluded that it was a good thing they hadn't been found. They don't need people to be suspicious of them like they had been last year after the troll incident. Not to mention what Weasley's reaction would be. They don't need to provide the redhead with any more ammunition than he already has. He's annoying as it is, they don't want to make it worse.
Draco places the journal on the table while Harry pulls up a chair and sits down. Draco has to rummage around in his bag for a second to find his quill and ink, but he eventually finds them and places the items on the table next to the journal.
"So, what should we say?" Harry inquires, unsure of how to proceed.
"Well, we can draft something first, so we can make sure we word it correctly." Draco suggests, pulling out some spare parchment and placing it in front of him, moving the journal out of the way.
"That makes sense." Harry agrees.
And with that, they begin writing. It takes about twenty minutes, but they eventually have a draft that they agree on.
It reads as follows:
Lucius,
As you may know, something odd has recently happened at Hogwarts. The teachers have been less than forthcoming about the details of the incident, so we were wondering if there is any information you could give on the subject.
Mr. Filch's cat was found last week, petrified and hanging from a wall sconce. There was a message written in blood above the cat reading:
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."
There is something else that we are hoping you could shed some light on. We were walking through the castle before the attack when Harry suddenly heard a voice in the walls. He says it was more of a hiss than anything else, though. However, I could not hear the voice. Harry followed it, and I followed Harry, and eventually, we found Mrs. Norris. We left before the teachers and students discovered the body, so you do not have to worry about any problems on that front.
Any information you have would be extremely helpful. We are also planning on speaking to Professor Snape about the incident.
With regards,
Draco and Harry
Draco finishes transcribing the message about thirty minutes before the Halloween Feast begins, so Harry and Draco make their way back to their dormitory to shower and get ready. When they enter, Blaise and Theo are seated on the floor playing Exploding Snap.
Draco calls dibs on the bathroom first, so Harry immediately goes over to sit down next to Blaise and Theo to watch their game. He's never seen it before and is extremely interested in how to play.
The cards are arranged in one deck and Blaise and Theo take turns uncovering two cards each round. They seem to be trying to find pairs, but the catch is that the cards explode after a specific amount of time once they are drawn. Harry giggles when he sees the mountain troll card appear, remembering his encounter from the previous year.
Suddenly, one of the cards explodes, sending a cloud of smoke in the air. Harry's giggles quickly turn into full-blown laughter when he sees the looks on Blaise and Theo's faces. Blaise just looks utterly shocked, which is amusing because the explosions are kind of a staple in the game, while Theo just seems annoyed.
After a few more minutes of playing, Blaise is declared the winner. He throws his hands up in victory, almost taking Harry's eye out with his wand in the process.
"Oi! Watch it, Zabini!" Harry yells playfully, smirking as he punched Blaise in the arm in retaliation.
"Don't take that tone with me, Potter. You're looking at the reigning Exploding Snap Champion. Show some respect!" Blaise snarks back, folding his arms over his chest haughtily.
"Reigning champion?" Harry questions, intrigued, looking at Theo for an explanation. Theo sighs, slumping down with his elbows on his knees.
"I haven't beaten him in over a year and he refuses to stop holding it over my head." Theo mutters, casting a glare at Blaise, who is still preening.
Harry thinks this over for a moment before grinning, his eyes taking on a dangerous glint. "Oh, really? What do you say we change that? Dethrone the king, if you will?"
Theo gives Harry a confused look before he figures out what Harry is suggesting. He returns Harry's grin with one of his own. "I like the way you think, my friend."
"Wait, what? What are you two planning?! You know I hate it when I'm left out of things. Especially when the thing is probably going to be detrimental to my person!" Blaise rambles worriedly, flitting his gaze back and forth between Blaise and Theo.
"Oh, nothing. I just think that Harry wants to give it a try, that's all." Theo replies innocently.
Blaise narrows his eyes, looking at Theo for a few seconds before replying with a drawn-out "okay" and resets the game. Harry takes Theo's place on the floor, across from Blaise, and once the game is set up the two begin playing.
Ten minutes later, Draco exits the bathroom, stopping dead in his tracks as he takes in the scene before him.
Theo is rolling around on the floor, cackling madly with his arms clutched to his stomach. And then there's Blaise, lying spread-eagle on the floor with Harry sitting on his stomach singing Queen's "We Are The Champions" at the top of his lungs. Draco blinks and shakes his head, hoping that when he opens his eyes he will find his friends doing something completely normal and socially acceptable. He opens his eyes and is sorely disappointed. His friends are still insane and Draco is still stuck with three lunatics as roommates.
'If this is the future of the Wizarding World, then I am officially terrified for us all.' Draco thinks, still struck dumb by the sight before him. When he finally breaks out of his confused stupor, he stomps over and plucks Harry off of Blaise's stomach, pulling him over to the other side of the room. He hears Blaise inhale deeply as Harry finally stops screeching that bloody song and shouts indignantly before falling silent, a pout on his face. This leaves Theo's manic laughter as the only sound in the room. Draco brings his fingers to his temples and tries to rub away the oncoming headache. He growls, Harry starts singing again, and Theo continues to laugh on the floor…
Draco snaps.
"I WAS GONE FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES!"
The room falls silent. Harry and Theo are blinking owlishly at the enraged Draco while Blaise is slowly dragging his body underneath the bed in an attempt to escape. "Harry! Stay! Theo, you get your arse over to that corner and stay there! And Zabini, for Merlin's sake, get out from underneath the furniture!" Blaise freezes, eyes going wide. Draco glares at him and he slowly scoots out from underneath the bed. His head is now in between Draco's feet and he finds himself looking up at the blond, their eyes meeting. Blaise sends a sheepish wave up at Draco, who intensifies his angry eyes of doom, making Blaise slap his hand back down to the floor.
"Now, what could have possibly happened in the fifteen minutes I was gone?" Draco asks in a measured tone, trying to keep his voice level. Harry opens his mouth to explain. "No, not you." Draco says, silencing Harry before he can even begin speaking. "I want a sane response." Harry pouts, leaning back against the wall dejectedly. "Would one of you care to try?" Draco turns his attention to Blaise and Theo.
"Well, you see…" Theo tapers off, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm.
"We were playing Exploding Snap." Blaise picks up the explanation, drawing Draco's gaze to the cards scattered all over the floor.
"And?" Draco urges.
Suddenly, all three of his friends begin speaking at once, each one trying to yell over the other two. This goes on for a few moments before Draco brings his fingers to his temples again and yells, "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES YOU WILL ALL SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Harry, who is now standing, lets out a squeak before falling to the floor with a thud. Draco suddenly realizes the time. They have to be in the Great Hall in ten minutes and Harry still hasn't taken a shower. "Harry, in the shower. Now. And be quick about it." Harry scurries up and gathers his things, giving Draco a wide berth when he walks by him to get to the bathroom. "Now, you two are going to explain to me, one at a time, what you idiots were doing."
"What?! Why does Harry get to get out of this?!" Theo whines.
"Because I know for a fact that I won't get a straight answer out of him. You two at least have a bit of sense. Harry, on the other hand, is completely hopeless."
"I heard that!" Draco hears Harry shout from the other side of the bathroom door.
Draco goes and bangs on the door, yelling, "Good!", before walking back over to Blaise and Theo, putting his hands on his hips and staring at them imploringly.
By the time Harry is out of the shower, Draco has been completely informed of the situation. Harry steps out of the bathroom and is immediately met with a pillow to the face. "Idiot." Draco says from a seated position on his bed.
"I deserve that." Harry states before gathering his things and following his friends from the room, heading to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast.
A/N: We moved up the first petrification to a week before Halloween to fit with our timeline better. Also, the Basilisk's speech was not formatted in the way we decided to indicate Parseltongue because Harry is not yet aware that it is a Basilisk speaking, despite having some idea already that he can speak to snakes.