Just a little heads up, um... I'll be gone for a couple of weeks. The last week of July and the first week of August. I promise I'll try to prepare a couple of chapters beforehand so that I won't leave you without one for too long.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one!

"Do you think it's true? Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are." Hermione replied.

"I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. The teachers are going to take care of this. They're not going to let some monster petrify their students. Besides, it's not... deadly, right? Some Mandrake potion, and you're fine."

All three of them looked at me like I was crazy.

I sighed. "I'm just trying to be optimistic." 'Well, you don't have anything to worry about. You'll be buried in the Malfoys' backyard before that monster can even lie its eyes upon you.' The little voice said. Thank you, voice, really helpful.

"Wait, if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it has been opened, that means..." Harry started.

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts. The question is, who is it?" Hermione finished Harry's sentence.

"Let's think. Who do we know who thinks all Muggle-borns are scum?" Ron said, ironically.

"If you're talking about Malfoy-" Hermione said.

"Of course. You heard him. 'You'll be next Mudbloods' "

"I heard him. But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Maybe Ron's right, Hermione. I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries." Harry said.

"I don't know, Harry. Malfoy is not capable of slapping away a fly, much more controlling an ancient monster into petrifing, I don't know, a third of Hogwarts' students." I said.

"Crabbe and Goyle must know. Maybe we could trick them into telling." Ron said.

"Even they aren't that thick. But there might be another way. Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention, we'd be breaking about 50 school rules and it'll be dangerous. Very dangerous." Hermione said.

"Ok, I think that's the point where I leave so that I don't die from a giant chess piece or something. Good luck, you three!" I said, and left.

I don't know if I'm a bad friend by doing so, but I'm really not in a place where I can mess with Malfoy anymore. And I was never much of a rule-breaker either.

]

It was another ordinary, violent game of Quidditch. Gryffindor against Slytherin. Oh boy. The worst thing is that Slytherin was winning.

"Another goal for Slytherin! They lead Gryffindor 90 to 30."

I just hope Harry will manage to turn the game arou- And Malfoy's talking to Harry. That boy is always a delight.

Ooh, Wood fell. The Bludger broke his broomstick and now it's... following Harry. That's not right. A Bludger shouldn't behave like that.

It was following Harry around, making holes in the towers. It was like it was possessed.

Finally, Harry got rid of it. Wait, I think I see the Snitch; yes that is the Golden Snitch and Harry's onto it. Of course Malfoy is there too. Oh and I think the possessed Bludger is not gone.

Malfoy emerged from wherever he and Harry were and fell. But he looks ok, so it's fine. Besides, he didn't fall from that high in the air.

Now Harry was the only one chasing the Snitch. He is so close, his hand is almost touching it and- Oh no! I think the Bludger... broke his arm. But he... doesn't give up. He extends his other hand and he catches the Golden Snitch before falling down.

Am I the only one who gets a bit of a deja vu here?

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch. Gryffindor wins!"

"Watch out, Harry!" I yelled as I saw the Bludger coming straight for his face.

Thankfully he avoided it and it crushed onto the sand, then it tried to hit him again but Harry moved once more, avoiding it. That happened one last time before Hermione shouted "Finite Incantatem" and the Bludger exploded into tiny pieces.

I was running along with a bunch of other students of my house and Lockhart in front of us, leading us to Harry.

"Thank you."

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him, clearly concerned.

"No, I think my arm is broken."

Lovkhart knelt beside him. "Not to worry, Harry. I will fix that arm of yours straightaway."

"No, not you." Harry said, genuinely terrified.

"Boy, doesn't know what he's saying. Now, this won't hurt a bit." Lockhart said as he was rolling Harry's sleeve up.

At that point, there was a crowd circling Harry, all waiting to see what would happen."Brackium Ememdo!" Lockhart said, casting a spell that was supposed to fix Harry's arm but instead made the bone dissappear.

"Yes, well, sometimes that can happen, but the point is..." he bended Harry's arm 180.

"...you can no longer feel any pain, and, very clearly, the bones are not broken."

"Broken? There's no bones left." Hagrid almost yelled, enraged.

]

"Mr. Malfoy, stop making a fuss. You can go." Madam Pomfrey told Malfoy, who was lying on a bed, moaning in, what was supposed to be pain, surrounded by his friends.

"Out of my way. Out of my way. Should have been brought straight to me." she said, running to Harry's bed with a potion on her hand. "I can mend bones in a heartbeat, but growing them back..."

"You will be able to, won't you?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I'll be able to, certainly. But it'll be painful. You're in for a rough night, Potter. Regrowing bones is a nasty business." She answered, giving Harry a glass of the potion she was holding.

Harry immediately spit it out. He was absolutely disgusted.

"Well, what did you expect? Pumpkin juice?"

]

I had just entered my common room and saw Ernie reading a book while sitting in the left armchair, as always."What are you reading?" I asked as I sat down on the sofa."A book I found in the library about advanced potions."

"Cool. How's the one you're studying now called?"

He gave me a sidelook. "Polyjuice Potion." he said, returning to his book.

"It allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another." he explained.

"Useful." I commented as I brushed a comp out of my hair.

"But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

I looked at him, wondering what he meant. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me for a second, then around the room. "Nothing. Just wondering if you've ever heard of it."

"Oh, no, I haven't. I like potions but not that much." I replied, and chuckled.

There was silence for a couple of minutes until Ernie spoke up. "I heard Susan's searching for you."

"Oh, ok, thanks." I said and went to my room.

"Hey." I said as I walked into our shared bedroom.

Hannah and Susan stopped their conversation and looked at me with a... mischievous smile.

"Hey."

"Hey."

I stared at the them for a second.

"Is everything alright? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know, you tell us." Susan said.

"What do you mean?" Ok, I'm getting tired of this. It's already the second time. What's up with everyone today?

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hannah chuckled. "We didn't make it clear." She said as she stood up and-

"Watch out, Harry! I'm running to you to see if you are okay. Oh and I'll also escort you to the Ward and make sure you'll be fine." She said in a very dramatic and theatrical way.

"Yeah, well he's my friend. You know that."

"Oh, we know that. The question is, do you see him as just a friend?" Susan asked as she too stood up.

"What are you implying? That I'm in love with Harry?"

"Yes." They both said at the same time, and then looked at each other and laughed.

"That's ridiculous. I'm not in love with anyone. You know I'd do the same for any one of you-"

"Don't worry, Y/N. Denial is the first stage." Hannah said.

"- although now I'm questioning it." I said, glaring at them.

"I'm not in love with anyone. End of discussion. Ok?" I said.

"Wow, your spending time with the Gryffindors is really showing."

"Thanks." I said and locked myself in the bathroom.

One thing that I don't like about Hogwarts is that you can never be alone. You don't have any privacy. I just want to sit down and look out the window, in peace. Or lie down on my bed and stare at the ceiling, letting my thoughts run free, without anyone questioning if I'm 'preparing for the coffin'.

And everyone gossips. It's like a reality show, but the twist is that instead of being paid, you get homework. I wish there was a place where I could find peace of mind in this school.

]

"Gather round. Gather round. Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent." Lockhart said, walking up and down the fighting arena?

"In light of the dark events of recent weeks Professor Dumbledore granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend youselves as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works." He threw his cape to a bunch of girls in the back who gasped and smiled when they caught it.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Everyone looked as Snape got on the platform. "He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration. I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear." I was going to puke.

They both got into position.

"One. Two. Three!"

"Expelliarmus."

Lockhart had barely finished his count down before Snape threw him almost off the stage.

"Do you think he's alright?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" Ron answered.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy." Lockhart said as he stood up and walked up to Snape, clearly frustrated that he was defeated that easily in front of a crowd but trying to hide it.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor." Snape suggested.

Then there was an awkward silence accompanied by two fake smiles.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house?"

A Slytherin against Harry? It's okay, I guess, as long as it's not-

"Malfoy, perhaps?"

You've got to be kidding me.

Harry got up on the platform as Snape signaled Malfoy to get on it. Lockhart seemed genuinely worried about Harry...

"Good luck, Potter." He told him.

"Thank you, sir."

"Wands at the ready." Lockhart said.

"Scared, Potter?" Malfoy asked, with a smug face, as always.

"You wish." Harry said. That got a smile from basically everyone in the crowd who wasn't Slytherin.

I'm not worried about Harry. He can eat Malfoy for breakfast.

They got into position.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to dissarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One.-"

Now that I think about it-

"-Two."

-Malfoy is not above-

"Everte Statum!" Malfoy yelled.

-cheating.

Harry was thrown across the platform. That little snake.

Harry got up almost immediately.

"Rictusempra!" Harry yelled, throwing Malfoy almost the same way he threw him.

Malfoy looked at Snape as he snatched him from his robes and forced him back into position.

"I said disarm only." Lockhart yelled.

"Serpensortia." Malfoy yelled, and a snake appeared on the platform slithering its way to Harry.

"Don't move Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." Snape said, approaching the snake.

"Allow me, Professor Snape. Alarte Ascendare!" Lockhart said, as his spell launched the snake far up, before it fell down, still pretty much alive and dangerous.

Then Harry got closer to it and started making noises with his mouth like he was talking to the snake, which was clearly ready to attack Justin, or anyone of us standing beside him. But, as Harry kept talking to it, it stopped and turned to look at Harry. It was like they were communicating.

Wh-what was happening?

"Vipera Evanesca." Snape said, casting a spell that made the snake dissappear.

"What are you playing at?" Justin asked Harry.

Harry looked around, behind him at Lockhart and then at Snape, and he truly seemed like he... didn't have any idea what had just happened.

That was it. This chapter is a bit longer, so I hope I didn't bore you too much.

When this chapter comes out, I'll probably already be away, but don't worry, I've planned ahead.