Word that Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin was all anyone could talk about school. No House was excluded, and no person was either. Now it was Harry who suffered loss of friends and any general contact with other students. No one even wanted to talk to him during their study period. Only his closest friends pulled through.

Hermione and Ron sat with him but even their talking didn't do much. One day, Harry couldn't deal with it anymore and so he gathered his belongings and trudged out of the library. As he walked down the hallway, he could hear murmuring from a group of people. As he got closer, he began to identify the voices. A group of Slytherins sat on a staircase gossiping.

"I don't know but it sounded like Harry was egging the snake on or something," Arden King was saying. "It was...creepy."

"Oh Arden, I thought everyone was stupid here but you," Romina sighed dramatically. "Harry would never do that and you know it." Harry smiled a little, grateful that Romina was still on his side.

"How would you? No one knows anything about him except for what the papers tell us," Pansy reminded smugly.

"Yeah, there could be things we don't know," Angel agreed. "Look, Potter always seemed a bit...odd. Now we find out he's a Parselmouth? Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

"You're all idiots and I'm deeply sorry for it," Romina sharply said. "You should feel ashamed that the only one with a brain turned out to be Draco. He doesn't believe it either."

"Oh please, he just doesn't want to admit it," Angel nearly laughed.

"Guys this is serious," Carolinha took a seat beside Romina on the staircase. "I heard Justin is hiding out in his dormitory because he's scared Harry might do something."

"That doesn't even make sense! Why would Harry want to attack Justin, hm?" Romina sounded to Harry like she was about to get angry. On some level, it did Harry good knowing her Slytherin friends hadn't swayed her from the truth.

"Because Fletchley is a Muggle born," Pansy said, like that would solve the mystery.

"Well by that logic, I'm next," Arden snapped.

"With any luck…"

"What?"

Harry sighed and decided to keep moving. He didn't want to hear anymore and much less an argument between Arden and Pansy.

The remaining students on the staircase entered a state of different bickerings. Romina finally got up with her books and told them all they were idiots and headed for the common room. She would never know that Harry listened in. It was all nonsense to her, really, how easily someone believed in stories without actual evidence. When she entered the common room, there were only a few students working there. Most of them were taking advantage of the study period offered in the library to get the extra help they needed in their materials.

"Watch out, she's got that face," Blaise murmured to Draco on the couch. The two were seemingly working on something but Romina didn't bother to check. She was more interested in the 'face' she was apparently making?

"What face?" she frowned at them.

"We've been calculating the most predictive person in the House, and congratulations you win," Draco flashed her a smirk. "See right now you've got the face that says you either a) just finished defending Potter as usual or b) you just insulted peoples' intelligence."

Romina seethed underneath. "I am not predictive!"

"So you weren't doing one of those things right now?" Blaise raised an eyebrow.

Romina's eyes darted from them and her arms clutched her books even closer. "No...I was...I was doing…" But the boys kept smirking at her, getting under her skin. "Shut up!" she threw them each a book. "How's that for predictive?"

"Not good for your case," Draco said, watching Blaise gather the thrown books, "Theodore's sneaking some food over but he was the one who said you would throw things. Guess he wins."

"That was just desperate in my ipinion," Blaise said. "And unnecessary." Romina rolled her eyes and walked over to retrieve the books when Blaise pulled them behind his back. "Apologize?"

Romina sneered. "What do I look like?"

Blaise looked her over with that snarky face he always had on. "Well…"

Romina snatched the book from him and hit him over the head with it. "Moron." She was sure Blaise was threatening her with curses under his breath while she went to the other couch.

"Hey, where are you going?" Draco frowned as Blaise started to leave, still furious with Romina. "You said you would show me the history lesson."

"Not with her in the room! Have Nott show you!"

"I'm doomed."

Romina smirked and pulled her legs on the couch, getting comfortable to stay there a decent time. "Then I guess you're not coming out for the rest of the night."

Draco was not amused by their argument. "You owe me a history of magic homework."

"Stop being lazy and do it yourself."

"Hey, just because you're up to your neck in Potter problems doesn't mean I have to change my ways."

"There wouldn't be problems if everyone would just shut up about these Heir rumors. Harry's not it and everyone knows it!" Romina grabbed a book beside her a little roughly.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Draco muttered and reached for a parchment beside him.

At his words, Romina slowly lowered her book and gave him a significant look. "Do you...know who it is? The Heir of Slytherin? Do you know?"

Draco rolled his eyes and had a laugh. "If I knew, I would have already mentioned it, don't you think?"

"To stop them, right?" Romina asked, slowly.

A smirk played on his lips. "Whatever you want…"

She put her book down on her lap and now seriously looked at him. "You wouldn't help anyone petrify the students."

"Maybe...maybe not...I—"

"No!" she cut him off, determined to get a real answer from him. "You're a jerk, fine, but you're not a murderer. You're twelve—you can't even do simple history homework on your own!"

"Are you insulting me or complimenting me?"

But before Romina could clarify her intentions, the entrance wall grumbled with incomers.

"There's been another attack!" A first year came running before the group. Romina shifted on the couch to see and hear better. Draco leaned forwards on his seat, also interested in the new story. "Justin Flint-Fletchley was attacked! It was Potter!"

"What?" Romina jumped to be on her knees over the cushion. "Why would you—"

Angel pushed aside the first year, looking quite distressed himself. "It's all over the school. McGonagall found Harry with Justin's petrified body, and Nearly Headless Nick."

"No, that's crazy! He wouldn't do it!"

"Tell that to Fletchley," Carolinha shuddered, "Poor boy. You should have seen his body."

"Yeah," snorted Pansy, "There's an image I'd like out of my head."

~0~

As Christmas vacation finally neared, it was time for Romina to come up with an exceptionally good excuse for Lyonel and Sage on why she needed to stay at school for the holidays. It was a really good thing that neither had yet to hear about what was going on in Hogwarts, or else she was sure that they would be bringing her home by the ear. With her letter ready to go, Romina sprinted towards the Owlrey to get it sent fast. As she was walking by the hallway, she could hear the Weasley twins back at it again with their teases about the Heir of Slytherin. While the school was dead scared of Harry, both twins treated it as a game.

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin!" Fred called behind Harry, Ron and Hermione. George was at his side and ready to continue the charade.

"Seriously evil wizard coming through!"

"Aline! Best to stay away now," George pretended to shoo Romina away from Harry. Ron seemed totally amused by his brothers but Harry looked worse for wear.

"You're idiots," Romina then shooed them away. The twins simply laughed as they went on their way.

"Where were you headed?" Hermione asked before she spotted the parchment in Romina's hand. "Are you writing home?" She was aware of Romina's endeavor to come up with a good excuse for her aunt and uncle. It was the same battle Hermione had with her parents, only for her it was easier since they were muggles.

Romina gave a curt nod of her head and explained for Harry's and Ron's benefit. "I had to tell my aunt and uncle I joined some club that helps me with my History of Magic lessons. They know I did awful in it last year so they definitely won't question why I had to stay over the vacation."

"You shouldn't have to do that, Rom," Harry spoke quietly, looking already guilty.

"And leave you to sneak into my common room while disguised as my House mates?" Romina snorted. "Please, Harry Potter."

"This isn't a joke," Harry nearly snapped at her. He was frustrated but no one could understand why!

"Believe me, we get that," Romina exchanged agreeing nods with Hermione and Ron. "I know what it's like having almost the entire school think you're nothing but a villain."

"Yes, but in my case they might just be right!"

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed in horror.

"What? I didn't know I could speak Parseltongue. What else don't I know about myself? Maybe you can do something... even something horrible... and not know you did it."

Hermione went back to speaking normally for Harry's sake. "You don't believe that, Harry, I know you don't. And if it makes you feel better, I just heard Malfoy's staying over for holiday, too."

Ron gagged. "Why would that make anyone feel better?"

"Because, in a few days, the Polyjuice Potion will be ready. In a few days... we may truly know who is the Heir of Slytherin."

~ 0 ~

Christmas day came faster than the group of students were expecting with their problems. With the Great Hall beautifully decorated with frost-covered Christmas trees and shiny ornaments, one could almost forget that a polyjuice potion was about to be taken that night.

Hermione, Ron and Harry were midway through their Christmas dinner when Romina walked up to their table.

"Alright, here," she pushed two different vials of hair into Ron's and Harry's chests, making it seem like she was handing out pieces of candy for anyone else that might have seen. "I snagged hairs from Crabbe and Goyle like you asked."

"We didn't ask…" Ron examined the vial in his possession, his face contorted to disgust.

"We need it," Hermione reminded them and dutifully thanked Romina for her efforts.

"I was going to take some hairs from Milicent's brush but she caught me and I had to make some excuse…" Romina sighed, "Point is, I'll get it for you a bit later-"

Hermione raised a hand for Romina to stop. "Don't worry. I got mine already. That's what happens when she keeps pushing past people."

Romina smiled and took a seat next to Ron. "Well, Milicent's going to be in the library till curfew. But I don't know about Crabbe and Goyle…"

"Taken care of," Hermione set down two small cakes on the table and pushed them to Harry and Ron. "Since neither boy can burst in on us while we're interrogating Malfoy, I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Simple, but powerful. You know how greedy Crabbe and Goyle are. They won't leave the Christmas Feast until every last drop of trifle is gone."

"Sounds about right…" Romina spared the two boys a glance from the table, seeing them practically devouring anything in their sight.

"Now, once they're asleep, hide them in a broom cupboard," Hermione finished instructing their two boys. "All right then... I'm going to check on the Polyjuice Potion."

"I'll head up with you," Romina stood up as well and walked off with Hermione.

After a while of gathering the last minute requirements for their plans, Harry and Ron entered the abandoned lavatory with reports of their successful attempt against Crabbe and Goyle. Their excitement, however, faltered when they caught sight of the polyjuice potion in the cauldron. It resembled dark, bubbling mud that was boiling.

"I'm sure I've done everything right," Hermione reassured, though neither boy still looked any better. "It looks like the book said it should. Once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves."

Ron took out his vial that contained Crabbe's hair and frowned. "Now what about these?"

"Now you put those into your cups," Romina said with a clean smirk on her face.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Romina gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I truly saw no point in doing this because you're wrong, but hey...you keep doing you." She pushed the Slytherin robes she'd acquired earlier. "And I'll just watch."

After getting changed into the robes, each Gryffindor added the bits of hair into their vials. The potion then garnered a different yellow-brown tinge to it. Romina grimaced when the three drank it down. At that moment, she was extra glad to have already been placed in Slytherin.

"Think I'm gonna be sick…" Ron did look a shade of horrible green before he ran into a stall.

Harry looked no better as he leaned into the sinks to keep himself standing. Even Hermione was looking a bit sick.

"Something's wrong…" she pulled the sleeve of her robe to see her arm, and although neither Romina nor Harry saw, it was enough to make Hermione run into another stall.

Romina stepped one step back as each of her friends underwent the transformation. She wasn't sure of this was the moment to get Madame Pomfrey or if it was all just going according to plan. At least with Harry still in her view she could, in the end, see the potion was actually working.

Harry now looked exactly like Goyle.

"Wow…" Romina breathed in, truly awed.

A second later, a stall opened up and out came Ron...looking exactly like Crabbe. "Harry?"

Harry/Goyle turned around and was just as stunned as Romina. "Ron?"

Romina blinked. "You guys still sound like yourselves. You need to work on that and fast."

"Bloody hell," Ron tried in a deeper voice but Harry and Romina still disagreed.

"Lower," Romina indicated.

"Bloody hell…?"

"Less intelligent," Harry instructed.

"...bloody...hell?"

Romina laughed. "Think that fits."

"Hey...where's Hermione?" Ron looked around, for they were missing one friend before they had to go.

"I - I don't think I'm going. You go on without me," Hermione's voice shook with an unusual distress.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Romina thought she should go over and see, but Hermione snapped.

"Just go! You're wasting time!"

Figuring she was right, Romina turned back to the two boys. "Okay, uh...let's go, then?" Suddenly she wasn't as amused with the plan before.

She led them down to the dungeons with no problem, but it was clear that both boys needed a quick reminder of who they were. "Harry, don't swing your arms like that. Crabbe holds them sort of stiff."

Harry tried following as best as he could he held his arms more stiffly.

"Better," Romina decided and kept going.

But just around the corner they found Percy Weasley roaming around as well.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" Romina asked before one of the boys behind her could. She was sure they would blow their covers.

Percy adopted his authority time and marched up to the three. "I happen to be a prefect. You, on the other hand, have no business wandering the corridors at night. It's not safe these days."

Romina knew she couldn't hate Percy without knowing him, but his attitude was sure making it hard to at least tolerate him. "Just because you're a prefect doesn't make you immune to whatever is attacking us. You think it's gonna go 'hey, that one's wearing a funny badge, let me just skip over him'."

Behind her, Harry and Ron tried their best not to snicker. Wait, maybe because they were Crabbe and Goyle they were supposed to snicker?

Percy looked close to being outraged. "What's your name again?" Just as Romina opened her mouth to respond, someone else cut in.

"Crabbe. Goyle. Where have you been?" Draco was now coming towards them, practically ignoring Percy for the moment. "Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" Neither Harry nor Ron knew what to say, lest they blow their covers right there and then. "And what are you doing down here, Weasley?"

"Mind your attitude, Malfoy. You want to show a little bit more respect to a school Prefect!" Percy retorted.

"Not this again," Romina muttered under her breath.

"Come on, boys. Weasley thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed," Draco pushed past the older boy and, without his knowledge, Romina motioned Harry and Ron to hurry behind him.

"Don't look surprised!" She hissed at them once they'd entered the common room. Of course it was a natural thing to be surprised by the new room they were in, but it wouldn't bode well for them if Draco saw.

"By the way, Oswell, thank you for the history homework. I'm sure it'll help once classes are back on," Draco passing remarked.

Romina blinked and looked at the table where she'd been working on her homework before heading up for dinner. "You looked at my homework without my permission?"

"Your fault for leaving it out in the open," Draco shrugged, not appearing to be bothered at all.

"You're horrible!" Romina ran past them to her desk. "That was mine!"

"You copy off of Angel all the time," Draco remarked, "And you let others copy off your Transfiguration."

Romina's eyes flickered up from her open homework and glared at Draco. "That's because I'm actually good at Transifguration unlike others."

Harry and Ron were unsure of what to do and simply sat down on the couch. It was unusual for them to see common interaction between Draco and anyone else who wasn't them. Then they began to realize that Romina had to do this on a daily basis — interact with Draco Malfoy and basically every other Slytherin — and suddenly felt very sorry for her.

"Listen to this…" Draco returned to them with a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands, forgetting about Romina. "'Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. 'Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute,' said Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts. 'He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."'

Romina plopped down at her table and tried to look like she was focusing on her homework; she prayed to God her friends wouldn't blow this so quickly.

"Arthur Weasley loves Muggle so much he should snap his wand in half and go join them," Draco sneered, much to Romina's dismay. She didn't need to look up to see Ron practically having to sit on his hands to restrain himself. "You'd never know the Weasleys were purebloods, the way they behave. Embarrassment to the wizarding world. All of them." Ron nearly growled, but it was enough to catch Draco's attention. "What's up with you, Crabbe?"

"Stomachache…"

"Well, go to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick in the arse for me! You know, I'm surprised The Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father always said Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place—"

"You're wrong!" Harry/Goyle suddenly shouted. As soon as he did, Romina looked up and met Harry's eyes, begging him to hold himself.

Draco scowled. "What? Did you say that I was wrong? You think there's someone here who's worse than Dumbledore?"

Unsure of how to respond, Harry's eyes automatically flickered to Romina. The girl was pointing at him, mouthing 'you' repeatedly.

"H-Harry Potter," he spoke his name, and it was like the antidote for the problem.

Draco grinned, like nothing had happened. "Good one, Goyle. You're absolutely right."

Both Harry and Ron relaxed, but then Harry began to feel a little weird that Romina could know the answer so quickly.

"Saint Potter. He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that Mudblood Granger—OW!" Draco forgot about everything as he picked up the book that had collided with the side of his head. He turned around to shoot Romina a wide-eyed glare. "Oswell!"

Romina remained calm at her table, something that couldn't be said about Harry and Ron. They were fighting incredibly hard not to laugh.

"Use that word again, Draco, I dare you," Romina said with a hardened face, "I told you it was off limits." She returned to her work shortly after. "Oh, and I'm going to need my book back," she added a moment later.

Naturally, Draco snapped. "You can come get it! You're insane!"

"Oh, just go back to complaining about Harry already," she retorted. She knew the polyjuice wasn't going to hold for much longer. She could always bicker with him later. "You know people still think he's really the Heir, right?"

Perfect words.

Draco nearly laughed at the absurdity. "As if he could ever be."

Harry took his chance fast before the conversation got away from them again. "Then you must have some idea who's behind it all?"

"You know I haven't, Goyle. How many times do I have to say it? But my father did say this much: It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened. He wouldn't tell me who opened it - only that they were expelled - but I know this: the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So it's only a matter of time before one of them's killed this time. As for me...I hope it's Granger."

"I do have more books, you know," Romina remarked as she wrote a new answer on her parchment, "And I am not afraid to use them."

"Oh shut it, Oswell! I don't know why you always get on my case! They're asking for it!"

Romina looked up from her essay. "How?" She challenged him for a good answer. "All Hermione does is do her work and do you know what? You don't seem to complain much when Arden passes you her notes."

Draco huffed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do I need to throw another book at you to jog your memory?"

Harry and Ron would have laughed if they hadn't started feeling rather odd. They exchanged similar glances. Ron rubbed his stomach wearily. Neither Draco nor Romina noticed their states.

Draco had picked up the book Romina threw at him earlier. "You know Zabini and I had a bet going on, right?" Romina raised an eyebrow at him. "He said you'd throw something at me after I read that bit off the Daily Prophet."

Romina scowled. Without thinking, her arm reached for something more to throw at him. At the same time, Harry and Ron jumped from the couch and made a break for the entrance. Romina stopped for a moment, figuring that the potion was beginning to wear off.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Draco called, frowning at them.

Almost a second later, he was victim to another object thrown, this time it had been a small glass vase. Romina thought it was a win, win since it would defer from Draco following the other two and she would scare crap out of him.

"Did you just throw a vase at me?" Draco turned right around, his face a mixture of offence and a bit of impression.

"How's that for being predictive?" Romina smirked.

"Honestly, it's nice to see you doing something interesting." Draco tossed her book back on the couch and made way for the boys' hallway.

Romina found it hard to keep herself from yelling after him. You should go check on Harry and Ron instead. That sounded like the safer idea for herself.

A/N:

P.S As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"