After that night, Draco acted weirdly around Harry. The blonde and his goons would still play their part as Harry's rivals whenever they were out in public, and the golden trio would retaliate in return. Yet Draco vents to Harry about his issues whenever the two are alone and expresses himself more. Harry, the patient boy he came to be, would just listen and act like a mature older brother to the blonde. Sometimes, Harry would give the other a pat on the head or a hug, never sharing his story like the blonde does. Despite this, the blonde never asked nor probed for information. Once was enough to know that Harry wouldn't tell him even scraps of information. They don't know how or why this came to be, nor do they want to know either. To Draco, falling into a false pretense of security and comfort was enough. They never verbally expressed it, but it was silently agreed to keep their interactions a secret.
"I see you've gotten my godson all wrapped around your pinky," Snape commented when he and Harry bumped into each other. The hall was empty of students and ghosts, leaving only the two of them to their privacy. Most likely, Snape's doing this since the halls are barely empty of life. Harry gave Snape a side glance, revealing no ounce of emotion on his face.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, professor," Harry replied and continued on his steps. He was rattled that the bat knew of his interaction with Draco. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be.
"Hmph, who would've thought that Gryffindor's golden boy was a snake in lion's clothing."
Harry ignored the remark and headed to the DADA classroom under Lockhart's request. He knew what the bat was on about, but he wasn't about to break the small trust Draco had in him by flaunting their involvement with one another— that would be a dumb move. Draco offered himself to him on a silver platter, he would be a fool not to take advantage of what's been given to him. In return, he would listen to the blonde's requests and give him the affection and affirmation he needed. He wasn't cruel to just take and not give anything in return therefore, it was a relationship with mutual benefit.
Harry knocked on the door and heard Lockhart call him in. The foolish teacher apparently wanted Harry to help him out in signing fan mails—a complete waste of time, in Harry's opinion. However, he complied nonetheless, just to retain his golden boy image. Hours had passed, and it was already the end of dinner time.
This wasn't Harry's concern—already used to small food intakes and skipping meals altogether. What caught his attention was the small voice and hissing sounds. His eyes roamed the surroundings, finding nothing off, he asked Lockhart.
"Professor, can you hear it?"
"Hear what, dear Harry?"
"The voices."
The professor seemed unsettled by Harry's comment, and his eyes roamed the classroom to check what Harry was talking about. Sweat gathered around the professor's forehead while he searched for the mysterious voice. "I-I don't hear anything." Lockhart turned to look at the clock and released a shaky chuckle, "Oh, would you look at the time! Time flies so fast when you're having fun, I think you're getting a bit ditzy, Harry. Why don't you go along and rest, we still have a long day tomorrow."
"I see, I'll be heading off then." Harry stood from his chair and quickly exited the classroom. If there's one thing he learned from the door, it's to never pass everything off as an imagination. His senses would never betray him, nor would his instincts. Harry carefully tugged on his earrings while he stayed close to the walls.
'Something is slithering…'
"Kill….kill….kill…"
"HARRY!" Harry removed his grip from the earring and turned to Ron and Hermione. "Do you guys hear it too?" The two heard the urgency in his voice and frowned in confusion.
"Hear what, Harry?" Hermione asked with uncertainty in her voice. Like Lockhart, she was unsettled by the question and tried to listen for the 'voice' Harry was talking about.
"Something, there is something in the walls. It's going to kill."
"Wait, what are you talking about, mate?"
'Why can't they hear it…?' Harry was frowning—he was definite about what he had heard. There is no way he could imagine all of it.
"KILL!" Harry's eyes retracted when he felt the bloodlust radiate from the voice. He didn't hear Death's bell chime, so he knew that no one died, but someone could still be in danger. Wasting no time, he ran to where he last heard the voice and stopped when he noticed the wet floor. The two clueless friends chased after him, wanting to figure out what made their friend act strangely. Harry inspected the wet hallway and found nothing other than the puddles. He was about to proceed until he saw something reflected on the wet surface. Sweat ran down his spine while he read the passage on the wall.
"H-harry! Wait up!"
"C'mon, mate, I wasn't ready for extensive running. Phew." Ron was holding onto his knees while he recomposed himself.
Hermione and Ron finally caught up to where Harry stood. Before they could approach him, Harry raised a hand and asked them to stay in place. The two stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances with one another.
"Harry, what's going on?"
Harry turned to them with a face devoid of emotions, an unusual sight for Ron and Hermione. "Ron, go call the professors. There seems to be an accident." Ron nodded and ran as fast as he could. The word accident was enough for him to understand that they were in a serious situation. Hermione was about to follow Ron, but Harry called her out before she could take a step.
"Mione, I need you to stay on guard. We don't know if the perpetrator is still in the area." Hermione nodded at the command and took her wand out. "Harry, what's in there?" She asked, unable to see what was written on the wall since Harry blocked her view. She tried to take a peek but was stopped when Harry placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Writings on the wall, made of blood and a petrified Mrs. Norris."
"Wha-"
Multiple footsteps echoed through the halls, which made Hermione pause her questioning.
"Potter! Explain what's going on. Mr. Weasley came rushing into the grand hall shouting about an accident." McGonagall exclaimed as soon as she saw the two kids in the hallway. Behind her was Dumbledor, the other house heads, Filch, Pomfrey, Gilderoy, and Ron. Harry motioned for Hermione to check on Ron, who was still uninformed about what was happening. She understood the instructions and went to Ron to fill him in on the current situation.
The brunette turned to his head, "Professors, it would be best if you look at it yourself. I'm not sure if the perpetrator is still around, though." McGonagall nodded and went into the wet hall in caution. The others followed her to see what was in the other hall. Pomfrey and Sprout gasped at the sight while others frowned.
On the wall was written, 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir…beware'. Underneath the writing was a petrified Mrs. Norris. Filch screamed in hysterics and ran up to his cat, assuming that she was dead on the spot. The old schoolkeeper seemed to have lost all reason and pointed an accusing finger at Harry.
"How dare you kill my poor Norris! You did this, didn't you?! You bastard! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Harry did not react to any of the accusations or curses, not wanting to deal with further issues. "Calm down, Argus. Norris is merely petrified. I'm sure that Madam Pomfrey could easily get her back in shape with a Restorative Draught once the mandrakes Madam Sprout is growing are ready for use," The wisen headmaster explained to the distraught man. Filch didn't seem to calm down afterward but believed the old man's words nevertheless. Pomfrey approached the cat and carried her with great caution, then led the caretaker to the side to simmer off.
"Still, this does not explain why you three were out here alone, exactly where the crime scene occurred." The headmaster said while looking at the bloody words. Hermione and Ron tensed up at the hinted accusation and tried to think of words to say.
"If I may speak, headmaster, I just think that Potter and his friends just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Snape said. "Though from what I've recalled, Potter wasn't in the grand hall during dinner at all." Harry glared at the sneaky bat, who smugly placed him into a tight situation. Here, Harry thought that the bat was helping them out for once, but it turns out he just wanted to pin it all to him.
"About that, Severus," Lockhart finally spoke up, which piqued the other's interest. "Harry was with me the whole time, helping me sign some fan mails."
"Is that so… and what about the two of you?" Snape redirected his gaze to Ron and Hermione, who were standing beside Harry. They finally saw the crime scene and remained silent throughout the discussion to avoid suspicions falling on them. Unfortunately, the ever-meticulous Snape brought them up again, so now everyone focused on them.
"We got worried and searched for Harry since he wasn't there with us for dinner," Ron replied, to which Hermione added, "We found him saying that…" She turned to look at Harry, unsure about what to say next.
"I said I wasn't hungry." He easily lied through his teeth. The rest seemed to have believed the trio, except for Filch and Snape. Before they were sent off, Dumbledor asked them to keep everything a secret until the perpetrator was found to avoid causing chaos among the students. The golden trio agreed to the request and left the crime scene. The walk towards the stairs was quiet, everyone having their thoughts sorted out. It wasn't until they were close to the fat lady's portrait that Hermione decided to speak up.
"This is weird."
Ron and Harry agreed, Halloween was always weird for them.
"I get that they don't want to cause a fuss, but shouldn't they inform the students? What if whatever happened to Mrs. Norris also happens to others, or worse!" She exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the staircase where other paintings could hear her.
"Not only that, Harry could apparently hear a voice that only he can hear."
"And?" Harry inquired, genuinely curious about what was happening in Hermione's head.
"Harry, even in the wizarding world, hearing voices leads to no good." She huffed, and then they continued their trek to the dormitory. Of course, Harry knew hearing voices was bad news—look where it got him last summer. While Harry wasn't certain who caused the horrid writings, he was certain that whatever it was wasn't from the door. There would be indicators whenever something or someone is tied to the door of trials, like the soul tug or system alerts.
Harry wondered if he could ask Edith or William if anyone in the Black Cosmos had heard of the Chamber of Secrets and knew anything about it.
—
The next night, William replied to Harry's inquiries and told him he knew several people who were in Hogwarts when the chamber first opened. According to the witness, the chamber had opened in 1943, approximately 50 years ago. Apparently, someone had died due to the creature unleashed from the chamber, which led to Hogwarts nearly closing down. The issue was resolved when the perpetrator, who happens to be Hagrid, was caught.
Everyone agreed that Hagrid was the most suspicious for bringing exotic creatures into the school at that time. However, later on, they found out that the Chamber of Secrets can only be opened by the descendants of Salazar Slytherin. So it turns out Hagrid was framed, and the actual perpetrator escaped, much to Harry's dismay.
Harry asked how the chamber is opened and learned that only those who speak the language of the serpents, parseltongue, can unlock the chamber. This ability is passed down to the descendants of Slytherin, and only they can speak it. No one knows what monster is hidden in the chamber, but they mentioned that the victim, Myrtle Warren, might know something. She is now a ghost residing in Hogwarts—all that's left is to find her.
Harry closed his communications after reading through all of the information. He owed William a lot after this. The brunette rubbed the bridge of his nose from the migraine that was beginning to form. He needed to focus on his preparations for the next door, which will appear in a month and a half—then this shitshow happens.
Not to mention, he was tired from earlier events. Hermione was still upset from getting called a mudblood, and Ron had to deal with puking slugs out from a spell misfire. After that, he had to think about what to do with Malfoy. Thankfully, he didn't need to worry about that since they hadn't met later that day.
Harry groaned and buried his head in the pillow.
'What to do. What to do. What to do. What to do. What to do. What to do.'
"Squawk!" Hedwig bit on his finger, which brought him out of his trance. "Ow… that hurts." Harry went to pet Hedwig but stopped when he saw his bloodied fingers. The stinging sensation slowly made its presence known, coming from the scratches on his arms.
"Huh…? Oh, I did it again."
Harry sighed and waited for his scratches to stitch itself. He had lost count of how many times he unconsciously scratched his arms until it bled whenever his mind drove him to a state of anxiety. It's fine, he had Hedwig, and he doesn't need to worry the others over something trivial.
It was 10 PM, and he should be resting by this hour. He still needs to get up at 5 AM, do regular training, catch up with homework, and then… ah, there's so much to do. Yet, he couldn't sleep at all, no matter how tired he was.
Harry got up from the bed and got his glasses, which were haphazardly thrown to the side. Everyone in the dorm was sleeping, so he carefully left the room with Hedwig on his shoulder. Invisibility cloak automatically wrapped itself around his body, hiding him from the naked eye. With a flick of his finger, a spell erased his presence to avoid detection through other means.
Slowly, the brunette strolled around the castle and then strayed to the Forbidden Forest. The night wasn't quiet like others would describe. It was filled with the sounds of crickets, creatures, and the noises of nature. Harry basked in the sounds while skillfully maneuvered around the dark, ominous forest—already familiar with the landscape for training despite the multiple warnings to avoid the forest at all costs. One would say that taking a stroll is a good way to refresh one's thoughts. However, strolling in the forbidden forest at night? that would be asking for a death sentence.
Harry hummed a random tune, trying to escape his noisy mind. He wandered aimlessly, coming across creatures who didn't know he was there. Then, a stream came into view, reflecting the moonlight from its calm surface. It was a familiar spot that Harry claimed the moment he came across it, it was spacious and far enough from the castle to avoid detection from teachers or students. The large boulders and rocks around the area had visible slashes, while some were sliced to pieces. There used to be more boulders, but little by little, the number declined until the area was cleared of it.
Removing the invisibility cloak, cold air touched his face making him involuntarily shiver. "Christmas is soon, yet I can't find myself to be excited." Harry sighed and touched Hedwig's feather, "What has my life come to be." He sat on a boulder and watched the water flow down the stream.
"Ya know, I thought that once I arrive at Hogwarts, I don't have to worry about my survival. I can live peacefully like the rest of my peers."
It's too bad even that he isn't allowed to have. No, he shouldn't be thinking like this. There are other matters to attend to. Harry started playing with his earrings while he thought of his plans. Based on the information William provided, he can narrow down his suspicions around the Slytherins. He couldn't carelessly assume a suspect—his best bet was to ask Draco if he knew anything, but that would mean sharing information about the case. Next was to search for Warren Myrtle, who died 50 years ago. There should be a tracking spell for ghosts—if not, then it's easy to ask around about her whereabouts. Maybe he can deal with the monster to avoid pointing fingers at all, the perpetrator will eventually show themselves after that.
"I can only allot two weeks for this at best. I still need to ask Snape about the damn potions and prepare Hedwig for the worst case scenario."
Hermione should know what to do with the Hogwarts issue so he doesn't have to worry about handling everything alone. As much as he hates to admit it, he wasn't certain about his survival rate. He had already written letters and made a will—sent to Gringotts if ever anything happened to him. But this is only for the worst case scenario. He'll still fight tooth and nail for every chance of living, even if it means losing a limb or two. Oh no, he's getting distracted.
"Hedwig, do you mind wearing a leg band?"
"Hoot."
"Hmmm, black would be nice since it'll contrast with your color."
"Hoot."
"Well, that's settled, I'll message Edith tomorrow morning and see if she can make something."
Harry checked his watch and saw that it was already 12 AM. He rose from his seat and patted his pajama pants to remove any dust. He beckoned Hedwig to his shoulder and wrapped them together with the invisibility cloak. They trudged through the forest with haste and ran into nothing. He didn't realize how long they were out despite having a watch to keep track of the time. Time easily slipped through his fingers without notice. If only he could control it one day so that he didn't feel like he was being chased by the inevitable future. Alas, that was merely an unattainable dream since it's impossible for mortals like him to do such a thing. If he were to be a god like Death, then maybe it wouldn't be so far out of reach.