It was strange not to have Matthew with them in the common room in the evening whilst he served his detention with the headmaster. The first night of his punishment, Harry and Hermione prioritised getting the small bits of work they had left done, though that didn't take a lot of time. Especially since Matthew wasn't there to provide fanciful tales that he claimed were true but definitely couldn't be to distract them. It was very rare for the pair to be left on their own. Whenever the trio had been split up before, it was usually the boys sticking together, like at Christmas the year before. Initially, Harry had found it strangely awkward to be in her presence, as if they were missing the glue that normally connected them. After all, wasn't it strange for a boy and girl to be friends? Harry didn't think so but it was easy to be convinced by conventional attitudes.

In the end though, Harry thought back to the time he had spent with her over the Summer and how much he had enjoyed that. So they settled into a similar rhythm, Harry doing his best to make her come out of her shell. It was a chance to talk about Muggle things without judgement, such as movies and tv shows. When they had watched some at her house, she had spoken so passionately about them that all he wanted was to get her to do that again. So, in between the work, he would ask her certain questions, such as what her favourite movies were, who her favourite fictional characters were. He asked about the letters she had been sending to her parents, wondering if he was still being mentioned, which Hermione had told him wasn't even up for debate. They were able to be normal for a few hours. That wasn't to say that Matthew wasn't normal. It was just that his levels on an ordinary day were always slightly higher than theirs. Being parted from him just made his presence all the more enjoyable.

Two nights later, with Matthew's second detention on the horizon, Harry found himself looking forward to what he and Hermione would get up to. During the day, he had even been thinking of new questions to test her, obscure ones that she wouldn't see coming. With an act of forethought, Harry had also brought Matthew into the equation during a particularly boring lesson in their History of Magic class, allowing the other boy to come up with his own queries that Hermione would never answer if she knew they were coming from him. Matthew hadn't seemed too perturbed by Harry's obvious enjoyment of being in her company. Harry had feared that his friend would tease him mercilessly about it but no such japes came. There was an understanding between them, the knowledge that they were simply incredibly fortunate to have her in their lives.

It was during the feast when Harry's excitement began to falter. As they ate, Hermione was in the process of quizzing Matthew about the time he had spent with Dumbledore. He'd been infuriatingly tight-lipped about the encounter, which, in all honesty, fit rather well with his established characteristics. He was carving through a particularly thick slice of chocolate cake as Hermione stared at him over her plate of pumpkin pie with extra cream.

"What has Professor Dumbledore got you to do? Why won't you tell us? You spent a good four hours with him the other night."

"I'm flattered that you waited up for me," Matthew responded, all too breezily for her liking.

"I'm just curious," she said defensively. "You're getting access to the greatest wizard that has ever lived, a luxury that many people would pay the highest sums of money for, and you're acting as if it's not a big deal!"

"I haven't said anything because it's just a bit…boring. That's all. We don't really talk. He has me organising his shelves, dusting things off, making sure that all of his knick knacks haven't become dangerous over time. You saw how large his office was. No wonder he needs someone to help him."

"But he must have told you some stories whilst you worked. With a mind as brilliant as his, I'm sure everything that comes out of his mouth must be interesting."

Harry was enjoying their little battle, the main way they typically talked to one another. He was about to add his own pressure onto Matthew when a familiar searing pain washed over him. As discreetly as he could, he pinched the bridge of his nose, concentrating on the cause. It was the same voice. The same dreaded voice that he had somehow heard after leaving Dumbledore's office.

"Rip…tear…kill…so hungry…for so long."

Harry glanced around fearfully, trying to look at everyone in the Great Hall, which was proving to be an impossible task. Someone had to be saying it, someone nearby. It was like a distant echo coming from the walls and yet it also felt like whoever it was was speaking directly to him, whispering in his ear.

"Kill…time to kill…I smell blood."

It was growing fainter and, with a rush to his head, the voice seemed to disappear. The loud din of the hall returned, the icy words replaced with the giddy chatter of children. But Harry was still frozen. Matthew and Hermione, having been caught up in their own conversation, turned to him to include him in their debate, only to see his ashen face.

"Is everything okay, Harry?" Hermione wondered.

"That…voice," he said shakily. "I could hear it again. Are you sure you couldn't hear it this time?"

"We have no idea what you're talking about," Matthew told him, glancing worriedly at the girl next to him. "Do you need to be taken to the hospital wing? The meal's almost done with so I can be finished in a few seconds."

Hermione hit him on the arm. "We'll take you straight away if we need to."

"Do you not believe me?" Harry asked fearfully. "Do you not believe that the voice is there? It sounded…dangerous. It sounded like it was going to do something bad."

Matthew seemed to comprehend that the matter was more serious than he had first thought. "Of course we believe you. I don't think you'd make something like this up. And you're not a good enough actor to pull it off."

Harry was squirming in his seat. "What do we do?" He was itching to move, itching to do anything other than sit by and let whatever was happening continue.

"I don't think there's a lot we can do. Hearing voices isn't the sort of trait you want to have, even in the wizarding world. I could bring it up with Dumbledore tonight during detention."

It was an idea that calmed Harry down a tad, but only by a small fraction. "What if it's too late by then? What if it attacks someone before then?"

"We don't know what it is," Hermione pointed out. "We can't go around the school, looking for absolutely anything. Hogwarts is so massive that it'd take us months."

Students were beginning to file out, heading back to their dorm rooms. The lessening crowd put Harry less on edge, as if whatever was the source of the voice had less room to hide with fewer people to blend in with. Matthew took him by the arm and lifted him up, making sure that no one knew that something weird was happening to the famous boy. They did their best to look normal as they began to walk through the busy corridors but Harry's head constantly turning to try to find the voice again made it a little more difficult. But none of the students were focused on them. The flow of children slowed until there was a full blown traffic jam in the hallway, and a wave of scared chatter washed over them. Mumblings of something that made Harry's heart drop and, fearing the worst, he wriggled out from Matthew's grasp and pushed through the other students, forcing his way to the front, leaving his friends behind.

He stopped eventually a few rows from the very front because the sight was too much to bear. Across the wall, written in scarlet ink that Harry dearly hoped was ink, were the words The Chamber of Secrets has been opened…Enemies of the Heir, beware . Each letter spanned at least a forward, allowing everyone to catch a glimpse of the message. People were wondering what it was and what it meant, others debated who would have been behind such a prank (because, surely it had to be a prank), whilst one boy complained about getting his shoes wet in a puddle when he had first come round the corner. But, being that close, Harry and the kids near him could see something smaller, an object dangling on the wall next to the threat. No, not an object, Harry realised with dread. It was a cat. Mrs Norris, to be precise.

"What's going on here? Why have you all stopped?" a rather grumpy voice shouted and some of the crowd were parted forcefully as Filch waded through. It seemed all of the commotion had attracted the caretaker, who feared that the heavy footfall would damage his pristine floors. But those concerns evaporated as his eyes landed on what everyone else was looking at. "My cat! That's my cat! That's Mrs Norris! What's happened to her?" His voice was a shriek as he frantically looked around, hoping to find any guilty faces in the crowd. He began grappling some of the kids, taking them by the scruffs of their necks. "What have you done to Mrs Norris? Was it you? One of your friends?" He kept repeating the same questions until a booming voice resonated around the corridor.

"Argus!" The headmaster marched over, pursued by Professors McGonagall, Snape and Lockhart. Dumbledore, who always spoke so softly it seemed, was showing the other side to his character, the one of the most powerful wizards alive. Somehow, he was walking faster than a man his age should have been able to and was by the poor cat within seconds, stroking at its still fur. His voice dropped to a murmur and Harry strained to hear any of his hushed conversation. Something was said about 'not dead' and 'petrified' but Harry wasn't able to piece everything together before Dumbledore was looking at the students. "Go to your dorm rooms! Do not leave them until your Heads of Houses have told you that you can do so. If anyone is caught in any corridor this evening, the severest of penalties will be handed out."

It was a strange occurrence to see Dumbledore so panicked and so angry, which meant the students were quick to do as told. Harry thought about staying behind a moment longer but the old man caught his eye, and the look he got him told him to turn around straight away and forget everything he'd seen. The last part wasn't going to be possible but Harry dutifully followed the steady stream of Gryffindors heading towards their tower, finding himself in the common room almost by luck. He hadn't been thinking about where his feet were leading him, focusing on the image in his head, of the terrifying message that was surely connected to the voice he had somehow heard. He was only snapped out of it when a strong hand jerked him violently away from the excited mass of Lions that were huddling in the communal area.

Matthew dragged him over to the corner, where Hermione was waiting. Neither of them looked particularly happy, which Harry put down to what they'd just been through. But it turned out that their anger was more minutely focused on him.

"Of all the stupid things to do," Matthew began. "Running away after banging on about hearing a voice inside your head, whilst that whole thing was going on…let's just say it wasn't your brightest of ideas."

"You're annoyed at me?" Harry asked incredulously.

"We're annoyed that you left us behind so easily!" Hermione countered. "You knew something dangerous was happening and decided to run straight towards it. For all you know, you could have gotten yourself seriously hurt, or put in the same state as Mr Filch's cat."

Harry put a finger to his lips and beckoned them over to a more secluded area of the common. "Shush, will you? I don't want everyone knowing that I had something to do with this."

"You didn't have anything to do with it." Matthew paused and gave him an odd look. "Right?"

"Well, I heard the voice, didn't I? It must have been the voice of whatever or whoever did this! So surely I'm connected."

"You don't know that for sure." Hermione wasn't being the most convincing.

"It's certainly not a rumour that you want spreading throughout the school," Matthew pointed out, looking over his shoulder.

"I should have acted sooner. I should have told Dumbledore the first time I heard the voice. I was right outside his office when it happened! This could have been avoided easily."

"Oh, Harry. What would you have told him? That there might have been a voice in your head? You didn't know enough at that point and you can't go blaming yourself for what's happened. No one got hurt at least. Apart from that wretched cat." He was interrupted by Hermione glaring at him. "What?" He was failing to act innocent.

She shook her head. "You shouldn't be making light of this. The implication of the message was that this could happen again. Enemies of the heir, beware. That's what it said. Meaning this heir is planning on targeting other people perhaps."

"We just don't know who the heir is," Harry said glumly. "So we can't protect whoever the targets are."

"There must be something that we can do. What was the first part of the message about? The Chamber of…Secrets? I've definitely heard of that. I wish I'd brought my copy of Hogwarts: A History now but there was no room in my trunk. Not with all the…Lockhart books." Her cheeks went crimson as her eyes ducked to look at the floor.

"What a great use of space," Matthew commented derisively. "But that's where I can come in. Hold that thought." Without another comment, he rushed off, galloping up the stairs, seemingly towards the boys' dorm room. They waited and waited, beginning to grow frustrated as their friend took a good while before he eventually returned, carrying a weighty tome under one arm. "Hogwarts: A History for the young woman." He handed it over to her as they sat at the table in the corner, Hermione gazing at him curiously.

"What took you so long?" she wondered.

He shrugged. "I have a lot of books."

Realising that was as good an answer as she was going to get (where was the change there?) Hermione began to thumb through the pages with practised ease. She knew this book like the back of her hand and it didn't take her long to find the right page. She slammed her finger on it triumphantly to regain their attention.

"Here it is! I should probably give you some context so you can understand what I'm talking about. You see, Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by four witches and wizards: Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, which is where the four Houses come from. They built the castle together, initially working in harmony as students began to arrive. But divisions grew, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"No surprise there," Matthew chimed in.

"Slytherin wanted to be more selective about which students were able to come to the school, wanting only those from all-magic families."

"Just like the nonsense Malfoy was sprouting the other day," Harry contributed.

"Precisely. As you can understand, Godric Gryffindor wasn't a fan of this and they had a big argument, with Slytherin eventually leaving for good."

"But what does this have to do with the Chamber of Secrets? Did Slytherin actually hide there instead of leaving?"

"Not exactly. It says here that, before he left, the rumours are that he built a chamber under the school that the other founders didn't know about. The Chamber is said to have been sealed by Slytherin, only to be opened by his one true heir when they came to the school. This heir would be the one person who could unseal the chamber, unleashing the horrors within, which would be used to…purge the school of those unworthy ."

"That's barbaric. Does it say what kind of horrors are down there?"

"No one knows for sure. Some kind of monster that the heir can control."

Harry shivered at the prospect. "Do you think I…heard the monster then?"

Hermione's bottom lip quivered. "It's…entirely possible. But you must remember that there is absolutely no evidence of the chamber existing. It says in the book that plenty of powerful people have searched for it. For all we know, someone could have read this same passage and decided to play an awful trick on everyone."

"What about the cat?" Matthew reminded them. "Why would a trick involve attacking a cat of all things?"

"Dumbledore mentioned something about it being petrified," Harry told them. "Whatever that means."

Matthew's face went grave. "Petrification is the process of turning a living thing into something akin to stone, frozen completely. That's very dark magic. If Dumbledore's right, then this couldn't be further from being a simple prank. Remember that warning we got from Dobby? I think this is it coming true."

xxxxxxxxxx

Understandably, the school was in a rather sombre mood from this point on. Some of the Slytherins did their best to act confident, but it was fairly obvious that even they were scared. Even Malfoy wasn't gloating as would have been expected of him, especially with his track record of insulting those that fitted the category as the heir's potential victims. But, whenever he spotted Matthew, he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut, a situation that they weren't going to complain about anytime soon. The teachers were constantly repeating the same message that there was no proof that the Chamber existed, nor was there any to conclude someone was prowling the school, biding their time before they attacked again. But they were agitated, Harry could tell. He would see them talking in hushed tones with one another, always stopping when children were in ear shot. Dumbledore had barely shown himself since the incident had happened, adding to the overall sense of dread that was hanging over Hogwarts.

"The fact that that little cat isn't yet running around the corridors is really troubling," Matthew was saying as they walked through said hallways. "If Dumbledore can't revive her, then I'd hazard a guess that whatever attacked her wasn't human. Adding to the theory that there is a monster lurking in that chamber."

"But how would a giant monster be able to get around the school without being noticed?" Harry wondered.

"Who said that a monster has to be giant? Anyone of any size can be evil given the chance."

Harry shuddered as they rounded the next corner, turning onto the very corridor where the attack had taken place. They stared at the scene before them, which hadn't changed since they'd last seen it, baring the absence of the cat. The ominous message was still there and Harry wondered why none of the professors had decided to get rid of it. If they wanted the students to believe that nothing was wrong, then the best way to have done that was removing the evidence. Everything felt strange at the moment. The strangest fact of all was that the corridor was deserted, so different to what it had been like with the nervous masses the other night.

"No Filch," Hermione commented. "He's been keeping guard since it happened. I feel sorry for him. I can't imagine the pain he's going through."

"With the way he was threatening anyone around him when he found out, it's probably for the best that he has a rest," Matthew pointed out sagely.

"It wouldn't hurt anyone to take a look around." Harry was already on his hands and knees, his bag left forgotten on the floor, as he searched for any clues. Hermione and Matthew were less eager to get involved.

"Don't you think it's best if we steer clear of the active crime scene?"

"What are you talking about? Surely you want to know what's happening! The teachers aren't telling us the full story and it's up to us to figure out why!"

Matthew and Hermione shared a nervous look. "It's just…you've been obsessed about this since it happened. Probably because of that voice you heard and I understand why you'd be wanting to investigate more. But, like I said, this is incredibly dark magic that's in play, especially if Salazar Slytherin is actually involved. You're going to get yourself hurt if you dig too deep."

"You're not going to stop me so it's probably a good idea to help me unless you want me to get hurt alone."

Matthew grumbled something under his breath as he shook his head. Hermione wandered over to the window, commenting curiously on the strange behaviour of a group of spiders as they hurriedly scurried out of the window, as if they were running away from the scene. They put it to the back of their mind as they continued searching, Harry more closely than his two friends.

"There was a puddle, wasn't there?" he asked them after a short while. "It's been mopped up. Where do you think it came from?"

"I'm guessing here," Hermione said as she pointed to a door, emblazoned with the sign that it was a girls' bathroom and out of order. Harry wrinkled his nose at the prospect of going inside but he was the first to bite the bullet, opening the door with a large, ungainly creak. The bathroom was the most horrendous he'd ever stepped foot in and he knew a thing or two about bathrooms after being forced to clean the Dursleys' for the majority of his life. A dusty and cracked mirror was accompanied by a row of chipped sinks, with taps that looked like they'd produce rotten sludge instead of water. The floor was also damp, which seemed to confirm Hermione's theory. The water reflected the dim lights given off from old candles that were still hanging on, no more than stubs as they floated around the stalls.

"What are you doing here?" a shrieking voice called at them and Harry stumbled backwards as a shimmering ghost soared out from one of those stalls, looking like a young girl, although her dress told him that she had died a long time ago.

"Um, hello, Myrtle," Hermione said awkwardly. "We were just wondering if…"

"This is a girls' bathroom," the ghost wailed. "They're not girls!"

"As sharp as a tack, this one," Matthew commented.

"Are you insulting me?" Myrtle gasped tearfully. "I wish people would stop teasing me! I do have feelings, you know? Even if I am dead!"

"Yes, yes…I'm very sorry. Now, have you seen anything strange around here? Besides the general…strangeness?"

"On Halloween," Hermione provided the key information. "A cat was attacked right outside your bathroom and we were wondering if you had managed to notice anything beforehand. It would be really helpful if you could provide any details, and we would all really appreciate it." It was like walking on eggshells, navigating a conversation with the phantom.

"I wasn't paying attention," came the frustrating response. "Peeves upset me so much that I came here straight away and tried to kill myself before I remembered that I'm…that I'm…I'm…"

"As dead as a dodo, we get it," Matthew chimed in unhelpfully and the ghost cried once more, flying away and disappearing back into her stall. An audible splash sounded as she went down the toilet. Matthew rolled his eyes at the theatrics.

"You completely ruined that!" Harry shouted at him. "She was about to tell us something, I know it."

"You're kidding yourself if you think she was going to be of any use. But, now that's over with, we can go back to the common room and not tell anyone that we were here. You heard how severe Dumbledore sounded when he warned everyone to stay clear and, frankly, after the Malfoy incident, I'm on a tightrope as it is."

"Harry Potter and his friends returned to Hogwarts!" a high pitched voice squeaked behind them and they turned around simultaneously, finding Dobby the House Elf by the entrance of the bathroom. "Dobby warned them about the dangers coming to Hogwarts would entail. Dobby believed Harry Potter and his friends when they said that they would not come but they lied to Dobby." He choked back a sob.

"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed. "How did you get into the school?"

"Hogwarts magic does not impair that of a House Elf. Dobby can apparate whenever he wants to."

"I'm sorry that we lied to you but we had to come here. We can do something about stopping this danger."

"Dobby was so shocked when he heard his master complain about Harry Potter! So much so that Dobby burnt his tea. Such a flogging Dobby received, as he deserved." He blew his large nose on the pillowcase he used as an outfit.

"Why do you wear that horrid thing?"

"It's the mark of a House Elf, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby replied.

"What does that mean?"

"House elves are only freed when they're presented with clothes from their masters," Matthew explained. "It seems that Dobby's masters have been careful not to give him any."

"Not even a sock!" Dobby chimed in.

"It's the epitome of being distasteful, to say the very least. Not even giving them the basic right of clothing." Hermione turned her nose up at the practice, feeling ill at the thought of the injustices carried out in this society.

"Enough talk about Dobby! Harry Potter and his friends must go home now! Terrible things are to happen, are already happening as you have seen. Dobby cannot allow the great Harry Potter to stay at Hogwarts, not after he gave us such hope after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was vanquished. History is repeating itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened." Dobby froze, horror struck. His eyes went wide as he ran over to the sink, bashing his head on the crooked edge. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Harry raced over to him, pulling him away urgently. "So there is a Chamber of Secrets? It isn't a myth? And you said it's been opened before…but by who? Who, Dobby?"

"Please, sir, ask no more of poor Dobby!" the creature cried. If he got any louder, people were bound to come running. "Dark deeds are planned to unfold here and Harry Potter must not be around when they come into play. Go home. Please go home. Harry Potter must not meddle in this…it is far too dangerous."

"I'm not leaving just because of this! I have friends here who I'm not going to leave behind. Especially if they're potentially a target."

"Harry Potter risks everything, even his own life for his friends. So noble! So valiant! Just as the stories say! But your friends can leave too. The boy knows a way of leaving here!"

That confused Harry even more. "What? What boy? What are you talking about?"

"Harry!" Matthew intervened. "Let go of him! You're hurting the poor thing!"

Harry relaxed his grip and Dobby tumbled to the ground. "Dobby has said too much. Dobby must go!" Harry desperately went to grab him again but, with a soft pop, the house elf vanished.

"He was going to reveal something then!" Harry complained. "He kept letting things slip! He could have helped us!"

"Don't you realise that he already has?" Matthew replied calmly, straightening his cloak out. "He said that his master was complaining about you. By the sounds of it, no more than a few days ago. Now, who would be angry about you still being here, who also would have the prejudices to own a house elf and treat them the way they do Dobby?"

Hermione let out a slight gasp as the same realisation dawned on Harry. "Malfoy!"