AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's finally here! The Chamber is now open for Business! (No Mud-Bloods allowed) Hehe!
Please Enjoy, I've already started on the next Chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 30 – Chamber of Secrets
Ronald Weasley's POV
October 11th, 1992 (Breakfast)
Ron nibbled on his toast while sitting all alone on the Slytherin table. Dawn had just broken out, and soon Ron would be leaving for Greengrass Manor. Ugh… I'd rather be asleep… And yet he wouldn't dare go back to sleep. His nightmare had been dreadful, and Ron was still reeling from it. He hadn't given the Entity any thought lately, and it had come back to remind him that it was still there… Ron shuddered. So many things were happening at once, Ron honestly just wanted a break. Just for one day… I just need to get my head on straight again…
"Mr. Weasley" came Snape's voice from behind him. Ron turned around with a forced smile.
"Yes, Sir?" Ron addressed the Potions Master. Snape was always awake at the break of dawn for some reason…
"I will not be in my office today, you will need to use the floo by yourself" Snape drawled. "You are capable of that, I assume?"
"I am, Sir. May I ask why you won't be around?" Ron asked, and he immediately scolded himself. Big mistake, Weasley… Big mistake… Snape's lips twitched into a frown.
"I have business away from Hogwarts today…" Snape answered curtly, and then he billowed away. He answered me? Merlin… Ron finished up his breakfast and decided to relax in the courtyard for an hour. As he was exiting the Great Hall, another thought occurred to Ron. Wait, I can't go outside… It's raining today… Hmmm… Maybe I should go to my Sanctuary instead? While Ron was making up his mind, he completely failed to notice the man standing right behind him.
"Good morning, Ronald" came Lockhart's excited voice. "Lovely day, no?" Ron hid his displeasure, and he turned around with another forced smile.
"Sir, it's raining… There's meant to be a thunderstorm today" Ron said politely. He is such a tosser… Lovely day… Who says that on a day like this?!
"Oh, must've slipped my mind" Lockhart grinned, his pearly whites were dazzling. "When you spend so much time traveling, like I do, you sometimes forget to take in the weather." What? HOW? You're literally outside when you're traveling, aren't you?! How do you miss if it's raining or not?! "Ronald, I have an offer for you" Lockhart quickly changed the topic.
"An offer, Sir?" Ron asked, this couldn't be good…
"Yes, my little prodigy" Lockhart grinned again, Ron ignored that comment. "I'm starting a Dueling Club in December, I want you to sign up! And, get your friends to join up as well!" A Dueling Club, that sounds awesome!
"I see" Ron smiled genuinely. "And what do I get?" Ron asked, his inner Slytherin coming out. Blaise and Theo would be so proud of me right now!
"Well, you get lessons from me!" Lockhart exclaimed, Ron jumped a little at Lockhart's sudden yell. "So, what do you say?" I don't know… I'd rather not have this idiot 'teach' me… "Also, Professor Snape will be acting as my assistant!" SNAPE?! An assistant?! To this jester?! Now that I want to see!
"I'm in" Ron smiled widely. "And, I'll even convince all of my friends to join up." Lockhart laughed happily at that.
"That's what I like to see!" Lockhart praised, and then he put his arm around Ron. Don't touch me… "When I was your age Ronald, I too was considered the brightest of my peers" Lockhart said happily. I'm not the brightest of my peers, Hermione is… "But I kept my focus, I never let their praise cloud my mind. You can always become better than you were yesterday, remember that my little prodigy!" Lockhart then gave Ron a paternal squeeze, and then he left for the Great Hall in a merry mood. What an utter tosser…
Ron shook his head to himself, and then he traveled up to his Sanctuary. He still had an hour to kill, so he might as well do some reading. The truth was that Ron needed a distraction from his worries, and that Tome of Curses was perfect. Not only would he relax a bit by reading it, he'd also gain more knowledge. If Lockhart was indeed starting a Dueling Club, Ron wanted to impress everyone! That included Snape…
Ron paced in front of the tapestry, and his Sanctuary's entrance appeared. Ron entered the room with a content smile, and he immediately sat down on his couch. The fire was already lit, and it was nice and toasty in the room. So much better than the dismal cold and wet outside… Ron then grabbed the Tome of Curses from underneath the couch, and he opened it to the last page he had read.
"The Dark Arts are indeed the most powerful brand of Magic" Ron read aloud, and he frowned a little. "However, fools and weak men have labeled them as 'evil' or 'vile'. This is not true. The Dark Arts are not inherently evil, it is the intent of the caster that determines whether or not they can be considered as such. Even Healing Magic can be used for dark purposes… It is the intent that matters the most!" Ron nodded at that, it made some sense. I could use the Severing Charm to kill someone… And the Severing Charm isn't considered as Dark Magic…
"As such, the Dark Arts can be used by even 'good' wizards" Ron read on. "It is recommended that one has a Dragon Heart-String Core, or a Phoenix Feather Core, as these two are the strongest of all cores when it comes to the Dark Arts. Those with Unicorn Tail Hair Cores will find it difficult to cast Dark Magic." I have a Phoenix Feather for my wand's core! Ron then decided to skip the lecture on Wand-lore, and instead chose to read about Dueling.
"The Dark Arts drain the Magical Core much faster than other brands of Magic" Ron read, and he nodded slowly. "As such, one must use them sparingly! It is often a good strategy to use charms and jinxes to give your opponent a false sense of security. And then catch them off-guard with a powerful Curse! Those who use the Dark Arts in excess during a duel will often tire themselves out, this is a foolish strategy. Watching over your own Magical Core is a wise policy when Dueling, it can determine whether one lives or dies."
Ron put the Tome of Curses down, he now had a better grasp on Dueling methods. The Curses in this Tome were amazing, but they had to be used as a last resort! I should focus on throwing stunners or the Disarming Charm, and then use a strong Curse to suddenly overpower my enemy… Ron got up and went to the practice area. A wooden dummy turned to face him, and it raised its wand slowly. Ron brandished his own wand and aimed it at the dummy.
"Stupefy!" Ron chanted, and a red light struck the dummy in the chest. The dummy reeled back, and then it slowly faced Ron again. "Expelliarmus" Ron chanted this time, and a scarlet light struck the dummy's wand hand. Its wand flew out of its hand, landing right in front of Ron. Ron smirked at the dummy, he felt quite proud of himself. One more spell… I'll try Brachium Colubrum Curse again! Ron aimed his left arm at the dummy, and he concentrated hard on a green ethereal serpent.
"Brachium Colubrum!" Ron chanted clearly, and he felt something cold slither on his left arm. A bright green ethereal serpent shot out of Ron's sleeve with intense speed, and the dummy was bound by the extremely long and ghostly snake. Ron grinned with utter pride, he had finally mastered this Curse. Ron could feel the serpent's tail wrapped around his own wrist, and Ron turned his left hand upwards slowly. The ghostly serpent tightened its hold on the dummy, and Ron heard the sound of wood cracking. Ron then jerked his left arm back with all the strength he could muster, and his ethereal serpent shattered the dummy into pieces!
"Yes!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "Bloody hell… that is the coolest spell I know!" The ghostly serpent slowly disappeared due to Ron losing his concentration, but Ron didn't care about that. He had successfully cast the Curse again! I reckon I could pull this off in a duel! Though I won't crush my opponent… Okay, that's enough practice. I need to go to Greengrass Manor and start my day with Lord Greengrass.
October 11th, 1992 (At Greengrass Manor)
"Ron's here!" Astoria squealed in delight as Ron came out of the fireplace. Ron smiled widely at the little blonde girl, they'd been getting along rather well. She's like Daphne, except she has a bit of the twins' mischievousness mixed in!
"Welcome back, Ron" Lady Greengrass greeted with a pleasant smile.
"Good morning, Lady Greengrass" Ron greeted the Lady of the Manor. "Hello, Astoria!"
"Let's go find daddy!" Astoria exclaimed as she grabbed Ron's gloved hand.
"Tori…" Lady Greengrass chuckled. "A Lady shouldn't grab a man's hand like that without even a greeting…" Haha! She never learns… Astoria let go of Ron's hand.
"Hello, Ron" Astoria smiled politely. "How are you?"
"I'm fine…" Ron replied slowly, he was now confused.
"There, I've greeted him!" Astoria grinned at her mother, who frowned at her daughter's unladylike grin. Astoria then grabbed Ron's hand again and pulled him along. "I think daddy is in his study! Also, what do you think of my new dress?" Ron looked at her girly magenta dress.
"It's lovely, and it suits you" Ron said with a practiced smile. I still have no clue about dresses… He knew that he had said the right thing because Tori's slightly chubby cheeks turned pink.
"How's my sister?" Astoria asked as she led Ron towards the study. Ron's smile fell at that, and he let out a tired sigh. "What's wrong?" Astoria asked, she was looking at him with a worried expression.
"Your sister and I…" Ron started but then he stopped. Should I really be telling her this? What if she tells Daphne that I told her about our fight? Daphne will hate me even more… I don't even know what I did wrong! Is she seriously that mad because I spent the day with Hermione?
"Ron, what happened?" Astoria asked, she was genuinely concerned now.
"We had a fight…" Ron muttered. So much for not saying anything… I just want someone to hear my side of things…
"Oh no!" Astoria gasped like it was the worst thing she'd ever heard. Okay… I was not expecting that reaction… "What did you do?" Astoria frowned, and Ron sighed again. Why does everyone assume I did something? I mean I probably did…
"I don't want to talk about it… Let's go to your father" Ron replied, he was completely put off now. The two of them then entered the study, and Lord Greengrass was reading the Daily Prophet in his black leather chair.
"Ah, Ronald" Lord Greengrass smiled at his protégé.
"Good morning, my Lord" Ron greeted.
"Daddy…" Astoria said in a sad voice, it was completely fake. "Ron and Daphne are fighting at school…" AGH! This little witch!
"Is this true?" Lord Greengrass asked with a furrowed brow. Ron looked at Astoria with a frown, and she was trying not to smile. Damn her!
"Um… No… Maybe…" Ron stuttered, and Lord Greengrass just blinked at him.
"Tori my dear, leave us" Lord Greengrass said with a smile to his youngest daughter. Astoria all but skipped out of the room. "Come, sit down. I have your day planned out already, you will solve harder chess puzzles today. And then, we can play a game before you leave." Ron sat down slowly and gazed at Lord Greengrass.
"You're not… upset with me? For fighting with Daphne?" Ron asked slowly, and Lord Greengrass just smiled.
"Friends fight, Ronald" Lord Greengrass said in his calm and kind voice. "And I'm sure my daughter is to blame just as much as you. Don't worry, it will pass. Now, get started." Ron smiled softly, Lord Greengrass was always fair with him. Ron then got to work on the move puzzles, and they were definitely harder. But then again, Ron's attention was split… His fight with Daphne and his fight with Ginny were at the forefront of his mind, and so he was slower at solving these move puzzles than he usually was. An hour in, and Ron had only managed to solve fifteen moves…
"Ronald, stop…" Lord Greengrass sighed, he was watching Ron's progress the entire time. Ron stopped immediately, and then he looked up sheepishly. He knows…
"I'm sorry, my Lord…" Ron muttered, he really needed to get a grip. Why am I letting everyone down?
"I don't want you to be sorry, Ronald" Lord Greengrass said calmly. "I want you to do your job, and I want you to do it properly. But… since it is most likely that your attention is split because of your fight with my eldest daughter… Let's talk a moment…"
"Talk, my Lord?" Ron asked, and then he gulped. We never talk about anything but chess…
"Yes, that is what I said" Lord Greengrass said calmly. "What is this fight about? And do not keep anything from me, Ronald. You will be wasting my time…" Dear Merlin… Was he always this intimidating? Yeah, he was…
Ron then told Lord Greengrass about how overwhelmed he was feeling, but he made sure to keep his Parseltongue powers to himself. But Ron did tell his mentor about his fight with Daphne, and his fight with Ginny. Ron told him about Luna crying all afternoon, and about how he had exploded in rage in front of the entire school. Ron even told Lord Greengrass about Malfoy attacking him, and about how Malfoy was now spying on him. Ron ranted for almost an hour, and Lord Greengrass listened quietly. Once Ron finally finished, he felt ten stones lighter… It feels good to get all of this out of my system. I know I told Theo and Blaise, but Lord Greengrass can actually offer me advice…
"You've had a rough few weeks" Lord Greengrass said with a soft smile, and Ron nodded meekly. The boy was burning himself out… Sebastian couldn't allow that to happen, Ronald needed to be at the top of his game! "Ronald, do you like ice-cream?" Lord Greengrass asked, and Ron blinked at his mentor.
"Um… Yes, my Lord" Ron replied slowly.
"Let's go to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour" Lord Greengrass said with a smile. He then stood up, and looked at Ron expectantly. Ron stood up as well.
"My Lord, I don't think I'm allowed to leave for Diagon Alley…" Ron spoke with a confused voice. What is going on?
"No one will know, come along" Lord Greengrass chuckled. Ron followed his mentor into the dining room, and they both saw Astoria playing with a doll. "Tori my dear, come along. I'm taking you to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour" Lord Greengrass called to his youngest daughter. Astoria beamed in excitement, and then she ran over to them.
"Yay! Really?!" Astoria asked as she grabbed her father's hand.
"Yes, really" Lord Greengrass laughed. It's odd hearing him laugh… He only does it around Astoria…
"Sebastian" came Lady Greengrass' voice, and they all turned to see her standing by the stairs. "Aren't you meant to be teaching Ron?"
"I am teaching him…" Lord Greengrass smiled slyly at his wife, and she gave him a beautiful smile. "Come, love. It's been too long since we had ice-cream together, we can even share one like we used to." Lady Greengrass chuckled at her husband's antics, and Astoria groaned.
"Ewww…" Astoria voiced her disgust. Even Ron grimaced at seeing such sappy behavior from his mentor. This day has taken a weird turn…
October 11th, 1992 (Ice-Cream Parlour)
"And here are your orders" the young waitress said with a bright smile. "Strawberry with chocolate for the young lady, plain chocolate for the parents, and forest berries for the young man!" Ron smiled at her, she was really pretty. What am I thinking?! Ron's ears felt hot. The waitress left and Lady Greengrass chuckled at Ron.
"Something wrong, Ron?" Lady Greengrass asked softly.
"No, my Lady" Ron answered quickly. She knows what I was thinking! Damn you Sirius Black!
"Love, don't tease him" Lord Greengrass chuckled.
"What happened?" Astoria asked, she was already scarfing down her ice-cream.
"Astoria Greengrass…" Lady Greengrass all but gasped. "Where are your manners?"
"Back at the Manor" Astoria giggled, and both Ron and Lord Greengrass stifled a laugh.
"Sebastian…" Lady Greengrass frowned at her husband.
"Sorry…" Lord Greengrass chuckled, and then he looked at Astoria with a wide smile. "My dear, remember your mother's teachings…" Astoria pouted, and then she began eating with etiquette. Ron ate his ice-cream with a smile, this was great. Not only am I not at school, but I'm spending the day in Diagon Alley!
"Ronald, I need to talk to about something important" Lord Greengrass said suddenly.
"Husband, can't it wait?" Lady Greengrass asked for Ron's sake, the boy was looking so happy.
"No, it cannot… Ronald will be going straight back to Hogwarts after this" Lord Greengrass said calmly. I will be? "Ronald, there is an important competition coming up in Paris. I have made the arrangements for you to take part in it. It is an 'exclusive' event… A competition between brightest young minds in chess." Ron went wide-eyed at that.
"Do not worry" Lord Greengrass reassured his protégé. "There are only seven other competitors, it is a tournament of sorts. You will only face three players, and they are all your age."
"Am I ready for this?" Ron asked, he didn't feel ready.
"You are more than ready" Lord Greengrass said. "None of your opponents have won the Junior League Tournament… If anything, they will be afraid of you." Ron relaxed at that. "But do not let your guard down, these are the best twelve year olds across Europe… And this competition is to be your debut as my apprentice. I expect you to win." Ron nodded.
"But we will be proud of you nonetheless" Lady Greengrass added quickly. Ron smiled at her, but he could see Lord Greengrass staring at him. Yeah, losing is not an option.
"When is the competition?" Ron asked.
"November the fifteenth" Lord Greengrass said firmly. "We have a month to prepare… Next week, I expect you to come to the Manor with your absolute focus. Is that understood?"
"Yes, my Lord" Ron answered clearly.
"Good" Lord Greengrass smiled, the boy needed a small push in the right direction. "Now, enjoy your ice-cream."
October 11th, 1992 (Lunch Time)
Ron walked into Snape's empty office from the fireplace. Oh, I forgot he was away today… I wonder where he went. Ron then left the office in a hurry, lunch had probably already started! He was carrying a charmed box of ice-cream in one hand, and a cat plushy in the other. The ice-cream was for Daphne, and the cat plushy was for Ginny. Lord Greengrass had even told him what to say when he gave away these apology gifts. I got this! This has to work…
Ron entered the Great Hall, and it was packed with the student body. Everyone was already eating, and Ron spotted Dumbledore smiling at him from the Staff table. Ron smiled back, and then he made his way to his friends. Okay Weasley, this is it! Say exactly what Lord Greengrass told you, and everything will be alright!
"Hello" Ron greeted his friends, and they all gave him surprised looks. Except for Blaise, he just cocked an eyebrow at Ron.
"Ron, you're back early" Theo said.
"Um… yeah" Ron replied lamely as he sat down in front of Daphne. She was looking at him rather oddly. Ignore it, give her the ice-cream and apologize. "Here, Daph" Ron said as he put the ice-cream box in front of her. "I got you your favorite, Honey Caramel with Macadamia nuts" Ron said sheepishly, and Daphne stared at the box with wide-eyes. "Listen, I'm really sorry about our fight. I really want to sort this out, can we please talk?" There! I said it to perfection, if she ignores me now…
"Ron…" Daphne muttered in shock.
"That's from Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour" Blaise frowned. "Did you skip your day with Lord Greengrass?" All of his friends looked at Ron with a mixture of shock and disappointment. Daphne was just staring at the box.
"What? No" Ron replied quickly. "It's a long story, but Lord Greengrass took me to Diagon Alley…"
"In this rain?" Tracey asked with narrowed eyes.
"Actually it was quite sunny" Ron replied. "Hogwarts is on the other side of the country, Trace…"
"Oh… I always forget that…" Tracey mumbled. Ron then looked to Daphne with a hopeful look.
"Please Daph, can we just talk?" Ron pleaded. Daphne nodded meekly, and her eyes were getting wet. Um… I think it worked a little too well…
"Ron?" came Percy's voice from beside him. Ron turned to Percy with a smile, but it fell when he saw Percy's scowl. "We need to talk, now." NO! I just got her to acknowledge me! Ron looked to Daphne, and she smiled at him.
"Alright…" Ron muttered, and then he followed his brother out of the Great Hall.
"Why are you back so early?" Percy questioned him as soon as they were outside the Great Hall.
"Lord Greengrass let me have the day off" Ron answered truthfully.
"I see…" Percy nodded slowly. "Ron… we need to talk about what happened with Ginny…" Shite, here comes another lecture! I already know I did wrong by her, Perce…
"How is she?" Ron asked quickly. Percy let out a tired sigh and shook his head.
"I don't know…" Percy said in a tired voice. "She won't even look at me, and it's getting to me. I'm really worried about her, Ron. And you didn't help by shouting at her…" Ron shuffled his feet and looked down. "What made you blow up like that?" Too many problems… And a really bad temper...
"I'm really sorry…" Ron said softly. Percy looked at Ron for a few seconds, and then he smiled sadly at his little brother.
"I know" Percy said as he put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "I heard about what she said last night…" Ron looked up at that. "Quite a few people heard that, actually" Percy explained. "The twins included… They're planning to cheer Ginny up somehow…"
"That's good" Ron smiled faintly. "They always get her to laugh…"
"They'll have to find her first…" Percy sighed. What? "She isn't here for lunch, again… Ron, I'm really starting to worry here. I think… I think she's been sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest."
"My friends and I think the same thing" Ron agreed. "Hermione and I looked around the whole castle, Perce… We never found her…"
"I've written to mum and dad" Percy said firmly. "Maybe they can get her to start acting normal again…" Percy then shook his head and rubbed his own face with his hands. "I don't get it… What's happening to her?"
"Does she have friends?" Ron asked. "Hermione told me that Ginny gets along well with others… But I don't believe that anymore."
"She was fitting in well" Percy muttered. "But then suddenly she wasn't, I just don't understand. I think she's overwhelmed with her schoolwork and her new environment. That has to be it." Ron nodded slowly. Ginny is no shrinking violet… But I'm not so sure anymore… "Promise me that you won't yell at her again, Ron. Promise me right now."
"I promise, Perce…" Ron said.
"Good, now go have some lunch…" Percy smiled sadly. Ron smiled at his older brother, and then he went back inside. But it was too late, students were heading out already. Didn't even get to eat… again! Ron saw his friends approaching him, and Daphne was smiling widely at him
"Ron? Can we talk?" came Hermione's voice from his right. Ron turned to her with a smile, but she was looking at him with a blank face. For Merlin's sake, is everyone out to get me today? This'll annoy Daphne!
"Um… sure…" Ron replied hesitantly. Hermione then made her way out, and Ron shot a quick look to Daphne. She was still smiling at him, and she gave him an approving nod. What the hell? Did the apology work that well?! Next time we fight, I'm going straight to Lord Greengrass! Ron then followed Hermione out of the Great Hall and into the courtyard.
"Is everything alright, Hermione?" Ron asked her when he caught up. She stared at him with a blank look.
"You tell me…" Hermione replied rather coldly, Ron hadn't expected that. "I didn't help you look for Ginny just for you to yell at her. I didn't think you were like that, Ron…" Ron shuffled his feet again.
"I'm not… I just…" Ron muttered, he could feel a shameful blush come onto his face. "I've been under a lot of… stress…" Ron admitted.
"We're all under the same amount of stress, Ron" Hermione scolded. "But we don't go around yelling at other students, it was a horrible thing to do…" I know, but trust me Hermione… My problems tower over yours… "And poor Ginny… You terrified her, Ron. You're her older brother! How could you do something like that?! You bruised her wrist, Ronald! She cried all the way up to Gryffindor Tower!" Ron had no answer for her, she was right after all. I'm the worst…
"Maybe Neville was right about you…" Hermione said coldly. "Maybe you are just another Slytherin bully…" Ron flinched at that, and his face must've shown his pain because Hermione immediately looked sorry. "Ron… I'm sorry. What I meant was that…" Ron cut her off.
"It's okay, I deserve it…" Ron said softly. "I was horrible to her… I just don't know what came over me, but that's no excuse… I just want her to know how sorry I am…" Hermione looked at him sadly. "Here, can you please give her this?" Ron asked as he gave Hermione the cat plushy. "She loves cats…" Ron smiled sadly at the plushy. I'm so fucking sorry, Ginny…
"Of course, Ron" Hermione said. And then she suddenly hugged him, and he didn't even react. Hermione was a rather sensitive person, so he understood that she was hugging him because she felt bad about what she had just said. "I'm sorry for implying that you're a bully… All I meant was that you acted like Malfoy would… But I know you're not like that…" Ron hugged her back lightly, being compared to Malfoy was still hurtful.
October 11th, 1992 (Slytherin Common Room)
Ron entered the common room and he was immediately approached by Daphne. She didn't utter a word, instead she grabbed his gloved hand and led him back outside. She was dead quiet as she led him further down the dungeons, and Ron just followed her quietly. Once they were in a dark corner, Daphne turned and faced Ron with a sad smile.
"Um… Daph, what are we…" Ron started but Daphne hugged him suddenly. What is going on here?! First Hermione, and now Daphne?! She tightened her hug, and their bodies pressed together. Ron felt his face burn, and he just stood there like an idiot. I can feel her… chest… Her two small bumps were pressed tightly against his chest.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Daphne whispered, she was still hugging him tightly.
"What…?" Ron muttered like a buffoon. His brain had stopped working… Somewhere in Wizarding England, Sirius Black must have been laughing maniacally.
"I'm so sorry, Ron" Daphne croaked, was she crying? "I'm the worst friend in the world…" What the fuck happened while I was away?!
"No, you're not…" Ron whispered back, and then he put his arms around her. Merlin… I'm going to pass out… We're touching too much, even for a hug!
"You were under so much stress… and I kept pushing you…" Daphne muttered, and then she sniffled. She is crying! "I'm the worst…"
"No, no it's okay… Daph, please don't cry" Ron said, comforting her was proving rather difficult. I hope no one sees us… The rumors that would float around would be the end of me!
"And then I ignored you all day" Daphne cried, she was clearly not hearing a word he was saying. "You kept apologizing, but I just ignored you… I'm so sorry… And now you even got me my favorite…" she sniffled loudly "ice-cream… Theo was right, I'm horrible to you…" What? Theo said that?! OH MERLIN! He bloody told her everything I told him! That son of a bitch!
"And…" she sniffled, and then she pressed herself against him more tightly. "And, I'm not afraid of you Ron… I don't care that you're a Parselmouth…" Agh! Don't say that in public! And stop this hug… please… I'm starting to feel weird…
"Daph… It's okay" Ron whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry too… I'm sorry for spending the whole day with Hermione… But she was only helping me look for Ginny, I swear…"
"I don't care about that" Daphne said. This hug is never going to end, is it?! Merlin… I feel lightheaded… "I was upset because you broke your promise to me…" Daphne whispered, and then she sniffled. Ron knew for certain that his shoulder was covered in snot, but he didn't really care about that.
"My promise…" Ron whispered, and then he remember. I promised her I would never lie to her again… SHITE! "Daphne, I'm sorry…" Ron started but she cut him off.
"It's okay, I don't care anymore" Daphne said firmly. "I was being really selfish… and possessive… And I won't do that again, I promise…" She loosened her hug a bit, but she didn't let him go. "You must've been so terrified, and you must've felt so alone…"
Ron relaxed into her arms when he heard that, he had been scared… No, he had been horrified… He didn't even know who he was anymore after speaking to that snake at the zoo… And then his own horrible anger had engulfed him, and he had begun lashing out… He had lashed out at his parents, and then he had lashed out at Ginny… It was as if the Ronald Weasley he knew was just slipping away… And all he could do was watch… He had felt utterly helpless… And so he had just ignored those feelings like some coward… But he couldn't ignore them now. Daphne's words had lifted that dark fog from his mind, and he felt all of his worries and fears creep back into his mind… But this time, he wouldn't hide from them. I will not turn into that 'Ron' from my vision! The 'Ron' that Pansy was afraid of, the 'Ron' that ignored his friends, the 'Ron' that was clearly an evil person! Ron's hands began trembling, and he felt weak in the knees.
"I am scared…" Ron muttered, and Daphne let out a soft gasp. "Daphne… I'm really fucking scared…" he whimpered, his eyes burning. "And I don't know what to do…" Daphne tightened her hug again.
"I'm here…" Daphne hummed in his ear. "We're all here, Ron. We won't leave you…"
Severus Snape's POV
October 12th, 1992 (Midnight)
"Tell me" Albus smiled at him. "How are the Malfoys?"
"They are terrified, Albus" Snape said with a tired sigh. "Lucius is adamant about helping Nott find the Dark Lord. And Narcissa… She worries for her son." Albus nodded, his eyes weren't twinkling right now.
"Lucius' fear of the Dark Lord will be his undoing" Albus said softly. Not all of us are as powerful as you… He's right to be afraid… "My heart goes out to Narcissa, her son deserves better than the Dark Lord's Mark…"
"She is at her wits end, Albus" Severus told his mentor. "She is torn between aiding her husband, and protecting her son's future."
"Do you mean to tell me she can be turned?" Albus asked, his eyes came alive at the prospect.
"I… don't know" Severus said honestly. "She despises all Muggles and Muggle-Borns, just like her family taught her. Just like she taught Draco… But she fears the Dark Lord." Albus sighed at that.
"Being trapped in-between your individual philosophies and your duty to your family can be… challenging" Albus said, his voice sounded weak for a moment. Sounds like he is speaking from experience… Snape had never asked Albus about his family, nor would he. Some things should remain buried…
"I share her worries about Draco" Snape admitted. "If the Dark Lord returns…"
'When, Severus… When he returns" Albus corrected him.
"Yes, when he returns… He will need an army" Severus said softly. "And he will look to the children of his former Death-Eaters. Children who are already taught to hate Muggles and Muggle-Borns…"
"Not all of them do" Albus smiled. "Some are moving towards the light ever so gently…"
"You mean the second years?" Snape asked calmly. Dumbledore smiled and rubbed his chin, and Snape knew that his old mentor was pondering something.
"Tell me Severus, how are things between Ronald and Draco?" Albus asked in a soft voice.
"They are… strained" Snape replied. "Ronald told me that he would 'retaliate' if Draco kept spying on him…"
"Spying? For Lucius?" Albus asked.
"No… Lucius has forbidden Draco from even looking at Ronald" Severus replied. "Draco is acting of his own accord, and it will not end well for either of them…"
"Then you must step in" Albus instructed. "Young Draco is walking down a dark road, Severus… You must guide him back to the light." Snape nodded at that. Albus is right. Losing his friends to Ronald, and then losing his respect in the house have pushed Draco to the edge… I must act now!
"I will not fail him" Severus promised Albus. His old mentor smiled at him.
"I know there is good in Draco's heart… You must unearth it, Severus. For his own sake" Albus said, his smile was kind and genuine.
Ronald Weasley's POV
October 31st, 1992 (Halloween Feast)
"All I'm saying is that collecting chocolate frog cards is an expensive venture" Theo argued. Ron and Blaise rolled their eyes at Theo and Millie's argument. They've been arguing all day…
"Hardly" Millie shot back. "They cost one Sickle…"
"And seventeen Sickles make up one Galleon!" Theo exclaimed in annoyance. "You say that you have eight-hundred and sixty-two different cards, that's over forty Galleons! And that isn't even counting cards that you've thrown away…"
"It's her money…" Ron sighed. "Why does it even matter to you?"
"It doesn't" Theo said firmly.
"Then why are you even arguing?!" Tracey all but shouted.
"Because that money could be spent on better things…" Theo defended himself. He's arguing because he's bored…
"Like what?" Millie asked with a scowl.
"I don't know… You could buy a book on spells, or something…" Theo replied slowly.
"Merlin, kill me…" Pansy sighed to herself.
"Can we please just eat in peace?" Daphne asked in a tired voice. "This feast only happens once a year, let's please enjoy it. We can argue tomorrow…" Theo and Millie frowned at each other, but they didn't argue. Ron smiled gratefully at Daphne, and she gave him a soft smile back. Things between Ron and Daphne had been great over the last few days! She took the time to completely think things over now, and she never pushed Ron for anything. And she hadn't once acted jealously or bitter towards him!
"I want actual food…" Blaise frowned at his plate of sweets. "This is hardly nourishing…"
"Only you would turn your nose at a dinner made up of sweets and desserts" Pansy chuckled. "You're such a food snob."
"I am not" Blaise replied with an indifferent face. "I merely understand the value of good food…"
"Nuh-uh" Pansy said childishly, and Ron sighed to himself. Great, another argument…
"I see they are serving chocolate frogs…" Theo muttered, and Millie glared at him with utter rage. "Millie, is something wrong? You're looking a bit flushed" Theo smirked. Pansy and Blaise started arguing about food, while Theo and Millie started arguing about chocolate frogs again. Tracey joined in and defended Millie from Theo's snide remarks, while Ron and Daphne just exchanged tired looks.
"Have you tried the raspberry-tart?" Daphne asked Ron with a smile. Let's ignore them, good idea Daph!
"No" Ron replied with a smile. Daphne then scoped some up from her plate with her fork, and then she reached across the table and held the fork to Ron's face.
"Here, try it" Daphne smiled. Ron leaned forward and took a bite. Merlin! That's delicious! "It's great, isn't it?" Daphne asked as she sat back down on her seat. Her cheeks were turning rosy, but Ron didn't really notice.
"It is, where did you get it?" Ron asked in return.
"I had the last slice" Daphne smirked at Ron mischievously. "And you're not getting anymore." Ha! This witch!
"I could always steal some off of your plate…" Ron said with a playful smile, and Daphne mock-gasped.
"You wouldn't dare!" Daphne shot him a challenging look. Ron picked up his fork and looked at Daphne with an evil smirk. Daphne giggled and moved her plate closer to herself. "Don't Ron… I'm warning you…" Daphne said playfully. She shrieked as Ron lunged forward with his fork.
As the feast came to an end, Ron rubbed the back of his left hand. It turned out that Daphne was extremely skilled with a fork, and their little 'sword' fight had gone badly for Ron. Daphne had laughed triumphantly as she finished her raspberry-tart, while Ron had sulked and licked his wounds. But if Ron was being honest, his little 'sword' fight with Daphne had been extremely fun.
"Never challenge a Greengrass again" Daphne smirked at Ron. They were exiting the Great Hall together, and Ron was walking alongside Daphne.
"This isn't over…" Ron narrowed his eyes at her, but she just giggled at him. I'm trying to be threatening… Please don't laugh in my face…
"Whatever, I'll just school you again if that's what it takes" Daphne giggled. Ron chuckled a bit at her behavior, who knew Daphne could be so much fun? She's really loosened up a bit around me over the last few days! I like it…
"What's going on up there?" came Blaise's voice, and Ron turned to face the stairs leading up. There seemed to be some sort of commotion happening on the second floor. Most of the Slytherins were already heading upstairs to check it out, and Ron's group decided to follow suit. There were a lot of students in the passage, and they were all dead silent. What's going on?
"Let's push forward a bit" Theo instructed the group, and they did as he asked. Ron gently moved a few people out of his way, and then he stopped dead in his tracks. What the hell…? Foot-high words had been smeared on the wall between two windows, and they shimmered due to the light cast by the flaming torches.
"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED! ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE!"
Ron heard the girls gasp, but he couldn't even respond. His brain was working at the speed of lightning, trying its absolute best to make sense of the situation. The words had been written in blood, and Ron spotted Mrs. Norris hanging limply by her tail from a torch bracket. Ron then looked to the three Gryffindors who stood in the middle of passage, and they were gazing around with terrified looks. Hermione… Harry… Neville… What the hell is going on here? Ron suddenly felt someone bump into his right shoulder, and they pushed Ron out of their way.
"Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mud-Bloods!" Draco Malfoy shouted. His pale features were flushed, his cold grey eyes were alive with excitement, and he wore a cruel grin on his face. Ron felt disgusted by Malfoy in that moment…
"Ron, the heir of Slytherin?" Daphne whispered as she grabbed onto his left hand. "How's this possible?" She sounded extremely frightened, and Ron couldn't blame her. He felt like his own heart was going to burst out of his chest at any moment…
"I don't know" Ron whispered back, and then he tightened his hold on her hand. "It's okay… I'm right here…" he comforted her in whispers. Ron then shot a look to Theo and Blaise, and they were looking back at him with confused looks. So they don't know either! What the actual fuck is going on here?! Tom Riddle Jnr was the heir of Slytherin, and he isn't even in this school anymore! Was the report wrong? Shite! We need answers right now!
"What's going on here?!" Filch shouted at the students as he pushed them out of his way. "Move along! Nothing to see…" his voice stopped halfway through his sentence. He gasped in utter horror and fell back as he saw Mrs. Norris dangling off the torch bracket. "Mrs. Norris…" Filch muttered with a shaky voice. "What's happened to my cat?!" Filch shrieked, and Daphne tightened her grip on Ron's hand.
"You…" Filch screamed at Harry, who went wide-eyed. "You did this! YOU KILLED MY CAT! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Argus!" came Dumbledore's voice, the Headmaster had arrived on the scene with Snape and McGonagall at his back. Dumbledore moved past Harry, Neville, and Hermione without a moment's hesitation, and he detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus" Dumbledore said softly. "You as well Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss. Granger."
"Headmaster" Lockhart stepped forward. "My office is the closest, just upstairs. Please feel free to use it."
"Thank you, Gilderoy" Dumbledore said without even looking at the man. Lockhart grinned like the cat who got the canary, and he followed after Dumbledore.
"Prefects" McGonagall said firmly. "Take your house-mates back to their dorms… No one is allowed to leave their common rooms, am I understood?" Then she turned around and marched after Dumbledore. Ron managed to lock eyes with Hermione for a second, and she looked at him with a terrified expression. What were they doing here?
The prefects did as they were told, and the Slytherins began their march down to the dungeons. Ron kept his hold on Daphne's hand, it made him feel a little better about the whole ordeal. He knew that she felt the same way because she was currently crushing his hand in a manner that would make Ginny proud. GINNY! Where was Ginny?! I didn't see her at the feast… Wait, I didn't even check! SHITE! I hope she's alright… Ron and his friends exchanged looks on the way down, and they all ignored Malfoy's glee over the fact that the Heir of Slytherin was at Hogwarts. The moment they entered the common room, Ron and his friends went straight to the boys' room.
"What the fuck?" Tracey asked Theo, and Theo frowned at her. "Your report lied, Theo! The Heir of Slytherin is at Hogwarts now!"
"We don't know that" Blaise interjected as he sat down on his bed. "This could be someone's idea of a joke…"
"A joke?" Pansy muttered, she looked pale. "They killed Mrs. Norris…" Ron sat down on his own bed, and Daphne sat down next to him. They were still holding hands, and Ron decided to keep going with it. It was helping them both cope…
"How's this possible?" Ron asked his two best friends. "Tom Riddle Jnr was the heir, he had to be… All the evidence pointed towards him!"
"Clearly the evidence was wrong…" Millie sighed, she then sat down next to Pansy who was sitting on Theo's bed. Theo was currently pacing in front of the bathroom door.
"No, whatever my investigator found was the truth" Theo said as he shook his head. "She doesn't make mistakes, trust me…" Then we're at square one again! Who's the heir if not Tom Riddle Jnr?
"It's not me…" Ron sighed tiredly. "Just putting it out there…"
"We know" Daphne smiled softly at him, and then she squeezed his left hand. "You were with us the entire night, so you couldn't have done it." Ron smiled at her gratefully, he really needed to hear that.
"So the Chamber of Secrets was opened back when Tom Riddle Jnr attended Hogwarts" Blaise mused. "And now it's open again…"
"Two heirs?" Theo asked Blaise, and Blaise shook his head.
"Parseltongue is hereditary" Blaise said firmly. "That means…" Blaise started but Pansy cut him off.
"Tom Riddle Jnr had a child?" Pansy gasped, and everyone was surprised to hear that.
"It's the only logical explanation" Blaise nodded at Pansy. "I foolishly thought that he died in the war, but what if he didn't?"
"What if he had a kid?" Ron finished for Blaise. "That kid would be the Heir of Slytherin…"
"Exactly" Blaise said with a serious expression.
"Who could be his child?" Daphne asked, and Blaise shrugged his shoulders.
"It could be anyone…" Millie muttered.
"No" Theo jumped in. "They have to be in Slytherin… I mean, they are the Heir of Slytherin after all…"
"Malfoy?" Tracey grit out, she looked extremely angry. "Did you hear what he said?! It has to be him!"
"Malfoy doesn't seem the type" Ron said softly, he already knew Malfoy's future. He died saving those Muggle-Born children… The Heir of Slytherin wouldn't do that…
"Doesn't seem the type?" Tracey asked Ron with an angry tone.
"Ron's right" Blaise sighed. "Malfoy is no Parselmouth… I know that for certain. When we were nine, we found a snake on the grounds of Malfoy Manor … He ran off screaming like a little girl. He's not the Heir of Slytherin."
"And if he was, he'd have already gone after Ron" Pansy added. Tracey looked extremely put off at that. Then something clicked in Ron's head… Dobby! That House-Elf that warned Harry that something bad was going to happen at Hogwarts this year! He must have been talking about the Chamber!
"Dobby…" Ron muttered to himself, and Daphne looked at him with confusion.
"Dobby?" Daphne repeated. "I've heard that name before…" Ron looked at her with wide-eyes.
"Where?" Ron asked.
"That's Lucius Malfoy's servant…" Theo answered for Daphne. "How do you know about him, Ron?" Ron took in a sharp breath, and then he told them all about Dobby and his warning to Harry. Everyone was stunned silent due to Ron's tale. After he had finished, Blaise looked at Ron with narrowed eyes.
"Why are you only telling us now?" Blaise asked with a frown. Because I forgot all about it…
"It doesn't matter why he didn't because he's telling us now" Daphne defended Ron, and Ron looked at her with utter shock. Even Ron's friends were taken aback by this odd behavior, Daphne was always the first to call Ron out if he ever hid things… The world's going mental!
"Either way… we don't have any proof" Theo sighed. "The ramblings of some damn elf don't mean a thing…"
"Theo is right" Pansy agreed. "Did Dobby ever mention to Potter who the Heir of Slytherin was?"
"He never mentioned the Heir of Slytherin" Millie piped up. "Ron just told us that Dobby only gave a warning about 'terrible things to come'."
"We need to keep an eye of Malfoy" Tracey said firmly. "If his father's House-Elf knew of some evil plot, then Malfoy may be a part of it…" Ron yawned as Tracey finished. I need to sleep, I have to go to Greengrass Manor tomorrow… LORD GREENGRASS! I can ask him about the Chamber!
"Ron, are you tired?" Daphne whispered to him. Ron smiled at her and nodded.
"It's Friday night…" Ron whispered back. "I have work tomorrow with your father…" Daphne nodded slowly, and then she looked to their friends.
"We can talk about this tomorrow" Daphne told them. "Ron has to go to sleep, he has work tomorrow morning." Ron's face flushed and his ears burned due to Daphne's actions. She sounds like my mum… Everyone looked put off, but they didn't argue with her. The girls left the room shortly after, and then it was just the boys.
"Goodnight, mate" Theo said to Ron.
"Goodnight, Theo" Ron smiled at his weedy friend. "Goodnight, Blaise." Blaise looked to Ron with an indifferent face, and then he gave Ron a curt nod.
November 1st, 1992 (Greengrass Manor)
"So the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once again…" Lord Greengrass muttered, his features had gone even paler. Ron had just told him everything that he knew about the Chamber, Dobby, and Tom Riddle Jnr.
"Yes, my Lord" Ron nodded. "I was hoping you could help me…"
"You involved my daughter in this investigation…" Lord Greengrass said softly, and he looked at Ron with a dead-serious look. Ron immediately felt intimidated.
"My Lord… I didn't intend it…" Ron muttered as he looked down. Lord Greengrass sighed.
"It is alright, Ronald" Lord Greengrass said softly, and Ron looked back up. "My daughter is no gentle flower, she would have involved herself if she thought her friends were hiding things from her." Ron smiled faintly at that, Daphne definitely would do that. "I imagine that an owl from Hogwarts is no doubt on its way here…"
"Why?" Ron asked.
"I am on the Board of Governors, Ronald" Lord Greengrass reminded Ron. "They will be alerting all of us… Including Lucius Malfoy." Ron frowned at the sound of that name. "If the Chamber has indeed been opened once again, at least my daughter and you are safe…"
"Sir, I'm a Blood-Traitor" Ron said softly, and Lord Greengrass clicked his tongue.
"Do not call yourself that near me…" Lord Greengrass ordered, and then he took in a quiet breath. "Marty!" Lord Greengrass called, and there was a loud crack that echoed throughout the study. Ron jumped as a House-Elf appeared from his right.
"My Lord, you called for Marty?" Marty the House-Elf asked, his voice was a bit squeaky. "How may I assist you, Master?"
"Ronald, meet Marty" Lord Greengrass introduced the two. Marty looked at Ron, and then he bowed respectfully. Ron gave the Elf a firm nod. Marty was about three feet tall, had long spindly arms and legs, had large bat-like ears, had big blue eyes, and he wore a white pillow case that had the Hogwarts insignia on it.
"A pleasure to meet you" Ron greeted politely, he was surprised to see the House-Elf. Marty simply smiled at Ron.
"Marty is one of my personal House-Elves" Lord Greengrass explained. "He works in the Hogwarts kitchens and keeps me… posted… on any news."
"My Lord, Marty has something to tell you" Marty said quickly, but Lord Greengrass stopped him by raising a hand.
"I know about the Chamber, Marty…" Lord Greengrass frowned. "Why I had to hear this from Ronald and not you is beyond me…"
"Forgive Marty, my Lord" Marty bowed his head. "But the staff are on high alert, including us Elves… Marty was waiting for nightfall, my Lord."
"I have no use for your excuses…" Lord Greengrass scowled at the Elf, and Ron shifted in his seat. This is awkward… "Ronald, what do you know about House-Elves?" Lord Greengrass asked Ron suddenly.
"Um… They act as servants to wizards and witches" Ron answered. "They are extremely loyal to their masters, and they have their own kind of magic…"
"Have you ever wanted a House-Elf?" Lord Greengrass asked, his voice put Ron at the edge of his seat. What's he up to?
"Yes…" Ron replied honestly. Ron had always wanted a House-Elf, and so did every other Weasley. His mother wanted more help around the house, the twins wanted one to practice pranks on, Percy wanted one for status, and Ginny wanted one to play with.
"Good" Lord Greengrass smiled, and then he turned to Marty. "Marty, you now belong to Ronald Bilius Weasley. He is an important ally to the Greengrass Family. Serve him well, that is my final order to you." Ron was just stunned into absolute silence, and Marty gave Lord Greengrass a deep bow.
"Marty understand, my Lord" Marty squeaked. "Marty will serve Master Ronald with absolute devotion." Absolute devotion… Merlin, I own a House-Elf now? Wow… Ron looked to Marty and smiled at his new servant. Marty gave Ron a deep bow. "What is your first command, Master Ronald?" Marty asked. Um… Ron looked to Lord Greengrass, and his mentor simply smiled and cocked an eyebrow.
"Return to Hogwarts, and keep doing what you were doing before" Ron ordered firmly, though his voice shook a bit at the end. "But you will now report your findings to me directly…" Marty bowed, and then he disapparated with a loud crack.
"Well done" Lord Greengrass smiled. "I expected no less from you, Ronald. You have a sharp mind when it comes to tactics. And now, you have your own personal spy and servant working within Hogwarts." Ron smiled at Lord Greengrass gratefully. "Use him well."
"Thank you, my Lord" Ron said excitedly. "Words cannot express my gratitude…" Lord Greengrass raised his hand to stop Ron.
"Think nothing of it" Lord Greengrass smiled. "You are an ally of the Greengrass Family, Ronald. We watch over our friends, just as you will." Daphne? That's why he gave me Marty? He wants me to watch over his daughter… Well, I was going to do that anyway! But now I have my own Elf too! This is wicked! "Now, let's play a game before Mary calls us for lunch."
November 3rd, 1992 (After Lunch)
The last two days had been hectic and full of scandalous rumors… Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, was dead. The only thing that the students knew for certain was that the spell used to kill Mrs. Norris had been extremely Dark Magic. Ron himself suspected the Killing Curse, which he immediately told his friends. He had also told them about Marty being in his service, something which had caused Daphne to gush excitedly. Ron had no idea why she was so happy about this bit of news, but he decided not to ask.
The school was still reeling from the message left behind by the Heir of Slytherin, and there was already a suspect pool created by the older female students. It made Ron sick that some of these girls actually supported crushes for the Heir of Slytherin. What made Ron even more sick was the fact that he was on that list. Being the first Weasley to be sorted into Slytherin was the basis for their suspicions, and Ron found himself being stared at when he was just minding his own business.
There were a couple of other suspects as well. Those suspects being Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter. Malfoy did nothing to extinguish the rumors of his 'Blood-line', but Harry and Ron did. Harry was the main suspect mostly due to his presence at the scene of the crime. Ron didn't believe that Harry was the heir for even a second, though his friends were slightly more skeptical towards that belief. Even Ron couldn't argue that Harry's presence at the scene of Mrs. Norris' death was suspicious…
Filch, the Caretaker, had disappeared into his office. He had yet to leave the office, and many students cruelly joked that the old squib had killed himself. Ron ignored these jokes because he felt bad for Filch. The man was a grumpy and bitter bastard, but he loved that cat dearly. Filch loved Mrs. Norris like she was his family… Ron understood that kind of pain… He understood it far too well to laugh at it… Ginny seemed to share the same sentiment as Ron because she was horribly sad for the cat. Ron knew that his sister was a cat-lover, and it hurt Ron knowing that he couldn't comfort Ginny. They still hadn't spoken a word to each other, and this separation was killing Ron slowly. He missed his little sister… And he hated himself for pushing her away…
"Professor Binns" came Hermione's voice, and it pulled Ron out of his thoughts. "I was wondering if you could tell us more about the Chamber of Secrets…" Ron's ears perked up at that, and so did everyone else's.
"Miss. Granger" Professor Binns drawled in his boring tone. "The Chamber is a myth… nothing more…"
"But Professor" Hermione argued, and Ron saw Malfoy glaring at her. "Even myths have to have some basis in reality, otherwise they cannot exist…" Ron blinked at that. She is amazing, she is! Professor Binns must have thought the same thing because he sighed and relented.
"Fine, Miss. Granger…" Binns said in an annoyed tone. "The Chamber is said to be a creation of Salazar Slytherin, a Founding Member of Hogwarts… Salazar, unlike his fellow Founders, believed that only a select few should be allowed to study Magic."
"Pure-Bloods and Half-Bloods?" Hermione interrupted.
"Yes" Professor Binns sighed. "The climate between Wizard-kind and Muggle-kind was turbulent at the time, and so Salazar greatly mistrusted Muggle-Borns. He feared that the Muggle-Borns would betray the school, and so he begged his fellow Founders to… dispatch them…" Everyone in the class went wide-eyed at that. "Godric Gryffindor disagreed, and a fight broke out between the Founders. When Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff sided with Godric, Salazar left the school abruptly. These are the facts that reliable historical documents have proven to be true…"
"Now the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets impedes upon these facts" Binns continued, he suddenly sounded irked. "A rumor began that Salazar had left a Secret Chamber behind which housed a monster… And that this monster would purge the school of all Muggle-Borns when it was released… And only the Heir of Slytherin would be capable of controlling it… This is all, in fact, utter nonsense. The school has been searched many times for such a Chamber, and nothing of the sort was found…"
"Sir" Hermione called as she put her hand back up. "What do you mean when you say that the Chamber houses a 'monster'? What kind of 'monster' is it?"
"No one knows" Professor Binns frowned. "The fools who started this rumor never came up with a creature… They only referred to it as the horror with the Chamber of Secrets." The class exchanged nervous looks. "I am telling you all that this Secret Chamber does not exist… If it did, it would have been found already."
"But only the Heir of Slytherin can find it" Dean Thomas said loudly, and Ron frowned at him. "Maybe that's why no one has found it yet?"
"Nonsense" Binns sighed out. "Hogwarts has been under the care of the greatest witches and wizards known to Wizard-kind… They would have found it by now…"
"What if you need Dark Magic to find it?" Parvati Patil gasped, and Lavender Brown also gasped. Ron looked to Theo and Blaise, and they smirked at him. Gryffindors…
"Dark Magic is not inherently evil" Binns snapped, and Ron looked to the ghost professor with a faint smile. The Tome of Curses said the same thing! "Even Headmaster Dumbledore is capable of using the Dark Arts, if he so chooses!"
"He would never!" Finnegan yelled, and the Gryffindors cheered. Ron rolled his eyes, and he spotted Neville looking right at him. Ron gave him a smile, but Neville sent him a glare. Ron was shocked to see that, but he kept his composure. What the hell was that for? Is he mad at me? What did I do?!
"Enough!" Binns yelled over the class. "No more on this myth and its insane implications… The Chamber of Secrets is not real! End of discussion! Now, open your books and let's start our reading on the Wizengamot!" The entire class moaned in displeasure, and that included Ron.
November 3rd, 1992 (Before Dinner)
"What am I doing here?" Ron whispered to himself. He was currently standing within the exact same corridor in which Mrs. Norris had died. Some morbid sense of curiosity had led Ron here, and he couldn't help but look around. I should hurry, or my friends will begin to worry! Ron then had a quick look around, and his eyes fell on some scorch marks. What made these? Ron followed the scorch marks closely, and he nearly had a heart attack when he saw where the marks were leading him.
About twenty tiny spiders were crawling in a line, and they were all heading out of a crack in a nearby window. Agh! Merlin, what the hell?! Damn spiders! Why are they acting like that?! Ron side-stepped the spider line, and his whole body shuddered involuntarily. Fucking disgusting little bastards! Images of a giant spider attacking him in his sleep came to mind, and Ron slapped his own face to forget. Damn Fred for doing that to me… Ron shook his head, and then he looked around again. His eyes landed on a door with an 'Out of Order' sign hanging on it. That's the girls' bathroom… Isn't it haunted by a ghost named Moaning Myrtle? Myrtle… I've heard that name before… MYRTLE WARREN! Ron's eyes almost bulged out of his head at the realization. Ron quickly entered the bathroom without a second thought.
It was the most depressing bathroom he had ever seen, and it was horribly gloomy as well. There were a few lit candles that were lighting the room up, but only barely. Ron had to squint in-order to spot out the rows of stone sinks, and the shattered mirrors above them. No one has been in here for years… Ron then looked to the toilet stalls, and he noticed that the doors were all scratched and cracked. One of the doors was barely hanging on by its hinges. Yeah, this place is definitely abandoned…
"Ahem!" came a voice from behind Ron, and he jumped in fright before turning around. He came face-to-face with a squat female ghost who was wearing glasses and had a lot of acne. Ron also noticed that she was wearing the Hogwarts school uniform. "This is the girls' bathroom!" she shrieked at Ron. "You are not a girl!" Shite! She's gonna tell on me… I need to convince her that I'm a friend!
"Are you sure?" Ron joked with a smile. "My older brothers would beg to differ!" Ron smiled at her politely, and she stared at him with narrowed eyes. And then she began giggling hysterically, her voice was grating and Ron did his best to keep up his smile.
"That's funny" she giggled. "You're funny! What are you doing here?"
"I was just looking around, I like to explore the castle" Ron replied. "They told me that a ghost haunted this bathroom, and I just wanted to meet you." The ghost looked at him with utter shock.
"Meet me?" she whimpered, and Ron scolded himself internally. Did I say something wrong?! The ghost then began crying loudly, and Ron took a step back in shock.
"Um… don't cry… I'll leave!" Ron stuttered. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!" The ghost shook her head, her crying got even louder.
"No one ever wants to meet me…" she cried. "I'm just boring, dead, useless Myrtle!" she howled.
"Myrtle Warren?" Ron asked slowly, and Myrtle stopped crying immediately. Um… Was that all an act? What's wrong with her?!
"You know my full name?" Myrtle smiled, her eyes were still teary. "How?"
"I heard that a girl lost her life fifty years ago… I read up on you" Ron said softly. "I'm sorry about your death…"
"Thank you" Myrtle sniffled. "You're so kind… and funny… Are you single?" Single?!
"Um… yes…" Ron replied, he felt his face flush at that. Why would she ask me such a weird question?! I need to leave, she is making me uncomfortable. Myrtle stared at Ron hungrily, and Ron shot her a sheepish smile. "So… Um… I have to go… Dinner is about to start…" Ron muttered lamely. Myrtle flew closer to him slowly.
"Okay… come and visit me again" Myrtle giggled.
"I will" Ron lied as he walked around her. "Bye Myrtle, I'll see you soon… Oh, and please don't tell anyone I was in here… I'd get in a lot of trouble…"
"Okay!" Myrtle giggled again, her voice was so irritating. "It'll be our little… secret…" she said suggestively, and Ron blushed. Merlin… I need to get the fuck out of here! Ron then moved to the door and exited.
"What the hell?" Ron whispered to himself, and then he ran down to the Great Hall at full tilt.
Harry Potter's POV
November 3rd, 1992 (Dinner)
"Is that Ron?" Neville asked with a furrowed brow, and Harry turned to face entrance to the Great Hall. It is… Ron looked flushed, and out of breath. What's wrong with him? Ron quickly moved to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Daphne Greengrass. He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed out loud and pushed Ron's head away. Ron smirked at Greengrass and kept trying to whisper in her ear. Are those two… dating or something?
"They're awfully close…" Dean Thomas said from beside Harry. Hermione turned around to look at Ron and Greengrass laughing together. She immediately frowned. Nice one, Dean…
"Why was he so late? What was he up to?" Neville asked Harry, and Hermione's frown turned into a scowl.
"Give a rest, Neville" Hermione said coldly, and Neville frowned at her.
"Guys, don't fight please" Harry said in a placid tone. The last few days had been the most annoying few days in Harry's life, not counting the Dursleys of course. Wherever Harry went, people whispered behind his back. They called him the Heir of Slytherin, and Harry absolutely hated it! He had refused to join Slytherin but the Hat had told him that he'd be brilliant within the House of Snakes… That alone was enough to scare Harry, he didn't want to be labelled as a Dark Wizard…
"So what? We can't even point out Ron's odd behavior now?" Neville asked scathingly. Hermione jutted her jaw stubbornly.
"He was running late…" Hermione said coldly. "That's all. Stop trying to label him as the Heir of Slytherin." Harry sighed when he heard that. Neville was one of the few people that believed Ron was behind the attack, though he never admitted it out loud. But he kept bringing Ron up every now and then, and it was not to praise him…
"I've never once said that" Neville sighed softly. "I don't want to fight, Hermione…" Harry smiled at Neville when he heard that, his best friend really was a gentle soul. Neville may not like Ron, but Neville hated fighting with his own house-mates. Hermione smiled weakly at him.
"I'm sorry too…" Hermione muttered. They then began eating their dinner quietly, and Harry listened to the conversations around him. Seamus and Dean were talking about Quidditch, Percy was pestering Ginny to eat more, the twins were laughing with Lee Jordan, and Parvati was gossiping about the Heir of Slytherin with Lavender.
Harry shot another look at Ron, and he saw the red-head talking with Pansy Parkinson. That made Harry feel a bit uneasy, Parkinson used to be Malfoy's friend. She probably still is… She is so hateful towards Hermione! Bigot… Why is Ron friends with any of them?! That was something that raised suspicion within Harry, but he kept it to himself. He liked Ron, and he really didn't want to believe that Ron was a bad person. But Ron would sometimes do things that bothered Harry greatly…
For one, Ron had exploded with rage at Ginny. He had bruised her arm, and the anger on his face had even intimidated Harry a bit. It was genuine rage… And then just today, Neville had told Harry that Ron was rolling his eyes at the Gryffindors for defending Dumbledore… Even Hermione had once mentioned that at Neville's party, Ron had been quite bitter about Dumbledore. Harry couldn't understand why, Dumbledore was the greatest sorcerer to ever live! And he was a kind and gentle person! Why does Ron hate Dumbledore? Why did he treat Ginny like that? She hasn't been the same since…
Dinner ended shortly after that, and Harry went up to the Gryffindor common room alongside his house-mates. Once they were inside, Harry took a seat with Neville and Hermione in front of the fireplace.
"Who could it be?" Hermione suddenly muttered to herself. "Who could want all the Squibs and Muggle-Borns out of Hogwarts?" She's thinking about the Heir again… It makes sense though, considering that she herself is a Muggle-Born.
"My money's on Malfoy" Harry said softly. "We all heard him… What he said right after we found Mrs. Norris…" Harry frowned to himself, Malfoy really was scum!
"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione asked skeptically. "I don't know…"
"C'mon Hermione" Harry sighed. "His entire family has been in Slytherin from the very start! He is always boasting about it to anything with ears! They could all be Slytherin's descendants! His father is definitely foul enough…"
"I still don't know…" Hermione bit her bottom lip. She always does that when she doesn't know something…
"Neville, back me up" Harry looked to his best friend, and Neville sighed.
"I don't think its Malfoy, Harry…" Neville muttered, and Harry almost smacked himself for being an idiot. Why did I even ask him?! Now Hermione is going to get upset…
"Let me guess" Hermione said with a frown. "Ron is the Heir of Slytherin…" Neville just looked at her with a sad look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I know he's your friend, Hermione…" Neville started but Hermione cut him off.
"He's our friend" Hermione corrected him. "And he cursed Malfoy when he called me a 'Mud-Blood'… I don't remember any Gryffindor coming to my rescue…" Both Harry and Neville flinched at that, their own personal guilt tightening their chests. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that…" Hermione muttered. "What we need is proof…"
"And how do we get that?" Harry asked in a tired voice. I should've defended Hermione when Malfoy said that… I knew it was a bad word, but I didn't do a thing!
"There might be a way…" Hermione said in a whisper. "But it will be dangerous… Extremely dangerous… Not to mention that we would be breaking like fifty different school rules…" Harry leaned forward.
"What are you suggesting?" Harry asked with baited breath.
"We need to break into Slytherin…" Hermione whispered, and both boys went wide-eyed. "Then we ask Malfoy a few questions, and get out before he realizes that it's us…" WHAT?! HOW?!
"Hermione, that's impossible…" Neville whispered.
"No, it isn't" Hermione whispered. "All we would need is some Polyjuice Potion…" What's that?
"Polyjuice Potion?" Harry asked.
"It's a potion that transforms you into someone else" Neville answered with a furrowed brow. "Am I right?" Hermione smiled at Neville.
"Yes" she whispered excitedly. "We use it to turn into three Slytherins, sneak into their common room, and then we question Malfoy. He would probably tell us everything considering his ego…"
"And then we turn back after a while…" Neville finished for her. "We turn back, right?"
"Exactly" Hermione whispered. "But I don't know the recipe… Snape mentioned that the recipe was in a book called 'Moste Potente Potions'. I think that the book is in the Restricted Section of the Library…" Great, so we need permission from a teacher!
"We could use the cloak" Neville muttered, and Harry went wide-eyed. Brilliant!
"No" Hermione said quickly. "If we steal it, people will go looking for it… We need permission so no one suspects us! And I will not steal from the library… ever!" Damn…
"One more thing…" Neville sighed. "I think we should question Ron…"
"Absolutely not" Hermione frowned.
"Hermione, don't be so naïve" Neville frowned back. "What if he really is the Heir? We need to look at all the possibilities! And Ron is a suspicious person…"
"No, he is not" Hermione argued, but her voice was slightly weaker. Neville is wearing her down…
"Yes, he is…" Neville said softly. "He is a Weasley who was placed in Slytherin… He sneaks around the castle all the time… He can turn invisible… He hates the Headmaster… And, we've all seen him kill before…" The troll. Harry shuddered hard, that night still haunted him. Ron had single-handedly killed a Mountain Troll without any mercy… And according to Neville and Hermione, Ron had looked extremely happy with himself right after…
"This isn't right…" Hermione muttered weakly. "He is our friend…"
"Which is why we need to know…" Neville said, and Harry found himself agreeing with Neville.
"I'm with Neville on this" Harry said, and he shocked both of his best friends. "Hermione, we need to know…" Hermione nodded sheepishly, and Harry smiled at her sadly.
"Fine…" Hermione agreed softly. "But let me do it… I'll disguise myself as one of his female friends… And I'll question him…"
"Agreed" Harry responded. "Now, we just need that book…" Which Professor would be dumb enough to let us borrow it?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Finally! The Chamber is open, and I can get the plot moving again! So much groundwork had to laid for this year's big moments...
Thank you all for sticking around with me! I just want to quickly tell you all how much I appreciate and love your support! It pushes me to work harder, and I'm truly grateful for that! Merlin bless you guys! (That was a little cringe but I don't care =) )
See you all soon!