Chapter 21

Ask and you shall receive

Chamber of Secrets

"Are we going to be expelled?", Marley asked in a more than subtly nervous whimper, Harry having remained completely and eerily quiet thus far as the two students plus professor wandered even more corridors.

"Unfortunately, Miss Verpe, neither myself nor Professor Snape can decide that now.", Professor McGonagall, who had taken it upon herself to escort the suspects personally, gave back in a cold tone. Though based on her expression she clearly felt for the worried child next to her.

"It is now up to the headmaster, I'm afraid.", was her final verdict, fittingly spoken, as the three just now reached a strange statue of a griffin, placed in a carved-out part of the wall, unsuspectingly so. Harry could swear he walked right past by this spot several times before.

"Professor Dumbledore will be awaiting the both of you.", the regal elder informed them, her voice now having shifted from firm to empathetic quite a few times.

Harry couldn't bring himself to reply with any words whatsoever, nor did he have the brains to deliver a piece of hopeful encouragement directed at the young witch fiddling around with her locket. There was simply too much on the boy's mind to shuffle in an orderly fashion – from his deeply-rooted worries concerning heritage, to the whispers of accusation tossed against him by fellow students – and now even Marley herself, a person he adored perhaps more than anyone, had briefly gained the properties of a disruptive factor, when prior to today he never failed to find calm in his heart when thinking about her.

What am I disappointment about? Why did I expect something to happen before? And what was it?!

"Sherbet Lemon.", McGonagall finally uttered, the arguably silly phrase both shattering his confused thought process, as well as activating some sort of mechanism hidden beneath the statue, he and Marley immediately comprehending that their next action is to hop onto a staircase's tip lurking right next to the stone griffin.

Seconds after the actual staircase proper rose from beneath the floor, it and the statue spinning clockwise as the two students exchanged nervous looks, neither possessing the strength to speak. Usually, Marley would have something up her sleeve but... but now? Nothing?

Is she mad at me? Christ, please don't be mad at me, Marley.

Just before the boy erupted with some kind of question or other, the entrance came to a smooth, yet thunderous halt, the wooden door fashioned with a round top almost looking like it might wave them inside. And so, it seemed as though it did, Miss Verpe deciding to take charge as she entered first.

Dumbledore's office revealed itself as a minor disappointment, as both Harry and Marley expected the interior design part to lean a lot more towards the silly side, perhaps comparable to a gag shop rather than what it actually looked like – an impressive collection of old books, portraits, and strange, magical items hanging from the ceiling. The Boy who lived tried his best to cool down his genuine, naive fascination for all these fantastical gizmos and doodads, directing his attention onto the witch walking ahead becoming a much-needed point of focus in that regard.

Said witch came to a halt eventually, emitting a deep, and I mean deep exhale before turning around with what looked like guilt displayed behind her glasses.

"I'm scared.", she mumbled, comfortable enough in Harry's presence to utter her current thoughts in such a soft manner. To hell with whatever her feelings are – it seemed to matter less and less with every new problem arising.

"Don't be.", was his immediate answer, one requiring very little training, as it felt like the most important thing to say, "You didn't do anything. I... I'll lie and say I did it if I have to."

Where did that come from?

"No, Harry...", she scoffed as she realized what exactly he just said, the boy reacting equally baffled by his own choice of words, "You can't do that. And... I didn't mean I'm scared about now..."

She paused for a moment, making sure that Harry wouldn't add any thoughts before continuing in an uncomfortably worried tone.

"Harry I've been... worried for a while now. I... I just didn't feel like... bothering you with it. Y'know?"

"What?", he blurted out as he took a step closer, "You're not... bothering me, Marley – where'd you get that idea from?"

"Well, you...", she almost sounded like gasping for either words or air – perhaps both, "You have so much going on that's troubling you at the moment. I just... I don't want to pile on top. But... the truth is... I'm so scared. Whatever is attacking muggleborns... it must be something horrendous, truly. I hate the idea that it might be another Slytherin. And then, well think about it – Hermione might be next. It could-"

"Stop it.", he spoke, perhaps somewhat rough in his delivery, though gently grabbing her arms softened the demanding tone greatly, "You're not bothering me with your worries. I mean... think of your letter from last year, around Christmas?"

The girl's heart skipped a beat or two, surprised and ecstatic that he remembered such a detail.

"I felt so... special with what you wrote me. At the same time... I knew that... I needed to be there for you whenever you're feeling down. And I know you said you don't want to tell me about that thing that's bothering you... but... I..."

Caught in the fiery passion of his own words, he briefly lost them. Meanwhile all Marley could think of is how damn much she wanted to kiss him right now.

"Bee in your bonnet, Potter?"

Interrupting them both, the old, leathery voice of course belonged to a shabby hat of equal description being stored on top of a shelf to their left, a face growing on the object as it seemed as though it was in the mood for conversation.

"Suppose we do...", Harry answered sounding guilty, slowly removing his hands from Marley as he felt a strange, twisty feeling in his stomach, as if something about that action upset him again.

"Can I ask you something?", Marley disclosed all of a sudden, the Sorting Hat raising his non-existent eyebrow.

"And that is?", it gave back.

"I was wondering...", her lips twitched a bit as her brain scattered for the right series of words, "...well... I was wondering if you put me in the wrong House. I think... maybe I should've been in Gryffindor."

Harry almost stumbled a bit at the question, shocked to his core as to how far Marley's doubts seemed to climb. He of course had been wondering the same thing vice-versa.

"Hmm...", is how the enchanted accessory began, "Your doubts have persisted same as I saw them a year ago, Verpe."

She took a moment to form a pout as Harry stood there and watched, frantically moving back and forth between hat and girl.

"Ravenclaw could've been a fine fit, yes. You certainly possess the brave heart of a Gryffindor as well."

"So...", she spoke as she stepped closer, "I... could've been...?"

"I do not sort the past, madame. I merely serve to see a person's potential, see them for who they are and who they could be. I stand by my choice and repeat what I declared then – Slytherin House will take you far beyond what you could imagine yourself to be."

Marley froze a bit, these words almost an exact copy of what it said last year. Similarly, the sentence rang in Harry's mind, a memory he had long forgotten resurfacing as he recalled the Sorting Ceremony from many months ago.

He had already joined Gryffindor House, delighted to share pleasantries with other kids his age he found to be nice, especially Ron, who he had hoped would become his friend.

"Marlene Verpe!", McGonagall had shouted, a short, boyish girl with glasses and slim features walking on stage in her skirt because of it. Much like with him, the hat had been placed upon her scalp as it processed the child's mind below.

"You have much that is bubbling inside you, a deep heart. I see that you will be taken far beyond what you could imagine yourself to be – Slytherin!"

Some applause followed as the girl reacted somewhat neutral.

Back then Harry didn't think much of it, someone he didn't require meeting or learning about. Only her appearance stuck, mostly because a set of glasses that looked very similar to his.

This particular moment felt like a bloody lifetime ago now. So much has happened in the meantime that he couldn't possibly put it into words. He only looked at the girl with surprise, his gaze finally wandering over to the hat again, the item appearing bored by their exchange already.

"What about me?", he dared to challenge, "Should I have been in Slytherin?"

He pictured it for just a brief moment. Green ties. A common room with water. More time with Marley. Before Harry was able to assess it, the hat hummed again.

"You could have been Slytherin and done so well. That is all I shall say."

The face disappeared and the talking headwear morphed back into ordinary item.

Before either child could really let those words simmer in and have an effect, a bright light next to Dumbledore's desk in the back caught their eyes. Though they weren't exactly sure what had happened, Harry made it out to be some kind of larger bird that was suddenly ablaze, orange flames crawling around its body before swiftly transforming the entire animal into ash.

"Oh no.", the Slytherin cried out, dashing over towards the little bowl of grey carbon as Harry followed close behind.

"We didn't... we...", came out in a whimper, the girl close to breaking into tears at this.

"Harry. Marlene."

Both sets of eyes hidden behind round glasses switched over to the top of a smaller staircase, the headmaster in his burgundy robe appearing with what could only be described as friendly caution. Holding onto the railing, the older man descended as Marley began to stutter.

"Professor... we... your... your bird it just... it caught fire, we... we didn't..."

"We didn't do it, sir.", Harry cut in as his heart tore apart at the sound of his friend's distress, "I swear, it just... went up in flames. We just stood there."

"Oh, and about time too. Fawkes has been looking dreadful for days.", Dumbledore spoke as he halted for a moment, continuing his exposition while he kept going down the stairs, "Pity that you two had to see him on burning. I suppose it must've been something of a shock."

"Bloody yes.", Marley laughed, her voice a bittersweet wail as she wiped away stress-induced tears.

The kind old figure smiled at them, patting Marley on the shoulder before walking up next to the bowl of ash.

"Fawkes is a phoenix. When it is time for a phoenix to die, it bursts into flames. Then... it is reborn from the ashes.", he chuckled as a tiny bird head emerged from the pile, something Harry found both disgusting and beautiful at the same time, while Marley squeaked in a high pitch as she saw the cute little beast, "Fascinating creatures, they are. Able to carry heavy loads. And their tears are said to have special healing properties."

Completely ignoring the reason why they're here, the three of them admired the adorable little baby for a few more moments, Marley seeming especially enchanted by the reborn Fawkes.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, wait!", a deep, bark-ish voice sounded as the office door was ripped open by a half-giant, "Listen, sir, it wasn't Harry nor Marley!"

"Hagrid.", the headmaster calmly replied with one hand raised.

"I'd be prepared to give me testimony at the Ministry of Magic!"

"Hagrid!", the old man spoke slightly louder, "Relax. I do not believe that Harry or Marlene are guilty of anything."

"Of course you don't! And-", just as Hagrid was caught in his own ramblings, which seemed earnest and hastily prepared on the way here, he slowed down at the realization that it wasn't necessarily required, "Oh. Oh. Well... in that case I'll uh... I'll just wait outside then."

"That would be sufficient.", Dumbledore assured the tall man with a nod, Hagrid subsequently leaving and shutting the door behind him in a manner more civilized than when he opened it.

"You don't think it was us, Professor?", Harry finally uttered, Marley still a bit too much distracted by the newborn bird for now.

"No Harry, I do not believe that it was either of you."

Feeling at least some weight dropping from their shoulders, the two shared a joyful look, Harry's cheeks tingling as he tried to calm himself down.

"I must ask you though...", Dumbledore continued, making them both nervous again, "...is there something you... wish to tell me?"

Sensing that his gaze was focused on the boy, Marley made no effort to hide her unease, a pout being more than enough evidence to suggest something being up. Harry himself did consider sharing his and his friends' theories on the Chamber, though ultimately decided against it.

"No, sir. Nothing.", he lied.

"Very well then. Off you two go."

On their way back to the Gryffindor common room the two of them passed by a very nervous-looking Hagrid with whom they shared a few words, though spoke very little after. For Harry it was a dreadfully long process of trying to figure out the right thing to say whereas Marley was too afraid to speak with Harry alone after everything. She might turn red again and make it all embarrassing. Though she did take the long road, accompanying the boy to the staircases leading to the third floor, so perhaps part of her was expecting something.

"Are you feeling better?"

He felt silly for wanting to ask something so dull, though for the girl it was more relieving than anything to hear such a simple phrase.

"I think so.", she sighed before continuing, brushing through her hair with her hand, that more elegant curl in the front completely flat after a day such as this, "At least we needn't worry about punishment. And I liked Fawkes a lot, so that... lifted my spirits."

She shrugged, casting a smirk onto his features as they briefly halted, the fat lady's portrait now close enough to hear the madame's attempts at opera singing.

"What about you? You're feeling any better?"

He did give it some thought. Not everything that happened today has been properly decoded yet, and so his thought process became this messy scavenger hunt for answers.

"I'm not sure I do.", he gave it some more thought as they walked up to a solid platform, Marley still forced to hold onto the staircase's railing due to her fear of heights.

"It's like...", he began as he put it together, "...it's like I feel guilty, even though I'm not. I'm... not sure if that's going to go away anytime soon."

Seldom unable to deal with Harry's problems, the girl that stood across from him tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, her mouth forming a line that carried a shimmer of hope coated in sadness.

"Harry...", Marley softly spoke, then briefly stopped as she frowned towards the left, "Would you mind?"

The moving portrait of a failed singer grimaced at the two, though did pause her singing for a moment.

Having gained some intimate quiet, Marley felt too tired to inspire the boy with any big speeches. And so she instead went with her gut.

"Do you want a hug?"

She felt selfish for asking, her heart obviously wanting a hug from him, wanting to feel his closeness in a soft embrace. Though maybe it was also what he needed.

Responding with a quiet nod, they threw their arms around each other.

And it felt so right. To the both of them. They loved each other's warmth, each other's smell, the sound of their breath. They both bathed in the moment as if it was eternal, divine. It felt as though there was an unspoken thing.

Once they did finally separate, they both carried a pink blush, though neither had the courage to look at the other one's face.

"Oh no...", Marley complained as she brought them back to the present, the set of stairs leading down suddenly shifting again.

"I can wait here with you if you like.", the boy offered, satisfying that itch within his soul wanting to stay.

"No, I'll just take that detour on the seventh floor."

Her exhale carried some disappointment with it as she turned around, picking a set of stairs leading further up the castle.

"Let's not worry about it for now. The Polyjuice is almost done, we'll have our answers by then.", she surmised with reason, the boy accepting it with yet another nod.

"Goodnight, Harry.", she wished him with a final smile.

And so, the moment passed. She was off to her dormitory, and he'd see her again tomorrow. He'd need a heck of a lot of sleep as well after all that went down today.

But his mind just couldn't switch off. He couldn't stop thinking about Marley – but what exactly? What was it that-

And then it popped back into his mind – that bloody hat!

"Are you entering or not?", the fat lady asked, sounding impatient. Her inquiry, as it turned out, was in vain.

"See? It's fine, Marlene. You don't need to be upset."

Left to her own devices, the tired Slytherin witch had commenced another one of her hybrid conversations, in which she would pretend to be chatting with the pixie hanging around her neck while in actuality she was simply talking to herself. Helped sort her thoughts better, although it seemed that sometimes it would make things more complicated.

"You can deal with it.", she nodded slowly as she spoke it, meandering the seventh floor with the intention of finding the correct passage leading down to the dungeons.

"He likes you, and that's okay. Your... silly little feelings for him will disappear, I promise. You just go to sleep and don't think about it anymore."

It soothed to hear her own voice that way. A gentle, soft whisper that the girl always wished mum possessed, though didn't. At least that way she could pretend. Besides Finley, who was a fun but rather immature, older brother, Marley always had to be there for herself. She didn't always have all the answers, but the girl knew she could rely on her own kindness.

Then, for but a brief moment, Leaghon vibrated in his locket, a motion which Marley interpreted as gentle reassurance.

"Good.", she declared, chuckling, "It's going to be okay. Today is done. We'll tackle it tomorrow."

"Marley! Wait!"

She stopped the millisecond Harry's voice echoed from behind. Her first response became an exhausted exhale with closed eyes.

"Bloody hell.", she mumbled before turning around. The Boy who lived had apparently been running up to her, taking a few seconds to catch his breath and readjust his glasses.

"Harry... it's late.", she spoke, wanting to sound mature, her more rational thoughts briefly overshadowing her wishy-washy emotions.

"Why do you want be in Gryffindor?", sort of plopped out, his lungs still gasping for air. It caused the girl across from him to take a step back first.

"Uh...", she muttered, "I don't know if I want to be in Gryffindor, to be completely honest."

"But with the hat you said-"

"I know what I said to the hat.", she corrected him in a mildly frustrated tone, "It's not so much about the wanting, it's more so that... well... it makes more sense, doesn't it?"

As Harry finally stabilized his breathing rhythm, he pondered.

"I suppose. You're brave and kind."

"And more importantly – all of my friends are there."

She snickered a bit as she spoke, mostly tired and beginning to be annoyed by her lack of emotional regulation.

"Isn't it silly? We're all having these adventures together – fighting the Heir of Slytherin – meanwhile I'm a bloody Slytherin myself. I should be rooting for these terrible things, shouldn't I?"

A few seconds passed as Harry closely analysed her words, coming off as more clearly focused than before. It seemed as though chasing after the girl may have helped him with his nerves. Then again, Marley tended to do that most of the time.

"Well, that doesn't sound like you... simply.", he started off with, "And I've made up my mind a while ago – I'm not going to judge you for being Slytherin. It's just... who you are. Doesn't make you worse. It... honestly makes you better. I think."

She tried to show humility as she took the compliment. Important priority now is not to misinterpret his words as romantic in their intentions.

Harry on the other hand didn't even consider that possibility, simply spewing his heart out as he pleased.

"Thank you.", she spoke in a mundane fashion, "It would also be counterproductive to dislike Slytherins when you yourself think you're one."

He saw the snide little remark in a humoured fashion, though sat down regardless, leaning against the massive brick wall behind him.

"I'm... just not sure who I am, Marley."

Tough thing to hear from your friend/crush. Unable to think of anything better she sat down next to him cross-legged, made much easier by the pants she was wearing unlike last year.

"You're Harry. Harry Potter, if we're being formal."

Once again, he smirked, and she swallowed her pride.

"I know. I mean... everyone does. I'm the... Boy who lived... maybe the Heir of Slytherin..."

"But mostly...", she interjected him with kind sass, "...you're Harry. Just Harry. You've always been to me."

While he heard those words before in a less profound scenario – his first encounter with Marley – here, as he heard them once again, they rang with much more clarity and force behind them. Perhaps more than anything he'd been told before. That girl never seized to amaze him.

"You're probably the... sweetest person I know.", he informed her, Marley hiding her minor blush as she tried fixing her hair a bit. Slowly but surely the girl had gotten better at that, the emotional cover-up, I mean.

"What if we just... go back and ask the hat to have me switched?", she suggested quite bluntly and out of nowhere.

"Switched?", he blabbered as a response.

"Yeah. Have me put in Gryffindor.", a sigh followed which sounded like Marley was scolding herself, "And to be clear – it's more practical to have me be in Gryffindor. I'm not saying I should switch because I'm a pushover."

To underline her point the Slytherin bounced up her brows and Harry chuckled.

"Are you being serious?", he eventually asked.

"Not sure. I should probably sleep on it first.", she answered, genuinely puzzled about it. It would be more practical.

"It would also be nice to see you more often.", he declared as he got back up.

"We see each other all the time.", Marley gave back, getting up more clumsily.

"Should be more often.", he spoke with a shrug, his face heating up as did Marley's. Luckily both pre-teens avoided eye-contact for a second or else – who knows?

"We still have DADA-Club.", she changed the subject, "DADA" being what the witch had cleverly coined their idea for a Defence Against the Dark Arts study group.

"We're only lacking a room...", he seemed to trail off as Marley turned on her brains again.

"Which is where we should be heading, mind you. We could both be in trouble if we stay out so late, Harry."

His eyes fixated somewhere else, Marley became concerned.

"Harry?"

"Where'd that door come from?"

She turned left, spotting the same, strange portal carved into the previously blank wall, an intricate pattern which looked like it was just as ancient as Hogwarts Castle itself.

"Was that here before?", the girl pondered out loud.

"No.", Harry spoke with way more curiosity, his hand reaching for the iron door handle.

"Harry, wait. You don't know what this is. What if it's the Chamber of Secrets, or..."

Her voice, alongside her concerns, trailed off, both kids entering this strange, new location before closing the portal behind them.

They found themselves in a room with a high ceiling, lacking pillars and providing plenty of space, as well as mirrors, natural lighting, in shades of red and green, as well as weird dummies that carried no particular resemblance other than vaguely looking like Lucius Malfoy maybe.

Stuck in utter awe for at least a minute, neither child said anything, simply gawking with glee, jaws wide open. Leaghon even bothered to exit his home and swirl around a bit.

"There is... simply... no way we missed this.", Marley eventually figured, sounding truly baffled, "An empty room that looks like a training spot for magic combat? That is... there is just no way."

"It just appeared.", Harry declared on the spot, his voice a lot more overtly jolly rather than surprised.

"That's impossible.", the girl protested in a tone that wasn't at all confrontational.

"That's what happened.", he scoffed like a child that just drew a golden Wonka ticket, "We needed a room for training and... it just appeared."

He looked over to her with the truest of smiles, a shimmer in his eyes making the Slytherin slightly uneasy. Marley was never the pessimist, but not exactly a naive optimist either.

"It's just... impossible.", she sat down on a metal grid on what seemed to be a stage-like design, probably for practice duels, "You don't simply... get something because you want it really badly."

Close enough to nudge elbows, Harry sat down next to the girl.

"Maybe you do. Sometimes."

An honest smile and she blushed again. It had been a while since she turned this red in his presence. It's not like she could blame herself. With the words he spoke – with... reality having shifted to their wishes. Perhaps it's not impossible.

While Harry was busy admiring the room some more Marley thought back to all the times in recent weeks in which she really wanted to kiss him.

"Sometimes...", she spoke quietly, more so to herself than anyone else in the room.