My Slytherin Prince

Chapter Seventeen

Iris’s P.O.V
By the time we made it back to Hagrid’s the three of us along with Fang had gotten out of the car, “Follow the Spiders. Follow the spiders. If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I’ll kill him.” Ron said to us before the car closed its doors and drove away, “I mean what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?” Ron asked us, “we know one thing, Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent.” Harry told us, “bloody knew it. There was no way Hagrid would have done something like that.” I said to them, “I agree.” Harry said before we made our way back to the Castle and before we had gone inside, we covered ourselves with the cloak before we walked in, “we’ll take you back to your Common Room first alright Iris.” Harry said to me, “alright.” I said and eventually, we made it there before I got out from under the cloak and managed to say the Password before I walked into the Common Room for the night and quietly got into bed after getting changed and went to sleep. When another day came around, Harry, Ron and myself had gone to visit Hermione in the Hospital Wing as Harry changed the flowers, “wish you were here, Hermione. We need you, now more than ever.” Harry said to her and I sighed a little before I noticed Harry grab something from her hand, “what is it?” I asked him, “what’s that?” Ron asked him, “Ron, Iris, this is why Hermione was in the Library the day she was attacked. Come on.” Harry said to us before we followed him out of the Hospital Wing before he eventually started reading the paper that Hermione had in her hand, “of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye, spiders flee before it. Ron, Iris, this is it. The Monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk. That’s why Iris and I can hear it speak, it’s a snake.” Harry said to us, “but if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is no one dead?” Ron asked us, “they probably weren’t looking at it directly somehow.” I mentioned to them, “Iris is right, because no one did look at it in the eye. Not directly at least. Collin saw it through his Camera. Justin must have seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick, Nick got the full blast of it but he’s a ghost he couldn’t die again. And Hermione had the Mirror, I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners, in case it came along.” Harry told us, “and Mrs. Norris? I’m pretty sure she didn’t have a camera or a mirror, Harry.” Ron asked us, “there was water on the floor the night it happened.” I mentioned to them, “she’s right, the water. There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the Basilisk's reflection.” Harry said before we went over to some light, “spiders flee before it, it all fits.” Harry said to us, “but how's a Basilisk getting around? A dirty great snake, someone would have seen it.” Ron said to us, “Hermione answered that too.” Harry said to us as she had written it down on the piece of paper, “Pipes? It’s using the plumbing?” Ron asked us, “That's a bit creepy and gross if you think about it.” I said to them, “remember what Aragog said, about that girl 50 years ago? She died in the bathroom. What if she never left?” Harry asked us, “Please tell me it’s not who I think it is?” I asked him, “Moaning Myrtle?” Ron asked and I sighed a little as Harry nodded before hearing Professor McGonagall speak up, “all students are to return to their House Dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor immediately.” she said through the speaker system, “you want to check it out?” I asked Harry, “yeah, I do.” he said and I sighed a little, “alright then, let’s go.” I said to him before we made our way to the Second Floor Corridor.

By the time we had gotten there, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey and a few others were there just as we had gotten there, “as you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized, a student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home, I’m afraid this is the end of Hogwarts,” Professor McGonagall said to them before Professor Lockhart walked up, “so sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?” He asked them, “a girl has been snatched by the Monster, Lockhart, your moment has come at last” Snape said to him, “my moment?” he questioned, “weren’t you saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?” Snape asked him, “That's settled, we'll leave you to deal with the Monster Gilderoy. Your skills after all are legend.” Professor McGonagall said to him, “very well. I’ll just be in my office getting ready.” Professor Lockhart said to them before walking away, “who is it that the Monster’s taken Minerva?” Madam Pomfrey asked her, “Ginny Weasley.” Professor McGonagall said to her and I looked at Ron as the others walked away, “her Skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.” Ron read out, “I’m sorry Ron.” I said to him, “Ginny.” Ron said, “we should get to Professor Lockhart.” Harry said to us, “I don't have a good feeling about him, Harry.” I said to him as we rushed to his classroom, “Lockhart may be useless but he’s going to try and get into the Chamber. At least we can tell him what we know.” Harry said as we ran into the room, “what if everything was a lie?” I asked him, “it’s worth a shot.” Harry said before we made it to his office, “Professor, we have some information for you.” Harry told him as we noticed he was packing his things, “are you going somewhere?” Harry asked him, “Well yes, um urgent call. Unavoidable, got to go.” he said to us, “are you joking?” I asked him, “what about my sister?” Ron asked him, “well, as to that most unfortunate, no one regrets more than I.” Professor Lockhart said to him, “you’re the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, you can’t go now.” Ron said to him, “well I must say, when I took the job there was nothing in the job description about-” He began to say before Harry spoke up, “you’re running away? After all that stuff you did in your books.” Harry said to him, “and you believe it? He probably only said all of that for publicity.” I said to Harry, “books can be misleading.” Professor Lockhart said, “you wrote them” Harry mentioned, “my dear boy, do use your common sense. Your sister is right, my books wouldn’t have half as well if people didn’t think I’d done all those things.” Professor Lockhart said to him, “you’re a fraud. You’ve just been taking credit for what other Wizards have done.” Harry said to him, “Is there anything you can do?” Ron asked him, “probably not and if there is, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the simplest of things.” I said to them, “yes, now that you mention it. I’m rather gifted with Memory Charms, otherwise you see, all those Wizards would have gone blabbing. And I would have never sold another book. In fact I’m going to have to do the same to you.” he said to us and by the time he turned back around, the three of us had already gotten our wands out, “don’t even think about it.” Harry said to him, “drop it.” I said, “you’re coming with us.” Harry said to him before we managed to take him with us to the Bathroom Moaning Myrtle roamed in.

By the time we had gotten there, she eventually noticed us as we heard her speak up, “who’s there. Hello Harry, what do you want?” she said, “to ask you how you died?” Harry said to her, “it was dreadful. It happened right here in this very cubical. I’ve hidden before Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses, I was crying and then I heard somebody come in.” she said to us, “who was it Myrtle?” Harry asked her, “I don’t know, I was distraught. But they said something funny, a kind of made up language and I realized it was a boy speaking so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and I died.” she said as she moved closer, “just like that? How?” Harry asked her, “I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes over there by that sink.” she told him before she floated away, “you think this is it?” I asked Harry, “maybe.” he said to me before he checked it out, “this is it Ron and Iris. I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets” Harry told us, “one of you say something. One of you say something in Parseltongue” Ron said to us and Harry and I just looked at each other, “do you want to give it a try?” Harry asked me, “do I have a choice?” I asked him before I started speaking in Parseltongue only for the Sink to start moving for it to eventually open an entryway, “never make me speak in that language again.” I said to them, “excellent Iris, good work. Well then I’ll just be- there’s no need for me to stay.” Professor Lockhart said as he tried getting away, “don’t bother trying. You’d probably just end up getting caught if someone sees you leaving anyways.” I said to him after Harry and Ron managed to get him to stay where he was, “you first.” Harry said to him as the three of us had our wands pointed at him, “now boys, and girl, what good would it do?” he asked us, “that depends on what happens.” I said to him, “better you than us.” Ron said to him, “Are you sure you don’t want to test it first?” he asked us before he managed to lose his balance and fall in, “it’s really quite filthy down here.” he said to us, “alright, let's go” Harry said to us before hearing Myrtle speak up, “oh Harry, if you die down there, you’re welcome to share my toilet.” she said to us, “um, thanks Myrtle.” Harry said to her before he jumped in first before Ron and I soon followed before we began sliding down something before we made it to Professor Lockhart, “now remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away.” Harry said to us before he went ahead, “go on.” Ron said to Lockhart before he soon followed Harry as Ron and I stayed behind him so he didn’t sneak off before we walked into a room before we noticed what looked like shedded snake skin, “what’s this?” Ron asked, “it looks like a snake,” Lockhart said to him, “it’s a snake skin.” Harry mentioned, “bloody hell. Whatever sheds, this must be 60 feet long, Or more” Ron said to us before Lockhart fell to the ground, “heart of a lion this one.” Ron said to us, “he’s bloody faking it.” I mentioned just before he stood up as he took Ron’s wand, “the adventure ends here you three. But don’t fret, the world will know our story, how I was too late to save the girl, how you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So, you first Mr. Potter, say goodbye to your memories.” Lockhart said before I got in between them before he could do anything and once he did, his Memory Charm backfired causing it to hit him instead before everything started to shake before the rocks caved in in front of us as both Harry and I had gotten out of the way and once it was clear for us to get up, both Harry and I didn’t see Ron anywhere, “Harry, Iris.” we heard Ron call out to us, “Ron, are you ok?” Harry asked him, “I’m fine.” Ron said before it took him a minute before he spoke up again, “Lockhart’s Memory Charm backfired. He hasn’t got a clue who he is.” Ron said to us, “what’s going on?” I asked Harry, “Ron just knocked him out.” Harry told me, “serves him right.” I said to him, “what do I do now?” Ron asked, “you wait here and try and shift some of this rock so we can get back through. Iris and I will go and find Ginny.” Harry said to Ron, “ok” Ron said, “let's go.” Harry said to me and the both of us left to find Ginny.