Climbing out of the Shadows [1D-5SOS-HP]

twenty-two.

"And Mrs. Norris?" Ron found one flaw in her theory. "I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror."

"The water," Harry gasped. "There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection. 'Spiders flee before it.' It all fits."

"But how's the basilisk been getting around?" Ron felt like he was the only one confused by all this. "A dirty great snake, someone would have seen it."

"Hermione's answered that too," Harry showed them the paper, pointing to the bottom of it. A single word written and underlined.

"Pipes?" Ron read it out loud. "It's using the plumbing."

"Remember what Aragog said about that girl 50 years ago? She died in a bathroom?" Harry tried to jog their memories. "What if she never left?"

"Moaning Myrtle," Hope's eyes widened as she saw where he was going.

An announcement came over the intercom. "All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor immediately."

The three shared a look before taking off down the hall. McGonagall should have known that her announcement would not have sent these three Gryffindors back to their common room for an early night's sleep. Rather, they ran towards where the teachers would be meeting up.

The three of them looked around the corner of the second floor corridor, trying to stay hidden as the teachers arrived from the other side. 

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message," McGonagall showed them the message she had found earlier. The three friends not being able to see it due to the angle they were at. "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."

"So sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?" Lockhart casually strolled up, not getting any context clues that this was a very serious meeting of the Hogwarts staff. 

"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart," Snape informed the arrogant man. "Your moment has come at last."

"My... moment?" Lockhart went into complete shock, not realizing what he might have signed up for. 

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape cocked an eyebrow. 

"Thats settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy," McGonagall was going to do no such thing. But if the man had been lying this long, might as well put him in another trap. "Your skills, after all, are legend."

"Very well," Lockhart put on his signature smile, the one that had won him all those awards. "Uh, I'll just be in my office getting... getting ready."

"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Pomfrey asked, realizing that she had not informed them on that just yet.

"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall spoke just above a whisper, but the three friends heard it. 

Ron's body locked up at the name of his sister. And it didn't make it any easier when the teachers moved out of the corridor. Allowing for the three to be able to see what was written on the wall in blood. 

"'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever,'" Ron's mouth went dry as he spoke each word in the sentence. "Ginny..."

"We'll get her back," Hope didn't know if she should make that promise, but it felt like the right thing to do. It was like what Calum told her, in these situations, you have to lie in order to make the person feel better.