Iniquity Rises Book 1 of Iniquity Series~Now Complete~

Ch.8 Discovering

The moment that breakfast was over, I grabbed my bag and briskly made my way towards my first class of the day. Which happened to be Xylomancy with Professor Nora Bettie, the head of Gryffindor. 

The entire way I tried to squash down my anger, and failed miserably. I was almost crying with anger, as I walked into the dingy old classroom. 

"Top of the morning to you, Miss. Riel. I see, you're eager for the start of a new school year. Have a seat anywhere you like since you're the first student here." She said in a jolly voice, sitting on the desk in front of the room. Her round bulging stomach almost concealed under her large purple robes. 

I briefly wondered how she walked around with such a stomach before her without keeling over because of the weight, but then shook my head to clear it.

I nodded in response as I pulled out a blank piece of parchment, a quill pen, and a small ink bottle. I stared blankly towards the front of the class. I was still staring blankly, when I felt a sharp jab on the side of my head, making me flinch in response as I sat down. 

I heard the seats on either side of me squeal as they were dragged back and Bella and Cissy sat in their seats. I chose to keep my eyes towards the front of the room, feeling as a sharp jab begin to appear in front of my head now.

"Annie? I-is something wrong?" Bella asked worried as she sat next to me. 

"Yes, what's going on between Riddle and you? Aren't you two usually joined at the hip? Hmm. Are you feeling alright? You are looking rather pale." Cissy commented, turning to get a better look at me.

"My head is just hurting, a bit. No, nothing is going on between Tom and I. I—I just need some time to myself." I sighed, rubbing my temples, and wiping my forehead, trying to sooth the pain I kept getting.

I could feel as the familiar vertigo spell began to commence. I lost my grip on my seat and reality as I felt the class and present time began to disappear before me. I could feel as my body slumped towards the ground before anyone knew what was going on, I was unconscious before I even hit the cold ground, feeling as my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

The scene that played before me left me confused and disoriented. 

I stood in what looked to be the one of the bathrooms in the school. I quickly realized I was in the girls' bathroom on the second floor. Myrtle Warren, a Ravenclaw in our year, laid on the ground unmoving, her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth slightly parted as if she was gasping her last breath keeling over before she even finished the breath. Her expression frozen in fear as she laid on the damp ground, unmoving. Dead.

As I moved deeper into the room I saw two tall figures standing near one of the sinks, as I leaned in closer I realized that there was a serpent engraved on the side of its fixture. I was just beginning to wonder what that could be, when one of the figures hissed. 

I felt as if someone had injected ice into my veins as I quickly understood what the figure was hissing.

Chambers of the Great Salazar Slytherin hath created

Your Heirs Command you to reveal yourself.

The taller figure hissed right after the first. 

Suddenly, as the ground began to shake, the sink unexpectedly began moving from its original place, the part of the drain moved forward and the sink disappeared into the ground before the drain closed, leaving a gaping hole where the sink originally stood. Then they both disappeared down the newly-exposed pipe into the ground.

The image began to fade out before me, I could feel something lightly gripping my palm lightly as I blinked my eyes before opening them. I woke up the damp floor of the classroom, with a crowd surrounding me. Why the floor was damp was beyond me though?

"She's coming to. Back up people, back up now, let's give her some air to breathe. That includes you mister Lestrange." Mrs. Bettie said, as I sat up on the ground, still dazed.

"Annie? Annie, a-are you alright?" Bella asked, helping me sit up.

I nodded once, feeling as my nose began to bleed. I heard a collection of gasps as the blood ran down to my upper lip.

"Miss. Riel, are you alright? Do you feel well enough to continue with the class?" Mrs. Bettie asked.

"Yes, Professor. Of course. I am alright now." I muttered, sitting down on my seat. 

After the first three classes, I finally sat down tiredly in the Great Hall, feeling my stomach begin to grumble as I smelled the food set in before me.

"What is going on? Why can't I hear you? What have you done?" Tom asked me, worriedly as he sat down next to me.

"Nothing is wrong I— I just didn't want to talk, I needed some time to myself. There is something I need to talk to you about though. I think your mother knows about it too. After we eat, I am going to Owlery and sending an owl to her." I said.

He didn't respond, going instead to grab my hand. I closed my eyes in concentration as the shield I had placed disappeared slowly. I could feel as he got into my mind. I concentrated once more to show him solely what I had seen earlier.

'What do you think the Chamber of Secrets is?' I asked him, digging into my chicken strips and potato chips.

'I don't know, but I think those two figures were us. My mom might know what the Chamber of Secrets is or was. She's told me something about her ancestors, I just can't remember at the moment .' He thought back skeptically as he began chewing through his food.

We sat there, chewing, lost in thought wondering what in Merlin's name the Chamber of Secrets could be.