Narcissa Malfoy [HARRY POTTER AFTERLIFE FANFICTION]

Chapter 14

It was finally Christmas morning. Issa woke up, still sleepy and dazed. Her vision unfocused. She threw something on and walked downstairs. If Issa were at home, she would have stayed in her nightclothes until afternoon, when she realized it was past that. She had missed breakfast. Her stomach growled. She strode to the Slytherin's Common Room and a smile spread across her face as she saw the silver packages that had to be from her parents. Her mum always wrapped them in silver. It was her favorite. A silk scarf and some black nail polish, and yes! Boots, Issa loved boots. Brown lether ones with a little bit of platform. Then, hidden by paper decorative strings and weird looking bracelet. It had green stones engraved on it, and a note attached:

Don't get into too much trouble, unless it's fun.

Definitely from her father. She wondered why he had decided to write that for it. Was he worried of how much trouble she got into? What did that have to do with the bracelet? Did it do something special? She would have to get into trouble to find out.

Her hands went to a small present, who she learned with tall skinny letters was from Albus. Albus. She hadn't expected one from him, it brought a smile to her lips. Wow, a lot of smiling for a Christmas. Inside she found another green stone hanging from a very small golden chain. Her heart was touched with warmth for a second before the questions popped into her head. Was this a trick? Another prank? Did it have some sort of potion in it? Why had he sent this? Too many unanswered questions, but only one she could answer, was she going to put it on? If she didn't, would that mean she didn't trust him? When did she start trusting him? Put it on! One side of her head said. Another one hissed at it. Issa took the chain inbetween her fingers and lifted it over her head. She let it hang on her neck. Issa didn't feel any different.

"All right?" Someone asked. She knew inmediately, Eden.

"Opening presents." Issa said. Eden looked at the mess she had made, he held something in his hands.

"Brought you something, you missed breakfast." He said and handed her a croissant. "Nice necklace. Who was it from?"

"Thanks, I'm starving." She took a bite of the croisssant, warm chocolate melted on her tongue. "It's from... A friend." Issa answered, and thought of Albus as a friend. When did he become a friend, or was he something else? Like a half-friend or a frenemie?

Eden asked her to follow him. For once, she knew where he was taking her. The bookshelves of the library towered over her. Issa enjoyed the smell of books.

He pulled her toward the Restricted Section after showing a portrait his signed paper from a teacher. They stopped behind a shelf with the biggest books she'd ever seen. Issa worried one of them could knock someone out. Fortunately, Eden didn't have a murderous face on.

He looked serious, and into her eyes. As if he were indecisive or whether to tell her or not. He hesitated and then, "Narcissa," He exhaled, and stepped closer. "I very much need your help. I am looking for the Chamber of Gryffindor."

Issa's mind roamed thinking of the possibilities of him bluffing. "The Chamber of Gryffindor?" She asked, as if she hadn't heard right. But she had, perfectly.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anybody."

Issa thought for a moment, this uneasy about it being a prank. "Sure."

He didn't look satisfied with her answer, but continued, "You've heard of the Chamber of Secrets, right?" Of course she did, Issa nodded.

"Well, there is another legend that the Chamber of Slytherin isn't the only chamber in Hogwarts. In fact, there is one for every Founder. They are the Founders' Chambers."

Issa was glued to the spot. "More chambers?" She said with an unimpressed tone. "Like with more Basilisks and stuff?"

"No, not Basilisks. More dangerous stuff." His eyes shined. The glow of his eyes had not faded yet.

"H-How would you know? It's only a legend, remember? You aren't eternally glowing. Unless maybe only your eyes." Issa shook her head. "How can you be so sure?"

Her question made him smile. His eyes made him look creepier than usual. Especially since he towered over her. "Because I've found another."

Issa opened her mouth, "Which one?"

"Hufflepuff."

"How did you find it? What was in it?" Issa felt eager, she never heard anything like it before.

Eden glowered. "It was easy, but I found nothing. There was nothing in it." Issa said nothing, she was a little dissapointed. "But I have two theories. One, Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty, so they trusted the people, knowing they would never enter the Chamber. So nothing was guarding it, unlike the Slytherin one. Then someone before me, found out about the Chamber and took what was inside. The second one is that something could have been guarding it, but the person who broke in killed it and took everything."

"What if there wasn't supposed to be anything?"

"Then what would be the point?" Issa shrugged.

"Well, how did you enter?" Issa asked again.

"I knew it required the presence of a true Hufflepuff. And fortunately, I had a friend. Her family had been affiliated with Hufflepuff for generations. She figured out everything, how to enter, what to do. The entrance of the Hufflepuff chamber was a stone carved badger, it's tail surrounded a pot. She told me we had to grow the this plant, that Hufflepuffs knew very well. It was very hard to grow, only good gardeners knew how. My friend brought the richest dirt and the plant. It took many months for it to grow. She took care of it, and when it was fully grown. The Chamber opened. It mattered of the Hufflepuffs patience. Their dedication. I couldn't have done it without her..." Issa felt a pang of jelousy, then felt bad for it. Issa wondered if something had happened to her, she didn't want to ask.

* * *

Eagerness ate Issa up. After hearing Eden's story, she helped him search through every book she knew that could contain something about the Chmabers. Issa was excited, would she have to battle a creature? Or if she found a Chamber, would she get to keep what was inside? Issa asked herself many times why Eden would be telling her this instead of a Gryffindor or Raveclaw. They could help him. Not Issa.

Issa had wandered off as she thought about all this. She found herself in a corridor she did not recognize. Then, something pulled at her neck, and she saw it was her necklace. It glowed briliant green, the color of Eden's night eyes. The necklace pulled at her to move forward, and she did. Isssa was following her necklace. It took her through dark and moist places. Her mind switched back and forth, not knowing whether to stop. It guided her until as she crossed a bigger room, a load groumble froze her in her tracks.

It brought shivers down her spine, and the hairs on her neck stood. But what brought goose bumps to her skin was the faint vibration of her new bracelet. Then she heard thousands of tiny squeakes, and saw mice running at her. They rushed past her, over her feet. Issa threw her hands up to her mouth to stop from yelling. Her necklace tugged at her to keep moving, she did.

Her wand was out now, a good grip on it and she whispered, "Lumos." Her wand created a white light from its tip. The mice worried Issa, what were they running from, or who.

The tugging of her necklace faded, and she stood before something big. Issa almost choked on her own saliva. The bracelet now trembled fiercely. Or maybe it was just her hands. The corridor had the tear-making stench of dead rats. Her heart dropped as she saw the 12 foot long (and maybe longer) tail of a creature. Blood drained from her face. Maybe it wasn't a tail, but Issa couldn't think of another thing that could be long and fury right now that wasn't a tail. Her wand was slipping from her sweaty, shaking hand.

Issa ran for her dear life, trying to make the least of sounds with her feet. But it was hopeless. The frowl of the creature followed her.