Emma Potter

34: The Polyjuice Potion

 "Miss — er — ?" 

"Potter, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," I said in a clearvoice.Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hangingopen, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; LavenderBrown's head came up off her arms and Neville 's elbow slipped off his desk.Professor Binns blinked."My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezyvoice. "I deal with, facts, Miss Potter, not myths and legends." Hecleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardiniansorcerers —"He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air. 

"Miss Grant?" 

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, I was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead."Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, Isuppose." He peered at Hermione and me as though he had never seen astudent properly before. "However, the legend of which you speakis such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale —"

 But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's everyword. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. I could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show ofinterest."Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see . . . the Chamber ofSecrets . . .

 "You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over athousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the fourgreatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses arenamed after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, RowenaRavenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together,far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic wasfeared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered muchpersecution."He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued."For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together,seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringingthem to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprangup between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and theothers. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should bekept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while,there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin andGryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like awrinkled old tortoise."Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But thesehonest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of theChamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knewnothing."Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heirarrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal theChamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purgethe school of all who were unworthy to study magic." 

There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't theusual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There wasunease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping formore. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed."The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber,many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does notexist. A tale told to frighten the gullible." my hand was back in the air."Sir — what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' theChamber?""That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir ofSlytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedyvoice.The class exchanged nervous looks."I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster.""But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only beopened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it,would they?""Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing —""But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have touse Dark Magic to open it —""Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean hecan't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if thelikes of Dumbledore —""But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't —" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns hadhad enough."That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist!There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so muchas a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story!We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usualtorpor.