Chapter 14: The Monster Within
Harry and Ron were near the Quidditch field waiting for the girls to return. The match was about to begin and they hadn't seen Claire or Hermione yet.
"Do you think they're alright?" Harry asked Ron.
"They're in a library. What could happen?" Ron said. "You'd better get moving. It's nearly eleven. I bet they'll be here any second."
Harry left for the Quidditch field. When Harry was about to mount his broom, Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone. Harry's heart dropped like a stone.
"This match has been canceled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.
"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play- the Cup- Gryffindor-"
Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:
"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"
Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her.
"Potter, I think you'd better come with me…."
Ron then came over to Harry.
"Weasley you'd better come with me as well….."
Ron and Harry followed Professor McGonagall to the infirmary.
"This will be a bit of a shock," Professor McGonagall said in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack…another double attack."
Harry's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered.
Madam Pomfrey was bending over a blonde girl with a prefect badge. And on the bed next to her was-
"Hermione!" Ron groaned.
Harry saw Claire sitting in a chair next to Hermione's bed. Her eyes were slightly puffy and red meaning she had cried. Claire stared blankly at Hermione's petrified form.
"Ms. Smith found them in the library," Professor McGonagall said. "I don't suppose any of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them…."
She was holding up a small, circular mirror. Claire recognized the mirror as she had seen Hermione use it several times. However, Claire felt there was another reason why she remembered.
"It was Hermione's mirror." Claire said quietly.
"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," Professor McGonagall said heavily. "I need to address the students in any case."
Claire, Harry, and Ron followed Professor McGonagall to Gryffindor Tower. When they were in Gryffindor Tower, Professor McGonagall began to address all the Gryffindors.
"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities. I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward." She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.
The Weasley Twins were talking with their friend Lee Jordan about how the teachers should just chuck all the Slytherins out of Hogwarts seeing as all the people who were petrified weren't from Slytherin. Harry looked around the room to see if he could find Claire but he couldn't.
"Ron, do you see Claire?" Harry asked.
Ron shook his head. "Maybe Fred and George know."
They went over to Fred and George.
"Have you seen Claire?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, she went up to the girls' dormitories once McGonagall finished talking." Fred said.
"Did she say anything before she left?" Harry asked.
"Nope, she just went up to the dorms. It'd be best to talk with her tomorrow. She didn't look like she wanted to talk." George said.
"What are we going to do now?" Ron asked Harry as they walked up to their dorms.
"We have to go visit Hagrid. I can't believe it's him. But if he did set the monster loose last time-even by accident-he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets. And that's a start." Harry said.
"But you heard McGonagall. We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class." Ron said.
"I think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again." Harry said.
Claire couldn't sleep she kept tossing and turning in her bed. She sighed. Why couldn't she remember anything from the library? It was as though her memory had been wiped. Claire also felt guilty that she couldn't protect her friend. She had to figure out who was behind all this before someone else got hurt. Claire yawned and shut her eyes hoping to get some sleep.
Claire found herself in a corridor. She spotted Filch's cat up ahead staring at her, meowing. The cat turned from her and ran down the corridor turning left. Claire decided to follow it. As she turned the corner a bright flash of light went off accompanied with a clicking noise. Claire blinked and when she opened her eyes she saw the person running from her turning right at the end of the corridor.
"What is going on?" Claire muttered as she followed the person.
When she turned right she heard Justin Finch-Fletchley saying, "That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books?" Justin's voice was replaced by the cry of Mandrakes. Claire put her hands over her ears trying to block out their agonizing cries. The Mandrakes cry slowly diminished and Nearly Headless Nick's voice rang through the corridor in a mournful tone. "My dear friends. Welcome, Welcome…so pleased you could come…." The nails-on-a-chalkboard music from his Deathday party began to play and the Mandrakes' cries were soon competing with it. Claire's head was pounding. Why wouldn't it stop? She closed her eyes and soon it was silent again.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the school library. Claire recognized Hermione's voice.
"I think I know what the monster is. The Chamber of Secrets can only be opened by the Heir of Slytherin. The Slytherin house symbol is-"
"A serpent!" Claire said aloud to herself. "A snake is the monster. Of course-wait I remember this conversation."
It was as though a veil had been lifted. Claire remembered her whole conversation in the library with Hermione about how the monster was a Basilisk and how the Heir of Slytherin must be a Parseltongue. The only Parseltongues Claire knew about were Harry and herself. But Harry was with Ron and Hermione during the first attack. As Claire realized this, her heart dropped.
"No…" Claire said to herself in horror. She was the one behind all the attacks.
Suddenly, the petrified forms of Filch's cat, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Nearly Headless Nick, Penelope Clearwater, and Hermione Granger appeared in front of Claire. She gasped and when she turned around she saw a mirror. Her reflection appeared normal except for her eyes-they were milky white and also in the reflection she saw the Basilisk right behind her opening it's mouth about to eat her…
Claire woke up her heart beating as fast as the speed of light. As she calmed down she realized she was no longer in her bed. In fact she wasn't even in Gryffindor Tower. She stood up analyzing her surroundings. There was a walkway with snake heads lines both sides. There were small pools of water on either side of the walkway. At the end of the way was giant stone head of a man. Claire walked towards the head. She stopped when she was right in front of it. She knew where she was: The Chamber of Secrets.
So, what did you think of Claire's dream sequence? I enjoyed writing that part. I knew I was going to make her realize that she was the one behind it all in her dreams. It seems she finds all her answers in her dreams which is something that I intend on doing throughout the book. I originally had no clue how I was going to construct the dream. At first I was just going to make it seem like flashbacks to when she did the attacks but I didn't want it to be that easy. I wanted to make it seem like a puzzle. There were certain symbols that stood out in the dream to represent those who were petrified and I think the whole seeing her reflection is her realizing that she was the one controlling the monster.