3rd Person POV
(Y/n) was undoubtedly nervous. It didn't look good for Harry of course, luckily Dumbledore was able to see that Harry, Hermione or Ron weren't responsible for the petrification of Filch's cat. Filch was not happy that the headmaster had not taken action. To no ones surprise, he started handing out as many punishments as he could for any little thing, (Y/n) heard that Hannah was for leaning on the wall. (Y/n) really despised the man, if he even was one. But that wasn't the worst part. No. Harry had been hearing voices. That was bad, really bad. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." Ron explained. (Y/n) looked rather guilty, he still hadn't told anyone about his dreams, he wondered if he ever should. (Y/n) sat back into the velvet red chair, the fire crackling in the background of the Gryffindor common room.
"The whole thing's weird." (Y/n) said. "What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened... What's that supposed to mean?" "You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly as he sat up from the couch. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once... might've been Bill..." "So how many detentions do you have to serve?" Hermione asked (Y/n) out of the blue. In fact, it had also confused Harry and Ron, how could Hermione, the smartest of them all talk about something completely off topic? It was like she didn't care about the warning one bit. "What are you on about?" Harry asked her, having no idea why (Y/n) would get detention. "Well..." Hermione mumbled, looking rather guilty, the truth was that she felt rather guilty for (Y/n)'s reaction. If she had just stood back and not say anything, if she had just bit her tongue, (Y/n) wouldn't have punched Draco. She hated the fact that (Y/n) would be punished for her mistake. "It was nothing!" (Y/n) exclaimed, trying to take any heat of Hermione. "Dumbledore just wanted to ask if my father will be thinking about publishing another book." (Y/n) said, hoping it would be good enough to deceive his friends. It seemed to have worked because no one questioned him, they all looked relieved.
For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. (Y/n) had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect, the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly' and "looking happy." (Y/n) noted that Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover, (Y/n) felt bad for her. "But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her." Ginny's lip trembled, (Y/n) facepalmed realizing that perhaps it wasn't a good idea getting the individual who doesn't have any emotional skill to emotionally support someone. (Y/n) knew that Ron had good intentions, but still. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," (Y/n) assured her, trying to soothe her worries. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time." "I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking!!!" Ron added hastily as Ginny turned white and closed her eyes.
The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else, she could be found in the library, lost in books. Nor could (Y/n) get much response from her when he asked what she was up to. Truth be told, Hermione felt guilty about (Y/n). As such she decided to distance herself even if it did hurt a little, she didn't know why but it did.
The attack had also affected Harry, he told (Y/n) and Ron what happened in Potions class earlier that day during lunch. Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks. After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron and (Y/n) in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming toward him. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction. Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework while (Y/n) had just finished his and was napping in a chair.
Professor Binns had asked for a three foot long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards." "I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "And Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny." "Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework. It seemed that (Y/n) had woken from his nap, because he sat up, yawned and stretched. "She's somewhere in the," said (Y/n), pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas." Ron chuckled as (Y/n) slumped back into the chair, his eyes closing, his mind drifting away to sleep. Then they opened. I wonder why Hermione has been avoiding us? (Y/n) thought. "On second thoughts, I'll go find her." (Y/n) said as he removed his feet from the table and launched out of the chair with energy. "Here" (Y/n) said as he tossed Ron his parchment. "Don't make it too obvious..." he remarked as he entered the maze that was the Hogwarts Library.
(Y/n) started to search for her by methodically going through every lane, he didn't have much success to begin with. He ended up bumping into random people, most weren't actually reading in silence. It was a mixture of girls whispering in low tones, some of them even winked at him, (Y/n) made sure leave them be. He stumbled into some third or fourth years snogging in the corner, he croaked at the sight of them and quickly hightailed it out of there. He did meet some nice Ravenclaws who weren't able to help him look for Hermione. Eventually, (Y/n) came up with the theory that Hermione (being Hermione) would most likely distance herself from everyone else in the library, as such (Y/n) made his way to the south east corner of the library, no one went there, it was full of dust and cobwebs. As such, (Y/n) knew he had success because he was a set of shoeprints that left a mark on the dusty floor, he had no doubt that they were Hermione's. He followed them, finding Hermione, nose in book and an old dusty desk that leg's were about to buckle due to the enormous pile of books on it. (Y/n) gave a dry cough, successfully grabbing Hermione's attention, he could of swore that he saw her bot her lip with a worried expression. (Y/n) decided to break the silence. "You okay?" Hermione gave a puzzled look in response. "I know that for you hanging around Harry and Ron isn't going to lead to any stimulating conversation. All they do talk about quidditch and how evil Snape is." Hermione gave weak smile in response, it almost made her laugh on how accurate he was. "But I've noticed how distant you've been from us boys, well from me to be exact..." Hermione shut her eyes as she was filled with more guilt. "You haven't been avoiding me, have you?" he asked her. Hermione broke "No? I don't know! I just... I just, look it's last thing I'd want to d-" She stopped herself saying anything embarrassing as she felt herself turn into a tomato. For some reason, (Y/n) had this little effect every now and then on her. She couldn't speak straight, she would feel really nervous and her brain would turn into scrambled eggs. Hermione looked up at a confused (Y/n), took a deep breath trying to change the topic. "I'm sorry about avoiding Ron, Harry and especially you. I just needed some me time to look into the Chamber of Secrets. I think I have something to tell yo- all of you." (Y/n) smiled in response, Hermione couldn't help feel the butterfly's in her stomach grow as she followed (Y/n) back to Harry and Ron.
"I heard from Hannah Abbott that her auntie thinks he's a fraud. All that junk about Lockhart being so great —" Ron was saying as (Y/n) and Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them. (Y/n) smirked at the little pout she gave at Ron's comment, it almost made him chuckle. "All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books." "Why do you want it?" said Harry. "The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." "What's that?" said (Y/n) quickly. "That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else..." The bell rang. "No use wondering about it now, we better head to class." (Y/n) said. Ron and Harry groaned, they knew that they had History of Magic next. History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff room fire, his routine had not varied in the slightest since.
Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. (Y/n) took the opportunity to nap, using his self-writing quill take down his notes for him. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before. Hermione put up her hand. Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed. "Miss — er —?" "Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice. (Y/n) quickly sat up from his slumber, his eyes darting between Hermione and the incredibly boring Professor, for the first time ever he was actually intrigued by a topic of discussion that Professor Binns was teaching. Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk. Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk slipping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers —" He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again. "Miss Grant?" "Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, (Y/n) was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead, then again he wouldn't know, he was too busy sleeping.
"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale —" But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. (Y/n) could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest. "Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets... "You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago (the precise date is uncertain) by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."
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 bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept 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 and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school." Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise. "Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. "Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."
There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed. (Y/n) had thought wondering how Hogwarts hadn't been riddled with lawsuits yet or close down due to safety reasons. "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 not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible." (Y/n) saw that Hermione's hand was back in the air. "Sir, what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?" "That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice. The class exchanged nervous looks, (Y/n) was just wishing that he slept through it all. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."
"But, sir," said Ron, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?" "Nonsense, Weaslebee" 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 to use Dark Magic to open it —" "Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —" "But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't —" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had 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 much as 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 usual mind draining demeanor.
A/N
Thanks for the support guys, I really appreciate it. I hope you like this new chapter!
- Sam.F