For the next few days, the entire school could talk about nothing but the attack that had happened on Mrs. Norris. Filch, in particular, had made sure to keep this fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked continuously, as though he thought the attacker might come back.
When passing the corridor, one could see the caretaker 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 unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like 'breathing loudly' or simply 'looking happy.'
The person suffering the most from this was none other than Vega Lestrange.
Suddenly, Vega found herself unable to walk out and about in the castle without facing the wrath of the school caretaker. She was continuously piled with detentions by him, and she felt like Filch was barely keeping himself from lunging at her to get revenge for his cat, who was still petrified. There was no where for her to prove her innocence, and it was incredibly frustrating for her as the people spoke about her.
It didn't help that Vega was taller than most of her class, and found it hard to hide behind people – especially since people were keeping such a good lookout for her. Ron and Dean, however, tried to.
Whenever the Gryffindor students were leaving classes, Vega was hidden behind the two of them to avoid Filch noticing her as they moved, since they were the only ones taller than her in her class.
Among others, Ginny Weasley had also become rather disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. And according to Ron, she was a great cat lover.
"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told his younger sister bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her," Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "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," Ginny blanched. "I'm only joking –"
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. Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to. They tried to ask Vega but the girl had gone back to her shell, not feeling like talking anymore.
It wasn't until the following Wednesday that they did find out.
"Vega, you look like a ghost," Ron said uncertainly as he watched Vega walk around in the shadows of the library, looking at the books quietly.
"I'm sorry," Vega repeated her mantra, her head lowered so that her thick black curls covered her pale face. "I'm sorry..." She returned to look at the books to try and distract herself.
Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks, while Vega, Ron and Hermione had a quick lunch (and Vega had refused to eat anything) before the three of them went to the library, where Hermione was looking around in some corner in library and Ron was measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot-long composition on 'The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards.'
Vega gently pulled out the book titled 'Aquatic Wonders of Yorkshire: A Wizard's Field Guide', as well as 'The Children's Anthology of Monsters' and 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them' by Newt Scamander. She turned around to go where Ron was sitting with their stuff and ran into –
Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Justin looked up at the girl he had run into and Vega watched his eyes go wide in fear, and she frowned, looking after him as he turned around and fled from there. There was no blush on his face like when he had first met her. It seemed like he had heard, finally, about who she really was.
"I'm sorry," Vega muttered as she hid her face away again, walking over to where their table was in the back of the library – away from everyone for Vega's sake. She looked up when she saw Harry.
"Are you okay, Vega?" Harry asked as he watched the black-haired girl sit down in a chair, putting books onto the table to look at them. She just nodded with a sigh.
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short," Ron said furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "Hermione's done four feet seven inches and Vega wrote seven inches! You know how tiny their writings are,"
"I'm sorry..." Vega trailed off, cracking open Aquatic Wonders of Yorkshire: A Wizard's Field Guide and letting out another sigh as she looked at the words written in there. Harry and Ron sighed, too.
"It's not really a bad thing, Vega," Harry assured her as he grabbed the tape measure and unrolled his own homework. "Where's Hermione?"
"Somewhere over there," Ron replied, pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas,"
"I just ran into Justin Finch-Fletchley, the boy from Herbology," Harry told his two friends. "But he just saw me and ran off I say anything," Vega turned paler. "Did the same happen with you, Vega?"
"Dunno why you two care," Ron said, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "I thought he was a bit of an idiot. All that junk about Lockhart being so great –"
Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them. Vega looked over at her uncertainly, wondering if she was going to kick Ron's butt.
"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out," Hermione said, sitting down next to Vega, across from 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?" Harry questioned the brunette, quizzical.
"The same reason everyone else wants it," Hermione responded. "To read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets,"
"What's that?" Harry asked quickly.
"That's just it," Hermione answered as she bit her lower lip in concentration. "I can't remember. And I can't find the story anywhere else. Vega, do you have any idea –"
"Hermione, let me read your composition," Ron spoke up rather desperately, checking his watch to see how long it was before they had to turn it in.
"No, I won't," Hermione responded, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it –"
"I only need another two inches," Ron said quickly. "Come on –"
The bell rang.
Vega turned pale at the prospect of going to another class and Harry sighed, putting away the books she had gotten out for her sake. He walked along with her, looking around to make sure that Filch wasn't anywhere as they made their way to class. He wasn't, but Vega still kept her head down.
Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
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 shrivelled, 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. 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. Vega glanced at the brunette sitting next to her and sank deeper into her seat, not wanting to be noticed along with Hermione. She knew what was coming.
"Miss –" Professor Binns was at a loss. "Er –?"
"Granger, Professor," Hermione answered in a clear voice. "I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets,"
Vega's body tensed up immediately and she lowered her head. 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," Professor Binns 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 –"
Once more, Professor Binns stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.
"Miss Grant?" Professor Binns asked.
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" Hermione asked. Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, as if no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.
"Well," Professor Binns said 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. It was clear he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.
Everyone but Vega – whose expression was now pained and she clearly wanted to be out of there.
"Oh, very well," Professor Binns 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,"
Professor Binns 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. Vega frowned herself, wondering if she was being roped into that group, too.
"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," Professor Binns 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. Vega was frowning deeper than ever, wondering if there really something like that...
Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.
"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," Professor Binns told them. "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,"
For a moment, Vega was assured. Maybe it was just a cruel joke?
Hermione's hand, however, was back in the air.
"Sir – what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?" Hermione asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," Professor Binns said in his dry, reedy voice. The class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," Professor Binns shuffled his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster,"
"But, sir," Seamus Finnigan spoke up. "If the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," Professor Binns said in a rather aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing –"
"But, Professor," Parvati piped up. "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," Professor Binns snapped. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore –"
"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't –" Dean Thomas started, but Professor Binns had had enough.
"That will do," Professor Binns 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 torpor. Vega looked down at the textbook open on her table, her thoughts trailing off to the thought of such a myth.
⚡️
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Vega, Harry and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. Vega had her head lowered again.
"I'm sorry," Vega mumbled when she accidently ran into people, but all of them rushed out of her way when they realised who she was.
"But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff," Ron continued. "I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I would have got the train straight back home..."
Hermione nodded fervently and Harry was quiet, but Vega's face turned even more sickly, remembering how much the Sorting Hat wanted to send her to Slytherin. Maybe she really wasn't a good person at all. Maybe she was the one who was causing all of this to happen.
As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past, "Hiya, Harry and Vega!"
"Hullo, Colin," Harry said automatically, while Vega only moved her hand in a hesitant wave at the boy, trying to make herself smile.
"Vega – Vega!" Colin shouted. "A boy in my class has been saying you're –" But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry and Vega!" and he was gone.
"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.
"I'm sorry," Vega whispered. "I think... they think... that I'm Slytherin's heir..." She gave them a wounded look and Hermione wrapped an arm around her.
"Oh, no, Vega!" Hermione said, shocked. "You're the sweetest person we know!"
"People here will believe anything," Ron said in disgust.
The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.
"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.
"I don't know," Hermione said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be – well – human,"
As she spoke, the four of them turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message –
The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened.
Enemies of the Heir, beware.
"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered, pointing out the chair. They looked at each other and Vega sighed, shaking her head, knowing that they wanted to do.
"I know what you guys want to do," Vega muttered, uncertainly threading her long, thin fingers through her curls. "But should we be caught here again...? Everyone's pointing fingers at me,"
"There's no one here, Vega," Harry assured, motioning to the deserted corridor. "It can't hurt to have a poke around,"
"I hope you remember that when you're being accused of being Salazar Slytherin's heir," Vega responded rather fierily as she kept an eye out for Filch so she could flee the place.
Harry, on the other hand, dropped his school bag and got down onto his hands and knees, crawling along the length of the corridor wall to see if he could find some clues. Vega hugged herself as she watched Ron and Hermione look for something like this, too, but her grey eyes were out for people.
"Scorch marks!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, catching Ron attention as he hurried over to have a look. Vega glanced over uncertainly, too. "Here – and here –!"
"Come and look at this!" Hermione spoke up, too. "This is funny..."
Vega slowly trailed behind Harry as they crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside. Vega frowned at this strange behaviour.
"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" Hermione asked wonderingly. "Vega, you're really interested in animals and such, right?"
"Yes, but... I have never seen such behaviour," Vega replied. "Not when there isn't any immediate threat. Have you, Harry?"
"No," Harry said. "Have you, Ron? Ron?" Vega turned around to look at Ron, who was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run. "What's up?"
"I – don't – like – spiders," Ron said tensely, his teeth gritted together. Vega tilted her head at his behaviour and frowned, having not known this at all.
"I never knew that," Hermione said, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times..."
"I don't mind them dead," Ron replied, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move..." Hermione giggled, causing Ron to respond fiercely, "It's not funny,"
"I haven't ever met someone who is scared of spiders," Vega said thoughtfully as she tried to remember. "But then again, I don't know a lot of spiders – I mean, people..."
"If you must know," Ron replied. "When I was three, Fred turned my – my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick... You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and..." He broke off, shuddering.
"Fred did that?" Vega asked him, suddenly glad once more that Fred was not her brother. "That sounds rather cruel, I guess..."
Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.
"Remember all that water on the floor?" Harry said, feeling like they better get off the subject. "Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."
"It was about here," Ron said, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door," He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.
"What's the matter?" Harry said.
"Can't go in there," Ron responded gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet,"
"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," Hermione said, standing up and coming over. Vega trailed quietly behind her. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look,"
And ignoring the large OUT of ORDER sign, Hermione opened the door.
⚡️