"-I slept great-"
"-normally it takes a while for me to sleep-"
"-I can't believe I didn't do my potions-"
John silently snorted as he recalled the morning after he returned.
His mass wide sleeping spell that night had produced a numerous amount of results.
Some way more entertaining than others.
Him though?
He rubbed at his bloodshot eyes.
He hasn't slept a wink since.
Despite the incident occurring almost a week ago-too many things kept him awake more than not.
'An ancient creature we spiders fear'
'The creature was born in the castle.'
He silently nodded to Harry and Ron as they met in the hall.
They had agreed to visit Hermione before curfew began.
John had wanted to look through the library more-but not only did he just not have the time to do so anymore, but he didn't know where else to look.
Besides the forbidden areas, he's cleared out as much of available sections as he could.
None of them fit.
Not the descriptions nor their abilities.
If they didn't make progress soon, John will have to break in again.
Hermione's form was as still as ever.
He wondered if, when a paralyzed victim recovers, are their muscles sore from being in a prolonged, stationary position?
Of course he then hated himself the moment the thought finished asking-but he supposed it was valid enough to wonder.
The mage stood at the foot of the bed with Ron not far from his left, and Harry sat down beside her to his right, holding her hand in a delicate manner.
John cursed the world for its unfairness-for what was most assuredly the thousandth time.
"We miss you Hermione...wish you were here."
They were just kids.
John looked away and shut his eyes, tightly clenching his fists even as his arms were crossed.
"...what's-"
The blond looked back up the see Harry fiddling with her hand, pulling out something.
"What is it, mate?"
"It's-"
A rustling of paper.
A moment of silence as Harry took the moment to read it before turning to face them.
"It's the reason Hermione was in the library the night she was attacked."
What?
Harry got to his feet, hurrying past them.
"Come on!"
"Dammit Harry!"
They trailed after him.
"What is it?!"
Begrudgingly the boy slowed, walking to a lit torch by the hallway's wall.
"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living hundreds of years, instant death await those that meets the giant serpent's eyes. With it's cold demeanor, impressive hunting skills, and deadly display of abilities-even the wild's most apex predators like spiders flee from it'-this is it!"
A triumphant grin overtook the boy's face.
"The monster within the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk!"
"Mate, can I-?"
John was given the paper, an ink picture of a snake greeting him.
"This is why I couldn't find anything in the library! The brilliant lass down in the infirmary found it first-tearing it out from the books for us to see!"
Harry nodded.
"It all adds up! That's the reason I'm hearing the voice! It's a snake!"
"W-wait a minute!"
Ron waved, begging them to slow down.
"If looking the Basilisk in the eyes kill people-why is everyone in the hospital only paralyzed?"
Leave it to Ron to ask the important questions for once-then it hit him.
"The mirror!"
Confusion took over there expressions.
"Hermione knew that looking it in the eye would kill her-so she had the mirror as a guide!"
A new clarity appeared.
"That Hufflepuff they found-Lizzie Cook!"
John jolted.
"I overheard one of her friends saying that they found her-glasses in hand, but facing a window! She could've been cleanin them before spotting it!"
"And Colin's camera!"
Harry added to their theory.
"And Justin must have seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! It still wasn't direct eye contact-and Nick is already a ghost!"
"And Hermione had her mirror-"
Ron had caught on.
"Nobody died, because nobody looked at it directly!"
But then he back tracked them.
"But what about the cat?"
They paused.
"I'm pretty sure Mrs. Norris didn't have either of those!"
It was true...Filch's cat was the first victim found. Everything else was going well-but how could they explain her circumstances?
But it turned out that they didn't have to.
"The water."
"What?"
"That night, one of the school's bathroom's flooded! There was water everywhere when we found her-she must've seen it's reflection!"
"Bloody hell Harry!"
Of course!
"How could've I forgotten-well...granted, I wasn't exactly there when that happened either-but that's besides the point! There's a pattern! It has to be the Basilisk!"
"But how is it getting around the school? You'd think that somebody'd notice a great big snake wondering around the halls! Someone must've seen it, right?"
John scanned the page top to bottom, flipping it over once before spotting the handwritten note at a bottom corner.
'Pipes'?
As in the pipeline?-
"-it's the pipes!"
Ron frowned.
"It's using the school's plumbing?"
He turned the page around for them to see.
"Don't you remember?! The girl killed 50 years ago was found in the bathroom! The first night of the attacks the one of the bathrooms flooded! Aragog said that the Basilisk was born in the castle-the damn things been here the whole time!"
"What if she never left?"
John looked to Harry, a slightly haunted look in the now pale boy's green eyes.
"What?"
"The girl...what if she never left Hogwarts..."
"You mean-"
John started.
"-Moaning Myrtle?"
Ron finished.
"All Students Are To Return To Their House Dormitories At Once. Tonight's Curfew Is Now In Effect."
McGonagall's voice sounded though the hall.
"And All Teacher's To The Second Floor Corridor."
John had know idea Hogwart's even had a PA system until the curfews began to get more serious.
The trio passed around a look of a agreement.
They raced down the hall, determined to follow their teacher's to the best of their abilities.
"-our biggest fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster and into the Chambers itself!"
Shock surged through them as they kept close to the corner's wall.
"...our students must be sent home...for I fear that history will repeat itself. Hogwarts is once again nearing it's end..."
"So sorry I'm late!"
Hurried footsteps approached.
"I must've dozed off for a bit-what did I miss?"
John's growl was subharmonic.
"A girl has been snatched by the Chamber of Secret's monster. It would appear, Lockhart, that your time has finally come at last."
Ok-forgetting all their bad blood.
"M-mine?"
-turning the other cheek and all that-
"Yes. Were you not just saying the other night how you've known all along where the Chamber's location is?"
Snape was now his favorite teacher.
"It's settled then. We shall leave the monster within the Chamber of Secrets to you, Gilderoy."
Oh he could practically hear McGonagall grin.
"After all...your skills are legendary."
Bless them.
Both of them.
"Very well..."
John reveled in the slight wobble.
"I shall be in my chambers...preparing..."
They heard as their 'renowned' DADA professor skittered away on uneasy feet before another voice, recognized at Madame Pompfrey, questioned McGonagall.
"Who has the monster taken, Minerva?"
"Ginny Weasley."
Harry and John turned to Ron in horror, disbelief overtaking the boy's features.
"Ginny."
He whispered before he realized his mistake, quickly covering his mouth.
John looked around the corner, sighing in relief that the group had left already and their cover hadn't been blown.
"We're clear."
"Ron I-I...I'm so sorry-"
John clenched his teeth as Harry tried consoling the boy, turning to see the message their friendly neighborhood Slytherin heir had gifted them.
'Her Skeleton Will Lie In The Chambers Forever.'