AS ARIA SAT IN HISTORY OF MAGIC listening to Professor Binns dwell on and on as he lectured on the International Warlock Convention of 1289. Aria rested her chin on her palm taking small notes of what the ghost said as Hermione's hand shot up in the air causing him to stop.
"Miss -- er---?" he trailed off calling on the girl.
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secret," she concluded in a clear voice.
"My subject is History of Magic," Binns blinked quiet surprised in a wheezy voice "I deal with, facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends. In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers --"
Furrowing her eyebrows at the explanation Aria exchanged a quick look with the girl before raising her own hand in the air causing the professor to come to a halt in his reading.
"Miss --"
"Anderson, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"
Professor Binns stared at the girl in amazement as Aria blankly stared back while the ghost looked between the two girls who stared at him in wonderment sitting tall waiting with anticipation.
"Well," Binns stated slowly "yes, one could argue that, I suppose. However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale--"
Every student was hanging onto to the professors words and noticing this Binns continued on, "Oh very well. 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. 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. Reliable historical sources tell us this much, 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 purget he school of all who were unworthy to study magic. The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course. 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."
In seconds 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, I tell you, the thing does not exist, there is no Chamber and no monster." Binns concluded assuring after noticing the nervous looks the students exchanged.
"But sir," Seamus urged "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, If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing--"
"But professor," Parvati Patil 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 hec an't, Miss Pennyfeather," 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 began but Binns seem to have had enough as he cut off sharply.
"That will do, 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!"
~~
Aria sat on the stands of the Quidditch field outside doing her homework, the trio had gone up to the common room to do theirs but Aria decided she needed some air so she took hers outside.
As she scribbled on her Charms homework she felt a scarf being wrapped around her neck as the two people sat down on either sides of her.
"What are you doing out here ace?" Fred questioned.
"What does it look like i'm doing?" Aria asked dipping her quill in ink.
"I think what Fred means is why aren't you inside? You shouldn't be out wandering around with the record hanging over you and Hermione, Ron and Harry recently."
"Since when are you worried about me getting in trouble, Georgie?" Aria asked tilting her head to finally look up at the ginger. "All you two do is let me in on your pranks."
"Yes, well those are funny, uplifting pranks not opening up the Chamber of Secrets." George inquired.
"You believe me when I say I didn't touch that cat right?"
"Of course we do," Fred piped up with an agreeing nod from his brother "it's just now people are talking about a Heir of Slytherin and your one of the choices."
"You can't be serious!" Aria exclaimed defensively "it's not me! If anyone it's Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" George asked skeptically "the Heir of Slytherin?"
"Look at his family," Aria explained shortly finally tucking away her homework "They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. Lucius and Draco are always boasting about Slytherin and how it's the top house and basically if you don't get in it you're shunned. They could've had the key to the chamber of Secrets for centuries! Handing it down, father to son... to so on."
"It definitely is possible...." Fred trailed off "but how would you prove it? Just go up to Malfoy and straight up ask him?"
Aria furrowed her eyebrows in thought as she chewed on her lip.
"That's not a bad idea -- or perhaps i'll go to Dumbledore and talk to him about the Malfoy's or my descendant line." she declared jumping up and began to take off quickly to the castle before the thought could slip her mind.
"Ace!" Fred called out.
~~
Approaching Dumbledore's office she stared at the gargoyle as she began to ponder what could even possible be the password to the headmasters office, the gargoyle spun open to reveal large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. Aria cautiously stepped into the room taking in her surroundings, a number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat — the sorting hat.
The door closed behind her causing her to look at it for a split second before she heard a voice, "ah. Miss Anderson, what a pleasant surprise."
"Sorry to bother you sir." Aria responded
"Nonsense," Dumbledore shook his head sitting at his desk before gesturing for her to sit in front of him. "What can I do for you?"
"I have some questions, quite ridiculous ones honestly."
"No question is as ridiculous as it may seem. Ask away."
"When i was wandering the halls last I overheard Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape discussing about a man named Sirius, and as well as what he did to me. whoever he is...."
Dumbledore swallowed nervously as he fiddled with his thumbs, "Arianna, has your mother informed you about her past?"
"She told me that when she was here at Hogwarts she made a few friends however Narcissa and Sirius were her closest. Which is why we live with the Malfoy's after my father left."
Dumbledore eyes seemed to flicker uneasily as he swallowed hesitantly.
"Perhaps we should owl your mother --"
"Professor, sir, with all due respect. I need to know why on earth two hogwarts professors seem to believe I am going to be their downfall or why you looked like you saw a ghost when filch mentioned dark magic and me in the same sentence. You are keeping something from me aren't you? I'm the ticking time bomb aren't I? Am I the heir of Slytherin?" she asked in almost a frustrated forced whisper.
Dumbledore let out a sigh before speaking, "Arianna, when you were a child some unfortunate events occurred to you and your parents. Including, one night when you were taken in the middle of the night by voldemort. No one knows what happened to you during that night but we know that the person who did the action created a special potion just for you."
"a-a potion?" Aria stuttered out "what kind of potion?"
"There's no name for this consumption but it was made specifically for you. Supposedly voldemort had a driven contact with your mother and was waiting for the right moment to complete his task."
"His task? What was his task?"
"To create his very own weapon."
"for what? Robbing a pre school?"
Dumbledore shook his head subtly "No, for war."
~~
Aria bid her goodbyes and quickly ran out of the headmaster's office her stomach doing flops only to run into Draco heads on and Crabbe and Goyle.
"Watch where you are going Anderson!" Draco sneered before his eyes fell on the girls face "what happened to you? Dumbledore finally expel you?"
"No in fact he didn't. Now if you don't mind --" Aria began squinting at the three boy's noticing something a little off with the two bodyguards behind Draco but brushed it off.
Draco grabbed Aria's arm causing her to come to a halt.
"hey!" Goyle exclaimed but what cut off be a gab in the arm by Crabbe and a weird look from Aria and Draco.
"Listen here Anderson, there's been rumors going around that you and your weird friends have something to do with the chamber of secrets and honestly I don't blame them. But if in any way you drag my family or even worse -- me, into this whole situation. I won't hesitate to bury you and your mother into the ground."
"Don't worry Malfoy." Aria shot back yanking back her arm "I wouldn't wish it upon anyone to ever be stuck in that situation with your family or worse you. Now if you don't mind i have to get going because I have a cute phobia of people prying into my personal life." she spat and turning on her heels to stalk off down the corridors leaving a sneering Draco in her path.
~~
Early Saturday morning around Aria got up and got dressed, the girl hadn't spoken much to the trio recently since they seemed to be off doing their own thing and the heavy weight of what Dumbledore had informed her with still weighed over her shoulders. The upcoming Quidditch match against Slytherin was the last thing on her mind but she knew it was the first on Oliver's. So pulling the blankets off of her body and getting dressed to go down to breakfast to where she only found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long empty table looking uptight and not speaking much. Aria furrowed her eyebrows at this and walked over to the group sitting down next to Harry across from the twins.
"What's going on? Why is everyone so... tense?"
"We are going up against Slytherin today, remember?" Harry reminded quietly
"so...?" Aria urged on.
"Which means, Malfoy and his father's generous gift."
Aria looked over her shoulder to the Slytherin table to see Draco with an arrogant facial expression pasted on his face he noticed the girl looking at him and raised his glass giving her a playfully wink to which she shuddered and turned back around suddenly becoming quiet like the rest of her team.
~~
As the game approached and the school began to pile down to the stadium, the team pulled on their robes and sat down to listen to Oliver's pep talk.
"Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began "No point denying it."
"Not off to a good start there Oliver," Aria muttered out
"But," Oliver stressed casting the girl a knowing look. "we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers."
"Too true," George muttered under his breath causing Aria nod in agreement rubbing her hands together.
"I haven't been properly dry since August,"
Oliver continued on, "and we're going to make them rue the day they letthat little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team. It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."
"So no pressure, Harry," Fred joked winking at the boy causing Aria to let out a short chuckle as Oliver looked at the duo unamused.
The team walked onto the field being greeted with a roar of noise as they got into their positions.
"On my whistle," Hooch said "Three.. two... one..."
They took off in a flash and as they floated around in the air Aria already hear Draco bickering at Harry.
"All right there, Scarhead?"
As the girl focused on the game attempting to score any points possible but seemed to be failing miserably as she kept getting cut off by the Slytherin team, she soon realized that Harry seemed to be attracting a lot of bludgers. As if it was magnetically attracted to Harry no matter how many times the Weasley twins hit it away it seemed to come flying right back.
"Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero ---" Lee informed as Aria looked around the field aimlessly in hope to get something out of the scene playing before her, but with the heavy rain fall she could barely see anything.
It wasn't until she heard Hooch's whistle for a time out that she sprinted towards Wood and the others on the ground.
"What's going on?" Oliver wondered as Aria attempted to tie her now soaked hair up in a hair tie once again. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Aria from scoring?"
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver." George stated angrily. "Someone's fixed it — it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherin's must have done something to it."
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then...." Oliver reminded them anxiously.
"Listen, with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one." Harry offered
"Don't be thick," Fred commented
"That thing will take your head off Harry."
"Oliver this is insane." Aria stated angrily "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry--"
"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" Harry remarked
"And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone."
"Oliver don't you dare even think about sending him out there alone. Separate the twins, have one running the game and another by harry. Or i'll go up there and do it myself." Aria snapped furiously.
"This is all your fault," George stated angrily to Oliver "'get the Snitch or die trying' what a stupid thing to tell him ---"
"Ready to resume play?" Hooch asked wood as they approached them.
"All right, Fred, George, you heard Harry — leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own." Oliver told them as Hooch blew her whistle and the team kicked off.
Aria could hardly concentrate as she saw the bludger racing towards Harry and the boy attempting to avoid it it wasn't until she heard her name being yelled out that she snapped back into reality to see George beating a bludger away from her.
"Head back in the game Aria!" George ordered before sweeping off causing Aria to glance nervously back at Harry and shake her head clearing an open pathway for Angelina.
Suddenly in a quick motion Harry was racing towards Draco and when he noticed this he swung out of the way confused and in seconds there was a yell from the crowd below as Harry hit the mud rolling off his broom his arm hanging at a very strange angle and a burst of whistling and shouting.
~~
Aria ran past Fred and George who were wrestling to get the rouge bludger into the box and up to the group of anxious Gryffindors who surrounded Harry laying on the ground and Lockhart twirling his wand.
"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" Harry asked through clenched teeth as Aria came to a skidding stop next to Oliver who couldn't help but grin because they won to which Aria nudged him lightly and as he looked at her innocently confused, she rolled her eyes.
"He should really, professor." Oliver agreed "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say--"
"stand back," Lockhart ordered
"No-- don't--" Harry stated weakly as Lockhart pointed his wand at Harry.
"I really think he should just ---"
In seconds it was soon to notice that Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones yet instead he removed them.
"Ah," Lockhart stated "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing — ah,Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — and Madam Pomfrey will be able to — er — tidy you up a bit."
Harry got to his feet and looked like he was about to pass out again at the sight of his arm, so Aria quickly went to his side helping him stand.
"Come on Harry, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey. Immediately."
Spitting the last word out she glared at the professor as Hermione and Ron went to help her to lead her friend to the hospital wing.
[edited: yes! (11-03-20)]