Gilderoy Lockhart's trial was a sensation. Since he had assaulted the
Head of a Most Ancient and Noble House, the trial would be
automatically held at the Wizengamot instead of at the Council of
Magical Law. The Council took care of the everyday legal matters of
the British magical world, but the Wizengamot acted as the apex
court in the country along with being the legislative body. Very
important cases such as this were routed directly there.
The country was up in arms that a famous and beloved author like
Gilderoy Lockhart had been arrested. Wanting to take advantage of
the situation, Rita Skeeter had printed an article in the Daily Prophet
which revealed Harry being a Parselmouth. Sirius was furious that
he had still not gotten any information about her, but he persevered.
He had hired a company which would screen letters Harry received
from the public and forward any lethal letters to the D.M.L.E. Two
women had already been arrested for sending undiluted bobotuber
pus in the envelopes. A few others had been fined heavily for trying
to cause bodily harm to another, a minor at that.
On the day of the trial, Amelia began by explaining what had
happened that night and showed the evidence she had collected.
She brought several teachers as witnesses and Chief Warlock
Dumbledore testified as well. The Weasley and Diggory families
were sitting with Harry in the seats meant for the plaintiff.
"I would request this august body to grant us the right to use
Veritaserum," said Amelia, her voice booming. "If the accused has –"
" Hem, hem ."
Amelia stopped talking and her left eye twitched minutely. Even
Dumbledore's eyes grew a little cold when he heard that sound.
He turned and said, "Yes?"
"Would you mind if I made the teensiest interruption, Chief Warlock?"
she asked in a very girlish, high-pitched voice.
"The Chair recognises Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to
the Minister," said Dumbledore.
" Hem, hem. Thank you, Chief Warlock," said Umbridge in a fake
surgery sweet voice. Her eyes landed on Harry, and Harry saw that
she had a glint in her eye. Whatever she was going to say, he was
sure he wasn't going to like it.
"I was wondering if the Wizengamot could view Mr Potter's memory
of the event. If he is not lying, I'm sure he would have no objection to
do so, don't you agree?" she asked and gave a girlish giggle at the
end.
Harry's eyes darkened and his upper lip curled in distaste. He knew
of this woman all right. She was the most hated woman in the entire
Ministry from he had heard from Amelia's rants. She was the recently
appointed Senior Undersecretary to Minister Fudge, before which
she was the Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office.
"Objection, Chief Warlock," said Sirius sharply. "I will not consent to
view my godson's memory of the event in front of entire Wizengamot
and I'm sure Mr and Mrs Weasley, as well as Mr and Mrs Diggory,
will agree with me. The boys were being sexually assaulted by Mr
Lockhart and hence were in a state of undress. I will not let my
godson's naked pictures appear on the front page of the Daily
Prophet ."
"I agree," boomed Amelia. "I have personally viewed the memory of
the event I extracted from Mr Potter and I can testify that it is
authentic. As the Head of the D.M.L.E., my word should suffice and
as Harry Potter's guardian, I too will not let anyone else view that
memory."
" Hem, hem. Are you suggesting that the boy in question may be
lying ? Mr Lockhart is a very famous author. Accusing him without
presenting the main source of evidence is rather convenient, is it
not? Especially considering how much publicity Mr Potter would get
just to bring the man here on trumped-up charges. It is difficult to
believe the words of a Parselmouth ," said Umbridge, smiling
sweetly at Harry.
"Accusing without evidence?" repeated Sirius, his eyebrows raised,
not at all falling for the trap. "Oh dear, it seems our new Senior
Undersecretary is not capable of hearing and seeing what is right in
front of her. We have had so many witnesses testify against Mr
Lockhart, including the Head of the Department of Magical Law
Enforcement and the Chief Warlock. Perhaps you need to look for a
new secretary, Minister Fudge. Madam Umbridge seems to be not
qualified for the job ... or know her place ."
"How dare you?" shrieked Umbridge.
"When I said know your place, I meant it," spat Sirius, harshly, his
face turning red with anger. "Suggest something so disgusting again
and I will declare a blood feud against you and your family for the
intentional harm of the heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of
Black."
"That will not be necessary," said Dumbledore quickly, putting an end
to the discussion before Umbridge ended up dead right there in the
Wizengamot chamber. He knew that she was not capable of
defeating Sirius in a duel. James and Sirius had been personally
trained by Alastor Moody and he didn't want anyone dead over
something as trivial as this. In fact, he didn't want people dead,
period. There had been enough deaths caused because of
Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the last war.
The resolution to give Veritaserum passed by a majority and after
Lockhart was dosed, he sang like a canary. He explained what
happened that night and why he picked the victims as well. When
asked about any other victims, he began listing his future targets,
two of which were Daphne Greengrass and Draco Malfoy.
Cyrus Greengrass and Lucius Malfoy were horrified.
When the issue of obliviation came up regarding the victims,
Lockhart also slipped out about his books. Further clarification
revealed that they were all fake, and that he had Obliviated the
original people who had done those feats of magic and had taken
credit for it so as to boost his popularity. The books he had sold gave
him a lot of money and that was the only reason he had applied for
the Defence post at Hogwarts. Hundreds of students buying his
entire collection of books had increased his sales revenue
drastically.
Finally, Harry got what he wanted. Sirius Black, Cyrus Greengrass
and Lucius Malfoy did not like what Lockhart had done and had
planned to do. His entire monetary assets were seized and were to
be divided among the four victims equally. To someone like Harry
who came from old money, the amount he received was insignificant
to count, but to the Weasleys, it would greatly alleviate their financial
strain, especially since they got half of Lockhart's fortune.
When it came to the punishment, Cyrus Greengrass gave a speech
about how the man's crimes against the boys were a violation
against Mother Magic herself and as such, it shouldn't go
unpunished. Lucius Malfoy also agreed, pushing for the verdict.
Surprisingly, Dumbledore did not try to stop it and Lockhart was
sentenced to the Dementor's kiss, but he did suffer intense
disapproval and backlash at hiring Lockhart in the first place. When
the next edition of the Daily Prophet was released, people were
shocked to stillness about the extent of Lockhart's crimes. Some of
them felt ashamed in believing the worst of a twelve-year-old boy
when the man himself was a monster, but they were still digesting
the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived was a Parselmouth.
No one sent any letters of apology.
A week later, Harry came back to Hogwarts. Having already finished
breakfast, he slowly made his way over to the Potions classroom
when he literally ran into someone.
"Uff!" cried Daphne as arms wrapped around her waist to stop her
from falling. "Get your hands off – Harry !"
She immediately rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. Harry
smiled softly as he hugged her back. He had really missed her over
the past several days.
"How are you?" she asked softly. "I heard about what happened; the
entire school was in shock."
"I'm fine," said Harry quietly. "But Sirius is making me go to a Mind
Healer to help deal with what happened. I tried to say no, but he
wouldn't listen. I'll have to go to St Mungo's every weekend for a few
hours."
"That's good isn't it?"
"Talking to a stranger about my feelings?" said Harry, his left eye
twitching in annoyance. "If it hadn't been for secrecy oaths, I would
never have agreed, despite Sirius not giving me a choice in the first
place. How have you been?"
"I've missed you," she admitted softly.
A small smile made its way to Harry's face as he pulled her closer to
him. Their lips touched briefly and after several seconds, they broke
apart. Harry looked at her tenderly, moving closer to nuzzle his face
against hers, breathing her scent deeply.
He really had missed her; more than he cared to admit.
It was now the first week of March and the castle had quietened
somewhat. There had been no more attacks for a long time now and
people thought it was finally safe. Harry was just returning from
Quidditch practice when he heard the voice again.
" Kill ... Rip ... so hungry ... Kill this time ..."
He stopped mid-step, his heart thumping a mile a minute. He had a
choice. He could ignore it and be blamed for it anyway or he could
find out what the creature was and maybe find the attacker at the
same time. If he caught the attacker red-handed, the Ministry of
Magic would finally have a lead as to what was causing the attacks.
With that in mind, he rushed towards the opposite direction of
Ravenclaw Tower, listening to the sounds which were rapidly fading.
He was in the fourth-floor girl's bathroom. Tentatively opening the
door, his eyes widened when he saw Hermione Granger and
Penelope Clearwater lying on the floor in front of the sink with a
mirror above. He went forward to check and he confirmed that they
were petrified. There was no sign of any wizard or creature nearby.
How had the attacker fled so quickly? This was not possible!
Just as he was about to leave, Peeves showed up in the corridor
outside, signing to himself. "What are you up to, Potty?" he said in a
sing-song voice. "Potty, Potty, you are such a dorky –"
Peeves stopped singing when he caught sight of the petrified girls
inside the bathroom. Before Harry could even begin to do damage
control, the poltergeist was yelling at the top of his voice.
"MURDER! Murder in the bathroom! Attack! Ataaaackkk! No one is
safe in this castle! Run for your lives!"
Harry sighed as he leaned against the wall. There was no escaping
this. He had found the girls inside the bathroom; a place he had no
business being in. What explanation could he give now?
"Sherbet lemon," said Professor McGonagall as she led Harry to the
Headmaster's office. She looked at him coldly as she said,
"Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you."
Harry nodded stiffly as he ascended up the spiral staircase. He
knocked on the door and entered. The place was the same as
always, except this time, the phoenix looked old and frail. Harry went
over to the bird and smiled.
"Hello, o noble phoenix," said Harry softly. "I'm sorry I could not greet
you before. I'm not exactly fond of your companion. Burning day,
huh?"
The phoenix trilled softly, but it was full of pain. When Harry could
smell fire, he calmly stepped back, giving it more room. Giving one
final croak of pain, the phoenix burst into flames. After several
seconds, Harry went near and saw the small ugly chick rise from the
ashes.
"Take care of yourself," said Harry softly as the phoenix trilled at him
fondly.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up and saw Dumbledore coming down the stairs. "Ah, I
see Fawkes has gone through with his burning. About time too; he's
been quite irritable lately."
"I would be too if I were so sick that I could barely move or speak,"
said Harry, as he took his seat. Dumbledore observed the young boy
with keen eyes. The Potter scion's expression was blank, showing
no hint of fear. It reminded him again of Tom Riddle. Speaking of
which –
"Now, Harry," said Dumbledore, looking at him pointedly. "May I ask
what you were doing when you came across Miss Granger and Miss
Clearwater?"
Harry didn't answer. His face was impassive as always as he stared
at the wall behind the headmaster. He honestly didn't know what to
say.
"Nothing to say?" said Dumbledore, observing Harry. "This situation
has become a lot more serious, Harry. I'm asking you again; what
were you doing in that bathroom on the fourth floor?"
Harry's lip curled slightly. "I heard a voice," he said finally.
"A voice, you say?"
"Yes. It was talking about killing. I followed it. That's how I stumbled
upon Finch-Fletchley as well."
"I see," said Dumbledore slowly. "I hope you are telling the truth,
Harry, because if you are not, it would be disastrous for you. I
already know that you harbour a hatred for Muggles and Muggleborns
–"
"Excuse me?" said Harry sharply. "Who told you that I hate Muggleborns?
I don't! My own mother was Muggle-born, for Merlin's sake!"
"I know of witches and wizards who have had Muggles for parents
and yet they hate Muggles with a passion," said Dumbledore,
shaking his head. "Please, Harry. Stop this madness. The attacks
have gone on long enough. We can work together in repairing the
damage. Don't walk down this path. I urge you to reconsider what
you are doing."
Harry's face showed genuine surprise. "You actually believe that I
am responsible for this?" he asked incredulously.
When Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, Harry's eyes darkened in
anger.
"You will all have to swallow your words one day, old man," Harry
whispered angrily as he got up. "And I will laugh in your face when
that day comes when you realise that I was innocent all along. I can't
believe you!"
Dumbledore watched as Harry walked out of the office, slamming the
door in the process. Was the boy truly innocent as he claimed? If
that were true, who was responsible for these attacks?
Could Voldemort somehow be responsible for this? He had
dismissed that idea thinking Harry was guilty, but maybe – just
maybe, there was something else going on here. Or was Harry lying
about it? No, Harry was many things, but he was far from stupid.
Lying to the Chief Warlock was not an option. Then there was that
voice. What was that all about? A flicker of surprise found its way to
his eyes as he consulted a book on magical snakes.
Two weeks had passed since the incident with the Headmaster. The
D.M.L.E. had finally been allowed to investigate the matter, but there
was no evidence of an attack. The entire school seemed to give
Harry a wide berth now. Nobody in his fifth-year class seemed to
want to be seated anywhere near him. Dumbledore had also been
dismissed by the Board of Governors and surprisingly enough,
Hagrid had been arrested. Harry guessed that he must have been
accused of opening the Chamber the last time. How Fudge knew
about this was anyone's guess, but if Harry wanted proof of Lucius
Malfoy's involvement, he had gotten it now.
Daphne also seemed to want to get to the bottom of the mystery, so
she spent more time in the library. Harry didn't know where to start.
He was loaded to the brim with work as his O.W.L.s drew near and
he didn't have time to sleep let alone investigate what was going on.
He had checked the map for Lucius Malfoy or even Voldemort, but
there was nothing there! It was as though the attacker was invisible.
The problem was that there was absolutely no record of any incident
with the Chamber of Secrets. He tried to access Hagrid's record, but
it didn't exist except for when he was expelled, so he had no idea
what the half-giant had done, so he turned to the people who could
inform him.
"He was expelled for letting lose a creature which killed a girl in his
third year," said Amelia, looking through a very thin file as the mirror
floated in front of her. "I don't have any other information. After he
was expelled, Dumbledore apparently convinced Headmaster Dippet
to keep Hagrid at Hogwarts and train him as a gamekeeper. There is
no mention of the Chamber at all. And don't even ask me about Tom
Riddle. There is absolutely no mention of him beyond his academic
records. Voldemort must have wiped them clean during the war."
"Damn," muttered Harry. "Thanks, Aunt Amy. I have a Quidditch
match now. I'll talk to you later."
Albus Dumbledore adjusted his cloak as he walked alone in the
streets of Kockturn Alley. He was a man on a mission and he
wouldn't leave until he got to the bottom of the mystery. He had still
not figured out how Voldemort was causing the attacks on Hogwarts,
but he had a pretty good idea of what was attacking the students.
But he was here for another reason – to find out more information on
one Tom Marvolo Riddle.
"Good even, Borgin," said Dumbledore as he dropped his glamour.
"How have you been, old friend?"
"Dumbledore," sneered Borgin as he saw his old schoolmate. "What
a displeasure it is to see you. What do you want?"
"Can't an old man drop by to visit an old friend?" said Dumbledore,
smiling at the owner of Borgin and Burkes.
"We were never friends , Dumbledore, so cut the crap and tell me
what you want," said Borgin in a wheezy voice.
"Very well," said Dumbledore as he drew himself to his fullest height,
his powerful aura palpable as he looked at Borgin with narrowed
eyes. "What can you tell me about a young man who worked here
fifty years ago? He was an old student of mine ... named Tom
Marvolo Riddle."
Borgin paled rapidly and looked ready to die of shock. He was
trembling in fear as he realised who Dumbledore was referring to. He
still remembered the tortured screams of his business partner
Caractacus Burke when Voldemort killed him years ago. He still did
not know why the Dark Lord had targeted Burke, but he had no
intention of ever finding out.
"I-I have n-no idea w-what you a-are talking a-about," stuttered
Borgin, trying not to gulp in fear. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and
his wand was out of his robes in a fraction of a second, far too fast
for Borgin to even think.
A pure ripple of magic left his wand as he cast a stunning spell on
the man. With another flick, the door of the shop closed, the windows
tinted so that no one would be able to see or hear what was going
on. He needed information on what Voldemort had done once he left
Hogwarts. He knew that Voldemort had explored the idea of
Horcruxes from the memory he had received from Horace Slughorn,
not to mention that soul piece that was lodged in Harry's scar, but he
didn't have the faintest idea where the Dark Lord's Horcruxes could
be. Unfortunately, Voldemort was too good at hiding his movements,
so it would take some time.
He would not let Voldemort destroy the world they were trying to
rebuild. Albus had seen the cost of war and he had taken drastic
steps to ensure that Voldemort was defeated, going so far as to
betray people who trusted him. He would ensure the man was
destroyed for good, no matter what the cost. People like Voldemort
could not be allowed to live and he was willing to take any action
necessary so that the people of Magical Britain and beyond did not
have to suffer again because of his old student's insanity and thirst
for power.
" Legilimens!"
Meanwhile, Daphne had just come out from inside a bathroom,
repairing the portion of the wall which she had blasted apart. She
wondered if anyone knew about the pipes that were at Hogwarts.
From her position, she could see small spiders crawling away
through the small holes in the stone. She had never seen spiders
acting this way. Her eyes widened when she realised the
implications. They had never thought about spiders. Hagrid's
roosters had been killed earlier this year – it had been chalked off to
a wild animal from the Forbidden Forest. Wait, in which year had
Hagrid been expelled?
Just as Daphne rushed to the library, another girl was frowning at
her, clutching a small black diary to her chest. The girl's eyes were
crimson.
The book which contained the records of students showed that
Hagrid had been expelled in his third year. Tom Riddle, who Harry
had revealed to her as Voldemort had gotten an award for special
services to the school the same year. That couldn't be a coincidence,
could it?
What was the name of the girl that had died?
Daphne's eyes widened. Oh, sweet Merlin; why had no one thought
to ask her? Maybe Dumbledore had, but had never gotten an answer
before. All the girls at Hogwarts tended to avoid that bathroom
because of Myrtle. But first, she had to ensure her safety. She took
out the book on magical snakes and copied the sheet and scribbled
on it. Once done, she removed a handheld mirror which she always
had in her bag. Making her way to the first-floor girl's bathroom, she
observed the writing on the wall. Daphne looked at the mirror to
check behind her, just to be safe.
The last thing she saw was a pair of great, big yellow eyes by the
sink behind her as she dropped like a stone.
The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor teams were mounting their brooms
when Professor McGonagall came running across the pitch. She
pointed her wand at her throat.
" Sonorus ! This match has been cancelled. All students are to make
their way to their common rooms immediately. Your Heads of House
will give you further instructions. Move as quickly as you can!" she
shouted.
She then turned to Harry and said, "Potter, I think you better come
with me."
Some of the students were grumbling about the match being
cancelled, others looked worried. Someone shouted from the crowd,
"I bet Potter has murdered someone! Don't let him go!"
"Quiet!" barked McGonagall furiously. "Twenty points from Gryffindor
and another word from any of you and you'll be very sorry indeed! All
of you to your common rooms, NOW!"
Harry quietly followed her inside the castle, his face impassive as
always. He wondered what was going on. Had there been another
attack? Were they calling the Aurors for an official investigation
again? Was he going to be suspended? If he was, then there was no
way he was ever coming to Hogwarts after that. He had enough of
these people's foolishness.
"This may be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall, looking
at Harry worriedly. Harry wondered why she was looking at him that
way. Her face was filled with dread and guilt. When they stepped
inside the Hospital Wing, Harry's face went white as a sheet as he
dropped his broomstick which fell to the floor with a clang.
Daphne Greengrass was lying on the bed, one arm extended
forward, her beautiful face frozen in shock. She was petrified.
Harry was unable to move. He stood there silent, unable to breathe.
Slowly, he made his way towards the bed, not able to tear his eyes
away from the girl's face.
"She was found on the first floor," said Professor McGonagall softly.
"She had this mirror in her hand. We're not sure why she had that
mirror at all."
Harry wasn't listening to her though. He collapsed on the bed next to
Daphne, unable to speak. Professor McGonagall and Madam
Pomfrey looked at each other worriedly.
"Lord and Lady Greengrass have been informed," she said. "They'll
be here soon. I know it doesn't count for much, but I would like to
apologise for suspecting you, Potter. I really am sorry for not
believing you like everyone else."
Harry couldn't believe that Daphne had been attacked. She was the
only one at school who had stood by him without a smidgen of
doubt. He didn't know why he felt as though his heart was literally
shattering into pieces. He had never felt so attached to anyone
before, but Daphne was special. She was his best friend and also his
fiancée.
Silent tears rolled down Harry's cheeks as he sat down on the bed,
holding Daphne's stiff hand. He didn't utter a sound and his face was
completely blank except for the tear-filled eyes which were burning in
sorrow and guilt.
Professor McGonagall sighed as she walked out of the Hospital
Wing. For someone who had always seen an impenetrable mask on
Harry's face, it was startling to see him actually crying, even if he
never uttered a sound. Her heart clenched in guilt for suspecting
him. Albus had to be informed about this. But first, she had to inform
the students about the new rules she had decided to implement.
Ten minutes after she left, Cyrus and Elizabeth Greengrass strolled
inside the castle. When they entered the Hospital Wing, they saw
their eldest daughter lying on the bed, stiff as a rock. Harry was
sitting on a chair next to her, looking off into the distance. When they
approached closer to them, the elder Greengrasses were startled to
see the tear stains on Harry's cheeks.
"Daphne," croaked Cyrus as he placed a hand on his daughter's
forehead. She was so cold. Tears pricked his eyes as he looked at
the boy who was sitting still, not looking at them.
"Harry," said Elizabeth softly as she moved over to him. "Harry,
please, talk to us."
But he remained still, his eyes unfocused. "I will make them pay for
this," he whispered, his green eyes darkening slightly. "When I get
my hands on whoever is responsible, I will make them pay!"
"Harry – Harry, calm down," said Elizabeth, rubbing his back
soothingly.
He closed his eyes, trying his best to get his emotions under control.
His eyes were burning with rage and hate. It may be days, weeks,
months or years – but he would find out who was responsible for this
and he would kill them personally. They would pay for what they did
to Daphne. His grip on her hand tightened.
Lucius Malfoy was going to die by his hand only. He was a dead man
walking. Harry would wait. He was nothing if not patient. Sometime
in the future, when he was powerful enough to take him, he would
ensure that Lucius regretted messing with Harry. The man would
suffer in the most painful way possible.
No one in Hogwarts School slept well that night. They were all in a
state of shock. If Daphne Greengrass, a pureblood girl from one of
the oldest families in the country and a Slytherin to boot was
attacked, how safe were the rest? But one thing was clear.
Harry Potter was not the one attacking the Muggle-borns. Everyone
knew from just watching them how deeply Harry cared about
Daphne, so it was not difficult to conclude that they had suspected
the wrong person. The Heir of Slytherin was still out there, attacking
the students of Hogwarts. And he didn't seem to care about
purebloods either.
"Thank you, Mr Devonshire," said Lord Sirius Black as he looked at
the file which contained the signed sheets of parchment. "I will have
the agreed value of the shares purchased transferred to your vault."
"I assume the – information – will not make the light of day?" asked
Mr Devonshire, sweating. He swallowed nervously. He had heard
about the Black family information network and their ways of
persuasion, but he had never had the pleasure of experiencing it
himself. How the hell did Black find out that he was the owner of the
Daily Prophet in the first place? He and his two business partners
had ensured that it was kept quiet. The information Black had about
them was too terrifying to even think about. But he would get back at
Black one day. He wasn't going to be a sitting duck. He could already
sense the subtle shift in power. Politics was heavily dependent on
the media and Lord Sirius Black now controlled the Daily Prophet .
"Enjoy your day, Mr Devonshire," said Sirius with a smile. When the
disgruntled and angry older man turned to walk towards the door,
Sirius' smile dropped as he pointed his wand at the man's back.
" Obliviate! "
" Stupefy! "
"I think the D.M.L.E. would love to get their hands on you and your
two friends," said Sirius with a smirk. "Smuggling illegal potions and
artefacts; you all should realise now why the Blacks have always
held power and why we have considered ourselves close to royalty.
And it is time we got it back!"
"You should have left my son alone. Let's see what the Daily
Prophets says about Harry Potter with me in charge."
Harry waved his wand as he conjured a bunch of multi-coloured
orchids which he placed at Daphne's bedside table. He hadn't
spoken a word to anyone at Hogwarts since the incident. Sirius had
told him about the change in ownership of the Daily Prophet. It was
now equally owned by the Houses of Potter and Black, but of course,
no one would know that. It was under an alias – under the name of
one Frank Olive. Any information about the true holders of the
shares was covered under a mountain of paperwork so that no one
would bother looking for it - or find it. Sirius had gone an extra mile
and actually created a fake identity for Frank Olive. No one would
know that he never existed.
"I miss you," whispered Harry as he rubbed Daphne's hand with his
thumb. He frowned when he felt something in her fist. He looked
down and felt a sheet of parchment nested inside her hand and he
spent several seconds trying to get it out. Once he smoothened the
sheet, he read what was in it.
Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land,
there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known
also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach a gigantic
size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg,
hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous,
for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a
murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall
suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their
mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the
rooster, which is fatal to it.
Harry frowned because he had ruled out the possibility of the
creature being a basilisk. But he saw that Daphne had written
something at the bottom of the sheet.
Pipes – plumbing inside the castle.
Ask Moaning Myrtle – may be able to find out more.
Windows – spiders acting strangely.
Hagrid's roosters – killed.
Ergo, the Basilisk.
But the basilisk's gaze kills, doesn't it? Then why wasn't anyone
dead? Oh wait; no one did look the creature in the eye. All of them
looked at it indirectly which was what caused the petrification in the
first place. There had always been a barrier – water on the ground, a
ghost, mirrors ...
Moaning Myrtle? She was the one killed fifty years ago, wasn't she?
Harry's eyes widened. Why hadn't he thought about that before?
Between all the studying he had been doing along with the shit he
was dealing with from the students of the school and the rest of the
country, he had discounted a major part of the mystery. His blood
chilled when he thought about the basilisk that was at Hogwarts. He
remembered what Amelia had told him months ago about a basilisk.
"And a good thing too," said Amelia darkly. "A basilisk will cause an
international red alert because it can be used for mass destruction.
Can you imagine the damage someone like Voldemort could do if he
gained access to a basilisk? He could wreak havoc in scales we
can't even imagine!"
Oh, dear Merlin! There was a bloody weapon of mass destruction
right under the castle! He quickly got up and walked towards the
first-floor corridor when he heard a voice echoing throughout the
hallways.
"All students return to your their House common rooms at once!
Teachers report to the staffroom immediately."
Harry frowned. Something must have happened. He cast a Noticeme-
not charm over himself using the locket, silenced his feet and
went over to the staffroom. He stood outside and cast an
eavesdropping charm and listened.
"It's happened. A student has been taken right into the Chamber
itself. The heir has left another message: Her skeleton will lie in the
chamber forever. This is going to be the end of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore always said ..." said McGonagall, sounding worried and
scared.
"Who is it?" whispered Madam Hooch.
"Ginny Weasley," replied McGonagall morosely.
Harry left and quickly went towards the first-floor girl's bathroom. He
had to verify Daphne's theory. He had actually never come to this
part of the castle. He had no reason to come here too because the
hallway did not connect to Ravenclaw Tower or any of his
classrooms. Just as he entered the bathroom, he was assaulted by
another memory.
He had found it! He could feel his excitement and elation at finding
the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's famous Chamber of Secrets. It
had taken him four years and now, he would find out what was here.
He looked at the sink in front of him. "Open," he said, slipping easily
into Parseltongue as he always had. The sink expanded, leaving a
pipe he could slide through.
Harry gasped when he came out of the memory, wincing in pain as
he clutched his head. Breathing hard, he looked around and noticed
that a ghost was watching him.
"Are you Myrtle?" he asked uncertainly.
"Yes, what do you want?" asked the ghost, looking grumpy.
"I was wondering if you could tell me how you died," he asked slowly.
"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in
here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden
because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door
was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in.
They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have
been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So
I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then
—" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."
"How?" said Harry, narrowing his eyes, his mind working furiously as
he put the pieces together
"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a
pair of great, big, yellow eyes by that sink. My whole body sort of
seized up, and then I was floating away …"
"Has someone else come to ask you about this?" asked Harry, going
by a hunch. "Maybe Dumbledore …"
"Don't mention him in front of me!" screeched Myrtle angrily. "I hate
that man! If he could control his precious Gryffindors better I would
never have died! But no, Dumbledore always favoured his little lions.
No one cared about poor Myrtle. No, even after I died, Hornby got
away with it all, didn't she? Dumbledore ensured that she wasn't
given any punishment. The last time Dumbledore tried to talk to me I
ensured that he didn't sleep for weeks as I pestered him, blaming
him for my death. I won't speak to him, now or ever. He doesn't care
about poor, moping, Moaning Myrtle."
Harry blinked his eyes rapidly, processing that information. No
wonder Snape got away with favouring the Slytherins so blatantly.
Dumbledore used to do the same with the Gryffindors. Was it any
wonder that House rivalry was as bad as it was with people like them
in charge?
" Open ," said Harry, slipping easily into Parseltongue like it was
second nature to him. The tap glowed with a brilliant white light and
began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact,
sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide
enough for five people to slide into. His wand slipped out of its
holster and into his waiting hand. Taking a deep breath, Harry
jumped into the pipe.
It was like rushing down a dark, slimy slide. The light from the tip of
his wand gave off an eerie image. Harry could see many other pipes
which were branching off in several directions – Daphne's theory
was right. The basilisk had been using the plumbing that had been
installed in the castle to launch its attacks. It really was a brilliant
design on Salazar's part. Plumbing had not been invented in the
Muggle world at that time, but even though it was not necessary for
magical castles, Salazar had adapted the technique to use it to
deploy the basilisk. He cast the momentum arresting charm on
himself as the end of the pipe neared and landed gracefully on both
feet, eyes vigilant.
" Scourgify ," he cast silently and all the slime that had gathered on
his face and clothes disappeared, leaving him clean.
He was in some sort of wet tunnel. They were probably under the
lake and he grimaced when he stepped on a mountain of fish bones.
His body went stiff when he saw the snakeskin. It looked black from
the distance but would shine a dark, blackish green when the light
fell on it. There was a lot of shed skin here and he didn't even want
to think about the size of the basilisk. He walked for a couple of
minutes when he reached a great stone wall with two snakes
intertwined. The eyes of the snakes were glittering emeralds.
" Open ," hissed Harry.
The massive stone wall parted, giving him entry, as his hands shook
slightly due to fear. Reinforcing his mental shields, Harry walked
inside the Chamber of Secrets.