Harry and Ron had just finished gulping down the foul-smelling Polyjuice Potion in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They staggered as their bodies shifted and stretched, feeling every bone and muscle contort into shapes that were not their own. Harry let out a groan as he felt Goyle's bulky frame settle around him. Ron nearly toppled over, struggling to adjust to Crabbe's massive arms and heavy legs. When the transformation was complete, they were no longer themselves.
"This is worse than I thought," Ron muttered. "I feel like my arms are going to snap off."
Harry nodded. "Just keep your head down. We're here for information, not a fight."
They crept through the corridors toward the Slytherin common room, hearts hammering. Their goal was simple: get close to Draco Malfoy and find out whether he was the Heir of Slytherin. Every step felt precarious. Every creak of the stone floor made them jump.
The common room's greenish glow flickered across the walls, and the low murmur of Slytherins filled the air. A few students lounged on worn sofas, some tossing small objects back and forth. Harry and Ron tried to move like Crabbe and Goyle, slow, awkward, and imposing hoping they wouldn't stand out.
Draco emerged from the shadows, his eyes immediately locking onto them. "Goyle, Crabbe," he said, voice smooth and mocking. "What are you two doing wandering around here? Shouldn't you be… doing something productive?"
Harry shifted nervously, his new frame feeling unwieldy. Ron muttered under his breath, "I feel like my head's going to fall off."
Draco's gaze sharpened. He walked closer, examining them. Then he stopped abruptly, eyes narrowing on Harry's face—Goyle's face. "Why are you wearing glasses, Goyle?" he asked, his tone full of curiosity and a little amusement.
Harry's stomach twisted. He had been caught examining the stone inscriptions along the wall, hoping to glean anything unusual. "Uh… reading," he said, forcing the deep, awkward voice. "Just… reading."
Draco tilted his head, a sassy frown creeping across his face. "Reading? I didn't know you could read," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. Harry froze under the intensity of Draco's gaze. He could feel Ron stiffen beside him, their disguises hanging by a thread.
"You're… checking the walls," Draco continued, circling slowly. "Trying to find some hidden message or… secret passage?"
Harry kept his voice calm, forcing Goyle's slow drawl. "Just… interested in… the history."
Draco rolled his eyes unamused, his gray eyes flickering with amusement. "Interesting," he said. "I suppose even someone like you can surprise me. Who would've thought that Goyle has a curious mind? And Crabbe too, I imagine?"
Ron shifted slightly, trying to imitate Crabbe's usual laziness. "Uh… maybe," he muttered, hoping it sounded natural.
Draco's eyes scanned the room again before returning to them. "Be careful," he said, smirking. "Not all curiosities are safe to pursue. You wouldn't want to end up in trouble, now would you?"
Harry and Ron exchanged subtle glances. They had expected Draco to be suspicious, but they had to keep him talking without revealing anything.
"We were… just… curious," Harry said, forcing the words out slowly. "Wanted to… know about… the Chamber."
Draco froze for a split second, then smirked knowingly. "Curious about the Chamber, are you? Fascinating. But some secrets are better left alone. You wouldn't want to get yourself into danger, would you, Goyle?"
Harry's stomach twisted with tension. He forced a nod. "No… we wouldn't."
Draco laughed softly and straightened. "Good. Then keep your noses out of things that do not concern you. Appearances can be deceiving, Goyle and Crabbe."
The two boys relaxed slightly. Draco hadn't given them the confirmation they wanted, but he had left enough clues to keep their suspicions alive. Once he drifted away to speak with other Slytherins, Harry and Ron let out the breath they had been holding.
They crouched in the shadows, watching Draco pace near the wall of the dungeons. His sharp grey eyes scanned the room, muttering quietly to himself, but nothing he did suggested he was the Heir of Slytherin. Slowly, it became clear: Draco wasn't the one behind the attacks.
Ron let out a quiet sigh. "So… he's not the culprit?" he whispered.
Harry shook his head. "No. But listen carefully. We need everything we can learn."
They moved closer as they heard Draco speaking to them about the history of Hogwarts. "Fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened," Draco said, voice low, almost thoughtful. "A Muggle-born student died. Nothing like that has happened since… until now, perhaps."
Harry's heart skipped a beat. That was the first real clue. Fifty years ago, a Muggle-born had died, and now attacks were happening again. Someone must have inherited the legacy, the secret of the Chamber. He pressed Ron lightly, gesturing to stay quiet.
"Did he say a Muggle-born died?" Ron asked, whispering in disbelief.
Harry nodded. "Yes. And the last attack was just like that one. Someone is targeting students again. We're on the right track. We need to find out more about the diary."
They crept closer, ears straining to catch every word. Draco continued, "My father always said some things are best left buried. But whoever knows the secret… must be clever, and careful. Very careful."
Harry clenched his fists inside Goyle's huge hands. That last part gave them hope. Whoever the heir was, they had left traces, patterns, something they could follow. And it had to involve a diary, a clue that might finally lead them to the truth.
Suddenly, a noise echoed from the staircase. Another Slytherin entered, moving in their direction. Harry froze, remembering how easily they could be discovered. Ron's shoulders tensed beside him.
"We need to leave," Harry whispered. "Now."
They slipped into the shadows, careful not to make a sound. Their bulky frames made it difficult, but they managed to mimic Crabbe and Goyle's usual slow movements. Each step had to be precise.
Draco glanced around suddenly, his grey eyes sweeping the corridor. Harry pressed himself against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows. Draco smirked slightly, not noticing them, and continued on his way. Harry exhaled silently.
"That was too close," Ron muttered, adjusting Crabbe's heavy shoulders.
Harry nodded. "We've learned enough for tonight. Draco's not the heir, but the Chamber was last opened fifty years ago. That's our clue. We follow the diary now. Everything else will come from there."
The two boys slipped down the corridor, sticking to the shadows and avoiding other students. The castle seemed emptier now, but every flicker of torchlight made their nerves taut. They finally reached the staircase leading to the second floor and paused to make sure no one was following.
"Ready?" Harry whispered.
Ron gave a stiff nod. "Ready."
They ran, mimicking Goyle and Crabbe's lumbering stride, then darted into an empty hallway leading toward the bathroom where they could safely return to their own forms. Their hearts pounded with adrenaline and relief.
Once inside the bathroom, Harry muttered the counter-potion ingredients under his breath. The transformation back was just as unpleasant as the first. They groaned and doubled over as their bodies shifted, bones cracking and muscles shrinking until finally they were themselves again. Harry adjusted his glasses and let out a shaky breath.
"We did it," Ron said, staring at his reflection. "We weren't caught. And we learned something important."
Harry nodded, still replaying Draco's words in his mind. "The Chamber was last opened fifty years ago. A Muggle-born died. That's our lead. The diary has to tell us more. That's the key to finding the real heir."
They paused, letting the reality sink in. They had ventured into enemy territory, survived Draco's sharp scrutiny, and escaped undetected. And now they had a concrete piece of the puzzle.
"Next step," Harry said, his voice determined. "The diary. We need to see it. Whatever it tells us will show us the heir."
Ron grinned faintly, exhaustion and relief mixing. "And we'll finally know who's behind all of this."
They slipped out of the bathroom and into the quiet castle halls, minds racing with possibilities. Every shadow now seemed full of secrets, every echo a reminder of the danger they had just escaped. Harry felt a spark of hope as they were closer than ever to uncovering the truth about the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry had stood close to Draco in the Slytherin common room, his bulky Goyle disguise making him feel awkward and exposed. Watching Draco move, hear his words, and notice his subtle mannerisms, Harry felt a twinge of guilt. For so long, he had blamed Draco for the attacks, suspecting him of being the Heir of Slytherin, and now he realized how unfair that assumption had been. Draco's smug expressions and teasing tone had always irritated him, but up close, Harry noticed the boy wasn't truly malicious, just sharp, arrogant, and cunning in the way of what suited a Slytherin.
Harry felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to focus entirely on the mission, on finding the real culprit and protecting the students, yet another part couldn't shake the sense of remorse. He had assumed the worst about someone who, in reality, was just another teenager navigating the pressures of his house and family. Standing there, pretending to be Goyle, Harry felt the weight of his own prejudices pressing down.
The closeness, the disguise, the eavesdropping, it all made the guilt sharper. He realized he had been too quick to judge, letting suspicion cloud his judgment. Draco wasn't the enemy Harry had imagined, and that truth stung more than he expected.
Draco had watched Crabbe and Goyle closely, frowning because their behavior seemed off. Goyle's sudden attentiveness, Crabbe's awkward movements, even their unusual curiosity about the walls, it didn't fit their usual sluggish, obedient selves. Something about the pair felt different, and Draco's sharp mind raced.
Was it just him imagining things, or was Hogwarts acting strangely this year? The attacks, the whispers about the Chamber, the odd tension among students, everything was shifting and unsettling. He shook his head subtly, trying to dismiss the feeling. Yet deep down, he couldn't ignore it. Something unusual was happening, now that even Crabbe and Goyle weren't behaving normally.