The Era of Aria Snape

41

Chapter Forty-One

ARIA WANTED TO kick herself for ever being scared of the pitiful excuse for a ghost that Moaning Myrtle was. She was no scarier than the other ghosts that roamed the castle. She was hardly scary at all, Aria found herself quite annoyed at the dead girl as she spoke to Harry in a high voice.

Harry had just asked how she died.

"It was dreadful." She said. "It happened right here in this very cubicle." She pointed below her to the cubicle that she hovered over. "I'd hidden because Oliver Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in."

"Who was it, Myrtle?"

"I don't know. I was distraught!" The ghost snapped. "But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language and I realized it was a boy, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and... I died."

Aria snorted. What a pathetic way to go-by opening a door.

"Just like that? How?"

"I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes over there by that sink." The ghost pointed to the sink that Aria stood in front of and she made a conscious decision to step far away from it, keeping her wand aimed at Lockhart while she did so.

"Harry?" She groaned, not enjoying being in the bathroom for such a long time while he fiddled with the taps.

He said some strange words in that language he had used to communicate with the snake the other day. There was a small noise before the sink across from them and then it spilt apart, revealing a large hole in the ground.

"Excellent, Harry. Good work. Well then, I'll just be... there's no need for me to stay." Lockhart tried to make a run for it, but Harry and Ron stopped him.

Aria stepped forward, wand extended to reach his neck. "You're going in first." She said. "Now, do you want to jump or shall we give you a nice old push?"

Much to Aria's suprise, Ronald was the one to puch the Professor down into the depths of that dark, foul smelling hole. She sent him a curious glance before turning back to the hole, wondering if Lockhart had made it.

"It's really quite filthy down here." His voice drifted up from the hole and Aria felt half disappointed that he'd survived and now she was expected to go in after him.

"All right." Harry gulped. "Let's go."

Aria nodded and with a deep breath, plunged into the hole herself. "Oh, disgusting!" She complained, standing up and wiping herself clean. She had landed in pile of rotting bones.

Ron and Harry followed shortly after, their screams surely having woken whatever beast lay in the Chamber. "Now, remember: Any sign of movement, close your eyes straightaway."

Aria didn't much like trudging through piles of bones and other ungodly things that she didn't even want to consider. The Chamber was tight and damp, topped with a foul smell that made it all but unbearable. She rubbed her hands along her clothed arms, repeatedly telling herself that it would all be over soon.

"Oh, Merlin, what is that?" Aria half cried, trying not to look at whatever she had just stepped in.

"Looks like a... snake." Lockhart said.

Harry moved closer to inspect it. "It's a snakeskin."

"Bloody hell."

"My sentiments exactly, Ronald." Aria shuddered.

"Whoever shed this must be sixty feet long. Or more."

"Yes, you can stop there." Aria snapped, watching in annoyance as Lockhart collapsed next to Ron.

"Heart of a lion, this one."

Aria had looked away for a moment and was surprised to turn back and find Lockhart standing up, Ron's wand in his hand, aiming aiming the three of them.

"The adventure ends here, but don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So, you first, Mr. Potter."

Aria couldn't locate her wand fast enough, she didn't know which pocket she had stuffed it into and the fear of losing her life was keeping her from finding it.

"Say goodbye to your memories. Obliviate!"

Watching the curse backfire on him was a sight for sore eyes, seeing his unconscious body on the floor was even more thrilling. Aria smirked. "Was almost worried there for a second."

She knew she had spoken too soon. The walls around her began to rattle, small specs of dust and little rocks fell to the floor. She moved out of the way, pulling Harry with her as a giant rock fell between the two of them and Ron, followed by many more.

Aria cursed as she heard Ron call for them from the other side of the rocks.

"Ron, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled something else that Aria didn't care to hear as she took in the rock pile that separated the three of them. She turned to look at the path ahead. It was dark, only small flashes of light that were enough to illuminate the bone-littered ground. She once again wished that she had not involved herself in their nonsense. The thought left her mind when she realized Ginny may very well be dead.

"Aria." Harry called her once he had finished with Ron. "You should stay here."

"And let you search for Ginny alone?" She snorted. "I don't think so."

"But you could get hurt. Besides, there could even be spiders, who knows what actually lies down there?"

Aria sighed. She contemplated listening to him, but stopped herself. She had to be brave. She had to be brave like when she entered the forest. "No, I'm coming whether you want me to or not."

"All right then." He sighed. "Just stay close."

Aria nodded and followed Harry into the darkness.