Harry Potter's Half-Sister

Lockhart the Airhead

Before the Christmas Ball I had a strong dislike for Lockhart, now that the Christmas break was over, he had taken to attempting to talk to me in the halls when I would meet up with Anna, Blaise, and Theo after his class. I told him that I didn't need an airheaded teacher who was dumb enough to let second year students deal with rogue pixies while he was a coward and hid in his office. It had been worse after he used a spell on Harry's arm after the first match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin when a rogue bludger chased after Harry who was attempting to catch the snitch. Harry had to stay overnight in the Hospital Wing since Lockhart's spell made his bones disappear rather than fixing the broken ones.

In October I had stopped talking to both Harry and Ron when they used Polyjuice potion to sneak into the Slytherin Dorms looking like Crabbe and Goyle. Harry of course forgot to remove his glasses when he walked in behind Draco with Ron, so I had to help my brother out of that situation before I noticed the Polyjuice Potion was wearing off on them both and with Anna's help got both boys out of the common room before Draco realized what was going on since his twin was distracting him. We ended up making up right before the Christmas Holidays much to Anna and Hermione's relief.

I was currently in the Hospital Wing visiting a petrified Hermione with Anna, Harry, and Ron after McGonagall had told the Gryffindor team that their match was cancelled. Hagrid was arrested the day before according to Harry. The only thing that the gamekeeper had said before he was taken away was 'follow the spiders'. Harry relayed what had happened in the forest this morning and it was now day three of Hermione being petrified when I noticed it. In the hand that was never holding the mirror when she was found, was a balled-up piece of paper.

"Harry." I said as I gently pulled the paper out of her hand. I unraveled it and started reading the entry that I noticed was from a book from the library. "She figured it out. That's why she was at the library. This explains why I can understand it since I spent the summer reading about Parseltongue." I told him as they crowded around me.

We walked out of the Hospital Wing and down one of the Corridors as Harry and I read the passage to Anna and Ron.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. It's 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."

"But everyone's only petrified." Ron said after we read it. In Hermione's own handwriting was another word, 'Pipes'. I kept looking at the word trying to figure out what Hermione had meant when it finally clicked.

"That's because no one's looked it in the eye. Not directly at least. They've all looked at it through something else. Mrs. Norris was found with a puddle of water underneath her. Colin Creevey through his camera. You can't kill Nearly Headless Nick because he's already dead, so he was petrified, and because Justin Finch-Fletchley saw the Basilisk through Sir Nick and Hermione and Penelope Clearwater through the mirror." I spoke. "Mione even figured out how it's getting around." I add as I pointed to the word.

"Remember what Aragog said about that girl fifty years ago?" Harry asked, looking at Ron. "She died in a bathroom. What if she never left?"

"Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately." McGonagall's voice rang through the corridor we were in. The four of us shared a look before we took off for the second floor. We hid behind the corner and listened. "As you can see the heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized." I shared a look with Anna who met my gaze. "A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. Students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." I put a hand over my mouth to bite back my gasp as Anna did the same thing.