Strange Beginnings

Chapter IV.II

Word about the events in the hall didn't have to travel far when practically the whole student body of Hogwarts was there to witness it. At breakfast Y/N could hear the people around them whispering and occasionally glancing or pointing in their direction. They hated the indirect attention on them as they tried and failed to revitalize their apatite. The young student had never enjoyed being the prime focus of everyone's conversation but this situation brought a new level of discomfort on to them. Luckily, Alexander sat on their right and deterred people from trying to talk to them but it wasn't enough to stop Y/N from hearing their name murmured throughout the dinning hall.

Granted, not all of the conversations were about them, half the time groups were talking about the three Gryffindor's also found at the scene of the crime. It seemed anywhere the Potter boy went, trouble was never far off around the corner, waiting to disturb his chance at a normal experience at Hogwarts. Since coming to the school themselves Y/N felt as though they got a small sense of what that feels like. They tried to get a look at what the famous boy was up to at the Gryffindor table. The raven haired student looked a lot like Y/N, tossing the scrambled eggs about his plate but with a look of deep thought on his face. The Weasley boy sitting across from him was talking to Finnigan, Thomas, and Longbottom (most likely about last night) and Granger sat adjacent to the redhead next to Harry. 

She glanced up, becoming fed up with the ever present feeling of multiple pairs of eyes boring down on her, and Y/N quickly adverted their own else where, hoping to Merlin she didn't catch them staring for that brief second. They pretended to search the Hufflepuff table till they had found Cedric. He was talking with Frankie and Olly and another one of their housemates who Cedric had introduced them to before but they couldn't wrack their brain at the moment to remember her name. Y/N considered walking over to the yellow house table but before they could get the courage to stand with everyone's eyes already on them the first bell rang for classes to start soon.

Y/N waited a bit for the hordes of students to file out of the great hall so they could slip into the crowd as opposed to jumping up and rushing to class in hopes to avoid conversation. They knew it'd only call more attention to themselves. Transfiguration was the first on today's agenda and when the second year students all arrived Y/N made sure to secure a seat in the back corner where a lone Ravenclaw had sat as well. He didn't seem to be the chatty type. McGonagall started the lesson, however, turning animals into water goblets didn't seem like something they'd use in the real world unless they found themselves stranded in the wilderness in need of a cup to hold what little water they might find.

Ronald Weasley was the first to try, his poor rat contorted and shifted into an unpleasant and squeaking furry cup. Y/N shuddered just thinking about trying to drink from it. Hermione rose her hand high.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" the professor called on, assuming her question would relate to the topic at hand.

"I was wondering if you could tell us what the Chamber of Secrets is?"

The room was silent, even Ron's rat refrained from making a peep.

The old professor sighed, "Very well." 

She walked about the rows of desks while all eyes and ears were solely trained on the words leaving her mouth. She recounted the origin of the school and the philosophy of the three founders that was opposed by the one; Salazar Slytherin. Legend would say the chamber had been sealed, only to open for the true heir of Salazar himself. Once opened the hidden part of the castle would unleash dreadful horrors to purge the school of those who didn't meet the fourth founders requirements.

"Though you must realized of course many attempts to find such a chamber has been made and nothing has proven it's existence."

The professor turned as though closing her remarks but the Granger girl pressed further with another question.