Dark Magic

Opening The Chamber

Harry fled from Ron and I, before we had a chance to even comprehend the news of Ginny's disappearance. We ran after him, down the back corridor that lead to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Harry, what are you doing?" I asked as we finally caught up with him. He continued ahead, on his mission to the office atop the classroom. 

"Lockhart is going to open the chamber. We can go with him and tell him what we know." I fastened the clasp to my backpack across my chest, furrowing my eyebrows in disbelief that he would even bother with the Professor. "But, the man's useless!" I protested, Harry almost bursting the doors from their hinges as he made his way into the office. 

He began to address the teacher, but soon came to a halt as we found him packing his things; clearly, he had no intention on opening the chamber at all. He was running, like a coward. "Going somewhere, Professor?" I spat distastefully. The embarrassment and fear was evident in his eyes, as he fumbled for an excuse.

"Well um- I have been called to attend urgent business at the Ministry of Magic and I must leave at once." He spoke, sifting through his things and throwing them into his bags with haste. Ron looked angered, but as though he was about to cry at the same time, "What about my sister!?" He exploded, taking us all aback momentarily. 

Lockhart looked at us with false sympathy, "I am sorry, but there really is nothing I can do to help your sister. Now, I best be on my way-" Harry and Ron extended their wands towards the Professor, preventing him from leaving the room. 

"You're not going anywhere." Harry spoke venomously. I sighed, placing my hand over my brother's arm, which caused him to lower his wand. "Harry..." I paused, his eyes finding my own as he looked angered at my attempt to stop him. "Let him go. He can't help us anyway; he's a fake." I spoke finally, to Lockhart's complete shock and disbelief. Ron and Harry looked confused by my statement.

"What did you just say?" Lockhart spoke, infuriated.

I smirked, shaking my head dismissively to his questioning. "One thing I learnt from living in an orphanage, was to make sure I knew everything about the people who were supposed to take care of me; Lockhart was easy." My eyes narrowed towards the 'great' Professor, as I began to encircle him like a predator taunting its prey.

"Strange, isn't it? That every year you published a book, another Wizard showed up in hospitals around the country with severe memory loss." I tried not to chuckle, containing my humour for a moment longer. "You call yourself a Ravenclaw, yet you missed one, tiny detail about concealing the truth..."

I paused, savouring the moment. 

"Continuity." The Professor burst into a fit of rage, grabbing Harry's wand from his hand before either of them had a chance to even realise what was happening. My eyes widened, as Lockhart was now the one holding a loaded gun to our heads. I wouldn't have time to get my wand out to defend us, and I had recalled Harry informing me that Ron had broken his wand at the beginning of the year. 

The teacher smirked sinisterly, licking his lips. "What a story you three will make; when I tell the world that we descended into the chamber only to find a dead Ginny Weasley and you three, distraught by the sight of her mangled corpse, lost your minds entirely. Oh yes! My fans will eat it up like a three course meal!" He salivated, the fear beginning to rise within me at what was about to unfold. 

He held his stance strong, before continuing, "It will only hurt for a moment, let me reassure you. But you won't remember the pain, anyway." He chuckled, inhaling deeply. "Obliviate!"

"Protego!" I screamed, with every ounce of strength and power I held as it burst like a bolt of lightening from my chest. A blue light emitted from me, expelling the professor into the wall as it knocked him out cold- his limp body fell to the floor with a loud thud. The explosion alone would have sounded throughout the entire school; the staff would be arriving soon and our plan would fall apart completely.

"Emerald, you just did wandless magic! What spell was that!?" Ron spoke in disbelief. 

I looked to the Professor, then back to Harry as I ignored Ron's statement. "We need to go. The teachers will be here soon. Ron, you need to stay with him. Harry, lets go." I knelt down beside the Professor and checked his pulse; he was still alive.

Ron was now the one to protest, "I'm coming with you. Ginny's my sister." I got up from the floor, grabbing the red-headed boy by the shoulders as I forced him to face me. "We'll bring her back. I promise." I spoke determinedly. His eyes began to water, as I crushed him into a hug. He accepted, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "She's going to be okay, Ron." I reassured. He nodded, sniffling as he let me go.

The door to the classroom opened, signifying that we only had a few moments to escape. Harry took out his cloak of invisibility, putting it over us both as the door to the office opened, once again. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape entered, as Ron began to explain to them what had happened. 

We left the room before we had a chance to hear how their conversation concluded. But one thing was evident-Ron was a bad liar. Harry took my hand in his, as I took one last glance at my Potions Professor; and we made our way towards the Girl's Lavatory on the second floor. 

***

We removed the cloak as Harry placed it into my backpack I had enchanted using the spell Snape had taught me; Capacious extremis. We could fit anything into the backpack, that was certain. I glanced down at the sinks in the centre of the room. Looking down at the tap that had been embossed with a serpent, i remembered the cryptic advice Hagrid had given us the night before and I found myself muttering in a language I did not completely understand, but knew they were the words required in order for the chamber to be opened.

A loud 'clang' sounded throughout the room, as the sinks began to disperse. We took a few steps back, watching as they separated, a vast hole descending into the ground beneath us, seemingly, with no end. 

"Do we jump?" Harry spoke from beside me. I took a deep breath, knowing it would be our only option. "Together?" My eyes met his, as he took my hand in his own, once again and smiled slightly.

"Together."

I shut my eyes as we stepped forth, over the edge of the chasm, and descended into the tunnel that lead to The Chamber of Secrets...