The Chamber of Secrets:Raised by Moony and Padfoot

Chapter 14

A few days later the morning after the full moon, Harry went down to the hospital wing to visit Remus and talk to Sirius. As exams drew ever nearer the only time Harry could go was straight after breakfast, so when he arrived Remus was not yet awake. So, Harry pulled Sirius aside and quietly recounted the events that had occurred since the spring holiday. Sirius was stunned, and was at a bit of a loss for words when Harry finished. After taking a moment to process, he said "Merlin's beard. Harry, please don't make yourself a target to whoever is opening the chamber. I'm bloody impressed with all you've found though. Reminds me of the stuff we got up to with your dad at Hogwarts. Anyhow, I don't think I have any other advice, Remus is better at that than I am. I do wish you luck. In solving this and your exams. But your exams should probably be the priority."

"Thanks, Uncle Sirius." Harry said with a laugh. "I miss you guys a lot. I'll be excited to come back home in two weeks."

"We miss you too, kid. Can't wait to have you back in the house. No matter how much she might deny it, I know Millie really misses you." Sirius replied.

"I miss her too," Harry said. Harry knew about the trouble Millie was having with the other kids at muggle school and wished more than anything that the school year would end for her sake.

"Alright, Harry, I've got to use the loo, and you should probably go study." Sirius said. "Just a minute, I want to check on Hermione before I leave." Harry said as Sirius was leaving for the loo.

Harry walked over to the other end of the hospital wing to check on Hermione. "I so wish you were yourself, Hermione. We miss you so much. Professor Sprout says that the mandrake potion will be ready in just a day or two. You only have to hold on a little while longer." Harry told her. He reached for her hand, and was surprised to find a crumbled piece of parchment in it. He opened up the piece of parchment. "Merlin's beard, you solved it, Hermione! You're brilliant, you know that?" Harry exclaimed.

With that, Harry ran to the library to tell Ron and Neville what Hermione had discovered.

"It's a Basilisk! That's what's in the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione explained it all right here: the Basilisk is created when a chicken egg is hatched under a toad. A Basilisk is deadly to anyone who looks it in the eyes, where as seeing the reflection of its eyes will only petrify you. It can live for centuries as the only natural way for a Basilisk to die is for it to hear the crow of a rooster. Spiders flee from it. It all fits!" Harry explained, reading Hermione's scrambled, yet thorough, notes.

"Wow. She's brilliant." Neville said.
"Yeah, she really is." Ron replied.
"Maybe I should bring this to my Aunt Minerva. Knowing what the monster is could help to end these attacks." Harry said.
"That seems sound." Neville said.
"End of the day is probably the best. You said she's normally in her office after supper. She might be overseeing some of the OWLs before that." Ron said.
"Alright, I'll show Aunt Minerva after supper." Harry concluded.

***
After Harry, Ron, and Neville had finished their supper, they started heading for McGonagall's office on the fourth floor. But they were cut off when they heard her voice through the halls proclaiming "All students report to their houses immediately. All Professors report to the second floor corridor."

Seeing as they had vital information, the boys opted to head back to the second floor corridor rather than Gryffindor Tower.

As the boys made it to the second floor, McGonagall was already briefing the teachers, so they hung back in the corner.

The message Her skeleton shall lie in the Chamber Forever was written on the wall in the same red handwriting that Harry had found the night the chamber had been opened.

"Who's been taken?" Professor Sprout asked.
"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall answered gravely. Ron's mouth dropped in shock as he worried for his sister's life. All three boys were effected by this, but it effected Ron the most.

"Now, without knowing the Chamber's Location, I don't know what we are to do. I've set word to the Weasley parents, but... We must split up and find the Chamber." McGonagall proclaimed.

Just then, Lockhart finally arrived "Dozed off, what did I miss." He said foolishly before reading the writing on the wall. "Gilderoy, weren't you telling me last week that you knew where the Chamber of Secrets was all along?" Snape sneered.

"I did, but-" Lockhart stammered before he was interrupted. "That's settled then. We will leave it to you to save the girl and battle the monster. Your skills, after all, are legend." Snape said, glancing at McGonagall for approval, and she gave a single solemn nod.

"Very well, I'll be in my office getting... ready. Getting ready." Lockhart said.

As the professors disbursed, the boys chased after Lockhart.

"Professor Lockhart!" Harry called. But Lockhart ignored him and kept charging for his office. The boys were able to just slip in behind him before he shut the door.

"Professor Lockhart, we have some vital information for you. The monster is a Basilisk. Our friend Hermione did all kinds of research, and it all seems to fit. It's all right here you see... what are you doing? Are you packing?" Harry blurted.

"You see, when I took the job I-" Lockhart stammered.
"You're running away!" Ron accused.

"Why would you run if you had really accomplished all those things in your books. Unless... your a fraud!" Neville accused.

"My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all that!" Lockhart spat back.

"You coward! That's my sister! Her life is on the line, you have to do something! Is there anything you're good at?" Ron retorted.

"Now that you mention it, I am rather gifted with memory charms. Or else those witches and wizards who did the things I wrote about would go blabbing." Lockhart answered menacingly. "Now, even if I could help your sister, I don't know where the entrance to the Chamber is. So there's really nothing I can do."

"Wait a minute!" Neville exclaimed. His face looked as though a lightbulb had just lit up in his head. "They girl from last time was killed in a bathroom. What if she never left!"

"Moaning Myrtle. Neville your a genius! Let's go ask her!" Harry exclaimed.

As the boys made for the door, Lockhart tried to cling to his office. "Oh no you don't! Your coming too." Ron exclaimed, dragging Lockhart along with them.