People Watching.

Chapter Eleven.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry, Hermione, and an out of breath (Y/n) who had to hide from both Cho and Padma to walk with them. They were fighting their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner (something (Y/n) had already done). "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his House if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home..."
Hermione nodded fervently, but Harry nor (Y/n) didn't say anything. Harry's stomach had dropped unpleasantly.
As they shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past.

"Hiya, Harry!"

"Hullo, Colin," Harry said automatically.

"Harry— Harry— a boy in my class has been saying you're—" But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.

"What a sweetheart," (Y/n) said, looking over her shoulder. "Wish younger students looked to me the way Colin does to you."

"Obsessive?"

"Admiringly."

"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.

"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.

"Is that why Cho and Padma have been making me stay away from you and everyone associated with you? And Slytherins, too, but I guess that'd make more sense," (Y/n) mumbled. "They can't seriously think you're the heir?" she asked. "Sweet little Harry Potter? The boy who avoids people like the plague?" Hermione bit back a laugh at Harry's look of offence.

"People here'll believe anything," Ron said in disgust.
The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.
"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know," she answered, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be— well— human."
As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message 'The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened.'

"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered. They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.

"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.

"I can't believe they haven't taken the message down yet," (Y/n) commented. "Well, I really guess they can't win here..." she said. "If they take it down, students will grow suspicious, but if they don't take it down, questions continue to be asked and we students are stuck living in fear." She placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "I also guess it's evidence..."

"Scorch marks!" Harry suddenly cried. "Here— and here—"

"Come and look at this!" Hermione said. "This is funny..."
Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.
"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.