SNAKE

23 | chamber of secrets

Cora sat next to Draco in the transfiguration classroom, just behind Harry and Ron, waiting for class to start.

"Could I have your attention please?", called McGonagall. "Alright. Now, today we will be transforming animals into water goblets." Some people in class made impressed faces.

"Like so", continued McGonagall. "One, two, three, Vera Verto", she said as she lightly tapped with her wand a bird that stood on the desk next to her. The bird indeed turned quickly and perfectly into a beautiful water goblet made out of glass. Everyone was amazed.

"Now it's your turn. Well, who would like to go first?", asked McGonagall as she walked toward Harry and Ron's desk. "Ah, mister Weasley. One, two, three, Vera Verto."

Ron cleared his throat. He tapped his rat three times and then said, "Vera Verto!" Then, his rat transformed halfway, resulting in a hairy water goblet with a rat's tail. The class laughed and Ron looked at his result horrified.

"That wand needs replacing, mister Weasley", scolded McGonagall, then turned to walk back to the front of the class.

"Why replace it? We already know carrot-head will do mediocre magic with any wand", whispered Cora with a laugh. Ron and Harry turned to her, Ron with a scowl and Harry with an eye roll and a face that said 'seriously?'. Cora and Draco just chuckled in return.

Hermione raised her hand, which grabbed McGonagall's attention. "Yes, Granger?"

"Professor.. I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?", asked Hermione. That grabbed everyone's attention. They were all silent and sharing glances, then looking at McGonagall expectingly.

After a moment, McGonagall spoke. "Very well", she sighed. "Well you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ranvenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not."

"Three guesses who", said Ron. Cora rolled her eyes.

McGonagall nodded and continued. "Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods."

Draco glanced at Hermione and she returned a small glare.

"Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school", continued McGonagall. "Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though shortly before departing, he sealed it, until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the chamber and unleash the horror within. And by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggleborns", said Hermione.

McGonagall nodded and then continued. "Well, naturally the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor", said Hermione. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the chamber?"

"Well, the chamber is said to be hold to something only the heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home of a monster", explained McGonagall.

Hermione seemed scared. Ron turned to look at Draco and he had a smug look while Cora thought about the Chamber and the monster, wondering if it had anything to do with the voice she'd been hearing.

~

When Transfiguration ended, Cora walked out with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. They were talking about quidditch, but Cora stopped listening to them and instead paid attention to the conversation between Harry, Ron and Hermione who were walking ahead.

"But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets and it really has been opened, then that means—", said Harry.

"The heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts", finished Hermione. "The question is: who is it?"

"Let's think, who do we know who thinks all muggleborns are scum?", said Ron.

At the same time, Draco walked past the trio not listening to their conversation, annoyed with Cora a bit because she wasn't listening to him. She didn't even notice he left her behind and kept listening the trio.

"If you're talking about Malfoy—", said Hermione.

"Of course!", Ron interrupted. "You heard him. 'You'll be next, mudbloods'."

"I heard him. But Malfoy? The heir of Slytherin?", Hermione said skeptically.

"Maybe Ron's right, Hermione", agreed Harry. "I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries."

"Cora and her friends must know", suggested Ron. "Crabbe and Goyle too. Maybe we could trick them into telling."

"Even they aren't that thick", scoffed Hermione. "And we know Cora, Nott, Zabini, Parkinson and Greengrass won't say a word. But there might be another way. Mind you, it would be difficult, and not to mention we would be breaking about 50 school rules. And it'll be dangerous. Very dangerous."

As Cora listened to their plotting she realized she was late to her next lesson, so she had to leave. Once again he will break the rules and not worry about the consequences because he has none, Cora thought.

~

When lessons came to an end for the day, Cora arrived to the common room and saw Draco reading next to the fireplace.

"Be sure to tell your bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle to be careful about what they say about the Chamber", said Cora announcing herself. "My idiot brother, carrot-head and smarty pants are up to something. Something that involves tricking them into spilling information."

"How do you know?", asked Draco as he closed his book.

"I listen. Besides, if you hadn't walked ahead you would know that they think you are the heir of Slytherin", Cora said with a giggle.

Draco laughed. "Seriously? They are thick."

"I know, and it might be fun to mess with their heads for a while."

~