The Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) (Hermione x Male Reader)

Ch. 20: Ginny Weasley

A few weeks later, I was in the hospital wing, visiting Hermione. I had the mirror in my hands, looking at it, trying to think of why she would've had it.

"We need you, Hermione. I wish you could be helping us right now. You'd have probably figured it out by now," I said before sighing.

As I turned the mirror in my hands, the light reflected onto Hermione. When it hit her hand, something caught my eye.  I stood and looked closer to see there was a piece of paper, barely noticeable, crumpled in her closed hand. I pulled it out and opened it, and my eyes widened.

"'Mione, you're a genius!" I said before running off to show Ron and Harry the slip of paper.

I found them in a random corridor by the second floor.

"Guys, look!" I said as I handed Harry the piece of paper, and he read it.

"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it and only the crowing of the rooster can kill it.'"

They both looked at me in shock.

"Y/N, where did you get this?" Harry asked.

"Hermione was holding it. Even petrified, she's a genius," I said with a small laugh. "That must be the monster in the Chamber of Secrets."

"A Basilisk? No wonder I could hear it speak. It's a snake!" Harry said.

"But it kills by looking people in the eye. Why is it no one's dead?" Ron asked.

"Because no one looked it in the eyes. Not directly, anyway," I said. "Colin saw it through his camera. Justin saw it through Nearly-Headless Nick."

"So, Hermione must've seen it through the mirror. She must've been using it to look around corners," Harry said, and I nodded.

"And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror," Ron said.

"There was water on the floor that night. She must've seen the Basilisk's reflection in the water," I said. "The crowing of the roosters is fatal to it, which explains why Hagrid's roosters were being killed. Spiders flee before it, and Aragog himself told us they feared it. It all makes sense!"

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake. Someone would've seen it," Ron said.

I then pointed to the piece of paper, where a note, in Hermione's handwriting, read: 'pipes'.

"Pipes? It's using the plumbing?" Ron asked.

"Which is why Harry heard it through the walls," I said.

Harry then seemed to have a sudden realization.

"Guy, remember what Aragog said? About that girl fifty years ago? She died in a bathroom," Harry said. "Maybe she never left."

"Myrtle," I said as I realized what he was getting at.

Harry nodded before Professor McGonagall's voice came from nowhere, magically magnified throughout the school, like a speaker.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor. Immediately," McGonagall's voice said.

We all gave a knowing look before heading to the second floor corridor. When we got there, we hid behind a wall, and we spotted the teachers gathered around a message on the wall, written in red: 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster. Into the Chamber itself," McGonagall said. "I'm afraid we shall have to send the students home. I'm afraid... this is the end of Hogwarts."

Suddenly, Lockhart walked up, cheerily.

"So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?" Lockhart asked.

"Just the man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come, at last," Snape said, and Lockhart looked nervous and confused.

"My m- moment?" Lockhart asked.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asked.

"D- did I? I don't recall-" Lockhart started.

"That settles it. We'll leave it to you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend," McGonagall said.

At this, Lockhart tried to steel his voice and force a brave face.

"V- very well. I'll - I'll be in my office, getting- getting ready," he said before walking off.

"The rest of us should go and inform the students what has happened," McGonagall said.

"Who is it the monster's taken, Minerva?" Professor Sprout asked.

"Ginny Weasley."

I looked at Ron as his face went deathly pale. After a few moments, we walked off.

"She knew something. She found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That's why she was taken. I mean, she was... is a pure-blood. There can't be any other reason," Ron said.

"Come on. Let's go see Lockhart. He may be a brainless git, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him what we know," Harry said, and Ron and I nodded.

"Guys, do you think there's any chance at all she's not... you know?" Ron said, a desperate look in his eyes.

"We'll find her, Ron," I said.

"Yeah, Ginny's going to be fine," Harry said.

Ron nodded and forced a smile. We made it to Lockhart's office and burst inside.

"Professor, we've got some information for you..." Harry started.

We all stopped dead in our tracks, looking around at the room as it was near-empty, and there were packed suitcases. Lockhart was standing with a few things in hand, staring at the three of us before he put the things in one of the suitcases.

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked.

"Um, well, yes. Urgent call. Unavoidable. Got to go..." Lockhart said as he hastily packed more things.

"What about my sister?" Ron asked.

"Well, as to that... most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I," Lockhart scrambled for words.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Ron said.

"I must say, when I took the job, nothing in the job description-" Lockhart started.

"You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?" Harry asked.

"Books can be misleading," Lockhart said.

"So, in other words, you lied," I said.

"My dear boy, do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all," Lockhart said.

"You're a fraud! You've just been taking credit for what a load of other wizards have done!" Harry shouted, angrily.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. There was work involved. I had to track these people down and ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. No, it's not all book signings and publicity photos. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long, hard slog," Lockhart said.

"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked in disbelief.

Lockhart turned with his back to us before he spoke.

"Yes, now that you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would've gone blabbing, and I'd have never sold another book. I'm afraid I'm going to have to do the same to you three, lest you do the same," Lockhart said as he spun around, wand in hand, only to realize all three of us had drawn our own wands.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, sending Lockhart's wand flying.

"Looks like those duelling lessons came in handy, after all, Professor," Harry said.