Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter 27 - The Chamber of Secrets

It took a week for Severus and Minerva to come up with something to get the recording into Hogwarts by magical means. Filius had been helpful, and after their first evasive answer had asked no more questions. He just asked to be told how well it worked, once they finished doing whatever it was they were doing.

It was another week later they could be assured the Headmaster would be out of the castle. Remus had been unable to join them. So once the curfew had passed, and they were reasonably sure there were no students to witness, they met in the second-floor bathroom usually occupied by a ghost.

"So," Minerva said looking around curiously. "Now what? The riddle said to speak the words, so the entrance is hidden? Merlin, it better not be down one of the toilets. The entry to the Ministry is degrading enough."

Severus rolled his eyes but said nothing at her nervous chatter. He had a small bag with him containing everything he could think of for a trip into a chamber containing a dead snake that was still deadly. He had added some healing potions and bandages to the pile of supplies. Explaining to Albus why, or how either of them got hurt or died down there wasn't something he wanted to think about. "Play the message, Minerva, stop dithering."

That was enough to get her moving, and she opened the small box to play the hissing message. They had used the idea of the box repeating the message every time it opened, much the same as the birthday message for Fred and George had. As soon as the hissing stopped, a clunk and the sound of grating stone caused both professors to spin to the sinks, watching as one moved to reveal the dark entrance to the chamber.

"Not for the faint-hearted indeed," Minerva muttered. She stepped closer to peer downwards into the dark, drew her wand casting a small globe of light then sent it gliding into the hole, and down, illuminating the sides as it went. She exchanged a glance with Severus. "After you, after all, it's your House founder, not mine."

He snorted in amusement at her evident unwillingness and stepped forward. "Albus sent twelve-year-olds down here Minerva, how bad could it be?"

"Did you forget about the basilisk?" she asked shortly.

"It's dead," he offered.

"Now it is," she muttered, then made a hurry up gesture with her hands. Severus turned back to the hole and stepped into it. The slide down was awful, there were many other words he could use but awful covered it nicely. Minerva's light made the grime somehow worse, as if not being able to see it would make it more tolerable. When the slide finally levelled out, and he regained his feet, he moved to the side. The faint glow getting closer indicated Minerva had summoned her famed house courage and followed him. When she slid to a halt, he offered a hand to help her to her feet, and then wordlessly vanished the accumulated muck from them both.

They proceeded cautiously, while assured the basilisk was dead, and with plenty of conjured balls of light to light their way, the chamber was, well, creepy.

"Honestly, Slytherins," Minerva grumbled. "It's all the same; dark, dank and creepy. Do you only have one interior decorating catalogue to order from? Join Slytherin, wear green, live in creepy places."

"The House of the Brave dressing the walls in the colour of blood is much more subtle of course," Severus agreed pleasantly.

She snorted, but it was a happier sound than her muttering. The lights caught on something ahead. "Merlin, Severus," she gasped clutching his arm. "Is that-?"

"No," he said peering at it, as they got closer. "It's a shed skin."

It was collapsed on the floor rotting away with the skeletons of small dead animals. Those were crunching underfoot when they couldn't be avoided, the noise wasn't helping with the ambience. They passed the shed skin to come up short at a rock fall.