Rayla Black-First year

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The basilisk

Rayla made a list of everything that she found. As she read through her book she crossed things out and wrote a few notes:

Cry of the rooster is fatal to it-Hagrid's roosters killed

Spiders flee before it-Spiders acting weird around castle (seem to be in a hurry to get outside)

Death if you look into its eyes

She was stuck on that last one. No one had died٫ and the book didn't say anything about being petrified. Rayla sat there in the common room thinking until the dinner feast begun٫ and even than she thought about it. She thought about it while entering the common room٫ she thought about it as she sent her daily letter to her father٫ even asking if he had any theories. Rayla thought long and hard until breakfast the next morning٫ where she had a reply from her father with no theories at all. She thought through her lessons٫ but although Rayla thought about it all day she still had nothing. Until potions. As she was stirring her ingredients into her potion٫ her reflection stared back at her٫ thinking hard. Her reflection. Of course! Rayla knew everything she needed to٫ she just had to check her notes. When the bell rang she bolted up to the common room and started making new notes.

Death if you look into its eyes-

Mrs Norris: water on floor=reflection

Colin Creevey: camera=saw through lense

Justin Finch-Fletchley: ghost=saw through ghost

Nearly Headless Nick: made eye contact=already ghost/cannot die again

Hermione and eighth year girl: mirror=saw through reflection.

So. Rayla thought. A Basilisk is roaming the school attacking anyone it comes across. Everyone who's been attacked has been lucky and only been petrified٫ but the snake is still on the loose thanks to the "Heir of Slytherin". Rayla knew what she had to do. She went up to her dorm where Phantom was sleeping٫ he woke up when the door opened. Rayla put her notes and a quick note into an envelope.

Professor McGonagall٫

I believe the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk٫ i have included some notes i have made while reading in the envelope٫ i just think it might help. I also think that Hermione Granger figured this out٫ which is why she had the mirror٫ and warned the first person she saw.

Rayla Black.

P.S: i think this could mean that the Heir of Slytherin is a parseltongue٫ but i doubt Harry Potter would attack his best friend.

Rayla gave the envelope to Phantom and opened the window for him. He took off instantly to find McGonagall٫ and Rayla watched as he disappeared from view. She sat at the window that night٫ watching the owlery. She knew it would be hard to tell if a black owl flew in but she had to try. At last she gave up and went to her bed٫ falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning Rayla followed the other Gryffindors to the Great Hall. She entered and McGonagall almost immediately caught her eye. When the post arrived both Phantom and a tawny owl gave her messages. One from her father and one from McGonagall.

Mrs Black٫

Thank you for your input on current matters at the school. I will be informing the other teachers of your discovery this morning. I advise you to be extra careful٫ and to keep a lookout for your classmates. Please do not tell anyone yet as we don't want to start a larger panic.

Professor McGonagall.

Rayla looked toward the teachers table and caught McGonagall's eye٫ Rayla nodded. By now news had spread that Hagrid had been arrested by the Minister of Magic. As Professor Lockhart strolled into class smiling Rayla groaned٫ knowing what was coming. Ginny Weasely٫ who was closest to her٫ looked at Rayla curiously. "Not another group of worried students." Lockhart said in an exasperated tone. "The danger is gone! The culprit has been taken away!" No one said anything. As the class continued٫ Lockhart went on and on about how he always knew Hagrid was no good٫ and at only 2 minutes to the bell Rayla snapped. She didn't know much about Hagrid but from everything she had heard from the other Gryffindors he wasn't the kind of man to set any creature on innocent people٫ let alone a basilisk. Rayla stood up and said loud and clear٫ "Hagrid is twice the man you are and ever will be." The class gasped and stared at her٫ Lockhart was midway through saying that he always suspected Hagrid and was staring at her in surprise. How long the room was silent٫ Rayla didn't know. But it was long enough for the bell to ring٫ and for Lockhart to get the class ready to go to the Great Hall. Whispers filled the corridors as they all walked through the school. Rayla knew the other Gryffindors would hear what she had said during dinner٫ but she thought that she would at least have enough time to get to her dorm before the staring begun. Wrong. As Rayla stepped through the portrait hole and into the common room everyone stopped talking to stare at her. And so it begins٫ so much for keeping my head down. She thought. Looking straight ahead٫ Rayla walked through the silent crowd towards the stairs leading to her dorm. Just as she was about to get to the first step٫ she heard one of the Weasley twins say "Is it true? Did you really say that to Lockhart?" She stopped and turned around to look at him. Whether it was Fred or George٫ she didn't know. Her eyes flicked between the twins٫ who were sitting right next to each other making it impossible to tell who had spoken unless you saw them. "Yes." She said simply٫ and walked up the stairs leaving the whispers behind. She wrote a letter to her father telling him what had happened and sent Phantom on his way as usual. A few hours later Ginny entered the room and sat on her own bed. "My brothers think its pretty cool٫ what you did. Except Percy of course٫ but still. A lot of the other Gryffindors think so too" She said٫ making Rayla look up from her book. "Well٫ i couldn't just let him say that stuff about Hagrid." She said٫ brushing a strand of hair from her eye. For a couple of minutes Ginny asked Rayla a few questions٫ obviously trying to get to know her. "Your not gonna give up٫ are you?" Rayla said after dodging all Ginny's questions. The redhead shook her head with a smirk. Giving a small sigh٫ Rayla put her book down. "Alright fine٫ what's your first question?"