Chalter 18

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A few days later Sereia changes the flowers on Hermione's nightstand. She and Ron sit next to Hermione's bed.
Sereia: Wish you were here, Hermione. We need you. Now more than ever.

Hermione has tears in her eyes and hugs them.

She grabs her hand and feels something between their hands. She pulls her hand away and sees a crumbled paper. She takes it and
straightens it out. She reads it and looks at it shocked. Ron looks at it confused.

They look at Hermione shocked, "you ripped a page out of a book?" She blushes.

Ron: What's that?
Sereia: Ron...
She looks at Hermione.
Sereia: This is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked.
She looks at him.
Sereia: Come on.
They walk out of the Hospital Wing and walk through a corridor.
Sereia: "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 flea before it."
They stop walking.
Sereia: Ron this is it.

They look around scared. "Is there really a Basilisk in the school?" "No, there is not!" screeches Umbridge. "Yes, there is" answers Sereia ignoring Umbridge.

She looks at him.
Sereia: The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake.
He looks uncertainly.
Ron: But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?

"Little-" "Ronnykins is becoming smart" gasp Fred and George shocked while grinning. He glares at them and the others laugh.

She looks away thoughtful. She looks at their reflection in the window.
Sereia: Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least.
They walk down the corridor.
Sereia: Colin saw it through his camera. Justin- Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it. But he's a ghost, he couldn't die again. And Hermione...had the mirror. I bet you she was using it to look around corners in case it came along.
Ron: And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, Sereia.
She looks down.
Sereia: The water.
She looks at him.
Sereia: There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection.
He nods.

Everyone besides the Gods and Demigods look at her shocked and surprised.

She looks at the paper before going into the light next to the fire chalice and looks at it.
Sereia: "Spiders flee before it." It all fits.
Ron: How's a basilisk been getting around? A dirty, great snake. Someone would have seen it.
They look at the paper corner. 'Pipes'
Sereia: Hermione's answered that too.
They look at each other
Ron: Pipes?
He looks at the walls.
Ron: It's using the plumbing.
Sereia: Remember what Aragog said about that girl 50 years ago? She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?
Ron: Moaning Myrtle.
She nods. They look up when they hear McGonagall through the speakers
McGonagall: All students are to return to their dormitories at once. All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately.
They look at each other and run down the corridor. The teachers run down the second-floor corridor. They stop and look at the wall.
McGonagall: As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realised.
Sereia and Ron hide behind the corner and look at them.

The teachers glare at the two.

McGonagall: A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself.

They gasp while Ginny shifts in her seat. Arthur pulls her into his arms.

The teachers look worried.
McGonagall: The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts.
Lockhart walks up to them.
Lockhart: So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?
Snape: A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last.
Lockhart: M-My moment?
Snape: Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?
Lockhart tries to hide his scared look.
McGonagall: That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend.
Lockhart: Very well. I'll just be in my office getting... getting ready.
He walks away. Pomfrey looks at McGonagall.
Pomfrey: Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?
She looks sadly.
McGonagall: Ginny Weasley.

They turn to her and she shifts uncomfortable.

Sereia and Ron look shocked. McGonagall walks away. And Snape looks at the wall before following her. The other teachers leave as well. 'Her Skeleton will lie in the chamber forever'
Ron: "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."
Sereia looks at him.
Ron: Ginny.
They run into the Defence classroom, to Lockhart's office.
Sereia: Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. At least we can tell him what we know.
They run up the stairs and run into his office.
Sereia: Professor, we have some information for you.
He closes a chest and they look around confused seeing him pack his stuff. They glare at him.
Sereia: Are you going somewhere?
Lockhart: Ah. Well, yes. Urgent call. Unavailable. Got to go.

The ones who like him look shocked. The teachers and Ginny's family and friends glare.

Ron: What about my sister?
Lockhart: Well uhm...
He goes to another box.
Lockhart: As to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I.
He packs the paper on his desk.
Ron: You're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. You can't go now.
Lockhart looks at them.
Lockhart: I must say, when I took the job, there was nothing in the description-
He puts his bag under his arms and goes around the desk. Sereia and Ron stand in his way.
Sereia: You're running away? After all that stuff, you did in your books?
Lockhart: Books can be misleading.
Sereia: You wrote them.
He puts his bag down
Lockhart: My dear girl, do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done those things.
Sereia: You're a fraud. You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done.

Amelia Bones writes furiously as the ones who like him look angry and sad.

She glares at him and he looks annoyed.
Ron: Is there anything you can do?
He looks at Ron.
Lockhart: Yes.
He looks back to Sereia.
Lockhart: Now you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, all those wizards would have gone blabbing. And I'd never have sold another book.
They glare at him and he goes to his stuff.
Lockhart: In fact, uh, I'm going to have to do the same to you.
They take their wands out and point them at him. He quickly takes his wand and turns to them.
Sereia: Don't even think about it.
They point at his wand and down. He drops his wand.

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