Half Blood Royalty

Secret Conversations and Taboo Names

Once we were a floor up from Lockhart's office, we all turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind us.

Harry squinted at our darkened faces, "D'you think I should've told them about that voice I heard."

"No," said Ron, without hesitation, "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

"You do believe me, don't you?" Harry asked.

"'Course I do." Ron answered quickly, "But- you must admit... it is weird..."

"I know it's weird," spoke Harry, "The whole thing is weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber of Secrets has been opened... what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, it does sort of ring a bell," Ron answered slowly, "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once... might've been Bill..."

I definitely heard about a secret chamber at Hogwarts before. It was just something I overheard Lucius mention at one point, but I couldn't figure out exactly what the heck the secret chamber was, or where it was. Just that it had been located somewhere in this school... and that it was something big. Something... important.

"And what on earth is a Squib?" asked Harry.

Ron stifled a snigger, "Well- it's not funny really, but as it is Filch..."

"A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family, but hasn't gotten any magic powers. Kind of like the opposite of Muggle-born Wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual." I told Harry.

"If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It'd explain quite a lot, like why he hates students so much." Ron answered, giving off a satisfying smile, "He's bitter."

A clock chimed somewhere.

"Midnight," Harry spoke up, "We all better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."

"It may be harder for Melody." Hermione spoke up, "Snape is the head of her house."

Yes. Being the head of Slytherin House is why I wouldn't want my father to find me. Good catch, Granger.

"He's also her father, Hermione." Ron nudged her, "You heard him before. He'll 'take care of her'. Whatever that means."

"Nothing big." I reassured him. At least I hoped it wasn't. "The most my father's done is lecture me," I told the three of them, "What's he going to do? Call Lucius Malfoy and make him come to the school?" I let off a nervous chuckle that seemed to confuse all three of them. My father would do that. My father has done that. Well, he's used Narcissa. Lucius adores me way too much to actually discipline me, and boy do both my father and Narcissa know it. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had headed off towards Gryffindor Tower, but I couldn't even get down to the floor below before running into my father.

"Melody." His voice rung through my ears.

Stopping in my tracks, I turned around and faced him, "Dad! What a surprise seeing you here!"

"Isn't it a little late to be roaming the halls?" He held his wand tip up in front of his chest, the tip of it letting out a small, bright orb of white light.

"I lost my way." I lied.

"You lost your... way," He repeated my words back to me, "to the dungeons..."

I nodded.

"You just happened to be wandering the corridor, again." He told me, pointing towards the direction of the dungeons for me to walk ahead as his cloak glided behind him, "You didn't learn from earlier tonight why you shouldn't be roaming these halls alone late at night?"