About You, Ron Weasley.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"I'm just a kid, afraid of the dark." 

"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall asks, looking at the group of fifth years as they watch McGonagall at the front of the Transfiguration classroom. "Right. Now, today we will be reviewing dinnerplates into mushrooms." McGonagall tells the class, as she floats the dinnerplates along the school desks – passing them along the group of Slytherin and Hufflepuff students.

"One, two, three." She starts the review, tapping her wand against the dinner plate. There's a collective utter chatter as she dismisses them to get to work. At the end, she asks them to complete their review with a demonstration in front of the class.

"Now, it's your turn to show me your review. Who would like to go first?" She asks. "Ah, Mr. Prior," she spoke, approaching his and Lestrange's desk. "One, two, three." She instructs. He clears his throat, and begins to tap the dinner plate, and McGonagall watches, giving a nod of the head and a proud smile as it turns into an array of mushrooms.

"Well done, Mr. Prior." She praises. "Ten points to Slytherin – Now who– Yes, Miss. Lestrange?" She asks, gesturing to the blonde with the tip of her wand against her hand, looking to the girl's raised hand. The class falls silent. "I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets, Professor..." She trails off, an awkward smile resting on her lips, as she leans forward against her books. She sat next to August – in front of Marcus Flint and Arden Jones – and next to them, an array of yellow and black clad students, and silver and green clad students.

"Very well." McGonagall sighs, her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. "You all know, of course... that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously... One did not."

"Three guesses who." Lestrange mutters, and August chuckles quietly.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts... He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, pure-bloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend... Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle... known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it – until that time when his own true Heir returned to the school."

"The Heir alone... would be able to open the Chamber... and unleash the horror within, and by so doing... purge the school of all those who – in Slytherin's view – were unworthy to study magic." McGonagall finished.

"Muggle-borns," Lestrange clarified, a gloominess to her tone of voice.

"Yes," McGonagall spoke sympathetically. "Well, naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor–" August starts, and McGonagall stops, turning to look at him. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber? Just out of curiosity?" He asks, and McGonagall offers him a kind smile.

"The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control." McGonagall tells him, and August gives a slow nod of the head. "It is said to be the home of a monster." She told the fifth year students.

They're dismissed from the classroom, and August avoids the staring as he walks with Lestrange – searching from the corridors for any signs of Potter or Lupin, or even Arden, who had vanished out of his sights as soon as the clocktower chimed on the hour. In fact, he'd realized he hadn't seen much of her lately "Do you think it's true?" Lestrange asks him. "Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" She asks him curiously, clutching her books to her chest.