human again / hp.

Chapter 38

The common room was warm, the fire crackling in the hearth casting flickering shadows across the walls. But I barely noticed. I was exhausted, my legs still aching from a day of dodging Filch while trying to uncover more clues about the Chamber of Secrets. Sinking into the armchair closest to the fire, I let out a weary sigh, hoping for at least a moment to clear my head.

But before I could relax, I noticed her—Celeste Malfoy, of all people. She was walking toward me, her movements purposeful yet strangely subdued. She didn't look directly at me; her gaze was firmly fixed on the floor. Her blonde hair swayed slightly as she passed by, and I couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity.

As she moved past my chair, her hand brushed against mine—just for a moment. I froze, startled by the unexpected contact. Something crinkled between our fingers.

Before I could even speak, she was gone, hurrying up the staircase to her dormitory without so much as a backward glance. My heart thudded in confusion as I looked down at my hand. A folded piece of parchment rested there, its edges slightly worn.

"Harry?" Ron's voice broke through my thoughts. He was sitting nearby, half-heartedly munching on a chocolate frog. "What's that?"

I unfolded the letter carefully, my breath catching when I recognized the elegant handwriting.

"It's from Celeste," I murmured, more to myself than to Ron.

Ron immediately leaned closer, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Celeste Malfoy? What's she want?"

Instead of answering, I began to read aloud, the words tumbling from my lips with increasing urgency as the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.

"The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk. It's a giant serpent, one of the most dangerous magical creatures in existence. Its gaze is deadly—it can kill instantly. But the victims haven't died because they didn't look it directly in the eye. They saw it through reflections, water, or other indirect means. That's why they've only been petrified."

Ron let out a sharp breath, his face going pale. "A Basilisk? Are you joking?"

I shook my head, my eyes scanning the rest of the letter. "Listen to this: "This also explains why spiders are fleeing. Basilisks are their natural enemies. The clues have been there all along, but no one has put them together until now."

"Spiders..." Ron muttered, his voice faint. His face turned an alarming shade of white. "That explains all the spiders we saw running away—ugh. Bloody hell, Harry, this is bad." He shuddered visibly. "But how's the Basilisk been getting around the castle? A dirty great snake like that—someone would've seen it slithering about."

I frowned, rereading the final line of the letter. One word stood out, scrawled at the very bottom in Celeste's handwriting.

Pipes.

"Pipes!" I exclaimed, sitting upright so suddenly that Ron nearly dropped his chocolate frog. "It's been using the plumbing to get around! That's why no one's seen it."

I stared at Ron, my mind racing. "Remember what Aragog told us? About that girl who died in a bathroom fifty years ago?"

Ron blinked, realization dawning in his wide eyes. "You don't think...? What if she never left?"

"Moaning Myrtle," I whispered, the name sending a chill down my spine.

We exchanged a look, the enormity of the discovery sinking in. This was it—the answer we'd been searching for.

But before we could act, the sharp, commanding voice of Professor McGonagall echoed through the castle, amplified by magic.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately."

Ron froze, the color draining from his face. "What now?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I leapt to my feet, pulling him along as we hurried out of the common room. The corridors were alive with frantic whispers and shuffling feet as students obeyed the professor's command.

When we reached the second floor, a small group of professors was gathered near the wall. McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey, and even Filch stood there, their faces grim. Written in large, gleaming letters on the wall was another message:

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

Ron's breath hitched audibly beside me.

Professor McGonagall's voice was cold and steady, but the tremor in her words betrayed her fear. "As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home immediately. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts."

Ron and I exchanged horrified looks, the weight of the statement hitting us like a Bludger.

Lockhart arrived late, as usual, his robes slightly askew and his face bearing a nervous smile. "So sorry! Dozed off. What have I missed?"

Snape turned to him with a cold glare. "A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart blinked, visibly paling. "My... moment?"

McGonagall stepped forward, her gaze sharp. "That's settled, then. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. After all, your skills are legend."

Lockhart stammered something incoherent, his usual bravado crumbling as he slunk off toward his office. The other professors turned back to the wall, their grim expressions unchanging.

It was Madam Pomfrey who finally broke the silence. "Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?"

McGonagall hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she answered. "Ginny Weasley."

I felt the world tilt beneath me, the words crashing over me like a tidal wave.

Beside me, Ron let out a strangled gasp, his face going slack with shock. "No," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Not Ginny. Not my sister."

The weight of the message on the wall suddenly felt unbearable. Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.

I grabbed Ron by the arm, my voice firm despite the storm of panic swirling in my chest. "We have to do something. Now."

"But how?" Ron croaked, his voice cracking. "We don't even know where the entrance is!"

I thought of the letter again, of the single word Celeste had written: Pipes. It was there, hidden in the very walls of the castle. The answer had been staring us in the face all along.

Without another word, we turned and sprinted away, our determination hardening with every step.

This wasn't just about solving the mystery anymore. This was about saving Ginny and it would not have been possible without Celeste's help.