Darwinism | hp

017: Secret Chamber

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But none of them managed to speak to Riddle over the following days. He seemed to be, for the first time in their Hogwarts careers, completely and utterly gone. Marilyn saw him in potions, but otherwise he wasn't in the corridors, or at meals, or any of the classes. She chased him out of potions multiple times, but he vanished into the crowd.

Filch tried to wash the wall, but to no avail. Whatever had been used - blood or paint - seemed to have been enchanted to not come off. But he still spent all his time there, red-eyed from crying, and trying to give all students detention.

Rumours has started, too, as always. Marilyn ignored most of it - she was too curious about this Chamber of Secrets, and where Riddle had gone. She asked Wendy, but she said she hadn't seen him anywhere.

She sat in History of Magic class a few days later, writing in the back of her binder what she knew, which wasn't much. She tried to work out how Harry and Riddle could be the only two who could hear the voice, but the only link she had was that they both had wizarding blood, and even that she didn't know if it connected at any point.

History of Magic was everyone's least favourite subject, or at least the most boring one, though the classroom was beautiful and one of Marilyn's favourites.  Professor Binns, their teacher, was a ghost, who had simply left his body behind one day when he got up to teach. His voice was low and drowning, making it lull most people to sleep. Marilyn simply wrote the date he stated at the start and end of the class, as well as the subject, and did her own research, as it was incredibly hard to retain what Binns was saying.

This time, though, as Binns was telling them about The International Warlock Convention of 1289, Hermione reached up her hand.

Looking confused, Binns stopped speaking. "Miss, eh-"

"Granger, sir. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets."

This woke up the class. Neville, as he tried to sit up, fell off his chair, and Lavender almost slipped off hers. Dean Thomas had been snoring with his mouth open, but now started choking, like he'd swallowed a fly.

"My subject is History of Magic," His voice, however, was still the same low wheeze. "I deal with facts. Not myths and legends. Now, on the 1st of September, 12-"

He halted. Hermione's hand was in the air again.

"Miss Grant?"

"Please, sir. Aren't most legends and myths based on facts?"

"Well . . . yes, one could argue that. However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale."

But, he looked around at all the students, sitting on the edge of their seats, hanging on to every word, and seemed to think over it.

"Fine. Let's see . . . The Chamber of Secrets," And he plunged into his story. "You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded thousands of years ago- the precise date is uncertain - by four of the greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. The four of them founded the school, built it, away from Muggle eyes, as magic was feared by the common folk, and witches and wizards suffered great persecution."

He glanced around the room before continuing. "At the start, they worked together in harmony. Finding youngsters who showed signs of magic, and bringing them to the school to be educated. But, after a few years, tensions rose. A rift began between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wanted to be more selective in their students. He believed that magic was a privilege, a privilege to be kept within magical people. He didn't want to accept Muggle-borns or half-bloods, believing them to be unworthy and untrustworthy. Eventually, a fight broke out between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."