The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter 27

I know I just posted but I had a couple people ask me about the next chapter and already 4 votes so I figured I could quick post a chapter this morning! :))

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"So if it was the monster that Myrtle saw, then why did she die and everyone else was only petrified?" Ron mused.

I thought about it for a second and then replied, "I think it's because she saw the monster directly. Remember how Lupin was teaching us to carry around something reflective to try and stop ourselves from being petrified. I think that's what happened to everyone else. Mrs. Norris must've seen then monster through the water that was on the floor that day. That first boy that was petrified, the first year, Colin Crevy or something like that, he must've seen it through that camera of his, Justin saw it through Nearly Headless Nick and Nearly Headless Nick could've seen it full on but he's already dead, he can't die again! And Hermione was found with a mirror. I bet she already figured out what the monster was and was going somewhere so she knew she had to be cautious so she used the mirror to look around corners before turning."

They all thought about it for a second before Ron said, "That's brilliant Jessica! That makes perfect sense. Now we just need to figure out what kind of monster could do that."

"Did Hermione have any books out of the library at the time she found out?" Blake asked.

I shrugged, "I dunno. We could ask Madame Pince but that might be a bit suspicious."

With a grim smile Harry replied, "That might be our only option right now."

I nodded, "Okay how about we research on our own and see if we can figure it out but if we can't by dinner we go down to the library and ask Madame Pince if Hermione has any books out?"

They bobbed their heads in agreement as we walked into the Great Hall and were forced to stop talking once we were around everyone else.

The first half of my day went very well. The rumors seemed to have died down a bit and people were talking to me more although in potions I was very careful to not do anything at all to make Severus talk to me. Right before lunch I went down to the Potions classroom and knocked on the door.

Severus let me in and closed the door behind me, "So what happened?"

I sighed and sat down, "Alright so last night we did what Hagrid said and followed the spiders, right into their home apparently. We talked to their leader Aragog about the Chamber of Secrets and then they tried to kill us, but we're all okay. Basically what he said was that he wasn't the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, that Hagrid was innocent and that the girl who died last time had been found in a bathroom."

"Are you sure everyone's alright?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yes I'm sure. Just a few cuts from the trees but nothing that won't heal quickly. Besides that's not the point, he said the girl last time was found in a bathroom so Harry thought that maybe it might be Moaning Myrtle. This morning we went and talked to her and it turns out Harry was right. She said she heard hissing around the sink and then she saw yellow eyes and died."

"Why did she die instead of getting petrified though?" Severus asked, "I've been thinking about it and I don't know."

"Shh I'm getting there. Everyone else wasn't looking at the monster directly. They all saw it through something else like a camera, water, a mirror or in Justin's case through Nearly Headless Nick."

He nodded and said, "Any idea what monster it is yet then?"

I shook my head, "I think Hermione may have known so we are going to see what books she had out at the time she was petrified if we can't figure it out on our own."

"Okay, tell me as soon as you figure it out and we can tell the other professors to be on the lookout for signs of whatever monster it is."

I nodded and left to eat lunch with my friends. The rest of the day went by fine too but at the end of it we weren't any closer to figuring out what the monster was despite spending every free minute in the library.

The four of us went up Madame Pince's desk in the library when we finally admitted defeat, "Did Hermione have any books checked out when she was petrified?" I asked her sweetly.

She stared down at me over the edge of her glasses dubiously, "Why would you need to know that?"

I shrugged and decided the truth was probably best for right now, "Well you see ma'am she was looking up information on what beast might be in the castle because Headmaster Dumbledore had asked her to. We think that she may have figured out what it was right before she was petrified so if we had the books she was looking at it may get us on the right track."

She nodded and said, "Give me a moment to look in my record," she leafed through some papers before saying, "Ms. Granger was in here the day she was petrified and she took out two books and then returned them before she left."

She gave us a piece of paper with the names on it and the general location of where they should be. Immediately we set off in hopes of finding the correct book. With the name of the book and where it should be we found them with no problem. I gave one to Harry and Ron as Blake and I looked through the other one.

Staring intently at the book I reread one part and then said loudly, "I found it!" earning a glare from Madame Pomfrey.

"What is it?" questioned Ron excitedly.

"It has to be a basilisk which is basically a giant snake. It says right here that spiders are scared of it and that it's yellow eyes can petrify or kill people and animals. Myrtle even said the eyes she saw were yellow, this must be it!"

"Let's go," said Harry, "We need to tell Professor McGonagall so she can tell everyone to be on the lookout and can figure out how to fight it."

As we came out of the library we ran into no one other than Professor McGonagall herself.

"Professor," I said breathlessly, "We have something to tell you."

Softly she said, "I'm afraid it'll have to wait. I need you all to follow me, I have some grave news to tell you."

"But Professor this-" Harry started only to be cut off by McGonagall saying, "Potter this isn't the time."

Although we all wanted to blurt out what was on our minds we followed her quietly down to the dungeons. She led us over to a cluster of professors who were staring at something on the wall and whispering. They blocked our view but as McGonagall came over they parted to let her through.

On the wall in red it read, her skeleton will lie in the chamber forver.

I turned to McGonagall and asked, "What does that mean?"

Gravely she replied, "It means the beast has brought a student down into the chamber with it."

"Who?" questioned Ron.

Looking at him sadly Professor Sprout came over and whispered, "Ginny Weasley."

Ron let out a horrified gasp as he stared again at the wall, "No it can't be. Why would it take Ginny?"

McGonagall shrugged and said, "I have no clue Mr. Weasley but we are going to try and get her back."

Lockhart chose this moment to waltz over to where we were all standing. He took one look at the wall and said, "Well something has to be done about this. We can't have monsters in the castle taking students."

Rather nastily McGonagall replied, "Yes something should be done. You've been saying this whole time that you could easily figure out where the entrance is and that you know what the beast is, this is your time to shine Gilderoy, why don't you go retrieve Ginny Weasley?"

As the other professors looked at him expectantly he realized he couldn't back out so he nodded, "Ah yes of course. Let me go get ready and then I shall leave to save the poor child."