Unfogging the Future

The Chamber of Secrets

ActualWeeb: I think this is the first chapter that is fully my work, aside from a few miscellaneous sentences that are JKR. So, if you like the non-canon scenes I write, yay!

Also, I finished drawing Lilly Moon a few days ago, so I only have to draw Sally-Anne Perks and then I'm done with that series of drawings! If you want to see the drawings I drew of Bella, Astoria, Daphne, and Lilly, you can see them on the Facebook page for this fic: facebook utfhpfanfic

Forgive me for my amateur drawing skills :p

Also, just to clarify, this chapter takes place on the morning of the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match, which, in canon (and also in this), is the day when Quidditch was canceled because Hermione was petrified.

Anyways, on to the chapter! I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Sixteen, The Chamber of Secrets.

"You ended up going there, didn't you?" James whispered, already knowing the answer.

Bella didn't know how long she knelt there, crying, holding Hermione's frozen hand. It wasn't long, though, because she soon heard someone's footsteps walking past. She immediately remembered her promise to Hermione and stood up, turning to follow the footsteps. There were only three outcomes to following them: they were a student, returning to a common room, it was a teacher, or it was the Heir of Slytherin, fleeing the scene. The latter was more likely, but Bella did not care.

"Bella!" Hermione exclaimed. "I wanted you to stay safe, not follow danger!"

Bella chose not to respond and continued reading. She didn't want to risk angering Hermione, it could be deadly.

If it was the Heir, then good! Bella would make them pay for what they did to Hermione.

Ron facepalmed.

If it wasn't, then that was fine too; at least she would be fulfilling her promise to Hermione by following them to safety.

She let go of Hermione's hand sorrowfully and set off, following the sound of footsteps, eyes remaining closed in case the basilisk returned. Bella listened hard- they sounded familiar, and it seemed as though they were the footfalls of a small person, though she couldn't be sure.

It was quite easy to follow them. Easy, that is, until she felt herself trip on a step. Of course they would go up a set of giant magical stairs, Bella thought bitterly as she picked herself up and held onto the railing as she sprinted up the stairs in order to catch up with this person. She tripped quite a lot, as Hermione was no longer guiding her, but she stubbornly got up again every time, unwilling to be left behind.

They had gone up several flights of stairs until the footsteps finally ran off onto one of the higher floors, away from the stairs. Bella followed. Suddenly, the person came to a stop.

"Numeros in salutem," came a girl's voice. Bella was startled- that was the Gryffindor tower password!

"Oh, good," sighed Cedric. "Then it wasn't the attacker."

Ginny stared at her knees. Daphne put a comforing hand on he shoulder. Ginny looked up and smiled weakly at her, feeling a bit braver.

She heard the portrait swing open, and Bella quickly scrambled inside after the girl. She only opened her eyes when she heard the portrait swing shut. Bella gasped at who was in front of her.