||Rain's Storm||The Chamber of Secrets||Year 2||

Chapter Nine: Anger

Rain leaned back against the bathroom wall, her eyes closed. Ron and Hermione were talking as they brewed the potion which would transform the three of them into Slytherins, but she didn't feel like joining in. The words from the dairy, combined with everything else happening, was driving her mad. She was taking advantage of the few moments of brief peacefulness she had.

"Harry, there you are! How's your arm?" Hermione cried as the bathroom door opened. Rain opened one eye as Harry entered the space. He sat down across from Hermione, beside Ron. Rain closed her eye again.

"Fine. Colin-" Harry started, but Rain cut him off.

"We already know-we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going on the potion."

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."

"There's something else," Harry said quietly. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."

Rain finally opened her eyes, focusing on Harry. He explained to them how Dobby had blocked the portal to the platform on the train, how he had set the bludger on him during the game, and how the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before, fifty years before.

"The Chamber has been opened before?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"This settles it," Ron declared. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious. Wish Dobby'd told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's seen it sneaking around."

"There are several ways it can be getting around, Ron. My question is, where is the Chamber itself? It won't do us much good to find out anything about it if we don't know where it is," Rain interjected.

The others nodded in agreement. Ron then looked at Harry. "So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm..." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."

*

In the second week of December, Professor McGonagall came around, collecting the names of the students who would remain at Hogwarts over Christmas. Rain was disappointed to learn Sabrina would be leaving, but was happy that Hermione would be remaining along with the boys. At least she would have one girl to hang out with. What worried her was that Draco would also be remaining. Every since the Quidditch match, she had avoided him at all cost. She wouldn't be able to forever.

"Let me get this straight," Rain repeated as they headed into the dungeons for Potions, "you want to distract Snape, sneak into his private collection, and steal from him?"

"Yes, basically," Hermione confirmed.

"You make it sound easy," Ron grumbled.

Rain paused to think for a minute. "Fine. I'll go with Hermione into the stores. I know where nearly everything is, and it would be much quicker than her trying to find them in that mess." The three of them stared at her, but she ignored them.

Rain only half-way paid attention to what she was doing as she waited for Hermione to give the boys the signal. She could feel Snape's cold eyes on her, but she dared not to look. She had avoided him since Mrs. Norris had been attacked, knowing he had seen her fleeing. She did not care to explain that to him.

Rain looked at Hermione, but she was looking at Harry. She nodded; Rain grinned. Now was the time to act.

Harry ducked behind his cauldron. He reappeared a minute later, a small firework in his hand. He aimed, and it landed directly in Goyle's cauldron. The potion within exploded, showering the entire class. As the confusion increased, Hermione and Rain slipped out the door.