Chapter 8

5.5K 152 57
                                    

McGonagall stands before the class. Resting on the desk in front of each student is a different animal.

"Today, we will be turning animals into water goblets." She taps the bird in front of her, three times, with the tip of her wand. It transfigures into a beautiful crystal water goblet.

"Now, who would like to go... Mr. Weasley?" Olivia watched as Ron nods. He TAPS his rat, Scabbers, who turns into a goblet with a tail.

"You must replace that wand, Mr. Weasley." Ron nods sheepishly, looks at his broken wand.

McGonagall saw Hermione's raised hand and her untouched animal."Yes, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked as she saw Hermione's hand.

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?" A hush fell over the class. Olivia took in a breath as her hair turned white. She didn't want to know about that stupid chamber. It scared her when she saw the blood on the wall.

All she wanted that night was to go have some dinner. Instead, she had no dinner and nightmares. "My subject is Transfiguration, Miss Granger." McGonagall said and Olivia nodded.

"Yes, Professor. But there seems to be very little written about the Chamber of Secrets. For those of us with a personal interest in the subject, that is disturbing." Draco regarded Hermione with chilly amusement.

Once he saw Olivia he quietly got up and sat next to her. McGonagall considered Hermione's question for a long moment, then nodded.

"Very well. You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age." She started and Olivia took Draco's hand.

"Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Three of the founders co-existed quite harmoniously. One did not." McGonagall said and Ron took a moment to ask something.

"Three glasses who?"

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. According to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school."

"The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic." She finished and Olivia shivered. She did not like that.

"Muggle-borns." Hermione whispered and Olivia nodded.

"Yes. Naturally, the school has been searched many times for such a chamber. It has never been found." Their teacher told them and most of them nodded.

"Professor, what exactly does, legend tell us lies within the Chamber?" Olivia asked timely and their professor took a second to think.

"The Chamber is said to be home to something which the heir of Slytherin alone can control. It is said to be home... to a monster." Ron's eyes shift. Draco sits calmly, smiling to himself. Little did Ron know it had nothing to do with the chamber.

———

Harry, Hermione, Olivia, and Ron threaded their way through the teeming corridor. Up ahead, Draco walked along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"D'you think it's true? D'you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked and Olivia snorted.

"Yes. Couldn't you tell: McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are." Olivia retorted and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it's really been opened, that means." Harry trailed off.

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts. The question is, who is it?" Hermione asked the three.

"Let's think. Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum." Ron said sarcastically and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"If you're talking about him --" Hermione finally caught on to what Ron was saying."Of course! You heard him: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods'!" Ron mocked Draco as Harry held Olivia's hand, so that she didn't smack Ron.

"I heard him. But Malfoy? The Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione questioned.

"Finally, you're catching on." Olivia snored and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Maybe Ron's right, Hermione. I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries." Harry thought and Olivia hit him.

"Crabbe and Goyle must know. Maybe we could trick them into telling." Ron told the three.

"No. Even they aren't that thick. But there might be another way. Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules. And it would be dangerous. Very dangerous." Hermione looked scared.

"When do we start?" Olivia asked as she walked off laughing. Olivia headed to her last class of the day. Potions.

——

In a dark nook, Harry, Ron, Olivia and Hermione huddled round a book entitled Most Potente Potions.

The spotted pages are littered with disturbing illustrations. "Here it is: 'The Polyjuice, Potion. Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another...'" Olivia read out loud.

"You mean, Harry and I drink some of this stuff and we turn into Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked and Olivia nodded.

"Yes." The two girls said at once.

"Wicked! Malfoy'll tell us anything!" Ron yelled and Olivia smacked him.

"Exactly. But it's tricky. I've never seen a more complicated potion. Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed. And, of course, we'll need a bit of whoever we want to change into too." Hermione muttered to herself as she read the book.

"Hang on now. I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it." Ron gagged and Olivia nodded making a face.

"How long will it take to make?" Harry asked and Olivia and Hermione liked at each other.

"A month." Olivia said and Hermione nodded.

"A month? But if Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin... he could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then." Harry semi ranted and Olivia laughed.

"Why! Why is it everyone in my life that you think is evil?" Harry looked at Olivia and saw that he had gone to far. Her hair was black and silver, Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry Liv. I promise we wont got through with this." Olivia raised an eyebrow at him, not believing a words he was saying. "Truly I promise." Liv huffed.

"Fine." She looked over at the other two. "Stay away from me." She walked away from the three.

"You didn't have to tell me that." Hermione mumbled.

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Always ThereWhere stories live. Discover now