Dan and Phil and The Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 4

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the chamber of secrets," Hermione said the next day, during transfiguration. Professor McGonagall, seeing everyone's interested faces, told the class everything she had already told Dan.

Hermione once again raised her hand. "Professor, if the chamber exists, why aren't people going and killing the monster instead of letting it attack us?"

"Well naturally the school has been searched many times," McGonagall said. "No such chamber has been found." A murmur ripples through the class. "Well, back to work!" McGonagall said. "I've seen few water goblets and more rats than I would expect."

Dan turns back to his rat. He waves his wand again and nearly gets the whole rat turned. Beside him, Phil was having the same luck. To their left was Ron and Harry. Dan watched as Ron waved his taped wand. The broken part of the wand shot out some smoke back into Ron's face.

"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, witnessing his failed attempt. She turns to Phil. "Lester, try more controlled wand movements."

"How did you break your wand?" Dan asked, turning to Ron. Ron glanced at Harry then back to Dan. "Long story. I'll tell you at lunch."

During lunch, Dan and Phil got a full account of how Harry and Ron had been denied entrance to the train station. Their story went on to tell about their flying car and crashing into the whomping willow.

"That tree did more damage to us than we did to it," Ron said, holding up his broken wand. "I don't know how I'm gonna get a new wand.. my mums really mad about that on top of the flying the car."

"Did you ever figure out why you couldn't get through the barrier?" Phil asked, taking a bite of his lunch.

Ron snorted. "Yeah, it was the same person who took Harry's mail, dumped a cake all over some muggles, and cursed the bludger."

"I wouldn't even call him a person," grumbled Harry beside Ron.

"Wait, dumped a cake over a muggle?" Dan questioned.

"Long story short, Harry's aunt and uncle are stuck up, snobby muggles that he's forced to live with. They had some annoying neighbors at their house and they got what they deserved, but.." Ron looked at Harry with pity. "Since that happened, they wouldn't sign the Hogsmede trip paper and he couldn't go."

"Well, who did it all?" Asked Phil eagerly.

"A house elf," said Harry.

Dan choked on a drink from his goblet. "A house elf? Those things that are supposed to obey every word their master says?"

Harry nodded. "The very same. His name is Dobby, he fessed up in the hospital wing right before Colin was brought up there. Said he was 'trying to keep Harry Potter safe'," Harry said in annoyance. "All those things he did nearly killed me. His definition of safe is completely mental."

"Keep you safe? Hogwarts is the safest place out there!" Exclaimed Dan.

"Apparently something bad would happen this year, so he was trying to keep me from attending Hogwarts," said Harry, shoveling some chicken into his mouth.

"You don't reckon he somehow knew about the chamber of secrets, do you?" Phil questioned. "That seems like it would fit into the 'bad thing happening'."

"How could he?" Hermione said. "No one could've known this would happen." Her eyes widened. "Unless you were the heir of Slytherin." She quickly turned to Harry. "Harry, next time you see him, ask him who his master is."

"I've asked a million times," Harry sighed. "Every time I do, he tries to punish himself. But he did tell me something pretty interesting.."

"What?" Asked Hermione, leaning forward eagerly.