Year Two: The Secret of Slytherin

Part 9

"Tell me, Anne. What did Potter tell you exactly when you and Miss Granger found him?"

Anne kept her eyes on the ground so he wouldn't see the fear in them. "You heard what he said."

"I don't believe that for a minute." Snape looked at his daughter keenly. "You know something, don't you? Tell me. What did Potter tell you?"

Anne could feel herself cracking under the pressure. "He----he claimed to have heard a voice in the walls!" Then she clamped her hands over her mouth as if she said something horrible and fled down the stairs leaving a stunned Snape.

Professor McGonagall stood before tha class. Resting on the desks in front of each student was a different variety of animals.

"Today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets. Like so." She tapped a bird in front of her three times with her wand. "One, two, three. Vera Verto." It transfigured into a crystal water goblet.

"Now it's your turn. Who would like to go first? Mr. Weasley?"

Ron cleared his throat. He tapped Scabbers with his wand. "Vera Verto." Instead Scabbers turned into a goblet with fur and a tail.

"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley." Ron nodded sheepishly, looking at his broken wand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?"

A hush fell over the class. Anne looked over at Hermione with a slight frown. This wasn't a subject she should be bringing up during Transfiguration. She was sure McGonagall would reprimend Hermione for mentioning such a subject as this. Just like the Sorcerer's Stone, this was Hogwarts business.

However, McGonagall, although hesitant at first was willing to answer Hermione's question. "Very well. As you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not."

Anne knew instantly who that one founder was. She was in that very house.

"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. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, 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 and unleash the horror within, and by doing so purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggleborns," said Anne in a hushed voice.

McGonagall obviously heard her and nodded. "Naturally, the school had been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor, what exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber itself?" Hermione asked matter-of-factly.

McGonagall took a second to think. "Well, the Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home of a monster."

"Do you think it's true? Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked anxiously as they left the classroom.

"Yes. Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are," replied Anne sternly.

"Well, if there really is and it has been opened, then that means--" Harry said before trailing off.

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

"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggleborns are scum?"

He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back unconvinced.

"If you're talking about Malfoy--"

"Of course! You heard him! 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'"

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Anne skeptically.

"Well, maybe Ron's right, Anne," said Harry simply. "I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries."

"Crabbe and Goyle must know. Maybe we could trick them into telling," Ron suggested.

"Those two idiots! You won't get a word out of them!" Anne laughed.

"True. But there might be another way," replied Hermione dropping her voice with a quick glance to make sure no one was nearby. "Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention, we would be breaking about fifty school rules. And it will be dangerous. Very dangerous."

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking," replied Anne suspicious. "Because there is no way I would be able to sneak you all into--"

"No. I have something else in mind."