Poisoned Youth | ✓

3- Second Year

1992:

This was the year that I found out how much some wizards truly hated witches like me: Muggleborns. Hermione took it with a grain of salt and didn't seem to let the cruel word mean much too her, but I wasn't like her— it hurt. Especially when we found a horrible cryptic message in one of the corridors.

We approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What's that thing— hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As we edged nearer, I almost slipped— there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Harry grabbed me, and the four of us inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All four of us realized what it was at once, and leapt backwards with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, we didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help —" I started.

"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told us that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where we stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware!"

"You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

It was Adelaide Ward and Draco Malfoy. They had pushed to the front of the crowd, Malfoy's cold eyes alive, his usual bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

Since then, everyone wanted to find out who the Heir of Slytherin and what the Chamber of Secrets we. Slowly, people began to believe Draco Malfoy was the Heir being he hated Mudbloods, a vile name for Muggleborns, and was a pureblooded Slytherin. But it changed after our first and last duelling club meeting.

Professor Lockhart, a very beautiful yet brainless Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, started the club with Professor Snape. It all went well until Snape put Malfoy and Harry to duel one another.

"Three — two — one — go!" Lockhart shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it..."

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.