the girl who lived

PART II - 6

I was sitting in History of Magic class. Despite the fact professor Binns was a ghost, his class could have been really interesting, if his voice was a bit... alive. Anyways, because I only have History of Magic at eight o'clock every Monday and Wednesday, I always sleep within the first five minute of the lesson. The reason why I pass this class is Hermione. She's the only one who can stay awake and take notes at the same time. However today was different. Professor Binns opened his notes about the Wizards' Convention in the year of 1289 and started telling the lesson, thinking everyone will take notes. About half an hour later, I was feeling peaceful in between the lines of being asleep and awake, when Hermione shook me awake.

"What is it?", I said sleepy.

"You have to be awake. You'll need to hear this.", she turned to Harry and Ron who were behind us. "You need to hear this too!", she said as she pocked them with the tip of her wand.

"Bloody hell!", Ron almost screamed.

"Shut up and listen!", she shushed him.

"Hermione, it's too early in the morning...", he moaned and tried to go back to sleep.

"Oh just listen!", she said loudly, earning some confused, angry and annoyed expressions from the students, but professor Binns went on with the lesson. Hermione ignored the others and shot up in the air her right hand, as me, Ron and Harry watched her carefully.

When professor Binns rose his head, he was surprised to see someone raising their hand in his class.

"Miss ummm...", he started.

"Granger, sir. I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?", she asked clearly.

Dean Thomas, whose been sitting for a lot of time with his mouth opened, looking lost out the window, startled awake from the trance he fell in; Lavender Brown raised her head from her arms; Raven looked shot up from the sound of Hermione's voice; Susan Bones almost fell off her chair and Neville's elbow slipped off the desk, making him be fully awake.
Professor Binns was blinking fast.

"I'm teaching history of magic, miss Granger.", he said with a dry tone. "I only deal with fact, not myths and legends.", he ended and turned back to the lesson. "In the respective year, in September, a subcommittee of wizards from Sardinia...", he suddenly started to stutter, being irritated by Hermione's hand shaking, again, in the air. "Miss Grant?", he said clearly not bothering to remember her name.

"Sir, doesn't legends always have a bit of truth?", she asked rhetorically.

"Well, yes, I believe you can say that.", he was observing Hermione like he has never seen a student before. "Nevertheless, the legend you mentioned is as sensational, as absurd even...", he trailed off.

Now the teacher had the unbearable attention of the whole class. Everyone was taking in carefully what he was saying, as he was looking back at them darkly.

"Very well.", he said quietly. "Let see then... Chamber of Secrets, which will say... 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. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not. Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted at Hogwarts. He believed 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. Well, 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 so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."