The Era of Aria Snape

31

Chapter Thirty-One

"MAKE WAY FOR the heir of Slytherin!" Matilda sang, dancing past Aria in the middle of the corridor and capturing everybody's attention.

Aria wondered if her right hook had been too subtle. Perhaps Matilda needed another reminder of when to keep her trap shut.

That would have to wait, though. She was on her way to Herbology, planning on arriving early and hopefully impressing Sprout with her care-taking skills, maybe enough to even earn that ten percent back.

Despite having hated Skrewty at first, his company around the dorm was actually nice-she found herself speaking to him at times, and his hisses of response strangely comforted her.

As she passed a corridor, she felt someone grab her wrist and yank her behind the corner. She was surprised to see it was George.

"I have to speak to you."

"Can't this wait until Herbology?" She eagerly peaked around the corner. "I don't want to be late."

He shook his head. "No, this is something I really need to know."

She sighed in defeat, clutching the box that held her Skrewt close to her body. "Go on, then. What?"

"I've heard rumors... and I don't know what to believe." He stopped, glancing to the side in guilt. "Is it true? Are you the heir of Slytherin?"

The question surprised Aria so much that she actually laughed. "You can't be serious. You think I'm the heir of Slytherin?"

"I don't think that, but so many people are saying it... I don't know what to think."

She snorted. "Merlin, you really are like everyone else. Haven't you seen? All the Professors are on edge, even my father. I'm not evil, George."

"No, I know. I just-"

"You just what?" She snapped. "Assumed that since my father is a supposed death eater and because I'm in Slytherin that I'm just on this constant rampage to hurt everyone?" Aria shook her head in disbelief. "I can't actually believe you."

"I didn't accuse you-"

"You did, you absolutely did! You know what," she glanced behind her, noticing the hallways were emptying. "We should take a break, from whatever this is." She gestured between the two of them.

"What?"

"I can't take it. Your siblings are always sending me dirty looks, you accuse me of ridiculous things and aside from that, my house doesn't approve of the relationship either."

"You're ending things with me because of what other people think?"

"No."

"Yes. Clearly being with a Weasley hurts your reputation." He huffed, "Whatever. See you around." George stormed away in the opposite direction.

Aria wondered if she should run after him, but thought better of it. It was for the best, dating a Weasley was definitely not in her best interests. She didn't have time to dwell on it now, though, she was late for Herbology.

Aria dashed to the greenhouse, passing full classrooms and only stopping to catch her breath. She didn't plan on standing outside McGonagall's class for long, but the conversation inside was too interesting to miss.

She pressed her ear against the door, absorbing every detail she could.

"-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."

Aria pulled away from the door. She had thought the topic would be interesting, not hate on Slytherin, however, she was learning things she hadn't know before. Reluctantly, Aria pressed her ear against the door again.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to 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 the 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 so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

Purge the school? Aria gulped, this seemed far more serious than she had expected. She had assumed this was some prank gone wrong, not an actual threat to the lives of her peers.

"Naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor," Aria heard someone ask. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the chamber?"

Aria leaned against the door, desperate to hear the answer to the question that she had so been longing to ask.

"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."

"A monster?" Aria squeaked out, the door unable to hold her weight anymore and opening beneath her. She fell to the ground, the box she held containing Skrewty hit the floor with a thud, the creature released a pained shriek.

McGonagall's old lady shoes clouded her vision as she stood before Aria, glaring down at her.

"Sorry Professor, I was only-"

"Eavesdropping, mmm?" She eyed the box. "What is in there?"

Aria reached for the box and pulled out Skrewty. He was much bigger than when she had last taken him out of the box. "It's my project for Herbology. Speaking of which," she jumped to her feet. "I gotta go!"

Aria raced out of the classroom, hurrying down to the greenhouse. Fortunately, everyone else was far too busy with their own Skrewts to notice her tardiness. Even Professor Sprout was too occupied with a Mandrake Root to say anything.

Aria sighed in relief and took a seat near the back of the greenhouse, opened the box, and stared down at Skrewty. "This is so much worse than I thought." She sighed. "People actually suspect me, they think that I am going to release this monster. I have to do something before I get expelled."

She glanced around the room, examining each Slytherin and hoping that something would give away that they were the heir and she was not.

She knew someone would have an awful amount of information regarding this subject, but she currently wasn't on speaking terms with him.

She knew that she would have to change that, and judging by his selfish manner, it would not be an easy task, but Aria was determined to prove that she was not the heir, even if it meant sucking up to Malfoy.