Modification || T. Riddle || Completed

Chapter 26: Revelations

Chapter 26: Revelations

Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The colours blended perfectly into each other and the sun itself was just peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shone brightly and began to warm the Hogwarts grounds.

Estela marvelled at the glistening reflection of the sun on the Black Lake and a thrilling feeling of awe swept over her. Today was the day she had planned to go searching for Salazar Slytherin's hidden room that was mentioned in the diary of G. Bainard, now known to be the Bloody Baron.

From her side there was a low groan, as she saw Cayra rolling over in her bed and opening her eyes to the morning sun, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. "What time is it?"

"Half past six."

"Half past-?" Cayra exclaimed in disbelief. "That's like the middle of the night," she said as she rolled back over, pulling the covers over her face.

Estela laughed to herself as she made her way out of the Corridor and headed towards the dungeons. Surely if Slytherin was going to have a hidden room it would be somewhere close to the Slytherin Common room, right? She decided that it was the most logical place to start, anyway.

As she walked the dimly lit corridors Estela realised that she wasn't very fond of this part of the castle. Everything was so bleak and dark, the walls lined with emerald green tapestries proudly embroidered with the Slytherin logo.

She passed the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, and continued walking deeper into the castle. Carved above were statues of serpents that ran along the stone walls that gave the effect they were slithering as she walked by.

She didn't have a clue what exactly she was looking for, but she knew it would be hard to find. Take the Chamber of Secrets, for example, that was another one of Slytherin's hidden rooms, and generations of brilliant witches and wizards had searched for the chamber to no avail. Except for Tom, of course, but that was different.

She stood in the middle of the empty corridor, thinking, when an idea hit her. She could try using parseltongue to see if anything happened. She had only spoken the strange slippery language a few times: when Tom planted the snake in the hallway and when she encountered Morfin Gaunt. She shuddered at the memory of the filthy little shack and the crazed old man who spoke of eagles and other nonsense.

She wasn't sure how to even speak the language. It kind of just happened. She looked up and placed all her focus and concentration on one of the snakes that lined the wall above her. She tried her hardest to imagine it moving, slithering along the cold walls.

"Reveal your secrets," she hissed.

It felt strange as the words slithered silkily off of her tongue and it sent a cold shiver down her body. She eyed her surroundings but nothing seemed to change.

"Reveal Salazar's hidden room," she tried halt-heartedly, sighing when nothing happened.

She paced the hall numerous times, whispering various commands and sentences but nothing happened - not so much as a flicker of movement. In the end she decided she had to give up as she heard the sound of voices coming from the Slytherin Common Room which meant that people were starting to wake up. With one final glance around her she set off, not wanting to be found alone in the dark corridors by a bunch of Slytherins.

***

It was making out to be a busy term already, with the teachers setting more homework than usual in the run up to exams. Estela was in the library finishing off an essay for Charms when Tom walked in, taking no notice of her, and went to sit down at the other end of the library as usual.