𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

xxvii | the chamber of secrets

Transfiguration Classroom

── •✧• ──

𝐍𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 during classes the next day. Even Aliyah, who was always ready to learn something new, was only half listening as McGonagall demonstrated turning animals into water goblets. When she voluntold Ron to turn his pet rat, Scabbers, into a goblet, his broken wand could only manage half the transformation. Dakota chuckled weakly at the squeaking goblet.

Deciding she couldn't take it anymore, Aliyah raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Coleman?" McGonagall called on her.

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about. . .th-the Chamber of Secrets?" Aliyah asked. Lyra lifted her head up from the desk. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep the previous night.

McGonagall hesitated. She looked around at the faces of her students, all of which were eager to learn anything they could about this mysterious chamber. "Very well," she said. "Well, you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the 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."

"Three guesses who," Ron whispered to Harry.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families."

"Purebloods," Lyra said, sighing softly.

"Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school," McGonagall continued. "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."

"Muggle-borns," Hermione and Dakota mumbled together, exchanging looks of sadness and worry.

McGonagall nodded. "Well, naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor?" Hermione asked. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?"

"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."

Dakota took in a shaky breath. She glanced over her shoulder at Draco, who was smirking smugly. She glared at him before facing the front again. "I'm starting to think that maybe this school isn't as safe as Dumbledore swears it is," she muttered.

When class was over, the Gryffindor trio, Dakota, and Aliyah left the classroom together.

"Do you think it's true?" Ron asked. "Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes." Aliyah nodded. "That message last night wasn't just the Slytherins pulling a prank. McGonagall seems worried. All the teachers are."

"But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it really has been opened, then that means—"

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts," Hermione finished Harry's sentence. "The question is, who is it?"

"Let's think." Dakota rolled her eyes in annoyance as Draco passed them at a fast strut, Lyra struggling to keep up with her shorter legs. "Who do we know who thinks all Muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy—"

"Well, I'm not talking about Lyra, now am I? You heard what Draco said! 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'"

"I heard him. But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione scoffed.

"Maybe Kody's right," Harry agreed. "I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them with the exception of Lyra have been in Slytherin for centuries."

"Lyra must know," Ron said.

Aliyah frowned. "What? Do you think we can just walk up to her and say, 'Hey, girl, I know your family is full of psychopaths. Is your nephew the Heir of Slytherin?'" she asked, scoffing. "No way! Anything regarding her family is an extremely sensitive topic for her."

"Crabbe and Goyle probably know," Dakota suggested. "Maybe we could trick them into telling."

"Even they aren't that thick," Hermione said. "But there might be another way." She stopped walking, the five of them now standing in the middle of the corridor. "Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules. And it'll be dangerous. Very dangerous."

"After getting past a three-headed dog, nearly being strangled to death by Devil's Snare, and surviving a real life game of wizards chess in one night, I think we're prepared to face anything," Dakota stated. She chuckled when Aliyah gaped at her. "It's a long story." She waved her hand dismissively. "You had to have been there."

── •✧• ──

When classes were finished for the day, they went to the library. Aliyah, not wanting to miss out on their next adventure, tagged along.

Hermione took a book off the shelf in the restricted section titled Moste Potente Potions. She flipped through the pages as she went to where the others were sitting at a table by the window. "Here it is. The Polyjuice Potion. 'Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform himself temporarily into the physical form of another.'"

"You mean, if Harry and I drink that stuff, we'll turn into Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked, amazed.

"Yes."

"Wicked."

"Gross." Dakota's nose scrunched.

"I don't know about you lot, but I wouldn't mind turning into Pansy," Aliyah said with a small smirk. Dakota stared at her like she was insane. "What? Have you seen her? She's beautiful."

"She's a git just like Malfoy," Dakota muttered, crossing her arms. "Beauty means absolutely nothing if you're ugly on the inside."

"But Malfoy would tell us anything," Ron pointed out.

"Exactly, but it's tricky," Hermione said as she scanned the list of ingredients. Aliyah glanced over her shoulder so she could read along. "I've never seen a more complicated potion."

"Between the two of us, I'd say we can handle it, Hermione," Aliyah said, smiling.

"How long will it take to make?" Harry asked.

"A month," Hermione replied, looking up from the page.

"A month? But, Hermione. . .if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then."

"I know. . .But it's the only plan we've got."

Aliyah wrote down the list of ingredients they would need to make the potion. She and Hermione decided they'd split the list in half and collect them over the week so as not to draw too much attention to themselves.

She was maybe a little too excited at the thought of breaking the rules.