𝟏.| ✬ 𝒟ℯ𝒶𝓇 ℬ𝒾𝓁𝓁, ✬ {ℬ. 𝒲ℯ𝒶𝓈𝓁ℯ𝓎}

\𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉ℯℯ𝓃\

~

Dear Eleanora
The thing I cannot stress to you enough right now is how important it is that you keep yourself safe. I know you're not exactly in the business of picking fights or dueling, so don't start now. The Chamber of Secrets is not something you want to mess around with. I highly doubt a second year could have anything to do with it no matter how horrible he is. Whatever's happening right now is some really powerful magic. I can't pretend to be an expert on the Chamber, but apparently it's this place Salazar Slytherin built without telling the rest of the founders. He was all upset about muggle-borns being accepted into the school, so he built a chamber that only his true heirs could get into, or something like that. There's supposedly something really horrible in there, though I don't know what. I'm not sure if anybody knows. Apparently, last time the Chamber was opened, a whole bunch of people were petrified and then a girl died. I know you're half-blood, and I'm hoping your dad's relations can protect you but keep- your- head- down. Try not to go anywhere alone, bring the twins or someone with you. If the Chamber really is opened, anybody with muggle blood is in danger, and your dad's seen as a huge blood-traitor. If whoever opened it knows about that- well, you just need to be careful.
They confirmed that your dad was under the imperious, but he doesn't remember anything. I didn't want to tell you at the time, but he sort of lost it when they got him back to normal, apparently he kept babbling incoherently. They weren't even sure it was english. He's getting back to normal now, my informant said he keeps talking about your mother. Not sure if that means anything to you.
As far as the rogue bludger, that could be anyone. It's hard to tamper with a bludger, but not that hard. Quite honestly, I wouldn't put it past some of the teachers. I know you don't think Snape's as bad as everyone makes him out to be, but think about it. He's so desperate for his team to win and from what I've heard, he absolutely hates Potter. I suppose it could be something darker, especially with everything else going on, but don't get too worked up over it. Like I said, just keep your head down and be careful.
Bill

Eleanora folded Bill's letter after what felt like the hundredth time reading it. She felt a flair of annoyance in her chest. What gave Bill the right to dictate what information she should and shouldn't know? He should've told her right away about her father being incoherent, it seemed important. She let out a sigh and Percy looked up at her from across their table in the library, a small smile quirking at his mouth. "What's up?" he asked, his smile growing uncontrollably.

She frowned at him. "Why are you so happy?"

"No reason, no reason. Just a good day is all. Have you studied werewolves yet?" he pushed a textbook towards her, but she didn't look at it.

She kept watching his face. "No, really, Percy. What's going on?" Just then, Percy spotted someone over Eleanora's shoulder. He hurriedly scooped up his books.

"Tell you later, got to run!" And he dashed off. Perplexed, Eleanora turned to see he disappearing behind a bookshelf. She checked her watch. They'd only been studying fifteen minutes. Letting out another heaving sigh, she opened her notebook and started to read over her History of Magic notes.

It was no use. She couldn't focus. The entire day had gone too badly, and she just wanted to go up to the dormitory and sleep. There had been another victim. Colin Creevey, the first year who was always taking pictures of Harry, had been petrified the night before. Fred and George had gone down to the hospital wing that morning to see, and reported back that Colin was as stiff as a board. "Eyes open and everything. It was creepy," George said as they'd walked down to breakfast.

Ginny was beside herself. She kept crying every time the petrifications were brought up, which was very often. Percy had even pulled the twins and Eleanora aside in the common room, wondering if he shouldn't write to have Ginny sent home. Eleanora had protested, but in the back of her mind, thought it might not be a terrible idea. The twins had taken to "cheering her up," which got on Eleanora's nerves even more. They kept covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at Ginny from behind statues. It only made things worse, for obvious reasons. Percy was beside himself with rage when he caught them, and threatened to write Mrs. Weasley about it. This put an end to the whole affair.

Giving up on studying, Eleanora packed up her books and left the library, taking the quickest route to the common room. She was almost there, when she rounded a bend and her heart sank. Draco Malfoy was standing in the corridor with two large, stupid looking boys in his year. Eleanora kept walking as though she didn't see them, hoping they would just ignore her. That wasn't the case.

"Who're you?" Malfoy snarled. "Aren't you the girl on the Gryffindor team, who's always hanging around those blood-traitors, the Weasleys?" Eleanora said nothing. "Can't you talk?"

"Excuse me," she muttered, trying to get past them. The two boys stood in her way. She sighed, annoyed. "Eleanora Marks. A pleasure," she spat, still trying to get past.

Malfoy's face brightened in interest. "Marks? Oh, you're that mudblood, Cillian Marks' daughter."

"My dad's pure-blood, I don't know what you're talking about."

Malfoy looked very sinister for a twelve year old. "Your dad got my father in a bit of trouble awhile back, you know. Wrongly accused him."

"Neither of us were even born yet, it doesn't matter." She was too tired for this.

Malfoy drew his wand. "Yes, it does matter, mudblood."

Eleanora drew her own wand, more hesitantly. She'd never quite gotten the hang of dueling spells. She knew the theory well enough, but when it came to really fighting, she could never think of the right spells.

"Malfoy, you don't even know any-" Crash. At the same time she'd spoken, Malfoy had hit her with a stunning spell. She flew backwards, landing hard on the linoleum floor. Pain shot up her back. She sat up to see the three second-years laughing together.

"What was it you were saying?" Malfoy taunted.

"Tarantallegra," she said, pointing her wand directly at Malfoy and hoping the spell worked. It did. His eyes widened as his legs sprang into motion, dancing him across the floor. Eleanora couldn't help laughing a bit at Malfoy's horror-stricken face and the shock of his cronies, too stupid to actually do anything. The amusement didn't last long though, because Lockhart appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

He frowned at the scene. "Miss Marks, did you do this to Mr. Malfoy?" he finally asked, giving her a comically disappointed look.

"Yes, professor, after he shot an unnecessary stunning spell at me."

Lockhart gave her a look of disbelief. After the incident during the first week of school with the letter, Lockhart and Eleanora held a certain level of distaste for each other. "Second year stunned you? Well..." he laughed jovially and Eleanora felt a surge of annoyance. "Ten points from Gryffindor, and you'll each get a detention... say- Friday."

"But Professor, I've got quidditch-"

"I don't want to hear it," Lockhart said. "Your actions have consequences, Miss Marks. Now get up to bed while I get Mr. Malfoy sorted out." Eleanora left with the satisfaction that Lockhart was bound to mess something up in trying to fix Malfoy. Part of her hoped he ended up in the hospital wing with no bones in either of his legs, that would show him.