SNAKE

25 | parselmouth

Hermione was sitting in the middle of a girls' lavatory preparing the Polyjuice Potion, Harry was sitting close to her and Ron was standing up leaned on the wall before the bathroom stalls.

"Dobby stopped the barrier from letting us through. He made the bludger chase after me. He really insisted I should leave the school. He said terrible things were about to happen at Hogwarts and that I shouldn't stay now that history is to repeat itself", said Harry.

"What did he mean by that?", asked Ron.

"I don't know, Dobby didn't say anything else. I did ask about my sister. He seemed to be afraid of her or something. Dobby also took her letters during summer so she wouldn't come back, but when I asked he said that Cora was safe, that she was liked by whoever's behind it all."

"What thing? Do you think she knows something about the Chamber of Secrets?", asked Hermione.

"Dobby didn't say. He disappeared before he could tell me who was behind the attacks or anything else", answered Harry. "There was also another attack. It was Colin. The professors were hoping to see the attacker on his camera, but it sort of exploded. Dumbledore said that the students were in grave danger, that Hogwarts is no longer safe and that the Chamber of Secrets has been indeed opened again."

"Again? Does that mean the Chamber of Secrets has been open before?", said Hermione.

"Of course! Don't you see?", said Ron. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened it when he was in school here. And now he's told Draco how to do it. Maybe even Cora."

"Maybe", said Hermione. "We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure."

"Enlighten me", said Ron. "Why are we brewing this potion in brough daylight in the middle of a girls' lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught?"

"No", Hermione chuckled. "No one ever comes in here."

"Why?"

"Moaning Myrtle", she explained.

"Who?"

The ghost of a girl with glasses and two ponytails appeared from the bathroom stalls just behind Ron.

"Moaning Myrtle", Hermione repeated.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle? Sounds like an ugly girl", asked Ron.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!", exclaimed the ghost to Ron's face. She then flew above them. "I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?" She screamed and flew straight to a toilet and went in it, creating a splash of water.

"She's a little sensitive", Hermione said and Harry chuckled.

~

Cora walked through the halls after leaving the library and went to the girls' lavatory that was always empty. When she entered, she was surprised to see Myrtle floating around the bathroom and whimpering.  Cora hadn't seen her before even though she had entered this lavatory before.

Well that's annoying, she thought. Nevertheless, she decided to be polite. "Hello. I hope you don't mind I use the lavatory."

Myrtle hid behind one of the stalls. "Who are you?"

"Coralina Potter, Slytherin, second year. Pleasure to meet you, Myrtle."

"How do you know my name?", Myrtle asked. "Did you come to make fun of me?!"

"Not at all. Why would I make fun of you?", said Cora.

"People always do", answered Myrtle. "Like earlier this week. That mean redhead boy said I was ugly and his friend called me Moaning Myrtle."