Long Time No See « Harry Potter » |On Hold|

« Inquiries »

Chapter 23

Inquiries

"I want to know about Slytherin's history."

"What?"

Miles, after second-guessing himself multiple times, had at last decided to pay Draco a visit in his room after not finding much in the library. If the school wouldn't divulge its secrets, maybe someone from Slytherin house would be able to.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in such matters," Draco said, scrutinizing Miles.

"Given what's been going on I figured it was about time to."

"Well then," Draco moved across the room to his trunk. "You're not exactly at the right place."

"What?"

The other boy turned to face him. "Miles, you know how secretive our families are right? That is to say mine and the others."

Miles nodded, unsure as to where this was going.

"There's a reason for that."

"And that would be?"

Draco sighed. "Let's go to the common room. Having all of us explain it would be better."

Miles went down to the common room, and sat down in front of the fireplace, watching the flickering green flames cast their glow over the room. It was late in the evening now, and the Giant Squid had settled down to rest on the glass dome that made up the ceiling of the Slytherin common room.

Draco came down after a few minutes, leading Theo and Blaise. 

"I'll get the girls," Blaise said, and went off toward the girls' dormitories, then returned with a perplexed Daphne and Pansy.

"What's this about?" Pansy asked.

"Miles here would like to know more about the history of Slytherin house."

"He's not the only one," Daphne remarked. "I've been asked three times in Herbology already if I know anything about the Chamber."

Blaise, looking thoughtful, said, "Mind you, most of Slytherin's history isn't documented, you'd really have to look for it. All I've got to go by are my mother's accounts, and we don't talk much..." he trailed off.

Theo nodded in agreement. "I could do with learning more about the house myself."

Draco lapsed into thought, before exasperatedly rubbing his temple. "I don't know much either. All father has told me is about blood purity and whatnot, and mother just said that most of her housemates were idiots."

"That would include my father then," Theo grinned.

They were about to start discussing their parents and their housemates, mainly Crabbe and Goyle. Perhaps the Averys and the Mulicibers as well, when Pansy cut in.

"We're getting a little off-topic here."

The boys just stared at her blankly.

Daphne sighed. "Our house's history?"

"Right!" they chorused. 

Miles just smiled, amused by their antics. "To the library then?"

They all got up simultaneously in a silent affirmation, and then made their way out of the common room. Once out, they immediately dropped the act and joked as they made their way to the library, knowing Madam Pince wouldn't allow it. 

☆

The next day, all the students could talk about was the Chamber and who could have possibly written the message on the wall. Harry, who tried to remain indifferent to the general murmur that seemed to follow him wherever he went, was now annoyed by it all.

Before, the attention had simply been because he was Miles' brother. He hadn't minded the association, though would have preferred to be recognized for being him. Now, that was the case, but it wasn't anything good. Students were whispering in the halls about him, believing him to be the heir after the night's events, and he couldn't help but be exasperated by everything.

His fellow students had another obsession though. All of a sudden, all anyone wanted to learn about was the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Binns had been the most engaged any of them had ever seen him after being asked about the Chamber and told them about the history of the founders. Harry knew that Salazar Slytherin was rumored to have built the Chamber, but he hadn't known that the other founders weren't aware of it. He supposed that's why it was given its name, as it apparently had been a secret.

Then again, after questions about the Chamber and the supposed monster within, Binns had snapped, telling them that the Chamber very likely didn't exist. If he'd thought that would throw the students off, it did not work in his favor. Now, everyone was sure there was a Chamber, or at least something secretly built within the castle. Why else would the teachers be so terse and secretive at the mere mention of it?

After Binn's lesson, Hermione was on a mission. Of course, Harry wanted to find the proof to clear his name in the eyes of their peers, but he didn't want to have to go all detective to do it. First, they went to the corridor where the message was written and then were dragged into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. After that encounter, Harry determined that he'd spent enough time with her to last him his remaining years at Hogwarts.

He hadn't been too thrilled about that. Luckily, Percy had ended up catching them coming out of the bathroom, and while Ron had been annoyed by his brother's tendency to snoop in their business, Harry didn't mind. Percy could be a prat, but in this case, hopefully he would have dialed down Hermione's attempts to find clues.

As they were sitting down at dinner though, he gained a new viewpoint on the whole situation.

"Who do you think it could be?" Hermione asked them.

"Hm?" Ron asked through a mouthful of potatoes. 

"You're talking about the heir right?" Harry asked before Hermione could start on Ron about talking with his mouth full. Even though Harry did agree with her on that count.

"Yes, of course."

Ron swallowed his food, then glanced disdainfully at the Slytherin table. "Let's think," he said. "Who do we know who thinks muggle-borns are scum?"

Hermione looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"C'mon Hermione, you know it's got to be him." He gestured to the Slytherin table, not bothering to be subtle in the motion. "Malfoy's always spewing foul words about your lot. And did you see how happy he was in the corridor that night?"

"Draco, the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Hermione, he's got a point," Harry remarked. "Look at his family. The whole lot of them have probably been in Slytherin. Besides," he added darkly. "His father's certainly evil enough for something like this. Who's to say Malfoy isn't?"

"They could have had the key to the Chamber for ages! Passing it down..." Ron added.

Hermione looked defeated, and Harry reveled in the small triumph. He knew she was friends with his brother and Malfoy, but even she couldn't deny the possibility.

He turned back to Ron. "We'll need proof though."

"There's a way," Hermione said. 

They both looked at her. "Go on," Ron urged.

"It'll be dangerous," she warned, glancing furtively at Percy. "And difficult. Not to mention we'd be breaking quite a few school rules."

Ron went back to eating. "Let me know when she finally gets around to explaining," he told Harry.

"I'm getting to it!" Hermione retorted indignantly. "We'll need to get into the Slytherin common room and ask Draco some questions, though not as ourselves."

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Ron, looking at her as though she'd lost her mind.

Harry tried to hide his own incredulity, but even he had a hard time believing it.

Hermione beamed. "With Polyjuice Potion of course."