Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

9

For the next few days the writing on the wall was all anyone could talk about, rumours about the chamber of secrets and the heir of slytherin circled the castle and it seemed Eliza was the favourite of being the absolute nut-case who petrified Mrs Norris. Although the school did seem to have mixed views on it, many people knew her as a kind, helpful girl despite being in Slytherin. Others were more than happy to succumb to their bias of Slytherin and proclaim her the new dark lady in the making. Sadly the people who subscribed to that line of thought were plentiful and irritatingly loud.

Even History of Magic was swept up in the news, Binns diverting from his rambling on goblin wars since perhaps even before he died when Granger asked about the Chamber.

"Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets..."

Despite herself Eliza looked up from her studying and began listening to Binns ardantly like the rest of the class.

"You all know of course that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the greatest witches and wizards of the time. They built it far away from prying Muggle eyes and they worked in harmony for a while until disagreements sprang up between the others and Slytherin who wished to be more selective in their students"

"Of course" Weasley commented snidely "blood purists the lot of them"

Eliza felt Theo bristle beside her at the accusation flung against their house. And really, how was Eliza meant to let an insult like that slide.

"Well actually, if you don't mind me interrupting Professor Binns" Eliza directed at the professor who looked like he was going into shock over having such a lively class "If you had been listening to the professor Weasley you would have understood that all of this was going on in a time of mass witch hunting. Our people were being burnt and drowned and killed by muggles and muggleborns were being smothered in the cradle – Hogwarts was one of the only safe places at the time and it was being put in jeopardy by inviting muggleborns who risked exposing the community" Eliza finished lecturing and all the Slytherins were smothering small smiles "and you call our founder a blood purist because you can't or rather don't want to comprehend the real reason" she finished snidely and took great pleasure in seeing the dumb-founded looks on the gryffindor's faces.

"Yes quite Miss Peterson" Binns said, Eliza didn't bother correcting him and allowed him to continue to tell the story, sitting back in satisfaction.

"When Slytherin left legend took truths place and now we hear stories that Slytherin built a chamber and sealed it when he left. None would be able to open it but the true heir and unleash the horror within and purge the school of those unworthy to study magic"

There was a tense silence that filled the class, unlike the usual drowsy quiet that rested over the room.

"Sir- what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the chamber?" Granger asked staring at Binns in trepidation.

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the heir alone can control" said professor Binns and the ghost soon resumed his lecture on Goblin Wars uncaring for the nervous tension that filled his classroom. And as the class returned to its usual torpor Eliza couldn't help but feel comforted by the fact she was not the first monster Slytherin had housed.

~

However soon enough all talk of the chamber of secrets was replaced with something a lot more important; Quidditch. Specifically the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor game being held that weekend. The hallways had become battle fields and house rivalries had never been as high and Eliza found she couldn't even sit in the library anymore without being caught up in the tension.

Eliza didn't really care for Quidditch, she liked flying well enough. Her little stint on a broom when she had been trying to stop Voldemort- and wasn't that a weird string of words- had told her that much. But actual Quidditch? She found it boring. At least watching it was boring, it was like muggle football. However she was Queen of Slytherin and a Queen must always support her subjects the voice in her head that suspiciously sounded like Daphne told her.