Star-Crossed Witch: Book 2

The Chamber

Once we made it to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, with Lockhart still being forced ahead by mine and Ron’s wands, we call out to Myrtle. “Myrtle, do you remember anything about the night you died?” Harry asked when she came floating towards us from her usual stall.

                “Not much, I was just sitting in my stall crying when I heard someone come in. They started talking in a different language, I could tell it was a boy from the timbre of his voice; and I came out to tell him off and that is when it happened. Just before all went black, I remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes and that is it.”

                “Do you remember where the guy was standing? Or if he touched anything before he died? Anything is helpful.” I asked trying to keep her calm, knowing she wouldn’t be of any help should she become angry.

                “I think he was over by the sinks, but I’m not sure.” She said pointing to a row of five sinks in the middle of the room. Harry and Ron walked over to them and started inspecting them for any sign that they did not belong. Harry had almost given up when Ron found something, “Hey Harry, this handle has a snake etched into it. Do you think this is it? Try saying something in Parseltongue.”

                “I can’t, I can only do it when there is a live snake near me.” He said stepping closer to Ron to inspect the handle.

                “Try imagining the snake is alive, it might help.” I said prodding Lockhart closer. It must have worked because Harry said something in different hissing noises and the sink started to descend into the floor and out of sight. In its place was nothing but a giant pipe, big enough for two people to slide down side by side, and from the top it looked like it angled down steeply, but we could not see how far.

                “Well it seems as if you don’t need my help, well done children. I’ll be going now.” Lockhart said as he tried to escape, but Ron and I quickly grabbed his arms and shoved him forward. He caught himself on the sides of the other sinks before falling in, “Why do I have to be here? You three seem to have everything under control.”

                “You are the teacher, don’t you think it is your place to watch over us? By going down first?” I said as I pushed all the way in and we watched him fall for a few feet before I decided to jump. “See ya at the bottom!”

                I slid down the pipe so fast I had almost caught up with Professor Lockhart who was flaying around and screaming at the top of his lungs. We flew around lazy corners, every once in a while we would see other pipes opening up to the main one, but they were much smaller. Finally I heard Lockhart land with a great thud at the bottom, and I soon landed on top of him and scrambled up to get him back under the aim of my wand. The boys followed a few seconds apart. “What now?”

                Harry looked around and pointed to the left behind me, “I say we follow that.” As I turned to see what it was, I caught Lockhart making a grab for Ron’s fallen wand, but was too late to stop him.

                “This is perfect, I couldn’t have planned it better. I may be a fraud at the things described in my books, but the one thing I am good at is memory charms. I will erase your memories, take some of that skin over there and explain I was too late to save the girl. You three lost your minds at the sight of her poor mangled body and I will have a new number one seller!”

                We just stood and stared at him, Harry and I had our wands raised and we could have taken him had Ron not stopped us. He whispered, “Don’t do anything, it is my wand he has…just wait for it.”