Severus Snape: The Half Blood Prince

*(5) The Chamber of Secrets: A Good Place to Brew a Potion

Remus smiled, then earnestly pleaded, "If what you said is true, please... help me."

Sophie couldn't help but smile, gently patting his back. "Trust me, I will," she assured him.

With that last act of kindness, the class came to an end, and Sophie swiftly packed up her belongings. She hurriedly walked over to Severus, and together they left the classroom, making their way back to their dorm.

"How is it that you knew all of the uses when you only transferred here yesterday?" Severus pondered.

Sophie paused for a moment, then responded, "Severus, it's not like I knew nothing before arriving. I also happened to be in Dumbledore's office earlier that day, remember? I stumbled upon a book about it and read about the various uses of dragon's blood. It was fascinating to re-read." Magic sparked in her eyes as she spoke, revealing her deep passion for the subject.

Severus turned towards her, admiration evident in his gaze. "But that still doesn't explain how you memorized them so easily," he chuckled under his breath.

Once they reached their dorm, Sophie debated whether she should start brewing a potion right there or find a secluded place where she could work in peace.

She opted for solitude. Now, the task at hand was finding the perfect spot. A few hours before her next class, Flying, she embarked on a search through the corridors, armed with a piece of parchment and a quick-quotes quill. Well, not an actual quick-quotes quill, but she had charmed her quill to transcribe her words.

Leaving the common room before any of her fellow Slytherins could question her secretive behavior, Sophie ventured out from the dungeons and found herself in front of the grand hall. As she pondered her options, a thought emerged.

"If I brew the potion out in the open, it will be too conspicuous. Going into a closet or broom cupboard would attract attention due to the smell and noise," she ruminated while pacing near the entrance of the grand hall.

"Write down: Bathrooms," she said aloud, narrowing down her choices.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Moaning Myrtle's corridor!"

The quill promptly transcribed her words, and Sophie set off in the direction of the second-floor girls' bathroom, Myrtle's haunting grounds. Myrtle had met her demise in that bathroom, killed by the Basilisk back in 1943, approximately twenty-eight years ago. The bathroom was the perfect location since no one dared to enter due to Myrtle's lingering presence. The monster had targeted her because she was born to Muggle parents, earning her the derogatory term "mudblood."

'What if I go near the Chamber and the Basilisk senses me? My parents are ordinary people. At this time, my father would be nine, and my mother would be six... It's insane to think about,' Sophie contemplated while ascending the moving staircase. Thanks to her rigorous workouts, maintaining balance on the shifting stairs was a breeze.

Reaching the top, she searched for the entrance to the blocked bathroom. Initially, she couldn't find it, but upon turning around completely, she spotted the bathroom.

Her feet echoed against the stone floor as she made her way toward the lavatory. Before rounding the final corner, she unintentionally passed through the ghostly figure of the Bloody Baron, their house ghost. Covered in the silver stains of blood, the Baron reappeared after she passed through him, bowing in acknowledgment, despite being aware of her bloodline. Sophie reciprocated the gesture with a bow of her own before proceeding into the bathroom.

She called out, "Myrtle? Are you in here?"

'God, I sound like an idiot. Of course, she's in here,' Sophie scolded herself, slapping her forehead.