The Dark Lord's Daughter Book 2: Secrets

Lockhart is a Slimey Git

The three ran as quietly as they could- and then they saw light up ahead. Harry pulled them to a stop and they hid around the corner listening.
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." McGonagall said and Notte's stomach sank, wondering why a student would be taken into the chamber and not killed or petrified on the spot.
"So sorry- dozed off- what have I missed?" Lockhart came from behind the three, luckily invisible under the cloak. Lockhart disappeared around the corner to join the teachers.
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come, at last." Snape said and Notte could imagine the haughty sneer on his face.
"My m-moment?" Lockhart stuttered.
"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape replied.
"Well, that's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are a legend." McGonagall said hotly. Even the teachers were tired of his boasting.
"Very well- ah- I'll just be in my office getting, umgetting ready." Lockhart ran down the corridor towards his office.
"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Madam Pomfrey asked. She had been here the entire time.
"Ginny Weasley." McGonagall said with a sniff, like she was about to cry. The teachers left and Notte slipped out from the cloak, Ron stared up at the wall stained with blood.
" 'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.' Ginny..." Ron said pale as a ghost.

The three of them ran towards the DADA classroom, the cloak trailing behind them.
"Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. At least we can tell him what we know." Harry said before they entered the classroom. Notte ran up the stairs ahead of them and threw open the door.
"Professor, we have some information for you" Harry looked around at Lockhart hastily packing, "Are you going somewhere?"
"Uh, ah- well, yes- um, urgent call- unavoidable- got to go." Notte's eyes turned red in rage. Lockhart jumped back from her.
"What about my sister?!" Ron shouted.
"Well, um- as to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I." Lockhart stuttered weakly keeping his eyes on Notte.
"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Ron shouted at the blonde again. Notte took a single step forward.
"Well- I must say- when I took the job there was nothing in the job description about a..." Lockhart backed into the wall, as Notte took another step forward. The boys had not noticed her eye change yet.
"You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?" Harry shouted at Lockhart.
"Books can be misleading!" Lockhart looked at Harry now, as he advanced on him.
"You wrote them!" Harry yelled angrily and Lockhart almost rolled his eyes, trying to regain his swagger. Lockhart avoided looking at Notte at all.
"My dear boy, do use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!" Lockhart said and Notte's eyes returned to blue, as she realized he was just a coward. She put a hand on her wand inside her pocket still watching Lockhart.
"You're a fraud! You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done!" Notte glanced at Harry, before looking back at Lockhart.
"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yes, now you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing. And I'd never have sold another book. In fact, ah..." Lockhart pulled out his wand. "I'm ah...going to have to do the same to you." Notte lunged at Lockhart and put her wand to his throat. Her face was a terrifying calm for what she was doing. But her eyes burned with rage.
"Don't even think about it." Harry said looking at Notte, the boys pulled out their own wands.

"Oh! Who's there? Oh! Hello, Miss Notte Harry! Ron. What do you want?" Myrtle greeted the three students, ignoring the teacher  Notte had her wand pointed so intently at.
"To ask you how you died." Harry said quietly.
"Oh! It was dreadful. It happened right here in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in." Myrtle almost glowed with pleasure recounting her death to us.
"Who was it Myrtle?" Harry asked.
"I don't know. I was Distraught! Huhh-huh...But they said something funny, a kind of made up language. And I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and... I died." Myrtle swooned and Notte had to bite back a laugh at the melodramatic ending.
"Just like that? How?" Harry stepped closer to Myrtle eager for an answer.
"I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes...over there, by that sink. Ohhhhooo..." Myrtle wailed and pointed at the sinks. She disappeared into the stall to sulk. Notte saw her bloodstain- still there unfaded, like it was burned into the flooring.
"This is it. This is it, Notte. I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." Harry looked at Notte who went pale.
"It was right there the whole time- we could have died anytime this year." Notte muttered.
"Say something. Harry, say something in Parseltongue!" Ron said quickly looking at Harry.
"Open up." Harry said in parseltongue. And the sinks sunk into the floor, slowly revealing a humungous hole. Pitch Black.
"Excellent, Harry. Haa! Good work! Well then, I'll just be, ah... There's no need for me to stay." Lockhart said nervously and Notte had half a mind to push him in.
"Oh, yes there is! You first." Harry said and Notte couldn't help herself but smile.
"Now, boys- Notte what good will it do?" Lockhart looked at Notte with pleading eyes and a pang of guilt went through her.
"Better you than us." Ron said simply and shrugged. Notte tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Um...but...obviously, yes. Sure you don't want to test it first? No!" Notte nudged him towards the hole and he fell- screaming all the way down. Notte peered slightly over the edge biting her lip- counting the seconds going by. Lockhart stopped screaming and Notte thought the worst.
"It's really quite filthy down here." Lockhart suddenly said.
"Oh thank merlin- I didn't kill him." Notte said.
"All right. Let's go." Harry said before Myrtle appeared again.
"Oh, Harry? If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet. Hee, hee." Myrtle said with a giggle and Notte rolls her eyes.
"Uh...thanks Myrtle." Harry said awkwardly. Ron and Harry sat on the edge of the hole and took a deep breath before dropping in. Notte looked at Myrtle and she giggled.
"Someone's jealous-" Myrtle giggled again and drifted away.
"I hope this kills me-" Notte muttered before stepping off the edge her eyes shut tightly.