𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 // 𝕙. 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣

chapter 9: missing

your pov

The next day, Harry, ron and i  are visiting Hermione in the Hospital Wing again, Harry takes the old dried up flowers out of the vase next to Hermione's bed, and puts in some new white roses, then sits on the bed.

"Wish you were here, Hermione. We need you. Now more than ever." i say. she would know what to do in this situation. Hermione just lays there with her glossy facial expression as Ron sighs sadly. Harry rubs Hermione's left hand, he looks down and removes his hand to discover a crumpled up piece of paper, a library book page, which he carefully removes and straightens out.

"What's that?" i ask. ron looks up, glancing at it.

"this is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked," he says, standing up as he reads it. "Come on!" we walk through the corridor as Harry reads from the page.

"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it...'" harry looks up at us. "this is it. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake." this makes sense, except for a few things...

"But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" ron asks. i look at a window, my reflection staring back. wait a minute...

"Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least. Colin saw it through his camera. Justin... Justin must've seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it, but he's a ghost. He couldn't die again. And Hermione... had the mirror. I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners in case it came along." i say. harry looks at me, smiling.

"And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, (y/n)." ron says. oh, he's right..

"The water! There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the Basilisk's reflection." harry says. Ron nods; Harry takes another look at the page, then walks to a nearby torch to more easily read it, running his finger along it as he reads. "'Spiders flee before it.' It all fits." he says.

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake, someone would've seen it." ron says. we glance at the bottom of the page where the word "Pipes" is written.

"Hermione's answered that, too." i say with a smile.

"Pipes? It's using the plumbing!" ron says.

"Remember what Aragog said about that girl fifty years ago, she died in a bathroom? What if she never left?" i say to them. ron looks up at me.

"Moaning Myrtle." he says. i nod. then, we hear Professor McGonagall's voice on the speakers.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor immediately." we all glance at each other before hurrying off to the second floor corridor. In the section where the bloody message is, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey, and Filch run up to the wall, where Professor McGonagall directs their attention to a newly written message.

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message," mcgonagall says. Harry, Ron and i walk into the corridor behind them. "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." Lockhart happily walks up to the group.

"So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?" he grins at Snape and McGonagall.

"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last." snape says to him. Lockhart looks slightly stunned.

"My... moment?" he asks.

"Weren't you saying just last night you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" snape says. Lockhart looks bewildered.

"That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend." mcgonagall says.

"Very well. I'll just be in my office, getting, uh... getting ready." lockhart responds before he turns and walks away; Filch watches him, then glances at Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.

"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" madam pomfrey asks. Professor McGonagall glances at her.

"Ginny Weasley."

we straighten up in shock; Ron quavers slightly. oh my god, ginny... Professor McGonagall sadly walks away, along with the other staff; a second later, Snape follows them, revealing the newly written message. Ron reads the message with dread in his voice.

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever," ron looks back at us, devastated. "Ginny..."