Chapter 8: - The Writing on the Wall
"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt, by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs Norris and fell back, clutching his face in terror. "My cat! My cat, what's happened to my cat?" His eyes fell on Harry, "You! You've murdered my cat! You killed my cat! I'll kill you! I'll…" He screeched, walking towards the boy, who was shoved backwards behind the gang, who stood protectively between Harry and the caretaker.
"ARGUS!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of teachers. In seconds he had swept past the gang and detached Mrs Norris from the wall bracket. "Come with me Argus," he said to Filch, "You too, Mr Potter, and I think your friends had better come too." The gang shared glances, they were in trouble, quick think up a plan.
Finally, thought Joey, This telething might actually get them out of trouble instead of into more of it, as the duel monsters carried messages around the group, leaving only Harry, Ron and Hermione out.
Lockheart stepped forward eagerly, "My office is nearest, Headmaster, just upstairs, it should fit everyone in nicely, please feel free…" Unfortunately, the only good idea they could come up with was one of Joey's, which they agreed on as they entered Lockheart's office.
The group stayed together at the back of the office while the Professors examined Mrs Norris carefully, "It was definatly a curse that killed her." Lockheart was saying, as the group finalised their plan.
"She's not dead, Argus, but she has been petrified." Said Dumbledore, "But how, I cannot say."
"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his tear stained face to Harry.
"Harry didn't do anything!" Yugi said, staring at Filch, who glared at him.
"If I might speak Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, "The group may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time," Snape spoke, with a sneer, as though he doubted it, Yami didn't like Snape, he was sure anything he had to say wouldn't be good. "But there are a number of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione spoke all at the same time, "We were at Nick's Deathday Party, there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there…"
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" Snape said, his eyes glittering in the candlelight, "Why go up to that corridor?"
"Because… because…" Harry said.
"Because the dragons heard something, Red Eyes Black and Red Eyes Darkness told Joey and Ombre that there was something here that shouldn't be, and we thought we'd check it out." Yami said, Snape's sharp gaze turned to him and Yami's piercing crimson eyes stared back at him in a silent contest of wills.
"Why didn't you think to get a teacher?" Snape asked, looking away from Yami. Yami smiled slightly.
"We didn't have time." Joey said, "The dragons said it what ever it was, was retreating, we thought we could catch it."
Snape's smiled, "I don't think Muto and Wheeler are not being entirely truthful," He said, his smirking gaze turning to Harry and Yugi, "I think it would it be a good idea, if certain members of the group were deprived of certain privileges until they are ready to tell us the full story. I feel that Potter and Muto should be taken off of the Gryffindor Quidditch team until they are ready to be honest."
"Really Severus," Said Professor McGonagall, "I see no reason to stop the boys playing Quidditch. The cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that the group has done anything wrong."
Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. Harry felt as though he was being x-rayed. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus, this isn't ancient times." Snape looked furious, so did Filch.
"MY CAT HAS BEEN PETRIFIED! I WANT TO SEE SOME PUNISHMENT!" Filch roared.
"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Said Dumbledore patiently, "Madam Sproat has recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they reach full size, I will have a potion made up that will revive Mrs Norris." Lockheart butted in, saying he could whip up the potion in a heartbeat, and Snape had a go at him. There was an awkward pause and Dumbledore let the group go.
They went as fast as they could without actually running, turning into an empty classroom and closing the door behind them. "Talk about guilty until proven innocent." Joey growled, glaring at the closed door.
"An ancient concept for this modern age." Yami said, also glaring.
"He had some nerve, trying to ban Yugi and Harry from the Quidditch team." Kari growled, Harry looked at them.
"Do you think I should have told them about the voice I heard?"
"No," Ron said without hesitation, "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
"But the dragons heard it too." Ombre said looking at Ron, she'd caught his tone of voice.
"I know but you have to admit it's weird."
"I know it's weird, the whole thing is weird, what was the writing on the wall about? The chamber has been opened… what's that supposed to mean?"
"It sort of rings a bell, I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber in Hogwarts once, might've been Bill." Ron said, thinking. A clock chimed somewhere.
"It's midnight," Yami said listening to the chimes, "We should go, before Snape tries to frame Harry or Yugi for something else."
For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs Norris. Filch was prowling the corridors and trying to give students detention for 'being happy' and 'breathing.'
Ginny was disturbed by the attack, they saw the little red head when Rebecca came over to glomp Yugi during one of the breaks. While Joey tried to prise the Ravenclaw girl off of Yugi, Ron explained that Ginny was a great cat-lover. "But you never really got a chance to know Mrs Norris. Honestly we're much better off without her. Stuff like this doesn't normally happen at Hogwarts." Ron assured Ginny as Joey was successful and Yugi hid behind Yami who laughed, earning himself a glare from Rebecca. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time, I just hope he gets to petrify Filch before he's expelled… I'm only joking!" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.
The attack also had an effect on Hermione and Kari, who were living in the library or with their head stuck in one book or another. Nor could the group get an answer from them when they asked what they were doing.
'Hikari.'
"Yes?"
'What're you doing?'
"Reading." Kari replied and was lost to her book again. Harry was the last to join them in the library, at Wednesday lunchtime. The group were sat in the back of the library measuring his history of magic homework.
"Eight inches short!" He growled, "Harry can I copy yours?"
"I'm inches short too. Ask Joey."
"You won't be able to read my handwriting. Ask Yugi."
"Not a chance, ask Yami."
"Ditto, ask Kari."
"If I'm not letting Ombre copy me then I'm not going to let you, ask Hermi… where'd she go?" Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.
"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History are out and I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all of Lockheart's books."
"Why do you want it?" Joey asked, looking up from his essay.
"The same reason everyone else does, to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"What's that?"
"That's why we need it, neither of us can remember." Kari said, finishing her essay with a smile.
"Hermione, let me read your essay!" said Ron, desperately.
"No I won't, you've had ten days to finish it. If you're that desperate then ask Seto!" Hermione snapped, Kaiba was sat a few tables over, dividing his time between his laptop and an essay.
"Kaiba…" Ron said warily, walking over to the CEO's table as he finished with the essay and turned his focus completely to his laptop. Kaiba grunted at him. "Can I take a look at your essay?"
"Why?" Kaiba said, glaring at Ron.
"So I can compare it to my own." Ron said, trying to sound clever. Kaiba snorted.
"So you can copy it, no doubt, forget about it."
Ron growled, and packed up his stuff, storming out of the library, muttering something along the lines of 'They're all supposed to be my friends… won't even let me look…' Ron's voice trailed off as the bell rang. They packed up and headed to History of Magic, Kari and Ombre bickering as they went with Ombre's annoyed voice backed up with mental pleading.
History of Magic was most defiantly the most boring subject ever invented. Professor Binns, who taught it, was the only teacher who was a ghost. The most exciting thing that ever happened during his classes was his arrival through the blackboard. He was ancient and shrivelled, and more then once Ombre had jokingly stated that maybe it was a good thing she'd died young, if ghosts of old people looked like that. Professor Binns had simply got up from the armchair in front of the fire in the staffroom and left his body behind, Yami wasn't even sure if the Professor had noticed that he had died that day.
Today was no different from usual, Yugi, Yami, Kari and Ombre kept prodding each other awake, both mentally and physically, taking it in turns to take notes, while the rest of the class dozed off, occasionally waking up enough to write down a name or a date. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that never had before, Hermione had her hand up.
Professor Binns, glancing up during his deadly boring lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed. "Miss errr…"
"Granger. Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." Said Hermione in a clear voice. The class woke up, excited. Professor Binns blinked.
"My subject is HISTORY of Magic, I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not legends." He started up on his lecture again but stuttered to a halt, Kari's hand was waving this time.
"Miss…"
"Ironhide, sir. Don't legends always have a basis in fact?"
Professor Binns looked at her in amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever dared to interrupt him before.
"Well, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Kari as though he'd never seen a student before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale…" But the whole class was hanging on Professor Binns every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face to his, Yugi was certain he was thrown by such an unusual show of interest. "Oh very well," He said slowly, "Let me see… The Chamber of Secrets…
You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, no one is quite sure of the exact date, by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."
He paused and gazed blearily around the room, before continuing, "For a few years, the founders worked together in harmony, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wanted to be more… selective… about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students with Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while there was a serious row on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
The Professor paused, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"Reliable historical facts have told us that much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin built a hidden chamber in the castle of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets, so none would be able to open it until his one true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber and unleash the horror within, using it to purge the school of all those who were 'unworthy' to study magic."
There was silence as he finished talking, but it wasn't a sleepy silence, everyone was alert, "The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," He said, "Naturally, the whole school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."
'I bet he would have said that about the legends of Egypt too.' Yami thought a little too loudly, letting Yugi hear it, the hikari couldn't resist smiling. However the Professor returned to the subject and the class quickly fell into a tired stupor again.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony." Ron said to the remaining group, Kari had dashed off to her extra lesson with Professor McGonagall, the others were going up to drop their bags off before tea, "But I never knew that he's started all this pure-blood nonsense. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd have gotten the train straight home…"
Most of the group nodded but Harry and Yami were silent, their stomachs had dropped unpleasantly, neither had told the group that the Sorting Hat had considered putting them in Slytherin, they hadn't even told each other. The secret was kept to themselves, Yami hadn't even told Yugi.
They turned a corner and realised they were in the same corridor where they'd found Mrs Norris. "It wouldn't hurt to poke around." Harry said, dropping his bag. He carefully searched around, "Look scorch marks, here, here and here."
"Look at this, it's odd." Hermione said, twenty spiders were trying to fight their way though a small hole in the glass. "Have you ever seen spiders act like that?"
"No, have you Ron? Ron?" Yugi poked Ron, who jumped, the boy was pale.
"I… don't… like… spiders!" Ron said tersely.
"I never knew that, you've used them in potions lots of times." Yami said, looking at Ron in surprise.
"I don't mind them dead." Said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but the window, Harry was reminded of Yami and broomsticks, "I just don't like the way they move." Ron continued.
Harry quickly changed the subject, seeing Ron was getting annoyed with Hermione who was trying not to laugh. "Remember the water on the floor? Where'd that come from? Someone's mopped it up!"
"It was about here," Said Joey, striding past Ron, "Level with this door." He reached for the handle, then withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.
"What's wrong?" Ombre asked.
"Can't go in there." Joey said, "Girl's toilet."
"Oh Joey," Hermione sighed, as Ombre laughed, "There won't be anyone in there. That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."
The cubicles are flaking and scratched, the floor damp and the mirrors chipped. Hermione put her finger to her lips and walked over to the end cubicle, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"
The boys and Ombre went to go look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on a cistern, picking a spot on her nose, "Welcome your highnesses; however you and your male friends are not supposed to be in here, Pharaoh."
Harry was whispering to Hermione, and Myrtle got suspicious and threw a head fit, vanishing up a u-bend. The entire group left the bathroom, but Harry was just shutting the door when someone shouted, "RON!"
They turned and saw Percy Weasley, who was giving them all a disgusted look. Ron and Percy ended up in an argument, ending with Percy taking points from Gryffindor and Ron being extremely frustrated.
The gang chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the Common Room that night. Ron was so angry that he accidentally set his homework alight. Ron slammed his book shut, to his surprise Hermione followed suit and seconds later Kari slammed down her extra curricular Transfiguration work, looking more confused then he'd ever seen her.
"Who could it be though?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice as Kari stormed up to her dorm, Hermione sounded like she was continuing a conversation they'd been having. The Japanese students looked at her, confused. "Who's want all the squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"
"Let's think," Said Ron in mock puzzlement, "Who do we know that thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"
"If your talking about Malfoy…"
"And now Bakura." Yugi added.
"Of course I am, it wouldn't be Bakura, he's older then Salazar Slytherin, however Malfoy… well you heard him; "You'll be next Mudbloods!" Come on you just have to look at him to know it's him."
"Malfoy? The heir of Slytherin?" Ombre asked, as a large amount of French swearwords came from the dorms.
'Everything alright?'
"Stupid bed is too close to the stupid door!"
'What's wrong with you?'
"Meh!" Kari stormed back down stairs, coming to sit down with them. "Ouch."
Ombre sighed, "You alright?"
"Fine." Kari growled, "What were you guys talking about?"
"Malfoy." Yugi said simply.
"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries," Ron said, as the Duellist's monsters joined them, Yugi pulled Kuriboh onto his lap and Mana, the Dark Magician Girl, was hanging around the window, watching the dragons, while the Dark Magician, Mahado, was nowhere in sight. "Handing it down, Father to Son."
"Well…" Hermione said cautiously, "I suppose it's possible."
"But how do we prove it?" Yami said darkly.
"Well there might be a way." Hermione said, and explained about Polyjuice potion. "There's only one problem, we'd need a book called, Moste Potente Potions from the Resticted Section of the library." They'd need a teacher's note to get it.
"Hard to see why we'd need the book really." Said Ron, "If we weren't going to make one of the potions."
"I think," Said Kari, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested n the theory, we might stand a chance… I only have permission from Professor McGonagall to get out certain books, none that don't relate to my… extra curricular… studies."
"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that." Said Joey, "They'd have to be really thick!"
"ARGUS!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of teachers. In seconds he had swept past the gang and detached Mrs Norris from the wall bracket. "Come with me Argus," he said to Filch, "You too, Mr Potter, and I think your friends had better come too." The gang shared glances, they were in trouble, quick think up a plan.
Finally, thought Joey, This telething might actually get them out of trouble instead of into more of it, as the duel monsters carried messages around the group, leaving only Harry, Ron and Hermione out.
Lockheart stepped forward eagerly, "My office is nearest, Headmaster, just upstairs, it should fit everyone in nicely, please feel free…" Unfortunately, the only good idea they could come up with was one of Joey's, which they agreed on as they entered Lockheart's office.
The group stayed together at the back of the office while the Professors examined Mrs Norris carefully, "It was definatly a curse that killed her." Lockheart was saying, as the group finalised their plan.
"She's not dead, Argus, but she has been petrified." Said Dumbledore, "But how, I cannot say."
"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his tear stained face to Harry.
"Harry didn't do anything!" Yugi said, staring at Filch, who glared at him.
"If I might speak Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, "The group may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time," Snape spoke, with a sneer, as though he doubted it, Yami didn't like Snape, he was sure anything he had to say wouldn't be good. "But there are a number of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione spoke all at the same time, "We were at Nick's Deathday Party, there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there…"
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" Snape said, his eyes glittering in the candlelight, "Why go up to that corridor?"
"Because… because…" Harry said.
"Because the dragons heard something, Red Eyes Black and Red Eyes Darkness told Joey and Ombre that there was something here that shouldn't be, and we thought we'd check it out." Yami said, Snape's sharp gaze turned to him and Yami's piercing crimson eyes stared back at him in a silent contest of wills.
"Why didn't you think to get a teacher?" Snape asked, looking away from Yami. Yami smiled slightly.
"We didn't have time." Joey said, "The dragons said it what ever it was, was retreating, we thought we could catch it."
Snape's smiled, "I don't think Muto and Wheeler are not being entirely truthful," He said, his smirking gaze turning to Harry and Yugi, "I think it would it be a good idea, if certain members of the group were deprived of certain privileges until they are ready to tell us the full story. I feel that Potter and Muto should be taken off of the Gryffindor Quidditch team until they are ready to be honest."
"Really Severus," Said Professor McGonagall, "I see no reason to stop the boys playing Quidditch. The cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that the group has done anything wrong."
Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. Harry felt as though he was being x-rayed. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus, this isn't ancient times." Snape looked furious, so did Filch.
"MY CAT HAS BEEN PETRIFIED! I WANT TO SEE SOME PUNISHMENT!" Filch roared.
"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Said Dumbledore patiently, "Madam Sproat has recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they reach full size, I will have a potion made up that will revive Mrs Norris." Lockheart butted in, saying he could whip up the potion in a heartbeat, and Snape had a go at him. There was an awkward pause and Dumbledore let the group go.
They went as fast as they could without actually running, turning into an empty classroom and closing the door behind them. "Talk about guilty until proven innocent." Joey growled, glaring at the closed door.
"An ancient concept for this modern age." Yami said, also glaring.
"He had some nerve, trying to ban Yugi and Harry from the Quidditch team." Kari growled, Harry looked at them.
"Do you think I should have told them about the voice I heard?"
"No," Ron said without hesitation, "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
"But the dragons heard it too." Ombre said looking at Ron, she'd caught his tone of voice.
"I know but you have to admit it's weird."
"I know it's weird, the whole thing is weird, what was the writing on the wall about? The chamber has been opened… what's that supposed to mean?"
"It sort of rings a bell, I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber in Hogwarts once, might've been Bill." Ron said, thinking. A clock chimed somewhere.
"It's midnight," Yami said listening to the chimes, "We should go, before Snape tries to frame Harry or Yugi for something else."
For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs Norris. Filch was prowling the corridors and trying to give students detention for 'being happy' and 'breathing.'
Ginny was disturbed by the attack, they saw the little red head when Rebecca came over to glomp Yugi during one of the breaks. While Joey tried to prise the Ravenclaw girl off of Yugi, Ron explained that Ginny was a great cat-lover. "But you never really got a chance to know Mrs Norris. Honestly we're much better off without her. Stuff like this doesn't normally happen at Hogwarts." Ron assured Ginny as Joey was successful and Yugi hid behind Yami who laughed, earning himself a glare from Rebecca. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time, I just hope he gets to petrify Filch before he's expelled… I'm only joking!" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.
The attack also had an effect on Hermione and Kari, who were living in the library or with their head stuck in one book or another. Nor could the group get an answer from them when they asked what they were doing.
'Hikari.'
"Yes?"
'What're you doing?'
"Reading." Kari replied and was lost to her book again. Harry was the last to join them in the library, at Wednesday lunchtime. The group were sat in the back of the library measuring his history of magic homework.
"Eight inches short!" He growled, "Harry can I copy yours?"
"I'm inches short too. Ask Joey."
"You won't be able to read my handwriting. Ask Yugi."
"Not a chance, ask Yami."
"Ditto, ask Kari."
"If I'm not letting Ombre copy me then I'm not going to let you, ask Hermi… where'd she go?" Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.
"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History are out and I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all of Lockheart's books."
"Why do you want it?" Joey asked, looking up from his essay.
"The same reason everyone else does, to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"What's that?"
"That's why we need it, neither of us can remember." Kari said, finishing her essay with a smile.
"Hermione, let me read your essay!" said Ron, desperately.
"No I won't, you've had ten days to finish it. If you're that desperate then ask Seto!" Hermione snapped, Kaiba was sat a few tables over, dividing his time between his laptop and an essay.
"Kaiba…" Ron said warily, walking over to the CEO's table as he finished with the essay and turned his focus completely to his laptop. Kaiba grunted at him. "Can I take a look at your essay?"
"Why?" Kaiba said, glaring at Ron.
"So I can compare it to my own." Ron said, trying to sound clever. Kaiba snorted.
"So you can copy it, no doubt, forget about it."
Ron growled, and packed up his stuff, storming out of the library, muttering something along the lines of 'They're all supposed to be my friends… won't even let me look…' Ron's voice trailed off as the bell rang. They packed up and headed to History of Magic, Kari and Ombre bickering as they went with Ombre's annoyed voice backed up with mental pleading.
History of Magic was most defiantly the most boring subject ever invented. Professor Binns, who taught it, was the only teacher who was a ghost. The most exciting thing that ever happened during his classes was his arrival through the blackboard. He was ancient and shrivelled, and more then once Ombre had jokingly stated that maybe it was a good thing she'd died young, if ghosts of old people looked like that. Professor Binns had simply got up from the armchair in front of the fire in the staffroom and left his body behind, Yami wasn't even sure if the Professor had noticed that he had died that day.
Today was no different from usual, Yugi, Yami, Kari and Ombre kept prodding each other awake, both mentally and physically, taking it in turns to take notes, while the rest of the class dozed off, occasionally waking up enough to write down a name or a date. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that never had before, Hermione had her hand up.
Professor Binns, glancing up during his deadly boring lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed. "Miss errr…"
"Granger. Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." Said Hermione in a clear voice. The class woke up, excited. Professor Binns blinked.
"My subject is HISTORY of Magic, I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not legends." He started up on his lecture again but stuttered to a halt, Kari's hand was waving this time.
"Miss…"
"Ironhide, sir. Don't legends always have a basis in fact?"
Professor Binns looked at her in amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever dared to interrupt him before.
"Well, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Kari as though he'd never seen a student before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale…" But the whole class was hanging on Professor Binns every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face to his, Yugi was certain he was thrown by such an unusual show of interest. "Oh very well," He said slowly, "Let me see… The Chamber of Secrets…
You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, no one is quite sure of the exact date, by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school houses are named after them, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."
He paused and gazed blearily around the room, before continuing, "For a few years, the founders worked together in harmony, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wanted to be more… selective… about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students with Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while there was a serious row on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
The Professor paused, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"Reliable historical facts have told us that much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin built a hidden chamber in the castle of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets, so none would be able to open it until his one true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber and unleash the horror within, using it to purge the school of all those who were 'unworthy' to study magic."
There was silence as he finished talking, but it wasn't a sleepy silence, everyone was alert, "The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," He said, "Naturally, the whole school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."
'I bet he would have said that about the legends of Egypt too.' Yami thought a little too loudly, letting Yugi hear it, the hikari couldn't resist smiling. However the Professor returned to the subject and the class quickly fell into a tired stupor again.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony." Ron said to the remaining group, Kari had dashed off to her extra lesson with Professor McGonagall, the others were going up to drop their bags off before tea, "But I never knew that he's started all this pure-blood nonsense. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd have gotten the train straight home…"
Most of the group nodded but Harry and Yami were silent, their stomachs had dropped unpleasantly, neither had told the group that the Sorting Hat had considered putting them in Slytherin, they hadn't even told each other. The secret was kept to themselves, Yami hadn't even told Yugi.
They turned a corner and realised they were in the same corridor where they'd found Mrs Norris. "It wouldn't hurt to poke around." Harry said, dropping his bag. He carefully searched around, "Look scorch marks, here, here and here."
"Look at this, it's odd." Hermione said, twenty spiders were trying to fight their way though a small hole in the glass. "Have you ever seen spiders act like that?"
"No, have you Ron? Ron?" Yugi poked Ron, who jumped, the boy was pale.
"I… don't… like… spiders!" Ron said tersely.
"I never knew that, you've used them in potions lots of times." Yami said, looking at Ron in surprise.
"I don't mind them dead." Said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but the window, Harry was reminded of Yami and broomsticks, "I just don't like the way they move." Ron continued.
Harry quickly changed the subject, seeing Ron was getting annoyed with Hermione who was trying not to laugh. "Remember the water on the floor? Where'd that come from? Someone's mopped it up!"
"It was about here," Said Joey, striding past Ron, "Level with this door." He reached for the handle, then withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.
"What's wrong?" Ombre asked.
"Can't go in there." Joey said, "Girl's toilet."
"Oh Joey," Hermione sighed, as Ombre laughed, "There won't be anyone in there. That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."
The cubicles are flaking and scratched, the floor damp and the mirrors chipped. Hermione put her finger to her lips and walked over to the end cubicle, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"
The boys and Ombre went to go look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on a cistern, picking a spot on her nose, "Welcome your highnesses; however you and your male friends are not supposed to be in here, Pharaoh."
Harry was whispering to Hermione, and Myrtle got suspicious and threw a head fit, vanishing up a u-bend. The entire group left the bathroom, but Harry was just shutting the door when someone shouted, "RON!"
They turned and saw Percy Weasley, who was giving them all a disgusted look. Ron and Percy ended up in an argument, ending with Percy taking points from Gryffindor and Ron being extremely frustrated.
The gang chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the Common Room that night. Ron was so angry that he accidentally set his homework alight. Ron slammed his book shut, to his surprise Hermione followed suit and seconds later Kari slammed down her extra curricular Transfiguration work, looking more confused then he'd ever seen her.
"Who could it be though?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice as Kari stormed up to her dorm, Hermione sounded like she was continuing a conversation they'd been having. The Japanese students looked at her, confused. "Who's want all the squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"
"Let's think," Said Ron in mock puzzlement, "Who do we know that thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"
"If your talking about Malfoy…"
"And now Bakura." Yugi added.
"Of course I am, it wouldn't be Bakura, he's older then Salazar Slytherin, however Malfoy… well you heard him; "You'll be next Mudbloods!" Come on you just have to look at him to know it's him."
"Malfoy? The heir of Slytherin?" Ombre asked, as a large amount of French swearwords came from the dorms.
'Everything alright?'
"Stupid bed is too close to the stupid door!"
'What's wrong with you?'
"Meh!" Kari stormed back down stairs, coming to sit down with them. "Ouch."
Ombre sighed, "You alright?"
"Fine." Kari growled, "What were you guys talking about?"
"Malfoy." Yugi said simply.
"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries," Ron said, as the Duellist's monsters joined them, Yugi pulled Kuriboh onto his lap and Mana, the Dark Magician Girl, was hanging around the window, watching the dragons, while the Dark Magician, Mahado, was nowhere in sight. "Handing it down, Father to Son."
"Well…" Hermione said cautiously, "I suppose it's possible."
"But how do we prove it?" Yami said darkly.
"Well there might be a way." Hermione said, and explained about Polyjuice potion. "There's only one problem, we'd need a book called, Moste Potente Potions from the Resticted Section of the library." They'd need a teacher's note to get it.
"Hard to see why we'd need the book really." Said Ron, "If we weren't going to make one of the potions."
"I think," Said Kari, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested n the theory, we might stand a chance… I only have permission from Professor McGonagall to get out certain books, none that don't relate to my… extra curricular… studies."
"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that." Said Joey, "They'd have to be really thick!"