The very next morning you could see the pale figure of Carina Malfoy running around the corridors trying to get to the Headmaster's office. Out of the blue, a voice called her, "Cara! Cara, wait!"

Recognizing the voice of her brother, she stopped running and turned towards him slightly panting. Draco Malfoy slowed down as he reached her and he started question her as he wiped his sweat of his forehead "Parkinson told me that you suddenly rushed away from the dorm-room, is everything alright?"

Carina shook her head and replied with a hushed tone "I know what the beast is."

Draco's eyebrows shot up, his gray eyes widen and his mouth opened in wonder "The Chamber of Secret's beast? That kind of beast you're talking about?"

She nodded her head "It's a Basilisk."she stated then she tried to run once again as she spoke "I have to find Dumbledore."

However Draco stepped forward preventing her from walking any further "Wait, wait a minute!"he said with his hand's up stopping her from making any move "How are you so sure that it's a Basilisk?"

Carina stared at her brother in dismayed "You don't believe me?" 

Draco rolled his eyes, "Of course I believe you, you stupid girl. What I meant to say is what's the evidence that the monster is a Basilisk? What kind of proof do you have for Dumbledore to believe you?" he paused watching his sister comprehend his words then starting again "A Basilisk is a literally huge snake, Cara. Where could such a creature hide that nobody noticed it?"

Carina huffed in frustration. Draco was right. What could she possibly say o Dumbledore to justify her words? Because of the Basilisk's portrait in the Slytherin's Common Room? She could already see Dumbledor's blue eyes glinting in amusement and Snape's face sneering down at her.

Draco put his hand on her shoulder "I promise you that we'll search for evidence later, Now we ought to go and cheer for Cedric in his match against Gryffindor."

Carina had an unsure look in her face. Draco shook his head as he urged her to walk towards the Quidditch field "Come on Cara! It's not like another attack will happen..."

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The Malfoy twins joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds. They found seats next to Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, who greeted them nodding.

When the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams walked onto the field, the crowd around Carina bust out into tremendous applause. The Gryffindor Captain flied around the goal post for warm up, Madam Hooch released the balls, the Hufflepuffs were having a last minute conversation as did the Gryffindors. 

Cedric rose his head and looked at the Slytherin stands and waved as he grinned towards the Malfoy twins whom waved back mouthing at him a "Good Luck. Although, Carina felt a piercing stare across her head, she searched around to meet the emerald eyes of Harry Potter who quickly averted his eyes as he mounted his broom.

 They were about to begin the game, however, Professor McGonagall came half marching and half running across the pitch carrying an enormous purple megaphone with her "This match has been canceled!" called Mcgonagall though the megaphone, addressing the stadium.

Boos and shouts were heard around Carina who turned to  her brother as they exchanged a look of puzzlement. The Gryffindor Captain was devastated and run towards his Head, but she ignored him and continued to shout "All students are to make their way back to the House Common Rooms, where their Head of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can please!"

Draco quickly grabbed his sister stopping her from doing something dumb, like following Potter and Weasley who were being guided by Mcgonagall somewhere else, and followed the rest of the Slytherin on their way to the Dungeons.

Not to anyone's surprise, Professor Severus Snape was in the middle of the common Room dressed in all-black and with a austere expression looked towards them. The Slytherins as quiet as possible filled the room as Snape was patiently waiting for them. He looked around making many of them waver because of his accusing and terrifying stare. Yes, he did favor them, that is well known but that doesn't mean that the Slytherins were less scared of him than the rest student body.

He walked around in a slow pace as he spoke "I would like to believe that none of you were stupid enough to be left alone, or worse seen alone. I have heard enough of the other Professors' accusations." he stopped and silence took over the room.

"This will be a bit of shock." stated Snape in a uncaring manner "There was another double attack."

None of the Slytherins spoke, some of them exchanged a worried look with their friend but nobody dared to talk until Snape was out of the Common Room,"All the students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a Professor. Also, all further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities. Have I made myself clear?"

The moment that he left, everyone started to panic. Carina sighed and went towards the middle of the room and stood on the table making herself appear taller and shouted "Silence!" then all the Slytherins turned their attention to her.

"There is no need to panic since we have done nothing wrong." she announced "Everybody here knows the rules, we continue as we did before until the end. Have I made myself clear?" she repeated Snape's words to them. Every single Slytherin nodded.

"Good, now, go to your dorms or stay here and occupy yourselves in order to take your minds off this matter." she finished as she made her way down to the marble floor.

Draco reached her with a sheepish look in his face making Carina roll her eyes and speak in a mocking tone "Come on, it's not like another attack will happen..." 

"Now there is no need to be mean, sister dearest." chuckled lightly Draco shoving her gently.

Carina looked at him seriously, not amused at all "One of these days we'll visit the Hospital wing."

Draco frowned "Why the Hospital Wing?"

"Where else we'll look for evidence but the bodies left behind?"

Draco blinked "Did you not hear Snape's rules?"

Carina hummed "What he does not know won't hurt him or us."

"You sound like a Gryffindor."

"There is no need to get nasty."

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Did you think that this is where troubles would end? Word got around that Lucius Abraxas Malfoy suspended Headmaster Dumbledore and the Ground-Keeper Rubeus Hagrid off Hogwarts. The Malfoy twins days went from bad to worse since the whole school, minus the Slytherins and Cedric, were against them. Moreover, they were also giving Cedric a hard time who seemed not to mind it, making them feel even more guilty than they already did.

With Dumbledore gone, fear was evident in everyone more so than before. Everyone was worried and tense, any laughter sounded shrill and unnatural as well as it would quickly be stifled. Furthermore, it became even more difficult for the Malfoy twins to wonder around, especially visit the Hospital Wing, since they were being watched like a hawk.

During a day, after the Potions lesson was over and Professor Snape accompanied the Gryffindors to their Herbology class and the Slytherin to their Charms class, Carina noticed two Hufflepuffs approaching the two thirds of the Golden Trio since one person of the double attack was none other than Hermione Granger.

She watched as the Hufflepuff boy shook his hands with Harry Potter and said "Those Draco and Carina characters, they seem pleased about all this, don't they?" D'you know, I think one of them might be the Slytherin heir." Carina rolled her eyes.

"That clever of you." said Weasley with an unforgiving tone. There seem to be some kind of beef between them.

"Do you think it's one of the Malfoys, Harry?" asked the boy ignoring Weasley. 

Harry's green eyes narrowed and replied firmly "Of course not." echoing Carina's words when she was asked if she thought he was the heir.

Carina's blue eyes snapped at him, finding him already looking at her. She slowly nodded her head in a kind manner and left with the other Slytherins as she continued to feel his stare on her book until the door of the classroom was closed.

Then there was once again the dreaded class of Lockhart. The whole class stared at him as he bounced into the room. Every other Professor at Hogwarts were grim but Lockhart was more ostentatious than usual.

"Come on," he cried beaming around him with a Witch Weekly smile "Why the long faces?"

People swapped exasperated look but nobody answered. Carina scowled at her brother making him realize hat her patience was on a thin line. One dumb thing to see or hear and she'll explode.

"Don't you people realize,"  said Lockhart slowly "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away-"

"Say who?" asked a Gryffindor boy loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty!"

"Oh, yes he would!" barked Weasley even louder than the other boy.

"I flatter myself that I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do Mr. Weasley." replied Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.

And that was the end of Carina's patience. She flared her nose and said in a chilly tone dropping in sarcasm that made everyone, but two, shiver "Then, sir would you be so kind to please inform us with your, oh so brilliant wisdom about how you know anything about Hagrid's situation and why he was arrested. Please, do tell us, I'm  really curious."

Lockhart stood there for a moment gaping at the young Slytherin girl "Certainly your father-" he started before she once again took over "My father could be wrong along with the rest of the Ministry."

Draco backed up his sister "It's not like it never happened before. I mean the Ministry is full of bigoted fools." staring at Lockhart pointy.

"Such as yourself Professor." added sweetly Carina.

Slytherins and Gryffindors alike gaped as they just watched dumbfounded the Malfoy's VS Lockhart exchange, not believing their eyes. Lockhart's face grew red, not being able to defend himself any longer except "Detention Mr. and Miss Malfoy."

He seemed to take their statement at heart and he went on and on about how he always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, this time without any interruptions. Once the so called lesson was finished and the students were walking to lunch you could see Ron Weasley murmuring too Harry Potter.

"What was that?" he asked in wonder.

"I have no idea." Harry replied.

"Man, i didn't know that they had it in them." Ron commented making Harry frown, noticing that he questioned "What?"

"I find it weird that they spoke up just like that." Harry answered truthfully.

"Well, the She-Malfoy did say that she liked Hagrid." Ron pointed out.

Harry shook his head "Carina Malfoy does not act recklessly without any ulterior motive."

Ron put his hand on his back patting it "I think you're over thinking it mate."

Maybe Ron was right. But, Harry did notice Carina's blue eyes glinting in mischief as she waited for Lockhart to giver her detention and the knowing look she threw Draco when he did.

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"I cannot believe that you actually convinced me to do this." sneered Draco at his sister who shot him a glare.

"It was the only way, brother dear." she replied.

Draco rolled his eyes "Yes of course. Let's get detention! Then let's go search for the petrified bodies, hours after curfew!" he mockingly cheered.

He then sighed "I can't believe that Lockhart actually bought the whole 'We are purebloods, the monster will not attack us so let us go on our own to out Common Room' speech! What happened to 'always accompanied by a Professor' " Draco commented impersonating Snape's voice. 

Carina smirked "The Confundo has it's charm."

Draco blinked for a second staring at his sister, not happy at all, "Of course it does."

They stood before the Hospital Wing door, they casted a Notice-Me-Not spell then as quietly as they could hey entered the Wing and much to their fortune, Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be found.

They observed carefully the bodies, seeing the similarities but nothing that could point that the beast was a Basilisk. Carina was growing frustrated because she couldn't find anything satisfying when suddenly Draco called her name.

She turned her head and saw her brother standing next to Hermione Granger. Carina titled her head as she walked towards her brother "What is it?"

Draco pointed with his finger to Hermione "Why would Granger hold a mirror that way?"

Carina studied the young Gryffindor. Petrified like the rest, her expression seemed not to be afraid if Carina did not notice the glint of terror in her brown eyes. Her right arm was stretched, the small mirror pointing towards Carina and her left was glued to her side in a fist. Out of the blue, Carina grabbed Hermione's fist opening slightly after realizing that there was a piece of paper inside it.

Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken’s egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.

"Pipes" she read at the corner of the paper, that seemed to be a ripped page from an old book, making her frown. Carina carefully put the paper back in Hermione's hand as she gestured her brother that it was time to leave.

After some minutes, the Malfoy twins were in their Common Room. Everybody seems like to have already gone to bed leaving the room empty. They sat near the windows watching the water of the Black Lake.

"Pipes? Why pipes?" wondered Draco "If this was her last words they make no sense."

Carina shook her head "There is no way that Granger just wrote an irrelevant word before being petrified, And the mirror? What's with that?"

Carina wanted to pull her hair from her head. Nothing made sense. Draco stared out of the window with a more peaceful mind when suddenly something clicked.

"Cara, didn't you read that when you look at  a Basilisk straight to its eyes, you die." he much more stated than asked.

Carina's eyes light up in realization and stood up "Of course! Granger looked trough the mirror towards its eyes that how she got petrified. Mrs. Norris looked through it reflection from the water, the Gryffindor boy from his muggle camera and as for the Hufflepuff boy he looked rough the Gryffindor ghost and the ghost already being dead it cannot die again."

Draco nodded "What about the pipes?"

Carina's gaze fell to the Basilisk's portrait with its green eyes shining dangerously and answered "That's where it is! That's how it moves, through the pipes! That's why nobody has saw it."

Silence took over the room now that everything came into place, Draco smirked at his sister "Did Granger figure it out before you?"

"Shut up."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Exams... Why are we still getting exams?" Cedric protested sitting in the Slytherin Table.

"Because that's what Dumbledore wanted." answered Draco in a Snape tone making Cedric snicker.

Carina rolled her eyes then she noticed Ginny Weasley looking tense and nervous as she twisted her hands to her sides. She watched as she sat at the Gryffindor Table trying to talk to Harry Potter and her bother Ron when her elder brother, the Prefect one, took her away.

However, as she was leaving, her brown eyes met the blue ones of Carina. Her brown eyes were begging Carina for something that she could not understand what exactly was. She saw the little red head pull something from her robe, something that looked way to much like the lost Diary. Before Carina was certain that it really was what she though it was, the girl had already disappeared.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Malfoy twins walked around the corridors of Hogwarts when McGonagall's voice was magically magnified "All students are to return to their House dormitories at once! All Professors return to the Staff-room immediately please!"

"Another attack?"Draco wondered looking at his sister.

"Draco we need o find Ginny Weasley." Carina stated.

Draco's eyebrows shot up "What for?"

"She had the Diary." she replied.

Suddenly, they found themselves looking at Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's backs "Weasley!" she called running to them as the Gryffindor boys turned at them.

"Where is your sister?" she asked.

"The monster has taken her." Harry responded, making Carina pause for a second and think.

"Listen here, I'm pretty sure that I saw your sister with the missing Diary and I believe that it has something to do with the Chamber of Secrets opening... Why is Lockhart with you?" she asked puzzled as she looked at her idiot Professor who stood there tensed as both Harry and Ron had their wands pointed at him.

"We know where the Chamber of Secrets is." said Harry then glanced at Lockhart "And he is going to help us save Ginny."

Draco and Carina stared at each other then they both pointed their fingers at Lockhart while saying in utter disbelief "Him?"

Lockhart actually seemed insulted "Mr. and Miss Malfoy-"

"You. Shut your mouth. I don't want to hear anything from you." interrupted Carina in a chilling voice and a cold glare making the old man cower, she then looked at Harry "You know where the Chamber of Secrets is? Then I guess that you know that the monster is a Basilisk."

Harry blinked "How do you-?" then he shook his head "Of course, you're Carina Malfoy, you know everything." he chuckled looking at her, his green eyes shinning gently.

Carina felt her heartbeat speed up and her stomach clench but not in pain, then she replied softly "Not everything.". Carina exchanged a look of understanding with her brother.

Draco spoke "We'll come with you."

Ron and Harry looked at each other before narrowing their eyes at the Malfoy twins in suspicion.

"Why?"asked jerkily Ron.

"Because we want to help." said seriously Draco.

"Why?" pushed Harry.

Because Carina is certain that she can save the young girl who before with her brown eyes begged her help. Because Carina wants to prove to the whole school that the Malfoy twins are not that bad. Because Carina wants to prove that the Slytherins are innocent. Because Carina wants the school to stop isolating Cedric just because he is their friend. Because Carina is sure the the Diary and the Chamber of Secrets are connected. Because Carina knows that her father is involved too.

"Because we feel guilty."  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

They stood before the girl's lavatory, the one that the ghost Moaning Myrtle hunted. They sent Lockhart in first and he was already shaking. The ghost, Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end of the toilet.

"Oh, it's you." she spoke when she saw the Potter boy, "What do you want this time?"

"To ask you how you died." replied Harry. Draco sent an abashed expression at his sister who just stood there silently watching the young ghost. She stared as her attitude changed, she looked no more gloomy. It seemed as Harry had asked her a very flattering question.

"It was dreadful," she cried with pleasure "It happened right here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked and I was crying, and the I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then-" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining "I died."

"How?" Carina asked.

"No idea." replied Myrtle in a hushed tone "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away..." she looked dreamily at Harry "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was so sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where did you exactly see the eyes?" questioned Draco.

"Somewhere there." she replied pointing vaguely towards the sink in front of her toilet.

Carina, Draco, Harry and Ron hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face. It looked like an ordinary sink and they examined every inch, inside and out, including the pipes below. Harry then tried to turn on one of the taps while Carina noticed a tiny snake on it.

"The tap's never worked." pointed brightly Myrtle.

"Harry," called Ron "say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But-"

"Just try." begged Ron desperately.

Harry stared hard at the tiny engraving for a moment and then a strange hissing noise escaped him, it was almost not human at all coming from Harry. It made Carina shiver and Harry noticing that immediately stopped.

Suddenly, the tap glowed with white light and began to spin. The sink began to move and sand right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed. It was big enough for them to slide into. Carina looked down at the darkness "I'm going down there." she stated.

"Me too." said Draco.

"Same here." said Harry and Ron.

There was no doubt in her. She was going to save Ginny, hopefully she would still be alive, and fix this mess her father made and she knew that her brother would support her. That's the only thing that worries her.

"Well, you hardly seem to need me," spoke Lockhart with a shadow of his old smile "I'll just-", he put his hand on the door knob,but the four of them pointed their wands at him.

"You can go first!" snarled Draco.

Wandless and pale, Lockhart approached the opening. His voice feeble when he talked "Children, what good will it-"

Draco had enough. He took a step forward and pushed Lockhart down the pipe. He screamed all the way down. Harry and Ron nodded in appreciation "Nice." they both said looking at him who mockingly bowed down. Carina looked at the boys who seemed for the first time to get along then lowered herself into the pipe before letting go. Harry was close behind her, followed by Draco then Ron.

She was rushing down a slimy, dark slide and she could she more pipes branching off in all directions, but they were not as large as theirs. It twisted and turned and slopped steeply downward. They were falling deeper and deeper bellow the school than the dungeons. The pipes then leveled out and she shot out of he end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. 

Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and just as white as Myrtle. Carina stood aside Draco and Harry while Ron came whizzing out of the pipe as well.

"We must be miles under the school." commented Harry, his voice echoing as he stood up.

"Under the lake probably." said Ron squinting around at the dark walls.

"Lumos." muttered Carina, Draco following her lead said "Come on, then."

And  they went off. their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor. The tunnel was so dark that they could see a few feet away, even with Draco's wand was lit up as well.

"Remember," Harry spoke quietly as they walked cautiously forwards, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away..."

But the tunnel was dead quiet and the only sound they heard was the loud crunch of Ron stepping on a rat's skull. Draco lowered his wand for them all to see the floor littered with small animal bones. Carina looked away and started walk forwards with the others following her around the dark bend in the tunnel.

"Wait,"spoke Ron hoarsely "There's something up there-"

They froze watching. Carina could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. Fortunately, it wasn't moving, yet.

"Maybe it's sleeping." breathed Ron, glancing at the others. Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes.

Carina turned back to look at the thing with her heart beating furiously against her chest, it felt as though it was about to burst, she grabbed her brother's hand squeezing it tightly as he also pressed back. She got closer, she narrowed her eyes just enough to still see.

Her wand-light slid over a gigantic snake skin of vivid green. It laid curled and empty across the tunnel floor.The creature that once held it must have been twenty feet long.

"Bloody hell." whispered Carina weakly.

There was sudden movement behind them. Lockhart's knees had given away and he was sobbing loudly.It was echoing off the walls.

"Get up!" said sharply Ron pointing his wand at him.

Suddenly, Lockhart got to his feet , dived at Ron and knocked him to the ground. Harry and Draco jumped forward but it was too late. Lockhart straightened up, panting with a smile back on his face and Ron's wand in his hand.

Draco stood besides Ron his wand up while Carina and Harry were next to each other glaring at the older man standing before them. 

"The adventure ends here children! I shall take a bit of this skin back up to school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you four tragically lost your minds at the sight of mangled body!" he smiled creepily.

Draco stood before him, his eyes glowing dangerously "Come on, I dare you."

He chuckled "Say goodbye to your memories!" then he raised Ron's taped up wand high over his head and yelled "Obliviate!"

The wand exploded like a bomb. Harry flung his arms over and ran, knocking Carina to the ground with him. Great chunks of tunnel ceiling thundered to the floor with dust filling the air. Carina covered her head and when silence returned, she lifted her head. Harry helped her to her feet and they gazed at a solid wall of broken rocks.

"Draco!" she shouted worried as she threw herself over the rocks "Draco can you hear me?"

"Ron! Are you okay? Ron!" screamed Harry standing near her.

"Cara!" came Draco's muffled voice from behind the wall. "I'm okay. Weasley is also alright. This git's not, through, he got blasted by the wand –" 

There was a dull thud and a loud "ow!" It sounded as though someone had just kick Lockhart in the shins.

"Weasley just kicked him, to see if he's alive." Draco said. "Carina are you hurt?"

"I'm alright, Potter protected me." she replied glancing at Harry who was already staring at her, his glasses were slightly falling off his nose making Carina push them up. Harry grinned at her. 

"What now?" Ron's voice cried sounding desperate. "We can't get through, it'll take ages…."

There was another thud and another "ow!" from behind the rocks. They were wasting time.

"Wait here," Harry called to Ron and Draco "Wait with Lockhart. We'll go on…. "If we're not back in an hour…."

There was a pause.

"We'll try and shift some of these rocks," said Draco, trying to keep his voice steady. "So you can get back through. And –"

There was another pause. 

"Cara?" Draco called in a wavering tone. 

"Yes, Dray dear." said Carina trying to keep her voice from cracking. 

"I'll see you in a bit, okay?" he said "And Potter?" 

"Yes Malfoy?" spoke Harry. 

"Protect my sister." he much so demanded. 

"I will." Harry promised. 

"Be safe, guys. Malfoy and I will take care of this." spoke Ron his voice steady. 

"See you in a bit," replied Carina. She looked at Harry and whispered, "Are you ready?"

Harry gave her a shaky nod and said, "You?"

"As ready as I can be." 

She clenched her fingers, trying to get some feeling into them and they set off past the giant snake skin. The sound of Draco and Ron straining to shift the rocks were soon gone. The tunnel was almost never ending and she hoped it stayed that way. Every fiber in her body was tingling with dread and at last, they crept around another bend. There was a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds. 

Carina and Harry approached the snakes. He cleared his throat and the emerald eyes seemed to shine. He faintly hissed then turned back at Carina, her blue eyes met his green ones, holding her right arm towards him waiting for him to grab it. 

And when he did, she smiled softly and whispered faintly"Now there you and I... Come on, let's go save baby Weasley." 

Carina held onto his arm as the serpents parted and the wall cracked open. The halves slid smoothly out of sight. Carina was shaking from head to toe, and from what she could tell, Harry was as well. They looked at each other for a moment and understood without saying anything and then they walked inside together.