Chapter 12

First Year

I felt trapped inside my common room. These rules were terrible. The teachers were monitoring everything we were doing. One time, just for a walk, a tried to leave the common room to get a 'book' I needed for a 'homework assignment', but the prefects pretty much attacked me. But now it was very late. The prefects were already up in their dorms by now,  but there were likely teachers patrolling the halls. I was still filled with anger about the possibility of the school closing, no Quidditch, and not seeing my friends again. "Finish my essay?" Draco asked smoothly while taking a seat in front of me at the table. Today is not the day to bother me, I was already angry.

"No," I said bluntly. "I'm not doing your stupid essay!"

"Oh really?" he asked with a laugh. "Well then I guess that means you're going home then." He smirked and I glared at him. "Dear Father, Scarlett Nyx has been spreading mayhem throughout the school. Destroying properties, attacking students..."

"Shut up!" I yelled at him angrily. "Fine! Send me home, I don't care anymore! We're going to get sent home anyway, right! I'm not listening to you anymore! Go bother someone else!" I yelled while storming off. Alright, I know I was being really dramatic but I deserved to be.

"Where are you going?" he demanded while watching me walk off. The common room was empty. A lot of people stayed up in their dorms.

"Far away from you!" I said heading towards the exit.

"It's after hours! You'll get expelled!"

"I don't care! Tell on me if you must!" I replied back, stepping out of the exit and booking it out of there so nobody could follow me. What the hell was I doing? Snape threatened anyone who left with severe punishment, but by the looks of it the school was already going to be closed. What could they do to me? "Stupid Malfoy..." I kept muttering as I walked the abandoned corridors. I saw a mess of black hair and red hair go by me. My heart dropped in fear it was a teacher. Okay, so maybe I wasn't as fearless as I thought. "Harry! Ron!" I called to them when I caught my breathe. "What are you doing here?" They turned around, both surprised to see me.

"What are you doing out of your common room?" Harry asked curiously.

"I asked you first."

"We went to go visit Hermione and we know what the monster is, it's a basilisk. A giant snake, that's why we've been able to hear it! It's been using the pipes to travel around. If you look it in the eye, you'll die. But no one's looked it straight in the eye yet, they've just been petrified because they've seen it's reflection. The student that was killed all those years ago was Moaning Myrtle, and we think the entrance is in her bathroom," he replied really quickly.

"Who?" I asked confused, Moaning who?

"Moaning Myrtle. We're going to go talk to her now."

"I'm coming with you guys."

"No, it's too dangerous. You should go back to your common room."

"No way am I going back there," I said firmly. "You don't want to leave me on my own right? Safety in numbers," I had to add jokingly. They both looked nervous about this but that didn't matter. I was already here. I followed them down a few more corridors. If they were trying to solve who was causing this, then hell yeah I was going. Hopefully it would keep the school from closing.

"Quiet!" Harry whispered coming to a stop. "People are coming!" We all crammed inside a close broom closet. We heard footsteps rush past us, it was the teachers.

"It has happened," came the stern voice of Professor McGonagall. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself." No way... A few of the Professors let out gasp and squeals.

"How can you be sure?" Snape asked. They were turning the corner, we slowly pulled ourselves out of the broom closet and peeked around just to see Professor McGonagall pointing to a message written in blood on the wall.

Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.

A few of the teachers let out more gasps. "Who is it?" Madame Hooch asked terrified.

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. I had to put a hand over my mouth and I saw Ron slide down onto the floor. My heart skipped a beat, even though Ginny and I weren't close, she doesn't deserve this. "We have to send the entire school home tomorrow. I'm afraid, this is the end of Hogwarts." No! This can't be. Someone has to go down there and save Ginny first of all and stop the monster. Just then we heard more footsteps approaching from another corridor. I thought hopefully it would be Dumbledore, but it sadly was Lockhart.

"So sorry, dozed off. What did I miss?" he asked cheerfully. The other teachers were looking at him with pure hatred, but he didn't seem to notice. Snape stepped forward.

"The very man," Snape said coolly. "Perfect for the job. A girl has been snatched by the monster and taken into the chamber. Weren't you saying you knew where it was? Your moment has come at last." This is probably one of the only moments where I admired Snape.

"I...well, yes...I..." Lockhart was stumbling, still trying to look confident.

"And didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" Professor Flitwick spoke up. "And that you wish you had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested?" Lockhart was still muttering well's and maybe's.

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," Professor McGonagall agreed. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll have everyone out of the way." All the teachers looked pleased. Lockhart looked like he was going to pass out.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll-I'll be in my office." He paused for a second. "Getting ready." Lockhart quickly walked away. The teachers left to go report to their houses that we'll be leaving the school. Which meant in less than ten minutes Snape would know I was gone and Professor McGonagall would realize that Harry and Ron were gone. We couldn't go back to our common rooms now.

Harry and I lifted Ron up from the ground. He was still muttering that his sister was gone and his face was flushed of color. Harry insisted that I headed back to my common room, but I still refused. "Why don't we go to Lockhart?" I insisted, "Tell him what you know, that way he'll be able to save Ginny faster." I tried to make Ron feel better, he looked like he was about to pass out. We quickly made our way to Lockhart's office. We banged on the door, after a few minutes, Lockhart slowly cracked open the door.

"Oh-Mr. Potter-Mr. Weasley- Ms. Nyx- Sorry, but I'm very busy at the moment," he said attempting to close the door but I put my foot out so it wouldn't close.

"We have some information for you," I said, I really didn't like this guy. I pushed the door which made him back up and allow us in.

"We know what the monster is and where the chamber is..." Harry began to say.

"Are you going somewhere?" I blurted out glancing around the room. I noticed that his office was missing his numerous amounts of self portraits and had two fully loaded trunks in front of the desk.

"Urgent call, very unavoidable, got to go," Lockhart said quickly, returning to packing.

"What about my sister?" asked Ron angrily.

"Yes, well, most regrettable," Lockhart replied not looking up.

"You're the defense against the Dark Arts teacher!" I yelled.

"Well, I must say when I took the job, I really didn't sign up for this..." he began.

"You can't run away you coward!" Harry continued. "What about all those books you wrote?"

"Books can be misleading," Lockhart explained.

"You freaking wrote them about your life!" I shouted at him, is this guy an idiot? I predicted all along that they were false. It was even worse hearing him admit it.

"My dear child," Lockhart said. "My books wouldn't have sold half as fast if people didn't think I did all of those things."

"So you've been taking credit from what other people have done?" Harry asked him.

"Harry, Harry," Lockhart said. "it's not nearly as simple as that. I had to track down these people and then make them forget what they've done. I'm quite gifted in memory charms though," he admitted. "Which reminds me, I must use one on you three. Can't have you blabbing my secrets now can I? Very sorry," he said lifting his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry and I yelled, Ron's wand was still sadly destroyed. Lockhart was blasted into the air, his wand went flying and Ron caught it. We all pointed our wands at him.

"What do you want me to do?" Lockhart asked weakly. "I know nothing about the Chamber."

"You're in luck," Harry said forcing Lockhart to his feet. "We do. And we know what's inside. Let's go." Lockhart, shaking, was herded by us, wands to his back, as we lead him towards the Chamber.