A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. 

Snape advanced towards them and finished all the spell work that had gone wrong, "Finite Incantatem!" The smoke vanished and everything became just as it was before the chaos ensued, only Hermione and Bulstrode were still locked up in physical combat which had to be broken up by Snape (and of course Gryffindor lost a handful of house points in the process, if you get what I mean). 

After all this, Snape suggested that only one pair be allowed to duel at a time and learn how to block unfriendly spells. As expected, Harry was paired with Malfoy again and called on the stage first. Each eye was focused on the pair of arch enemies facing each other defiantly.

"Scared, Potter?"

"You wish."

When the duel started, Snape whispered something in Malfoy's ear and his smirk widened. Hey, thats cheating! But then of course this is Severus Snape we're talking about and everyone knows how much he favours his own house. 

Raising his wand Malfoy yelled, "Serpensortia!" 

The end of his wand exploded. All of us watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between the two duelers and raised itself, ready to strike. 

Having created the desired effect of scaring Harry (isn't that obvious?), Snape moved to get rid of the snake but Lockhart moved first, "Allow me, Professor." 

Oh damn, there goes Harry's life at stake again. Aiming his wand at the snake, Lockhart swished it in an elaborate whip, "Alarte Ascendare!" 

God rest the poor child's soul in peace. I had closed my eyes but opened them when the twins nudged me, "look at that." 

The spell casted by Lockhart had only lifted the snake a few feet into the air, enraging it further and causing it to make its way towards Justin Finch-Fletchley. In any case, a death is on it's way. Everyone backed off since the snake wasn't stopping while Justin looked as if he was about to burst out crying. 

But all of a sudden the snake stopped and turned its head towards Harry. All of us were shell-shocked to see Harry hissing at it as if speaking some sort of snake language. The snake turned back on Justin about to strike when Harry came closer still hissing and the snake stopped and slithered away. Justin fainted and his face was as white as a sheet. 

I glanced at Snape and he looked thoroughly horrified as he immediately vanished the snake and ended the meeting. But Ernie Macmillan spoke up, "He's a Parselmouth! He's been setting the monster on Muggle-borns, Harry Potter is the Heir of Slytherin!" 

What? Nonsense, utter nonsense. Harry, the Heir of Slytherin? Not happening. 

***

"Well yeah everyone would doubt Harry now," Fred explained during our science lessons in the common room when I asked him why Ernie had accused Harry, "he can speak Parseltongue (snake language) and only known Dark Wizards and Slytherins are able to do that." 

George added, "do you know, the Dark Lord was also a Parselmouth." 

But just being a Parselmouth doesn't mean that Harry is setting that creature on Muggle-borns. He would never do that. After all he is James and Lily's son and that alone is explanation enough. 

"You have started thinking a lot nowadays," Fred remarked. 

I looked up, "well because I tend to use my brain more than often. You'd be thinking a lot too if you really believed in the Chamber." 

The twins spoke, "look, Kat, we think that all this Chamber thingy is a hoax, or rather it's being set up as a distraction while a bigger plot lies underneath." 

Ah, that's intelligent. I decided to tell them what I had overheard in the Hospital Wing. After I had explained all, even they had thoughtful expressions on their faces, "so you are a Pureblood and a Seer and Snape knows your family." 

Yeah that's pretty much it. They looked at me as if pondering over something, "quite confusing it is." 

Yes obviously. And to think that the Sorting Hat had told me during my sorting that I had magical ancestors and that they were in Slytherin for generations. And that got me thinking in a clearly opposite route. 

My family that is the real Pureblood family could be descended from Salazar Slytherin for all I know. But could that really be...? No, I don't think so.

"Make way, make way, seriously evil wizard coming through," the twins yelled as they escorted Harry through the school grounds. I shook my head in disappointment, Fred and George both thought that the whole idea of Harry being mistook for the Heir of Slytherin was funny enough. And honestly I didn't find it funny at all.

*** 

From the past few days everyone was fearing Harry and nearly everyone believed that he was evil. The fact that Harry was a Parselmouth solidified their belief that he must be the Heir of Slytherin and that he had chosen Justin as his next victim. I decided to go to the Library in hopes of finding something related to Slytherin and his descendants. It hadn't been much long since I was browsing through the shelves when there was an uproar. 

Peeves came swishing in the library and smashed into the Restricted section. He was holding buckets of water, one slammed into the shelf while the other one was balanced on his nose. 

Madam Pince came running towards the now scattered and wet section, "Peeves! Out! Out!" 

Peeves dangled upside down and winked at her, "of course Madam Pince, lady dear. But I thought you would like to hear what have just happened outside?" 

Now what? "Have your raspberries got stuck on a chandelier?" I remarked carelessly. He zoomed right past me and dropped the remaining bucket on me. 

"Damn you, Peeves!" I cursed under my breath as now I was soaking wet from head to foot. This poltergeist is the end of me, honestly. 

"Two more have been attacked. At the fifth floor. Nearly Headless Nick Sir and a Hufflepuff second year, Fincher-Fletcher I think his name was." 

Justin? And Nearly Headless Nick? But the Monster wasn't supposed to attack ghosts, right? I quickly dried myself using the blow dry charm Hermione had showed me and proceeded towards the fifth floor along with Madam Pince and a few others who were in the Library.

***