"Could I have your attention, please?" said McGonagall, standing up from her desk. The students, who were chatting softly, fell silent, waiting for the teacher to speak. "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals... into water goblets. Like so," She held her wand out, pointed at her hornbill, a big bird with black and white feathers. "One, two, three... Vera Verto."

The animal quickly transformed into a gleaming goblet, causing the students to gasp in amazement.

"Now it's your turn. Who would like to go first?" She walked towards the desks, and stopped in front of where Harry and Ron were sitting. "Ah, Mr. Weasley! Remember, 'One, two, three, Vera Verto."

Ben straightened up and leaned over the desk he shared with Neville so he could look at Ron, who cleared his throat and said, "Vera Verto!"

His rat did transform into a goblet, but it was covered in the animal's brown fur, and it had a hairless tail that wagged.

Giggles were heard all over the classroom. Ron's ears went pink, and he took the goblet to examine it with a frown. McGonagall shook her head, "That wand needs replacement, Mr. Weasley."

Hermione lifted her hand up in the air slowly. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about... the Chamber of Secrets."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. She definitely didn't expect Hermione to ask her about that. The rest of the students were in silence, clearly interested in hearing what the teacher had to tell them about it.

"Very well... You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin." She made a pause. "Now, three of the founders coexisted great harmoniously. One, did not."

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods." Ben remembered hearing his family talk about that subject thousands of times. "Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true Heir returned to the school. The Heir alone would be able to open the Chamber, and unleash the horror within, and by so doing... purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic."

"Muggleborns..." muttered Hermione.

McGonagall nodded. "Well. Naturally, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found."

"Professor?" called Hermione.  "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?"

"The Chamber is said to be home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home... of a monster."

———————————————

"Do you think it's true?" asked Ron once class was over. "Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes!" Hermione rushed to answer. "Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried, all the teachers are."

"And rightfully so," commented Ben. "Look at what happened yesterday, it could happen again, imagine if people start getting petrified, too!"

"But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and... it really has been opened, that means..." Harry began.

"That the Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts." concluded Hermione. "But the question is, who is it?"

"Let's think," said Ron when Draco walked past them, hitting Ben in the side with his elbow, and receiving an insult from the Gryffindor. "Who do we know who thinks all muggleborns are scum?"

My whole family, thought Ben.

"If you're talking about Malfoy..."

"Of course I am!" Ron interrupted the girl. "You've heard him, 'You'll be next, mudbloods!', he was threatening you."

"I heard him," said Hermione. "But Malfoy? The Heir of Slytherin?"

"But maybe Ron's right, Hermione," Harry agreed with the redhead. "I mean, look at his family, the whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries!"

"So has Ben's family."

That sentence struck him like a blow to the stomach.

"It's different," said Harry at once, as Ron nodded. "He doesn't believe in that stuff, therefore he would never write something like that to scare muggleborns."

"Besides, he would've never hurt a cat," added Ron.

"I know, I know, I'm obviously not trying to say that he did it," she explained, and turned to Ben with a worried look. "You know I don't think you're like that."

"I know." He said sharply, pretending he hadn't felt slightly hurt. "I do think it could've been Malfoy, perhaps with someone else's help, because I doubt he has the guts to do that on his own."

"Makes sense," agreed Harry. "So... If he needed any help, he probably went to..."

"Crabbe and Goyle!" yelled Ron excitedly. "Maybe we could trick them into telling us!"

Hermione chuckled. "Even they aren't that thick!"

"I'm not so sure, Hermione. You see, sometimes you think they're getting smarter, but then they go and surprise you with a little gem," laughed Ben. "But you're right, I doubt we can find a way to make them tell us."

"Wait... There might be another way!" Hermione exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "Mind you, it would be difficult, and not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules!"

"Sounds promising," joked Ben.

"And it would be dangerous. Very dangerous."

———————————————

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ben were in the library, trying to find a book the girl said would be useful. She hadn't told them anything apart from the title of the book yet, because she didn't want to lose any time, so the three boys were looking in a section while Hermione did the same in another one.

"Hey, I think I see something!" exclaimed Ben when he caught a glimpse of a book that said 'Potions'. It was well out of his reach, so he got down on his knees on the table, stretching as far as he could to try and grab the book. However, he only managed to touch the bottom of it, and grumbled a couple of curse words.

"Wait, let me try," Harry told Ben, who moved aside to let the boy get on his knees next to him, and reached out for the book.

It was kind of useless, because Harry was shorter than Ben, but he didn't say it in case it offended him.

"Have you two forgotten that you're wizards?" asked Ron, who was standing behind them. He took out his wand and said, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The book moved off the shelf, levitating above Harry and Ben's heads, until Ron took it in his hands. "I feel so stupid right now," muttered Ben.

"It's fine, we love you anyway," teased Ron. Ben threw a parchment ball that was lying around at his head.

"Is it the one we were searching for?" asked Harry.

Ron flipped it around, and disappointment became so obvious on his face he didn't even have to answer for them to know. Hermione appeared carrying a book with her, and stopped to look at Ben and Harry, who were still perched on the table, with a puzzled face.

"What are you two doing up there?"

"Er- We were trying to find the book." Harry stepped on the floor, followed by Ben, who jumped down dramatically.

"We weren't successful, though,"

"Well, I was," said Hermione, and the boys crowded around her to look at the book she was carrying. She flipped a few pages quickly. "Here it is, the Polyjuice potion. Properly brewed, the Polyjuice potion allows the drinker to transform the self temporarily into the physical form of another."

"You mean that, if Harry and I drink that stuff, we'll turn into Crabbe and Goyle?" asked Ron.

"Exactly." Hermione confirmed.

"Wicked!"

"Exactly, but it's tricky," Hermione's eyes scanned the page. "I've never seen a more complicated potion."

"I've read about it," said Ben. "It's not just the process that's hard, but the ingredients are very odd and difficult to find."

"What are they?" wondered Harry.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's fluxweed, knotgrass, boomslang skin, horn of bicorn, lacewing flies and... something that contains the DNA of the person you are going to become."

"How do you remember all that?" Harry looked very impressed.

"I find potions very interesting, and I have a lot of free time at home," he shrugged. "Though, I'm pretty sure I forgot something."

"You did, we also need Leeches," noted Hermione, reading the ingredients.

"No way!" Ben's heart skipped a beat. His three friends looked at him like he had gone crazy. "Sorry, it's just that- Leeches resemble... you know, slugs..."

"Oh..." Hermione gasped. "Well, it's mixed with a lot of other stuff, so you won't notice it..."

Ben knew that, even if he didn't notice it, he would still have an awful time drinking it. But he decided to redirect the conversation to something else. "Who's Hermione going to turn into?"

"Pansy Parkinson or Daphne Greengrass," said Hermione. "Or perhaps Millicent Bulstrode."

"Alright, what about me?"

"Well... We were thinking about..." the girl began awkwardly.

"Your sister," finished Ron.

Ben stared at Ron blankly for at least fifteen seconds. "You're joking."

"No," answered Hermione. "Look, it might sound weird-"

"It does."

"But it would be easy for you to get a hair from her, wouldn't it?" she tried to explain.

"It wouldn't, do you think I'm going around with my sister's hair or something?"

"But you could perhaps talk to her and find a way to get one," suggested Ron.

"'Hey, Audrey, how's your year going?' 'Get the hell away from me, Benjamin.' And then I proceed to pluck a hair from her, and run away before she has the chance to hex me."

"You don't have to rip it off, maybe she has one on her clothes," said Harry.

"Even if she did, I'm just not doing it!"

"Why not?" asked Ron.

"Because I don't fancy the idea of turning into a girl."

"Why not?" now said Hermione.

"Because it's weird!" he exclaimed. "Would you like to turn into Ginny, Ronald?"

"Not at all, but it's different."

"How?"

"Your sister's pretty."

"So is yours, in a respectful way."

Harry and Hermione stared at them in disbelief without saying a word for a while, until Harry decided to intervene awkwardly. "Er... If you don't want to turn into her it's fine. We'll find someone else. Such as... Theodore Nott, for example. I'm pretty sure he and Malfoy are friends, too."

"Thanks." He smiled at him, glad someone was being reasonable.

"So, how long does this potion take to be done?" Harry asked Hermione.

"A month..."

"A month?" Harry repeated in shock. "But, Hermione, if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the muggleborns in the school by then!"

"I know. But it's the only plan we've got."

———————————————

"Another goal for Slytherin! They lead Gryffindor 90-30!" Lee Jordan's voice was heard all over the Quidditch pitch. It was the first match of the year, and Wood had ended up driving Harry mad with nerves.

He said he wanted the Slytherin team to find out that they had returned from the summer break with renewed strength. However, the fact that all the Slytherins had the fastest brooms on the market was a handicap for the Gryffindors, and it showed, as they were losing.

Ben began to seriously consider buying brooms for the team, even if it was just to make Harry and the rest of the team happy.

"It looks like Malfoy's talking to Harry," said Hermione, pointing at them.

"I'm sure he's being an idiot," commented Ron.

"When isn't he being an idiot?"

The crowd suddenly gasped in surprise as a bludger hit Wood's broom, snapping it in two and sending the boy to the ground. Said bludger began chasing Harry all over the field.

"Blimey! Harry's got himself a rogue bludger!" Roared Hagrid, who was following Harry with his binoculars.

"What does that mean?" asked Ben, feeling lost. "Is that normal?"

Perhaps it was a stupid question, but he truly had no idea of Quidditch.

"It means it's being bewitched," explained Ron, and took out his wand. "I'll stop it."

Hermione immediately stopped him. "No! Even with a proper wand it's too risky, you could hit Harry."

As the boy flew past the spectator towers, the bludger went straight through them and destroyed everything that got on its way. Ben saw Draco yell something at Harry, but he didn't answer.

His eyes were fixed on something else. "He's seen the snitch!" Exclaimed Hagrid. Harry flew after it, following Malfoy, and they both went out of view.

The next thing they saw was Draco making a strange twist, and turning somersaults on the sand until falling roughly. Ben almost felt bad for him, it must've hurt.

Then Harry appeared, with the snitch inches away from his arm. He flew faster, so concentrated that he didn't realise the bludger was going straight towards his hand, and hit him.

The crowd gasped loudly, but Harry didn't give up. He extended his uninjured arm and caught it. However, he lost his footing and fell into the sand, but he was low, so probably not much damage was done.

"Harry Potter has caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" yelled Lee Jordan, as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Ben made their way through the happy students, trying to get to the field. Harry was dodging the bludger, which was viciously trying to attack him. Until Hermione took out her wand, and a second later it exploded.

"Harry!"

"Are you okay?" asked Hermione, as they knelt beside him.

"No..." he admitted. "I think- I think my arm's broken."

"Don't worry, Harry," said Ben calmly. "We'll take you to the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey will fix it."

"That won't be necessary," assured Gilderoy Lockhart, appearing in the middle of the growing crowd. "I will fix that arm of yours straight away."

"No," answered Harry as quickly as he could, moving away from the professor. "Not you."

"Oh, you don't know what you're saying," dismissed Lockhart, grabbing Harry's arm. "Now, this won't hurt a bit... Brackium Emendo!"

Based on Harry's face, the pain must have disappeared, which was a surprise. "It worked?" frowned Ben, tilting his head to get a better look of the boy's arm.

"Are you questioning my abilities?" asked Lockhart, looking slightly offended.

Yes.

"No, of course not."

Lockhart raised Harry's arm, but it dropped like it was made of jelly, making everyone groan in disgust. "Uh, yes, well... That can sometimes happen. But- uh, the point is," he pulled Harry's arm back, so that his hand touched his elbow, something that would be extremely painful under normal conditions. "You can no longer feel any pain and, very clearly, the bones are not broken!"

Harry looked traumatised.

"Broken?" yelled Hagrid angrily. "There's no bones left!"

Lockhart finally gave up, and let Harry's friends take him to the hospital wing. Malfoy was already there, faking moans and groans of pain dramatically.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, stop making such a fuss, you can go." Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes as she came in, carrying a bottle, and walking towards the bed in which Harry was lying. "Out of my way. Out of my way!"

She pushed Harry's friends, who were crowding around his bed, aside. "Should've been brought straight to me. I can mend bones in a heartbeat, like I did to Mr. Walker last year, but growing them back?"

"B-But you'll be able to, won't you?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"Oh, I'll be able to, certainly, but it'll be painful," she said, shaking her head slowly. "You're in for a rough night, Potter." The woman poured some of the liquid from the bottle into a glass.

Harry gulped in fear, and shifted in his seat uncomfortably. The arm, which was resting on his chest, slipped off with an unpleasant noise.

"Ben," called Harry, as he was the closest one to him. "Could you, er- lift my arm?"

"Never thought I'd heard you say that," he laughed, and did as he said.

"Take this," instructed Madam Pomfrey, giving him the glass.

Harry took a sip, and his friends approached him, eager for his reaction. Bad idea. He suddenly spat the liquid straight out, and they barely had time to move away.

"Well, what did you expect?" shrieked Madam Pomfrey, looking a bit annoyed. "Pumpkin juice?"