Lumos: Year Two

Several days after the incident, it seemed to be evident that Slytherins were being more isolated than before. Many people whispered about them wondering who it was that was the heir of Slytherin. Helena, thankfully was not being questioned since the hat had questioned her being in Gryffindor. Draco, on the other hand, was a lot more believable.

You’ll be next mudbloods!

The words stung her as she sat there. She never realized how horrible of a word it was until just then. Her family used it so casually, that she just never thought of it as profane. When she went to breakfast, she sat with her brothers and sisters in silence, just sipping at her porridge. Students of the other houses occasionally glanced over to the Slytherin table often, usually looking in the direction of Malfoy, who was sitting on the other side of the table with Pansy who clung to him like glue. Draco didn’t seem to enjoy it, but he ignored her rambles of how brave he was and dealt with it. Helena rolled her eyes in disgust.

When breakfast was finished, Helena met up with Lanee as they headed to the library to finish up some work on their History of Magic homework for Professor Binns. They had to have a three foot-long composition on “The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards” done by the time they walked into class. Helena only had ½ inch left to finish by the time Lanee had completed hers. Finally after several minutes, Helena jotted down her last words as she put away her materials and they headed to class.

The long rows of tables were awfully dreary in the crowded classroom. The class consisted of each house since there was enough room for it to do so. Professor Binns himself had a hard time keeping up with names, but since he was a ghost, Helena was sure he’s probably been through so many people that he’s just lost count.

As class was started, Helena sat next to Lanee. On the other side of Lanee, there was Seamus, who seemed to be confused with why Helena and Lanee were suddenly inseparable. Professor Binns began a long, drowning speech that seemed to last forever with his monotone voice. Suddenly, Hermione Granger put her hand up, which seemed to catch several peoples’ attention.

“Miss—er—?” Professor Binns narrowed his eyes.

“Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets,” Hermione tilted.

Helena’s eyes widened as Lavender Brown’s head lifted from the desk quickly. Professor Binns pursed his lips, blinking quickly.

“My subject is History of Magic,” he spoke with a frown, “I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends.”

Professor Binns tried to continue the lecture, but Hermione continued to wave her hand in the air.

“Miss Grant?” he obviously got her name wrong.

“Please, sir, don’t legends always have a basis in fact?”

“Well,” he still watched her with wide eyes, “yes, one could argue that, I suppose. However, the legend of which you speak of is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale—“

He stopped himself to notice that now everyone was staring at him curiously to listen, Helena especially.

“Oh, very well…” he sighed, “Let me see… the Chamber of Secrets…

“You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago—the precise date is uncertain—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.

“For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, 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 wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.

“Reliable historical sources tell us this much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had 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 that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.”

The room was left with a dead silence as Helena looked down to her notes, pursing her lips. She had no idea what to think, but she slightly turned back to see Draco smirking and Pansy next to him, pointing at her and then making a simulation of getting her throat slit. Helena spat in distaste as she turned back to Professor Binns.

“The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course. Naturally, the 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.”

Of course, Hermione waved her hand in the air once more.

“Sir—what exactly do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the Chamber?”

“That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” Professor Binns had a grim expression.

Helena and Lanee both looked at each other with a distressed expression.

“I tell you, the thing does not exist,” Professor Binns raised his voice lightly, “There is no Chamber and no monster.”

“But, sir,” Seamus interrupted, “if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin’s true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?”

“Seamus really knows how to stress out the classroom,” Helena murmured to Lanee as she was nudging Seamus’s shoulder.

“Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” Professor Binns shook it off as he turned around, “If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing—“

“But professor,” Parvati Patil shook her head, “you’d probably have to use Dark Magic to open it—“

“Just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic doesn’t mean he can’t, Miss Pennyfeather. I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore—“

“But maybe you’ve got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn’t—“ Dean tried to begin.

“That will do,” Professor Binns slapped his papers on the desk, “It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!”

When class had ended, Helena followed behind Lanee, Seamus, and Dean as they talked among themselves of the Chamber.

“Seriously, I have to ask,” Seamus sighed, “Why does she hang around you now?”

Both Dean and Seamus looked to Helena with narrowed eyes as she backed away, embarrassed.

“Chill out, she’s my friend now. We truced after our little fight.”

Seamus stared at her in shock, “You truced after a physical fight?”

“Well, yeah.”

Helena directed her attention to Pansy who was slowly heading toward her with a smirk.

“Maybe with a little due time, Draco will be my husband. Whether you’re dead or alive…” she giggled, walking past her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Helena glared.

“You heard what Professor Binns said—the monster would purge the students who were unworthy of studying magic.”

Helena clenched her hands tightly as she turned to around, “Lanee. I want you to make Pansy cry.”

“That’s… random?” Lanee blinked, “How so?”

“Make her feel excruciating pain. Make her cry for her life,” she walked away, seething with anger.