The Big Dipper

The Rogue Bludger

For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. They had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like 'breathing loudly' and 'looking happy.'

The Chamber of Secrets was a similarly popular conversation topic, and those without their own copies of Hogwarts: A History had to rely on those who did to learn the legend. An even greater shroud of suspicion than usual fell on the Slytherins, even though many of them had never even heard of the Chamber of Secrets.

Ursula had, and she had her copy of the book at school, so she summarized the story for her friends.

"Salazar Slytherin wanted to keep magic in families who were all-magical," she said Wednesday at breakfast. "He didn't want to teach anyone with Muggle parents because he didn't think they could be trusted. The story goes that he built a secret chamber that only his heir would be able to open. The heir would come to Hogwarts, unleash the so-called 'horror within', and purge the school of everyone Slytherin believed to be 'unworthy.'"

"Nothing's ever been found, right?" said Vanessa anxiously.

"That doesn't mean it isn't out there," said Jacob. "Besides, it wouldn't hurt us. Let's face it, Hogwarts' standards have seriously been falling. It wouldn't hurt to —"

"To what? To kill people? 'Purge the school'?" said Lilian furiously. Ursula laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Attacking muggleborns is a bit extreme," said Gemma.

"More than a bit!" said Cassius.

"There's no proof the Chamber even exists, right?" said Adrian. The others nodded reluctantly. Ursula bit her lip. "So there's nothing to worry about."

Breakfast ended and they climbed the stairs to Transfiguration. Adrian slowed to walk with Ursula, who was deep in thought.

"You've been quiet today," he noted. "Is anything wrong?"

She debated for a moment on whether or not to tell him.

"Don't tell the others," she began, pulling his arm to slow him down and distance themselves further from the rest of the Slytherins, "but the Chamber exists. It's been opened before."

"What?" exclaimed Adrian loudly. Ursula shushed him and he lowered his voice. "When? How do you know?"

"My grandfather told me," said Ursula. "It happened fifty years ago, when he was a first year. The person who did it was expelled."

"Do you know who it was?"

"No," lied Ursula. "But last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a muggleborn died."

~~~

"I forgot to tell you," said Ursula to Lilian as they climbed the stairs to midnight Astronomy. "Someone accused me of being the heir of Slytherin after lunch today."

"Really?" said Lilian. "Who?"

"Some little snot nosed second year," said Ursula, rolling her eyes. "He pointed to be in front of all his friends."

"What did you do?"

"I just looked at him and said 'No' and then I walked away," said Ursula. Lilian giggled. "What's so funny?"