Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd.
"Oh no," said Luna. While she didn't care for the man much, he shouldn't have to see something like this.
Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.
"Did we ever move away?" Hermione asked.
"I don't think so," Harry said.
"Great," she sighed, having a feeling that she knew what was coming next.
And his popping eyes fell on Harry.
"Knew he would see you," Hermione muttered.
"You!" he screeched, "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll –"
"I guess I can see why you wanted to know if we moved away or not," Harry said, his eyes wide. "But why is he automatically assuming it was me?"
"I think it could have to do with the fact that he tried to give you detention before," Cedric said, "as well as the fact that you saw his Kwikspell letter, though I only think that reason would work if he knows about the Chamber of Secrets and all."
"Argus!"
Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
"He's going to be questioning you," Cedric said.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Probably because we were found there. He probably wants to know why we were there to begin with," Hermione said.
Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.
"My office is nearest, Headmaster – just upstairs – please feel free –"
"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.
The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.
"Okay, I can get Professor McGonagall – she's deputy headmistress and your head of house, and I can even get Lockhart, as he has a whole 'I'm so important, so I must be there for something this important' deal, but why is Snape going along," Cedric said.
"I don't know," Hermione said, not understanding it either. "Maybe he thinks Dumbledore will want to say something to him."
As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers.
There were some sniggering from everyone in the room at that, as they could all just imagine it.
The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.
"We're waiting," Hermione whispered. "I wonder if any of them will think that we had something to do with this."
"I can't see why they would," Cedric said. "I think Dumbledore may just want to know if you saw someone or something."
"Do you think I should mention the voice I was hearing?" Harry asked.
"Since your parseltongue abilities are not know – at least, I don't think he knows – I would have to caution against it. Also, I wouldn't mention anything with Lockhart and Snape in the room," Cedric said. "Hearing voices isn't a good thing, and those two might mention it to other students, which would most likely alienate you."
The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: it was as though he was trying hard not to smile.
"Why is he trying not to smile?" Hermione asked. "I mean, is he as twisted as Malfoy is, enjoyed by the sight of the cat the way it is?"
"I don't think so," Cedric said slowly, though he didn't sound too sure. "I think it might be because Harry was there and he's probably thinking that he would get in trouble."
And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.
"It was definitely a curse that killed her –"
"Um, I don't think I would trust him," Hermione said.
"probably the Transmogrifian Torture."
"I've never heard of a curse like that," Cedric said.
"I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter-curse that would have saved her ..."
Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands.
"Poor guy," Hermione said. "I mean, I don't like him and all, but I can't help but feel a bit sorry for him."
Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself. If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.
"There is no way you could have done it, though," Cedric said. "While we suspect it's a snake because of the voice only you can hear and the fact that the chamber has to do with Slytherin, even without that, there's no way a second year could do a spell that could cause the cat to be like that."
Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened: she continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.
There was some flinching at that, and Cedric couldn't help but think that it made him think that it reminded him of something that they had just read about.
"... I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography. I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets which cleared the matter up at once ..."
"You know, I find it funny that he's just talking, and not even investigating the cat, like any actual person interested in knowing what happened would do. He's just making guesses and saying that he knows how to do this and how he prevented that," Hermione said. I wonder how I can not notice this she thought to herself.
The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hairnet.
There was sniggering at that.
At last Dumbledore straightened up.
"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.
Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.
"Idiot," Cedric scoffed. If he had actually been looking at the cat, he might have known that he thought.
"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris.
"I suppose that it would seem to be a hard thing to believe," Hermione said. "I mean, with how stiff and frozen she seems."
"She's petrified," Cedric suddenly said. "That's what it reminds me of, some kind of petrification. It makes me think of what you did to Neville in the previous book, but in a slightly different way."
"But why's she all – all stiff and frozen?"
"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart).
"Wasn't he going on and on about how she must have been murdered with that weird sounding curse," Harry said.
"Yes, he was," Cedric said.
"But how, I cannot say ..."
"Ask him!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tear-stained face to Harry.
"Geez, what's with him blaming me for it," Harry said.
"I don't know," Cedric said. "However, it seems that Filch has a grudge against you for some reason."
"No second-year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced –"
"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling.
"Did Filch not hear what Dumbledore said?" Hermione said.
"Apparently not," Harry said.
"You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found – in my office – he knows I'm a – I'm a –" Filch's face worked horribly. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finished.
"Maybe that's why he's thinking it could only be Harry," Cedric said. "Because of that fact."
"I think that answers why he didn't use magic to clean up," Hermione muttered to herself.
"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."
"Rubbish!" snarled Filch. "He saw my Kwikspell letter!"
"And what, his mind is supposed to immediately flash to a term he doesn't even know," Cedric said, scoffing.
"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.
"Not unthinkable, considering the teacher whose speaking," Hermione said.
"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said,
"He sounds reasonable," Hermione said incredulously. "Why does he sound reasonable?"
"There's more to it," Cedric said, amused at her theatrics.
a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it,
"Oh, okay, that makes a bit more sense," Hermione said.
"but we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"
"Because we were at another party," Harry said.
"But that doesn't explain why you didn't join the feast afterwards or why you were in the corridor," Cedric pointed out.
"Maybe one of us had to go to the bathrooms," Harry said, but he didn't sound sure that it would really work.
"That could work," Cedric said. "If your lucky and near a bathroom that could be considered to be the closest to where you are."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the Deathday Party, "... there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there –"
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"
Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.
"Basically, they'll leaving it up to me. How nice of you two," Harry said, looking pointedly at Hermione, who was finding the wall very interesting at the moment.
"Because – because –" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear,
"I think that right there tells us what your going to say," Hermione said.
"because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.
"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."
"Say you had the twins show you where the kitchens were," Cedric said at once. "It's believable, and I know the twins will say that they did to hep you guys out."
"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly, as his stomach gave a huge rumble.
"Not only is that unbelievable, but it's obvious that he is hungry," Luna said. "To be nice, though, he is a bit of a bottomless pit and is usually hungry anyway."
Snape's nasty smile widened.
"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said.
"Um, for all he knows, Harry is being truthful, it was Ron who said they weren't hungry," Hermione said. "As Harry is the natural leader of us three, it makes sense that we would follow him."
"It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."
"Oh really," Hermione said. "He doesn't think you did it. He's just trying to better his house's chances at Quidditch."
"You know what that means, though," Cedric said.
"What?" Harry asked.
"It means that Malfoy isn't as good as he acts," Cedric said. "That, or he knows they have to chance against you."
They all laughed at that, realizing that he was completely right about it.
"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."
"That's true," Hermione said.
"I think she can see that his suggestion is more because he wants to win than an actually thinking Harry had done that," Cedric said.
Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he was being X-rayed.
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.
Snape looked furious.
"I think Dumbledore isn't going to punish you unless you actually were guilty," Luna said. "And he just basically told Snape that."
"I have to wonder if Dumbledore was also able to tell the actual reason why Snape was trying to get you kicked off the team," Cedric said.
So did Filch.
"Now, with him, it's understandable," Hermione said. "It's his cat whose petrified, he probably wants to see some punishment happen, especially towards you, Harry, because he's so sure that it was you who did it."
"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"
"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made which will revive Mrs. Norris."
"Well, I guess we now know why your Herbology class was shown," Cedric said. "The Mandrakes are going to be used."
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in.
"No way," Hermione said. Please let Snape speak up she thought.
"I don't think that Dumbledore will let him do it, anyway, so I don't think you have to worry," Cedric said.
"You never know, Dumbledore certainly is senile enough," Hermione said.
"True," Cedric said.
"I must have done it a hundred times, I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep –"
"Considering that the draught is an extremely difficult potion to do, I really doubt that," Cedric said.
"Excuse me," said Snape icily, "but I believe I am the Potions master at this school."
"Thank god," Hermione said. "He may be a bastard, but I think it would be better to take chances with him than Lockhart."
There was a very awkward pause.
"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Finally, we can get out of there," Harry said.
They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them.
"I'm pretty sure that he wanted you to return to your common room," Cedric said.
Harry squinted at his friends' darkened faces.
"D'you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?"
"Not with all of those people who were there," Cedric said.
"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
Something in Ron's voice made Harry ask, "You do believe me, don't you?"
"I wonder what Ron's voice sounded like if it made me ask that question," Harry said.
" 'Course I do," said Ron quickly.
"I think that right there actually tells me the opposite," Harry said, frowning.
"But – you must admit it's weird ..."
"It is," Hermione said. "It's too bad my book self doesn't know about your snake talking abilities."
"I know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber has been opened... what's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once ... might've been Bill ..."
"I do believe that it was Bill," Cedric said slowly, "because the twins talked about it a lot the next day, and I do believe that Charlie was going to start school the year after that summer."
"So, you know what the Chamber of Secrets is," Hermione said. He shook his head.
"All they really said was the Bill told them a bunch of stories, and that was one of them. I wasn't really interested in learning anything more about it," he explained.
"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry.
To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.
"It's not funny," Cedric said sharply.
"Well – it's not funny really – but as it's Filch ..." he said.
"So, he's only laughing because it's Filch, which makes it all right to do so," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggleborn wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual."
"They're getting to be more common, though," Cedric said, frowning. "Or, at least, that's what it looks like. They're has been a less births for the pureblood families. And no pureblood family would admit to having a Squib, yet many of them seem to be having a lot of miscarriages."
"If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."
"That would explain it," Cedric said.
"Why doesn't he work in the Muggle world?" Hermione asked. "Why remain in the magical one?"
"I don't know, though I would suspect that his family were ashamed of him, but not enough to get rid of him. Also, I don't think he really has any skills to work in the Muggle world; it's doubtful that his family would send him to learn in the Muggle world. No other family does that I know of," Cedric said. I think most of them are killed he thought, but didn't mention.
A clock chimed somewhere.
"Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."
"Yeah, I don't think that would be a good thing," Hermione said.
For a few days, the school could talk of little but the attack on Mrs. Norris.
"Of course," Cedric said. "Something like that doesn't happen often, after all."
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. Harry 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.
"I wonder if a spell was done on them in order to keep them there," Hermione said.
When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy".
"I can't even blame him for that," Hermione said, "I'd probably act the same way."
Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat-lover.
Luna frowned. While it was true that Ginny was a cat-lover, she had always mentioned how she didn't care for Mrs. Norris, mostly based on what Bill and Charlie had said about her. While she did believe that it was a bit possible that Ginny had changed since the last time she saw her, she didn't think that Ginny had changed that much.
"But you hadn't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."
"That's not the best thing to say at a time like this," Hermione said.
Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking –" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.
"Why would that cause her to blanch like that," Harry said. He couldn't see any reason for it, unless it was the idea of someone else being petrified.
The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.
"That would be very annoying," Harry said.
"Sorry," Hermione said.
Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.
"Why did I have to stay behind?" Harry asked.
"Probably because Snape just wanted to punish you for some reason," Luna said.
After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming towards him. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly and sped off in the opposite direction.
"What's that all about?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Hermione said. Cedric, however, has an idea. It's going to begin again he thought.
Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot long composition on 'The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards'.
"That was pretty boring to write," Cedric said.
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short ..." said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll, "and Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny."
"You know that you don't have to do that much," Cedric said.
"But there must be a lot that needs to be mentioned," Hermione said.
"Not really," Cedric said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it annoyed some teachers that you do that. I mean, they do have to go through all of the assignment, and one of the other teachers probably does Binns on top of their own. They probably don't appreciate having to read though one that's longer than the others because you have get every little, not really important detail in it."
"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework.
"Somewhere over there," said Ron, pointing along the shelves, "looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."
"That would be kind of impossible since you can't read any books in the Restricted Section, and they are part of the library," Cedric said. Hermione mock-glared at him, then said, "I'm probably trying to find out more about the Chamber of Secrets."
Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him.
"Dunno why you care, I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great –"
"That doesn't mean he was an idiot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he no longer thought that," Harry said. "He seems rather friendly, so his behavior is really strange."
"I think it'll be something like in first year, Harry," Cedric said. "When everyone was mad at you because you lost those points. I think this is going to turn into something just like that, only instead of scorn, there will be suspicion and wariness towards you."
"Lovely," Harry groaned.
Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.
"All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron.
"That's a first," Cedric said.
"And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."
"I wish that I could say just leave them, but they're required for this year," Cedric said.
"Any my book self wouldn't take the suggestion to well," Hermione said.
"Why do you want it?" said Harry.
"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."
"I don't think it actually has much about the chamber in it," Cedric said.
"You've read it?" Hermione asked.
"Once. That's how I know it's boring," he answered.
"It doesn't sound boring," Hermione said. "It sounds interesting. And it must be very old book, too."
"Not really," Cedric said. "The writer is an old friend of Dumbledore's."
"Oh," Hermione said, visibly slumping. She had been expecting a book like to be a whole lot older than it seems it actually was.
"What's that?" said Harry quickly.
"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't find the story anywhere else –"
"That's mostly because people seem to think that Hogwarts, a History is the only type of history book for Hogwarts that should be available," Cedric said. "At least, that's available at Hogwarts. I think it's something Dumbledore did, because there is no way there isn't other history books on Hogwarts and the founders that are from before that book even appeared."
"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.
"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finish it."
"If he hasn't finished it yet, it's his own fault," Hermione said. "He's had plenty of time to do it. And if he wanted help, he shouldn't wait until the last minute."
"Why won't you let him at least read it?" Harry asked, actually curious.
"He's trying to copy what I put down, Harry," she said.
"Oh," he said, "I can see why you're not letting him read, then."
"I only need another two inches, go on ..."
The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
"You guys seem to act like a pair of siblings," Luna said.
"Siblings who don't get along," Hermione grumbled.
History of Magic was the dullest subject on their timetable. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shrivelled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff-room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since.
"Which means that we are no learning anything new," Hermione said, sighing.
"What do you mean by that?" Cedric asked.
"Well, if his routine hasn't varied in the slightest, that probably means what he teaches as well. Plus, I doubt he'll actually teach anything that happened recently, like the war with Voldemort or anything like that," Hermione said. "Which means that he's not showing the mistakes made in the past, which chances of repeating those mistakes are more likely to happen, and often."
"Are you talking about the saying 'Those you don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it'?" Harry asked. She nodded.
"I guess I can see your point. However, I think that the Ministry controls what can be taught," Cedric said.
"So his boring routine could be because he's bored of it himself," Luna said.
Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming round long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before. Hermione put up her hand.
"You're interrupting the teacher," Cedric said, slightly amazed. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"I think I've figured that, as the history teacher, he'd know something about the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione said.
Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.
"I think you must the first person to interrupt him is decades," Harry said.
"Miss – er –?"
"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.
"I wonder how many people are going to be glad to hear a question like that," Cedric said.
Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk.
Professor Binns blinked.
"My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends."
"Most myths and legends have a basis in fact, though," Hermione said.
He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, "In September of that year, a sub-committee of Sardinian sorcerers –"
He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.
"Miss Grant?"
"Didn't I just tell him my name," Hermione said.
"Apparently his memory doesn't work well," Harry said.
"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"
"Seems you're using that logic against him," Cedric said.
Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.
"Somehow, I don't doubt that," Cedric said.
"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale ..."
"It doesn't mean that it not true," Cedric said.
"Why does he think that?" Harry asked.
"Probably because no one has ever found such a chamber. I mean, I think we would have heard about it if we had," Cedric said.
But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.
"Well, history is usually boring, so it makes sense that any interest being shown would surprise anyone," Cedric said.
"Oh, very well," he said slowly.
"I think he's realized that he's not going to get away with not telling it," Cedric said.
"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."
He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued, "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 and the others. 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."
"I take it that this is the whole of what can be proved to a point," Hermione said. Cedric nodded. Hermione mentally made a note of this in her mind, having left her notebook and pen in her room.
Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said, "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."
"Honestly, I can't see that being completely true, but I can't see it being false, either," Hermione said. "I mean, it wouldn't be too far off the mark to say that the founders, while having all helped make the castle, probably did do something that was just all them. I can see it being false that the other founders not knowing about it, though I see what it looks like and what's in it being unknown to the other ones."
"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."
"I honestly can't see that being true at all," Hermione said. "I don't think the other founders would have let him do anything to the school – or even have anything to do with him – if that was true."
There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.
"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "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."
"You know, it's amazing how idiotic he is," Harry said. "I mean, he pretty much says that only the 'heir' can find the chamber, but dismisses it as in existence because 'most learned witches and wizards' haven't found it. I would think that, if only the heir could find it, it would make sense that others couldn't. I mean, wouldn't the magic that makes it that way keep it that way?"
"Yes, it would," Cedric said.
Hermione's hand was back in the air.
"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," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.
"That adds credibility to what you were saying earlier, Hermione," Harry said.
"Again, we just need to know what type of snake it is? I'm partially sure that it's probably some kind of magical snake," Hermione said. "Are you sure you don't know any magical snakes off the top of your heads?"
Luna and Cedric shook their heads.
The class exchanged nervous looks.
"I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."
"But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"
"Well, actually, they might be able to find the entrance, they just probably couldn't get through it," Cedric said.
"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone.
"I wonder if he actually doesn't know the names or if he does that on purpose," Hermione said.
"If I was a ghost and stuck teaching the same old thing, I'd do it on purpose," Harry said.
"Yet, I think this right here says that what he teaches is what he wants to teach out of what he can," Luna said
"If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing –"
"Being a headmaster and headmistress doesn't mean you can do everything," Cedric said.
"But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it –"
"Unfortunately, that doesn't help, as anyone can use dark magic," Cedric said.
"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic, doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore –"
"Dumbledore can't do everything," Hermione said.
"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't –" began Dean Thomas,
"I do believe he's going in the right vein," Cedric said.
"I think Binns is about to get overly upset," Luna said.
but Professor Binns had had enough.
"I think he's finding the fact that you're all finding history to be interesting and willing to debate about it maddening," Cedric said.
"That, or I'm not the first person to ask about it, and he's getting tired of talking about it," Hermione said. "I mean, I can't really be the only person who wants to know and realizes that, as the history teacher, he could have something to say about it."
"I don't see anyone managing to keep awake long enough to ask or managing to use logic to get him to speak about it," Cedric said.
"That will do," he said sharply. "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!"
"You know, I have to wonder what he'd say if it turns out that there really is a Chamber of Secrets," Hermione said.
"Don't know, but it definitely would be funny to find out," Harry said.
And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.
"Meaning, everyone but Hermione is asleep," Harry said. Hermione scowled, but didn't say anything, having the feeling that it was most likely true.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione, as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home ..."
Hermione nodded fervently, but Harry didn't say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly.
"I wonder if you ever bothered to mention that you almost ended up in Slythering to Hermione and Ron," Luna said.
Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting him in Slytherin.
"I think there's your answer right there," Hermione said.
He could remember, as though it was yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he'd placed the Hat on his head a year before.
"You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that ..."
But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin house's reputation for turning out dark wizards, had thought desperately, "Not Slytherin!" and the Hat had said, "Oh, well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor ..."
As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past.
"Hiya, Harry!"
"Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically.
"You must be so used to saying it then," Hermione said.
"Harry – Harry – a boy in my class has been saying you're –"
"They think I'm the heir, don't they?" Harry said. The others frowned.
But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him towards the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.
There was some sniggering at that imagery.
"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.
"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so, as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.
"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.
"It's sad how true that is," Cedric said
"So, basically, they're a bunch of sheep," Hermione said.
The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.
"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.
"My book self's probably not sure," Hermione said. "I, however, do think that it does exist."
"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be – well – human."
As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message 'The Chamber has been opened.'
"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered.
They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.
"You're about to go searching for clues. Lovely," Cedric said.
"I wish I could join," Luna said.
"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.
"Unless you get caught," Luna said.
"Scorch marks!" he said. "Here – and here –"
"So, whatever it was hightailed it out of there pretty fast," Harry said.
"Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny ..."
"I wonder what it is," Harry said.
Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack in the glass. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.
"I don't think I've ever seen a spider act like that," Harry said slowly.
"Me either," Hermione said, looking at Cedric and Luna.
"I do think I read about spiders being afraid of some kinds of magical creatures," Cedric said. "But I don't know what ones."
"Same here," Luna said.
"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.
"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?"
He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back, and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.
"Oh, yeah, I think it should be mentioned that Ron fears spiders," Cedric said. "I forgot about that."
"What, why?" Hermione asked.
"Something Fred did, I believe," Cedric said. "I never actually heard the full story."
"What's up?" said Harry.
"I – don't – like – spiders," said Ron tensely.
"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in potions loads of times ..."
"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window,
"That's got to be a bit funny to see," Harry said, grinning a bit as he imagined what Ron looked like at that.
"I just don't like the way they move ..."
Hermione giggled at that, finding the way it sounded to be a bit funny.
Hermione giggled.
"It's not funny," said Ron, fiercely.
"I don't think I'm giggling about his fear so much as the words he used to describe it," Hermione said.
"If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my – my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick. You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and ..."
Hermione, along with Luna, shuddered. No, they wouldn't have liked it if that had happened. And he was holding it, too. Hermione wondered if Fred felt guilty for causing Ron to fear spiders, or if he knew what the long term effects of that action were. Then, Hermione wondered if Ron had broken the broomstick on purpose, since it was that which had prompted Fred into turning his teddy bear into a spider, though Hermione doubt that it being a spider was what Fred wanted, and it was most likely done by accidental magic.
He broke off, shuddering. Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh.
Hermione frowned at that, then figured that the way Ron was looking was the cause of her humor, as she couldn't really see what was humorous about his story.
Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."
"Well, it would make sense, wouldn't it. I mean, it's not like it'll just be left sitting there," Cedric said.
"Right," Harry said, blushing a bit. He had forgotten that it would be cleaned up.
"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door."
He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.
"What's the matter?" said Harry.
"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly, "that's a girls' toilet."
"I guess I can understand why he doesn't want to go it there, then," Cedric said
"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione, standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place."
"So the attack – or, rather, the scene of the crime – right next to Moaning Myertle's place," Hermione said.
"'Scene of the crime'?" Cedric asked, slightly amused.
"Well, we don't actually have proof that Mrs. Norris was attacked right there, now do we? I mean, how did she end up hanging from the wall if that was where she was attacked. I'm not discounting that she was attacked there, but it is clear that she was moved," Hermione said.
"Yeah, and, last time I checked, snakes couldn't write," Harry added. "Which means the person who caused the attack was there."
"Come on, let's have a look."
And ignoring the large 'Out of Order' sign, she opened the door.
It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked and spotted mirror were a row of chipped, stone sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the cubicles were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.
"I don't know about you guys, but I get the feeling that Myrtle has been keeping the bathroom from being cleaned and taken care of as it should be," Hermione said.
"I agree," Luna said.
Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off towards the end cubicle. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"
Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating on the cistern of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.
"This is a girls' bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."
"Honestly, with the way the bathroom's kept, I don't think it matters that they're boys," Cedric said. "It's not like you let it be used."
"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how – er – nice it is in here."
"Hermione, it's not a nice bathroom," Harry said.
She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.
"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione.
"Harry, shame on you," Luna said. "Do you really think it's the best idea to whisper or mouth something to Hermione when Myrtle can see you. You saw how she was at the party."
Harry winced at that, remembering how Myrtle was. She was bound to think that Harry was making fun of her or something.
"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.
"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask –"
"You should've just asked her," Hermione said. "I do think you can talk to her."
"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead."
"Her life must've been miserable," Hermione said.
"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only –"
"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"
"Then why did you come back?" Cedric asked. "Why did you decide to become a ghost?"
None of them really had he answer to that, and Harry and Hermione look ready to ask him what he meant, but neither of hem asked, for he had begun reading again.
"We wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything funny lately," said Hermione quickly, "because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."
"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.
"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself."
"Okay, then," they all said, blinking at that. Why would a ghost try to kill themselves?
"Then, of course, I remembered that I'm – that I'm –"
"Already dead," Cedric said.
"Somehow, I don't see that being helpful," Hermione said dryly.
"Already dead," said Ron helpfully.
Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over and dived head first into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight; from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.
Harry and Ron stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle ... come on, let's go."
"If that was almost cheerful, I'd hate to see what a bad day is," Harry said.
"Agreed," Cedric said.
Harry had barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump.
"Uh-oh," Luna said. "I wonder who caught you."
"RON!"
Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.
"Yeah, I imagine seeing Ron coming out of a girl's bathroom would seem pretty weird to him," Cedric said.
"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you –?"
"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know ..."
"Somehow, I don't think that's the best thing to say to his brother," Hermione said.
Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.
"Get – away – from – there –" he said, striding towards them and starting to chivvy them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner ..."
"Yeah, when you think of it like that, it doesn't look good," Harry said. "In fact, it probably doesn't help keep us from looking suspicious."
"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"
"Just because you know that doesn't stop people from thinking you did. Ron said it himself 'People in Hogwarts will believe anything'," Cedric said.
"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled;"
"I'm sorry, but were does she get that idea, especially since it's pretty clear that none of us are going to be expelled," Harry said.
"I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out. You might think of her, all the first-years are thoroughly over-excited by this business –"
"Makes sense, though," Hermione said. "It's not like any of them would be used to what's going on."
"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were reddening now.
"I don't think that Percy doesn't care, but it does sometimes seem like that," Cedric said.
"You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy."
"Um, family and who you associate with isn't a deciding factor on that," Cedric said. "It's your own achievements. Ron wouldn't be able to keep Percy from becoming Head Boy."
"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge.
"I would say that's a bit of an overreaction, but Ron was overreacting himself," Cedric said.
"And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I'll write to Mum!"
"Oh, low blow," Hermione said. She wondered if Mrs. Weasley really would removed Ron from school as she threatened to do.
And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears.
"I think we know what type of temper indicators the Weasleys have," Hermione said, a small grin crossing her face.
Harry, Ron and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment.
"Why hasn't he swallowed his pride and written home for a new one?" Hermione asked. "Seriously, that wand needs to be replaced."
Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit.
"You closed a book?" Harry asked. She mock-glared at him.
"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"
"Try any Slytherin whose parents were Death Eaters," Cedric said.
"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"
"It's not Malfoy," Cedric said, knowing straight away that was who Ron believed it was.
"Why do you say that it's not?" Harry asked.
"Can you see Malfoy waiting a year before attacking or not going around and saying it's him?" Cedric said.
"You're right. Malfoy doesn't really have the cunningness to pull something like this off. Plus, he probably would have attacked the previous year," Hermione said, then a frown crossed her face. "In fact, anyone who would do that would have attacked in previous years, which means..." she trailed off.
"Means what?" Luna asked.
"It means that the culprit is most likely a first-year," she said. "It's the only thing that explains why it's happening this year, but didn't happen the previous years."
He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.
"If you're talking about Malfoy –"
"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'"
"Which only says that he knows about the chamber and what it's intended purpose is," Cedric said.
"Come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him –"
"He would have bragged," Luna said. "If he was of the bloodline of a founder – and, especially a founder such as Slytherin, who apparently, in his mind, is the best – he would have bragged. It's in his nature."
"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione sceptically.
"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin, he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."
"Doesn't mean that it's him," Hermione said.
"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son ..."
"I doubt a simple key would work," Cedric said. "I think someone would have noticed a keyhole that they couldn't open if that was it."
"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible ..."
"I probably don't this it's completely true, but I also don't have any other suspects in mind," Hermione said. "And I obviously didn't think about the fact that it's most likely someone new to the school...Dobby!" She mentioned the last word as more of an afterthought.
"What about Dobby?" Harry asked.
"Whoever is doing this probably owns Dobby," she said. "Remember, he kept warning you that something bad would be happening this year, and, low and behold, something bad happened. I think, whoever is responsible owns Dobby, or, at the very least, their parents own him."
"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.
"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect."
"Your trying to get them to break rules, nice," Cedric said.
"I think I'm scared," Hermione said softly. "I mean, think about it, everything points to the monster going after Muggleborns, which I am, so I'm scared, and probably feeling a bit helpless, which is why I want to...no, why I feel the need to be doing something to figure out who it is that's doing this."
They were all silent for a moment, wondering how they would feel if they were sure that they would probably be attacked. They had to agree with Hermione, they themselves would feel the need to do something about it, before they ended up attacked.
"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.
"I don't think he gets why I want to do this," Hermione said. "Either that, or he doesn't really care."
"I think he's just irritated at the moment," Luna said. "I'm sure that he would care if you got attacked."
"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realising it's us."
"You're thinking of Polyjuice Potion, aren't you?" Cedric said, before realizing that she wouldn't have any clue as to what that was. "Never mind," he said, shaking his head and turning back to the book before she could ask what he meant.
"But that's impossible," Harry said, as Ron laughed.
"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."
"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.
"That's a good question," Hermione said, looking at Cedric. He sighed.
"I'm sure the book will mention it," he said.
"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago –"
"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.
"Okay, just because he doesn't like Snape does not mean that he shouldn't listen to him in class," Cedric said. "You never know when he'll say something important."
"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."
"It can turn you into other people," Hermione said, a small frown on her face. "That doesn't sound like a good potion."
"What do you mean?" Harry said. "It sounds useful to me."
"Does it sound useful if someone was to kill another person while using it, causing the person whom they looked like to get into trouble?" Hermione asked. Harry winced.
"Okay, when you put it like that, I can see why it wouldn't be a good potion," he said.
"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins for ever?"
"There is a time limit," Cedric said. "The only reason why you would be stuck is if you did it wrong, and I don't think you would be stuck as the person you tried to impersonate."
"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently, "but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."
"Which means that you need a teacher's note to get it," Cedric said.
There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: you needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.
"Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."
"True, but I doubt that you would be able to, because some of the ingredients are not available to students, and I think most of those potions would need some of those type of ingredients," Cedric said.
"'Type of ingredients'?" Harry said, a bit amused.
"The ones that students can't get their hands on," Cedric said.
"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance ..."
"No offense, Hermione, but I don't see them falling for that unless it's apart of our homework," Harry said
"Actually, Hermione probably could make it work," Cedric said. "I think she probably could trick and teacher into signing a slip for her, with how thorough she is. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if she managed to get a permission slip."
"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron."They'd have to be really thick ..."
The four looked at each other, and said, simultaneously, "Lockhart."
"He'd definitely fall for any excuse given to him," Hermione said.
"He's not smart enough to check any excuse given to him," Harry mentioned.
"I bet he wouldn't even listen to an excuse," Luna said.
"Yeah, just the idea of signing something would be reason enough for him," Cedric said. He looked back down.
"That's it for the chapter," he said, handing the book to Luna.