Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 30: Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets

“Explain, gentlemen!” said Hermione while she gazed at their faces.

“Explain what?” asked Ron while looking a little alarmed.

“Professor Snape is right, you weren’t telling the truth.” said Hermione, “First you, Ron, you were in the bathroom while Filch’s cat was attacked right outside the door.”

“Why are you suspicious of me?”

“Don’t’ be silly Ron.” said Hermione, “Dumbledore said it was an advanced curse that we can’t cast, I want to ask you, did you notice anything unusual?”

“I just got done speaking with Evan about this, I think I heard hissing, but I’m not positive, Myrtle was just crying too loudly.”

“Maybe that is a clue.” Hermione turned her head towards Harry and said, “Harry can you tell me what you heard around that time?”

“The voice said it was starving, it wanted to kill, it was just like a ghost the way it went from one floor to another of the castle.” whispered Harry, “Then we saw Filch’s cat petrified on the wall so it must have been the owner of the voice.”

“But who or what was it, I didn’t hear anything at the time,” said Hermione as she frowned.

“Who knows.” hesitated Harry, “Do you think I should tell the professors about the sounds I heard?”

“I don’t! It isn’t a good sign to hear voices, even in the wizarding world,” replied Ron without thinking

“You believe me, don’t you?” asked Harry to Ron

“I believe you, but you have to admit it’s weird,” answered Ron quickly

“I know it’s weird.” replied Harry, “The whole thing is weird, you hear a hissing sound in the bathroom, and then Filch’s cat is attacked, what did the words on the wall mean?”

“Perhaps, we should consider it from another angle, the cat was attacked but who would feel happy about it?” said Ron

“Except for Filch everyone else will feel happy.” answered Harry after thinking about it “and what does it have to do with the Chamber of Secrets?”

“I mean who would be ecstatic about it, or who hates the cat the most” added Ron.

“I think I might know some information about the Chamber of Secrets.” said Evan after seeing Hermione wasn’t involved in Harry and Ron’s discussions but kept looking at him, so he had to tell them something.

After hearing his words, Harry and Ron turned around and looked at Evan in amazement.

“Have you read Hogwarts: A History?”

“No,” said Harry and Ron as they shook their heads

“Evan, you mean….” Hermione seemed to remember something.

“Yes, it should be the secret room Salazar Slytherin left behind. It is well known that Hogwarts was created by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin they initially collaborated together but as time went on a rift formed between the others and Slytherin.”

“Slytherin wanted to be a bit more selective about the student that came to Hogwarts. He was unwilling to accept Muggle-born students. After a few years Slytherin and Gryffindor had a quarrel which caused Slytherin to leave the school, but he left a secret room in the school that the other founders knew nothing about.”

“The Chamber of Secrets?!”

“Yes.” nodded Evan, “But Slytherin closed the Chamber so that no one could open it until his heir came to school. Only the heir may open the Chamber of Secrets, releasing the horror from within, purify the school, and remove all who don’t deserve to learn magic.”

The dark classroom suddenly became eerily silent, and the atmosphere was almost unbearably tense.

The three of them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who didn’t speak, waited for Evan to go on.

“The story is over,” whispered Evan after a while.

“But what is the horror in the Chamber of Secret?” asked Hermione quickly.

“Don’t know.” said Evan, “Maybe it’s some kind of monster that only Slytherin’s heir can control.”

“Well, it’s very consistent with Slytherin’s style, I already knew Salazar Slytherin was a crazy old lunatic, but know that I know that he came up with this pure-blood nonsense, I wouldn’t go to his house even if he paid me too.” said Ron, “To tell the truth, if the sorting hat put me in Slytherin, I would have taken the train home.”

“Wait!” Hermione’s suddenly said something, “Think about the words on the wall, the chamber was opened by his heir, and Harry just heard a strange voice, and found Filch’s Cat petrified on the wall, then …….”

She did not go on anymore, the other three already knew what she meant.

“It’s impossible for Harry to be the heir. If you want me to say it, the successor has to be Malfoy. All of them are pureblood so maybe he is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin” said Ron

“Hermione, Harry has been with us the entire night, he wouldn’t have time to do this” said Evan.

“I know that, but it’s a little weird that he can hear voices that we cannot.” Said, Hermione, as she turned her gaze back toward Evan, “And you haven’t explained why have you been trying to break into Myrtle’s bathroom lately.”

Seeing the way, they were looking at him, he didn’t want to make them think he was trying to peep in the girls’ bathroom especially the one that Moaning Myrtle was in.

“Well, to be honest, I have some more information on the Chamber of Secrets,” said Evan bitterly

“What is it?” asked the three in unison

“You know, to prepare articles for the history section of the newspaper, I look over the events of Hogwarts chronologically.” said Evan, “I saw that in a book there was a newspaper clipping that stated around 50 years ago the Chamber of Secrets was opened!”

“What? Who opened it?”

“I don’t know it was not written.” said Evan as he shook his head, “It stated that a girl named Myrtle Warren died because of an accident but I’m not sure if her death was related to the Chamber of secrets, but the girl is….”

Evan took out a yellowed newspaper from his pocket, showing them a picture of the girl.

“It is …Moaning Myrtle!!!”

“Yes, that is her.” said Evan promptly, “I just wanted to ask her if she might have noticed anything.”