HP : The Chronicles

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"It has happened," she told the silent staffroom. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself." Professor Flitwick let out a squeal, falling backwards at his chair. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Severus, loosing his stony façade for only a second, gripped the back of a chair very hard and said,

"How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white and trembling, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.' " Professor Flitwick burst into tears, sobbs racking his small body.

"Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. Harry couldn't even dare to imagine how Ron felt right then. "We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said . . ." The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming. Harry had never wanted to hex him more.

"So sorry -dozed off- what have I missed?" He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Severus stepped forward and Harry recognised the look in his eyes; it was the same one he had every time he was training with his broadsword.

"Just the man," he said coldly. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last." Lockhart blanched, taking a step backwards as if he had been hit by an invisible spell.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout, looking angrier than Harry had ever imagined the docile woman could be. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I… well, I…" sputtered Lockhart.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall…"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," Severus continued his onslaught as Harry mentally applauded. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?" Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.

"I… I really never… you may have misunderstood…"

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last." Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll… I'll be in my office, getting… getting ready." And he left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories." The teachers rose and left, one by one. Harry waited for his brother and Ron to leave first, Adrian supporting his startled friend. Harry ran to make it to the Common Room before them his mind on overdrive; he should have listened to his instincts; Ginny really did know something about the Chamber and her involvement was now costing her.

The afternoon passed excruciatingly slowly, the usually loud Weasley family was only a shadow of its former self and Harry felt Ginny's presence missing more than ever. He knew his brother wasn't going to stand doing nothing and the same applied to Ron. And truly, not caring they weren't alone in the Common Room, they stood up and left the rest of the Gryffindors too absorbed in their thoughts to bother with them, going to meet with Lockhart and tell him all that they knew. Harry ran behind them, after he grabbed the invisibility cloak; it was a stupid move really, following them blindly, but his brother could be in danger if he left them alone. So he was there when Adrian pushed the door to Lockhart's room open and he was just as enraged as his brother when he found out the Defence teacher was running away. Later on, he would wonder why did he ever think he would act differently.

HI GUYS IF YOU WANT READ 200 + CHAPTERS THEN VISIT

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