December arrived at Hogwarts in a flurry of snowflakes, blanketing the castle grounds in a serene yet unsettling silence. The frosted trees stood like sentinels, their boughs heavy with ice, and the Great Hall shimmered with enchanted starlight, the icicles hanging from the rafters like jagged crystals. Yet, beneath the festive atmosphere, a dark cloud of unease hovered over the school. The Chamber of Secrets loomed like an unspoken threat, and whispers about its secrets grew louder with each passing day.
Colin Creevey remained Petrified in the hospital wing, and rumors swirled that another attack was imminent. The identity of the Heir of Slytherin was still a mystery, and every student was a potential suspect. Fear gripped the school like an iron vice.
Lennon sat with Hermione in the library, both buried in Moste Potente Potions. The book was thick and heavy, but they were determined. Across from them, Harry and Ron sat, whispering excitedly as they planned.
"So you think the Polyjuice Potion will really work?" Harry asked, his voice low but full of hope.
Hermione nodded as she flipped through the pages. "If we brew it correctly, yes. It will allow us to take the appearance of someone else for an hour. If we can transform into Slytherins, we might be able to get close to Draco Malfoy and find out what he knows."
Ron scoffed. "Malfoy? You think he'll just tell us if he's the Heir of Slytherin?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not directly, but if we can get close enough, he might slip up. And we don't have any other leads."
Lennon leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It's dangerous. It's illegal. But if Malfoy is behind all this, we have to find out."
The plan was set into motion.
In Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, where they were least likely to be disturbed, the group began brewing the Polyjuice Potion in secret. Hermione led the way, measuring ingredients carefully, while Harry and Ron were tasked with obtaining supplies from Snape's personal stores. The work was slow and meticulous, but it was necessary. Despite their secrecy, Mattheo, Theodore, and Lorenzo were growing more suspicious. Lennon could feel Mattheo's gaze lingering on her, a silent weight in his eyes. Since Colin's Petrification, Mattheo had become distant, withdrawn, and Lennon couldn't shake the sense that something deeper was troubling him.
By Christmas morning, the potion was finally ready. It had taken weeks of work and care, but now it was time to test it.
Hermione handed out three steaming goblets of the potion, each one shimmering with a faint, iridescent glow. "Here goes," she said, her voice a mix of excitement and apprehension.
Harry and Ron had acquired hairs from Crabbe and Goyle, while Hermione had taken a hair from Millicent Bulstrode, a Slytherin girl with a distinctive look. Lennon had opted out of drinking the potion, choosing instead to stay behind and cover for the others in case they were caught.
The transformation was immediate. Their bodies twisted and reshaped, bones and muscles stretching as their faces contorted into the familiar forms of their targets. Harry and Ron now looked like Crabbe and Goyle, while Hermione's transformation went horribly wrong.
"I—Oh no!" Hermione cried, stumbling backward. "I took a hair from Millicent's robes, but… it was a cat! I took a cat hair!"
Lennon's heart dropped as she saw Hermione's ears lengthen, fur sprouting along her face. "A cat?" she gasped.
"I didn't mean to," Hermione moaned, her voice laced with panic. "I didn't check the hair properly. It was just… I wasn't thinking!"
Without wasting time, Lennon helped Hermione to the hospital wing, ducking through corridors to avoid being seen. Madam Pomfrey was horrified when she saw Hermione, exclaiming, "Polyjuice Potion? What were you thinking?"
After a tense hour, Hermione's transformation began to wear off, leaving her with a strange combination of both human and feline features. Madam Pomfrey worked quickly to reverse the effects, and by the time they left the hospital wing, the potion had worn off entirely.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron, now disguised as Crabbe and Goyle, infiltrated the Slytherin common room. Draco Malfoy was lounging by the fire, looking smug as ever. Harry, trying to mask his voice, leaned forward.
"You heard about Hermione Granger?" Harry asked, his voice gruff.
Draco sneered. "I hope she's next. Mudbloods like her don't belong here. But I didn't open the Chamber if that's what you're asking. I'd have finished the job if I were."
Harry tried to steer the conversation, but Draco only spouted off more hatred for Hermione and mumbled about how much he'd love to see more students turned to stone.
In Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the potion wore off. Lennon was pacing nervously, waiting for their return.
"Well?" she asked anxiously as they entered.
"Nothing," Ron muttered, disappointment heavy in his voice. "Draco didn't know anything. Just a bigoted idiot."
Lennon let out a frustrated sigh. "We're back to square one, then."
But that very night, the mystery deepened.
As the students returned from the holiday feast, a scream echoed through the castle, sharp and filled with terror. The sound came from near the library. Harry, Ron, and Lennon rushed toward it, hearts pounding. They found Hermione lying on the floor, motionless.
She was Petrified.
Madam Pomfrey quickly took her to the hospital wing, where she now lay beside Colin Creevey, her eyes wide and unblinking, as though she had seen something, known something, too late to stop it.
Lennon sat beside Harry and Ron in the hospital wing, her thoughts swirling. "She was so close," Harry whispered, breaking the silence. "She had a page torn from a book in her hand. It must have been a clue."
Ron clenched his jaw. "We need to finish what she started."
Lennon gazed out the window, watching the snow fall. The danger was closer than ever. The Heir of Slytherin was still among them, hidden somewhere within the school. And they were running out of time.
The next morning, Harry found something that could be the key to everything: an enchanted diary. The name on the front was Tom Marvolo Riddle. The diary contained a memory from the past—Riddle had opened the Chamber of Secrets years ago and framed Rubeus Hagrid for the crime, leading to his expulsion. But as Harry investigated further, the diary was stolen, and Hermione was attacked.
Determined to find answers, Harry and Ron sought out Hagrid for answers. But before they could question him, a more urgent interruption arrived. Professor Dumbledore, accompanied by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy, arrived at Hagrid's hut.
"Rubeus Hagrid," Fudge announced, his voice icy, "you're under arrest."
"Take him to Azkaban," Lucius Malfoy sneered.
And just before Hagrid was led away, Dumbledore leaned toward Harry and Ron, his voice barely audible.
"Follow the spiders," he murmured.
The words echoed in Harry's mind as he watched Hagrid disappear into the night. He didn't understand the meaning yet, but something in Dumbledore's expression told him it was the next step in their journey. The hunt for the truth was far from over.