At dinner, Cortney sat between Kierra and Daphne.

" Millicent, did you understand History of Magic? " Tracey asked.

" Not really," Millicent replies, sipping on pumpkin juice.

" Cortney did you? " Tracey asked desperately.

" I wasn't really paying attention, what did we learn today ?"  Cortney asked.

" Typical Cortney," Kierra sasses. Cortney put her hands up in defense. They got up to leave with everyone else. They stopped when they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The three were standing by a puddle. On the wall was a message written in blood. Next to it was Mrs. Norris hanging by her tale, stiff as a board, eyes wide open. Students gathered and read the message on the wall/

" Enemies of the Heir.......Beware? " Malfoy read. " You'll be next Mudbloods," he smirked.

" What's going on here? " Filch asked pushing his way through the students. " Go ! Make way ! Make way ! ". He caught sight of Mrs. Norris. " Mrs. Norris ? " He looked horrified, his lips quivered. He turned to Harry. " You've murdered my cat ! " 

" No, no," Harry said trying to defend himself. Filch grabbed Harry's collar as if he was going to punch him.

" I'll kill ya! I'll kill ya! " Filch threatened. 

" Argus I----" Professor Dumbledore. The teachers and staff all stopped to read the message on the wall. Filch let go of Harry. " Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately ". Everyone started to go, but Dumbledore stopped them. " Everyone except you three ". He said gesturing to The Golden Trio.

" This is awful," Cortney muttered as they head to the dorms. After they arrived Cortney sat down at a table and began to work on Herbology homework. Ten minutes of frustration Cortney slapped her head into the book aggravated.

" That's Devil's Snare, not Bubotubers," a voice said.

" I'm hopeless," Cortney groaned looking up at none other than Theodore Nott.

" Maybe if you actually paid attention; you wouldn't be hopeless," Theodore pointed out. Cortney glared at him annoyed. " You really should pay attention".

" I know," Cortney sighed. " But it's just so boring, I get easily distracted". Her head slammed back down into the book. For the rest of the night, Theodore helped Cortney with Herbology.

***********************

The next morning Cortney woke up to find herself still at the table, Herbology book wide open. Theodore Nott was next to her still asleep. Cortney smiled.

~ Wait what? ~ Cortney asked herself. Cortney grabbed her Herbology stuff and headed upstairs to freshen up. She then quickly made her way down to Greenhouse 3. Filch was pacing around the spot Mrs. Norris was petrified. To her surprise, Neville was also in the Greenhouse.

" What are you doing here Lestrange? " Neville spat glaring at her.

" I wanted to look at the Mandrakes," Cortney said quicker than she should have. Neville looked at her suspiciously. " I forgot what they looked like, and I need to finish the essay before class today".

" How could you forget? " Neville asked. " They are over by that window, there should be a sign". He pointed to the window the Mandrakes were located. Cortney quickly walked over to the sign that said Mandrakes. She pulled out four separate small containers from her bag. She looked over at Neville to see that he was in deep focus on a plant. Cortney quickly plucked four leaves from four different Mandrakes. She put them in her bag and then scurried out of the Greenhouse. Cortney ran into other Slytherins.

" Where were you? " Pansy asked curiously.

" Didn't see you at breakfast,"  Blaise added.

" Just in the Greenhouse, checking out the Mandrakes," Cortney informed. They walked into Transfiguration. Cortney made her way over to Milan and De'lexi.

" I got the leaves," Cortney said in a low voice.

" Splendid," Milan said smiling.

" Now, all we need to do is stay after class and ask McGonagall about it," De'lexi. Cortney nodded and went to go sit next to Pansy.

" Can I have your attention, please? " Professor McGonagall began. The class stopped talking and looked up at her. " Right, now today we will be transforming animals into water goblets. Like so," She pointed her wand at a toucan. " One, two, three, Vera Veto". The toucan turned into a silver water goblet. Cortney wrote on paper in between her and Pansy.

~ I'll probably use that and fill it with wine~ Cortney wrote.

" Now it's your turn, who would like to go first? " Professor McGonagall asked. No one raised their hand.

~ Why? ~ Pansy wrote.

" Mr. Weasly one, two, three, Vera Veto," McGonagall instructed.

~ So I drain the memory of you kissing my cousin if it ever happens~ Cortney wrote.

Ron cleared his throat and pointed his wand at Scrabbers his pet rat. " Vera Veto," Ron said, his rat turned into a furry goblet with a tail. Cortney and Pansy turned to each other giggling. 

" That wand needs replacing Mr. Weasly," McGonagall informed. Hermione's hand shot into the air. " Yes, Ms. Granger ? ".

" Professor, I was wondering if you can tell us about the Chamber of Secrets ?" asked Hermoine. Cortney and Pansy stopped giggling and went dead silent with the rest of the class. McGonagall was very taken back as her whole class stared at her curiously.

" Very well," McGonagall began. " Well, you all know of course that Hogwarts was found over 1,000 years ago by the four greatest witches and Wizards of the age. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously, one did not".

" Three guesses who," Ron whispered to Harry.

" Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selected about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all magical families. In other words: Pure-bloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle. Known as the Chamber of Secrets. But shortly after departing, he sealed it. Until the time came when his own Heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within and by doing so purge the school of those who in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic ". McGonagall explained.

" Muggle-borns," Hermione said. McGonagall nodded.

" Well, naturally the school has been searched many times. No such Chamber has been found," McGonagall added.

" Professor," Hermione began. " What exactly does legend tell us? What lies within the Chamber? "

" It is said to be home....of a monster," McGonagall said with a horrified face. Class was being let out.

" I'll catch up with you later," Cortney said to Pansy as she stayed behind with three others.

" Professor McGonagall, when you transform yourself in and out of a cat, what is that called? " Milan asked.

" Animagus, Mr. Saleung," McGonagall answered.

" Can you show us? " Joey asked. McGonagall looked at the four students suspiciously. The four all excelled really well in her class, right behind Hermione.

" Very well," McGonalll huffed. De'lexi stood behind everyone taking notes. McGonagall transformed into a cat and then thirty seconds later transformed back. The four paid high attention to this.

" Wicked," Cortney breathed.

" Thank you! " De'lexi said before the four left. They head to the library so De'lexi could check out the book they need.

" Class starts in ten minutes," Milan pointed out.

" Let's skip today," Cortney suggested. " Screw Herbology".

" Where should we do this? " Joey asked.

" I know of a place, " Cortney said. She led them to a wall. Doors appeared out of nowhere. They walked in, the room looked like McGonagall's classroom. Except with changing areas, sink drains, and no animals.

" How did you find this place? " Joey asked curiously.

" Last year," Cortney replied. The four sat in a circle on the ground. De'lexi was reading details out loud. The four all held a Mandrake leave.

" One, two, three," Milan counted. The four all put the leaves in their mouth. Putting it in a spot where it wouldn't be noticed. 

" We must meet up at least once a week, so we can go over more stuff," De'lexi said as they left the place. " One month ". With that reminded they parted ways. 

" You defiantly won't get better at Herbology if you skip it," an Irish voice rang through the hall.

" What was the lesson about today? " Cortney asked scratching her head looking at Dean, Neville, and Seamus.

" You would know if you were there," Dean sassed.

" Not helping," Cortney said glaring at him.

" We worked on Mandrake information more," Nevill informed.

" Thanks, Longbottom," Cortney said graciously.

" Don't you go skipping Astronomy tonight Lestrange," Seamus said sternly.

" Do I have to go? " Cortney groaned.

" Well, you not that good at Astronomy either, so yes," Dean said crossing his arms. " You could be really good at it if you paid attention and stayed awake ".

" I lost count how many times I had to drag your arse to the Gryffindor common room," Seamus groaned.

" Like I'm going to stay awake tonight," Cortney sassed.

" Looks like I'm taking notes for you again, and dragging your arse up to Gryffindor tower". Seamus groaned.

" Thanks, Finnigan," Cortney smiled. " I highly appreciated it ".