The next day Cortney was in the hallway, she was reviewing for Potions. She was on her way to lunch, she decided to sit at the Gryffindor table. Mail came, Ellie dropped a letter on her Potions homework. She took a grape and flew away. Cortney looked at the note.

~ Detention tonight with Professor Sprout in Greenhouse 3 ~ Snape. Cortney sighed.

" What is it, Cort? " Seamus asked snatching her note. " Have fun in detention". He said ruffling her hair.

" I am not looking forward to it," Cortney groaned as she swatted his hands away.

" Professor Sprout is probably going to have you work with the Mandrakes," Seamus assured her.

" You know how much I suck at Herbology! " She exclaimed.

" Well you wouldn't if you actually showed up," Neville said butting into the conversation.

" This is no time for jokes Longbottom," Cortney snapped. ( High five to anyone who knows where that is from(besides the Longbottom part ) ). Neville threw his hands up in defense.

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

A little later, Cortney was walking in the hallway again. All of a sudden a pair of arms snaked around her.

" How about a date tonight? " Theodore asked, taking his arms back. She turned to face him as they stopped in the hallway.

" Can't I have detention with Snape," Cortney said sadly.

" It'll be a late date, after your detention. Sit in front of the fireplace, in the common room," He suggested.

" Genius! " Cortney said happily as they high-five.

********

Cortney was now in detention. Professor Sprout had her working with plants they learned that year so far. She was having a lot of trouble.

" Ms. Lestrange, I can't help but notice you are struggling a lot with these plants, and in my classroom," Professor Sprout said walking over to her.

" Yeah, I am struggling a lot," Cortney admitted. She threw her hands over her head in defeat.

" Tell you what," Professor Sprout began. " I have a student that excels highly in my class. I'll get them to tutor you till you are done with Herbology at Hogwarts".

" That would be really kind of you Professor, thank you," Cortney said. She now leaving detention, it was late, started to head to her dorm.

" All students are to return to their dorms at once," McGonagall's voice boomed through the hallways. " All teachers to the second-floor corridor ". Cortney began to walk to her dorm when she ran into Harry and Ron. They dragged her to the second corridor with them. They were currently hiding behind a wall. The staff ran up to a wall in front of them, all looking very horrified at what they saw.

" As you can see the Heir of Slytherin had left another message," began Professor McGonagall. " Our worst fears has been realized. A student has been taken into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home, I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts". At moment Professor Lockhart walked sleepily into the scene.

" Sorry, doze off. What have I missed ?" Lockhart asked.

" A girl has been snatched by the monster. Lockhart your moment has come at last," said Snape.

" M-my moment ? "stuttered Lockhart.

" Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is? " Snape asked.

" That's settled, we'll leave you to deal with the monster Gilderoy," said McGonagall. " Your skills are legendary after all".

" Very well, I'll just be in my office um, um getting ready," Lockhart said turning to leave.

" Who is it that the monster has taken, Minvera? " Madame Pomfrey asked.

" Ginny Weasly," McGonagall said with grief. Cortney and Harry looked back at Ron. He had his mouth open, eyes wide, he was frozen with shock. The teachers left revealing the message on the wall.

" Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever," Ron read. " Ginny ! ". They soon found themselves running towards Lockhart's office.

" Lockhart may be useless,  but he's going to try to get in the Chamber," Harry said as they entered Lockhart's classroom. " At least we can tell him what we know. They entered the office, bursting through the door. " Professor we have some information for you--". his office was almost stripped. Two larger trunks stood open on the floor. Robes folding themselves, books were untidy, photographs cramming into boxes on the desk. 

" Are you going somewhere ? " asked Cortney.

" I-I um, well, yes, urgent call. unavoidable. Gotta go," Lockhart said as he shoved a picture into a box. 

" What about my sister !? " demanded Rom.

" Well, um, as to that most unfortunate, no one regrets more than I," said Lockhart.

" You are the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now! " Ron protested.

" Well, I must say, when I took the job, there was nothing in the description about--" began Lockhart.

" You're running away !? " Cortney demanded.

" After all that stuff you did in your books ! " demanded Harry.

" Books can be misleading," Lockhart said as he closed his trunks.

" You wrote them! " Harry snapped.

" My dear children, do you not use your common sense? My books wouldn't have sold well as if they didn't," began Lockhart.

"  Didn't think you've done all those things," Cortney finished.

" Clever girl," Lockhart began.

" You're afraid! You've been taking credit for what other wizards have done," said Harry.

" Is there anything you can do ? " asked Ron.

" Yes, now that you mention it. I'm rather gifted in Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see," Lockhart began.

" All those witches and wizards would've told and you wouldn't have sold another book," Cortney finished.

" In fact, I'm going to have to do the same to you," Lockhart said as he pulled out his wand. All three students whipped out their wands and pointed it and their professor, he immediately dropped his wand. Lockhart looked at all his students, he was most frightened of Cortney. " You look like your mother when you're angry," Lockhart said to Cortney.

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

They lead Lockhart to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

" Who's there? " Myrtle asked. She was a 14-year-old Ravenclaw girl. She had round glasses, and long pig-tail braids, she haunted this bathroom, very sensitive. " Oh hello Harry, what do you want? "

" To ask how you died," answered Harry. Mrytle floated down to them.

" Oh, it was dreadful. It happened right here. In this very cubic. I did it because some Ravenclaw was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, then I heard someone come in," Myrtle explained.

" Who was it Myrtle ? " asked Harry.

" I don't know! I was distraught! But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language. and I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and...I died," explained Myrtle.

" Just like that? How ? " asked Ron.

" I remember seeing great big yellow eyes over there, by that sink," Myrtle said gesturing to a sink, by floating over to it. Harry walked over and knelt down. He ran his fingers under it, feeling an engraving of a snake on something,

" This is it," Harry said standing up. " This is it. I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets ".

" Say something! Harry say something in Parsletounge! " Harry began to make the weird hissing sounds. The tap glowed with a bright light, the light began spinning, and disappeared, all the other sinks moved into a bigger spaced circle. It revealed a giant pipe, going down. They looked into it.

" Excellent Harry. good work then I'll just um, there's no need for me to stay," said Lockhart trying to leave. Ron blocked him.

" Yes there is," Harry grunted as he and Ron pushed him back. He almost fell into the hole. They all held out their wands.

" You first," Cortney demanded. 

" Now children, what good would that do? " Lockhart asked.

" Better you than us," Ron said. Lockhart turned and looked into the hole.

" You sure you don't want to test it out first? " Lockhart said glaring at them. Harry pushed him, Lockhart let out a little yelp, there was a crash at the end. " Really quite filthy done here ! " he called.

"Let's go," said Harry.

" Oh Harry," Myrtle began. " If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet".

" Um, thanks," Harry said awkwardly. They all jumped down into the hole. Sliding around, landing on bones. They all stood up, wands pointed at Lockhart.

" Now remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away," Harry reminded. He led them through the tunnels, they stopped at shredded skin.

" What's that ? " asked Ron.

" It looks like snakeskin," said Lockhart.

" Bloody hell, whatever it is, this must be sixty feet long ! " exclaimed Ron.

" Oh no," Lockhart mumbled before fainting.

" Hard to rely on this one," Ron said. All of a sudden Lockhart jumped up snatching Ron's wand. He pointed it at them.

" The adventure ends here kids, but don"t fret. The whole world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl, how you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her body," said Lockhart. "So you first Harry, say goodbye to your memories! Obliviate! " The spell rebounded and hit Lockhart. He through into the air, hitting the ceiling, before falling back onto the bone-covered floor. The ceiling began to fall, everyone put their arms up to shield their heads. It soon stopped.

" Harry! " Ron and Cortney shouted. Harry was separated from everyone.

" Ron! Cortney! " Harry shouted from the other side. " Are you okay !? " On the other side, Lockhart sat up.

" Hello, who are you? " Lockhart asked Ron.

" I'm...Ron Weasly," Ron answered.

" Oh, and who am I ? " he asked. Ron looked back at Harry.

"Lockhart's Memory Charm backfired! He hasn't got a clue who he is ! " said Ron.

" This is an odd sort of place, isn't it? " Lockhart said picking up a rock. " Do you live here? "

" No," Ron said taking the Lockhart.

" Really," Lockhart questioned. Ron knocked him out with rock in his hand, before turning back to Harry.

" What do we do now? " Cortney asked.

" You two wait here, and try to shift some rocks so we can get back through, I'll go find Ginny," Harry said before walking away. Ron and Cortney began to move some rocks.

" I do hope Harry comes back with Ginny," Ron said.

" I do too," Cortney agreed.