Draco stood in front of the fireplace, pacing around.

"Potter's a Parselmouth?" he repeated disbelievingly. "That's impossible. Potter, descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself?"

"People are saying he's the Heir of Slytherin," Pansy said, brow furrowing. "But he's a Gryffindor. That's impossible."

"Of course it is!" Draco raged. "The Heir of Slytherin has to be, oh I don't know, Slytherin!"

Goyle shifted in his chair. "And you don't know who it is? You're sure?"

Draco sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, Goyle, that's the fourth time I've told you!" He rolled his eyes. "I just can't believe people think it's Potter though. The idea is just so absolutely absurd—" he cut off with a hysterical laugh. "I'm going to bed."

Piper watched amusedly as he stormed up to the boy's dormitories. She really didn't see why he was so upset about it. Oh well, she decided as she got up and stretched. It doesn't really affect me.

>>>•O•<<<

"Good morning," Pansy said sleepily to Piper as her eyes opened. "Classes cancelled today."

"Why?" Piper turned to look out her window when she remembered— they were underground, below the lake, so there was no window.

"Most of the teachers are helping with the mandrakes. Apparently their scream can kill now, and most of them have the flu. And it's snowing pretty badly. Why do you think it's colder?"

Truth be told, Piper could not tell the difference in the freezing dungeons.

"Well, I may as well get to the library. I still haven't finished that History report." Piper sat up and pulled her curtains around her bed to change. She could hear Pansy groan.

"Piper, you're the only one besides the Ravenclaws who even care about that class. Sleep in or something! You never get much rest."

"Old habits," Piper said vaguely, pulling on her green robes.

"Whatever."

Piper shivered as she walked out of the hidden stone entrance and made her way up to warmer grounds in the castle. She slipped into the library and opened her half finished scroll, digging through her bag to find the quill. Honestly, ever heard of a pen?

Just as she found one, a group of Hufflepuffs caught her eye— or so to say, ear.

"... So anyway, I warned Hazel to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked her as his next victim, it's best if she keeps a low profile for a while. I mean, I wouldn't want her to die before I can ask her out." The Hufflepuff boy said this jokingly, but Piper could tell he was truly concerned about Hazel's safety. She snorted. Good luck getting past Frank.

"Of course, it's only expected Potter targets the muggleborns. Frank said that none of the exchange students had magical parents," the boy continued with an air of obnoxious importance, pleased he knew something.

Piper frowned over her paper. Technically we're all half-bloods, but not wizard half-bloods. Except Hazel had a witch mother, so she's a double half-blood? But not a muggleborn, so...

The Hufflepuff boy was talking again. "I mean, look at the facts. He's a parselmouth, which is a clear sign of a Dark Wizard. And the writing on the wall— Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had a run-in with Filch, and suddenly Mrs. Norris's attacked. Creevey annoyed Potter during the Quidditch match, next thing we know, Creevey's been attacked. And Hazel said she knew him before she came to Hogwarts— maybe she annoyed him then..."

"He's always so nice though," A girl anxiously. "And, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be that bad, can he?"

The Hufflepuff boy lowered his voice mysteriously. "No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. He should've been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could've survived a curse like that."

He dropped his voice lower. "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"

Piper rolled her eyes as she dipped her quill into some more ink. So this is how rumors start, she thought as she scratched out more letters. Stupid kids trying to make drama and explain spooky things.

She rolled up her scroll and glanced back at the Hufflepuffs, almost laughing at their fearful expressions. Harry was confronting them, and he looked mad.

"Hello," he said casually, though his body was tense. "I'm looking for Hazel."

The Hufflepuffs exchanged glances fearfully, as if it confirmed their suspicions.

"What do you want with her?" The Hufflepuff boy said, his voice quavering.

"I wanted to tell her what really happened with that snake last night," Harry replied calmly. The back of his neck was flaming red and his voice had a forced tone to it.

"We all were there. We saw what happened."

"Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" Harry's voice was trembling with controlled rage.

"All I saw," the annoying Hufflepuff said stubbornly, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Hazel."

"I didn't chase it at her! It didn't even touch her!" Piper couldn't see his hands, but she had the impression they were clenched into fists.

"It was a very near miss. And in case you're getting any ideas, my family has nine generations of wizards and my blood's as pure as any, so—" the boy was cut off by Harry.

"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" Harry snarled. "Why'd I want to attack Muggleborns?"

"You said you hated those muggles you lived with," the boy shot back swiftly.

"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," Harry growled, shaking with suppressed anger. "I'd like to see you try it."

He turned on his heel and stalked out.

Piper strolled casually to the Hufflepuffs, who were still frozen, looking after Harry.

"I don't know if you've noticed," she said, picking at her nails. "but Hazel has a very devoted boyfriend. I don't suggest you try anything, he can be fierce."

She turned and left the library, deciding to look for Harry. He looked like he could use some calming down.

She saw the end of his cloak turn swiftly around the corner and she jogged after him.

Where's he going? She vaguely wondered. Piper turned the corner and nearly crashed into Harry.

"What are you—" she froze and looked down.

"No," Harry breathed as he knelt next to the bodies on the floor.

>>>•Hazel•<<<

Hazel huffed as the rest of the Hufflepuffs left the common room. Honestly, they were being paranoid.

"The snake was just mad," she insisted to Frank, who was sitting next to her. "Harry was never going to attack me."

Frank sighed. "I know, but they're not going to listen. Might as well stay in here, there's really nothing to do."

Hazel stood up and cracked her back. "I kind of want to visit Piper. Convince her to convince everyone Harry's not the Heir."

Frank stood up and laced his arm through hers. "I'll come with you. I'm done with my homework anyways."

Hazel smiled as they exited the barrels marking the entrance of the dormitory.

"Do you know the way?"

"Nope," Frank responded cheerfully. Hazel laughed.

"We could just walk around until we find them."

They wandered down a few more corridors in the chilly air. Hazel rubbed the goosebumps that formed on her arms even though she had a cloak on. There was a sense of danger, she might have to get her spatha—

"Oof!" Frank tripped over something. Hazel looked down in surprise at the large diamond on the floor from the Hufflepuff's house point hourglass.

"That's funny." Hazel bent down and picked up the stone. "I can usually control the summoning now."

"Do you think it's that cold chill? You feel it too, right? The air's... dangerous." Frank looked around the corner warily before glancing back down at the stone in Hazel's hand.

Hazel held up the large diamond, which was about the size of both her fists combined. It twinkled in the light of a single torch that wasn't blown out from the wind yet. "We should give it to Professor Sprout to put back into the hourglass," she thought out loud.

The gem sparkled before the shine dimmed enough to see what was being reflected.

She and Frank saw it at the same time. A cold, painful feeling rushed through her veins, turning her blood into ice and freezing her bones and muscles were acid, before the world glowed brightly then shut off into complete darkness.

>>>•3rd person POV•<<<

The Hogwarts student stood as if in a trance below the brazier, blood and rooster feathers splattered on her robes. The last torch spluttered in the wind before dying down into nothing but glowing coals. Ginny Weasley turned to the Basilisk which was protruding from the window, avoiding those large yellow eyes. The diamond was still clutched tightly in Hazel's hand, gleaming innocently.

"Well done," she rasped, though it sounded different. "You may leave."

As the giant snake's head recoiled through the window where it would enter the underground pipe leading to the Chamber, Ginny turned to the direction of the Gryffindor common room and walked there robotically, not in control of her mind or body. She entered through the portrait and pulled the curtains around her bed as she opened the diary that lay on her nightstand. The book glowed and a wisp of light trailed from Ginny's heart into the book. The Gryffindor came to the world, just realizing where she was.

A cold feeling surrounded Ginny as she dipped her quill into ink and began to write.

Tom, I think I'm going crazy...