History of Magic Today

[alt_sally_anne]

Well History of Magic was more interesting than usual today.

I heard from Longbottom yesterday that Finnigan tried to ask Binns about the Chamber of Secrets but he couldn't even get Binns to call on him and when he shouted something out Binns just blinked and muttered something about how this wasn't a class on legends but a class on facts.  And then he went back to talking about Goblin Rebellions.

So when we had History of Magic today, Draco raised his hand and kept it up until Binns called on him and then he asked about the Chamber of Secrets. But we'd all seen what the Headmistress said to Mr Malfoy, so when he said it was a legend, Pansy interrupted raised her hand politely and said 'but sir, the Headmistress didn't say it was a legend. She said if it HAD been opened, there'd be something worse than a petrified cat.'

So he muttered a little more and then told us the story.  He started by telling us what we all already knew, that the school was founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin.  And for years they all got on with each other, but then there was a rift because Slytherin realised that it was a bad idea to let in mudbloods and they were untrustworthy. And finally there was a huge fight and Slytherin left.  And THAT'S all true, because it's in Hogwarts:  A History.

And then he told us the story of the Chamber of Secrets.  The legend says that Slytherin built a hidden chamber somewhere in Hogwarts castle, and didn't tell any of the other founders. And he sealed it so no one could open it until his own true heir arrived at school.  The heir -- and only the heir -- would be able to open the chamber and unleash 'the horror within,' and whatever was in there would purge the school of everyone unworthy to study magic.

So then I asked him what the horror was, was it a monster inside or something else and he said it was all just a story, the school had been searched many times and since they never found a Chamber of Secrets it must not be real.  And Teddy pointed out that since it could only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, it stands to reason no one else would find it, right? Because you'd probably need to be a family member. Binns said that one of the headmasters or headmistresses would have found it.  So then Milli asked if he was saying that the headmasters were better wizards than Salazar Slytherin, and he got really cross and said none of this had this had anything to do with history and this was a history class and things went back to being really dull.

Anyway this got me wondering about Slytherin's descendants.  I mean there could be a lot of people at this point who are a tiny bit related to Slytherin, and they might not even all be in Slytherin House. Were people keeping track, a thousand years ago? 

Comments

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Draco has a tapestry at his house that shows his family tree but I don't think it goes back a thousand years. And Hydra's family has one too. They'd surely have mentioned it if it traced back to Slytherin but then Slytherin wouldn't have an HEIR he'd have a whole pack of heirs because all the old families are related. Ron's even related to Draco through a cousin, I know that must be true Ron because I heard your mum inherited something from Draco's great-aunt who died a few weeks ago. And there are five Weasleys at the school right now so that would be five more heirs for party.

Really, if anyone's related to Slytherin then practically everyone is, if it's as simple as being a blood descendant.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Well, I don't know. Maybe Slytherin's family only had one child in each generation.

Or maybe they had loads of kids in each generation and they all fought until there was only one left alive to marry and have the next batch.

Okay, that's probably not true, but it would make for a wicked story!

[alt_padma]

Well, that explains why I couldn't find anything in the library!

Dames and Tamblyn say that the Chamber is a myth, too. But Johns says she thinks it's real.

[alt_draco]

Yeah, but do you think the Chamber is really open, or that it was someone having a laugh, just making us think it was?

[alt_ron]

If it was someone having a laugh, they've got a really sick sense of humour. I mean, who does that to a cat?

[alt_padma]

Well, I agree it wasn't nice. It's not like a cat can be a blood traitor, even if this cat seemed to like Granger's company.

But Professor Sprout said she can fix the cat, just not right away. So maybe whoever played the prank didn't realise that the cat couldn't be put back to rights straight off?

Professor Lockhart said he's going to help with the potion and then that cat will be fixed even sooner, though.

[alt_draco]

Do you really believe it was a prank? I know my Father says it was a prank, but he wasn't there... it felt eerie, didn't it? Like something really wrong had been there. And how many pranksters or people at this school can speak Parseltongue? Only Harry can and not ever very.

Or I guess its possible I was just feeling off from the Death party.

[alt_ron]

No, I didn't think it was a prank. I mean for one thing, did you see the look on the cat's face? I don't know a lot about cats, I guess, but I've never seen that one look like that--like, I don't know, like someone had set fire to its tail and it'd just realised.

And what about all the water everywhere? It looked Professor Carrow's room after, y'know.

And I agree, I don't know if was the whole thing with Harry saying he heard something hissing Parseltongue or, yeah, I guess it could have been because we'd just been down with all those ghosts, but it was dead creepy.

Still, if your father says it was a prank, I guess I wouldn't want to be the one saying it wasn't. If you know what I mean.

[alt_draco]

Cats always sort of have the same look on their face. Sort of aloof, you know? But yeah, it didn't look aloof at all.

Like I told Padma, it's not that I think my Father or the Headmistress is lying, I'm just saying that its different if you saw it right after it happened.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, I agree.

[alt_padma]

Well, I think if the Chamber were open, really, we'd know, don't you?

Besides, your father and the Headmistress said it was a prank.

[alt_draco]

Yeah, I know what they said.

[alt_padma]

Well, don't you believe them?

[alt_draco]

I don't think they're lying, I simply haven't decided what I believe.

[alt_padma]

I mean, by the time we got there, there were so many people it was hard to see anything. But the Headmistress and Professor Brutka were there and they said that the cat was just petrified. And then Professor Lockhart pushed through and that's when the Headmistress told the prefects to take everyone back to our common rooms.

So if you saw something that no one else did, you ought to say.

[alt_draco]

I didn't see anything aside from what we all already described.

So if you're accusing me of something, you ought to say.

[alt_padma]

I'm not accusing anything. You said to Weasley that it felt like more than a prank, so I wondered why you think that, is all.

[alt_draco]

It was just a feeling.

But like I said, it might've been because of that awful Deathday party.

I don't know.

[alt_padma]

Did you tell the Headmistress? Maybe it would help if you told Professor Slughorn - then he could figure out if it was because of the ghosts or something more...erm, dangerous.

[alt_sally_anne]

If it's someone having a laugh it must be a much older student, because it would take really powerful magic to petrify a cat, especially to petrify it so thoroughly it would take months to undo. I expect the Headmistress could transfigure something into stone if she wanted but she could transfigure it back a minute later.

[alt_sally_anne]

And I thought nearly everyone in our house liked cats. I mean there's one in practically every dorm room. Two in mine, if you count Pyewacket.

I wonder if it was Professor Carrow, I mean he could have transfigured

[alt_ron]

Oh, well, then. It must be real if Johns thinks it is.

Come on, I believe what the Headmistress said, but who cares what Dames or Johns or Tamblyn thinks?

[alt_padma]

Excuse me, Ronald, but they all have parents who were students here, too, so maybe they know stuff from when they were students. Besides, they're some of the best students in their years.

[alt_draco]

Well I know a bit about Wizarding ancestry and if someone here was related to Salazar Slytherin and they knew it, we'd know it, too. Because who would be quiet about something like that?

[alt_pansy]

Well, that's true. Unless they were hiding it, you know, so they could make it a surprise. I guess that's part of it. After all, if they wanted to really catch people doing things they shouldn't, that would be the way to do it.

[alt_draco]

It's just that I don't think anyone's claimed to be related to Salazar Slytherin for ages, at least not so far as I've heard from my parents. Well, people claim it all the time, actually, but without any proof. That's what trees and tapestries are for, to prove your Ancestry.

[alt_sally_anne]

A Gryffindor might be quiet about it.

But you're right really, if anyone could trace all the way back to Salazar Slytherin, surely everyone would know.

[alt_neville]

I seem to remember someone saying once that Gryffindors can't keep their mouths shut about anything.

All jokes aside, I can't think of anyone in Gryffindor House that would do anything like that.

[alt_hydra]

So there is a legend and it might be true?
That's very scary.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well it does sound like there's a legend.

But it could just be someone having a laugh. Either way Draco's right that you're not in danger and neither is your rabbit so don't worry, Hydra.