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

[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.