As Cassiopeia walked through the corridors towards her dormitory, she was startled by a strange noise echoing down the hallway. It was a chilling sound, whispered in a sinister and distorted manner.

"Come... To... Me... Let me rip you, let me tear you... Let me kill you," the words reverberated menacingly. Cassi couldn't quite explain what it was, but it felt like the sound was slithering through the walls, creating a sense of anguish in the air.

"I smell blood... Let me shred you, let me kill you, kill..."

Cassiopeia heard it again as she followed the trail ,she approached cautiously, guided by the disturbing sound.

Suddenly, her footsteps collided with Harry Potter's, causing them both to awkwardly fall to the ground.

Surprise and fear reflected in their eyes as they recovered from the impact.

"Cassi, sorry about that," Harry said, still trying to regain his footing.

"You heard it too, didn't you?" Cassi asked, her voice trembling.

"The voice in the walls? Yes," Harry confirmed, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of unease and curiosity.

As they got up, Hermione and Ron suddenly appeared, their expressions displaying confusion and concern.

"Harry, Cassi, what's going on?" Hermione called out, quickly approaching.

"You heard it too?" Harry asked, seeking support from his friends.

"Hear what?" Ron inquired, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"The voice... in the walls," Cassi replied, her voice laden with tension.

Confusion settled for a moment until they all realized that something terribly wrong was happening at Hogwarts. The sibilant and threatening voice continued to echo, as if it were moving, drawing nearer and nearer.

"I first heard it in Lockhart's office, and then again," Harry revealed, his eyes displaying a mixture of fear and determination.

"And I heard it while walking through the corridors," Cassi added, looking at her friends with an apprehensive expression.

A heavy silence hung over the group, interrupted only by the malevolent whispers permeating the air. It was a sound that invaded their thoughts and awakened a sense of pure horror.

"I think... it's going to kill," Cassi whispered, her face pale with fear at the terrifying prospect.

"KILL?" Hermione exclaimed, her countenance reflecting the panic that gripped them all.

Harry stepped forward, driven by a mix of curiosity and bravery, with Cassiopeia closely

Hermione following, shouting for them not to be so hasty.

"Harry, Cassi, WAIT, don't go so fast!" Hermione cried out, trying to catch up to them.
The two abruptly stopped when they came upon a wet corridor ahead. What caught their attention, however, was the disturbing sight of an infestation of spiders climbing up the walls and fleeing out the window, as if escaping some imminent danger.

"This is strange, I've never seen spiders behave like this," Harry commented, perplexed by the unusual behavior of the arachnids.

"This happens when there's a larger predator nearby," Cassiopeia explained, well acquainted with the world of magical creatures.
Cassi's words were interrupted by Ron's mournful lament. "I don't like spiders," he said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Guys..." Cassi choked, looking bewildered ahead.

When the others looked up, they were met with a horrendous scene. The wall in front of them was covered in blood, written in grotesque letters: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir... beware."

Hermione read aloud, her voice trembling, echoing down the corridor.
"That's blood," Cassi said, stepping closer to examine it more closely. Her expression transformed into a mix of horror and anguish as she pointed at Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, hanging upside down.

Soon, a crowd gathered, observing the scene in shock and horror. Fear and uncertainty hung in the air as everyone wondered what could be happening at Hogwarts and who could be responsible for such violence.

"Enemies of the heir, beware," Draco read aloud, and Cassiopeia felt some glances turning towards her, making her uncomfortable.

"You'll be next, Mudblood," Draco venomously said to Hermione.

"Draco!" Cassi firmly pulled on his ear. "What did I tell you?!" she asked, upset by his behavior.

"What's going on here? Get out of my way, get out of my way," Filch hurriedly pleaded, trying to make his way through the crowd.
"Gaunt? What are you..." He began to reprimand Cassiopeia, but then his eyes fixed on his beloved hanging cat.
Filch's eyes filled with tears, and his voice came out broken. "Is that Mrs. Norris?"

"You killed my cat?" Filch asked with anger, addressing Potter, who was closest to the animal.

"No, no," Harry desperately shook his head, vehemently denying the accusation.

"I'll kill you," Filch said, a maniacal smile plastered on his face. "I'LL KILL YOU!" he shouted, grabbing onto Harry's clothes.
"Argus!" Dumbledore interrupted, calling him by name. As soon as he read what was written on the wall, Dumbledore raised his voice.
"Everyone will immediately go to their dormitory. Everyone, except you four. Follow me," demanded Dumbledore as the group moved away, obeying his orders.

"She's not dead, Mr. Argus, she has been petrified," Dumbledore said to calm the man.
"Why was she petrified, I cannot say."

"Ask him, he must have done it, look at what he wrote on the wall," Filch accused Potter again.

"It's not true, sir, I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris," Harry defended himself.

"Rubbish," the man dismissed.

"If I might, Headmaster? Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," Severus interjected.
"However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner."
"I am afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Harry's helping answer my fan mail," Lockhart said.

"That's why Ron and I were looking for him, professor. We just found him and Cassi when they said," Hermione interrupted.

"Yes, Mrs. Granger?"

"When I said I wasn't hungry," Harry said.
"That doesn't explain what you were doing in the corridors, Mrs. Gaunt." Everyone stared at Cassi intently.

"I was looking for Hermione. I wanted to apologize for an earlier incident," Cassi said, embarrassed, leaving out the part where she had been yelling at Draco for being rude to Hermione for minutes.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"My cat has been petrified. I want to see some punishment," Filch said, agitated.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Dumbledore reassured him. "As I understand, Madam Sprout has very healthy and grown Mandrakes with which the potion will be made. We will revive Mrs. Norris."

Meanwhile, I strongly recommend caution to all,"  said Dumbledore

Cassiopeia , felt that something was Desperately wrong.

⁀➷

Transfiguration Class

The Transfiguration classroom was filled with cages and animals, creating a lively atmosphere. The cages hung from various places and were scattered around the room, each housing a different creature.

"May I have your attention please?" Minerva requested.

"Right, now, today we will be transforming animals into bowls ."

"Like this, 1, 2, 3. Fetherfethertol."

Minerva skillfully pointed her wand at a beautiful bird and with a final swish of her wand, transformed it into a goblet.

A collective sigh of surprise and admiration echoed through the class. The transformation was impressive, showcasing the teacher's skill and expertise. The gleaming goblet now rested in place of the former bird, a true work of transfigured art.

"Now, it's your turn. Well, who would like to go first?" Minerva asked, gesturing towards the stairs.

Cassiopeia eagerly raised her hand.

"Mrs. Gaunt," Minerva smiled at her goddaughter.

"On my signal, 1, 2, 3."

"Fetherfethertol," Cassi said, mimicking what she had seen and executing the spell perfectly.

"Very well, Mrs. Gaunt, 5 points to Slytherin," Minerva praised proudly.

A glow of satisfaction illuminated Cassi's face as she thanked her with a radiant smile.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley," Minerva walked up to him. "1, 2, 3 Fetherfethertol," she instructed.

Ron seemed confident, cleared his throat, and proceeded.

He waved his wand three times and said, "Fetherfethertol." However, instead of a perfect goblet, he created a hairy aberration with its tail sticking out.

Some laughed at the scene, and Ron appeared shocked by the monstrosity of a goblet.
"That one needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," Minerva said with a sigh.

Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Mrs. Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione asked timidly.

Minerva looked around and saw curious eyes. Cassi became a little nervous.

"Very well, you all know, of course. Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by four of the greatest wizards and witches of the age," Minerva paused as she walked.

"Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Three of the founders concurred quite harmoniously, one did not,"

"I wonder who was it " Ron whispered to Harry not so silently.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families, in other words, pure-bloods."

Draco looked at Cassiopeia with a malicious smile. "Unable to persuade others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle known as the Chamber of Secrets. Shockingly, before he departed, he sealed it. Until the time when his own true 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 all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic." When Minerva finished, she had several eyes on Cassiopeia. Pansy held her hand when she felt her nervousness.

"Muggle-born," Hermione said sadly.

"Naturally, the school has been searched many times, and no such chamber has been found," Minerva concluded. "Professor, what does the legend exactly tell us about the light in the chamber?" Hermione questioned.

"The chamber is said to be home to something that only the heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home of a monster." With Minerva's final words, Ron turned towards Cassi with a dirty look that hurt her.

⁀➷

At the end of the class, Cassiopeia followed her Gryffindor classmates. Cassi felt her heart tighten as she listened to the conversation among her Gryffindor peers. She had sneaked up, hoping to join the discussion and find out what was going on.

"The question is, who is it?" Hermione said, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"Let's think, who do we know that is a Slytherin pure-blood and conveniently a descendant of Salazar Slytherin?" Ron taunted, causing Cassi's heart to sink.

Before Hermione could finish her sentence, Cassi couldn't bear to hear anymore. She quickly passed by the three, running without clearly hearing what her friend had said. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mix of anger, hurt, and betrayal flooding her emotions.

She felt a sense of betrayal coursing through her veins. Her friends were accusing her of something terrible based solely on her house and lineage. The words hurt deeply, making her question the trust and friendship she believed she had.

Cassiopeia ran through the castle corridors, tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached with every step as she sought refuge in the Slytherin common room. With each sob that escaped her lips, the feeling of betrayal intensified.

Upon reaching the common room, Cassi found Pansy, who immediately noticed her distress and concern. "Pansy..." Cassi sobbed, her voice choked with sadness. "They... they're all looking at me, accusing me..."

Pansy looked at Cassiopeia with wide eyes, worried about her friend's emotional state. She gently asked what had happened.

Between sobs and fragmented words, Cassi explained how everyone was looking at her and mentioned Wesley's hurtful words that had been so painful to hear. The unjust accusations weighed heavily on her heart, making her feel helpless and betrayed.

Draco Malfoy, who was nearby and overheard the conversation, grew furious. His eyes sparkled with anger, and he vowed revenge against those who had made his cousin cry. Pansy, in turn, mocked and expressed outrage at the redhead for hurting Cassi in that way.

"No, Draco," Cassi intervened, placing her hand on his arm. "I don't want any trouble. I'm just very sad about the accusations..."

Draco calmed down under Cassi's touch and looked directly into her eyes. He reminded her that it was an honor to be a Slytherin, to be a descendant of such a spectacular wizard as Salazar Slytherin.

Draco also mocked and said that there was nothing to be ashamed of if they indeed got rid of the filthy mudbloods, but Cassi was too sad to reprimand the boy.

During the night, Pansy enveloped Cassi in a tight hug, sharing her friend's pain and offering her shoulder to cry on.