"Neither actually. And if you took two seconds off from being a bastard you might actually find out." Valentine looked up at the window sill. "Hello? I am not a person you want to ignore!"

Valentine sigh and turned back to Snape. She blinked twice.

"What?" Snape frowned.

Valentine gestured with her head for him to look to the left.

He did so slowly and Valentine had never seen a man grown jump so high. His face went pale and he sent another hateful glare Valentine's away. Although he didn't scream out loud he certainly did so in Valentine's head. She didn't hide her snigger.

"What do you want?" The ghost crossed her arms over her chest with a sulk. "I told you to go away."

"I've been told to do a lot of things." Valentine shrugged. "How would you like to be of some use?"

"Don't make fun of me!"

"Oh, please." Valentine's gaze turned so deathly cold that even a ghost might shiver beneath it. "You'd know if I was making fun of you. Now. Tell the cowardly Professor here, what those bloody Gryffindor's have been up to. You know the ones I mean so don't try and play dumb. The Professor here has that covered for us."

"When we are done here, you will regret ever saying that," Snape growled at her.

"Is that a promise?" Valentine pouted innocently. "I'm shaking."

"Why should I tell you anything?" The ghost spat. "You're a bully!"

"And you're dead so why do you care?"

"Leave me alone!"

"Hey, Professor? How quickly do you think we can get an exorcist in here? I was thinking that a little pest control would be beneficial."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me."

The ghost stared her down for the longest time as if trying to figure out how serious she was.

"Fine." The girl finally huffed. "They started making that potion weeks ago. That girl, Hermione comes by all the time to check on it. She's not mean like everyone else but I wish she would bring Harry."

The girl's demeanour changed like day and night. She battered lashes and sighed dreamily.

Valentine made a face, glancing over at Snape.

"Well? Are you convinced?"

"Quite," Snape muttered, more preoccupied at pulling his own face at the ghost's actions.

"What do we do with it?"

"Well, first we need to know what it is." He said patronizingly.

"You don't say?" She shot back sarcastically.

Snape knelt down and took a smell of the cauldron.

"It's Polyjuice potion, isn't it?"

"So, it would appear." Snape sighed like he was disappointed she was right.

He stood and opened his mouth to speak again when a voice echoed in from the hall just outside.

"-are you sure it's done, Hermione?"

"Yes, I'm sure Ronald! I made sure everything was done by the book. Don't you trust me?"

"Well..."

"I trust you."

"Thank you, Harry!"

Then the three Gryffindor's were standing in the bathroom, wide, horrified eyes flickering between Valentine and Snape.

"Ohhhh!" The ghost exclaimed. "How interesting!"

"How dare you steal from me!" Snape was immediately engaged by the sight of them. "I demand to know what you think you were playing at!"

"Ah...I...um..." Harry blinked rapidly as his brain searched for answers.

"Well, uh, we just..." Hermione tried to help but was no better.

This only served to irritate Snape further.

"You just what? Why would second years possibly need to make a Polyjuice potion!"

"Please, sir," Harry finally found his voice. "We weren't going to use it for anything bad!"

"That is completely beside the point!" Snape roared, voice filling the room. "Your purpose for stealing does not exempt you from the consequences of doing so. You will not get away with this."

"We were only going to use it to help!" Cried, Harry. "We needed to see if Lestran-"

Harry's words stopped halfway out of his mouth. It was as if he'd just remembered that she was standing right there, wearing an expression like she was having the time of her life.

"See what, Potter?" She blinked her wide eyes like she is wholly innocent. "Let me take a wild guess, shall I? You wanted to see if I'm the one behind these attacks? Do you really think if I was that anyone would be left still breathing?"

"This is not a matter for students!" Snape interjected.

"But students are the ones in danger!" Harry insisted.

I mean...he has a point.

"Such things should be left to those who know what they are doing. Not a couple of arrogant brats without a meaningful thought between them!"

"Really, sir!" Ron's voice trembled when he spoke. "You can punish us for stealing but we were just trying to help."

"With what?" Valentine sneered. "Baseless accusations?"

"Unfortunately, for you, Mr Weasley," Snape spat out his name like it was disgusting to him, "you have no say on the grounds of your punishment. If it was within my power, the four of you would never step foot in this school again!"

"Care to explain why you just included me in that?" Valentine glared at Snape from the corner of her eye.

---Pretending To Hate-----

As the discussion concerning stealing, polyjuice potion and punishment took place, Valentine took a chance to have dinner. She friends had hardly seen her all day but all their questions changed from anything but her whereabouts when she told them about what had just happened. They ate it up like they were starving. Draco, in particular, found it hilarious. He hoped the punishment would be severe. Valentine knew it would be unlikely to amount to more than a long list of detentions to complete.

Getting away later proved difficult. Leah didn't seem able to sleep no matter what Olivia tried. Valentine suggested suffocating her into unconsciousness with a pillow and no one else seemed to find it a viable option.

She lay in the dark and stared at the green canopy above her for almost two hours before it was safe for her to roll out of bed and get dress.

Dumbledore and Snape had been waiting all that time and although Dumbledore didn't seem perturbed by this, Snape spent five minutes ranting and raving before Valentine pointed out that he was wasting even more time.

"Miss Lestrange is right." Said Dumbledore. "We have other matters to discuss."

"Ginny still has the book." Valentine launched right into it. "I saw it myself. I sent her a little anonymous message telling her that it's dangerous and should be handed over to you straight away. I'll assume she hasn't."

"She has not," Dumbledore confirmed.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Valentine nodded. "If she doesn't come forth with it soon, I'll take myself."

"Very well." He nodded. "Well, it seems congratulations are in order, my dear. Harry, Miss Granger or Mr Weasley won't be brewing polyjuice potion again anytime soon."

"Forgive me Head Master, but a couple of detentions are hardly a suitable deterrent." Snape interjected.

"I don't think any of them would break the rules without seriously believing they must do so, Severus." Dumbledore gave him a pointed look. "Your stores are safe."

"It would honestly be such a waste of Hermione's talents," Valentine added. "They did it all to somehow see if I was the Heir of Slytherin and all they would have gotten is a no. Even if it was a yes, how were they ever going to prove it?

"A half thought out plan like that is only proof of their immaturity." Snape scoffed.

"You're just mad because you accused the wrong person." Valentine rolled her eyes. "Really. You weren't even close, sir."

"It is hardly a leap to assume a previous offender to be the culprit!"

"What possible reason could I have to go through all the trouble of scheming and stealing? I only just got off my probation!"

"You mistake yourself as some who can be trusted."

"And you mistake yourself as someone whose opinion matters to me."

"Miss Lestrange." Said Dumbledore, his tone held something Valentine couldn't quite describe. Usually, when he interrupted them like this he sounded amused or at the very least, mildly irritated.

"Professor?"

"You were suffering headaches before the holidays, correct?"

"Ugh. Don't remind me. They have seemed to calm down somewhat though."

"That scar, my dear. I know I've mentioned it before..."

"Yes?"

"Do you suppose it may be the cause of these headaches?"

"Actually, that thought has crossed my mind." Valentine lightly fingered the small pink scar, half-hidden in her hairline. "But, really. It's nothing I can't handle. We have more important things to focus on. You know. Like a possible monster going around attacking Muggle Borns. A tiny scar like this happens pales in comparison."

Valentine really couldn't care less about it. On the list of things that occupied her mind and her time it certainly wasn't high up. In fact, it wasn't on the list at all. How could it be with the type of problems she usually faced?

"There wouldn't even be a scar if it was treated immediately." Snape sniffed indignantly like the pompous bastard he was.

"Well, jokes on your Professor, because it was. And yet, here it remains."

"If you're really so desperate to be like Potter then maybe you'll start hearing voices too."

Valentine opened her mouth to spit venom back at him but then stopped.

Voices...? Hearing voices...Holy crap. HOLY CRAP!

"What's this?" Snape asked mockingly. "The great Valentine Lestrange? Speechless?"

"Shut up." She silenced him quickly with a raised hand. "Shut up, I'm thinking."

The urgent look in her eyes made Snape and Dumbledore exchange glances. She stared off at nothing, hand still raised, eyes moving rapidly as her mind worked.

Harry is a Parselmouth that suddenly is hearing voices. And these voices he hears say that they are going to kill and lead him directly to the scene of the first petrification. Holy shit. How did I miss this? How the hell did I miss this!

She stomach grew taut with dread. She knew what it was and she wished it was some other beast. Almost any other. But she knew, in this instance, that ignorance was far from bliss.

"Miss Lestrange?" Dumbledore prompted carefully.

"Why didn't I see this before?" She muttered under her breath. "It was right in front of me. I can't believe I missed it."

"Has she finally gone mad?" Snape asked briskly.

"Head Master." Valentine blinked as if leaving a trance. "Nobody can say what kind of monster lies within The Chamber of Secret, correct?"

"That is what legend tells us, yes," Dumbledore answered hastily.

"And it is confirmed that Harry is most definitely a Parselmouth?"

"There is no other way for Harry to have known the language." Dumbledore searched her eyes over his spectacles. "What is it, my dear? What do you know?"

"Snape." Valentine turned to him abruptly, speaking quick and to the point. "The night Mrs Norris was petrified, I told you that Harry was hearing voices that no one else could hear."

"What's your point?" He arched a brow testily.

"And I told you to tell Dumbledore."

"Which I did." He replied with a deep frown and furrowed brow. "What are you getting at?"

"Harry was hearing a voice that no one else could hear. But the reason no one else could hear it was because we don't understand the language it was spoken in."

She saw a look of surprise and understanding pass over Snape's face but was already turning back to Dumbledore. The expression on his own face said it all. He knew her meaning. The monster within the chamber was a snake.

Dumbledore walked immediately over to one of the walls lined with rows of books, scanning the writhed spines hurriedly.

"It was right there." Said Valentine. "It was right there and I didn't even see it."

"It was right in front of all of us." Dumbledore turned his gaze to another row. "This isn't your responsibility alone."

"What are you looking for?" Asking Snape, the shock seemingly having worn off.

"This." Dumbledore pulled a large, ancient tome from the shelves. He carried it to the desk and flicked open to the yellowed index page.

"I've read this book before." Valentine recognised it. "Is that Most Macabre Monstrosities?"

She immediately began digging back through her memories for what she had read. It was several years ago now but she had an excellent memory.

"You know what kind of snake it is?" Snape looked to Dumbledore who was still searching for the page number.

"I do." Said Valentine. "Let me, sir."

She reached for the book and turned it towards her. She watched familiar pages and images pass by but there was one in particular she needed.

"Well?" Snape pressed impatiently, the only one who didn't already have it all figure out.

"Page number...seven hundred and twenty...four." Valentine breathed out and turned that last page. It revealed, right in the middle, a large snake with its mouth held open as if to scream. Valentine began to read aloud. " 'Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits anyone who meets this giant serpents eye. Spiders flee before it and the crowing of the rooster can kill it. The snake, known as the 'King of Serpents', may reach gigantic sizes and is born from a chicken's egg, only a fresh chicken egg hatched beneath a toad.'...unless you want to know the particulars of creating a basilisk of your own that's about it."

"The basilisk kills with a single look." Said, Snape drolly. "If this is the monster then why do we have petrified victims and not corpses?"

"We have had a corpse." Valentine corrected. "Fifty years ago. Her situation must have somehow been different."

"Mr Colin Creevy." Said Dumbledore suddenly. "When Professor McGonagall found him he had a camera posed in the position to take a photograph. I believe he may have only seen the basilisk through the camera itself."

"Yes!" Valentine realized his vein of logic. "And that first night the floor was covered in water. Mrs Norris probably saw the basilisks reflection in the water and because they didn't make direct eye contact, the effect of lessened."

"Flint-Fletchly." Said, Snape, now deep in thought. "He most likely would have been it through the ghost."

"Right." Valentine nodded. "And Sir Nicholas couldn't be killed because he's already dead."

There was a brief lapse of silence as they all took the new information in. So much had changed in the course of a single day.

"You're brilliant, my dear." Dumbledore clapped her on the shoulder with a thin smile.

"It would have been more brilliant if I figured this out months ago, but I digress. Now, we do know what it is and we need to stop it from hurting anyone else."

"A beast like this would usually hunt indiscriminately." Said, Snape. "If it's only targeting Muggle Borns and only for the purpose of killing them, then it's clearly under someone's control. Most likely whoever opened the chamber. It's them we should find."

"Hmm." Valentine looked back down at the page. "It says that 'the crowing of the rooster can kill it', but I haven't a clue how to utilize something like that. What are we supposed to do? Fill the corridors with roosters and just hope they're around to save the day? Make students carrying one with them everywhere and pretend as anyone would actually do that? Not to mention we have no idea how it's moving around. If this basilisk has been in the chamber since the days of the four founders and survived, then it would have to be huge. Someone would notice it, wouldn't they? I was there that first night and saw nothing pointing to a huge snake slithering about."

"Head Master." Snape looked over at him, speaking uncharacteristically soft. "The best course of action would be to send the students home."

"But that doesn't guarantee you'll manage to find and stop the basilisk," Valentine argued. "Wouldn't it just go back into hiding? It's after the students. If there aren't any students here it's going to stay that way and then what have you got? An empty castle that can't be used because of a reptile problem."

"Are you suggesting we do nothing?" Snape glared darkly. "This monster can kill! It's only a miracle it hasn't done so again!"

"Don't put words in my mouth!" She shot back with a glare of her own. "All I'm saying is that closing the school would be nothing but a temporary solution and turn it into a permanent problem."

"It is a viable option. Closing Hogwarts." Dumbledore spoke up seriously. "However, I understand your logic, Miss Lestrange. This castle has been searched numerous times in the course of the century and closure would bring us no closer to finding the chamber or the Heir of Slytherin."

"Well, then what are we supposed to do?" Snape growled lowly. "Things can't go on like this. Another person will die, Albus."

"I am not lost on that." Dumbledore nodded. "A curfew will be put in place immediately. All students will remain within their common rooms when not escorted by a teacher."

"You're not closing the school." Valentine stared at him. "You're locking it down."

"A temporary solution, as you have said. But if we cannot find the identity of this heir, then I will have no choice. Am I already taking a great risk, if things don't change, the school will be closed."