Marvolo

[alt_hermione]

I Solemnly Swear that I am Up to No Good

I think Harry's going a bit bonkers. He keeps wanting me to go get books about house-elves of all things. And he told me about I'm not sure why.

Also, I've heard a lot of people saying things, talking about who the "heir" is, and some people say it's the heir of Slytherin, and some people say it's Harry because he's the Lord Protector's heir, and I overheard someone talking and I thought what if Harry is the heir of Slytherin? Only I know he isn't the one doing this stuff, I'm sure of it, I mean, I wasn't with him in the hospital wing or anything but I'd know because he couldn't hide it if it was him.

What do you lot think?

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

House-elves?

How odd. Although Draco's Dennis thinks he's a house-elf. At least he acts like he does, I mean maybe he's just a good liar too? I don't know what he's like inside his own head.

I don't think it's Harry doing anything, Ron says it isn't Harry and you say it isn't Harry and I don't think either of you would lie to protect him.

I've heard some people reckon it's someone who thinks he's trying to do Harry a favour. And that kind of makes sense, I mean people do all sorts of mad things because they think Harry will like it. Last year during winter hols my foster family was the Strettons and they were horrible to me, awful -- you know actually I remember you even said something at the time so you probably remember. Anyway, towards the end of hols Harry came for a visit. And oh you should have seen it, the Strettons acted SO different. Because they wanted to kiss Harry's arse. Harry was polite because he's always polite to everyone but I could tell he didn't think much of them.

Anyway, you know, there are people here who WOULD open up a Chamber of Secrets and let out a horror to impress Harry, who aren't clever enough to reckon that Harry wouldn't like it, but I'm not sure whether there's anyone clever enough to find the Chamber and open it but not clever enough to know Harry wouldn't like it.

I mean maybe Padma Patil? She's clever about some things and stupid about others. But -- I mean can you see her opening the Chamber of Secrets and not telling everyone in Ravenclaw Corner how brilliantly clever she was? Because I can't, really. She wants everyone to KNOW she's clever or it doesn't count.

Anyway I still think the most likely person is Carrow and he's transfiguring people and no one's opened anything. I don't know how he did Nick though.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. What Sally Anne said. That's what I meant.

[alt_ron]

Wait. It could be the Head Girl. She's smart enough to do it, I reckon, and I think she thinks Harry is just like his father and would like the same things she does which is only things she thinks the Protector thinks are important. Like purebloods, and talking down about anyone who isn't a pureblood or powerful.

[alt_sally_anne]

I thought about Lana and I could almost see it. She's clever and horrible and she's the sort of horrible person who thinks everyone else is horrible, too.

So maybe. Maybe it was her. That would explain why she's telling everyone to stop talking about it, if she doesn't want anyone figuring it out.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, that makes sense, doesn't it.

And I heard she likes working with Professor Carrow, too, so maybe they're doing it together. Like a conspiracy thinger. When Carrow wasn't allowed to teach, I heard she complained to Professor McGonagall that it was harming some special NEWT project she's working on with Carrow. Psyche Bobolis was saying to Towler that Sandoval was really upset that Carrow wasn't even allowed to talk to students while he was suspended.

Maybe this is her special project.

[alt_hermione]

I don't know. I think that it's much more likely to be Professor Carrow, as if Lana had a NEWT project, she'd have to tell Professor McGonagall about it, and I don't think that Professor McGonagall would let something like this happen to people, even if they are Mudbl Muggle borns. Only, I don't think she could stop Professor Carrow if he was doing it, even if she did know. He's a Death Eater too you know, like they used to call them Death Eaters back in the day, only they still call each other that I hear, if they're really close to the Lord Protector. So maybe the Lord Protector would help Carrow hide it??

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah. You're probably right. I mean even if she is really smart and a Ravenclaw, how would she know where the Chamber is and how to open it if no one's been able to find it all this time, not even teachers?

And, yeah. Professor Carrow makes the most sense. We keep coming back to that. It's just that he's so obvious that you don't want to think it's him and miss someone else because we weren't paying attention, right?

[alt_sally_anne]

Right, that's a good point. What if it's your brother Percy? Or Jeremy Stretton? Or Vince Crabbe?

(Alright I can tell you it's not Crabbe. He can barely manage to open a broom closet and I don't think he can spell 'chamber.')

[alt_ron]

Hang on, are you having me on? Or do you really think it might be Percy? I mean, he can be a real nob a lot of the time and he does want people like Mr Malfoy to notice him and think he's got potential or whatever. But do you think he'd petrify Terry? I dunno. I'd believe in a minute that he'd shout at him and probably get him punished if he thought he'd broken a rule, but-

Do you really think so?

I mean, he really does like to have people think he's important and he loves to tell people off. And the twins figure he was trying to learn how to do Imperius before the camping trip when he got in all that trouble with Mum and Dad. I'm not really sure, 'cause they never said what he'd done, but it makes sense because the Prefects on the trip were supposed to be allowed to use it if they wante needed to. So, I dunno, maybe?

And, sure, I guess it could be Stretton. Things have gone pretty rough for him since that whole potion bit last spring. I mean, he's off the Quidditch team and I heard the Ravenclaws won't even talk to him or let him sit with them in the library. What do you think? You lived with him for a while, right? Could he do it? Is he smart enough? And, y'know, mean enough?

And, yeah, Crabbe's mean enough, but he's totally not smart enough. Goyle, either. Otherwise it could be both of them together. But they'd probably just have pounded Terry not hexed him.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well -- Percy is pretty honourable honestly, he apologised for delaying me last year when I was trying to find a teacher while you lot were down doing whatever it was you were doing with Macnair.

But, he's definitely one of the people who really thinks muggleborns are creatures. When he caught me hexing Padma last year what really made him furious what that I had the gall to hex a pureblood.

I can't think of any reason he'd go out of his way to be cruel to Terry though. Stretton either, really.

[alt_sally_anne]

Hold on here's a thought.

What if the Headmistress was going to give Terry back to Carrow? Or someone like the Lord Protector said she HAD to give him back?

What if Carrow was going to do something awful to the cat? I mean it was Hermione's cat, after all.

Maybe someone petrified them trying to protect them from Carrow?

[alt_ron]

D'you mean like the Headmistress? That she might have petrified Terry?

I heard she used to teach Transfiguration--she taught Dean instead of Carrow before school, right? So I guess she might have done, but I'd think she could just have found someplace in the castle to hide him to be safe. Don't you reckon? And what about Nick?

[alt_neville]

I don't think it could possibly be the Headmistress. Cause, maybe she might have wanted to keep Terry Boot safe, but why would she have petrified Hermione's cat? And all that 'Enemies of the Heir, Beware' business. It's caused all sorts of upset and rumours, and it's even got some of the parents talking, and that's got to be a real headache for her.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah I don't think it was the Headmistress because she'd have had a better solution. But I do think it could be someone who was trying to be kind instead of cruel except that doesn't explain Nick, unless he saw something and they were afraid he'd tell.

[alt_neville]

Carrow makes the most sense for the petrifying, I agree. We know he threatened Terry, and didn't he say once in the journals that he'd make some cat live pate if he ever got a hold of Crookshanks?

The only thing that I can't quite make fit with that is the message. I can't help but think if that if Carrow were to write something on the wall, it'd be something mad about pigeons or something. Not 'Enemies of the Heir, beware.' Carrow's most preocupied with his own enemies, not anyone else's. I don't think he likes Harry at all, so if Harry's the Heir, why's he warning people off about Harry?

Wait, unless Carrow thinks he's the Heir of Slytherin? I mean, Carrow himself?

[alt_neville]

The twins told me last night they think it's Carrow for sure. I think they're so hacked off about Terry they're not really looking at anyone else.

[alt_ron]

Huh. I'd believe that--that Carrow thinks he's Slytherin's heir.

Is there a way to look up who people are related to?

[alt_sally_anne]

If you have a tapestry or a family register you can but here's the thing.

NO ONE at the school has a tapestry with Salazar Slytherin on it. Or any of the other Founders. There are loads of wizards out there who say they're related to a founder but none of them can prove it.

[alt_ron]

But, I mean, does anybody really have tapestries that go back that far? It'd have to be a hundred feet long, wouldn't it?

[alt_sally_anne]

Nobody's got a tapestry going back that far, no. Hogwarts was founded a thousand years ago.

Draco's goes back a long way and I think they've got books that go back further, or out further. It's crazy how many people in Slytherin are distant cousins. And not just in Slytherin, I mean you're related to all of them too Ron.

If anyone would know it would be Teddy. He's the one who told me how you were related to Draco. And he says no one can prove Slytherin's their ancestor.

[alt_hermione]

Only, Terry's never talked to her I don't think, so why would she want to freeze him?

[alt_ron]

Well, I just don't think she likes any Muggleborns. Did you see what she said about Nick and Terry? She called them both 'creatures'.

I mean, I reckon we're all 'creatures' if you take a broad view of it, but I don't think that's what she meant. She meant as far as she's concerned, Terry's just an animal. Patil talks like that, too, y'know.

[alt_hermione]

Well, yes, but just because people think we're 'creatures' doesn't mean that they want to kill us. I mean most people think we're creatures, honestly they do, haven't you noticed?

[alt_ron]

I mean, I guess maybe that's true. It's just I didn't grow up with anyone who thought that, I guess, so it wasn't until I got here that I really knew people who think that.

I know that'll just make you think I'm thick.

[alt_neville]

I was raised the same way as you, I guess, Ron. I can't used to it, the way a lot of people talk about Muggles and Muggleborns and all. Or even halfbloods, like Sally-Anne.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well even though nearly everyone thinks muggleborns are creatures there's different ways of thinking about it you know?

1. There are the people who don't really, but say they do because they're afraid they'll get in trouble.

2. And there are the people who really think muggleborns are creatures but then so are cats and if you wouldn't kick a cat why would you kick a muggleborn?

3. And there are the people who would do cruel and awful things to any muggleborn who got in their way.

4. And there are people who'd put crucio on a muggleborn for practise if they needed to learn it for a class.

5. And there are people who'd put crucio on a muggleborn for fun.

Professor Carrow is a five. His sister too.

I think Lana Sandoval is a four. I mean Terry wouldn't have had to get in her way even, if she wanted practise with whatever it was she'd figure he didn't count. The only thing that would stop her is that he's school property and she might look at it as being like breaking a window or writing in one of the library books. But if she agreed with Professor Carrow that he was her property and HE said it was alright, well...

Really though I don't think it's Sandoval, she likes rules more than almost anything and she always wants everything to be very orderly. Nothing about the Chamber of Secrets has been orderly.

[alt_ron]

Well, he could be the heir that writing was talking about (either of the Protector or Slytherin, really) and still not know anything about who's doing this stuff. Right? I mean the writing said 'Enemies of the Heir Beware'. It didn't say 'Look out if you're somebody I don't like, signed Harry Marvolo.' Right?

I'm just saying, it could be anyone who wanted to impress Harry, or, okay maybe not that because he'd have to know who'd done it in order to be impressed, but maybe it's somebody who is so, y'know, interested in Harry that they wanted to do something for him that they think will make other people be more impressed with him? I know I'm not explaining that right, but there are lots of people who are kind of mad about Harry--like the way loads of girls seem to be about Lockhart, but not just girls and not just because they think he's cute ('cause he's not like that, y'know) but because of who he is, right? And I think it could be somebody who's kind of mad about Harry and the Protector in that way. If so, it's pretty sick, but I think there are people like that, who'd do stuff like that.

[alt_hermione]

You're right. And that would explain why Harry is so bonkers, right? Because he really hates it when anything happens because of him at all, even if it's good or bad, just anything. He hates it for sure. Because of everyone getting punished because of him, I think, but anyway, maybe he really wants to find out what's doing this and that's why he's gone mad for the library. Well, gone mad for sending me to the library. Anyway I think we should try to find out.

[alt_ron]

Wait. You mean he's not really interested in the books, just in sending you off to get them? Do you think he's just trying to get you out of Slytherin. Like so he can do something while you're gone? I don't mean he's doing bad stuff, but is he doing something else. That he doesn't want you to know about?

[alt_hermione]

Harry's never interested in books, not unless I tell him what's in them. Only you must never NEVER tell anyone I said that, he'd be in such horrible trouble and so would I, the worst trouble of my life. So anyway it isn't anything different than usual, only different books and more of them. And then he has me read them just like always, and tell him what's in them.

[alt_ron]

Whoa. No offence, but it'd be really great to have you do my reading for me! That's really wizard for him.

And, yeah. I won't tell anybody. I promise.

[alt_sally_anne]

Harry has you reading all his books for him? Really?

That lazy sot!

[alt_hermione]

Well I like it, really, I'm glad he does.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh I can see that it would work out very well for both of you.

But it still makes him a lazy sot! It's not as if he has to try very hard to get good marks in his classes even, no one wants to give a T to the Lord Protector's son.

[alt_hermione]

Well it isn't so much that he doesn't do the work. He just doesn't like reading or writing alot, which you know a lot of boys are like, but he can be quite smart about things, and I don't think he's stupid or anything, and he does write everything himself, without really asking me. I don't know if that's because I'm a Muggle born though.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well he'd have to copy it all anyway as it has to be in his handwriting or people would get suspicious.

[alt_sally_anne]

Anyway Hermione have you learnt anything interesting about elves? With the books Harry's having you read right now? I didn't have a house elf growing up of course. Having house-elves taking care of me is one of the nicest things about Hogwarts really. I mentioned to Pansy once how much I like the smell of rosemary and the elves started making sure my bed linens always smelled a little of rosemary after that. They leave sandwiches for me if I'm up really late. If they think I've stayed up far too late they put out warm milk.

My mum took care of me like that but we never had enough

[alt_hermione]

Not really. I mean, they were kind of nasty once, I suppose, is what all the books say, but I wonder whether that isn't just how the books say that Muggles are nasty, because it makes people feel okay about using them as servants.

[alt_ron]

So, hang on. Why's Harry so interested in elves?

[alt_hermione]

I don't know...

[alt_neville]

(Sorry I didn't answer last night. I was finishing up a Charms essay.)

I can't believe Harry's doing this stuff. As to whether he's the Heir or not, or which Heir, I dunno. How much does Harry know about his family tree, anyway?

Could it be whoever's doing it wrote the message just to try to make him look bad? Rather than trying to please him or impress him? A lot depends, I guess, on whether whoever wrote it meant Harry when speaking of the Heir.

House elves? What prompted that? Has he heard anything about House Elves being involved with the Chamber of Secrets at all? If so, who told him?