Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
Dumbledore Answers Harry - Chapter 23 - Dumbledore's Announcement
As Professor Dumbledore left Moaning Myrtle's loo, he was not a happy man. After looking around for only a few minutes, he had found the carving of a snake's head on a tap that didn't work, and was almost positive that it was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. After trying every blasting hex he could think of to destroy the entrance with no results, he came to the conclusion that only a Parselmouth could get the entrance to open properly, and no one could harm the sink in any way. It had apparently been warded against tampering by Salazar Slytherin over a thousand years ago and could not be damaged.
He sealed the door he'd just walked out of so that no one would be able to get through the door, but still didn't feel that the school was safe. If they were correct and a basilisk was loose, it could get out of the room through the plumbing, which meant that no place at Hogwarts was safe, and that it had been pure luck that no one but a cat had died so far. He could not guarantee anyone's safety, not even his own.
No teacher could protect a student from a basilisk - no one could. If that snake went into an occupied classroom, one of the common rooms, or worse yet - the Great Hall during a meal, the results would be catastrophic. Until the Chamber of Secrets could be opened and the basilisk destroyed, he had no choice. He sent a message to all the staff for a meeting immediately, even if it was late.
-
At breakfast the next morning, all of the staff, as well as Harry's friends, noticed the way that Theodore Nott happily strutted into the Great Hall.
"I can't believe that he's so stupid that he'll show how happy he is!" said Hermione.
"Why doesn't he wear a sign on his back that says I'm opening the Chamber of Secrets?" asked Ginny.
Before anyone could respond, Dumbledore walked up to the podium with a long face. There was no twinkle in his eyes. He began his speech. "As you all are no doubt aware, the school is no longer safe and we are fortunate that so far no students have been killed. I'm afraid that currently I cannot guarantee your safety anymore." He took a deep breath. "It is with great regret that I must inform you that for the first time since Hogwarts was founded, the term is ending early."
There were gasps all around the hall until Albus continued his announcement. "There will be no classes today. Instead, you will all return to your dorms with your heads of house and begin packing your belongings. The Hogwarts Express will be arriving in Hogsmeade at precisely one o'clock to take you home. Owls have been sent to all of your parents. When the mandrakes arrive, the proper potion will be distributed to all of the petrified victims. Hopefully they will be able to provide us with more information.
"You will receive an owl informing you when the school is safe once more and ready to reopen. I will not rest until that is the case. It is my hope that the Chamber of Secrets will be discovered and the beast within destroyed before term is scheduled to begin in January and this will become just a long Christmas break. For now, tuck in."
There was muttering all through the Great Hall about things such as fear that Hogwarts was no longer safe, faith (or lack thereof - depending on the person) in Dumbledore's ability to find and destroy the monster, Harry Potter's petrification, and of course excitement to leave school early.
During all of this, Hermione noticed something. "Hey guys, look at the Slytherin table."
The four heads of house with very grim faces were talking to Nott. He got up and strutted with them in the direction of the Headmaster's office.
-
While most of the students were starting their breakfasts, Theodore Nott was sitting in the headmaster's office with five very unhappy people staring down at him.
Dumbledore couldn't believe how one so young could be so evil as he looked down at the thirteen-year-old boy who had implicated himself in the attacks by his attitude. Even if it turned out that he had nothing to do with the attacks, the joy that he took from the misfortune of others was disturbing. Sighing aloud, he decided to begin the interrogation.
"Mr. Nott, we have reason to suspect you to either know something about or to be involved somehow with the attacks that have taken place recently, and are therefore, in accordance with the rules that came into affect at the beginning of term, going to administer veritaserum to you and ask a few questions."
The boy looked livid as his face turned pink. "You can't do that! My father…"
"Agreed to the new rules by sending you here," said McGonagall sternly. "Everyone else has to follow them. So do you."
He started moving to get out of the chair, only to partially petrified by Flitwick. All Nott could move was his face. Professor Dumbledore, with a pained expression on his face, forced three drops of the truth serum down his throat. Theodore's expression immediately changed to one of peace and happiness.
"That's better. What's your name?"
"Theodore Zacchaeus Nott."
"Do you know how the Chamber of Secrets is being opened?"
"Yes." While Dumbledore had suspected this, this is one time he wished he were wrong.
"How was it opened?"
"Which time?"
The four heads of house gazed in shock over the answer that the boy had given to this question. Dumbledore continued asking questions.
"Do you mean to say that it has been opened more than one way this year?"
"Yes."
"How was it opened the first time, when Mrs. Filch was killed?"
Nott grinned even more broadly than the veritaserum was making him. "The Dark Lord honored me. He possessed me, allowing me to speak his blessed language and open the Chamber." Dumbledore and the others thought they were going to be ill.
"Is the entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?"
"Yes."
"Is the creature down there a basilisk?"
"Yes."
"While possessed by Voldemort, were you able to speak to it?"
"Yes."
"Did you leave the message on the wall outside the bathroom?"
"Yes."
"How was the chamber opened the next time?"
"I brought the Dark Lord's snake, Nagini, with me to school. She opened it the rest of the times. I believe that the Dark Lord possesses her at those times."
"Where is she right now?"
"I don't know. After I opened the Chamber the first time, she left and hasn't returned to me."
"Why were you given this…assignment?" asked McGonagall, afraid of the answer.
"My father persuaded the Dark Lord that I would be able to do it after I asked him to."
"Why did you ask him to do that?" asked Dumbledore.
"I wanted to be the one killing mudbloods," Nott said with a smile.
"Do you have any regrets about what you've been part of?"
"I regret that Potter didn't die."
Professor Dumbledore, with a sad expression on his face, picked up the wand that had been placed on his desk before the interrogation began.
"It is with a sad heart that I am forced to do this. As headmaster of this school, I hereby expel you from Hogwarts. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I hereby snap your wand." With a swift motion, he put the wand in both hands and broke it in half. "As a wizarding citizen, I hereby place you under Wizard's arrest until the aurors arrive."
He took a deep breath. "It is fortunate for you that you are so young. If you were an adult, you would be sentenced much more harshly. As it is, I expect that after your trial, your memories of magic will be erased from your mind, your magical powers will be blocked, and you will be sent to live as a muggle."
"WHAT!?!" shouted the boy. The bliss caused by the potion was dissolving. "You can't make me a filthy muggle!"
"Perhaps we should let Mr. Filch punish him after he is awakened and learns that Mr. Nott is responsible for his cat's death," said Flitwick. "I understand that he keeps specialized equipment in his office for cases like this."
Nott paled and sat still as Dumbledore fire-called the aurors.
-
After Dumbledore had made sure all the students had boarded the train - Harry's friends had been particularly difficult to convince to leave him behind - Dumbledore helped Poppy move most of the patients to St. Mungo's. Only one patient wasn't taken there, and the headmaster felt that it would be too tempting of a target for Riddle to have a defenseless Harry Potter at the public hospital. Instead, after discussing the situation with Sirius Black, they came up with a different place for Harry to stay.
After Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore with put the Potter Cottage located near Hogwarts under the Fidelius Charm (with Albus as Secret-Keeper), Sirius carried Harry's stiff body into the master bedroom with Albus following close behind.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Padfoot anxiously.
Dumbledore sighed. "As I explained to you earlier today, we can't do anything until Harry is awake and can open…"
"I know what you said, but there's got to be something that we can do. We're going to be facing a basilisk! There's got to be some way we can defend ourselves from dying the moment we see it!"
Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I just don't see…wait a minute! That just might work!" He pulled his own shrunken trunk out of a pocket and expanded it. After opening a compartment, he pulled out a book. "There may be a way." The twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eyes.
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Please review. I appreciate all the kind words that have been said about this story.
I know this chapter wasn't the best I've written, but I've had some writer's block. It's been a while since I've updated and wanted to assure you all that I haven't abandoned this story. I promise that the next chapter will have some action.
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