Early Morning – Hogwarts Courtyard
Mist clung to the cobblestones as a thick fog settled over the grounds. Few dared venture outside after the latest attack, but Snape walked the perimeter of the castle with slow, measured steps.
His wand moved in precise arcs, tracing wards and detecting anomalies in the magical boundary.
But his mind wasn't on the charms.
It was on the boy—both boys.
Harry Potter, who had come back stronger and quieter than ever. And Draco Malfoy, whose silence had become more telling than any tantrum.
Snape had seen it building—feelings that neither of them fully understood yet. They were too young, too raw. But the bond was forming, and he couldn't decide whether it was promising—or dangerous.
He stopped near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
A whisper curled from the stone underfoot.
Not a voice.
A memory.
"Come to me…"
Snape's eyes narrowed.
It wasn't just a monster in the walls.
It was something ancient… and clever.
---
Later – Library
Harry and Draco sat hunched over Hermione's notes at the farthest table from Madam Pince's watchful glare. The parchment was charmed to be invisible to others, a protection Hermione had added without telling them.
"She was following the pipes," Draco said, tracing the lines with a finger.
Harry nodded. "Every attack happened near one."
"Even the bathroom."
"Myrtle's."
They looked at each other.
"She died in that bathroom," Harry whispered. "The first time the Chamber was opened."
Draco leaned back, arms crossed. "So whoever opened it before… might be doing it again."
"Or something was never sealed in the first place."
A beat of silence.
Draco's voice was quiet when he asked, "Do you think… it's someone we know?"
Harry didn't answer.
But the chill in his bones said yes.
---
Gryffindor Common Room – That Evening
Ron glanced up from his chessboard as Harry entered. "Where were you?"
"Library."
"With Malfoy again?" he asked, tone light but sharp.
Harry didn't reply.
Ron huffed. "You're starting to act like he's one of us."
"He's helping," Harry said simply.
"He's a Slytherin."
"He's scared too, Ron."
"Scared doesn't make him trustworthy."
Harry sat across from him. "Neither does suspicion."
They didn't speak for a moment.
Then Ron muttered, "Just don't get hurt. That's all I'm saying."
Hermione, sitting nearby, looked up from her copy of Magical Theory. "They're working together, Ron. Let them."
Harry smiled faintly.
But a shadow lingered behind his eyes.
---
Slytherin Common Room – Firelight Reflections
Draco sat alone near the emerald-tinted hearth. His fingers tapped the side of a book, unread for hours.
Across the room, Pansy and Blaise whispered, casting glances his way.
He didn't care.
He was used to the whispers.
But not the fear. Not from them.
What would they do if they knew what he was doing?
Helping Potter.
Draco exhaled slowly, then reached into his robe and pulled out a folded piece of parchment—a copy of Hermione's pipe map.
He traced the route leading to the girl's bathroom.
Then to the dungeons.
Then to the forest.
The monster wasn't picking targets at random.
It was moving.
And Draco had a gut feeling—it was moving toward something. Or someone.
---
Snape's Office – Midnight
Snape held a vial of glimmering liquid up to the lantern. It shimmered with silver and green—essence of basilisk venom diluted by age.
Recovered from the previous war.
He placed it on a high shelf beside a stack of faded journals.
Everything was returning.
The voices.
The fear.
The fractures between houses.
And this time… it wasn't just Harry in the crosshairs.
There was a knock at the door.
Snape opened it without speaking.
Draco stood in the doorway, pale but resolute.
"I need to talk to you," he said.
Snape stepped aside, gesturing him in. "Sit."
Draco remained standing.
"I think I know where the Chamber entrance might be."
Snape's brow rose, just slightly. "Go on."
"Myrtle's bathroom," Draco said. "The pipes. It all fits."
Snape steepled his fingers. "And you deduced this with…?"
"Potter."
Snape closed his eyes briefly. "Of course."
"Don't be mad," Draco said quickly. "It wasn't planned. It just… made sense. He's the only one who actually listens."
Snape regarded him quietly.
"You're not who you were last year," he said at last.
"I don't think I want to be."
That seemed to strike something in Snape. He stood.
"You'll keep investigating with Potter?"
Draco nodded.
Snape handed him a small phial. "If you go further, take this."
"What is it?"
"A temporary counter-agent to basilisk venom. It won't stop it completely—but it may buy you minutes."
Draco took it carefully, hands trembling.
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't thank me," Snape said. "Just don't die."