|
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sign up to stay at the school over Christmas after hearing that [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Draco Malfoy|Malfoy]] is doing the same. But the Polyjuice potion is nowhere near ready, and they need to raid [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Severus Snape|Professor Snape's]] private stores for ingredients. Surprisingly, Hermione volunteers to steal them if Harry or Ron can create a diversion. During the next Potions class, Harry tosses a firecracker into [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Gregory Goyle|Goyle's]] Swelling Solution. The resulting splashed potion requires Snape to administer Deflating Draughts to everyone. While he is occupied, Hermione sneaks into Snape's office and retrieves [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Boomslang|Boomslang]] skin and Bicorn horn. After class, Hermione adds the new ingredients to the potion, saying it will be ready in a fortnight.
A week later, a notice is posted about a Dueling Club. Reckoning it will be useful, all three troop to the Great Hall, only to find out that [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Gilderoy Lockhart|Professor Lockhart]] is running it, with Professor Snape as his assistant. In the first demonstration, Professor Snape throws Professor Lockhart across the room withusing anthe [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Expelliarmus|Expelliarmus]] jinx. Lockhart then breaks students into pairs; Harry is paired with Malfoy, Ron with [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Seamus Finnigan|Seamus]], and Hermione with [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Millicent Bullstrode|Miss Bullstrode]]. Lockhart counts down and mayhem ensues: Malfoy jinxes Harry before the start signal, but Harry retaliates; Ron's wand misfires, doing something horrible to Seamus. Hermione and Millicent Bullstrode have dropped their wands and are wrestling—Harry frees Hermione from a Millicent's headlock. Lockhart suggests they havehaving one pair of students on stage to demonstrate, and suggests Neville and [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Justin Finch-Fletchley|Justin Finch-Fletchley]]; Snape overrules him and suggests Harry and Malfoy. At the count, Malfoy conjures a snake that slithers towards Harry. Lockhart's attempts to eliminate it but fails. WhenAs it seems about to attack Justin, Harry yells at the snake to leave Justin alone. Surprisingly the snake obeys. Justin leaves the Great Hall at a near run as Snape destroys the snake. Ron drags Harry out exclaiming, "I didn't know you were a [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Parselmouth|Parselmouth]]!" Ron explains that is someone who can talk to snakes. It is a rare ability, and it is what [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Salazar Slytherin|Salazar Slytherin]] was famous for. Now Harry has to wonderwonders—could he be the Heir of Slytherin?
Harry wants to explain to Justin what happened, but he overhears Hufflepuffs saying Justin, fearingbelieving Harry is the Heir of Slytherin, went into hiding, outfearing ofHarry fearwould thatPetrify Harry,him learningfor he wasbeing Muggle-born, would Petrify him. Harry triesattempts to explain what happened, but [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Ernie Macmillan|Ernie]] says that all he sawHarry was Harry speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake towards Justin. Furious, Harry stalks out, and runs straightsmacking into [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]], who is on his way to see the Headmaster about something that is killing his roosters. Leaving Hagrid, Harry trips over a Petrified Justin Finch-Fletchley and finds himself staring at [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Nearly Headless Nick|Nearly Headless Nick]], now black and smoky rather than his usual transparent white, and also apparently Petrified. Spiders are running away from the bodiesfleeing.
While Harry is trying to figure out what to do, [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Peeves|Peeves]] discovers himHarry and determines that the most fun thing to do is summonsummons everyone. [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] arrives and sends everyone back to class. She assigns Ernie Macmillan to take Nick to the Hospital Wing while [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Filius Flitwick|Professor Flitwick]] and [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Professor Sinistra|Professor Sinistra]] take Justin. Professor McGonagall then leads Harry through a door guarded by a gargoyle (password: Sherbet Lemon), up a revolving spiral stone staircase andtower to an oaken door. Harry knows he has been brought to see [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Albus Dumbledore|Professor Dumbledore's]] office.
== Analysis ==
|
