F&L: Chapter 63

I frowned as I saw the message, knowing that people would begin to speculate on the identity of the Heir of Slytherin. Indeed, I could already hear murmuring as students questioned what the message meant, and other, older, or more in-the-know students filled the others in on what exactly the Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be and what had happened the last time that it had been opened. After all, it had been a huge scandal at the time, front page news in the Daily Prophet, and several of the current student body's parents had been attending Hogwarts when it had happened. The last time the Chamber had been opened was far from a secret if you were old enough to have been told about it or inquisitive enough to look it up.

"What's the Chamber of Secrets?" Questioned a First-Year Gryffindor.

"Yeah, and what do they mean by Heir?" Queried a First-Year Hufflepuff.

"The Chamber of Secrets was Salazar Slytherin's Hidden Sanctum at Hogwarts, a holdover from the days before the Current Castle was built. Supposedly, it's in a hidden vault deep underground." Explained a Fifth-Year Ravenclaw.

"It would have to be to still be around, wouldn't it? Is it still around?" Asked a Third Year Gryffindor.

"It is, or at least it was as of forty-some-odd years ago. It was opened in the fifties, and a Girl Died when it was. It was a huge scandal, my Mum told me about it." Informed a Sixth Year Hufflepuff.

"The Heir has to be the Heir of Slytherin, then. It was his Sanctum, after all." Mused a Fifth-Year Ravenclaw.

I looked around the crowd as I heard that. I was the only Slytherin currently in the corridor at the moment. That wasn't good. I turned to Luna, whose face was scrunched up pensively. She looked back at me, concern written across her face, pale, silvery eyes looking back at me. She must have realized what I had, that in the absence of a proper culprit, suspicion would fall on me as the only Slytherin around at the time. Sometimes, I absolutely hated the antagonistic reputation that my House had built up over the years since the Rise and Fall of Voldemort. Such a poor tactical decision from people sorted into the House of Cunning, one which I would have to deal with going forward.

"We should leave." I insisted.

"Right." Agreed Luna.

Together, we tried to exit stage right without being seen, but I knew that one of the First Year Gryffindors had caught sight of me. That could be a problem, as even if they didn't know who I was, they could rather easily find out. I was difficult to miss, being the only biracial Slytherin in my year. I just knew that was going to cause problems in the future, and couldn't help but sigh at the situation. Lune looked at me out of the corner of her eye as we walked, more concern written across her face.

"Is there something wrong?" Questioned Luna.

"Aside from the business with the Chamber, you mean?" I queried.

"Yes. Your face is scrunched up like you've just stepped in a big pile of Crumple Horned Snorkack Dung." Nodded Luna.

"A few things, but the one I'm annoyed with the most now is the Rumor Mill." I admitted.

"How so?" Asked Luna.

"You didn't see it, but at least one of the First Year Gryffindors spotted us leaving when we did. I fully expect people to be speculating if I had a hand in this by the time Dinner rolls around." I grumbled.

"Because you're Slytherin?" Questioned Luna.

"Because I'm a notable Slytherin." I affirmed.

"People can be cruel sometimes. It's one of the things that seems the most wrong with the world." Opined Luna.

"I don't think they'll do it to be cruel, Luna. Well, maybe one or two of the Older Gryffindors still caught up in the antagonism between our Houses will, but mostly, I think it's going to happen by accident and through boredom." I explained.

"How do you mean?" Queried Luna.

"It's a sort of street theater, Luna. People can't help themselves when that sort of thing is involved. They'll gawk and speculate, until eventually either the truth comes out and the situation gets resolved or the subject of the speculation has something happen to them." I pointed out.

"That's not very polite." Mused Luna.

"That's human nature, Luna. Witches and Wizards aren't exempt from that just because we have magic. It is what it is. There's nothing to be done except to keep moving forward." I shrugged.

"You remind me of my Daddy sometimes." Remarked Luna.

"Xenophilius Lovegood? The Well-known Eccentric? Did I suddenly get several shades lighter or go slightly mental?" I asked, blinking.

"Oh, not in terms of personality or looks or anything. It's a sense of age, I suppose. Sometimes you seem like you're older than you are. I wonder if Lady Luck will tell me why that is if I ask her? Maybe." Responded Luna, pursing her lips in thought.

I couldn't help but chuckle and shake my head at that. Once again, Luna's insight had pegged someone, only this time it was me. No wonder people couldn't decide whether she was a Seer or just perceptive the first time around. Of course, I wasn't about to tell her that, even though Luna was likely the only person who would believe me if I told her about my soul and mind's transmigration to the Wizarding World from a boring, mundane version of Earth. Not only was I worried about her keeping the secret of that to herself at this point in the timeline, but I didn't even know if I could tell anyone, thanks to the Meta-Lock Drawback preventing me from spilling metaknowledge freely. Did this count as Metaknowledge? I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to risk it.

Regardless, we made our way to the great hall with only fifteen minutes left to go for breakfast. It was almost completely empty, save for Neville Longbottom sitting alone at the Gryffindor Table, and a few clustered Hufflepuffs over at their table. Neville liked to eat slowly and deliberately, something I put down to attempts by his Uncle Algie to force magic out of him by spiking his food with poison. I had no clue if that was true, mind you, but it seemed plausible. The Hufflepuffs, though, just looked like they had either gotten there late or wanted more helpings. Luna sat down next to me at the Slytherin Table, despite being a Ravenclaw, largely because the Ravenclaw Table was deserted.

Either way, I was forced to make do with eggs on toast and a quick Cuppa before having to head out to my Daily Training Session with Magnus Gamp. Neville had finished before I did, nodding at me as he left for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Luna, meanwhile, seemed to be carefully managing a grapefruit without the haste I would have expected from the late hour. I frowned over at her, cocking an eyebrow.

"You're going to be late if you eat like that." I intoned.

"No, I won't. I have Charms and know a secret shortcut to the Classroom." Informed Luna.

"Really? How did you figure that out?" I questioned.

"What a strange question. I saw it. How else would I find out about it?" Queried Luna with a slight grin.

"Your sight seems a lot more easily activated than mine." I huffed.

"True, but then, you do have a natural ability with the Mind Arts that I don't." Offered Luna.

"I suppose that's fair." I nodded, finishing my tea.

I placed the mug down next to the plate of toast and egg crumbs and grease, watching as the set of tableware disappeared back to the Kitchen, thanks to House Elf Magic, to be washed. I stood up then and nodded at Luna.

"Well, unlike you, I don't know a secret time-saving way to the Training Grounds, and my Tutor will kick my arse if I'm late. Well, he'll kick my arse harder, at any rate." I remarked.

"Good luck in training today." Opined Luna.

"Thanks. Have a good day at classes." I responded.

Then I was off, heading for the Hogwarts Training Grounds. The pathway there took me out of the castle and onto the Grounds. The leaves of various trees had already turned into a variety of reds, browns, and yellows, falling in piles that were raked neatly into piles by various rune-scribed garden tools and tucked away into corners of the grounds where they couldn't be disturbed. If I'd had the time, I might have stopped to marvel at the absolutely gorgeous scenery, but I in no way wanted to be late to training with Magnus Gamp. I had five minutes remaining to make it on time from here, and it would take me at least four minutes to make the walk at my current pace. I could run it, of course, and cut down on the time significantly, but when it came to training with Magnus Gamp, it was best not to waste energy, lest you only get your arse kicked tired.

Fortunately, I was able to make it on time, though it was a close-run thing. That had been because of Peeves making his rounds around the Hogwarts Grounds with what seemed to be some sort of water balloons filled with magical pigment. I was able to avoid him thanks to the forewarning given to me by my sight, taking cover behind a topiary hedge shaped like a Snarling Badger and pressing myself close enough to the topiary to avoid Peeves' notice. Of course, by the time he had spotted another target, this one an unfortunate fourth-year Hufflepuff who seemed to be playing hooky, thirty seconds had gone by. I had just enough time to watch as the Hufflepuff, who had just taken a sip from a thermos of some sort, was splatted with magical pink pigment that failed to come out with Scourgify. Of course, at that point, fifty seconds had elapsed, and I had to hustle to get back on time. Thankfully, Peeves was already flying away, cackling madly at his jape.

I made it to the Training Ground two seconds too late to be on time, thanks to Peeves. Magnus Gamp was smirking as I arrived. He had a pocket watch out and in his hand as I finally got to our meeting place, snapping the silver cover shut with a flick of his wrist and tucking the timepiece back into his robes as he looked up at me.

"You're late." Informed Magnus Gamp.

"A Wizard is Never Late, nor is he Early. He arrives precisely when he means to." I intoned, quoting Tolkien.

"Cute, but the words of a Squib Author won't help you here." Smirked Magnus Gamp.

"It was two seconds." I protested.

"Not my problem. Learn to be on time. Better yet, arrive ten to fifteen minutes early for everything. It will save you a lot of trouble from ambushes and doublecrosses in the future." Insisted Magnus Gamp.

"You try being on time and avoiding Peeves at the same time." I defended.

"Again, not my problem. Take your position." Reiterated Magnus Gamp.

I did so, grumbling. The sparring session that followed was brutal, but I felt I gave a decent accounting of myself. It was as good as I was going to give as I currently was, at any rate. When Magnus Gamp picked me up off the ground, he force-fed me a pair of potions, one to heal and one to cure fatigue, before we began sparring all over again. The Process rinsed and repeated for the next hour and a half, until Magnus Gamp called a halt, handing me another pair of potions before beginning the next phase of the class.

"Today, we're going to go over Kappas, and then I'll teach you the best ways to defend yourself against them." Began Magnus Gamp.

"Aren't Kappas only found in Japan and on Certain Islands in the Far East?" I asked.

"They are, and they're kept that way by the ICW's hunting protocols. Kappas breed to quickly otherwise. Their Chelonian Nature isn't just for show, after all. In addition to being able to swim, breathe, and see under water and survive pressures that would injure a person, Kappas also lay eggs in clutches of twenty to fifty. Even if only half of the Kappas Eggs hatch, that's still quite a bit faster than most things breed, Lad." Informed Magnus Gamp.

"And you're mentioning this because?" I questioned.

"Because every Wizard Hunter who's worth anything has spent at least one hunt attached to the ICW's Task Force. It's a requirement to be accepted by the Aurors these days to have experience in a Major Creature Hunt, and the ICW's Kappa Hunts are the best way to get that experience. I assume you're planning on joining the Aurors, yes?" Smirked Magnus Gamp.

"Maybe? Do you think I should do so?" I queried.

"It's not a bad career path for someone with a talent for dueling like you seem to have. Now, to continue, the Kappa is a quasi-Demonic Dark Creature that feeds on the intestines of marine mammals. They were descended from a Turtle Demon from back in the First Century BC who was summoned by unwary Japanese Wizards and proceeded to rape and impregnate a Witch, who gave birth to its spawn, and thus the Kappas as a whole. It took a whole team of Wizards to banish the Demon, but they couldn't get all of the initial clutch of Kappas, resulting in the species we have today." Lectured Magnus Gamp.

As I listened, I learned that Kappas were classified as Dark Creatures largely because of their origins. Modern Kappas are pretty far away from their Demonic Progenitor in terms of the quantity of Demonic Essence within them, but they still retained certain demonic traits from their progenitor, namely, the need to feed on intestines, the sadistic glee when disembowling prey, and the need to interbreed with other species to produce truly bountiful clutches of eggs. It turned out that when Kappas breed among themselves, they only tend to lay clutches of twenty eggs, of which many would fail to hatch. The Kappa Hunts were organized in advance of Kappa Mating Season to trim their numbers down. If that failed to happen, then Kappas would lay clutches of fifty eggs, of which most would hatch successfully.

Apparently, the last time that a sufficient Kappa hunt had been organized was back during Grindelwald's War, before the Modern ICW had taken shape, and when the traditional hunters that the Japanese had used previously had been distracted by the fighting in China that Grindelwald had influenced his allies and puppets in the Magical Bakufu and Muggle Imperial Japanese Government respectively to undertake. In fact, the explosion of Kappa Numbers had been the cause for the sinking of the USS Indianapolis late in the war and the death of so many Muggle Naval Sailors. Of course, the patch job that had been done to cover up the cause had been simple. Plant a story about a Japanese Submarine and Sharks, obliviating and confunding the survivors to believe it. It would have been a lot harder to cover up with no war on.

Regardless, the most surefire way to kill a Kappa was with Dehydration Spells. Freezing Charms could slow them, owing to the infernal and Chelonian Natures of the Beasts, but they could not survive without copious amounts of water. Dehydration Spells were the best for drying them out fatally. Of course, I already knew a spell for that, but Magnus Gamp taught me one that had been used by Chinese Wizards since the Seventeenth Century. The incantation was Kūwěi Gānzào, and the wand motion was an upward slash in the direction of the target, as if you were trying to use a sword to cut them from groin to throat, followed by a thrust. The result was a wave of withering dryness that would shrivel up a Kappa or other such creature easily and was even powerful enough to harm an adult wizard.

Interestingly, it seemed that Modern Chinese Spellwork was adapted from the Peach Wood Ritual Swords that Chinese Wizards traditionally used for spellcasting. Some said that when Wands were invented, they were invented after the First Wand Crafter had seen the Chinese Peach Wood Ritual Swords and got it in his head to use something similar instead of the more cumbersome staves in use at the time. Maybe that was why Traditional Chinese Spells had been so easy to adapt to modern wands. The Feng Shuei Spellcasting Tradition that had occurred in China and used the Ritual Swords had been the only Asian magical tradition that had that easy of a time doing so. Certainly, the use of Pendants in places like India hadn't been nearly as successfully adapted. It was why Japan had remained free of foreign occupation, and why China had only had certain bits carved out of it, as opposed to most of the rest of Asia, which had been completely colonized.

Regardless, by the time we were done for the day, I could not only write twelve inches on Kappas, their Origins, Ecology, and Tactics to use against them, but I could also successfully cast the Chinese Withering Spell, as the Dehydration Spell was called properly. When Magnus Gamp released me for the day, I felt I had another powerful tool in my arsenal, even against Non-Kappas. I returned to the Slytherin Dorms, eager to get in a bit of Practice with Occlumency and Runework, and then freshen up for Dinner. Occlumency practice went as it normally did, with me making decent gains for the amount of time spent. It was the Runework that was actually far more interesting to me.

I had begun working with Oscan Runes, which were little-known outside academic circles in Magical Italy. Indeed, the book I was learning from was not only in Italian but also written at the university level by an academic from Magical Naples. It would take me some time to get the Runic Language down, and I likely wouldn't figure it out enough to begin using it for crafting before the end of next summer, but it was not only complex enough to be effectively used like computer code for Magical Effects, but also obscure enough that it would stump people trying to figure it out unless they knew about it. There was a reason that the Samnites, who used the Runes, had required three wars with Rome and a Revolt afterward to be fully conquered, after all.

It was only after I freshened up and headed to dinner that I understood just how far the Rumors that had begun swirling this morning in the second-floor corridor had spread. As I entered the great hall, all eyes fell on me, and a hush fell over the conversation over at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Tables. I frowned at that, taking a seat in my usual spot at the Slytherin Table, only to see Malfoy give me a constipated look. While that wasn't unusual, it was awfully close to his loss in our duel for him to be showing outward signs of his displeasure at the terms he was being forced to abide by. Last year, it had taken another week to get him to this point.

"All right, what's wrong with Malfoy?" I asked.

"You mean in general or today in specific?" Questioned Tracey.

"I mean, why is he giving me that sour look? He has to still be reeling from our duel, so what got his courage up to start testing the boundaries of our terms?" I queried.

"You didn't hear?" Asked Millie.

"It's all over the school." Chimed in Gwenllian Jones.

"You're a topic of Gossip, all right." Smirked Charlie Bilmes.

"Look, don't dance around the subject, just tell me." I insisted.

"It seems the rumor is that you're the heir of Slytherin." Informed Daphne.

"The Rumor Mill picked that up and spread it so fast?" I questioned.

"You did know about it, then?" Queried Millie.

"I did. I also know why it started." I admitted.

"Well, apparently, it came from Gryffindor. Harry, Ron, and Neville tried to squash it, but they didn't manage before it also tore through Hufflepuff. Hannah and Susan couldn't get a grip on it, and it spread from there." Explained Tracey.

"I know a few of the Puffs. Nice blokes, but excitable. You set off a couple of fireworks, and they lose their minds. I believe they could have spread it through the school like that." Added Charlie Bilmes.

"It's not true, right?" Asked Gwenllian Jones.

"Of course it's not true. I heard about the Chamber Opening when you did." I sighed.

"Well, a bunch of Hufflepuff and some of Gryffindor think it's true." Opined Millie.

"You've even got some of Ravenclaw thinking about it. At least that's what Parvati and Hermione said." Remarked Tracey.

"Personally, I think it's rubbish. If anyone were going to open the Chamber of Secrets and let out Slytherin's Creature, it wouldn't be you. It would be Malfoy." Sniffed Daphne.

"Yeah, he's just got a case of sour grapes that half the school thinks it's you, if you ask me." Scoffed Charlie Bilmes.

"I mean, some people are saying it's actually Harry Potter, but I think only a handful are saying that, comparatively. That's just a bridge too far for most people, I think." Shrugged Gwenillan Jones.

I sighed at that, realizing that the Rumor Mill had effectively cast me in the role Harry had the first time around, where a decent amount of suspicion among the wider student body had fallen on him as the heir of Slytherin. Ironically, that meant Harry had taken Malfoy's spot as the second person people thought might be the Heir of Slytherin. No wonder Malfoy was so constipated. He'd been bumped completely from the rankings. I was going to have to get ahead of this and fast if I wanted this year to continue going smoothly. It was a damn shame, things this year had been going so well up until this morning.

Speaking of getting ahead of things, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up as Dinner began to wind down, getting everyone's attention by casting the Sonorus Charm and clearing his throat in a loud and conspicuous manner. As the Great Hall quieted down, and everyone's attention was drawn to him, Headmaster Dumbledore began to speak.

"Now that everyone has had a chance to eat their fill, I have a small number of announcements to make. I am sure that by now, you have all heard of this morning's unfortunate events. I assure you all that the Teachers are taking every step possible to resolve the situation in a timely manner, but unfortunately, thanks to the petrification of his beloved pet cat and school mouser, our long-time caretaker Argus Filch will be taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the year. In truth, he has had some months of vacation time stored up. We wish him well in his grieving process." Announced Headmaster Dumbledore.

That was met with a round of muffled cheers from certain sections of the student body. It meant that moving about the Castle at night would be easier than it had been with Filch on the Job. Of course, that had its downsides as well, especially as regards certain people who were up to no good, and not in a fun way, like the Weasley Twins. I frowned at the implications of that before Headmaster Dumbledore continued to speak.

"In his place, we will be instituting the Old System of Prefect Patrols. Each Seventh Year Prefect will be assigned two floors to patrol between the Dungeons and all seven floors of Hogwarts. Many hands make light work, after all. Meanwhile, the grounds outside the Castle will, as always, be patrolled by Hagrid." Continued Headmaster Dumbledore.

Prefect Patrols weren't a horrible way to go, I suppose, but they did remind me that my Sight had shown me that Lockhart would attempt to make at least some of the Female Seventh Year Prefects into thralls. Not to mention that there was the chance that some of the prefects would run into the Basilisk. Of course, at this juncture, nobody knew whether or not the Chamber had actually been opened, or whether it was just someone playing a very mean prank on Argus Filch, who wasn't exactly beloved by the student body, and using a past tragedy to attempt to avoid consequences with a cover-up. Still, my frown deepened as I thought about the situation and Headmaster Dumbledore finished his speech.

"Finally, I must ask for both Blaise Zabini and Harry Potter to see me in my office after the official end of Dinner tonight. There have been a number of rumors flying about, and it is probably best to discuss them and look into the truth, for the sake of school morale, if nothing else." Finished Headmaster Dumbledore.

At that, I couldn't help it. I groaned loudly at that announcement as Headmaster Dumbledore sat back down and the dessert course appeared on the tables around the hall. I picked away half-heartedly at a chocolate mousse dish, grumbling as I did so. Today, it seemed was just no good for me. Eventually, however, the dishes disappeared and Dinner wound down, leaving me with no other option but to visit the Headmaster's Office for the meeting that Headmaster Dumbledore had requested with the announcements.

It seemed this horrible day wasn't going to be over just yet, unfortunately. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we see the next chapter. It's mostly plot-related, with just a little bit of character interaction and worldbuilding. I had tentatively titled this chapter in my notes as Blaise's Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. In a lot of ways, this is the day that effectively supercharges the plot for Year Two. A lot of the stuff that comes out of this day will continue for the foreseeable future, as the alternate Plot of Chamber of Secrets continues for the remainder of the year.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the second part of Blaise's Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and will include the meeting with Dumbledore, plus a vision from the Sight about something coming up.

Stay tuned. . .