Ron and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast when Niamh ran up to them, eyes wide.
“Guys! Guys!”
The two turned to blink at her as Niamh pulled to a stop and stood panting for a moment. Hermione frowned at her and asked, “What is it, Niamh?”
“Harry. Have you seen him?”
“Not since yesterday,” said Ron, his eyes darting to a few fifth years that were glaring at Niamh.
Niamh nodded and looked at Hermione. “What about you, Mione?”
“The same. Did you ask Ginny?”
“Yeah. She hasn’t seen him either.”
“The other Slytherins?” suggested Fred, who was sitting across from Ron and Hermione.
Niamh nodded. She shook her head and said, “I even asked Malfoy and his cronies. Including Zabini, who I had to slap a few times to get him to stop goggling at me. I’ve got Mika looking for Harry in places we know he goes sometimes.”
“Mika?” said Ron, Hermione, and Fred in confusion.
Niamh nodded again.
“Mika Davids; a friend of me and Harry’s. He’s a Slyth – second year like us.”
“Oh.”
“Where do you think Harry is?” asked Ron.
Niamh shrugged and replied, “I have no idea. When I finally got Zabini to talk, he said Harry never came into the dorm last night. And what’s really creepy is that Jardin is missing too. He’s probably the only per – thing that could find Harry!”
“Have you told Professor Snape?”
Niamh shook her head at Hermione.
“Not yet. I’ll go do that now then go see if I can hunt down Mika. Maybe he’s found something.”
With that she turned and headed up to the Head Table. Ron, Hermione, and Fred watched as she walked down to Snape and said something to him. The Potion’s Masters eyes widened and he rose, walking down to Dumbledore and saying something before sweeping out of the hall, motioning Niamh to follow him.
Fred asked, “What was that about?”
Ron shrugged and Hermione said, “No clue.”
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
“How long has Mr. Potter been missing, Miss O’Feir?”
“Yesterday. After the – er…”
“The dueling club.”
Niamh nodded.
“Yeah.”
Snape looked down at her for a moment then asked, “Are you afraid of him?”
“What?”
“Are you afraid of him, Miss O’Feir?”
“Harry? No! I’m not. He frightens me sometimes but I’m not afraid of him. I’m his friend.”
Snape nodded.
“That is good. He will need friends.”
Niamh frowned and looked up at Snape in confusion. She asked, “What do you mean, sir?”
“You are aware of the legend of the Chamber of Secrets?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you are also aware of the fact that it is said that it was built by Salazar Slytherin, who was a Parselmouth as Mr. Potter is?”
Niamh nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you see the dilemma.”
“Er – sort of. Because Harry’s a Parselmouth they’ll think he’s the one doing all this.”
“Exactly, Miss O’Feir.”
“But…I thought the Chamber of Secrets was just a legend?”
Snape sighed and turned to look down at Niamh. He looked up and down the hall then said, “Miss O’Feir, I assure you, the Chamber is very real. It has been opened once before and is now open again.” His dark eyes narrowed as he added, “And I must ask you not to tell this to anyone. Not even Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger.”
“What about Harry?”
“He, you may tell.”
“But, sir, how can the Chamber be open now if its wasn’t Harry that did it?” Niamh frowned and looked up at Snape, blue eyes wide as saucers. “Sir…you don’t think Harry opened it do you?”
Snape smiled – a very faint smile, but one nonetheless. He said, “No, Niamh, I do not. As Harry only discovered he had this ability yesterday, its unlikely he opened the Chamber.”
“But nobody else will realize that.”
“Another dilemma,” said Snape dryly.
“But Harry told us yesterday that he had talked to a snake before.”
“He most likely simply went along with it. If my memory serves me correctly, his mother’s sister would have set him to work doing something so he may have been bored and begun talking to the snake.”
Niamh blinked. “You knew Harry’s mum?”
“Yes. But – that is a topic for another time. Right now we must find Harry. Is anyone else searching?”
“Mika. I could go find Ginny and see if she’ll help. But I doubt it. She was crying last I saw her.”
Snape frowned then said, “You go find Mr. Davids. Get Weasley and Granger to help you.”
“All the Weasley’s?”
“If they will help. Today is Saturday. No one will notice them prowling about the castle.”
Niamh nodded and sprinted back down the corridor to the Great Hall. Snape watched her until she vanished around a corner. He then turned and looked down the hall. Sighing, he softly asked the thin air and empty corridor around him, “Where are you, Harry?”
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
“So, you and Snape are mounting a search for Harry?”
“Yes. Professor Snape is helping.”
“Why would that greasy git be helping?”
“Ron!”
“Sorry, Niamh.”
“I should hope so! Now, c’mon. We’ve got to find Harry.”
“Where do we start?”
“Anywhere, Mione. Ron, can you get your brothers to help?”
“I can get Fred and George. I don’t know about Percy.”
“Well, get them. We’ve got to find Harry.”
“What if he wants to be alone?”
Niamh glared up at Ron and growled, “And what if somebody that doesn’t like him finds him?”
“He can take care of himself.”
“What if five people that don’t like him find him?”
“Good point.”
“I’m so glad you’ve finally seen the light. Now let’s go.”
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
Snape searched through the dungeons, throwing doors open as he went. He had gone through the lower dungeons first, even though there was very little chance a student could get down there. Now he went through the upper dungeons, the one’s where his classroom and quarters were located along with the Slytherin dormitory.
As he passed the door of one of the rooms just two doors down from his classroom, he heard a muffled sound. Turning to the door, he gently pushed it open, peeking through the crack. Seeing nothing inside he entered, cursing when he saw the torches were extinguished.
“Lumos.”
Lifting his wand high, Snape looked about the room, which was empty except for two long tables and a stool. But it apparently had been used recently as a cauldron, potions ingredients, and a book lay on one of the tables.
Walking over to the table he picked up a spoon and dipped up some of the potion, sniffing it.
“Prosapia Potion.”
There was a noise to his right and he turned, holding his wand out in front of him. He growled, “Come out or I’ll bring you out.”
There was a light shuffling sound and then a shape moved into the edge of the circle of light from Snape’s wand. The wandlight illuminated Harry’s face as he smiled coldly and said, “‘Ello, Father.”
Snape sucked in a hiss of breath and his wand hand shook slightly.
Merlin help me.
He knows.