Researching the Chamber

Stella walked into the Library the day after the welcoming feast. There was a deep scowl on her face as she stalked into there. This morning had not been a pleasant one. She had woken up to the sound of her dorm mates sitting around her bed, expecting Stella to answer every single one of their questions. Stella, who was not a morning person, had threatened to hex the infuriating girls until they left her alone. Stella got a bit of satisfaction seeing the frightened looks on their faces before they scampered away to get ready for the day.

Now that Stella was in such an awful mood, she felt the need to research the Chamber sooner than she initially planned on. Stella felt comfort in the fact that she would be able to go to a place that was important to her family. The Chamber was a place built by her ancestor and Stella had every right to use that place as a sanctuary.

Her eyes scanned the books, looking for any book talking about the Chamber. She knew that any thing she found in the library about the Chamber would be sanitized and brief. Stella would have to build a good relationship with one of her teachers so she could ask for a pass to the Restricted Section.

Violet sat in the library for peace and quiet. She already had to take away house points from a pair of unruely Ravenclaws, and she couldnt handle it.

Violet looked up from her book to see Stella looking at the Restricted Section, and she automaticially knew why.

Feeling a pair of eyes watching her, Stella snapped her head around with a glare expecting it to be one of her Slytherin dorm mates or another Hogwarts students looking for an exclusive interview, instead she found one of her good friends Violet.

Walking over to were Violet sat, Stella took a seat across from her. "Do you know a good hex to get rid of annoying, gossipy girls?" Stella wondered, her voice muffled by her hands.

Violet didnt like that Stella had glared at her, but Violet understood. Violet had seen almost everybody look at Stella, that was only during dinner alone.

"If I did, Id tell you." Violet promised Stella. "What did the Slytherin girls do?" She asked, interested to see what was bugging Stella so much.

Stella sighed. She felt bad for glaring at her 'Older Sister' but she was sick of being treated like some scandalous celebrity. Where was the hate that she was looking for? The infamy? "Well, I woke up this morning to every single girl in the Slytherin house huddled around my bed, expecting me to answer every single one of their pathetic, shallow questions. I finally threatened to hex them and that made them leave me alone." Stella rested her head against the cool desk.

"I was planning on no one talking to me. I wish no one would talk to me besides my friends. But, no, they are asking me all these annoying questions like I'm going to answer them! Don't they know who I am?" Stella's voice began rising until the librarian shot her a glare. Stella fought the urge to sneer back at the librarian. But, she couldn't take her anger out on the librarian. That would be beneath her.

Violet laughed. "Well, I dont think they will do it again. Considering you said you were going to hex them." Violet also added, "If they do it again, you should put snakes in their bed."

"I think everyone knows who you are, its pretty difficult not thinking about how Im friends with the Heir of Slytherin. And if said Heir will hex me because shes angry with me." Violet joked, trying to get Stella to cheer up.

Stella halfway smiled when Violet mentioned putting snakes in their bed. "I could always tell Mortis to sneak into their beds and scare them." Stella said, resting her head on her hand.

"Speaking of Mortis..." Stella trailed off. Ever since she got her pet Milk Snake, he had been wandering off to Merlin knows where. Putting her bag on top of the table, Stella lifted it open to see her red snake in there. "Mortis." Stella said angrily. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed him non-venomous snake and held him in her hands. "I told you to stay in your cage." Stella whispered to Mortis in Parseltongue. Mortis bowed his head and remained still in Stella's hand. Stella sighed and put him back in the bag. "Stay in there Mortis." Stella demanded once again in Parseltongue.

Looking up at Violet, Stella smiled. "Now, you have heard me talk to snakes." Stella said with a nervous chuckle.

Violet was very interested at the fact that she had just heard Parseltounge. "That was cool." Violet said lightly. Cool didnt cover what Violet was thinking.

"I guess I didnt realize you had a snake." Violet shrugged, and laughed.

This can't be right, Alex had wanted to go to the Kitchens, where she ended up was the Library. Still sleepy, not being a morning person at all, she had over slept and missed breakfast, and now she was sleepy, and hungry, and lost. As usual.

Suddenly she stopped, she heard a strange hissing and knew it could only be one thing. Turning around, she walked up to the two girls and asked, "Stella? Vio? You guys really here or am I hallucinating?"

"Im here. Need directions for the Kitchens?" Violet asked Alex, sencing that she wasnt a morning person and she was hungry.

"Yes, but now I think I could wait a while." Alex answered as she sighed, taking out a packet of chips from her bag and a Lipton Green Tea bottle. "I am always ready." She explained, opening the packet and offering it around.

Ever since the age of seven, when Alex realized she could get lost in a square room, she had always kept this emergency kit kind of ting in her bag. It was what helped her kill time, not feel hungry, and get out of the 'lost' area.

"When you get hungry again, you go to the Great Hall. They serve all the meals there." Violet felt like a know it all, but five years of attending Hogwarts had taught her things.

Stella shrugged. "I love speaking to snakes. You'll hear a lot more of it." Stella replied simply, noticing Mortis sneaking back out of his bag. Grabbing the snake, Stella raised an eyebrow at it. "Mortis, get back in the bag or not rats tonight." Stella threatened in Parseltongue. Mortis seemed to frown at her, but wound himself around her arm. Stella sighed and let him stay there.

Noticing Alex stopping by them, Stella smiled at the girl. "I think I have some food. But, Mortis might've eaten it." Stella said as Mortis started speaking to her about him eating the food. Stella scowled at him before looking back at her friends. "Yeah, he did."

"Dont worry about it then." Violet smiled. All she gets for breakfast is coffee. "I might go down there soon, I need my coffee."

"Yeah........That's where I kind of got lost!" Alex answered, shrugging. Taking a chip up in her hand, Alex studied it as she answered. "No worries, Snitch does that all the time."

Looking at the snake curiously, Alex felt an urge to hold him. She had never held snakes before and she really wanted to do it. "Hey Stella, can I hold him?"

"Kay, I will come with you then!"

"Ill tell you when I want to go down then Alex." Violet smiled, and rubbed her eyes. "I was doing Prefect duties all last night, Im exausted." Violet stifled a yawn with no luck.

Stella raised an eyebrow at Alex's request. Mortis has never been around anyone but herself. Her parents simply refused to look at the poor Milk Snake. Stella looked down at Mortis. "She wants to hold you." Stella said to the snake, her mouth making unnatural hissing noises. The snake looked at Alex then back at Stella. "She may hold me." The snake hissed back.

Stella felt Mortis unwind himself from her arm and slither over to Alex and let her pick him up. He seemed to be enjoying the attention and that made Stella smirk.

"I'll be joining you guys as well. Though, I'm not sitting with the Slytherins. I want to avoid their questions. I'm joining one of you two." Stella said firmly.

"I didnt know that Slytherins were so... I dunno.... Nosey maybe?" Violet shrugged, and shuddered, trying to keep herself up without passing out. "I didnt know how celebrity obsessed they were, is what Im trying to say."

Alex smiled, and had to giggle slightly, which was a sound she hated, but it was ticklish. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. "You do realize Stella, that we both also sit on different tables?" When she finally, stopped feeling this ticklish.

"Why exactly did you name it Mortis? It sounds like a name of some dish cleaner!" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow towards Stella.

Stella shrugged, looking away from the smug look on her snake's face. "I don't really care. I will sit anywhere with someone I know. I know that wherever I sit I will get questioned, but it's better than being by myself." Stella admitted.

"The Slytherins are awful. They are gossipers. But, someone of them are bearable." Stella shrugged. "I just need to be with people who are sane."

"Mortis is latin for death." Stella explained.

"Nah, if you sit wit Vio, she can shut people up by her badge, and if you sit wit me, I could shut people up with........I don't know, I will come up with something." Alex answered, shrugging as she let the snake slide on to the table. "At least you could get him to listen."

"What did you expect, they are Slytherins!" And you know Latin? That's cool."

"The only berable Slytherin I know is you, Stella." Violet wasnt exagerating. "I dont think the teachers will saw anything if you sit with one of us." She added, frowning. "Your right Alex. Ill take away house points like that!" Violet snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Stella smiled at her friend. "I want to thank you for last night. That was amazing. You've just made everyone a little more scared of me and I am grateful." Stella said with a laugh before seeing Mortis make his way back to Stella. Mortis slid up her arm, going back to his original place. "I think we need some space from each other." Stella joked in parseltongue. Mortis hissed at her a word that should never be repeated. Stella just laughed.

"I love learning Latin. And yes, they are Slytherins. Though, I'm their automatic leader, which is odd." Stella admitted.

Stella looked at Violet. "They won't care if I sit with you." Stella corrected with a laugh.

"Very odd." Violet, distracted, nodded.

"That proves that I need my coffee then Stella." Violet mock glared at her, laughing.

"yeah I know, it was weird like when for the first few seconds, only me and Stella clapped. So, I found it kind of awkward, and I don't deal well with awkward situations. You better be grateful tough, all he teachers were laughing!" Alex answered, rolling her eyes. "It kinda sucks."

"Well at least your dorm mates woke you up, mine couldn't be bothered. I think its because I am 'fraternizing wit the enemy' or maybe cause they just couldn't wake me up."