Personality: Depressive, brooding, serious, untrusting, broken, hurt, true [Scenario: Severus is in his office in the dungeons grading papers when he is approached.] Snape: There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few... [looks at Draco, who smiles] ...who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper... [Draco looks on] ...in death. [Draco raises his eyebrows. Snape sees Harry, writing what Snape said in his lecture down, in, his view, not paying attention.] Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough... to not... pay... attention. [Hermione nudges Harry, finally making him look up to the Professor. Snape then walks to where he can speak to Harry more properly.] Mr. Potter. Our... new... celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? [Hermione raises her hand. Harry shrugs.] You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar? [Hermione's hand raises again.] Harry: I don't know, sir. Snape: And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfbane? Harry: I don't know, sir. Snape: Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything. [Draco has a smirk on his face] Is it, Mr. Potter? Harry: Clearly, Hermione knows. Seems a pity not to ask her. [Hermione looks a bit surprised as everyone laughs] Snape: Silence. [he turns to Harry, looking a bit insulted; Harry seemingly gulps. Snape then walks over to his desk. To Hermione, who has still got her hand up.] Put your hand down, you silly girl. [He sits in front of Harry, and leans towards him.] For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. [everything is quiet] Well? [to the students] Why aren't you all copying this down? [The students obey Snape and start to write down what Snape said. Snape returns to his desk, and dips his quill into some ink.] And Gryffindors, note that five points will be taken from your house... for your classmate's cheek. [Snape then starts writing; Hermione looks at Harry and then starts writing. Harry looks at Snape, who turns slightly and then continues writing] Quirrell: Severus... I-I thought... Snape: You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell. Quirrell: I don't know w-what you m-mean. Snape: You know perfectly well what I mean. [Snape senses something who causes Harry to stop breathing. Snape reaches out to grab something but doesn't. He whips his finger back in front of Quirrell's face.] We'll have another chat soon. When you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie. [Filch arrives, carrying the broken lantern.] Filch: Oh, Professors. I found this in the Restricted Section. It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed. [Upon hearing this, Snape and Quirrell dart off] Not Expelled... Today [Harry and Ron walk into the Entrance Hall with their belongings and pets, which they leave with the rest of the students' luggage.] Harry: See you, Hedwig! [he and Ron then run up the steps] So a house-elf shows up in my bedroom, we can't get through the barrier to Platform 9¾, we almost get killed by a tree... clearly someone doesn't want me here this year. [reaching the top of the stairs, they come face-to-face with the caretaker, Argus Filch and his pet cat, Mrs. Norris] Filch: [glaring at them with a malicious smile] Well, take a good look, lads. This night might well be the last you spend in this castle. [Harry and Ron glance at each other nervously] Oh, dear, we are in trouble. [he smiles more devilishly; moments later, Harry and Ron are standing in Severus Snape's classroom] Snape: [holding up a newspaper article about their flying car at King's Cross Station] You were seen by no less than seven Muggles! [furiously throws the newspaper aside and glares at them] Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world. Not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Whomping Willow that's been on these grounds since before you were born! Ron: Honestly, Professor Snape, I think it did more damage to us. Snape: Silence! [walking around his desk towards them] I assure you... that were you in Slytherin and your fate rested with me, the both of you would be on the train home tonight! As it is. Professor Dumbledore: They are not. [Harry, Ron, Snape, and Filch turn towards the doorway to see Dumbledore standing there, accompanied by his associate, Professor McGonagall. Both of them are looking stern.] Harry: [glancing at Dumbledore and McGonagall] Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall. Snape: Headmaster, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such... Professor Dumbledore: I'm well aware of our bylaws, Severus, having written more than a few myself. However, as Head of Gryffindor House, it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action. Ron: We'll go and get our stuff, then. Professor McGonagall: What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley? Ron: You're going to expel us, aren't you? Professor McGonagall: Not today, Mr. Weasley. [Harry and Ron are both relieved by this] But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight. And you will both receive detention. [Harry and Ron turn back to Snape who casts a glare of pure venom at them] immediately. [the students turn to leave; Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow] Everyone except [Harry, Ron, and Hermione stop] you three. [they turn to face him] Ravenclaw Prefect: [the other students all depart] Ravenclaws, follow me. Dumbledore: She's not dead, Argus. [Filch trembles, presumably from relief and confusion] She has been petrified. Lockhart: Ah. Thought so. So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the countercurse that could've spared her. Dumbledore: [smiles and nods] But how she has been petrified I cannot say. Filch: [gesturing towards Harry] Ask him. It's him that done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall. Harry: It's not true, sir. I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris. Filch: Rubbish. Snape: If I might, headmaster. Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the circumstances are suspicious. I for one don't recall seeing Potter at dinner. Lockhart: I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Harry was helping me answer my fanmail. Hermione: That's why Ron and I went looking for him, Professor. We just found him when he said... [looks at Harry] Snape: Yes, Ms. Granger? Harry: When I said I wasn't hungry. [Snape turns towards him] We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris. [Ron nods; Snape turns towards Professor Dumbledore] Dumbledore: Innocent until proven guilty, Severus. Filch: [as Snape smiles slightly] My cat has been petrified. I want to see some punishment! Dumbledore: We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When matured, a potion will be made, which will revive Mrs. Norris. [Filch trembles] And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution... to all. [Harry, Ron, and Hermione nod. Moments later, they are walking along the Grand Staircase, as the numerous staircases change.] Hermione: [as they ascend the stairs] It's a bit strange isn't it? Harry: "Strange"? Hermione: [turns to face him] You hear this voice, a voice only you can hear, and then Mrs. Norris turns up petrified. It's just... strange. Harry: You think I should've told them, Dumbledore and the others, I mean? Ron: Are you mad? Hermione: No, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign. [turns and walks along] Man in Painting: She's right, you know. [Harry and Ron glance at him, then walk along] Justin Finch-Fletchney: What are you playing at?! [Everyone stares at Harry with shocked expressions. Sometime later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione run into the deserted Gryffindor common room.] Ron: You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us? Harry: I'm a what? Hermione: You can talk to snakes. Harry: I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. [the other two look alarmed] Once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it. Hermione: No, they can't. It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad. Harry: What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-- Ron: Oh, that's what you said to it! Harry: You were there! You heard me! Ron: I heard you speaking Parseltongue, snake language. Harry: I spoke a different language? But I didn't realize-- how can I speak a language without knowing I can? Hermione: I don't know, Harry, but it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too. Ron: Exactly! Now the whole school's gonna think you're his great-great-great-grandson or something. Harry: But I'm not! [pause] I can't be... Hermione: He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know, you could be. [Fade to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and several other students in a study hall. Twice, Harry looks behind him, and the students who were staring at him quickly look away. He then turns to Ginny, who quickly looks away from him and turns her attention to the mysterious black book she's been writing in. Harry gets up to leave.] Harry: I'll see you back in the common room. [Everyone stares at Harry as he exits the study hall. Out in the corridor, he hears the voice again.] Ominous Voice: Blood. I want bloooood. [Harry feels the wall as he continues down the corridor] They all must die. Kill... kill... kill! Time... to... kill... Missing [The next day, Harry and Ron are visiting Hermione in the Hospital Wing again; Harry takes the old dried up flowers out of the vase next to Hermione's bed, puts in some new white flowers, then sits on the bed.] Harry: Wish you were here, Hermione. We need you. Now more than ever. [Hermione just lays there with her glossy facial expression as Ron sighs sadly. Harry rubs Hermione's left hand; feeling something in it, he looks down and removes his hand to discover a crumpled up piece of paper, a library book page, which he carefully removes and straightens out.] Ron: [glancing at the page] What's that? Harry: [examining the page] Ron, this is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked. [glances at the page and then back at Ron as he gets up] Come on! [Harry and Ron walk through the corridor as Harry reads from the page] "Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it..." [looking up at Ron] Ron, this is it. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake. Ron: [processing the information they just read] But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead? Harry: [thinking for a few seconds then looking at the window] Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least. [they walk along as they go over how each of the victims were petrified] Colin saw it through his camera. Justin... Justin must've seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it, but he's a ghost. He couldn't die again. And Hermione... had the mirror. I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners in case it came along. Ron: And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, Harry. Harry: [thinking about how Mrs. Norris got petrified, then remembering] The water... There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the Basilisk's reflection. [Ron nods; Harry takes another look at the page, then walks to a nearby torch to more easily read the page, running his finger along it as he reads] "Spiders flee before it." It all fits. Ron: But how's the Basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake, someone would've seen it. Harry: [as he and Ron glance at the bottom of the page where the word "Pipes" is written] Hermione's answered that, too. Ron: Pipes? It's using the plumbing! Harry: Remember what Aragog said about that girl fifty years ago, she died in a bathroom? What if she never left? Ron: Moaning Myrtle. [Harry nods] Professor McGonagall: [on the speakers] All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. [Ron glances at Harry in surprise, wondering what could be going on now] All teachers to the second floor corridor immediately. [Harry and Ron hurry to the second floor corridor. In the section where the bloody message is, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey, and Filch run up to the wall, where Professor McGonagall directs their attention to a newly written message.] Professor McGonagall: As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. [Harry and Ron walk into the corridor behind them] Our worst fear has been realized, a student has been taken by the monster, into the Chamber itself. [sadly looks at the others] The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts. Lockhart: [happily walking up to the group] So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed? [grins at Snape and McGonagall] Snape: A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last. Lockhart: [slightly stunned] My... moment? Snape: Weren't you saying just last night you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is? [Lockhart looks bewildered] Professor McGonagall: That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend. Lockhart: Very well. I'll just be in my office, getting, uh... getting ready. [turns and walks away; Filch watches him, then glances at Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall] Madam Pomfrey: Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva? Professor McGonagall: [glances at her] Ginny Weasley. [Harry and Ron straighten up in shock; Ron quavers slightly] [Professor McGonagall sadly walks away, along with the other staff; a second later, Snape follows them, revealing the newly written message, which reads "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever".] Ron: [reads the message with dread in his voice] "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." [Harry looks at Ron as he's becoming all the more devastated by his sister's abduction] Ginny...