Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

The Christmas holidays flew by, and soon students were returning to Hogwarts by train, filling the castle once more with lively noise and laughter. After the break, the fear of the recent attacks seemed to have faded slightly. Most students were laughing and joking, seemingly less haunted by worry than before.

Perhaps they believed the professors had taken care of the monster in the Chamber of Secrets over the holidays. At least, that's what Lockhart had claimed.

Lockhart was, surprisingly, the first professor to return after the break—so early, in fact, that he hadn't even attended the end-of-term feast. He had hurried off after his last Defense Against the Dark Arts class, returning later with triumphant flair. Whatever he had heard or experienced during the holidays seemed to have filled him with confidence, as he wasted no time in boasting that he'd solved the Chamber of Secrets mystery.

Kyle happened to be waiting near the foyer and overheard Lockhart speaking with Professor McGonagall.

"There won't be any more trouble, Minerva," Lockhart said in his usual loud voice. "I can assure you the Chamber of Secrets won't open again. I've found the true Heir but decided to grant him a chance. If he has any sense, he won't cause further disruptions."

Students nearby overheard him, and while some took comfort in his words, others were skeptical. Still, Lockhart's confident pronouncements seemed to ease the general tension around the castle.

Oddly enough, just five minutes earlier, Lockhart had given the exact same speech to Professor Flitwick… and ten minutes before that, he'd said the same words to Professor Sprout. Kyle, who had been nearby the entire time, couldn't help noticing that Lockhart was delivering these lines as if he'd rehearsed them.

Soon after, Professor McGonagall walked away, leaving Lockhart standing there, glancing around as if searching for his next target. It was likely he'd try Snape next—but Kyle wasn't sure how well that would go. Snape would either completely ignore Lockhart, endure him with dark patience, or, in a darker fantasy, might even cast a quick Langlock to silence him… or, for that matter, Sectumsempra to shut him up for good.

Kyle was tempted to stay and see how things unfolded, but just then, the person he was waiting for finally arrived. Cedric walked up the stone steps into the castle, spotted Kyle, and headed directly toward him.

"I asked around for you," Cedric said, handing Kyle the gold chain. "I checked every shop I know of, including Diagon Alley, but no one's sold anything with this kind of design."

"Nothing even remotely similar?" Kyle frowned.

Cedric shook his head. "Nothing. Though I didn't try Knockturn Alley—my dad won't let me go there…"

"That's alright; you've done plenty," Kyle reassured him. "Not many people in Knockturn Alley would be honest anyway. Going there probably wouldn't help."

"You're right…" Cedric agreed, falling into step with Kyle as they walked toward the Great Hall. "I've been meaning to ask—what exactly is this chain?"

"I'm not sure myself," Kyle admitted. "I just found it, but I have a hunch it might be connected to the recent attacks. That's why I asked you to help me track it down."

Cedric's face turned serious. "You mean… the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked, lowering his voice as he realized he'd spoken a little too loudly. "Are you certain?"

"It's just a theory," Kyle replied. "Could be it's just some fancy decoration on someone's clothing."

"Can I take another look?" Cedric asked, intrigued.

"Of course," Kyle said, handing it over. "Just be careful not to hold it too close to the fireplace, or it might change back."

Cedric looked at him in surprise. "This is Transfiguration?"

Kyle nodded. Cedric hadn't noticed before, but the chain's intricate design had a shimmer to it, like something that was barely holding its shape.

Soon after they sat down at the long dining table, the start-of-term feast began. Dumbledore was chatting with Professor Trelawney, who was wearing her usual gauzy shawls and layered beads. Seeing her reminded Kyle that he hadn't attended a single Divination class since the start of term.

He'd heard from classmates that he'd somehow become a "teaching aid" for Trelawney, who hadn't taken his absence lightly. Before the holidays, she'd even predicted ominously, "If he continues to miss my class, he may be leaving us forever next term."

Kyle's friends, Mikel and Ryan, had suggested he show up just to keep her from focusing on him as some sort of harbinger of doom. He would have gone, but unfortunately, Divination clashed with his Ancient Runes class, and Runes was not something he could afford to drop. With his private tutor, Tom Riddle, gone, Kyle now had to rely on Professor Babbling, who was only available once a week—and difficult to find at any other time.

Next to Dumbledore sat Professor McGonagall, looking as stern as ever, and beside her was a particularly jubilant Lockhart. He seemed so pleased with himself that he'd even taken out a bottle of Firewhiskey and offered it to the other professors. Each declined, and while Professor McGonagall pursed her lips in disapproval, she held back her objections since Dumbledore didn't mind.

When the banquet ended, a tipsy Lockhart stood up, beaming and repeating to the students what he'd boasted to the professors earlier—that he'd "solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets" and that Hogwarts was "safe once more."

There was a burst of cheers from the younger students, and Lockhart went on to announce his plans to publish a new book about Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets, with all the students as main characters. The cheering grew even louder. Yet a small number of students sat silent, clearly skeptical of Lockhart's claims and suspecting he was just drunk.

Later, in the Hufflepuff common room, some students started their holiday tradition of catching up on homework while sprawled on the sofas. Kyle handed his Potions assignment to Mikel.

"Thanks!" Mikel said, relieved. "I was five inches short on my Potions essay and couldn't finish it to save my life!"

As Mikel copied down the last few inches, Kyle lowered his voice. "Have you noticed any unusual behavior in Slytherin recently?"

Mikel gave a knowing grin. Not only had he claimed he'd try to sneak into the Slytherin common room—he'd actually done it. He'd managed to blend in with a group of Slytherins after their Care of Magical Creatures class, saying he'd swollen up from a sting by a Billywig, and had discreetly memorized the password. Unfortunately, he'd somehow been discovered. Snape had caught him and, with a furious expression, docked fifty points from Hufflepuff.

Mikel shrugged. "Well, no big breakthrough. But they've all been acting more… secretive. And I haven't seen Malfoy or his friends chatting about the attacks as much lately. Almost like they know something but are trying not to draw attention."

Kyle nodded thoughtfully.