Hermione looked confused but nodded. Adrian turned on his heel, already starting to walk down the bridge back into the castle. He took the first downward staircase, already starting the trek.
They continued further and further until Hermione recognized where the troll had chased them the year before. She gasped and pointed at a specific suit of armor, dented slightly on its metallic surface. Adrian didn't even glance in the direction.
Adrian found the small snake in the wall, eying them indifferently until he clearly stated "Purple Heather."
The wall started to move with the sound of stone grinding on stone, pulling back on some hidden, probably magical hinge. Adrian stepped inside the entryway, nearly leaving Hermione scrambling to follow inside. It was late enough at night that the room wasn't too overpopulated, although the low buzz of conversations abruptly halted.
They stared at Hermione each with varying levels of distaste and outlandish surprise.
"What the-" One started, jaw dropping into an unfortunately ugly expression.
"What's the mud-" Draco started, springing upwards from a couch on the right with an accusing finger already pointed in their direction.
"Is Carmen in?" Adrian interrupted, rolling his shoulders and feeling one crack under the movement. "Someone find Carmen."
One fifth year vanished up the staircase, poking her head into one room and calling for the person in question.
Adrian spoke louder. "Carmen! I'm calling in our deal!"
The room was quiet once again, a few people looking forward eagerly.
"What in Merlin's name..." A fourth year groaned, "How did the kid get Carmen to make one of those bloody deals?"
"Reckon it was for something good? If not I'm cursing that mudblood out myself," someone else muttered.
Hermione noticeably shrank behind Adrian, her hand shaking on her wand.
Carmen popped her head out and around the doorframe of the upstairs room. She blinked in surprise, arched one eyebrow, and looked at Hermione. "You brought a Lion?"
"Ignore her," Adrian said. "I'll get one of you in their common room sometime."
One student whooped loudly at the idea of sabotaging the Gryffindors in their own home.
"You know where the common room is and you've been holding out on us?" Carmen pouted, then sighed. "Of course you do. Should have told us after they took our Cup last year."
Adrian offered his wand, at this point most people knew the drill. Carmen walked down the steps, reaching out without hesitation to grasp the lip twitched slightly, signifying she felt the magic race along her arm.
"Alright kid, what do you want?" She said, crossing her arms yet thankfully not addressing the terrified Gryffindor behind him. Carmen was significantly more lenient compared to the recently graduated Vaisley.
"She's under a deal," Adrian pointed over his shoulder at Hermione. "And you're the Prefect. You're almost as much as a bookworm as her-"
There were a few mumbles of agreement, causing Carmen to flush although not in embarrassment.
Adrian lifted his chin slightly, jutting it outwards unconsciously similar to Draco. "Tell us the story of the Chamber of Secrets."
There was a low whistle from a sixth year.
"All of them?" Carmen pouted, looking put out, "Come on, kid-"
"Do it Carmen," One laughed. "You're lucky more aren't back yet."
She grumbled something under her breath, stalking across the room to grab a chair from an unoccupied desk.
On cue, chairs and couches rotated or in one case, levitated to form a circle around the exasperated Carmen.
"You're a real menace, you know that?" Carmen huffed, sitting backwards on her chair and resting her chin on her forearm. Adrian motioned for Daphne to slide to the side of her couch to accommodate two more.
Hermione, still rather scared was totally absorbed in what Carmen was about to say.
"Alright fine," she started, turning to try an address everyone. "As you all know or better know by now, Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by two witches and two wizards. The four worked together to build the castle and in honor each of the houses are named after the founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and our own noble house, Salazar Slytherin."
The Slytherins broke into cheers, a startling amount of noise for roughly thirty people in the misshapen circle. The display of house pride was unexpected to Hermione, generally Slytherins were composed and rather aristocratic in public.
"Settle down!" Carmen shouted annoyed. "Or I'm quitting now! The legend goes on something like this: as time went on and the little details were picked out, Slytherin stuck to his own ideas. Slytherin wanted to be more selective about students and that all magical teachings should only be taught to all-magic families!"
There were quite a few who looked at Hermione, who was beginning to regret coming to Adrian for help.
"He didn't want to take Mudbloods under his wing, because in that time muggles liked to kill wizards," she hissed out, throwing out her arm for theatrics sake. "So those born to muggles weren't trustworthy and they still aren't trustworthy!"
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