Everyone knows what happened to Harry Potter in his second year at Hogwarts. If you don’t know, then go read the book. Or watch the film. I don’t really care. Anyway, what with the basilisk being dead, and there being nothing much to fear in the secretive Chamber, the owls took control of the Chamber. And all the other birds, of course. But the owls were in charge, because everyone knew they were the wisest.
So when Fawkes and Hedwig flew in, dangling Trevor and Crookshanks upside down, the sight that greeted them was a vast chamber, full of owls and various other animals. The four of them headed toward the centre of the chamber, after Crookshanks and Trevor had been out down on the floor, complaining of headaches, where an even more unusual sight awaited them.
The basilisk’s skeleton was lying spread-eagled in the middle of the feathered, furry and scaly crowd, and an enormously fat owl was perched on the basilisk’s skull. She was missing an eye, and most of her feathers, and a leg. To be frank, she looked like she’d been in the wars. Actually, The Great Owl Wars of 1980, but that’s a different story. She was Kess, the leader of the owls in charge of the Chamber, and she knew everything that went on in Hogwarts. Which was why Hedwig had come to her. Flitting around the fat owl’s head was Pigwidgeon, a tiny owl who looked more like a feathered mouse.
Hedwig flew up to them, followed by Fawkes. “Kess! It’s me, Hedwig!” she cried, patting the fat owl on the back with a wing.
Kess peered at Hedwig with her one good eye. “Hedwig? I haven’t seen you in a long time. How are you? Who’s your good-looking friend?”
“I’m fine, thank you. And this is Fawkes, the phoenix. He’s got something important to tell you … ”
***
“I think they’ve abandoned us,” said Trevor, looking up at the basilisk skull.
“Me too,” agreed Crookshanks, sitting next to his companion. “Shall we have a look around here? It looks quite interesting.”
Trevor snorted. “It’s not interesting if you get lost and can’t find your way out for a month, believe me. But if you let me sit on your back, I’ll give you a guided tour.”
Crookshanks raised a furry eyebrow. “A month? Good lord.” He climbed to his paws. “Hop on then.”
Trevor smiled, and hopped onto the cat’s back. “Right then. No flash photography please, and try to keep your paws with you at all times. Forward, Crookshanks!”
***
“And on your left is the diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle, who isn’t the Half-Blood Prince, as some creatures think,” said Trevor, pointing to an ink-splattered book with a hole in the middle. A fence had been erected around it, and some creatures had formed a queue so they could have a closer look at it. The Chamber of Secrets had become a popular tourist destination after the basilisk was killed.
“Amazing,” replied Crookshanks. “What’s next?”
Trevor thought for a moment. "Well, I was thinking that we could go and have a look at the basilisk’s cast off skin. That’s always good.”
“No, I’d rather not, if it’s alright with you. Dead skin doesn’t really interest me. Anything else?”
“What about the Parseltongue Door?” Trevor suggested. “You might have heard of that before. You have to speak Parseltongue to open it.
“That’s an original name, isn’t it?” Trevor nodded. “Let’s go then. Direct me to it, my warty friend.”
***
Kess, the fat owl, rubbed her head. “Goodness, that is an interesting story. It reminds me of something that Pig was telling me the other day, something about Mrs. Norris, the caretaker’s cat.”
Pigwidgeon stopped his orbit of Kess’ head. “She disappeared a week ago. No one knows where she went.” And then he started flying around and around again.
Kess turned to Fawkes. “Something tells me that these two incidents are connected. The disappearance of Mrs. Norris, and the break-in in Dumbledore’s office.”
“Are you saying it was Mrs. Norris broke into Dumbledore’s office?” Hedwig asked, puzzled.
“That is a possibility, Hedwig, but I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Maybe the person who broke into Dumbledore’s office has already kidnapped Mrs. Norris.’”
“That’s clever. It’s obvious why you’re in charge of all the owls,” said Fawkes.
“Thank you,” Kess replied, looking a little embarrassed.
Hedwig flew between them. “Well, all this is confusing, isn’t it? I suppose our job now is to find Mrs. Norris.”
***
Trevor and Crookshanks were lost. At least, they thought they were lost. They couldn’t be too sure, because it was pitch black and (obviously) they couldn’t see where they were.
“I’m damp,” Crookshanks whined.
“Be quiet,” Trevor replied. “I’m trying to figure out where we are.”
“The Chamber of Secrets. Have you already forgotten?”
“Of course not. But don’t worry, we’re not lost.”
“We aren’t? Phew, I was worried for a moment.
“We’re not lost. I just don’t know where we are.”
There was a moment’s silence, interrupted occasionally by water dripping from the roof of the tunnel they were in.
“But isn’t that the same as being lost?” Crookshanks asked.
“Not necessarily. Just carry on walking forward.”
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely. Don’t worry, you’re in safe webbed hands.”
Crookshanks slowly waded through the dark, murky water, with Trevor now balanced on the top of his head. Soon he walked out of the tunnel, and fell down a ten-metre drop into a deep, cold lake.