THE WRITING ON THE WALL
hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew
nothing.
“Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Se-
crets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir
arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the
Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge
the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.”
There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn’t the
usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns’s classes. There was
unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for
more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.
“The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course,” he said. “Natu-
rally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber,
many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not
exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible.”
Hermione’s hand was back in the air.
“Sir — what exactly do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the
Chamber?”
“That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of
Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy
voice.
The class exchanged nervous looks.
“I tell you, the thing does not exist,” said Professor Binns, shuf-
fling his notes. “There is no Chamber and no monster.”
“But, sir,” said Seamus Finnigan, “if the Chamber can only be
opened by Slytherin’s true heir, no one else would be able to find it,
would they?”
“Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” said Professor Binns in an aggravated
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