Dark Deals: The Vampire Who Owns Hogwarts

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Dumbledore's gasp of surprise drew Dracula's attention to the copper faucet that refused to produce water.

"This snake pattern reeks of Salazar's style," Dracula muttered, his sharp eyes scanning the faucet with intrigue. "Perhaps he secretly constructed a hidden chamber behind the plumbing, one conveniently omitted from the castle's title deed."

A flicker of disdain crossed his face. "Typical Salazar. I never took him for someone to stoop so low. Hiding the entrance to a secret chamber in the girls' bathroom? Even Voldemort followed in his footsteps. Imagine finding such a significant doorway... here."

Though he had been Slytherin's close friend, Dracula had never uncovered the location of the infamous Chamber of Secrets.

The original entrance, he mused, hadn't been in a bathroom at all. In its inception, Slytherin and his descendants could access the chamber through concealed trapdoors and enchanted passages—methods far more dignified than sneaking into a lavatory.

But by the 18th century, Hogwarts had grown. More students meant more water usage, and an expanded plumbing system became necessary.

It was during this time that the entrance's concealment was jeopardized. The castle's headmaster at the time planned the construction of a girls' bathroom near the chamber's original entry point. The very bathroom now haunted by Myrtle.

Enter Corvinus Gaunt—a brilliant descendant of Slytherin who discovered the looming threat to the chamber's secrecy. Ingeniously, Corvinus modified the entrance, redirecting its connection to the copper faucet of the newly built bathroom. Thus, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, as it exists today, was born.

"There's always been a legend about the Chamber of Secrets circulating within Hogwarts," Dumbledore murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It's said Salazar Slytherin constructed the chamber before his departure, and only he or his heirs could open it."

He paused before continuing. "The legend claims a monstrous creature resides within—a creature that only Slytherin's bloodline can control. When unleashed, it would purge the school of all whom Slytherin deemed unworthy of learning magic."

Dracula scoffed, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "Rubbish. Salazar may have had his disagreements with Godric and the others, but harming innocent students? That's far-fetched. If he left behind a monster, it wasn't for vengeance—it was a legacy meant for his heirs."

Helena, the ghostly daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, drifted closer, curiosity alight in her translucent eyes. "Are you saying Slytherin didn't create the chamber to punish Muggle-borns, Uncle Dracula? I always thought it was his way of retaliating after falling out with my mother and the other founders."

Dracula regarded her with a faint smile. "Helena, Salazar's primary concern was the safety of Hogwarts. He believed admitting Muggle-born students risked exposing our world to danger. It's far more plausible that the chamber was designed to protect the castle from external threats."

Helena nodded slowly, piecing together the reasoning.

"If that's true," Dumbledore interjected, a glint of hope in his eyes, "then Salazar Slytherin has been gravely misunderstood. His chamber wasn't an act of malice, but a shield to safeguard Hogwarts!"

Dracula hesitated, reluctant to burst Dumbledore's bubble of sentimentality. Eventually, he sighed.

"Don't get carried away, Dumbledore. While Salazar's intentions may not have been sinister, they weren't entirely selfless either. That chamber can only be opened by his heirs, correct? It stands to reason he wanted his bloodline to be the saviors in times of crisis—and to overshadow the other three houses in the process."

Dumbledore froze mid-thought, his expression faltering.

"...Well," he conceded after a moment, "at least he didn't aim to harm Hogwarts' students."

Dracula turned his attention back to the faucet, twisting it absentmindedly. The metal creaked under his grip before snapping off entirely.

"If the chamber is meant for his heirs," Dracula mused, tossing the broken faucet to the ground, "the entrance must be keyed to Parseltongue. Salazar was annoyingly predictable that way—he used Parseltongue for everything."

"That explains Tom Riddle's access," Dumbledore agreed. "Being a descendant of the Gaunt family, Parseltongue would've come naturally to him."

"No surprise there," Dracula muttered. "Though I doubt Salazar anticipated his descendant using the chamber for destruction rather than protection."

At that moment, Myrtle floated out of a nearby toilet, her silvery figure alight with pride.

"I died near here, you know!" she declared, as if boasting an accomplishment.

Dracula leaned against the sink with interest. "Oh? Care to share the details?"

Myrtle puffed up her chest. "I was crying in here—someone had teased me about my glasses—when a boy walked in. He spoke strange, hissing words to that sink over there. I yelled at him to leave, and then... I saw these terrifying yellow eyes."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The next thing I knew, I was dead."

Dumbledore frowned. "So Tom didn't kill Myrtle himself... meaning the monster must have been behind the attack."

He turned to Dracula. "Professor, can you open the entrance?"

"Of course!"

Dracula raised his hand, conjuring a swirling black orb in his palm. The air around it seemed to darken, and its sheer energy pulled the light from the room.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in alarm. "Dracula! Surely you don't intend to blast the entrance open?"

"How else do you propose we enter?" Dracula replied, his crimson eyes gleaming with mischief.

"You'll destroy the castle's magical systems!" Dumbledore protested, raising his wand as a precaution.

Dracula grinned, his fingers tightening around the pulsating orb.

And with that, the tension in the air crackled as their standoff began...