Now with the diary gone, the others relied on Harry's memory of what he found out in that memory to keep their investigation going. Although Jo and the others were still having a hard time believing Hagrid could be the one to have opened the Chamber of Secrets, the fact remained that a monster had killed someone. They all knew Hagrid had a soft spot for large and dangerous creatures. Just in their first year alone, they had encountered a large 3 headed dog and a baby dragon, both of whom belonged to Hagrid and he adored them as if they were a tiny adorable baby kitten. And because they still were not a hundred percent sure, the four decided that it would be best to not approach Hagrid on the subject until they had more information.

With the Easter holiday approaching, the second years were now being tasked with picking their subjects for the third year. Jo found picking courses exciting.

"Do we still have to take potions?" Harry mumbled gloomily. Jo knew Harry would give anything to not be in Snape's class anymore, but unfortunately for him, they couldn't say goodbye to Snape just yet.

"Sorry, Harry," Jo said with a smile. "Can't get rid of that one yet."

Harry sighed and went back to looking at the new classes offered for third years.

Although this was exciting to Jo, she still felt nervous about picking classes. She had no idea where her interests laid at this point, and had no idea what sort of career she would have once her schooling was completed. But she took comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone, for her brother was just as lost as she felt. She had listened to the advice of older students, but what did she know?

In the end, Jo picked new classes that sounded the most interesting to her. Hermione had simply signed up for everything, even after Jo told her that it couldn't be done. And Harry and Ron signed up for the easiest classes they could take.

In the following days, Harry and Jo were kept extra busy with the amount of practices they had for Quidditch. Anytime there was a spot opened for booking the pitch for practice, Wood jumped right on it, never missing a chance to squeeze in another practice. Their next match for the cup was against Hufflepuff. Jo liked their chances of winning more and more after each practice.

The morning of the match arrived and they couldn't have asked for better weather conditions. Not a cloud in the sky, just the sun and a light breeze. Perfect Quidditch conditions. The match wasn't until later in morning, so Harry and Jo decided they would keep their Quidditch things in the common room until it was time.

Wood was still going through plays with the team, even at breakfast. Jo tried to listen, but when food was in front of her, it was hard to concentrate on anything other than her plate. Besides, most of it was things Wood was saying he had already told them in their million practices before.

With the time closing in on the match, Harry and Jo headed back to the Gryffindor common room to collect their broomsticks with Ron and Hermione. On their way up the staircase, Harry gave a yelp. "The voice! I hear it again! Didn't you?"

Jo and Ron shook their heads no while Hermione squealed. "Oh my gosh! I've just realized something!" She turned around, "I have to get to the library!" Hermione started sprinting away from them.

"But Hermione!" Jo called after her. "The match!"
"I'll see you there," Hermione called over her shoulder, and then she was gone.

Harry turned to Jo. "You two are on the same wavelength. What did she just realize?"

Jo shook her head in confusion. Usually she and Hermione were always on the same page. But there are times, like the one now, when Hermione is several steps ahead of her. "No idea. I wonder why she's going to the library."

"When in doubt, go to the library, right?" said Ron shrugging. "It's what she does."

Harry and Jo quickly retrieved their broomsticks and were back in the Main Entrance. Most of the school was filing out onto the front steps and heading down to the Quidditch Pitch. Harry, Ron, and Jo followed, all guessing at what Hermione had just realized.

Harry and Jo were the last to arrive in the locker room as Wood started giving his usual pre-match speech. Jo looked over at her brother. Harry was not clearlyy not focused on the match at all. He must have been thinking about the voice again.

"Hey, Harry," she whispered. "Don't worry, okay? Just focus on the game and catching the snitch, and then we can focus on that voice. It's game time."

Harry nodded.

"Alright," Wood said, and the team stood up and headed for the entrance of the pitch. "We play our game, Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance. We're stronger, quicker, and smarter."

"And not to mention, they're dead scared that Harry'll petrify them if they fly anywhere near him," said Fred while George snickered.

"Well, there's that too," said Wood.

Jo rolled her eyes at the Weasley twins. Leave it to them to make a joke about the Chamber of Secrets.

As soon as they got to the entrance of the pitch, Professor McGonagall came hurrying over to them, a scroll in her hand.

"Professor McGonagall," said Wood in surprise.

She stood in front of the team. "This match has been canceled," she said in strained voice.

Wood's jaw dropped. "They can't cancel Quidditch."

"Silence, Wood," said Professor McGonagall. "You and your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower. Now." Then she turned to Jo and Harry. "Harry, Joanna, you and I will find Mr. Weasley. There's something the three of you have to see."

The tone of her voice and the seriousness of Professor McGonagall's face made Jo's stomach turn. Something big had to have happened for the school to cancel a Quidditch match.

They found Ron with the rest of the school heading back to the castle. Harry waved him down, and Ron joined them as they walked inside together. But, instead of going to the common room like the rest of the school, Professor McGonagall lead the three in a different direction. The hospital wing.

When they entered the hospital wing, Professor McGonagall turned to the three. "I warn you. This could be a wee bit of a shock."

A wee bit was an understatement. Jo's heart dropped at what she saw.

Hermione, her best friend, laid on one of the beds in the hospital wing completely frozen. She had been petrified. Her face and eyes were completely blank. Jo rushed to the bed and grabbed one of Hermione's hands. It felt like stone in her own. "Hermione," she whispered.

"She was found near the library, along with this," Professor McGonagall said quietly, picking up a small mirror. "Does it mean anything to any of you?"

"No," answered Harry, as Jo and Ron shook their heads.

"Now, I know you would like to stay with her a bit longer, but I can't let you do that today. I must take you back to the common room to give an announcement and you must be present for it. There will be time to visit her again," said Professor McGonagall. After muttering their goodbyes, the three followed their professor out of the hospital wing and back to the common room.

"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall addressed her house, unrolling the scroll Jo noticed her holding earlier. Everyone instantly fell silent. Professor McGonagall had that affect. "Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately: all students will return to they house common rooms by 6:00pm every evening. All students will escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions." She rolled up the scroll and looked around at her students seriously. "I should tell you this. Unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed." Professor McGonagall exited the common room.

Whispers erupted as soon as Professor McGonagall was gone. Jo looked around at her fellow Gryffindors. It had never crossed anyone's mind that they would close the school. Her eyes landed on Ginny. Her face was extremely pale and Percey stood by her, his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. When Ginny saw Jo looking at her, she quickly looked away, avoiding Jo's questioning look.

Harry pulled on Jo's arm. "We've got to talk to Hagrid. I can't believe it's him, but if he did set the monster loose last time, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."

"But you heard McGonagall," said Ron. "We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class."

Harry and Jo shared a look. "I think it's time we get our dad's cloak out again, don't you think?"

The twins had inherited an invisibility cloak from their father. The cloak would be their only chance at sneaking out late at night undetected. However, it wasn't as easy as a trip as they thought it would be. There was almost a teacher, ghost, and prefect down every corridor. The three had to make sure they were absolutely quiet when passing. They didn't dare take a breath until they were out the front doors.

They hurried across the ground in the night. When they reached Hagrid's hut, Jo banged on the door loudly.

"Who's there?" they heard Hagrid call, and then the door burst open. Jo's eyes widen when she saw Hagrid standing in front of them with a crossbow pointed right at them. "Hello?" said Hagrid, peering out his door. "Hello?"

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak off the three of them. "What's that for?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing. I was expecting..." said Hagrid. "It doesn't matter. Come on in. I just made a pot of tea."

The three came in and Hagrid closed the door behind them. Fang jumped up on Ron, nearly knocking him backwards. Hagrid went over to the kitchen table and poured tea into the first mug. It was like he didn't know what he was doing, or even aware of it. Hagrid kept pouring the tea and it overflowed the edges of the mug and onto the table.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Jo asked quickly. She grabbed a towel and helped clean up the table.

"I'm fine. I'm all right."

"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that, all right," said Hagrid. He looked sad.

Harry looked at Jo and nodded. She was going to take the lead on this one. "Look," she began. "We have to ask you something." Taking a deep breath, she asked the big question. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hagrid closed his eyes, as if ashamed. "What you have to understand about that is-"

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Someone was knocking on the door. Fang started barking and scratching at the door. "Quick, under the cloak," said Hagrid. "Don't say a word. Be quiet, all three of you."

Jo, Ron, and Harry ran over to the corner of the room and Harry threw the cloak over them. Hagrid waited until they disappeared before opening the door, crossbow in hand again.

"Oh, Professor Dumbledore, sir."

"Good evening, Hagrid. I wonder, could we...?" came Professor Dumbledore's voice.

"Of course. Come in. Come in," Hagrid said, backing away from the door. Dumbledore entered the hut with a man Jo had never seen before.

"That's dad's boos," whispered Ron to the twins. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic."

"Bad business, Hagrid, very bad business," said Cornelius Fudge. "Had to come. Three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act."

"But I never-" began Hagrid, looking alarmed. "You know I never, professor."

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Professor Dumbledore.

"Albus, look, Hagrid's record is against him," Fudge said. "I've got to take him."

"Take me where?" Hagrid's voice rose. "Not Azkaban prison!"

Jo gulped. Was the Minister really going to take Hagrid to prison? She still couldn't believe that Hagrid was the one to open the Chamber of Secrets. Not after Hermione being attacked. But they never really had a chance to hear what he had to say about that. And now hearing the Minister talk about taking Hagrid away, Jo didn't want him to.

"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid," said the Minister.

The door slowly opened and another voice could be heard and Jo felt the hairs of her arms stand up. "Already here, Fudge? Good." It was Lucius Malfoy. He entered the hut.

"What are you doing here?" Hagrid asked angrily. He clearly did not like Malfoy stepping into his home. "Get out of my house!"

"Believe me," said Malfoy, taking a step further into the house... right in the direction of the three. "I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your..." He stopped right in front of the three and they held their breaths. "You call this a house? Hmm..." He turned back around to the Minster, Dumbledore, and Hagrid. "No, I simply called at the school and was told the headmaster was here."

"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" asked Dumbledore, eyeing Malfoy.

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside," said Malfoy.

There was a moment of silence. Jo thought they might be able to actually hear her heart beating so fast out of her chest. They can't get rid of Dumbledore. Especially not a time like this. "This is an order of suspension," Malfoy continued, holding a scroll of parchment out. He handed it directly to Dumbledore. "You'll find all 12 signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"You can't take Professor Dumbledore away," said Hagrid quickly. "Take him away, and the Muggle-borns won't stand a chance. You mark my words, there'll be killings next."

"You think so?" asked Malfoy, arching an eyebrow.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, speaking for the first time since Malfoy dropped that bomb on them. Then he addressed the group. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside."

Jo's eyes widen. This couldn't be happening right now. All she wanted to know was if Hagrid knew who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago. Now he was being sent to prison and Professor Dumbledore was being forced to step down. How was the school safe now?

"However," continued Dumbledore, walking across the room to Malfoy, who only stood feet away from the three, "you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Dumbledore's eyes turned towards Jo, Harry, and Ron. As if he was seeing right through the Invisibility Cloak at them.

Malfoy looked over his shoulder to see what Dumbledore was looking at. He seemed to believe that Dumbledore was crazy. "Admirable sentiments. Shall we?"

He walked over and opened the door. Dumbledore's eyes lingered on the three a little bit longer, and Jo could have sworn she saw a smile. Then he turned and went out the door, with Malfoy right behind him.

"Come, Hagrid," said the Minister, when it was just him and Hagrid left.

Hagrid looked all around the room with wide eyes. "Well," he coughed. "If um... If anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yep. That would lead them right. That's all I have to say. Oh and someone will have to feed Fang of course, while I'm away."

Fudge looked more confused then ever. "Good boy," he said to Fang, and he followed Hagrid right out the door.

Once the door had closed, the three threw the Invisibility Cloak off.

"Hagrid's right," said Ron. "With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day."

"What are we supposed to do now?" said Harry.

But Jo was already ahead of them. "Look," she said, pointing to the window. "Didn't Hagrid say to follow the spiders?"