Chapter 21

Thank Merlin it's the holidays! There are only a handful of students staying behind this year but Malfoy is one of them.

Hermione is still being a bit odd with me, I think her confidence has taken a knock. I feel a bit bad for not telling her but I really think it's not that I'm better than her at Transfiguration and more to do with me not talking and the fact that my spells are apparently weird. I had an extra-extra lesson with Professor McGonagall yesterday and Dumbledore was watching too. He just sat there quietly and made notes. I learnt how to change my hair colour, when I changed it to dark brown Dumbledore chuckled and claimed that I looked just like my grandmother when she was at Hogwarts, it made me feel strange. I can barely remember looking at them in the Mirror of Erised.

The Polyjuice potion was currently bubbling away next to the young witch.

"So what do you think, Eliza? Done by Christmas?" Harry asked peering into cauldron; Eliza pushed his head out of the way of the splash and nodded.

"Excellent, well we've got three hairs; Crabbe, Goyle and that stupid Bullstrode girl." Said Hermione ticking a sheet of parchment.

"So how long will it last? I don't want to be ugly for too long." Questioned Ron with a puzzled expression on his face, Hermione and Eliza shared a look and Hermione blushed whilst Eliza suppressed a giggle.

"Umm ... about an hour, enough time to get a full confession from the little brat."

The next few nights passed by sleeplessly for Eliza, she was jittering with nerves about the potion, one ill move and it could be fatal.

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold, Hermione and Eliza were first to breakfast leaving just as Malfoy and his goons arrived. They hurried to the bathroom where they were greeted by two grumpy Gryffindors.

"Can't we open presents first?" Asked Ron

"No, we haven't got long! Go and take care of Crabbe and Goyle and then come back." Hermione ordered.

"What about Bullstrode?" Asked Harry, yawning.

"Done, Eliza confounded her into thinking that spending time in the Astronomy tower would be a perfect Christmas morning." Both Harry and Ron stared at Eliza in awe.

"I know you're my sister, Eliza, but sometimes you really scare me." Eliza blushed and grinned at Harry's words.

I know it wasn't my fault but I really should have checked the hairs. Hermione is absolutely horrified and the boys really aren't helping by making fun of her. Madam Pomfrey was really good about it she didn't ask too many questions even though she must have known we were breaking school rules in some way.

Madam Pomfrey let Harry, Ron and Eliza take all their Christmas presents to the hospital wing so they could open them with Hermione.

"Make sure you don't get too excited though, you might get a hairball." Madam Pomfrey warned, Eliza kicked Ron to keep him from laughing.

Eliza helped Hermione open her presents first because she couldn't hold anything. Her parents had sent her some muggle textbooks, Eliza thought it was a bit much to expect their daughter to keep up with studies from two such different worlds.

Hagrid had sent Eliza a cat bed for Biscuit and some new toys, Ron and Harry howled with laughter when Eliza opened them and Hermione eyes filled with tears.

"Maybe Biscuit will share them?" Ron laughed, Hermione hissed at him and Eliza reached for her wand which made Ron cease his teasing at once.

After they finished opening the presents they left Hermione to sleep and Eliza opened her diary.

We found out the Malfoy's not causing the attacks; I wasn't sure it was him. I've opened my presents and Harry bought me an advanced transfiguration book that he knew I wanted. Ron bought me some sweets again and Hermione bought me different coloured ink pots. Harry, Ron and I are going down to Hagrid's later for tea and cake, he invited us yesterday but we were a bit busy with the potion. I'm so glad it's all over; I'm amazed that it worked. Harry gave me a big hug when he was Goyle which was an experience that I don't wish to repeat.

Mrs Weasley sent me a lovely light blue jumper, it's got an easel on the front so it must have been quite complicated to knit.

"Come on Eliza, Hagrid's expecting us." Eliza shut her diary and followed Harry and Ron out of the common room. They hadn't gone far when they bumped into Ginny.

"Alright Ginny?" asked Ron nervously, she looked awful. There were dark patches under her eyes and she had a haunted expression in her eyes.

"Yes ... I'm fine." She said with a dreamy expression on her face. They let her pass and continued their route. When they left the castle Ron appeared to break out from a thoughtful trance.

"Do you think she's being bullied?" He asked turning to Harry and Eliza,

"I doubt it, I doubt anyone would be brave enough to bully Fred and George's little sister! Maybe she's just struggling to fit in." Said Harry closing the castle door behind them.

"But ... its Hogwarts ... she's wanted to come for years..."

"Well maybe it's not what she expected, has she got many friends?"

"I don't know ... Eliza, could you try and make friends with her, she likes you and you're really similar in some ways ... like ... you both have diaries!" He looked so desperate that Eliza nodded. They weren't that similar but she was a nice girl and Hogwarts was quite daunting.

They continued to Hagrid's', Eliza thinking hard about how to make friends with Ginny Weasley.

Hagrid welcomed them in and made them all hot chocolates, he was clearly worried about Hermione but didn't ask them what they had been up to to make their friend turn into a cat.

Harry and Ron tried to extract more information out of Hagrid about the Chamber of Secrets but the Groundskeeper was uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the situation.

"Can't you just tell us if you were here when it was opened last time?" Harry pleaded.

"Not allowed to, now get back up ter the castle befer it gets dark, go on!" Hagrid shooed them out of the cabin and almost slammed the door in their faces.

"Well, that was rude." Said Ron as they trudged up to the castle.