Blinded by Lies

by jamcreynolds

That fateful Halloween night, Sirius makes a mistake that sends him running to adopt his niece through blood magic. Little Hermione becomes his salvation and his reason for living. Follow their story through Hermione's years at Hogwarts and through the second blood war. Slow-burn Harmony. Completely AU.

37. Chapter 37

A/N- Your love for my story is humbling, thank you so much. I appreciate it more than you know. It was pointed out to me by a reviewer that somewhere along the way I said that Snape was a pureblood. I don't recall it but that doesn't mean that I didn't. I am most capable of making a mistake. In this story, Snape is not a pureblood, but a half-blood, like canon. To those that got confused from my mix-up, I apologize. Thank you to zargOn for pointing that out.

** Huge thank you to StarDxst for being my 1000th reviewer. You're awesome! **

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own a thing. This story has been done before, I'm almost positive. The characters belong to J.K.R. I have made no money from this story or any of my others evidenced by the fact that I'm a broke bitch.

Chapter 37

March 30, 1993

Severus knew what was coming even though nobody else in the room did. Well, he supposed that Minerva had guessed but the others seemed blissfully ignorant. There were seventeen men in their seats in the room that was used specifically for Board meetings at Hogwarts. Lucius was standing tall behind the podium in the middle of the room, his seat with the rest empty.

Albus was sitting behind a desk all by himself while he, Minerva, Pomona, and Filius sat behind him. Minerva shot him a questioning look, but he pointedly ignored it. There was no way in hell that he was going to admit to knowing what was about to happen beforehand and keeping it from Albus. Even though the Deputy Headmistress was on the outs with the Headmaster, that didn't mean that she could be trusted with his secrets.

Not that it was much of a secret. The day after Hermione had been petrified, Draco had sent a letter to both his father and Sirius, informing them of his cousin's condition. After visiting Hermione in the Hospital Wing before classes, he had then told the entire Slytherin table just what had happened to Hermione. Since Hermione was viewed quite literally as their princess, most of the students were outraged.

Letters went out to parents before lunch was through. If there was any hope of containing the secret, it was far too late at that point. The rest of the school had gradually discovered the truth throughout the day and by curfew that night, the rest of the students were questioning their professors as to what really had happened to their friends that had been missing.

Severus was thrilled. He had warned Albus exactly what was going to happen, but he had sat back and done nothing. When Sirius sent a howler to the castle, it arrived during dinner that evening. It had been priceless to watch, and Severus doubted that he would forget a second of that meal.

*Flashback*

The Great Hall was rather subdued; Severus knew that it was because the word had spread about Hermione. It wouldn't be long before the students put two and two together and started asking after their friends that had been missing for quite a while. He doubted that it would even take until the following morning.

Draco was seated in his usual spot, but he was just pushing his food around his plate. It was easy to see that his friends were trying to cheer him up, trying to include him in the conversation but his godson clearly wanted no part in it. When Pansy scooted close to him and laid her head on his shoulder while wrapping her arms around his arm, he had exploded.

"Get the fuck off me, Pansy! I don't give a shite about your hair or the dress you wore for Christmas. My cousin is laying in the Hospital Wing, petrified, and all you want to do is hang on me. You know Hermione would hex you blue if she saw you acting like a cheap tart!" Pansy burst into tears and Draco's chest was heaving. Severus knew that he was going to have to handle the situation, otherwise his godson was going to end up in detention for a month. He wiped his mouth and stood, leaving the High Table to go wrap an arm around Draco's shoulders. He turned his eyes to Pansy and did his best to try to be nice.

"Miss Parkinson, calm yourself. Draco is upset about his cousin, surely you can see that. I'm not condoning his behavior at all, but you must realize that he doesn't feel like socializing. What punishment would you like me to give him?" It wasn't normal practice to have other students decide someone's punishment, but in this situation, he felt like it was the only way. Draco tried to wrench away from him, but his hand clamped down hard on his shoulder and kept him in place. Pansy's eyes went wide and she started to stutter.

"Ohh, n-no, Prof-ffessor, I d-don't w-want him pun-punished." It would have been comical if they had been in a much more private setting. Draco instantly relaxed in his grip. Severus gave Pansy a brief incline of his head before an owl swooped down and dropped a red envelope in front of Albus. Since Severus was there with all the students in the Great Hall, he was well-aware of how loud Sirius sounded at the High Table. Albus' face was slightly stricken but was able to quickly hide it.

"HOW DARE YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH KEEPING MY DAUGHTER'S CONDITION FROM ME? WERE YOU REALLY STUPID ENOUGH TO THINK THAT MY COUSIN WOULDN'T INFORM ME ABOUT HERMIONE BEING ATTACKED? THIS IS NEGLIGENCE AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT; AFTER THE CHARGE YOU ALREADY HAVE AGAINST YOU FOR HARMING HERMIONE WHEN SHE WAS SMALL, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AUTHORITIES WOULD THINK OF THIS?! WATCH YOUR BACK, DUMBLEDORE, YOUR JOB ISN'T SAFE."

Severus could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet in the Great Hall. Everyone was staring at the Headmaster except for Draco. His godson had his hand clapped over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Severus tightened his grip on Draco, urging him to keep his mouth shut. The last thing they needed was the added complication of Draco laughing hysterically at the Headmaster.

Albus' face went ashen but kept a serene little smile on his face before incinerating the howler. When he turned his attention back to the students before him, he called out.

"No need to worry, children, all will be well. Return to your meal."

*End of Flashback*

All twenty- three of them turned to watch as the door opened, and Lord Sirius Black stepped through. Severus knew him well enough to know that Sirius was left at home; he was goofy, temperamental, and loved to turn into Padfoot, so he could make Hermione squeal happily. Lord Black was in the house, the very proper and proud pureblood lord. In a nutshell, the Black family name and legacy was his armor today and he was going to do everything he could to take Albus down, not only for Hermione but the other muggleborns who nobody there to do battle for them. Lucius gestured for Sirius to take a seat across the room from Albus. Once he was seated, the blond began.

"Ladies, and gentlemen, we're gathered here today to either prove or disprove the notion that Albus Dumbledore has willingly and knowingly taken the safety of every child within these hallowed halls and compromised it. As Head of the Governors, I shall lead this meeting." Lucius gave his politician's smirk before continuing. Severus could practically feel the glares coming his way from the other three Heads of House.

"Before we begin, I'm going to dissolve the oaths that all four Heads of House have taken to follow and support the Headmaster's decisions, the same goes for the Deputy Headmistress'. We won't be using veritiserum here today but remember to be truthful; the lives of our world's children are entrusted to you five and the parents count on you to keep their children safe." Severus wanted to snort; his old friend was laying it on thick. He shouldn't be surprised, Lucius had always had a bit of flair for the dramatic. Hermione always laughed at him when she realized he was doing it.

Severus' heart clenched at the thought of Hermione laying in the bed in the Hospital Wing all by herself. Her eyes were open and unmoving, her hands clenched in what he assumed was fear. He had visited her as often as he was able, usually with Draco, but it wasn't enough. He felt truly terrible for Sirius; the man had been denied access to not only the castle, but to his daughter as well. Lucius' voice pulled him from his thoughts of his goddaughter.

"Lord Black, please explain your claim." Sirius stood again and smoothed his robes. His voice was even and commanding, causing the others to take instant notice.

"My claim is that Albus Dumbledore has put the health and safety of every child in this school in danger. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened and Slytherin's monster released. As far as everyone else knew, only the caretaker's cat was petrified. My daughter was petrified on her way to we assume to be Minerva McGonagall's office with another student over a month ago and was petrified as well. After my cousin, Draco Malfoy, scion to House Malfoy, had rested from the shock of the evening, he owled not only myself but Lord Malfoy. Since then, we've discovered that two other students and a house ghost were petrified before my daughter and the prefect escorting her. It was hidden by Albus Dumbledore, though why I can't imagine." There were murmurs through the crowd of seventeen wizards and none of them looked too pleased. Severus knew that several of them had students in his own house. Lucius gave him a curt nod before turning to Albus.

"We will hear your side of the matter." Albus stood and smoothed his robes much the same way that Sirius had. However, he looked ridiculous since he was dressed in bright yellow robes.

"I didn't alert anyone to the Chamber of Secrets being opened because I didn't want to cause widespread panic. The students have never heard of the legend and the last thing I wanted to do was frighten them. As for not notifying the parents of those petrified, every single one of them is muggleborn. It would have only caused their parents undue worry and frustration because they wouldn't be able to visit their children since they're muggles. As for not informing Lord Black, he was aware the next morning. It seemed redundant to send another letter." Severus couldn't believe the outright blatant lie falling from the Headmaster's lips. He knew that he was going to get questioned and even though he hated what he had to do, he was counting on Minerva to finish the old bastard off. Lucius nodded his head slightly before turning to the Heads of House.

"Professor Flitwick, it's so nice to see you. My son and niece have only good things to say about your class." The half-goblin preened under Lucius' praise.

"What can you tell us about this situation?" Filius shook his head slightly.

"Not much. We were instructed by the Headmaster to not mention the other missing students to the rest of the student body, so we could keep panic from spreading. We were told the names of all students, but I wasn't personally updated on their condition until my sixth-year prefect was petrified at the same time as Miss Black. Before that, the victims had been from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." Lucius gestured for him to take his seat again for a hand gesture.

"Thank you. Professor Sprout, I would like to say that your gardens are looking quite lovely on the grounds." Pomona blushed; Severus wanted to barf.

"Please tell us what you know about the situation." She met his gaze, her cheeks still rosy.

"The same as Filius, really, except I was given weekly updates on Mr. Finch-Fletchley's condition." Lucius gave her a small smile before gesturing for her to sit as he had Filius. Severus knew that he was next; even though he had discussed his answers and how to give them with both Lucius and Sirius, he still felt terrible about it. It felt like he was betraying Hermione, even though he knew that she was going to understand.

"Professor Snape, my old friend. Draco has told me how much he enjoys having his godfather at school in case he has problems. I'd like to thank you for watching after him after Hermione was discovered, the two are closer than siblings." Severus couldn't help but think that he was laying it on a bit thick but refrained from speaking.

"What can you tell us about the situation that led us to the situation we're in today?" Severus rose to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back, his face impassive. He was occluding for all he was worth.

"We were all told that the children had been petrified and that if we were to spread the knowledge, it would become a mass panic. That is the last thing that anyone needed. I urged the Headmaster to write the parents of the children but when he pointed out that the parents wouldn't be able to visit, I agreed. It would just cause worry and distress that the parents couldn't do anything about. I never inquired further since none of my students were personally involved. After Hermione Black was petrified, Draco told me that he was going to write not only his father but Lord Black. I told the Headmaster in a meeting afterwards and he decided that it would be pointless to send the same information as young Mr. Malfoy was going to do so." Severus could see Minerva clench her hands into fists next to him. Lucius only asked one question of him.

"Did you urge the Headmaster to owl Lord Black anyways?" Severus made sure that his tone was even.

"Absolutely not. I'm not the Headmaster or the Deputy, I would never dream of telling either one of them how to do their jobs. Minerva did, however." There was a hiss next to him and he knew that the witch would be fuming by the time they were done. He was going to have to make sure she didn't hex him. Even though he considered himself to be a highly-trained wizard, Minerva was certainly very formidable and had decades of experience on him. Lucius gave him a respectful nod before turning to Minerva. Severus took this as his sign to take his seat.

"Professor McGonagall, how wonderful to see you. My son and my niece love your subject; they would never ask but I know they would rather have more advanced work." Severus wanted to laugh at the clenching of her jaw. Lucius knew full well that she had tried to give them advanced work and it had been Dumbledore that had stopped her.

"Please tell us about the situation at hand." She glanced over and caught Severus' eye; it was clearly questioning, and he was surprised that she was trusting him enough to ask what to do. He gave the most infinitesimal nod before turning his eye forward again. Minerva cleared her throat slightly before starting.

"After the original message on the wall telling us that they Chamber of Secrets had been opened, there were two other students petrified. Colin Creevey from my own house and Justin Finch-Fletchley of Hufflepuff. We were instructed to keep their whereabouts and condition a secret, mentioning it to nobody if they were to ask. Throughout this time, I urged the Headmaster to notify their parents numerous times but he always told me that it would be cruel to do since the parents couldn't visit anyways. Since I am honor-bound to support the Headmaster in all he does, there was little I could do aside from voice my opinion." She stopped and paused before she glanced at Severus again. It was so quick that he wasn't sure if anyone else saw it. However, the question in her eyes was clear.

Do I tell them you sided with me?

Severus shook his head slightly as he glanced to his lap, hoping that the action would hide his nod.

"I came across Miss Black and Miss Clearwater in their petrified state after they had been coming to see me, according to witnesses, and Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter were at their sides. The Headmaster asked them to stay quiet about the matter, but I don't think that Mr. Malfoy was comprehending much of anything at that point. After Severus delivered Mr. Malfoy to his quarters so he could give him Dreamless Sleep, we met in Albus' office. Once there, I argued quite vehemently with the Headmaster, telling him that it would be folly to keep the secret any longer. It could have been believable if they were just the muggleborn parents he didn't notify but the fact of who Miss Black is would just be stupid. He refused. We argued more, both of us said and did some things that we regret, but the argument ended in him deciding to keep information to himself and put the rest of the students in danger. We all know what happened the last time that the Chamber was opened." Minerva remained standing and Severus wanted to cheer inwardly. She couldn't have done any better if he had coached her himself. However, her words sparked a question from Lucius.

"As far as we all know, the Chamber of Secrets is just a myth. How do you know about the Chamber and what happened when it was opened before?" Severus wanted to grin at his oldest friend. He was playing his part perfectly.

"I started Hogwarts in 1947, four years after the Chamber was opened the first time. Armando Dippet was the Headmaster and Albus held my position at the time. I was told by the older students in Gryffindor, those that remembered it being opened. They remembered that a young girl named Myrtle Warren, a ghost you all know as Moaning Myrtle, was murdered by the beast rumored to be housed in the Chamber." The governors were all sitting straighter than they had been and looked quite angry. Lucius held up a hand to stay the questions.

"How did the Chamber close? Was there ever anyone implicated in this matter?" Even Severus didn't know the answer to the question, so he assumed that this was a question that Lucius didn't know the answer to either.

"I'm not sure, I never learned that bit of information. It hasn't come up since it's been opened this last time." Lucius bowed slightly, gesturing for Minerva to take her seat. Once she was sitting again, he turned to Albus.

"Who was implicated in the opening of the Chamber of Secrets the first time?" Dumbledore wiped a hand down his face, his first sign of distress since the meeting had begun.

"Rubeus Hagrid. He was expelled and there were no more problems from the Chamber of Secrets." Lucius was more livid than Severus had ever seen him. His voice was soft and menacing and it was clear that he was out for blood to everyone present.

"You're telling me that you knew that Slytherin's monster had killed before but you kept the information hidden from not only the children and their parents but the Board of Governors as well? My niece could have died, and my son is at her side ninety-five percent of the time. Greengrass, Pucey, Bletchley, Nott, and Parkinson all sit on this board and they all have children in school. Your actions have been a blatant act of ignoring the danger that our children were put in and a breach in the trust that we as parents put in you as Headmaster." Albus looked older than Severus could ever remember seeing him. He didn't get to think for long, however, because Lucius turned to the Board and spoke, his voice still soft.

"We'll vote now. All in favor of suspending Albus Dumbledore from his position of Headmaster until further notice and placing Minerva McGonagall as interim Headmistress, please raise your hands now." Severus wasn't surprised when every single governor raised his hand. Lucius turned to Albus, his face could have been carved from stone.

"You have an hour to gather your belongings and leave the premises. As the Head of the Board, I move to allow Lord Black to visit his daughter whenever he deems fit. I also must insist that letters to all parents go out, explaining the situation, assuring them that the culprit from before is going to be arrested before the day is out. Thank you, Headmistress, for being honest." It was clear that Minerva didn't know what to say since she was the reason that her mentor had just been suspended. Lucius wasn't finished though.

"I also must insist that Minerva appoint an interim Deputy to help serve her in her new duties. I'm sure that either of the three people before us will do just fine." Lucius seemed to be waiting for her to do so. She cleared her throat again.

"I appoint Severus. We'll begin right away." Severus knew what that meant. She wanted to know what the fuck was going on and just what she was getting herself into. Lucius turned back to the Board.

"We're all dismissed. Lord Black go visit your daughter. I'll be along to visit her myself shortly." Sirius nodded gratefully, though nobody else could see the blind emotion on his face. He turned on his heel and left quickly, the rest of the governors following him. Lucius smirked his way, knowing exactly what Minerva was wanting. Once the room was empty, Minerva waved her wand, silencing and warding the room. Her eyes were dancing with rage and her voice was hard as stone.

"What the fucking buggering hell was that? Albus has been suspended and now I'm stuck with a job I don't want!" Severus raked a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how best to go about explaining. After several seconds, he blew a breath out of his cheeks and met her eyes.

"We both know that Albus not telling anyone was going to bite him in the arse. Today, it has. I warned him that Draco was going to write home and tell both Lucius and Black. He had to know that he was going to tell anyone that would listen. Now, think about what I did during the last war and what Albus believes is going to happen still." Minerva looked thoughtful.

"You spied for the Order and he believes that Voldemort will return." Severus nodded stiffly.

"If the Dark Lord returns, who will Albus send to spy again? Me. How do you think the Dark Lord is going to take me not getting rid of Dumbledore when I had the perfect chance?" Minerva looked confused.

"He's going to be angry." Severus half nodded but ended in a shrug.

"Possibly. Or he'll believe me when I tell him that I kept him at Hogwarts, so I could always be aware of his plans? That I could keep spying on the man the Dark Lord fears most." It finally made sense to the woman before him and she smirked.

"You devious bastard." Severus snorted.

"Slytherin, it's our forte." He rolled his shoulders.

"I wanted you to be the one to tell the truth to ensure that you would inherit control of the school. An Order member that understands what is needed and someone that cares deeply for the student's safety. For that to happen, you had to be the one to turn on Albus, not lie for him. They would never have trusted you." Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.

"Albus had no idea of your plans?" Severus shook his head.

"He was being a fucking idiot. I had to do something to protect Potter and the school. Once he's far enough from the situation, he'll realize what I did and know it was for the best." Minerva nodded reluctantly.

"I suppose I'll get with you later tonight and we can start trying to figure this whole charade out together." Severus nodded, ready to be done with the conversation so he could go visit his niece and friends.

"Until then, Minerva. I fear Lucius will need my support." She waved him away with a smile.

"Go, tell them I'm sorry." Severus cast her a glance that she caught. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't want to be their bloody friends, Severus, in fact, I think Sirius Black is the biggest disappointment from my house in decades. However, I know all too well what it's like to lose a child and it doesn't feel good." Severus gave her a jerky nod, hoping against hope that they would be able to steer clear of tears.

"I'll relay the message." Without a second glance, he turned and stalked away, robes billowing behind him.

-O-

Draco was laying in the bed next to Hermione, reading aloud from one of the magazines that Uncle Sev had gotten her for Christmas. It was almost dinner time and he didn't want to leave; not having Hermione with him for the last month was like having a hole in his chest. He remembered that last day with her all too well; he had been impatient with her because she had been in the library all day and refused to leave. He had finally done exactly what his godfather had told him not to and left her alone. All because he didn't want to help her research what the monster belonging to his house's namesake was.

Draco stopped his train of thought instantly. Hermione had been researching what Slytherin's monster could be. He hadn't ever got the chance to find out if she had learned anything. He cursed himself again; if only he had stayed with her and helped her then she wouldn't be laying in a bed like a slab of rock. His mind wandered again, this time to a plan of action. He was going to figure out what Slytherin's monster is, maybe if they knew what it was, they could reverse the effects more quickly. It wasn't likely, but it was possible. Draco had to believe that it was possible.

He was going to start right after dinner and he was going to get the twins and Neville to go with him. Draco wouldn't tell them just what he was doing but he was going to tell them that it could possibly help Hermione. They would stay with him for sure. All three of them were devastated after learning that she was in the Hospital Wing and they were livid at learning that Dumbledore had kept the other petrifications to himself. The curtain jostled and was moved aside. Draco had his wand in his hand quicker than a snitch, pointing it at whoever was entering without permission. His godfather had erected wards that only allowed people he approved of to visit. His father and Sirius stepped in and looked pleased at his actions. Lucius came forward and in a rare show of affection, hugged Draco for a few moments before releasing him.

"Son, I'm happy to see that you're well and keeping your cousin company as well as you can." Draco swiped his eyes angrily, but he knew that his father and cousin had seen the few tears leak from his eyes. They pretended not to notice, and Draco was grateful. Sirius sat down next to Hermione on her other side while Draco crossed his legs, so his father could sit next to her hip.

"I should be the one laying there, it was my fault this happened. Uncle Severus told us not to go anywhere by ourselves and I got irritated with her because she spent all day in the library researching. I left her there to go to dinner and when I was on my way to pick her up, she was laying in the middle of the corridor with no pulse, looking dead. Then Weasley was gloating, saying she should have died. I used my wand on him, the only reason I stopped was Potter." Sirius reached out and grasped his hand in his, squeezing it until Draco met his eyes.

"This isn't your fault, Draco. You should be able to walk through the corridors of a school and not have to worry about being petrified. You didn't leave Hermione alone, you left her in the library with a member of the staff. This is the fault of whoever opened the Chamber and Dumbledore." Draco let his head hang but nodded anyways.

"I know that, but it still feels like this is my fault." His father laid a hand on his knee but they all remained silent.

Draco couldn't be sure how much time passed in silence, but it was only broken by the arrival of his godfather. He conjured a chair and took a seat. The silence continued for another ten minutes while Sirius petted Hermione's hair away from her face and stroked her cheek. He looked tormented. Draco knew that Hermione had been doubting her father's love as of late; she hadn't voiced it, but he knew her better than anyone else in the world. What he saw in front of him was a man devastated because his daughter was injured. Severus cleared his throat and spoke.

"Dumbledore is out. Minerva understands why she had to be the one to send Albus packing. I rather think she's excited to work with me." His father snorted as he smirked his way.

"Funny, that wasn't the impression I got. I floo-called the aurors. I'm not sure if Hagrid is the one responsible for opening the Chamber this time but I will see him arrested. Draco's safety and that of the rest of the schools is worth one man being incarcerated for a few months until we know for sure. It's harsh but it is what it is. Dumbledore should never have hired him here with something like this hanging over his head. It was only a matter of time." Draco smiled, the first real one in a month's time.

"The old man is out? Merlin, I wish Hermione could be awake to see this. He didn't even act like he wanted to heal her on Christmas; not that she would have let him, but it would have been nice to get a genuine offer. I'm sure that having Dumbledore as a Headmaster is good for publicity but when it comes down to it, he's terrible. We'd be better off with Filch." His father patted his knee again.

"We're doing everything we can to make sure that he doesn't come back. We know he's important to the Order, but he doesn't have to run the school to be head of the Order." He paused for a moment.

"Would you like us to stay and eat with you, Draco? It would help lend credence to the story that is sure to be circulating already." However, Draco wasn't really hearing his father. Something had occurred to him that hadn't in the entire month since his cousin had been a resident there. He turned to his Uncle Sev, panic in his eyes.

"Is it possible to legilimize a person if they're petrified? Can they just not move or does their brain shut down also? Miney doesn't employ her shields all the time like we do, she only uses them when she goes before someone that could look into her thoughts. Could Dumbledore have read her mind while she lay here helpless?" Suddenly, Sirius stood and grabbed the tray off the table next to Hermione and threw it against the wall. Uncle Sev was instantly on his feet, his arms wrapped around Sirius from behind, holding him tight to his chest, while the Gryffindor broke down into sobs.

"She's my daughter, I vowed to protect her when I adopted her. I promised to love her. She's laying here defenseless and DumbleBOOR has kept me from her this whole time while he tries to rape her mind. He tried it once before, why wouldn't he again?" He was thrashing around and suddenly Draco felt better about his show of emotion. Hermione was the single-most important person in his life, she always would be he suspected, and to consider that she wasn't safe did things to him inside that he didn't like. His godfather's voice was harsh as he hissed in his best friend's ear.

"I have wards up around her, remember? Yes, her thoughts can be read but nobody has entered this cubicle except for myself, Draco, Poppy once a day, and the friends that visit with Draco. Albus hasn't been here once. She's safe, I promise. The second my wards are breached, I'll be down here faster than you can say quidditch. I love her too." Sirius calmed, and Draco was surprised to see that even his father looked affected. His eyes were shiny, and their gaze never left Hermione's face. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and smoothing it back. Sirius settled back into his chair while his Uncle Sev took his seat again. Draco wasn't sure what to say so he couldn't stifle the laugh that erupted from him when his cousin spoke.

"How about those Cannons?" The rest of the room seemed to find it as funny as he did.

-O-

Harry was seated on his bed, tucked away in his dormitory. The diary was open before him and he was feeling a little lightheaded. He had finally gotten tired of trying spell after spell to get the diary to work. Rather than use his wand, he had decided to write an entry himself. The entry had been simple: Hi, my name is Harry Potter. What had surprised him more than anything else had in several years was that the diary had answered back.

He had questioned the book about the Chamber of Secrets and if he knew who had opened it; the diary had assured him that it did. Rather than just tell him, it had sucked him into a memory (he thought?) that showed him what he wanted to know. To his complete surprise and horror, he was shown a memory of the last time that the Chamber was opened. Harry chuckled under his breath at how young the Headmaster looked fifty years before.

Harry had watched the confrontation between a young Tom Riddle and Hagrid, arguing over the monster in the castle. Hagrid swore that his pet spider wasn't the monster but when young Tom had attacked the spider, it fled and was never found again. He wasn't sure what happened after that scene, but he knew that he needed to figure it out. Word had spread throughout the school that Dumbledore had been suspended by the Board of Governors, so he supposed that the only thing left for him to do was go out to Hagrid's hut himself and ask after the real story.

Ron was seated next to him, clearly trying to figure out just what his best mate wanted from him. Ron had had nothing good to say about Dumbledore being cast from the school. While it was true that he didn't feel like it was the best idea either, he wasn't going to dwell on it either. The Headmaster should never have hidden all the people being petrified; the only reason it wasn't currently a secret was because Hermione hadn't been a muggleborn but a pureblood princess. When he thought about it, he couldn't say that be blamed the school for being angry that he had put all the other students in danger for Merlin only knew what reason.

Harry hated that Hermione wasn't awake and doing her schoolwork in classes anymore; Malfoy did his work and made sure he took perfect notes for her, but it wasn't the same. He knew that she was tucked away in the Hospital Wing and there was never anyone watching her after curfew. He couldn't count how many times he had almost used his dad's cloak to sneak away and go visit her, just to make sure that she was alright there by herself. He knew that Malfoy visited her several times a day, but he didn't like not seeing her. His day had been held together by exchanging one-liners with her and watching her from afar. This wasn't a way he liked to feel, and he was doing his best to ignore the implications. Suddenly, he turned to Ron.

"I can't not know. We need to go visit Hagrid and ask him. I don't think he would ever want somebody to die but I know what I saw. I need to be sure." Ron sighed and raked a hand through his shaggy red hair.

"It's getting late, mate, are you sure you want to go tonight?" Harry nodded before standing and digging through his trunk to find his father's invisibility cloak. Once it was in his grasp, Harry turned to ask Ron his opinion.

"Should we just go, or do you think we should ask Parvati?" Ron snorted.

"Merlin love the girl but she's not going to want to sneak out and possibly get in trouble. The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back." That had been Harry's assessment, but he didn't want to be guilty of being a dick to her since he wasn't the most emotional person in the world.

Harry threw the cloak over himself and held it up so Ron could climb underneath as well. Once his best mate was situated under there with him, they started down the stairs to the common room and then out the portrait hole door. It was a little difficult to work out what movements they needed to make together and just how much leeway they had before the cloak threatened to slip off them. In truth, it took well over twenty minutes for them to sneak clear out to the hut that Hagrid lived in. Once they were finally in front of his door, Harry threw the cloak off him and knocked. He could hear Hagrid moving around inside and it was only a second later that he threw the door open.

"Who's 'der?" His eyes landed on Harry and Ron and was quick to step backward, allowing them to pass by him into his cottage. Once they were fully ensconced inside, Harry threw the cloak off completely and whirled to face his first friend.

"Hagrid, we just found this diary and it showed us what happened fifty years ago. It said you opened the Chamber of Secrets, that you killed that girl in the bathroom." Hagrid's eyes grew even bigger. He had just opened his mouth to speak when there was a knock at the door. Hagrid quickly gestured for them to throw the cloak back over themselves and move to the corner. Once they were successfully hidden, Hagrid opened the door.

"Why, Minista, it's nice ta see ya dis fine evenin'. Wha can I help ya wit' tonight?" The Minister was flanked by four other men and none of them looked very nice. They pushed into his hut and Harry could tell that they weren't messing around.

"Rubeus Hagrid, Dumbledore was suspended this afternoon and once we discovered that you were implicated in the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, we were ordered to remand you to Azkaban prison. There's no need to gather your things, you won't be allowed them anyways." Hagrid seemed to be struck dumb and it took several seconds and all the aurors stepping forward to snap his friend out of it. He glanced toward Harry and Ron and cleared his throat as he rolled his shoulders, clearly readying himself for the horrors to come.

"Fer dose tha want ta know tha truth, all yous needin' ta be doin' is ta follow the spiders." Harry wasn't sure what that meant in the least but since the monster was supposedly a large spider, he supposed that it made sense to go after the beast. However, finding said spiders was going to be a problem.

Hagrid didn't fight the aurors; if anything, he went willingly. Harry hated to see him go and hated to believe that his friend was capable of doing something that could kill someone else but there was nothing else he could do about it now. It was clear that Hagrid was gone, and he wasn't coming back. The only help he was going to receive was a cryptic phrase that told him to follow the spiders. Ron looked quite pale when he checked on him; Harry had forgotten that Ron was deathly afraid of spiders. After it had been silent for several minutes, Harry sighed.

"Well that got us nowhere. Let's get back to the castle. I suppose we keep our eyes open for spiders, so we can follow them." It sounded completely stupid when he listened to himself say it so he didn't bother to cringe when Ron did. His best mate smoothed his hair and nodded.

"Let's go, mate. There are a thousand other places in the castle I would rather be than here with no Hagrid." Harry grinned.

He couldn't agree more.

-O-

Albus knew he had been foolish, that much was fact. He had hunkered down in his family home, the place he had grown up over a century ago. It was true he hadn't been there in many, many years but he had assumed that his house elves had taken better care of the place.

Severus had saved the day, that much was sure. Albus should have realized that his trusted spy was right, that the Malfoy boy would tell instantly. He should have taken steps to assure that that would never happen. However, he had been so blinded by keeping Harry safe that he hadn't been able to see the forest for the trees.

Severus really had pulled this one out of the bag. Having Minerva take the task of bringing him down, securing his place as a spy, ensuring the safety of all the students at the same time, it was clear that he had underestimated the Slytherin. Truthfully, he was glad that he had. If he hadn't, who knows where they would have ended up.

The aurors would surely go after Rubeus. As much as Albus hated to do it, he knew that his groundskeeper was going to have to suffer just a bit before the Chamber struck again; this would clear him of all charges. He couldn't command the monster of the Chamber if he was in wizarding prison. While he didn't like making the decision to throw Hagrid to the wolves, it ultimately had to be done to prove his innocence.

What bothered Albus was that he had absolutely no idea who the heir could be. It was true, for a few weeks' time, he had considered the idea that Hermione Black or Draco Malfoy would hold this title; they fit all the requirements. Both children were thorns in his side and they likely weren't going to stop being one either.

Now, his problem was trying to find a way to get back into the good graces of the Governors. He needed something major to happen, so they would beg him to return but he had no idea how to go about getting this reaction. The governors, hell, pretty much the entire school, was livid about him keeping things from them. Why couldn't they see that it was for the greater good, that it was necessary?

Albus watched as his oldest family elf disappeared from his sight; it was clear that he was going to have to play the waiting game, making sure that the heir of Slytherin felt comfortable enough to move forward with his plans. He would owl Minerva later with an apology and tell her what she needed to be watching for. This was going to be a cake walk in the end. It had to be.

Albus was going to end up on top and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it happened.

A/N- Boom, another chapter down, y'all. The chapter so many of you have been waiting for for weeks, I really hope that it meets your expectations. I did so enjoy writing this chapter even if it was a little more emotional than I'm used to. Anyways, thanks for your support, guys, you're seriously the best. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, our beloved characters follow those spiders. Ugh, I hate spiders.

Love,

Alicia