There were a few moments of silence before Alastor Moody spoke up, "You think your fathers behind this." his eyes were on Draco, who nodded, "I know he was... I saw the diary at home in his study at one point... he was furious at me for going in there and now I know why. I'm willing to bet I can even tell you when he gave it to Ginny." he glanced at his friends and Ron's eyes widened.
"In Diagon Alley! After Harry attacked him, he picked up Ginny's book and gave it to her!" His voice was horrified, "He must have slipped the diary inside."
"I'll kill him." Mr. Weasley was pale, but there was an angry look in his eyes, "He nearly killed my daughter I'll kill him."
"I doubt that was his plan." Dumbledore sighed, "I imagine the plan was for there to be more attacks, as there undoubtedly would have been if it hadn't been for the heroic actions of these students, and for her to eventually be caught in the act and held responsible for what happened. After all how would it look if the man behind the Muggle Protection Acts daughter was found to be hunting down muggle borns."
"It would discredit me." Mr. Weasley shook his head, "That.. how could anyone be so..."
"My father's a monster." Draco spoke up after a long moment, his face pale, "My father is a monster and I refuse to go back home to him."
"Your father's Lucius Malfoy right?" Tonks spoke up suddenly, "Your mother's Narcissa?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because. You're my cousin." that make Draco's eyes widen in shock, "And I know for a fact that if it came down to it my mum and dad would be willing to take you in... mum was disowned because my dad is a muggle born."
"Oh!" Draco hesitated, "I think I heard mother mention you once. it..."
"Don't worry kid... I can imagine what your mother had to say." Tonks gave a reassuring smile, "As long as you don't agree with them.. which considering who your friends are seems like a safe bet... we'll be fine with taking you in."
Draco let out a relieved noise, "Thank you I-"
"We'll deal with your parents later."
"Thank you!" Draco jumped up and launched himself at Tonks, hugging her tightly, "Thank you so much for this-"
"It's fine. I'll talk to them later. they're terrible for taking in strays anyway. You should see the last two we pretty much took in." she gave a cheeky grin as she ruffled Draco's hair, winking at Harry and making Hermione giggle.
Then Dumbledore sighed, "Right. I think that perhaps it would be a good idea for young Miss. Weasley to make her way to the hospital wing. In fact it may be prudent for all of the young students to go... though I do wish to talk to Harry privately before he does go."
"Yes sir." Harry glanced at Ron, who nodded and very carefully reached out, pulling Ginny into his arms, the young girl reluctantly letting go of Harry, and they all stood up to head out, with Draco leaving last.
Once they were alone Dumbledore stared at him for a long moment, "Mr Jones... I must ask... Is there anything that you're hiding from me?"
"No sir." Harry spoke firmly. He wanted to trust Dumbledore, but there was only one thing that held him back. Conversations he'd heard his dad have with aunt Andromeda. Dumbledore was the man who had chose to send him to the Dursleys.
"If you are sure of that." Dumbledore nodded, "I-" he was cut off by a knock on the door and he frowned slightly. "Come in."
Harry looked towards the door, blinking when he saw Lucius Malfoy and a small house elf wearing a dirty stained pillow, stepping into the room, followed by a man with rumpled gray hair an an anxious expression, carrying a lime-green bowler. "Dumbledore." Malfoy gave a small nod, his eyes narrowing slightly when he spotted Harry, who hid the diary quickly. "I came to deliver some news... what with a student having been taken... well the-"
"What wonderful timing. Young Miss. Weasley has just been returned alive, if not completely unscathed from her ordeal-"
"Oh?" the stranger perked up slightly, "That is good news."
"Ah yes, Cornelius... might I ask what you're doing here?"
"I came... well what with a student going missing and Rubeus H-"
"I have always maintained that Hagrid had nothing to do with the Chamber opening fifty years ago." Dumbledore gave a small smile, "and now, thanks to young Mr. Jones, we have proof."
Both men turned their attention to him. "What does he mean Mr... Jones?" Cornelius... who Harry realised, must be Cornelius Fudge.
"He means this." Harry stood up and slammed the diary onto the desk, his eyes meeting Lucius Malfoy's, "Someone, slipped it into Ginny Weasley's transfiguration book in Diagon Alley. I have absolutely no idea who could have done that." there was sarcasm in his voice, and Lucius tensed.
"And what exactly is that?" he asked, playing dumb.
"A diary... I can't claim to know the details but the diary was enchanted... Tom Riddle... he did something to it to trap his memories in it. It possessed Ginny after she started writing in it... Dumbledore knows the long story so I won't bore you with the details right now. I'm tired and in pain... but to give the short story he took her down to the Chamber where I went after her and he revealed that he he was already using the name Voldemort in his school days when he enchanted it."
"Voldemort!" Fudge went pale "What do-"
"I destroyed it... after I killed the Basilisk he summoned.. Slytherin's monster... if you want I'm sure I could take you down there in a few days after I've had some time to recover, just to prove that it's down there.. I used the fang I ripped out to destroy the diary. Whatever part of him was inside of it is gone now."
Fudge seemed to relax slightly at that, nodding slowly, "Right.. right of course."
"Of course there's the issue of who put the diary in her book." Harry spoke up. "By the way, Mr Malfoy. Draco isn't coming home."
"What?" the mans eyes narrowed. "What is that suppose-"
"He heard you. Talking about how someone needed to teach Mr. Weasley a lesson. And he saw the diary in your study. We may not be able to prove anything." though by the horrified look on Fudge's face the Minister might not be trusting the pure blood as much as he once had. "If you try and stop him or force him to come home.. I'm sure I'd find someone willing to publish our story."
The man glared, "How dare you you-"
"What? What were you about to call me? Mudblood?" he shook his head, watching the man as he snarled before storming out, and Harry hesitated before grabbing the diary and kicking his shoe off, tugging his sock of too and shoving the diary inside of it, rushing after the man, and he could hear Fudge following behind him, but he ignored that, catching up with the man as they reached the top of the stairs, "Mr. Malfoy. I figured you'd want this back." he shoved the smelly sock into the mans hand, watching as he ripped the sock off the diary and threw it aside, to Dobby, who caught it, staring at Harry with wide eyes. The man was glaring at him, "You have some nerve boy... be careful not to push me too far. Dobby, come." he started to walk away again before noticing the house elf wasn't following.
Then Dobby spoke. "Master has given Dobby a sock. Dobby is free."
Lucius stared his eyes wide before he lunged at Harry, hands around his throat in a second, despite Fudge's loud cry, but then Lucius was thrown back across the room, and Dobby was stood with his hand outstretched. "You shall not harm him! You shall not harm him or Master Draco again. You shall go. And the man stormed off, leaving Harry sprawled on the floor, grinning slightly as he watched him go.
