18: A Mystery Sort of Solved

I followed Crystal down to Nightshade's tree and was pushed down the slide. My heart raced as I slid down into the vacant common room. I jolted up and pulled out my wand.

"Lumos." I muttered as my wand tip flickered with light. I turned to Crystal "So what was it that you found?"

Crystal pulled out a large book, it looked like Nightshade's diary, but it was slightly larger. "It's Slytherin's diary."

I gaped "So this is…"

"The last piece of the puzzle!"

I ripped the journal from Crystal's hands. "We should tell Nightshade about this!" I squealed.

"Already been done, Harls. Nightshade!" Crystal called out.

Nightshade floated up from her rooms and hovered over a large armchair "Yes?" Crystal took the book back from me and held it up "Does this look familiar?"

Nightshade nodded "Yes, that's Salazar's diary!"

I looked at it "Give me that!" I shouted, ripping the book from Crystal's hands once more and sitting in an armchair next to Nightshade.

"Let's read it!" Crystal shouted leaning overtop me.

"Exactly what I had in mind. It's time to see what Slytherin thought of the other founders." I opened the journal. "Dear Diary,

I have managed to gain the other founder's of Hogwarts' trust. Nightshade especially. She'll do anything to be loved. Ha! Godric, what a gullible fool. He actually thinks he's my best friend! Hufflepuff, what a nut, thinking that everyone has some good in them! Ravenclaw…fairly suspicious, as she should be. She knows that my ability to speak Parseltongue is a very large sign of a Dark Wizard. Ha, journal. Little do those fools know that I am a Dark Wizard!"

"So Salazar thought this way!" Nightshade wailed. "Think I would side with him for love! I made a good decision then."

"Here's another one, a little later on, regarding you!" Crystal said, taking the book from me. "Dear Diary,

Nightshade and Godric have been acting weird lately. I'm growing suspicious that they are harbouring something. Godric always looks triumphant around Nightshade and I. Nightshade looks scared. Could they have…done something behind my back? No. I'm sure Nightshade is too shy to do anything with Godric."

Nightshade blanched (if that was at all possible). "He thought I was too shy to find someone other than him!"

"I know, I'm shocked too." I said "This is the last one. Dear Diary,

have found out the truth. Nightshade and Godric have done something behind my back, and now, Nightshade has had that stupid Gryffindor's child! I will kill her for her unfaithfulness and leave this school. It's about time I did too. With everyone bringing in those Blood of Muds. I still think they should only allow pure blooded wizards and witches. Good thing I built that Chamber and sealed that monster inside it. When my one true heir comes to this school, he will be able to set it on those pathetic excuses of magic beings! Goodbye for now, journal. I must leave you behind, some will find it suspicious if I carried you along when I leave."

My jaw dropped. "Slytherin, no offence, Nightshade was a total…a total…"

"BASTARD!" Crystal shouted.

"And what's this thing Salazar mentioned about a Chamber?" Nightshade asked.

"Perhaps we'll never know. After all, only his true heir can open it." I said putting the journal in my book bag.

"Which reminds me, Harls, where did you put that dagger we found?" Crystal asked.

I looked up "I held onto it. I find it cool. I've been using it to cut in Potions. I can bring it back, if Nightshade wants it."

"No, Harley, you can keep it. I want any and all reminders of Salazar Slytherin out of my tree forever. I don't want them ruining my death."

I looked up suddenly "Nightshade, whatever happened to your child?" I asked.

"Oh, I was dead by then. Godric had taken her and put her up for adoption. I think the family was called…Capodebt."

My eyes widened "Capodebt?"

Nightshade nodded "But I think Godric saw her from time to time."

I turned to Crystal "Crystal! Capodebt! Ramona's ancestor is Nightshade and Gryffindor's daughter! I knew she looked like Nightshade! Come on, we have to tell her!"

Crystal and I sprinted to find Ramona after curfew when we ran into Harry, Ron and Hermione, under Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"Hey guys, no time to talk, we need to go find She-Cat." Crystal and I said together.

"Neither do we. Hagrid wants us to help get Norbert to Romania, where my brother, Charlie works caring for dragons." Ron explained.

"Get under the Cloak, you two." Harry told Ivy and I.

"Who's Norbert?" I asked.

"This is Norbert." Harry said, pointing at a crate Ron and Hermione were lugging.

"A crate?" I asked, pulling my own Cloak out of my book bag (I carry it around everywhere).

"No, there's a dragon in the crate. Hagrid wants us to get it to the Astronomy Tower to give it to Charlie." Hermione explained.

"But it's after curfew!" I protested. "I don't want to get in trouble."

"Hagrid's in trouble too. Malfoy saw Norbert!" Harry yelled.

"What! Alright, come on you lot. Let's go before we get caught"

We took the crate up to the astronomy tower where Charlie was waiting. He took the crate and took off. We went back down and just to my dread, McGonagall came walking up in her nightclothes with Malfoy behind her.

Come along now." she ordered.

That's when I realized we didn't have our invisibility cloaks

I furrowed my eyebrows in disappointment. "Harry, you idiot!" I yelled.

"Busted, Potter." Malfoy smirked.

We all walked into McGonagall's classroom and stood there,in the deepest trouble ever. I can't believe I'm getting in trouble, I should have just gone back to the tower.

"Nothing, and I mean nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night." McGonagall explained, keeping her temper "So as punishment for your actions, fifty points will be taken."

"Fifty!" Harry yelled.

"Each." McGonagall added.

Malfoy just stood there and smirked. Well there's two hundred points gone, I'm positive we just lost our chance at the house cup. Percy's gonna kill me

"And to ensure this never happens again, all six of you will receive detention."

Malfoy gaped and stepped forward

"Excuse me, professor, perhaps I heard you wrong." Malfoy said. "I thought you said 'The six of us will receive detention.'"

"No, you heard me correctly, Mr Malfoy." McGonagall told Draco "You see, as honourable as your intentions were, you were also out of bed after hours. You will both join your classmates in detention."

Harry and I turned to face Malfoy smirked at Malfoy. But I suddenly realized...

I gaped. I, Harley Elizabeth Potter, had a detention! I was a browner! Browners don't get detention!

"Shit!" I hissed.