Just to apologise one more time for the disruption to updates last week. If you haven't already done so, go back to Chapter 65 and read that before this one.

Also, I'm going to be away IRL next week. I think I should be able to update as I have the chapter pre-written, but there's a possibility that the next update won't be until Sunday next week.

Leo and Marisa were not exactly happy to find out about Professor Lockhart's plans for a "morale booster" now that attacks seemed to have stopped.

"If you send me a Valentine," said Marisa, shooting Leo a Look over breakfast on Valentine's Day, "I will hit you with a Slug-Vomiting Curse every day for the rest of your life."

Leo hadn't been planning to send Marisa a Valentine, and was now even less likely to do so. "If you send me one," he replied coldly, "I will make your life as miserable as I possibly can in the numerous ways I possibly can."

Leo hadn't been able to think of a specific threat quickly enough, so he resorted to the generic. This, however, was not good enough for Marisa.

"What exactly are these 'numerous ways'?" she asked.

"I couldn't possibly tell you," said Leo, still short of ideas but refusing to back down. "They are personal secrets which I cannot reveal to anyone."

Marisa rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning to send you one," she said, "but maybe now I will just to find out what ways you have of making my life miserable."

She was probably joking, but only probably. You never could quite tell with Marisa.

"You wouldn't," said Leo, but he was slightly worried.

"Wouldn't I?" asked Marisa.

Leo decided that the best response to this was to ignore her.

All through that day's classes, Valentines arrived. Neither Leo and Marisa received one all morning, although Daphne got one and spent half of Defence Against the Dark Arts (when they were re-enacting more of Lockhart's books; Leo and Marisa spent the time making gagging noises and trying to hit each other with Jelly-Legs Jinxes without anyone noticing) blushing furiously.

As they were on their way outside to Herbology, the Slytherins ran into Harry Potter, who appeared to be having an embarrassing incident involving a split bag, a dwarf with a harp and a gaggle of first-years.

Draco looked as if all his Christmases had come at once. "What's going on here?" he asked coldly, with a smile forming on his face.

The dwarf dragged Potter to the floor, sat on his ankles, and recited solemnly:

"His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's truly divine,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

Leo and Marisa burst out laughing as a prefect began to shepherd away some of the first-years. Draco stooped to pick up something: a diary. He showed it to Leo, Vincent and Gregory, and Leo recognised it as a diary.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" asked Draco, but Leo had noticed something: the year on the cover was fifty years ago.

"Draco," he said, "that's not – "

But he was interrupted by the prefect telling him sternly to hand it over.

"When I've had a look," replied Draco.

Leo was struck by a fresh realisation: fifty years ago was when the Chamber was last opened! This diary could have important evidence inside it! "Draco," he said urgently, "give me that diary."

"As a school prefect – "

"Expelliarmus!" To Leo's horror, Potter's Disarming Charm did its job and the diary soared away from the Slytherins and into Weasley's hand.

Draco was furious. "I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!" he hissed spitefully to Ginny Weasley, who covered her face with her hands and hurried into class.

Leo glanced at Marisa, frustrated.

"Leo Asriel?" said a voice from behind Leo, and, horrified, he turned to see another dwarf heading his way. He shot Marisa a death glare.

"It wasn't me!" she protested. "Honestly, it wasn't!"

Leo wasn't sure if he believed her or not.

The dwarf recited:

"Roses are red,

Violets are blue.

Snow Leopards strong,

And so are you."

That answered his question: Marisa would have at least put a bit more imagination into a Valentine. "If you didn't send it," asked Leo, "then who did?"

"I don't know…" replied Marisa slowly, turning to scrutinise each of the other Slytherins closely, looking for a slight difference in their expression which could reveal the guilty party.