The next day, Leo decided to ask permission to go to the library with the others to do some research (apparently for homework, but really to try and find some information, any information, which would help him solve the riddle of the Chamber).
Once again, to his surprise, Professor Snape granted permission for all four of them. Tracey, Theo and Daphne were not exactly enthusiastic to come along, but they were hoping to avoid another explosion like the one of the night before last.
"You guys do homework," said Leo, "I just need to look something up…" He headed directly to the section on magical creatures and began frantically searching through a copy of Magical Creatures of our World. There were no snakes in that book which fitted his requirement, so he moved onto a book which was somewhat Darker in tone and so more likely to contain what he needed: Most Macabre Monstrosities.
He speed-read this for seven hundred pages and found nothing at all of any use – until he reached page seven hundred and twenty-four, which had been torn out and was nowhere to be seen.
"Seriously?" muttered Leo. He was certain that this was the page he would have wanted, and that someone (most likely Slytherin's heir) had torn it out deliberately to prevent other people from figuring out what the monster was. They had certainly succeeded in that.
He tried to remember if he had ever seen a copy of the book somewhere before. It was the sort of thing which quite likely would have been in the Malfoys' library, but even Leo's memory had faults and he couldn't remember every book he'd ever read.
Maybe he should send an owl to Lucius and Narcissa? But he rejected that idea in seconds: if the Malfoys had something to do with the Chamber, they wouldn't be pleased to know that he was investigating.
So, once again, he was left with no options… until a flash of inspiration struck him. He picked up the book, tried to ignore his sense of impending doom, and went to find Madam Pince.
"Yes?" she said in a distinctively hostile tone.
"This book has a page ripped out of it," said Leo.
It took precisely one second for the inevitable explosion to occur. "Filth! Desecration! Outrage! Who has committed this terrible crime?"
"I don't know," said Leo. "I was rather hoping that you'd be able to find out. Did you see who had this book last?"
Madam Pince, a furious expression on her face, stormed off to check the library's records. A minute or two later she returned to announce, "The book was last borrowed in June last year by Theodore Nott."
Leo raised his eyebrows a little at this. "But… someone could have – ripped the page out in the library without necessarily borrowing it… I'd think someone would have noticed before now if it happened last term…"
"Leave it with me, Asriel," snapped Madam Pince. "I will investigate."
"Okay," said Leo. He wasn't about to push his luck, so he handed the book to Madam Pince and left to speak to Theo about it.