CHAPTER 28: Some things never change

A/N: Without further ado...

Aberforth had a scowl on his face as he rummaged through the cupboards and shelves, muttering under his breath. "Where the bloody hell is she hidin' them!" He growled, frustratingly.

"Check the oven"

He pulled his head back from where it was hidden in the cupboard and looked over his shoulder at Albus, who was leaning against the door. "Huh?" he arched an eyebrow, a frown marring his face as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"The oven" Albus repeated, his eyes darting towards it before snapping back to his brother.

Aberforth stared at him blankly for a few moments before his gaze turned to the oven beneath the stove. He turned around and bent down to open the open. He peered inside before sticking his hand in it. "Well, I'll be damned" he muttered as he pulled his arm out with 3 cups hanging in his hand.

"Some things never change"

"You sure you don't want some" he asked, putting the cups on the shelf.

"Yes" replied Albus, as Aberforth lifted the kettle and evenly filled the cups before placing them on a tray.

He walked past Albus and out of the kitchen down the narrow hall. He entered the living room and his gaze fell upon Samantha and Minerva huddled together on the sofa, their arms around each other as silent tears rolled down their cheeks.

He cleared his throat.

They lifted their heads and looked at him before their eyes landed on the tray. They shifted apart and wiped their face clean. "Thank you" croaked Samantha, as he placed the tray on the small wooden table before them. He nodded his head and picked a cup for himself before taking a seat on the armchair beside the sofa.

All three took a small sip from their cups as Albus walked into the room. He locked eyes with Minerva. "Have you decided?"

She took another sip before slowly nodding her head. "I have" everyone's gaze remained locked towards her as she stared at the cup clasped tightly between her hands.

"and..." said Albus, after a moment.

"I'm going to tell him"

A brief silence, before "Very well, then"

Albus headed towards the coat rack and grabbed his robe. He put it on and looked around for his hat but couldn't find it anywhere. He looked at Samantha, remembering he had handed it to her when she had offered to hang his robe on the rack.

"Samantha, I can't seem to find my hat"

She lifted her gaze towards him and held it, a blank expression across her face except a hidden underline of something. But it was enough for him, for his eyes narrowed and his expression hardened.

Samantha's jaw slackened as she lifted her chin stubbornly, her message clear. She wasn't scared of him. Aberforth and Minerva kept glancing back and forth between them as the tension grew thicker with every passing second.

The tense silence was broken by the swishing sound of the hat flying across the room from where it was once sitting on the shelf next to the frames lined up all over it before it was held between Albus's long and wiry fingers. He had avoided looking at that corner of the room the entire time, and it was getting difficult the longer he stayed. But somehow, he had managed and even Samantha's little stunt wasn't able to trick him, no matter how great the temptation was.

With one last glare in her direction, he disapparated in silence, leaving the remaining occupants in the house to stare at the empty space where had been a moment ago.

"I want you to be there with me" said Minerva, after a while.

Samantha broke out of her daze and turned to her with confusion written all over her face.

"I want you to be there when I tell them..." she trailed off, as tear rolled down her cheek.

A gasp escaped Samantha's lips as she shook her head. "I can't, Min- It's been too long, I wouldn't know how to act, plus I don't have the energy" she rambled off quickly, as if she had practiced the speech countless times before.

"I don't care" Minerva snapped, her eyes ablaze as her breathing got heavier. "You're coming and that's final. Consider it one small step of your apology"

"I can never apologize enough-" whispered Samantha, lowering her gaze.

"You're right" She lifted her gaze up as Minerva continued. "So, you better start right away"

Samantha's mouth tugged at the corner before she sighed deeply and nodded. "Alright"

…...

Next Day

Great Hall, Morning

The hall was silent as every student stared at the head table, their eyes locked on Dumbledore, standing in the middle of the table while the rest of the staff members watched him from their seats.

"I promise I won't be long, I just need a few minutes of your attention" he started, his eyes roaming from one side of the hall to the other as he continued. "Many won't agree with what I'm about to tell you...but I believe you all deserve to know the truth. For it is you who are living under constant fear, have heard the news and in some cases even seen it with your own eyes" Harry would've seen his eyes briefly flash towards him if he didn't have his head down. "Your fellow classmates being attacked"

A few sniffles were heard around the hall as most of the students ducked their heads in a moment of respect.

Dumbledore cleared his throat before he continued. "Last night, two more students were found petrified" A collective gasp of shock went around the hall. Penelope Clearwater and Jimmy Milkins" He paused as a sixth-year girl from the Ravenclaw table let out a small cry of "No".

Dumbledore glanced to his side at Minerva and saw her dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. He looked at the rest of the staff members and was not surprised that most of them were in similar state.

After a few moments he continued. "There is one more thing I must tell you"

Harry whipped his head towards him for the first time. Surely, he wasn't going to say what he thought, right. He thought he would try to keep that a secret for as long as possible because otherwise there would be chaos.

Being petrified is one thing, but knowing that at any moment you could be kidnapped to God knows where, was a whole another monster to deal with. The students wouldn't be able to handle it.

He waited with baited breath as he saw Dumbledore open his mouth.

"Hermione Granger has been missing since last night"

Silence.

"I can assure you that myself, and the rest of the staff members are doing everything we can"

Silence.

"If anyone has any information regarding this matter, please don't be hesitant to come forward. Any and all help will be grateful. My door is always opened"

Silence.

"What are you waiting for! It's Potter, it's always been Potter!" yelled a student from the Ravenclaw table.

"He's right, everyone knows about his and Granger's big fight!" shouted the same girl who started crying after hearing the news about Penelope Clearwater.

"That was weeks ago!" shouted Cedric, as he stood up. "Everyone knows that Harry and Hermione are friends"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's what friends do!" she scoffed. "tell each other they never want to see you again. I was there" she pointed towards her chest as she continued. "He left that poor girl sobbing on the ground"

"Oh please-" started Cedric but he was cut off by another Hufflepuff who seemed to be in the same year as Harry.

"He threatened Justin too before he was found petrified. Plus, Filch saw him the night Justin was attacked. He was in the halls out of curfew"

"And I saw him arrive really late last night at dinner" shouted a Gryffindor student, who was seated next to Percy.

Sweat started forming at Harry's head as his legs started to tremble under the table. His breathing got shallower as eyes shifted from one student to another. By now, almost 20 students were standing in their seats and with the exception of Cedric, Ron, and the twins, they were all accusing Harry.

"SILENCE!"

The hall quieted at once and in less than a second there was not one person standing.

"There will be no accusing, no pointing fingers. Have I made myself clear?"

There was no response.

"Have I made myself clear!" Dumbledore's voice boomed of the walls.

"Yes, sir!" chorused all the students.

"Good, now you may all proceed with your breakfast" with that he sat down, but not before giving a subtle nod in Snape's direction.

Snape leaned down and picked up a glass flask from under the table. A substance of blue colour was bubbling inside it filled to the top.

McGonagall and Flitwick, who were sitting on either side of him, took one glance at the flask before turning their gaze back to their meal.

Snape took out his wand from inside his pocket and tapped the side of the flask 3 times while murmuring an incantation.

The lid popped off and landed somewhere around his feet but he paid it no attention. The moment the flask was opened the blue substance began to evaporate in the air. If anyone would've looked in its direction, they wouldn't have been able to see anything for as soon as the liquid turned into air, it lost all its colour.

Snape put the flask back under the table after it was empty before he looked up. A large cloud had formed over the entire great hall, covering every inch. Everyone looked up as the sunlight disappeared.

A collection of "Woah's" and "Ooh's" were heard as snow started coming down. Laughter and giggles erupted as snowballs as big as a quaffle started landing on everyone's forehead.

But there was no after effect of the impact. The moment the snowball landed it vanished with a pop, leaving no liquid residue in its wake.

"Wow!" exclaimed Fred, a shit-eating grin on his face as he turned to George. "We have to learn how to do that and use it to our advantage"

"Already on it brother" said George, before sniffling. "What's that smell?"

"Not sure, I've never smelled it before" responded Fred as he scrunched his nose.

"An early Christmas gift to put smiles on your faces" Everyone looked at Dumbledore, who was once again standing. "Hope you all have a happy Christmas with family and friends, and a safe new year"

He sat back down as students looked at each other in confusion.

"What was that all about?" asked Dean.

"He does know that we still have a week before holidays right," said Seamus.

"I think he's finally lost it" came Fred's voice.

Harry turned around after he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to talk" said Ron, his expression serious.

Harry stared at him for a moment before nodding.

…...

Night, Headmaster's office

Severus closed the door behind him before he walked up to the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore looked up from the scroll of parchment he was reading before he rolled it and put it inside the top drawer of the desk.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that sounded more like a farewell speech" drawled Snape.

A brief chuckle escaped Dumbledore's lips as he removed his half-moon glasses and tiredly rubbed his eyes. He let out a loud yawn followed by a sigh as he put his glasses back on. "Call it more of a parting speech"

Snape narrowed his eyes in response. "Surely you don't think-"

"Oh, I do." Dumbledore cut him mid-sentence. "In fact, I would go as far to say that is very likely. But, none of that matters right now" He waived his hand dismissively.

They were silent for a moment before Snape spoke. "I still think it was a bad idea to release the potion all over the great hall"

"I know you do"

Snape exhaled frustratingly. "It was a waste. We know that the attacks are against muggleborns. We know that any future attacks will be against muggleborns. That's how it was before. That's how it is now"

He took a deep breath as he started moving back and forth the length of the desk. "We should've only provided the potion to the muggleborns and saved the rest for later" He stopped pacing and turned to face Dumbledore.

"We're only working on a hunch here. We don't know how well this is going to work. It's never been tested before and now it's all gone"

"I know. That's why I said you're creating history, Severus"

"Yeah, but none of that matters if-" Snape growled.

"Severus" Dumbledore lifted his hand to stop him from going off again. "I'm not taking a chance to see if any future attacks, as you put it, will only be against muggleborns and not at half-blood or even pure-blood students. They don't even have to be intended target. It could be an accident. A matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus," He leaned forward before adding. "I'm not going to choose between them. All students are under my protection."

Snape shook his head as a sigh escaped his lips. "Fine" he muttered, as he turned around and stared out the round window that covered the majority of the east wall. His eyes were following the waterfall as it cascaded between the gap of two peaks.

"All this could be for nothing" his voice just above a whisper but it still reached Dumbledore's ears. "The attacks may stop altogether and his death could be for nothing. No consequence"

"Even if that were to happen, it won't be for nothing"

Severus turned around and faced Dumbledore once more, who was staring at him resolutely. "Success doesn't give meaning to one's life or death. It's what you do that does. What that boy did is nothing short of extraordinary. The courage it took for him to do that-" Dumbledore shook his head. "I shouldn't have to say all this to you, Severus. You more than anyone know you don't always get what you deserve" He paused and fixed Severus with a penetrating stare. "Deserve, Consequence. Very simple words. Try not to complicate them or you'll always live in the past"

Snape turned his gaze down as Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his eyes roaming around the room before they settled on the glass cupboard next to where Fawkes was perched. His lips tugged at the corner as he lifted his right hand and made a beckoning motion. The door of the cupboard opened before a half full bottle of Ogden's finest slowly hovered in the air towards him.

It landed softly in the middle of the table as he took out two glasses from bottom right drawer of the desk. He looked up to see Snape staring at him with arched eyebrow.

"C'mon, it may be our last for a while"

Snape turned his gaze to the bottle before back towards Dumbledore. A few seconds passed before he took a seat on the chair to his left.

Dumbledore filled both glassed to the full. He handed one to Snape who nodded in thanks before taking a sip.

Dumbledore exhaled a slow breath and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the chair.

"Have you decided what you're going to do with the girl?"

"Hmm" hummed Dumbledore, his eyes still closed.

"It is a very real chance that Zabeen will end up in Azkaban, now that Minerva has decided to tell him. I just-" He took a big gulp. His right leg was trembling and his grip on the glass had tightened to point of breaking. He lifted his eyes and saw Dumbledore staring at him, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "I promised him that I would protect her, protect him. I already broke one promise, I don't want to-" He looked away, his breathing heavy.

"You're not to blame for any of this, Severus" Dumbledore leaned forward and braced his weight on his elbows. "I promise you no harm will come to the girl. She will have a roof over her head and a job to feed herself"

Snape nodded his head but he still had his head turned away. "When should I tell her. She should be given the chance to see him once before-"

"She is already with him"

Snape whipped his head towards him, shock written all over his face. "What" he gasped.

Dumbledore smiled at him as his eyes twinkled in the pale light of the room. "She is with him. Taking care of him"

Snape opened and closed his mouth several times but no words or sound came out.

"It was getting hard for Samantha to juggle all of this on her own. Plus, she hadn't practiced in years so I thought an extra pair of hands would be needed. Contrary to most people's belief that I'm aware of every single thing going on in the castle, whether it be every student's grades, or who is scheming an evil plot against his or her rival, or whatever..." He waved his hand before finishing his drink one large gulp.

He slammed the glass down hard on the desk as a smirk formed at his lips.

"The answer is, I don't. But" He lifted his forefinger as he continued. "I do recall a certain Ravenclaw with a great aptitude in healing. Poppy always used to tell me whenever I saw her about this girl, who would always come to her after her classes were finished for the day to learn about healing"

Snape's lips curled into a 'barely there' smile, but if one looked close enough, they would see it.

…...

Last Day before the holidays, Second Floor Girls Bathroom

"AAAH!" Harry yelled in frustration, kicking the cauldron containing the green liquid goo and knocking it on the floor.

"Harry!" yelled Ron, before he came scrambling over to where the cauldron now lay, toppled over, all its content smeared across the floor. He stared wide-eyed at the liquid as it slowly flowed towards the drainage pit before whipping his head in Harry's direction.

"Are you mad!" he shouted, his nostrils flaring in anger. "Do you know how hard Hermione worked on it. How much time and energy she wasted on making it. Just for you! And you just wasted it all like-like...it meant nothing" He finished, flailing his arms wildly in the air.

"She's not here now is she!" Harry yelled back at him. "And you and I don't know what to do with it. We've spent 4 bloody hours on it"

"Yeah, but we could've researched it, Harry. Remember Hermione said that she only needed half an hour to work on it before it was finished"

"We've spent more than half an hour. We wasted half our day on it and the only thing we managed is to change its colour from light green to dark green!" Harry screamed, glaring at the now empty cauldron.

"Will you two be quiet!"

Ron jumped a foot in the air as a translucent form of a thirteen-year-old girl floated through the toilet door and stopped before them.

"Oh, it's just you" said Ron, relieved, as he leaned back against the wall.

"Yeah, it's just me" replied Myrtle, sarcastically, before she zoomed towards him, only stopping an inch from his face as she glared at him. "Poor old Myrtle. But what does that matter you? Because no one cares about her feelings. So, it's perfectly well to shout at the top of your lungs because she won't mind. She's only having a nap. It's perfectly fine to throw a book at her face while she is cleaning her nails" She shot him one last deathly glare before floating back to the door she emerged from.

"A book?" asked Harry, making her stop.

Her expression changed from furious to soft and shy in a matter of seconds as she stared at him. "Yes Harry" she nodded her head.

"But why?" he asked, flummoxed.

"I don't know" she shrugged her shoulders. "As I said, I was minding my own business, cleaning my nails" if it were possible a blush would've been seen on her cheeks. "When I heard someone storming in before a book landed right on my head" she sniffled.

"But that's not possible" Ron furrowed his brows in confusion. "It would go right through you"

The look she sent him had him trembling on the spot. If that was not enough, even Harry was glaring at him.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Myrtle"

"Thanks Harry, at least you're understanding of other people's feelings" she shot a venomous look in Ron's direction before facing Harry again.

"When was this?" asked Harry.

"Oh, I remember exactly when it was because the whole school was up in a frenzy that night. It was the night everyone was going back to their common room together. I could hear it from the inside. So, I stepped outside to sneak a look by the door and saw a line of students walking past. I didn't think much of it and went back to working on my nails when not even a minute later the book came flying over the top of the door"

"That must've been the night-" Ron stopped talking when he saw Harry shooting him a look.

"It's still there, you know." continued Myrtle. "In my favourite spot" She pointed in the direction of the last toilet in the corner. "And now because of that ghastly book I have not been there" her lower lip quivered at the end.

Harry looked over his shoulder at Ron who helplessly shrugged his shoulders at him. "How about I take it so you won't have to worry about it anymore"

A delightful expression came over Myrtle's face. "Really!"

"Yeah sure" he said, as he walked over to the toilet and opened the door. He saw the book lying next to the toilet and picked it up. He furrowed his brows and brought it close to his face.

Rough edges, same colour and faded as well. Nothing written on it

He turned it around and saw a name written at the bottom.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Yeah, but I only saw one side of it last time before Ginny snatched it

The more he examined it the more confident he was feeling that it was the same book he had seen on Ginny.

But why would she throw it

Out of curiosity he opened it and skimmed through the pages to find them all empty.

He shrugged his shoulders and closed it before exiting the toilet.

"Thank you, Harry" gushed Myrtle.

"Yeah, no problem" he mumbled distractedly, not looking up.

"Ron, this is Ginny's diary" He said, stopping next to him.

"What!" exclaimed the red head. He caught Myrtle glaring at him and instantly grew red. He pulled Harry by the elbow and dragged him outside. "How can you be sure?" he asked once he was sure she wouldn't be able to hear them. "I live with her and she's never let me near it. Infact, I don't think she's let anyone near it" He furrowed his brow in contemplation as they turned a corner and continued their way across the corridor. "Now that I think about it, she always acted weird whenever anyone asked her about it"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's pretty bizarre because mum and dad never got her that diary. One day she came running down the stairs and started shouting that Santa gifted her a diary. Found it under her pillow, she said"

A frown came over Harry's face as he stared down at the leather cover. "Yeah, it is bizarre" he muttered.

"But how can you be sure it's the same one?"

"I saw it once when I bumped into her one morning. It's weird. I only saw it once, held it once...but I bet you anything it's the same one I'm holding right now"

"Hmm" mused Ron. "Pretty wicked, if you ask me"

"Except I didn't see this name last time" He turned the diary and pointed at the name.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle" Ron mumbled under his breath as his face scrunched up in confusion. "I know that name..." He let out a frustrated growl. "I swear I heard mum and dad say that name..."

"How about we ask, Ginny. We can hand it back to her as well," said Harry.

"Yeah, I'm good with that. Not like we have anything else to do at the moment"

"And ask her why would she throw it in a girl's toilet"

…...

Common Room

They walked through the portrait hole and into the common room.

"Look, there she is," said Ron.

Harry followed his line of vision and saw her hunched over a table at the far corner of the room, her quill working rapidly on a piece of parchment.

She was sitting alone as they approached her.

"Hey Ginny" said Ron, stopping a few paces before her.

She looked up and Harry's eyes narrowed in worry. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face was o pale he was sure she was sick. It also didn't help that it seemed like she hadn't slept in more than a week.

"Blimey! What happened to you" exclaimed Ron.

She rolled her eyes, and even that felt like it was too much effort for her. "What do you want, Ron" she asked tiredly.

"Umm...we found this in the girl's toilet" He only just realized how that sounded but trudged on after seeing her eyes turn wide in shock and fear? "Myrtle, the ghost in the girl's lavatory, she said that someone threw it in one of the toilets and when I picked it up, I remembered it was the same diary you had..." He trailed off.

His suspicion that it was hers was confirmed in the first five seconds, only to be replaced by concern at watching all the different emotions playing across her face. She stumbled out of her chair and nearly tripped over her bag lying next to the chair.

"Ginny..." Ron walked over to her and laid a concerning hand on her shoulder only for it to be yanked off.

She was breathing heavily now and her gaze had remained on the diary at all times, never wavering.

A few more seconds passed during which she only seemed to be backing away from them.

"Ginny! What's wrong" She whipped her head towards Ron before turning to Harry.

"I don't know what you're talking about" She said in a trembling voice before dashing across the room and disappearing into the girl's staircase. The sound of her shoes tapping against the stone could still be heard only to be drowned by the noise of a door being slammed shut.

Ron and Harry looked at each other bewilderedly, ignoring the looks of everyone else in the room.

"What the bloody hell was that!" Ron whispered loudly.

Harry shrugged his shoulders in response. He clutched the diary tightly in his hands as a sinking feeling started to settle in his stomach.

"C'mon" He yanked Ron's jumper and pulled him along as he headed towards the staircase to the boy's dormitories.

Ron closed the dormitory door behind him before turning towards Harry. "What are you thinking?"

Harry walked to the side of his bed. He ran a hand through his hair as he stared out the window and blew a breath. "Look" He turned towards Ron before continuing. "We don't have anything to go on...Our only chance was the Polyjuice potion but I've screwed that up now"

Ron walked over to his bed and sat on the edge, waiting for him to further elaborate.

"But this" Harry held the diary before continuing. "Don't ask me why or how. Maybe it's seeing Ginny's reaction, or maybe because we've run out of options or because she tried to get rid of it the same night Hermione went missing, or maybe I'm desperate but, I don't know" He let out a sigh as he plopped down on his bed. "Maybe I'm not making any sense"

"Surely you don't think Ginny has something-"

"Of course, I don't" Harry cut him off, offended he would even think that. "Just forget it"

Ron seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

"No, I think you're onto something" Ron said thoughtfully. "I mean there has to be a reason Ginny ran away like she'd seen a ghost. Also, why would she throw it away in the first place. It doesn't make sense!"

"Exactly!" Harry jumped off his bed, excitement bubbling inside him.

"But why?" Ron asked the question they both had been wondering. "It doesn't make sense"

Harry's short-lived jubilance started to flicker out rapidly. "Plus, I don't think she's very keen to be near us at the moment"

"Or the book" piped in Ron, before his eyes lit up. "Maybe, that's it" He stood up and snatched the book from Harry's grasp. "Maybe the answer's right here and we're missing...something" His exuberance dropped down several notches as he flipped through empty pages.

He plopped down next to Harry, the book laying open on his lap. Both friends stared at the opposite wall, lost in thought when something caught Harry's eye. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black spot appear on the otherwise spotless page. Just as Ron was about to close the diary, Harry stuck his hand between the pages, startling his ginger haired friend.

"What the bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron. "You gave me a fright"

Harry ignored him completely and snatched the diary from him with his other hand. He opened it and removed his hand.

Both friends let out gasps of shock as their eyes landed on the page. For before their eyes written in black in the middle of the page was a word. A simple word.

Hi

They both looked at each other, wide-eyed, before dropping their gaze back towards the page.

They were both shell-shocked, unable to move and respond for several seconds.

Snapping out of his daze Harry jumped up from the bed and ran towards his school bag, which was lying next to his trunk. He rummaged through it for few seconds before hurrying back to the bed. He knelt on the floor and put his elbows on the bed.

Ron mimicked his position as Harry straightened the diary and brought it under his right hand, his quill hovering an inch above it.

His hand was trembling in anticipation before he finally brought the quill to the page.

Hi

They only had to wait less than five seconds before words started appearing before their eyes.

"Blimey!" gasped Ron.

How may I assist you?

Harry thought about his next words for a moment before he wrote them.

What are you?

"Good" said Ron. "We need to know if isn't someone playing a prank. To be honest, I wouldn't put it past Fred and George"

I can be anything you want me to be. I can be your friend. I can be your ears. I can be your eyes. I can be whatever you want me to be...

Harry turned to Ron who had a frown on his face. "I'm not sure about this mate. I think someone's messing with us. Maybe, that's why Ginny threw it, she found out it was just someone pulling her leg"

Harry turned his gaze back to the now empty page, his eyes boring into it as if all his answers will be unveiled. To hell with it, he thought.

What do you know about the chamber of the secrets?

He felt Ron tense up beside him.

Everything

He inhaled sharply as a loud gasp left Ron's lips.

Tell me everything

He looked at Ron. He could feel the excitement that was visible on his face. They were finally going to have all the answers.

"Look it's writing again" pointed Ron.

He turned back to the page.

How about I show you. Let me take you back 50 years ago.

Suddenly, the pages started flipping until it stopped randomly. Then a date appeared on the top left corner.

1942

He turned an arched eyebrow at Ron, confusion written all over his face. Ron had a befuddled expression on his face before it was replaced a look of pure horror. Alarmed, Harry turned back to the diary only to see a beam of light emanating from the middle of the two pages.

They both remain transfixed, frozen on the spot, eyes glued to the light that was now projecting to the ceiling.

The intensity of the light made them shield their eyes with their arms. The light turned golden and covered almost every inch of the dormitory and then with a flash, it was gone, along with the two occupants in the room.

A feeling of being pulled, not unlike that of apparition, made Harry drop his arms and open his eyes.

"AAAH!" screamed Ron, as they were both falling into a pit of dark ness.

In less than a second Harry felt solid ground under his feet and he was balancing himself against the wall.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron, colour slowly coming back to his face. He stood up from the floor and walked towards Harry who pushed himself from the wall and looked around.

Ron followed his gaze and frowned. "Wait! This looks like Hogwarts"

Harry nodded his head. "I know where we are"

Ron turned to him. "Where?"

"That's the Slytherin common room" He pointed to the portrait of a man sitting at an angle in a wooden chair. He had one arm draped over the back of the chair, and the other resting on the armrest. A snake was draped over his arm that was resting on the arm chair. He had slicked back white hair. His face was devoid of any facial hair, his age betrayed by the lines and wrinkles on his face.

"Blimey! That's-"

"Salazar Slytherin" finished Harry.

Suddenly, their object of interest was moving and they both froze on the spot. Their fear intensified tenfold when a figure walked out of the opening before the portrait shut backwards.

A boy, seeming to be in his seventh year with dark mop of hair combed to one side stopped short as he looked sideways before moving and walking in their direction.

Unable to move even if they wanted to, both friends could only watch helplessly and shocked as the boy walked past them without sparing a single glance in their direction, as if they weren't even there.

Snapping out of his trance, Harry turned on his heel and sprinted towards him, Ron right behind him. "Excuse me!"

His call fell on deaf ears as the boy kept walking. He turned a corner and started climbing stairs that led to the entrance hall.

They quickened their steps to keep up with him.

"Harry, I don't think he can see much less hear us"

"Yeah, no shit" panted Harry, as he climbed the stairs two steps a time. "I think this is it, Ron. We're in 1942"

"You mean the diary really sent us back in time!"

"Not exactly. Otherwise, he would've seen us. I think the diary is trying to show us something. Something that is related to the chamber of secrets."

They caught up with the boy and silently followed him through the halls of the castle. Harry found something shifty about the boy, mainly due to the fact that after every few seconds he would look over his shoulder.

But he was much more focused on everything else that he didn't pay it much attention. They were about to climb the staircase to the second-floor when they halted their movement.

They both stared with bulging eyes at the form of Albus Dumbledore standing at the top of the staircase. But he wasn't the man they saw every day. This version of Dumbledore was almost a different man, in appearance. For one his hair was only shoulder length with black strands mixed in with grey. His beard was neatly trimmed but the most shocking difference was his clothing. Instead of his eccentric coloured robes that they had become accustomed to he was wearing a suit, with a vest and a tie.

"You're supposed to be in bed" Dumbledore said to the boy. Harry sensed an edge to his voice.

To Harry and Ron's shock, the boy completely dismissed Dumbledore and walked past him.

"Take another step and you'll be spending the rest of your nights cleaning the greenhouse till the holidays"

Harry and Ron had climbed halfway up the stairs by now and saw the boy stop in his tracks before he turned around and shot a venomous look at Dumbledore, who Harry was shock to find was glaring back at him. He had never seen Dumbledore so angry and it sent a chill down his spine. It had the similar effect on Ron if the shudder he heard was anything to go by.

But it seemed the boy was not deterred for even a moment for he marched back to Dumbledore. His eyes defiant as he stopped a foot before him. He also noticed he was almost as tall as Dumbledore now that they were standing so close.

"What nights" Harry heard him sneer.

He climbed the rest of the stairs so he could hear more clearly.

"The way you lot have handled things we won't be staying another night in the castle. I mean, you lot have made a complete mockery of the school. One lousy murder and you've all got your knickers in a twist. Thinking about closing the school" He scoffed before spitting at the space between them.

Dumbledore's nostrils flared and rage was burning behind his eyes. Harry turned towards the boy to see his lips twitch upwards before a vile smirk came over his mouth. "Pathetic. The great Albus Dumbledore. Pathetic!"

It all happened in a matter of seconds. One moment Harry saw Dumbledore look over his shoulder at the empty corridor and the next moment he saw the boy stumbling over his feet before he hit he side wall.

The sound was echoing all around Harry as he saw the boy whip his head around and stare wide-eyed at Dumbledore. His right-hand was holding his left cheek that just mere moments ago braced the full impact of a backhand slap.

For the first time, Harry saw fear shine in the boy's eyes before it was replaced by a look of pure hatred. He watched his face twist in agony and could tell that he was trying hard not to cry.

He turned to Dumbledore and saw guilt come over his features. Dumbledore took a step forward but stopped when the boy backed away.

"Get away from me!" he screamed.

"I'm terribly sorry. Please, let me heal that for you. You know I never meant to do that. I would never do that yo-"

"Yeah, you would!" Tears were now streaming down his face as he continued to walk backwards. "It was only a matter of time" He wiped a hand over his face, cleaning the fallen tears before they were replaced by new ones. "But no more"

He stopped walking before continuing. "I'm not letting anyone hurt me anymore. Especially not you." With that he turned around and ran. Harry stared at his back for a moment before facing Dumbledore.

He didn't know why but he felt pity for the headmaster. He just looked so...sad. He didn't know how else to describe it.

"Harry!" He felt Ron shake his shoulder and turned towards him. "We have to follow him" He pointed at the retreating back of the boy who by now had reached the end of the corridor.

His eyes turned wide and with one last look at Dumbledore, he dashed after him.

They were finally able to reach him after running like maniacs for what seemed like an eternity. Though what made him frown was that they were now walking the corridor that led to the Gryffindor common room.

His suspicion was confirmed when they stopped before the portrait of the fat lady.

"Pixies" said the boy.

"You know you're not supposed to be here," said the fat lady.

"Pixies!"

The fat lady stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Only because you're-"

"Just open the damn door!"

Harry and Ron jumped a foot in the air with his sudden outburst.

"Oh alright! No need to shout, young man"

The portrait opened and they walked through. They followed him across the common room and up the boy's stairs.

"He's heading up the seventh-floor dormitories" said Ron, as they continued climbing.

They stopped when they reached the landing and waited as he knocked on the door. The door opened and a gigantic figure popped came into view.

Harry and Ron both stifled a gasp. Even though he looked nothing like the man they knew, there was no mistaking it that the boy they were staring at was now the groundskeeper of Hogwarts in their time.

He didn't have a beard, and he was probably half as wide but he was still just as tall, and he wore the same trench coat they had seen on him on a daily basis. But even if that wasn't enough, there was no mistaking his eyes, they still held the same warmth and kindness as they did fifty years later.

"Tom! What ye' doin' 'ere"

The boy, Tom, ignored his question and walked past him. Harry and Ron hurriedly followed him inside before Hagrid closed the door.

The dormitory was pretty much the same as theirs, except it was twice as bigger. "Where is it, Hagrid!"

"Tom-"

"They are going to close the school! And I'm not going to stand and let that happen. Not when I can prevent it"

"Tom, please-" pleaded Hagrid, but Tom cut him off with a wave of his hand before he turned around and stared at a massive trunk, almost three times the size of any student.

There was no questioning who it belonged to.

Harry watched Tom march up to the trunk and tried to open it.

"Give me the key"

"Tom-"

"Damn it, give me the key!"

Harry turned towards Hagrid and saw tears streaming down his face. "He's innocent. I'm innocent. Please, Tom...I'll be sent to Azkaban. I promise I'll tell headmaster Dippet about Aragog in the morning"

Tom stood up and shook his head. "I'm afraid that would be of no good, Hagrid. In fact, I'm grateful that you didn't listen to me when I told you to get rid of that thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do this"

He smirked before pointing his wand in the direction of the trunk, his body still facing Hagrid.

"No, Tom!"

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"

There was a loud bang and the trunk smashed open. Smoke clouded the room but it vanished with a wave of Tom's wand.

"AAAAH!" Yelped Ron, jumping on the bed.

Harry stood frozen on the spot as he watched with wide eyes a large spider come out of the now broken trunk. He was reminded of the hordes of spiders that night in the forbidden forest when he escaped with Firenze.

"Aragog, run!" yelled Hagrid.

"Reducto" shouted Tom. The red beam of light barely escaped the spider as it scuttled along the floor and out of the room. Tom ran after it followed by Hagrid.

Harry grabbed a scared looking Ron by the collar and dragged him from the bed. They were about to the reach the door when he felt the pull of apparition.

Seconds later they were both standing back in their dormitories in the exact spot when they had been pulled into the past.

They both turned to each other and simultaneously yelled "Hagrid!"

…...

They reached Hagrid's hut and took deep breaths to slow their breathing. If one were to walk by them, they would only hearing heavy panting as they were both hidden under the invisibility cloak.

Harry was about to knock when he heard shouting coming from inside.

He turned to Ron who shrugged his shoulder. Thinking quickly, he guided them towards the kitchen window. They peaked inside the window to find two men standing on either side of Hagrid.

One was short, old, though not as old as Dumbledore and was wearing black robes and a hat. He had a badge near his right breast pocket with the word 'M' written on it.

The other man was tall in stature, anywhere between late his 30s to early 40s, and had white blond hair. Even before Ron spoke, he knew who he was.

"Blimey, that's the minister of magic and Lucius Malfoy!" whispered Ron.

"This is injustice!" they heard Hagrid's muffled voice. "I was innocent then and I'm innocent, now"

"Oh really. Do you even know what that word means" scoffed Malfoy.

"I'm warnin' ya Lucius!" growled Hagrid.

"Oh please, keep your fake threats for others. I no longer find them amusing" said the Malfoy patriarch calmly as he walked in circles with his hands behind his back.

"I'm afraid I have no other choice, Hagrid. You have to come with us. Henry, if you would" A third man, who was blocked from their view came forward and pointed his wand towards Hagrid.

Hagrid glared at him as the man waited patiently for him to cooperate. "C'mon now, Hagrid. Play nice." said Lucius.

"Hagrid, please. It's getting late and I have far more important concerns to worry about. All evidence pointed towards you the last time this happened and you were proven guilty. You even admitted to help escape the spider" The minister rubbed his temple tiredly.

"Because I was telling the truth. The same truth that Aragog didn't kill that girl. And what proof ye have now, huh!"

"Hagrid, already whispers are reaching everyone's ears about what's been going on in the castle. If I don't do anything or make a statement-

"So, that's it, huh" sneered Hagrid, before he let out a bitter laugh. "Fine, but let me tell you that the truth always comes forward"

Reluctantly, Hagrid brought his hands forward before the man ministry official gave a twirl of his wand and a translucent chain wrapped around Hagrid's hands.

"Good boy" mocked Lucius, before he lifted his hands and backed away when Hagrid took a step towards him. "Just trying to lighten the mood"

"You just wait till Professor Dumbledore hears about this" threatened Hagrid. "He'll vouch for me"

A smirk came over Lucius's lips as he walked over to him. "Oh, didn't you hear" He said in faux innocence. "Oh, how silly of me. It just happened not even an hour ago"

"What do you mean. What happened" demanded Hagrid. He turned to the minister. "What happened!"

The minister was staring at the ground and shifting from one foot to the another. "This was not my decision, Hagrid. You know that I can't make these decisions. They are out of my power"

"What 'r ya sayin" asked Hagrid, worry seeping in his words.

A terrible sinking feeling started to form in Harry's gut.

The minister took a deep breath before he looked up. "I can't- you say it since you're the one behind it" he said to Lucius.

"My pleasure" curtsied Lucius before facing Hagrid. "You see Hagrid, with all these recent attacks, the board felt that Dumbledore had lost his touch. We felt that he was no longer capable pf performing his duties, which are first and foremost, the safety of the students, and he failed to do them. So, the board decided that...it's time for him to step down"

Stunned silence.

"Are you mad!" yelled Hagrid, charging towards Lucius but was stopped mid movement by an invisible force.

The ministry official's wand was pointed at him but Harry paid it no attention for he had shifted and rested his back against the wall.

He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"It's for the best, Hagrid" He heard Lucius say. "Minerva would take his position for the mean time till the board decides for a permanent replacement. But, I'm afraid the days of Albus Dumbledore being the headmaster of Hogwarts are over"

The confirmation washed over Harry like a bucket of ice-cold water. Beside him, Ron copied his position before he held his head in his hands and shook his head.

"I don't believe it. Dumbledore is gone"

They didn't get any answers they were looking for but Harry was sure that those words would haunt him for a very long time.

Dumbledore is gone.

A/N: As always guys, post your comments and let me know your thoughts. Stay warm, stay cozy, stay sharp, I'm making no sense so I better stop.