to Katayoun : to fast to the 5th year ? It's because nothing really important happened in Tom's live during that time. This part of the diray is written in 1944, after all the described events, and Tom says only about what was really crucial for him and what he remembered best.
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I'd like to know your opinions !
. . . continuation
Nobody knew what had befallen little Ralph Stone, except that it was something terrible. His grey, rigid face expressed such a horror that professor Glamour fainted at the very look of it. The boy was alive but he was petrified. It wasn't irreversible but the Mandrake Restorative Draught couldn't be prepared before several months when the mandrakes would mature. For the time being no teacher knew what could have caused Ralph's terrible condition. I was the only one who knew the truth.
Since the day when I opened the Chamber of Secrets and met Tanathos, I have read everything about the basilisks. I found out that their gaze could petrify, if only the victim would not look straight into the best eyes but see them reflected in something, for example in the mirror. I realised perfectly well who had attacked little Stone. And I also noticed that he was Muggle-born; a fact that nobody paid attention to.
I knew that the only way to stop Tanathos was to close the Chamber of Secret. The basilisk respected the heir of Slytherin in me but it would never obey an order, contradictory to his master's will. Tanathos was Salazar's creature, his vengeance, and nothing and no one could turn it from its bloody path of death.
But I was still hesitating and fostering delusive hope that nothing bad would happen again...
*
Shirley Dinky was found on the bank of the lake, rigid and grey as Ralph Stone. It occurred at the end of March. I guessed at once that Tanathos, wandering around the castle through the system of pipes, had finally found its way out.
It was then when Dumbledore suggested for the first time that a mysterious beast could be responsible for the attacks. For the whole week the teachers have been searching the castle meter by meter, but they didn't find the slightest trace of the intruder. And I couldn't resist an alarming feeling that Dumbledore, as the only one, has been looking for something more. I had also an impression that he had started to observe me more intently than ever, though anytime I looked at him he quickly turned aside his glance. I didn't know if he could guess my participation in this affair. He has already proved many times that he could see the truth where the others didn't suspect it at all. On the other hand, it seemed impossible that anyone, even Dumbledore, had got on a trace of the Chamber of Secrets. No one believed in its existence, after all !
However, I couldn't overcome an anxiety and qualms of conscience, stronger and stronger every day. I felt responsible for what happened to Ralph and Shirley. Happened only because the Muggle blood ran in their veins. I couldn't conceal any longer from myself that hatred and death was the only gift Slytherin had left to his heir. And I didn't want such inheritance. I was a Mudblood, too.
I knew what I should do. I was just coming back to the dormitory, decided to put a stop to Tanathos' terror that very night, when I noticed a crowd of students, gathered at the foot of the stairs about something lying on the stone floor. I felt my heart in my mouth. I knew too well what I would see in a moment.
In a pool of a thick, red liquid, which at the first moment I took for the blood (later it turned out that it was only a paint), Desmond Clever, a seventh-year Gryffindor, was lying. But it was not his ghastly pale face that absorbed my attention. On the wall, above the place where Desmond was lying, a blood-red inscription was shimmering in the light of the torches:
"ENEMIES OF HIER, BEWARE"
I came to a standstill. For a short while I didn't see anything except the bright, purple letters that seemed to be glowing coldly. I must have looked not better than Desmond since professor Solaris asked me anxiously if I was all right. I don't remember what I answered, I quickly made my out of the crowd and as mad, knocking against the walls, I moved towards the dungeons.
Dozens of questions were whirling in my feverish mind. Who has written the inscription? I was sure Tanathos hasn't. Did it mean, therefore, that there was someone in Hogwart who knew the secret of my ancestry? Someone who knew that the Chamber of Secrets had been open?
I reached the dormitory and slumped into an armchair, standing in front of the blazing fireplace. I don't know for how long I've been sitting there, lost in gloomy considerations, when suddenly the door creaked and Amis entered the room. He was paler than usual and his blue eyes were sparkling with a hard-restrained agitation. He approached the fireplace and sat in the neighbouring armchair, not taking his searching eyes off my face.
'Did you see...?' he asked quietly and like with an anxious expectation on my reaction 'Did you see the inscription?'
I nodded, though, still debating over all the events of this day, I was only partly aware of Amis' question. Whereas he moved uneasily on his chair and bending his fingers (what he did always when he was nervous) he whispered:
'They should know...Potter most of all...' it sounded as if Amis was urgently trying to convince himself about the rightness of those words.
Several seconds had passed before I fully realised what Amis wanted to say. For a while I was staring at him as if I had seen him for the first time. Now, for a change, my mind was completely empty.
'What are you talking about?' I asked with a forced calm, though I knew perfectly well that there was only one possible answer.
Amis swallowed nervously.
'Tom, I have written that,' he threw it out at one breath.
*
Amis Dumbledore resembled his great-uncle in one respect: he could see through people. He had this rare gift of reading in people's heart, which together with his analytic mind made him very difficult to cheat. And he knew me very well. I could deceive everybody except my best friend.
He has suspected for months that I've been working on something rare that was a great challenge even for my unquenchable ambition. Then Esculap arrived to the dormitory and soon Amis discovered that I was a Parselmouth. He has never revealed it, however. He knew me and he was sure that I would tell him everything myself when I was ready. Besides, it wasn't the only secret I unawares shared with Amis. A year before he found out, involuntarily overhearing conversation between his grandfather Aberhorth and his brother, that Tom Riddle was a heir of Slytherin.
After Tanathos' first attack Amis noticed at once that I became strangely upset and depressed. He started to observe me attentively and he quickly realised that I spent suspiciously much time studying basilisks' habits. He guessed at once that I KNEW who attacked the students. Neither he missed the fact that all the victims were Muggle-born.
Amis knew the legend about Slytherin's revenge. Putting all the elements of the puzzle together he realised I had opened the Chamber of Secrets.
Since that time he was split between sense of duty that told him to inform headmaster Dippet and loyalty to me. It has never entered his head that I could have opened the Chamber to continue my ancestor's bloody work. He believed in me and was deeply convinced I had the situation well in hand. So he kept silent.
Amis always admired me and all invectives and abuse that Perseus Potter regularly showered on me, hurt him to the raw. Now, when I achieved what the most eminent witches and wizard had failed to achieve for centuries, his admiration transformed into adoration. He wanted the whole world to bow down before the genius of Tom Riddle. He wanted no one else dared to call me 'dirty Mudblood' any more.
*
A mysterious writing on the wall provoked a real avalanche of suspicions and speculations. Everyone who has ever read "Hogwart: the history", knew that those were the last words Slytherin had said before leaving the castle. The name: Chamber of Secret was whispered in the classes and on the corridors and soon the school divided into two fractions: the ones who believed that the legendary room had been opened and the others, who considered that someone made a stupid joke. But everybody asked the same question: WHO.
In those days I was closely observing Dumbledore, trying to find the slightest sign that he knew the truth. But anytime I stared at him he looked away and treated me with absolute indifference. Strange indifference.
Two days after the last attack I decided to close the Chamber of Secrets. I had to put a stop to Tanathos' hunt. I knew that if I would let him prowl through the Hogwart longer, sooner or later it would come to a real tragedy.
In the last expedition to the hidden room I was accompanied by Amis. He begged me to show him the legendary place and I agreed to that easily. I trusted Amis infinitely. Besides, I've been dying to tell him for months about my great secret. I taught him a formula, opening the hidden door, I introduced him to Tanathos, which well-fed and satisfied (I didn't know what he fed on, but I preferred not to inquire) was dozing in the middle of the room.
And finally I did what I should have done a long time before. I closed the doors to the Chamber of Secret. I believed that for ever...
*
When the dead body of Myrtle Grumble has been found, every man and ghost in Hogwart thought the same: a mysterious monster had attacked again. Previous fear turned into panic. A rumour about the girl's death quickly got out of the school walls and resounded through the whole country. Two hours later the headmaster office was sunk in a real flood of letters. Horrified parents warned that they would take their children away next morning, and some even demanded to close the Hogwart till the dangerous beast would be caught. And the frightened students wouldn't leave their dormitories even if it hadn't been strictly forbidden.
I heard about Myrtle's death during the Potions class. I was so shocked that I got shattered into atoms the whole set of the glass vessels, which slipped from my numb hands. I couldn't believe in what I'd just heard. HOW could it happen?!
I tried to collect my scattered thought on my way to the dormitory. I had no doubt that the murder was Tanathos' work, though I completely couldn't understand it. I closed the Chamber of Secrets !
Five minutes later professor Glamour brought back the fourth-years. I looked for Amis and...I felt my knees bent and my heart was in my mouth. Amis looked terrible: ghastly pale, with red, wet eyes, he was choking with sobs. I moved closer and then I saw with horror a numb, motionless body of Esculap, lying in his hands.
At the sound of my steps Amis rose his head and an immense despair appeared in his blue eyes. He looked at me, he looked at Esculap, he moaned in distress and crying he run away to his room.
I dragged myself after him. I've already known what had happened.
It was Peresus Potter fault. If that disastrous morning he hadn't called me Mudblood during the breakfast, Myrtle Grumbler would live till today. But it was done. Amis hated when Potter sneered at me and that was the drop that overfilled the cup of bitterness. He decided to revenge himself. After the breakfast he came back to the dormitory, looked through my notes and half an hour later he opened the Chamber of Secrets. He called Tanathos and led him towards the exit from the underground tunnel, situated in the girls' toilet. He told basilisk to wait there (except "open", "wait" was the only world Amis could pronounce in the Parseltongue) till he brought Potter. Of course, he didn't want to kill him only to frightened out of his wits. It was just a bad-luck that Myrtle hid herself in the toilet...
And Esculap ? Well, he fell a victim to his noble heart. He saw Amis taking my notes and he crept after him, extremely anxious. Esculap didn't know about the Chamber of Secrets, but he felt the presence of the basilisk. The last thing he saw were the yellow, rapacious eyes of Tanathos.
The snakes are the only creatures resistant to the killing gaze of the basilisk. Esculap survived but he blinded forever.
A caprice of fate, doom, fatal coincidence ... ? Does it matter now? I only know that it had never happened if I wouldn't have opened the Chamber of Secrets and wouldn't have shown it to my best friend.
I was responsible for everything.
*
The same evening, when Amis had finally calmed down a bit, he told me in a depressed voice that he felt as if he had killed Myrtle with his won hands. And that it would haunt him till the end of his life. I tried to convince him that if anyone could be blamed for what had happened, I was the one. In vain. Amis was sunk in a black despair, full of hatred and disgust for himself.
And the Chamber of Secrets was still open and every moment Tanathos could attack again. I had to finish it, this time forever. When the midnight had passed, I quietly slipped away from the dormitory...
Half an hour later I was coming back to the dungeons when murmurs and puffing came from behind the corner of the corridor. My hair stood on end and I started to listen. Though I knew it was impossible, I feared I would hear a cruel laughter of Tanathos. I pulled out my wand and carefully peeped out from behind the corner.
It was Rubeus Hagrid. He was standing in front of the door of a small niche, covering its inside with all his enormous person. At the sound of my steps he turned round rapidly and an expression of a pure horror appeared on his face. In the same moment a huge, black, hairy spider sprang out from behind his back. I reacted reflexively. I rose my wand and aiming at the monster I shouted: 'Stupefy!' Rubeus yelled desperately and lunged aside, protecting the spider. The beast jumped impetuously on my chest knocking me down to the floor, I felt a hideous touch of its limbs, grown with a short, rough bristles. But before I could call the incantation again, the enormous spider sprang down and disappeared in the darkness of the corridor.
Several seconds later hasty steps sounded in the silence, that had fallen after that short but vehement struggle, and panting Albus Dumbledore emerged at the end of the corridor. He cast a watchful glance at the scene: me, starting up from the floor and unconscious Hagrid, lying at my feet.
'What happened, Tom?' asked Dumbledore in a tired voice and in such a way that I had an impression he would rather not hear the answer.
Obviously he suspected I had attacked Rubeus.
'Professor!' I started to explain hastily 'Hagrid kept a great spider in that niche. I wanted to catch it but he stopped me.' I pointed at the boy.
Dumbledore nodded silently and suddenly he looked straight into my eyes. It was one if those glances that seemed to penetrate into the innermost recesses of the soul.
'We both know it wasn't Rubeus animal that had murdered Myrtle Grumbler' he said slowly not taking his piercing eyes off me.
We were standing silently for a while. I was sure Dumbledore knew the truth. But I didn't want to shift my blame on anybody else. I was prepared to take the consequences of my deeds.
'I didn't want it happened.' I said resignedly 'I have never wanted anybody's death.'
Grief twinkled in Dumbledore's blue eyes.
'I believe you, Tom,' he sighed heavily 'But nothing can bring this poor girl's life back. '
I didn't say anything. Words were useless now. He was right, the past could not be changed.
'Give me back your wand, Tom,' said Dumbledore in a mournful voice.
'NO !!!'
We turned back in unison. Amis was standing at the end of the corridor, ghastly pale but amazingly calm.
'It wasn't Tom fault,' his voice, though slightly quivering, was very quiet 'I released the basilisk today.'
Such a man was Amis: honest and noble to the bitter end...
Dumbledore looked confused.
'What are you talking about?' he snarled irritably 'TOM opened the Chamber of Secrets.'
As Amis was talking, the expression of daze on Dumbledore's face was replaced by a total shock. He was staring at his grandson as if he was some very exotic creature. And for the first time since I have known him, he gave the impression of a man who didn't know completely what to do.
'I should be expelled from Hogwart, not Tom,' Amis finished sullenly.
Those last words recalled Dumbledore from bewilderment. He looked at his grandson and then quickly, as if reckoning something, at me and at the lying Hagrid.
'This is the only way...' he whispered desperately and before I cloud know what was going on, he pulled out his wand and cried 'Stupefy !'
Amis fell down unconscious. I couldn't believe my eyes !
'Why did you do that ?!' I yelled out with fury, reaching for my own wand, but next second it wrenched itself free from my hand and landed with a crash at Dumbledore's feet.
'I'm not going to allow this affair to destroy my grandson's life,' he said with determination and I understood that this man would stop at nothing. 'Tomorrow the whole world will know that Tom Riddle, Prefect of Slytherin, caught the beast of Rubeus Hagrid, saving the life of his best friend.'
A strange feeling came over me, as if I suddenly lost a sense of hearing. I could see Dumbledore's blue eyes, fixed on the mine; I could see his lips moving but even the slightest whisper didn't reach my ears. For a few terrible seconds my mind was a pure blank and then suddenly everything was back to normal.
Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder.
'Let's go, Tom,' he said softly 'You will tell the Headmaster everything.'
*
The same night Dumbledore transported unconscious Amis back home.
Next morning it was announced that Rubeus Hagrid would be expelled from the school for hiding there a dangerous creature, responsible for Myrtle Grumbler's death. However, Dumbledore suggested lessening a bit the severity of punishment and letting Rubeus stay in Hogwart as the gamekeeper's helper.
And I was a hero. Everybody admired my courage and composure. Headmaster Dippet shook my hand in front of the whole school. I also received an official congratulation letter from the Minister of Magic. For all day the processions of students were streaming to me, begging to tell them once more how I had got on Hagrid's track.
And I was talking and talking. All the memories were still so fresh...
PLZ REVIEW !!!
I'd like to know your opinions !
. . . continuation
Nobody knew what had befallen little Ralph Stone, except that it was something terrible. His grey, rigid face expressed such a horror that professor Glamour fainted at the very look of it. The boy was alive but he was petrified. It wasn't irreversible but the Mandrake Restorative Draught couldn't be prepared before several months when the mandrakes would mature. For the time being no teacher knew what could have caused Ralph's terrible condition. I was the only one who knew the truth.
Since the day when I opened the Chamber of Secrets and met Tanathos, I have read everything about the basilisks. I found out that their gaze could petrify, if only the victim would not look straight into the best eyes but see them reflected in something, for example in the mirror. I realised perfectly well who had attacked little Stone. And I also noticed that he was Muggle-born; a fact that nobody paid attention to.
I knew that the only way to stop Tanathos was to close the Chamber of Secret. The basilisk respected the heir of Slytherin in me but it would never obey an order, contradictory to his master's will. Tanathos was Salazar's creature, his vengeance, and nothing and no one could turn it from its bloody path of death.
But I was still hesitating and fostering delusive hope that nothing bad would happen again...
It was then when Dumbledore suggested for the first time that a mysterious beast could be responsible for the attacks. For the whole week the teachers have been searching the castle meter by meter, but they didn't find the slightest trace of the intruder. And I couldn't resist an alarming feeling that Dumbledore, as the only one, has been looking for something more. I had also an impression that he had started to observe me more intently than ever, though anytime I looked at him he quickly turned aside his glance. I didn't know if he could guess my participation in this affair. He has already proved many times that he could see the truth where the others didn't suspect it at all. On the other hand, it seemed impossible that anyone, even Dumbledore, had got on a trace of the Chamber of Secrets. No one believed in its existence, after all !
However, I couldn't overcome an anxiety and qualms of conscience, stronger and stronger every day. I felt responsible for what happened to Ralph and Shirley. Happened only because the Muggle blood ran in their veins. I couldn't conceal any longer from myself that hatred and death was the only gift Slytherin had left to his heir. And I didn't want such inheritance. I was a Mudblood, too.
I knew what I should do. I was just coming back to the dormitory, decided to put a stop to Tanathos' terror that very night, when I noticed a crowd of students, gathered at the foot of the stairs about something lying on the stone floor. I felt my heart in my mouth. I knew too well what I would see in a moment.
In a pool of a thick, red liquid, which at the first moment I took for the blood (later it turned out that it was only a paint), Desmond Clever, a seventh-year Gryffindor, was lying. But it was not his ghastly pale face that absorbed my attention. On the wall, above the place where Desmond was lying, a blood-red inscription was shimmering in the light of the torches:
I came to a standstill. For a short while I didn't see anything except the bright, purple letters that seemed to be glowing coldly. I must have looked not better than Desmond since professor Solaris asked me anxiously if I was all right. I don't remember what I answered, I quickly made my out of the crowd and as mad, knocking against the walls, I moved towards the dungeons.
Dozens of questions were whirling in my feverish mind. Who has written the inscription? I was sure Tanathos hasn't. Did it mean, therefore, that there was someone in Hogwart who knew the secret of my ancestry? Someone who knew that the Chamber of Secrets had been open?
I reached the dormitory and slumped into an armchair, standing in front of the blazing fireplace. I don't know for how long I've been sitting there, lost in gloomy considerations, when suddenly the door creaked and Amis entered the room. He was paler than usual and his blue eyes were sparkling with a hard-restrained agitation. He approached the fireplace and sat in the neighbouring armchair, not taking his searching eyes off my face.
'Did you see...?' he asked quietly and like with an anxious expectation on my reaction 'Did you see the inscription?'
I nodded, though, still debating over all the events of this day, I was only partly aware of Amis' question. Whereas he moved uneasily on his chair and bending his fingers (what he did always when he was nervous) he whispered:
'They should know...Potter most of all...' it sounded as if Amis was urgently trying to convince himself about the rightness of those words.
Several seconds had passed before I fully realised what Amis wanted to say. For a while I was staring at him as if I had seen him for the first time. Now, for a change, my mind was completely empty.
'What are you talking about?' I asked with a forced calm, though I knew perfectly well that there was only one possible answer.
Amis swallowed nervously.
'Tom, I have written that,' he threw it out at one breath.
He has suspected for months that I've been working on something rare that was a great challenge even for my unquenchable ambition. Then Esculap arrived to the dormitory and soon Amis discovered that I was a Parselmouth. He has never revealed it, however. He knew me and he was sure that I would tell him everything myself when I was ready. Besides, it wasn't the only secret I unawares shared with Amis. A year before he found out, involuntarily overhearing conversation between his grandfather Aberhorth and his brother, that Tom Riddle was a heir of Slytherin.
After Tanathos' first attack Amis noticed at once that I became strangely upset and depressed. He started to observe me attentively and he quickly realised that I spent suspiciously much time studying basilisks' habits. He guessed at once that I KNEW who attacked the students. Neither he missed the fact that all the victims were Muggle-born.
Amis knew the legend about Slytherin's revenge. Putting all the elements of the puzzle together he realised I had opened the Chamber of Secrets.
Since that time he was split between sense of duty that told him to inform headmaster Dippet and loyalty to me. It has never entered his head that I could have opened the Chamber to continue my ancestor's bloody work. He believed in me and was deeply convinced I had the situation well in hand. So he kept silent.
Amis always admired me and all invectives and abuse that Perseus Potter regularly showered on me, hurt him to the raw. Now, when I achieved what the most eminent witches and wizard had failed to achieve for centuries, his admiration transformed into adoration. He wanted the whole world to bow down before the genius of Tom Riddle. He wanted no one else dared to call me 'dirty Mudblood' any more.
In those days I was closely observing Dumbledore, trying to find the slightest sign that he knew the truth. But anytime I stared at him he looked away and treated me with absolute indifference. Strange indifference.
Two days after the last attack I decided to close the Chamber of Secrets. I had to put a stop to Tanathos' hunt. I knew that if I would let him prowl through the Hogwart longer, sooner or later it would come to a real tragedy.
In the last expedition to the hidden room I was accompanied by Amis. He begged me to show him the legendary place and I agreed to that easily. I trusted Amis infinitely. Besides, I've been dying to tell him for months about my great secret. I taught him a formula, opening the hidden door, I introduced him to Tanathos, which well-fed and satisfied (I didn't know what he fed on, but I preferred not to inquire) was dozing in the middle of the room.
And finally I did what I should have done a long time before. I closed the doors to the Chamber of Secret. I believed that for ever...
I heard about Myrtle's death during the Potions class. I was so shocked that I got shattered into atoms the whole set of the glass vessels, which slipped from my numb hands. I couldn't believe in what I'd just heard. HOW could it happen?!
I tried to collect my scattered thought on my way to the dormitory. I had no doubt that the murder was Tanathos' work, though I completely couldn't understand it. I closed the Chamber of Secrets !
Five minutes later professor Glamour brought back the fourth-years. I looked for Amis and...I felt my knees bent and my heart was in my mouth. Amis looked terrible: ghastly pale, with red, wet eyes, he was choking with sobs. I moved closer and then I saw with horror a numb, motionless body of Esculap, lying in his hands.
At the sound of my steps Amis rose his head and an immense despair appeared in his blue eyes. He looked at me, he looked at Esculap, he moaned in distress and crying he run away to his room.
I dragged myself after him. I've already known what had happened.
It was Peresus Potter fault. If that disastrous morning he hadn't called me Mudblood during the breakfast, Myrtle Grumbler would live till today. But it was done. Amis hated when Potter sneered at me and that was the drop that overfilled the cup of bitterness. He decided to revenge himself. After the breakfast he came back to the dormitory, looked through my notes and half an hour later he opened the Chamber of Secrets. He called Tanathos and led him towards the exit from the underground tunnel, situated in the girls' toilet. He told basilisk to wait there (except "open", "wait" was the only world Amis could pronounce in the Parseltongue) till he brought Potter. Of course, he didn't want to kill him only to frightened out of his wits. It was just a bad-luck that Myrtle hid herself in the toilet...
And Esculap ? Well, he fell a victim to his noble heart. He saw Amis taking my notes and he crept after him, extremely anxious. Esculap didn't know about the Chamber of Secrets, but he felt the presence of the basilisk. The last thing he saw were the yellow, rapacious eyes of Tanathos.
The snakes are the only creatures resistant to the killing gaze of the basilisk. Esculap survived but he blinded forever.
A caprice of fate, doom, fatal coincidence ... ? Does it matter now? I only know that it had never happened if I wouldn't have opened the Chamber of Secrets and wouldn't have shown it to my best friend.
I was responsible for everything.
Half an hour later I was coming back to the dungeons when murmurs and puffing came from behind the corner of the corridor. My hair stood on end and I started to listen. Though I knew it was impossible, I feared I would hear a cruel laughter of Tanathos. I pulled out my wand and carefully peeped out from behind the corner.
It was Rubeus Hagrid. He was standing in front of the door of a small niche, covering its inside with all his enormous person. At the sound of my steps he turned round rapidly and an expression of a pure horror appeared on his face. In the same moment a huge, black, hairy spider sprang out from behind his back. I reacted reflexively. I rose my wand and aiming at the monster I shouted: 'Stupefy!' Rubeus yelled desperately and lunged aside, protecting the spider. The beast jumped impetuously on my chest knocking me down to the floor, I felt a hideous touch of its limbs, grown with a short, rough bristles. But before I could call the incantation again, the enormous spider sprang down and disappeared in the darkness of the corridor.
Several seconds later hasty steps sounded in the silence, that had fallen after that short but vehement struggle, and panting Albus Dumbledore emerged at the end of the corridor. He cast a watchful glance at the scene: me, starting up from the floor and unconscious Hagrid, lying at my feet.
'What happened, Tom?' asked Dumbledore in a tired voice and in such a way that I had an impression he would rather not hear the answer.
Obviously he suspected I had attacked Rubeus.
'Professor!' I started to explain hastily 'Hagrid kept a great spider in that niche. I wanted to catch it but he stopped me.' I pointed at the boy.
Dumbledore nodded silently and suddenly he looked straight into my eyes. It was one if those glances that seemed to penetrate into the innermost recesses of the soul.
'We both know it wasn't Rubeus animal that had murdered Myrtle Grumbler' he said slowly not taking his piercing eyes off me.
We were standing silently for a while. I was sure Dumbledore knew the truth. But I didn't want to shift my blame on anybody else. I was prepared to take the consequences of my deeds.
'I didn't want it happened.' I said resignedly 'I have never wanted anybody's death.'
Grief twinkled in Dumbledore's blue eyes.
'I believe you, Tom,' he sighed heavily 'But nothing can bring this poor girl's life back. '
I didn't say anything. Words were useless now. He was right, the past could not be changed.
'Give me back your wand, Tom,' said Dumbledore in a mournful voice.
'NO !!!'
We turned back in unison. Amis was standing at the end of the corridor, ghastly pale but amazingly calm.
'It wasn't Tom fault,' his voice, though slightly quivering, was very quiet 'I released the basilisk today.'
Such a man was Amis: honest and noble to the bitter end...
Dumbledore looked confused.
'What are you talking about?' he snarled irritably 'TOM opened the Chamber of Secrets.'
As Amis was talking, the expression of daze on Dumbledore's face was replaced by a total shock. He was staring at his grandson as if he was some very exotic creature. And for the first time since I have known him, he gave the impression of a man who didn't know completely what to do.
'I should be expelled from Hogwart, not Tom,' Amis finished sullenly.
Those last words recalled Dumbledore from bewilderment. He looked at his grandson and then quickly, as if reckoning something, at me and at the lying Hagrid.
'This is the only way...' he whispered desperately and before I cloud know what was going on, he pulled out his wand and cried 'Stupefy !'
Amis fell down unconscious. I couldn't believe my eyes !
'Why did you do that ?!' I yelled out with fury, reaching for my own wand, but next second it wrenched itself free from my hand and landed with a crash at Dumbledore's feet.
'I'm not going to allow this affair to destroy my grandson's life,' he said with determination and I understood that this man would stop at nothing. 'Tomorrow the whole world will know that Tom Riddle, Prefect of Slytherin, caught the beast of Rubeus Hagrid, saving the life of his best friend.'
A strange feeling came over me, as if I suddenly lost a sense of hearing. I could see Dumbledore's blue eyes, fixed on the mine; I could see his lips moving but even the slightest whisper didn't reach my ears. For a few terrible seconds my mind was a pure blank and then suddenly everything was back to normal.
Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder.
'Let's go, Tom,' he said softly 'You will tell the Headmaster everything.'
Next morning it was announced that Rubeus Hagrid would be expelled from the school for hiding there a dangerous creature, responsible for Myrtle Grumbler's death. However, Dumbledore suggested lessening a bit the severity of punishment and letting Rubeus stay in Hogwart as the gamekeeper's helper.
And I was a hero. Everybody admired my courage and composure. Headmaster Dippet shook my hand in front of the whole school. I also received an official congratulation letter from the Minister of Magic. For all day the processions of students were streaming to me, begging to tell them once more how I had got on Hagrid's track.
And I was talking and talking. All the memories were still so fresh...