Petrification
Ginny handed those pieces of paper to Hermione, Hermione looked at it and said it is some sort of ancient rune.
"You understand it?"
"No, it looks like something from Diablo though... "
Sometimes Hermione is really like Luna, whose words were also hard to be understood.
Ginny told Hermione about last night, and Hermione really interested in helping her with translation by searching for related materials.
Two days later, it snowed heavily.
Harry was in a terrible situation; people were already gossiping in front of him that he was dangerous.
Luna had the same problem, she was seen as a freak by more and more people. Ginny has not seen her since the dueling club night. At noon, she met Luna's roommate and heard that Luna might have caught a cold and was lying in bed, sleeping soundly.
"Yesterday she told me if she didn't get up today, then tell you to go check on her." Luna's roommate apparently took it as an odd request.
The roommate led Ginny to pass through the bronze eagle door knocker, Ginny went up to her dorm.
Luna was lying on her desk, asleep, with a pen beside her on the floor, and an unfinished note taped beside her head.
Ginny, make sure to wake...
Ginny took the object word after the verb as "me" and the preposition as "up".
Easy to guess the unfinished sentence, but waking up Luna was so much harder. Even before she seemed like she's sleepwalking every day, now that she's having a cold, she slept so deeply that looked like she's in a severe coma. Ginny even put her finger under Luna's nose to make sure she was still alive.
When Luna's arm finally can be lifted limp, the one who was in a severe coma nearly switched to Ginny.
However, Luna still didn't open her eyes. Her finger lightly tapped on the back of Ginny's hand, this action repeated twice before Ginny realizing she was talking to her.
"I'm so sleepy, can't open my eyes... Last night... important thing... You... Find Hagrid... Giant spider... That monster..."
Luna's finger stopped tapping then.
"Why find Hagrid? Luna!"
"I... forgot... Tired..."
She fell asleep again, nothing can wake her up then. Ginny touched Luna's forehead, no fever, regular breathing, seems like she's not ill.
What happened to Luna? She looks extremely tired. Ginny thought and saw the diary lying open on Luna's desk, with a quill tucked between it.
Whenever strange things happen, the diary was always there. Maybe a sleeping spell attached to it?
Ginny took the diary into her hand by the way.
She was thinking about skipping the Defence Against the Dark Arts during the afternoon and use the time to visit Hagrid.
Of course, I only skip classes for the purpose of researching.
Ginny swayed through the deep snow up to her feet to Hagrid's cabin.
Hagrid, spider, and monster. The three most useful words in Luna's messages.
"Hagrid, can I come in?"
Giant Hagrid in his enormous apron opened the tiny door.
"Why aren't ya in class?"
"Professor wants us to do a survey this class, write an essay on magical creatures. So I come to the house of the encyclopedia about magical creatures."
Hagrid was glad to hear that; he let Ginny in.
"What kinda creature do ya wanna start with?" Hagrid asked.
"I'm going to write about creatures that can petrify people."
"Petrify?" Hagrid thought for a second, "That has nothing to do with things going on around the school, right?"
"Of course not." said Ginny, startled, "Truly just homework, I am interested in the beasts of petrifaction."
"Alright." Hagrid sighed, "What do ya wanna know?"
"I like spiders the most, could you tell me about the giant spider that can petrify people? Like how do they kill people?"
Hagrid's expression changed, seemed a little scary.
"Ginny, don't tryna... Did someone tell you something? How did you know about Aragog?"
"Aragog?"
"Impossible... He never attacked any human, his favourite food is chicken!" Hagrid looked down, spoke to himself, "They wanna do him wrong as they did fifty years ago..."
"Hagrid, what happened fifty years ago?"
"Ginny, don't believe anything you hear." Ginny could hardly tell if Hagrid was sad or angry, "Aragog will never be the monster in the Chamber of Secret!"
Ginny has never seen the amiable Hagrid so flustered, she winced for a second, then she comforted him.
"Don't worry, I never believe in those obviously. But, can you tell me..." She looked at Hagrid's face and said, "No need to tell if you don't want to"
It was snowing heavier outside, Hagrid pulled off his apron, pulled on his moleskin coat, picked up an iron pail, and headed out.
"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.
"To feed the chickens."
Ginny followed Hagrid to the henhouse. When opened the door, Hagrid froze. Several chickens were lying on the ground without moving. The rest chickens huddled in the corner.
"This happened not long ago as well. I suspect it was killed by weasels or something."
"Put a trap then, if you ever catch the weasel, can I have it? I like animals."
"Alright, but mind you that weasels aren't such cute animals."
Hagrid did set traps around the henhouse. When he was done, he picked up the dead roosters from the ground and put them in a basket.
"Lucky for little Aragog... " Ginny heard him mutter softly.
Hagrid stood up and said, "I'm going to the castle."
"Me too."
They walked toward the castle.
"Hagrid, what about the dead chickens?"
"I'm gonna put 'em in the kitchen freezer when there's enough..." He glanced at Ginny, "Oh no, they're not for you to eat."
He thought about it for a while and added, "Oh and, not for me neither."
"Hagrid, did you get a new pet that needs you to feed?"
They reached the door while chatting along, and ran into Harry as he burst out.
"Are you all right? Why so upset?" said Hagrid anxiously.
Harry told what people said about him in the library.
"Nothing," he said. "I've got to go. My next class is Transfiguration and I need to get my textbook."
Ginny followed Harry for a while, then Harry took a turn on the third floor of the west tower, and Ginny went up to the fourth floor, trying to find a quiet place to talk with the dairy. But she was interrupted by a noise outside before getting the diary to speak.
Ginny followed the sound to the third floor, where the corridor was buzzing with voices.
"Justin and Nearly Headless Nick have been petrified!"
"Harry Potter is the murderer!"
Ginny was startled by these; she hurried to ask people around where Harry had gone.
"He left with Professor McGonagall, in all likelihood, is true."
"No, I was with him just a few moments ago." Ginny went up to the third floor with the diary, intending to visit Professor McGonagall.
Suddenly, a white mass rose under her feet.
"Peeves, you've frightened me!"
"My lady, what can frighten you?" He looked drowsy, and somersaulted in the air, "I did everything you asked me to do."
Ginny, bewildered, did not answer him.
She met Harry just before finding Professor McGonagall. He was coming down from the stone stairs of Dumbledore's office.
"Harry, what did Dumbledore said?"
"He didn't say anything but asked if I have anything to say. I wanted to tell him that there is a strange voice which led me here, but I didn't speak out."
"Why not?"
"What should I tell him? A voice only I can hear?"
"What did you say to him then?"
"I said I'm a good kid I definitely wouldn't do something like this Hogwarts is my home I love everyone I'm so sad about what happened even though they said it's me but believe me it isn't I promise I didn't… "
