Diary of an Orphan (re-written)

by StrangeLittleWeirdo

Jenna grew up alone in an orphanage with no knowledge of who she was or where she came from. It wasn't until an owl arrived with a letter for her, and a man named Remus Lupin walked into her life, that she learnt she was so much more than she originally thought and her life would never be the same again.

13. Into the Chamber

Chapter 12

Into the Chamber

January gradually melted into February as the snow finally began to melt outside around the castle. To our relief Hermione was finally released from the Hospital Wing fully de-furred, de-whiskered and de-tailed within the first week. She reappeared on Wednesday evening in the Gryffindor Tower and looked thoroughly glad to be back with us in our favourite corner in the common room. Personally I had never seen what was so bad about having a tail, but I didn't voice this considering the others were still unaware of my ability to transform into animals. I think Hermione was just glad to be rid of the fur more than anything.

'So did anything happen while I was in the Hospital Wing?' Hermione promptly asked us without fail. I smirked slightly; Hermione was certainly back to normal. 'I heard Moaning Myrtle flooded her bathroom again?'

'Yeah, she did a real number this time,' I said. 'She wouldn't let anyone in there to turn the taps off so Filch was mopping up the water all evening.'

'We did find this though,' said Harry. He picked up his bag and pulled from it Tom Riddle's diary. 'Someone had tried to dispose of it in the toilet. They'd thrown it into Myrtle's toilet and it had fallen through Myrtle's head when she was in the U-bend.'

'Oooh, it might have hidden powers,' said Hermione enthusiastically. She took it from Harry and began examining it.

'I doubt it,' I said. 'Harry said it's from a Muggle shop.'

'If it has, it's hiding them very well,' said Ron, frowning. 'Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry.'

'I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it,' said Harry. 'I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either.'

'We looked in the records of school awards,' I added, 'but there was nothing listed about what he had done.'

'Could've been anything,' said Ron. 'Maybe he got thirty O. or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would've done everyone a favour.'

Hermione and I frowned. I somehow had the feeling that it wasn't for the same reason though. Harry too was looking quite pensive.

'What?' asked Ron, looking between us.

'Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?' said Harry slowly. 'That's what Malfoy said.'

'Yeah …' said Ron, not understanding him.

'And this diary is fifty years old,' said Hermione.

'So?'

'Merlin,' I sighed, 'do you need us to spell it out for you?'

'Oh, Ron, wake up,' snapped Hermione impatiently. 'We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything: where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it. The person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?'

'That's a brilliant theory, Hermione,' said Ron, 'with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary.'

Hermione grabbed her wand out of her bag.

'It might be invisible ink!' she whispered, excitement in her voice. She tapped the diary with the tip of her wand three times and said, 'Aparecium!' Nothing happened and the pages remained blank. Unperturbed, Hermione dove back into her bag and pulled out a Revealer, a bright red eraser. She rubbed it hard on the first page of the diary but still no words appeared on the page.

'I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there,' said Ron. 'Riddle just got the diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in.'

Hermione's face fell evidently disappointed that the diary was nothing more than just that – a diary. Nonetheless, Harry wanted to keep it just in case. I picked it up to hand it back to him so he could put it back in his bag. Suddenly I felt a weird pain go straight through me when my fingers touched the diary.

A long stone Chamber … a large statue at the far end emerging from a pool of water … the mouth opening …

As soon as the image had appeared, it had gone again. I blinked, unsure at what had just happened or what I'd just seen cross over my eyes.

'You OK, Jenna?' I blinked again, having not realised I'd frozen while handing the diary to Harry. He was giving me a strange look.

'Yeah, fine,' I shrugged. I gave the diary to him. Harry put it back in his bag. 'Just thought I'd felt a ghost pass through me or something. They can go invisible after all.'

'Maybe it was Myrtle,' sniggered Ron, 'wanting to get back at you for telling her to go float down a drain.'

'You're one to talk,' I muttered, pulling my Charms homework out to make a start on it.

The following day Harry, Ron, Hermione and I took a trip to the Trophy Room during break to have a look at Tom Riddle's award. Ron wasn't too keen on the idea having seen enough of the Trophy Room this year to last him a lifetime. Hermione, however, was very interested in seeing what exactly his trophy was despite us telling her it didn't state what it was for.

The Trophy Room was a long rectangular room on the third floor. The last time I'd been in there was during our first year when Malfoy had tricked Harry, Ron and me into going there for a duel which was merely a plan of his to try and get us expelled for being out of bed after curfew. The walls of the room were lined with shelves and display cases each bursting full of various kinds of trophies, cups and plaques of various colours. We walked down the aisle looking at all the different awards. Tom Riddle's trophy was found in a cabinet at the far end of the room. It was a small gold shield mounted on to a wooden back with black lettering engraved into the polished metal.

AWARDED TO
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
FOR SERVICES TO THE SCHOOL

I frowned as I looked at the trophy. There was something about his name that I didn't like. I just couldn't put my finger on it. In the next cabinet along Ron pointed out a second award Riddle had received. It was a Medal for Magical Merit, which I guess meant he'd performed some extraordinary magic to be awarded it. The only other thing we found was on a large wooden board that listed all the names of the Head Boys and Girls of the school, Riddle's name listed beside the year 1945 when he must have finished Hogwarts.

'He sounds like Percy,' sneered Ron. 'Prefect, Head Boy – probably top of every class.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing,' said Hermione, the hurt evident in her voice.

Finally the sun returned to Hogwarts, a dull glowing orb hidden behind the light grey clouds but still enough to melt away any remaining snow in the castle grounds. The change in weather brought with it a change in atmosphere around the castle. There had been no more attacks on the students since the morning Justin and Nearly Headless Nick were found Petrified and so the students gradually began to forget about the threat of the Heir of Slytherin. Madam Pomfrey also announced one morning at breakfast that the Mandrakes were maturing at a good rate and becoming moody and secretive that indicated they were through their childhood phase.

'The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for re-potting again,' we overheard her telling Filch on our way to class one afternoon. 'And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs Norris back in no time.'

'That's just what we need,' said Ron darkly as we turned into the next corridor. 'That mangy furball prowling around the castle again.'

Despite the calmer attitudes of the students after the Christmas break, it was clear that the teachers were still on alert for anything that could lead to another attack. There were some, like Ernie, who still weren't convinced that the Heir of Slytherin had given up his rampage against Muggle-borns and that Harry was still responsible somehow for the attacks, but for the most part it appeared that people had given up trying to avoid him in the corridors or give him scared looks whenever he walked by. Of course, with Peeves still singing "Potter, You Rotter" in the corridors along with its new dance, it was hard to fully forget about Harry's potential of being the Heir.

Lockhart, who must have gotten bored with the lack of attention he was receiving in amongst all the attacks, took the opportunity to boast about how it must have been him who had made them stop. He could be seen telling anyone who'd listen to him about how he was sure that the Heir must've given up and that there wouldn't be anymore attacks in the foreseeable future with him still present in the castle.

'I don't think there'll be anymore trouble, Minerva,' he told Professor McGonagall outside our Transfiguration lesson. He tapped his nose in a knowing sort of way. 'I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught them. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on them.'

'The only think he'd come down hard on is a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion,' I whispered to Harry and Ron. We had to put our hands over our mouths to muffle our sniggers while Hermione sent us disapproving looks.

'You know,' Lockhart then said loudly, 'what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say anymore just now, but I think I know just the thing …'

He tapped his nose again then swept off down the corridor. With a very obvious roll of her eyes, Professor McGonagall let us into her classroom finally to start the lesson.

Lockhart's idea of a "morale-booster" became clear the following Monday. I had gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Ron and Hermione, as Harry was still asleep when we'd got up due to a late Quidditch practice the previous night, to be greeted by what could only be described as the most garish thing I'd seen in my entire life. I couldn't help my mouth falling open the moment we walked into the Hall and I suddenly remembered exactly what day it was: February fourteenth, in other words, Valentine's Day.

The Great Hall had been completely transformed overnight in a way similar to how it was for Christmas and Hallowe'en, only this time it was much, much worse. Every inch of the walls were now covered in these large, lurid pink flowers with massive blossoms that draped precariously over one another and looked like would they would fall on you if hit by the slightest breeze; instead of the snow or rain that normally fell to reflect the weather, heart-shaped confetti was raining down from the pale blue ceiling upon the House tables, littering everything with little pink and red hearts that were getting in the jugs of milk and pumpkin juice, and the candles had been removed I assumed so they didn't catch on fire; and to my horror, tiny little cupids were adorning each of the torch brackets, their arrows pointed dangerously at the unsuspecting students nearest to them.

'Oh Merlin,' I breathed. Beside me, Ron looked equally as horrified. Hermione, however, seemed to have become suddenly very giggly.

'Oh, Jenna, it's just a few decorations,' she said, brushing off my disgust. We took a seat at the Gryffindor table where I had to brush a pile of the confetti off my plate so I could get some breakfast. 'I think it looks lovely.'

Ron and I shared a look; it didn't look lovely, it looked sickly.

Shortly after we arrived, Harry did so to. His face was priceless when he saw all the decorations and came over to join us.

'What's going on?' he asked.

Ron pointed at the teacher's table. He hadn't been able to say a word since we'd got here. Sat at the table in a set of bright pink robes that matched the decorations, Lockhart was beaming at the students as he waved for silence. I glanced at the other teachers. All of them looked rather stony faced. Professor McGonagall's lips were pursed together very tightly while Snape looked as furious as he did back at the Duelling Club.

'Happy Valentine's Day!' cried Lockhart. 'And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!'

What now? I thought, my stomach squirming with dread at what else Lockhart had done.

Lockhart clapped his hands. I looked round as the doors to the Great Hall swung open with a loud bang. From the Entrance Hall marched a dozen or so very surly looking dwarfs that were all wearing a pair of golden wings on their backs and what looked like a nappy on their lower bodies. Each one was also carrying a miniature harp. My eyes widened when I saw them. I think I'd look as angry as them if I'd been forced into a cupid costume.

'My friendly, card-carrying cupids!' beamed Lockhart. Friendly? They looked like if anyone dared laugh at them, they'd bite your hand off. 'They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly dog!'

The small wizard seemed to squeak in shock at Lockhart's statement, hastily burying his face in his hands to hide his reddening cheeks. Snape, meanwhile, looked like if anyone dared to ask him how to brew a Love Potion would get force-fed poison. I glanced back over my shoulder at the dwarfish cupids who had already begun spreading through the Hall to hand out cards for the students to send one another. I felt a shiver down my spine at the thought of giving or receiving a Valentine.

'If one of those dwarfs dares come near me with a Valentine, I'll hex them,' I said, watching the threatening-looking cupids cautiously as we got up to leave breakfast.

'Oh, come on, Jenna,' said Hermione, 'it'll be so exciting to get a Valentine, don't you think?' I looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

'Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six,' Ron then said, staring accusingly at her. Hermione didn't reply but her face did turn slightly pink in the cheeks. She began looking in her bag for her timetable so as to avoid answering Ron's question. I cringed.

The dwarfs were the most unromantic and ungraceful cupids possible. Throughout the day they barged into classrooms without much consideration for the teachers, causing disruption every time as they delivered their messages, nor with much consideration for the students who they were delivering the Valentines to, reading and singing them aloud for all to hear. I watched with ever growing repulsion as the rest of the Gryffindors in our year received their Valentines throughout the day; Parvati and Lavender in particular became very giggly when they received Lockhart's thank you card for his Valentines from them while Hermione went bright red when she got hers, confirming Ron's earlier suspicion. By lunchtime it looked like I was in the clear from receiving a Valentine myself until in the last few minutes of our Transfiguration class when a dwarf bust into the classroom. I thought Professor McGonagall was going to have a fit at what must have been the fourth interruption that lesson.

'Got a Valentine message for a Jen-er Black,' it grunted.

I felt my face suddenly grow bright red and I sunk down behind my desk. The dwarf looked round the class for me, waddling up the aisle to try to find me. Apart from the fact it had pronounced my name wrong I did not want to become yet another victim of this awful celebration Lockhart had single-handedly made a complete fiasco.

'She's over there!' shouted Lavender. She and Parvati were sat a few desks behind me. They were both pointing in the direction I was cowering in. 'The one with the long plait!'

The dwarf lumbered over to my desk. I wished whole-heartedly the floor would open up and swallow me whole so I didn't have to endure the humiliation but it was too late. To my horror the dwarf produced a card from its messenger bag and opened it to read it out to the class. It cleared its throat with a loud cough.

'"To Jen-er",' it read out for the whole class to hear. '"Hellebore is black. Your hair is too. At least you're not toxic, But they're as pretty as you. From, Neville".'

A laugh went round the class when the dwarf finished the poem. I instantly jumped when I heard that the Valentine was from Neville. In my embarrassment I hadn't even noticed that a pair of wolf-like ears had suddenly popped up beneath my hair having subconsciously wished I was a wolf right then so I could avoid the humiliation of hearing the card. The fact my hair was braided was the only thing stopping them becoming completely visible. I quickly put my hands over them to flatten them back under my hair until I was calm enough to get rid of them. On the opposite side of the room Neville looked ready to crawl inside his desk to hide from the number of stares he was now getting for sending me a Valentine. I guess he'd asked for it to be delivered in private so as to avoid this but the dwarfs being so callous in their work had not taken heed of his request.

My embarrassment continued well into our morning break as Parvati and Lavender took great joy in teasing me about it, also meaning I had to try and hide the ears from Harry, Ron and Hermione as best I could by holding them down with a headband I'd had in my bag; Lupin had told me that my Mum used to sprout ears whenever she was embarrassed enough by something and so had given me a headband to hide them if it ever happened to me. I was certainly thankful for the advice now even if it did mean my hearing was temporarily impaired. As for the Valentine itself, I had stuffed it hastily into my bag when the dwarf had finally given it to me where it would remain until I found somewhere to dispose of it without anyone seeing. I hoped as we headed to our Charms class that that would be the end of any more Valentines being sent our way but I was very wrong.

'Oy, you!' grunted a voice behind us. I looked round to see yet another thuggish dwarf galloping towards us through the corridor, pushing through a group of first-years that included Ginny and the small blonde girl I met at the start of the year. ''Arry Potter! I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person!'

Beside me Harry's face took on a look of pure horror at the thought of receiving a Valentine. Quickly he turned on his heel to get to our Charms class but the dwarf hurried after us.

'Not here,' Harry hissed at it.

The dwarf lunged forwards and grabbed Harry's bag.

'Stay still!' it grunted.

'Let me go!'

Harry gave his bag a sharp tug to pull it from the dwarf's grip. A loud rip was heard as his bag split in two and the entire contents spilled out over the floor, including Riddle's diary. An inkbottle smashed on to the floor beside his books covering them all in thick scarlet ink. In his haste Harry scrambled to grab his things before the dwarf started singing but not before an unwelcome face came across the commotion.

'What's going on here?' drawled Malfoy. He looked at the scene in front of him. His eyes glinted when he saw the dwarf still trying to stop Harry from not getting his musical message. To make matters worse, Percy turned up moments later, no doubt drawn to the chaos that was blocking the corridor.

'What's all this commotion?' he asked. 'Students are trying to get to their classes and you're blocking the corridor.'

Ron, Hermione and I grabbed the last of Harry's things and the four of us tried to make a run for it. Unfortunately the dwarf was too quick for us. It tackled Harry around the knees and pulled him to the ground. With Harry subdued, the dwarf sat on his ankles to prevent him from getting up again.

'Right,' it grunted, 'here is your singing Valentine.

'"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 really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord".'

I had thought my Valentine was bad. Harry's was definitely worse.

'Off you go, off you go,' shouted Percy's voice as he dispersed the crowd surrounding us, 'the bell ran five minutes ago, off to class, now. And you, Malfoy.'

Malfoy was showing something he'd picked up to Crabbe and Goyle. It was Riddle's diary.

'Give that back,' said Harry.

'Wonder what Potter's written in this?' said Malfoy.

A hush fell over the remaining students in the corridor; Ginny in particular looked very worried as she stared between Harry and Malfoy holding the diary, her face quite pale. In fact, now that I think about it, Ginny had been looking pale for quite some time since the attack on Colin last term. While Percy attempted to get the diary back from Malfoy, I walked over to her to see if she was all right.

'You all right, Ginny?' I asked her. 'You look like you've seen a ghost, not that you wouldn't around here.' I thought she would laugh at my joke, considering you would see at least one ghost every day around the castle. She didn't. I changed tack. 'Is something bothering you?' I tried instead. Ginny looked at me and shook her head. 'You know, you can tell me, I won't tell your brothers,' I said kindly. Ginny's brown eyes took on a suspicious look. 'I promise,' I added.

Ginny thought through what I'd said.

'What had Malfoy taken from Harry?' she asked eventually. 'What was it?'

'Oh, just some old diary Harry found a few weeks ago,' I shrugged. 'Someone had tried to flush it down Moaning Myrtle's toilet.' For some reason, Ginny seemed to pale even more. 'Are you sure you're all right?' I asked again. 'D'you want me to take you to the Hospital Wing.'

'Expelliarmus!'

I looked up in time to see Harry use the Disarming Charm on Malfoy. The diary flew out of his hand, span in the air, and was caught by Ron. Percy wasn't pleased. When I looked back at Ginny, I saw she was following the rest of her class into her classroom.

'Harry!' Percy shouted. 'No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report you for this, you know!'

Harry didn't seem to care as he sent a pleased smirk at Malfoy having got the diary back. Malfoy merely sneered in return.

'I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!' he said nastily to Ginny.

Ginny's face turned bright red and she rushed into her classroom. I watched her go with a look of confusion on my face; I didn't know she had a crush on Harry. Ron was about to draw his wand but Harry stopped him. It was probably a good thing too. Ron still hadn't got his wand fixed. We didn't need a repeat of the slug incident. With the diary back in Harry's possession, we finally made it to our Charm's class. Hermione repaired Harry's bag for him on the way and he shoved his ink-sodden books back into it. I had a feeling we'd be helping him to siphon off the ink from them later.

I was relieved when the day finally came to an end and I was able to escape the still pink Great Hall for the refuge of the Gryffindor Tower after dinner. Having not been able to remove my headband until after lunch I was very keen for the day to be over. I had a feeling Harry shared my sentiment considering he spent most of the rest of the day having to endure various renditions of the musical Valentine message he'd received. Fred and George in particular took great joy in singing it over and over again much to his embarrassment, not to mention what it was probably doing to poor Ginny having written it in the first place. Harry went to bed barely an hour after we got back from dinner, not that I blamed him. I would have hidden in my dormitory too if I could after Neville's poem to me.

The following day Harry had some bad news for us. He didn't say what exactly it was, although Ron seemed to already know, and waited until we were safely away from being overheard by the tree in the Transfiguration Courtyard during break. Checking that no one was nearby who could hear what we were talking about, Harry told us about what he'd found out from Riddle's diary. Somehow he had managed to communicate with Tom Riddle through writing in the diary, his words disappearing to be replaced by replies from Riddle himself. Using some sort of magic Harry had been taken inside the diary and shown the memory of the night Riddle had caught the culprit behind the attacks in the school fifty years ago that had led to a girl being killed. While he hadn't seen or been told what the monster was, Harry had been shown who had been behind the attacks. And to our shock, it had been Hagrid.

My mouth fell open when Harry told us Hagrid had been the one responsible. As much as I didn't want to believe it though, I couldn't deny some of the obvious facts. Hagrid had a great liking for large and particularly dangerous creatures. Last year alone we had come into contact with Fluffy – his pet Cerberus that had lived in the third floor corridor the previous year – and his dragon Norbert who he'd won in a card game. It seemed too obvious that Hagrid would be interested in another dangerous magical creature and try to find some way to tame it regardless of what it was or could do. Knowing Hagrid he probably felt sympathy for the creature being cooped up in the castle and would just want to be able to set it free to get some exercise in his view, not knowing it was praying on Muggle-borns.

'Riddle might have got the wrong person,' said Hermione hopefully. She had gotten Harry to recount the story several times in hopes that what he'd told us had been wrong. 'Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people …'

'How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?' said Ron.

'We always knew Hagrid had been expelled,' said Harry dismally. 'And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award.'

'But why would Hagrid do that?' I said. I still couldn't believe it. 'He doesn't seem the type to set a monster loose on someone. You saw what he was like with Norbert.'

'Maybe he didn't know what the monster would do,' said Harry.

'I find that hard to believe,' I replied. 'Hagrid knows a lot about magical creatures. He wouldn't try to look after one without researching it first, even if he was only a teenager at the time. It doesn't seem like him.'

Ron changed the subject.

'Riddle does sound like Percy' he muttered. 'Who asked him to grass on Hagrid, anyway?'

'But the monster had killed someone, Ron,' said Hermione.

'And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts,' said Harry. 'I don't blame him for wanting to stay here …'

'You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?' Ron then said. I didn't see what that had to do with anything.

'He was buying Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent,' replied Harry.

We fell silent. After a few moments thought, Hermione spoke.

'Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?'

'He's our friend,' I agreed. 'If he's innocent then he shouldn't have anything to hide.'

'That'd be a cheerful visit,' sad Ron sarcastically. 'Hello, Hagrid, tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'

'Mad and hairy?' The four of us jumped and spun round to see Hagrid standing behind us. 'You wouldn' be talkin' about me, now would yeh?'

'No,' said the four of us at once. We looked at each other then back at Hagrid, who was looking somewhat uncomfortable himself. He was watching us carefully.

'What's that you've got, Hagrid?' Harry then asked. He pointed at the can in Hagrid's hand.

'Oh – er – it's Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent,' said Hagrid. Just like Harry had said. 'Fer the Mandrakes, yeh know. Accordin' to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit o' growin' up ter do, but once their acne's cleared up we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em and then we'll get those people in the Hospital Wing un-Petrified.' He looked at us for a second. 'In the meantime, you four had best be lookin' after yerselves, all righ'?'

We nodded. I guess that was a reference to the trouble we got in last year. With one last look, Hagrid strolled off back inside the castle.

'Maybe we shouldn't ask him,' I then said, backtracking. 'I mean, there haven't been any attacks recently. For all we know, whatever or whoever it was could have changed their minds knowing the school's on to them.'

In the end we decided not to ask Hagrid in hopes that, because nearly four months had passed since the attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, maybe the Heir of Slytherin had decided to give up on attacking Muggle-borns again. With the news from Professor Sprout that the Mandrakes were trying to move into each others pots and Peeves had finally stopped singing "Potter, You Rotter", things in the castle finally seemed back to normal. Even Ernie seemed willing to speak to Harry when he asked him to pass him the Leaping Toadstools in our Herbology class the other day.

As the second term drew to a close, the second-years had something new to think about during the Easter Holidays. We had to start thinking about what we wanted to study in our third-year as we had to make a decision by the start of the next term. We had to choose two or more out of five elective subjects to study from our third year through to our O. during our fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. The choices were Arithmancy, the Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies and Divination. We had each been given a sheet of parchment that detailed what you studied in each of the subjects for the following three years to help us decide. Out of all of them, the only one that gained my interest was Care of Magical Creatures. I didn't particularly want to do Muggle Studies – considering I grew up with Muggles – while Divination was all about fortune telling which sounded very unreliable. Ancient Runes required a lot of work in translating and reading ancient texts which, given my track record with History of Magic, probably wasn't a wise choice for me to do, and Arithmancy meant I'd have to learn a new branch of magic involving the magical properties of numbers. With a minimum of two to choose, I was struggling with what else to pick.

'It could affect our whole future,' said Hermione. She poured over her copy of the list of subjects while Harry and Ron looked less than thrilled opposite us. She had made several annotations to it.

'I just want to give up Potions,' said Harry.

'We can't,' said Ron sadly. 'We keep all our old subjects, or I'd have ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'But that's very important!' said Hermione.

'Not the way Lockhart teaches it,' said Ron. 'I haven't learnt anything from him except not to set pixies loose.'

'Well, at the rate he's going, he won't be here next year,' I mused. 'I think some of the other teachers would resign if they had to put up with him for another year.'

It was clear all of us were having trouble in deciding what to study next year. Neville had his tongue between his teeth as he read through all the letters he'd received from his family offering different advice on what to choose next year; Seamus had his head on the desk from the strain of the amount of information; Parvati and Lavender appeared to be opting for the more flouncy subjects like Divination; while Dean, being a Muggle-born, had resorted to closing his eyes and jabbing his quill at the list, choosing whatever subject it landed on. Only Hermione seemed certain about what she wanted to study and ended up signing up for all of the new subjects. How she was going to get to all the classes, however, I had no idea. Even Percy's wasn't that helpful.

'It's never too early to think about the future,' he said pompously, 'so I'd recommend Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them – look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths.'

Play to your strengths, I thought. Well, I liked creatures considering I could turn into them. I ticked off Care of Magical Creatures on the parchment I had to write my decision on. I took another glance at the sheet with all the information about the subjects on it. As boring as it sounded, the only other class I could see being able to make any progress in was Divination. While I had no interest in reading tea leaves or palms, it sounded a lot less painful to study than something as tricky as Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, or as dull as Muggle Studies. Reluctantly I ticked it on my sheet, making my final choice.

In all the excitement I had forgotten that Gryffindor's next match against Hufflepuff was this coming Saturday. The Gryffindor team had been training relentlessly for the past couple of months under Wood's insistence and from what I knew from Fred and George, it seemed to be paying off. At least they were no longer coming back soaking wet from practice. They came back to the Tower on Friday night before dinner with grins on their faces that I took to mean we had a good possibility of beating Hufflepuff the following day. Telling us he was just going to get changed out of his Quidditch robes, Harry dashed off upstairs to his dormitory. He didn't come down, however, for a good ten minutes. Ron, whose stomach was audibly grumbling, went upstairs to see what was keeping him. They both came down a few minutes later. Harry looked worried about something.

'What's wrong?' I asked.

'Riddle's diary is gone,' said Harry in a hushed voice. Hermione's and my eyes widened. 'Someone got into our dormitory and went through my things obviously looking for it.'

'But – only a Gryffindor could have stolen – nobody else knows our password …' Hermione breathed.

'Exactly,' said Harry. 'So whoever stole it had to be a Gryffindor which means the Heir of Slytherin must have known I had the diary and blackmailed someone in the Tower to get it back for them.'

As concerned as I was about the fact the diary had gone missing, my concentration was elsewhere as Harry told us how he was certain that the diary was what was missing. A few moments after Harry and Ron had come down from the boys' dormitories, I saw out the corner of my eye a flash of red cross the common room and go up the girls' dormitory staircase. It had looked like Ginny and she had looked rather distressed about something. Excusing myself to the others, saying I'd left something upstairs, I got up and walked up the girls' staircase up to the first-year dormitory. Cautiously I pushed the door open and poked my head around it.

The first-year dormitory was almost identical to my own in design with the same layout and the same four-poster beds and red linen as my own dormitory had. As my eyes scanned the room I looked up at the ceiling, intruiged to find that it was not covered in the same amount of cobwebs that were usually found in the Gryffindor Tower considering how warm it was in here. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single spider visible at all. Opposite the door I found Ginny lying on her bed with her head in her pillows. She was crying. I approached her. The nearer I got, I saw that Ginny's bed was covered in feathers that didn't look like they'd come from her pillow.

'Ginny?' I said carefully so as not to startle her. Ginny sat up almost instantly. She took one look at me then began to grab all the feathers that were surrounding her and shove them along with a book into her draw. 'Is everything OK?'

'Yes, everything's fine,' said Ginny quickly. Her voice shook as she spoke which seemed very out of character. 'I guess Errol's been malting on my bed again.'

'Here, let me help you,' I offered. I went to pick up the feathers only to find they weren't owl feathers like Ginny claimed. 'Ginny,' I said slowly, 'these feathers are from chickens. What are they doing in here?'

'Er, Jenna, I think someone's calling you,' said Ginny. She dropped the feathers then proceeded to push me out of her dormitory. 'I'll see you later.'

Ginny slammed the door shut behind her. I stared at it, confused by what I had just witnessed. Eventually I turned away, unsure whether or not to tell Ron or one of her older brothers that something was clearly disturbing Ginny. Whatever it was, it was clear Ginny didn't want to discuss it.

Ginny's odd behaviour seemed to continue for the rest of the weekend. I did my best to keep an eye on her without alerting the others that I was suspicious that something was going on and I didn't like what I saw. With my full attention on her I saw that Ginny was no longer the bright and cheerful girl I had spoken to on the train up to Hogwarts back in September. Now she was pale and ill-looking, her skin almost chalk white in colour and there were dark circles forming beneath her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. Even her hair, a fiery red just like her brothers', seemed duller than before and lank as it hung in curtains around her face. For some reason she seemed to keep herself secluded from the rest of the Gryffindors, sitting down the far end of the table by herself unless joined by some students in her year against her will. I saw the blonde Ravenclaw girl was a frequent sight by her side whether Ginny wanted the company or not. And on Saturday morning when the rest of the school made their way down to the Quidditch pitch for the match I noticed Ginny didn't join them, instead retreating back up the Marble Staircase.

I frowned as I watched Ginny walk away. She grew up with at least four Quidditch obsessed brothers, two of which who were currently on the team, and she didn't want to go see them play. It just didn't make sense.

Kill this time … let me rip … tear …

'The voice!' shouted Harry. I jumped almost out of my skin at his reaction having already been startled by the voice itself. Instinctively I put my hand over my ears, glad to feel they hadn't changed from the surprise. 'I just heard it again – didn't you?'

Ron, who looked like he'd just been stunned by a spell, shook his head. Suddenly a thought I'd had back in December came to the surface of my mind. The voice in the walls was very low and raspy, almost as if it was hissing – just like Harry's voice had been when he had spoken Parseltongue to that snake at the Duelling Club. What if whatever it was in the walls was a snake? I knew it was a long shot but it suddenly seemed to make a lot of sense. By the looks of it, Hermione was thinking the same thing.

'Harry – I think I've just understood something!' she gasped, clapping her hand to her forehead. 'I've got to go to the Library! Come on, Jenna!'

Hermione dashed off before any of us could stop her. I took one more look at the boys, shrugged, then ran off after her. If Hermione had thought what I had just thought, then maybe between the two of us we could work out just exactly what the thing was that had been hiding in the walls of the castle. I ran through the castle as fast as I could after Hermione as she ran to the Library. I managed to catch up to her just as she opened the door to go inside.

'Hermione, what is it you understand?' I panted.

'That thing Harry's been hearing,' said Hermione quickly and quietly as we walked inside the Library. 'It must be a snake of some sort! That's why Harry can hear it but we can't.' So we had had the same thought and it had confirmed why I could hear it too. 'But what a snake's doing in the castle, I don't know.'

Hermione began pulling off several different history books from their shelves and looking through them for anything that might tell us something about a snake living in the castle. None of them recorded anything about it, not even Hogwarts: A History. But as we searched, I realised something: Hermione was looking at the situation from the completely wrong direction. When she had tried to research the Chamber of Secrets, we had found nothing detailing anything about it because she had been looking through history books for something that didn't exist according to fact, so why would it list anything about a snake? We didn't need history books; we needed a book about creatures. As quickly as I could I found a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and flicked through its pages. I searched for any serpent that could live for fifty years or more. I quickly found what I was looking for then raced into the next aisle to find a book I knew would have more information on what I had found.

'Hermione, I've found it!' I said suddenly. I had a copy of Most Macabre Monstrosities in front of me, a book I had seen previously in Lupin's office. While Fantastic Beasts documented all sorts of creatures, as the title suggests Most Macabre focused on Dark creatures. Hermione ran over to me and looked over my shoulder. I pointed at a passage in the middle of the page we were on. 'The creature that's attacking everyone is a Basilisk!'

Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land,
there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk,
known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may
reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born
from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of
killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous
fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are
fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders
flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the
Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal
to it.

'Jenna, are you sure?' Hermione asked me.

'I'm positive,' I said. 'Hagrid told Harry and me that something had killed his roosters, and there were the spiders we found crawling out of the castle the night Mrs Norris was attacked. It all fits.'

'But how come no one's been killed if the Basilisk has a deadly stare?' said Hermione.

I thought this through. Hermione had a point. How was no one dead when a Basilisk could kill you with one look? I felt Hermione nudge me in my ribs. She pointed at the window upon which I could see our reflections. She had answered her own question.

'Because no one did look it in the eyes,' I said.

'Not directly,' said Hermione. 'Colin had his camera; Justin saw it through Nick; and Mrs Norris must have seen it through the water that was on the floor that night.'

'But how is it getting round the castle?' I asked. 'Basilisks are massive. Someone would be bound to notice a giant snake slithering around the castle.' Hermione was silently for a moment. Then it hit her.

'The pipes!' she said. 'The pipes in Hogwarts are huge! A giant snake like that's using the plumbing to get around the castle. That's why Harry has been hearing the voice inside the walls.'

'Which means it must be coming from a bathroom,' I said. Hermione and I shared a look of shock.

'Moaning Myrtle,' we both breathed.

'We've got to find Harry and Ron,' said Hermione.

Without a second's more consideration for what she was doing, Hermione grabbed a quill from a nearby desk. She scribbled the word "pipes" on to the page then proceeded to tear it out of the book. Madam Pince would have had a heart attack if she'd seen what Hermione had just done. Before I could stop her though, Hermione had already run out of the Library. There was something important Hermione was missing which she didn't even realise she needed to know but that I had worked out the moment we'd found out it was a Basilisk. It explained everything I'd seen in the last few days: the feathers on Ginny's bed, the lack of spiders in her dormitory, and why she'd been looking so ill recently. Ginny was behind the attacks. I didn't know how, but it was vital we got to Ginny before the boys if we had any hope of stopping anyone else from getting hurt.

Abandoning the books despite knowing Madam Pince would send them after me if she'd caught me I ran after Hermione. I ran back down the corridor and round the corner. Hermione was just ahead talking to a confused looking Ravenclaw girl. From her bag the girl pulled out what looked like a pocket mirror. Hermione grabbed it and held it out so it reflected the next corridor. I ran over to them.

Time to kill … I smell blood … I NEED blood …

'Hermione, wait!' I shouted. 'Don't look in the mirror!'

Before I could stop her, Hermione had raised the mirror to her eye level and both her and the Ravenclaw were leaning in to look into it. As if in slow motion I saw the look of terror pass over their faces and the two of them recoiled back from whatever they'd seen. This wave of fear seemed to sweep over their heads and down their bodies turning their skin a strange grey and freezing them in place. I reached them just in time before they both collapsed. I caught Hermione under the arms while the other girl I just managed to grab her wrist. I let her down first then laid Hermione's Petrified form on to the floor.

'Hermione!' I shouted. I stared at her glassy eyes that were wide with fear. Her mouth was slightly open with a scream on her lips that had never left them. 'Help!' I shouted. 'There's been another attack! Someone help!'

I looked round the corridor for any sign of someone who could help me. It was then I saw her. Standing there, her eyes transfixed on where I was crouched with Hermione and the other girl, was Ginny. But there was something wrong. Her eyes were empty black circles and there were dark shadows beneath them that stood out against her chalk white skin.

'You know too much,' said Ginny but it wasn't entirely her voice. I could hear hers but also this deeper more masculine one was talking as well. It hissed angrily at me and I realised she wasn't even speaking English. It was Parseltongue. Ginny raised her wand and pointed it at me. 'Falsum Memoria.'

My eyes widened as I felt the spell hit me. A strange greyish cloud covered them and I felt my mind begin to spin. I saw several images in my head: Ginny in the corridor; the book with the information on the Basilisk; being in the library with Hermione; Ginny's dormitory, the rooster feathers on her bed. One by one these images began to blur and change as none of them made any sense. An empty corridor; reading a book on owl care; being alone in the library; my dormitory with feathers from a ripped pillow on my bed.

The cloudiness receded. I shook myself not knowing where I was or what I was doing. For some reason I was near the library on the second floor. To my left I saw a couple of spiders making a run for it across the large stone bricks of the floor; they scurried quickly up the wall and across to the open window. How strange. I felt something touch my hand when I moved it. I saw Hermione and a second girl lying beside me where I was knelt on the floor. There was a mirror in Hermione's hand for some reason, it frozen in place level with her face. Both had been Petrified, their bodies' stiff as a board and their skin pale grey. I screamed when I saw them. There was a sudden rush of footsteps down the opposite end of the corridor.

'Oh my goodness!' squeaked Professor Flitwick's voice. He clapped his hands to his mouth almost throwing himself backwards at the sight of Hermione and the Ravenclaw girl. 'M-Miss Black, what happened?'

'I don't know,' I said, my voice shaking. 'One minute I was in the library – then I was here and – they were like this –'

'I-I must inform the Headmaster,' said Professor Flitwick. 'Miss Black, are you able to stand? Good, good. Now, take out your wand.' I nodded and did as I was told; my legs were shaking badly. 'I'm going to transfer a spell to your wand that will help you move Miss Granger and Miss Clearwater. You are to take them straight to the Hospital Wing and to Madam Pomfrey. I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and inform them there's been another attack.

'Now, one – two – three – Locomotor.'

Professor Flitwick twitched his wand in an upward motion. The spell lifted both Hermione and Miss Clearwater's bodies off the floor. Carefully he touched his wand tip to my own to transfer the spell. With their bodies in my control under the spell, I walked forwards slowly directing them down the corridor while Professor Flitwick ran in the opposite direction to find Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. It took me a while to do so but eventually I made it to the Hospital Wing. I used my back to push open the door and called out to Madam Pomfrey as I guided Hermione and Miss Clearwater's bodies inside. Madam Pomfrey's reaction mimicked Professor Flitwick's as she gasped in shock. She then immediately took action and took control of the spell to put the two of them on to a couple of beds.

I numbly stood by the door as Madam Pomfrey rushed around the newly occupied beds. It was a few minutes more before she realised I was still standing there. She strode over to me and ushered me into a chair next to Hermione's bed before disappearing into her office. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a small goblet of something. She told me to drink it. I did so. At once I felt a wave of cold liquid rush through me. I felt my muscles suddenly relax having not noticed I'd tensed up from the shock I'd just had.

'Madam Pomfrey,' I eventually managed to croak out. 'Is Hermione going to be OK?'

'Miss Granger has been Petrified,' said Madam Pomfrey, 'as has Miss Clearwater. I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do.'

Another ten minutes had passed before I heard footsteps outside the Hospital Wing. In that time Madam Pomfrey had examined Hermione fully and placed her on her back on the bed she was lying on. I stared at her numbly. She looked like a corpse, her body rigid with her hand stuck in place in the air. The mirror was no longer in it having been prised from her stiff grip by Madam Pomfrey. It lay on the bedside table. With Hermione dealt with Madam Pomfrey turned to sort out Miss Clearwater.

'I warn you,' said the voice on the other side of the Hospital Wing door. It was Professor McGonagall. 'This will be a bit of a shock. There has been another attack … another double attack.'

I looked up to see Harry and Ron walked into the Hospital Wing with Professor McGonagall. Instantly I got up and ran over to them. I flung my arms around Harry. I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes.

'Jenna, what's wrong?' Harry asked me.

I didn't say anything. I simply pointed behind me at where Hermione lay Petrified. I turned enough so I could see her out the corner of my eye.

'Hermione!' I heard Ron groan.

'They were found near the library,' said Professor McGonagall. 'I don't suppose either of you can explain this?' She had picked up the mirror to show the boys. 'It was found in Miss Granger's hand.'

Harry shook his head while Ron remained silent.

'I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower,' said Professor McGonagall heavily. 'I need to address the students in any case.'

Harry and Ron looked at me as if to ask what had happened but I shook my head to indicate now was not the time with Professor McGonagall with us. We walked in silence in front of her through the castle and back up to the Gryffindor Tower. She said the password and the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open to admit us. Inside a hush fell on the students all gathered in the common room as they waited to see who was entering. They stared at Harry, Ron and me as we walked through the portrait hole. When they saw Professor McGonagall enter after us, the silence broke as several students began asking what had happened.

'Has there been another attack?'

'Is it the Heir again?'

'They're not going to cancel Quidditch, are they?' asked Wood.

'Silence!' called Professor McGonagall. Her eyes roved the common room through her square glasses as she waited for quiet. Harry, Ron and I took some seats next to Fred, George, Percy and Ginny. 'It is with deep regret that I must inform you that there has been another attack,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Earlier this morning Hermione Granger and Ravenclaw sixth-year, Penelope Clearwater, were found this morning Petrified near the Library. In light of these events, the Headmaster has imposed the following rules until we have put an end to these attacks.'

Professor McGonagall pulled a scroll out of her robe pocket and began to read from it.

'All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening,' she continued. 'No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.'

She paused, and when she spoke again her voice was slightly choked, 'I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.'

Professor McGonagall rolled the scroll up. She turned on her heel and left the common room.

'That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff,' said Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, loud enough for almost everyone in the common room to hear. 'Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?'

There was a scattering of nods and applause. I remained silent, as did Percy. He looked as shocked as I felt.

'Percy's in shock,' George told us. 'That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a Prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a Prefect.'

I glanced at Harry and Ron. Both looked very worried. With a nod of his head, Harry indicated for us to go upstairs. Quietly the three of us snuck away from the common room and went up to Harry and Ron's dormitory. Luckily Neville, Dean and Seamus were all busy agreeing with Lee Jordan on kicking out the Slytherin students. We shut the door behind us so we wouldn't get disturbed. Harry then turned to me.

'Jenna, what happened?' he asked. 'What did you see?'

I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts but they were all so messed up.

'Hermione and I had gone to the Library,' I said. I did my best to recount what had happened. 'Hermione had been looking through some books but we didn't find anything. She gave up and left the Library to go down to the match while I remembered I needed to look something up on owl care for Gizmo as he'd had some trouble with his wing recently.' As I said it, something didn't sound right although I knew that was what I had done. 'I left a few minutes after Hermione. That's when I found her in the corridor with that Ravenclaw girl and the mirror. They were already Petrified when I got there.'

'So you didn't see anything?' Harry persisted. 'You didn't see what or who attacked them?'

I shook my head.

'What're we going to do?' Ron then said. 'D'you think they suspect Hagrid?'

'We've got to go and talk to him,' said Harry. 'I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start.'

'But Professor McGonagall said we've got to stay in the Tower unless we're in class,' said Ron.

'How are we going to get down to Hagrid's Hut without getting caught?' I asked. Harry glanced at his trunk.

'I think it's time to get my Dad's old Cloak out again.'

There was an odd hush over the Great Hall that night at dinner. All of the students were shocked that another attack had happened after so many months without any incident. Like us, they were trying to work out why another Muggle-born had been attacked as well as a half-blood this time, and why now the Heir had decided to make himself known again after so long. While the sombre mood hung over the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students – having each had at least one student attacked – the Slytherins talked among themselves as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Malfoy in particular seemed pleased to hear that Hermione had been the victim.

'I knew it'd be only a matter of time before Granger got attacked,' he said to Crabbe and Goyle. He deliberately raised his voice when he saw Harry, Ron and I pass him. 'Serves her right, the nosey little Mudblood.'

Harry and I had to drag Ron away before he leapt on Malfoy. We didn't let go until we'd reached the fourth floor on our way back to the Tower that evening with the rest of the Gryffindors, Professor Kettleburn escorting us.

I went to bed at the same time as the boys that night and before Parvati, Lavender and Sally-Anne who were down in the common room still talking about the Chamber of Secrets to Neville, Dean and Seamus. I drew the curtains around my bed so that it would look like I was asleep when the others finally came to bed. I remained dressed in my clothes though so I could sneak out straight away when I got Harry and Ron's signal. I watched my clock as the minutes ticked down. Finally at ten o'clock I heard a tap at my window. I pulled back my curtain enough to see a paper bird rustling outside.

'Finite,' I whispered. The paper bird dropped lifeless on to the sill.

I carefully swung my legs out of bed and touched my feet to the floor. Careful to not make a sound I crept across the dormitory and out through the door. Only once it was shut behind me did I rush down to the common room to meet the boys. Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over the three of us and we left the Gryffindor Tower, the sleeping Fat Lady swinging shut behind us. The castle was unusually busy so late into the night. Teachers, ghosts and Prefects were all prowling the corridors keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. While the Cloak hid us, it didn't muffle our feet and so we had to be careful as we crept past the various people we passed. We were all relieved when we finally reached the foot of the Clock Tower and the doors out to the castle grounds.

Once safely in the grounds Harry, Ron and I sped up while still keeping the Cloak over us so as not to be seen. We hurried across the Wooden Bridge and into the Stone Circle. From the top of the hill we saw there was a light still visible in Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forest. He was still awake. The night's sky was cloudless and bright with stars giving us some good visibility as we raced down the hill to his Hut. We pulled off the Cloak once we on his doorstep then knocked on the door. It flew open with a bang. Hagrid, his crossbow in his hands, looked wildly around before realising it was us. Fang was barking loudly behind him.

'Oh,' he said. He lowered his crossbow. 'What're you three doin' here?'

'What's that for?' countered Harry, pointing at the weapon. Hagrid stood aside to let us in.

'Nothin' … nothin' …' muttered Hagrid. 'I've bin expectin' … doesn't matter … Sit down … I'll make tea …'

Hagrid seemed very distracted as he busied about his Hut. He spilled the water out of the kettle as he hooked it over his fire, almost extinguishing it, then proceeded to smash his teapot as he placed it on the table. His hands were shaking badly. I've never seen Hagrid look so worried.

'Are you OK, Hagrid?' Harry asked. 'Did you hear about Hermione?'

'Oh, I heard, all righ',' said Hagrid grimly.

The kettle whistled. Hagrid unhooked it from the metal pole and poured us each a cup of boiling water having forgotten to put in the tea bags. He didn't even notice. He kept looking out the window as if he was expecting something to happen or someone to turn up. Whatever it was, it knocked at the door a few minutes later causing Hagrid to drop the fruitcake he was plating up for us. Harry, Ron and I looked at each other. We weren't meant to be here and we'd be in deep trouble if we got caught. We got out of our chairs and threw the Cloak over us. We backed into a corner once we were covered. Hagrid checked to see if we were visible then picked up his crossbow once more and opened the door.

'Good evening, Hagrid.'

It was Professor Dumbledore but he wasn't alone. A second wizard entered Hagrid's Hut after him dressed in a very odd-looking pinstriped suit with a scarlet tie and a dark travelling cloak over his shoulders. He took a lime-green bowler hat off his greying hair and put it under his arm.

'That's Dad's boss,' whispered Ron. 'Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic!'

Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs to shut him up.

'Bad business, Hagrid,' said Fudge. 'Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. Ministry's got to act.'

'I never,' said Hagrid. His normally reddish face had paled visibly beneath his beard. 'You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir …'

'I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence,' said Dumbledore firmly. His eyes were narrowed at Fudge.

'Look, Albus,' said Fudge, raising a hand. 'Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something – the school governors have been in touch.'

'Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest,' said Dumbledore. I wasn't sure what it was but there was something in Dumbledore's voice. It didn't sound as friendly as it normally did.

'Look at it from my point of view,' said Fudge. 'I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty –'

'Take me?' repeated Hagrid suddenly. 'Take me where?'

'For a short stretch only,' said Fudge. He didn't look at Hagrid. 'Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology …'

'Not Azkaban?' gasped Hagrid.

I stifled my gasp. Hagrid couldn't get sent to Azkaban. It was horrible there and if the prison itself didn't destroy you first with its dank surroundings, the Dementors certainly would.

There was another knock at the door. Dumbledore answered it. This time it was Ron jabbing Harry in the ribs to shut him up when he saw who entered the Hut. I too had to prevent myself from gasping a second time. I watched as Mr Malfoy strode brazenly into Hagrid's Hut. His eyes scoured the room, both a look of disgust and a satisfied smile on his face. Fang growled from behind Hagrid's leg.

'Already here, Fudge,' said Mr Malfoy, obviously pleased. 'Good, good …'

'This cannot be good,' I whispered. Harry elbowed me in the side but still he and Ron nodded.

'What're you doin' here?' shouted Hagrid. 'Get outta my house!'

'My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your –' Malfoy looked around the Hut a second time, '– er – d'you call this a house?' he sneered. 'I simply called at the school and was told that the Headmaster was here,' Malfoy continued.

'And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?' queried Dumbledore.

'Dreadful thing, Dumbledore,' said Malfoy lightly. He pulled a roll of parchment out of his robes. 'But the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension – you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school.'

'Oh, now, see here, Lucius,' said Fudge reproachfully. 'Dumbledore suspended … no, no … last thing we want just now …'

'The appointment – or suspension – of the Headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge,' said Malfoy. 'And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks …'

'Now look, Lucius,' said Fudge, 'if Dumbledore can't stop them – I mean to say, who can?'

'That remains to be seen,' said Malfoy curtly. He smiled. 'But as all twelve of us have voted …'

'An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?' shouted Hagrid.

'Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid,' said Malfoy. 'I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all.'

'Yeh can' take Dumbledore!' yelled Hagrid. 'Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin's next!'

'Calm yourself, Hagrid,' said Dumbledore sharply. He then turned to Malfoy. 'If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside.'

'But –' objected Fudge.

'No!' growled Hagrid.

'However,' continued Dumbledore as if neither interruption had happened. His tone had changed and he spoke with a very clear voice. 'You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.'

I thought for a moment about what Dumbledore had said, that help would always be given to those who asked. I didn't understand how that could be if he was removed from the school. But Hagrid was right. If the took Dumbledore away the Muggle-borns wouldn't stand a chance.

'Admirable sentiments,' said Malfoy. He bowed his head ever so slightly. 'We shall all miss your – er – highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any – ah – "killin's".'

Mr Malfoy turned on his heel and opened the door. He bowed as Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the Hut. The smirk of success was still evident on his face. Fudge fiddled with his bowler hat as he waited for Hagrid to leave before him but for some reason he stayed resolutely where he was.

'If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff,' he said loudly, 'all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'.'

I assume that message was meant for us. I glanced at the boys who shared my curious look at why Hagrid was telling us to "follow spiders". Fudge stared amazed at Hagrid. It was an interesting choice of final words.

'All right, I'm comin',' grunted Hagrid. He pulled on his moleskin overcoat and ducked out of his front door, not before adding, 'An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away.'

The door shut with a bang after Fudge left. With the wizards and Hagrid all gone Ron pulled the Cloak off us.

'We're in trouble now,' he said. His voice was dry. 'No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone.'

I stepped away from the boys and went over to Fang. He was scratching at the door trying to follow Hagrid. He whimpered pathetically to be let out. I knelt down beside him and began to scratch his ear to try and calm him down.

'What d'you think he meant by "follow the spiders"?' I asked.

Harry frowned as he thought through Hagrid's suggestion.

'I think it's a clue,' said Harry. 'You remember when we took a look at the corridor Mrs Norris was attacked in? We saw those spiders running across the wall trying to get outside. I saw them again when Justin was attacked.'

'I saw some spiders too when Hermione got attacked,' I said. 'It looked like they were trying to get away from something.'

'What if –' Harry continued, thinking very fast, '– what if whatever is attacking the students is something the spiders fear?'

'Then they have the right idea trying to get away from it,' muttered Ron. He'd paled at all the talk of spiders.

'But if spiders run away from whatever it is,' I said, 'what good will following them do?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. His brow was furrowed and I recognised the look on his face. It was the same as last year when he was determined to find out about the Philosopher's Stone. 'But if we've got any hope in finding out what's attacking the students before anyone else gets hurt, we need to find some spiders.'

I found it hard to believe that summer was already here. The grounds were once again bright and green after the dismal wet winter, and the sky was a clear pale blue with wisps of clouds streaking across it. The atmosphere around the castle, however, was not as happy. The students were still on edge under the new regime since the attack on Hermione and Penelope even with the teachers escorting us to all our classes and with the news that Dumbledore had been removed seemed to spread fear like never before. The Gryffindors in particular had taken Hagrid's arrest to heart and were saddened at no longer seeing him around the grounds like before. Even the Hospital Wing was now out of bounds as Madam Pomfrey didn't want to take any chances in case the Heir came back for those already Petrified.

Hagrid's words of "follow the spiders" remained with Harry, Ron and me but no matter where we looked we couldn't find any. In a castle as old as Hogwarts it seemed strange to be void of any spiders making their webs in the corners of the glass windows or at the tops of the stone arches. We were also hindered by the fact that wherever we went a teacher was with us and so we were limited on opportunities to look in different areas of the castle that we wouldn't normally go because of not having a class there.

In amongst all the tension there was one person who seemed particularly pleased about the changes to Hogwarts. The following day after Dumbledore's dismissal it was hard to miss Malfoy strutting around the castle as if it was just another ordinary day with a large smirk on his pointed face. Our suspicions about why he was so happy were confirmed in our Potions lesson when he couldn't resist bragging to Crabbe and Goyle knowing we were well within earshot of him.

'I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore,' said Malfoy loudly. As per usual, Snape ignored Malfoy's behaviour. 'I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst Headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent Headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in until they find a suitable replacement.

'Sir,' Malfoy then said, even louder. Snape had just walked past Hermione's empty seat without a comment. He glanced in Malfoy's direction. 'Sir, why don't you apply for the Headmaster's job?'

'Now, now, Malfoy,' sad Snape. 'Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I dare say he'll be back with us soon enough.' As he said this, there was a vague hint of a smile playing on his thin lips.

'Yeah, right,' said Malfoy. 'I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job. I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir …'

Snape turned away, the smirk still on his face.

'I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now,' Malfoy continued. 'Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger …'

'Ronald!' I hissed as Ron leapt from his seat. Harry and Dean grabbed him just as the bell went. In amongst the noise of people grabbing their bags his attempt to lunge at Malfoy even with Harry and Dean holding him back went unnoticed.

'Let me at him,' Ron growled. He pulled against Harry and Dean but they wouldn't let go. 'I don't care, I don't need a wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands –'

'Hurry up, I've got take you all to Herbology,' barked Snape impatiently.

The class filed out with the Slytherins at the front. Harry, Ron, Dean and I were the last to leave, the two boys keeping a firm hand on Ron who was still trying to get to Malfoy while I walked ahead to separate them. We walked through the castle in silence and back up to the Entrance Hall. Here we met Professor Vector who collected the Slytherins and dropped off the Hufflepuffs with us. We waited until we were out of the castle though before we released Ron. Snape marched us quickly across the grounds and round the Herbology greenhouses. Once in Professor Sprout's care Snape swept off back up to the castle.

Both Justin and Hermione were now missing from class and it showed that all of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were upset at their absence. We all seemed to look at each other with a look of sympathy that one of our fellow Housemates had been attacked. Professor Sprout too voiced her sincere regrets that Hermione and Justin were not with us before setting us pruning Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. I worked silently beside Harry and Ron. My eyes every so often looked at the vacant space beside me where Hermione should have been. A few minutes into the class, Ernie approached where were working.

'I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you,' he said apologetically. 'I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologise for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well –'

He held out a hand for Harry to shake. He did so. Ernie looked back over his shoulder at Hannah and nodded his head in our direction. She nervously came over to our table with the Shrivelfig that she and Ernie were to work on. We made room for theirs and together we worked in silence.

'That Draco Malfoy character,' Ernie continued in a low voice, 'he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's Heir.'

'That's clever of you,' said Ron. I sent him a look having noted his sarcasm.

'Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?' Ernie asked.

'No,' said Harry, perhaps a little too firmly. Ernie and Hannah stared at him.

'Malfoy's all wand and no spell,' I said quickly to cover for him. 'In all his bravado, I don't somehow think even he would be brave enough to face whatever's been attacking everyone, Heir or not.'

'Ouch!' said Ron loudly.

I looked at him, wondering what had made him do that. Harry pointed at the ground a few feet away from where we were working. I watched as several rather large spiders scurried across the dirt covered floor and out of the open window.

'We can't follow them now,' said Ron quietly.

'Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest …'

The three of us shared a knowing look. Ernie and Hannah, meanwhile, didn't have a clue why we were watching spiders.

'We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again,' Harry told Ron and me as we walked back up to the castle under Snape's watchful eyes. We walked in a tight huddle at the back so as not to be overheard. 'We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the Forest with Hagrid, he might be some help.'

'Right,' said Ron. I could hear how shaky his voice was at the thought of going into the Forest chasing spiders. He was fiddling with his broken wand causing the odd spark to shoot out of it. 'Er – aren't there – aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the Forest?'

I frowned and took my seat next to Harry in our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. I held my tongue knowing Ron would be baffled by my reaction to his fear of werewolves.

'There are good things in there, too,' said Harry. 'The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns.'

'Werewolves aren't bad either,' I muttered to myself.

Lockhart swept into the classroom a few minutes after us having just dropped off his own group of students at their next lesson. He looked at us all, a large grin on his face.

'Come now,' he said happily, 'why all these long faces? Don't you people realise, the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away.'

Harry, Ron and I shared a look. Lockhart really had no clue, did he?

'Says who?' said Dean.

'My dear young man,' said Lockhart, exasperated, 'the Minister for Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred per cent sure that he was guilty.'

'Oh, yes he would,' said Ron.

'I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr Weasley,' said Lockhart.

Harry had to kick Ron under the desk to stop him from responding. We hadn't meant to be at Hagrid's the night he was arrested after all. Instead Harry scribbled a note on to his sheet of parchment and pushed it in front of him just enough for Ron and me to be able to see it.

Let's do it tonight.

Ron swallowed. He took one look at Hermione's empty seat then, with a sudden rush of determination, he nodded.

The Gryffindor Tower remained full well after dinner due to the fact all the students were now forced to do their homework in their common rooms. I watched as the boys played Exploding Snap with Fred and George while Ginny sat quietly in Hermione's usual seat. She seemed as uninterested as I was, her face drawn and tired. I glanced at her as she sat there, a narrowed expression on my face. Something was bothering me but I couldn't put my finger on it. Unable to identify the feeling I turned back to the game to wait for it to finish. When Fred and George finally went to bed, Harry pulled the Cloak from underneath him.

'Be careful,' I told them as we walked over to the portrait hole. Harry and Ron were going without me as we needed someone to stay downstairs in the common room so they could be let back inside. 'Those spiders could be going anywhere in the Forest. Don't get yourselves lost or trapped.'

'We won't,' said Harry. 'We'll be back as soon as possible.'

I nodded. I wished them luck and watched as they disappeared into the background as Harry threw his Cloak over them. I pushed open the portrait hole and let them out. Now all I could do was wait for them to return.

Harry and Ron were gone a long time. I did my best to keep myself awake while I waited for them but eventually sleep overtook me and I curled up in my chair with my head on the arm. It was nearing midnight by the time I heard a rustling over by the portrait hole. I opened my eyes to see a piece of parchment being slid underneath the thin crack between the painting and the floor. It must be them. I got up and quickly crossed the common room to open the portrait hole. I watched as nothing entered but I could just hear the sound of their footsteps. Once the portrait was closed Harry pulled off the Cloak.

'What happened?' I asked instantly.

'Hagrid's innocent,' replied Harry. A rush of relief swept over me at that. We went over to our seats in the corner. 'He had nothing to do with it.'

'So what did?'

'Aragog wouldn't say.'

'What's Aragog?'

'You know how Hagrid told us to "follow the spiders"?' said Ron. He was looking rather pale as if he'd recently thrown up. I nodded. 'We followed the spiders. To more spiders. Big spiders.' I gave Ron a strange look. 'There's a whole family of them living in the Forest.'

'The monster they thought was responsible for the attacks fifty years ago wasn't Aragog,' explained Harry. 'Aragog was Hagrid's pet while he was at school he got from a traveller. He wouldn't say what it was that was attacking the students though, only that it is a creature that they fear most. He also said the girl who died was discovered in a bathroom.'

My eyes widened slightly.

'A bathroom?' I repeated slowly. 'Harry, do you realise what this means?' Harry and Ron looked at me blankly. 'Think about it. Who do we know lives in a bathroom?'

Realisation seemed to hit Harry while Ron was still looked a bit vacant.

'Ron – that girl who died,' gasped Harry. 'Aragog said she was found in a bathroom. What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?'

Finally it hit him.

'You don't think – not Moaning Myrtle?'

'All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away,' Ron muttered angrily the next morning as we ate breakfast, 'and we could've asked her, and now we can't even get anywhere near the bathroom because of the teachers escorting us everywhere around the castle.'

'Oh, that's really nice, Ron,' I said. 'She's already sensitive about her appearance. Let's just go and ask her how she died and if she knows what killed her. I'm sure that'll make her perk right up.'

'D'you have any better ideas?' countered Ron. I sighed and shook my head and went back to my breakfast.

The bell for lessons soon sounded and Professor McGonagall arrived to escort the Ravenclaw second-years and us to our Transfiguration lesson. Harry, Ron and I followed at the back of the group as we tried to think of a way to somehow to get to Myrtle's bathroom. With the teachers on high alert it was going to be no easy task. Professor McGonagall marched us quickly through the castle and out into the Transfiguration Courtyard. She opened the door to her classroom and we filed inside. Once again the sight of Hermione's empty seat was saddening to see but at least this time we were that little bit closer to finding out what attacked her. As soon as we got to Myrtle, we'd hopefully find out what the monster was.

All thoughts of getting to Myrtle were soon put out of our heads when Professor McGonagall announced that exams would start at the beginning of June meaning they were a week away. There was an outburst at the idea that we were still getting exams in amongst all the attacks in the castle, interrupted only by Neville dropping his wand and accidentally Vanishing his table's leg. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand then turned to us, a very serious look on her face.

'The whole point of keeping the school open at this time if for you to receive your education,' she said sternly. 'The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all revising hard. Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible and that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year.'

I stared at Professor McGonagall. While I knew I shouldn't be surprised at the fact exams were going ahead, so far I had done absolutely nothing to prepare myself for them. Nor had Harry or Ron. Without Hermione reminding us about them constantly like she did last year we hadn't even thought about them. Now I somehow had to fit a year's worth of schoolwork on several different subjects all into a week's worth of revision. How I was going to do it, I had no idea.

This wasn't the only announcement Professor McGonagall had for us in the coming week. At breakfast on Thursday she called for hush in the Great Hall so that she could address the whole school. Slowly the students fell silent but not with the same speed they would have done if it had been Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and I shared a look as we waited for Professor McGonagall to speak. The odd whisper could still be heard as people whispered to their friends in confusion, wondering what the announcement could be.

'I have good news,' said Professor McGonagall.

The silence was broken by several shouts from around the Hall.

'Dumbledore's coming back!'

'You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!'

'Quidditch matches are back on!' shouted Wood a few seats up from us. I rolled my eyes; some things never changed.

Professor McGonagall waited for silence again before she continued.

'Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last,' said Professor McGonagall told us. 'Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit.'

Cheers rang through the Hall. The idea that Hermione, Justin and Penelope being returned to normal was certainly good news for all the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Unsurprisingly the Slytherins didn't seem to join in. Malfoy in particular looked relatively peeved by the news. Having been one of the Heir's most vocal supporters I guess the thought that the Heir had failed this time around was very disappointing for him.

'It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!' said Ron happily to Harry and me. 'Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go mad when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't revised. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over.'

'I think even Hermione won't punish herself for not doing well in exams this year, considering she's been Petrified for the last few months,' I reasoned. 'I know she's a bit of a obsessive when it comes to schoolwork but even she can't deny how much she'll have missed.'

Just then Ginny came and joined us, taking the empty seat next to me that would have been filed by Hermione. I glanced at her to see she looked nervous about something. Her eyes were focused on her hands in her lap and were fidgeting with each other.

'What's up?' asked Ron. Ginny didn't reply. She looked up and down the Gryffindor table as if to make sure no one was watching us. I frowned, confused by her behaviour. It too was frustrating Ron. 'Spit it out.'

'I've got to tell you something,' mumbled Ginny. She kept her eyes firmly on her lap.

'What is it?' asked Harry.

I watched as Ginny struggled to come up with a reply.

'What?' demanded Ron.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Harry leaned in closer to her.

'Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets?' he whispered. I raised my eyebrow. Did Harry know something? 'Have you see something? Someone acting oddly?'

Ginny took a breath, only to be cut off by Percy appearing beside us and saying, 'If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty.'

Ginny jumped up as if she'd been electrocuted. Her eyes had widened in fear at the sight of her brother. Without even a word she hurried up the aisle and out of the Hall. In her haste, however, Ginny's hand had brushed my arm making contact with it. I flinched as a sudden rush of images flashed over my eyes.

The library with Hermione … the page on the Basilisk … Hermione Petrified … Ginny in the corridor … the rooster feathers on her bed …

I gasped. I looked at the boys but neither of them had noticed, as both seemed to be berating Percy for interrupting what Ginny was about to tell us. Ginny didn't need to though. All of a sudden that feeling I'd had of something not making sense since the attack on Hermione had become clear. It was as if my memories of that day had been altered but they were now clear as if they'd happened yesterday. I had seen Ginny in the corridor when Hermione was attacked as we had worked out that it was a Basilisk attacking the students, and Ginny was behind it all as she had had rooster feathers all over her bed and there weren't any spiders visible in her dormitory. She had looked strange though, like she was being possessed, so I had a feeling she wasn't acting of her own free will. Without warning to Harry and Ron, I got up and dashed after Ginny. I had to find her before whatever it was making her do these things got control of her again and someone else got hurt. I raced up the Marble Staircase and towards the Changing Staircase to see Ginny was already on the fourth floor. She must be heading back to the Gryffindor Tower.

I ran up the Staircase as fast as I could after her. I reached the Tower minutes after her, almost shouting the password at the Fat Lady so that I could get inside. I ran across the common room and upstairs to her dormitory. I burst in without knocking to find Ginny crying on her bed.

I took a deep breath and said it.

'Ginny, I know it's you.'

Ginny sat up suddenly. She stared at me shocked, her face stained with tears.

'How?' she gasped.

'The rooster feathers,' I said, 'the fact that you're really jumpy all the time even more so than everyone else, that there isn't a single spider in this room. Why didn't you tell us?'

'Because I couldn't!' cried Ginny. 'I didn't know! I didn't know I was the one attacking those people! I didn't want to do it! I didn't want to attack them! I didn't want to write that message on the wall! Riddle made me do those things!'

'Riddle?' I repeated. It then hit me. 'Tom Riddle? You stole the diary back from Harry! Why? What does that diary do?'

Ginny didn't answer. She had stopped crying and her head was bowed. I took a cautious step towards her. Ginny looked up. I jumped. Her eyes had changed again, back to those empty black ones with dark shadows beneath them. Slowly Ginny stood up and walked towards me. She seemed to be in some sort of trance.

'Ginny?' I said worriedly. 'Ginny, are you OK?'

'You know too much,' said Ginny. Her voice had changed as well, back to the one she'd had in the corridor. 'I won't allow that.'

Ginny ran at me and forced me against the door. I fought back as she tried to grab at my throat doing my best not to hurt her by accident. Ginny managed to force my hands away long enough to get her own around my throat. She pressed down on it making me choke. I tried to pull her off but her grip was too tight for how small she was, again indicating someone else was helping her. I gasped as I fought to get air into my lungs. My eyes started to darken and I felt Ginny's hands release me followed by my head connecting with the floor.

'I'm sorry … I'm so sorry …'

Blearily I opened my eyes. I turned my head to see I was lying on a cold, wet, stone floor. I sat up and looked around. I was in a long chamber of sorts, a stone walkway travelling away from me into the distance. Either side was lined with what looked like snake heads also made of stone and channels filled with water. Behind me I saw a large statue of a head emerging from another deeper pool of water. Its face was just visible above the water level, its stone beard flaring out on either side of his tight-lipped mouth. The stone pathway circled around it on either side. Where was I? I heard a muffled sob behind me. I looked round to see Ginny was sitting against one of the many snakehead pillars. She was muttering something.

'I'm sorry, Jenna, I'm so sorry …'

I got up. I felt my neck twinge, still sore from when Ginny attacked me. I walked over to her.

'Ginny, where are we?' I asked her quickly. 'What did you do? We need to get out of here!'

Ginny didn't answer. All she did was point at something behind me. I turned round. From the shadows beside the statue of the head stepped a young boy of about sixteen. He was dressed in Hogwarts robes in a different, older style to my own but I could recognise the Slytherin House tie anywhere and the Prefect badge pinned on his robes. Slowly he walked towards me, his dark eyes focused on me. I watched not daring to look away. I drew my wand and levelled it with him. I didn't know what to do though. The closer the boy got to me the better look I got of him. There was something strange about his body. He appeared solid but at the same time he looked like he was blurred around the edges, as if he wasn't entirely there.

'Who are you?' I asked.

'A mere memory,' replied the boy, 'brought to life by the silly ramblings of an eleven-year-old witch.' Ginny let out a sob. 'Her childish thoughts and dreams making me stronger the more she wrote, allowing me to slowly begin to control her as she grew weaker. You might know me as another name these days, however, it is not my given one you learnt of this year.'

'You're Tom Riddle, aren't you?' I said slowly. Riddle smiled. 'You're the one behind all those attacks. But why?'

'Yes,' said Riddle. 'I must say, you were very clever to work out who it was I was getting to do my bidding and what the monster inside the Chamber was. Your knowledge of magical creatures is impressive. You were a threat though. I couldn't let you blab so I attacked that Mudblood friend of yours to buy me some more time.' Riddle began to pace, his eyes not leaving me. 'I made Ginny alter your memories of that day so that it would look like you merely found the Mudblood in the corridor but it appears I underestimated you.

'When you confronted Ginny, I realised changing your memory wasn't enough and so I had to do something about it,' continued Riddle. 'You could have told Harry Potter at any moment what was going on, and with the Mandrake Draft almost ready, I was running out of time, so I ordered Ginny to subdue you and bring you here, to the Chamber of Secrets. I even got her to write your farewells on the wall before having her join you down here.

'As for why I attacked those Mudbloods, isn't it obvious?' Riddle smirked.

'You're the Heir of Slytherin,' I said. 'But, that was fifty years ago. How could you be back?'

'As a memory in a diary,' said Riddle simply, 'preserved until I could one day return to Hogwarts and finish my ancestor's work. Finish Salazar Slytherin's quest to rid Hogwarts of all those unworthy to study magic.'

'If you wanted to do that, then why did you use Ginny?' I asked. 'She's just a first-year. Why not use someone from your own House, from Slytherin?'

'Who I used was is of no concern to me,' sneered Riddle. 'My diary was passed on to her possession and the rest was all done by her. She was naive enough to write her deepest and darkest thoughts into my diary which only made me stronger until I was able to control her. Make her write the threatening messages on the walls, strangle that oaf Hagrid's roosters, and attack the Mudbloods and the Squib's cat. Eventually the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it.'

'And Harry found it,' I said. 'That was when you showed him your memory of you framing Hagrid the last time the Chamber was opened. And when she realised Harry had it, she stole it back giving you control over her once more.'

To my confusion, a smile appeared on Riddle's face.

'My, my, you are a curious little witch,' observed Riddle. 'I'll admit I am impressed. You were able to work out what was attacking the Mudbloods and who was behind it with very little help, using only what knowledge you already had.' His dark eyes roved me from head to toe, a curious look on his face. It was almost like a child examining a new toy. 'A curious witch you are, indeed,' Riddle mused. 'I can see you are talented but you don't know the full potential of your power. You would be valuable, I can tell.'

'You're just a memory,' I retorted. 'You haven't succeeded in killing anyone and soon everyone who was Petrified will be back to normal. What real power could you possibly have?'

'Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore,' sneered Riddle. 'For many months, I have been learning all about that friend of yours, Harry Potter. Ginny spoke a lot about him in her entries, The Boy Who Lived. How intriguing it was to hear his story, defeating the greatest wizard of all time when he was a mere infant. As for what power I have? Power enough to make wizards everywhere fear the very mention of my name.'

'There's only one wizard whose name people fear to speak,' I said, 'but Voldemort was after you. Harry defeated him when he tried to kill him as a baby.'

'Voldemort is my past, present and future,' snarled Riddle.

Riddle produced a wand from the pocket of his robes that I knew belonged to Ginny. He began to write with it, creating fiery letters that floated in the air.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Riddle gave the wand a sharp wave and the letters rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

'Did you really think I'd keep my filthy Muggle father's name when I am the descendant of the greatest sorcerer in the world?' spat Riddle. 'Keep the name of the foul, common Muggle who abandoned me before I was born because his wife was a witch? I fashioned the name at school, knowing one day wizards and Mudbloods alike would one day fear the very mention of me.'

'You were defeated,' I said firmly. 'Harry stopped you once before, and he'll stop you this time as well. He'll work out you killed Myrtle last time and find the entrance to the Chamber and will stop you and the Basilisk from killing anyone else.'

Riddle smirked, 'That's what I'm counting on. You see, you and Ginny here make very good … bargaining tools.'

My eyes widened. I didn't need him to say anything more. He was using Ginny and me as bait to lure Harry down here. That's what he meant when he said he'd gotten Ginny to write our farewells on the wall. I took a slow step back from Ginny.

'If Harry Potter was devastated when his Mudblood friend was attacked, imagine how he'd feel at the sight of his best friend's dead sister and his childhood friend?'

Riddle turned to face the stone head behind him. He raised his hand, his eyes focused upon the eyes of the face. And he spoke in a low hiss I knew to be Parseltongue.

'I command you to open and reveal the horror within you.'

I watched as the mouth of the stone face began to open. A loud rumbling hiss came from within. Riddle had called the Basilisk.

'Riddle, please!' shouted Ginny. 'Don't hurt her!'

'Silence!' Riddle snarled at her.

In the moment's distraction I made a run for it. If Harry was on his way like I had a feeling he would be, I had to get to him first and warn him of Riddle's plan. As much as I didn't want to abandon Ginny I knew Riddle wouldn't harm her as long as he needed her. I ran up the stone walkway as fast as I could, my footsteps echoing in the vast Chamber. Behind me I could hear the Basilisk emerging from its slumber inside the statue's mouth.

'You can run,' I heard Riddle say, 'but you can't hide from the Basilisk.'

The Basilisk let out a loud hiss. I sped up, not daring to stop to catch my already struggling breath. The sound of the Basilisk slithering along the stone behind me as it followed the sound of my footsteps splashing in the water was getting closer and closer. Suddenly I felt my foot twist beneath me as I slipped on an uneven stone. I fell to the ground. The Basilisk roared having heard my fall. I sat up and instinctively looked behind me –

I felt a hard thump on my chest. A rush of water suddenly went up my throat causing me to cough it up. I turned over from my back so I was holding myself up on my arms, coughing up the water I'd apparently swallowed. I was soaked. My loose wet hair from my braid was sticking to my face while my robes were sodden. I blinked the water trickling down from my hair out of my eyes.

'Jenna, are you all right?'

I looked up to see Harry kneeling beside me. He looked worried as he stared at me. His face was covered in dirt and cuts and his robes were torn and bloodstained. On his arm I saw a hole in his sleeve that looked like it had been burnt away by something acidic. Despite his beaten up appearance I was very glad to see him. Beside him I was shocked to see a creature I'd only ever read about in Muggle stories and in Fantastic Beasts. A large beautiful bird with gold and red plumage stood next to him, its black beady eyes watching us both. It let out a single note and I felt a wave of relief suddenly rush over me. Finally my eyes landed on Ginny. She was fully conscious now and looked a lot better than she had all year, her face back to its normal colour although her red hair had been stained black by what looked like ink.

'What happened?' I asked.

'Riddle had taken you and Ginny here to the Chamber of Secrets,' said Harry. 'Ron and I found Riddle's message on the wall after we visited Hermione in the Hospital Wing. We went to tell Lockhart, who the teachers thought knew where the entrance to the Chamber was, what we knew only to find out he's a fraud and to see him attempting to leave the castle. We forced him to come with us to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where we found the entrance to the Chamber and to help us find you and Ginny. When he tried to attack us, he used Ron's wand but the spell he did backfired on him causing a cave-in in the tunnel. I had to leave Ron with him back at the opening of the tunnel while I came down here to find you both.

'When I got here you and Ginny were both unconscious. I confronted Riddle and he told me about how he was the Heir of Slytherin and became Lord Voldemort, deciding he wanted to kill me instead of the Muggle-borns when Ginny told him about me. He released the Basilisk and I fought it off with the help of Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, which gave me a sword. I stabbed it through the head and one of its fangs stabbed my arm. Before the poison could kill me though Fawkes healed me with his tears and I stabbed the diary with it and Riddle was destroyed and Ginny woke up. With Riddle gone, the spell holding you stopped and you fell into the water. I grabbed you before you could drown.'

I stared at Harry with wide eyes when he'd finished. I hadn't missed much, had I?

'Come on,' Harry then said to both Ginny and me, 'let's get out of here –'

'I'm going to be expelled!' cried Ginny. Harry helped her to her feet before also helping me. 'I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and – w-what'll Mum and Dad say?'

'It'll be OK, Ginny,' said Harry. Slowly the three of us made our way back up the Chamber and towards a large door at its opening where I saw the phoenix – Fawkes, I believe Harry said his name was – was waiting for us. 'Professor Dumbledore will sort everything out. You weren't responsible for what happened, Riddle was.'

Ginny sniffed and nodded. We walked the rest of the way in silence up the next tunnel until a stone wall blocked our way. I could hear the noise of rocks shifting on the other side. Harry called out and I heard Ron's voice answer. An arm suddenly thrust through a gap that had been made in the wall. Harry urged Ginny forwards and she took hold of her brother's hand as he helped her through the hole. I went next, Harry helping me to crawl through before doing so himself. Fawkes swept through last. When Ron tried to question Harry about the sword he was carrying Harry dismissed it until we were out of the Chamber completely. We followed the strange glow of Fawkes' feathers up the next tunnel and to the mouth of what looked like a very deep pipe. Sat against the wall with a rather vacant smile on his face and humming to himself was Lockhart.

'His memory's gone,' said Ron. 'The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself.'

Lockhart looked up at us. He beamed his usual smile only this time it looked more good-natured rather than smug.

'Hello,' he said lightly. 'Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?'

'No,' said Ron. He sent Harry and I a look, giving his eyebrows a lift. Harry shrugged then proceeded to look up the tunnel.

'Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?' Harry asked.

Ron shook his head. A rush of air blew past me as Fawkes flew over to Harry to float in front of him. He waved his tail.

'He looks like he wants you to grab hold …' said Ron, confused.

'Fawkes isn't an ordinary bird,' said Harry.

'He's a phoenix,' I said. 'Phoenixes are one of the strongest magical creatures, both in magic and physical strength. They can carry things more than a hundred times it's own weight. I guess Fawkes wants to carry us out of the pipe.'

'We've got to hold on to each other,' Harry said. 'Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Jenna, you hold on to Ron. Professor Lockhart –'

'He means you,' Ron said sharply to Lockhart.

'You hold Ginny's other hand.'

Lockhart nodded dumbly. I rolled my eyes, unable to believe Lockhart was now the airhead I always thought him to be. Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt then took hold of my hand in one and Fawkes's tail in the other. With a single flap of his wings, Fawkes shot upwards and I felt my feet leave the solid ground beneath us. A strange feeling travelled through Harry into me and on into Ron. I felt almost weightless as we flew up the long pipe.

'Amazing!' cried Lockhart. 'Amazing! This is just like magic!'

In a matter of seconds we flew out through the opening to the pipe in the middle of the sinks in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Fawkes hovered a few feet off the ground and Harry let go of his tail. The five us of us dropped lightly on to the stone floor. The lightness ebbed away. A sound of movement from the opposite side of the bathroom approached us. Moaning Myrtle swooped out of her toilet having heard our arrival back in her bathroom. She stared at us.

'You're alive,' she said blankly.

'There's no need to sound so disappointed,' said Harry.

'Oh, well … I'd just been thinking,' muttered Myrtle, 'if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet.'

I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

'Urgh!' said Ron, voicing his disapproval. We quickly left the bathroom and followed Fawkes through the deserted castle. 'Harry! I think Myrtle's got fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!'

Ginny didn't hear Ron's comment as she was still crying from the ordeal. Wondering what to do next we continued to follow Fawkes until he stopped in front of an office on the first floor. I recognised it to belong to Professor McGonagall. Harry knocked on the door and pushed it open. For a moment there was silence as the people gathered in the office took in the sight of the five of us all in dirty and variously ripped robes. It was then broken by a rather familiar scream.

'Ginny!'

Mrs Weasley leapt from the chair she was sat in in front of Professor McGonagall's desk and flung her arms around her daughter. Mr Weasley followed suit, embracing both his wife and daughter with a look of relief on his face. I took a step backwards as Mrs Weasley proceeded to sweep Harry and Ron into her embrace as well. I still wasn't used to the kindness of other adults apart from Lupin and my Granddad. I looked round the office for him only to see he wasn't there. I mentally checked the dates and realised the next full moon was at the start of June, meaning he was probably already feeling the effects of it and so was unable to travel. I felt my spirit fall slightly at the fact he wasn't there.

'You saved her!' Mrs Weasley was crying. 'You saved her! How did you do it?'

'I think we'd all like to know that,' said Professor McGonagall.

She and Professor Dumbledore were both on their feet on the other side of her desk and both were watching us with a look of great interest. Once Mrs Weasley had released Harry from her embrace, Harry placed the sword on to Professor McGonagall's desk and the remains of what looked like Tom Riddle's diary. He then began to recount the entire events of the last year and the previous few hours and about how he and Ron had gone into the Chamber to rescue Ginny and me. As he spoke, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Professor Dumbledore was watching me with a strange look upon his face. His blue eyes were twinkling with curiosity. Mrs Weasley was in tears when Harry had finished.

'Very well,' said Professor McGonagall, when Harry took a moment to catch his breath, 'so you found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add –' I cringed, knowing she was right, '– but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?'

As Harry explained about what happened inside the Chamber itself, I looked away as a thought crossed my mind. I thought back to my conversation with Riddle where he had called the Basilisk to him. I remembered running from it and falling over on the cobble stone floor. I could hear the Basilisk approaching me but after that my mind seemed to go blank. The next think I remember was Harry thumping my chest with his fist to bring up the water I'd swallowed from nearly drowning in the deep pool by the statue. What happened when I looked round after tripping up was blank.

Harry stopped, making me look up at him. He looked nervous about continuing.

'What interests me most,' said Professor Dumbledore, 'is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania.'

'W-what's that?' stuttered Mr Weasley, shocked. 'You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not … Ginny hasn't been … has she?'

'It was the diary,' said Harry quickly. He showed it to Dumbledore. 'Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen.'

Dumbledore looked at the diary, turning it over in his hands. I saw the fang mark in the front which had burnt through the cover and pages.

'Brilliant,' he said lightly. 'Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Howards has ever seen.'

I raised my eyebrow in surprise at Dumbledore's comment. Everyone present shared my look of surprise.

'Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle,' explained Dumbledore. 'I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school … travelled far and wide … sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who once was Head Boy here.'

'But Ginny,' cried Mrs Weasley, 'what's our Ginny got to do with – with – him?'

'His d-diary!' burst Ginny, no longer able to hold herself. 'I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year –'

'Ginny!' reprimanded Mr Weasley. 'Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.'

Interesting advice, I thought. Mr Weasley certainly was a smart wizard.

'Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!'

'I d-didn't know,' sobbed Ginny. 'I found it inside one of my books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it …'

'Miss Weasley should go up to the Hospital Wing straight away,' interrupted Dumbledore. 'This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort.' Dumbledore walked over to the door and opened it. 'Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up,' he added. 'Miss Black shall accompany her though I will want to speak to her a bit later once she's had some time to recover. You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out the Mandrake juice – I dare say the Basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment.'

'So Hermione's OK?' said Ron. He, Harry and I beamed at that.

'There has been no lasting harm done,' confirmed Dumbledore.

'Come on, Ginny,' said Mrs Weasley. She was calmer now and her voice was back to its normal caring tones. 'Let's get you up to the Hospital Wing.'

She got up and ushered her daughter to the door. Mr Weasley shook hands with Dumbledore, thanking him profusely then followed. I hesitated at first, not wanting to intrude on their reunion, and looked at Harry and Ron for what to do. Harry smiled and nodded his head at the door to tell me to go with them. I made to say something when I suddenly felt an arm go round me and gently push me forwards.

'Come along, Jenna, dear,' said Mrs Weasley gently to me. 'The boys will be all right.'

I felt uncomfortable as Mrs Weasley urged me onwards down the corridor to walk alongside her, her husband and Ginny. We walked along in silence until Ginny stopped suddenly and turned to me.

'Thank you for trying to help me, Jenna,' she said quietly. I gave her a curious look. I could feel Mr and Mrs Weasley watching us as well. 'I'm sorry I strangled you and took you down there.'

'It's all right, Ginny,' I said gently. 'You didn't mean to do those things. Riddle wanted me out of the way because I knew to much, that's all. I'm just glad you're OK and everyone in the Hospital Wing is going to be all right as well.'

'But I –'

'But nothing,' I told her firmly. 'It's what friends do.'

Ginny looked at me. Slowly a small smile formed on her face. I smiled back.

'I think,' said Mrs Weasley, gently stroking her daughter's face, 'what the two of you need is a good night's rest.'

'I think I'll just go back to the Tower,' I replied, 'I'm OK, really.'

'Nonsense, dear,' said Mrs Weasley. She smiled at me. 'You've both been through quite a bit tonight. A bit of sleep and a cup of hot chocolate and you'll both feel much better.'

As much as I felt an intruder in the Weasley's happy reunion with their daughter I didn't have the heart to argue with her. Mrs Weasley, despite the temper on her, was one of the kindest witches I'd ever met though I'd learnt from Ron's Howler at the start of the year never to get on her bad side. She and her husband led us to the Hospital Wing and opened the door for us to go inside. I saw to my joy that each of the Petrified students were no longer lying rigid in their beds. Colin was grinning from ear-to-ear as he chatted animatedly to Justin who was in the bed beside him while Penelope was in conversation with a newly revived Nearly Headless Nick. Opposite them I saw Madam Pomfrey hand Hermione a mug of hot chocolate who looked as bright and cheerful as ever.

'Hermione!' I shouted. I ran over to her bed and gave her a hug that she happily returned. 'I'm so glad you're OK. I was so scared when you got attacked.'

We let go of each other. Hermione instantly asked me about the Heir.

'He's gone,' I told her. 'Harry and Ron found the piece of paper you'd taken from the book about the Basilisk and realised that the entrance to the Chamber was in Moaning Myrtle's and that she was the one who was killed last time thanks to Aragog, Hagrid's old pet spider who now lives in the Forest.'

'But who was it?' asked Hermione. 'Who was behind the attacks?'

I glanced across the room at Ginny. Madam Pomfrey was handing her a potion to help her regain her strength as well as a mug of hot chocolate.

'It was Voldemort,' I said in a lower voice. Hermione gasped. 'But not as we know him. It was his younger self from when he was at school here, and he was controlling Ginny to commit the attacks. She had somehow gotten hold of his diary and had been writing in it all year. She had no idea though so Professor Dumbledore's not going to punish her.'

'Oh, how terrible,' said Hermione, 'but I'm glad to hear Ginny isn't being held responsible. Oh, I'm so glad you, Harry and Ron solved it.'

'The boys solved it,' I said, 'we just helped, especially you. Realising what was in the Chamber in the first place.'

'We both found it,' corrected Hermione. 'You realised what kind of snake it was after all.'

I shrugged, then said, 'When will you be let out?'

Before Hermione could answer, the doors to the Hospital Wing opened again. Professor McGonagall walked in with what look almost like a smile on her face. She announced that Professor Dumbledore had decided that a celebratory feast was in order now that the dreadful of the events of the past year had been put to an end now that the Heir had been caught. We were to join the rest of the students in the Great Hall once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied that we were all in good health and recovered from our various injuries. An excited whisper started on the opposite side of the room as Colin, Justin and Penelope began to question who the Heir had been and what had stopped them. Hermione and I merely looked at each other, Hermione's eyebrow raised in amusement while I had the beginnings of a smirk on my lips. Despite the fact what had happened this year had been horrific and very dangerous, the two of us couldn't help but be amused as we listened to their wild theories of what really had happened.

Madam Pomfrey was reluctant to let us all go but she couldn't deny there was nothing truly wrong with any of us. Those who were Petrified were all back to normal while both Ginny and I were feeling a lot better having had a Restorative Draft and she had Vanished the bruises on my neck from when Ginny had attacked me. With a exasperated sigh and shrug of her shoulders Madam Pomfrey let us go. Professor McGonagall, however, stopped me before I could leave with Hermione and Ginny. She informed me that Professor Dumbledore wished to have a word with me before the feast and so was to wait here for him as he was still talking to Harry and Ron currently.

'You go on,' I told Hermione and Ginny. 'Save me a seat.'

Hermione and Ginny nodded and left the Hospital Wing.

I waited alone in the Hospital Wing for Professor Dumbledore. I wondered what he wanted to speak to me about. Harry had told them all what had happened. I didn't see how recounting what had happened to me when I confronted Ginny and ended up in the Chamber with her was going to make much of a difference. Still, Dumbledore had wanted to speak to me and so I had no choice but to wait for him to arrive and answer any questions he had. I wasn't sure how long I was waiting for but shortly after the others had gone, Professor Dumbledore swept into the Hospital Wing.

'Ah, Miss Black, you are looking much better now,' said Dumbledore lightly, his blue eyes peering at me through his glasses. I nodded to confirm I was. 'Now, as I'm sure you are eager to rejoin your friends down in the Great Hall for the feast, I shall make this brief.'

I nodded again, waiting for ask me whatever it was he wanted to know. To my surprise, Dumbledore produced his wand and a small phial from his robes. Like him, I noticed his wand looked very old, and designed with several carvings in the wood of what looked like berries of some sort running down its long length.

'What I require of you, Miss Black, is a memory,' Professor Dumbledore told me. I frowned, confused. 'If I may, I wish to extract your memory of tonight's events so as to examine Riddle's actions down in the Chamber before Mr Potter arrived to save you and Miss Weasley.'

I opened my mouth to reply but I didn't really have a response to his request. I didn't even know memories could be extracted for a person.

'You don't need to worry,' Professor Dumbledore said, seeing my reaction. 'The extraction of a memory doesn't hurt and I can assure you that no one but myself will see it.'

'Um, I guess,' I said. 'I mean, Harry's told you everything that happened so I don't know what use it'll be to you, Professor.'

'Memories are powerful things, Miss Black,' said Dumbledore. 'A single memory can tell us more about a person than simply knowing them can. Now, it is best you keep as still as possible while I extract the memory from you.'

Dumbledore raised his wand towards me. I hesitated but allowed him to touch the tip to my temple. I felt a strange twinge pass through from his wand. Dumbledore slowly pulled the tip away from me. I glanced out of the corner of my eye. A strange silvery strand was pulled from the point where Dumbledore's wand had touched me and was connected to the tip. I couldn't tell what exactly it was made of but it looked like it was made of very fine wisps of a hair-like substance. Dumbledore gave his wand a small jerk and the memory disconnected from my temple. He then fed it into the phial into his hand. He tapped his wand and it fell into the bottle becoming a substance that was neither liquid nor gas.

'Is that my memory?' I asked. 'Will I still remember it too?'

'Yes, and do not worry, you will still be able to remember it as I have only made a copy of it,' said Dumbledore. In the distance the Clock Tower bell rang out. 'Ah, the rest of the school should be awake by now and down in the Great Hall. I believe Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and the newly revived Miss Granger are all waiting for you.'

I had been to a fair few feasts at Hogwarts during my two years here so far but none as big as this one. When I reached the Great Hall I saw the entire school had been woken and were dressed in their pyjamas. There were whispers going around the room as people tried to guess why they were there in the middle of the night. In amongst the tables I saw the various people who had been Petrified happily reunited with their friends. Ernie had his arm round Justin's shoulders; Colin, back with his camera, was sitting with Ginny and the other Gryffindor first-years; and Penelope was having a deep conversation with Percy; Filch had Mrs Norris in his arms showing her more affection than he'd ever dare show in front of students normally; even Nearly Headless Nick could be seen floating around with the other House ghosts. I walked down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables until I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting together. I beamed when I saw them together again and ran the rest of the way over to them. Harry stood up when he saw me. I threw my arms around him glad he was all right.

'Thank you,' I whispered to him as we hugged.

'It's OK,' Harry whispered back. 'I'm glad you're safe.'

A hush spread over the Hall. I saw Dumbledore had stood up and had his hand raised for the students to quieten. I took a seat next to Harry and we turned to listen to Dumbledore's speech.

'I'd like to have your attention for a few minutes before we begin the feast,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'It is with great relief that I can announce that the Heir of Slytherin has been stopped and the Chamber of Secrets closed once more, never to be opened again.'

A shocked whisper went round the students. Some called out demanding to know who had been behind the attacks. Over at the Slytherin table, several of the students including Malfoy were looking rather disappointed by this news. I glanced down the table at Ginny to see she had shrank back slightly in her seat. She had no need to worry though, as Dumbledore put an end to the curiosity that had plagued the school all year.

'I am sure you are all eager to know who was behind the attacks,' said Dumbledore, holding his hand up again to call for silence, 'and I feel that you have the right to know. The Heir of Slytherin was a boy named Tom Riddle, only this time he chose to use another to carry out his wishes, so that he could once again regain his current form of Lord Voldemort.'

Shouts and gasps at this news broke the silence once more.

'I can assure you,' Dumbledore continued, loud enough to be heard over the questions of the students, 'that Lord Voldemort is not in the country and it was through one of his old school possessions that he was able to re-open the Chamber. But thanks to the actions of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, he has been stopped and the Chamber has been closed for good.'

I looked around as the school cheered for Harry and Ron. The Gryffindors clapped loudest out of all the Houses as once again Harry was proclaimed a hero for his actions. He and Ron were even awarded two hundred points each for stopping the Heir as well as awards for services to the school. The four of us shared a grin of joy.

'I would like us to give a round of applause to Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey,' said Professor Dumbledore, 'whose Mandrake Draft has successfully restored all the students who were Petrified. It is also, with regret, that I must inform you that Professor Lockhart has chosen not to return next year as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher owing to the fact he needed to go away and get his memory back.'

'Shame,' smirked Ron. 'He was starting to grow on me.'

Harry and I laughed while Hermione looked genuinely disappointed about it.

'I shall now hand you over to Professor McGonagall, who has one final announcement to make.'

Professor Dumbledore sat down in his chair as Professor McGonagall stood from hers.

'In light of recent events,' said Professor McGonagall, 'as a school treat, the Headmaster has decided that all school exams shall be cancelled.'

Ending on that happy note (apart for Hermione, of course) the feast began. It lasted long into the night as the students celebrated the return of their friends and the fact they didn't have any exams to sit in the coming weeks before school ended. At about half past there in the morning, the doors of the Great Hall swung open. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I looked up from our desserts to see who it was. Smiles broke out on all our faces when we saw it was Hagrid. He came striding up the middle aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, looking heartily relieved to no longer be in Azkaban.

'Sorry I'm late,' he said loudly. 'The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol.'

Ron's face went as red as his hair and he buried it into his hands.

Things were back to normal for the remainder of the summer term. Lessons continued apart from Defence Against the Dark Arts that had been cancelled due to Lockhart being incapacitated. For the most part the school was in good spirits as the warm weather and the lack of exams made up for the mostly dismal year. Ginny was back to her usual cheerful self and looked a lot better now that the threat had gone. As a bonus, Malfoy could no longer be seen strutting about the school and instead was keeping a very low profile after how vocal he'd been in his support for the Heir of Slytherin having discovered that it was in fact Voldemort's younger self. That and the fact it was rumoured round the school that Lucius Malfoy had been sacked from his position on the school governors' board.

On the last day of term Harry, Ron, Hermione and I got a carriage together to go down to Hogsmeade station to catch the Hogwarts Express back to London. On board the train we got a compartment together with Fred, George and Ginny. With only a few hours left before we could no longer use magic Fred and George took the advantage and set off the last of their Filibuster Fireworks while Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap before the four of them took turns in trying to Disarm each other. I saw Harry had quite a knack for it. The journey passed in a joyful blur and soon I could see London appearing in the distance.

'Ginny –' said Harry suddenly, 'what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?'

I looked at the boys curiously and then joined them in staring at Ginny.

'Oh, that,' giggled Ginny. 'Well – Percy's got a girlfriend.'

Fred dropped his stack of books on George's head.

'What?'

'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was – you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added.

'Wouldn't dream of it,' said Fred. The look on his face said otherwise.

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. We gathered our stuff and got off the train. Before we separated Harry pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill and tore it into three. On each piece he wrote a series of digits I recognised to be a phone number. He explained what it was to Ron and told him to call over the summer so that he didn't have to endure only having Dudley to talk to for another holiday.

'Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?' asked Hermione. 'When they hear what you did this year?'

'Proud?' said Harry. 'Are you mad? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious.'

I rolled my eyes then looked around the platform. I couldn't see Lupin anywhere which I took to mean he'd been unable to pick me up. The four of us passed through the barrier with Ron's parents who'd greeted us when we got off the train and on to the Muggle side. I could see both Hermione's parents and the Dursleys waiting for Hermione and Harry but there was no sign of anyone there to pick me up. I frowned, unsure what to do. I said goodbye to Harry and Hermione and they left with their families. The Weasleys made to leave as well when Mrs Weasley noticed me still standing there with my trunk and owl.

'Is no one here for you, Jenna, dear?' Mrs Weasley asked me when she saw me standing on my own. 'Surely your parents are collecting you?'

I was about to answer when I heard my name being called. I looked round to see my Granddad striding up the Muggle platform towards us.

'Actually, my Granddad is,' I said as he reached us. 'Mrs Weasley, this is my Granddad, Lyall.'

'Nice to meet you, Lyall,' said Mrs Weasley. 'Are Jenna's parents not available to collect her?'

'Unfortunately not,' said Granddad. 'Jenna lives with my son, her uncle. Her parents were killed during the First Wizarding War.'

It sounded like Granddad was well versed in what to say when people asked about my parents. Though only partially true, Mrs Weasley bought it.

'Oh, that's a shame,' said Mrs Weasley, looking sympathetically at me. 'Well, I must say, she's a very responsible witch. She's been a very good friend to my daughter, Ginny, this year. You should be proud of her.'

'I can assure you, I am, as her mother would be too,' said Granddad.

Mrs Weasley smiled, said goodbye to me, and left with her husband and children.

'Is Lupin still ill from the full moon?' was my first question.

'Yes,' sighed Granddad, 'but he has had to leave for an appointment so he'll probably be very tired by the time he returns. I said I'd collect you so he had one less thing to worry about. You know what he's like.'

I nodded. Granddad took my trunk and together we left King's Cross Station.

---

AN: so Chamber of Secrets in finally finished once more and I'm looking forward to altering the events of Prisoner of Azkaban as Jenna becomes isolated from her friends when they find out that Sirius is her father. I've already begun thinking about it and am looking forward to exploring Jenna's time away from Harry more than I did last time including I hope some interactions with someone you wouldn't have thought would become her friend.