Chapter 25 - Researching
With Hermione in the hospital wing I was charged with doing the research she couldn't in the library. She gave me a very long list of what I was to research and I had to report to her as soon as I found out anything. I'd practically been in this library for a month, none stop, Madam Pince was probably getting annoyed with me, and Lord knows she was annoying me. She didn't trust me with her precious books like she did Hermione, I'd been tempted more than once to 'accidentally' knock ink onto one of them and blame her when she sneaks up on me to look over my shoulder. I couldn't understand how 'Mione could do this all the time... I was missing the outside the world, I'd barely seen Harry and Ron apart from in class and Quidditch practice, all my other time was here. At the time I had found a book about dark creatures and had decided to take it to Hermione to see what she thought of it. After a brief conversation she had dismissed me and started reading the book, I was getting a little lonely. I walked back to the library, I figured I had at least an hour to do some more research before dinner, when I saw Harry scribbling into a book.
"Harry." I said smiling. He looked up at me and smiled briefly before going back to scribbling in the book causing me to scowl. I walked over to look behind him and saw some familiar writing.
Let me show you.
I was a little confused as to how Harry had got Ginny's diary and what they were on about. "Harry..."
OK.
And that was it, there was a brief flash of light and Harry had disappeared. "Oh my god." I whispered out loud before I looked towards the diary and sitting where Harry had previously been sitting and taking Harry's quil.
Tom, where have you taken Harry?
I recognise your hand-writing Ash. Harry is safe and well, I am showing him one of my memories from my time at Hogwarts, I am not simply a talking diary. Perhaps you should find Ginny and tell her who had her diary, I'm sure she's worried as it was found in a bathroom.
What memory?
Harry asked about the Chamber of Secrets. I know who opened the Chamber 50 years ago, if I had known you wanted to know too, I would have told you all those weeks ago. I would show you too but I can only have one person in at a time.
Okay.
It felt odd to have been dismissed so smoothly. I felt slightly dazed as I stood and made my way to find Ginny. It was rather easy to find her actually, she looked panicked as I approached her in the corridor outside the Fat Lady. "Calm down Ginny." I ordered. "I know where your diary is."
"Where is it?" She breathed. She didn't look very well.
"Harry has it. Did you know your diary has a real person's memory from about 50 years ago? Tom's showing Harry his memories about the Chamber of Secrets and who opened it last time, that way we can find out who's doing it now and stop them from hurting anymore muggle borns." I smiled at her reassuringly but she looked like she was about to pass out. "Ginny, are you okay? You don't look very well, maybe I should take you to the hospital wing?" I offered but she shook her head violently before taking a deep breath and smiling at me.
"I'm fine." Ginny replied shakily but still smiling. "Where are they?"
"Harry's got it in the library, they'll probably... Ginny?" I cried as she ran off while I was in mid-sentence. I sighed before chasing after her but by the time we had got to the library, Harry was gone, along with the diary.
"Where are they?" Ginny cried in anguish.
"Calm down, Ginny. Tom promised not to tell your secrets last time, remember? Deep breaths." I told her while looking concerned. Kids are such drama queens. "Look, it's time for dinner. Harry'll probably be in the Great Hall, we can get it later, and he wouldn't have taken it to dinner."
"I'm not hungry." She stated before stomping off. I sighed and rolled my eyes before making my way to the Great Hall for dinner, I was starving. I sat with Fred and George as Harry wasn't at the Hall yet. I made my way through a full pizza, much to Percy Weasley's disdain, before Harry arrived. He didn't look very happy when he went to sit down with Ron further down the table and nowhere near me. I scowled and the twins looked at me worried. I shrugged before eating some trifle. I got to thinking, they probably hadn't noticed me, or maybe they had but Harry's found out who opened the Chamber before and I was sat with people so they couldn't tell me yet. I'd catch up with them as soon they'd finished dinner. I smiled again towards them but they didn't notice me. About 15 minutes later, I was nursing a nice hot coffee while chatting to Seamus and Dean when Hermione walked into the Great Hall completely fur free. I thanked God. No more library for me. I leaped from my seat and hugged Hermione while Ron and Harry stood as well. She hugged them both before we all sat down in our group.
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked.
"Great." She smiled before Harry turned to me.
"Where did you go to when I went in the diary?" Harry asked me.
"Well when Tom reassured me that you were okay and he was showing you a memory of the person who opened the chamber he asked me to go..." I replied before Ron interrupted me.
"Never mind that, tell them what you told me." Ron ordered while I glared at him. He was so insensitive some times. Harry went on to tell me and 'Mione about how he'd seen Tom talk to the headmaster of that time and then Dumbledore before hunting out Hagrid who had had what looked like a spider to Harry and he had said that was what had killed a girl before Hagrid made it so the spider escaped and Hagrid was taken by Tom to see the Headmaster. To say me and 'Mione was shocked that it was Hagrid was an understatement although it did make some sense, Hagrid was pretty old and had a thing for monsters and we also knew he had been expelled from Hogwarts for some reason.
"Riddle might have got the wrong person," Hermione said almost immediately. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people..."
"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.
"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably voicing my earlier thought.
"And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award." Hermione continued.
"Riddle does sound like Percy - who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?" Ron said.
"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," I replied sighing, "If we knew who was doing it now, we'd tell."
"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..." Harry trailed off deep in thought.
"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?" Ron asked Harry.
"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry quickly. The four of us fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione spoke.
"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?" She asked.
"That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "'Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"' In the end, we decided against saying anything to Hagrid. We were quickly silent when Professor McGonagall approached us.
"Here you go. I need you to choose two new subjects for next year out of the five on the list for you to learn beside your core subjects. Please return it to my office when you have decided." McGonagall explained before handing us each a roll of parchment and walking down the hall towards some other second years. The five choices were Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. Divination was a hell no. I would definitely take Care of Magical Creatures though and just had to choose between the other three. I knew enough about muggles that I wanted to and the other two were rumoured to be insanely difficult. I obviously heard Hermione next to me twittering on about how she wanted to definitely take the Arithmancy and Ancient Runes but she also wanted to take the other three too. Including Muggle Studies.
"Hermione, I hate to have to remind you, but you're a muggle-born, you'd already know everything there is to know about Muggle studies." I told her smiling. "You too Harry and I reckon you're dad's taught you plenty about them too."
"We have to think about this carefully, our choices now could affect our future." Hermione said seriously.
"I just want to give up Potions," said Harry making me snort with laughter.
"We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"But that's very important!" Hermione said in shock.
"Not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."
"By the time next year comes, we'll have a new Defence teacher, I guarantee it. The position is cursed, if you remember." I replied grinning at Ron.
"I hope we get someone decent next year then." Harry grinned.
"Having trouble choosing?" Percy Weasley asked the four of, appearing next to Harry and abruptly sitting down next to him, no doubt about to share his pearls of wisdom on the subject. "Hermione's right, it's never too early to think about the future, 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, Harry."
"Divination, is a pointless subject. It's a nonsense subject taught by a crackpot. There is no magic from reading tea leaves and looking into a crystal ball. It's complete bull, I'd rather learn about muggle's than nothing at all as I would in that class." I told him seriously. Percy glared at me before standing up and returning to his previous seat.
"Ash, that was rude." Hermione told me off. I just rolled my eyes.
"I'm thinking Care of Magical Creatures but I'm not sure what else." I sighed.
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination is what I've decided." Ron said sheepishly.
"I'm doing what Ron's doing." Harry stated as sheepishly. Stupid boy, he should be making his own choices not following his best friend. I rolled. "Come on Ash, do Divination with us, it'll be a laugh." Ron nodded in agreement.
"Not happening." I replied seriously. "Hermione?"
I just don't know." She wailed. Brilliant, more drama queens. I sighed as Neville Longbottom approached us nervously.
"Harry - I don't know who did it - I just found -" He stuttered.
"What happened, Neville?" Harry asked him seriously.
"It's your part of the dorm. It's been trashed." Neville replied. Harry stood up and headed to his dorm with Ron behind him holding both of their pieces of parchment. Hermione and I chased after them. The room really was trashed. Harry's mattress was only the floor, book were all over and the content of his trunk had been strewn everywhere.
"Who would do this?" Hermione whispered anxiously. Harry was busy thrashing through his books and his trunk, looking for something.
"It's gone." He whispered furiously. "The diary is gone."
"Come on, mate. Let's get this place cleaned up." Ron said sensibly. "If it's gone, it's gone. It wasn't really yours in the first place."
"I'll talk to you guys later." I said quickly before running to Ginny's dorm. It was empty so I went to get the map from my trunk. Ginny was in a girl's bathroom not far from here. I launched myself out of the room and chased after her. She was alone in the bathroom so I threw open the door. "GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!" She looked towards me with wide eyes clutching the diary to her chest. "I TOLD YOU WE'D GET THAT STUPID DIARY BACK LATER! HOW DARE YOU TRASH HARRY'S BEDROOM SEARCHING FOR IT?"
"I'm sorry!" She wailed, crocodile tears leaking from her eyes.
"I have half a mind to march you to Harry and make you apologise to him! And then tell your parents!" I spat furiously. "It's a complete invasion in privacy to root through a person's stuff!"
"I needed it back! I had to get it back! It made me! I'm sorry!" She cried before running off. I couldn't believe it. There was something seriously wrong with that girl and her obsession with that diary. I wasn't sure what to do. Whether to tell them who did it or not. She did seem upset. A couple of fourth years entered the bathroom so I left and made my way back to the common room.
-.-
Weeks later it was time for another match, against Hufflepuff this time, it'll be the first time I've played against Cedric. I was quite looking forwards to it. We left the Great Hall and was making our way to the common room to get our brooms and stuff before Harry suddenly cried out. Me, Ron and 'Mione all jumped away in shock. Harry was looking all around him before looking back at us.
"The voice!" said Harry, -looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again - didn't you?" I looked at him in shock and confusion.
"What voice?" I asked worried looking around.
"When we found Mrs. Norris petrified I had been following a voice that only I could hear. We must have forgotten to tell you. I just heard it again, it was saying kill this time." Harry finished and I just looked at him with wide eyes. Beside me Hermione clapped a hand to her forehead.
"I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" And she sprinted away, up the stairs.
"And you didn't think to tell me you'd been hearing voices?" I screeched angrily. Harry looked sorry so I calmed down. "Quidditch." The nodded and we raced to Gryffindor Tower to collect our Quidditch supplies before heading to the stadium changing rooms and meeting up with the others. After Oliver gave us the team talk we went outside to warm up while the Hufflepuff's did the same. I saw Cedric and we smiled at eachother, Fred and George noticed and whistled at me.
"They're enemy now..." Fred started.
"Remember that..." George finished. I put my tongue out at them. Madam Hooch then announced for us to get into our starting positions. She was about to start the game when she became distracted by something. I looked over to where she was looking and there was Professor McGonagall half running onto the pitch with a purple megaphone. I felt my heart drop into my stomach.
"This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick. Most of the players from both teams were quick to follow.
"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play - the cup! Gryffindor -" Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:
"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please! Harry Potter, Aurora Hyde and Ronald Weasley, please make your way to me." She continued. I whimpered before we both raced towards her, we saw Ron running from the stands, doing the same. "Follow me, you three." We did as we were told, having to jog to keep up with her half run pace. We got to outside the Hospital Wing before anything else was said. "This will be a bit of a shock," She said in a gentle voice. "There has been another attack ... another double attack." The hairs on the back of my head stood on end as we entered the room. I quickly searched the room and saw that one of the attack victims was a Ravenclaw. I cried out in anguish when I saw the second victim, tears springing from my eyes.
"Hermione!" I cried running to her. Madam Pomfrey shushed me for being so loud. She was frozen, completely still with her eyes wide open. I sat on the bed and moved her hair out of her face as my tears fell onto her. Harry was behind me rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me while Ron was sat at the other side of the bed on a chair just staring at her.
"They were found near the library," Professor McGonagall told us quietly. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them..." The three of us looked to her. She was holding a little round mirror, I recognised it.
"It's Hermione's, her mum and dad gave it her for Christmas." I said though sniffling. "I don't know why she'd have it."
"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case."
"Can't I stay with 'Mione?" I pleaded.
"I will escort you, and only you, back afterwards, however, you need to come with me for now and listen to what I have to say to the house." She replied. I nodded grudgingly and stood to follow them. When we arrived in the common room, everyone was ordered to congregate in the common room. "All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. 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 as she rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "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." She then turned to me. "Get some of Hermione's things and your things if you plan on staying in the Hospital Wing with her. I'll wait outside." I nodded before she walked out.
"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff," said Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherin's 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 Slytherin's out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause. I smiled a little before I noticed Percy Weasley sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.
"Percy's in shock," George told us quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl, Penelope Clearwater, she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."
"A muggle-born is a muggle-born." I said sadly before I walked towards to my dorm. I beckoned Harry and Ron to follow. "Watch that step." I said pointing to the trick step that would send us all to the floor on our arses. I grabbed a bag and picked up the books Hermione was reading to research while in the hospital wing while getting some clothes for her and for me as well as some of her personal items. I grabbed the Marauder's Map as a second thought as well as both of our homework.
"So this is what your dorm looks like." Ron said trying to lighten the mood. I gave him a small smile.
"What do we do Ash?" Harry asked uncertainly. I sighed and threw myself on to my bed.
"You should go speak to Hagrid. But it's too dangerous so you can't. I'll do as much research as I can in the Hospital Wing." I replied thinking out loud. "I just hope Hogwarts doesn't get shut down because there's not much else we can do for now. Hermione would know what to do." I finished miserably before standing. I paused and turned to the boys, "Meet me outside the hospital wing before classes start?" I asked hopefully, they nodded eagerly before I continued, "And don't do anything stupid." I ordered before ushering them out and grabbing the bag to go back to 'Mione with McGonagall.