"Everyone saw the boggart Ginny," said Ginny's prat of a brother, Ron. "You've got to turn yourself in before it's too late. People are already onto you."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Ron's concern would have been endearing if it wasn't caused by the fact that he thought she was the bloody Heir of Slytherin. He didn't even realize what a jealous prick he was being did he?

"I know you don't think it's you," said Ron desperately. "But you're being controlled. Someone is teaching you magic right? That's the only way you could be keeping up with Hermione."

"Yeah. You're right Ron. I'm getting some extra help from a professor. Quod Erat Demonstrandum, I'm The Heir of Slytherin," said Ginny, rolling her eyes. "What other possibility is there?"

"But… But they stuck that troll on us. We could have been killed! Whoever's teaching you magic is… They're no good, and I forbid you from seeing them!"

Well if The Great Ronald Weasley forbid her from seeing-

No… Ginny swallowed her reply. Ron had almost been killed by the bloody troll. Yeah he was being annoying, but he was right to be suspicious of Quirrell. But in this specific instance, Ginny knew something Ron did not.

"It was dumb," Ginny finally admitted. "But nobody forced me to do it and I didn't know you lot would follow. I just wanted to get one up on Hermione, I wasn't trying to hurt anybody…" What was she doing? "Actually… Forget all that… I err…" Ginny swallowed. There was right and there was wrong. And Ginny wasn't some arse who couldn't 'fess up to being a right wanker from time to time. "It was my idea to get the troll. Mine. It was all my fault. You could've been killed. And I'm… I'm sorry Ron. I know you've got it in your head that I'm some kind of bloody genius who never makes mistakes but I'm not. I was being outshone, and I panicked, and I did something stupidl, so… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm sorry. I'd never hurt you or Harry or Hermione or well… anyone really, not even that wanker Malfoy. You know that right?"

"Ginny please," said Ron. He didn't believe her. And for the first time he looked every bit as pathetic as Tom had always claimed. He hadn't heard a word she'd said, just saw her emerald and green robes and assumed that she was…

"Just because I haven't given up, it doesn't mean I'm evil!" Ginny bellowed. "And just because I'm a good duelist, it doesn't mean I'm the Heir of Slytherin!"

Ron grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Ginny please. You can lie to me all you want, but you can't fool everyone. There are wizards who can read your mind at a glance."

Ginny shook him off. "I thought you were fighting with Hermione. Liar."

She stalked away. Legilimency. Occlumency. Balderdash! Pure balderdash! And like that oaf Lockhart would know any of it anyways, he must have had Hermione under some kind of spell. Probably the same one he had Mum under, and half the girls in the school- one look at that smile and their minds all seemed to melt like margarine in a crackling pan. That's why, when Hermione had asked her to attend some kind of private mind-reading class with her, Ginny had turned her down.

Sure she was embarrassed by the diary, but the reason she'd turned down the lessons was because Lockhart was a quack. As if telepathy was possible. What a joke. Sometimes Ginny forgot how gullible Hermione could be…

Right, because Hermione Granger had such a track record of being wrong. As if Ron was just some jealous prick. His boggart had been her soulless. Why did she keep turning him away, acting like she hadn't wondered the same thing a thousand times herself?

Afterall, if you rearranged the letters in Tom Marvolo Riddle, it spelled I AM LORD-

She ought to find Fred and George. If mind magic existed, they ought to be able to give her some notice. Then she'd be prepared for some- not that she needed to be prepared, but if she were to accept Hermione's offer she had to prepare for it. Otherwise she would just embarrass herself again, just like when she'd somehow mistaken boar for bezoar. She found them in the Gryffindor Common Room. She ignored the suspicious glares from the other Gryffindors. She tried not to feel out of place.

"Legilimency?" Fred asked, his voice full of confusion.

"Occlumency?" George said, his face scrunched up stupidly.

"Never heard of it," said Fred, as George said, "We found it to be rubbish."

They glanced at each other uneasily.

"Oh," said Ginny, her voice a little high. "That's err… That's too bad. Bye." She scurried away.

She'd never be the Twins bratty little sister anymore. Now she was just another Slytherin. A dark witch in the making and it…

…When Mum and Dad had visited Ron after he'd confronted a bloody death eater like Godric bloody Gryffindor, they'd barely even been able to look at her. Whenever Ron had so much as mentioned the word 'Slytherin' Dad had screamed at him. Now that she was Slytherin, her family would never see the true her again.

Or perhaps, said a poisonous little voice in her head. What they saw before was the illusion, and what they see now is the rea-

Ginny went to find Dad. When she found him, he took her to an empty classroom.

"What can you tell me about…" Why was she whispering? She wasn't even doing anything wrong! And yet her voice remained frightened and weak. "Legilimency? Occlumency? I err… Lessons…"

"Who told you about such arts?" Dad asked, his voice loud and tense. He stared at her, judged her. "They're very dangerous. Those are dark arts Ginny, make no mistake, and extremely advanced. In all the Order, the number of Legilimens number two. To violate the mind of another, what can you call it but evil?"

Ginny looked away. Dad too? "It was… Hermione…"

"Not surprising," said Dad thoughtfully. "Yes. I've spoken to her before. Brilliant, that girl. We've no choice but to bring her into the fold, but who told her about it?"

"It was-"

"No, wait don't tell me, I'm not an Occlumens Ginny, I never had a knack for it. This information is above my paygrade. Besides, I think I know who it is. There's only one man who Dumbledore would trust with the job, but one has to wonder- why not Harry?"

Dad's smile was so proud and Ginny had no idea why. What did Harry have to do with this? She'd been chosen at Hermione's whim. But still, no need for Dad to know that.

"Is it hard?" Whispered Ginny.

"Yes," said Dad, putting his hands on her shoulders. "But you, you're The Chos…" He smiled again, and stared past her. "You've got a grand destiny Ginny. You will have to be able to protect your mind from You-Know-Who, because you're the…" He stopped, and just smiled proudly.

"And Legilimency?" Ginny asked nervously. "No first year could perform it, no matter how gifted, right?"

Dad put a hand on her shoulder. "You needn't worry about that Ginny. Focus on mastering Occlumency. Legilimency is too advanced, even for Hermione Granger, and even he wouldn't be so callous as to read your mind on your first day."

Ginny smiled uneasily. There was one more person she needed to talk to.

You should accept the offer, wrote Tom. Legilimency is normally only taught to those with intelligence quotients above 150, you won't get an opportunity like this again. I certainly wouldn't bother to teach you.

But what if Hermione sees? Ginny wrote.

Sees what? Our correspondence? There is only one memory you must avoid. You know the one, and as long as she doesn't see the end of it we're fine. Even if she sees everything, you simply need to do what I taught you, wrote Tom.

That's horrible. Ginny wrote. She's my friend!

Why are you so upset? Wrote Tom with all his typical callousness. Nobody is forcing you to learn how to read minds. You can always just give up. Like Ron.

The next morning Ginny told Hermione that she'd take the lessons with her.

Hermione nodded proudly. "I knew you'd understand Ginny. Telepathy, how delightful! We're going to understand each other so much better."

XOXOXOX

What was he doing? Going to some room on the seventh floor, all alone, just because some anonymous bloke had left him a note? If he got murdered he deserved it. But he couldn't help himself. Who in the world would request a private meeting with Mediocre Ron? Don't bring Harry Potter. Don't bring Hermione Granger. Don't bring Ginny Weasley. Come alone. Just Ron.

So yeah, when he found the tapestry of some bloke teaching a buncha trolls in tutus to dance, he opened up the door opposite it.

"Ronald Weasley," said Rita Skeeter. The room was dim and barron, the candlelight flickering. Rita had dark bags under her eyes, and her blonde hair looked a bit frazzled, like she hadn't taken a shower in days. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have written that article about you. It was a mistake. If you want, I'll write a retraction. I'll tell everyone I made it all up."

"Err…" But it had all been true. Besides, he'd always figured people would realize he was a jealous prick eventually. It was easier now that he didn't have to try and hide it. Well whatever, it was all a buncha goblin gibberish anyways. He'd grown up with The Twins, he knew when he was being buttered up. "What do you want from me?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart is making a play for Granger," said Rita. "You need to convince her to stay away from him."

Oh… Yeah, he should'a figured. Who in the world would want to meet him? Someone who needed something from one of his friends. As always. Really though, he should've known better by now. It was always about Hermione. And if not her then Harry. And if not him then Ginny. Ron picked some earwax.

"If Lockhart wants her so bad he can have her," said Ron numbly. "Can't imagine it'll be too hard. Last I saw she was drooling all over him."

Rita's wand sparked. "This isn't a child's game! I've looked into his exploits! I'm sure that the Bandon Banshee was defeated by a certain witch with a hairy chin. I know for a fact that the Waga Waga Werewolf was put down by an Armenian Auror. Neither of them could so much as recall their own names when I found them. That's why I came to Hogwarts. Not to chase The Heir of Slytherin, but to catch Gilderoy Lockhart in the act, and get him locked up for good."

Rita darkened, her face illuminated only by the flickers of a candle. "But when I came to Hogwarts I discovered something more terrible than I could have dreamt of. Gilderoy Lockhart was competent. Terribly competent. Which suggests… Very, very bad things."

"Then go to bloody Dumbledore," Ron bellowed. "I'm a bloody first year, if Lockhart's gonna steal Hermione's memories or try to kill her there's not a whole lot I can do."

"Perhaps I could do that if Lockhart's motives were so simple," said Rita. "But they're not. Gilderoy Lockhart is trying to seduce her."

Err… That was… What? "Seriously, why the bloody hell are you coming to me?"

"Because you're the only one who can save her from the darkness," said Rita.

"And why the bloody hell is that?"

"Because she is entert-" Rita stopped suddenly, and found sudden interest in the candle's flame. "It's because Granger has a crush on you," Rita said weakly, refusing to look away from the fire.

So…

This was what it looked like when Rita Skeeter lied. What a ridiculous fantasy too. As if someone like Hermione Granger could ever fancy a boy like Ron Weasley. Stories like that were made to sell themselves, not to provide some realistic example of the world.

But still. Now that he knew how Rita lied, it meant that what she'd said before, all that rubbish about Lockhart, she actually believed it.

"Fine," said Ron lightly. "We're in a bit of a row, but I'll tell her to stay away from Lockhart. I'm sure she'll listen. I mean, you told me she liked me- so err…" He'd stopped, because suddenly his heart was hammering. Because if all that stuff about Lockhart was true, and he really did save Hermione from him, then maybe… Just maybe… At least in stories, the princess fell in love with her savior, so, y'kn-

"N-no," said Rita suddenly. She pulled Ron into a hug. "You were right before. This isn't a situation for a child to handle. Stay away from Granger, Ronald. She's no good for you! And stay away from Lockhart and Dumbledore too! There's danger in Hogwarts, and it's going to find you… But know this Ronald Weasley, when things look darkest, I won't sit by and watch this time."

And then Rita turned into a beetle and flew away.

XOXOXOX

"Legilimens," Hermione said, staring deep into Ginny's eyes. They were green, proud, curious, and completely opaque.

"Enough," said Professor Lockhart. "This attempt was a failure. What went wrong? Why? What must I change to fix the spell? Answer those questions and try again, Miss Granger."

"I'd like a turn, Professor," said Ginny eagerly.

"No, you're to prioritize learning occlumency," Professor Lockhart said, offering Ginny a gleaming smile. "I never offered to teach you. You are only here at Miss Granger's insistence. She is a once-in-a-generation genius, you are an above-average first year student. Just remember, I am ambivalent about your presence, but should you impede my progress with Miss Granger I will be all too happy to send you away."

Hermione blushed. Had Professor Lockhart just called her a genius? But she was only a little clever, oh wasn't he just brilliant?

A snarl escaped Ginny. She looked quite upset. But why? Upon reflection, while Professor Lockhart's words had been factual, they might seem slightly derogatory when viewed from a particular perspective.

"Don't be rude Professor Lockhart," Hermione chided, always the perfect friend.

"Again," said Professor Lockhart, standing behind Hermione, his hands on her shoulders. "I will provide some additional scaffolding to assist you. It is imperative that you learn to manipulate the mind. It will be difficult, a magical feat worthy of the Dark Lord himself, to master it at your age. But I know you can do it."

"Legilimens," Hermione said, blushing. Her pronunciation, wand movement, and mental state were all perfect, but this charm required more.

"Now," Professor Lockhart said, whispering softly into Hermione's ear. "Stare into Ginevra's eyes, and look for the soul hidden within. Not your friend, not the sister, not the quidditch player, not even the witch. Those are but shallow appearances, you must look deeper, until you gaze upon her naked essence."

Hermione stared into Ginny's green eyes once more, and saw her own reflection. Her own hesitation and fear. Legilimency required focus, will, curiosity, but more than anything a cool callousness. And yes Ginny was curious, yes she was studious, but what drove her was ambition, competetiveness, and most of all envy. There was an emptiness in Ginny, filled with jealousy and anger, a drive…

"More," shouted Professor Lockhart. "Tear down her barriers Miss Granger!"

Ginny was the youngest of seven children. The only girl in several generations and the only Slytherin. The most talented of a litter of prodigies. Always the center of attention. Also overlooked, neglected and ignored. The black sheep of her family and its brightest star… A contradiction.

"Look past all that," Professor Lockhart snapped. But his voice was hard to make out, like somebody shouting from a distance. "Who is Ginevra Weasley?"

Within Ginny's emptiness, within her contradiction, there was insecurity, fear, and most of all-

'Get out, get out, get out!' A powerless child screamed, with all the loudness of a thought. The outside world had vanished, replaced by a void of ever-moving darkness and half-formed images.

Hermione giggled. Why leave now, when it had been ever-so-hard to get in? She had always been curious, she loved to observe the world around her. But one thing had always eluded her. People had always been so confusing, behaving erratically, chaotically, always beyond prediction, because she could not examine their inner workings.

Until now.

'This shouldn't be possible! I should never have agreed to this! You shouldn't be here! You can't see! I can't let you see! Nobody can know!'

'Know what?' Hermione asked the voice curiously.

An image coalesced into being. 'No, no, please no!' The powerless voice pleaded, trying to cover up the memory with a haze of smoke.

Hermione brushed aside Ginny's meager magical defenses. Ginny really had put quite a bit of concentration into creating that barrier, and it had been quite easy to break. Was that really the amount of effort it took most witches to manipulate their magic? To concentrate so? It seemed impossible that something so remedial would be so difficult. Ginny really ought to practice a little more.

The powerless voice screamed in agony. It pleaded and begged for Hermione to turn away.

Hermione carefully inspected the wispy memory.

Ginny was in a bathroom, late at night, far from the Slytherin Common Room. And in that abandoned bathroom, hidden in a stall, she wrote desperately in a little black book. Perhaps a journal?

'A diary.' The powerless voice clarified helplessly, between its sobs and waves of panic.

How very interesting! All of Ginny's secrets must be recorded inside of her diary! Hermione floated closer, to get a better view.

'No! You can't see, you can't see! Please don't look!' The voice begged.

Much of the text in the diary was a blurry mess, presumably because Ginny couldn't remember it. The first passage that was legible read, I'm not the Heir of Slytherin, am I? Hermione clucked. Such sloppy penmanship! It was hurried, and in some horrid combination of print and cursive. Not even a proper D'Nealian script either, even though Hermione had graciously offered to teach Ginny when first she'd seen her abominable handwriting.

What happened next sent Hermione's heart aflutter. The diary answered Ginny. Oh how truly wonderful! Oh how she'd wanted to see such a thing!

Black lettered text stamped itself on the diary's page, the letters so mechanical and precise that they looked like they'd been typed. No. Of course you're not the Heir Ginny. What a peculiar question. What brought this on?

My brother Ron thinks you're controlling me using the Imperius Curse, Ginny wrote immediately. And she was worried, because she knew that Ron was quite good at reading people, and she had always been poor at it.

Hermione was able to pick up on all of Ginny's thoughts from the memory! Truly wonderful! She could feel Ginny's growing fear of the diary, her panic that she'd made an unforgivable mistake, why Ginny had been quite nearly hysterical!

'Get out!' The powerless voice cried. 'You can't see this! Please leave! Please!'

Rude! 'Hush,' Hermione thought, pushing aside the voice, and forcing it to relive the memory.

'We've been over this,' the diary replied. 'Your brother is simply jealous of your nonexistent talents. You've fooled him, and all your friends, but it won't last forever. You don't belong and eventually you will be exposed. Pansy, Daphney, Millicent, that is your destiny. That is all you are Ginny.'

No, Ginny had thought. She'd always been a fake, and she'd fooled everyone so far. She wasn't any smarter than Ron, she just worked harder, she just played dirtier. That had been enough in the Burrow, but Hogwarts was different. Against Hermione it didn't matter much she studied, against Harry it didn't matter how much she practiced flying, she'd always come up short. And coming up short got you treated like a baby, pushed into the dirt, ignored. But as long as she had the diary, her lies could last forever.

The memory of Ginny hiccuped, and scribbled out a reply to the diary. But it's not just Ron, I think Dumbledore suspects me as well. They should have trusted her! They should have known she'd never do anything like that! No, no, she had to at least be honest with herself. She was capable of it. He had talked her into hunting a troll afterall. No, no, she had asked him to do it, but that wasn't evil, just reckless. She wanted to be the best, but she wouldn't put anyone else in danger. She knew the line that separated ambition and evil.

Right, like every dark witch ever hadn't once thought the same.

Ron knew her better than anyone, Dumbledore was a genius, and they both thought she was The Heir. Could it be possible? 'I can't be the Heir, I just can't be! I've always been taught that muggleborns have just as much magic as we do!'

'Please,' the powerless voice cried. 'You can't see this! Nobody can!'

'Yes,' the diary replied in its mechanical script. 'You have been raised to believe that they are our equals. Muggleborns. But Ginny, what do you believe?'

And for a moment Ginny was furious. If Hermione didn't exist, then she'd be the star she'd always wanted to be. Instead, everything she'd ever wanted had been snatched away by some jumped up muggle who'd learned she was a witch a couple months ago!

'Go away,' said the powerless voice. 'Or I'll make you! You mustn't see!'

That hardly warranted a reply. Hermione just made the memory even clearer, until she could hear the indignant scratching of quill on parchment.

'For Merlin's sake, my best friend is a muggleborn,' Ginny wrote. But her indignation was a lie. Deep down inside, there was a part of her that wanted Hermione gone, he was right… He was always right, and Ginevra Weasley was a fool…

Wait…

No…

He had never claimed that she was The Heir had he?

'You're trying to distract me, aren't you?' Ginny wrote, her letters even sloppier than normal. She couldn't stop her hand from trembling. 'You know who The Heir is, don't you Tom?'

The diary hesitated for a moment. 'Who are you? Are you the purest of Slytherins whom I gave my most beloved diary? Why did you seek my correspondence?'

Pure fright. Was this how Hermione had felt when dealing with Peter Pettigrew? One wrong word, and she and everyone she knew was dead. Ginny took a breath. 'Because I wanted to fool people into thinking I was special. Now I'd like you to answer my question, Tom. Who is it?' Ginny wrote. 'Tell me or I'll' Ginny lifted her quill off the diary and took a few steadying breaths. Why had she stopped?

'You'll do what?' The diary asked in that same mechanical script. 'Surely you've realized by now that if you turn me in, all of your darkness will come to light. Hermione will leave. Your family will leave. Even Ron will leave you. You will be alone. You will be nothing.'

Ginny sobbed. 'Is Hermione in any danger? Tell me that much at least! She's my best friend!'

'And if I say she is?' The diary asked. 'Will you turn me in then?'

Ginny didn't know. Couldn't know. Tom had exposed a darkness within herself she hadn't thought possible. But she hoped, desperately, that when the time came she would do the right thing.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. What was Ginny so embarrassed about? Why was she so very desperate to send Hermione away? She'd acquitted herself rather well in her memories. Perhaps she was embarrassed that Hermione had found out the source of her skill in dueling. It was hardly a thing to be ashamed about though, seeking help from an expert! And who could be more of an expert in dueling than the Dark Lord himself? Hermione should have expected as much really. It was the only explanation as to how a child her own age might be better at her in any kind of magic aside from that foolish broomstickery.

Or perhaps Ginny was frightened that Hermione would find her jealousy off putting. Hardly! She was quite used to it of course! Perhaps the slightly racist leanings Ginny secretly harbored? But so long as Ginny kept those beliefs properly repressed, she could hardly be faulted for tribalistic tendencies- why they were just a part of human nature.

Ginny had absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. Well, except for-

'Get out!' A voice screamed. And for the first time Hermione felt a tug that couldn't be so easily overpowered. Hermione had to fight to stay in the memory.

'Is Hermione in any danger,' Ginny wrote in the diary. But the image was losing clarity, becoming more distant. At long last, Ginny had started to grasp occlumency. How very inconvenient!

'On my Father's name, I, Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr, have no intention of harming Hermione Granger.' The diary responded. 'Unless, as we've previously discussed, she-'

And Hermione was back in Professor Lockhart's dingy classroom. While she'd quite like to have seen more, she'd discovered plenty. Perhaps even enough to win the coming war.

"How much did you see," Ginny screamed, brandishing her wand, tears streaking down her cheeks in a rather unseemly outburst. "No, it doesn't matter. You've seen too much. Why wouldn't you listen to me Hermione? Why couldn't you just stay out of it? Now I'm going to have to make sure you don't talk!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. "Show me the diary! It's dangerous! Surely you've figured out that it's controlling you!"

"Only because I let it," Ginny shouted, little sparks flickering from the tip of her wand. "Put your wand away, or I'll have to hurt you!"

"The Diary is a horcrux," Hermione revealed. A discovery most brilliant. She had suspected, of course, that the Dark Lord had made at least one horcrux. The appeal was as obvious as his immortality- at least if you were a death fearing buffoon. But she had needed evidence to verify her hypothesis, and she was quite sure that she'd found it.

It would probably be inappropriate to smile, but surely this discovery would win her an Order of Merlin, First Class. And then surely Ronald would finally understand how lucky he was to have caught her attention. Oh how truly wonderful! For some reason Ginny wasn't applauding her incredible revelation, in fact, she still seemed quite upset…

Ahh… Of course…

"A fragment of the Dark Lord's soul," Hermione explained smartly. She often forgot how stupid everyone around her was. "I've read all about them- for purely academic purposes of course- and it certainly matches the descrip-"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Ginny screamed.

And Hermione went stiff as a board. There was no need to panic. She'd just been inside Ginny's mind. She was perfectly safe. Just because she wasn't in control… Just because… She wasn't in control. She wasn't in control? She wasn't in control! This wasn't fun anymore! Enough, she wanted to stop.

Ginny walked towards her. Pointed her wand right between Hermione's eyes.

Okay! Hermione wouldn't tell! She just wanted everything to go back to normal! She had to soften Ginny, as she had Pettigrew, then everything would be okay!

Unfortunately Hermione couldn't open her mouth. She was petrified. Helpless. Hermione begged for mercy pathetically. Or she would have, if she could move her bloody mouth.

"You're the one who doesn't understand!" Ginny screamed, like a raving lunatic. "What it's like to be ordinary! Overlooked! It's not enough to be a good person- even if you always do the right thing it just makes you a punching bag! Everyone treats him like a baby! I won't let that happen to me- not ever! But I'm not a genius like you Hermione, and I'm not noble like Harry either! If I want to stand out I need that diary. I need it! With it guiding me anything is possible! With it I can be made seeker of the bloody quidditch team, hell I can even beat you in a fight. Without it I'm just- just another Weasley! I won't let you take it from me!"

"Obliviate!" Ginny screamed.

Hermione flinched. But nothing happened. She could still remember.

"Obliviate!" Ginny screamed again. But again nothing happened. "Why is this happening? He said it would work! As long as you don't remember, everything will be okay! Why isn't it working?"

"Because of my Shield Charm," said Professor Lockhart calmly.

Hermione had quite forgotten that he was here. She'd never been in any danger.

"Naughty, naughty," said Professor Lockhart, waving his wand back and forth. "Disobedience is not tolerated, even in a child. You're being very mischievous, trying to break the rules like that."

…What rules exactly? Why school rules of course! What was Hermione even thinking? Surely she could trust Professor Lockhart!

"Hermione," snapped Professor Lockhart. "Watch closely! You're very lucky. I hadn't thought I'd be showing you this charm so soon."

Ginny trembled. And all of a sudden Hermione could move again.

"RUN!" Ginny screamed. A red serpentine flame burst from her wand.

Professor Lockhart extinguished it with an almost contemptuous flick of his wand. "Obliviate." Ginny fell to the ground. She didn't get up. She didn't move. Professor Lockhart explained the False Memory Charm. Thoroughly. Step-by-step. In such a manner that Hermione knew that she would be capable of performing the charm herself. But it wasn't the explanation that seared itself into Hermione's memory, it was Lockhart's ever-present perfect smile as he meticulously destroyed Ginny's mind.

"I will make her believe the lesson went poorly. That I was merely a fraud and a braggart, of no real talent. That you were following me due to a combination of infatuation of my good looks and glamorous lifestyle, as well as a general obedience towards authority figures. Ginevra is no fool. Most witches and wizards, and even muggles for that matter, are intelligent enough to determine when their memories are faulty. The lie must be believable, or it won't last longer than a few moments. Remember that."

"Why are you doing this?" Hermione asked. Her mind wasn't working properly for some reason.

"For her own protection," Professor Lockhart said smoothly. "We could hardly let her rampage. She was hysterical and in the process of attacking you. I'm only doing to her what she planned to do to you."

Hermione found herself nodding. "We have to show the diary to Headmaster Dumbledore. It's a… Er… It's probably a horcrux."

"Ahh… So that's what set her off." Professor Lockhart nodded solemnly. "Are you absolutely sure that it's a horcrux? Based upon her reaction, Ginny will almost certainly be expelled if you reveal her diary to Dumbledore. And then there's the matter of how we discovered she had it. Don't worry, Dumbledore won't expel someone as gifted as you. But he'll keep a close eye on you, and you'll never have an opportunity to learn all the things I can teach you. This is just the tip of the iceberg Hermione. I came to Hogwarts for you. You are extraordinary, but even you need a wise old mentor to help you meet your potential. Without me, you will forever be a lesser version of yourself. Still great of course, but… Lesser."

That was all true… But… But…

"Of course it is dangerous, and of course I'll look into it. And I vow that if the diary is truly a horcrux, I will hand the diary over to Dumbledore myself."

"You know what a horcrux is?" Hermione asked. Why had she asked that? It seemed silly. Trivial.

"Of course I know what a horcrux is," said Lockhart impatiently. "It is a near indestructible tether to this world, and grants a wizard immortality in exchange for a human sacrifice and a seventh of the wizard's soul. You've heard of my deeds haven't you? I could hardly be a grand adventurer if I didn't have a thorough understanding of the dark arts."

"But that's… Magick Most Evile by Godelot never mentioned a fraction," Hermione rambled. "Earlier, when I asked you about it you spouted nonsense, so now… Why?"

"Horcruxes are hardly polite conversation," said Lockhart. "Indeed, of all the dark arts it is the darkest. Taboo. But Miss Granger, dealing with dark magic is what I do."

"I-I need some time to think. I don't know if I can trust you!" Pachelbel's Canon, she really was hysterical wasn't she? If Lockhart was a… a… Well if he was a dark wizard, it would hardly be prudent to threaten him. She ought to go along with his whims and turn him in at the first opportunity.

"You're frightened," said Lockhart. "But I assure you Miss Granger, I would sooner die than harm a single lock of that horrible bush you call a haircut. If you want to report the diary to Dumbledore then I will do nothing to stop you. If after my investigation The Diary is indeed a horcrux, I will give it to Dumbledore myself. You need not take that on faith. I am willing to perform an Unbreakable Vow for both claims. The only reason I am here, Miss Granger, is to train you to be the best version of yourself."

"Do it then," Hermione said. "The Unbreakable Vow."

"Very well," said Lockhart, clasping Hermione's right hand. "State what you would require of me."

"Will you do no harm to me, or any of my friends?"

"I will not harm you, or any of your friends," said Lockhart smoothly.

"Will you investigate the diary I saw in Ginny Weasley's memories to the best of your ability?"

"I will."

"Will you turn in the diary to Albus Dumbledore, without any meddling, should you find it to be a horcrux, or some other dark artifact?"

"I will."

A thin tongue of brilliant flame issued from the wand and wound its way around their hands like a red-hot wire, and then it was done. Professor Lockhart smiled at her pleasantly, looking not at all concerned.

Hermione felt a smile creep onto her face. Perhaps the lesson had been dark, but Professor Lockhart had proven himself trustworthy! Oh-ho she was going to be a mind reader!

Beating Dad in poker would be ever-so-easy, and the next time The Evil Neville Longbottom tried to put her down, she'd have a one-liner prepared in advance!

Hermione checked in with Ginny the next morning. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," said Ginny, inhaling a pancake like some kind of mountain troll. "A shame about Lockhart, but I kinda had a feeling that Ole' Gil was a fraud. I don't understand why you stayed."

"Just think of it Ginny," said Hermione primly. "He's an incompetent who fooled the entire wizarding world into thinking he was a grand adventurer! Why he's a magical Jim Bakker. Think of all the things he could teach us!"

Ginny shrugged. "Whatever. I'm not going to be going to those private lessons with you anymore."

"Change of subject, what do you know of that Professor Quirrell fellow? Perhaps I might take private lessons with him instead?" Asked Hermione most subtly. She had delivered her question with such naturalness, such genuineness, perhaps she might pursue a career as an actress in Hollywood.

Ginny's fork hovered a few inches from her mouth. Her pancake plopped back onto her plate. "Err… Professor Quirrell?" Ginny asked, her voice high. "I, err… I don't know a thing about him… Yeah… Sorry… I mean, err… I do know a little I suppose. Like Fred and George told me that he was attacked by a vampire while on sabbatical in Siberia, but y'know, everyone knows that so it's not weird that I know it, because y'know everyone knows it. It would be weirder if I didn't know it, y'know?"

Right. That rumor. It had seemed rather unlikely, all things considered, but perhaps real-world politics didn't apply to the wizarding world. "Siberia? He wasn't worried about, err… Being sent to The Gulag if he was caught?"

"The Gulag?" Ginny asked.

"You've never heard of The Gulag?" Hermione asked, blinking. "The Berlin Wall? The Iron Curtain? The No-Fly Zone? Mutually Assured Destruction? Surely you've at least heard of the Soviet Union?"

Ginny stared at her blankly. Ahh… Was this perhaps why wizards were so serious? Why they were all so frightened of something as innocuous as an evil, immortal warlock plotting to take over the country? They didn't realize that total oblivion was but a button press away. "Is this perhaps a wizard thing?"

"It's a yokel thing Granger," said Draco, turning from what must have been a truly engaging conversation of grunts with Vincent Crabbe. "Those of us in real families know all about the muggle world. Yes I know, their kind has been on the moon, and yes I know about automatic rifles, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and all that other rubbish. Father has explained the importance of the Statute of Secrecy. We're weaker than them, and if we're exposed they will destroy us as surely as they will destroy each other. Father says that if not for a single under-cover death eater, they might have ended the world all on their own. Perhaps you've heard of him: Vasili Arkhipov."

"Oh," Hermione said, swallowing. "No. I've not heard of him."

"I thought not," said Draco smugly. "You were raised by muggles afterall. But muggles is such an imprecise term. You were brought up to be an English elite. The English would never admit that a Soviet saved the world. Because if the Soviets aren't evil, how could the English justify conquering them?"

Hermione swallowed. Not because Draco was being a jerk, but because his criticism was fair.

Hermione shivered. Horcruxes, death eaters, Lord Voldemort himself, none of them had frightened her half as much as Draco Malfoy's thorough understanding of the real world.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review.

Hermione did indeed witness the part of the memory Lord Voldemort wanted kept from her. Feel free to speculate on that if you want. Also, keep in mind that The Diary may not be being truthful with Ginny. In fact, I'll admit that it outright lies to her at least once in this chapter.

I know that in cannon the Unbreakable Vow requires three people, but I've decided that in this universe it needs only two. This is just so I don't have to add a third person whenever one is made. Also in this story, there aren't any ghosts, as ghosts significantly weaken Lord Voldemort's somewhat understandable position that death is the worst possible thing that can happen to a person.

And now onto the reviews!

merendinoemiliano - Well this was a payoff chapter. The next one will be a setup chapter, and then another payoff chapter after that. Then we'll be near the climax of the second arc. Thanks for the review!

ViviTheFolle - I've gotta admit that I didn't plan on Lockhart coming off so creepy… :/… Well, maybe a little. For better or worse, he is the most important character in this middle arc. And I'm fairly certain that Dumbledore is aware of Lockhart and Hermione's little excursion, he just wants to see what she'll do. Dumbledore isn't the type to protect his students, he's the type to give them tests that challenge the limits of their capabilities.

Hermione's boggart indicates something else. It'll be explained at the end of the story, but her fear has already had a tremendous impact on the story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review!