The Potter Timeline
Chapter 34 - Startling Revelations
The second-years knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall's office.
"Come in!" the woman uttered.
Harry opened the door and Hermione briskly walked with him to McGonagall's desk where the professor was engaged in paperwork. Her brow furrowed at them.
"Harry, Hermione," she said, curious as to the reason for their appearance on a Saturday evening.
"Professor," Harry replied and placed Tom Riddle's diary on her desk.
The witch gazed at it momentarily before her eyes widened and she threw the students a look of astonishment.
"Is that what I think it is?!"
Hermione nodded.
"Yes, ma'am. Tom Riddle's diary," the girl replied.
"Where did you find it?" the professor asked while standing and taking the diary in hand, gazing curiously over its worn surface.
"It was in my trunk," Harry answered, "Dobby retrieved it from the girls' restroom after Ginny left it, and put it in there."
McGonagall gave them a concerned look.
"We need to get this to Professor Dumbledore right away. Come with me!"
They followed the woman out of the office into the main corridor. After riding the moving stairwell to the headmaster's office, McGonagall knocked on the large oak door.
"Enter!" Dumbledore spoke.
The door opened and the three went in.
"Ah! Minerva, Hermione, Harry. To what do I owe this pleasure?" the professor asked while gazing intently at a parchment in his hands.
Harry and Hermione stood in front of the desk while McGonagall stepped up beside the headmaster.
"Albus, our second-years have found it."
She laid the diary on the desk and the man stared intently at it, laying the parchment down. He then took up the book, gazed over its surface, and opened it, pausing at the page where Riddle's name was scribbled. Upon closing it, the man looked at the pair.
"Where did you find it?"
"It was in my trunk, sir," Harry answered, "Dobby took it from the girls' room after Ginny tossed it. He stuck it in my trunk after."
Dumbledore nodded.
"So, you spoke with Dobby and he confirmed this?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did he say anything else?"
Harry thought for a moment.
"He went on about the terrible event again. And then he said an 'innocent' would be blamed for it..."
Harry placed both hands on the professor's desk.
"Sir, I believe he was referring to Hagrid. Hagrid was blamed for opening the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago, wasn't he?" Harry asked desperately.
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and he threw a glance at McGonagall who returned a surprised expression. Dumbledore leaned forward on the desk and gazed hard at Harry.
"And how do you know that?" he asked sternly.
The boy gulped.
"I...wrote in the diary, sir, like Ginny Weasley. I encountered Tom and saw his memory of it," he said nervously, concerned the professors might scold him for this admission. He wasn't wrong.
"HARRY POTTER! WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO..." McGonagall lit into him before the headmaster raised a hand to stop her. She went silent but was fuming at the boy. Harry's face turned bright red. Dumbledore lowered his hand.
"Harry, I am very disappointed in you," he said, "it seems you still have not learned your lesson about acting before thinking, and this, right after what happened during the recent Quidditch match. You saw what Tom did to Ginny Weasley through this diary. Following after her was a most foolish thing, especially considering your specific association with Voldemort. There's no telling what might happen now."
Harry glanced at Hermione and her expression had "I told you so!" written all over it. But Harry was perturbed, convinced he'd done the right thing, despite the haunting words of Tom Riddle. He gazed at the headmaster with determination.
"But sir. Dobby said Tom wouldn't reveal himself to you, only to me. And he did. Hagrid is innocent! I saw it myself! I saw Tom's memories of it and saw him lie to both you and Headmaster Dippet! Then Tom admitted to me that it was he himself who opened the Chamber of Secrets! Tom told me he's the Heir of Slytherin!"
Harry stepped back, breathing hard and feeling frustrated. But it was the first time Harry could recall Dumbledore appearing dumbstruck. The wizard leaned forward.
"You said you...saw Tom's memories in the diary?" he asked with a furrowed brow.
"Yes, sir. It contains his memories from his time here at Hogwarts, including the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."
Dumbledore was clearly astonished as he picked the diary up and stared at it once more. He then looked at Harry.
"Tell me everything you saw and know, my boy."
For the next quarter hour, Harry related his trek through Tom's memories concerning the death of the girl, whom he assumed was Moaning Myrtle, Tom's accusation of Hagrid, the events in the Hall of Reflection with Hermione, and Tom's threatening words to him - the last part seeming to disturb Dumbledore more than any of it.
When Harry finished, the professor, with an expression of profound wonder, stood from his desk and slowly paced to one side of the room, his hand stroking his beard as the old wizard seemed once more lost in deep thought. Harry, Hermione, and McGonagall waited anxiously to know what he was thinking. Then, the man stopped and turned back to the three of them.
"Harry, I owe you an apology," he said very solemnly.
The others were astonished.
"For what?" Harry asked.
"For scolding you in following your instincts. While I and Professor McGonagall have admonished you for making rash decisions before thinking, and leaping in before you properly understood the circumstances, in this particular case, following your instincts was the correct path to take."
Hermione gawked at the boy next to her, and this time it was Harry's turn to throw her an "I told you so!" with his expression.
"How is that, Albus?" the witch in emerald green asked puzzled.
"If Harry and Hermione had brought the diary to us first, Minerva, my own instinct would have been to destroy it immediately, considering how dangerous it is and what mischief Tom Riddle has already caused through it. However, based on what Harry just recounted, this diary may yet be of invaluable use to us."
Now the others were dumbstruck. He continued.
"Indeed, I suspect Voldemort and his supporter may have committed...a grave error."
The wizard looked at his deputy, then Harry noticed the man's eyes dart at the black cabinet behind the woman. Picking up on this, McGonagall spun around to follow his gaze and then turned back in astonishment. Dumbledore smiled and nodded at her. Harry didn't understand this exchange. But apparently it wasn't for him or Hermione to know just yet. The headmaster turned to the second-years.
"The two of you are dismissed. I will examine the diary this evening to see if my hunch is correct. I will then report back tomorrow on what I've found."
"Yes, sir," they both acknowledged and headed for the door. McGonagall remained behind to speak with the headmaster.
During the ride to the main floor, Harry and Hermione were both in deep thought before the girl looked at him.
"I guess I owe you an apology too, Harry, for doubting you about writing in the diary," she said somberly, "you were right, considering what Dumbledore said. If we hadn't examined the diary first, he might have destroyed it and we would never have found proof Hagrid was innocent or that Tom Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin and opened the Chamber of Secrets."
Harry smiled at her.
"It's okay, Hermione. None of us knew what was in the diary. And I thought Tom and I might just be writing back and forth. I had no idea I'd get sucked inside it and actually see his memories. But whatever the case, I'm glad I found out about Hagrid. All this time he'd been expelled from Hogwarts and accused of something he never did. So, that's why he's hidden his wand inside that pink umbrella of his - he's technically not allowed to do magic."
Hermione's face turned sad.
"Poor Hagrid. Hopefully, Professor Dumbledore can clear it all up and he can get something of a normal wizard's life back."
"Definitely," Harry said in wonder, "and I hope the grave error the headmaster spoke of will help us fight Tom and Voldemort somehow too. It looks like Dobby really was helping us this time and not just getting us into trouble."
Hermione chuckled.
The following morning, Harry and Hermione joined their fellow Gryffindors in the Great Hall for breakfast. As the others talked, joked, and laughed, the two best friends merely ate and listened. The events of the previous evening and Dumbledore's curious words had them both anxious to know what the headmaster might have turned up concerning the diary. Harry hoped against hope that something good would come out of his contact with Tom.
After breakfast, the pair took a leisurely stroll around the Black Lake during that fine Sunday morning as bright sunshine helped warm the chilly air. At one point, they stopped to watch Fred and George by the shore of the lake as the twins engaged in their yearly attempt to feed the giant squid. After several food items had been rejected by the pink beast, each one flying over everyone's heads, the four were surprised when an old witch's shoe disappeared next to the squid in a pool of bubbles, never to return. Grinning from ear to ear, the twins strategized on where they might find other, discarded shoes inside the castle, wondering if they had at last found something the squid liked to eat. Harry and Hermione resumed their hike, laughing over Fred and George's antics.
By midmorning, as they had received no word from Professor Dumbledore, the pair headed to the library to get in some study time to prepare for Monday's classes. After, they made their way back to the Great Hall for lunch. As they both dug into a hot bowl of mushroom and noodle soup, owls appeared overhead delivering mail. A white and brown school owl dropped a letter, with their names written in fine calligraphic style, right between them and the second-years immediately put down their spoons. Harry opened the envelope, and they read the note together in silence.
Harry and Hermione,
Please visit my office at 2 pm this afternoon. Thank you.
Yours Kindly,
Albus Dumbledore
They grinned at one another. This was what they had been waiting for.
~HP~
After knocking on the headmaster's door, they glanced nervously at one another.
"Enter!" the old man uttered from inside.
The door swung open and the two entered. The professor was sitting at his desk and was surrounded by the four heads of House: McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick. Everyone stared at the second-years as they walked toward the platform, Sprout and Flitwick smiling at them.
"Harry, Miss Granger, thank you for coming," Dumbledore now spoke, "please, have a seat."
They sat in the chairs before the desk. The headmaster looked up at everyone.
"Now, I have called all of you here to discuss a significant development concerning Tom Riddle's infamous diary, which was found just yesterday by our two second-years. I examined the diary last night and quite frankly am astonished. It would appear that Voldemort and the person whom he used to get the diary into the school made a grave mistake and we may be able to take advantage of it. There is one aspect of this matter which has me puzzled, however. But we will discuss that another time. For now, I wanted you all to see what Riddle's diary has yielded."
Dumbledore turned in his chair, picked something up from the shelf on which the Sorting Hat sat. The wizard spun back around and placed the object on his desk. Harry and Hermione leaned in to gaze more closely at a medium-sized tray holding at least two dozen vials, each containing a translucent blue liquid.
"What are those, professor?" Harry asked.
"These, my boy, are Tom Riddle's memories - all of his memories that were held within the diary. I spent the entire night painstakingly extracting each and every one of them. I then viewed several and confirmed what you spoke of yesterday."
Everyone was amazed.
"How did you do that, sir?" Hermione asked with great curiosity.
The man smiled at her and looked at McGonagall.
"Minerva, if you'd be so kind," he said.
He nodded at the black cabinet by the wall Harry recalled him glancing at the previous evening.
The woman opened the cabinet.
"I viewed Tom Riddle's memories, Miss Granger, with the aid of that."
Inside was the shallow basin sitting atop the pedestal that Harry saw during his first visit to the headmaster's office. Gazing at it more attentively now, he noticed the strange markings around its base and the aurora-like light flowing above it. It was both spooky and fascinating to behold.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"That is called a Pensieve. A magical device that allows one to both store and view memories. This particular one has been in the headmaster's office for several centuries. It contains a wealth of memories from every headmaster or headmistress since. I use it frequently to consult my predecessors' experiences for various school matters. And I have been adding my own memories to it as I go along. But now, with the memories from Tom's diary, we have access to information that hitherto was not known."
"Perhaps, professor, Tom might have...faked some of these memories of his?" Snape asked, ever suspicious, "perhaps he even modified some in the event they fell into the wrong hands."
"A very astute observation, Severus, considering the person in question. And I thought of that as well. However, from what I examined thus far, the manner in which these memories present themselves suggests a rather plain honesty. Indeed, a number of them present Tom's failings and clear lack of knowledge in certain areas - something which many arrogant and ego-driven people would not want to recollect."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both recalling Tom's failure at whatever spell he was attempting to place on the diary in the Hall of Reflection. The headmaster continued.
"We are not, after all, dealing with the decades-later, seasoned dark wizard who called himself 'Lord Voldemort'. These are memories of a yet inexperienced teenager who was still learning and making mistakes along the way. Hence, his purpose for the diary in the first place."
Snape nodded, seeming to agree with Dumbledore's assessment. The headmaster continued.
"Now, as for the content, I have witnessed a number of astonishing things, some of which had been a complete mystery until now. Tom's obsession with his ancestry and consequently his discovery of being a descendant of Salazar Slytherin through his mother, Merope. His quest for immortality, as well as his search for and discovery of the Chamber of Secrets."
At this, everyone perked up.
"So, it's confirmed, then. The Chamber is real?" Snape asked.
"Yes, Severus. I'm afraid so," the headmaster answered.
"And did one of Riddle's memories reveal its location?" Flitwick inquired.
"Yes, and...no."
"What do you mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked.
"Riddle discovered that the entrance to the Chamber, or rather, the way to the entrance to the Chamber, was in none other than...the First-Floor Girls' Restroom."
Harry and Hermione were stunned. But this information made sense.
"That's where Moaning Myrtle was killed!" Hermione said in amazement.
"It was indeed, Miss Granger. No doubt that's where Slytherin's monster attacked her."
"And Filch kept finding water spilled along the first-floor corridor. That restroom floor is covered in it," McGonagall added.
"Yes, Minerva. So, now we know from whence it came. However, when I watched Riddle attempt to open it, the memory grew dark and blurry. At first, I suspected it was somehow tampered with, as you suggested Severus, to prevent anyone from knowing precisely where in the restroom the opening was located. But because Riddle himself remains perfectly clear in the memory, I deduced another reason for the distortion."
"What's that?" Flitwick asked.
"That Salazar Slytherin placed an enchantment on the opening so that only his heir would know its precise location, even in memory form. But the general location is now known to us, and our first order of business will be to seal off the girls' restroom. This, until we find the Chamber and destroy it permanently. In the meantime, if Slytherin's monster is still loose inside the Chamber, it should remain trapped there."
The four professors nodded at the headmaster. He went on.
"As to another matter revealed through my examination, I will be taking several of these memories to the Wizengamot where I intend to reopen the case against our own Rubeus Hagrid who, as all of you know, was accused and hastily found guilty of loosing his pet on the student population fifty years ago. The student attacks and death of Myrtle Warren were foisted upon the poor man with no chance for an appeal, I'm sorry to say. Therefore, I intend to see to it, with this new evidence, that Hagrid is finally exonerated."
Harry and Hermione beamed at one another. The other professors expressed equal elation, save Snape who revealed no emotion as usual. Dumbledore continued with a bit of emotion himself.
"I always believed Hagrid was innocent and had been framed by Tom to cover up his own nasty deeds, which we now know involved a very real Chamber of Secrets. At the time, I was powerless to overrule my superior as well as the Wizengamot's decision based on Dippet's influence. And until this moment, I had no definitive proof to contradict the accusation. But now, I will bring my full power to the court, as Chief Warlock, to ensure Hagrid is cleared of blame and restored to his rightful place in our society."
"I'm sure Hagrid will be very pleased to hear this!" Sprout uttered excitedly.
"Most definitely, Pomona," Flitwick added, "he'll be able to procure a new wand and perhaps even finish his schooling!"
"Yes, Filius," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "and I will aid him in doing so, if he wishes."
Harry and Hermione grinned at each other. Harry imagined, with some amusement, Hagrid sitting in on their classes, trying to squeeze inside a student desk. The headmaster went on.
"However, I want you all to be prepared for the fallout when this occurs. When the evidence is presented and Hagrid is exonerated, it will no doubt produce a tremendous scandal. And while Headmaster Dippet is no longer living..."
"What? Did someone call my name?" a creaky voice chimed from the portraits on the wall.
Everyone turned to see the picture of the old, nearly-bald professor as he awoke from a nap in his chair and looked around in confusion.
"No, professor," Dumbledore answered, "you may go back to sleep."
"Oh! Very well..." the moving portrait uttered before returning to his slumber.
Harry and Hermione chuckled. Dumbledore continued.
"As I was saying, since a certain someone is no longer living, he cannot be held to account, though there are a few persons still alive who were complicit in the matter fifty years ago and may find themselves in hot water when it is revealed the Chamber of Secrets is not simply a legend. And I expect reporters from The Daily Prophet, Quibbler, and other papers to attempt to penetrate these walls to gain more information on the Chamber. I'll make sure Hogwarts castle and grounds remains off-limits to them."
Dumbledore rose from his seat and glanced at each of his fellow professors.
"I have yet to finish viewing all of Tom Riddle's memories and once I have, may call you all back to discuss any important findings. In the meantime, we'll seal the doorway to the girls' restroom, and I will apprise the Aurors of our present situation. Now then. If you'll excuse us, professors, I have something private to discuss with our second-years."
The four nodded and exited the headmaster's office. Once the door was closed, Dumbledore sat back down at his desk and gazed at Harry.
"Harry, how are you feeling?" he asked simply.
The twelve-year-old was puzzled.
"Fine, sir."
"Are you sure?" the wizard asked, and Harry shrugged.
"Yes, sir. In fact, I feel...quite good."
Dumbledore nodded at him in thought. He continued.
"And did anything unusual occur last night? Did you experience another...nightmare, perhaps?"
"No, sir."
"I see. And...nothing strange occurred in your dorm room either?"
"No, sir. Nothing at all."
Dumbledore nodded once more. The man stroked his beard, deep in thought again. Harry threw Hermione a puzzled look and she returned the same.
"Do you suspect something's wrong, professor?" Harry asked.
The old wizard clasped his hands together on top of the desk.
"I'm not sure, my boy. But I'm curious."
"Of what?"
"About the matter that puzzled me, which I mentioned near the beginning of our meeting."
"What puzzled you, sir?" Hermione asked, her curiosity rising.
Dumbledore leaned forward on the desk.
"Tom Riddle was one of the brightest students to walk the halls of Hogwarts. That he became equally wicked after, you know, of course. But with such an important book as this, containing his own memories of his time at the school and the nature of their content, I would expect him to have protected it with a curse of some kind. In fact, I would expect said curse to be so powerful that any person would wind up maimed, mad, or simply dead if they attempted to tamper with it. He'd be a fool if he didn't do this.
However, I examined the diary yesterday evening using various magical means and discovered, to my astonishment, no curse or enchantment on the diary whatsoever. I was therefore able to retrieve all of Tom's memories with no penalty, it seems. And this puzzles me."
The second-years both thought over this.
"Do you think Hermione's blasting spell might have broken the curse, when she tried to free me from the trance?" Harry asked.
"Most likely not. Though, due to Tom's inexperience at the time, it's not by any means certain he created a perfect curse that could withstand any magical intrusions or disabling. There is, however, another way in which Riddle might have cursed the diary and succeeded in something he was after during his time at Hogwarts."
"What's that, sir?" Hermione asked.
"Young Tom's quest for immortality, which I mentioned earlier, and which is the subject of numerous memories contained in the diary. Ever since Ginny Weasley's testimony, I suspected there was more to the diary than simply a record of Riddle's memories. And now, with your experiences, Harry, I am nearly certain of this. But if what I suspect is true, my ability to break into the diary without consequences suggests that something...unexpected has occurred. Something not even Voldemort himself would have foreseen."
"What's that, sir.?" Harry asked.
"I'll not answer that just yet, as I need to gather more information, and gather my thoughts. But rest assured, I will answer your question at some point as it relates to the ritual you both saw Tom perform inside the Hall of Reflection."
The second-years stared at one another in surprise. The old wizard went on.
"In the meantime, I will continue to investigate Riddle's memories and glean all I can from them, taking advantage of our good fortune."
Dumbledore leaned forward and gazed at Harry very sternly.
"As for you, Harry, if you notice or experience anything strange or untoward, come straight to me or Professor McGonagall and do not hesitate this time. Is that clear?"
Harry gulped and nodded at him.
"Yes, sir."
The man smiled.
"Very well. The two of you are dismissed."
The second-years stood and walked toward the doorway, exiting and closing the door quietly behind them. As they rode back down the moving stairwell, both their hearts seemed heavy over what they'd just heard.
"So, that's what Tom was doing in the Hall of Reflection, trying to place a curse on the diary to protect it," Harry said.
"Yes, but according to Dumbledore, it was more than that," Hermione said, "the ritual he spoke of seems more complicated and required...killing something, for some reason. If I had to guess, I'd say Tom was performing the worst kind of dark magic you possibly can. That's why it was so horrible to watch."
Harry frowned.
"Well, until the headmaster fully understands it, I guess we won't find out what it is."
"But I'm worried, Harry. The professor seemed...really concerned about you personally. He may suspect Tom did something to you after you looked in the diary."
"But what? I don't feel any different than I did beforehand. And as I told Dumbledore, nothing unusual has happened. For all we know, Tom could have been bluffing. I don't trust anything he said to me."
Hermione frowned.
"I hope you're right, Harry. And I really hope this whole Chamber of Secrets business is at an end."
Harry smiled at her.
"Me too."