Note: A passage in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has been taken and modified for my purposes (The diary's memory). This passage belongs solely to J.K. Rowling, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 18:

"Mr. Riddle," Professor Slughorn began to approach Tom. It was two days before the students were to be sent home. Classes had ceased as to have more watchful eyes over students at all times, who were kept largely in their respective common rooms.

Tom looked up at his Head of House, pretending to be interested in reading about the effects of Bubotuber pus. "Yes, Professor?" He turned to face him, dark circles under his eyes; he hadn't slept the night before. At any moment something could go wrong, anything. Too many people knew. There were his followers, Nicole, that Benny fellow, Kanker, and that suspicious boy Kaiser. One of them would break, and if that happened…

Professor Slughorn interrupted his thoughts. "Headmaster Dippet would like a word." Tom attempted a confused expression, though his mind was racing. Did he know? "Professor Radford will escort you to his office."

Tom had to keep a level head; he couldn't allow his panic to override his senses. He had to stay cool, calm, collect. He wasn't finished, not just yet anyway.

Professor Radford, the Astronomy teacher led him down to the Headmaster's Office. They stood in front of a gargoyle, and Professor Radford spoke in a clear voice: "Gemini, Scorpio, odd men and Venus."

The gargoyle suddenly sprang to life, revealing behind it a door. Professor Radford turned to Tom. "The passwords have all become more complex since…" he stopped suddenly, opening the door. "It is late and I must retire Mr. Riddle, the hallways are patrolled constantly by faculty members, you are as safe as one can be in these times," Professor Radford looked tense. "

[Modified content from the Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets begins here]

Tom nodded, and knocked on the door. "Enter," said a voice from inside. Tom did, he had never been in the Headmaster's office before. Portraits of prior Headmasters and Headmistresses were asleep in their frames. Tom looked around the room, trying to remain calm, and inconspicuous. "Ah, Riddle," Professor Dippet looked up at him.

He could not move, his feet were paralyzed. "You wanted to see me Professor Dippet?" His voice trembled slightly; he couldn't conceal the panic he felt rising within him.

"Sit down," Professor Dippet replied, looking distracted. Here it comes, it's all over, should he run for it? He was certain he could take Professor Radford on the way out. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me." A huge wave of relief overtook him, and he resisted the urge to jump for joy. A letter! A letter! That's why Professor Dippet had called him to his office. He wasn't caught, he could still breathe.

"Oh," Tom managed after a moment. What else could he say?

"My dear boy," Professor Dippet said kindly. "I cannot possibly let you stay at the school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

What exactly was Dippet going on about? Hadn't he just announced they were closing the school? He seemed quite out of sorts, perhaps he had forgotten. Just play along, said a voice inside Tom's head.

"No," he said almost instinctively. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts then go back to that – that —"

"You live in a muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.

Tom could feel his face redden. "Yes, sir."

"You are muggleborn?"

Tom felt rage replace his confusion. Him, the heir of Salazar Slytherin, mistaken for a common muggleborn? "Halfblood sir," he began, "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents—"

Tom nodded. "My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me – Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically.

"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" asked Tom.

"Precisely," Dippet wet his lips, his eyes scanned the room as if he were searching for something, then he gazed back upon Tom.

"My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at you orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking of closing the school."

Talking? Tom wondered silently. Professor Dippet had sounded so certain in his speech. Did this mean what he thought it meant? Was Hogwarts still salvageable? If it were, he had to do everything in his power to keep it from crumbling, at least until he had graduated. "We are no nearer locating the – er – source of all this unpleasantness..."

Tom's eyes widened. "Sir – if the person was caught – if it all stopped—"

"What do you mean?" Professor Dippet asked sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you know something about these attacks?"

"No sir," Tom said quickly. The Headmaster sank back into his chair, visibly disappointed.

"You may go Tom," sighed Headmaster Dippet.

Tom got up from his chair and slowly exited the Headmaster's office. He walked down the spiral staircase deep in thought. Rubeus, Acromantula, Hiding, probably dungeons. The note suddenly made sense. Tom could have his cake, and eat it too, metaphorically speaking of course. That's it, I find Hagrid and his spider, blame them for the death and the attacks, I get off scotch free and perhaps even treated like a hero!

Tom hurried off, suddenly quite excited. His excitement dropped somewhat however, when he saw a less than desirable sight near the entrance hall: Professor Dumbledore.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?" He asked, eyeing Tom suspiciously.

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," Tom replied truthfully.

"Well, hurry off to bed," Professor Dumbledore replied. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…" he sighed. "Goodnight Tom." He strolled off, Tom watched him drift out of sight and then began towards the dungeons, where Nicole had suggested.

Tom stood by the door, watching the passage outside. There was nothing for a good while, but he waited, he had no other choice.

Finally he heard someone creeping along the passage, and Tom began to follow. He heard a door creak open and a voice that sounded all too familiar.

"C'mon… gotta get yeh outta here… C'mon now… in the box…" Tom jumped around the corner, staring directly at the large, young third year known as Rubeus Hagrid.

"Evening Rubeus," Tom said, forcing himself not to smile.

Rubeus slammed the door shut and stood up, heavily surprised. "What yer doin' down here, Tom?" He asked, fear was present.

Tom stepped closer. "It's all over," he began in a business like voice. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

Rubeus was backed into a corner. "What d'yeh —"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone." He began, trying to rationalize to himself aloud what Rubeus had done. "But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and —"

"It never killed no one!" Rubeus cried indignantly, rustling and clicking noises were heard from behind him.

"Come on Rubeus," Tom said, moving even closer towards him. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!" yelled Rubeus, clearly raging. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Tom, drawing out his wand and muttered a spell that Rubeus couldn't identify.

The corridor lit up with light, the door behind Rubeus flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite.

Out came the acromantula, a hairy, black, large spider that scuttled in away in fear before Tom had a chance to point his wand disappearing from the corridor.

Tom attempted to go after it but was stopped. Rubeus seized him, grabbed his wand and threw him back down, yelling "NOOOOOO!" Tom fought to free himself from the half giant but was unsuccessful. He thought he heard footsteps from the dungeon again, and another figure entered the room.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?!"