Chapter 15: The Minister of Magic.
"I think Hagrid was framed for a crime he didn't comitt," said Sierra as they sat eating breakfast.
"I agree and who asked him to frame on Hagrid anyway," Ron mumbled.
"The monster killed someone, Ron and Sierra." Hermione said.
"Then that means after Hagrid was caught whoever was doing it must have stopped it all from happening." Sierra said angrily.
The four fell silent. Then Hermione said " Should we go ask Hagrid about it?"
"Sure, that'd be a cheerful visit." Said Ron.
In the end they agreed not to ask Hagrid unless there was another attack. The second during their easter break got something else to think about. It was time to choose their subjects for third year.
"I just want to drop potions." harry said.
"We can't or else Ron and I would've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts." Sierra said.
"Yep I sure would have. But we've got to keep all our old subjects. What are you taking Sierra?" Ron asked.
"Definetly not Divination. That class seems pointless from what heard." Sierra said. "May be I'll take Muggle Studdies. That would defenatley drive my father crazy even though that he can't do anything about it. Possible Care of Magical Creatures sounds fascinating to and Ancient Runes." Sierra finished and marked down her classes and turned them in.
"Hermione what are you taking?" Sierra asked.
"Everyone," Hermione said brightly.
"That's impossible with out a time turner and its really hard to get one." Sierra said slightly shocked.
"Well, I'll get it sorted out." Hermione said.
The three exchanged looks. Were interupted by Neville and Harry and Ron went upstairs quickly to find out what happened and when they came back they both whispered to Hermione and Sierra, " The Riddle's diary is gone."
"What?!," the two girls shouted.
"But only a Gryffindor could get in, no on else knows our password." Hermione whispered.
"Exactly," Harry said.
The next morning they woke to a bright sunny day, they all headed toward the Quidditch Pitch for the game against Hufflepuff.
"Kill this time... let me rip.... tear..."
"The voice!" Harry shouted looking over his shoulder. "I heard it again."
"Harry, I think I've understood something I've got to go to the library." Then Hermione was off while Ron and Sierra headed down to the quidditch pitch.
"What did Hermione understand?" Asked Sierra.
"No idea but that's our Hermione. When in doubt go to the library." Ron answered.
As they entered into the stands Professor McGonagall came across the field. Sierra and Ron exchanged worried looks.
"This match has been cancelled," She said. "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."
Ron and Sierra saw Professor McGonagall separate from the crowd with Harry and came quickly to his side.
"Yes perhaps you two should come to...."
The three were being led to the hospital wing from what Sierra could tell and she didn't like this one bit.
"This will come a bit of a shock." She said. "Another double attack."
"Hermione" Ron groaned.
All Sierra and Harry could do is look at each other.
"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "Can either of you explain this? The mirror was found next to them.
The three nodded, all staring at Hermione.
"I will escort you back to the Gryffindor tower. I need to address the students at any case."
Professor McGonagall addressed what securities measures were being taken to ensure their safety.
"What're we going to do? You don't think that they suspect Hagrid do you?" asked Sierra.
"We've got to go talk to him." Harry answered. "I don't believe it's him this time but if he did set the monster out the last time he'll know how to get into the chamber and that's a start." Harry finished.
"You heard McGonagall, she said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class." Ron said.
"I think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again." Harry said.
Sierra met them downstairs pretending to finish some last bit of school work. And Harry threw the cloak over them and they headed down to Hagrid. They reached Hagrids and knocked on the door.
He opened it with a cross bow in his hand which frightened the three. "What's that for?" Harry asked.
"Oh, its you three. "Nothin', nothin' been expectin', come in and I'll make tea. As Hagrid took the tea off his hand was shaking.
"Are you okay Hagrid?" Sierra asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The three heard a sniff.
"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I heard alright." Hagrid answered.
"The truth why we came here Hagrid was. What happened that you got expelled?" Sierra asked.
But before he could ask they heard a knock on the door and Harry through the cloak back over them and sat in a corner. Hagrid looked back made sure they were covered before opening the door. Then two people came in, Ron and Sierra gasped and then Harry elbowed them each since he was in the middle of them. The two fell silent.
"Bad business Hagrid bad business. Four attacks on muggle-borns the ministry's got to act." Fudge had said.
"Don't you dare take Hagrid away, you creep," Sierra whispered.
"I never," Hagrid croaked. "you know I'd never Professor Dumbledore, Sir"
"Cornelius, Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore said.
Then while they were discussing about Hagrid's arrest. There was another knock, it was Sirius looking mighty angry followed by Lucius.
"Like I had said many time Lucius. Taking Dumbledore away won't help the matter. It was only by your threat that got everyone but me." Growled Sirius reaching for his wand ready to attack Lucius.
"What?! Take Dumbledore away, the muggle borns won't have a chance." Hagrid growled.
The three exchanged frightening looks. They all were thinking the same thing. Take Dumbledore and you might as well close the school now.
"Sirius, I'm glad you voted me to stay but of course I would step down." Dumbledore said.
"What!? Hagrid, Sirius, and Cornelius shouted.
"Of course I will not be truly gone from Hogwarts if none is loyal to me. You will aslo find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who aske for it." Dumbledore said.
For a moment Harry and Sierra thought that his eyes flickered in their direction where they stood.
"If anyone is looking for any information, all you have to do is follow the spiders. Someone will also need to fee Fang while I'm away."
As the five excited the house Harry waited a few moments before taking the cloak off.
"We're in trouble now," Ron said. "No, Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."
Harry and Sierra nodded.
Chapter 16: Giant Spider.
Taking Hagrid's hint Sierra and Harry begun to look for spiders helped reluctantly by Ron. However, there was only one person that was happy about the terror that swept across the school. Harry, Ron and Sierra didn't find out why until one day in potions.
"Knew my father would be the one to get rid of Dumbledore," he said not keeping his voice down. " I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school has ever had."
Sierra went to mouth off to Malfoy but Harry elbowed her in the ribs because Snape swept by say nothing about Hermione's chair being empty nor her couldron.
"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. " Why don't you apply for the headmasters job?"
"Now, Now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he could not supress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay He'll be back with us soon enough."
"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "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 her, sir-"
All Sierra was able to do with out getting into trouble is glare at Malfoy. She wouldn't be here if Snape was headmaster and neither would Hermione, if he had a choice.
"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity is wasn't Granger-"
The bell rang at that moment and Sierra and Ron both made a move toward Malfoy but. Harry and Dean held Ron back, while Lavender and Parvati held Sierra back. "Let me at him." Ron growled " I don't care, I don't needd my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands."
"Hurry up I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape.
The class walked out and Harry, Ron, Dean, Sierra, Parvati, and Lavender brought up the rear. It was only safe to let the two go once Snape had seen them out of the castle. They were making their way to the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses. The Herbology class was very subdued; there were two missing from their class Justing, and Hermione. Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. As Harry, Sierra, and Ron set to work on their plant, Sierra saw Ernie and Hannah come over. As Ernie came closer he took a deep breathe and said, " I just want to say, that I am sorry for every supescting you. I know that you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and well,"
He held out his hand and Harry shook it. But Sierra said "Well before you accuse someone next time make sure you see who they are friends with and not say that he hated those muggles he lived with. From the beginning you shouldn't have accused him because he is friends with Hermione."
"Alright I said I was sorry." Ernie said and he and Hannah sat down to work at the same plant.
"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie. "He seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be the Heir of Slytherin."
"That's very clever of you." Ron said, who also didn't forgive Ernie as much as Harry did. That made Sierra grin at Ron who grinned back.
"What about you Harry? Do you think it's Malfoy?" Asked Ernie. Sierra rolled her eyes.
"No," Harry said so firmly that Ernie and Hanna stared.
At that Harry saw something, several large spiders, moving in an unnaturally staight line. Harry hit Sierra with his pruning shears, and she noticed them to and nudged at Ron.
"Yeah, but we can't follow them now." Ron mumbled.
"It looks like their heading to the forbidden forest," Sierra said to Harry.
"We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron and Sierra. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid he might be of some help." Sierra nodded in agreement.
Ron said, "Right but aren't there supposed be werewolves in the forest?"
At that Sierra hit Ron in the back of the head. He rubbed it and asked "What?"
"Aren't there supposed to be 'werewolves' in the forest." Sierra said.
"Oh, right, yeah. Sorry." Ron said.
"You'd better be." With that they all laughed. As the three took their regular seats at the back of the class room in Lockhart's class.
"Come on now why these long faces?"
Harry, Ron, and Sierra exchanged dark looks. "Don't you people realize," Lockhart started that the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away-!"
"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.
"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn' have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred persent sure that he was guilty." Said Lockhart.
"Yes he would," Sierra and Ron said together.
"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest then you Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Black," he replied.
"Yeah, only a touch," Sierra said.
Lockhart went on about how he knew it was Hagrid all along and that he was no good. Sierra sat their with death glares at the man, and said "You're only saying that because Hagrid was taken away, if he wasn't you'd be saying that you knew all along that he was innocent."
"You may be right Ms. Black, but you cannot deny that Hagrid has a strange taste for magical creatures." Lockhart said.
"No your right I cannot deny it but, at least I can say is that Hagrid is more thoughtful than you put together. In case you didn't notice Hermione is rather close friends with Hagrid too, why would he attack one of his closest friends. Also, I don't think someone like you should teach a class as important of a class as this, all I've learned is not to set Freshly Caught Pixies loose." Sierra said looking at Lockhart in the eyes. Harry noticed that the class had agreed all Lockhart could do was say, "Detention, Ms. Black tonight with me in my office at eight. Class is dismissed." Lockhart said. "I'll come and collect you since your not allowed after six. Me meet outside the Gryffindor Common Room." he said and then left to his office.
Sierra threw her stuff in her bag and left without waiting for Harry or Ron. She went straight to the common room and sat in front of the fire and began doing homework. Harry and Ron came in and sat down next to her and asked, "What happened during class?"
"What weren't you their? He was making Hagrid seem like he's a monster and he's not. It wasn't like you two were helping him out or anything. There's another thing I should talk to him about tonight that Hagrid doesn't speak parseltongue and he was in Gryffindor to." Sierra said angrily.
"Well we were going to see Aragog tonight but you got a detention, the forest might be safer if you were there." Ron said.
"What? Chicken Ron? You can still see Aragog I just won't be going." Sierra said.
"That's a bit unfair Sierra." Harry said.
"Well, I have to meet Professor Lockhart, talk to you later and good luck." With that Sierra left for her detention leaving Ron and Harry stare after her.
Chapter 17: The Legend Comes True
Sierra woke up that morning wondering what Ron and Harry found out. She felt a little bit guilty about shouting at them last night. She was just so angry at Lockhart for saying that stuff about Hagrid, the detention didn't go well at all. Sierra got up and left for breakfast and found Ron and Harry already there asked if she could join them they allowed.
"Guys," Sierra began
"Yeah," The two replied.
"I'm sorry about last night, I was just upset what Lockhart said about Hagrid." Sierra said.
"We know, we found some interesting stuff but we'll have to tell you later." Harry said.
Sierra nodded and began to eat. On their way toward classes Harry and Ron took turns in telling Sierra what happened and told her where the chamber was. Sierra slapped herself, "We were there the entire time and we didn't even think to ask her how she died."
So the rest of the time Harry and Ron were trying to sneak a chance to go into the girls bathroom and ask Myrtle how she died.
The news of them still having exams were bad enough, Ron was complaining about having to do exams with his broken wand. Sierra found that rather annoying.
At breakfast the next morning Professor McGonagall made another announcement. "I have good news!" She said.
"Professor Dumbledore is coming back!" Several people yelled.
"You've caught the heir of Slytherin!" Squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table
"Quidditch matches are back on!" Roared Wood.
"Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. 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."
There was an enormus amount of cheering, Harry, Ron, and Sierra yelled along with the rest. It didn't surprise them that Malfoy hadn't joined in.
"It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle then!" Ron said to Harry and Sierra. "Hermione'll probably have the answers when they waked her up! Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't sudied. It might be kinder to leave her where hse is till they're over."
"We shouldn't still let our gaurd down though, something still could happen." Sierra said and Ron waved her down.
"Stop spoiling the moment Sierra," Ron said. Just then Ginny came and sat next to Sierra, who looked over at Ron with a concerned look. "What is it Ginny?" Sierra asked her.
She just sat there with a scared look on her face.
"Spit it out." Ron said.
"I've got to tell you something." Sierra noticed that she wasn't looking at Harry but her and Ron.
"What is it?" asked Harry. "Is it about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Soemone acting oddly?" Harry had asked her.
Sierra looked concerned at Ginny but then her brother Percy interupted and Ginny ran out of the Great Hall. Sierra looked like she could kill Percy and she told Harry and Ron she would meet up with them later. She went to find Ginny.
"Ginny," called out several times but no answer. So she went to the girls bathroom and their Ginny was.
"Ginny," Sierra said.
Ginny looked over and ran into Sierra arms and started crying.
"What is it Gin?" Sierra asked.
"It was me, I swear I didn't know. I've been writing in that diary," She said pointing next to the toilet. " I think I'm being possessed."
"Young Ginny is right." said a voice that made them both turn around and Sierra's wand was at the ready. She stood right in front of Ginny.
"Who are you?" Sierra asked.
"Me? I am Lord Voldemort at a young age. A memory preserved in a diary for fifty years. My plan is to feed off the both of you and it will make me stronger." Before Sierra could act her and Ginny was put under a deep sleep. Tom Riddle took them both to the Chamber of Secrets.
Chapter 18: I am Lord Voldemort
Upstairs as Sierra and Ginny were taken to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron were in the Hospital Wing visiting Hermione. They found something in her hand and it was the answer to where the Chamber is and what was inside it. Harry was more worried about Sierra she still hasn't met up with them yet. Ron wasn't he said "You know girls Harry, they like to talk it over and make sure they haven't smeered make-up anywhere." Harry was unsure so the two of them went straight to the teachers lounge to tell them the information but then they heard it over the inercom. "all students must return to their House determination immediately. All teachers return to the staff room, immediately please."
"It has happened." she told the silent staff. " Two students have been taken into the Chamber itself."
Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"
"The heir of Slytherin wrote another message on the wall. 'Their skeletons will lie in the Chamber forever." Professor Mcgonagall finished.
"Which two is it? asked Madame Hooch. "Which two students?"
"Ginny Weasley and Sierra Black," said Professor Mcgonagall. Both Harry and Ron slid down in the closet, both of them were shocked.
"We shall have to send the students home tomorrow, this is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore's always said...." Professor Mcgonagall was interupted by lockhart as he climbed into the staff room.
"So sorry, dozed off what have I missed?" he asked. The teachers filled him in and Lockhart was left in charge of going down to the Chamber to rescue the girls. Harry and Ron went back to the common room and sat with Fred and George. No afternoon has ever lasted this long, Sierra's the one that usually cheers everyone up, but this time she's not their.
"You know what she knew something Harry, It wasn't about some stupid thing about Percy at all. I bet you anything that Sierra found where Ginny was and she also knew that was why Sierra was taken, and that can be the only reason why Ginny was to they both knew something." Ron said.
"Harry, do you think theirs a chance that you know if she's..." Ron said.
Harry didn't know what to say if either of them could be still alive. Harry got up and Ron followed him out of the common room to Lockharts office to find him packing.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked the Professor.
"Urgent call, can't be neglected."
"What about my sister and my bestfriend." Ron asked him.
"I'm sorry about your sister, but no your bestfriend, she is a werewolf you know right? That if she is you know dead it would serve her right." Lockhart said heatedly.
"Take that back." It wasn't Ron but Harry this time.
"You seriously can't take sides with a werewolf, they are dangerous young man."
"Don't lecture me, if your afraid and don't know what your doing then your in luck. We have a clue about what is in the Chamber and where it is." Harry said pointing his wand at Lockhart and motioned him out of the room.
Harry and Ron led him to the Chamber and went inside after Ginny and Sierra when the wall crumbled down and divided him, Ron and Lockhart who's memory charm backfired and has no clue who he is. Harry entered the Chamber and saw Sierra and Ginny at a distance and ran to them.
"Sierra, Ginny wake up please don't be dead." Harry whispered.
"They won't wake." Said a quiet voice and Harry turned quickly.
"Tom, Tom Riddle?" Harry asked.
"Yes quite right. Now I would like to speak to you Harry Potter. How was it that a boy at a young age destroyed the greatest sorcerer of all time?" He asked Harry.
"Why do you care? Voldemort was after your time." Harry said heatedly as he stood in between Sierra and Ginny.
"Voldemort is my passed, present, and future Harry Potter." Riddle said.
He spelled out his name with Harry's wand and rearranged the letters. The letters spelled, I am Lord Voldemort.
"No," Harry said in a whisper.
"Yes Harry, I am. I do know that she," Riddle said pointing to Sierra. "Is my Goddaughter, that is one of the things that I wanted to know about her. Ginny told me a lot, and I think she deserved what she got. Now let's see what I can make of the great Harry Potter." Riddle said and he had set the basilisk loose and with in a half hour the basilisk was dead and Riddle's diary was destroyed and the girls had awoken up. Ginny was distraught as Harry and Sierra helped her out, and they made it back to Ron and Lockhart.
"Ron!"Harry called out. "I got them!"
"Ginny! Sierra!" he said and reached and helped the girls back and they were all back together. Ron wouldn't let go of Ginny, Sierra and Harry stuck by each other and Lockhart followed them. Fawkes had helped them get to Professor Mcgonagall's office. Ginny was still crying and Harry opened the door and the three of them heard Mrs. Weasley scream. Sierra saw Sirius and Remus in the corner smiling at her and she went to them, Sirius pulled her into a big hug along with Lupin.
"How did you save her?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I think we all would like to know how, the two students both got saved." Mcgonagall said weakly.