Disclaimer: I own Maria! Mwahahaha!

Chapter 5: Plots

Hermione lay quietly in the girls' dormitory, wondering what she would do about Harry and Ron. Her instincts told her that the book was not the sign of a new threat, but all logic said that it should at least be investigated. She turned over, restless.

She could simply take the diary, and read it to see if there was any help for her there. But what could be there that Harry hadn't seen? What Hermione was really worried about was the trouble he would get into trying to find this person. Harry wouldn't care if he got himself expelled in the process, and in just the last few hours Harry had gotten himself convinced enough that Hermione wouldn't be able to do anything to change his mind. Not without something solid.

Meanwhile, Maria was getting less rest than Hermione. Her nightmares kept waking her, getting worse every time she dared fall asleep. In the darkness of the dorm room, she was starting to fray the edges between dream and reality. The memories of what she saw in her subconscious mind strayed into her waking thoughts, and she was starting to feel unsure that no one knew who she was. Sometime around midnight, she brought back her resolve. She had to find that diary. This had to stop.

Maria stood and walked to the desk by her bed. She opened a drawer and pulled out parchment and a quill. She decided to start this with Malfoy. Where could he have had an opportunity to take it? She combed through the previous day, she had only seen him during meals. But hadn't let her anywhere near her during lunch and dinner, and she had seen the diary right after breakfast. He couldn't have taken it, unless...

Maria remembered the feeling she had when she walked out of potions. At first she had thought it was relief, since Malfoy hadn't done anything to her. But the more Maria thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Malfoy wouldn't just leave her alone after that threat. One way or another, he must have planned to do something later, or even had already done it. Maria couldn't remember seeing her diary after potions. Malfoy had it. He had to.

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Malfoy couldn't believe this! He went through all that trouble of planning to take Riddle's diary during potions, and Potter took it from him! And at this very moment, Potter was probably displaying the secrets in that diary. Malfoy was fuming. Well, in that case he would have to get back at them both.

"Crabbe! Goyle!" The two stooges had been sleeping in the armchairs after listening to Malfoy rant and rave about how infuriating it all was. They didn't know what he was talking about half the time.

"Huh?"

"I got it! We're finally going to get back at those two!"

"You mean, uhh, Harry Potter?" Draco grimaced.

"Goyle, that's only one."

"Potter Weasel and Mudblood?" Offered Crabbe.

Draco put his head in his hands. Honestly, how was two so hard? "Potter and Riddle, you numbskulls! Now, here's what we'll do. We'll make everyone think they have crushes on the most detestable people in school! They'll be miserable forever!"

Crabbe and Goyle looked blankly. They always did.

Malfoy groaned. "Oh well, I won't need you two to do it. Get away from me, I need to think and all that sludge you call your brains isn't helping." Crabbe and Goyle trudged off.

A/N Everyone is planning dastardly deeds in this chapter, but the next chapters it'll only be one plot at a time.

Oh, and sorry about taking so long to update. I haven't had time with all my homework.