A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed: nehimasgift, Silver Tears 11, keeper of the heart, Vera-Sabe, xXCrackRomanticXx, svelte, Emi-Bum, tofuubeaver, san01, PapayaCrazy (thanks for help with the website thing, girl!), LaNi-GoLDfiSH, Lizzy Evans, moonlights desire, and pottersgirl. There'll be an update every three days, in case you're wondering. I'll try to stay on track with that, but things are a little hectic in the computer world for me right now... website moving. If you've linked my website, let me know and I'll get you the new url a.s.a.p.! Thanks again everyone!
Chapter 2 – The Placing of the Diary
"Harry, you've got to tell someone," Hermione instructed sternly. "It just won't do to not tell."
"Hermione, it's only a guess that Lucius put Draco up to taking the diary for Voldemort," Harry sighed.
"But your dreams usually prove to be true... Remember that one about Mr. Weasley?" Hermione reminded pointedly.
"Yes, but as I told you: parts of it kept fading in and out and all I heard was Voldemort yelling at Wormtail that he needed some potions. After that, Wormtail left, then it faded to blackness, and then Voldemort was telling Lucius he needed to commend someone. I didn't catch who for fading. All I remember before waking was Voldemort saying 'Precisely, Lucius... precisely' before laughing that horrible laugh that made my scar twinge," Harry recounted with a rub at his scar. Obviously the remanent of the Killing Curse gone was still pained him a bit.
"Please... just go tell Dumbledore or something," Hermione begged.
"After breakfast, how about that?"
"Fine," she relented with a sigh. She would settle for anything as long as Harry told someone from the Order who could help him.
"Can we go to breakfast now?" Ron had been dozing idly on the couch as Hermione and Harry whispered to each other, he had now awoken as there was an absence of their buzzing and hushed voices.
"I suppose," Hermione sighed as she stood up, watching Ron stand and stretch as he yawned.
She yawned as well which in turn caused Harry to do the same. None of them had gotten much sleep since Seamus and Neville had come running in telling them that someone had broken into Dumbledore's office.
Hermione felt it her duty to do a little extra patrolling after that, she was, after all, Head Girl. She had been out late that night, until two in the morning to be exact, and when she had returned, Harry and Ron were still up pondering over who the thief could be.
Harry's dream had only been deciphered by Ron by a clumsy, joking yawn of suggestion.
"... and that's what happened," Harry explained as he stared blankly into the fire.
"This is serious... Who could they have been talking about?"
"May-maybe Lucius p-put Draco up to it," Ron yawned with a sigh of laughter.
Harry had been so set lately that Draco was a Death Eater that Ron had begun to joke about it in hopes of lightening things up and showing Harry how ridiculous the idea was. He wasn't totally awake though, so the full effect hadn't hit him yet about what his joke could mean.
"Ron...," Hermione drawled slowly as she thought about this.
She knew she was jumping to conclusions, and maybe even letting Harry's constant rave about Malfoy get to her, yet it did make sense.
"You could be right! Who else would Lucius have contact with that would be smart enough to break into Dumbledore's office? And when I say smart, I mean, who else has the password but the Head Boy himself?"
Harry and Ron looked at her in puzzlement, and then Harry nodded.
"That's what I've been telling you!" he protested.
"Oh, Hermione," Ron grumbled. "Now look what you've started. He'll never shut up, and we'll never get to bed. You're all acting stupid. We just need some sleep."
"Ron's right... a little sleep might help the matter," Hermione sighed as she stood up and left the boys at the stairs to the dorms.
"Watch where you're going, Mudblood," snarled the hateful voice of Draco Malfoy as Hermione was jarred from her reverie of the Golden Trio's conversation when she ran into him while following Harry and Ron into the Great Hall.
"Watch your mouth, Malfoy, or I'll curse you into next week!" Ron threatened.
"Whatever, Weasel," Draco hissed before passing by the Golden Trio to go into the Great Hall and to the Slytherin table.
"What a git," Harry said slowly as the three Gryffindors shrugged off Malfoy with a few malicious glances before continuing on their way.
"I think git is an understatement," Ron snarled.
"Yeah, rea-"
"May I have your attention please," McGonagall called as she and Dumbledore rose from their seats at the staff table, interrupting Harry and Ron's talk. The Deputy Headmistress then turned to Albus who looked unusually grave with the usual twinkle of his eye and warm, welcoming smile both missing from his face.
Hermione frowned as she leaned forward to look at the distraught Headmaster. The silence in the hall was ominous, and it sent shivers up her spine while Dumbledore sighed.
"It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that there was a break in to my office, and a very powerful object was stolen. I ask everyone to remain calm as we try to find the culprit... I only hope that we can prove it to be a person who has miraculously figured out a way to slip into the castle, and not one of our own many here at Hogwarts," Albus said in a voice that didn't fit him, not even for his age. This sounded even older than the wizened Headmaster himself, who was no less than one-hundred and fifty years in age.
"This is awful," Hermione sighed, her heart panging with sympathy for the Headmaster as he sat down and looked out upon his students with a saddened, but watchful eye.
She knew that he wanted nothing more than to be able to deny that it was one among them in the hall, but they both knew that that was wrong. It had to have been because it was practically impossible to get into Hogwarts without help. The grounds had spells on them for no Apparation, the gates were locked and unable to be unlocked unless you have the password, and not many have the password to Dumbledore's office besides a select few. So that meant that a student or teacher had to have assisted the thief if they didn't take the object themselves.
The few who could have done this were the staff, Head Boy, and Head Girl. That limited it down to about fourteen people, and it could be further limited. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid had been out in Hagrid's hut, so that put it at eleven. Snape was patrolling and had been the one to warn Dumbledore. Taking it down to ten.
Sinistra, Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, and Vector had all been at dinner that night. Five people were left. Madam Pomfrey was in her hospital wing taking care of Neville from an accident he had caused earlier in the day. Four remained as culprits. Hermione herself had been at dinner with Harry and Ron and numerous other students. Three were left.
Trelawney never came out of her tower, so that was pretty much left her out of suspicion and had only two people under the suspect category. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor wasn't even there that night as he had been in Diagon Alley getting a special shipment from a shop for the third years' next lesson. This meant that only one person was left, and that was Draco Malfoy.
Hermione glared across the hall at him. He was looking smug, like always, and he seemed to be holding his head a bit higher as he looked down upon even those at Slytherin table.
"He disgusts me to no end," Hermione grumbled, causing Harry and Ron to look at her in puzzlement.
"What are you on about?"
"Malfoy," Hermione said through gritted teeth as Ron stared at her with disbelief. It was usually him that was the one to do something like this, but to see this sort of hatred from Hermione, who was usually above such things, was insanely bewildering.
"What about him?"
"He's done it, Harry, he's the culprit. He's the only one," Hermione murmured. "Listen, I can prove it..." Hermione went on to explain her deduction of where everyone else had been, and when she had finished, Harry and Ron whole-hearted agreed. "I'm going to Dumbledore about it," she finished.
Hermione turned to look at Malfoy, pure detest of him in her glare. He returned it with a smirk before getting up and leaving the hall.
"It's done, sir," Lucius said with a low bow, his long blond ponytail sweeping the floor as he bowed and presented a book to Voldemort.
A smile so sadistic that it was hardly human crossed Voldemort's face when he took the book from Malfoy. Then again, Voldemort himself was hardly human. He had been so void of emotions and feelings of any sort but anger, rage, and obsession of power that it reduced him. He had escaped death, underwent many alterations, and was now greater than many in his use of magic. He was definitely not a normal being under any circumstances.
"It's been fully restored?"
"Dolohov, Nott, and myself worked on it from dusk to dawn, my Lord, and it's been restored, yes. The poison of the Basilisk was drawn out, the pages and cover repaired, the disguise put upon it, and now all it needs is-"
"My own addition," Voldemort finished for Lucius. "Wormtail!"
Lucius winced as his ears rang from his master's bellowing, but he was once again smirking as Pettigrew came running into the room. He stumbled upon the cane Malfoy was holding out in Peter's path causing him to trip and slide across the floor. Lucius withdrew his cane and sniffed arrogantly as though he had nothing to do with it.
"Y-Yes your L-Lordship?" Wormtail stood up and brushed himself off as Malfoy gave a soft, pleased chuckle. He always found pleasure in making a fool of Pettigrew, or any other for that matter, in front of the Dark Lord.
"Have you finished feeding and milking Nagini?"
"Yes, last night I f-finished," Wormtail stuttered in response.
"I will need what you've milked from her, Wormtail, for once I finish," Voldemort informed slowly. "Now see to it that it is surely ready. Lucius, I need you to go to the Death Eaters and conduct the meeting whilst I finish up here. They need to know of my plan and how it is going. Tell them of the consequences and how things must be to adapt to the change."
"Yes, sir," Malfoy said before nodding and leaving the room as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named laid the book on a single, heavy wooden table he had had brought up to the room earlier.
He stood slowly, surveying the new cover of the book. It was now brown leather instead of black. The golden letters that had spelled out the name 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' had been removed from the back, and another placed on the front cover.
Voldemort grinned maliciously as he undid the latch on the cover and opened it to a random page while drawing out his wand. Now he would perform the most vital part of the plan. The part that would make the scheme work. One that would guarantee his success.
He pointed his wand at the book and closed his eyes. There was a slight breeze blowing through the room now, though there were no windows open. Any other who might have been in the room would have been chilled to the bone, even the Death Eaters in the kitchen downstairs felt a chill creep in. When the Dark Lord opened his eyes, they were an even more intensely crimson than before, and it was heart-stopping in a scary way as they seemed to be glowing.
His breath came in a rattling way much like how the Dementors drew their breaths, and the wind storm inside within the walls picked up, dust swirling in the corners of the room as he raised his wand to his chest. He pointed the wand there for a moment, just above where his heart would have been, and closed his eyes again as he gave an expression of deep concentration. The wand tip glowed against his black, billowing robes, and when he pulled the wand away, there was a long black wisp of smoke following the tip as he led it to the book.
The smoky tuft was sucked into the book as though there was an invisible magnet at the center it. Voldemort took a moment to examine his work as the book laid upon the table, casting a bright white light before fading slowly back to its normal state. He smiled weakly in triumph before continuing on by chanting a charm on the book.
This process continued for some time when finally the book exploded with light from the amount of power rushing through it. The Dark Lord was blinded momentarily as he raised his arm to shield his eyes. The book shook about the desk like there was an earthquake forcing it to do so. When the light dulled some, he lowered his arm and pointed his wand at the book to finish the evil incantation upon it.
He had only just pointed his wand at the book when a bright flash of swirling green light spiraled from his wand. The book lit up, the light it was producing mixing with the vivid green light from Voldemort's wand to produce a dull jade glow upon the pages.
He smiled sinisterly and went to pick it up, but that was a mistake as a loud whistling issued in the air, exploding into a thunderous boom. A gust of wind was sent whizzing through the room, knocking Voldemort over onto the floor in an unconscious state.
"What in the name of Dark Magic was that?"
Lucius and the other Death Eaters rushed from the kitchen, Wormtail in tow with his master's nourishment. When they entered Voldemort's room, they saw that he was spread upon the floor, and a light was fading back into a book as miniature dust storms settled on the floor.
Once the light was gone from the room, it was almost impossible to see because the fire had been reduced to crimson embers which were dying fast.
"Relight the fire," Lucius ordered Nott as he and Dolohov went to Voldemort's side. "Bring his chair," he ordered to Goyle while taking his wand and whispering a charm to revive the Dark Lord.
Voldemort gasped breathlessly in a shaky, rapid manner as Antonin and Malfoy helped him up into his armchair, Wormtail quick to bring his master a glass of the snake's venom elixir he had prepared.
"Where is the book?"
"On the table, your Lordship," Nott replied as he walked over to the desk and held up the book.
"Give it to me," the Dark Lord rasped. Nott handed the book to Malfoy who brought it to their master while a roomful of Death Eaters looked on. "It's... finished!"
Everyone exchanged dark looks as Voldemort began to chuckle softly, raising the pewter glass with its snake of emerald wrapped around it. He drank gratefully and clutched the book to his chest as Lucius stood up from a crouched position and looked to Dolohov and Nott with a grin while Wormtail cowered in a far corner.
"Shall I send it to Draco?"
"Certainly, Lucius. The sooner the better... That imbecile, Dumbledore, won't know what hit him. While he's still trying to figure out who stole it, I'm going to be taking over Hogwarts and after that... the rest of the wizarding world!"
Malfoy accepted the diary from Voldemort who rose shakily from his chair as all the Death Eaters bowed in respect.
Draco was sitting in the library studying when his eagle owl scratched at the window. He checked to see if Madam Pince was paying attention and saw her cataloging books while cursing under her breath. Certain he was safe, Malfoy crossed over to the window and opened it enough for the bird to sit the package on the windowsill before taking flight. He grabbed the parcel in a hurried way and went back to the table, unwrapping it and looking at the brown leather cover with the name Hermione J. Granger written upon the front.
"She won't know what hit her," he laughed as he stood up while gathering his belongings. He now needed to go and find out the password to Gryffindor tower.
Going straight to his dorm, he grabbed the cloak and tucked the diary safely into the inside pocket. Draco went undetected through the common room, through the corridors, clear to the seventh floor where he sat in waiting by a suit of armor.
He didn't have to wait long when a Gryffindor came walking down the hall, that Gryffindor being Neville Longbottom. Malfoy sneaked along behind him until he stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
"Um... Mim- no, that was last month's. I know it's in a different language, can't you just let me in? Please?" Neville pleaded.
"I'm sorry, no password, no entrance," the Fat Lady denied.
"Of all the Gryffindors, I follow the stupid one," Draco hissed to himself. Neville whipped around at the sound of the whisper, but didn't see anyone, so he went back to thinking.
They spent another ten minutes there as Neville tried password after password with no success. Finally a savior came as Ron and Harry happened along.
"Hey Neville," Harry called.
"All right there, Neville?"
"Do either of you remember the password?" Neville frowned and blushed at his own failure to remember, but he seemed to not be alone on the subject.
"Don't ask me. That's why I always make sure I'm with Hermione or someone who does know it," Ron shrugged. "I hate the password she made up. It's too hard to say. Why couldn't she have just left it at English? Why make it another language?"
"I know it," said someone from behind them. The three boys turned around to see a very amused Hermione. "It's really simple." She stepped forward and smiled at the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
"Indorgriffay."
"Now what's that mean?" Ron followed Hermione through the portrait hole, Harry right behind him, and then Neville was going to go, but he got knocked back as Draco rushed forward.
"Hey guys!" Neville had tried to run forward and get through the portrait hole, but it swung shut before he could get there. "Hermione!" he yelled from outside.
"Oh, Neville," Hermione giggled as she pushed the portrait open to let him into Gryffindor common room.
Malfoy watched to see which staircase was the girls', and he soon found out as Neville retired for the night, heading up the boys' staircase. Immediately, Draco ran for the opposite, but something unexpected happened. The steps groaned and then disappeared to nothing more than a stone slide that he went tumbling down. He got up quickly as everyone looked around at the sound of moving stone and yelling voices, but when they didn't see anyone, they shrugged it off.
"That was odd," Hermione remarked as she went back to doing her homework.
Malfoy was cursing the stairs as he watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He sat for a moment, trying to figure out how to place the diary.
"Stupid school and their dumb jinxes... I'll just have to tell father that they're a hazard to unsuspecting students, and he'll have it changed," Draco whispered to himself in the far corner of the common room.
As he continued to watch the Golden Trio, he noticed something. Hermione's bag was laying on a chair under the table that they were working at. He dropped down to his hands and knees, crawling forward slowly, careful not to let the Invisibility Cloak slip off as he placed the diary on top of the bag. He crawled back to the corner to make sure she took it.
"Well, I'm finished so I'm going to go get some shut eye," Hermione sighed before letting out a dainty yawn. She got up and walked around the table to pick up her things as Draco continued to watch. Suddenly everyone in the common room jumped as she shrieked angrily. "RON!"
"What!" the red head partically squealed in surprise.
"What are you doing with my diary?" Hermione picked the brown leather book up off the top of Ron's bag and brandished it in his face as he sat there mouth agape and wide-eyed.
"But... I didn't-"
"Oh! You expect me to believe that, Ronald Weasley? Just because I wouldn't tell you if I was still talking to Viktor, you had to stoop so low as to go get my diary and try and read it," Hermione accused.
"No, Hermione-," Ron's pleadings didn't reach her though as she whipped around and stormed off for the girls' dorm while everyone sat there snickering, even Malfoy.
"Stupid Weasel," the Slytherin chortled to himself as he sneaked to the portrait hole. He was headed for Slytherin common room to write his father and return the cloak; his job was finished. His father would be proud, and Voldemort would commend him. He would now be the envy of all the Slytherins and their parents.
Meanwhile, Hermione dropped her books on her trunk and opened her journal to the first page. She was starting a new diary, and for some reason she felt she would start this one in a good way. What she didn't know is that if all followed through, she wouldn't start it at all.