Title: Harry Snape And The Chamber Of Secrets

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To angelvan105: Thanks for your review.

To Beth5572: Thanks for your review.

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Chapter 12: Missed Chances

Harry was glad when the students finally left for their Winter Holidays. Everyone was hissing at him as he passed and all Hermione and Justin told him was to ignore them. On Christmas Harry got several presents from people that he knew. The first one was a box that had Vincent Crabbe's name on it. Not trusting anything that came from a Slytherin he carefully opened the box. Inside was a black book and his senses told him that this might be the diary that Myrtle was talking about.

He put it to the side and then opened his gift from Hermione. Inside was a necklace that stated in the side of the box that this necklace would protect anyone from harm, though the most powerful spells wouldn't work. He got some candy from Justin and a box that had a note on it from Gringotts.

Dear Mr. Snape,

The late Mrs. Snape has asked us to give this to you. It's a very special box that will allow you to receive your money even if you're not in our bank. It also allows you to transfer funds from wizard money to muggle money. Please use it well.

Griphook,

Assistant Goblin

Neville, trying to be funny, had given Harry a snake. It was very pretty and actually spoke English (as Hermione and Justin testified to when he showed them). Harry decided to name him Mixcoatl and the snake seemed to like it.

"Do you think that Neville is trying to tell Harry something?" Hermione asked.

"Don't look at me," Justin said to her. "I just go to school here."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

During the Christmas feast Harry told Hermione and Justin about the diary that Crabbe had sent to him.

"It had the name Tom Riddle on it," Harry told them. "I'm planning on giving it to Dumbledore when the feast is over."

"Sounds like a good idea," Hermione said and they went back eating.

When the feast was over (Ginny had already left for the Slytherin Common Room) Harry approached Dumbledore and McGonagall, telling them that he had a diary sent to him by Crabbe with the name Tom Riddle on it. This got Dumbledore's attention at once.

"Minerva, I'm going with Harry to see this diary," Dumbledore told her. "I'll meet up with you later."

"Very well," McGonagall said and then left the Great Hall.

Harry, Hermione, and Justin took the Headmaster to the Hufflepuff Common Room and Harry showed him the diary and the snake that Neville had given him.

"Can I keep it?" Harry asked him.

"Of course, as long as other students don't know about it," Dumbledore told him. "And thank you for this diary."

"Is it the diary that Myrtle saw?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered. "There was a student here called Tom Riddle and he is the Heir of Slytherin. I believe that someone found this diary and was using it without knowing what it could do. I'm going to start looking for students that had this diary and find out where they were."

"Will that person get expelled?" Harry asked.

"No," Dumbledore answered. "Far wiser wizards have been hoodwinked by Voldemort."

"Why did he kill her?"

"Because she was Muggleborn," Dumbledore answered. "She was in Ravenclaw and very unpopular with the Slytherins. I'm also the one that hates to tell you this but you and Voldemort are distantly related which means that you're distantly related to Salazar Slytherin. Voldemort doesn't know this, of course, and that shall remain as such."

Harry was shocked and then Dumbledore continued. "Pureblood families are so intertwined that it's hard to tell where one begins and the other ends. Unlike Voldemort's parents yours gave you life out of love and loved you for the short time that they knew you. However the Gaunts, Tom Riddle's family, cared nothing about love only the desire to continue their Pureblood status. So don't think that you're anything like Voldemort."

"Thanks, sir," Harry said.

Dumbledore smiled at him. "Your parents would be so proud of you if they could see all the things that you're doing and the people that you're helping. You have saved Hogwarts from disaster. Now I need to talk to Mr. Crabbe and see what's going on with his decision to give you the diary."

He then turned and left Harry, Hermione, and Justin with their thoughts.

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A/N; Mixcoatl is the Aztec snake god, if anyone wants to know.