Thank you to all who have reviewed. I'm so sorry I haven't updated quickly it wasn't an intention, but it has been a busy week. It was my birthday this week and my mom, love her, took me to go see Wicked in New York City. We were in the last row of the rear mezzanine but that theater was so amazing it didn't matter we could see everything. Also I probably won't be able to update the rest of the week because I procrastinated with my school work and term ends Friday, and I have a test, workbook, essay, and about 15 outlines to do. For ONE class in high school. Did get my SAT scores back, did pretty good for my first time so that great. Okay I'm done.
Disclaimer: See last chapter.
Minerva awoke slowly the next day not wanting to get up and face the day but she knew she had to. She softly woke Hermione up and the girl sleepily went to get dressed. Minerva got up and did her morning routine, she sighed as she brushed out her hair. She missed Albus even though she had talked to him only yesterday. She hated when they fought, and while she was still mad at him, she missed him. She had Hermione sit in front of her on the couch and Minerva braided the girl's bushy hair. I guess I had better ask Hermione to do it, she thought.
"Sweetie can you do me a favor today?" Minerva asked Hermione tying her hair back.
"Yeah what do you want?" Hermione asked looking back at her. Minerva sighed she didn't want Hermione to do this but she guessed she had no choice.
"Can you bring me that diary? I want to look at it." She told Hermione. Hermione looked up sharply.
"I'm I in trouble?"
"NO, No baby your not in trouble, I just want to look at it okay." Minerva felt Hermione sigh in relief.
"Okay Mom I think I can get it. When do you want it?" Hermione asked.
"Can you get it tonight?"
"Yeah I should be able to get it after dinner." Hermione said with a smile.
"Good, thank you sweetie." Minerva said giving her a kiss. "Come on time for breakfast, lets go before were missed."
"Hey Harry?" Hermione asked him later during their study period that they shared with the first years.
"Yeah." He replied looking up from his potions essay that Snape so kindly assigned them yesterday.
"Can I borrow the diary? Please." She added as an after thought.
"Sure Hermione." He smiled. "No problem, I'll get it after dinner." He told her. She beamed at him.
"Thank you Harry." She smiled and went back to writing her own essay. Neither of them saw Ginny look up sharply next to them.
In dinner that evening Hermione looked up to Minerva and smiled trying to let her know that she was going to get the diary for her. Minerva nodded slightly and Albus noticed the exchange.
"So you did ask Hermione to get it?" He asked softly. They hadn't talked since the night before.
"Yes, you asked me to. So I asked Hermione if she would mind getting it so I could look at it." Minerva said stiffly. Albus nodded.
"Thank you Minerva, but please don't worry I'm sure it won't do anything to Hermione. And if it is what I think it may be it is paramount that I have a hold of it."
"Well what do you think it is?" She asked harshly.
"I can't tell you until I know exactly what it was." He told her. She huffed and tuned her attention back to her food.
"I'm sorry I upset you Minnie, but as I said earlier if it is what I think it is if we don't get a hold of it soon more students may be in trouble." Albus whispered to her. She sighed and nodded deciding that he was right even if she didn't like it.
"I'm sorry to, I just worry about her. All three of their little group seems to attract trouble like moths." She said worry etched into her voice. Albus took her hand under the table and smiled softly at her understanding her worry. She smiled back glad that their fight was over. Hermione who had looked up at them during dinner smiled. She turned back to the boys smiling which caused them to look and shake their heads. Hermione's random happiness was too much for them to understand. They ate for another 10 minutes when Neville came running into the great hall and grabbed Harry's arm.
"Harry I don't know who did it . . . but you have to come . . . quickly." Neville said out of breath. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and they all looked panicked. All three of them got up and followed Neville back to the Gryffindor common room. They entered the room out of breath. Neville led them up to the boys dorm and Hermione shared a look with Harry. What was wrong?
Hermione gasped. The boy's room was a mess and it was only Harry's things. The bed was completely destroyed the hangers torn. Harry leaped into the mess and started digging for something. Hermione saw his invisibility cloak lying out in the open. Hermione quickly snatched it up and hid it from view. Neville was still mumbleing.
"I just came up and found it like this. . . I'm so sorry Harry." He repeated over and over again.
"Neville it wasn't your fault." Hermione heard herself say, she was still watching Harry crawl around on the floor.
"What to you think they wanted?" Ron asked checking his own things. Hermione shook her head she had no idea.
"They found it." Harry said sitting up. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone." Hermione gasped and Ron hit his head on the top of his bed.
"What!?" Ron asked. Hermione was thinking of other things.
"Neville," she said turning towards him. "Thank you for telling us about this, why don't you go have dinner and Ron and I will help Harry clean up." She said leading Neville out of the room. When she turned back Harry and Ron were sitting on their respective beds.
"Are you sure it's gone Harry?" She asked wanting to disbelieve him.
"I'm positive I hid it in the bottom of my trunk, every thing else is pulled out and it's gone."
"Well it must have been a Gryffindor no one else knows our password." Ron said.
"That's scary, what Gryffindor would want the diary so bad after getting rid of it." Hermione mumbled and she looked up at the boys. "Something doesn't add up here."
"Yeah." They mumbled they were confused too. Together they managed to put all of Harry's things back together in his trunk and around it. They finished just in time, when they put the last thing away Dean and Seamus came in from dinner.
"What are you all doing up here?" Dean asked. Hermione was sitting on Harry's bed turned and looked at them and they stared back at her. She stood up sharply.
"We were just talking. I'm leaving now." Harry and Ron got up to follow her but she mentioned for them to sit back down. "I have to go get a book out of the library I'll see you later." She told them and walked out of the room. She didn't go to the library though, she ran down the stairs and almost collided with a perfect. Mumbling sorry, she continued to the 1st floor to her mother's quarters.
"Owlet." She told the portrait and ran inside. "Mom?" she went in and out of the rooms. "Mom?!" she looked in to her bedroom. Where is she Hermione thought? Then it hit her and she left those quarters. She made it to the stone gargoyle without a problem but when she got there she realized something. Her parents had never told her the password. She decided to guess.
"Hermione . . . Minerva . . . Owlet . . .ugh . . . Christmas . . . candy . . . lemons . . . Sherbert lemon." At that the stone gargoyle jumped aside and Hermione cocked her head to the side. "Really?" She sighed and went into the office. Sure enough when she walked in Minerva was sitting across from Albus, both had turned to see who had come in.
"Hi sweetie." Minerva said getting up to hug her. Hermione returned it but was glazing around the office looking at all of Albus' things. Albus chuckled at her look.
"I get that a lot when people see my office, I'm afraid I have so many objects that it causes people to wonder." He said with a smile giving her a hug. Hermione glazed up at the portraits of all the old headmasters and mistress's. Some smiled and waved, others gave her a look like who's this girl. One was vocal enough to ask.
"Well who is this young lady?" Armando Dippet asked. He was very curious about the child who could get a hug out of Minerva McGonagall. Minerva gave him a look before hugging Hermione again.
"This is my daughter." She said proudly which caused Hermione to blush and beam. Albus chuckled at their looks and the looks of some of the portraits. Some looked like they wanted to say something more but Albus held up his hand to stop them.
"So is this a pleasure visit Owlet or is their something you wanted to tell us?" Albus asked as Hermione sat next to Minerva.
"The second." Hermione started turning to Minerva. "You know how I was going to bring you the diary."
"Yes do you have it?" Minerva asked trying not to sound eager.
"Well no. . ." Hermione said and Albus and Minerva shared a look. "See I was going to get it after dinner and then Neville came and got Harry from dinner. We followed and found his room a giant mess. When we got there we realized that the diary was gone. Some one had removed all of Harry's things and took the diary." She ended sadly. She looked up to judge their response. Both looked shocked, neither had thought that the diary must have been stolen. "I'm sorry." Hermione said softly. Minerva held her.
"It's not your fault. You had no idea that would happen." Minerva said softly. Albus stood up and walked around his desk.
"Hermione how about you go though that door into our quarters and we'll come get you." Albus said smiling and Hermione went into the door. Albus quickly turned serious and faced Minerva.
"You know what this means." He said softly. She nodded and put rubbed her head.
"It's a Gryffindor, it's a Gryffindor opening the chamber isn't it?" She asked softly.
"We don't know, they could be getting it for someone else, but yes this means that it my hunch is right. . ."
"Which they normally are." Minerva added.
"Well yes . . . then it is a Gryffindor opening the chamber. They are probably not aware of it though."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well Hermione told you they found the diary abandoned in a bathroom. I think the person found out and tried to get rid of it. However if the grip of the diary was to strong then. . ."
"The power would still control him or her even if they are out of reach." Albus nodded. Minerva continued. "What should we do?"
"I think the best thing to do would be to watch the Gryffindors. Any who are acting strange we should closely watch."
"I agree. Is that all for now?"
"I think it's all we can do for now." He stood up and offered Minerva his arm. "Lets go send Hermione to bed." He said smiling.
Again so sorry I haven't updated but I hope everyone reviews. Three people got the song right it was Down to the Sea in the Little Mermaid 2. It was Ariel's lullaby to Melody and I thought it would fit. So please review.