A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof. Only the story line is mine so please don't sue! I don't own anything!

Chapter 40

It was currently Christmas holidays and Albus was searching through his potion ingredients cupboard looking for supplies for a special potion. He was curious about something and wanted to know if his hunch was correct.

Groaning, he looked from the book the potion was in to his ingredient cupboard. He was out of Sodalite. He made his way down to Severus' quarters.

Maybe he could get the ingredient without actually telling Severus what it was.

Severus was grading holiday potions when there was a knock at his door.

"Enter."

He looked up and saw the Headmaster. 'You need something Albus?"

"I need to make a potion my boy and I appear to be out of an ingredient. Care if I raid your cupboard?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

Breathing a semi-sigh of relief, Albus entered the ingredients cupboard and found what he came for. "Thank you Severus. See you at dinner."

The potion's master merely nodded and resumed his grading.

About 10 minutes after the Headmaster left, Severus got up to see what he took.

"Boomslang skin, Powdered Bicorn Horn, and ... Sodalite! What? What in the world would Albus want with those three ingredients?" he asked himself. The first two items were used in Polyjuice. The last is what confused him. There weren't very many uses for it, especially not combined with the other two.

Frowning, he locked his office and headed up to dinner.

Christmas morning arrived. Harry opened his eyes to find presents from Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Mrs. Weasley.

During dinner, Harry entered the Great Hall wearing a Weasley sweater while talking animatedly to Ron and Hermione. If he would have looked up at the Headmaster, he would have seen a twinkle in his eye due to his outfit.

"So, this is what we need to do," whispered Hermione.

Ron and Harry exchanged a look that said this was a disaster waiting to happen after she finished talking.

"Yes?" Severus asked Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle as they stared at him while standing in the doorway to his quarter's.

"Sir, we think Slytherin might have been infiltrated," stated Malfoy boldly.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the blonde, indicating for him to continue speaking.

"I found Crabbe and Goyle in a closet together - locked up. They say that they had been there for over an hour but I had a conversation with them in our common room during that time."

"And what were you two doing in a closet together?"

Severus noticed that both boys faces turned red with embarrassment.

"We were eating a cupcake as we left the Great Hall and the next thing we know is that we were in a closet. Over an hour had passed," Crabbe managed to stutter out.

Severus scowled. "Very well. I'll look into the matter and tomorrow I'll change the password."

"Thank you sir."

Severus leaned against the door frame and watched the trio head back to their dorms. He wondered how Potter and his friends could have pulled that off because no one else would have the audacity to even entertain the notion of sneaking into the Slytherin common room.

Severus eyed the sleeping Granger in the infirmary. She was transformed into a partial cat. He quietly placed the vials of potion that she would need to take in Madam Pomphrey's medicine stores.

That meant that she, Potter, and Weasley had at some prior point stole the ingredients for the polyjuice potion (he recognized the failed transformation). It certainly explained how Potter and Weasley were able to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle, though he wondered if Granger chose a cat hair on purpose or by accident.

He didn't want to comprehend the skill the second years showed by brewing that potion so he focused instead on the ingredient that Albus took - the Sodalite.

He was certainly curious but wouldn't ask ... yet.

Harry, Ron, and Neville were working on their potions essay in study hall being proctored by Snape. Hermione was still in the hospital wing though she had told them that she was getting out in a couple of days.

"Harry, I don't understand this. The book says sliced tube worms are a neutral base but in this potion's directions it indicates that its acidic."

Harry glanced up at Neville. The boy looked like he was at his wit's end and indeed must be to whisper that in a study hall where Snape was prowling the room.

"The way the juice blends with the fairy wings affects it in this case. The potion says it has to brew for 20 minutes. That's just enough time to let all of the juice excrete out of the worms and seep into the fairy wings."

Harry looked up at Neville and saw that he was still perplexed and that his eye was twitching.

"It's the brewing time. Normally potions with tube worms in them don't require a long brewing time meaning that they are normally classified as neutral."

"So it's just the brewing time?" asked Neville hopefully.

"Well, that, and the makeup of the fairy wings."

Neville banged his head on the table.

Severus listened in discreetly as Potter explained to Longbottom how the worms were acidic.

He was impressed with the boys grasp of the theory and how he explained it.

Not that he would ever admit that of course. He briefly entertained the idea of going over and intimidating them but decided that maybe this explanation would keep Longbottom from exploding something.

Just then a group of 6th year girls burst into a fit of giggles so he went over to make his displeasure known.

Harry's arms were killing him. He had just came from the detention that was assigned to him for changing Malfoy's hair a different color before the Christmas Holidays had began. Snape had made him scrub cauldrons and pickle toad toes.

He threw himself down onto the bed but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any sleep.

Harry quietly got out of bed and fiddled with Riddles diary for a couple of hours. He didn't like it because every time he got near it - his scar would twinge.

But his gut told him that he needed to figure out how to work it, that whatever it contained was important.

Eventually he gave up and forced himself to get some sleep.

February 14th, 1993

It was Hagrid that opened the Chamber of Secret's last time but I don't want to believe it. I don't believe he would want anyone killed.

Riddle has to be wrong.

I'm sorry I ever figure out how to work his stupid diary now. I'm sorry that I ever even found it. I should have just left it in Myrtle's bathroom.

-Harry

Harry stared down at the raven he was supposed to be transfiguring into ear muffs. All he had managed to do so far was get bitten - twice. He glanced around the room and had to stifle a bark of laughter.

Neville had manage to transfigure his but there was still a beak on one of the muff's which made him look like an alien.

"Mr. Potter, why is your raven still a raven?"

Harry started. He hadn't heard her come up behind him. "I can't seem to do it Professor," he muttered.

"Of course you can do it. Try now."

Harry picked up his wand, pointed it at the bird, and using every bit of concentration he could muster, said "Cornix Mutatio Auris Operculum" as he twisted his wand in his hand 90 degree's to the left.

All that happened is that the raven reached around the wand and bit him again.

McGonagall frowned. "See me after class for extra homework Potter."

"Yes ma'am." Harry groaned internally. That's all he needed was extra homework. A glance at Ron saw a look of sympathy. He had managed to change his raven (even with is broken wand) but his ear muffs were a ghastly pink color.

"Cleaning charms are very useful, as you can imagine, so the next few lessons we are going to be going over a few of the simpler ones."

Harry watched as Professor Flitwick performed a couple of spells on a grubby table.

"I'll call each of you up to perform a polishing spell. Who can tell me the best type of item to use this on? Ms. Granger?"

"The polishing spell is best used on wood and brass. While it will work on other surfaces, like mirrors, it could harm it if long term use occurs."

"Ten points to Gryffindor. How does it harm the object if used on non-wood and non-brass items? Mr. Boot?"

"The spell will slowly weaken whatever it is being used on by stripping away a layer of the object, eventually causing it to break."

"Ten points to Ravenclaw. Everyone practice the wand movement and the incantation. I'm going to start calling you up."

Harry watched as everyone performed the spell. He smiled as Neville done it on the first try. When it should have been his turn to be called, Flitwick skipped over him.

Harry frowned. Did the tiny professor not think that he could do it?

Ron came back to his seat after his turn. His ears were bright red. His wand had mis-fired, which in turn, caused him to hit the professor instead.

"Mr. Potter. You're next!"

Harry walked up. He pointed his wand at the wooden table and said, "Nitor" as he swished his wand left to right - making sure to do it the width of the table.

It polished brilliantly.

Harry started to go back to his seat when the professor stopped him.

"I saved Mr. Potter for last because I want to show everyone what can happen if you add too much power to a polishing charm. Now, Mr. Potter, I want you to summon all of your power and channel it into this spell," Flitwick said after focusing his attention back on him.

Harry frowned. Great, now he was being made a spectacle of. As if he wasn't enough of a freak already. Since he already knew what would happen, he took several steps back.

However, he didn't use all of his power. Actually, he didn't even think he used a quarter of it.

"Nitor!" he yelled.

The table glowed for a second and then shattered, the pieces hitting a shield that Flitwick had erected while Harry had moved into position.

He made his way back to the table where Ron and Hermione were sitting.

"The polishing spell is the only cleaning charm that you have to worry about the amount of power you put behind it. Read chapter 33 and practice the charms listed for next class."

As Harry was leaving the classroom, he saw Flitwick give him a look that said that he knew that Harry had held back on how much power he put behind that spell.

Harry scurried away as fast as he could.

It was Easter break and Harry was reading the descriptions of each class that he could sign up for, for the upcoming school term.

He watched bemusedly as Hermione signed up for everything. Ron hadn't decided yet.

Eventually Harry marked down Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Ancient Runes as his electives.

He would have CoMC and Divination with both Ron and Hermione and Ancient Runes with Hermione since Ron didn't want to take that class.

Once that was decided, Harry and Ron entered into a game of chess, much to Hermione's disapproval because they had a lot of homework that they had been procrastinating.

"What could be so important to cancel Quidditch?" whispered Ron to Harry. They rounded the curtain in the hospital wing and to their horror they saw Hermione laying on a bed - petrified.

They both just stopped and stared open mouthed.

"But we just saw her before we went down to the Pitch," said Harry.

"She was found near the library, holding this. Do either of you recognize it?"

They both looked at the hand held mirror.

"No," murmured Harry.

"Alright. You two go back to the dorms. I'll be along in a minute. I have an announcement to make."

Albus was furious. Minister Fudge had just taken Hagrid to Azkaban and Lucius Malfoy had just removed him as acting Headmaster.

He had been surprised to realize that Harry and Ron had been in the cabin but maybe he shouldn't have been.

Albus hoped what he said in the cabin would some how help Harry. The boy had a streak of inquisitiveness and not to mention rule breaking in him that rivaled all of the Marauder's combined. He knew the castle had sentient feelings and hoped that should Harry discover what's going on, it will protect him so he could get help.

Albus looked around his office. He had written a note to Minerva and Severus and gathered up a few items.

That done, he walked down to Hogsmeade and disapparated to his rarely used home in Godrics Hollow.

Harry and Ron snuck down to Hagrid's hut to feed Fang. Ever since the Headmaster had been removed, everyone was a barrel of nerves - except the Slytherin's. They seemed to be enjoying the situation.

When Hermione had turned up petrified, that made the Hufflepuffs' less suspicious of him and they started talking to him in class now (ever since Justin was petrified, most had avoided him).

They had been doing their homework but neither of them remembered much and as much as they didn't want to admit it, they missed Hermione's nagging them to get it done.

When they returned to the castle, Neville was waiting on them. He had agreed to be their lookout when they snuck out to feed Hagrid's dog. Neville was among those that didn't believe that Hagrid had done anything wrong.

"Go alright?"

"Yea. Anyone notice?"

Neville shook his head. "Before you go to bed Harry, can you help me with some homework?"

Harry nodded and went and sat down at the table Neville had his books on.

May 14th, 1993

I'm with Ron. If Hagrid doesn't get killed in Azkaban, I'm gonna kill him when he returns.

Aragog's descendants just tried to eat us. It was horrible. I imagine Ron's fear of spiders has increased 10 fold now.

It wasn't a total waste though. We did find out that Hagrid didn't open the Chamber last time and that Myrtle was the one that was killed.

First chance we get, we're going to go talk with her.

-Harry

Harry stared down at the paper that he had managed to get out of Hermione's petrified hand.

"Ron, I'm an idiot. Why didn't I realize it before? The voice I keep hearing in the walls is a snake. That's why no one else can hear it."

The red head peered over Harry's shoulder to read the paper as well.

"Let's go tell McGonagall," said Ron. "The thought of a giant snake moving around in the plumbing gives me the ghoulies."

Harry looked at Ron. "The ghoulies?"

"You know - that feeling you get when you get weirded out?"

Harry just chuckled as he dragged his friend to the teacher's lounge.

"Harry, we have to get Ginny! Lockhart may be an idiot but if he's going to try, we can tell him what we know."

Harry nodded. Ron was right. As long as Lockhart was going to try, they could tell him what they had managed to figure out.

They passed unhindered through the portrait to go find their professor. Since it was Ron's sister, no one tried to stop them.

Once clear of the portrait's view, they took off at a full run to the defense classroom, and were completely unprepared for the sight of Lockhart hap-hazardly packing everything in the room into his trunks.

Harry and Ron kept their wands trained on their fraud of a Defense Professor as they entered the girl's bathroom.

"Who's there?"

"It's me Myrtle."

"Oh! Hello Harry. What do you want?"

Harry took a deep breath. "To ask you ... how you died."

Albus had just bottled up the potion that he had finished brewing (he had to keep occupied somehow) when about 6 owls flew in the room, followed by more behind them.

"Goodness!" he exclaimed as he relieved each owl of their burden.

After scanning the first letter, he knew what the other ones would contain. He quickly pocketed the letters, the potion, grabbed his cloak, and disapparated towards Hogsmeade so that he could walk up to the castle.

He went straight to Minerva's office. There he found Molly and Arthur Weasley looking very distressed holding onto each other for support. Minerva was sitting behind her desk with her head in her hands.

"Where are the other Professors?"

"Oh, Albus! Thank Merlin you're back," cried Molly. "Something took Ginny."

"I know. I got several owls a few minutes ago."

"They went to do a head count of their houses to make sure no one else is missing."

He nodded.

"What are we going to do Albus?" asked Arthur. "My daughter is gone!"

Just then there was a knock at the door. The head girl came in and handed McGonagall a note.

"Thank you. Go back to the Ravenclaw dorms now."

After the head girl left, Minerva opened the note and let out a strangled cry. She handed it to Albus who read it and groaned. Harry and Ron wasn't in the Gryffindor common room.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. I have some portraits and ghosts to question." That said, the Headmaster left the room. He would deal with the content of the note after he done some investigating.

A/N: Yes, this one was a long one. :P The next one isn't going to be as long, but I'm going to be finishing some final touches on it later today. Hopefully I can get the final two chapters up for Book 2 in the next day or so. I've been continuing to write even as I go back and edit and am now about half way into book 4. There are some scenes that I need to edit into book 3 though.

And speaking of wrenches in the story line ... there's one coming up in the next couple of chapters. (I don't remember which one it is off the top of my head!)