HARRY AND WILL TOLD FREYA what had been learned from his look into Riddle's journal as soon as they had time the next day away from prying ears and she like Will had been in a state of disbelief.
"Hagrid? Nah, It can't be Hagrid." She was saying for the millionth time, twisting the end of her ponytail. "Come on. I mean, yes he did get expelled from Hogwarts. And yes, he has this overly fond thing for super dangerous creatures. And sure, I bet he would probably love to have something like the Slytherin Beast for a pet...but other than that all the evidence is for him!"
Harry and Will stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Note that Freya is never, and I mean never, to be a lawyer for anybody that we want to help win in a trial?" Will questioned dryly.
"Noted." Harry agreed, wincing on his best friend's behalf.
Freya stuck her tongue out irritably at them before she glared at the diary. "You know, this Riddle character sounds like Percy- who asked him to squeal anyway?"
"Oh, my goodness, Freya, the monster killed a girl." Will chastised.
"And Riddle was going to go back to some muggle orphanage if they closed down Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't honestly blame him for wanting to stay here…"
There was a long pause before Will lifted his head and asked the knottiest question of all. "You don't think we should ask Hagrid, do you?"
Freya's jaw dropped and Harry pressed his lips together as they looked at him.
"How do you do, Hagrid?" Freya said, fixing herself into a bright voice and winning smile. "See, we're here on a visit to ask if, you know, you're doing that thing you got expelled for? Oh yeah, the thing where you were releasing a big and hairy thing around the school that killed a person?" She put on a perplexed expression, "Wait, why are you kicking us out? Did we say something that troubled you? Did we possibly bring back horrible memories?"
"Okay okay," Will said hastily as Harry smiled slightly, "No, on the asking.'
In the end, they decided not to say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack. With almost four months passing since the double attack and no other, things began to settle down for real as Peeves grew tired of his Potter Rotter song and Ernie even asked Harry politely to pass him the shovel in Herbology.
"I don't like it." Freya grumbled as the days went by peacefully.
"Why not? Isn't this good?" Harry asked as they walked to the Quidditch field for Harry's extra practice.
"It isn't just about having peace," Freya said hastily. "If that culprit doesn't get caught so they can pay for scaring the muggle borns and messing with the school then, I don't know, Harry…It's just going to feel a bit unfair."
During the Easter Holidays, all the second years were given something new to think about as they were assigned to choose new classes for the third year. A matter which Will was taking very seriously.
"It could affect our whole futures, what we choose," he said passionately as his eyes read over his list, glancing over at them as they pored over theirs.
"I just want to drop Potions," Harry sighed, skimming over the list.
"We can't," Freya said miserably, cupping her chin in her hand. "We have to keep all our old classes, or I would have dropped Defense."
"That's an important class." Will reminded her.
"Sure, but not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Freya, shaking her head. "I like the man alright, but the only thing he's really taught me is that robes come in many many colors and to not let pixies out of their cages."
"What valuable lessons," Harry joked.
"Lockhart would be delighted to hear so," Freya smirked, before looking affronted as a sort of frazzled-looking Will shushed them.
"Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures?" Will bit his lip scanning the papers anxiously, "I want to take them all but what classes would I need?"
"One class you need is the one that teaches you how to chill." Freya said shaking her head at Harry wide-eyed as Will huffed in annoyance, "I'm gonna take whatever Harry's taking. Harry, what are you taking?"
Harry, who was just going to take what Freya was taking, began to hastily look through the list for classes to checkmark.
Neville Longbottom was getting sent letter after letter from relatives on what to sign up for ("Just choose what you want, Neville," Harry said as it looked like the poor boy was going to faint from stress), Dean Thomas who had also grown up with muggles ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his quill down at random to pick (to the sarcastic applause of Freya who grinned at him amused), and Will heeded nobody's advice and decided just to sign up for it all.
"Well, I'm definitely signing up for Care of Magical Creatures," Freya said tiredly in the end after hearing Percy go on and on with his heedful advice, once they'd finally rolled up their parchment. "Sounds exciting."
"Oh yeah, magical creatures, like that Newt Scamander guy, huh?" said Harry remembering the posters on her wall and smirked when his friend blushed. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "All I'm really good at is Quidditch."
"Well, we have sixish more years to figure out something else you're good at," Freya smirked, "It'll be a rather difficult task, but I'm sure with time…"