Walked away.
The staff room at Hogwarts was quiet, the kind of oppressive silence that only came from unspoken tension. The summer holidays had brought stillness to the castle, but the gathered teachers knew this meeting wasn’t routine.
“Thank you all for coming,” Dumbledore began, his voice unusually solemn. His usual warmth was absent, replaced by a grave demeanor that set the others on edge. “I’ve called this meeting to discuss what Ginny Weasley revealed after her ordeal in the Chamber of Secrets.”
McGonagall sat straighter in her chair, her lips pressed into a thin line. “She’s recovering, I take it?”
“She is, but the events she described are… troubling,” Dumbledore replied. He glanced around the room, his blue eyes sharp. “She spoke of a diary that seemed to hold the memories of a boy named Tom Riddle.”
The name stirred little reaction, save for McGonagall frowning thoughtfully. “Tom Riddle? That name doesn’t sound familiar.”
“It wouldn’t,” Dumbledore said gravely. “Tom Riddle was a student here many years ago. A brilliant, ambitious boy who went on to become someone we all know by another name—Lord Voldemort.”
The room collectively stiffened.
“What?” McGonagall gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’re saying this diary contained *his* memories?”
“Precisely.”
The weight of the revelation hit the room like a thunderclap. Flitwick dropped his quill, his tiny hands trembling. Sprout looked pale, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
Snape’s reaction was subtle but no less intense. His black eyes widened briefly before narrowing, his expression unreadable. He was the first to speak, his voice cold and cutting. “If it was a memory of the Dark Lord, why did Potter fail to mention it?”
“Harry has always been private,” McGonagall interjected, though her voice wavered slightly.
Snape ignored her, his gaze locked on Dumbledore. “You questioned him about what happened in the Chamber. *I* questioned him. He said nothing about a diary, only that he had defeated the monster and sealed the Chamber.”
Dumbledore inclined his head. “That is correct. Harry did not elaborate beyond those details.”
“Convenient,” Snape sneered.
McGonagall bristled. “Severus—”
“No, Minerva, this is a valid point,” Snape interrupted, his voice sharp. “If this diary was a piece of the Dark Lord’s past, Potter knew something about it. Why else would he conceal it?”
“Perhaps he didn’t understand what it was,” Flitwick offered tentatively.
Snape scoffed. “Potter is far from ignorant. He knew enough to keep it from us.”
Sprout spoke up, her tone hesitant. “What happened to the diary, Albus?”
Dumbledore sighed. “It was not in the Chamber when we arrived. Its fate is unknown.”
“Unknown?” Snape repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. “You mean to tell me that Potter defeated a basilisk, sealed the Chamber, and left behind an artifact containing the memories of the most dangerous wizard of our age?”
“Not quite,” Dumbledore corrected, his tone measured. “Harry sealed the Chamber. None of us have been able to enter since. And we do not have a Parselmouth.”
McGonagall’s lips thinned. “You mean to say the Chamber is inaccessible?”
“Yes,” Dumbledore confirmed. “Harry did not provide details about how it was sealed. Only that it could not be opened again.”
Snape’s expression darkened further. “So, we are entirely reliant on a child’s word? A child who failed to inform us of a connection to the Dark Lord?”
McGonagall’s voice trembled with frustration. “Severus—he’s been through more than most adults ever will. Can we not give him the benefit of the doubt?”
“A child who has faced the Dark Lord and walked away,” Snape retorted. “That is not an ordinary child.”
The room fell into an uneasy silence.
Dumbledore finally spoke, his tone soft but firm. “Harry’s silence is troubling, but he has given us no reason to doubt his intentions. For now, we must focus on what we *do* know.”
“And what is that, Albus?” McGonagall asked, her voice heavy with worry.
“That Tom Riddle’s memory was powerful enough to nearly destroy a child,” Dumbledore said gravely. “And that whatever transpired in the Chamber, Harry Potter walked away with answers he is not ready to share.”
The staff left the meeting with more questions than answers, each burdened by their own suspicions. Snape, however, lingered, his dark gaze fixed on the empty fireplace.
Whatever Harry Potter was hiding, Snape was determined to uncover it.