Tom Riddle's Diary
Hogwarts was in uproar.
The Hufflepuff students who found Justin and Nick wasted no time in telling the whole school that they had seen Harry running away from the site of the attack. Harry knew they could only have seen part of him because of the invisibility cloak, he knew that whatever they had seen would have looked unusual perhaps even frightening. However, he was fairly certain he had not turned into a snake at any point, nor had he apparated away cackling maniacally, despite the stories Ernie McMillian and Wayne Hopkins were telling anyone who would listen.
Ron Weasley had crawled out of the hole he had been hiding in since the beginning of the term; to spread the story that Hermione had proof that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin and that was why she had been attacked. There had been some speculation about Hermione’s missing notebook since she had been found near the library, the girls who found her were certain she had a book in her hand before they went for help but when they had returned the book was gone.
Ron was very vocal about the missing book, describing the blue book in great detail and speculating on what might be written in it, every morning at breakfast or any time he passed Harry in the hallway.
The truth was that Ron had not listened to a word Hermione had said about the Heir or Harry. He had scoffed at her suggestion that Ginny was in danger until the girl had been attacked; after that, Ron had started to pay attention. When he took the time to look at Ginny, he had been horrified, she was pale and very thin, she had lost weight, she had not been very big to begin with and now she was tiny and fragile looking.
Ron slowly began to realise that if Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, and Ginny was still obsessed with him then Ginny might really be in danger. He had pointed this out to the twins and Percy and all four boys were now doing their best to keep an eye on their sister.
Ginny for her part did not appreciate her brothers’ concern. Her skill with the bat bogey hex ensured the boys kept their distance; however, she now had the full attention of all her brothers on her, which meant she would have to do something about the diary.
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Overnight the whole school turned against Harry, he could not walk through the hallways without being watched carefully. Fortunately, however, everyone was now so scared of Harry that no one was attacking him.
Lockhart had even stopped dragging him to the front of the room for every demonstration in class. Harry instead sat at the back of the room and ignored the blond idiot who had taken to calling on Neville as his assistant.
Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were also unsure what to do with Harry. They could not simply ignore his presence; however, both teachers were painfully aware of the boy’s power. It was ridiculous to think that Harry Potter could be the Heir of Slytherin, Minerva had said this often enough in the staffroom but there was an element of doubt now.
In the Slytherin common room, the students were equally convinced that Harry was the Heir. However, far from being scared they were in awe and Harry very quickly became a figurehead. He could, if he chose, have his pick of minions, he would only have to say the word and every student would follow him and they would do anything he commanded. Harry began to understand just how easy it would have been for Tom to get so carried away.
Word was spreading through the old pureblood families that the Dark Lord was ready to rise again; most parents saw Harry Potter being sorted into Slytherin as a sign of the Dark Lord’s power. There was speculation that Harry would be the one to bring him back, once again the rumours were too close to the truth for both Harry and Severus’ comfort.
Fortunately, Harry had Draco, Pansy, Theo and Blaise to keep him grounded in reality. None of those four would tolerate him becoming a new Dark Lord, they had more than enough to worry about with the one which already existed.
Draco constantly reminded Harry he was just his little brother and there was nothing special about him. Blaise and Theo would stand either side of him and ruffle his hair and remind Harry he was still the runt of the litter. Pansy told him daily he would need a decent haircut and new glasses before he could be taken seriously as any kind of Dark Lord.
Harry truly appreciated their efforts if he had not had his closest friends he was not sure he would have survived leaving the common room. The whole school was too scared to attack him now, even the Gryffindor's, but being under constant scrutiny and hearing the all whispers was unsettling.
Severus was close to losing his mind. Christmas was only a week away and he had to tell Lucius and possibly the Dark Lord, that Harry had taken the diary containing a Horcrux and it was now in the hands of Ginny Weasely.
He had tried to think of another solution, any other solution but there was no choice, he had to go and see Lucius and Narcissa and then he would have to face the man he called His Lord.
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Narcissa had a bad feeling, she could not figure out what it meant. She was not a seer; she did not hold with divination at all, considering wishy-washy at best but she had always known when her family were in danger.
The boys were safe, she was sure; the recent events at the school were concerning but they were not life-threatening. The attack on Harry had been worrisome but she was certain Severus had things in hand. Lucius was still buried in work because of the raids on his clients' homes.
There was still yet to be a raid on their home, Narcissa knew her husband had no idea why they had not been raided. Lucius had tried to find out why they had not been raided but had not been able to find a reason; not that it mattered there was nothing to be found in the Manor but the thought still had them both on edge.
It was late well after dinner time but Lucius had not come home, Narcissa was waiting in the sitting room nursing a stone-cold cup of tea, staring unseeingly into the fire. Life had never been simple exactly but she could feel things changing. Harry’s arrival in their life was never going to be uncomplicated. Narcissa had not cared about that when Lucius had told her of Severus' request, he was a child in need. He had taken her by surprise when met him, he was such a sweet child; now twelve months on he had come so far from the scared withdrawn little boy he had been when he first came to them.
The changes in him were gratifying, he had grown several inches and he was no longer skin and bone. He was so comfortable with them now, that he called them mother and father, even mum and dad on occasion. Severus had pointed out to her that he no longer waited for permission to eat; he accepted that he was part of the family and therefore allowed to eat with them.
Still, something was not right, it made her stomach twist in a way it had not done since the Dark Lord had vanished. The Dark Lord was another worry, she had managed to finish the potion required to create the elixir of life but the alchemy was beyond her skill. Severus was working on it and she had no doubt he would figure it out just as soon as he had time.
A head suddenly appeared in her fireplace startling her and causing her to spill her tea. “Severus,” she gasped, her hand flying up to her heart.
“My apologies Narcissa, might I come though?” the potions master said gravely.
“Of course,” she replied, as she vanished the tea and called the elves for another pot.
Once he was out of the fire and she could see his face properly Narcissa’s heart sank. Severus looked like he had a heavy weight on him, his face was drawn and he was pale even for a dungeon dweller; she had not seen him look like this since the first war.
“What’s happened? Is it the boys? Harry?” she whispered urgently.
“Is Lucius home?” the man asked, instead of answering her question.
“No, not yet. Severus what has happened?” she demanded.
“There has been an incident, Harry is fine, but the entire school believes him to be Slytherin's Heir and therefore they believe he is responsible for the events taking place at school and…in a way he is responsible,” Severus told her.
Narcissa’s hand flew to her mouth, “Severus,” she hissed. “How could you say such a thing?” She said angrily.
“I am sorry Narcissa, but Harry has done something foolish and I fear only the Dark Lord can help me fix it. I am worried that he may choose not to help,” Severus told her looking at he floor.
Narcissa considered the man in front of her, he looked terrible he was truly worried about the situation. “Sit down Severus,” she said with a sigh. “Is Harry safe?”
“For now, yes, he is safe in the common room and his dorm. How long depends on what Dumbledore decides to do about the attacks. So far he has done nothing; he is terrified that Harry might be the Heir. He must surely have realised how the title passes. If The Dark Lord is gone…even if he isn't, Harry is the Heir by conquest. That is not something he wants anyone to know, but one student figured it out,” he told her.
“And this student…told everyone?” Narcissa asked wide-eyed.
“No, she was petrified before she could and her notebook was stolen,” Severus explained.
“So? How do people know?” the mother asked with a frown.
“It is largely speculation about a missing notebook, rumours spread about what it might contain. It seems some people were aware of the girls research even if they did not take her seriously at the time. Then there was a second attack and Harry was seen running away,” Severus told her.
“He was actually seen?” she asked.
“Yes, he was, and rumours have only gotten further out of control,” Severus said heavily.
“Oh that’s it, we have to bring him home,” Narcissa said sounding more unsettled than Severus had ever heard her.
“Yes, I fear that might be for the best,” the teacher allowed.
The two sat in silence contemplating Severus news they remained sitting with their own thoughts until Lucius found them several minutes later.
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Harry knew he was supposed to say in bed, Severus had told him he was not, under any circumstances, to leave the dorm. He just didn't understand how Severus could expect him to sleep, to just carry on as if nothing was wrong.
The whole school thought he was the Heir of Slytherin, which was not the biggest problem, the biggest problem was that he was the Heir of Slytherin.
If Ginny had opened the Chamber while being possessed by Tom, then he was the only one who could do anything about it. Tom was a soul fragment, he had no power did he? Harry thought about Quirrell and how he had been last year. Tom had been in his head he had made Quirrell do things for him but it had seemed that Tom’s only weapon was fear. He terrorised Quirrell and he was probably doing the same to Ginny. Harry had to find the Chamber entrance and the diary, he had to put a stop to Tom’s rampage.
Severus would be furious if Harry was caught out of bed. He knew his betrothed was out of the castle tonight he was going to the Manor to talk with his parents. He did not want Severus to be angry with him, especially since his parents would be furious with him but this whole mess was his fault; he had to fix it.
Suddenly, he had a thought - Dobby! Dobby could move around the castle he could find the diary and he might even be able to figure out how a giant snake could be moving around relatively unseen.
He sat up, quickly and cast silencing charms on his curtains, then he summoned his elf. “Master Harry, what can Dobby be doing for his Master Harry?” the elf asked.
“Dobby, I need you to find a small brown leather diary with 1943 on the front. Ginny Weasely has it but it’s mine, I need it back Dobby. I also need to know about the monster that is petrifying people, do you know anything about it?” Harry instructed.
“Dobby can be getting Master’s book but Master should be staying away from the monster,” Dobby told him firmly,
“How can I do that when it is moving about unseen. I just don't know how it can not be seen,” he sighed in frustration. “Everyone thinks it's me doing it, Dobby,” Harry sighed and he looked down at his bed hoping he would not cry in front the elf.
Dobby’s ears deflated at the sight of his Master looking so despondent. “Dobby will be getting the diary. Dobby will ask the other elves if they be knowing anything. But the elves be scared Master Harry, but they is knowing it not you who be doing the attacks. The elves know, they be remembering the last time,” the small elf told him.
“Thanks Dobby, Sev…Professor Snape told me to stay in my dorm, I don't want to let him down Dobby but I need to stop the attacks,” he told the elf.
“Master should not be upsetting his intended. If Professor Snappy say Master should stay in his dorm then Master should stay. Dobby will be doing the work,” the small elf said firmly and vanished with a crack.
Harry flopped back on his pillows and thought about what Dobby had said, of course this had happened before and the elves would remember. Hermione had discovered that Myrtle had died in her bathroom, killed by the monster in the Chamber. That meant the monster had been in that bathroom could that mean that the entrance to the Chamber was in Myrtle's bathroom?
Harry sat up and called "Dobby".
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Lucius and Narcissa sat in silence and listened to Severus' tale. He told them how the diary had called to Harry and he had been unable to leave it behind. Harry had taken it school so it would not be found when the Manor was raided.
He told them how Harry had been writing in the diary and talking to Tom. Narcissa had cried when she heard the Dark Lord had been talking to Harry, the thought was terrifying especially after what had happened the previous year.
He told them how the book came to be in the hands of the Weasley girl and Lucius' eyes gleamed. Why had he not thought of this? Arthur Weasley’s daughter being caught with an artefact so dangerous was surely a gift sent from Circe herself.
Severus saw the look in Luicus' eyes and rolled his own eyes, “You can't be thinking of turning this into a plot against the Weaselys,” he said sharply.
“Who said anything about turning it into anything? It seems as though it is already happening,” the blond shrugged indifferently.
“So are you volunteering to tell the Dark Lord where his diary is? I assume that is the artefact he wants to be returned at Christmas,” Severus asked sarcastically.
“Yes, the Horcrux in the diary must have called to Harry because of the Horcrux in him. The Dark Lord knows Harry is his Horcrux he will understand why Harry was drawn to it, he will likely be pleased. Though he may be worried about getting back in one piece, this really doesn't look good for Dumbledore does it?” Lucius said with a smirk.
“Harry is currently the Heir of Slytherin Lucius, and the whole of my House is ready to follow him anywhere he leads,” Snape snapped.
Narcissa let out a hiss “No, not Harry. He would never…Severus you know as well as I do Harry is not like that. He might take the loyalty of those willing to pledge it but he is not like…Him.”
“No,” Severus allowed, deflating slightly. “You are right, Harry would not go down that path. However, he feels responsible for this mess and he will dive head first into to trying to fix it. Which is why I believe we will need the Dark Lord's help. I will talk to him if you can arrange the meeting,” Severus told Lucius.
“I believe he will help, he is intrigued by our Harry and I found out why our home has not been raided yet,” Lucius said with a smug smile.
Severus and Narcissa both looked at him waiting for him to go on.
“Dumbledore, he has convinced Fudge that finding dark artefacts in the house Harry Potter lives in would be a bad look for the Ministry; especially in light of the Muggle’s trial. It will come out that Dumbledore left Harry on their doorstep with the full knowledge and consent of the Ministry,” Lucius told them.
“I see, I assume Counsellor Saari is prepared for this to happen. Harry doesn't need…” Severus began with a frown.
“Don't fret, Severus, she is completely prepared,” Lucius assured Severus. “Dumbledore will not come out of this unscathed neither will Fudge. He wasn't Minister then but he was working in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He was one of the lead investigators into the attack on the Potters and he was one of the first on the scene when Black allegedly blew up that Muggle street. They are both so busy trying to cover their arses they can’t deal with another blow-up about Harry,” the lawyer told them.
Severus raised his eyebrow “So a blow-up about Arthur Weasley's daughter being possessed, by a diary belonging to the Dark Lord and subsequently unleashing Slytherin's Basilisk on the school…would not be welcome either,” he mused.
Lucius looked at his friend with an amused expression. “Precisely, old friend.”
“And what about Harry?” Narcissa demanded giving the smirking men an icy glare.
Severus sobered up at that and sighed. “Christmas break is only a week away. I believe we may have to consider Harry not returning to school after Christmas,” he told her.
“That might be for the best, I will talk to the Dark Lord. if Hary is withdrawn and the attacks continue…well we might even get rid of the Headmaster,” Lucius said with a satisfied smile.
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Ginny did not know what to do, Hermoine being attacked had thrown her. Mrs Norris and some roosters had been one thing but Hermione was her friend, her only friend. Hermione had been the only one who noticed anything was wrong with her; not even her brothers had noticed, not until Hermione had been attacked.
Ginny had almost decided to confide in the second-year girl, things were well out of her control now. Then Hermione was petrified and then Justin, and Ginny did not know what to do. Tom had attacked two people, a ghost, a cat and some roosters using her body.
The diary had to go, she got up determined to be rid of the thing, but where could she take it? Nowhere Harry would find it, it was lucky perhaps that Tom had not possessed Harry, if Harry really was the Heir of Slytherin and he teamed up with Tom, someone would be dead by now.
Harry being Slytherin heir had shocked her for the first time she was glad her father had torn up the marriage contract her mother signed. If she had to marry Harry she might have been in real trouble.
Moving as quickly and as quietly as she could Ginny made her way to the second-floor girls' bathroom. No one went in here because of Myrtle she would flush the diary away and it would end up in the lake. No one would ever find it there. Scarcely daring to breathe she pushed open the door and walked in hoping Myrtle was not there. She crept into the second stall dropped the diary and flushed. There was a gurgling sound like water struggling to drain and Ginny panicked what if she had blocked the pipe? She turned and fled.
Myrtle had been peacefully sitting in the U bend thinking about death when suddenly something hard fell through her head and she found herself rushing down the pipes into the lake. In a fit of fury, Myrtle forced her way back up the pipe and burst out of the toilet bowl screaming. The offending book splashed up and out of the bowl landing on the floor but there was no one in the bathroom, no one except a startled elf.
Myrtle huffed and flew off through the ceiling towards the abandoned west tower to recover from the indignity of her attack.
Dobby watched her go with a bemused expression, when she was gone Dobby saw the book which had washed out of the toilet with her. It was a small brown leather diary with 1943 on the front. It must be Master Harry’s diary, he picked it up and immediately dropped it again. This could not be Master Harry's; this diary was evil, the worst kind of evil. Dobby sat on the floor twisting his ears, Master Harry had ordered Dobby to find the diary. Dobby had found the diary but he did not want to give this to his Master.
Mistress Narcissa had told him to protect Harry at all costs, Dobby was to keep his Master safe and this diary was not safe. Dobby snapped his fingers and the diary vanished then the elf followed popping out of the toilet and into Professor Snape's room. Dobby twisted his ears painfully while he waited for the Professor to return.
Severus stepped out of his floo and into his room a hour later, only to be confronted with a sobbing, incoherent elf who was busily punishing himself by twisting his ears. On the floor in front of Dobby was a small brown diary, looking almost innocent lying on the rug.
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Dumbledore was in a bind it was looking increasingly likely that Harry Potter, saviour of the Wizarding World and defeater of Voldemort was the Heir of Slytherin. He had researched the Slytherin title and it seemed it could pass by conquest. Only the oldest Family names were able to be taken this way, once wizards might duel to the death for the sake of honour and titles but such things did not happen these days. Titles and Lordships stayed within families, no matter how the head of the family died. Unfortunately, Harry was also a descendant of Slytherin, so not only had he won the title of Heir of Slytherin through defeating Tom, he was also the next in the family line. The Wizarding public would not accept this he had no idea how he could spin it if this got out.
Then there were the attacks in the school. They were eerily similar to the last time the Chamber was opened; that time it had Tom, of course, but he had set up Hagrid to take the fall. The hapless young Gryffindor had been raising an acromantula of things in a cupboard and Tom had convinced Dippet and the Minister of the time, that Hagrid’s pet was responsible for the Death of Myrtle Warren.
Albus had always known otherwise but he had not been able to prove it. Tom was such a good student, with top marks in all his subjects, he had been a prefect and was well on his way to being Head Boy. Hagrid had been trouble from the first, wandering off into the forest and collecting all manner of dangerous creatures.
All Albus had been able to do was convince the Minister that Hagrid was not evil, just a little misguided. He had managed to convince all involved that it would not look good for the school to have a half-giant student sent to Azkaban. He convinced them it would be best to keep Hagrid at Hogwarts where he could be supervised; no one wanted to upset the giants by putting Hagrid in prison, so Albus' solution had been accepted.
However, if Fudge came after Hagrid this time, it might cost them both their positions in the school. Albus needed another solution, this had to be Voldemort's work, it just had to be and if it wasn't well, Albus would just have to convince people he was right. This could not come back on him or Hagrid or Harry.
Albus pulled out a roll of parchment and began composing yet another letter to Augustus Rookwood.