An Eclectic Catalogue of Ideas

31st July, 1992

This has been the worst summer I've had. When I got back from Hogwarts, Uncle Vernon packed everything in the cupboard under the stairs. I suppose I should be happy they didn't put me back there again--

"What the bloody hell?" Pansy said, blinking, "Is he implying that his family made him stay in a cupboard?"

Daphne nodded, "That's what it seems to be saying..."

--but it does mean I can't do my homework. The teachers will be upset. I doubt I'll be able to do enough on the train. Snape will be the worst.

I haven't heard from Hermione or Ron all summer. Did I misunderstand them? I don't really have a lot of experience with people. Dudley always threatened the other kids so I never had friends before Hogwarts. Maybe I still don't. I sent them letters and they haven't responded.

My Uncle Vernon is having business guests over tonight. I'm supposed to stay in my room and 'pretend I don't exist'. That's easy enough. I just wish I had something I could read tonight. Maybe I can take a nap.

"No wonder he didn't want to return home," Millicent said quietly. "His family don't sound very nice."

"I don't really like Granger or Weasley, but I expected better than that from them. They're ignoring him all summer?" Pansy said, wrinkling her nose.

"Let's read more. Maybe something happened," Millicent interjected.

2nd August, 1992

I feel horrible. Some weird creature appeared in my room when I was 'being quiet'. He said his name was Dobby and that he was a house-elf. He told me that I couldn't go back to Hogwarts, that it was dangerous. Turns out he stole all my mail, that's why Ron and Hermione weren't talking to me! He hoped if I thought my friends abandoned me, I wouldn't want to return to Hogwarts.

I got mad.

Anyway. He tried to insist that I promise to not return to Hogwarts. When I refused, he went downstairs and levitated the pudding onto Uncle Vernon's guests' heads.

Uncle Vernon wasn't happy.

I got a mail from the Ministry. They think I did the magic and gave me a warning. When Uncle Vernon saw the letter, he got really quiet. And then he threw me in my room, locking me inside. He knows I can't do magic now. It's a good thing I'm used to being hungry. I haven't eaten in days. At least I can drink from the faucet when Aunt Petunia lets me out to use the loo.

Tracey looked sick. "I--I don't believe it. Dumbledore always told people he was happy and well cared for."

"Obviously, he was lying," Pansy snorted. "Morgana, I didn't like Potter, but I wouldn't want anyone to be treated like he apparently has been."

"Why didn't he tell anyone?" asked Millicent.

"Maybe he did. And no one cared." Daphne's voice was quiet. "Wait. Didn't Malfoy have an elf named Dobby?"

"You're right. He said his father released him at the end of our second year," Pansy said. "Go on, keep reading."

4th August, 1992

I'm at the Burrow. Fred, George, and Ron came in a flying car. It was brilliant. They pulled the bars off my window and we got Hedwig free first. Fred and George know how to pick locks and they got the rest of my things from the downstairs cupboard.

Uncle Vernon heard them though and tried to grab me. He hates me, why did he want me to stay? Anyway, I got away and we got to their home. Unfortunately, their mum was waiting. She was pissed but didn't yell at me. I helped them de-gnome their garden.

Also, Ron's little sister Ginny seems to have a crush on me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. She doesn't know me. She has a crush on a storybook hero. I'm just a not-so-stellar wizard who gets into a lot of trouble, not anything special. And what do I know about girls?

"The Weasleys have a flying car?" Tracey stared at Daphne, "That is so cool!"

"Morgana, he looks down on himself a lot," Pansy said, wrinkling her nose. "I'm surprised he noticed the youngest Weasley's crush, though. Boys are blind. She must have been really obvious."

20th August, 1992

I really like the Burrow. I wish I had a family like this. Everyone treats me nicely. It's a little strange, really. I keep expecting them to act like Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Even Mr Weasley seems to like me.

Is this what a family is like?

We went to Diagon Alley yesterday. I coughed while using the floo, so I ended up in a weird place. I ended up in a shop in Knockturn Alley. Which is apparently where all the bad wizards like to hang out or something. Just my luck. I saw Malfoy and his father there; they were selling things. I hid in a strange cabinet until they left and got outside where Hagrid found me. He took me out of the alley and we found the Weasleys and Hermione. I had to explain to her about Dobby and the letters.

In the bookstore, I got dragged over to a bloody fop named Lockhart. He wanted to take a picture with me. Apparently, he's going to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? It's going to be bad again. Maybe I should do self-study. I saw Malfoy there. He was making snide comments and then his father and Mr Weasley got into a fistfight! It was crazy. They knocked over Ginny and Mr Malfoy picked up her things and gave them back to her.

At least I picked up my stuff, so I'm all set for Hogwarts now.

"This isn't as fun as it was before," Tracey said after a moment. "Harry's life sucks."

Daphne nodded slowly, "But it is interesting seeing what's been going on."

"Just keep reading," came Pansy's suggestion, even as she tucked a leg beneath her.

1st September, 1992

Well. Today was odd. When we went to get on the train, I was the last person to get onto the platform and got stuck outside. The wall was solid and I couldn't get through.

I sat around waiting and was starting to panic. I might have done something stupid if I didn't see Mr Weasley appear. I told him about how I couldn't get through the wall. After demonstrating, he told me that the train had already left. We ended up taking the floo from the Leaky Cauldron to Hogwarts.

Snape made some snide comments, but even he couldn't say anything about me getting locked out when Mr Weasley vouched for me.

When everyone came in, I told Hermione and Ron what had happened. Poor Ron got into an argument with Malfoy and his wand got cracked. He's afraid to tell his mum. Ginny get sorted into Gryffindor.

It was a weird day.

"Geez. Harry can't even come to school without something odd happening," Tracey said with a chuckle. "I wonder what caused the problem with the portal?"

"I don't know," Daphne observed. "I haven't ever heard of anything happening before."

"Why would Mr Weasley be able to pass through it though?" asked Millicent. "Keep reading, maybe we'll find out."

5th September 1992

It's another 'wonderful' year. First, I had to deal with Lockhart. He keeps trying to make me his friend and his first test was all about him. Like his favourite colour means anything! The idiot released a horde of pixies and we had to catch them.

We had Quidditch practice today. Well, we were supposed to. The Slytherin team came onto the field with a note from Snape saying they could use it to train their Seeker. Who happens to be Malfoy. His father bought brand new brooms for the entire team!

I also had detention from Lockhart because I refused to answer the questions on his test properly. He was having me help answer his bloody fan mail! While leaving, I heard a voice talking. It kept going on about ripping and killing, and I got scared. But Lockhart didn't seem to hear it.

Am I going crazy?

"Why would Harry be hearing a voice no one else could hear?" asked Tracey, frowning.

"Remember, he's a parselmouth. Maybe it was a snake?" mused Daphne after a moment, before continuing her reading.

31st October, 1992

Things just keep getting worse. I went to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party with Ron and Hermione. It's better than going to the Great Hall and seeing people celebrate. I don't hold it against them, but to me, Halloween is the day my parents died.

Anyway, we finally left because it was kind of disgusting. Did you know that the dead 'taste' by floating through rotting food? It's as sickening as it sounds. It didn't help that we somehow upset this ghost named Myrtle.

Anyway, as we were leaving, I heard that voice again. Ron and Hermione didn't hear it, which is worrying me. I followed the sound of the voice and we saw Mr Filch's cat hanging from a torch bracket. On the wall was this message: The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.

Of course, students come by at that moment and they saw us. Malfoy yelled something about how mudbloods will be next.

And yet Snape and Filch decide that I am responsible? Dumbledore did say that only a really powerful and knowledgeable wizard could do that sort of Dark magic, though, so that cleared me.

But, it doesn't help that by taking me aside to talk to me, it makes it look like the teachers were actually considering me guilty.

I have the worst luck ever.

"I can see his point. I wouldn't want to be around people celebrating if my parents had been killed on that day either," Tracey said with a slight frown.

"Personally," Daphne stated, "I think he's right about the whole teacher thing. They took him aside in front of all of the students. That didn't look good for him. And they never actually told anyone anything."

Pansy looked conflicted, "Yeah, and they focused on him instead of Draco."

"Well, a lot of this is more normal stuff," Daphne said as she flipped through the journal. "He talks about that Lockhart idiot screwing up his magic and removing the bones from his arm and how Granger got a pass from Lockhart to pick up a book on potions from the Restricted Section. Apparently, they think Malfoy is the Heir. Which is silly. He's too stupid: yelling about muggle-borns as he did? She's planning on brewing Polyjuice and trying to pump him for information. Not a bad plan. Very illegal. Oh, it turns out the bludger chased him because Dobby hexed it. Worst attempt to help ever."

"Did she manage to make the potion? Polyjuice is a sixth or seventh-year potion," Millicent said in surprise.

"No clue, let's see," Daphne said as she started reading again. "Oh, the duelling club!"

18th December, 1992

I can talk to snakes. I didn't know this was a bad thing. I first found out when I talked to a snake in a zoo on Dudley's birthday. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had to take me along as Ms Figg wasn't able to take care of me.

Anyway. I'm jumping ahead. There was this Dueling Club, and I went with Ron and Hermione. That fop Lockhart was one of the teachers and the other was Snape. At least I got to see Snape knock Lockhart on his arse. They paired me with Malfoy. I did pretty okay at first, but when he summoned a snake and Lockhart tried to banish it, it landed near a Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley.

I told it to stop and it did!

Unfortunately, I spoke in Parseltongue apparently, and everyone thinks I was telling it to hurt him.

Now everyone hates me. I'm a "Dark Wizard". It's funny, I think the only people who haven't been glaring at me are some of the Slytherins. Even Ron and Hermione have been a little distant.

Unfortunately, it gets worse.

Today, our Herbology courses were cancelled. I spoke to Hagrid a bit. For some reason, the roosters were all killed. And not by a creature, someone strangled them. As I was heading back in, I came upon Justin and Nearly Headless Nick on the second floor. Peeves saw me and told everyone. Ernie Macmillan yelled that I'd been 'caught red-handed'.

I was sent up to Dumbledore's Office. It was pretty interesting in there, but I saw his bird burn up and got really scared that I'd be blamed. Turns out the bird is a phoenix, and they do that. Burn up and get reborn. That's actually interesting. Fawkes is cool. Anyway, he said that Hagrid verified that I'd been speaking to him no more than a minute or two before everything happened, so I was in the clear.

But everyone still thinks I'm evil. Why aren't the teachers saying anything? People are really starting to hate and fear me.

"You know," Daphne said after she stopped reading. "He has a point. Think back to our second year. Sure, the teachers never targeted Harry. Well, except for Professor Snape. But they never did give us much information or tell us it wasn't him. And with the number of scared people around, it's not surprising they latched onto Harry to blame."

"It's happening again, too," Millicent said after a moment. "I saw two Hufflepuffs try to hex Harry in the hallway earlier today. I also saw Smith try to trip him so he'd fall down the stairs."

"Let's see..." Daphne said as she began to read. "Oh, dear." She's giggling. "I shouldn't laugh."

"What? Tell us!" demanded Tracey.

25th December, 1992

The Polyjuice potion was finished today and we used it. It didn't go as well as we'd hoped.

I and Ron slipped Crabbe and Goyle some cakes with a sleeping potion. While they were asleep we took their clothes and a lock of hair for the Polyjuice. Hermione had a hair from Millicent--

"What?!" Millicent looked angry.

"Just wait," Daphne said with a bit of amusement.

--unfortunately, it turned out she made a mistake. It was a hair from Millicent's cat. Hermione is going to be trapped as a human cat for weeks, Madam Pomfrey said.

"I'd heard she was in the hospital wing, though not why. Served her right," muttered Millicent.

We went towards the dungeons but realized we didn't think this through. We didn't know the password or even where the door to the Slytherin Common Room was. Luckily, we bumped into Malfoy and we followed him inside. We talked to him but he insisted he didn't know who the heir was. He really wanted to help them too, so unless he's smarter than it seems it's not him. So I'm stuck as the 'evil Heir' still. He did say the Chamber was opened fifty years ago and that someone died. We need to do more research. Plus, I got to see into the Slytherin Common Room. It's a little too green, but it looked really cool.

"I can't believe that Harry snuck into our Common Room," Pansy said in surprise, "That took some planning, even if he got lucky."

"Well, he and Weasley. Granger would have as well if she'd not gotten Pounce's hair instead of Millicent's," Tracey pointed out.

"True. Still. That makes me respect him a little. We can't tell anyone. Professor Snape would try to expel him," Daphne noted. The other girls nodded. "Let's see. It's getting late, so I'm going to summarize a bit until it gets to something really interesting. They find a diary. Not this one, thankfully," she quipped. "It belonged to a T.M. Riddle he says. It was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, someone threw it in a toilet. For some reason, he felt like he had to keep it. That doesn't sound good," She worried.

"No, any time a magical object makes you do something, you should worry," Tracey mused worriedly, "Never trust something if you don't know where its brain is."

"Huh. He finds out that ink seeps into the diary when he gets into an argument with Malfoy. Surprise. He writes into it and the bloody diary writes back and shows him a vision, including a young Tom Riddle, whoever that is. It's saying that Hagrid opened the Chamber last time. That is totally not right, which makes me suspect the diary," Daphne says, glancing up.

Pansy snorted, "I don't like Hagrid, but opening the Chamber? Not unless there was some critter inside he wanted as a pet and then he'd show it to everyone proudly."

"Hmm. Granger is paralyzed and Harry and Weasley are really upset. They sneak out to ask Hagrid questions and see him arrested by Fudge. Who throws him into Azkaban without real proof because he wants to look good. This is when they suspended Dumbledore." Daphne rolls her eyes, "Daddy has always said he's an idiot. He tells Harry to follow the spiders, and Harry...oh dear."

"What?" came two voices. Pansy and Tracey looked at each other and flushed.

I and Ron followed the spiders into the Forbidden Forest. We walked for a long time, and then we started to see figures around us in the darkness. Big ones. Ron started to freak out when the moonlight hit one. They were spiders. Huge ones. He said they were called acromantula.

We met this giant spider who called itself Aragog. It was Hagrid's pet fifty years ago. It couldn't have killed the girl or they'd have seen where it bit her, right? It said the creature from the chamber is one that all spiders fear. I wish I knew more about creatures. I really need to read more. I've been doing some study on Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I've been slacking. Look where it's led me.

Aragog said that it was going to feed us to his children. Ron started to freak out, and I pointed out that Hagrid had sent us and knew we'd come. He'd be upset with Aragog.

I didn't think it'd work. I guess I was lucky.

Ron was upset. Then I thought about the dead girl. What if she never left the bathroom? I mentioned Moaning Myrtle and we decided to question her when we could. It'll be hard though. I don't know when we'll be able to with everyone watching all the time.

"What the bloody hell?" yelped Millicent, "He almost got eaten by an acromantula?"

"Him and Weasley, it would appear," Pansy said, "Harry takes too many risks. Doesn't he care about his own life?"

"Honestly, with what we saw from his home life?" Daphne shook her head, "He probably doesn't." She kept reading, "They try to sneak to the bathroom but are caught by Professor McGonagall. Harry tricks her by saying he was going to see Hermione. Smart. She takes them there. While there, Harry finds a slip of paper in Hermione's hand. It talks about--" She has an indrawn breath, "--how a basilisk is the King of Serpents and he realizes it probably didn't kill people because no one saw its gaze directly."

"Bloody hell. There was a basilisk in the school?" Tracey asked.

"That's what Harry is saying. I'll keep going. It's getting complicated, so I'll just start reading his words again."

We left the hospital wing and were heading to the second floor when he heard the teachers talking. Someone had been taken. Ron's sister. There was writing on the wall saying she'd be in the Chamber forever. We had to do something. I wanted to get someone. Not McGonagall, she never believes us, maybe Flitwick. But Ron insisted on getting Lockhart as he was closest. We went and found him packing. The bloody bastard was going to run. We confronted him and I disarmed him so he grabbed Ron's wand, trying to obliviate us. Ron's wand was broken though, and he got obliviated instead.

It was too late to get someone else, so we went to the bathroom and talked to Myrtle. She said she'd been crying and heard a boy hissing. When the sinks opened up to reveal a pipe, she saw yellow eyes and then died. I went over to where she pointed and saw a snake on the faucet. I tried to open it; it took a few tries, I don't really speak Parseltongue easily. And it revealed a pipe.

I and Ron slid down the pipe and we came to a set of doors. I again got them to open by speaking Parseltongue, and as they opened the ceiling collapsed. Ron ended up on the other side of the collapse. He started trying to dig his way out while I went ahead.

"Harry, you're an idiot." Pansy's voice was harsh but worried. "Why did he go ahead?"

"He seems to be worried about Ron's sister," Millicent pointed out. "That's brave of him."

"Yeah, but not if he dies before he saves her," Tracey noted.

I came upon Ginny lying on the ground, the diary beside her. A boy was standing there holding her wand. It was Tom, the boy from the diary. Which made me a little suspicious, but I was worried about Ginny so was a bit stupid. I asked him what happened, and he monologued a bit.

Apparently he was--

Daphne started to swear under her breath.

"Daphne?" Pansy asked.

--he was a young Voldemort. He wrote 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' in the air in golden letters and when he waved his wand they reformed into 'I am Lord Voldemort'. He went on to make fun of Ginny and when I pulled my wand, he disarmed me. I need to get better. Be better. I heard Fawkes arrive and saw him fly around. He called the basilisk by saying something like 'Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four'. I guess Slytherin was pretty arrogant. Either that or Voldemort did something to change the password. Anyway. The basilisk came. I closed my eyes and ran behind a pillar. I knew I couldn't look it in the eyes.

I ran for a bit and tried to avoid the basilisk. Fawkes came and dropped the Sorting Hat near me. I was a little rude when I asked what it was for. It told me to put it on and I felt something heavy hit my head. It was a silver sword with rubies in the pommel. I heard screeching and a thump, and instinctively looked out.

Luckily, it seems that the screeching was from the basilisk when Fawkes gouged out its eyes with his claws.

The basilisk attacked me, and I couldn't keep dodging, so I put the sword up and drove it up into its mouth into its skull and managed to kill it. Unfortunately, one of its teeth got me, and I could feel the poison in my body. Tom, or Voldemort I guess, started making fun of me. I saw the diary nearby and thought of what he said earlier. And I pulled the fang out of my arm and drove it into the diary.

He screamed and disappeared.

I could feel myself dying. It really hurt. The basilisk poison seemed to be burning me up inside. Then Fawkes flew down near me and I told him how brilliant he was. He started to cry and when his tears hit my arm, I started to feel better.

Turns out phoenix tears are a cure for basilisk venom.

Ginny woke up and I took her out to Ron, who had managed to clear enough rubble away for us to leave. We headed towards McGonagall's office as it was closest.

Daphne's voice wavered throughout her reading, and at her final words, she shook her head, "He nearly died. And we never knew. He got bitten by a bloody basilisk."

"Did you hear how he talked? He always talks about how he's not good enough, how he has to do better," Pansy said. "I can see why he was considered for Slytherin. But he needs support. His family sure won't be there for him."

The look Tracey gave Pansy was incredulous, but she didn't say anything to her. Instead, she rubbed her brow, "So. In our second year, Harry fought a basilisk. I'm almost afraid to see what happened last year."

"Considering the dementors, I am too," Millicent said quietly.

When we came to McGonagall's office, she was there with Ron's parents and Dumbledore. We all talked for a while and then Dumbledore asked to speak to me alone. I told him some more about what happened, and kind of ... I guess worried at him. I'm a lot like Voldemort. Both of us were half-bloods. Both speak Parseltongue. And I was supposed to go into Slytherin but asked the Sorting Hat to put me elsewhere. Dumbledore said that that was the point, that I chose otherwise. I guess that's true. He then said that only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that sword from the Hat. I noticed then that on the blade was a name: Godric Gryffindor.

He also said that when Voldemort killed my parents, he transferred some of his powers to me, and that's why I speak Parseltongue.

I don't know. That doesn't feel right for some reason.

Anyway. Malfoy -- the father, not the prat -- came in. He and Dumbledore argued a bit and I pointed out that he probably was the one to give Ginny the diary at Flourish and Blotts. Dobby was gesturing to the arse behind his back, verifying my words. He said we couldn't prove anything and left. I grabbed the diary and ran out after Malfoy. While I was slipping out, I took off my shoe and sock and put my sock in the diary. I told Malfoy that I was returning the diary to him. He snarled at me and handed it to Dobby, and he found my sock when he opened it.

Yes, I freed him. The little bugger was annoying, but he deserved it for trying, right?

Malfoy was pissed, but left when Dobby threatened him.

"Harry killed the basilisk with the bloody Sword of Gryffindor," Tracey whispered.

"Morgana," was the only thing to come from Millicent.

"Can you believe that?" snorted Pansy, laughing, "He tricked Malfoy's father into freeing his house-elf. I bet he was pissed! House-elves aren't too common! We only have two of them."

"I'm a little concerned about the idea that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry," Daphne said with a frown. "I don't think there's anything wrong with Harry himself, but that doesn't sound good."

"Perhaps..." Millicent considered. "Perhaps we should talk to him sometime?"

"I don't know. Do you think he'd talk to us? I mean, I know you all haven't talked to him much, but I was a prat to him," Pansy said. "I had to be, father is considering that contract."

"I think that might be nice," Daphne agreed before looking at Pansy, "I think that from what I've read he'd be willing to at least listen. He'd understand you not wanting to piss off Malfoy in that circumstance. If you stopped being mean anyway, I mean." She flipped through the book, "Not much else this year. He mentions that everyone was cured with mandrake draught and that Ginny tells him Percy's dating someone. That Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater. Huh. Interesting gossip anyway."

"I want to hear more, but it's getting late," Millicent said. "How about we stop until tomorrow? It's a Saturday so we'll have all day."

Closing the diary, Daphne considered. Then opened her trunk, sliding it into the warded compartment. "I don't want anyone finding it. If someone saw it, Harry could get into trouble," she explained. "We'll finish it up tomorrow."

"All right."

"Good night."

"Night, Daph."

"Don't call me Daph, Tracey."