Paternal Instincts

Chapter 28

That night, Harry causally flicked through Riddle's diary when something within him told him to write it in. Dipping his quill into ink, he wrote "My name is Harry Potter". He though it was worth a try but didn't expect anything until the words he wrote disappeared and new ones appeared by magic. The words were seemingly from Riddle who wrote "Hello Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle".

Thus begin an exchange between Harry and Tom Riddle. Or Ghost Tom Riddle? Harry wasn't too sure of how a dead Tom Riddle was writing to him. But it was intriguing and he asked him about the Chamber of Secrets. To his excitement, Riddle said he could show him. Moments later Harry was pitched head first into the diary. He seemed to have been brought back in time fifty years ago to June 1943, the previous time the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. He saw a young Tom Riddle who was a very handsome boy about sixteen, but found that no one could see him. Harry realized it must be a memory.

Harry saw Riddle interact with a much younger Albus Dumbledore who still had his auburn hair and was the Transfiguration professor back then. Riddle subsequently went into the Headmaster's room and tried to plead with the headmaster, Professor Dippet to not shut down the school as Hogwarts was his home and he had no proper home to go back to. As much as Harry loved Hogwarts, he never imagined that there were students who considered Hogwarts their real home because didn't have proper homes to go back to. He felt sympathy for Riddle. Professor Dippet on the other hand insisted the school had to be shut down due to the attacks, especially since a student had been killed.

Harry continued following Riddle who confronted a then teenage Hagrid, still in his third year. Apparently, Hagrid had been hiding a large spider friend that was responsible for the attacks. Riddle exposed Hagrid and got him expelled.

Harry didn't know what to think as he was led out of the memory but he immediately filled Ron in when he got to bed. The next day, he, Ron and Hermione had their discussion. Hermione tried reasoning that maybe Riddle caught the wrong monster, but they were eventually forced to conclude that it was Hagrid's spider that was causing the attacks, especially when the attacks stopped once Hagrid's spider was caught. Harry however was certain that Hagrid didn't intend to kill anyone and was simply too naïve to the danger of the spider. He also surmised that Riddle received his Special Service Award for catching Hagrid's spider. They contemplated asking Hagrid but decided against it unless there was another attack.

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Dear dad,

I hope you're doing well. Classes have been going great but we second years now have to choose our elective subjects for third year. Ron and I are leaning towards taking the two seemingly easiest electives; Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Two is the minimum number of electives required. What do you think dad? What electives did you take?

Oliver is really overworking us with his determination to win the cup. With the amount that he makes us practice and schoolwork, I don't think I can get it all done without extra hours in a day. But regardless, I'm excited for my final Quidditch game. See you at my next Quidditch game against Hufflepuff.

Lots of love,

Harry.

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Dear Harry,

I'm doing well. I hope you're alright. Your Uncle Sirius and I also took the easiest electives and the minimum number of electives required. We took Care of Magical Creatures and Technical Magic. Technical Magic is basically things that mechanics and plumbers do, but with magic. Divination wasn't offered during our time. We'd have loved to take Muggle Studies, but Uncle Sirius's parents refused to sign his subject permission slip if it included muggle studies. Since I refused to be separated from Uncle Sirius, we both picked Technical Magic.

Your Uncle Remus and that rat took the same subjects as us but Uncle Remus also took Ancient Runes. Your mum took Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures. I'm not too sure of which is the easiest as I never took Divination or Muggle Studies, but Technical magic is easy enough and your mum used to say Muggle Studies was easy. So I think they're both around the same level in easiness. Divination on the other hand might be a bit harder or more complicated, especially since it involved having the "inner eye". But in the end, there is no right or wrong, but go with what you're most interested in or what you feel would be the easiest for you.

I'm excited for your final game too and really hope Gryffindor wins. Not just as a Gryffindor and your father, but so Oliver would relax a bit next year. But win or lose, what's important is that you have fun and do your best. The Pioneers are also preparing for their final game of the season which is again, against the Dragons. After losing to them last year, we're more determined to win this year. They're in the best form that they've been in years and I'm more hopeful for a win.

You're Uncle Sirius and Aunt Miranda are almost done renovating their new mansion. I'm really glad that it's so close to ours. Their nursery room for the twins are done and they're more excited than ever to become parents. Miranda is in her third trimester and Uncle Sirius thinks that at least one is a Qudditch player in making with how much they kick.

See you at your final game.

Lots of love,

Dad.

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Harry really wanted to write to his dad about what happened with the diary but that would involve admitting that he kept Riddle's diary, wrote in the diary suspected to be dangerous, interacted with the diary and let himself be pulled into the diary, all in an effort to find out more about the Heir of Slytherin mystery that James had specifically forbade him from pursuing. He appreciated his dad's advise and was now leaning towards Muggle Studies or Technical Magic instead of Divination. His mum's taste was very similar to Hermione's as Hermione was also taking the same electives, but with two more subjects. Harry didn't know how she going to cope with that many subjects.

The evening before his Quidditch match, his room had been ransacked and Riddle's diary had been stolen. But only a Gryffindor knew the passport into the Common Room that he had to entertain the idea that it was the work of a fellow Gryffindor. He couldn't report the robbery or tell his father and they would involved confessing his adventures with the diary and why it was in his possession.

Harry decided to focus on his Quidditch game the next morning and worry about his stolen diary later. But that morning, he heard voices, just as he, Ron and Hermione were heading to collect his Quidditch things. Hermione quickly headed to the library, saying she had just understood something as Harry and Ron continued heading to the Gryffindor Quidditch tent. Harry was worried and sure there would another attack that he didn't know how to stop. His only comfort was that he would seeing his father, whose presence had a way of making him feel protected and that everything would be alright. He would tell James about the voice and perhaps his father could do something to stop any attack. James forbade him from investigating, but didn't forbid him from seeking help when he heard voices, which was in itself something out of control to be forbade.