𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 ━━ harry potter

chapter twenty-four

"It was Hagrid," explained Harry as he guided the group out of the castle. "Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.

Last night, after the incident with the dwarf, he had realised something quite interesting. When the ink spilled all over his stuff, T. M. Riddle's was the only thing that didn't get stained by it.

Ben had agreed that it was odd, but didn't pay much attention. Perhaps it was under others when the ink fell, and that was why it was clean.

However, Harry thought there was something hidden in it, and he went upstairs to the dormitory before anybody else. Ron kept saying Harry was wasting his time as he and Ben finished their History of Magic homework, ignoring Fred and George as they sang, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad".

Ginny, who was horribly embarrassed by it and seemed to be regretting her choices in life, had been discovered to be the one who sent Harry the valentine, and her brothers kept annoying her about it.

"Okay, let me get this straight," said Ben, trying to clear his mind. "Last night, you decided to write in the diary. And you began communicating with this Tim Riddle-"

"Tom," corrected Harry.

"Yeah, Tom," he repeated. "So, you asked him about the Chamber of Secrets, and the book... absorbed you." He raised an eyebrow, and did a small pause to look at Harry, who nodded. "Then it showed you memories, and you found out Hagrid- the man who's been our friend for over a year- is apparently the one behind all these attacks."

"And Tom got the award for catching him," finished Ron.

"Look, I know it sounds a bit weird..." began Harry.

Ron laughed. "Just a bit?"

"Harry, we are talking about Hagrid," Hermione shook her head in denial. "It can't be him, it just can't!"

"We don't even know this Tom Riddle," added Ron. "He sounds like a dirty rotten snitch to me."

"The monster killed somebody, Ron," Harry reminded them. "What would any of us have done?"

"Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go ask him about it?" suggested Hermione.

"That would be a cheerful visit," said Ron sarcastically. "Hello, Hagrid! Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"

The voice of the man they had been talking about was suddenly heard behind them. "Mad and hairy? You wouldn't be talkin' about me, would ya?"

"No," they all said at the same time, perhaps way too quickly.

Hagrid stared at them with a suspicious expression, clearly noticing they were acting very unusually. There was a very awkward and uncomfortable silence, in which the Gryffindors shared glances, wondering how much Hagrid had heard, until Harry broke the silence.

"What's what you've got there, Hagrid?"

"Oh, it's Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. For the mandrakes." Hagrid said. Ben tried to pull a straight face. "According to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit of growing up to do, but once their acné's cleared up, we'll be able to chop them up and stew them, and then we'll get those people at the hospital un-petrified. Meanwhile, you four best be looking after yourselves, alright?"

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The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously. She had been lecturing them all day about how important it was as they read the list of new subjects.