Black Soul- George Weasley

The One With The Confrontation

Harry started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes; how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom. . . .

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add — but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

So Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking, told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Astraea. She was standing with her head against Aurora's shoulder, she smiled and nodded that it was okay. What if they expelled her? Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore. . . . How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Astraea, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"W-what's that?" said Aurora in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Astraea? But Astraea's not . . . Astraea hasn't been . . . has she?"

She understood her mother's fear. Just like her father!

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen. . . ."

Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the rest, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school . . . traveled far and wide . . . sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Astraea," said Aurora. "What's Astraea got to do with — with — him?"

"His diary!" Astraea spoke, feeling sick. "I've been writing in it, and he's been writing back, I even went to his world  —"

"Astraea!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic —"

"I didn't know," sobbed Astraea. "I found it inside one of the books I got . I thought mother got me it since she always told me I need to write my dreams down. Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, I am so sorry for hurting Ginny, It wasn't me "

Astraea broke down. Molly got up and hugged her.

"We know what he is capable of", she told her. "Adults were deceived by him. What matters is that you are okay"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away just to be inspected, you too Miss Black" Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for both of them. There will be no punishment Astraea. Older and wiser wizards than you have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at Astraea.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Astraea," said Dumbledore.

"No harm? I almost killed people and almost killed Ginny", Astraea whimpered.

"It's okay", Ginny smiled. 

"Go get your arm checked", Dumbeldore smiled.

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Editinggg!!!

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