The Young Padfoot *Book One*

Descending Into Madness

It shouldn't have come as such of a shock that Hagrid could've had a dangerous creature roaming the school corridors when he was a student here, but it was. It really was. Especially considering there was a chance that the same creature killed someone. But part of me was still doubtful. I mean, what did we really know about this Tom Riddle apart from the fact that he was a snitching Prefect. And then there was Hagrid, the person who was always there to comfort us when we needed it; the person that couldn't bake for shit but would do it each and every time just for us; the person who would never hurt anyone. It wasn't Hagrid, I refused to believe it.

Ron and Hermione had made Harry and myself repeat every single thing we had seen and heard in the memory, and it was not getting to the point where every time it was brought up, I wanted to stab myself in the eye with a fork as a way or entertaining myself. As we walked around the courtyard during our free lesson a week later, the topic of Hagrid and the chamber of bloody secrets was bought up again. Great!

"Riddle might have got the wrong person," Hermione suggested an alternative. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people..."

"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron retaliated.

"Well, considering there's at least three hundred rooms, seven storeys, not to mention a labyrinth of dungeons and several turrets that lead to even more rooms... I'd say the number is pretty big." I said, earning a glare from Ron to which I retaliated with sticking out my tongue.

"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," Harry commented, his voice almost as miserable as his face looked. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."

"Riddle does sound like Percy—who asked him to grass on Hagrid anyway?" Ron countered.

"But the monster had killed someone, Ronald," Hermione snapped back.

"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts. I don't blame him for wanting to stay here..." Harry trailed off.

"But don't you see how convenient that is? That Riddle just so happens to know who opened the chamber. That he knew exactly where Hagrid would be at what time. There's something about that Riddle character that I don't trust," I said.

Biting down on his lip, Ron looked over to Harry.

"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you?" Ron asked.

"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," Harry answered quickly, not giving anyone the chance to consider it were for other things, which I would bet my life on that it wasn't. Hagrid was innocent, I just knew it.

"Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go and talk to him about it rather than come up with these ridiculous theories?" I suggested.

"Oh, that'd be a cheerful visit," Ron replied sarcastically. "Hello, Hagrid. Oh, do tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"

"Well, do you have any better ideas?" I snapped back.

"No," Ron muttered grumpily.

After that we came to an agreement. Unless there was another attack, we wouldn't go to Hagrid about this, nor would we even think that he was involved in any way shape or form. So that meant we were back to square one. Even with Riddle's diary and interrogating Malfoy, we were no closer to finding out who had opened the chamber of secrets and who was responsible for petrifying innocent people.

Nearly four months had passed since Justin and Nick had been attacked and things were looking up. Finally, a light at the end of this very long tunnel. People were becoming less afraid again, even Ginny looked slightly happier, a slight tinge of pink entering her face again. And with time passing on, maturity followed swiftly behind. The maturity of the Mandrakes if we're being specific. Happily, Professor Sprout had proclaimed one afternoon that as soon as they started moving into each other's pots, they would be ready to be made into the remedy that would save all the others.