What If? Year 1

Chapter 31

I run down the stairs into the crowded common room.  Thankfully, none of them could see me, so I easily slipped past everyone.  Fabian and I meet up with Gideon.  
"Where were you when Regulus last talked to you?" 
"I'm not sure," I tell them, "I heard him say something before we left for the train station." Fabian and Gideon start to walk off without me. 
"Go look in the library," Gideon says, "That's were we saw him last."  My feet carried me straight to the library.  A couple books were put onto the front desk, but everything else had been cleaned.  I open the books laid on the desk, and there is a page in Hogwarts A History missing from the book.  My finger traces the ripped seam, without even thinking about it.  
What might have happened to it?

I meet up with Gideon and Fabian in the Great Hall. I explain to them what I saw in the library, and they agree that it may have to do with Regulus.  
"You should get back," Fabian tells me, "We'll keep looking.  If we find anything, we'll tell you tonight." I nod and make my way back to my dorm. I lay back down and remember the paper at the top of my bed.  I grab it.  My name was scrawled on it.  
Marigold,
I could not reach you before you got to the train.  He is on to me.. The guy who is behind it all.. He has found us out.  You need to be careful.  DO NOT go walking around at night.  DO NOT go looking for me. I am fine.  There is a book I found that has the answers.  I did not think I should put it on this note.  Look in the library and at Hogwarts A History.  Maybe that Granger girl can help you.  Be safe, stay away from Myrtle's bathroom.. I have an idea about that.  Keep Ara with you. 
-RAB

I stared at the note for a long time.  I quickly wake myself up and look back at the paper.  There was nothing on it.  Tears of frustration sting at my eyes. 
Why couldn't you have told me who it was.. or what it was?  Reg it's not that hard!
I wipe my eyes and shove the paper in my top drawer.  I shake my head and go down to the common room.  Ara makes eye contact with me.  She quickly makes her way to me. 
"Did you find him?" she asks. 
"No," I tell her, "I found a note.. he said not to look for him.  Does he think I'll actually listen to him?" Ara giggles. 
"Would you like me to help?" she asks. 
"I don't know," I respond, "If you would like to, you may."  Ara nods and smiles.  They go back to the dorm and I show her the paper that was tucked in my bed.  She flips it over and over in her hand. 
"There isn't anything on it?" she questions, "How do you know this is from him?" 
"When I'm in the.. other world," I tell her, "it had writing on it.  It was from Regulus."  Ara nods.  
"It told you not to look for him?" she asks, "and that someone was coming for him?  Did it give any clues to who it may be?"  I think and suddenly remember something. 
"It said to stay away from Myrtle's bathroom... she died because of something that had glowing eyes," I tell her, "at least that's what Myrtle said."  Ara nods, and takes my hand. 
"Maybe that's where he is," she says, "or maybe that's where the chamber is."  I gasp and she takes my down to the common room.   We go out into the hallway and start to wake towards Myrtle's bathroom.  Ara opens that door and stops suddenly. I look it and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting on the bathroom floor. 
"Umm.." I giggle, "Harry, Ron, I think you're in the wrong bathroom."  The pink faces of my brother and his friend make Ara laugh.  
"What are you two doing here?" Hermione asks, as she adds something to a cauldron in the middle of the three of them. 
"We could ask you the same thing," Ara replies.  Ron and Harry shift uncomfortably.  
"We're working on a potion for class," Harry tells us.  I glare at him and shake my head. 
"You.. working on classwork before it was assigned?" I ask, making him smile.  Ara and I kneel down besides them.  
"Oh!" a shrill voice whines, "There are more of you!  Image what would happen if a professor were to find out!"
"Shup up, Myrtle," Ron growls, making Ara hit him. 
"But we're trying to find your killer," Hermione says, innocently, "don't you want to know exactly what killed you?"  Myrtle cries and goes back to her stall.  
"You're trying to find her killer?" Ara asks, "Like.." 
"We think that her killer is the monster of the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione explains, "Harry saw a vision.. or a past vision, I guess.  He saw someone names Tom watch Myrtle's... body, taken down the stairs.  He confronted Hagrid, saying that Hagrid had killed Myrtle."  I nod. 
"But you've met Hagrid, haven't you?" Ara complains, "he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Hermione nods. 
"My thoughts exactly," she says, "but I haven't gotten a clue who Tom might be. There have been thousands of Toms at Hogwarts, and Hagrid won't talk about it."  I nod.  
Regulus probably knows who that is.  Tom... I feel like I've heard that name before.
Hermione looks at me, concern dripping from her face.  
"Have either of you heard of Polyjuice Potion?" she asks.  I nod, but Ara shakes her head.  
"You can use it to make yourself look like someone else," I explain to her, "you just make the potion and put something with the person's DNA in the potion." Hermione nods.  
"It's a difficult potion to make," Ron says, "according to Hermione, at least."  I chuckle.  I look into the cauldron. 
"You must have rustled around in Snape's potion cupboard. These ingredients aren't easy to obtain," I say, "at least the ingredients that I remember." 
"You have the ingredients memorized?" Ron asks, before mumbling something.  Ara smacks him again and he whispers an apology. 
"Yeah!" I say, proudly, "I've read through all of Mum's potions books, and most of the have Polyjuice potions instructions."  Harry snickers, but I ignore him.. 
"Snape had everything," Hermione interjects, before Harry could say anything to me, "I overhead some of the fourth years talking about brewing a Polyjuice potion in his class.  I presumed he would have some left of ingredients.  And he did." 
"He is the Potions Professor after all," Ara sneers, making the rest of us laugh.  
"So why are you brewing a Polyjuice Potion?" I ask.  Harry and Ron look to Hermione, who rolls her eyes at them. 
"We're going to get some hair from a couple of Slytherin students and ask Malfoy if he knows about the Chamber of Secrets."  
"Sounds like fun," Ara says, "I've heard he's been telling people that I'm the Heir of Slytherin, and was only taking my Gryffindor sorting so well because it would be a good cover up."  
"It does sound like a good story." Ron remarks, before getting hit for the third time by Ara.  
"We should get going to the feast," Harry says, looking at his watch, "People are probably already wondering where we are."  We get to our feet and quickly make our way to the Great Hall, blending in with the large student body.