SERPENT'S SONG | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [2]

𝘃𝗶𝗶𝗶 | 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀

On 31st August, the last night at the Burrow, the Weasleys, Harry and Gwen were treated to a huge dinner with all the best things. It reminded Gwen of a Hogwarts feast; roast chicken and turkey, potatoes, mash, beef, gammon, mixed vegetables; all of Gwen's favourites. And to top it all off, they were served a huge trifle for pudding. Fred and George finished the evening with a set of Filibuster's Fireworks, sending a flurry of red and blue fireworks bouncing around the kitchen for half an hour. Then it was time for one last mug of hot chocolate before bed.

When Gwen retreated into Charlie's bedroom that night, she was sorting out all of her things. She was mostly packed - all her clothes were in her trunk - but she still had to put away her school supplies. She set about sorting through the books, which ones needed to go on top and which she wouldn't need for at least a couple days into being back.

Her new cauldron still had a couple of the new Lockhart books in, so she pulled them out and put them with the others..

It wasn't until she was clipping the locks of her trunk together that she found it. She barely even noticed the small, leatherbound black book that was propped up inside her cauldron. She took a double take. Her first thought was that it was one of the Weasleys' and she'd picked it up by accident, but then she saw the name printed in gold lettering on the cover: Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Gwen picked up the book, turning it over in her hands, then flipping through the pages. It was completely blank, the pages yellowed with age. Whoever Tom Marvolo Riddle was, he'd neglected his own diary.

Thinking nothing of it, she put it aside. She'd probably end up using it for school notes.

The next morning seemed to be busier than any other day. The nine people in the house were running around, bumping into each other on the stairs, clutching mugs of tea and coffee, half dressed as they munched on toast, gathering everything together. Gwen almost knocked George's tea on him when they collided on the stairs, and Ginny dropped her marmalade toast on Gwen's foot.

It was a hectic morning, but eventually, seven trunks, three owls and a rat were all packed safely in the car, and Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Harry and Gwen were seated comfortably in the back seat, while Ginny, Mr and Mrs Weasley were all in the long front seat.

'It is quite roomy back there,' Mrs Weasley said just before they drove off, peering into the back seat where six people were sitting quite comfortably. 'You've got to give it to the Muggles. You'd never know it was this spacious from the outside.'

Secretly, Mr Weasley had put an undetectable extension charm on the car, and had made the children swear not to tell his wife.

They were pulling out of the yard when George said he'd left his box of Filibuster Fireworks. Five minutes later, the car skidded to a halt so Fred could get his broomstick. They'd almost reached the motorway when Ginny shrieked she'd left her Transfigurations book.