The Chamber of Secrets (Hermione Granger x Male Reader)

Valentines.

 Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and furfree, at the beginning of February. On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her T. M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they had found it. 

"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.

"If it has, it's hiding them very well," said Ron. "Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry."

"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry. "I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either."

"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor..."

Harry and Hermione were deep in thought, the complete opposite of Ron and Y/N who just cracked jokes.

"What?" Ron asked, looking from Hermione to Harry.

"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" he said. "That's what Malfoy said."

"This is important because...?" Y/N said.

"Wake up, you two," snapped Hermione. "We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything — where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it — the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?"

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary."

But Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag

"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.

She tapped the diary three times and said, "Aparecium!"

Nothing happened. Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand back into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red, oversized, revealer. 

"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley,"

She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened. 

"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."

"Seems sensible," Y/N agreed.

The next day at break, Harry headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award, accompanied by an interested Hermione, a bored Y/N, and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of the trophy room to last him a lifetime. 

Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him 

"Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron

However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys. 

"If he's anything like Percy, he sounds absolutely insufferable." said Y/N, Ron agreeing with him. "Prefect, Head Boy... probably top of every class —"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione in a hurt voice.

"Ah, It's not, you've missed the whole point!" Y/N said panicked. "If he's like Percy he's insufferable."