Chapter 11
Once Hagrid came back to the great hall, his eyes red rimmed, large feet thumping on the stone floor. Hagrid's head was bowed down as he tried to appear as small and invisible as he could.
Without saying a word, Harry stood up. Walked over to where he was sitting, and wrapped his arms around Hagrid as best he could. Hagrid's shoulders shook, as he squeezed his eyes close to stave off the on coming tears. Hagrid lightly wrapped his own arms around harry. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Hagrid was able to calm down completely.
Chapter Eleven: The Dueling Club
...
As Harry passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met.
"Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup - you earned fifty points!"
"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry.
"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet...."
Percy turned to frown at the side of Ron's pink face, before it was buried in his arms.
...
Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted.
"We already know - we heard Ms. McGonagall telling Mr. Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going -"
"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."
"There's something else," said Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit me in the middle of the night."
Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told him - or hadn't told him. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.
"Dun. DUn. DUUUUN!" Came from one corner of the hall.
"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious."
Malfoy rolled his eyes in his goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Wish Dobby's told you what kind of monster's in there, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."
"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself - pretend to be a suit of armor of something - I've read about Chameleon Ghouls -"
"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumpled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Harry, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You read too much too, Harry." Ron said, before clearing his throat, "So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm...." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."
"What?" Ron looked around at the looks he was getting from around the hall. "I have dyslexia, remember? Reading isn't exactly my favorite pastime."
...
