Charmolypi

Chapter 71

When the pair returned to the Gryffindor common room, they found Hermione and Ron sitting beside the fire, talking quietly. The Potters approached the pair, and showed them what they had found in the lavatory.

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

"She's supposed to be the sensible one," Molly said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"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 could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.

"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.

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

"Yeah . . ." said Ron slowly.

"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.

"So?"

"There's no way that someone is actually that dense..." Regulus said, baffled by the boy's oblivious behavior.

"What do they mean?" some first year asked.

"It means he was there when the Chamber of Secrets was first opened," Sirius and Regulus said together.

The siblings held eye contact for a couple of seconds before Regulus turned away and looked back at the screen.

"They think Riddle did it," Thea snapped at Ron. Everyone was taken aback by Thea' sudden hostility towards the group.

"Or that," Remus commented. 

"No..." Hermione said wearily looking at the Potter girl suspiciously. "What id Riddle got his special award for catching the Hair of Slytherin? His diary could probably tell us everything- where the Chamber is, 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."

"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.

At that point, Thea had already brought out her wand. Hermione extended the diary to her and 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 eraser. "It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said. She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.

"There's noting there!"

"The diary means nothing, just move on."

"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."

"I doubt it..." Thea said in a low voice, making sure no one found out.

"She's onto something..." Regulus said, intrigued by the girl's thoughts.