Sapphire Witch - Under Editing to make it easier to read

Special Awards

~Dumbledore's Office; next day~

Y/n, Harry, and Ron, covered in muck and slime -- stand in Albus's office. Fawkes perches on a pedestal behind Albus, who sits at his desk, examining the charred diary. He looks up, regarding Harry and Ron gravely. Albus: "Ingenious. Simply... ingenious. (looking up) Of course, Tom Riddle was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen. I taught him myself fifty years ago. After he left, I would occasionally hear stories of his activities -- dark rumors -- but after awhile, even the rumors stopped. When he finally resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, most people had completely forgotten the clever Head Boy he'd once been." Ginny: "I didn't know whose diary it was, sir. I swear. I found it inside my cauldron. (to the others) The day we all went to Diagon Alley." Hearing this, Harry frowns in thought, recollecting... Ginny: "But I understand if... given all the trouble I've caused... if you --" Albus: "Wiser wizards than you have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort, Miss Weasley. No, I think you've endured enough. I would suggest a bit of bed rest, however. And perhaps a large mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up. Minerva, will you show Arthur and Molly up to the hospital wing?" Minerva: "Certainly, Albus." As they exit, Harry, Y/n, and Ron, watch them go. Mrs. Weasley's VOICE carries: "A diary that writes back to you! Honestly, Ginny! What were you thinking? Haven't I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain!" Harry and Ron turn back. See Albus regarding them gravely. Albus: "You three realize, of course, that in the last few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules?" Y/n: "Hell yeah!" Harry/Ron: "Yes, sir." Albus: "And that there is sufficient evidence to expel you all?" Harry/Ron: "Yes, sir." Albus: "Therefore, it seems only fitting... (eyes twinkling) That you three receive Special Awards for Services to the School. And -- let me see -- yes, I think two hundred points apiece, which, I believe, should be more than enough to secure Gryffindor the House Cup." Y/n: "Mhmm." Harry/Ron: (grinning) "Thank you, sir." Albus: "Now, Mr. Weasley, if you would, have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. We need our gamekeeper back." Ron nods take the envelope and exits. Albus: "First, Harry, I want to thank you. You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you. Secondly, I sense you're troubled by something. Am I right?" Harry: "It's just, you see, sir, I couldn't help noticing certain things. Certain similarities. Between Tom Riddle and me." Albus: "You can speak Parseltongue, Harry, because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transformed some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar." Harry: "Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Albus: "Not intentionally, but... yes." Harry: "So the Sorting Hat was right. I should be a Slytherin." Albus: "It's true, Harry. You do possess many of the qualities Voldemort himself prizes. Resourcefulness. Determination. A certain disregard for the rules. Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor." Harry: "Only because I asked it to." Albus: "Exactly. Which makes you very different from Voldemort. It's not our abilities that show what we truly are, Harry. It's our choices. (smiling at him) If you want proof that you belong in Gryffindor, Harry, I suggest you look more closely at this." Albus hands the bloodstained sword to Harry. An engraved name glimmers above the ruby-encrusted hilt. Harry: Godric Gryffindor. Albus: "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Hat." Suddenly, Lucius enters, dragging... Dobby by the ear. Y/n: "Mr. Malfoy!" Lucius: "You have a bit of blood." Lucius motions to her forehead. Y/n snaps and it's gone with a puff of blue smoke. Harry: "Dobby! This is your Master? The family you serve is the Malfoys! Dobby nods, chagrined. Lucius brushes past Harry." Lucius: "Out of my way, Potter. (to Albus) So! You've returned!" Albus: "Yes. When the governors heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back. (a wry smile) Curiously, several of them seemed under the impression that you would curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place, Lucius." Y/n: "I call bullshit on that." Lucius: "Language. From the beginning, my only concern has been the welfare of this school and its students. I assume the culprit has been identified." Albus: "Oh yes. It was Voldemort. Only this time, he chose to act through someone else. By means of...this." As Albus nudges the diary toward Lucius, Harry sees Dobby nod meaningfully from the diary to Lucius. Albus: "Fortunately, our young Mr. Potter discovered it. (a chill to his voice) One only hopes that no more of Lord Voldemort's old school things find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible could be... severe." Lucius stares icily at Albus, then turns away. Lucius: "Come, Dobby. We're leaving." As Dobby scuttles toward the door, Lucius kicks him through it, then exits himself. Harry stares at the empty doorway as Dobby's painful squeals echo from the corridor. Harry: "Sir? I wonder if I could have that." Albus looks up and follows Harry's eyes to the diary. Y/n walks off.

~Outside Dumbledore's office~

As the elevator opens, Harry dashes out. Harry: "Mr. Malfoy! I have something of yours." Harry comes up running and thrusts the diary into Malfoy's hand. Y/n: "Ahh.." Y/n is holding her head. Lucius: "Are you okay, Ms. Maximoff?" Y/n: "I got hit in the head by quite a few rocks. My magic's a bit wonky and I have a splitting headache." Lucius: "Mine? I don't know what you're talking about." Harry: "I think you do, sir. I think you slipped it into Ginny Weasley's cauldron that day in Diagon Alley." Malfoy shoves the diary into Dobby's face, then leans close to Harry and, with a nasty grin, whispers. Lucius: "Prove it!" Regulus walks up behind Y/n. Regulus: "Y/n. Are you okay?" Y/n: "My head hurts." Y/n hugs Regulus. Regulus: "Malfoy. I must be getting Y/n to the nurses." He turns away. As Dobby looks sadly back, clutching the diary in his hand, Harry mouths the words: Open it. Dobby looks down curiously. Inside... is a sock. He gasps. Lucius: "Dobby! Dobby, come!" Dobby: (in wonderment) "Master has given Dobby a sock. Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is... free!" Lucius: "What? I didn't --" He wheels, and see Harry standing with one leg crossed: His right ankle is bare. Instantly, Malfoy charges forth. Lucius: "You've lost me, my servant!" Dobby: "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby steps between and -- BANG! Malfoy flies backward and lands in a crumpled heap. Rising, he stares murderously at Harry. Lucius: "Mark my words, Harry Potter. You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days. They were meddlesome fools too." With that, he turns, and storms off. Dobby: "Harry Potter freed Dobby! How can Dobby ever repay him?" Harry: "Just promise me something." Dobby: "Anything, sir." Harry: "Never try to save my life again." Dobby grins then and -- CRACK! -- is gone. Fear and suspicion banished, the House tables are abuzz with excitement and anticipation... all except the Slytherins, who do not share the general feeling. Seated at the tables, are the formerly petrified, revived students. Justin Finch-Fletchley joins his fellow Hufflepuffs. Colin Creevey SNAPS photos of the proceedings. At the rear of the hall, standing near the entrance, Filch is reunited with Mrs. Norris. Then... Hermione enters, searching the room for Harry, Y/n, and Ron. Finally, she sees them. Smiles. Runs forward and embraces Harry. Hermione: "You solved it! You solved it!" Harry: "With loads of help from you." She turns to embrace Ron. They pause an awkward moment between them, and... shake hands instead. Ron: "Welcome back, Hermione." Hermione pulls Y/n into a bone-crushing hug. Y/n: "Ughhhhh. The light hurts." McGonagall taps her goblet. Albus stands. Albus: "Before we begin our feast, let's give a round of applause to Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake Juice has been successfully administered to all those who had been petrified." Everyone applauds. Y/n groans as her headache worsen. Albus: "Also, in the wake of recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled." Everyone cheers, save for Hermione. Hermione: "Oh, no!" Y/n: "I can always make one for you." Hermione: "Thanks." At the rear of the Hall, the great doors open. It's Hagrid. He enters. Stops. Looks around. The room falls silent. All eyes upon him. He glances around. Nervous. Embarrassed. Hagrid: "Sorry I'm late. The owl deliverin' my release papers got all lost 'n confused. Some ruddy bird named Errol." Ron exchanges a nervous glance with Albus. Hagrid looks at all of the faces staring at him. He turns to Harry. Hagrid: "I jus' want to say... that if it wasn't fer' you, Harry... you an' Y/n... Ron... and Hermione... Well, I jus' want to say... Thanks." Harry: "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Just then... Albus gets to his feet and... slowly... brings his hands together. The others join him. Soon, everyone is on their feet, and the Hall is roaring. As the students surround Hagrid, he blinks and wipes at his eyes. Y/n covers her ears.