Hidden || A Harry Potter Story [Book 1]

Chapter 13: The Truth

The relaxation from everyone's break was cut short, for there had been rumors that another attack had happened over the holiday. Hermione Granger. Once Charlotte heard of the news she raced to find Harry and Ron to see if they were true.

"No, she hasn't been petrified." Ron said as he and Harry did their homework one night. It was mid-January and even with the fire roaring inside the common room it was still cold.

"She had an... accident over break, that's all. She'll be back to normal in a couple weeks, at least that's what Madam Pomfrey said." Harry spoke. He seemed to be hiding something but Charlotte didn't press it.

"Okay, well tell her I hope she gets to feeling better." She said and after both Harry and Ron nodded she left to go to her dormitory.

Charlotte and Bryce spent the next four weeks in the library. Bryce was panicking over the fourteen inch essay written about the Soap Blizzard of 1378 that Professor Binns assigned, and Charlotte needed help on it anyway. Being in the library with Bryce was one of her favorite things about Hogwarts. It was always quiet and she enjoyed his help on her homework. Bryce was reading aloud a section from a large book, when Charlotte saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk towards them.

"Charlotte did you go into my dormitory and take one of my books?" Harry asked. He didn't sound like the normal Harry.

"No... why would I do that?" She asked.

Harry sighed, "It's nothing. Just tell me if you see a book laying around in the common room, okay?"

"No, I won't. Harry you tell me what's going on right now. I'm tired of everyone leaving me out on things. I thought you were supposed to be my brother?" Charlotte said, she never felt so hurt.

Harry looked to his friends then back to her, "Fine, but not here."

Charlotte parted ways with Bryce with a swift goodbye and went back to the common room with Harry. "We think we know what is causing all of these attacks...and who is doing them." He said once the our of them sat in a deserted corner.

"You mean someone is deliberately setting the monster on people?"

"Well, yes." Hermione chipped in.

"Who?"

They all looked at one another, "We think it's Hagrid."

"Hagrid? He couldn't have done it, could he?" Charlotte was astonished, Hagrid would never do a thing like that.

"That book that I asked you for, it belonged to someone Tom Riddle. He told me- or he showed me- through his diary and it looks like Hagrid set the monster loose in the school a long time ago." Harry said, Charlotte couldn't wrap her head around it.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked.

"We are going to find out what really happened," Harry said, pointing to Ron, Hermione, and himself, "You are going to stay quiet, you can't tell anyone what we've told you okay?"

Charlotte nodded, as annoyed as she was for not being allowed to join her brother and his friends, Charlotte didn't want to push her luck.

The Easter holidays arrived and Charlotte decided to stay at Hogwarts, mostly because Remus had mentioned that he hadn't been feeling very well. Thankfully, no homework had been assigned over the break and so Charlotte and Ginny stayed in the common room sitting by the fire reading books. However once classes resumed, so much work was given to them that a stack one foot tall lay on Charlotte's bedside table.

Another Quidditch game was approaching and Charlotte could sense the excitement on every Gryffindor's face. It was a fresh spring morning and Charlotte and Haley Dakota, a fellow Gryffindor first year, were enjoying their toasted pastries and orange juice; most of the Gryffindors were dressed in red and gold for support of their team. After breakfast, the two made their way along with the rest of the school to the Quidditch Pitch and took their seats in the crowd. Everyone was cheering as the teams hopped on their brooms and flew around the pitch. Suddenly Professor McGonagall's voice was announced, "The match has been cancelled!"

The crowd was in an uproar, all the Gryffindor's around Charlotte were booing and having a fit. A couple minutes went by and the two teams were mounted off their brooms and went back into the locker rooms. The crowd had thinned and she saw Harry in his uniform come into the stands and watched has he grabbed Ron and left again. Charlotte and Haley went back to the common room with the rest of the disappointed students and they all waited to learn why it had been cancelled.

Harry and Ron returned later along with Professor McGonagall. "Silence, everyone listen carefully. All students will return to their House common room by six o'clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions," She rolled up her scroll and looked at the students who were all silent, "It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit is caught. I urge anyone who thinks they might know anything to do with the attacks to come forward."

She gave the Gryffindors one last glance and stepped out of the portrait hole. Charlotte caught Harry's eye and she knew that they were thinking of the same thing. Hagrid.