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Josephine finds her way to Hagrid's hut. She wan't in the best mood today and feels rather bored, so she decides to spend some time with Hagrid, despite the guilt gnawing at her for neglecting her studies and the exhaustion threatening to overcome her.
She knocks on Hagrid's door, and he promptly welcomes her in with a warm smile. "Hello, Hagrid," she greets him.
"Ah, Josephine, come on in," he gestures for her to enter, and she settles at a table.
Hagrid soon brings a steaming cup of tea, and she graciously accepts it with a sip. As they both sit down, Hagrid lets out a heavy sigh.
Josephine leans back in her chair and asks, "How are you holding up?"
Hagrid scratches his head, a troubled expression on his face. "I'm doing all right. Some of the creatures in the forest have been behaving strangely, so I've been heading into the woods every night to try and keep them in check," he grumbles. "And how about you?"
"I'm managing," she replies. "I'm mostly focused on preparing for my OWL exams."
Hagrid nods in understanding. "I'm glad I never had to go through those," he admits.
She decides to broach a sensitive topic, speaking gently. "You were expelled in your third year, right?"
Hagrid's expression darkens, and he hesitates before answering, "Yeah, all because I was framed for opening the Chamber of Secrets..." He cuts himself off abruptly, his eyes widening. "Forget I said that."
"Already forgotten," she assures him, though her curiosity is piqued. The Chamber of Secrets has been considered a myth, but Hagrid's words hint otherwise.
Hagrid would have been at school during the same time as Tom Riddle. She can't help but wonder about the connection. He claims he was framed for it, which raises more questions.
Clearing her throat, she changes the subject, realizing the need for further research before jumping to conclusions.
~~~
"Goodbye, Hagrid! I'll be back soon," she calls out before making her way out of the hut.
As she's about to leave, something on the edge of the forest catches her attention. Her gaze shifts to the moon, noting that it isn't full, which puts her slightly at ease.
Josie ensures no one is watching her before she ventures toward the forest's edge. She isn't entirely certain what has captured her interest, only that it gleams, and she has always been drawn to shiny objects.
Kneeling down, Josephine parts the grass and discovers a crystal—a luminous light blue crystal. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. It's a peculiar find—a crystal near the forest's edge.
Before reaching for it, she points her wand at the crystal, cautiously inspecting it for any signs of danger. It seems harmless. She touches it with her wand, and nothing unusual happens. Satisfied, she carefully picks up the crystal.
The crystal has an unusual stillness about it; it doesn't radiate any energy. Its jagged edges appear as though it has just been unearthed. It's undeniably beautiful, and it suddenly occurs to her that Pandora's birthday is approaching.
Josie slips the crystal into her pocket, and with her curiosity piqued, she heads back to Hogwarts. It's time to start her research.
~~~
Josie discreetly collects a stack of books from the library, even though it's officially closed.
As she makes her way back to her dorm, a sharp voice interrupts her progress. "Hey! You there! Student out of bed!"
It's none other than Filch.
She rolls her eyes and turns to face the irritable caretaker. "I'm a prefect, sir."
Filch scowls and approaches her. "Then why are you out here? Is this part of your patrol?"
"I thought I heard something, and I'm deviating from my usual route," she quickly explains.
With a begrudging huff, Filch grumbles, "Fine, go back to your route."
"Of course," Josie replies before resuming her journey to her dorm. Given that the common room is likely still bustling with students, she decides to head to Helena's dorm.
Upon arrival, she discovers that Helena isn't in the room. Josie takes a seat in one of the chairs and opens the books she has acquired.
An hour has passed, and she sighs as the text in the books begins to blur before her eyes.
What she has uncovered so far is that the Chamber of Secrets was constructed by Salazar Slytherin, and only his heirs can open it. During Hagrid's time, the chamber had been opened, and he had been unjustly accused of doing so. However, Hagrid is not an heir to Slytherin, so he couldn't have possibly opened it.
Now, Tom Riddle is technically an heir to Slytherin and had been at Hogwarts during that time. It occurs to her that he might have been capable of opening the chamber. But why would he do so?
That year, Muggle-born students were attacked, and someone had died—Myrtle, specifically. Josie contemplates the possibility of asking Myrtle for more information. Perhaps the Chamber of Secrets had served as a hiding place for a Horcrux, making it an ideal candidate. Now, her task is to locate the chamber, determine if she can open it, despite not being a Slytherin heir, and potentially uncover a Horcrux.
