Ancient Magician (Severus x Reader)

Chapter 39: Truth or Lie?

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𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟑𝟗: 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒓 𝑳𝒊𝒆?

'𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒔'

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The next morning, we were strolling across the school grounds between classes, the cold air waking me up more than any cup of tea could. Frost still clung to the grass, glittering faintly under the pale sunlight, and I pulled my cloak tighter around me as we walked. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were chatting idly about sev's most recent attempt to poison our spirits in Potions, but I wasn't really listening. My thoughts kept circling back to the memory I'd seen last night in the diary—so vivid, so real. I hadn't said anything then, too rattled to find the right words, but now it was gnawing at me like a parasite under my skin.

"I need to tell you all something," I said finally, cutting off Ron mid-rant about his exploded Shrivelfig.

The three of them turned to look at me, curious. Harry tilted his head slightly, sensing the seriousness in my tone. Hermione's brow furrowed immediately.

I glanced around, just to be sure no one else was nearby. The nearest students were halfway down the hill toward the greenhouses. Satisfied, I lowered my voice.

"Last night... I opened the diary."

Hermione's eyes lit up immediately, that sharp, inquisitive spark she always got when there was a mystery to solve. "And?" she prompted. "Did you see something?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I saw another memory... but this time, it was different. It was like I was actually there. Fully immersed. I could hear everything, see everything. It wasn't foggy like before—it felt real. Like I had been dropped right into the past."

"What did you see?" Harry asked, his voice cautious but eager.

"It was fifty years ago. Tom Riddle was still a student. A prefect, I think. He looked maybe fifteen or sixteen." I paused, trying to gather the right words to explain what I'd witnessed.

Hermione's mouth parted slightly. "Go on," she said softly.

I exhaled. "He... he accused someone of opening the Chamber of Secrets. Someone, he said was keeping a dangerous creature at the school. And he was determined to get them expelled."

"Who?" Hermione asked at once, leaning forward slightly, her breath hanging in the cold air.

I hesitated, my throat suddenly tight. "Hagrid," I said at last, the name feeling heavier than I expected as it left my mouth.

Ron came to a full stop beside me, his face scrunched up in disbelief. "Hagrid?! What are you talking about?" he said loudly, then quickly lowered his voice, throwing a glance around. "No way. Hagrid would never—he wouldn't—he's terrified of hurting anyone!"

"I know," I said quickly. "I don't believe he actually opened the Chamber either. But I'm just telling you what I saw. Tom reported him. There was a whole scene with the headmaster—Dippet—and Hagrid being dragged away by some scary-looking man from the Ministry. And there was this... huge shadow in the corridor, something moving. I think it was the creature Riddle was talking about."

Harry looked troubled. "But why would Tom Riddle accuse Hagrid? Was it a mistake? Or did he make it up on purpose?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "It could've been a setup. The whole thing felt... orchestrated. Tom was calm. Too calm. Like he knew exactly what he was doing."