The Truth | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 13: Secret Diary

Staggering under the weight of the library books in their arms, Harry and Ron made their way to Hermione's hospital bed (where she has been for the past two weeks), which was covered in books. "Oh, good. Put those anywhere." Hermione said. They looked. There wasn't anywhere. So, they just... dropped them.

"Madam Pince asked that we relay a message to you, Hermione: She'd appreciate it if you'd leave a few books for the rest of the school." Ron said.

"I've got to keep up, haven't I?" Hermione said. Just then, her tail twitched into view.

"You took the books so no one could beat you. Don't you realise how much we struggled without the books. We needed the books to help us, but of course, you were being selfish!" Zoe said. "I even had to tell Madam Pince to ban you from taking books from the library because you can't be trusted."

"That was you!" Hermione screamed. "I could only read books in the library and even then I had a time limit on each book I read."

"Is that thing ever going away?" Ron asked.

"Any day now, according to Madam Pomfrey. I'm just thankful I've stopped coughing up fur balls." Hermione told them.

"We all are, believe me." Rom muttered.

"Now. What about the Chamber of Secrets? Any new leads?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing."

"And has it gotten any better? I mean... is anyone speaking to you?" Hermione asked.

"Neville asked to borrow a tubeworm in Potions yesterday. I suppose that's something." Harry said.

Ron took a get-well card from under Hermione's pillow. "To Miss Granger. Wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher Gilderoy Lockhart.' You sleep with this under your pillow?"

"Urgh. Gross." Zoe scoffed.

Hermione snatched the card from his hand. "Of course not. I don't know how that got there. Now go. I still have six hundred pages to read in Transformation Through the Ages."

***

Harry and Ron mounted the second-floor corridor stairs, emerge.

"I know Hermione's mental, but can you believe she falls for that smarmy nonsense of Lockhart's?" Ron asked.

They stooped and looked down. A great flood of water streamed from the Girls' Bathroom. From within, Myrtle could be heard moaning.

"Looks like Myrtle's flooded the bathroom." Harry sighed.

As Harry sploshed off toward the bathroom, while Ron stepped lightly.

"Yuck." Ron groaned.

"Urgh. Toilet water." Sirius shuddered.

***

Huge, wracking moans echoed off the dreary tile. All the taps were running, streaming like tiny waterfalls. As Harry and Ron stepped to the last cubicle, Myrtle spun accusingly. "Come to throw something else at me?"

Harry looked confused. "Why would I throw something at you?"

"Don't ask me. Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me..." Moaning Myrtle said.

"That's so mean." Lily gasped.

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you. I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?" Ron asked.

"Ooo." Draco said. "Shouldn't have said that."

"Oh sure! Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it!" Moaning Myrtle said, sarcastically as she floated in front of Ron. "Ten points if you can get it through her stomach." She threw her arm through Ron's stomach. "Fifty points if it goes through her head!" She threw her arm through Ron's head.