The life Harry should have had. (Book 2.)

Chapter 14

Harry rushes to Ron, shakes him awake, whispering intensely.

Harry: Ron! Ron!

Ron: What? What's happened?

Harry: It was Hagrid. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.

The next day Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in a courtyard.

Hermione: It can't be Hagrid. It just can't be.

Ron: We don't even know this Tom Riddle. He sounds like a dirty rotten snitch to me.

Harry: The monster killed someone, Ron. What would any of us have done?

Hermione: Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go and ask him about it?

Ron: That'll be a cheerful visit. "Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"

Hagrid is standing right behind him.

Hagrid: Mad and hairy? You wouldn't be talking about me, now would ya?

Harry, Ron, and Hermione: (In unison.) No!

There is an awkward moment of silence. Hagrid looks at them curiously. Harry nods to the strange canister in his hand.

Harry: What's that you've got, Hagrid?

Hagrid: Oh, it's Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. For the Mandrakes, you know. Now, according to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit of growing up to do, but once their acne cleared up, we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em, and then we'll get those people down at the hospital unpetrified. In the meantime, though, you three had best be looking after yourselves, all right?

They nod, watch Hagrid lope away. Just then, Neville comes running up. He looks pale with fright.

Neville: Harry, I don't know who did it, but you'd better come!

Neville leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione up to Harry's dormitory. The whole place has been ransacked. Ron and Hermione stand by the entrance as Harry looks through the mess.

Hermione: It had to be a Gryffindor. Nobody else knows our password. Unless it wasn't a student.

Ron: Whoever it was, they must have been looking for something.

Harry: And they found it. (Looks up from the mess.) Tom Riddle's diary is gone.

Later that day the Gryffindor Quidditch team is preparing for a match.

Oliver: All right, listen up. We play our game, Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance. (He begins leading the team out to the pitch.) We're stronger, quicker, and smarter.

Fred: And not to mention, they're dead scared that Harry'll petrify them if they fly anywhere near him.

Oliver: Well, that too.

McGonagall is blocking the way out to the Quidditch pitch.

Oliver: Professor McGonagall?

McGonagall: This match has been cancelled.

Oliver: You can't cancel Quidditch!

McGonagall: Silence, Wood! You and your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower now. Potter, you and I will find Mr. Weasley. There's something the both of you have to see.

McGonagall leads Harry and Ron into the Hospital Wing. McGonagall pauses outside the door, turns to Harry and Ron

McGonagall: I warn you, this could be a wee bit of a shock.

She opens the door. Madam Pomfrey is leaning over a bed where a girl lies. As she straightened up, they saw that it was Hermione.

Ron: Hermione!