Half Blood Royalty

Muggle Diaries and Lockhart's Plan of Attack

It wasn't until the beginning of February when Hermione had finally been able to leave the hospital wing; de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free. On her first evening back in The Great Hall, we showed her the diary we had found, telling her the story of how it was that it happened to just fall into our hands.

"Ooooh, it might have hidden powers," Hermione spoke with enthusiasm as she took the diary and stared at it closely.

"If it has, it's hiding them very well." Ron told her, "Maybe it's just shy... I don't know why you don't just chuck it, Melody."

"I wish we knew why someone did actually try to chuck it," Harry added.

"I wouldn't mind knowing how this T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts, either." I added to the conversation.

"Could've been for anything." Ron spoke, "Maybe he got thirty O.W.Ls... Or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Or maybe he murdered Myrtle- that would've done everyone a favor."

"Ron." I shot him a look before falling on the look on Hermione's face; a look that she was thinking about exactly what we all had to have been thinking about.

"What?' Ron asked, looking around at each of us.

"The Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" Harry asked us, "That's what Malfoy said."

"Yeah?" I responded.

"And this diary is fifty years old," Hermione was tapping the diary excitedly.

"So?" Ron shrugged.

"Oh, Ron, wake up." I leaned myself closer to the group.

"We know the person that opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know that this T.M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago." Hermione stated, "Well, what if this Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything; where the Chamber is, how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it? The person who's behind these attacks now wouldn't want that lying around, would they?"

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary."

"She does-" I spoke up, "She has a point, though. Whoever is doing these now wouldn't dare want this laying around for just anyone to find- not if it reveals their secrets, or-"

"Maybe it's written in with invisible ink!" Hermione pulled her wand out before tapping the diary three times and saying, "Aparecium!" Nothing. Hermione shoved her wand back into her bag before pulling out a bright red eraser. "It's a revealer, I got it back in Diagon Alley." she told us, rubbing hard on the 'January the first'. Nothing, again.

"I'm telling you... There's nothing to find in there." Ron told us, "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."

"It can't just be blank." I told him, "Something- Someone discarded this book for a reason." I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was actually in the hands of the Heir. I mean, of course... the Heir wouldn't want this book falling into the wrong hands- but nobody would dare to enter Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Maybe the Heir of Slytherin thought it'd be the best place to hide this book so it couldn't be found on their person.

"Tom Riddle's not going to come back to haunt you for throwing his diary in the trash, Melody." Ron told me, "Just toss it. You're wasting time-"

I took the diary back from Hermione, tucking it under my arm. For some odd reason, I couldn't find myself to just discarding the book. A small part of me wanted to find out more about this T.M. Riddle. Almost as if something was drawing me towards finding out more information... Something I couldn't quite explain. It was almost as if this Riddle person was some long-lost friend who I was dying to meet with again. Kind of absurd, since he was from fifty years ago... but hey. It's Hogwarts. When isn't it absurd here?