The Slytherin Troublemaker

Chapter 23

So hey guys! I know how long it's been since my last update, but I've been super busy between swim team and finals and all that end-of-the-school-year stuff. Anyhow I'm excited to start writing again. And I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the best. I'm just coming back from a loooooong break from writing! So thanks to all of you who have followed my story and voted and commented. The story is far from over :)

The corridors of Hogwarts seemed to be particularly quiet, which only added to the fear I had been living in the past days. The walk to Dumbledore's office seemed longer than normal as I feared what would happen when I talked to him. There was so much he could find out from me; his magic was unlike any other's. And I knew, from my last visit, that he was on to Tom Riddle. But, what freaked me out the most was how Tom had said that he was using my body to become whole. That draining feeling had to have meant that he was stealing energy from me. But, I didn't understand how he could use it; he was a memory.

At last I came to where Dumbledore's office was. With some rememberance, I knew that the password was Chocolate Frog. As I entered, the headmaster was sitting at his desk, looking very skeptical about the small book he was examining. He abrubtly put it away when he noticed me in the doorway.

"Shayla," he said gently. "We have much to talk about. Please take a seat." He pulled over an antique looking armchair and i sat down across from his desk. "How are you feeling dear?" he asked.

"Very well professor," I said.

"Now, on the business of the whole ordeal of the past few days," he started. "Please tell me what happened."

I did not want to give the truth to Dumbledore. Tom Riddle had threatened my family's life. Thinking about Ced, Mum, and Dad, I took a deep breath. "Well, I had been studying late at night when I saw a peculiar note in my book. It was by a person named Tom Riddle. I probably dozed off when finishing up my Potions essay. I had a terrible nightmare and must have blacked out somewhere in the dream." It seemed like a terrible lie to me. A pathetic, desperate, terrible lie.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. He seemed to be letting the information sink in. "Do you remember what the note said?" he asked. I went into total panic mode. He knows I'm lying!

"I'm sorry sir. I don't," I replied feebly.

"Well then," he said. "You may be excused. Just please Miss Diggory, don't do anything reckless."

That easy! I thought. There's no way he believed me. But, knowing that if Dumbledore asked any more questions I might speak the truth, I left the headmaster swiftly.

The one person I never want to bump into in the hall is Snape. And of course that's who who I encountered on the way back to the common room. I tried to sneak past him but my efforts were met by a "Where do you think you're going Miss Diggory?"

Bloody hell. Two professors in one day?! Wow I sound like Draco. The thought of Draco was bittersweet. Last time we had been together, he was very accusatory of me. He took the diary... Draco has the diary still! I realized I'd have to go with Snape, so I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

"Yes professor," I replied, annoyed.

"My office, now," he said flatly.

When we arrived at his office, it was dark and grim just like always. Unlike Dumbledore, Snape was quick to taking a seat and leaving me standing there awkwardly.

"Are you going to sit?" he asked, his voice monotone.

I sat on a dusty armchair a safe distance away from his desk.

"Shayla I have unfinished business with you and that diary of yours," he said.

God, he was still hung up on the diary? If Dumbledore wasn't getting anything out of me, neither was Snape. "Oh, yes professor," I said.

"And your grades have gone down lately," he said. My grades? What does that have to do with anything?

Realizing that I wasn't going to say anything, Snape said, "It seems you are stressed lately."

It didn't make sense that Snape would think this. What real evidence did he have?

Lying again to a professor I said,"Not really professor. The only stress has been that trip to the hospital wing. But now, I'm quite fine. The grade drop might have just been all the work I've missed since I've been out of class." That lie wasn't too bad.

"Let me be frank," Snape said flatly. "I have been given an anonymous tip that something is going on with you."

Who would do that to me? My mind searched for the only people who knew what was going on. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny wouldn't go anywhere near Snape. And that brought the list down to one last person: Draco.

                                                                                ...

As soon as I returned back to my common room, it was night. Nothing had been accomplished at Snape's office, except one thing. Draco had tipped him off about the diary business. Now, with so man people involved in this ordeal, I grew more frightened then ever.

Nothing could calm me. Every single thought led back to my family's demise from Tom Riddle. I could not tell anyone the truth. No one knew the whole story yet, and I wanted to keep it that way. But a part of me yearned to be strong. To not be a coward for the sake of my family. And that's when it dawned on me.

I quickly wrote a note and gave it to Rustle, telling Harry to meet me outside of Gryffindor Common Room ASAP. Rustle flew off into the night, delighted to please me.

I quickly threw on a robe and grabbed my wand. I knew Filch would be out, but what I needed to tell Harry was so important that nothing was going to stand in my way.

When I got to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry was already there. "Shayla, we haven't talked in a long..."

"Harry this is extremely important. I know you, Hermione, and Ron have been doing some research about You-Know-Who lately and well, this may seem crazy, but I don't think Voldemort is his real name," I said in whispers, getting out-of-breath.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well in the few letters we've exchanged, you mentioned how V-voldemort was a blood racist, looking down upon half-breeds, half-bloods, and muggle-borns, right?" I said quietly.

"Yes," he said.

"Well, to make this to the point, his name is Tom Riddle."

"How do you know?"

"Long story, I'll have to tell you later. But, Harry. We need to act soon. Filch's cat has been the only victim of Tom Riddle's monster so far. And thank God she wasn't killed! We don't know who will be next!"

But I did know. It would be muggle borns. And if I didn't do something soon, I would just be another weapon that Tom Riddle could use.