Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
————————————
Aurora Areli
"ARE YOU SURE IT was Hagrid?" I asked, for probably the fifth time since the boys came running down into the common room from their dormitories to tell Hermione and I about what Riddle's diary had shown Harry.
"Yes," Harry said. "I'm sure it was him."
"But it just doesn't make sense," I said, frowning. "Hagrid wouldn't hurt a fly."
"I know," Harry agreed, "but I'm telling you, that's what I saw."
I frowned, going over the story in my head once again. Riddle, whose first name Harry discovered to be Tom, had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago when the first set of attacks were happening. Riddle had figured out that Hagrid was the one hiding a monster, and got him expelled.
"Riddle might have got the wrong person," Hermione said. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people . . ."
"How many monsters d'you think think place can hold?" Ron asked dully.
"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," Harry said miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."
"Riddle does sound like Percy," Ron said. "Who asked him to grass on Hagrid, anyway?"
"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," Hermione reminded him.
"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," Harry said. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here . . ."
"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry, Rory?" Ron asked.
"Yes, but he was only buying Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," I defended.
After a moment of silence, Hermione hesitantly spoke up, "Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"
"That'd be a cheerful visit," Ron said sarcastically. "Hello, Hagrid, tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"
In the end, we decided not to say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and at this rate, it didn't seem like there would be anytime soon. It had been nearly four months since the last attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and everyone seemed to think the attacker had gone for good. Even Peeves had gotten bored with his song, and Ernie was back to being polite in Herbology. In March, the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in Greenhouse Three, which meant they were almost fully mature and ready to revive all the heir of Slytherin's Petrified victims.
. . . . .
Over the Easter holidays, we second-years had to choose our new subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione took very seriously.
