adored by him | *under editing*

second year × 28

"It can't be Hagrid. It just can't." Hermione said sadly as the group plodded across the courtyard.

"We don't even know this Riddle." Ron sniffed disapprovingly. "He sounds like a dirty, rotten snitch to me."

Harry shook his head. "The monster killed someone, Ron. What would any of us had done?"

"Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just ask him?" Nadia suggested hopefully but Ron scoffed in amusement.

"Sure. That'd be a cheerful visit. Hello, Hagrid! Been setting anything mad and hairy lose around the castle recently?" Nadia scowled at his mock joyfulness until a gruff voice made them wheel around with wide eyes.

"Mad an' hairy? Yeh wouldn't be talkin' 'bout me, would yeh?" Hagrid chuckled, beaming down at them.

"No!" They blurted out, glancing worriedly at one another.  Hagrid's smile faltered slightly so, to avoid suspicion, Harry said, "What's that you got there, Hagrid?"

He sighed, raising the strange tin in his giant hand. "Flesh Eatin' Slug Repellent. Fer the Mandrakes, yeh know? Accordin' ter Professor Sprout, they still got a bit o' growin' up ter do, but once their acne clears up, we'll be able ter chop 'em up, stew 'em an' get those people in the hospital un-petrified." He grinned again but his face turned serious as he looked at the four children before him. "Til then, you four best watch yerselves, alright?"

The quartet nodded and the man turned and ambled away, almost crashing into a frantic Neville. "Harry! I don't know who did it but you better come quick!" He declared, racing off again. With furrowed brows, the group chased after him, soon arriving and bustling into the Gryffindor boy's dormitories.

Harry and Ron's jaws dropped at the state of it. Harry's trunk was rifled, his textbooks worn and torn, drawers flung open and bedclothes strewn about the floor. "It had to be a Gryffindor." Hermione concluded, frowning at the mess. "No one else knows the password."

"But what about Nadia?" Neville asked. "She's been here a lot."

"She's our best friend." Ron defended. "Besides, she's been with us all day and she wouldn't do this."

Nadia nodded. "But more to the point, whoever did this must have been looking for something." All eyes landed on Harry as he crouched and tried to sort through his disaster of a dorm room, running his hand through his hair. Nadia smiled slightly, thinking it was cute, before mentally scolding herself since now was not the time. 

"And they found it." Then, their stomachs dropped. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone."

***

Harry, dressed in his Quidditch robes and accompanied by the trio, spotted Ginny lurking at the bottom of a staircase whilst on his way to the Quidditch Pitch. "Hey, Ginny! You coming to the match?" She looked up, startled, shook her head and scurried away.

Ron surveyed her confusedly. "I swear she gets weirder and weirder everyday."

"I'm worried about her." Nadia muttered, pondering how strange the youngest Weasley had seemed all year. As she did so, she also started connecting the pieces of all the peculiar occurrences until she froze and the realization hit her like the Hogwarts Express. "I think I've understood something! I'll see you later!" She called, already racing down the corridor.

"Well, she wasn't put in Ravenclaw for nothing." Ron chuckled.

Harry watched her retreating form with a soft smile. "What do you suppose she's understood?"

"Hmm...I'm not sure." Hermione hummed. "Do you think it's to do with the Chamber?"

"Could be." Ron shrugged before patting Harry's back. "Come on, you've got a match to win."