Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Hermione had now recovered completely. As usual, she still had to remain in the hospital wing for two days of observation.

Suer had also been spending much longer in animal form lately. He rarely returned to the dormitory until late at night, just before curfew.

It definitely was not because Hermione’s embrace was soft.

Spring had not yet arrived, after all. The badger was merely afraid of the cold, and Hermione’s arms happened to be warmer.

His fur ought to have kept him warm, but Suer refused to acknowledge that inconvenient detail.

Hermione had planned to investigate Harry after leaving the hospital wing. Unexpectedly, Harry came rushing in that evening, clutching a black-covered book.

Yes, it was that notebook.

Of course Suer remembered it clearly. He had handed it to Dumbledore with his own hands.

“I know who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago!” Harry announced with a startling lack of preamble. “Do you remember what we learnt from Malfoy? The Chamber of Secrets was opened once before, fifty years ago.”

Hermione’s eyes widened. Suer lounged lazily in her arms, rounded ears standing erect.

“Who was it?”

“Hagrid.” Harry swallowed, looking rather frightened. “Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.”

“Impossible,” Hermione objected at once. “If it were Hagrid, he couldn’t possibly still be at the school. Dumbledore would never permit someone who had harmed a student to remain here.”

“But Tom Riddle told me.”

“Who?”

“Tom Riddle, the owner of this notebook. He attended Hogwarts fifty years ago.” Harry placed the notebook on the bed, opened it to the first page and pointed to the brief signature: T. M. Riddle.

“T. M. stands for Tom.”

Hermione was suspicious of this Riddle. She took the notebook and leafed through the later pages, but saw nothing except blank paper.

“There’s nothing written here,” she said. “How did he tell you that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago? An unsupported claim can’t be used to judge someone.”

“Besides, how can you be certain this Riddle attended Hogwarts fifty years ago?”

“I’m certain.” Harry nodded. “Ron said he thought he’d seen the name in the trophy room, but he wasn’t sure. I went to the fourth floor last night to look, and Filch caught me.”

Suer stared blankly. Could Harry not have gone during the day? Did he truly have to roam the castle at night and get caught by Filch? That was Harry for you. Had he eaten the Invisibility Cloak?

Unless Suer remembered incorrectly, Slytherin was once again leading the House Cup standings. Harry was openly aiding the enemy.

Never mind. The old bee would take care of it.

“What? Gryffindor lost more points?” Hermione sounded annoyed.

“That isn’t important, Hermione!” Harry waved dismissively. “Tom’s name really is in the trophy room. He received an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. He also received a medal for exemplary conduct, and he was Head Boy.”

“But what does that prove?” Hermione asked. “Perhaps he received the special services award for his marks, or because he helped a professor solve some problem.”

“No.” Harry shook his head, his expression resolute. “He received it for catching the Heir of Slytherin.”

Harry then explained why he was so certain that Tom Riddle’s award had been for catching the Heir.
Harry had discovered how to use the notebook when ink was accidentally spilt upon it. The notebook then revealed its extraordinary nature by drawing him into a piece of history long buried.

In this way, Harry witnessed what had happened when the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago.

Hermione regarded the notebook with doubt. The idea that a notebook could contain a memory from the past was exceedingly difficult to believe.

“Even so, I still can’t believe Hagrid was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago,” Hermione said at last, maintaining her opposition.

“Think about Dumbledore. How could a great wizard on the side of light protect a murderer?”

“Once you’re out of here, we can go and ask Hagrid why he was expelled,” Harry suggested.

With that, their conversation about Riddle came to an end. They began discussing their recent lessons: Professor Filius Flitwick’s progress in Charms, Professor McGonagall asking the students to turn a feather into a bird, and Lockhart continuing to drag students onstage for demonstrations from which no one learnt anything useful.

Suer yawned and nudged Crookshanks awake from a deep sleep nearby.

After finding an empty room and leaving his Animagus form, Suer returned to the dormitory deep in thought.

Harry had obtained the notebook in the end. Hermione ought to be the next victim, but the basilisk was already thoroughly dead. Hermione should no longer be petrified.

There was also no knowing what Dumbledore had done to the notebook. Everything Harry learnt from it seemed deliberately arranged to guide him down the wrong path.

Yes, it was very deliberate. Dumbledore apparently wanted Harry to learn that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened fifty years ago and to believe Hagrid had opened it. Yet Dumbledore clearly knew that Riddle, not Hagrid, had been responsible.

Suer could not understand it. Why would Dumbledore do this?

To clear Hagrid’s name? Was the basilisk’s corpse not already proof?

Everyone knew how fairy tales ended. The hero defeated the dragon in a great battle, won renown and earned the admiration of a beautiful maiden.

Wait. Renown?

Did Dumbledore want Harry to gain renown?

What could increase Harry’s reputation more than saving his schoolmates and the castle?

If Dumbledore wanted to set Harry on a path towards battling a monster, something first had to spur Harry into action. What could provide that spur?

One of his friends would have to be attacked, giving Harry a reason to investigate. Of course — Ginny, Ron’s younger sister and the notebook’s first owner. Suer remembered that Riddle had nearly taken the young girl’s life in the end.

But that was not enough, because Ginny’s ordeal occurred at the very end.

Ginny was the princess whom Harry, as the hero, would set out to rescue.

Before that, there had to be a victim, and the victim had to be someone Harry knew.

One of Harry’s dormitory mates? Not likely. Ron? Even less likely; the two were almost inseparable.

One of Harry’s Quidditch teammates? No.

Hermione was out of the question; protecting her was why Suer had given the notebook to the old bee early.

Suer’s steps abruptly halted, leaving him halfway into the barrel entrance.

“I shall require a favour from you, Mr Bones…” Dumbledore’s words suddenly surfaced in Suer’s mind.

“Could it be… me?”