The Chamber of Secrets | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Two)

17. Hagrid

Y/N's POV

How did you come by my diary?

Someone tried to flush it down a toilet.

Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read.

What do you mean?

I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

That's where I am now, I'm at Hogwarts, and horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?

Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned.

It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?

I can show you, if you like, you don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him.

Ok.

And then I was sucked into the page, everything was a blur and then everything became clear. It was Dumbledore's office, but Dumbledore wasn't there. Instead, there was an old wizard, I tried speaking to him but he couldn't hear me, it was obvious. I was in a memory. He couldn't see me.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard.

A boy of about sixteen entered. A silver Prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than me.

"Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.

"Sit down," said Dippet, "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Riddle.

"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," said Riddle at once, "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that-to that-"

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir." said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents-?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me, Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances..."

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle, and my heart leapt, I moved closer, scared of missing anything.

"Precisely," said the headmaster, "my dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy...the death of that poor little girl...You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the er-source of all this unpleasantness..."

Riddle's eyes had widened.

"Sir, if the person was caught, if it all stopped-"

"What do you mean?" Dippet asked, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.

But I was sure it was the same sort of 'no' that I had given Dumbledore.

Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.

"You may go, Tom..."

Riddle slid off his chair and walked out of the room, I followed him. 

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?" a voice said.

I looked at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty year younger Dumbledore.

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," said Riddle.

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, "best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since..."

He sighed heavily, wished Riddle good night, and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with me following.

Riddle led me to the very dungeon in which I had Potions with Snape. The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, I could only just see him, standing stock still by the door, watching the passage outside.

Someone was creeping along the passage. I heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where me and Riddle were hidden. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed.

For perhaps five minutes we followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises. I heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.

"C'mon...gotta get yeh outta here...C'mon now...in the box..."

There was something familiar about that voice.

Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner and I stepped out behind him. I could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

"Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply, before closing the door shut.

"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"

Riddle stepped closer.

"It's all over," he said, "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What d'yeh-"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-"

"It never killed no one!" Hagrid exclaimed, backing against the door. From behind him, I could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer, "the dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered..."

"It wasn't him!" roared Hagrid, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand.

Then, everything started going into a blur again and moments later I was back at my desk, breathing heavily, Ron and Harry walked in.

"What's wrong Y/N?" asked Ron, looking at me with concern.

I took deep breaths and said in a whisper. "It was Hagrid. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."