It was nearing the end of January and still no attacks had occurred. This brightened Ginny's spirits greatly. She became determined rather than afraid. She was going to find out how she was attacking everyone, and stop herself from doing it ever again.
Ginny spent most of her afternoons in the library, reading book after book about the Chamber of Secretes. But she came up empty handed every time.
I just don't understand, Tom.
Ginny wrote in her diary, one afternoon when she was alone in the dorm.
I know I must be the one opening the Chamber, but how? It doesn't make any sense.
Toms reply came swiftly, as always.
There is no need to be afraid. Everything will turn out the way it should.
Normally Toms words were very soothing for her. But Ginny had come to the point where she was not able to be soothed.
How can I not be worried Tom? There are two kids, a ghost and a cat petrified because of me! And one of them is my friend. I have to figure out a way to stop myself from petrifying anyone else!
Maybe you shouldn't fight it.
Ginny stared at Tom's words.
What do you mean, Tom?
Maybe you should use this to your advantage. You want Harry Potter to like you, don't you?
Yes, but what does the Chamber have to do with Harry liking me?
Petrify the Granger girl. Then Harry will take more notice of you.
Ginny was horrified. Never before had Tom said such horrible things.
Tom, what are you talking about? Harry and Hermione are just friends, and even if they weren't, I could never hurt Hermione!
If you don't petrify her, you will regret it.
Ginny could only stare at the diary. Had Tom gone mad? Her quill was hovering over the diary. A splotch of ink dropped into the page. Ginny was regarded the little book suspiciously.
Suddenly she heard her fathers voice in her mind. "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brains." This was something he had consistently told his children. He worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department at the Ministry of Magic, and had run into many dangerous, enchanted objects. What if this diary was enchanted? What if this diary had enchanted her?
Ginny swallowed. Toms words and the splotch had sank into the page.
Ginny eyed the continued to eye the journal. Why hadn't she ever thought to wonder how the diary had worked? She had loved it so much. Like she'd told Tom, it was like carrying around a friend in her pocket. Never for a second had she stopped to think that maybe it was dangerous. Maybe Tom was dangerous, but how could he be? He'd been such a good friend to her. No one had ever listened to her like he had.
But Ginny could not ignore the fact that he had just told her to petrify her brothers best friend.
Slowly Ginny put her quill down on the page. She wrote.
Is it you? Are you forcing me to open the Chamber...you and this diary...
Tom replied swiftly.
Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! What ever would make you think that?
The kind and understanding way Ginny had imagined Tom to speak in had disappeared. Now the words sounded false and manipulative.
Ginny didn't reply. She hastily shut the diary. She eyed the little book like it was a monster about to strike at any minute. Fear, suspicion and betrayal rose in her heart.
She had to get rid of it. Now. She should've listened to her dad. She should never have trusted such a obviously magic object.
Ginny snatched up the diary. She stuffed it into the pocket of her robes, then rushed out of the dormitory.
"Where are you going, Ginny?" asked Peggy, as she passed her and Vera by.
Ginny paused to look around at the two. "Er...I've got some studying to do...in the library."
"Want some company?" asked Vera, as she turned a piece of parchment this way and that.
"No!" said Ginny, a little too quickly.
Vera and Peggy looked at her in surprise.
"I mean...it's fine. I'll only be gone a minute," said Ginny.
"Just as well," said Vera, looking down at her paper again. "I've got to make sense of this Transfiguration homework anyway."
Ginny gave her a faint smile, then slipped hurriedly out of the dormitory before anyone else could offer to accompany her.
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"How come you let those other Slytherin kids walk all over you?" asked Hugo.
Viola stopped in her tracks to face him. They were heading down a corridor after the end of classes. A second day they had been discussing when they should go spy on Ginny, but the conversation had taken an unexpected twist.
"Excuse me?" Viola said.
"You do all their homework for them," said Hugo. "I heard you giving out papers in the library the other day."
"I-" it was true that Viola was still doing homework for Morgana and Bertha. She knew if she didn't, they would get revenge. Besides the extra work wasn't all that difficult for her to handle. And it almost felt like having friends. "-you were eavesdropping?"
Hugo shrugged. "Call it what you like. The point is, you shouldn't let them walk all over you like that."
Viola's eyes widened. "Oh? And this is coming from a Hufflepuff!"
"Are you trying to say all Hufflepuffs are pushovers?" Hugo asked calmly.
"Yes!"
"Well then, I think you should've been in Hufflepuff." Viola opened her mouth to say that the hat had almost placed her in Hufflepuff, but quickly shut it again. If she ever told that to anyone, it would be her best friend. And Hugo was not her best friend. Hugo continued. "Don't get me wrong. You're like my favorite person at Hogwarts. Your brilliant! Which is why you shouldn't let other people knock you down."
All Viola could do was stare at the boy. First he called her a pushover, and then said she was brilliant and his favorite person at Hogwarts.
She was saved the struggle of replying when Hugo cried "Look! There's Ginny!"
He elbowed Viola. Viola looked around and just caught a glimpse of red haired passing their corridor by, before Ginny disappeared behind the stone wall.
"Let's follow!" said Hugo eagerly.
Viola grabbed his arm. "Wait."
They waited until Ginny had disappeared down the hall, before hurrying after her.
"Did you see the thing she was holding in her hand?" Hugo whispered as they hurried along.
Viola shook her head. "No. Her back was towards us when I saw her. What was it?"
"It looked like a book," said Hugo.
Viola rolled her eyes. "Oh, well what's so special about that? Everyone in Hogwarts carries books around all day!"
"No, it didn't look like a school book. It looked like a journal or notebook or something..."
"I really don't see how that is relevant right now Hugo."
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Ginny headed to the out of order bathroom, the same one she'd found herself in with paint all over her hands. Right near the place Mrs Norris had been attacked.
No one ever used this bathroom. It would be the best place to hide this diary.
She took a deep breath as she regarded the diary. She pulled her arm back, with diary in hand.
"Goodbye, Tom," she whispered.
Ginny threw the diary as hard as she could. She turned, as it flew through the air, and fled from the bathroom. She thought she heard a scream as she left, but it must've been her imagination.
After slamming the door shut behind her, Ginny just stood there leaning against the door. She was surprised to feel a warmth spreading through her chest, like a great weight had been lifted from her. She had been right. It was that diary. It had taken control of her. But now she was free of it! No one else would be petrified from now on.
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"She looks awfully happy," said Viola as they watched Ginny, after exiting the girls bathroom, go skipping down the hallway with a smile on her face.
"Is that good or bad?" asked Hugo.
"I'm not sure." said Viola. They were crouching behind a statue, not far from the bathroom. "It could be either-"
But she was cut off by a loud wailing noise coming from the bathroom. Her and Hugo looked around in bewilderment.
"She's killed someone!" cried Hugo.
They jumped out from behind the stature and raced down the hallway. Water had begun to leak out from beneath the bathroom door. The sound of rushing water combined with the wails. Hugo grabbed ahold of the door knob, then looked at Viola with a horrified expression.
He had just twisted the door knob, when the sound of foot steps met Viola's ears.
"Quick," she said. She grabbed Hugo by the back of his robes, and dragged him back behind the statue.
A moment later Filch turned the corner. He was probably heading to do his daily patrol down the Corridor where his cat had been petrified.
Viola watched his eyes bulge out when he saw the water now flooding down the corridor. The wailing was still continuing as well. Filch let out a growl of frustration.
"That bloody ghost!" Filch cried.
Viola and Hugo watched as the man, with a mop and bucket in hand, stormed down the hallway. He threw open the door of the bathroom and stormed inside.
"He'll see whoever Ginny attacked!" said Hugo.
There was the sound of muffled yelling and more wailing. The bathroom door was flung open again and Filch came out, but he was still yelling over his shoulder.
"- even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore-"
He slammed the bathroom door shut, then stormed out if sight.
"He must be talking about the blood," said Hugo. "Of the dead person."
"Hugo. You don't even know if there is a dead person!"
Wails were still coming from the bathroom.
"Well let's go have a look and find out," said Hugo. But Viola grabbed the back of his robes again. She heard more foot steps. A moment later Ron Weasley and Harry Potter turned the corner. Of course. Whenever a mystery was about, there they were.
"Now what's up with her?" asked Ron.
"Let's go and see," said Harry.
The two boys hoisted up their robes above their ankles and sloshed through the water pooling in the corridor. They entered the out of order girls bathroom.
"This Place is happening today," said Hugo in a low voice.
The wailing died down. Viola and Hugo waited anxiously for Harry and Ron to leave the bathroom. They were taking a while.
"They must've having digestion problems or something," said Hugo.Viola gave him a look. "I'm kidding! Blimey, do you think they've found the body?"
"Hugo! We don't know if someone's dead or not-"
Viola stopped when the bathroom door swung open for what felt like the a hundredth time, and Harry and Ron exited.
"Look!" Hugo swatted Viola in the arm. "Look what Harry's holding!"
Viola slapped Hugo's hand away, but concentrated on Harry Potter. In his hand was a little, leather bound book.
"That's the book I saw Ginny holding earlier!" said Hugo.
Everything suddenly clicked in Viola's mind. The little book. Ginny's happy expression. She had obviously disposed of the book. And why? The book had to have something to do with the Chamber!
When Ron and Harry had disappeared, Viola and Hugo went into the bathroom. While Hugo had expected to find a pool of blood and a mangled body, all they found was a ghost with round glasses. Perched in a sink. When she saw them, her eyes widened and Moaning Myrtle shreiked. "Out! Out! I've had enough visitors today! Out!"
Viola and Hugo hurriedly backed out of the bathroom.
"Well," said Hugo cheerfully. "At least no ones dead!"
"And even better," said Viola. "I think we've found proof that Ginny is the one opening the Chamber!"