Hermione returned, back to her normal fur-free self, towards the beginning of February.
Just before her and Amisty went down to the common room to speak with Harry and Ron, Hermione stopped her.
"What happened at the Slytherin common room?" She asked, motioning for her to take a seat on her bed.
Amisty's movements were slow as she followed her directions, perched on the very edge as if ready to run.
"Why do you ask?" She replied, dancing around the said question skillfully and smoothly.
"Just answer me, Amisty. Don't be difficult," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes and giving her a knowing look with her brown eyes.
There was still the slightest glint of gold in them, but Amisty wasn't going to point that out.
"When Harry and Ron ran... I didn't get a chance to follow after them," She started slowly, trying to find the right words. "Malfoy grabbed hold of me before I could run and he asked me what I was doing."
Hermione looked panicked as she spoke, "You didn't tell him that -- "
"No, no I didn't tell him that Harry and Ron were with me. I just said that I was trying to figure out everything to do with the Chamber," She replied quickly. "He accused me of thinking he had something to do with it, and I said yes because that's the truth, and then he told me to stay out of it. Now I wasn't going to listen to that, since he was getting into it just as much as I was, and he said he was safe because he was a pure blood. And..."
"Go on," Hermione nodded encouragingly, wrapping her hand around her shoulder as she noticed Amisty's growing discomfort.
"He said that because I was a Wolf Born I could be in danger, and I got mad because that shouldn't change anything, I'm just as much of a witch as anyone else. And I would guess that made him mad because he called me a Mudblood," Her eyes narrowed at the memory.
"Oh, Amisty..." Hermione's voice trailed off and she gave the girl a wan smile.
"So I asked him if I could leave and I did. That's all," She finished, sighing and sitting back slightly.
Hermione just nodded, not pressing her even though she knew that wasn't everything. Amisty, tired of the suffocating silence that had fallen between them, got to her feet.
"Well, the boys are waiting for us downstairs. Let's go," She gave another smile and the two of them walked down to the common room.
Harry was waiting, Ron next to him, and retold the story of the diary.
"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," Hermione's eyes lit up as she got hold of the book.
"If it has, it's hiding them very well. Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry," Ron replied, not sounding very interested at all.
"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it. I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either," Harry pointed out.
"Could've been anything. Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor..." His voice trailed off as Amisty's attention was veered to Hermione and Harry, who were staring intently at the diary. "What?"
"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it? That's what Malfoy said," Harry clarified.
That's when clicked in Amisty's brain. She sat up, gasping.
"Yeah..." Ron waved his hand, not yet realizing what the rest of them had understood.
"And this diary is fifty years old," Hermione tapped it, waiting for him to get what they were on about.
"So?" He asked, still completely and utterly oblivious.
"Oh, Ron, wake up! We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We Know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything -- where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it -- the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?" Hermione explained, exasperated.
"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione, with just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary," He argued.
"It might be invisible ink!" Hermione pulled out her wand, her annoyance with Ron disappearing just as quickly as it appeared. "Aparecium!"
The books stayed the same, pages empty of any trace of ink.
Hermione just tugged out a red eraser from her bag.
"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," She explained, rubbing it on the January first on the top of the page.
Once again, nothing.
"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there. Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in," Ron shrugged dryly.
They all sat back, defeated. Maybe it was just empty.
-=+=-
The sun had finally started to show again, warming up the castle.
There was a happier aura in the castle as there had been no more attacks after Justin and Nearly Headless Nick.
Amisty was occasionally found in the Healing Wing, assisting Madame Pomfrey in making sure the petrified victims would be healthy once they were revived.
The Mandrakes were flying through their teenage years, increasingly getting moodier as they went. It wouldn't take long before the potion could be made.
It felt as if the Heir of Slytherin had stopped with the high security around the entire castle.
Unfortunately, Professor Lockhart thought he was the one who kept the attacks at bay. She had overheard him talking to Professor McGonagall as she lined up for Transfiguration.
"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva. I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him." He was beaming per usual. "You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing..."
Amisty raised an eyebrow, craning her neck as watching as he waltzed away looking rather proud of himself.
But her watching didn't last long as Professor McGonagall instructed for them all to enter the classroom.
She would have to wait to see what he was planning.
-=+=-
His 'surprise' arrived on Valentine's day, to Amisty's mixed emotions.
She couldn't tell if she loved it or hated it.
The Great Hall was smothered in pink. Pink flowers, pink heart confetti fluttered down from the ceiling and into their food.
It wasn't the most pleasant eating experience, but there was doubt that it was a colorful one.
Hermione couldn't stop giggling.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, taking a seat and wiping away the confetti that had fallen onto his plate.
Ron just pointed at the teacher's table, looking like he was about to throw up.
Professor Lockhart was standing, trying to silence the chatter of the Great Hall.
"Happy Valentine's Day! And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all -- and it doesn't here," He clapped his hands and a troupe of dwarves walked in, all wearing golden wings and carrying harps. They didn't look very happy with their costumes. "My friendly, card-carrying cupids! They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Professor Snape looked ready to kill the first person who dared to ask for the recipe of said potion, and Professor Flitwick's face was hidden in his arms.
After breakfast finished, the quartet started to their first lesson.
"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," Ron pleaded, his words going without a response as Hermione searched in her bag intently.
Amisty nudged her with her elbow teasingly, and she just returned the gesture with pink cheeks and a glare.
-=+=-
Amisty was spending her break period outside, alone, working on her Potions homework.
Even though the late morning sunlight was weak, it was still there, warming her back and sending light across the grounds. It didn't take long for her peaceful working to be interrupted, however, as Echo landed right beside her.
There was that familiar yellowed envelope.
"Hi, Echo. Has our mystery writer finally revealed who they are?" She smiled, leaning forward to pull off the string that held the letter to the owl's leg.
That is, until she hopped away, hooting.
Amisty's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she tried again. Echo hopped away, and then after another attempt from Amisty, she flew away toward the Forbidden Forest.
"Echo! What're you doing?" Amisty called, jumping to her feet, swinging her back over her shoulder, and racing after her owl.
She remained just in sight, a silhouette in the bright blue sky. She didn't stop when she reached the outskirts of the forest, just flying right in.
Amisty skidded to a stop, only a few footfalls away from entering. Her green gaze scanned the trees, hoping that Echo hadn't properly flown in and was perched on one of the outer trees. Her hopes were false.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she glanced around the grounds to make sure no one could see her and then ran in. The trees seemed to creep closer to her, their branches like arms, and the memories of the last time she had been there wasn't bringing forth any positive feelings.
She kept a steady pace, not wanting to stay in any particular part for too long less something found her.
"Echo! Come out, I'm not allowed in here!" She cupped her hands around her mouth, her voice echoing eerily in the trees.
There was no response.
She kept walking.
The further she walked the less of the sky she could see.
It wasn't comforting.
Every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves made her want to run straight back to the castle, but she couldn't leave her owl out in the forest with a letter.
The worn path she had been following soon smoothed out into a clearing. A clearing where Echo sat perched in the trees.
"Come down from there!" Amisty shouted up to her, peeved that she had to follow her into the forest.
Echo just hooted softly, blinking and ruffling her wings with an almost haughty air. She peered up at the tawny, now noticing that the letter that had been previously tied to her leg was no longer there.
"And now you don't even have the letter you were supposed to deliver," She groaned, narrowing her eyes. "Thank you so much, Echo."
But her words were muffled as the sound of pounding footsteps shattered the silence of the clearing.
Amisty whirled around, coming face to face with a snarling bugbear.
It's fangs were as long as daggers, with eyes a bright and piercing amber. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she was frozen in place, unable to pull her wand out of her bag.
Her pupils dilated, a ring of gold in the depths of her green eyes.
A scream escaped her lips and the animal leaped forward, almost crushing her right then and there if she hadn't regained motion in her legs.
With a massive dive to the left, she dodged its attack by a hair.
Her footing was sloppy, the slippery leaf mold that covered the grass not what she was used to when it came to running.
The bugbear let out a roar, spinning around and lumbering towards her. She jumped out of the way, keeping light on her feet and taking sharp turns and loops all throughout the clearing.
She couldn't leave it, as she didn't know the territory as well as the monster did and eventually she would be mauled in the depths of the trees.
So she dodged, swerved, leaped, rolled, and did anything else that could keep her out of harm's way.
She was starting to get tired, though, and her already messy and uncoordinated maneuvers became more and more of a hazard. Now she could the bugbear's breath on her heels, and even the spurt of terror she felt couldn't spur her forwards.
In one fluid motion, her right foot slipped on a particularly damp section of the leaf mold, and she fell to the ground with a thump.
Almost immediately the bugbear was overtop her, smelly breath billowing over her face.
She desperately tried to duck underneath and start the chase up yet again, but she was trapped.
That didn't change her attempts at escape, though.
Instead, she jabbed at its eyes and nose, all the while wiggling and squirming.
Going down fighting was far better than giving up.
The bugbear roared once more, slashing its claws down her torso. The cut wasn't deadly, but it wasn't shallow either.
She could already feel the blood starting to pool. That's when she stopped fighting. She whimpered, hoping her death would be a quick one, until there was a red flash of light.
"Stupefy!" A voice yelled, and the bugbear fell to the ground, eyes rolling back and it's tongue hanging out.
It was stunned.
Amisty sat up, her heart pounding a million miles a minute.
When she touched the gnash, her fingers were stained crimson. Her adrenaline kept her front feeling the pain, so she pressed her palm to the cut, hoping to stop the bleeding.
It was no use, the wound was too deep.
She gulped in air, trying to calm herself down so she could thank her rescuer properly and then head up to healing wing.
Oh, the explanation she would have to give Madame Pomfrey.
When she looked up, however, the kind words died on her lips.
It was Draco Malfoy.