Hari quickly made her way to Professor McGonagall's office, the rest following her. She knocked, then pushed the door open.
For a moment the people inside were frozen in shock, staring at Hari, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) a ton of ink. The Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire, leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.
Hari, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Then Hari found herself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasleys tight embrace.
"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"
"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.
Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment, then started signing. For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that she was hearing a basilisk in the pipes. How she had entered the chamber ahead of time, dealing with the basilisk... she didn't say how, implying that she had killed it. How she had arrived back, and looking for McGonagall had found that Ginny had been taken. The how she and Ron had taken Lockheart with them to go rescue Ginny. But then she faltered. She had so far avoided mentioning Voldemort's diary. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing down her cheeks. What if they expelled her? Hari thought in panic. Voldemort's diary didn't work anymore .... How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?
Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.
"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."
Relief -- warm, sweeping, glorious relief -- swept over Hari. "W- what's that?" said Mr. Weasley. "YouKnow-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not ... Ginny hasn't been ... has she?"
'It was this diary,' signed Hari quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Voldemort also known as Tom Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen . . . ."
Dumbledore took the diary from Hari and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.
"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.
"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school ... traveled far and wide ... sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."
"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with - with -- him?"
"His d-diary" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year --"
"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic."
"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny.
'Hey!' Hari signed, stepping beside Ginny, 'Go easy on her, it's not her fault.'
"I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it --" Ginny cried, crying on Hari's shoulder.
"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice -- I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."
"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.
"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.
Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.
"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"
"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"
"Certainly," said Dumbledore.
She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely - surely - they weren't about to be punished?
"You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and -- let me see - yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor."
Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.
"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?" Hari gave a start. She had completely forgotten about Lockhart. She turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.
"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart --"
"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"
"He tried to do a Memory Charm on us and Hari blocked it, it hit him instead." Ron explained quickly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword."
"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Hari ....."
Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door. Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.
"Sit down, Hari," he said, and Hari sat, feeling unaccountably nervous. Suddenly the door burst open. Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.
"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.
Mr. Malfoy knocked Hari over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.
The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.
"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."
"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "The other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasleys daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too .... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."
Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.
"So -- have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"
"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.
"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"
"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."
He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching Dobby.
The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Hari, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.
"I see. . . " said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.
"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Hari here" --Mr. Malfoy shot Hari a swift, sharp look -- "and Ginny's brother Ron hadn't discovered this book, why -- Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will ......"
Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike.
"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then .... The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and - killing Muggle-borns .... Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. "Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise ......"
Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak. "Very fortunate," he said stiffly.
And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head. And Hari suddenly understood. She nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.
'Translate for me please, sir' She signed quickly to Dumbledore, 'Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?' Lucius Malfoy rounded on her.
'How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.
'Because you gave it to her,' signed Hari, Dumbledore still translating. 'In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it.'
He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench. "Prove it,"
"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Hari. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you ......"
Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Hari distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!" He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. Hari stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to her -
'Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?'
"Certainly, Hari" said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. Remember the feast."
Hari grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Hari took one her gloves out of her pocket, and stuffed it into the diary. Then she ran down the dark corridor.
She caught up with them at the top of the stairs, and handed Lucius the diary. Not wanting to get his hands covered in ink, he tossed the diary to Dobby. Hari mimed opening a book behind her back, where Dobby could see it.
"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Hari Potter," Lucius said. "They were meddlesome fools, too." He turned to go. "Come, Dobby. I said, come."
But Dobby didn't move. He was holding the open book, and Hari's glove as though it was a priceless treasure.
"Master has given a glove," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."
"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"
"Got a glove," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master gave it to Dobby -- Dobby is free. "
Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Hari. "You've lost me my servant, you filthy daughter of a mudblood!"
Suddenly Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below. He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger. "You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Hari Potter. You shall go now."
Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.
"Hari Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf, gazing up at Hari, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Hari Potter set Dobby free!" Dobby threw his arms around Hari's middle and hugged her. "Hari Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Hari Potter!" And then Dobby disappeared.
• • •
Hari had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night. Hari didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward her, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!" or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring her hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting her, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Hari and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle, or her and Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running, or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat ("Oh, no!" said Hermione), or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.
Though perhaps she thought, perhaps it was when the feast ended, when after everyone had left, Hari made her way to their room by the dungeon stairs and was engulfed in a hug from Draco.