Chapter-54: Hagrid's secret

Neville found himself standing in Dumbledore's office. But a lot of things were different about this room, it didnt have the smoke-puffing artifacts that were kept around Dumbledore's office. By the study table, there was no stand or a phoenix. And most importantly there was someone else sitting at the table. The old man had a stern and strict-looking face and had long white hair just like Dumbledore.

"Ah…" he didnt know what to say. The old man seemed to not paying any attention to him. Getting his bearing back, Neville spoke, "Um.. I am sorry.. I didnt mean to butt in like that…"

To his surprise, the old man didnt say anything. The old man was busy with the paperwork that he was going through. Seeing no reaction, Neville felt weird and started thinking about whether the old man was deaf or something. It was then he heard knocking on the door, the old man finally looked up and spoke, "Enter,"

Came a boy who looked like he was in his fifth year or above. He was a rather tall and handsome boy, he had well-combed black hair with night-black eyes and was wearing green robes of Slytherin, with a shiny Prefect badge on his robes.

"Ah.. Riddle," The old man said.

"Professor Dippet," Tom said, "You wanted to see me?" It is then did Neville realized that none of them could see him or hear him.

"I read your letter boy," Professor Dippet said, "I am afraid I have some bad news boy... I cannot let you live in school for your holidays,"

The boy smiled, "It's okay sir," he said, "I have made some other arrangements. Borelius Johanson, heard of my predicament offered me a place in his house,"

"He did?" Professor spoke, "That is good.. But I have to ask, are you sure you dont want to go back to the orphanage? After all, you were raised there."

"I rather not," he said with bitterness, "I would rather stay in Hogwarts than to stay.. To stay… there…"

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

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly, as if he was ashamed of his heritage.

"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."

Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically. "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.

"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 anywhere else. But now that you have other arrangements, everything is good for now…"

Dippet then started mumbling, "The Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the… source of all this unpleasantness. . . ."

Riddle's eyes had widened. "Sir if the person was caught… if it all stopped…"

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

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly. But Neville was sure it was the same sort of "no" that he himself had given Dumbledore.

Dippet didnt believe him, evident from his expression. Still, the old man reluctantly let him go, "You may go then…"

Neville then silently started following Riddle. Although he didnt fully understand what was happening there, still, it was a rather thrilling experience. Tom went down the spiral stairway and made his way to the hallways of Hogwarts. While following the boy, Neville was surprised to see halls of Hogwarts looked identical to open they were now.

They didnt see any students in the way, only when they reached the entrance hall they spotted another person. It was a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and a bear, who called Riddle from the marble staircase. "What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Neville was very surprised to spot Dumbledore, looking 50 years younger than what he was today.

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

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle and rather penetrating stare. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since . . ." Dumbledore sighed heavily, and then Riddle also went his way after greeting Dumbledore good night.

Neville was expecting the boy would take him to a secret dungeon or something, to his disappointment Riddle led him to the very dungeon in which they had Potions with Snape. The torches weren't lit there, it was dark around the place. Riddle got in the room, and closed the door barely so that he could see the passageway just in front of the classroom.

He understood that Riddle was waiting for something there, but he had no idea of what. And it was only after waiting for like hour or so, that Neville finally started hearing some creeping in the hallaway. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, he also tiptoed behind him, forgetting that he couldn't be heard.

For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises. Neville heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper. "Come one. . . gotta get you outta here. . . . Come on now . . . in the box . . ." Neville could not put his finger on it, but there was something familiar about the voice.

Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Neville stepped out behind him. He 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.

The boy slammed the door shut and stood up. "What are you doing down here, Tom?"

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

"What do you…" But Tom cut him off.

"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…"

Rubeus cut him off. "It never killed anyone!" he said while backing against the closed door. From behind him, Neville 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 the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn't! He never!"

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

His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind the large boy flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite. And out of it came something that made Neville let out a long, piercing scream unheard by anyone.

Then came the biggest spider that he had ever seen, seemingly running towards him. Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late. The thing was out of sight by the time he raised his wand again. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leaped on him, seized his wand, and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOOO!"

The scene whirled, and then Neville was surrounded by darkness again…

Neville felt himself falling and, with a crash, he landed spread-eagled on his four-poster in the Gryffindor dormitory, Riddle's diary lying open on his stomach.

Before he had had time to regain his breath, the dormitory door opened and Ron along with Harry came in. "There you are," he said.

Neville sat up. He was sweating and shaking. "What's up?" said Ron, looking at him with concern. "It was Hagrid. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

***

Sitting in the club room, Ronan looked at the list of students, they were the ones who were present during the holidays. He got the list after a lot of struggle, but it was worth all the trouble. The good thing was that due to the fear of the heir, most students chose to spend their holidays at home, which shortened his search radius by a lot. And from what he could guess, Ginevra Weasley is the possessed girl.

Although he doesn't remember the movies with a lot of clarity, but he knows for a fact that Harry goes and saves a Gryffindor girl from the chamber after defeating the snake. There were 14 girls in the school during the holidays, and only two of them were from Gryffindor. Which meant that the possessed girl would be either Hermione or Ginevra.

He ruled out Hermione as he had tested for her Filigia a long time ago and it the results came out negative. If she was the possessed one then she would have attacked him then, but she didnt. And he had never tested Ginevra even once, not that he remembered. Which meant that the red-haired girl was the one who was creating such a ruckus around the school.

The door of the club room then flung open and the twins came in. Ronan stood up and greeted them both with a smile and then the twins greeted him back and sat down in front of him.

"So why have you called us here?" George asked, now he could tell which twin was which. "Is it about the broken Crabbe's puppet?" Fred asked.

"No," Ronan replied, ".. But did you break his puppet? I told you guys not to mess with his puppet."

"We didnt do anything," George insisted, "Yeah. Nothing," Fred added.

"You know what, I believe you guys," Ronan said maintaining a smile on his face, making the twins a little uneasy, "I called you guys here today because I wanted to buy something from you guys."

Both twins looked rather confused, "What?" Fred asked.

"I want to buy the magical map of Hogwarts that you guys… You know the one which shows you where is everyone all around the castle," Ronan said with a smile.

"How did you.." George abruptly stopped, as he got pinched by Fred. But this was everything that he needed.

Ronan then leaned back and spoke, "How I know about the map or why I want it is none of your concern. You just need to know, that I need it." And then started the toughest negotiation that Ronan had ever sat in.