The Chamber Of Secrets (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

The Easter Holidays gave the second years something new to think about.

It was time for them to select new subjects for third year. Each of them had to select two new subjects for the coming year

Pretty much everybody was scrambling about writing to relatives, asking friends, running behind the Professors; Hermione took nobody's advice and signed up for everything. Harry and Ron ended up taking the same two classes pretty much on a whim, Ria figured. She looked through the list of subjects again, trying to eliminate and move forward.

The list consisted of five subjects:

Arithmancy
Care of Magical Creatures
Divination
Muggle Studies
Study of Ancient Runes

Ria knew she wasn't going to take up Muggle Studies simply because she'd grown up Muggle and didn't need a bunch of books to tell her what they could be like.

Ria was also pretty sure she didn't want to go for Arithmancy. She had never liked maths much.

Her problem was, she didn't want to give up any of the other three. So, that evening, she accompanied Hermione on her way to McGonagall's office to talk about their extra subjects.

Harry and Ria had barely returned from their last Quidditch practice before the match with Hufflepuff, when Neville dragged Harry off to his dormitory.

"What happened?", Ria asked, once Harry and Ron came back downstairs, looking stricken.

"Riddle's Diary is gone."

"But - only a Gryffindor could have stolen - nobody else knows our
password -", Hermione stuttered.

"Exactly", said Harry. And Ria knew she wouldn't be able to let the matter drop again.

They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.

"Perfect Quidditch conditions!", Oliver said, enthusiastically, trying to make them eat double the amount they usually would in his excitement.

Ria found Harry looking around the table with a wary face and knew he was wondering which of them was responsible for the stealth.

Hermione had urged them to report the robbery but Harry didn't want to draw attention and Ria wasn't very sure what to make of the situation. She needed to sit down and think before deciding what to do. So she had told Hermione to drop it till after the game. Then, they would all sit and talk and then go ahead with whatever they decided.

They were making their way back up from the Great hall to grab their Quidditch things when Ria stumbled over her own feet and Harry made a strangled noise.

"The voice!" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again
- didn't you?"

Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Ria was still trying to recover from the sudden sense of evils and doom. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"

And she sprinted away, up the stairs.

"Hermione, wait!", Ria shouted after her. But she was too late.

"What does she understand?" said Harry distractedly, still looking
around.

"Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head.

"But why's she got to go to the library?"

"Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in
doubt, go to the library."