Change the Future

*CoS 6*

Harry and Ron are walking through the corridor when they notice a great flood of water streaming from the girls bathroom. From within, Myrtle can be heard crying and moaning.

"Looks like Myrtle's flooded the bathroom." Harry says looking at Ron before walking towards the bathroom with Ron following.

"Yuck." Huge, wracking moans echo off the dreary tiles. All the taps are running and spilling over the sinks like tiny waterfalls. As Harry and Ron step to the last cubicle, Myrtle spins accusingly.

"Come to throw something else at me?"

"Why would I throw something at you?" Harry asks.

"Don't ask me. Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me"

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you. I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?" Ron says.

"Oh dear Ron, way to insult her" Rory says smirking at him.

"Oh sure! Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach. Fifty points if it goes through her head!"

"Who threw it at you anyway?" Harry asks quickly.

"I don't know. I didn't see them. I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death and it fell through the top of my head." Harry sees a small black book on the floor and picks it up.

"Fifty points if you can get it through her nose." Ron whispers to Harry.

"I HEARD THAT!" Harry and Ron dash out.

"Good choice to leave before you made it any worse" Hermione says to the boys.

Harry examines the book as he and Ron walk.

"This is a diary. And it's old"

"It's a diary, it's old and was most recently in a toilet, Harry."

"He has a point you know" Barty Jr says across the hall.

Harry starts to open it when Ron grabs his hand.

"Are you mad? That could be cursed. Dad once told me about a book the Ministry confiscated that burned the eyes out of anyone who tried to read it."

"I'll take my chances" Harry says opening it.

"See idiot" Rory mutters.

"Aurora stop calling him that"

"She kind of has a point Lily" Sirius says earning a glare from Lily.

"Ahhh! MY EYES! MY EYES!" Ron freezes, terrified, when Harry grins, ending the ruse. At the end of corridor, Ginny stands, looking from
the diary to Harry utter terror on her face then dashes off.

"Ginny! I was only joking. Brilliant. Even your sister thinks I'm the monster now."

"I didn't think you was a monster" Ginny tells him with a small smile.

"Who doesn't?" Ron frowns suddenly. On the first page on the diary, embossed letters spell out a name: TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. "Tom Marvolo Riddle? Hang on. I know that name" thinking, then) "Of course! The night I had detention. My job was to polish the silver in the trophy room. I remember because I kept burping slugs all over Tom Riddle's trophy. I must have wiped slime off his name for an hour." Harry fans the pages. They're empty.

"That's odd. He never wrote in it."

Harry sits with Hermione in the moonlit room. Hermione studies the diary curiously.