Bella and the Chamber (Book Two)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

We woke the next day to sunshine and a light, cool breeze. It was a beautiful day.

"Perfect Quidditch conditions!" Wood said enthusiastically as he sat at the Gryffindor table, loading mine and the rest of the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast"

I looked at Harry to see him staring down the Gryffindor table. He was probably wondering if the new owner of Riddle's diary was right in front our eyes. It was very uneasy not knowing who had stolen from him, after all, only a Gryffindor could have done it, yet no one seems to be the guilty one. No one seems suspicious at all. Hermione, however, keeps bugging him to report the robbery, but Harry didn't want to. I don't blame him to be honest, he'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? I don't blame him for not wanting to be the one who brought it all up again.

"Harry, stop worrying," I whisper, moving closer to his ear. "The thief will slip up at some point and we'll know who it is"

"I can't help it, if that person reads it, they'll know how Hagrid got expelled," he whispered back to me. 

I sigh. "The truth would have come out eventually, Harry"

He stayed silent. 

As we left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect our Quidditch things, Harry suddenly froze with one foot on the marble staircase. 

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asks with concern.

"The voice!" Harry shouted, and me, Ron, and Hermione jumped away from him in alarm. Harry looked over his shoulder. "I just heard it again - didn't you?"

Ron shook his head, wide-eyed, I stared at him blankly and Hermione clapped a hand to her forehead. 

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

I look at her surprised. "I can't! I have a Quidditch match, remember?"

Hermione sighs before she sprinted away up the stairs.

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

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

"But why's she got to go to the library?" Harry asked again.

"Because she's Hermione and that's what she does," I say.

Ron nods. "When in doubt, go to the library"

I look up the marble staircase where Hermione had just vanished.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" I asked with worry in my voice.

Ron shrugs. "Maybe because you're nervous about the match"

"No, that's not it..."

I had a very bad feeling about Hermione going to the library, and I knew it wasn't because of the nerves. I just didn't like the idea of her being there alone. Which is stupid because she always goes there alone and she's just fine. Maybe I'm just being paranoid because of all the attacks that have been happening...

People were now emerging from the Great Hall behind Harry, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.

"You both better get moving," Ron tells us. "It's nearly eleven  - the match"

We raced up to the Gryffindor Tower, collected our Nimbus Two Thousand's and joined the large crowd swarming the grounds, but my mind was still in the castle with Hermione alone in the library. Why won't this feeling go away? I pulled on my scarlet robes in the changing room, my only comfort now was that everyone - except Hermione of course - was now outside to watch the game.