24. The Very Secret Diary

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Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks. There was a flurry of rumors about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked. So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.

Y/n had taken to visiting her every evening and when the new term started, he brought her each day's work.


"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work." said Ron on one evening when  he and Harry had joined Y/n in visiting Hermione.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up." said Hermione briskly. Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown. "I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.

"Nothing." said Harry gloomily.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy." said Ron, for about the hundredth time.

Harry and Ron had recently shared with Y/n and Hermione about what they had learned from Malfoy while disguised as Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was not the Heir of Slytherin but his father had told him that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before, and that someone had died.

"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

"Just a get well card." said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Y/n was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open, and read aloud.

"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart... Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

Ron looked at Hermione, disgusted. "You sleep with this under your pillow?"

But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.


"Is Lockhart not the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Y/n and Harry as they left the infirmary and started up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower.

"He is a narcissist Ron, Constantly striving for attention whether it be from the other teachers or is own students. Quite frankly I find it pathetic..." Y/n said.

The boys suddenly stopped however when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.

"That's Filch." Harry muttered as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard.

"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely.

They stood still, their heads inclined toward Flich's voice, which sounded quite hysterical.

"...even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore!" His footsteps receded along the out of sight corridor and they heard a distant door slam.

They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post. They were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked. They saw at a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Now that Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

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