Chapter 43: Voldemort's Diary
"It was Hagrid. It was Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago," Harry said breathlessly to Draco.
It was a Monday in mid-February. In the castle's courtyard, Draco had just finished a grueling Quidditch practice. Facing Harry and the other two who had stopped him, a subtle hint of surprise crossed his usually impassive face. "What? Why would you make that judgment?"
Harry was silent. It wasn't that he didn't believe Draco, otherwise he wouldn't have told him about this; he just didn't know how to explain it, and he didn't know if Draco would believe his bizarre experience.
Draco - unlike Ron who was so easygoing that he believed everything Harry said - was calmer, more mature and rational than the average boy, and also more difficult to convince.
Ron, on the other hand, had no scruples.
The purpose of stopping Draco was to tell him this, wasn't it? So Ron finished what Harry hadn't said, "Harry got a diary, and it was the diary that told him."
Draco was puzzled and turned his gaze to the most rational of the three - Hermione.
Hermione said nothing, but nodded at him, her expression a little confused and a little serious. Her attitude made Draco understand that this was not a joke, despite her doubts.
"That diary is amazing," said Harry. "It showed me a memory that explains everything!"
Typical Harry Potter-style brainless behavior!
Without any awareness, Draco just followed the advice of a book. Suddenly, he felt a dull pain in his body.
He recalled the time in sixth grade when he was injured by Harry's "Eye of the Stars." It was said that Harry had seen the spell randomly in an old textbook. If Professor Snape hadn't intervened in time, he might have died.
The ignorant child was curious, turning a blind eye to the dangers of unfamiliar objects and placing blind trust in them. Harry's bad habits were truly fatal.
Draco silently watched Harry's innocent, excited face, wondering how Harry had managed to survive to seventh grade in his previous life. He was truly lucky! Should he persuade Harry to change these bad habits as soon as possible?
But right now, Draco had more important things to worry about.
"Diary?" His pale grey eyes turned sharply to Harry. In his hands was a tattered, thin, black book. It gave Draco a sense of déjà vu.
"That's not important. What's important is that we figured out one thing: Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets, and the monster wasn't a basilisk, but a spider." Harry hid the diary behind him.
"Nothing is unimportant." Draco's face was gloomy. He said carefully, "You'd better tell me the details of how you learned this."
Harry saw a certain determination in Draco's unwavering grey eyes, and a flash of worry - he knew that Draco would not believe him so easily.
He could only patiently tell Draco how he got the diary, how he communicated with the diary, and how he learned about the memories of fifty years ago from the diary.
Even though they had heard it several times, Hermione and Ron were still listening with great interest. Long after Harry had finished speaking, they were still amazed at the magical experience Harry had in the diary and were once again asking him about various details.
"Is there a big spider in that box? According to your description, it must be a very rare species to be able to grow to such a large size. Maybe it's an acromantula." Draco said thoughtfully.
He had no doubt about it. Given the gamekeeper's unique taste for dangerous species, even if he were to raise spiders, he would definitely choose the most dangerous species.
"However, I don't think it could be the Monster of the Chamber of Secrets. It could be one of Hagrid's personal pets, right? Just like he kept a dragon last year. Firstly, I've never heard of any spider turning people to stone; and secondly, as far as I know, Slytherin has his own tastes... spiders are not elegant at all," he said disdainfully.
Ron nodded unconsciously. He didn't like spiders either.
"Are you sure?" Harry said. "The diary's contents are well-documented, and there's even a clear memory. You also said that the basilisk was only a possibility, not a 100% certainty, right?"
Draco frowned. He knew in his heart that there was no giant spider in the Chamber of Secrets; Ms. Grey's information was correct. While Hagrid might have had a nasty penchant for raising unusual species, he had been wrongly accused of the Chamber of Secrets.
Now, this mysteriously appearing diary points the finger at Hagrid, even providing a flawless memory to deceive people. There is obviously something fishy going on here.
This diary is very suspicious - from what Harry described, it seems to have its own thoughts, can chat and talk with people, and can even bring people into a memory.
This is no ordinary magical item. It spreads rumors and stirs up trouble among the students at Hogwarts. It might be the work of the mastermind behind the incident, and it might be inextricably linked to the opening of the Chamber of Secrets.
"Harry, why don't you choose to trust your friend Hagrid, but choose to trust a stranger and a magical object of unknown origin?" Draco pointed out incisively, "How can you be sure that it is not some dark magic item with ulterior motives?"
Harry and the other two looked at each other.
Complex expressions of doubt about the diary, shame for trusting others, and hope that Hagrid would be innocent were intertwined on the faces of the three of them.
"Harry, rather than this, I want to see the diary in your hand - if you don't mind." Draco looked at the diary that Harry was holding tightly in his hand.
The more he looked at it, the more he felt that the diary looked like the one in his own collection of forbidden items.
The thought filled him with terror.
Harry hesitated, then handed it over.
——Okay, it's real, it is. Draco looked at the damn "TM Riddle" in the diary with a smile and tears.
He had never imagined that the Malfoys would get involved in this mess! Could it be that his family was somehow connected to Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets?
In a flash, he suddenly remembered something: in his past life, the Dark Lord had been furious with Lucius because of some unlucky diary or something.
Could this be the one?
The Chamber of Secrets, the diary, and the Dark Lord—what kind of connection was there between these three? Countless terrifying conjectures suddenly flooded his mind, sending chills down his spine.
What role did the Malfoys play in this?
When had his father gotten the diary into Hogwarts? Draco had no idea.
Under the current circumstances, it is obviously not wise to admit that this diary comes from the Malfoy family.
If the school directors knew that the Malfoy family was involved with the Chamber of Secrets and was suspected of harming several Hogwarts students, no matter how rich the Malfoy family was, they would be kicked out of the board of directors by those old-fashioned people who cared about face and reputation.
This wasn't a good thing for the Malfoy family. Lucius had worked so hard, spending years on the board, to finally gain a foothold. He should have been more cautious. So many people on the board were watching him with eager eyes! He could be exposed for just one reason, and his father was so foolish as to hand someone else a knife to him? Draco shook his head inwardly.
Come to think of it, in his previous life, his father did resign from the Hogwarts board of directors at the end of his second year, but he didn't tell Draco the reason.
Now, it seems that everything has an answer - because of this diary.
It must be that my father did something dirty, and his flaw was exposed and caught by someone.
Draco thought with a gloomy expression, looking at the diary over and over again.
He suddenly looked up. "Harry, perhaps you don't know that even in the wizarding world, a magical item with its own thoughts is extremely dangerous. Obviously, according to your description, this diary has its own thoughts and can even show you a memory. Don't you think this is very wrong?"
"Besides, Ron, that's what Mr. Weasley does, isn't it? You should be most aware of the dangers of Dark Magic items..." He frowned at Ron again, "Didn't he tell you never to trust any object that can think independently?"
Draco never imagined that one day, Malfoy, who was obsessed with dark magic items, would say such words to Weasley, who supported the confiscation of dark magic items.
If the parents on both sides heard such remarks, they would probably be shocked.
"That's what I said at the time. This Tom Riddle sounds like a nasty snitch... a bit like Percy, feeling good about himself," said Ron uneasily.
At this moment, his attitude towards the diary was not as enthusiastic as before.
Harry interrupted him hastily, "But, Draco, Riddle can't possibly be a bad guy. He won an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."
"Exactly. I once wiped the medal in the trophy room with my bare hands when Filch gave me detention," Ron said indignantly, as if remembering the miserable experience he had suffered at the hands of Mr. Filch. "He's hopeless! He punished me just because I looked at him twice in the crowd..."
TM Riddle - Draco has been concerned about this name since he saw it in the forbidden collection room - this person has become an unsolved mystery for Draco.
Draco had searched many books in the library, but couldn't find any information about Riddle. Thanks to Ron, who was unlucky enough to be in detention, he did provide an important piece of information.
Fifty years ago, a distinguished Hogwarts student, once a recipient of prestigious awards, vanished from the modern wizarding world. For unknown reasons, this outstanding student channeled his thoughts into a diary, fabricating and spreading false information about Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets... and, perhaps, even connected to the Dark Lord.
All sorts of ingredients were mixed together to form a potion with suspicious bubbles. Draco could smell certain scents in this potion: danger, lies and deception.
"That Riddle, the owner of this diary, why did he expose Hagrid at that time? Who asked him to do that?" Draco asked suddenly.
"If Hogwarts closes, the students will have to go home. He doesn't want to go back to the Muggle orphanage. It seems he doesn't like it there very much." Harry recalled thoughtfully.
"He was also a student at Hogwarts at that time? About the same age as Hagrid?" Draco keenly grasped a key point.
"I don't know exactly how old he was at the time, but he was at Hogwarts," Harry said anxiously. "He seemed to be a prefect or something..."
"The T in his name, as you said, stands for Tom? What about the M?" Draco asked. He didn't want to miss even the smallest detail.
"Marvolo, after his grandfather."
"Marvolo, Marvolo..." Draco muttered, trying to find some inspiration in his chaotic thoughts.
"As far as I can remember, I only know one person with Marvolo in his name. Ron, you may have heard of him too," said Draco.
Ron scratched his nose and shrugged, indicating that he had no recollection of it.
"Marvolo Gaunt, a pure-blood wizard of the Gaunt family and a descendant of Salazar Slytherin," Draco said softly.
Harry and the other two were almost stunned.
"You mean the diary belongs to someone who—" Harry shouted, startling Ginny Weasley as she crossed the atrium. Hermione gave him a reproachful look and motioned him to lower his voice.
"Its owner is a descendant of Slytherin?" Harry whispered, clearly grasping the point quickly.
Draco nodded.
"But doesn't Slytherin pursue pure-bloods? This diary was made by Muggles, you see—" Harry eagerly turned the diary to the back cover and showed Draco the line of words that said the name of a newsagent on Vauxhall Road in London. He continued, "In that memory, Riddle also said that his father was a Muggle..."
"I'm also a little puzzled by this. The descendants of Slytherin should be pure-blooded. His grandfather's surname is Gaunt, which is even more strange. The Gaunt family attaches great importance to bloodline, almost to the point of paranoia. I have never heard of any female descendants of the Gaunt family marrying Muggles, nor have I heard of any surviving offspring of the Gaunt family's female descendants." Draco frowned.
There was something strange about this matter from beginning to end.
"Harry, the owner of this diary is not as innocent as you see. Both his name and the partial memory he gave are somewhat suspicious. I can only say that this memory can be used as a reference, but it is not necessarily the truth. Or it may be a partial truth, or it may even be tampered with." Draco looked at Harry's astonished expression and said solemnly, "Powerful wizards can tamper with memories."
Harry lowered his head silently, stroking the name on the cover of the diary without saying a word.
"I don't know where you got this diary from. However, I suggest you not communicate too much with it. It's best to hand it over to Professor Dumbledore." Before separating from Harry and the other two, Draco reminded Harry again with a worried look on his face.
Harry nodded hesitantly at Draco. He was reluctant to part with the diary. That Tom Riddle looked gentle, refined, and very persuasive.
"Well, what did I say? He also suggested you give it to Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said. "I didn't say anything the whole time, nor did I hint to him. Anyone with a clear mind can realize the danger of this diary."
"Yeah, Harry, if this diary is really making up some specious memories to deceive him and slander Hagrid, then it's too abominable..." said Ron.
Draco walked back carrying his broom, his steps were no longer light and his heart was heavy.
He still didn't know how deeply this diary was involved in the Chamber of Secrets incident, but it was obvious that it was not innocent.
The matter is done. This dangerous diary has already flown from the Malfoy family to Hogwarts and has caused a bad influence.
The Malfoy family must extricate themselves from the diary, draw a clear line between themselves and the diary, and keep a distance from it.
A Malfoy always sought good fortune and avoided danger. He had to write a letter tonight to ask his parents about the diary and to warn them not to act rashly or stir up trouble in the board meeting.
In this situation, lying dormant is the best option for the Malfoy family.
After Herbology class on Tuesday afternoon, Draco looked around the greenhouse several times before he found Hermione. She was standing near a large umbrella flower, talking to Susan Bones and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff. From the angle of her profile, she looked quite impressive.
"Hermione," he said, hurrying over to her, "I need your help."
She turned her head, the anger on her face half disappeared, and her eyes curved slightly, "Wait a minute! Wait for me where you are, don't come over."
Draco was baffled, but he still stopped beside the pillar holding up the greenhouse, watching her in a daze. She was holding a few thick books, a serious expression on her face. She said a few words to them hurriedly, then strode towards him.
"What happened? Are they bullying you?" he asked, his eyes fixed on her face.
"Oh, quite the contrary," said Hermione nonchalantly. "I'm trying to teach Ernie not to follow the crowd. He's not a bad person, you see, but he's a chatterbox. Susan says he has an overactive imagination, and I quite agree. He always takes everything he hears as his own and can spin a hundred versions of the same story, and none of them are the same."
Draco looked at her silently, and thinking that she was in a good mood, he didn't ask any more questions.
"Draco, what did you ask me to do for you just now?" Hermione asked, and walked slowly with him out of the greenhouse where there were only a few students left.
"Go ask Hagrid for me," Draco said. "Ask him everything about Tom Marvolo Riddle. Since Hagrid knows him, he should know who he is, if he has another name, and what he is doing now, right?"
"You can ask. I really don't understand why you don't ask yourself." Hermione said helplessly, thinking about her half-finished Herbology homework.
"Hagrid isn't honest with everyone. He's only particularly patient and willing to tell the truth with you three... In his eyes, I'm probably just an unpleasant Slytherin, a kid from a dark wizard's family, who has a bunch of bad ideas in his head every day." Draco said lazily as he walked through the vegetable garden with her.
Hermione disagreed. "You think Hagrid is too petty. He's a big-hearted man. He would like you if he knew what you were doing in private. But you always ask us to keep it a secret."
"I only did a tiny, insignificant thing, not worth mentioning at all." Draco said lightly.
Draco wanted nothing to do with Hagrid.
Every time he saw Hagrid, he would always recall the past life when he had deliberately targeted Hagrid. Even if he gave up targeting Hagrid in this life, he believed that they really had nothing in common. He never agreed with Hagrid's fascination with certain dangerous animals.
Every time he saw Hagrid's hut, he would always remember the fire that had engulfed it on the night Dumbledore fell. Just like Draco's life, it had since been reduced to dust and rubble.
He didn't want to remember this terrible self. He also didn't want to get too close to these suffocating images. Just because he could numb his memories with Occlumency didn't mean he wouldn't be hurt again if yesterday replayed itself.
In fact, any person, thing, or event that can awaken his memories of yesterday will make him feel hurt.
"Okay." Hermione adjusted the books in her arms and looked him over. "Actually, I'm a little curious too. So I'll go by myself? Where will you wait for me?"
"Give it to me," Draco took the stack of books from her hand and sat down on a huge rock beside the path leading to Hagrid's hut as if nothing had happened. "I'll wait for you here. I'm not going anywhere."
Just like that, he watched her go, watched this girl who could hurt him anytime and anywhere, watched her go away from him.
Hermione was clearly unaware of her own potential for harm and destruction. She had no intention of harming him. She turned to look at him, smiled, and happily walked down the path.
Her small figure was dyed a warm red by the sunset. He looked at her steadily, not caring whether her appearance would burn his light-colored eyes.
The girl walked farther and farther away. He put the book on the stone, stood up worriedly, and looked at her getting farther and farther away. Then she knocked on Hagrid's door and slid into Hagrid's hut nimbly, like a little squirrel jumping into the huge hole in the oak tree.
He would never see her again. But he didn't want to sit still, so he paced back and forth in front of the boulder.
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Just last night, after the astronomy class, Draco was standing on the windswept tower when he suddenly remembered something: he remembered where he had heard a similar name.
Also on a tall tower, a tower as tall as the Astronomy Tower - Ravenclaw Tower.
That night, amidst the howling wind, the Grey Lady told him about the Ravenclaw Diadem. In her excitement, she even taunted the Dark Lord:
"Dark Lord? Ha! This self-aggrandizing title makes me sick! Fifty years ago, he wasn't called the Dark Lord. He asked me to call him Tom. Back then, he was just an ordinary student. Somewhat handsome, compassionate, and very understanding..."
Tom. TM Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Tom Marvolo Riddle, who may be the "Tom" mentioned by Ms. Grey, is the Dark Lord and a descendant of Slytherin!
This speculation shocked him to the extreme.
All the coincidences seem too incredible, yet so natural.
The Dark Lord has profound magical powers and advocates pure blood. No one is more "Slytherin" than him.
Draco knew he might have touched the truth.
Out of caution, he needed more evidence to verify his hypothesis.
Hagrid was a key witness. Since he had been exposed—or more accurately, framed—by the young Tom Riddle, he must have known more about him.
In just two or three quarters of an hour, the girl's small figure ran out of the door of Hagrid's hut and rushed towards him along the path.
He couldn't see her expression, only her brown hair gleaming in the purple sunset glow. She was running towards him at full speed, getting closer and closer, close enough for Draco to see her expression. She was panting, her face was pale, and her big brown eyes were filled with fear.
"Draco, we have to get that damned diary to Professor Dumbledore right now!" she screamed as soon as she saw Draco. "It could be Voldemort's diary!"
As expected—this unlucky diary!