didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!'

'She must hate  AI,' whispered Amelia to Harry.

'I d-didn't know,' sobbed Ginny. 'I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it ...'

'Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing straight away,' Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. 'This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wiz- ards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort.' He strode over to the door and opened it. 'Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up,' he added, twinkling kindly down at her. 'You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice – I dare say the Basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment.'

'So Hermione's OK!' said Ron brightly.

'There has been no lasting harm done,' said Dumbledore.

'Oh thank god,' breathed Amelia a hand on her chest.

Mrs Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

'You know, Minerva,' Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, 'I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?'

'Right,' said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. 'I'll leave you to deal with Potters and Weasley, shall I?'

'Certainly,' said Dumbledore.

She left, and Harry, Ron, and Amelia gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely – surely – they weren't about to be punished?

'I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,' said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

My parents are going to kill me! Amelia screamed internally. She had yet to inform them of any of the goings on at Hogwarts from last year, and she didn't plan to this time.

'Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,' Dumbledore went on, smiling. 'You will three will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and – let me see – yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.'

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's Valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.

'But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure,' Dumbledore added. 'Why so modest, Gilderoy?'

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about