Y/N POV

I woke up the next day feeling refreshed after last night. I was about to get up from the bed before I felt some pressure on my chest. I looked down to find one Hermione Granger resting there, still asleep comfortably and hugging my body. I didn't mind that she was resting on top of me, she was still asleep and I didn't want her to accidentally wake up. I honestly don't know what would happen if I accidentally woke her up, so I just stayed there, waiting for the bushy-haired girl to rise from her slumber. And eventually she did.

"Morning, Hermione." I said as she raised her head from my chest.

"Morning, Y/N." She said with a small tired smile as she sat up. "I have to stay here right? I still have a tail."

"Unfortunately, you do, Mione." I said with a sad expression as I sat up and got out of the bed . "But I'll come to visit you to give you the work you missed and to talk, okay?"

Hermione looked at me with an equal look of sadness, but she still smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that, Y/N." Hermione said. "Hope you all have fun today."

"It won't be the same without you, 'Mione." I replied as I hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you soon."

"You too." She said as she hugged me back very tightly.

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I walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room alone as Hermione was still in the hospital wing for her tail and the hairballs to go away. I mumbled the password to the Fat Lady, who told me to say it properly and opened the entrance open to see Harry and Ron on the couch waiting for me. Ron looked at me and asked, "Where were you last night?"

"With Hermione." I said subtly.

"Wait..." Harry said. "You spent the night with her?"

"I mean, she asked me to stay with her. She didn't want to be alone there."

Ron smirked at me. "Well, I bet you both want to get closer."

"What was that, Ron?" I asked.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Okay, then."

"When do you reckon she'll be with us again?" Harry asked.

"Madam Pomfrey said she'll be out in a couple of days. She's still coughing hairballs. I'm still gonna visit her to talk and to give her the work she missed. She'll be here sooner than we think."

~Timeskip a couple days later~

Hermione was in her last day at the hospital wing. I came everyday to give her the work she missed, teach her what every professor taught us and just for general talk. She was still excelling at every spell, just as always. I'm proud of her. We said our goodbyes, hugged and I joined back up with Harry, Ron and Lana.

"Only one day now." I said to them. "Then she'll be back with us."

"That's good!" Harry said while Ron and Lana agreed. "Hey, what's that?" He pointed at a puddle coming from none other than Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. As we entered, Myrtle's shrill voice rang out.

"Oooh, ooooh, ooooh, huh-huh." She wailed. 'Come to throw something at me?"

'Why would we throw something at you?" Lana asked the ghost.

"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 something throws something at you." Ron said. "I mean, it'll just go right through you." I smacked him in the back of his head. "Isn't that offensive to ghosts?" I asked him.

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

"But who threw it at you?' Harry and I asked.

"I don't know, I didn't see them. I was just sitting in the Ubend thinking about death - aah - and it fell through my head."

Myrtle pointed to the book lying to the side of the bathroom. Harry then walked over to it and picked it up looking inside of it before closing it again. The Cover read "Tom Marvalo Riddle."

"Why would someone throw a diary in a bathroom?" Harry asked.

"Secrets in it, perhaps?" Lana said.

"But there's nothing in it." I said as I looked back into the book. Every page was blank as if no-one used it. Perhaps this Tom guy didn't like it and wanted to get rid of it.

"Wait, I've seen that name before." Ron said. "Filch had me polish his shield to the school like 50 times. It's like 50 years old."

"Why does he have a shield at school?" Harry asked.

"Some students made great contributions to the school, Harry." Lana said. " Maybe Riddle did something that got him the award."

Her eyes widened as she came to realize, "Wait, he got this 50 years ago, Ron?" He nodded again.

"The Chamber was opened 50 years ago... what if he found the person who opened it?!"

"Oh my goodness, that makes so much sense!" I said. "If he was alive 50 years ago, he would know who opened it. But we don't know what happened to him."

"We should see about this later." Harry concluded. "We should get back to the Common Room."
"We'll see you soon, Lana." I said.

"Alright then. Tell Hermione Luna and I say hi!" Lana told me.

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Ron and I were now in the Common talking about the next Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. We were talking about all sorts of Quidditch moves until Harry came from bursting out of the dorms. He was sweating profoundly and fear was galazed in his eyes.

"Woah, Harry, mate!" I said as I ran up to him. "Are you alright?"

Harry stayed silent for a while until he said.

"It was Hagrid... Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Hermione POV

~Another timeskip to a week later!~

"It can't be Hagrid!" I exclaimed. "It just can't be."

I was dismissed from the hospital wing a week ago, to everyone's delight. Now, Harry's thinking that one of our friends could be the Heir to Slytherin.

"We don't even know this Tom Riddle." Ron told him. "He sounds like a dirty, rotten sntch."

"Not gonna lie, Ron's right." Y/N said. "I don't trust him one bloody bit. "Hagrid cares for magical creatures," Lana said. "who would think he would set them on people?"

"The monster had killed somebody." Harry said. "What would any of us have done."

"Kill the monster." Y/N suggested.

"Look, Hagrid's our friend." I said. "Why don't we just go and ask him?"

"That'll be a cheerful visit!" Ron exclaimed. " 'Hello, Hagrid! Tell u, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?' "

"Mad and 'airy!" A voice boomed. "You wouldn't be talking about me now, would ya? Hagrid came up being us, holding something in his hands.

"No!" The five of us said at once.

"What's that you got there, Hagrid?" Lana asked him.

"Oh, It's a- Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent. For the Mandrakes, ya know. Now, accordin' to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit o' growing up to do. But, once their acne's cleared up, we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em, and then we'll get those people down at the hospital un-Petrified. In the meantime, though, you three had best be lookin' after yourselves. All right? Hmm."

A pair of footsteps ran down and Neville ran up next to Hagrid. "Hello, Neville!" Hagrid greeted him.

"Harry -- I don't know who did it, but you'd better come!" Neville said. "Come on!"

After a few Moments, Neville brought us to the Boy's Dormitories, where Harry's room was a complete mess. Parchment and books were all over the place and things were everywhere

"It had to be a Gryffindor." I deduced. " Nobody else -- but Lana -- knows our password, unless it wasn't a student."

"Whoever it was," Lana said. "They must have been looking for something.

"And they found it." Harry interrupted. "Tom Riddle' diary is gone."

Lana POV

The next day was the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor Quidditch match. I was getting ready with Luna and we were ready to make our way to the pitch to meet up with Ron and Hermione.

As we arrived, I noticed all of the Gryffindors were coming to their stand where they would shoot out from. But everyone was there except for Y/N, which was very odd.

"Where's Y/N, Lana?" Luna asked calmly.

"I dunno, Luna." I said. "He was excited to play today, where could he be?"

Then, all of a sudden, Grandma came in front of the players and stopped them in their tracks.

"Professor McGonagall." Oliver Wood greeted her. "What's going on?"

Grandma had a look of concern on her face as she announced, "This match has been cancelled."

"You can't cancel Quidditch!"

"Silence, Wood. You and you teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower." Grandma said sternly before putting her attention on me, Harry and Luna. "The younger Lovegood will go back to Ravenclaw Tower. Lovegood, Potter, you two and I will find Mr. Weasley. There's something the three of you will see."

"Where's Y/N, Grandma?" I asked her.

"He is where we are going." She said with the same look of concern... but now with fear...

We found Ron and arrived at the hospital wing, which confused the three of us until I felt my brother.

Y/N was on the other side of the door, but he was feeling dread, fear, sadness and... Loss?

'This is all my fault. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!'

"I warn you, this could be a wee bit of a shock."

No.

No, this can't happen.

No, this can't happen to him! It can't happen to her!

I ran towards the doors and kicked them open to reveal Y/N over someone. The Hospital wing was now home to the petrified victims in order of who was first. Ms. Norris, Colin Creevy, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Nearly-Headless-Nick and the two newest victims.

Penelope Clearwater, a Pureblood Ravenclaw Prefect, who I knew personally and someone very close to Luna and I.

And...Hermione Granger.

Her eyes were full of frozen shock as her face was in a gasping position. One of her hands with the bracelet Y/N gave her no longer had the Bracelet, but still clutched her fist as if she was holding something.

But Y/N looked worse. He was crying his eyes out and his eyes were red. He sat down in a chair, holding Hermione's frozen arm in his. He didn't say a single word as we came in, all of his attention was on her.

I came closer to Y/N and placed my hand on his shoulder as Ron and Harry looked at Hermione in sadness. He then shook in shock as he felt my hand and looked at me. He stood up and looked down, afraid to look me in the eyes. I didn't need to say anything as I hugged him, while he put his head in my shoulder, still sobbing.

"She was found near the Library, along with this." Grandma said, pointing out the bracelet in her hand. "Does it mean anything to you all? It was a mirror at one point, but the shifted into this."

"Y-yes, G-g-grandma." Y/N stuttered. I haven't heard him stutter ever since we met Hermione in Diagon Alley. "I-It was a bracelet I-I-I gave her for her b-birthday. It was supposed to protect her from these things, It became the mirror."

"Oh, yes." Grandma said as she gave him the bracelet. "Potter, Weasley. May I have a word alone with my grandchildren?"

Harry nodded as he and Ron left the room, while Grandma sat us down in two seats.

"Lana, your brother found Miss Granger." Grandma said. "That's why he was here before you three."

I looked at Y/N, who still had tears from his eyes. He must be traumatized, seeing one of the people he cared about being petrified, especially when it was the girl he fancied. And he didn't know that she fancied him too. I wanted to tell him, but I felt that would hurt him more since he thought that this was his fault. So I decided to keep it to myself.

"I promised her." Y/N said. "I promised her I would protect her with my life, but I failed. And it's all my fault!" He punched the wall next to him, not caring whether or not he would get hurt.

"It is not your fault, Y/N." Grandma said. "You didn't know..."

"BUT I DID!" He yelled. "THAT DAMN VOICE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO KILL HER! I WANTED TO GET THERE AND PROTECT HER, BUT I WAS TOO DAMN LATE!"

"And now... she's like this because of me." He sobbed to himself as he fell to the floor. "I'm sorry for yelling, Grandma. I just - I care for her so much."

"Y/N, I understand. You care for Miss Granger a great deal." Grandma said as I sat down next to my brother as his head fell on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around his neck. "It's perfectly reasonable for someone to react this way when something happens to one they care about. If it is okay, I will escort you to visit Miss Granger when you wish to see her."

"I-I think that would be nice." Y/N croaked.

"I'll be waiting outside if you want to say anything to Miss Granger." Grandma said before she went outside the doors. "It is going to be okay, Y/N."

"Are you okay?" I asked my brother.

"I-I don't know." He said. "I just feel horrible... I wasn't there in time."

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Y/N. It's not your fault."

"But what if she hates me when she wakes up?

"Y/N, she's not gonna hate you!" I scolded. "She cares about you, why would she ever hate you?"

"I promised her I would protect her. And I failed. I don't know what will happen, Lana. I just need... time to myself. If that's okay."

"Of course it's okay. Just know that Harry, Ron, Luna and I are here if you ever want to talk or have a shoulder to cry on."

"Thank you, Lana." Y/N said as we got up and followed Professor McGonagall.

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Harry POV

"Could I have your attention please?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately. All students will return to their house common rooms by six o' clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions. I should tell you this: unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed."

It was now a month after Hermione was petrified. The teachers came together immediately after it to make new rules to keep the rest of us safe. Ron and I truly miss one of our members of our Golden Quintet, but Y/N... was a different story entirely.

He now walked alone to class on his own wish, he never talked to anyone, he wasn't even mocking Lockhart, which everyone truly missed. Lana said he wanted time and space to think and he'd come to us when he was ready to talk again, so we all agreed to keep his wishes at heart. I don't think he even sleeps at night anymore, he always came into class with bags under his eyes and always fell asleep, which constantly worried us and Professor McGonagall.

He still sat with us in the Great Hall, but he barely made a sound or talked. He hasn't opened his mouth to utter a single word in front of us. But of course, someone had to ruin it for him.

"So the heir of Slytherin strikes again!" Draco Malfoy walked around as if he owned the school. "Frankly, I'm glad they did. Another Mudblood in their rightful place, especially Granger. All my wishes have come true."

"Shut up." Y/N said quietly, but it was enough for Malfoy to hear him.

"Oh, so Lovegood decides to speak again! Trying to defend your Mudblood girlfriend? You don't have very good taste, don't you."

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Y/N then punched him clean in the jaw, causing Malfoy to fall on the ground.

'You never learn to shut up when you need to!" Y/N yelled. "Try go telling your father, cause frankly I don't give a damn about what a Malfoy says, it's always shit that comes out!"

Y/N was really mad and Draco was actually scared of him. I swear I saw Y/N's eyes change color for a moment.

"How about I do you a favor?" Y/N said coldly as he pulled out his wand from his robe and pointed it on Malfoy. "Oscausi." (A/N: If you don't know this spell, Leta Lestrange used it when she was in Hogwarts in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.)

Suddenly, Malfoy couldn't speak. He couldn't even move his lips.

Cause he had no lips. Or a mouth. Just a blank space of where it was.

Y/N removed Malfoy's mouth.

"Feels better already." He said even colder than before. "Let's see if you or your henchman find the countercurse to that." He then stood up and left the Great Hall as we followed him. As we entered the Gryffindor Common Room, the news had spread that Y/N Lovegood had removed Draco Malfoy's mouth, and everyone congratulated him.

"Good on you, mate!" Dean Thomas said as he patted him on the back.

"Serves Malfoy right, doesn't it, eh?" Seamus Finnagan said.

The Weasley twins brought him in into a handshake, but it still didn't change Y/N. He still was not smiling or laughing with everyone, but mostly shocked everyone when he said,

"He got what he f***ing deserved."

He then left the room to his dorm and left everyone in shock. Ron and I were surprised, we only heard Y/n swear when he was pissed off. Malfoy had definitely struck a nerve and royally pissed him off. We followed him to his dorm to hear yelling and punches. As we entered the dorm, we found him, putting his head into his knees and Snowball next to him, trying to get on his lap.

"Y/N?" Ron asked him quietly.
"WHAT!?" Y/N snapped at him before he looked up and saw us. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that.

"It's fine, mate." Ron said. "Harry, Lana and I are going to talk to Hagrid tonight. We're gonna see if he knew anything and if he let out the monster. Do you want to come with us?"

"Sure." He said quietly. "But we've told you, Hagrid isn't the Heir. He won't do that. If I ever meet that Riddle guy, I'm gonna curse him."

"I think it's time to get my Dad's old cloak again." I said to them.

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Moments later, the four of us arrived at Hagrid's hut. I knocked on the door and waited for the man to open up.

"Who's there?" Hagrid's voice grunted as he opened the door with a crossbow in hand. "Oh hello?"

"What's that for?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. I -I was expecting, ah, It doesn't matter -- Come on in! I just made a pot o' tea."

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Lana asked him.

"I'm fine! I'm alright."

"Did you hear about Hermione?" Y/N asked him, finally speaking.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Hagrid said. "I'm sorry, Y/N. You found her like that right?" He nodded sadly as Hagrid put his hand gently on his shoulder.

"Look, we have to ask you something." I asked impatiently. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

"What you have to understand about that is..." Hagrid said before he was interrupted by a knock at the door and Fang barking. 'Quick, you four, under the cloak now! Don't say a word and be quiet." The four of us did as he said and got under the cloak as Hagrid opened the door to reveal Professor Dumbledore accompanied by another gentleman and surprisingly, Y/N and Lana's mother. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, sir. Addison."

"Hello, Hagrid." Addison said kindly as Dumbledore eyes twinkled.

"Good evening, Hagrid." Dumbledore said. "I wonder, could we...?"

"Oh, of course!" Hagrid said politely as he ushered them in. "Come in, Come in."

As the other gentleman walked in, Ron's eyes widened. He whispered. "That's dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"

"But what's Mum doing here?" Lana and Y/N said.

"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business." Fudge said. "Had to come -- three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act."

"Oh, but I never - you know I never, Professor!"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore said.

"And he has mine too." Addison said.

"Albus, look." Fudge retorted. "Hagrid's record is against him. We've got to take him."

Addison's eyes rose in fear. "You surely don't mean-"

"Not Azkaban Prison!" Hagrid said.

"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid."

"Already here, Fudge? Good." Lucius Malfoy said, coming out of nowhere, earning Addison scowling at him in anger and Y/N wanting to come out of the cloak to punch him. We had to hold him back, but boy, was he mad.

"What're you doin' here!" Hagrid bellowed. "Get outta my house!"

"Believe me, I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your -- you call this a house? No, I simply called at the school, and was told the headmaster was here."

"Well," Dumbledore said in amusement. "What exactly do you want with me?"

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"You are not taking my father away from this place, Lucius!" Addison scowled at him. "He is doing everything he can with these precautions!"

"Please, Addison." Lucius sneered. "We both know he adopted you and your children. Speaking of children, your son removed my son's mouth, just for expressing his opinion."

"Expressing his opinion!" Addison retorted. "Your son called his best friend a Mudblood! And he said he was glad when the Heir supposedly attacked her! In fact, I'm surprised I didn't do the same thing to you, since I agree with Y/N's statement. You always speak shit about others. Excuse my French."

"Wait, I didn't tell her about that yet..." Y/N whispered before he realized something. "Mum knows we're here!"

"She's reading your mind!" Lana whispered back. As if Addison heard us, she turned in our direction when no one was looking and winked at us.

"Yeh can't take Professor Dumbledore away!" Hagrid argued. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won't stand a chance! You mark my words, there'll be killin's next!"

Lucius raised his eyes. "You think so?"

"Calm yourself, Hagrid." Dumbledore said calmly (A/N: Yes, as I'm writing this, I'm remembering that moment.) "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"Admirable sentiments." Lucius sneered as Addison stared angrily. "Shall we? Fudge!"

"Come, Hagrid." Fudge said as if he was controlled by Lucius' words.

"Ahem! If, uh if anyone was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders." Hagrid said loudly in his hut, but Addison and possibly Dumbledore knew what he meant. "Yup, that would lead them right! Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away."

Fang growled at Fudge, who was obviously scared, by his name.

"Good boy..." Fudge whimpered.

As everyone left the hut, Addison looked back in our direction and mouthed, "Good luck." before she left.

"Hagrid's right!" Ron exclaimed as they left and no longer heard us. "With Dumbledore gone, There'll be an attack a day!"

"But what did he mean by follow the spiders?" Lana asked us as Ron cringed at his fear of spiders.

"I dunno." I said to them. "But I guess we have to follow them to get answers."

"And hopefully find the true Heir." Y/N said. "Cause I'm going to make them suffer."

"But why'd it have to be spiders?" Ron whimpered. "Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies?' "