Hermione's POV

I am walking through the corridors heading back to my common room. I was out late studying and it's past curfew. "What are you doing out late Granger?" someone demands.

"Riddle, don't do that" I snap. "Anyway, I was in the library studying. What's your excuse?" I ask him.

"Prefect" he reminds me. "I was on patrol" he states.

"Were you in the girls bathroom?" I ask him confused.

"No, I was told by the Bloody Baron a female student was out of bed. I was not expecting it to be you" he states. "I'll escort you back to Ravenclaw tower" he declares.

"I know the way to my own common room" I tell him.

"Want to risk being discovered by a teacher?" he asks me. "You've been caught out once and were given a pass. I doubt it'd happen again" he states.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"The astronomy tower" he says.

"How did you know about that?" I ask him.

"You'll find out I know everything that goes on in this school" he tells me.

"Sure you do" I say unconvinced. I set off and he follows. I sigh in defeat and let him follow.

"So what are your plans for Christmas?" he asks me.

"My father invited me home" I state.

"You mean Hector Dagworth-Granger?" he asks.

"Yes, him" I say. "My grandmother misses me" I state. It's still so weird calling them that. "I take it you're staying here" I add.

"Yes" he says as we round a corner to the grand staircase. I gasp when I see a student on the ground. I draw my wand and rush over to her. I kneel beside her checking her pulse as I notice her hufflepuff robes. "Is she alive?" Riddle asks.

"Yes, but petrified. We must alert a teacher" I tell him. He nods and conjures a patronus. Which disappears, no doubt heading for the nearest office. "I recognize her, she was in the library earlier. I helped her find a book on bobotubers" I state.

"Hermione, be on your guard. You never know the creature or wizard responsible may still be around" Riddle tells me.

"You're right" I state and get up. "Appare Vestigium" I say waving my wand. But it showed foot prints everywhere. "Damn, this path it to well used. We'll never be able to identify any unknown marks" I grumble. "Finite" I say and the tracks disappear.

"It was a smart idea though" Riddle tells me. "Let me try" he says. "Homenum Revelio" he says and nothing happens. "Well there's no hiding with the disillusionment charm" he states. Just then professor Dumbledore appears with McGonagall.

"Oh dear" McGonagall says shocked.

"She's been petrified, we found no clues on who by though" I tell her.

"Minerva, alert the other professors" Dumbledore tells her. "You two, my office I wish to speak to you both about how you found Miss Darling" he tells us. We nod and head to his office. Once there, I sit by the fire thinking.

"What's on your mind?" Riddle asks me.

"This is the second attack, both students petrified" I tell him. "No doubt both muggle-borns because of the message from the first attack. But what could be doing this?" I ask him. "I don't know any spell that could do this and not be reversed by a spell. So it must be some sort of creature, but what?" I ask.

"I wouldn't dwell on it, besides it's not like it'll go after you. You're half-blood, are not?" he asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"Right" I mutter. He doesn't know I am a muggle-born. "But still it's wrong, someone must be controlling whatever is attacking people. Innocent people" I tell him.

"People who don't belong here" he states.

"That's your inner slytherin showing" I snap. "Everyone has to right to an education and muggle-borns are just as smart and capable as any pureblood" I tell him. "They didn't steal magic, if not for them and half-bloods. We'd be extinct" I state.

"You truly believe that?" he asks me.

"I do" I tell him. "Look at Tertius, he had a hard start. But went on to become the best curse-breaker Gringotts ever had" I state. "Karen Crowley and Mirabel Garlick both became successful professors. Mr Ollivander's mother was muggle-born and look at how successful he is. Along with Professor Dumbledore, his mother was muggle-born" I tell him. "Besides because of purebloods marrying and having kids with relatives. The squib count is going up" I add.

"I never thought of that" he muses.

"What? Seeing how successful muggle-borns are? Or that they could lead to brighter and more powerful witches and wizards?" I ask him. He says nothing and Dumbledore appears.

"How did you two find Miss Darling? Also why were you both out after curfew?" he asks us.

"I was studying in the library and lost track of time" I tell him sheepishly. "I actually saw Miss Darling earlier in the library before curfew. I helped her find a book. She thanked me and told me I should back up as it was nearly curfew. I thanked her and she left, saying she was returning to her dorm" I explain. "I packed my books away and we heading to my common room when I ran into Riddle" I state.

"I was covering for someone on patrol" Riddle says with a shrug. "I heard a student was out of bed and went to investigate. I found Hermione and decided to escort her back to her dorm. We were heading there when we found Miss Darling" he explains.

"She was already petrified, but we didn't see or hear anything" I state. "We Human-presence-revealing Spell and the Tracking spell. Both revealed nothing" I explain.

"I sent the patronus to alert a teacher" Riddle adds.

"Thank you for the information, the school is being searched for the culprit and Miss Darling has been taken to the hospital wing. I shall escort you both back to your dorms, for safety reasons" Dumbledore tells us. We nod out heads and head to Ravenclaw tower. "Straight to bed Miss Granger" he tells me. I nod my head and they leave. I use the knocker and answer the riddle before entering the common room. I head up to my dorm and got ready for bed, calling it a night.

(Riddle's dorm) Tom's POV

"The mudblood survived" I growl annoyed. Avery, Rosier and Dolohov were awake when I arrived.

"We'll succeed next time my lord" Rosier assures me.

"Yeah, I mean we're attacking two next time. The odds are, one will die" Avery says confidentially.

"Shut up" I tell them and they go silent. I think about the next attack. "The school is being searched, we must keep a low profile for the time being. We'll attack after the holidays" I state. They all nod their heads mutely, as I had not given them permission to talk yet. "Bed time" I tell them and we all got ready for bed. Calling it a night. As I fall asleep, I pray next time we kill a mudblood and also think about the piece of rear magic I'd discovered called Horcruxes. I'll be sure to ask Slughorn about it.

A/N

Picture above of Hallie Darling.