"That is, was, the diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle. The man who would go on to become Voldemort." Harry said, trying to keep his composure.
"How is this diary related to the events of the chamber?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Harry. Dumbledore's expression was one Harry could only describe as focused, but could place no emotion behind it.
"The diary somehow possessed Susan, and caused her to open the Chamber of Secrets, releasing the Basilisk. Tom Riddle intended to use Susan as a means to make a new body and try to take over the world again." Harry said, shuddering to think of what might have happened if someone hadn't intervened.
"I see, I take it you don't know anything about how Ms. Bones retrieved said Diary do you?" Dumbledore asked, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"I believe she may have been given it by Lucius Malfoy." Harry said, resolutely. If he was going to get expelled, he could at least try and get the world to see what Lucius Malfoy had done.
"Why do you believe this to be the case young Harry?" Dumbledore asked, there seemed to be a new emotion behind the focused expression, but what it was Harry couldn't tell.
"When Susan, Hermione, Hannah and I went school shopping for the year, Lucius Malfoy showed up and gave Susan a book on advanced transfiguration. Earlier in the summer I had a house elf named Dobby try to prevent me from coming to Hogwarts this year, saying it was going to be dangerous. Doing some research into house elves, they are only owned by wealthy noble wizarding families, like the Blacks. I believe Dobby is Lucius's house elf, and he tried to warn me about Lucius's plan to force the Chamber of Secrets to open." Harry said, although the why of it didn't make much sense to him. Was Lucius so trusting that the Basilisk wouldn't target his son? It had only attacked muggleborn students, with Luna simply being caught out with two others.
"I see. Onwards though. You told me earlier this year you believed a snake monster was attacking the students, and you seemed to be correct. How long had you known that?" Dumbledore asked.
"Only a few days before I told you sir. We couldn't have been certain it was a Basilisk, but all evidence we had pointed towards that being the case. While I can't say I've enjoyed this experience, I do hope that we can shed some additional light on Basilisks that you can avoid being killed by their gaze if you only see a reflection or refraction of it." Harry said. While if you were alone the difference was negligible, if people were truly worried about Basilisks this was at the very least a precaution they could take.
"Yes, I believe there will be many researchers of Basilisks who would be quite happy to learn of your discoveries regarding the creature. You likely have more hands-on experience with Basilisks than anyone else alive." Dubledore gave out a small chuckle, before returning to his questions. "How did you find the Chamber?"
"Hermione and Luna had been researching how a large creature like that could move through Hogwarts undetected, the castle is big, but not THAT big. They found out that it had been using the pipes to move around. From there, we had also learned that the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Myrtle Warren, Moaning Myrtle, had died. She haunted that one bathroom, and said she died there. From there I just asked her what was happening when she died, and she said she had looked towards the door from one of the stalls. There was a snake emblem on one of the pipes you could see from there, so I spoke to it in parseltongue and it opened." Harry said, this interrogation was taking a lot out of him. Harry didn't like speaking like this, it was unnerving.
"I see, very interesting. What did you find down there?" Dumbledore asked, he likely already knew what Harry found, but wanted to know more.
"Tom Riddle, as some kind of apparition, the diary he was using to drain Susan's magic, and Susan herself. He later called the Basilisk to attack me." Harry said.
"This is twice you've mentioned the name Tom Riddle, how do you know it?" Dumbledore asked. His gaze, while still maintaining the signature twinkle in his aged eyes, was deeply focused.
"A few places, I first heard the name from Susan, who said that was what the person in the diary called himself. Hagrid mentioned that it was Tom Riddle who framed him for Myrtle Warren's murder in the forties, and then the memory in the diary introduced himself as such." Harry said.
"Interesting. One final question, why did you stab this diary with a basilisk fang?" Dumbledore asked, staring at the book in question. Aside from some wear from age, and the large stab wound in the center, it was in remarkably good condition.
"The book was draining Susan and feeding her magic to Riddle. I thought destroying the book would stop it. The basilisk fang was just what I had to hand, since it had been put through my arm just a few seconds before." Harry's memory of those few seconds was still somewhat shaky, likely due to the pain of the venom coursing through his body. Looking back, he's somewhat surprised it worked. The book had apparently survived some time in the Black Lake, which is an impressive feat, given the merfolk, giant squid, and other magical lifeforms that live in the lake. Plus water damage to paper, yet this book looked like it had been in a library for years, worn, but not damaged. Assuming you ignore the hole in the center.
"Quite. Well, I believe that, along with the memories you provided to Professor Flitwick earlier will suffice in regards to our investigation into this matter. Now we must discuss the repercussions of your actions here." Dumbledore said, his posture straightening. In that moment, Harry would have believed Dumbledore was taller than Hagrid, and certainly many times more intimidating.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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