John approached Myrtle with a question in mind. "Myrtle, I have something I'd like to ask you."
"Something? Well, as long as it doesn't involve disliking me," Myrtle responded, her voice tinged with her usual sensitivity that John found somewhat challenging to navigate.
"I'm curious, do you know of any secret chambers within Hogwarts?" he inquired, hoping for insight.
Myrtle emerged from the toilet, her expression one of confusion. "The Chamber of Secrets? I've never come across it," she admitted.
Realizing he wouldn't find his answer here, John prepared to leave. However, as he exited, he accidentally collided with someone. "Uh... I was just looking for Myrtle, I hope you understand," he said, feeling a bit embarrassed about being caught leaving the girls' bathroom.
Ginny, who seemed panicked, avoided John's gaze. The black leather book she held slipped from her grasp. "Are you alright, Ginny?" John asked, noticing her distress. He bent down to help her retrieve the diary, but his gesture only caused Ginny to scream, "Don't touch it!"
"Sorry…" John withdrew his hand, watching as Ginny quickly picked up the book and hurried away. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why does Ginny seem so troubled?" She appeared significantly more distressed than when they last met, with a haggard look as if she hadn't slept well for days.
"Perhaps I should consult Luna," John thought, leaving the bathroom. After his departure, Ginny returned, her mind clouded by whispers that left her dazed.
...
"Have you... have you ever... read it?" John overheard a conversation as he was on his way to Filch's office to groom Mrs. Norris. Filch's nervous stammer caught his attention, prompting him to pause. The usually stern caretaker seemed lost for words, and eventually, he let Harry leave without any punishment.
"Strange," John mused, sensing an unusual tension in the air. After Harry left, he noticed Filch hastily concealing a letter. Curious, John knocked and entered the office, greeted by Mrs. Norris's meow.
Filch, visibly relieved to see John instead of someone else, didn't object when John offered to brush Mrs. Norris. The cat seemed grateful after John untangled her fur, circling around him in thanks before he sent her on her way.
As John walked through the corridor, he detected an odd noise. "Sounds like crawling," he murmured, pressing his ear against the wall. The sound, reminiscent of something dragging, soon faded. Looking down, he noticed a group of spiders scurrying away. "Why are these spiders leaving in swarms?" he pondered, recalling a visit to a spider den with Hagrid in their first year.
Deciding to visit Hagrid, John arrived at his cabin only to find Fang but no sign of Hagrid. Fang led him to the back, where a grim scene awaited: a pile of chicken corpses. "Someone killed my chickens. It's too cruel," Hagrid lamented, anger in his voice. The absence of animal bite marks suggested a human was responsible.
John felt a growing sense of unease. The fleeing spiders, the slain chickens—all pointed to something amiss. After spending some time with Hagrid, he headed towards the Whomping Willow, determined to uncover the source of these disturbances. The Whomping Willow was nearly back to its full strength, expected to completely recover within a week. However, its canopy was noticeably thinner, the result of John harvesting branches for his alchemical pursuits. He crafted various amulets and spell rings, which proved instrumental during the assault on Borgin and Burkes. Mr. Borgin, misled, attributed the chaos to a werewolf attack, under the common belief that werewolves are incapable of magic post-transformation.
While disposing of some waste near the Whomping Willow, John encountered Luna Lovegood. Her voice, light and dreamy, carried a hint of concern. "Ginny seems preoccupied with something," she observed, her keen eyes missing nothing. "She hasn't paid much attention to me lately."
John agreed, sensing something amiss. "I've noticed that too," he replied, pondering over Ginny's recent behavior, which had also seemed distant to him. Deciding to investigate, he planned to discuss his concerns with Ron, hoping he might shed some light on his sister's unusual demeanor.
In Potions class, John's proficiency was on full display as he expertly prepared a Swelling Solution. His precise technique—slicing bat spleens, stirring the concoction counterclockwise four times, and applying a gentle heat for thirty seconds—earned him Snape's rare approval and twenty points for Slytherin.
After class, John sought out Ron to discuss Ginny. Ron promised to keep an eye on his sister, but the conversation quickly shifted to John's wand, which Ron found remarkable. Amidst their discussion, Harry Potter approached, extending an invitation to Nearly Headless Nick's Death Day party. John, however, declined, citing prior commitments to the Whomping Willow.
On Halloween night, after tending to the Whomping Willow, John's attention was caught by a spider's peculiar path. Recalling Dobby's cryptic warnings of danger, he followed the trail to the second-floor corridor, where he discovered a mysterious puddle of water. Intrigued and slightly apprehensive, he traced the water's source to the girls' bathroom, hesitating momentarily at the threshold due to a previous embarrassing encounter.
Inside, he speculated whether the water could be linked to Moaning Myrtle. As he approached the toilets, a sudden movement in the mirror caught his eye. On edge, he drew his wand, ready for confrontation. The bathroom was silent, save for the distant meow of a cat. Recognizing Mrs. Norris's cry, John cautiously exited the bathroom.
Outside, he found Mrs. Norris acting strangely, as if she had sensed something amiss. "Be careful, Mrs. Norris," he warned, gently stroking her chin. Together, they explored the corridor, John's unease growing with each step. Suddenly, Mrs. Norris darted towards a corner, lured by the prospect of water or perhaps something else.
A scream shattered the silence. John, reacting instantly, cast a Petrificus Totalus at the lurking shadow, to no effect. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he quickly applied a Disillusionment Charm to himself and retreated. Peering from his hiding spot, he witnessed Mrs. Norris's body stiffen, a clear sign of petrification.
John understood the gravity of what had transpired. Whatever lurked in the shadows was not only dangerous but capable of petrifying its victims. With Mrs. Norris affected, John knew he had to act swiftly to uncover the truth behind these mysterious events. The object before them was fraught with danger. Gripping the hilt of his Ironwick sword tightly, John prepared to confront the threat with a blend of instinct and skill. With a determined cry, he unleashed his spell, "Reducto!" A burst of white light surged from his wand, striking the wall with such force that it seemed to tremble under the impact.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge