Harry examined the special service medal closely and noticed Riddle's name inscribed on it. "He must have been exceptional," he mused, his gaze lingering on the list of past male student council presidents. It seemed to Harry that this person must have been as commendable as John to have received such accolades.
Suddenly, as if drawn by an unseen force, Harry's attention shifted to a corner of the room. There, almost blending in with the floor due to its aged appearance, was an old diary. "TM Riddle... Tom Riddle!" he exclaimed upon discovering the diary and opening its faded cover. The first page bore a name that instantly reminded Harry of something John had mentioned. Unsure if this was the Riddle John had been searching for, Harry decided it was best to take the diary with him.
Back in the common room, Harry's preoccupation with the diary did not go unnoticed by Hermione, who urged him to focus on his homework. Harry nodded absently, waiting until the room had nearly emptied before revealing the diary to Ron and Hermione. "What's this? It looks ancient," Ron remarked upon seeing the diary.
"You're quite right, Ron. It's very old, at least fifty years," Hermione observed, noting the faded date. She flipped through the diary, her curiosity piqued by the name inscribed within. "TM Riddle? Who is this?"
"I know that name..." Ron began, recalling the medal he had polished countless times, but Harry interrupted him, his impatience evident. "It doesn't matter. John seems to be looking for this."
"What?" Hermione was taken aback, assuming the diary belonged to John. "We should return it to him," she suggested.
"No, Hermione, listen," Harry interjected, halting Hermione's intentions. He recounted his discovery in the trophy room. "Ron, remember when Malfoy mentioned the Chamber of Secrets being opened fifty years ago?" Harry asked, turning to Ron, who nodded in realization.
"Perhaps Riddle was awarded the medal for uncovering the chamber back then," Harry proposed, his voice low but filled with excitement.
Hermione hesitated, whispering, "If it's that important, shouldn't we give it to John?"
"Please, Hermione, enough about John!" Harry snapped, his annoyance with the repeated mention of John's name evident. He reclaimed the diary, asserting, "He's from Slytherin, and we're Gryffindors. Why should we always defer to him?"
With that, Harry suggested they investigate the mystery themselves, envisioning the glory of being hailed as Hogwarts' heroes. Hermione's attempt to interject was quickly silenced by Harry's reminder that John could potentially be the heir of Slytherin, leaving her speechless.
Despite their efforts, the trio found the diary's pages to be blank, as if it had been a forgotten Christmas gift. Hermione suspected the use of dark magic that rendered conventional spells ineffective in revealing its contents.
The following day, Harry aimlessly flipped through the blank diary, his interest in meeting with John waning. Hermione, frustrated by Harry's obsession with the diary, snatched it from him and threw it across the room, where it struck an ink bottle. "I don't understand why you're acting this way," she exclaimed angrily before storming out of the library, leaving Harry torn between chasing after her and rescuing the diary. Once again, Harry was drawn to the diary, but this time he noticed something peculiar. The ink, instead of spreading across the desktop, was being absorbed by the diary itself. Harry's curiosity was piqued, and he quickly opened the diary to witness the ink being drawn into the pages. This phenomenon reminded Harry of something, prompting him to take out his pen and write on a blank page, "My name is Harry Potter." He watched anxiously as, after a brief moment, the ink was absorbed and new words appeared on the page, words he hadn't written: "Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come across my diary?"
This miraculous interaction widened Harry's eyes in astonishment. After the initial exchange, Harry eagerly wrote back, "Found it in the corner of the trophy room."
"Fortunately, I used a more permanent method than ink to record my past. Someone has always been trying to find me," the diary responded.
That someone? Harry's heart raced with the possibility of uncovering a hidden truth. "What do you mean?" he wrote, his hand trembling with excitement.
The diary replied, "This diary holds some terrible truths, truths that have been concealed, truths that some wish to remain unseen."
Harry took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. His intuition told him he was on the verge of uncovering the truth about the Chamber of Secrets. "Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?" he wrote next.
"The Chamber of Secrets? Has it been opened again? That terrible monster... When I was in my fifth year, the Chamber was opened, and the monster within attacked several students..."
Harry, already aware that the monster was a basilisk, quickly wrote back, seeking more information from Riddle. The more he learned, the more alarmed he became. Tom Riddle's knowledge about the Chamber of Secrets and its dangers brought Harry one step closer to the truth.
"Do you know who the culprit is?" Harry inquired.
"Rubus Hagrid. He is a half-giant, ostracized by the students. In a bid for acceptance, he recklessly unleashed monsters," the diary claimed.
This revelation sent a chill down Harry's spine, making him feel as though he had plunged into an icy cavern. He struggled to write, "Is it okay if one isn't of pure blood?"
"The heir of Slytherin chooses based on merit, not purity of blood," the diary responded, rounding off the conversation.
Harry leaned back, staring blankly at the diary, his mind racing. John Wick, a Muggle-born wizard at the bottom of Slytherin, had sought respect by opening the Chamber of Secrets and using the basilisk to cement his status. "Why did you become like this, John?" Harry murmured sadly, regretting his friend's descent into darkness. A new resolve formed in Harry's mind: he wanted to stop John, to prevent him from straying further down this path, much like Tom Riddle had intended to stop Hagrid.
Harry hadn't realized his growing suspicions about Hagrid. In the past, he might have believed Hagrid to be innocent, perhaps having opened the Chamber by accident. But now, his perspective had shifted, and he found himself accepting the narrative presented by the diary without question.
In the diary, a young Tom Riddle's smile seemed almost triumphant. Holding a diary identical to Harry's, he wrote, "I know the location of the Chamber's entrance. Should it open again, I hope you can stop it."
Upon learning the Chamber's location, Harry's determination solidified. He envisioned himself stopping John, becoming a hero of the school, and receiving Dumbledore's commendation. "I will," he wrote back with unwavering resolve.
...
"Harry, where have you been lately?" John asked after class, blocking Harry's path. Harry, however, quickly excused himself and left. John was puzzled by Harry's recent behavior, having never seen him so preoccupied. He didn't believe Harry was avoiding him intentionally, considering their close friendship. Hermione's footsteps echoed vigorously on the floor as she approached, prompting a question filled with a hint of doubt, "Hermione, have you found Harry?"
_________
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