The following day happened in a blur. All that had transpired in the duelling club was now spreading like wildfire, girls gossiping with each other, running away in fright whenever Y/N or Harry walked past them. The boys however were a bit different, they stood up high and mighty, if trying to immediate them, well the fifth years and above were, everyone else would run at the sight of them.

For Y/N, it was odd at first. Someday he would be in the library and it would all be good, then a group of the students would be seen whispering to each other, conspiring more like. Then next day the students would be quiet and tame. One time a sixth year student had the brass to go up to Y/N and antagonise him. The small version? He told them to fuck off, in a diplomatic way of course, although at one point he was very close to unleashing the swear jar.

Same thing was happening to Harry. but he wasn't standing up for himself as much as he should so Y/N helped him along. The entire school was practically scared shitless of them. Though they didn't appreciate it. It's like their hesitant and fear was only proving to them the worse. That somehow they were related to Voldermort, someone had the said a few days which they hated enough without the questioning glares wherever they went.

Ron and Hermione were beginning to notice a drop in their usual selves. Harry was turning back to that shy boy when he first started at Hogwarts, however Y/N wasn't turning back, he going forward. He was getting more unhinged, angrier and just plain bitterness. He had enough on his plate with his Grandfather's passing, his father's absence. Which by the way, was beginning to... trouble? annoy him?

Either way his father was beginning to piss him off.

When he first received the dreadful news just shy a couple of months ago, Y/N had been heartbroken. The fact that his father hadn't had the sense to even contact his son at all this year was just plain ignorant. He felt at first that maybe he didn't know, that he had been in the dark because of the fact that he was out and about. Y/N's father never stayed in one place whenever he left and it infuriated him, he just didn't know what to do. With all that happening and now him being possibly Voldermort's great grandson? shit was weighing him down.

After a night of heavy rain, snow was starting to fall in the cold weather. So much that the following morning, snow blizzard had set in. So the four of them decided to git up the library for some early exam research. And also Hermione had suggested to find a translating book to uncover what else the Descendants book had in it and to possibly find out what it all meant. Which Y/N was ecstatic about.

Unfortunately a group of second year students just wouldn't shut up.

"So anyway," A stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter and L/N's marked him down as  their next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip that he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told them he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"You definitely think it is them, then, Ernie?" Said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously. "I mean heir, is only one, they can't both be slytherin's heirs."

"Hannah," Said the stout boy solemnly, "They're Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." The boy argued, "Who's to say, You-Know-Who, didn't have a backup plan."

"But Y/N's always seems so... cute, though," One girl with flaming red hair commented, letting out a dreamy sigh. "And his music..."

"That's asides the point, Emma." The boy grumbled. "His mother is Maria Black. Her family were one of Voldermort's biggest supporters. His uncle's a mass murder. What's to say he isn't as well?" The boy suggested as the others looked wary yet full of fear. "Anyway, he's just a pretty face with a simple talent. Nothing more." He said agitated.

Someone's jealous.

Y/N tried to keep away the smug grin on his face, but the fact they speaking of him disrespectful behind his and Harry's back made him angry. He didn't notice Hermione gripping her potions book tightly as the girl made her dreamy comment, enough for her knuckles to go white.

"Harry's always seems so nice," said Hannah uncertainly, "And, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be all bad, can he?"

At the mention of him, Harry shifted in his seat, starting to look pretty uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that." He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"

Y/N couldn't take anymore of it. He threw down his DATDA's book on the table and jumped out of his chair, the sudden action making his friends yelp. He marched over past the library bookshelves and stood in front of the second years. "Hey guys." Y/N announced himself and the students yelped in surprise at the new person at the table.

He put on a false smile and sat down at the head seat, in front of them all so they could see him clearly. The students visibly trembled under his gaze Ron, Harry and Hermione watched from afar, the three of them sharing equally as scared looks, not for Y/N, for the students in his way.

"What you guys up to?" Y/N picked up the book the boy had previously been reading. "Ah, Quidditch through the ages, wonderful book. Have you read it?" He asked the boy with a smirk, however not amusing, just... dark. The boy shook his head violently fast. "What a shame, you should really think about reading it more." By now the three of golden trio had stopped whatever they were doing and came over, standing just warily behind Y/N.

The boy found he had enough and tried to get up and leave, but Y/N wasn't finish. "Fucking sit back down." The boy sat down immediately and Y/N continued. "It's not nice to talk about people behind their backs, no matter if they're pure-blood, half-blood or muggle-born or even some bullshit Slytherin heir's rumours. You should know better." The students listened intently, not like they had a choice.

The redhead Emma was looking at Y/N more though, almost hanging onto his every word, sighing in content. Hermione scowled furiously. "So before you even think of saying anything like that behind mine or Harry's back, remember I'll be watching." Truthfully he wouldn't be seeking them out but if he heard one word from them or anyone... well they wouldn't like what he would do.

"Now get out of my sight!" Y/N hissed and they immediately got up and scrambled away, the redhead still looked as if she was in her own world and hadn't left. 'Oh god, I have enough without some girl getting all over me.' Emma gave a wary smile, she blushed under his gaze. Y/N smirked back at her darkly, scaring her and the girl took off. Hermione held back a giggle at that moment.

--

Not much happened after. Y/N and Harry had been called into Dumbledore's office and it ended with them being defended by Hagrid, believing that Dumbledore thought of them to be the heir to Slytherin, thankfully he did not. It ended with them lying to Dumbledore about the voices they heard, Y/N reckoned he wouldn't tell them about it whatsover anyway. Secrets, huh. If there was anything he hated more than bullies, was secrets.

And in other news, Nearly Headless Nick was another victim to the heir of slytherin. He was found in a lone corridor one morning by passing by students, such a shame.

After that, a more comical episode happened which surprisingly didn't annoy Y/N. Usually whenever someone would even suggest them being dark wizards, his temper would flare up. His temper was beginning to only get worse in coming days. Fred and George supplied the comic relief. Which Y/N laughed at, the others weren't as amused.

They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry and Y/N down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heirs of Slytherin, seriously evil wizards coming through..."

Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior. But they and Y/N couldn't care less, 'Screw Percy.'

"It is not a laughing matter," He had said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry and Y/N are in a hurry."

"Yeah, they're off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with their fanged servant," said George, chortling.

Ginny didn't find it amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry or Y/N loudly who they were planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met one afternoon.

Though Y/N couldn't stop laughing whenever in their presence. They were definitely his favourite of the Weasley's... sorry Ron.

After the hilarious moments nothing much happened. They got the occasional glare here and there but that was it. But Christmas morning however was much more interesting.

"ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU!"
Y/N screamed at the top of his lungs christmas morning, his guitar in hand playing the song. Harry and Ron jumped out of bed as fast as light, falling onto the floor in the process. Hermione stood behind him giggling at them.

"What are you playing at!" Ron hissed, his face morphed into both anger and fright.

"Oh live a little." Y/N playfully rolled his eyes as he joined Hermione in laughing.

Harry soon spotted Hermione after managing to unravel his bed covers off him and could finally see. "Hermione - you're not supposed to be in here -"

"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present. "I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the potion. It's ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Hermione and Y/N both said in unison, shifting Scabbers the rat so that  they could sit down on the end of Ron's four-poster. "If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight." she continued.

At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak.

"Hello," said Harry happily as she landed on his bed. "Are you speaking to me again?"

--

Later Ron and Harry went down to the Great Hall to eat. While Y/N and Hermione went to check on the polyjuice potion.

Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Y/N and Hermione ushered them out of the hall to finalize their plans for the evening to shy twenty minutes later.

"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," Said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're Malfoys best friends, he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him.

"We've got it all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry's and Ron's stupefied faces. Y/N held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are, they're bound to eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet. Though, I don't see why I can't knock them out unconscious."

Hermione sent him a defying glare while Ron and Harry didn't even look surprised.

They began to explain to them how they'd get the hairs.

"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."

"I wish you didn't have to change into that disgusting pig." Y/N sighed dramatically, eyeing her up and down. Ron and Harry shared knowing looks.

"You mean you prefer how I look?" She asked innocently, a bright glint in her eyes and a slight fluster.

"Yes." Y/N answered without thinking. "I mean... n- I, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck to try and stop the heating rising in his neck.

Harry and Ron wordlessly took the cupcakes and left without the two noticing them, snickering to themselves as Y/N and Hermione continued their awkward chat.

--

After the two of them finished, they took off to get the slytherin robes from the laundry and finally made their back to the toilets. Y/N had already got his hair weeks ago. From one of the second year Slytherin by the name of Jackson Keller, who surprisingly was a fan of his music and that day he actually managed to get the address of the place who was giving away his cover songs. It was a shop in Diagon Alley, which he decided that he would be visiting after his trip to Spain.

Soon enough, Harry and Ron arrived back and had the hairs.

"Good. And we sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger sizes once you're Crabbe and Goyle."

The four of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

"I'm sure we've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should... once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron whispered.

"We separate it into four glasses and add the hairs."

Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.

The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

"Urgh - essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."

"Add yours, then," said Hermione.

Harry dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass, Y/N dropped Jackson's hair in and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. The three glasses hissed and frothed.

"Hang on," said Harry as Ron, Y/N and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not all drink them in here... Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie."

"He's right, on both accounts. We should take separate stalls." Y/N said and the four of them went into each of their own.

"Ready?" Harry called out.

"Ready," came Y/N's, Ron's and Hermione's voices.

"One - two - three--"

Y/N brought the green substance in the glass to his lips and tried to gulp it in one sitting. But he found himself nearly puking it up."Ugh," He pinched the bridge of his nose and chugged it, simply put, it was revolting. Absolutely disgusting.

He immediately felt a swooning sensation pass him, and before he knew it. He had changed.

Y/N unlocked the stall door and came out, he saw Harry and Ron as Crabble and Goyle.

"Did it work?" Y/N asked them as he rubbed at his face with his hands.

The two nodded, and Y/N went up to the mirror. Yep it had worked. He was shorter, had dark hair and now in Slytherin robes. Yet he still felt like throwing up at the fact that he was Slytherin now, for the time being.

"Okay. All done."

Ron nodded. "Hermione?"

A high-pitched voice answered him.

"I - I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

Y/N looked perplexed. "Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you--"

"No - really - I don't think I'll come. You three hurry up, you're wasting time--"

Harry looked at Ron, bewildered.

"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."

"Hermione, are you alright?" Y/N asked, concerned for his friend's well being.

"Fine - I'm fine - go on--"

"We'll come back for you, all right?" Y/N said. But he couldn't help the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Y/N, Harry and Ron soon left, leaving behind a shaken Hermione.

It didn't take the long to track Malfoy down. But as Y/N suspected, Malfoy had nothing to do with the Slytherin Heir. Though it didn't stop him from boasting about wanting to meet him.

After they had finished talking with him in the dungeon. The three boys returned to the toilets to find that Hermione was still in the stall. Hiding, why? Y/N had no idea.

"Hermione?" Y/N said as the three came in. The potions had already worn off. So they were back to normal. "Are you still in there?"

"Yes! But I'm fine!" Hermione snapped self-consciously.

Y/N looked towards Harry and Ron who shares equally as confused faces. "Hermione." He said sternly. "Just tell us whats wrong." He leaned against the stall door the Hermione resided in. "Please."

He thought he heard a muffled cry come from the stall. "Promise me you won't laugh?" She cried.

"Of course not, I'd never laugh at you."

Hermione hesitated at first, before opening up the stall before a second later and behold, what Y/N saw was... unbelievable. "Did you find out any useful?" Hermione asked out in a small voice.

'Bloody hell'

Y/N took a great look at her. At first she had her face covered up by her hands but once she removed them, Y/N got a good look at her.

"Never mind that, you- you're..."

A Cat. Hermione was a cat... her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair.

"I look horrible." She squeaked, covering up her face again. Y/N took a step towards her and leaned in close. He placed his hands atop her own and removed them from her face, to show her, cat face really.

"I wouldn't say that." Y/N said, his eyes widened at the cat tail that sat lazily behind her. "You look... quite adorable." He finished and Hermione blushed a deep shade of red, averting her eyes and.. surprisingly purred at the affection. It only made her blush more,
Y/N let out a slight groan at the sudden noise, an inappropriate thought making its way to his head.

Ron cleared his throat loudly. Enough to startle the two. Realising they weren't alone, Y/N held out his hand for her and sobered himself up.

"Let's get you to the infirmary, Madam Pomfree will help you out." He promised.

--

They finally managed to get Hermione to the medical wing after a long and discreetly guide through the school, although they couldn't avoid certain passages so one or two people got a look at her, much to Hermione's greatest displeasure. One of them had the audacity to laugh, which Y/N quickly shut them down.

Just as Y/N thought, Madam Pomfrey didn't bother asking questions though it got him thinking. How many unimaginable things occurred at the school so much that she didn't bother asking how it happened? Probably too many to count.

"Umm." Ron started, unsure what to make of it all. Or really what to say after what they saw.

Hermione immediately shielded her face with her hands from them in embarrassment, while Y/N shut the curtain of bed, blocking any sight of her. "So... we've got a bit of a problem." Y/N said, his arms crossed as he leaned against a bed opposite of Hermione's. As if it wasn't obvious.

"Yeah you could say that again." Ron said before Harry elbowed him the ribs.

"So did you get anything on Malfoy?" Hermione asked through the white hospital curtains, her voice oddly small, Y/N only grimaced.

"We didn't get much- well, anything really out of Malfoy. He's not slytherin's heir" Harry explained to her.

"Well at least we know he's not the heir. Still though, Malfoy was our only lead." Y/N slumped down onto the bed with a sigh.

"So... How did this happen to Hermione?" Harry questioned. Y/N opened up the curtain to reveal a very ashen Hermione.

Hermione went to explain to the three of them what happened, and how, as Y/N sat down on the bed, almost curled up besides her. She explained that it was hair from Millicent Bulstrode cat, and that Hermione actually thought it was hers. Big mistake.

"Well this is just wonderful," Ron sighed defeated, "What else could go wrong-"

"Don't." Y/N said with so much sternness in his voice that he might crack. "Don't say that. Just, don't jinx us." But somehow Y/N knew it would only get worse, 'Story of my life'

--

For the next several weeks Hermione stayed in the medical wing of the school, yet she was not without company. Y/N would visit her practically every day, lugging behind a sack of books or revisions for the two to do. Harry and Ron would drop by in the evenings and join the two of them for the extra company, which Hermione was thankful for. The whiskers on her face had all bu vanished and her brown eyes were returning. Her usual bright demeanour was beginning to come back, much to all of their joy.

When the rest of the students returned to school after the Christmas holiday, they were convinced that Hermione had been struck by the Slytherin heir, lucky she was not, but it didn't stop the whole school from gossiping about she turned into a bloody cat. Although many people were perplexed by the sight of her, Y/N was not. He found it.... kinda cute, though he would never, ever admit it.

Midnight even came down one afternoon after chasing the rats of the school and curl up next to her, funnily enough, purring at her constantly.

One particular evening was interesting though, Hermione and Y/N were sat on her bed, elbows propped up while reading a latest entry of Hogwarts a history. Harry and Ron came in.

"Suppose you haven't got any new leads?" Hermione asked the two of them to which they shook their heads.

"Nothing." Harry replied gloomily.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for about the hundredth time.

"Well being sure doesn't mean being right."
Y/N told him as he lifted himself up off his stomach and crossed his legs in a sitting position.

"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

Y/N rolled his eyes, "A card... from Lockhart." He made it sound so simple, not bothering to go into it.

"A get well card," said Hermione hastily.

"Thank gods that's all it is." Y/N muttered, "Next it'll be roses and chocolate." He said dramatically.

"Well I don't see you buying me any roses." Hermione chimed shrilly, a playful glint in her eyes yet flustered.

Y/N felt his neck heat up for a second before answering. "You don't strike me as a girl who would want roses," He lifted his hand to his chin, thinking hard. "I bet you more of a romance novel kind of girl." While the talk continued Ron and Harry just watched intently, unable to think of anything to say. "Oh Lockart, I must proclaim my most deepest of love for you." Y/N said in the most girliest voice he could muster and waved his hands dramatically.

Hermione smacked him hard on the arm, while also concealing the most reddish blush she had ever emitted.

An awkward cough sounded behind them and the two of them turned to see Harry and Ron standing uncomfortable. Y/N and Hermione immediately flustered and looked away from each other.

After their usual chat, Harry and Ron soon left, Ron muttering "Old married couple" under his breath. Y/N and Hermione were left to continue their work, but Y/N had something to give out.

Y/N sat back on Hermione's, just next to her and reached down to the floor to grab his satchel. Hermione saw what he was doing. "What are you doing?" She asked him curiously. Y/N brought his bag up and placed it on the bed.

"I've got something for you." Y/N answered, blushing slightly at the bright and joyful gaze Hermione sent his way. He reached into his bag and pulled out a medium size present wrapped up in a colourful purple wrapping paper. "Think of it as a "Get Well" present." He handed it over to her as she looked at it excitedly, it only made Y/N smile more.

Hermione began unwrapping it almost immediately and when she finally finished she gasped, cover her mouth quick to stop any abstract noises from coming out. It was signed autograph of.... yep, Lockhart. Y/N visibly cringed at the sight of the photo. Y/N had remembered what she had said the months before in the library while trying to get the polyjuice potion book, he recalled her wanting to keep the slip from Loxkhart but couldn't keep it. He had said he would get her an autograph and he did.

"You didn't have to..." Hermione said, her voice quiet and dishevelled. She couldn't believe it and neither could he if he was honest. Probably one of his most hardest choices ever.

"I know, but I wanted too." Y/N responded with a tight smile, he would do anything to make her smile more and if that meant going against his own opinion of Lockhart when so be it.

"You've been trying to get me to not believe Lockhart for months yet you've bought me an autograph of him?" Hermione said with a puzzled expression yet the smile was still there, bright and shining.

Y/N averted his eyes from her gaze and sighed, before returning her gaze. "I still don't believe Lockhart's works are true. I think he's a good for nothing waste of space... but." He started as Hermione hang onto his every word. "If it makes you so happy then who am I to deny you that happiness." Although he wouldn't stop trying to sway her to his way of thinking (which was actually working) but he couldn't deny that he liked, no, loved to see her smile as much as she did now.

"Thank you, Y/N." Hermione whispered, her eyes misty and close to tears. She lunged forward, wrapping Y/N in a giant hug and he gracefully accepted her embrace and placed his own arms around her waist, sighing in content. "Thank you..."

Hermione couldn't help but smile against him, her small frame pushed against his slighter bigger one. When the two of them pulled back, Hermione smiled even more wamrly at the boy in front of her. Though she had to ask, she raised an eyebrow before doing so. "How much did it cost?"

Y/N replied with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not much, except maybe my pride." The two of them giggled, though Hermione wondered what he actually had to pay to get it.

--

Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and furfree, at the beginning of February. On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her and Y/N, the book they had found. T. M. Riddle's diary and told them how they found it in Myrtyle's bathroom.

"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.

"Let's hope you can open this magical book." Y/N jested, thinking back on the night they had uncovered the Descendents book. Speaking of that book, Hermione and Y/N were getting closer to unrevealing the mystery of the book and translating it, thanks for the language books in the Hogwarts library.

Thankfully though they copied down the most interesting parts of the book on a piece of parchment so they wouldn't have to keep going to the resrticted area. Although they had thought of requesting the book itself, but they didn't want to arouse suspicious. Something about the book troubled them, Y/N more so but he couldn't figure out why.

"Prat." Hermione hissed as she shoved him playfully which only made the boys laugh.

"If it has, it's hiding them very well," said Ron. "Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry."

"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry. "I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either."

"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor ..."

But Y/N, Hermione and Harry were thinking completely differently.

"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.

"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" Y/N said. "That's what Malfoy said, right?" Harry and Ron nodded.

"Yeah..." said Ron slowly.

"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.

"So?"

The three of them groaned.

"Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione. "We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago. Well, what if Riddle got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin? His diary would probably tell us everything - where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it - the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?"

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," Ron said sarcastically, "With just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in his diary."

But Y/N already had the book in his hands and his wand pressed against it. "Invisible ink?" Hermione asked him.

"That's what I was thinking." He answered her. Y/N tapped the diary three times and said, "Aparecium!"

Nothing happened. Y/N shoved his wand back into his pocket and handed the book over to Hermione, she reached her hand into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.

"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said.

She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing to find in there," said Ron. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."

For the rest of the day the golden quartet tried to find out more about Tom Riddle and luckily Harry found a trophy with the Tom's name on it.

Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron). However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys.

"He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy... probably top of every class--"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione, a slight pain in her voice and Y/N was inclined to agree with her.

--

In the desolate highlands of Scotland on a cliff side, overlooking a rural town sat a lion. His fur filled with grim and dirt, any traces of African yellow diminished. The furious beast blinked, it's beady eyes settled on that of the small town below, eyeing it like a predator eyes it's prey. The lion lifted to it's feat and let out a piercing roar, enough to send echos out into wilderness around it; sending waves of tremors.

It went on the move, running off through the forests. Leaping over anything in it's way until getting to it's goal. The lion finally made it to the outskirts of the dark forest, it's body coming to a sudden halt as it hit it's mark. The lion sensed something and it's suspicions were correct. They shared his mark... and they would all fall from his claws and fangs.

A pack of wolves came rushing out of the bushes ahead, seeking their own prey. The lion braces itself for their attack and roared, the wolves advanced and leapt at the beast. The beast clawed at the nearest wolf and knocked it down. Another one came from behind it and tried to jump onto its back but the lion struck it with it's tail, and sunk its teeth into the wolf's neck, killing it almost instantly. The other wolves charged the lion but ultimately were defeated, just when the wolves were about to attack again they stopped and retreated back slowly. Any other wolves that were thinking of attacking fled, a group of howls followed as they retreated.

The lion itself panted, fresh blood drenched it's teeth, a metallic feeling lefts it's mark and blood lingered in the air. The beast watched ahead, the wolves backed off and only a strange sensation was left. Eyeing the trees and wilderness strangely, as if trying to spot something that wasn't there. Suddenly, something swooped past the lion, a giant heap of air.

"What a mess." A man in ragged robes let out a low whistle. The lion turned its left to see the mystery newcomer. He was standing at about 6'2, had light brown hair and green eyes. "Perhaps you've considered becoming a pacifist?" The man's face was disregarded, neutral of any emotion. He was unreadable.

The lion stared at the man before sighing through its nose. The beast rolled its next to the side, cracking its neck almost human-like and did something unexpectedly. A swirl of air and wind eloped the animal like a mini tornado and flashed back to its original form in standard clothing. The lion revealed to be... Daniel L/N.

"Nice to see you too." Daniel muttered, stretching. "What do you want, Lupin?"

The man who turned out to be actually Remus Lupin, the werewolf of the Ministry, crossed his arms tightly. "I've come to talk to you, Fudge has- the Ministry has some concerns... about your son."

"I'm handling it." Daniel told him as he turned away from him, crouching down at the one of the dead wolves, turning it over to inspect it.

"Well from what I've seen, you're doing a poor job of it." Lupin remarked with a roll of his eyes, watching the him intently.

Daniel's head shot up quicker than a golden snitch, his gaze snapping at Lupin. "What do you mean 'from what I've seen?" Have you been spying?" The accusation clear in his tone of voice.

Lupin unfolded his arms and let them slug to his sides and quirked an eyebrow upwards. "You know my job is to watch out for any and all dangerous anomalies. Your son is one of them and you don't even know it."

"He's fine. The last time I checked it." Daniel dismissed, his attention turning back to that of the wolves bodies.

"The last time you checked?" The auror scoffed, shaking his head. "You last checked five months ago. Not even a letter."

"I see you still get things done." Daniel said sarcastically. "I've been busy." He waved him off with a wave of his right hand.

"Yes, clearly." Lupin gestured around at the dead bodies surrounding them. "Daniel, if you don't get your act together, it'll only get worse for him."

"So what would you have me do?" Daniel questioned him, sneering.

"Maybe act like you care?" Lupin rolled his eyes at the sheer stupidity of his long time friend.

"I do care." Daniel insisted, getting back up from the damp ground and facing Lupin, a weird glint in his eyes.

He sighed, looking away from Daniel before looking back again." Not from what I've seen."

"Well, enlighten me then." Daniel let out a frustrated groan.

Lupin faced him again and looked him in the eyes seriously, lips down casting into a slight snarl because of his friend's incompetent. "It's already begun, the process and it is getting worse, just like Maria." Revering to his friend's that he had lost always pained him, he winced at the mere thought.

"What has?"

Lupin sighed, frustration building up greatly in the pit of his stomach. "You know what I mean, Daniel. You can't be that oblivious."

"I told you already! He's fine."

"He's not fine!" Lupin snapped, "You know that, You-Know-Who is back." (Though Fudge would not admit it) "What do you think will happen when Y/N learns the truth, it will destroy him, I know what it's like for him, he won't be able to handle it and it will swallow him whole... you need to tell him, sooner or later. Or it'll be him that'll suffer the consequences."

Lupin turned around and whisked away, leaving Daniel to his thoughts, hoping that it would not be too late...