Harry, Matthew, and Ron are visiting Hermione in the Hospital Wing. She's looking at the diary that Harry found.

Matthew: Well, what do you think?

Hermione: There's a name in this diary... Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Ron: Tom Marvolo Riddle?

Hermione passes the diary to him.

Ron: Hang on, I know that name! But how do I know that name? [tries to remember] Of course! That night I had detention. My job was to polish the silver in the Trophy Room. I remember because I kept burping up slugs over Tom Riddle's trophy.

Harry: What was the trophy for?

Ron: He won an award, fifty years ago, for special services to the school or something. [hands the diary over to Harry]

Hermione: Fifty years ago? Are you sure?

Ron: Yeah, why?

Hermione: Don't you remember what Malfoy told you? The last time the Chamber was opened was--

Harry: Fifty years ago! That means--

Hermione: Tom Riddle was here at Hogwarts when that happened! What if he wrote about what he saw? It's possible he knew where the Chamber was, how to open it, and even what sort of creature lived in it. If so, whoever's behind these attacks wouldn't want this diary lying around, would they?

Harry: It's a brilliant theory, Hermione, but there's just one flaw. There's nothing written in this diary.

Harry, Matthew, and Ron are walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Pansy: [anger] Stutler!

Matthew: Not again.

As they then walk past the southern courtyard, when an angered Pansy is walking over to them.

Matthew: Look, Parkinson, I know you're mad-

A slap hits his right cheek, leaving a red mark on the impact site and a loud aftershock can be heard, everyone around them is stunned; she looks away with a smug look on her face and a hmph.

Matthew: What was that for?!

Pansy: You, stole my first kiss!

The spectators gasp exaggeratedly. Pansy looks at him, for a moment, before gaining a disgusted look.

Pansy: I had to wash my mouth for three hours the day after, I needed to make sure there wasn't any leftover mutt saliva in there.

Matthew: Did it taste as badly as you smell?

Pansy: Ha, I smell great.

Matthew: So I tasted great then?

Pansy starts blushing, she turns around before he can notice.

Pansy: [sarcastically] O-Oh please like a freak like you would taste so good.

Matthew: I don't know, I clean just fine, unlike any spoiled Divas I know.

Pansy: [stepping up to him] Really, you don't even know how to kiss.

Matthew: Well it's the first time I ever kiss a girl, and it seems you don't even know as well.

Pansy: Really? Well then.

Pansy grabs him by the tie and pulls him into a kiss. Matthew's shocked, and Pansy deepens the kiss by putting a hand on the back of his head. When they separate, unknown to him she has a satisfied smirk which quickly disappears as she remembers that students are watching, so she runs away leaving a mystified Matthew.

Matthew: What just happened?

Ron: We have no idea. Girls are confusing.

Harry: Especially after that kiss.

Harry and Matthew are examining the blank diary while seated at a table in the Gryffindor Common Room.

A ghost seated next to Harry is humming while reading a book.

Harry: Do you mind?

The ghost gets up and leaves, walking through the table. Harry looks at the back of the diary and sees the name printed there.

Harry: Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Harry dips his quill in ink and lets a drop of it fall on the diary. The ink vanishes into the page. Harry then writes a message in the diary.

Harry: My name is Harry Potter.

The message fades out, and a new message fades in.

Diary: Hello, Harry Potter, my name is Tom Riddle.

Harry and Matthew were stunned. He writes a second message.

Matthew: Whoa.

Harry: Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?

Diary: Yes.

Harry: Can you tell me?

Diary: No.

Frustrated, Harry puts his quill aside.

Diary: But I can show you. Let me take you back fifty years ago.

The diary flips to a page on which the text "13th June" appears. The pages then begin to glow, enveloping Harry and Matthew, and making them disappear into the diary.

Harry and Matthew materialize in the Hogwarts Entrance Hall, which doesn't look any different than in the present. An older boy, Tom Riddle, is standing on the staircase.

Harry: Excuse me, could you tell us what's going on here?

Riddle doesn't respond.

Matthew: Are you Tom Riddle? Hello, can you hear me?

Four wizards carry a student's dead body down the stairs.

Dumbledore: Riddle.

Harry, Matthew, and Riddle turn to see a younger version of Dumbledore on the staircase.

Dumbledore: Come.

Riddle: Professor Dumbledore.
Harry: Dumbledore?

Dumbledore: It is not wise to be wandering around at this late hour, Tom.

Riddle: Yes Professor, I suppose I... I had to see for myself if the rumors were true.

Dumbledore: I'm afraid they are, Tom. They are true.

Riddle: About the school as well? I don't have a home to go to. They wouldn't close Hogwarts, would they, Professor?

Dumbledore: I understand, Tom, but I'm afraid Headmaster Dippet may have no choice.

Riddle: Sir, if it all stopped... if the person responsible was caught...

Dumbledore: Is there something you wish to tell me?

Riddle says nothing for a moment.

Riddle: No, sir. Nothing.

Dumbledore gives Riddle a look.

Dumbledore: Very well then. Off you go.

Riddle: Goodnight, sir.

Harry and Matthew follow Riddle down a Hogwarts corridor. Riddle reaches a door and, holding up his wand, enters. Inside the door is a younger version of Hagrid with a large box.

Hagrid: [speaking into the box] Let's get you out of there.

Riddle: Evening, Hagrid.

Hagrid slams the box shut as Riddle enters.

Riddle: I'm going to have to turn you in, Hagrid. I don't think you meant it to kill anyone, but...

Hagrid: You can't! You don't understand!

Riddle: The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered.

Hagrid: It wasn't him! Aragog never killed no one, never!

Riddle: Monsters don't make good pets, Hagrid. Now, stand aside.

Hagrid: No!

Riddle: Stand aside, Hagrid!

Hagrid: No!

Riddle: Cistem Aperio!

The spell hits Hagrid's box and makes it burst open. A giant spider crawls out and scurries out of the room.

Riddle: Arania Exumai!

The spell misses Aragog, who escapes.

Hagrid: Aragog! Aragog!

Hagrid starts to go after Aragog, but Riddle levels his wand at him.

Riddle: I can't let you go. They'll have your wand for this, Hagrid. You'll be expelled.

Hagrid lowers his head in shame.

Harry: [stretching out his hand] Hagrid!

The door slams shut as Harry and Matthew are pulled out of the memory.

Harry and Matthew: HAAAAAGRIIID!

Harry and Matthew disappeared from the memory and then reappeared at the table in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry and Matthew: Whoa!

They run off.

Harry and Matthew run up the stairs to their dormitory and then over to Ron's bed.

Harry: Ron! Ron, wake up!

Ron: [sitting up in bed] What happened?

Harry: It was Hagrid. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.

Ron looks stunned.

Harry: It was Hagrid. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.

Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione in a Hogwarts courtyard.

Hermione: It can't be Hagrid. It just can't be.

Ron: We don't even know this Tom Riddle. He sounds like a dirty rotten snitch to me.

Harry: The monster killed someone, Ron. What would any of us have done?

Hermione: Look, Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go and ask him about it?

Ron: That'll be a cheerful visit. "Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"

Hagrid walks up behind them.

Hagrid: Mad and hairy? You wouldn't be talking about me, now would ya?

Harry, Ron, .Matthew, and Hermione: [simultaneously] No!

There is an awkward moment of silence.

Matthew: What's that you've got, Hagrid?

Hagrid: Oh, it's Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. For the Mandrakes, you know. Now, according to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit of growing up to do, but once their acne's cleared up, we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em, and then we'll get those people down at the hospital unpetrified. In the meantime, though, you three had best be looking after yourselves, all right? [He turns to leave. At the same time, Neville rushes in.] Hello, Neville.

Neville: [running up to Harry] Harry, I don't know who did it, but you'd better come! C'mon!

Neville leads Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione up to Harry's dormitory. The whole place has been ransacked. Ron, Matthew, and Hermione stand by the entrance as Harry looks through the mess.

Hermione: It had to be a Gryffindor. Nobody else knows our password. Unless it wasn't a student.

Ron: Whoever it was, they must have been looking for something.

Harry: And they found it. [looks up from the mess] Tom Riddle's diary is gone.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team is preparing for a match.

Oliver: All right, listen up. We play our game, and Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance. [he begins leading the team out to the pitch] We're stronger, quicker, and smarter.

Fred: And not to mention, they're dead scared that Harry'll petrify them if they fly anywhere near him.

Oliver: Well, that too.

Professor McGonagall approaches them.

Oliver: Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall: This match has been cancelled.

Oliver: They can't cancel Quidditch.

Professor McGonagall: Silence, Wood. You and your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower, now.

The other members of the team dejectedly depart.

Professor McGonagall: Potter, you and I will find Mr. Weasley and Mr. Stutler. There's something the three of you have to see.

McGonagall leads Harry, Matthew, and Ron into the Hospital Wing.

Professor McGonagall: I warn you, this could be a wee bit of a shock.

Harry, Matthew, and Ron stop abruptly at the sight of Hermione's petrified body lying on a hospital bed.

Ron: [overcome with shock] Hermione...

Matthew: [sees the girls from Slytherin] Daphne. Tracy. What's wrong?

Daphne: We found her like this.

Tracy: And she wasn't moving.

Matthew: Who?

Tracey: Pansy.

They stepped aside and gasped sharply to see what he saw, Pansy had been petrified.

Professor McGonagall: Hermione was found near the library, along with this. [holds up a mirror] Does it mean anything to either of you?

Harry: No.

Professor McGonagall sets the mirror down as Harry feels Hermione's stiff hand.

Matthew: Pansy...

Matthew slowly holds her hand.

End of Chapter 18