“Hagrid?  Niamh, are you sure?”

Niamh nodded and said, “Yes, Hermione.  I’m sure.”

Hermione, Niamh, Harry, and Ron were gathered under an ancient oak tree by the lake.  It was a Saturday and most of the students were out on the grounds – avoiding the small group under the oak.

Harry and Niamh had related their trip into the diary to Ron and Hermione and Niamh had told them her theory on who she thought had opened the Chamber the fire time.  Harry himself was still distrustful of the information they had gotten from the diary.  He had gotten a splitting headache the moment they had come out of it, but hadn’t told Niamh about it.

“Why Hagrid, Ni?” asked Ron.  “Why not this Riddle person?”

“Riddle tried to stop the monster.”

“What was it anyway?”

Niamh looked at Hermione then replied, “I think it was an acromantula.”

“A wha’?”

“An acromantula.  A giant spider.”

Ron paled suddenly, earning a weird look from Hermione and Niamh.

“Ron?  What’s wrong?”

“G-giant sp-sp-spider?”

“Yeah, Professor Quirrell.  Why?”

“Oooooh oh…”

Niamh turned to Harry and asked, “What’s up with him?”

Harry sighed and said, “‘E’s afraid o’ spiders.  Fred apparently turned ‘is teddy bear inter one after Ron broke ‘is toy broomstick.”

“That’s horrid.  And frightfully ingenious.  I have to get Fred to teach me that one.  I can use it on Malfoy.”

Harry rolled his eyes at Niamh then reached out and shook Ron by the shoulder.

“Ron.  Ron, mate, snap out o’ i’.”

Ron jumped then smiled at Harry.  “Thanks.”

“No pro’lem.  Anyway, I’m off.”

“Off where?” asked Hermione as Harry rose to his feet.

“Ah, ‘ere an’ there.  I’ll be about.”

Hermione frowned and watched Harry as he walked off towards the castle.  Niamh then turned towards the other girl and snapped, “Okay, spill.”

“Spill what?”

“I saw you slide into Snape’s office last term.  What are you two making and why in all nine hells haven’t you told me and Harry about it?”

Hermione blinked like an owl for a few moments then mumbled, “Nothing.”

“‘Nothing’ she says.  Nothing my ruddy arse.  Ron, lad, what are you two making?”

Ron jerked as Niamh addressed him and looked up at her in surprise.  “Erm…”

“C’mon, Ronnikins.  Don’t keep me in the dark.”

Ron looked beyond Niamh at Hermione and shook his head.  Niamh threw up her hands and let loose a snarl.”

“Arrrrgh!  You Gryff’s are stalwart chaps, aren’t you?  Alright, don’t tell me.  But if it has anything to with using Polyjuice Potions to get into the Slytherin common room, I suggest you just ask me and Harry for help.  Its so much easier.”

Hermione and Ron flushed as Niamh got up and headed for the castle.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Snape looked up from grading tests when there was a knock at the door of his office.  He closed his eyes for a moment then smiled.

“Enter.”

Harry entered the office, his long hair tied back in a ponytail.  Snape opened his eyes and said, “Good morning.  To what so I owe this pleasure?”

Harry sat down in a chair across from his father and said, “Someone broke inter me dorm.”

“What?”

“Tore i’ apart.  They took the diary.”

Snape blinked.  “What diary?”

“Tom Riddle’s.  I think ‘e enchanted I’ when ‘e was ‘ere.  I’ can write back ter ye an’ show ye Riddle’s mem’ries.”

Snape frowned and ran his fingers over his jaw in thought.  He vaguely remembered Lucius telling him about discovering a diary somewhat like that a few years ago.  Only he had said it was Voldemort’s when he was in school…

Damnit, thought Snape.  He turned back to Harry and said, “Harry, you have to find whoever took that diary.  It could be hazardous if you don’t.”

“Alrigh’.  I’ll do wha’ I can.”

Snape nodded and flicked his eyes back to the test lying on top of the slowly diminishing stack.  He made a mark on it, then set it aside, looking up at Harry again.  His son had an amused looked on his face, green eyes twinkling.

“Yes?”

“Jus’ thinkin’ about ‘ow Neville will look t’morrow when ‘e gets ‘is paper back.”

Snape smirked, “Yes, he’ll be very surprised won’t he?”

Harry chuckled and nodded.

“‘E will.  ‘E will indeed.”

Snape smiled then said, “Well, go on with you.  We’ll talk later.  Right now I have a meeting with the rest of these papers.”

“Alright’.  Doan change Neville’s after I leave.”

“Now why would I do that?” asked Snape innocently, earning a glare from his son that was so much like his own he was surprise no one else had figured out Harry’s true parentage.

“Alright, alright.  I won’t change it.”

“Good.  I’ll seer yer later, Da.”

“Goodbye, Harry.”

Harry nodded, smiling, then left.  Snape looked at the closed door for a long moment before he sighed and turned back to the papers on his desk.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry left his father’s office and walked through the Potions classroom back into the empty corridor.  He headed down to the hidden doorway into the Slytherin common room, wondering who could have been the one who had snitched the diary.

“Basilisk.”

The wall slid open and Harry stepped into the common room, never noticing a pair of bright blue eyes watching him from around the corner.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Niamh took a deep breath and slumped against the cold stone of the wall.

Harry is Snape’s son.