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The Very Secret Diary

A Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Fanfiction

By Arabella

Disclaimer:

It's all JKR's. Nothing about this story belongs to me except the creepy exhilaration I experienced while writing it. I nicked the month of February entirely from CoS, and I nicked all the "Dear Toms" verbatim from TMR's speech in CoS.

My Note and Credit to:

This is not my story but Arabella's. It was written 2002 so it might not be up to date with the knowledge of later books.

I only submit it because it is nowhere to be found anymore on the SugarQuill and it is a great story so I want it to be read.

Unlike Arabella I won't upload a whole month in one chapter but split it up instead to allow easier reading.

Author's Warning:

I've been told that this fic should be rated R because of several disturbing passages. I'm rating it PG-13, but be warned: this is not a happy diary. Tom is evil.

Author's Thank You Note:

To CoKerry and PrettyAnnaMoon for consenting to appear in this fic; to CoKerry for the subtle beta, to JediB for the evil beta, to AlannaGranger for the Latin beta, to Caroline for the Brit beta, to Zsenya, for saving this fic from the ruined laptop; and to Firelocks, for the illuminating walk to Central Park and all the canon thumping that followed.

But thanks mostly to JK Rowling, who is… enormously cool.

T.M. Riddle

- August -

August 4

Dear Diary,

I don’t know how I’ll ever manage a whole month with Harry in my house. Oh, he just went past my door, I heard him – I can’t take it. This is much harder than I thought it would be. I was so glad when Ron said they were going to rescue him, I think it’s good to take Harry away from those horrible Dursley people and it would be so nice if I could talk to him a bit. I just want to say hello to him. That’s all. Just hello, like it's nothing. But I couldn’t say anything - I didn't even have a dressing gown – oh, why didn’t Ron tell me they were going to fetch him? I would have gone! I wanted to see his house – it’s so unfair. Fred and George went, of course, because they’re BOYS and because they’re OLDER. I am so sick of everyone being older and everyone being boys. They don’t know what it’s like. At least they could’ve warned me Harry was going to be here– how could they have let me wander right in front of him like that? And how could Ron and Fred have told him about me. I hate them so much.

He looks the same, though. Maybe a little taller but I can’t get close enough to measure him by my height and I’m taller too so that wouldn’t really work anyway. I remember when I first saw him at King's Cross. I knew he was somebody important by how he was standing, even in those big baggy clothes. And when Fred and George came off the train and said it was Harry Potter, I almost had a heart attack. Harry Potter. The real Harry Potter. I remember asking Mum if he was real – now it seems so stupid. Of course he’s real! He’s real and he’s here. He even has the scar from where he got cursed by You-Know-Who.

Who...?

Who...? Hello, did someone write that? How strange, I thought –

I... am speaking...

Oh – you’re enchanted! You’re like those diaries I saw in the window of that shop with all the stationery. I had no idea – I didn’t know this diary was an enchanted one – I’m so sorry to burst in and write all over you!

Does the ink... not seep into... the page?

Well, yes it does.

And that did not seem... to you to be... enchanted.

I – wasn’t really thinking about it. I was busy writing.

Continue... to write... what is... the year?

1992.

Fascinating...

Have you been closed for a very long time?

I have... and tell me... where we are...

My house.

Which is...?

Oh! Of course you don’t know where my house is.

No... but I will... when you tell me...

I live in Ottery-St. Catchpole. It's very small, it's right between --

I know… where it is… but how... did you come by... my diary?

I shouldn’t tell you that. Oh dear. I’ll be in so much trouble for writing in you, won’t I? I knew when you fell out of my book that I should’ve given you straight to Mum. But when I saw it was a blank book, I just had to start writing right off and I realized that I really, really want a diary. I didn’t even know I wanted one before. I thought maybe it wouldn’t be too awful if I kept you. But I knew Mum hadn’t bought you properly. You were just stuck inside my Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration.

Stuck...

Yes, you were tucked into the middle part, where the spine was broken. It’s a secondhand copy, you see, so it’s falling apart and it’s easy to stick things in. Mum passed us out our books when we got home, and I came up here and found you and well, Mum didn’t say I couldn’t keep you, so I thought it was all right... No, I didn’t. I knew she didn’t know you were in here. I should give this back, shouldn’t I. It’s like stealing, isn’t it. We didn’t buy it, I’m sure. Mum didn’t say she was getting me a diary and I don’t see how she could, with all the books my brothers have to get for school – plus my robes and my wand – I know it had to be a lot of money. And I’m sure enchanted diaries are expensive. I’ll go tell Mum I’ve found you, and she can get you back to whoever owns you.

Wait – I have been closed for so long... give me a moment of air.

But I have to –

I have... been mistreated.... weakened... let me breathe...

Breathe! Can’t you?? I don’t want you to – to suffocate in there. Are you all right?

Leave me open. Talk to me.

And then give you back to Mum?

I have... a question.

Well… Okay.

You mentioned.... schoolbooks. You are... at which school?

Oh! Hogwarts! I’ll be a first year - finally. Do you know Hogwarts?

Quite well...

You DO? How?

I…knew a student there.

You knew a person – then you were a person once?

I was a person, yes...

Oh, what happened to you – how did you get inside of here?

My strength is not... perhaps... we should continue at another time.

But we can’t. I have to give you back. Are you breathing all right yet? I need to shut you and take you down to my mum so she can return you to Flourish and Blotts.

I should never have been... in a shop... I am not... for sale...

Then why were you in my Beginner’s Guide?

An excellent... question. It was second hand?

Everything I have is second hand.

Is that so... Look inside the cover. Is there a name in your... Beginner’s Guide?

Hang on – no. There isn’t. Oh! So you must have belonged to the person who last had this book! Who did you belong to before I opened you up?

Someone who…has left me alone…without light...someone cruel…

I couldn't bear to return you to someone like that!

Do not... return me. Keep me.

But my parents...

Please. Do not leave me in darkness for another fifty years .

Fifty years! How awful! I - I don’t want to shut you – or be cruel. But...I just can’t keep you. I can’t. My dad says that objects like you... well. I don’t want to be rude.

Objects like me...?

I’m not to trust objects that can think for themselves if I don’t know where they keep their brains. Dad says so, and if he finds out I didn’t tell him about you, I’ll be in loads of trouble. I have to give you back. But I can't! Not to someone awful!

How very... conscientious... you are. Yes... I think I may enjoy this...

What?

Being your diary...

Oh don’t say that, because you’re not mine and you weren’t even bought! I don’t feel right about it. I don't know what to do.

What a good girl. How rare... what is your name...?

Ginny Weasley.

Weasley.... Weasley...

What about it?

Merely thinking... such an uncommon and… interesting name...

You’re joking. My last name is horrible. And Ginny’s a little girl name. It’s from Virginia, but Bill always says I’ll have to grow before he’ll call me that, and it’s too late anyway. I’m already Ginny. Ugh, my name.

We have... something in common...

Why? Don’t you like your name?

No.

Well what is it?

Tom.

That’s a perfectly nice name. What’s your surname?

Look at the diary, Virginia.

Oh! You’ll say it. Hold on let me look – right, T.M. Riddle?

And if T was for Tom...

Of course, Riddle! But that’s so interesting!

Interesting… how? You have…heard the name… before?

No, I've never heard it. But I like that name, why don’t you like it?

It did not... suit me.

Mine doesn’t suit me either!

Virginia.... do you believe that things are... meant to be...?

Yes! Oh, yes. I believe that there are things you can’t stop, things that have to happen – like when I first saw... No, I can’t tell you that sort of thing.

But if I were yours, you could... You could tell me anything... And no one would ever, ever know...

But my brothers could find you.

You have noticed the way your words... sink into the page?

Yes...

They will never resurface... unless I let them... and I would never let them...

And I could tell you anything?

Yes...

What if I wanted to see something I’d written before? What if I wanted to see the words that had already disappeared?

You could tell me what you want to see... I could send the words back up for you...

But don’t you think if I kept you, my mum and dad would be mad with me?

I don’t think your... mum and dad... would understand... There are things deep inside you that they… refuse to see... You have feelings you can’t share... and you need a place to go.... someone to tell who won’t laugh at you...

How... how did you... know that?

Virginia... tell me about your brothers... are they all.... at Hogwarts?

Percy and Fred and George and Ron are. Bill and Charlie are finished.

No... sisters?

No, I’m the only girl. And I’m the youngest.

That must be... very trying...

It is!

I suppose they tease you.

They do.

And embarrass you.

Oh – yes – all the time – I hate it. Well, Percy doesn’t. But Ron’s the worst, because he usually teases me about... never mind. I can’t tell you.

But you can... I belong to you now...

Oh – oh, Tom, do you? I want to keep you, I want to take you to Hogwarts and have a friend there – but I – oh, no. Mum is calling up the stairs and I have to go and eat dinner and I should be giving you back but I – don’t want to. I won’t. I have to. Maybe tomorrow I will, instead. I’m very sorry to shut you so fast – will you be all right? I promise to come back soon and open you again so you can have some air.

The sooner... the better...

It’ll be soon, I promise. I have to go sit downstairs and eat and try not to make an idiot out of myself in front of... anybody. Bye, Tom.