Ginny ran up to me.  Christmas Break had ended two days ago, and I had gotten used to Hogwarts now.  Ginny said, "Tess, did you hear the news?"  I said, "What new-"  Ginny ignored me and rambled on.  "Hermione's in the hospital wing!  Some people reckon she was petrified, but I overheard Ron and Harry talking about how she is part cat!  So I checked it out for myself, and she has pointy ears, a tail, fur, and yellow slits for eyes!  She told me that she accidentally drank a Polyjuice Potion with a cat hair in it that was left around."  

"So anyways, I asked her why she drank it, and she thought, like she was trying to come up with an idea, then told me someone told her it was pumpkin juice.  I asked who, and she said Ron, so I asked Ron, but he looked as clueless as ever and said, 'What pumpkin juice?  What Hermione?'  I could tell he was hiding something, so I think Hermione was lying.  I think she was drinking the potion on purpose.  Although, I can't think of any reason why she'd do that.  Do you know why?"

She paused, not for my answer, but to breath, then went on.  "What I can gather is that they did something over Christmas Break because they stayed because Harry hates his family, Ron didn't want to visit Bill in Egypt, and Hermione probably had to make the Polyjuice Potion.  It was against the rules because they lied, and I reckon it has something to do with the Chamber of Secrets."  

She paused, looking rather like she had brought up something she was trying to hide, gulped, and continued rather nervously and carefully.  "I er, think that, um, they might have been, er, might have been trying to find the um, culprit.  Why else would they have taken the, erm, Polyjuice Potion?  I looked it up in the library, and when you take it, you change into a different person for an hour!  The person you want to change into you need a bit of them for it to work, but it only lasts for an hour.  The reason Hermione's still a cat because it isn't supposed to be used on animal transformations!  I'm really surprised Hermione made it, because the recipe's supposed to be really difficult.  But Snape was angry because before Christmas Break someone stole from his private cupboards around the time when an explosion happened in his classroom.  I heard Draco say he saw Hermione sneak in there, and Goyle saw it come from Harry's direction.  When you think about it, it all fits, right?"  

I nodded and asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"  Ginny said, "Huh?"  "You know, why you were so uncomfortable when you brought up the Chamber of Secrets?"  "I don't know what you're talking about!  I don't know!  I don't!"  She looked very nervous now.  I grabbed her robes.  "Come on, you can tell me!  I'm your best friend, wait, am I?"  Ginny looked around.  "Yes, but, but, but, fine."  She lowered her voice to a whisper.  

"I think I've been attacking Mrs. Norris and all of the others.  I don't remember where I was on Halloween and all of the other times.  Hagrid's chickens died, and I had rooster feathers and blood all over my front.  On Halloween, I found myself with red paint identical to the paint on the wall all over me!  I think I've been doing all of the attacks!  The only thing I can think about now is a diary I found in one of my books.  Tom Riddle's diary, it was.  I wrote in it, and it wrote back, and I've been writing in it ever since!  I'm scared, Tess!  I don't know what to do!"  I said, "Tom Riddle...  I swear I've heard that name before.  I think you should flush away Tom's diary."  She nodded.  "You're right.  D'you wanna help me d-do it?"  I nodded.  "I have an idea where to go to.  There's this one bathroom, Moaning Myrtle's, well, it's blocked off, no one's allowed to go in it!  It's a perfect place!" 

We headed towards the bathroom.  Ginny rummaged in her bag and pulled out a diary.  It looked old and worn.  Ginny opened it and wrote, Goodbye, Tom.  I We ran to the stall and she threw it in, but I saw writing appear on the page before it landed, Ginny, what?  I flushed it, and I heard a squeal.  "Uh oh.  That's probably Moaning Myrtle.  Run!"  We ran until we reached the Fat Lady Portrait.  Ginny turned to me.  "Thank you so much for helping me.  I have no idea what I'd do without you."  I grinned, then ran to the Hufflepuff Common Room.