The next day, we were in the Common Room before going to our classes when Father swept into the room.

“I have an announcement. Last night, Headmaster Dumbledore was suspended by order of the school governors. Therefore, Professor McGonagall, as the Deputy Headmaster, will take his place, at least until a new Headmaster is found. Also, Rubeus Hagrid, our groundskeeper, has been sent to Azkaban.”

The silence that followed these statements was filled with unasked questions. Finally, Sirius Malfoy spoke up.

“Why? Why was Dumbledore suspended? Why was Hagrid sent to Azkaban?” he asked.

Father looked at him. “Headmaster Dumbledore was suspended because that is what the school governors agreed. Hagrid was sent to Azkaban because Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, believes that he is the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets.”

I shot to my feet. “But that’s ridiculous!”

He stared at me. “May I ask why, Miss Evans?”

“One, I’m sure he wasn’t a Slytherin. Two, I don’t think Slytherin’s Heir would be part giant. Three, I’m certain he isn’t a Parselmouth,” I said quickly, then realised how impolite I was being to my Head of House.

Even if he was my father.

He raised his eyebrows. “I understand that you have concerns for the Ministry’s proof, but unless you know who is behind all these attacks, the Minister for Magic will not listen to a twelve-year-old girl.”

He gazed at me intently, waiting for a response to his unasked question.

Did I know who was behind these attacks?

Of course I did.

Myself and Tom Riddle.

But I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“No, sir, I have no idea who is doing this.”

Father looked at me for a moment longer, then swept out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, the silence collapsed.

“Dumbledore’s gone, thanks to my father,” Draco said importantly. “I expect Snape’ll get the job of Headmaster, with my father’s vote. And as for that oaf Hagrid…well, he’s definitely not the Heir of Slytherin, but at least he’s gone.”

Theodore Nott smirked while Crabbe and Goyle grunted in an impression of laughter.

Blaise looked absolutely terrified. “Dumbledore’s gone? All the Muggle-borns will be dead by the end of this term!”

I shook my head. “Honestly? Tom won’t care either way. Dumbledore wasn’t really doing much about it. Not that he could.”

Anja sighed. “But the governors suspending him still wasn’t a good idea, was it?”

I shook my head.

We were at a standstill; there was nothing we could do until Tom called me to the Chamber again.

And even then, I couldn’t do much about him, because if I tried to attack him in any way, Ginny would be the one getting hurt.

At breakfast, conversation was kept to a bare minimum. The students from the other houses kept glaring suspiciously at us. I supposed they thought one of us was the Heir of Slytherin.

I suspected that the majority of suspicion was directed at Draco Malfoy, as he kept calling Muggle-borns Mudbloods and acting pleased about so many Muggle-borns being gone.

Nobody seemed to think that Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin anymore, probably because Hermione Granger had been attacked and she was his friend.

But, I reflected, Hermione wasn’t exactly my friend, but a close acquaintance, and I had still gotten her Petrified. No-one really understood how the Chamber worked. You could choose who you wanted to get attacked, but if you didn’t then the basilisk wouldn’t care who your friends were.

I was hoping that I would be able to do something to help Ginny, but she now seemed to be avoiding me.

This, of course, was extremely unhelpful.

Tom Riddle was getting stronger, and I was afraid for Ginny’s life.