September 11th 1940
9.35 pm
Life’s looking up for me. I got an O (that’s Outstanding) in my Potions essay as well as my Transfiguration assignment, and an E (that’s Exceeds Expectations) in Charms. Defense Against the Dark Arts is something I’ve never really scored well in, so I was pretty surprised with my E in it. History of Magic, I scraped an E too, and so did I for the rest of the subjects. Frankly (no blowing my own trumpet), the lowest I’ve ever got is an A (that’s Acceptable), and I only got it once or twice, for Defense Against the Dark Arts, which happens to be one subject I can’t quite grasp well.
And speak of Tom Riddle. We made our ‘mad glint’ theory official by forming a group- The Anti-Riddle. The idea was put forward predictably by Andy and Emma. Really, the Weasleys (that’s the twins) have such plotting brains! Of course, the group consisted of us five, and Charlus Potter and his best friend Harfang Longbottom, Walburga Black, Alberta Brook and a couple of fourth years. Later on, some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws got word of it, and together, around fifteen of us secretly formed a club which stood for non-favouritism and equality, and of course, against Riddle.
Mainly, our goal was to prove the ‘Mad Glint Theory’(yes, it’s now capitalized) correct. We strongly suspected there was something extremely mysterious indeed going on inside the mind of his, and we just wanted to know what it was. At least, Evelyn and I did.
We met in the library, near the Restricted Section (I said near, not in) where not many people come by. Actually, the first meeting went on pretty well, with all of us sharing our encounters with Riddle. But sadly, the second time on, the atmosphere lightened and everyone ended up cracking jokes about him.
Truly, I got annoyed. I told them off, you know, even though they were my friends. I mean, this club was formed in an effort to catch Riddle red-handed doing something he ought not do, for heavens’ sake!
Anyway. The thing is, did I mention something very strange happening in the library? Well, you see, after I shooed off everyone else, I stayed back in the library to clear the mess of scrunched “ up parchments on the table (because honestly, it’s that dirty, the way my friends behave! Babies, the lot are!). The reason I said we were near the Restricted Section, and not in was that there was only a wide stained glass pane separating both portions. But the glass was very thick, so we could not exactly see what was happening in there; it appeared to be a blur.
But yesterday, I think I saw movement in there. Yes, I really did. After everyone was out. It was just me and the librarian, Madam Pauletta (who is a very good friend of mine, by the way) there. And yet, there was someone lurking about in the restricted section?
I smelt a mystery then and there. I went closer to the glass, and pressed my ear against the cool, hard surface. Everything appeared to be silent there. Yet I saw two limbs move around. It was definitely not a teacher, as I could almost make out the black Hogwarts robes around the person. It was a student.
A male, too, for I heard a cough. It definitely sounded male to me.
But then, very suddenly, the figure turned his head towards the door. I think he might have seen me just like I had seen him, because the strangest thing happened. One moment, he was frantically digging into something (his school bag?) and taking out a piece of cloth, and the next, the figure had vanished. Vanished!
I froze for a while, stunned. There was a student in the Restricted Section? The Prefect in me thought of meting out detention at once, but I guess the rationale in me ran back to Madam Paulette.
Madam Paulette is a really sweet lady. Well, to me she is, anyway. Evelyn and Andy are staunch haters of her. They call her absolutely sickening names which disgusts me so much that I do not feel the need to write down in my diary. Back to Madam Pauletta “ she’s really skinny (like me!), and wears pince-nez spectacles on her nose. She’s a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to books; she knows and has read each and every title available in the library. And I’m the most regular visitor there.
Anyway. Back to the happenings.
I ran to her, who was sitting on the front table, doing some calculations. She looked up in surprise when she saw me running, and got up.
“Minerva! What in the world got you so scared?” she asked, astonishment written all over her face. I could imagine how she felt. Here was the usually timid and quite girl, now running as though her robes were on fire.
“Madam Pauletta,” I gasped, almost breathless. “Madam Pauletta, there’s...there’s someone at the Restricted Section.”
Pause. Then, a frown replaced her surprised look. “Now...? But the only people here were you and your friends!”
I shook my head. This was not the time for explanations; we had to catch the student before he slipped away. “It was a boy, Madam Pauletta. I heard him cough, and he was wearing the school robes. It’s most definitely a student.”
Madam Pauletta started walking very fast towards the Restricted Section. “Well, in that case, Miss Prefect, we certainly need to punish the boy,” she said, a slow smile playing at her lips.
I got disappointed, trying to keep up with her fast strides. She was probably the only person who had respected my decision to become a Prefect, and now she too was mocking me? I said nothing.
As we reached the Restricted Section, she peeked in. “There’s no one in here, Minerva,” she said doubtfully.
“Madam Pauletta, “I said in despair, wondering how on earth I was going to explain this. “This may sound mad, but he disappeared.”
Madam Pauletta withdrew her head from the room and stared at me in disbelief. “Disappeared?” she asked incredulously. “Minerva, surely you know we can’t App-“
“He didn’t Apparate,” I cut in. “He...well...vanished.”
Madam Pauletta stared at me for a while, as though assessing the extent of my madness. “Vanish?” she asked skeptically. “Minerva, how possibly can a mere Hogwarts student vanish?”
“I don’t know!” I replied, exasperated. “I’m just telling you what I saw,” I mumbled, turning back and striding out of the library, ignoring her calling me.
For a sick suspicion just crept up in me. Was the person Riddle, trying to spy on our club?
Anyway. You must be thinking what an old crackpot I am, to go about suspecting Riddle for creeping about in the Restricted Section, right? The truth is, I’m pretty muddled up. I haven’t mentioned this to my friends either, in the fear that they too might agree with the librarian to get my head treated.
Oh, what do I do?
Confused,
Minerva
(I’m too gloomy to add in any last note now)