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Chapter Text

“You absolute nutter”

Ron stared at Harry in disbelief as he slid the polished ring on. Usually when you find an abandoned piece of jewelry in the Wizarding world.. Well there’s about a 98 percent chance it’s cursed according to hermione. 

“See? I told you I wouldn’t die!- And if you were so worried about it being jinxed maybe you shouldn’t have dared me to put it on in the first place”, Harry concluded bringing his hand up high watching the moonlight glint of the oddly pristine ring that should probably be in bad condition considering where they found it.

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it!”, Ron protested still wide eyed from awe or worry, Harry would never know. 

Well the more Harry thought about it, maybe he shouldn’t have tried on a ring he found in the creepy, demented looking shrieking shack. Not to mention Ron was the one who dared Harry to even enter it in the first place.

“I’m in Gryffindor for a reason mate”

Going by the disapproving look in Hermione’s eyes, shes had enough watching their stupidity from the sidelines, “Ron stop daring Harry to do dangerous things!”

Harry immediately stopped grinning as hermione’s piercing gaze fell onto him. “And you! I know you’re smarter than listening to Ron!” 

A small protest of “excuse me?” Was heard from Ron. 

“I am smarter Hermione. I was just humoring him”, Harry concluded almost giving Ron what could be a consoling expression if not for the slip of a smile poking at the edges of his mouth. 

Right timing humor seemed to calm Hermione down. “I think at one point or another we all humor him”, Hermione agreed with her own small grin.

“Hmp! Well if I’m going to get ganged up on I might as well just go to bed!”, the ginger aded before hiking out of the abandoned shack.

“I think I might be heading off to bed too, it’s getting late”, Harry sighed. 

—

Harry sagged into his room content with himself for not passing out on the way to his dormitory, Harry looked over seeing Ron already snoring.

“Idiot”, Harry whispered fondly kicking off his shoes and invisibility cloak.

Yawning loudly satisfied knowing nothing could wake Ron up, Harry made way to his bed.  He wasn’t aware of how cold he really was until he sunk into the warmth of his sheets.

“Mmm.. what do wizards do to fall asleep again?”, Harry asked himself knowing no one would answer.

“Oh right! They probably count snitches”, Harry mumbled into his pillow closing his eyes.

“One… snitch….. two.. snitch”

Harry felt the darkness pull finally falling asleep. Not aware of the monster- instead of under his bed is actually on his finger. And what a handsome monster he is.

Chapter Text

Harry didn’t dream tonight but he could feel another presence beside him, he was sure of it. For all he knew it could be Ron trying to draw on his face again. 

“Ugh Ron you’ve done it this time, it’s too early for this”, Harry mumbled reaching for his glasses ;Clumsily putting them on. Now with his vision in check Harry could see a clearly still sleeping Ron drooling onto his pillow. Harry could have sworn he felt another person by his bed, strange.. 

After a quick tempus he knew he had to wake up Ron if they wanted to make it to breakfast on time. Or Harry could simply leave Ron here snoozing. But Harry knew even with the no other gender in a room protection spell on the dorm, Hermione would still find a way to get in just to scold Ron. Harry wasn’t that cruel.

Harry slugged himself over to Ron’s bed to hover over him. There’s probably many amazing ways to wake him up but for now. 

“..ow!”

Was Harry a bad person and enjoying it? Yes

“You just pinched me..!?”

Harry hummed going back to his things to get his messily hanged uniform. “Would you rather deal with a pinch or an angry hermione?” 

Ron started getting ready.

“Ron isn’t that your sister?”, Harry pointed over to the sickly looking redhead girl with freckles across the table. She was staring holes at them. 

Ron paused in his mission to consume everything and maybe even his plate too just to take a quick glance up, “yeh mate, she’s a first year now. Isn’t that great?” 

Harry agreed hesitantly,“Yes...”

Harry could feel a stare burning the side of his head for every breath he took. Maybe he wouldn’t mind if she was subtle about it but she was anything but. “Um Ron, is it just me or is your sister staring a bit?” 

By now Ron was finishing up the last of his food, “She did mention you a lot at home, maybe she fancies you”

Harry slowly looked back to Ron’s sister and he was pretty sure she hasn’t blinked yet. In a way she looked like something from a horror muggle film.

“Blimey!”, Harry whispered starting to pack his satchel. “You know Ron, I think I’d better head to class early”.

“But it’s potions today Harry”, was all Ron said with a confused look.

“My point exactly”

 Harry stood up and turned toward the entrance before Ron called out, “don’t think about dating my sister!”

Harry internally grimaced as he looked toward Ron’s sister again just to see her eye spasm then twitch. 

“What the-”, Harry mumbled. “Ron, you have nothing to worry about!”

“So this is where you were” 

 Hermione looked up from her book of 100 ways to churn a powder, “Harry!”

Harry grinned as he took his seat by her, “why weren’t you at breakfast today Hermione?”. Usually hermione was the one that urged them to not skip meals and here she was studying.

“I had hoped to make this headache potion without questioning myself with every ingredient I add”, hermione said showing him her notes.

“Hermione you’ll be just fine in class today”, Harry chided taking a closer look at her notes. 

Hermione smiled before furrowing her eyebrows, “Harry, why did you come to potions early? Snape isn’t even here yet.” 

Harry’s nose scrunched as he recalled earlier events, “Ron’s sister was acting weird” 

“You can’t just call a girl weird!”, hermione scolded while taking her notes back. 

“It’s true though- she was staring at me while twitching, hermione!”

Hermione’s eyes slightly widened, “well..maybe she has a medical condition then” 

“More like she was possessed”, Harry mumbled under his breath. With the way she was looking he wouldn’t be surprised if she actually was taken over by some sort of evil spirit.

Just as he said this he felt a magic pulse from somewhere almost as if it were amused...strange

Chapter Text

Harry loved defense against the dark arts- just not right in this moment.

Professor Lockheart was taking advantage of a spell that magically held up a conjured mirror in front of his face as he did his hair.

Harry waited patiently but he couldn’t say the same for Hermione who looked like suspense was contorting her body as she leaned forward in her seat.

He was already dismissal about Lockheart after he kept Harry in his grips for an audience photo at the book shop but was Lockheart really going to be the one to teach everyone defense?

And was Hermiome going to fall off her chair with how much she was leaning forward?

Almost eight agonizingly long minutes later Lockheart finally deemed his hair worthy enough for him to face his students.

“Okay class!”, Professor Lockheart gave a show of glossy full row teeth and maybe if lockheart was younger it could have been a bit charming but to Harry it just looked like a smile from the cougars of dudley’s personal magazines, revolving in cheap sex appeal. Harry shivered to himself trying to get the imagery out of him mind.

“Today we will be talking about the dark nature of vampires and my extraordinary ability to rid of them!”, Lockgheart grinned.

Harry knew vampires must be powerful but he doubted you really needed all much extraordinary means to get rid of them, especially since professor Quirrell warded them off with only the stench of garlic. Then again- professor Quirrell did turn out to be a loyal servant with Voldemort riding on the back of his head so maybe Harry shouldn’t look back to his first year defense class for trusty information. But even so, weren’t vampires passive until angered? Why did they need to learn to rid of vampires anyway? Harry was starting to doubt this professor just like the last one. 

Harry could have rolled his eyes when he heard Hermione let out a small gasp of amazement. He already knew a future tangent about this lesson was going to be thrown around later. 

“Now I would like everyone to take out your hard book cover of ‘lockheart dominates dark debits’ and turn to chapter four where I go into depth about defeating these powerful beings!” 

Ron who was sitting next to Harry suddenly leaned in close and whispered, “I bet two knuts he reads his own books to himself at night before his beauty rest, brilliant isn’t it? He writes his own bedtime stories”.

Harry tried to hide his amusement but failed as he let out a loud snort attracting Lockheart’s attention toward their table.

 “Weasely, it seems you couldn’t help but talk about my glorious takedowns with Harry here! Good, now take a five points to Gryffindor”

Harry gaped at ron who was also not dignifying anything less than a gobsmacked expression. 

Lockheart then turned his gaze solely toward Harry and declared with confidence, “now Harry! Please read paragraph seven for us”

Harry elbowed Ron to show his ire for making him laugh but Ron seemed to have still been dazed from earning Gryffindor five points. Though Harry couldn’t blame him, those five points were the first thing Ron has contributed this school year score wise and he got them by talking funny about a professor. Fred and George would probably enjoy the effort.

Harry then realized the class was still waiting so he looked down to read. “I was in the unlit woods. Every pinecone crunching underneath my feet until I ran into... a vampire!”, Harry tried to read the exclamation marks with enthusiasm but it came off a bit stotic with sarcasm. 

Harry shurugged off Hermione’s glare then continued, “I knew I had to fight but he just ran into a vampire coven! He knew it has his time to put his knowledge to use by reaching into his bag and taking out his-“

“Professor!”, hermione urged interrupting Harry and he was glad for a reason to stop his suffering. 

Lockheart who only looked mildly annoyed at his book narration being stopped turned over to look at her. “Yes, Mrs Granger?” 

 “Professor, in the story it turns from first person to third person. Does that have any significance in warding vampires?”

Lockheart seemed to have realized that Hermione was right and looked nervous about it, “yes- well it appears the book has an error that I will fix immediately for all future copies sold”

Hermione preened in Lockheart’s attention while Harry and Ron shared a grossed out look.

In the common room they threw themselves at the couches. “Defense is so tiring! And Professor doesn’t even look legit!”, Ron groaned and Harry happily agreed.

Hermione looked scandalized from her spot on the couch, “Ron! Lockheart is talented and you just have to accept that he is an accomplished man that has flourished in his carrier!”

Harry thought about it, he really did but Professor Lockheart just seemed like he was only seeking the thrill of fame. “Yeah it seems odd doesn’t it? Based of last year Dumbledore really is choosing defense professors with his eyes closed”.

The ring on Harry’s finger pulsed in what could have been mirth bringing his attention to it. 

“Oh I forgot I had this on”, Harry casually said.

Ron’s eyes strayed toward the ebony ring, “might as well keep it mate, it suits you”

Hemione’s good mood from having Lockheart earlier diminished as she threw a stink eye at ron. “Ronald Weasely! The ring could easily be dangerous still-”

“But m’ione”, Ron protested. “If it was as dangerous as you say then Harry would have keeled over in his sleep by now!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence”, Harry pouted.

Hermione ignored Harry and faced Ron, “Maybe it needs time to settle in, the death that is”

Harry knew Ron and hermione were going to start an argument so he pointedly ignored the pair and decided to just take the ring off.

Or at least Harry tried to take the ring off as he started tugging on it.  

“Er- it’s shrunk”

Hermione stopped her assault on Ron and turned to Harry, “what do you mean it’s shrunk?” 

Harry laughed nervously, “I mean it won’t come off” 

“Let me take a look” 

Hermione walked over to Harry and held up his hand examining it. “It didn’t shrink”, she muttered to herself.

Harry watched as Hermione softly held the ring in between her fingers before she violently yanked. 

Harry sucked in a breath as pain flash through his hand.

“Could have gave me a warning, Hermione!”

Hermione bit her lip, “well maybe it just needs another pull..”

And then hermione somehow yanked even fiercer and Harry was sure his bone was dislocated. 

“I’m going to be sick”, Harry groaned. 

Hermione huffed at him, “well I needed to be sure”

“I hope you got what you needed from me”, Harry drawled while nursing his abused hand. 

“Blimey hermione, I reckon you caused Harry more danger than that ring has”, Ron chided from where he resided still on the couch. 

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and Harry decided to just head off to bed.

Harry was wearing the ring still while in the great hall. He supposed it was apart of his attire now and for the unforeseen future. Repeatedly Ron said it suited him so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt him to accept it.

Harry tried to take a bite of his toast in peace but he felt a disturbance. Looking across the table he saw Ron’s sister staring at him again. It was almost as if she were slowly deteriorating with how her skin was loosing color. Harry made eye contact and gasped as he saw her deep grey eye bags. 

“Oh my god!”, Hermione furiously whispered as she looked to see why Harry was so disturbed. 

“I know right? It’s like I’m on her hit list”, Harry scrunched his nose.

“Harry! I thought you were exaggerating, do you think she maybe ate something bad or is she usually this grey..”, Hermione’s bushy hair bounced as she shook her head. 

“Whater you giuse talking bout’”, Ron said with a mouth full of sausage. 

Hermione winced as she pulled her plate farther away from Ron’s, “you’re sister is acting strange” 

Ron took a gulp of juice before looking at his sister who was already staring at them. “Oh Ginny is just looking cause’ she admires Harry”

Harry looked toward the girl who’s name was Ginny. “Yup, that’s definitely admiration..”, he drawled.

Chapter Text

The September month flew by into October as Harry worked to maintain his grades, thanks to hermione he actually succeeded in his efforts all the meanwhile trying to advoid lockheart and Ron’s sister. It’s been tiresome.

The air was crisp on their skin as Ron and him were both outside enjoying their free period, or at least Harry was.

“It’s getting too cold for my thin coats to handle”, Ron shivered while wincing against the oncoming wind.

Harry looked down and observed Ron’s worn out Weasely sweater with its signature ‘R’ on it. Really, it looked like it needed a break.. or better idea, a funeral.

“Why not just ask your mom to make you a new one?”, Harry pondered.

With that Ron grew a sour look. “I wish but it’s tradition to wait until Christmas for your new one and something tells me she won’t break a 30 year tradition just for me”. Ron pouted and that almost made harry give in, almost.

Just when Harry was about to respond, two more identical ginger heads popped out from nowhere into the courtyard.

“It’s getting cold enough for the green leaves to turn orange”, Fred- or at least who Harry thought was Fred piped up.

“But your head is already orange”, George quickly followed.

“So if we permanently made your hair green”

“Wouldn’t our dear mother be convinced that”

“The cold weather is changing your hair”

“To degrees never seen before”

“And to help this undiagnosed illness”

“You need the sweater now”

“To keep the Sickness at bay”, Fred finished happily.

“Keep your green ink away from my hair!”, Ron rushed warily quickly disposing the twin’s plans. Harry couldn’t blame him, who would want that colored hair?

Both the twins frowned, “aw no fun little brother”.

“Wouldn’t like fancy green locks now would you ronnie?”, George said sadly.

“Of course not brother, it is a slytherin color!” Fred chastised happily.

“Then wouldn’t that mean we would just have to make it plum purple”, George pleasantly added.

“I think we’d have to make it neon purple while we’re at it” Fred ping ponged back making Ron open his mouth in shock.

“Only then would dear mom seriously consider making him the sweater early”

“No!” Ron shouted “I’ll wait until December!”

The twins smiled at their youngest brother as he ran away as fast as he could successfully leaving Harry alone with them.

They both turned to Harry with a sparkle in their eyes.

Harry wasn’t exactly sure how he got involved in their plans too but he’d rather not wake up to having neon strands in the morning thank you very much.

“Uh- I need to go find hermione” Harry patheticly said turning around before his wrist was snatched by a ginger.

“Wait harrykins!” Fred smiled mischievously with victory that he caught Harry before he got away. George wasn’t any help by egging Fred on of course. They fueled each other’s delinquent behavior. Though it was pretty brilliant when he wasn’t victim to any of the tricks.

George took his other wrist and they both spun him around almost making him fall awkwardly. “Wait guys!”, Harry struggled in their hold while they laughed more churned upon from his visible struggle. “Harrykins we’ve got something for you!”, George smiled and Harry was anxious for what it was.

Before Harry knew it he was watching as Fred pulled out a book from his robe- on closer inspection it was..what was it?

“It’s a diary”, Fred stated proudly.

Harry looked closer and Fred was right it was a diary. But who was Tom riddle?

Slowly Harry looked at their humorous expressions. “Why are you showing me a diary?.

Both the gingers looked slowly at each other before smiling

“Oh it’s not just any diary”, Fred said.

“It’s one of a kind”, George piped back

“It’s the one and only”

“Our little sisters”

“Beloved”

“Diary”

This confused Harry because from what he knew. The squeamish girl he knew, Ron’s little sister’s name wasn’t Tom- it was ginny. So why did the diary say Tom riddle?

Harry voiced his confusion. “If it’s her diary why does it say tom on it?”

The twins shrugged. “We reckon she bought this second hand probably”, George said nonchalantly.

Harry was still confused.

“And why are you offering me your sisters diary?”

Fred this time answered for the two, “because she speaks about you all the time!”

“We got it while she was asleep!”, George happily admitted.

Harry was getting a headache.

“I can’t take your sister’s diary! That’s wrong and I don’t even want it”, Harry shook of their hands.

Both the twins seemed to have guessed he was going to say that and they both shared a look.

“If you don’t take it we’ll leave it here and some stranger will take it!”

“Yeah! Imagine what they would do with poor gin’s diary!”

Harry was worried as they actually would do something extreme like that”

“Fine”, Harry said as he reluctantly took the diary.

(Harry wondered why it felt so right in his hand like how the ring felt when it was first held by him)

Chapter Text

Harry knew the twins were notorious pranksters, but giving him Ginny's personal diary was a new low, even for them. As he held the diary in his hands, he couldn't help but feel conflicted. On one hand, he knew the twins didn't have any malicious intentions; they probably believed that reading Ginny's inner thoughts might bring them closer together. It was sweet in its own way, though terribly misguided. The twins were really just trying to do Ginny a favor but Harry wanted no part of that.

Contemplating the situation further, Harry thought about how he could never go along with such a plan. The idea of using Ginny's diary as a means to make him fall for her felt horrible. He'd rather fall in love with a worm than be coerced into this, not to mention ginny wasn’t his type.

With vigor, Harry made his way to the Gryffindor common room. He gruffly spoke the password (‘watterbird’) to the Fat Lady, who, thankfully, minded her own business. Harry was relieved, as he wasn't sure how to explain the situation to the portrait.

Once inside, he spotted Ron engrossed in devouring a chocolate frog. Despite his annoyance at Ron for leaving him alone with the twins, Harry decided not to confront him about it. If he did, Ron would probably ask what the twins had done, and Harry knew it wouldn’t do any good to tell him about the diary.

Instead, he silently climbed the stairs to his room, his thoughts still lingering on the tempting diary. It was intriguing, almost like there was some mysterious connection between the diary and the ring on his finger. The allure of it made Harry want to explore further, but he couldn't bring himself to read someone else's private thoughts.

Harry wrestled with his internal conflict. Opening the diary felt wrong, but maybe taking a quick peek wouldn't hurt? It wasn't as invasive as looking at it all, right?

He wouldn’t read it. He would just take a peek, there’s a difference.

As he contemplated the diary, he considered that it might give him insight into why Ginny acts the way that she does. Perhaps, if he understood her better, he could even help her out of the gloomy state she seemed to be in. That thought alone might appease the twins; they only wanted the best for their sister.

God, it would make him such a horrible person if he opened the diary but there was just something about it that reeled him in and it made him feel aware and it was too late anyway he was already lifting the cover..

to Harry's surprise, as he flipped through the pages, he found them all blank. Confused, he flipped through them again and again, maybe thrice somehow expecting something to magically appear. Nothing appeared.

Returning the diary wasn’t an option anymore; it would be too embarrassing to admit to ron that he had his sister’s diary in the first place.. He could just tell Ron that the twins gave him Ginny’s diary… Yeah no that wouldn’t end well. He could already imagine ron berating him for having that sort of item but it wasn’t his fault! - he didn’t really have choice in the matter anyway.

And it’s not like Harry could just apologize and give the diary back to the youngest Weasley. No, Harry decided. He still had some pride left. But he might as well make use of it since he wasn’t going to return it..

His mischievous side surfacing. With a small laugh, he grabbed a quill and began writing an imaginary to-do list.

As he penned down the points, he couldn't help but smile at his own dark humor.

Harry wrote a number one and next to it put ‘kill ron’. Nodding to himself he thought his handwriting was good enough. Now he put a number two with a ‘attend his funeral’. His imaginary to-do list was very well planned indeed Harry thought proudly.

However, to his astonishment, the diary responded to his writing as if it had a mind of its own.

‘What did Ron do to deserve this harrowing end, by your own hands nether less .’

Harry blinked. Was he going crazy or did this diary just write to him?

Maybe Harry was crazy since wrote back, ‘he left when I needed him’

The book pulsed a feeling of amusement.

‘Of course. Though are you usually found writing such murderous thoughts in books you come across?’

Intrigued and a little spooked, Harry engaged conversation with the diary. It introduced itself as an intelligent item. Curiosity and caution warred within Harry. On one hand, he wanted to know more about this mysterious diary and its origins, but on the other hand, he felt a sense of unease at having a conversation with an enchanted book.

And what was peculiar was that Harry felt the need to respond.

‘No! I was just joking. I would never do something like that to Ron. What are you anyway?’

If the book could hum, it did.

‘How did you come across me’, the book asked instead of answering.

No way was Harry going to tell the book how he got it but the book must have knew he wasn’t going to answer from the long pause so it asked another question.

‘What is your name?’

Harry was still shaken by the thought that this diary had a mind of its own. Did Ginny know that this book talked back? Maybe it was a fun little charm that made it like this.

‘I’m Harry potter’

There was a small feeling before that Harry couldn’t tell exactly what it was but he could feel a bit of it for sure after scribing his name. What he felt was malice.

‘Ah, I see’, the elegant words appeared and thats all that showed for a full long minute of Harry waiting in anticipation.

The diary wrote again, this time introducing itself. ‘I am a memory charmed to be in this diary. My name is Tom riddle.

Harry couldn't shake off the feeling that this encounter was just the beginning of something much more significant, something that might even change the course of his life at Hogwarts.