Modifying memories

Cyrus exploited Draco's weakness and took complete control of his body.

But he did not immediately launch an attack with the basilisk. For now, he had something more important to do.

From his conversation with Draco, he had learned that the house-elf Dobby had stolen the Diary and delivered it into Draco's hands. Ginny still had memories of the Diary, and if Dumbledore discovered them, Cyrus would likely have nowhere left to hide.

I have to find out whether Ginny told anyone about the Diary, then modify all their memories!

For the time being, Cyrus had no intention of returning to Ginny, either. With things having reached this point, there was no real need to follow the original plot to the letter. As long as the broad strokes did not differ too much, all he needed to do was take Ginny into the Chamber of Secrets at the end and create the illusion that he intended to confront Harry Potter face-to-face.

Now he had to find an opportunity and act quickly.

Still, that was one thing-

Being disarmed right off the bat by Harry, Hermione, and Ginny casting Expelliarmus together was quite another.

A few minutes earlier, Cyrus had been about to look for Ginny. Unexpectedly, he had barely left the common room and turned a corner before running into the four of them, who had been lying in wait.

Four voices shouted "Expelliarmus!" together. Ron's wand immediately backfired, blasting him off his feet. The other three spells shot toward Cyrus, knocking the hawthorn wand out of his hand.

It was not as though Cyrus had no way to fight back. Even with his wand knocked away, he could still cast magic. He simply had another idea now.

"Malfoy! Give Ginny's Diary back, right now!" Hermione said roughly, looking ready to punch him if he refused to hand it over.

"Hurry up! Or I'll give you a taste of slugs!" Ginny was even fiercer than Hermione. "Don't bother denying it. Harry saw you take that Diary out in class!"

Ron, whose backside felt as though it had split into eight pieces, hurriedly scrambled up and stood to one side, borrowing their intimidating presence.

On Valentine's Day, Harry had seen Malfoy writing in a black notebook. He had not thought much of it at the time, but after seeing Ginny, he had remembered the Diary. He had watched Malfoy for several more days and finally confirmed that the diary in his hands was the one Ginny had lost. That was what had led to this confrontation.

Yet Cyrus did not panic in the slightest at the sight of the three wands pressed beneath his chin.

"Wait, wait-I'm not Malfoy!" Cyrus looked earnestly at Ginny, then lowered his voice. "It's me, Riddle!"

"Mr. Riddle?" Ginny immediately lowered her wand, her voice filled with surprise and delight. "How did you-you possessed Malfoy?"

"Oh-so you're Tom Riddle?" Hermione and her two idiot boys all wore odd expressions. With Cyrus wearing Malfoy's face, anything he said sounded rather hard to believe.

"That's right." Cyrus nodded. "Remember when we went to Snape's to steal ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion? I was possessing Ginny then."

"It really is you?" Ron said in surprise. "But how did you end up in Malfoy's hands?"

"We all thought the heir had stolen you," Harry said, puzzled. "Malfoy isn't the heir, and he doesn't know who the heir is, either. Why would he steal you?"

"Because he wanted to help the heir," Cyrus explained.

"He doesn't know who the heir is, but he discovered that I was looking for traces of the heir. He also found out that I wasn't Ginny, but a memory inside the Diary, so he found a way to steal it. What he didn't expect was that I could forcibly take control of his body."

At this, Hermione immediately frowned, apparently finding Cyrus's methods rather too sinister, but Harry and Ron were quite pleased.

"I have to say, even with the same face, you're a lot easier on the eyes than Malfoy." Ron sauntered up and slung an arm around his shoulders, then lowered his voice. "I heard you helped Ginny with her homework?"

"A few times. I didn't think she needed those assignments at her level. Why?"

"What I mean is-I've got loads of homework, too!"

"Ron!" Hermione angrily pulled Ron away from Cyrus.

Harry and Ginny remained close beside him. Suddenly, Ginny looked hurt.

"But if you took control of Malfoy, why didn't you come to find me?"

Cyrus very much wanted to say that he had been planning to find her and then modify their memories. But by the time the words reached his lips, they had become something else entirely.

"It's too dangerous! I think the heir has already discovered that I exist. He just hasn't realized exactly where I'm hiding yet. If I returned to you, I might drag you into danger as well. But I'm using Malfoy's body, so there's no need to worry. No one would think he was the heir's enemy."

"I'm not afraid of danger!" Ginny said firmly.

"Neither are we," Harry immediately added. He hoped this "Mr. Riddle" could give him some useful information.

Actually, I'm a little scared... Ron wanted to say, but looking at his sister and his best friend, he swallowed the words.

"I know you're all very brave, but-"

"But you can't find the culprit on your own, can you?" Hermione interrupted. "We can help. You've worked with us before. You know that!"

Cyrus looked at her for a long time before pretending to give in with a helpless nod.

"All right, I agree to let you join me. But before that, I need to make sure of something-Ginny, you haven't told anyone else about the Diary, have you?"

"No. I only told Hermione and the others."

"Good. Now I need to alter your memories, erase the part about the Diary, and replace it with something else," Cyrus said. "I know you would never reveal my secret, but the heir might use Legilimency to find the answer in your memories. If he discovers my true form, killing me would be far too easy."

Cyrus took his wand back from Harry.

"Promise you'll only change our memories of the Diary, not make us forget everything!" Ginny looked stubbornly at him, afraid that Cyrus was only lying to make them forget everything and keep them out of danger.

"I promise. I'll only modify them!"