Harry looked between the six people that Harry was sitting closest to and cleared his throat.

"Um…we need to talk." said Harry carefully.

"Bout what, cub?" asked Sirius ruffling his hair. He was so relieved that Harry had come back to the bowl, nothing could bother him.

"This chapter, can we go somewhere private?" said Harry.

"Sure, just us three?" said Remus kindly, doing his best to keep in Harry's good books.

"No, you guys, Dumbledore and um…" he pointed to Rudolph and Leroy.

"The names you are looking for is Uncle Rudy and Uncle Lee." said Leroy with a broad smile.

"Yeah." said Harry rubbing the back of his white haired head, embarrassingly. "Can we go to the teacher's lounge or something?"

"Of course, we won't be a moment." said Dumbledore standing up and smiling to the others in the room.

All seven of them made their way into the Teacher's Lounge and took seats at the table. Everyone except for Harry, who stood beside the wardrobe and ran a hand down the paneling that had hidden himself and Ron from the teachers all those years ago.

"You wanted to talk to us about something Harry?" said Leroy, trying to gently prompt the boy to speak.

"This chapter…down in the chamber…things don't go well." said Harry quietly.

"Things never go well towards the end of any book." said Dumbledore wisely, "Not even these sorts of books."

Harry muttered quietly, his words unheard by the men in the room.

"What was that, Harry?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I…I almost die." said Harry quietly.

The room went silent.

"What did you say?" asked Dumbledore weakly. He hoped that the boy had misspoke.

"I almost died." he repeated, "But I got help just in time." he added reassuringly.

"Harry…" said Remus in an almost inaudible whisper, his face pale. Guilt ripping through his chest at his actions earlier.

"Was it the Basilisk?" said Dr. Clark weakly. Knuckles began to whiten as Harry nodded.

Dumbledore buried his face in his hands. "Harry.."

"I just wanted to…pre-warn you, before it…was read to you." said Harry

"We can understand that, Harry." said Rudolph, who was a sickly sort of green. "And we appreciate it, but do your friends know?"

"Well…I don't remember if I ever told them that…" said Harry thoughtfully. "I didn't want them to worry."

"Well, they're worrying now." said Leroy his whole body shaking. "Should we get back to the readings? End this blasted book, like taking a Band-Aid off a wound, fast and painless."

"Excellent idea, let's get this over with." said Rudolph, "Best stretch that bowl out, so we all can sit in it." He handed a large box of tissues around the room and each adult took one, blew their nose and wiped the tears forming in their eyes.

They made their way back into the Great Hall, and were met by Ron and Hermione, standing right in front of the Great Hall's door.

"What did you guys talk about?" asked Hermione quickly.

"Harry, you'd best tell them." said Leroy softly.

Harry took them outside of the Great Hall, leaving everyone else sitting and wondering what was so terrible that Harry had to talk to people in private.

"Let's stretch this bowl out, shall we?" said Rudolph, rolling up his sleeves. The men, except for Dr. Clark who just watched and was preparing to run to the nearest bathroom to throw up, lengthened and stretched out the bowl.

"Okay, now we're just missing the green eyed terror and we'll be all set." said Remus with a shaky smile.

They watched as the door to the Great Hall open and in came Ron and Hermione both being supported by Harry. Hermione was weeping bitterly and Ron was deathly pale.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" hiccupped Hermione.

"Didn't want to freak you guys out." said Harry quietly.

"Come here, cub." said Sirius holding out his arms. "We aren't letting you get away today."

Harry gave his friends one last hug and went to go and sit in the bowl.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." said Lionus. "I'm amazed the kids didn't want lunch."

"We were too nauseated to even think about eating." said Ron who was pale and shaking.

"The Heir of Slytherin" said Lionus loudly.

"Well…at least the nightmares will end." said Charlie with a weak smile.

He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

"Harry, this is the one time that having a very good descriptive mind is not a good thing." said Bill holding Ginny tightly.

His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar?

People in the Great Hall took a collective gulp.

And where was Ginny?

"Damn good question." said Charlie.

He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement.

"Good boy, very good boy." said Rudolph as he hugged Harry's elbow.

"I didn't expect to be draped across you guys again." said Harry. He was laid across the men's lap and unable to really move.

"Again? We've never held you." said Leroy, trying his hand at being funny during the current chapter. "You've leaned against us, yeah, but we never held you while the reading was going on."

"I'm amazed that Dumbledore isn't sitting over here." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Best let you bond with him, I've had five years, the rest of you haven't had the time." said Dumbledore with a smile. "When the opportunity arises, I will make every effort to let my fear get the best of me and latch onto Harry's shirt."

"Good luck finding a piece that isn't otherwise occupied by us." said Sirius.

The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir.

"Did it?" said Neville with a squeak.

"Yeah." said Fred with a low voice. "They say that the statues down there are haunted."

"With the poor unfortunate souls of the victims of the monster." said George.

"They stand guard over the entrance to the chamber, trying to deter people from awakening the monster that laid dormant in the chamber." said Fred finishing on a soft voice.

"But if they fail, and the unfortunate individual continues down the gloomy path, they have no choice, but…to…" said George.

"EAT YOU!" shouted the twins in Neville's ear. He squeaked loudly and jumped about a foot in the air.

"You guys sure aren't helping to ease people." said Dean.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above:

"You are in the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny's been captured, Ron's stuck back there with an idiot who tried oblivate the both of you. AND YOU TAKE IN THE SITES?" said Tonks in shock.

Harry mouthed an apology to Ginny, who was too busy giggling to take offense.

It was ancient and monkeyish,

"He wasn't the handsomest man around." said Dumbledore honestly.

"If he posed for that, then that's an understatement." muttered Ginny with a small smile.

with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

"I've got a question, why did he not pose with shoes on?" said Harry.

"He walked barefoot almost everywhere he went, he believed that shoes inhibited him from using the powers of the earth. There are some people still in this world that believe that their skin should always be in contact with the earth." said Rudolph.

"We met two tribes of them down in Africa. One of them were pretty pleasant people, their sister tribe however, not so much." said Leroy.

"Sad thing is, they behave the same way, same clothing style, same homes, only difference is that they'll kill you when given half a chance." said Rudolph.

And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry muttered, sprinting to her and dropping to his knees.

"Wow, just like in the movies." said Dennis in a whisper.

"Ginny — don't be dead — please don't be dead—" He flung his wand aside,

"You didn't tell us about this part." said Dumbledore in shock, "Never throw your wand away." he scolded Harry gently.

"Yeah, I learned my lesson pretty quickly." said Harry sheepishly.

"I can permanently fix your wand to hand if you ever have the desire to throw your wand again." said Sirius.

grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold,

"You touched my face?" said Ginny blushing.

"Well...I wasn't sure if you were okay, and I sort of...slapped your face."

"Does this mean I get a free hit?" said Ginny with a teasing smile.

"Whether it hits or not is completely up for debate." said Harry wickedly.

yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be…"

"I couldn't think of it, I didn't want to think of it." said Harry clapping his hands to his ears.

"She's okay, Cub. She's fine." said Sirius.

"Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

"I just about went mad." said Harry quietly. "It was all my fault."

"How do you figure?" asked Ron quickly.

"I should have figured it out sooner, I should have woken up and fixed everything right away." said Harry.

"Do you think you could have managed it?" said Remus.

"I could have tried!" shouted Harry. "I could have given up the idea of making people think that I was nothing more than a mediocre twelve year old! I could have put all my resources into finding out what the hell it was! No, I was too busy…too busy…"

"Acting like a twelve year old, and enjoying what you had at the time. It's not your burden to solve the world's problems, dear boy." said Dumbledore kindly but his eyes were saddened. "I should have had half of the mental prowess you, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger used that year. It should have been my weight to bear."

Harry looked unconvinced.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees.

"Wow, have you ever tried breakdancing?" asked Lee.

"What part of, 'can't dance to save my life' didn't you catch?" said Harry with a smirk.

"You could learn…" said Fred.

"I've tried dancing, didn't go well for my dance partner, or teacher." said Harry with a slight blush. "They couldn't walk for weeks."

"That's when we decided to sign him up for electronic's classes." said Dr. Clark. "He did pretty good in that class. He managed to make a remote controlled airplane out of a pop bottle." he said proudly.

A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching.

"Who the hell would be down there?" asked a fourth year Hufflepuff.

"How long was he down there? Did the monster grab him too?" asked a second year Slytherin.

"No, he planned on being down there." said Ron with a snarl.

He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him.

"Tom — Tom Riddle?"

"Wait? What the hell is he doing there?" asked Bill.

"He's just a memory! What is going on?" asked Charlie.

Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.

"That's disturbing, it's like he fancies you." said Sirius.

"Sometimes, I'm not too sure he doesn't." said Harry matter-of-factly.

People turned and looked at him quickly.

"What makes you say that, Mon?" asked Rudolph quickly.

"Mon?" said Harry confused.

"It was short for 'Little Monster'." said Leroy. "You were the absolute definition of a monster when you were a baby, running amuck here and there, well I should say crawling amuck. You would crawl right to where your favorite cookies were, reach in and grab one. And when we would catch you, you would point to us and motion that you were getting one for us, and then when we'd say that we didn't want it, you'd point to yourself as if you were asking if you could have it."

"Like we said, Little Monster." said Rudolph said with a smile, "And like I said, what makes you say that?"

"Just the way he looks at me, makes me uneasy." said Harry clutching his shoulder.

"Why does it sound like you've seen him a few times since?" asked Ernie.

"I've sort of met him one more time after this." said Harry quietly.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?"

"You weren't this frantic in the last book." said Sirius.

"Nobody was what looked like dead lying in front of me." said Harry quietly.

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"Wishful thinking." snarled Remus.

"Tell me about it." said Harry.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there—

"Harry, wonder about that some other time!" said Bathilda Bagshot worriedly.

but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"Well, you got your good sense from your mother, your father would just start wandering about." said Professor McGonagall fondly.

"You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again.

"I was gentle this time." said Harry holding his hands up quickly.

"We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk…I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help me."

"You're asking for help? The world is doomed." sneered Zacharias. Suddenly he was blasted back by six curses, miraculously dodging four of them and a trio of shouting adults.

"NOT THE TIME FOR THAT SORT OF HUMOR!" screeched the Weasleys and Dr. Clark.

Riddle didn't move. Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor,

"I thought Ron said you were tough." said Zacharias cursing as he climbed back into his seat.

"Didn't mean I was used to picking up unconscious people." shot back Harry.

and bent to pick up his wand again.

But his wand had gone.

"That's what happens when you throw your wand like that. Better hope that Ollivander doesn't hear about this." said Sirius trying to tease his gloomy godson.

"Did you see —?"

He looked up. Riddle was still watching him — twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.

"Dear lord." said Dumbledore faintly. "Him wielding your wand could prove disastrous."

"How do you figure?" asked Charlie. "Besides sort of the obvious mistrust of him."

"He doesn't have a real body, if he were to cast, even the simplest of spells, he could have drained Harry's wand of all it's magical energy." said Dumbledore.

"That is something to worry about." said Dr. Clark weakly.

"Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it.

"While you're holding Ginny? That's impressive." said Sirius.

"I wasn't heavy!" said Ginny indignantly.

"You were to someone who weighed even less than you." said Poppy gently.

A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly.

"Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight.

Ginny pouted and crossed her arms.

"Ginny…I…" said Harry hopelessly. "I didn't…you weren't…you aren't…"

"You are on your own kid." said Sirius with a smirk.

"We've got to go! If the basilisk comes —"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.

"Wait, what?" said Charlie.

"That's becoming the slogan for these books." said George.

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.

"What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —"

"Might? We can go well beyond 'might'!" said Moody sharply.

Riddle's smile broadened.

"You won't be needing it," he said.

"What do you mean; he won't be needing it?" said Remus faintly.

"Bad feeling." said Sirius worriedly.

Harry stared at him.

"What d'you mean, I won't be —?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Yeah, he's gone from Prefect and Head Boy, to stalker and pedophile." said Charlie.

"Sounds as creepy as Lockhart." said Dr. Clark.

"Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it.

"Oh, he got it, alrighty." said Harry sourly.

We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later —"

"We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry's wand.

Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here…

"I'm going to attribute the slowness of the mind to seeing Ginny on the floor." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"Works for me." said Harry.

"How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly.

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"You did what?" said Bill.

Ginny looked down shamefully.

"Why…shorty…?" said Charlie. Ginny still refused to answer.

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes —

Both Bill and Charlie grew pale.

how her brothers tease her,

"Who teased you?" asked Fred and George. "We didn't tease you!"

"We certainly didn't do it either!" said Bill and Charlie. Both Ron and Percy shuffled their feet.

"Mom, sit this one out, we'll handle them." said Charlie snarling.

"Ron made up for it, for coming to find me." said Ginny quietly.

"Then Percy is going to have a lot of explaining to do." said Bill angrily.

how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books,

Mr. Weasley looked at his daughter, with a sorrowful look on his face.

"I didn't mean it Daddy." said Ginny quickly.

how —" Riddle's eyes glinted "— how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…"

"What would have gotten you to like me, Harry?" asked Ginny quietly.

"I already did like you." said Harry with a smile. "I was a twelve year old boy, I wasn't interested in relationship making."

All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them.

"Okay, now that's really creepy." said Ron.

"It's very boring,

Ginny looked at the book in shock, and looked at Harry. He smiled slightly at her and mouthed, 'You're far from boring.'

having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," he went on.

"Would rather listen to a little girl than an insane maniac." muttered Harry.

"But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind.

"Harry, you're sounding like Sirius when he's in his animagus form." said Remus as he heard Harry growling fiercely.

Ginny simply loved me.

Ginny blushed a deep shade of red.

No one's ever understood me like you, Tom… I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in… It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…"

Ginny blushed even deeper, but no one laughed, this was too serious a moment to make fun of her.

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck.

"If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed.

"Not everyone he needed." said Harry with a smirk.

So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted… I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"

"Oh, Ginny." said Charlie worriedly.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were too busy sobbing into each other's shoulders and whispering prayers to even move or take in the fact that their daughter was just fine and safe in her brother's arms.

"What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry.

"Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets.

The school went silent. Even the fourth years and up hadn't heard who was the one who opened the terrible chamber, they had only heard that the nightmare was over. They couldn't believe that Ginny had been the one.

She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat."

"No," Harry whispered.

"Yes." said Ginny weakly.

"No you didn't." said Harry strongly, making Ginny jump slightly. "He controlled you, you had no idea, no choice in the matter. You didn't do it, he only used your physical body to do it, not your soul, or your heart."

"…Harry…" said Ginny, eye brimming with tears. Romilda scowled.

"What the hell is up with the sappy talk?" said Sirius sticking his tongue out. "You're sounding like a love sick nut."

"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face,

Harry began to growl even louder, this time his teeth baring fiercely. Strangely, his white hair began to swirl around in an unknown wind.

"Cub…?" said Sirius quietly.

"Fine, just getting a mite pissed." said Harry angrily.

"'I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front.

"At least I thought it was paint." said Ginny quietly.

Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me…

Mrs. Weasley glared at her ambitious son. "You did what?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

"No! I didn't, I swear!" said Percy quickly.

There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!'"

Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms.

"They weren't all that long." said Harry with a smirk.

"Had a manicure recently?" said a sixth years Slytherin with smirk.

"No, I was nail biter, well…should say am a nail biter. Haven't kicked the habit yet." said Harry.

"It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle.

"She was wise and strong enough for her to almost break your hold on her." said Dumbledore sternly.

"But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted.

"You're right, there is some other feelings in that…thing…besides hate and bloodlust." said Lionus with a careful voice.

Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet…"

"And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady.

"Wow, Harry's getting pissed, time to run for it Tommykins." George.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your wholefascinating history." His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could.

"He sounds like a demented fan." said Dean.

So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust —"

"Back fired on him. Didn't trust him and went to prove him wrong." said Harry with a smirk.

"Hagrid's my friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but —"

"Jerk." said Seamus. "Framed the first available person."

Riddle laughed his high laugh again.

"It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry.

"If the current Headmaster had a brain, he never would have chosen Hagrid to be the scapegoat." said Tempest shortly.

Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but sobrave,

"Brave…sure…whatever you say." said Lee rolling his eyes.

school prefect, model student…

"Model for what? Psychos Illustrated?" said Ron.

on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed,

"Huh?" asked Remus confused.

"I never did that!" said Hagrid quickly.

"I didn't think you could, werewolf cubs are humans during the day, and during the nights without a full moon." said Nightstrike.

"He was just inflating Hagrid's mischief making." said McGonagall.

sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls…

"That is actually an instinct for a young half-giant, wrestling. The school should have been eternally grateful that Hagrid choose to go into the forest and play with the trolls. Imagine if he tried to tumble with the students. Madam Pomfrey would still be working on them." said Lionus with a smirk.

"How do you know?" asked Hermione.

"One of our past Captains, called Mountain's King, was a half giant. He told us everything about giants and half giants." said Lionus.

"And we've got Atlas." said Nightstrike, "he's full giant, but he never talks about them."

but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin.

"Dumbledore knew it right away!" squeaked Dennis quickly.

It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance…

"And it took three second years, one year to find it and what the monster was." said Sirius proudly.

"Only because someone was attacked by it." said Harry. "There were clues all over the place."

"Quit that, we're trying to boost your confidence here." said Sirius playfully.

as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!

"He could still squish you with one hand." said Harry proudly.

"Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…"

"I'm not so easily beguiled by a child's charm." said Dumbledore with a smile.

The staff and a few of the adults looked between him and Harry quickly.

"That's different." said Dumbledore quickly.

"Whatever you say, Albus." said Flitwick with a smile.

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly.

"Good for you." said Kingsley to Dumbledore.

"I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school.

"Yeah, then your credibility would have been shot." said Seamus.

But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Noble work? Who's sick and twisted mind would think that that's noble work?" asked Lee in shock.

"Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly.

"You tell him Harry." said Fred.

"No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again —"

"Haven't I already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore?

"No you didn't say anything about that." said George.

For many months now, my new target has been — you."

"What? Dear God." said Dr. Clark.

Harry stared at him.

"Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you?

"If it was your diary Ginny, without Mr. Personality in it, I wouldn't have opened it." said Harry kindly.

What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back.

"The only thing she destroyed were the Lockhart books, for that I'm very thankful." said Harry with a smirk.

But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery — particularly if one of your best friends was attacked.

"So…" said Hermione weakly.

"You were the fire that ignited both of the boy's desire to find the Chamber." said Dr. Nicodemus.

And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue…

"More like hissing at me, and saying some pretty weird stuff." said Harry.

"Like what?" asked Seamus.

"One person said something about putting turnips and pudding in their socks to divert the weather." said Harry.

"We must try that Fred." said George with a solemn face.

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring.

The Weasley family began to growl so much that it sounded like a pack of angry wolves had made their way into the castle.

But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.

"Why are you still talking? Get her and get out!" said Leroy worriedly.

"That git still has his wand." said Rudolph. "It's alright Lee, he gets out of it just fine."

"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you — a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent —

"You clever boy, hiding your power away from him." said Wildfire with a large smile. Her smile was large and bright, which didn't fit her occupation, nor her eyes, which looked as if she had seen many dangers.

managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"The mystery of the century." said Lionus thoughtfully.

There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.

"Quit mentioning the hungry eyes bit." said Fred moaning slightly.

"Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time…"

"What made you say that?" asked Sirius.

"If it was a memory, and he wasn't there in person, I assumed he was dead." said Harry.

"Sound reasoning." said Flitwick.

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…"

He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Gee, and here I thought his mommy came up with that name." said George.

"I thought he really was a Lord." said Fred "Apparently, he's only a wanna-be royal."

"You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course.

"He had friends like I had a happy home life." scoffed Harry.

You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?

"Alas, that fate has happened to several poor witches, wizards and their children. Some cannot bring themselves to believe that their husbands, wives and children could possess such wondrous abilities. Though, Tom's mother brought that upon herself with her actions." said Dumbledore.

"How can you say that?" said Hermione.

"Quite easily, for I just had." said Dumbledore. "Though I didn't mean for it to come across as though I approved of such abandonment, but she did have what had come to pass, occur."

"What happened?" said Hermione pressed on.

"A tale for another time Miss Granger." said Dumbledore.

No, Harry — I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"He's not! Dumbledore's the greatest sorcerer in the world!" said several students indignantly.

Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's own parents, and so many others…

"It didn't make any sense, psychologically speaking." said Harry. "He must have smacked his head really hard when he was really young. If he lost his parents, why take someone elses? He knows what the pain is like. Unless he wants to everyone else to feel the same way."

At last he forced himself to speak.

"You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred.

"Not what?" snapped Riddle.

"Oh, that'll piss him off." said George.

"Harry, didn't anyone ever tell you not to antagonize a poisonous snake?" said Fred.

Slowly a small evil smile crept across Harry's face and he pressed his fingers together. "But where is the fun in not doing so? Though, you are right, debating with him isn't a great idea. But I had nothing else to do, until I could come up with a way to get Ginny out of there."

"Oh." said Fred.

"And his past statement, was not going to go unchallenged." said Harry darkly.

"He can be really really scary sometimes." said George in a whisper.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that,

"Harry's got attitude." said a seventh year excitedly.

"And hutzpah." said Rudolph. "Just like what um…George?" said Rudolph.

"Fred." corrected Leroy.

"Oh, yeah, Fred. Just like Fred said, don't antagonize a poisonous snake." said Rudolph.

"He started it." said Harry in a whiny voice.

"I'll end it." said Rudolph with a smirk.

but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so.

"That's actually true, even Africa you're famous, and some of those wizard tribes haven't even left their villages." said Leroy.

Dumbledore looked down humbly.

Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now,

Dumbledore looked over to Harry, his eyes twice as shiny as normal. "You didn't mention this part."

"Didn't seem like the time…" said Harry sheepishly.

wherever you're hiding these days —"

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"After what he looked like in the last book, I would know if it was an improvement or a hindrance." said Ron.

"An ugly Voldemort would be an improvement." said Harry with a laugh.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"No, he was forced out by the cowardice of the school governors." said Kingsley shortly.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted.

"Hey that's what Dumbledore said!" said Colin.

He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true.

"It worked, Riddle turned a bit paler." said Harry.

Riddle opened his mouth, but froze. Music was coming from somewhere.

"Alright, who brought the accordion?" said Fred putting his hands on his hips.

"What is music doing down there?" asked Charlie.

Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size.

"Is that a good thing?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, yeah. It's a really good thing!" said Harry.

Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs,

"Sounds painful." said Luna.

flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons,

That same bird reappeared in the Great Hall.

"So, Fawkes went down to be with Harry?" asked Dennis.

"That he did, I couldn't find the way down to the Chamber of Secrets, and it turns out, even if I could, I wouldn't have been able to get inside. I gave Fawkes something that I had a feeling would come handy." said Dumbledore.

"Good thing you had the feeling." said Harry gratefully.

which were gripping a ragged bundle.

"That's the thing you sent with Fawkes? A bundle?" said Sirius in an uneasy voice.

"Don't knock it, it's important." said Harry.

A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.

The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"I remember him meeting Riddle once before, but he didn't get along with him very well." said Dumbledore with a fond smile as he stroked Fawkes' feathers.

"What happened?" said Neville. "Why didn't Fawkes like him?"

"Well, he tried to take a feather without asking. Fawkes didn't like that one bit." said Dumbledore with a smile. "I wonder if he still has that cut on his finger?"

"What cut?" asked a first year Slytherin.

"Fawkes bit him." said Dumbledore.

"Good birdie." said Remus with a smirk.

"That's a phoenix." said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

"You're a genius." said Fred.

"Fawkes?" Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently.

"I'll admit, it was like you were standing right there." said Harry looking up at Dumbledore, who was standing behind him.

Dumbledore smiled fondly at Harry and patted Harry on the shoulder.

"And that —" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat —"

"Why did you send him the school Sorting Hat?" asked Dr. Clark.

"It's said that when a student is in danger, the Sorting Hat will give aid to the student. What aid they receive depends on the house they belong to." said Dumbledore.

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Harry's feet.

"Yeah, it's a great big help." said Tonks skeptically.

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once.

"That's a terrible idea." said Professor Sprout.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat!

"That songbird whupped your ass." said Harry with a beaming smile.

"He always did hold some resentment towards Fawkes since he wouldn't let him take a feather." said Dumbledore.

"Why did he want a feather anyway?" asked Hermione.

"Phoenix feathers are a very sought after feather for quill use." said Dumbledore. "One feather quill could go for at least a hundred galleons."

"A hundred galleons?" said Hermione weakly.

"Phoenixes are rare, and they don't drop feathers all that often. Phoenix feathers have a sort of oil on the base of the feather that can either allow or forbid it to be used as a quill. If the feather was given willingly it can be used as a quill. If not, then the feather will disappear once the phoenix reaches it's next burning day." said Dumbledore.

"So, Riddle wouldn't have been able to use it as a quill anyway." said a small first year Hufflepuff.

"Correct Mr. Jacobs. He would not have." said Dumbledore with a smile.

Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

"Matter of fact…yeah." said Harry.

Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

"See?" said Harry with a smirk.

"To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice — in your past, in my future — we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything.

"Piss off." said Bill.

"William!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

"Well it seems he was informed in torture." said Moody.

Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances. Riddle had the wand. He, Harry, had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel.

"Boy I was wrong, on both parts." said Harry.

It looked bad, all right… but the longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny… and in the meantime, Harry noticed suddenly, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid… If it had to be a fight between him and Riddle, better sooner than later.

"Wow, Harry was going to fight dirty!" said Fred excitedly.

George wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "We've taught him so much."

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me.

"Um…should you really tell him that?" asked Tonks.

Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage.

"I didn't want to say common." said Harry regretfully.

"That's alright. You were just trying to piss him off." said Remus.

"You're a mommy's boy, even if she isn't around anymore." said Leroy. "You always were."

"She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck.

"Bet he loved that." said Percy with a smirk.

You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you.

"Quit arguing with him, he'll only kill you faster." said Remus worriedly.

You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul —"

"Tom at a young age was quite the narcissist. He wouldn't have liked that." said Dumbledore gravely.

Riddle's face contorted.

"You love flirting with danger don't you?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful countercharm. I can see now… there is nothing special about you,

"Wow, so you pulled a fast one!" said a second year Gryffindor. "You made him think that you weren't smart!"

Hermione looked over and sent Harry a shy smile. I thought so." she said.

after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed.

"Didn't want to notice." said Harry grumbling.

Both half-bloods, orphans,

"You made him that way!' said Sirius angrily.

raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself.

"That might not be true. Not many people admit to being a Parselmouth." said Snape.

We even look something alike,

"Oh he does not!" said Ginny angrily.

"Thank goodness." said Harry.

but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know."

Harry stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand.

"What were you going to do?" asked Dennis.

"Well, I had an idea, if he was able to use the wand, then he was solid enough for me to attack." said Harry.

But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him…"

He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat,

"Stupid jerk." snarled Parvati.

then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed — but Harry understood what he was saying…

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

"He was no better than the other Founders." said Madam Bones shortly.

Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder.

"At least he didn't leave you." said Madam Hooch.

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horror struck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.

And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

"Oh, no. It's…the…basilisk!" shouted the students fearfully.

Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.

"Oh, no. he did leave you." said Madam Hooch worriedly.

"Fawkes was still there." said Dumbledore.

Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?

"He can hold his own pretty easily." said Dumbledore. "He's quite the fighter."

"Then why isn't he staying?" said Sirius hotly.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder — he knew what was happening, he could sense it,

"My eyes were shut." said Harry.

"Good, keep them shut and get the hell out of there." said Remus.

"And take Ginny with you." said Dr. Clark.

could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice:

"Kill him."

The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut,

"Wow, you're good." said Viper impressed.

Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way —

"Dear lord, Harry's fighting blind." said Charlie.

Voldemort was laughing –

"Sadistic bastard." said Kingsley furiously.

Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood.

"Harry! What happened?" asked Remus quickly.

"I cut my lip and knocked out a tooth." said Harry. "Madam Pomfrey fixed me up."

The serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming.

There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall.

The men in the bowl paled horribly.

"Harry?..." whimpered Sirius.

"Tell me when it's over!" said Dr. Clark covering his head.

"Oh no you don't!" said Rudolph moving his hands. "If we have to sit through it, you do too."

"Were you okay?" asked Leroy weakly.

"I was sore for a bit." said Harry honestly.

Waiting for fangs to sink through his body

Several girls screamed loudly.

Sirius then leaned over and shielded Harry's body with his own.

"I'm okay, I'm right here." said Harry reassuringly.

he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars.

"What is that damn thing doing?" asked Remus frantically.

He couldn't help it — he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.

"ARE YOU NUTS?" shouted the adults in the room.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabers –

Sirius whimpered even louder.

Charlie was staring fixedly at his sister and refused to remove his gaze.

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor.

Dumbledore smiled at the shocked looks on the people's faces turned towards him.

"I told you that he could hold his own." said Dumbledore happily.

The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned — Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes,

"HARRY!" shouted the people in the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Hermione nearly scared out of her mind.

both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"GO FAWKES!" shouted the students.

Fawkes looked around the room confusedly.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIM!"

The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

"Thank goodness we didn't eat anything." said Ron holding his stomach.

"Never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth." said Mr. Weasley with a small, weak smile.

"Help me, help me," Harry muttered wildly, "someone — anyone…"

"Come Harry! The eyes are gone!" said Colin.

"But the fangs were still there." said Harry.

The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry ducked. Something soft hit his face.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. It was all he had left, his only chance — he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over him again.

"That was too close!" said Hannah.

Help me — help me — Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat. Please help me.

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

"What? What's happening to the hat?" asked Tonks.

Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes,

"Now is not the time to pass out Harry." said Sirius worriedly.

he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

"Well…whaddaya know?" said Nightstrike with a smile. The hat is useful."

"KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF — SMELL HIM."

"He actually said the word, sniff?" said Fred with a nervous chuckle.

Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole,

"Harry, don't say stuff like that!" said Leroy fretfully.

lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous —

"Quit it." squeaked Neville worriedly.

It lunged blindly — Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side.

"That explains the burn you had on your side." said Madam Pomfrey.

He raised the sword in both his hands —

The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true —

"Calming Draught time." said Harry reaching over and grabbing a large handful of them.

"Is this the bad part?" asked Sirius turning very white.

"Yeah, chug this." said Harry passing out the phials to everyone he could reach. He even got up and passed phials over to the Weasley family, Ron and Hermione included.

"I'm fine." said Mrs. Weasley, despite her hands shaking.

"I'm not reading till you drink that potion." said Lionus sternly.

Obediently, they drank the potions.

Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth —

"GO HARRY!" shouted the students.

"I thought you said this was bad." said Sirius with a deeply calmed face.

But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow.

"Harry…" whimpered Remus softly.

One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

The Hall went silent. Suddenly the bowl exploded with a horrific bang and the bowl and it's contents were slammed into the wall.

"This again?" said Harry throwing the bowl off of himself and the rest of the men.

"Sorry, but you know…that's a little hard to listen to." said Dr. Clark weakly, holding his side again.

"Little?" said Remus incredulously. "He got poisoned by the most venomous snake in the history of the world! It's…he's…." tears began to form in his eyes.

Harry sighed, and tried squirming out of the surrounding hug that was being given to him by Sirius, Rudolph and Leroy. "I'm fine"

"Liar." said Rudolph.

"Maybe not then, but I am now." said Harry with a smile. "Put the bowl back upright and lets get on with the story. You guys broke through the Calming Draught quickly."

"You nearly dying has that effect." said Sirius still gripping Harry.

"Okay, well, let's sit down then." said Harry patting Sirius on the back.

"No, let's just stand and fret." said Leroy trying to hold Harry tightly.

Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm.

The men holding him let a sharp hiss of pain.

But he knew it was too late.

"T-too…too late?" said Mrs. Weasley weakly.

White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound.

The Hall went almost completely silent, minus the whimpers and sobs coming from random parts of the Great Hall.

Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes,

"Basilisk venom can stop the body's ability to form clots and stop the bleeding after a while the body bleeds out. That way the basilisk can have the taste of blood in its mouth when they eat their prey." said Snape quietly.

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Sirius.

"But the place where Potter was bitten, the poison would have eaten away a great hole until it went straight through his arm." said Snape, his voice getting quieter and quieter.

"I told you to SHUT UP!" said Sirius angrily.

his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color.

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him."Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…"

"Oh, no...Harry..." said Mr. Weasley as he tried to console his wife.

"Wait, if Fawkes is there, he should be fine!" said Leroy excitedly.

He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him. He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

"Damn you, you son of a bitch." muttered Leroy. But he knew that Harry got out of it okay, but that would never stop him from worrying about his little monster.

Harry blinked. Fawkes' head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

"I'd love to watch him die." snarled Sirius. "I'm talking about Voldemort." he added quickly.

Harry felt drowsy.

"Don't fall asleep, Harry!" yelled Hermione fearfully.

Everything around him seemed to be spinning.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends,

"No we didn't!" said Harry's closest friends.

defeated at last by the Dark Lord

"No, that snake thing did it, you just stood back and watched it try and do the job you never could." said Fred.

he so unwisely challenged.

"You'd think the stupid twat would learn not to come after me." said Harry with a sly smile.

You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry… She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…"

If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad.

"WHAT?" shouted the people in the Hall. Harry noticed Ginny looking intently down at the floor. He tried to make his way down to her, thought it was a wee bit difficult, as the men were trying hard to cling to him as tightly as they dared.

He took Ginny by the hand and embraced her tightly as she jumped up and hugged him.

"What's wrong, Ginny? You still a bit nervous?" said Harry in a gentle voice. He smiled as she nodded. "I'm right here, see?" He placed a hand softly to the back of her head and held her head to his chest. "Hear that? That means I'm just fine."

Ginny smiled as she heard and felt the constant thumping of Harry's heart. Suddenly the warmth of Harry's body and beat of Harry's heart was gone. She looked up and laughed, Harry's uncles were dragging him back to where the bowl laid forgotten on the floor.

"Enough with the sappy stuff" said Sirius.

Even the pain was leaving him…

But was this dying? Instead of going black,

"How would you know?" said Professor McGonagall said in a frightened voice.

"One of the first times in the hospital...I...um...never mind." said Harry but not finishing his sentence.

Several people whimpered.

the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound — except that there was no wound.

"Thank bloody god." said Rudolph heaving a sigh of relief.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him — I said, get away —"

Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.

"Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course… healing powers… I forgot…"

"He wasn't the only one who forgot." said Harry sheepishly.

He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…"

"If he had done that to start with, he'd still have his monster." said Moody.

"ALASTOR!" scolded McGonagall.

He raised the wand…

Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap — the diary.

"Huh? I forgot all about it." said George.

For a split second, both Harry and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it.

"So did they apparently." said Fred.

"Just like in the cartoons!" said Dennis with a giggle.

Then, without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

"Bout time!" said Dr. Clark happily.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream.

"Tell me that wasn't you." pleaded Leroy.

"No, it wasn't me." said Harry with a smile.

Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then —

He had gone.

"Goodbye and good riddance." said Kingsley smirking.

Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

"Oh, my god! That would have happened to your arm!" shrieked Hermione.

Suddenly, the familiar little balls of light came shooting out of the book.

"NO! NOT NOW! NOT THIS! WHAT ABOUT THE BASILISK?" shouted Remus.

"We can't be affected." said Speckerton faintly.

"What the…" asked Leroy.

"Are these those Scattered Shots you talked about?" said Rudolph.

"Yeah, but we haven't seen them around for a while." said Ron.

The balls of light entered the bodies of everyone there, even Rudolph and Leroy. They all landed in a large, dank and stone walled chamber, pillars lining each side, and a large pool of water towards the end of it. But the décor didn't attract their attention, it was the giant snake towering high above them.

"Oh…my…GOD!" screamed Tonks. They looked behind them and saw Harry running with his hands stretched out, as if he were blind.

The snake lifted it's head and sent it crashing into Harry's side, slamming him into the wall.

"You didn't say anything about you screaming!" said Sirius accusingly.

"I didn't expect you to watch it firsthand." said Harrys quickly. The basilisk pulled it's head back slowly and opened it's jaws and prepared to swallow the stunned boy whole.

Sirius rushed over and did his best to shield Harry from the giant beast, he wasn't the only one, every adult and Weasley rushed over and did the same thing.

Suddenly, they saw Fawkes come swooping out of nowhere and use it's talons and beak to gouge out the eyes of the giant basilisk.

They watched in horror as the phoenix continued it's calculating attack, so much so that they didn't even notice that younger Harry had already crammed the tossed Sorting Hat on his head.

"Hurts more than it looks." said Harry smiling at the younger version of himself as it staggered.

They watched as Harry slowly made his way towards the Basilisk and raised the sword almost parallel to the ground.

"I can't watch this." said Leroy covering his eyes, but he allowed himself to look through the cracks in his fingers.

Younger Harry swung the sword swiftly and managed to slash at the nose of the basilisk, which sadly, only made it angrier.

"Harry! Your side!" said Hermione. "It's tongue cut your shirt!"

"We covered this in the book." said Harry shaking his head.

The Watchers ignored Tom's psychotic cheering on the monster, which was getting harder by the minute. The basilisk lunged again and Harry met it's fangs with the blade in his hand. But as the basilisk's fang sank deeper into his arm…

"AHHHHHRRRGGGG!" screamed Harry, his head reared back and his eyes clenched in pain.

"HARRY!" screamed the Watchers. They paid the dying basilisk no heed and rushed to Harry as he fell slowly to the fall along the wall.

"Harry…oh my god…Harry." said Dumbledore, tears falling from his eyes.

"Um…I'm right here." said Harry with a raised brow.

"We know Harry, but…" said Sirius weakly.

"You've got to understand it from our point of view." said Rudolph.

"YOU'RE DYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND WE CAN'T DO A THING TO HELP YOU!" screeched Hermione.

Harry stared at her, "Fawkes doing a great job if you ask me." said Harry pointing. They looked back at the younger Harry and saw Fawkes, his healing tears falling slowly off his beak and landing on the wound. Suddenly the balls of light left their bodies, and they found themselves back in the Great Hall.

"That…that was horrible." said Neville weakly.

"Captain?" asked Tempest from her post. Strangely, Umbridge wasn't thrashing about, all she was doing was sitting there and staring at the floor.

"Doctor?" said Lionus looking at Dr. Nicodemus.

"I've got a phial of his blood already here." said Doctor Nicodemus pulling out a small crystal phial of a red liquid. "Should be excellent for what I need."

"What do you want his blood for?" asked Remus quickly.

"Phoenix tears heal the wounds and are an antidote for basilisk venom and other poisons. But the tears do not take the basilisk poison out of your system. The venom stays in your body for the rest of your life. Turning it into your advantage." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"What are you trying to say?" asked Fred.

"If Harry ever gets poisoned by another basilisk, he has nothing to worry about, he's forever immune to it." said Lionus with a smirk. "And the reason we want the blood, is so we can make our officers immune to it as well. That will take a large load off of Icarus."

"Who's Icarus?" asked George.

"He's our phoenix." said Nightstrike. "And he gets overworked at times. So this will help him out immensely."

"So if Harry's immune to it…" said Sirius thoughtfully.

"Voldemort is immune to it as well." said Harry.

"Well so much for going down there, grabbing a fang and stabbing him in the face with it and watching him die." said Remus.

"Let's get this over with, my poor nerves can't take much more." said Leroy, reaching for a phial of calming draught.

"Good thing I had St. Mungos send some more over." said Snape with a smirk.

Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just traveled miles by Floo powder.

"Oh, lord, you hate that stuff too? I cannot stand that damn stuff." said Leroy.

"The plant part is fine, but not the traveling aspect." said Rudolph.

Slowly, he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.

"Don't hurt yourself again!" said Tonks.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring.

"Thank goodness!" said Charlie.

As Harry hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk,

"I didn't have the faintest idea what the heck that monster was." said Ginny quietly.

over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes,

"I thought you were dying there for a moment." said Ginny.

then to the diary in his hand.

"I could tell that you were freaking out about that one." said Harry.

She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Poor Ginny." said Sirius with a sort of compassion that he hadn't shown anyone else besides Harry.

"Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy — it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —"

"You weren't to blame dear, little one. You had no control over what you did." said Dumbledore kindly.

" It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet.

"I was still a little weak from the loss of blood and Ginny was still a woozy." said Harry.

"I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

"If they had blamed you for anything, they would have another thing coming." said Harry.

"My sentiments exactly." said Dumbledore.

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry urged Ginny forward;

"Why did you make her go ahead of you?" asked Remus.

"She wouldn't stop staring at the blood on my robes." said Harry.

they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel.

"Thank goodness all that excitement is over." said Kingsley wiping the sweat off his brow.

Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

"What did it say?" asked Ginny.

"For some strange reason, it said Thank you." said Harry.

"I believe that that might have been Salazar, thanking you for saving what little honor was left to him." said Dumbledore.

After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.

"Ron's still hard at work." said Mr. Weasley proudly.

"Well, yeah, it was the only thing that kept me going." said Ron sheepishly. "And other than kicking the daylights out of Lockhart, I had nothing better to do with my time."

"How about getting a competent teacher?" asked Bathilda.

"Couldn't get up the tunnel." said Ron shrugging.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

He heard Ron give a strangled cheer,

"I was busy trying a lug a boulder out of the way." said Ron.

and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.

"I was impressed, I wouldn't have been able to do that much in that short amount of time." said Harry.

"How long was Harry down there?" asked Remus.

"Only about forty minutes or so." said Ron.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it!

"I never hugged her so tight in my life." said Ron with a smile.

"I could hardly breathe." said Ginny.

What happened? How — what — where did that bird come from?"

"How could he miss a giant flaming bird?" asked George.

"He can erupt into flames and appear anywhere in the world he chooses." said Dumbledore slightly proud. "He would not have had to pass Ron to get to where Harry was."

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself.

"Squeezing?" asked Sirius with a smirk. "You could stroll through a keyhole."

"I had to carry a hat, book and sword, squeezing was required." said Harry.

"How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

"Every hero has a sword." said George.

"Hang on, you focused on the sword, but the blood didn't catch your eye?" said Fred.

"I thought it was from whatever he fought back there." said Ron.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever.

"But —"

"I didn't notice her crying, I just wanted to know what the hell happened." said Ron.

"Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Why do you care?" asked Sirius in a confused voice.

"Didn't want to make a second trip down there." said Harry.

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"Dear God shoot me." said Remus.

"Dazzle Gums can't sing." said Sirius.

"His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us.

"When justice happens, it's wonderful." said Charlie.

"He deserves more than that." said Remus with a growl.

Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

"You rule Ron!" said a third year Gryffindor, laughing so hard that he fell out of his chair.

Ron perked up and puffed out his chest proudly.

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"You make it sound like he didn't always." said Remus.

"Do we have to cover this again?" asked Harry with a groan.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

"You should have said, 'Yeah, you do.'" said Sirius.

"That's why I looked at Harry, I wanted to, but Harry looked a bit tense and didn't want to push it." said Ron.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.

"I couldn't believe you were asking me that." said Ron.

"I was devoting my time trying to think of a way to stay alive." said Harry with a smirk. "Wasn't thinking how we were going to climb the miles back to the castle."

Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"I didn't think he could lift everyone. He was really light when he landed on my shoulder, and us three weighed a little bit more than the idiot decorating the floor with rocks, was." said Harry.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there —"

"Wow, you guys do think alike don't you?" said Bill with a laugh.

"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird."

"I decided to trust him, which wasn't very hard to do." said Harry.

He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand.

"Aww! Does that mean that you get to hold his hand?" said Tonks cooing.

Professor Lockhart —"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"This is wonderful!" said Dr. Clark laughing hard.

"You hold Ginny's other hand —"

"Well, damn." said Tonks.

"I didn't want her to lose her grip on me. Ron would hold onto her, he was stronger than I was." said Harry.

Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt,

"I would not have put a sharp, pointy object near…there." said Sirius.

"Us either." said the twins.

Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

"Did you burn yourself dear?" asked Bathilda, Mrs. Weasely would have said it, but she was too busy hugging her two youngest tightly.

"I had light burns, but Fawkes helped me out again." said Harry.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!"

"Oh, sweet Merlin…" groaned Moody.

The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over —

"It was a lot of fun, actually. Despite the slow burning." said Harry.

all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat,

"Must be an unconscious thing." said Dean with a snicker.

the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"Thanks for caring." said George.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"She was disappointed?" said Remus in shock.

"She's got a crush on Harry." said Ron with a smirk.

"She sort of pulled a Ginny though." said Hermione .

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny quickly.

"She still wants to be with him, but she's settling down a bit." said Hermione.

"How would a living person date a dead one?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.

"Do you get a choice to come back as a ghost?" asked a third year Slytherin.

"Well...in a way." said Dumbledore. "It all depends if you are ready to pass on. If not, you may come back as a ghost."

"I don't think I'd want to hang around as a ghost." said Harry thoughtfully. The men surrounding him looked at him quickly.

"You'd leave us?" said Sirius in a whimper.

"Would you stick around, or would you go to wherever dad and mom are?" questioned Harry.

"Good point, but…don't be in too big of a rush to see them." said Remus with a constricted voice.

"Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

"I was trying to be funny!" said Ron defensively.

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

"And there I learned it didn't work." said Ron.

"Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny.

"See, and I thought she needed some attention." said Ron.

Harry pointed.

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

"How did he know to go there?" asked Michael.

"He can find me, wherever I go." said Dumbledore.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

"Forget knocking, just walk in. You deserve a little leniency from good manners." said Fred.

"Only one chapter left, should we press on?" asked Seamus looking the thinness of the book in the Ranger Captain's hands.

Suddenly, a scroll blossomed once more from the book.

"My guess would be, no." said Lionus as the bright light enclosed around them.