Greetings, all!
This is a little dust bunny that has been bouncing around in my head for a little while now. How in the name of all that's holy did Tom Riddle find the Chamber of Secrets? Did he randomly burst into every bathroom in the school to look for entrances? (Probably not, but the image of Tom Riddle running into a group of girls in the bathroom and running out shrieking had me rolling on the floor in hysterics for ages).
Disclaimer: The amazing world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
I hope you enjoy!
-x-
Dust motes swirled in the air around Tom Riddle's sweeping robes. His gleaming shoes clicked against the dusty dungeon floor as he paced back and forth. A single pale, delicate hand swept through the already-tousled dark hair in frustration, tightening momentarily, and then releasing. Dark eyes shone in the dim torch light, hidden beneath furrowed eyebrows. Perfectly bow-shaped lips twisted in a grimace.
A loud bang echoed around the dingy room as a young boy burst through the door. The door ricocheted off the wall, and Riddle whirled around to see who dared to disturb his thoughts. Upon seeing the small Ravenclaw boy, his irritated grimace morphed into a gentle smile. He straightened up and strode confidently over to the short first-year.
"Can I help you?"
A quiet stutter confirmed Riddle's suspicions that the child was lost. He offered the boy a smile and led the boy out of the dungeon.
"I'll take you to your class. First-years have Charms now, is that correct?"
Riddle escorted the boy along the corridors of Hogwarts, keeping up an amiable chatter, pointing out various important classrooms and areas of Hogwarts to the boy. Riddle strode briskly, the boy scurrying behind him, struggling to keep up. Within ten minutes, they had arrived outside classroom 2E, the Charms class.
Riddle knocked gently on the door before nudging it open. He walked to the front of the class with the boy following meekly behind him. The other first-years in the class ceased writing, and looked up to stare at the pair. Professor Celestia Sprigg, Charms Master, looked up from her desk. Upon seeing Tom, she brushed her hand through her hair and threw on what she hoped was a sultry smile.
"Tom, dear, welcome to my class. How can I be of assistance?"
Riddle restrained himself from rolling his eyes and gently pushed the Ravenclaw boy towards the professor.
"I found this young man lost in the dungeons, and I would have hated for him to miss his first Charms lesson with such a delightful professor."
Riddle's charming smile made Professor Sprigg swoon, and she fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"Oh, Tom, thank you. You're such a darling. I'll help Mr Belby find his seat. Would you, perchance, be interested in showing the first-years the levitation charm?"
A smirk flashed across Riddle's face, stifled quickly and replaced by a smile.
"Of course, Professor."
Riddle drew his wand delicately from his robe pocket and assumed his casting stance. His idle 'swish and flick' movement was watched closely by the entire class. His clear "wingardium leviosa" echoed around the room. The feathers on every table in the class began to rise, floating gently in the air. The awe-struck first-years gasped, and Riddle felt the warm glow of pride spreading throughout his body. Another flick of his wand and the feathers floated to the centre of the room, assembling themselves in a bird-like form. The class erupted into applause, some students even daring to stand and cheer. Professor Sprigg beamed behind Riddle, hands clapping wildly.
"Oh, well done, Tom! That was magnificent! I simply can't wait to see what marvelous things you'll do with your life!"
Riddle smirked and gave the class a deep bow, before making his excuses and sweeping out of the room. Marvelous things, indeed.
-x-
Evening found Riddle lazing on his bed, flipping through the pages of the book he'd caressed too many times to count. He stared intensely at the book, willing it to share its secrets with him. The chapter on Salazar Slytherin taunted him, sat there knowing the secrets Riddle sought but refusing to divulge.
The legend of the Chamber of Secrets is one that has haunted Hogwarts since its creation. Created by Salazar Slytherin with the intent of purging the school of impure witches and wizards, the Chamber is rumoured to contain the most fearsome beast that has ever existed. Many have futilely attempted to locate the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. It is said that only a true heir of Slytherin can locate and open the Chamber of Secrets.
Riddle dropped his forehead to the book in agitation. He briefly skimmed the next chapter on the Room of Requirement, but as always, found nothing to give him hope that he was any closer to finding the Chamber. He stood and stretched, then snapped his fingers at Avery and Lestrange and indicated that they should follow him. They stalked stealthily along the corridors, avoiding other people wherever possible. When not possible, Riddle merely flashed a charming smile and stated that he was on duty as a prefect.
The group ascended to the seventh floor and paced the requisite three times before the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. An elaborate iron door soaked into existence, and the crew walked through the door to the round table within. They sat, each spread evenly along the table. Within moments, the rest of the Knights of Walpurgis entered the room and sat at the table.
"My friends, I have a request to ask of you. As you all know, I am the heir of Salazar Slytherin himself. I must find the Chamber of Secrets. I must unlock my past to create the future."
A snort reached Riddle's ears, and he snapped his head to look into Rosier's eyes. Sensing doubt from the young man, Riddle delved into the murky depths of Rosier's mind.
'Weak. Coward. Half-blood scum. Not the heir of Slytherin.'
Ice seemed to creep through Riddle's veins. His body felt cold and heavy, his skin tingling. His eyes grew cold as they stared into Rosier's eyes.
"Crucio."
Within seconds, Rosier was convulsing on the ground, writhing in absolute agony. His muscles shredded by the force of Riddle's fury, his blood rushing through his veins, the blood-curdling screams ripping their way out of Rosier's throat. Riddle held the curse for exactly two minutes, relishing the blood spurting out of Rosier's throat, scraped raw by his shrieks. His finger nails ripped and bloody, his head bleeding from where he had hit it repeatedly against the rough stone floor.
"Half-blood scum, Rosier? I may not be pureblood, but I have the life force of Salazar Slytherin rushing through my veins. I may be a half-blood, but I can and will destroy you if you dare to think such things again."
Rosier shuddered on the floor, still convulsing. He gave a shaky nod and whimpered, "I'm sorry, Tom. It won't happen again."
Riddle plastered a smirk on his face. He waved his wand over Rosier's body and muttered a healing incantation.
"I will show mercy, Rosier – this time. Do not disappoint me again. This will seem like a slap on the wrist compared to what I'll do to you if you do."
Rosier stood, leaning heavily on his chair. Tom flicked his head, indicating to Mulciber and Nott that they should take Rosier back to his room. He flicked his fingers delicately, and Avery, Lestrange and Dolohov bowed and scurried out of the room.
'Pathetic vermin. Who are they to question me? How dare they question Lord Voldemort?'
-x-
Riddle had been in the Room of Requirement for several hours, attempting to find anything related to Slytherin. He had wished for Slytherin's ghost, his diary, a map to the Chamber, anything that would lead him to the accursed Chamber. Nothing.
Riddle was currently in the Room of Hidden Things. An assortment of junk and trinkets littered the room, stretching on for miles into the distance. How many students had hidden things here? How many students had found things?
Riddle was growing angrier and angrier by the minute. He was the HEIR of bloody SLYTHERIN, for Christ's sake. How was he supposed to find the bloody Chamber?
With a roar of anger, Riddle whirled and punched a mirror, shattering it. Glass clattered and tinkled to the ground. Holes ripped their way through the soft flesh on Riddle's hand, rivulets of blood sinking to the floor in a puddle. The blood gleamed crimson in the flickering torch light.
Riddle sank to the floor in abject despair, wishing he could just find some way to locate the damnable Chamber. His fingers twined themselves in his thick locks of black hair, gripping and pulling. A twitch in the corners of his eye caught Riddle's attention.
A snake, suspended in a bell jar of transparent green liquid. The snake writhed and twisted in the jar. Riddle approached the snake carefully, avoiding the shards of glass scattered across the ground. He stood before the jar and read the plaque attached to the base.
Captured in Brazil (1863). Preserved in Draught of Living Death.
Riddle glared at the jar. He raised his wand and flicked it, opening the jar and releasing its contents to the floor. He stooped low and picked the serpent up, cradling it in his arms. He stroked its scaly head and murmured to it in Parseltongue.
Hush. I'll help you. Hush.
The snake ceased her wriggling and lay limply in Riddle's arms, her head resting against his bicep. Her eyes had yet to open, and Riddle sensed that she was still under the influence of the Draught of Living Death. He coiled her gently into his pocket, ensuring that she had space to move and relax.
A faint whisper. A hiss. A single word, swirling around the room, twisting around Riddle's robe, pulling him back towards the mirror. A single word.
Come.
Riddle glanced down at the puddle of blood that had layered the floor when he punched the mirror. The blood seemed almost to… glow. In the blink of an eye, the blood starting flowing across the floor, weaving side to side like a serpent. Riddle's heart raced; his hands grew sweaty and his breath came in gentle pants. He followed the writhing blood stream deeper and deeper into the room, passing antiques and junk and trinkets and extremely rare, valuable objects. The blood led him to the very back of the room, to the very edge of the room's wall. The blood approached the wall and sunk through it. Riddle blinked in a moment of surprise, then approached the wall himself. He placed a hand tentatively against the wall and pushed, flaring his magic.
The wall melted away, leaving Riddle staring into a small compartment. Within the compartment stood a single, gleaming silver pedestal. Perched upon the pedestal: a small book bound in leather blacker than night. Riddle's heart beat even faster, and he reached out with greedy hands to snatch the book off its pedestal. The leather felt smooth and fresh under his fingers. The rasp of the pages against Riddle's thumbs as he caressed the book sent tingles travelling down his spine. Riddle's breath caught as he cracked the book open and read the title on the first page.
Corvinus Gaunt
1753
-x-
Riddle reclined in the plush green armchair the Room had provided for him, clutching the diary to his chest with his bandaged hand, his head spinning with new information. His heritage, his past, all captured succinctly in a small black journal. The history of the Chamber and its approximate location; he finally had it all. He would finally be able to visit the Chamber that had been the greatest magical enigma in all of Hogwarts.
Riddle stood and strode out of the Room. He had to visit the chamber immediately – he couldn't wait another minute longer.
There was, however, a single problem.
Corvinus Gaunt, Riddle's great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather had known the location of the chamber in his time at Hogwarts in the 1700s. Upon the installation of a modern plumbing system in 1753, Corvinus had ensured that the enchanted trapdoor masking the entrance to the Chamber would be hidden below the sinks in the girls' bathroom. Hogwarts, however, had expanded greatly since the 1700s. There was no longer a single bathroom for girls – there were, by Riddle's reckoning, over 20.
Riddle returned to his room and began calculating the path his bathroom explorations would take. He would begin on the ground floor and work his way up, as this was most likely to find him the Chamber the fastest.
Riddle conjured a tank for the injured snake he had found and placed her gently onto one of the rocks within. He created a small Bluebell flame and placed it into the tank with the snake. He cast a Disillusionment charm over the tank, hiding it from the view of his roommates. The symbol of Slytherin may be a snake, but that wouldn't stop other Slytherins from messing with one.
Shortly after the rest of the castle had retired to bed, Riddle sneaked out of his room with a Disillusionment charm over himself. He stalked the corridors of the ground floor, ducking into every bathroom he came across. He inspected every inch of every sink thoroughly, casting revealing spells over every tap, drain, mirror and plug, to no avail. The ground floor bathrooms were devoid of any secret Chambers.
Riddle returned to bed around 2 in the morning, bones aching from bending and inspecting every sink. He collapsed into bed and drifted off immediately, too tired to even draw the covers over himself. His dreams were, as always, non-existent.
-x-
Riddle awoke late. He hurried to get ready, still combing his fingers through his hair as he burst out of his dormitory. Though his stomach grumbled for attention, Riddle ignored it and sprinted to his first class of the day – Charms, with the sickeningly Muggleborn Professor Sprigg. He crashed through the door, offering apologies and excuses of feeling ill. Professor Sprigg fussed and fluttered, eventually demanding that he leave class and go to the Hospital Wing.
"Miss Warren, I'd like you to escort Tom to the Hospital Wing, please. He looks dreadfully pale, and it would be terrible if he fainted on his way there."
A squat girl with dark hair and glasses stood and approached Riddle. She shuffled shyly to his side and gazed longingly into his eyes.
"Thank you, Professor Sprigg. I appreciate your concern."
Riddle, seething on the inside, forced a smile onto his face and looked at Myrtle. Holding his arm out to Myrtle, he said brightly, "Shall we go, Miss Warren?"
Myrtle clung to his arms and chattered the whole way to the Hospital Wing about her disgusting mudblood family and their disgusting mudblood holidays. With every word she spoke, Riddle considered drawing his wand and cursing the young bint into insanity. He forced himself, for the sake of his reputation, to hold a decent conversation with her, although thankfully her incessant nattering made it unnecessary to speak too much. As they reached the Hospital Wing, Riddle withdrew his arm and stopped walking.
"Miss Warren, thank you for ensuring my safe journey to the Hospital Wing. I wouldn't like for you to miss out on any work on my account, so please return to your class. I'll be alright now."
With stars in her eyes, Myrtle nodded and flushed heavily. She turned quickly and walked away, attempting to glance surreptitiously back over her shoulder at him. He waved goodbye to her, rolled his eyes and strode away from the Hospital Wing to the next bathroom on his list – the first-floor girls bathroom.
-x-
For over an hour, Riddle searched the bathroom. Thankfully, classes only ended in another twenty minutes, or Riddle would have to deal with gaggles of girls parading into the bathroom – and what excuse would he give?
He was just about to start inspecting the basins when he heard the unmistakable clack of a girl's shoe on the tiles outside. Panicking, Tom glanced at a roll of toilet paper in the stall and wandlessly transfigured it into a cat. He scooped it into his arms just as Olive Hornby rounded the corner. She stopped abruptly when she spied Riddle standing by the sinks.
"Tom? What on earth are you doing in the girls' bathroom? You're supposed to be in the Hospital Wing!"
Riddle smiled demurely and looked at Olive from under his thick lashes.
"Well, my friend lost his cat this morning, so I pretended to be sick to get out of Charms and help him find her. I do apologize for invading the girls' bathroom, Olive – I assure you, it won't happen again."
Olive blushed and nodded at him as he bent down to retrieve his satchel of books from the floor. As Riddle picked up his bag, he happened to glance at the sink beside him and did a double take. There, on the tap, a mere foot away from his head, a snake. A small serpent etched into the metal of the tap. His heart skipped a beat but, conscious of Olive's intense stare, he simply picked his bag up and left the bathroom, brushing against Olive ever so gently with his shoulder.
Riddle returned to his dormitory and deposited the toilet-roll-cat onto his bed, along with his satchel. He waved his wand and the snake tank faded back into view. The snake inside had finally opened her eyes, and was peering at Riddle curiously.
You can understand me, human?
Riddle nodded at the snake, then drew his wand.
No! NO wandssssss! Wandssss hurt!
Tom was startled, then turned his back to the distressed snake and waved his wand. The toilet-roll-cat split into a bunch of small, furry baby mice, with twitchy pink noses and tiny tails. He levitated them above the tank and dropped them in, then shoved his wand under his pillow. He looked again at the snake, who was now cautiously sniffing the wriggling mice.
I will not hurt you, little one. I will never hurt you.
The snake raised herself up and stared Riddle in his eyes. Her gaze was steady, and she peered so deeply that Riddle thought she could see his soul.
The last human to promise that put me in a jar and made me sssssssleep.
Riddle scowled and put his hand into the tank. As he drew his hand closer to the snake, she reared her head and snapped at his hand. Riddle yanked his hand out of the tank and glared at her, daring her to do it again. He returned his hand to the tank and stroked his long index finger up the serpent's snout, over her head, all the way down her spine to the tip of her tail. The snake shivered in delight, swaying ever so slightly. Riddle withdrew his hand and spoke once more.
If you stay with me, I can look after you. I will protect you. All I ask in return is that, when the time comes, you will protect me.
The snake snapped up a mouse and swallowed, its tiny tail disappearing between her fangs. She stared at Riddle for a few moments, then nodded her acceptance of the deal. Riddle Disillusioned the tank again, then lay down on his bed to regain some of the sleep he had missed out on the previous night.
-x-
At the stroke of midnight, Riddle left the Common Room under a Disillusionment charm. The snake lay coiled in his robe pocket, her head peeking over the top to see where they were going. Riddle sneaked along the corridors to the first floor girls' bathroom, clinging to shadows and darkness. He entered the bathroom warily, casting his eyes about the room to ensure nobody was there. As he approached the marked tap, the light from his lit wand flickered around the room. As the light hit the snake etching, it seemed almost to wave in the light.
He ran his fingers over the mark, searching for a button or latch or anything that could cause the entrance to open. Upon finding nothing, he grimaced and drew the snake out of his pocket, holding her wrapped around his hand. She rose up and looked at the etching, flickering her tongue over it. Countless revealing spells later, Riddle collapsed onto his knees before the tap and drew his wand over his hand, slicing a deep wound into his flesh. He passed his bloody hand over the tap, soaking the etching in blood. His blood was sucked into the grooves of the etching, disappearing from sight, but nothing more happened.
Riddle leaned his head against the cold lip of the basin and whispered to the snake.
I don't understand. I'm Slytherin's heir. Why won't it open?
A sudden grating and shifting pushed Riddle back to sprawl on the icy tiles. He lay on his back, staring at the sinks which had begun to split apart and shift. The top portion of the sinks levitated into the air, the sinks themselves sunk slowly into the ground. With a final rumble, the drains covered the sinks and clicked into place. A gaping hole in the ground, frigid air drifting upwards, the stench of age and decay dispersing around the bathroom. Riddle stood shakily, staring at the hole. He held the snake up so she could see the wonder he was seeing.
We are the first to open the Chamber since Corvinus Gaunt, snake.
The snake hissed and flickered her tongue over Riddle's fingers. She looked deeply into his eyes, and hissed.
Call me… Nagini.
-x-
Well, that's that!
I really hope it was alright. A lot of the information in this story is fact: Corvinus Gaunt did exist and he did cover the entrance to the Chamber when modern plumbing was introduced in the 1700s. Myrtle's surname was Warren. I found this information on the Harry Potter Wiki page
Thank you for reading!
Please drop me a review to let me know what you thought! Any constructive criticism would also be greatly appreciated.
Love, Bubbles! xx