Xena, Harry, and an Icky, Slimy Tunnel
A/N: Hello people that are reading this! This is the second installment of the Xena Sharma Series! Now, I bet you're wondering why I am only writing a one- shot for CoS. Well, there is a very simple explanation: NOTHING IMPORTANT HAPPENS! It is just like the cannon, and I want to get to the POA fast, because that's where the cannon plot basically goes to hell :) And, it didn't feel right completely skipping it, so… here we are. And I'm sorry for being lazy and having this come so late! My stupid excuses: unneeded summer school my parents signed me up for ("a refresher," they say), Pokémon white, and well… me. Anyway, guess who's going to do the disclaimer! Not me, but good guess! Please welcome…. Fred and George Weasley!
Fred: I'm George!
George: And I'm Fred!
Fred: And you call yourself the Great, All Powerful Authoress!
Me: Number 1- I am the Great, All Powerful Authoress. Number 2- Do I need to call Xena in to identify you?
Gred and Forge: No ma'am!
Me: That's what I thought; now do the disclaimer, minions.
Fred: XxMuffinSlayerxX does not own Harry Potter.
George: But she does own her OC's. **Cough cough Xena**
Me: On with the story! And thanks for all the support you guys! I love you! Please, please, please review! And I'm sorry, but it might take a while to post PoA and if it does come up quick, it could take long to update :'(
"King's Cross, let's go," commanded Sanjay. Xena looked up at her uncle.
"The train comes tomorrow. Or does it hurt your tiny brain to remember such easy facts?" she said uninterestedly.
"Of course I know that, you bloody simpleton. But the sooner you leave, the better. I've already gotten all the blood samples I need, so you're spending the night at the station," snapped Sanjay.
"Have you gone nuts? It's so frickin cold! You know, that whole 'werewolves-are-insanely-warm' thing from Twilight is a giant pile of bull, right?" Xena yelled.
"I bloody well do know that!" Sanjay screamed, feeling his blood boil at the girl's insolence. "But I don't give a crap!"
"That's not healthy."
"You-stupid-little-half-breed-don't-talk-to-me-like-that!" shouted Sanjay, losing control of his ferocious temper. Each word was punctuated by a powerful punch.
"Ugh, okay, fine, let's go," sighed Xena, wiping away the blood trickling from her nose.
XXXXX
"What the hell, man!" pouted Xena. "Why couldn't I come in the flying car?"
Ron deadpanned at her.
"Number 1: you were at the station at some ungodly hour for reasons unknown. Number 2: We were nearly crushed to death by a killer tree! You wanted to be a part of that?" he scoffed.
"Um, YEAH! That would've been awesome!" Xena replied, as if that should've been obvious, but chose not to tell why she was at the station so early.
Beside the pair, Harry and Hermione both face palmed at their friends insanity, which drew Xena's attention. She narrowed her eyes, before her face brightened and she ran back up to her dorm from the common room where they were currently seated. The remaining three exchanged worried glances; Xena rushing off excitedly like that was never good. Before they knew it, or were ready for it, Xena came rocketing back the stairs. She shoved a large box in Harry's arms. He staggered back a bit before looking at her confusedly.
"I forgot to give you your birthday present!" she exclaimed brightly.
"You didn't have to-" Harry protested before being silenced by a childish 'yuh-huh!' from Xena.
"Open it! Open it! Go on!" she squealed. Harry sweat dropped before peeling away the newspaper it was wrapped in, revealing a… smaller box.
"Oh, that's cute!" laughed Hermione, urging Harry to open the new box. And he did so, and inside was… another box. Both glanced at Xena while Ron chuckled.
"Well, open it!" the ginger encouraged. Another box. This continued for four more boxes until Xena finally stopped them.
"Last box, go on now!" And inside the last box was… a giant gummy bear that was at least six inches tall and weighed a pound. She had bought it at a shop near King's Cross after being dropped off.
"Gee… thanks…."
"You're welcome! Now try it before Ron gobbles it all up in one bite!" Xena beamed. Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Xena pushed him off the chair, still grinning brightly.
XXXXX
'What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?' Xena stared at the question in disbelief. She had only skimmed the books for the main ideas. How was she supposed to know? A mischievous grin formed on her face as she dipped her quill in the pot of teal ink she had and began scribbling.
After everyone was done and Lockhart was grading the tests, she saw his features get overcome by shock and grinned. Soon, he was done and began talking.
"The results of this quiz were… Disappointing, to say the least. Only Miss. Granger scored perfectly on this quiz. Miss. Sharma?" he asked.
"Yes, Professor?" inquired Xena. It would've been the very picture of innocence, if it were not for the unnerving evil smile plastered on her pretty face.
"My greatest wish is not to… oh dear… get famous and really drunk and score big with… ahem… crotchety old witches… And my secret ambition is not to…. Play Pretty, Pretty Princess with Severus Snape." The vain man swelled with indignation as the entire class erupted into guffaws (except for Hermione who was looking at Xena in horror). "Miss. Sharma, may I see you after class?"
"Certainly, Professor."
XXXXX
"...Mudblood," finished Malfoy. Xena's face clouded with fury, as she tackled Malfoy. Preparing to punch him, she was roughly pried off by the Weasley twins.
"He's not worth it, Xena!" they pleaded, but Xena still struggled madly. Fred and George could barely restrain her, even with their beater strength. Seeing Hermione's tears, Xena's struggling intensified and the twins were so mad, they almost wanted to release her.
"Let me at him! I'll teach that little freaking ferret a lesson!" she screamed. She hadn't notice Ron aiming his wand at Malfoy, so the sudden sounds of puking snapped her out of her rage.
"Holy Merlin! Ron!" she exclaimed, running to help her friend. But Malfoy was clearly far from off the hook, judging by the ugly glares he was receiving from Xena and her fellow Gryffindors.
XXXXX
"…."
"That doesn't sound good," Xena said, looking at the flooded floor, stiff cat, and the words 'THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE' written in blood on the stone wall.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at Xena with 'duh' expressions.
"My cat!" Filch screamed suddenly appearing with the rest of the student body.
"Oh crap."
And guess who so eloquently spoke those words?
XXXXX
Xena, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team stood gathered around Harry's bed.
"Woah… it's a squiggly and stuff. Slytherins totally fixed that bludger! Damn it, Lockhart! Suck it! He couldn't just keep his stupid mouth shut!" shouted Xena, very irked.
"Shhh, Xena!" Hermione hushed her. "You'll get us kicked out!"
"I'm going to prank the crap out of Lockhart and the Slytherins!" Xena raved, ignoring Hermione on her quest for revenge.
"We're going to go help, and or restrain her. Get better, Harry," the Weasley twins said, sprinting after Xena, Madam Pomfrey's reprimands echoing behind them.
XXXXX
"So… the Chamber of Secrets is open again?" asked Xena. Harry nodded, blushing ever so slightly as he was squished against Xena in the cramped little stall in which they were brewing the Polyjuice Potion. Xena, too felt her face warm, but no one could tell, due to her dark olive skin tone.
"Then we need to catch Malfoy even faster," said Ron determinedly. "Are sure the day this is done is the only time you can visit your uncle, Xena?"
Xena bit her lip before nodding and saying, "Positive." The day the potion would be ready would be on the full room. The timing was unfortunate, but couldn't be helped.
"Well then, we'll have to fill you in," said Hermione.
"Fo-shizzle."
XXXXX
"A dueling club?" repeated Ron.
"Yes, it would seem so my ginger-tastic friend," said Xena to Ron. Suddenly, Fred and George popped up.
"We thought we were your ginger-tastic friends!" they protested.
"No, you two are my ginger-mazing friends that are going to the dueling club with me so we can throw 'badly aimed' hexes at Lockhart," said Xena
"Oh, silly us, how could we forget!" exclaimed George dramatically.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure some hexes will 'just happen to hit' Snape too!" added Fred.
"This is going to be awesome!" yelled Xena, startling everyone around her.
XXXXX
"How come you didn't tell us you were a parselmouth?" demanded Hermione.
"Yeah, why not?" asked Ron.
"What's a parselmouth?" inquired Harry, completely baffled.
"It's a person who can talk to snakes," said Xena quietly. The other three looked at her, confused and worried as to why she was being so uncharacteristically quiet. The truth was, she was worried and scared that if Harry's secret could come out so easily, what was to say hers couldn't too? She quietly made her towards the door, but stopped in front of Harry and enveloped him into a giant bear hug.
"Stay strong," Xena whispered in his ear. Harry could fell her warm breath on his neck, making him shiver a bit in excitement. "Don't let them get to you." Pulling away, she announced, "I'm going to bed," and strode out the door.
"I'm worried about her…" said Hermione. Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, and Harry felt that he had to help Xena. If she had a problem, he had a problem, and vise versa.
XXXXX
"So… Malfoy is not behind the attacks and some chick croaked last time?" Xena clarified, as Ron and Harry filled her in the next day after their Polyjuice adventures. Hermione was not there because of a certain 'hairy' mishap.
"In a nutshell," chuckled Harry.
"Well, that's reassuring."
"No it's not!" exclaimed Ron.
"Do I need a sign that says sarcasm? Because you are really bad at detecting it."
"Heh, sorry."
XXXXX
"No! Hagrid is not the one opening the Chamber of Secrets! I just know it!" cried Xena.
"I know but Riddle is saying something different," said Harry.
"Screw Riddle! Hagrid is one of the nicest people I know!" whispered Xena harshly before turning on her heel and storming out the common room.
XXXXX
Harry looked around at his room grimly.
"Someone's stolen Riddle's diary," said Ron, stating the obvious.
"And they must be a Gryffindor," said Harry.
XXXXX
"NO! NOT HERMIONE! She's too strong for this!" screamed Xena, torrents of tears flooding her face. Harry and Ron looked at her sympathetically, unsure of what else to do. "No…" she whimpered.
Harry had enough. He didn't want Xena to feel this way and just stand there watching her. He quietly walked over and wrapped her up into a warm hug. She buried her head into his chest and he felt her tears soak into his robes.
As Xena continued to cry, Ron realized that this was a private moment between Harry and Xena (even through his denseness) and left.
"It's not fair," Xena whispered into his chest. Harry, in turn, buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply and taking in the sweet scent.
"I know… Just let it out. I know you bottle it up, even though I wish you wouldn't," he murmured. Her sobs intensified a bit, but after about 2 minutes they subsided. Xena looked up at Harry and blushed a little bit.
"…Thanks, Harry," she said quietly. So quietly, in fact, that if he hadn't been so close, he would've most likely missed it. She smiled a bit at him, and pecked him on the cheek.
Harry looked shocked until a goofy grin spread across his features and he passed out.
"Harry? Harry? Oh my Merlin, Harry!"
XXXXX
"Follow the spiders…" repeated Harry after Fudge, Dumbledore, and Malfoy escorted Hagrid out.
"Spiders?" asked Ron as white as a sheet.
"Yes, Ron. Spiders," said Xena, without any emotion. "This time, it's Hogwarts that needs our help."
"Crap," Ron said, stealing Xena's favorite swear word.
"We need to save Hagrid and Dumbledore, you mudda ass ho! So wizard up and grow a pair! We're going to follow the spiders whether you like it or not!" Xena snapped at him.
"Jeez, sorry," Ron muttered, as he glared at the snickering Harry.
XXXXX
The only sound that filled the night for Harry, Ron, and Xena was Fang's panting and the crunching of dried leaves under their feet- until Xena decided to change that. Creeping up very close behind Ron, she began to sing softly.
"The itsy, bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. And down came the rain and washed the spider out…" she sang, trailing her fingers up his arm like a spider. The youngest Weasley son jumped and looked around wildly, then his eyes settled on Xena and he fixed her with a reproachful glare. Harry laughed softly in the background.
"That's not funny, Xena," he whispered. Xena kind of felt bad, and decided to apologize: Xena style.
"Aw, I'm sorry friend!" she exclaimed before capturing him in a hug, effectively squeezing the breath out of him. He towered over her tiny 4"11 and a half stature with his 5"5 stature, making the sight very funny for Harry, who collapsed into hysterics. Even Fang seemed to be laughing at Ron.
After Ron had pried her off, he said, "For such a tiny little thing, you sure are strong."
Yeah, 'cause I'm a werewolf, thought Xena, but said, "So don't piss me off."
XXXXX
"…Hagrid is, and was, completely innocent," finished Aragog. He finally noticed Xena, hiding behind the boys, and glared at her.
"We do not like your kind," Xena made out through the clicking of his pincers.
"Not even the ones that are friends of Hagrid?" she asked weakly.
"No," he replied firmly, glaring at her again before turning to Harry and Ron. "Goodbye Friends of Hagrid."
Just as the spiders began advancing towards them, Ron's light blue Ford Angela raced towards them.
"Thank Merlin, get in you guys!" shouted Ron. There was no need to tell Harry or Xena twice, they grabbed Fang and hopped in as faster than greased lightning.
Xena screamed as they barreled through the spiders and held on to Harry's arm with one of hers, while the other held onto Fang to ensure his safety.
XXXXX
"So what did they mean by 'your kind'?" asked Ron. Harry, too, was curious but didn't know how to bring it up without being rude. Thankfully, Ron didn't mind being rude (not that he knew he was half the time).
"I don't know? Racist and/or sexist spiders?" lied Xena, feeling guilty, but knowing she had no other choice. Ron appeared to be fairly convinced.
Thank goodness Ron was so thick, thought Xena affectionately.
"Maybe," conceded Ron, though Harry was still suspicious but let it go.
XXXXX
After their little 'adventure', Harry, Ron, and Xena sat in the Gryffindor common room, looking at each other in the dying light of the fire's embers.
"Hang on… Didn't the spiders say that the girl who died, died in the bathroom?" Xena asked slowly.
"Yeah, he did. But what if… she never left?" Harry asked, catching her drift.
"You two are bloody brilliant," whispered Ron, stunned. "Moaning Myrtle…"
It was an unspoken agreement that night, but they all were well aware of what they had to do, for themselves, the school, Dumbledore, Hermione, and Hagrid. They had to investigate Myrtle's bathroom.
XXXXX
"Professor Lockhart," Harry began, starting to execute the plan they had come up with to visit the bathroom alone, "I think it's safe to let us get to our next class on our own."
The rest of the students looked relieved that someone was trying to get rid of their constant 'baby-sitter'.
"I mean, it's quite obvious whoever has been opening the Chamber was scared off by you," added Ron. Xena said nothing, as suspicion would arise if she said anything un-sarcastic to him, due the first lesson.
"You know, I think you kids are right," agreed Lockhart. "I'm going to prepare for the next lesson; you kids can go by yourself."
Prepare for the next lesson, my arse, thought Harry. More like curl your bloody hair.
Harry suddenly realized how much he sounded like Xena, and was shocked. She was beginning to influence him… and, that, was a scary thought.
XXXXX
"Potter, Weasley, Sharma," Professor McGonagall called. The three skidded to a stop and turned around guiltily. "Just where do you think you're going?"
"We were trying to sneak up to the hospital wing and see Hermione," Xena lied flawlessly, with the perfect amount of guilt, sadness, and defiance in her voice.
Much to their surprise, Professor McGonagall sniffed, and they detected wetness in her eyes. "Oh… Carry on, just tell Professor Binns I gave you permission to be late. Yes," she said, coughing a bit to clear her throat. "Yes, I understand."
As the transfiguration expert walked away, Xena sighed.
"You know, you guys, we have to go visit Hermione now," she said. "Besides, I kind of want to…"
Harry nodded understandingly and the trio began making their way to the hospital wing.
XXXXX
"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it," read Harry from the note he had pried out of Hermione death grip.
"King of serpents?" repeated Xena, the gears in her brain beginning to turn. She would figure this mystery; she owed it to Hermione. "Harry, you're a parselmouth, that's why could hear it! And… err… what was the next part? Oh right, it kills by looking its victim in the eye? That's why everyone was petrified instead of killed- no one looked it in the eye!"
"Really?" asked Ron.
"Yeah," murmured Harry, getting what Xena was saying. "Colin looked at it through his camera, Justin saw it through Nick, and Nick was already dead, so he couldn't die again, and Mrs. Norris saw its reflection in the puddle, and Hermione and that Ravenclaw girl saw it in the mirror."
"Yeah, and spiders flee from it. Remember how Aragog was so scared?" said Xena excitedly. "And the last piece of the puzzle: All of Hagrid's roosters were killed and the basilisk dies if it hears a rooster."
"I've said it once and I'll say it again; you two are bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Ron.
"Hermione's influence hasn't completely evaded us," grinned Harry.
"There's one more word on here," said Xena, drawing her friends' attention. "It's pipes."
"Hang on, Harry heard the voice from the walls, right?" asked Ron. Harry nodded. "The basilisk must be using the plumbing to move around!"
"It all fits!" exclaimed Harry.
"As much as I want to stop and give ourselves a pat on the back, shouldn't we let the professors know?" Xena interjected.
Harry and Ron simply began walking, leaving Xena standing there behind them. She squawked comically before chasing after her friends.
"Hey, wait for meeeee!" she hollered running after them.
XXXXX
"Who was the student?" Professor Flitwick asked. After an ominous pause, Professor McGonagall answered.
"Ginny Weasley."
Harry, Ron, and Xena, who were hiding in one of the staff room's wardrobe, sucked in a breath. Xena buried her head in Harry's shoulder, while Ron held her hand in a crushing iron grip.
Ron couldn't believe it. Her first year here, and his baby sister had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets.
"We have to shut down the school," continued Professor McGonagall sadly.
Now it was Harry and Xena's turn to be overwhelmed by disbelief. Without Hogwarts, they would be forced to spend every moment with their respective 'families'.
Suddenly, the trio spied Lockhart rush into the room through the crack of the wardrobe's opening, looking very disheveled.
"Whoops, sorry, must've dosed off; what'd I miss?" asked the vain blonde wizard jauntily.
Snape's lips curled into malicious smirk as he gazed at Lockhart.
"Gilderoy, just the man for the job," drawled the dungeon's resident greasy bat. "A student has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Surely… you'll be able to rescue her. I mean… you have been saying you've known where the chamber lies for weeks now, but neglected to go due to the lack of… shall we call them… incident?"
"Y-y-yes Severus, I do in fact know where the chamber is. I'll have her back in a j-jiffy!" Lockhart stammered, paling rapidly, so much that it would've put the vampires he had supposedly defeated to shame. A strange, strangled sort of squeak entered his voice when he uttered the word 'jiffy'.
"Excellent." (A/N: my homage to Mr. Burns XD)
Lockhart scampered out of the room faster than Ron if someone said to throw Aragog a surprise party.
XXXXX
Xena and Ron looked at Harry, their faces aglow with the light of the feeble fire in the common room's grate. Harry had come to realize if the basilisk was traveling through the plumbing and the girl who died (A/N: Lol, Harry in alternate universe. Boy-Who-Lived? Girl-Who-Died? Get it? Hahaha xD) was found in a bathroom the entrance to the chamber could very well be located in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Let's go tell Lockhart," said Ron, standing up. Harry agreed, but Xena just rolled her eyes.
"Why? That spineless git is probably packing his thing up anyway!"
But despite her protests, she was dragged to the 'spineless git's' classroom.
XXXXX
"I called it."
Xena, Harry, and Ron all stood watching as Lockhart frantically shoved things into a sparkly pink truck covered with pictures of himself, unaware of the kid's presence.
Xena coughed loudly, and said, "Nice truck. Going somewhere?"
Lockhart jumped and looked over at them.
"Yes, yes, very urgent call, can't avoid it, so sorry," he explained hastily, not taking a break from packing.
"More important than rescuing Ginny from the chamber, I dare say?" Xena said slowly, narrowing her eyes dangerously. She brushed her bands out of her face. Harry and Ron could honestly say they were scared. They had never seen this side of Xena before.
"Y-yes, I'm afraid so," Lockhart stuttered, finally pausing to look up. He gulped as he saw Xena's dangerously calm face.
"Really now? Because I don't think so. To me," she continued, taking yet another step forward, causing Lockhart to scramble backwards. "it seems like your flaking. And I think you have a right to know- I really don't like flakes."
Lockhart cast a desperate look around the room as he was cornered. This was one scary twelve year old. She looked almost like… an angry wolf.
"But guess what? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Why? Because we have some information you could find useful." She grabbed Lockhart's collar and dragged over to Harry and Ron. "And before you ask- I don't give one shit about your 'urgent call.'"
Ron and Harry looked on as Xena manhandled the professor- a bad professor, but a professor nonetheless.
"We think the Chamber of Secret's entrance is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."
And with that one terrified Lockhart, one pissed Xena, and an awed Harry and Ron began their journey to the depressed ghost's bathroom.
XXXXX
"Myrtle, how did you die?" Harry asked, desperately hoping she would answer without bursting into tears. Luckily, Harry's prayers were answered, because the ghost looked like Harry had asked her to run away with him.
"Oooh, it was just horrid. I was hiding in here after Olive teased me about my glasses when I heard a noise. I thought it was a boy, so I stepped out to tell him to go away. But all I saw were a pair of great, yellow eyes and next thing I know- I'm dead," she said wistfully.
"Where did you see the eyes?" asked Harry. Myrtle pointed to a tap.
"This tap hasn't ever worked," Xena murmured, examining said tap. "You guys check this out! There's a snake on it!"
While the kids were looking at the pipe, Lockhart slowly withdrew his wand.
"Ob-" he began before Xena whipped around and disarmed with a quick 'Expelliarmus'.
"What was that?" Ron demanded. "You say you've been on so many adventures, and here you are trying to run out on us!"
"My boy… you can't believe everything you read," said Lockhart delicately.
"So… you're a right old fraud," surmised Harry.
"Whoa, hold on there!" defended Lockhart. "It's harder than you think, young man! First, you have to track the person who actually accomplished them down, and then you have to get the information from them!"
The children just stare at him.
"Actually," at this point, Lockhart actually popped his collar (Does he think he's a pimp…? thought Xena.) "I'm pretty handy with a memory charm."
Xena just rolled her eyes and turned to Harry. "Why don't you try talking to it in parseltongue?"
Harry nodded and looked at the small engraving.
"Open."
"Nope, that was English, mate," said Ron, shaking his head. Harry tried again, and this time, was successful. A strangled sort of hissing was heard and the sink opened to up in a gigantic pipe which led to, they presumed, the infamous Chamber of Secret.
"Hot damn, whaddya know!" Xena exclaimed.
Ron face palmed.
"Why don't you go first?" Lockhart asked Xena nervously.
"Oh my, such bravery," she said sarcastically. She pulled the man over and pushed him down the pipe.
"Have a nice trip, see you next fall!" Ron snickered. Xena simply shook her head. That was so bad…
After hearing Lockhart's astonishingly girly scream, and confirming that it was safe, the other three slid down after him at fantastic speeds. Despite the circumstances, Xena quite enjoyed herself. She was even considering turning it into one helluva waterslide…
When everyone was in the slimy tunnel, they began to move forward, heeding Harry's warnings of closing their eyes if they heard any movement. They even saw the basilisk' enormous skin, at which point, Lockhart passed out onto the stone floor.
"Oh bloody hell," moaned Ron, prodding the professor with his foot.
"Can we leave him here?" asked Xena hopefully. The other two shrugged and turned around. But when they turned around, Lockhart swiped Ron's mangled wand from his loose grip!
"This is the end of the line, kids!" shouted Lockhart manically, pointing it at the three of them.
"Oh really now?" asked Xena sarcastically.
"Yes, really!" Lockhart shouted, annoyed at how he received no respect. He even stamped his mostly likely pedicure treated feet to assert his 'dominance.' "I'm going to wipe your memories, and tell everyone you lost your mind at the gruesome sight of Ginny's body."
He looked immensely proud of his 'carefully formulated strategy'.
The three dubious teens looked at each other and sighed. What they didn't notice was that Lockhart had begun to say the charm.
"Obliviate!" he cried. But the spell-o-taped wand refused to cooperate. It backfired, blasting Lockhart instead and causing the ceiling to cave in. The small mountain of rocks separated the group; trapping Harry and Xena on one side, with Ron and Lockhart stuck on the other.
"Lockhart, you idiot!" screamed Xena, causing a pebble to fall. She instantly shut up, for fear of causing an avalanche. Whimpering could be heard from the other side.
"Are you guys okay?" asked Harry, careful to mind his volume. (Unlike someone cough-cough)
"Yeah, but… No! I don't believe it! This git wiped his own memories!" Ron gasped. Xena started laughing hysterically. Tears of mirth formed in her eyes.
"That…. Idiot!" she wheezed.
Pointedly ignoring the lunatic beside him, Harry called, "We'll go find Ginny! You guys stay here!"
"Alright…" Ron agreed reluctantly.
"C'mon, crazy," grunted Harry, pulling Xena along.
"I AM NOT crazy," Ron heard Xena say as they walked off.
"Yes you are," said Harry. "But you're my crazy."
Huh. And here Ron thought owning another person was illegal.
XXXXX
"Hsssss," hissed Harry, while Xena watched in awe. The wall opened up and the duo stepped in. They were in the real Chamber of Secrets now.
The echo of their footsteps on stone was deafening as they made their way further into the chamber. The suspense was maddening; with every step they expected the vicious, soulless basilisk pop out and mash them up with its mighty jaws. Or kill them with a single glance- neither outcome really reassured them.
Xena's heightened werewolf sight locked onto a spot of bright red in the distance. She stopped in her tracks and, ignoring Harry's calls, took off towards it.
"Xena!" Harry yelled, trying not to be too loud, lest he attracted the dreaded basilisk.
Xena dropped to her knees next to the spot of red- Ginny Weasley. She cradled the younger girl in her arms as Harry finally caught up to her. She was grief stricken at the apparent lack of life in Ginny. Granted, she hadn't gotten to know the youngest Weasley very well. But she was very close with the older ones. And she knew how devastated they'd be if Ginny died.
She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the seemingly fragile red head.
She heard Harry gasp from beside her and murmur, "Don't be dead, don't be dead, don't be dead… Wake up!" His wand clattered to the floor when he sank down next to his friend. Unknown to them, Xena had unconsciously let go of her wand, which had been sitting next to them, but now… it just wasn't.
"Oh, she's won't wake. She's not dead; she's alive- but just barely," they heard a velvety male voice from in front of them. Looking up, Xena saw a tall, handsome (Xena wasn't an idiot; she knew most of the girls from Hogwarts would actually swoon over this guy) boy, maybe a few years older than them, with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. His cheeks were oddly hollow, but somehow it worked for him.
But Harry saw- Tom Riddle.
Xena's eyes zeroed in on Tom's hand. Two wands were being twirled in those long, pale, spider-like fingers. Xena frantically checked her pockets before her heart sank. Those were their wands.
As handsome as he was, Xena didn't trust him. He had the aura (as stupid as it sounded) of someone who was only interested in things that furthered their goals. Someone ruthless. Someone- they met last year.
But apparently Harry didn't see anything suspicious.
"Oh, Tom, thank goodness! Can you give us back our wands?" Harry asked, reaching out. Xena grabbed his wrist and pulled him back a fraction of an inch.
"Tom? Tom Riddle? Diary guy?" Xena demanded. "How are you here?"
"Oh, good question," Tom said, pointedly ignoring how rude Xena was being, which actually irked him quite a bit. "You see, I happen to be a memory- one that's been preserved in a diary for fifty years." A slender hand gestured to the small, black diary from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
A thought along the lines of, How did that get there? flitted through his mind before he realized he had more important things to deal with.
"Tom- you've got to help us," said Harry. Xena merely glared at Tom, while positioning Ginny behind her protectively. "There's a basilisk and-"
"It won't come until it's called," Tom said softly.
"Huh?" asked Harry, stumped. Xena had long since released his wrist, so he reached out once more. "Look, give me my wand; I might need it."
"You won't be needing it." Harry was frustrated with Tom's lack of caution. "I want to talk."
Harry ran a grimy hand through his equally grimy hair. "I don't think you get it: WE ARE IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS." He clenched his hands "We can talk later."
"No, no, no. We're going to talk now." Xena was getting more on edge by the second. Tom pocketed their wands. Harry was picking up on the dangerous vibes emanating from Memory Man.
"How did Ginny get in this state?" asked Harry suspiciously.
"Funny story," Tom said amiably. "Young Ginny is like this because she poured her heart out to an invisible stranger."
Oh no, Xena thought. Every girl's best friend- they never judge and you can tell them anything: a diary.
But Harry didn't catch on as quickly.
"Huh?" he asked.
"The diary," Xena hissed. A slow, sadistic smile spread over Tom's face.
"Very good, Xena," he said, stepping forward. "Maybe when I have a real body, you'd care to… let's say join me in eternal glory? Pretty, pretty, pretty."
He must not know I'm a werewolf, thought Xena, smirking Harry, for his part, was secretly ticked at Tom trying to hit on his cru- friend.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Xena said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, but my dear," he said, pouting mockingly. "We would make such a pair. Like yin and yang…"
"But yin and yang don't a fifty year age difference. Pedo bear," shot back Xena. Tom's face twisted nastily and he turned back to Harry.
"Ginny has been confiding in the diary since summer. Oh, my brothers tease me. The Great Harry Potter will never notice me, boo hoo," he imitated in a high pitched voice. "It was quite annoying, but I was sympathetic. She simply adored me. 'It's like having a friend you can carry around in your pocket!''
He laughed coldly. It didn't suit him at all.
"If I do say so myself," Tom said, "I've always had a knack for persuading people to give me what I want. So anyway, Little Ginny poured her soul into me, which just so happened to be exactly what I was after. As time went on, I gained strength, leeching of the idiot girl. Soon, when I was strong enough, I fed a bit of my soul back into her."
"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.
"Oh Merlin…" Xena whispered, fearing the worst.
"Oh, don't you see? Ginny was the one opening the Chamber of Secrets," Tom stated, enjoying watching the various emotions that washed over their faces: hurt, anger, fear, denial.
"No way!" Xena said, desperately trying to regain some of her usual vigor in the face of danger. Harry, too, was finding it difficult to keep a brave face.
"Yes way," Tom contradicted, calmly: like the calm before a storm. "She wasn't doing it on purpose, of course; she didn't even know at first. You wouldn't believe the things she said: 'I don't remember what I did on Halloween, but a cat was petrified, and I have red paint all down my front!' 'Oh Tom, I have absolutely no idea how all these rooster feathers got here!' 'Dear Tom, Percy told me I look pale and edgy and have been act peculiar lately' 'Tom… I think I'm the one behind all the attacks!' Quite amusing, I tell you."
"You're sick," Xena said, looking repulsed.
"Mental," Harry added.
Tom ignored them both, a hungry look prowling in his eyes.
"It took her quite a while to stop trusting the diary." Tom continued. "And when she did, she chucked it into a toilet. And who should find it but the Great Harry Potter, whom I'd heard so much about from Ginny. I was delighted: after hearing your story, I was quite anxious to meet you." The hunger reflected in his honey brown eyes intensified. His eyes roved over Harry's hairline, where he spotted the scar.
"Why did you want to meet me?" Harry asked, valiantly trying to keep the quiver out of his voice. This answer came swiftly, just like the rush of additional hunger in Tom's eyes. Xena was glaring hatefully at the memory.
"As I said, Ginny told me about your astounding history. I just had to learn more about you, possibly meet you if I could. And so to gain your trust, I showed you my capture of that idiotic Hagrid," said Tom.
"Hagrid is our friend!" Xena growled.
"And you framed him!" Harry shouted. "I thought you were mistaken but-"
He was cut short by that high, cold laugh. It sent shivers down Harry's spine, but it reminded Xena of her uncle.
"Who were they going to believe? Poor, blundering Hagrid, or brilliant Tom Riddle, orphaned but, so brave… I was surprised no one realized Hagrid could not possibly be Slytherin's heir: it had taken me five full years to learn about the Chamber of Secrets. How could that oaf Hagrid possibly have the brains to do so? Or the power for that matter! But Professor Armando Dippet believed me and Hargrid was expelled. No one suspected a thing…. except for that meddlesome fool Dumbledore. He convinced Dippet to keep and train him as games keeper."
"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," Harry said proudly.
"Dumbledore is the only one who didn't fall for that load of crap," Xena smirked.
"Yes, well in any case, he kept an unusually close eye on me afterwards, and I knew it wouldn't be safe to continue using the Chamber of Secrets. So I sealed a memory of my sixteen year old self in it, hoping, one day, to finish Salazar's noble work, through means of someone else."
"Well you haven't," said Harry, gritting his teeth.
"Yeah, no of the muggleborns you attacked have died. As soon as the mandrake draught is done, everyone with be as good as new," Xena shot smugly, her nails digging into her clenched palms.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? Have I not made it clear enough? For a long while now, I my new target has been- you," he said, turning to Harry. His eyes were even hungrier and seemed to be locked on Harry's scar.
Harry just looked at him blankly, whilst Xena's jaw dropped.
"So you can imagine how angry I was when the next time the diary was opened, it wasn't you, but instead Ginny," Tom said, adopting an ugly look on his pale face. "She worried what would happen if you figured out how to operate the diary I would spill all of her secrets- or worse yet, tell you she was the one opening the Chamber of Secrets. So the stupid little brat waited until your dormitory was empty and snatched it back. And from what she told me, you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery, since one of your best friends was attacked."
"Damn straight," snarled Xena, but was once again ignored by Tom.
"She also revealed to me how the school was in an uproar because the famous Harry Potter was a parseltongue… So I made her paint her own goodbye on the wall and come down here to wait for you. She put up such a fight and cried, and it became ever so dull. But she was very weak. She had given too much of her soul to me; enough to let me leave the diary's pages, at last. I have been here, just waiting for you to appear. I have so many questions: how is it possible that you, as mundane as a boy could possibly be, with no exceptional magical talent, could have vanquished the great, powerful Lord Voldemort, and as a mere infant to boot?"
"Why do you care?" Harry questioned slowly. "Voldemort was after your time."
"Ah, Lord Voldemort is my past, present, and future," Tom said. Harry and Xena were baffled as to what he meant until they saw his hand rise into the air, Harry's wand held delicately in his unnaturally flawless fingers. He traced three words into the air, which then wove themselves into four shimmering, gold words.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"I am Lord Voldemort."
Harry gasped and Xena remarked dryly, "Can't say I saw that coming."
For a moment, Harry forgot about the situation and looked at Xena. She had reverted to her usual coping mechanisms: sarcasm and humor. He sighed, but he knew he wouldn't change her for the world. Tom's voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"You see, I was already using this name, but only with the closest of friends of course," Tom whispered, his eyes glinting eerily in the chamber's dim light. "How could anyone expect me to keep the name of my filthy muggle father, the one who left his wife and unborn son, just because he discovered she was a witch? How could anyone possibly expect me to keep the name of a disgusting mudblood when I had the blood of the great Salazar Slytherin flowing through my veins on my mother's side? So I crafted this name, a name people would fear to speak once the greatest sorcerer in the world rose to power!"
"You're not," Harry said, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger, hatred, and some other intense emotion he had no name for.
"Not what?" Tom asked waspishly.
"The greatest sorcerer in the world. YOU'RE NOT. Hate to break it to you, but Albus Dumbledore is, and always will be, the greatest sorcerer in the world," Harry retorted.
"And that is what I call a burn on you," Xena said, grinning wolfishly.
The maniacal grin vanished from his face, only to be replaced with a very ugly look.
"Dumbledore was driven from the castle by the mere memory of me!" he screamed.
"He's not as gone as you might think," said Harry, pulling random statements out of thin air. Xena thought he was crazy, but acted as if she knew what he was talking about, in an attempt to psyche Tom out.
"Dumbledore-" began Tom, but was cut off by… music?
The source of the music soon revealed itself. A bird with majestic red and gold plumage swooped into the chamber, clutching a tattered black hat in its beak. It dropped the hat at Harry's feet before landing heavily on Xena's shoulder.
Mixed reactions were heard through the cave at the new visitor's appearance.
"Fawkes?" cried Harry.
"That's a phoenix!" exclaimed Tom.
"Kickass!" Xena burst out. "Fawkes!" (A/ N: Xena knows about Fawkes because she has been in Dumbledore's office before to discuss the whole werewolf issue, as well as a few other times with the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan XD)
Riddle began to laugh. It echoed off the walls and sent chills down Harry's spine.
"A raggedy old hat and a bird?" he hooted. "That's all the Great Albus Dumbledore can muster for the school's so called 'Saviors'? Are you feeling any braver, any safer? Hmm, Harry Potter?"
Harry said nothing, but this sign that they weren't alone comforted him. He stood in front of Tom silently, but courageously.
"So twice in your past, and my future, you have faced me and escaped," Riddle said, his laughter replaced with a curious tone. "How did you do it? The longer the talk, the longer you live." Tom twirled Harry's wand in his fingers.
Xena lit up. He wanted them to talk non-stop? That, she could do.
"The longer we talk, huh?" Xena said mischievously.
Harry was starting to get a very bad, bad feeling. Xena was about to start blabbering mindlessly. And he was right.
"WILL THE REAL SLIM SHADY PLEASE STAND UP? 'CAUSE I'M THE REAL SHADY, ALL YOU OTHER SLIM SHADYS ARE IMATATING! OH MY GAWD. YOU CRAY, GIRLFRIEND, JUST CRAY! HAHA WILL IT SLICE? NO, BUT IT'LL BURN! YOU NEED TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH, TOMMY-BOY! COOKIES? KANGAROOS GIVE BIRTH! DID YA KNOW THAT? HUH? HUH? CAN I BRAID YOUR HAIR? IT LOOKS SO SOFT! BUT WAIT- YOU'RE A MEMORY! YOU'RE HAIR IS FAKER THAN SNOOKIE'S!"
"SHUT UP!" roared Tom, using a silencing charm on her, and sighed with relief. Even Harry had to silently thank Tom. "Now, Harry, why don't you talk to me? How did you escape the powerful Lord Voldemort?"
For a moment, it was as if everything froze. No one moved a muscle, but simply stood stalk still watching the intense electricity flicker between the stunning jade and honey colored orbs. The seal on time broke when the owner of the stunning jade eyes opened his mouth, readying a response as if it was a sword and his last chance- which it probably was.
"No one knows how I survived and how your powers were lost. I don't even know. But what I do know, is that my mother sacrificed herself for me- my common, muggleborn mother. I saw you last year- you're a wreck: barely alive. You're the most disgusting, slimy-" Harry said, before being cut off.
Tom's face forced itself into a terrible smile. "So your mother sacrificed herself for you… such a simple charm, yes… It's all clear now. There's nothing remarkable about you at all… So why don't we test the prowess of the Amazing Harry Potter against the Almighty Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin?" He turned to Xena and gave the wand a short, aggressive flick, lifting the silencing charm. He wanted to hear the annoying, disrespectful idiot scream with terror.
He then turned around to face the great stone statue. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four."
Xena heard strangled hissing and knew that it was parseltongue and that only Harry would be able to make sense of it. But that didn't matter- any idiot could figure out he was summoning the basilisk. With a terrible groan, the mouth of Salazar's statue opened.
Casting one last amused glance over Harry, Xena, Fawkes, and the Sorting Hat, Tom waited for the basilisk to arrive. A few seconds later, his patience paid off.
Xena and Harry watched in horror as a gigantic, scaly, killer snake slithered towards them.
"Kill them."
The huge beast began sliding towards them with surprising speed, and the duo's eyes widened as they snapped to their senses and began running.
"Over there!" Xena exclaimed. Harry followed her to a huge tunnel system. A quick glance behind them showed the basilisk was still tracking them- and gaining on them!
"C'mon!" Harry said, splashing in puddles of water as he grabbed Xena's hand and led her further into the intricate system of tunnels. Xena looked to see if they had lost Slytherin's beast (the horrors within, indeed). They had not. If anything, it was closer. Just when they thought there was no hope and the basilisk would surely get them, a majestic blur of red and gold dive bombed the monster's glowing yellow eyes- or she thought they were yellow from Myrtle's description (to check meant death).
A pained hiss signaled Fawkes had hit his target. He flew back up before rocketing back down to the other eye. While this was going on, the fight somehow relocated back to where it started, and Tom saw Fawkes gouge out the other lamp-like eyes and let out a horrific yell.
"No! You bloody bird! Shoo! Smell! Kill them, you can still smell them!" he bellowed furiously.
Harry and Xena starting running again, and, just like before, the basilisk followed. Fawkes kept dive bombing it, but the eyes had already been taken care of, so there wasn't much his pecking could do anymore. Realizing this, Fawkes swooped away before returning moments later with the Sorting Hat, which he dropped right in front of Harry. Harry snagged the hat quickly and kept running.
"Here," whispered Xena, pulling Harry into a tiny, hidden alcove where they would get a few moments of peace to recollect and form a plan.
"Put the hat on, it must have some use," she advised. Harry shrugged and complied, seeing no other option. As soon as the tattered accessory was planted firmly on his head, something hit Harry on the head- hard. Alarmed by the solid 'thunk!' she pulled the hat off a dazed Harry and gaped at what she held to keep it from falling.
A sword! Somehow the hat gave Harry a sword!
And Xena knew, Harry had to be the one to use the sword. No, she wasn't being cowardly. She knew this because the sword had picked him.
"Harry, look!" Xena said, holding up the ruby studded sword. Its silver bade gleamed in the dim, flickering torch light. "You've got to use this!"
Harry rubbed his head, and Xena frowned. He could have a concussion! Xena gently pushed his fringe back and ran her hand through his hair. Harry blushed. Xena, realizing what she was doing, pulled back and felt her cheeks heat up too.
"The sword picked you, Harry, and now you've got to use it," Xena said. "I'll distract the basilisk and you strike."
"Xena-" Harry began to protest, but was cut off.
Xena wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "Be careful. We can do this."
Not a moment later, Xena vanished. Harry ran after her and saw her jumping up and down.
"Hey, you stupid snake!" she screamed. "Catch me if you can!"
Harry groaned. Only Xena. He lifted the sword and ran after her and the basilisk. Soon Xena was at a dead end, looking nervous. Harry sped past the great serpent to stand in front Xena.
The basilisk reared its ugly head, and lunged down at them, mouth wide open. He bit down on Harry's arm. Harry, seeing his chance, ignored the burning pain and took that moment to strike. He buried the sword in the roof of the basilisk's mouth. It swayed for a few moments before collapsing onto the stone floor, dead.
But Xena didn't care. All she saw was Harry sinking onto the floor in obvious pain. She dropped down next to him and held the boy in her arms.
"No," she whimpered, feeling the gigantic lump in her throat. Heat built behind her eyes, and soon enough she could taster salty water running down her cheeks. "It's all my fault! If only I could've taken care of myself, he would've been fine!"
She heard footsteps and a cold laugh from behind her. "The great Harry Potter, dying in his little girlfriend's arms- such a tragedy."
"You bastard," Xena seethed, still crying. "You foul, evil, little-"
She was interrupted by Fawkes, who came to sit by her side and cry with her.
Tom laughed again. "You see that- even your phoenix is crying! You are dying Harry Potter! A so-called legend will be gone soon!"
Fawkes bent his head forward and let his tears fall into Harry's wound, and the Boy-Who-Lived began stirring. Tom seemed to have realized something, because he practically fell into Xena's lap trying to shoo away Fawkes.
"No! You bloody bird! Get away, get away! Phoenix tears!" he screamed. Xena recalled something Hermione said about phoenix tears being a cure to anything and everything.
"Yes!" Xena cheered as Harry opened his eyes blearily, pushing himself up from Xena's lap, both of them blushing. Spotting the basilisk's fang from Harry's arm and the diary, Xena, acting on instinct, grabbed the diary and sank the fang into it. Tom screamed as he began glowing a luminescent gold.
Over and over again, Xena plunged the fang into the diary's pages, a different place each time, as getting revenge on Tom himself- and she was. Tom was dissolving and soon, he burst into a million particles of brilliant gold light with one final, blood curdling shriek.
Xena grinned in relief, and launched herself at Harry, latching onto him. He was startled, but wrapped his arm around her.
"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, Harry!" she cried.
"Sorry? For what?" asked Harry, confused.
"It's all my fault you were bitten!" she said.
"No, it's not," replied Harry, gently prying her off and holing her and arms length away. He used his thumb to brush away her tears. "And besides, it's all over now."
Xena smiled and spotted movement about twenty feet away from them. She got up and pulled Harry along with her. The movement turned out to be Ginny, waking up from her barely conscious stated.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!" the young red head sobbed. She grabbed Xena and buried her head in the crook of the older girl's neck. "I'll be expelled! What'll Mum and Dad say!"
"Shh… it's alright. You didn't know…" soothed Xena, patting her back awkwardly. Ginny pulled away.
"I'm sorry," she sniffled, bowing her head slightly, peeking at the older kids through a veil of fiery red hair.
"It's okay," said Harry kindly. "Now let's get out of here."
XXXXX
After about ten minutes of walking, the trio reached the sight of the avalanche. There was a small space to get through from, where Ron's face could be seen. True to his word, he had shifted the rocks.
"Ginny!" he cried. "You're alive! But how? What happened?"
He reached an arm through the gap and helped his younger sister through first.
"Long story," Harry answered for her; she was still sobbing too hard to speak.
Ron helped Xena and Harry through. They were immediately faced by a curious looking Lockhart.
"Odd place to live, isn't it?" he asked.
"You bet," Xena remarked dryly. Ginny hiccupped a tiny laugh through her tears.
"Sooo… how are we going to get back up the tunnel?" Ron asked. As if in response to his question, Fawkes flew over and shook his tail feathers in Harry's face.
"I think he wants you to grab on, Harry," said Xena. Harry nodded, remembering the time in Dumbledore's office when the wizened wizard had told him phoenixes could lift immense loads.
"Yeah…" Harry said, taking hold of Fawkes' beautiful red and gold feathers. "Xena, you grab onto me, Ron, you grab onto her, Ginny you hold onto your brother, and Lockhart, you hold onto Ginny," he instructed.
Everyone complied, and soon, in the ride of their lives, everyone was flying upwards and out of the ghastly chamber.
XXXXX
"Ginny!" cried Molly and Arthur Weasley in unison. They rushed towards their youngest and captured her in a fierce hug. Ron, Harry, Xena, and Lockhart stood watching, covered in muck and slime, and in Harry and Xena's case, blood.
Mrs. Weasley released Ginny and turned towards Harry and Xena.
"You saved her- how?" she gasped. Harry and Xena found themselves in the Weasley matriarch's warm, but strong, embrace. To Xena, this was a completely new feeling. Never once, had an adult showed so much love (could she call it that?) to her.
"Yes, I think we would all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall shakily. Harry and Xena nodded, and for at least fifteen minutes, the two took turn explaining what had happened in complete silence, until the story brought them to when they got out of the chamber.
"Wow…" breathed Arthur. "By the way, Xena, I don't think we have been formally introduced. I'm Arthur Weasley, and this is my wife, Molly." He extended a hand.
Xena smiled widely and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley, my name is Xena Sharma."
"Thank you for saving Ginny," he said sincerely, before turning to Ginny. "Ginny, didn't we teach you not to trust anything unless you can see where it keeps its brain?" he scolded half-heartedly, mostly happy his little girl was safe.
"I- I know," Ginny sobbed. "P-please don't ex-expel me! I s-swear, I d-didn't mean to!"
"Don't worry, Ginny," comforted Dumbledore kindly. "Much wiser have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." Everyone but Xena and Harry flinched. "I suggest Ms. Weasley go up to the hospital wing, as this has been a terrible ordeal for her. I believe Madam Pomfrey is administering the mandrake draught right now." Xena grinned; Hermione would be coming to soon.
Ginny nodded and was escorted out by her parents. Professor McGonagall spoke after they left the room.
"So, I'll leave you to deal with those three?" she said crisply before exiting.
Harry's mind raced wildly. Deal with them? They weren't getting punished were they?
Dumbledore addressed Harry and Ron. "Do you recall how I said that it you broke one more school rule, I'd have to expel you?"
Ron's mouth dropped open in horror and Xena's eyes widened.
"Well, it just goes to show, even the best of us make mistakes, doesn't it?" Xena sighed in relief as the headmaster continued. "Awards for services to the school for all three of you, and oh, 150 points to Gryffindor a piece?"
Xena grinned. She had just regained all the points she had lost during the school year, with sixty to spare!
"But someone seems to be keeping uncharacteristically silent about this event? Why so quiet, Gilderoy?" asked Dumbledore.
"Oh, about that, professor," said Ron awkwardly. "There was a bit of an- ah, incident?- down in the chamber. He tried to use a memory charm on us, using my wand, but it backfired and hit him."
"Oh dear, impaled upon our own sword, eh, Gilderoy?" Dumbledore chuckled merrily.
"Hm? Oh, I don't have a sword," Lockhart said, but pointed at Harry. "But he does, maybe he'll loan you it."
"Oh dear," Dumbledore said, his cerulean eyes twinkling. "Ron, why don't you escort him to the hospital wing?" Ron nodded and led Lockhart out.
"Now, is it alright if I speak to Harry alone, Xena?" Dumbledore requested. Xena nodded and began to back out, but Harry stopped her.
"It's okay if she stays, professor," he said, causing Xena to smile.
"Very well," agreed Dumbledore. "Firstly, I would like to thank you two. You must've shown me great loyalty down in that chamber; nothing else could've called Fawkes to you. So you met Tom Riddle… He most interested in you, I imagine."
The last statement reminded Harry of something; suddenly his mouth was very dry.
"P-professor, Riddle said I was like him…" Harry stammered. Xena was slightly roused from her sleep; she was pretty tuckered out from their adventure and was dozing in the plushy armchair Dumbledore had conjured.
"Did he now?" mused Dumbledore. "Well, what do you think?"
"NO!" Harry almost yelled. "I mean no. I'm a Gryffindor," he said a bit quieter.
"'You tell 'em Harry; you're no Slytherin…" Xena slurred before she conked out and filled the room with the sound of her soft snoring: that that she'd ever admit to snoring. Harry smiled a small smile, but it soon vanished, replaced by a look of worry.
"But the sorting hat said I would do well in Slytherin. And I can speak Parseltongue – everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir," Harry said. Dumbledore waited patiently until he was done.
"Harry, my boy, the hat placed you in Gryffindor. While it is true that you have many of the traits Salazar Slytherin valued, resourcefulness, determination, and pride, and even the rare gift of Parseltongue, among others, it is our choices who define who we really are." Dumbledore leaned forward across the desk and grasped Harry's grimy hands. This surprised Harry; Dumbledore wasn't one for much physical contact. "You chose Gryffindor. And if that isn't proof enough for you, I suggest you take a closer look at the sword."
Intrigued, Harry squinted the sword's ruby encrusted hilt and was shocked to see 'Godric Gryffindor' engraved in tiny script.
The room was silent for a minute, minus Xena's light snores, before Dumbledore simply said, "Only a true Gryffindor could've pulled that out of the hat."
Once again silence ensued, until Dumbledore clapped his hand loudly, startling Xena awake. She fell off her chair on the floor and moaned. "Oww…."
Dumbledore chuckled as the young girl picked herself off the floor. "What you two need, is some food in some rest. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to tell the elves to prepare a feast and I have to write Azkaban. We need our games keeper back."
Xena squealed loudly and began chanting, "Hagrid's coming back! Hagrid's coming back!" She hugged Harry tightly, squeezing the air out of the poor boy's lungs.
"Can't… breathe," Harry gasped, and Xena immediately let go of him, apologizing sheepishly. They walked to the door, but just as harry reached out to open the door, it burst open with astonishing force, causing the kids to stumble backwards.
It was Lucius Malfoy. Along with him came a small elf hobbling along, attempting to shine the senior Malfoy's already impeccable shoes in vain.
XXXXX(A/N: I don't feel like writing a conversation most of us already know by heart xD I'm skipping, just a bit)XXXXX
"Professor, can we give Mr. Malfoy the diary?" Harry asked, after a hushed conversation with Xena in which they formed a plan.
"Of course," Dumbledore said, an odd knowing glint in his piercing blue eyes.
Xena grabbed the diary and they hurried out the door, Harry hot on her heels. Once the door and swung hut, Harry peeled of disgusting black sock which used to belong to his uncle and slipped it into the book. Once more, the pair ran off again, but this time in pursuit of Mr. Malfoy.
"Hey, dumb ass!" Xena called, causing the silver haired snake to turn around, seething. Just as he started towards them, Xena snatched the diary out of Harry's hands and chucked it at Malfoy's chest. It knocked the wind out of him, but, thankfully, the sock didn't fall out. "We thought you might want that back."
"Why you little…" Malfoy hissed, standing up taller, before he was cut off by Harry.
"Cut the act," Harry said. He usually wasn't this rash, but Xena had an effect on him. What a scary thought, Harry mused. "We know you hid this diary in the Ginny's transfiguration book before you threw it in the cauldron."
Malfoy stopped in his tracks, but narrowed his eyes. "Your parents were meddling fools too, Potter. And you'll meet the same sticky end," he said softly, with thinly veiled malice echoing in his deep baritone. He threw the leather bound book to Dobby before announcing, "Come, Dobby. We are leaving."
But the green eyes house elf stayed put. "Master has prevented Dobby with clothes… Dobby is free!"
Malfoy whipped back around, with fire in his steel eyes as he glimpsed the dirty sock clutched in Dobby's tiny fist.
"You! You've lost me my servant, you idiots!" he snarled before lunging at Harry and Xena. Dobby ran in front of them and raised a callused hand.
"You will not hurt Harry Potter and his friend," he said firmly before thrusting his hand forward, repeating the same words, but filled with passion. "You will not hurt Harry Potter and his friend!"
Malfoy went sprawling back on the stone staircase. He stood back up an pulled out his wand. Dobby pointed a long, quivering finger.
"You shall go now. You shall not hurt Harry Potter and his friend. You shall go now!"
Malfoy was forced to leave; he was out of options. With one last heated glare, Malfoy stalked down the hallway, away from them.
"Harry Potter Sir and his friend freed Dobby!" the house elf said, his large green eyes reflecting his overwhelming gratitude. For a moment he was silent but suddenly asked, "Who is Harry Potter's great friend?"
Xena smiled and replied, "My name is Xena Sharma, Dobby. Just call me Xena."
Dobby rushed at her and Harry and hugged them around the waist. For a moment he stood clutching them, but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he scrambled away and cowered.
Frowning, Xena knelt down in front the frightened elf and whispered, "We're not going to hurt you." And then she hugged him. When she pulled away, Dobby smiled.
"What can Dobby do to repay Harry Potter Sir and Miss. Xena?"
Harry grinned. "It was the least we could do. Just never try to save my life again."
At this point, Dobby's grin was almost falling off his face. "Of course, Harry Potter Sir!"
The trio laughed and Dobby clasped his hands together. "Farewell Harry Potter Sir and Miss. Xena! Farewell!" He waved briefly before apparating away with a loud crack.
Xena looked at Harry. "Let's go shower and take a nap before going down the feast."
Harry smile and began making their way to the Gryffindor Tower.
XXXXX
There had been many feasts in the two years they had been at Hogwarts, but none quite like this. Everyone was clamoring around in their pajamas in the dead of night.
Suddenly, the entire hall's eyes were drawn to the large wooden entrance doors. All the muggleborns who had been petrified ran in. Xena and Harry were bombarded with a face full of bushy hair before Hermione pulled away to face Ron. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before shaking hands.
"Nice to have you back, 'Mione," Ron said gruffly.
Xena grinned and started singing, "Ron and Hermione, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes-"
Hermione had put her hand over and mouth and said, "One more smart comment about Ron and I and I will P-O-U-N-D you. Got it?"
"What? You'll poe-uhnd her?" Seamus piped up, confused.
Xena laughed and hugged Hermione again. "I missed you, Herms."
"Don't call me Herms!"
Xena grinned even bigger and looked over as the door burst open again to reveal Hagrid's hulking form. He strode over the Gryffindor table and Xena jumped up and wrapped her small around him, as much as she could, anyway.
"Hagrid! You're back!" Harry exclaimed, joining the hug, along with Ron and Hermione.
As the night ended, Xena couldn't decide what her favorite part was: Dumbledore awarding Gryffindor 400 points, and thus the cup, Hermione and Hagrid returning, Justin hurrying over to apologize over and over for ever even suspecting Harry, or when Dumbledore breaking the news that Lockhart wouldn't be returning, as he had to recover his memory. Fred and George had picked her up and tossed her lithe form into the air and spun her around a few times at that news.
And for that moment Fred was spinning her, gripping her by the waist, her summer didn't look too dark as long and she would return to Hogwarts: her home.
A/N: Whew! 11,128 words and 34 pages! Wow, that was long! And just to clarify, Xena and the twins share a sibling love, so there's no Fred/Xena or George/Xena. Sorry! Anyways, bye, love you guys! See you next time and make sure to review! Please! Ok, I'm rambling, bye bye!