"So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender. A songbird, and an old hat." A scoff came from the apparently-16 year old Tom Riddle, looking over at an exhausted Harry Potter. Defiance shined from Harry's emerald eyes as he looked at what he had to work with.
The Sorting Hat and Fawkes. Versus a Basilisk. I.. don't think I can win. No, I have to. Ginny is counting on me, I can't lose. Harry thought, clenching his fist as he looked down at the Sorting Hat.
Reach inside of the hat, Harry. He heard a voice say, making his eyes go wide.
Who…?
It is I, Fawkes.
What's in the Sorting Hat?
What you need to win.
Harry didn't need any more incentive than that. He reached into the hat, much to Tom's confusion. He felt a cold metal, and grabbed it, pulling it out. He watched as a beautiful sword was removed from the hat by his own hand.
"Hmm. Well it seems as if you have more than I thought." Riddle mocked. "Now then. Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter."
Speak to me, Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four! Tom hissed out, making Harry flinch at the Parseltongue. Harry watched as the statue's mouth opened, until there was a black abyss in its place. But Harry knew better.
As the Basilisk emerged, Harry shut his eyes as tightly as he could.
Harry! You have the Gryffindor's sword! Hold it out in front of you! Fawkes shouted into his mind. Harry, taking a moment to react, did so. Swinging the sword out, He held it in front of him. He heard a screech, and turned his head to look. Fawkes was glowing a bright golden glow, and flew right at Harry. Fawkes seemed to vanish into the glow, and the golden light surrounded Harry. Opening his eyes wide, Harry looked down.
Golden and red armor began to phase into existence. First golden armor boots shut around Harry's feet, then red and gold closed over his legs and waist. His free hand was encased in a gauntlet, then the hand that was holding the sword was covered. The armor seemed to spread from his hands to his arms, and then more closed around his torso. A golden knight's helmet encased his head, completing the knight armor. Feeling the sword shake, Harry looked at it. It seemed to glow golden, and for a moment, stopped shaking. Then, it erupted in energy, and Harry could feel a boost at his feet from the armored boots, keeping him standing. Then the energy vanished, and the sword had completely changed. The blade was gold, the crossguard was an intricate red, and the hilt was solid and strong.
Excalibur. Harry heard Fawkes whisper in his mind, and he looked right at the Basilisk, despite knowing of his deadly gaze. When he locked gaze with the serpent and felt no change, he understood that the armor was protecting him.
The armor will boost all of your physical attributes and give you certain benefits as long as it is active. Fawkes told him, and Harry nodded.
"What just happened to you, Potter? What is that armor, and what happened to your sword?" Tom Riddle demanded, and a stray thought of Harry's momentarily compared Tom to Hermione from their first year.
"Does it matter? All you need to know is that I'm going to destroy your Basilisk and save Ginny!" He shouted. Taking a step to run at the serpent king, Harry felt that same boost from earlier. He jumped, and only a moment later was right at the Basilisk's face. Swinging Excalibur, he cut deep into the Basilisk's face before he jumped back. The Basilisk had no time to retaliate, as when it tried, Harry was already 50 feet away.
Go, Harry! Ginny doesn't have much time left! Fawkes shouted. Harry nodded and gripped Excalibur, feeling an indescribable rush fill him.
"Soul Surge!" Rushing at the Basilisk again, he began sending slash after slash at the serpent, blocking its attempts to strike him. Quickly taking a reverse grip to Excalibur, Harry slams down the sword into the Basilisk's head. He hears a sound that sends shivers down his spine as it enters the Basilisk's brain. Pulling out Excalibur, he stands still and watches the serpent king. Coiling around in agony, the Basilisk gives off its pained cries before falling to the ground, dead.
"The Basilisk… Slytherin's Basilisk…" Tom Riddle stood over Ginny Weasley, unable to comprehend what he'd just seen. Harry, taking the chance, ran over to Ginny. She was still pale.
"Well… it seems as though I'll still be revived, Potter. Funny, the damage a silly little book can do, especially in the hands of a silly little girl. Lord Voldemort will be reborn." Riddle announced, smirking at Harry.
The diary! Harry thought, the pieces connecting. Looking at Excalibur, then at the diary in Ginny's hands, Harry reaches down and grabs the book, setting it at his feet.
"What- what are you doing?" Tom asked, suddenly showing fear. It confirmed Harry's suspicions. He raised Excalibur, and Tom realized what he was about to do.
"No you don't- NO!" He shouted, jumping at Harry. In a split-second, Excalibur was brought down and pierced the diary. The overwhelming Light Magic from the blade overpowered the Dark Magic of the Horcrux. Tom Riddle screamed and burst into light, the black blood pooling underneath the diary.
Giving out a pained gasp, Harry collapsed, feeling a harsh pain in his scar. Excalibur began to glow, and Harry could feel blood trickling down his face. Screaming, the armor phased out of existence and Excalibur seemed to change in an instant, back to Gryffindor's Sword. Harry collapsed, and heard Ginny begin to wake up and Fawkes beginning to screech as everything faded to black. Harry let go of the sword, losing consciousness.
-Break-
"Harry? Harry, are you awake?"
"C'mon Hermione, he's fine. I mean, he killed a Basilisk!"
"Oh Ron, you don't even know what he went through down in the Chamber! Even after saving Ginny, something happened. Why do you think he's been unconscious for so long? I mean, I was un-petrified a week ago!"
"Ngh…" Harry groaned weakly as his eyes cracked open. Bright light flooded his weary eyes, and he closed them again.
"Harry!" Hermione gasped, looking down at her friend.
"Hey, Harry's awake!" Ron shouted.
"Not… so loud…" He whimpered, feeling so numb and yet having a migraine at the same time. "What… happened?" He murmured weakly.
"Well, after you saved Ginny and passed out, she woke up. She got you and Ron out by having Fawkes carry you all out. And Lockhart. He lost his memory from that backfired Memory Charm he fired from Ron's broken wand." Hermione explained.
"Yeah mate. She explained all about what happened with Tom Riddle's diary. She's really broken up about it, she feels like it's her fault you were hurt." Ron added.
"But… the Basilisk didn't hurt me in the fight. I killed it before it even managed to scratch me." Harry recalled. As he thought about it, the pain hit after destroying the diary. "I was never actually hurt… after I destroyed the diary, the sword glowed and my scar started bleeding. It hurt horribly, and then I blacked out." Harry mentioned. He saw Ron and Hermione cring.
"Oh, wait! Hermione, you're okay?" Harry asked. The last he remembered, she had still be petrified.
"Oh, yes! I was healed about a week ago, along with everyone else who'd been petrified. It was right before you all got out of the Chamber, actually." She noted.
"I've been unconscious for a week?"