The October sun shone down brightly on Harry and Ginny as they walked through the grounds hand in hand, their broomsticks slung over their shoulders after their hectic training session. It had brought him some much needed relief, his mind and body feeling the familiar sense of refreshment that always came with flying, and he felt content and relaxed walking towards lake. As it always was with Ginny, few words were needed as they came to the large oak tree by the shore line, dropping their broomsticks as they sat down together, Harry leaning up against the tree as Ginny sat before him, leaning back against his chest. Slipping his hands around her waist Harry leant his head back and closed his eyes in tiredness, though it had only passed noon.
A month had passed since school had started again, and Harry was surprised at how fast he had settled back into his school life. Homework had not been forgotten by the teachers, much to their surprise not even Tonks was letting them slack off. The first few days of classes, every teacher had lectured them on the importance of their NEWTS, much in the same way they did at the beginning of their OWL year.
As Kingsley had promised, Harry never saw any indication that he was being followed by Aurors, but the Marauders map had clearly shown that he was. Two unfamiliar dots stood guard at the Fat Lady's portrait every time he was inside Gryffindor Tower, and they never failed to pursue him every time he left, always staying close by. His pursuit made things very difficult of course. All conversations of Voldemort or his Horcruxes had to be carried out in the privacy of the common room, or the boys dormitory, and more than once he had stopped Ron from mentioning it to him on their way to class.
"Don't fall asleep, Potter," Ginny warned him with the hint of a smile.
"Uh huh," he managed, tightening his grip on her waist as she placed her hands over his.
"You need me to wake you up?" she teased.
"You may just have to."
Smiling cheekily she twisted around in his grip, reaching up and capturing his lips with her own. He kissed her back and then pulled away as she tried to deepen it, her hands wandering dangerously. He opened his eyes and kissed her on the cheek in apology. "You know they're watching," he reminded her, not needing to elaborate.
"I don't care," she replied, trying to kiss him again.
"What if it's Kingsley? Or worse, Mad-Eye? You want him jumping out and screaming 'Constant Vigilance'…..again."
She grumbled under her breath as she turned back around and lent against his chest again, knowing that he was right. "We can't even find a decent broom cupboard, although Mum made me promise to stay away from them."
"Seriously?" Harry confirmed in surprise.
"Yeah," Ginny replied grumpily, taking Harry's hands and putting them back around her waist. "She tried to make me promise before I left, not that I listened to her."
"Hmm," Harry murmured with a smile. "Sirius just told me about all the good ones."
"Really, and what ones would they be?"
Harry grinned at her, knowing she would be interested, especially after promising her mother she would stay away from them. "The one in the Charms corridor, he says it's the smallest."
Chuckling to herself, Ginny replied. "You'll have to show me one day….without the Aurors though."
"Without the Aurors, right."
"By the way, did I tell you Demelza and I were spying on the Slytherin training session, yesterday?"
"No, but I knew there was a reason I'm with you. What were they like?"
"Good, but the Chasers are a bit sloppy."
"What about the new Beater?"
Ginny shuddered in his arms. "He's built like a brick, he acts like one too."
"He should fit in well then."
Laughing, Ginny continued. "I like him though, he hit Malfoy with a bludger, but I don't think it was intended for him."
"He got Malfoy? How awful."
"You're smiling," Ginny accused, twisting around to look at his face.
"Am I?" Harry asked, feigning ignorance.
Laughing again Ginny turned back around, recounting the Slytherin's training session in great detail, thrilled with the sloppiness of their Chasers. Listening to her, Harry thought back to his own team's training, excited by the skill they had shown that day. Coote and Peakes alone had not returned, necessitating their replacement, and the two fifth years that had been chosen worked together like a dream. Watching them hit the bludgers back and forth was almost like watching Fred and George, who seemed to read each other's minds constantly. Best of all, despite the predictions of Sirius and Madam Pomfrey, none of his wounds had been reopened or damaged during the gruelling training sessions he had held, and he had enjoyed relaying this information to Sirius through his letters, relieved that he had proven his godfather wrong.
On the other hand, none of his wounds showed and signs of significant healing, and Harry wondered if he would end up like Bill, whose own wounds from Greyback still remained unhealed. Gently pulling her hair away, Harry rested his chin against Ginny's shoulders, breathing in the smell of sweat, dirt and her perfume, knowing that it was getting harder and harder to keep the extent of his injuries from her. The wounds on his jaw and neck were clearly visible, but she had yet to discover those that covered his entire torso, although the trajectory of her hand only a few minutes ago told him that she wasn't far from discovery. For the hundredth time he wondered what her reaction would be when she finally discovered his injuries, whether she would recoil from him in disgust, or show him as much sympathy and caring as could be expected. He wondered which would be worse.
His thoughts quickly strayed to Malfoy, wondering if he were to ever tell anyone about the suffering he had endured, about the injuries he had sustained. He wouldn't put it past him, but he couldn't deny the fact that Malfoy seemed to be lying low this year, along with many of the Slytherins. Even Potions class was better this year, there was certainly an improvement with the absence of Snape, not that the new teacher wasn't strange in his own way. Professor Reed spent no time mincing words, preferring to instead assign them reading before leaving instructions for the brewing of the potion on the board, much in the same way Snape had. These days it was much easier to concentrate in class. True to Kingsley's word, Malfoy was always on the other side of the room, and Reed hardly spent any time prowling the desks looking for imperfections, preferring to wait until he was called. Both of these changes were definite improvements.
" A Knut for your thoughts?" Ginny asked, concerned about his silence.
"They'll cost a lot more than that," Harry said with a smile, reciting the same line she had given him once.
"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked, turning around in his arms again to look him in the eye.
"You," he answered simply. "And broom cupboards…..and how to combine you both."
"You're gonna make me break my promise," she replied cheekily, running her hand up the outside of his leg towards the bottom of his Quidditch shirt.
"That wouldn't be my fault," he argued with a grin, catching her hand in his and squeezing it tightly.
She didn't reply, knowing exactly what he was stopping her from by taking her hand, just not entirely sure why. Wanting to take away the frown on her face, Harry pushed away all thoughts of the Aurors watching them and bent down to brush his lips over hers softly, relieved when she responded with enthusiasm. Holding her hand firmly, he reached up with his other and ran his fingers through her hair, making her spine tingle as she kissed him harder, his mind blissfully free from any thought other than her. Breaking the kiss he leant his forehead against hers, breathless and dizzy as she raised her hand to his face, tracing the stitches along his jaw.
"It's not healing," she stated in concern. Her fingers ran over his chin to trace the stitches at the base of his neck, trying to subtly open his shirt a little to see their extent. "It's been ages."
Not wanting to respond to her, Harry kissed her again, making sure he had her full attention. The minutes flew by, and it was with great reluctance that he eventually suggested they return to Gryffindor Tower, knowing that he had a Charms essay to finish by the morning. Slinging their broomsticks over their shoulders they walked back to the castle together, parting only when Ginny insisted she needed lunch. Giving the password to the Fat Lady, Harry passed through her portrait into the common room, seeing Ron as he rushed towards him.
"You won't believe this, Harry," he whispered lowly.
"What? You finished your Charms essay?"
"I'll do it tomorrow," Ron procrastinated, ushering Harry upstairs towards the dormitory.
"It's due tomorrow!"
"This is more important, you won't believe what Hermione has done."
"Should I be worried?" Harry asked, pausing before opening the door to their dormitory.
"Definitely," Ron grinned, pushing the door open and ushering his friend inside.
Sitting alone on Ron's bed, Hermione's face portrayed a mixture of excitement and regret, wringing her hands together nervously. On the table beside her sat a flask of a dark murky liquid that Harry vaguely recognised.
"Merlin," Harry cursed, advancing on the potion and picking it up carefully, reading the label in worry. "Where did you get this?"
"From Professor Reed."
"He gave you Polyjuice potion?"
"Not exactly," Hermione replied, a guilty look on her face.
"You stole it?" Harry asked in wonder. "How did you get into his office?"
She held up the Marauders map which she had taken from his trunk, smiling apologetically. "It wasn't easy," she added. "He had some pretty strong charms up, I think he'll know someone's been inside."
Confused, Harry glanced at Ron, his confusion growing as he saw him smiling at Hermione in pride. "I don't get it," Harry wondered. "What's going on?"
Looking at Hermione imperatively, Ron finally answered his friend. "We've been thinking."
"About what?" Harry asked with dread, sitting down opposite Hermione on his own bed.
"Well," Ron began uncertainly, looking at Hermione again.
"We know how to get rid of the locket," she said.
Harry raised his eye brows in surprise. "How?"
"The Chamber of Secrets," she replied. When Harry looked confused she continued. "Think about it, if the Basilisk fang can destroy Voldemort's diary, then why can't it destroy the locket?"
Harry's astonishment was evident as he looked at his friends, his mind working at warped speed as what she said sunk in. "That's a fantastic idea," he said in wonder, Ron and Hermione sighing in relief. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"It was Ron's idea," Hermione continued proudly.
"Well," Ron mumbled, looking at the floor. "You gave me the idea."
Harry stood up and walked over to the window, his head spinning as he thought hard, it was a brilliant idea, but he couldn't help seeing the flaw in their plans. "There wouldn't be any venom left though, the Basilisk died when we were in Second Year."
"Yeah, well…" Ron said. "It's still worth a shot."
"Right," he replied softly, looking at his trunk where the Horcrux was now safely stored. Now that the opportunity to destroy it had presented itself, Harry couldn't help but remain sceptical. It seemed way too easy, simply venturing down into the Chamber of Secrets in search of remaining Basilisk venom, destroying the piece of Voldemort's soul that they had literally stumbled upon.
"Harry?" Hermione called, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.
"You guys can't get in there without me," he stated. "I can't do anything while I'm being followed."
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, their eyebrows raised.
"What do you think the Polyjuice is for?" Hermione asked.
Later that night, Harry watched nervously as Hermione separated the Polyjuice potion into two goblets, handing them to he and Ron. Harry took his with apprehension. He looked at the murky potion in disgust, trying not to recall how bad it had tasted in Second Year. Dressed in Ron's clothing, Harry sat down on his bed and watched Hermione bustling around, organising the things she would need for that night. He looked at Ron who stood by the window, wondering how his friends had convinced him to do this.
"Now, let's go over the plan again."
"Hermione," Ron moaned in frustration. "We've don't that a million times."
"Fine," she snapped. "But when you mess it up, don't come crying to me."
"How can I possibly mess it up?" Ron asked Harry under his breath.
"Let me count the ways," Hermione grumbled, watching as her two friends reached up and pulled a hair from their heads, carefully exchanging them.
"Ready?" Harry asked Ron.
"Ready," Ron replied with distaste, looking at the potion.
"Have you got everything?" he asked Hermione, satisfied when she held up his invisibility cloak, and the Marauders Map. "Let's go."
He dropped Ron's red hair into his potion, watching as it hissed and bubbled before turning a pale orange colour. Beside him Ron did the same with his hair, and Harry felt strangely pleased as Ron's potion turned a pale golden colour.
"Cheers." Ron pinched his nose and took a great mouthful of potion, and Harry hastily did the same.
The potion took immediate effect, Harry's stomach churning horribly as a burning sensation spread throughout his body, right to the very tips of his fingers. His head spinning he leant against his four poster bed and closed his eyes, his skin bubbling like wax as he felt his limbs growing, his chest and shoulders expanding to match those of Ron's. He heard Ron fall to his knees beside him, Hermione rushing over to him he too slowly sank to his knees, his body continuing to change as he began feeling nauseous.
As quickly as his transformation began, it stopped, and Harry opened his eye hesitantly, half expecting the transformation to have gone horribly wrong. His head spun as he looked down at Ron's clenched fist, feeling a different type of confusion as he slowly stood up, finding himself a little taller than he was used to. "Whoa," he muttered, Ron's voice coming out from his mouth.
"I agree," his old body exclaimed from the floor, squinting up at him in awe. "You've got really bad eye sight, mate," Ron added as an afterthought.
Standing up from the floor Ron took the glasses offered to him. He smiled as Harry's eyes came into focus. "That's better."
Harry said nothing, looking through Ron's brown eyes at his own body, shocked by his pale face and the faintly dark circles beneath his eyes. Criticising his own body Harry was shocked to see that he had indeed lost a considerable amount of weight. He began to understand why Sirius was so worried. As if to reinforce his shock, Ron gave a low moan. "Merlin, Harry, don't you ever eat?"
Before he could stop him, Ron pressed his hand to Harry's stomach to alleviate his hunger, his green eyes flashing as unexpected pain shot through his abdomen. Harry froze, unsure of what to do as his own eyes looked back at him in shock, flinching in pain again.
"C'mon," Hermione said in a rush as she grabbed Harry's Firebolt from the bed , not noticing as she ushered them towards the stairway. "We've only got an hour."
Grateful for Hermione's distraction Harry followed her. On the stairs before him Hermione ducked under the invisibility cloak as they neared the common room and Harry glanced beside him at his own body.
"Stop walking like that," he hissed to Ron.
"Like what?"
"Like you're about to stampede someone!"
"I'm trying to keep up with you!"
"Well this isn't exactly easy," Harry replied sheepishly, slowing down. "Where are you going to go?"
"Down to dinner," Ron answered without hesitation. "You're bloody starving, Harry."
"I am not!" Harry argued back. "And don't act like a pig while you're in my body, use cutlery."
"Stop it you two!" Hermione hissed at them from under the invisibility cloak. She consulted the Marauders Map. "The Aurors are outside."
They fell silent, Harry looking around to make sure that they hadn't been overheard. The common room was nearly empty, most of Gryffindor was in the Great Hall having dinner. He glanced back at Ron in his old body, both of them remembering that they now had less than an hour. They had to make this quick.
"Good luck," Ron muttered as he opened the portrait hole, growing nervous about the task that his friends were about to undertake.
Harry followed him out of the portrait hole. "See you, mate," Harry said from Ron's body, faintly hearing Hermione stumble out the portrait hole behind him, still under the cloak. He took off in the opposite direction to Ron, strolling along the corridors in his best imitation of Ron, crossing his fingers inside the pocket of Ron's cloak that the Aurors weren't following them. He passed a few other students as he descended the many staircases, relieved when Hermione finally revealed herself from under the cloak.
"They fell for it," she said triumphantly, still consulting the map in determination that no one would see them go to the second floor bathroom. "They're following Ron…I mean you, to the Great Hall."
"Good," Harry said as he quickened his pace, Hermione jogging beside him to keep up. "Let's get this over with."
They rushed towards the second floor, slowing only when they were to pass other students or teachers, and soon found themselves outside the girls bathroom. Ensuring that Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen, they entered.
"She's in the prefects bathroom," Hermione said as she consulted the map. "Poor Ernie."
Going straight to the sink opposite Myrtle's stall, Ron's fingers tracing the snake that was engraved onto the back of the tap. "You ready?"
"Yep," Hermione replied apprehensively, and for a moment Harry remembered that she had never been down here. She was sure in for a shock. Harry looked at the wall above the sink, his mind replaying the scene from his second year, when he, Ron and Lockhart had ventured into the Chamber to save Ginny. He shivered.
Turning back to the tap Harry stared at the small snake engraved there, trying to picture it as being real. "Open," he hissed, jumping as the sink sank down towards the ground, a man sized hole being revealed in the wall before them. Harry lit his wand and shone it down the dirty old pipe, disappointed when the pipe curved down steeply and he could see no further.
"We have to slide down that?" Hermione said incredulously as she too peered down, her nervousness growing.
"Yeah," Harry said, feigning confidence as he gripped the wall above the pipe and slid inside, preparing to let go.
"Wait!" Hermione hissed, looking around them. She withdrew her wand and cast a Repelling charm around the bathroom, ensuring that no one would see the gaping hole in the wall. "Are you sure it's safe?"
"The Basilisk is dead, it's fine," he promised her. "Don't forget the Firebolt," he added as he let go and pushed himself down the pipe, not allowing her to respond. He closed his eyes and tucked his elbows in as though travelling by the Floo network, grunting in shock every time the pitch black pipe curved unexpectedly. He heard running water for a few moments as the wind whistled in his ears, the walls of the pipe growing slimy as he continued sliding down. In the distance behind him he heard Hermione shrieking every now and then, who had obviously soon followed him before she lost her nerve. All too suddenly the pipe expanded and levelled out, and he shot out the end into a much larger stone tunnel, rolling over and over before he managed to stop himself. He sat up and withdrew his wand, casting a cushioning charm for Hermione before getting out of the way, relieved when her shrieks grew louder and she too shot out of the pipe, landing on the cushioned stone floor.
Her face stark white, Hermione slowly pulled herself to her feet. Her hands trembled as she tried to brush the dirt and slime from her robes. She turned and looked back up the pipe just as Harry's Firebolt slid smoothly down towards them. "How are we supposed to get back up there?" she asked incredulously, her voice growing higher with stress.
"It was a lot bigger back in Second year," Harry muttered, feeling the same sense of dread.
"You were a lot smaller!"
"Don't worry about it," Harry replied, ignoring her distress. He made to pick up the Firebolt before remembering he wouldn't need it just yet. "C'mon, we have to go."
He lit his wand and set off down the tunnel, knowing that Hermione would follow. They walked in silence, the only sounds they heard was those of their heavy breathing. There was a shocking crunch from beneath his feet, and as he shone his light down he saw that the floor was littered with small animal bones, remembering that they had even been here the last time. Ignoring them they continued on down the tunnel, coming around a large bend as the lights from their wands cast a shadow over something large in the tunnel ahead. Before he saw it Harry remembered the enormous snake's skin that they had found, and then with a sinking stomach he remembered the solid wall of broken rock and debris, the result of Lockhart's backfired memory charm.
"You didn't mention any of this," Hermione said as she saw the wall of rock, watching as Harry hesitantly tested the steadiness.
"It's fine," Harry replied, suppressing a smile as he clambered up the rocks towards the hole Ron had made so many years ago. He reached his hand behind him and helped Hermione climb the rocks, before clumsily manoeuvring Ron's tall body through the hole. With little time to waste he helped Hermione through to the other side, setting off immediately down the tunnel towards the solid wall that was up ahead, his tension and nervousness growing at the thought of what they would face on the other side.
Past one bend and round the other, Harry checked his watch and sped up. Twenty minutes had passed already. Even if their trip to the Chamber of Secrets remained undiscovered, there would still be hell to pay if the Aurors learned of their deception. Harry shuddered at the thought of how Sirius would react, and unconsciously sped up even more, relieved when they came to the solid wall of stone, two entwined serpents with emerald eyes carved upon it.
"This is it?"
"Yep," Harry nodded, taking no time to make sure that Hermione wasn't too nervous. He focused on the emerald eyes of both snakes, the light from his wand making them flicker ominously. "Open up," he hissed in Parseltongue.
The wall cracked open before them, the two halves sliding apart as the serpents parted. They could see no further ahead than what their wands could illuminate, but Harry knew that they stood at the mouth of a long chamber. He started walking, his footsteps echoing loudly off the walls as Hermione followed, the light from their wands illuminating the stone pillars entwined with more serpent carvings. Knowing exactly what lay ahead of them Harry broke into a slow jog, remembering how little time they had left. His heart skipped a beat as Hermione gasped, seeing the coils of the dead Basilisk before he did.
All that remained was an enormous skeleton, thick as an oak tree, covered only by the thick and decaying skin. The brilliance of its colour had faded long ago. Harry spared it no thought, shining his wand light over the snake towards the skull, the only part he was concerned about. After plunging Gryffindor's sword deep into the roof of its mouth, Harry had payed no more attention to the Basilisk, more concerned with the fang embedded deep into his arm, and he was now surprised to see two perfect rows of smaller fangs set into the jaw behind the largest one at the front, and he hoped that there was still a good supply of venom.
"This is incredible," Hermione said in awe as they knelt down beside the skull, observing the fangs.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, finally getting the full impact of the magnitude of the serpent he had slaughtered. "I can't believe I killed this thing," he continued, peering at the roof of the mouth where he could still see the damage the sword had done.
They considered the Basilisk for a few moments, wondering what the best course of action was as Hermione jumped in fright, looking at the pocket of her robes in shock.
"What?"
"The locket," she said in fright, reaching in and pulling it out.
"You brought the locket?" Harry asked in surprise, looking at the necklace she held in her hands. " I thought we were just getting the fangs."
It twitched forebodingly, and she dropped it to the ground in fright. "I thought it might be a good idea," she replied. Much to her confusion, Harry grinned.
"This is it," he said in anticipation, looking from the twitching locket to the Basilisk skull full of venom. "This is going to work." He extinguished the light from his wand and hastily severed the largest fang from the skull, turning towards the locket.
"Wait!" Hermione insisted. "What are you actually going to do?"
"I'll open it with Parseltongue," he said with confidence, as though he had known this all along. "I'll stab it, just like I did with the diary."
"The fang you used then had venom all over it!" Hermione argued. "This one is completely dry. Besides, it hardly seems sharp enough to puncture silver."
"Trust me," Harry replied, recalling the agony of the Basilisk fang in his arm. "It's plenty sharp."
"But Harry, there's no venom!"
"Look at it!" Harry insisted, indicating to Slytherin's locket which was still twitching violently on the ground before them. "This is going to work!"
Hermione stared at the locket uncertainly. "I don't know, Harry."
"Don't worry," he insisted again, raising the fang.
"Wait!" Hermione grabbed his forearm tightly. "What happens if you open this thing with Parseltongue, and stabbing it doesn't work….what happens then?"
"Then we're probably in a lot of trouble."
"Harry."
He sighed, sitting back on his heels as he looked at her imploringly. "Hermione, we've got twenty five minutes left, and we still have to get rid of the Horcrux, get back up the pipe and back into the dormitory. Are we going to do this or not?"
Looking at her watch to confirm what Harry said, Hermione appeared extremely agitated, torn between Harry's confidence and her own apprehension. "Alright," she said against her better judgement. She released his arm. "Do it."
He turned straight back to the locket that lay on the floor, preparing himself to open it as he was seized by an idea. He held out the Basilisk fang to Hermione. "You should do it."
"Me?" she said in disbelief.
"Yeah," he confirmed, his instincts telling him it was the right thing to do. "You haven't had the pleasure."
She stared at him hard for a moment before taking the fang from him. "What happened when you destroyed the diary?"
"Uh," he stated nervously, not wanting to scare her off doing this. "Ink spurted out everywhere."
"Oh, okay."
"I'll count to three," he said as his heart began thundering in his throat. Hermione reached out and grasped his hand in nervousness, trying to steady her own before she acted. He looked at the quivering locket, and it was only too easy to picture the engraving as a miniscule snake slithering over the cold silver locket. "One, two, three, open," he hissed.
The locket that his friends had tried so hard to pry open burst apart with a brilliant flash of light, and Hermione acted before Harry could even jump back, stabbing the tightly held Basilisk fang into the heart of the locket. There was a terrible scream that echoed throughout the chamber as Hermione drove the fang deeper into the silver, dark crimson blood erupting from the locket in great torrents, covering their hands and flooding the chamber floor. She dropped the fang and the two of them leapt away, Hermione clutching onto Harry's arm tightly as the great scream began to die down, the flow of blood stemming.
There was silence throughout the pitch black chamber, the only light coming from Hermione's discarded wand on the ground. They stood frozen to the spot for a few minutes, too shocked to do anything other than watch the locket that lay open on the ground, the silver soaked with crimson blood. Harry lit his wand and held it up, swearing as he took in the amount of blood that flooded the ground.
"I agree," Hermione said in a small voice.
Pulling his arm from Hermione's tight grasp Harry moved forward towards the motionless locket, no longer feeling a sense of fear towards it. He nudged it gently with his foot, crouching down before it and taking the chain in his hand. The two halves dangled from the chain like a pendulum, a steady flow of blood dripping onto the floor. He was certain that the piece of Voldemort's soul hidden within had been destroyed. It was nothing more than an old locket.
"We have to go," Hermione said with a trembling voice. "Twenty minutes left."
Without second thought they took off running, dashing down the long chamber towards the solid wall they had entered through, the two halves sliding back into place as they passed through. As they ran Harry slipped the locket into his pocket, slowing only as they reached the wall of rubble, clambering through as quickly as possible. Breathlessly they finally reached the entrance to the pipe that would take them back into the school, his Firebolt waiting patiently for them. Looking up into the narrow tunnel, Harry picked up his broomstick and offered it to Hermione.
"We'll have to go one at a time."
Hermione looked horrified, glancing from him to the firebolt. "Harry, I can't. It's too dangerous," she reasoned.
"You've flown before," Harry insisted, painfully aware of how fast their time was running out. Already there was only fifteen minutes left. He pushed his firebolt into her hands. "It's the only way out."
"It's too dark, we can't see a thing!" Hermione argued, thrusting the broomstick back. "Besides, I've never flown a firebolt before, I can't even fly Ron's broom!"
Harry swore, knowing he should have thought through their exit plan more thoroughly. He approached the pipe and shone his wand inside, knowing that it was too dark and narrow for them to fly through together. He shook his head. It definitely seemed bigger in Second Year. Trying to catch his breath and think clearly, Harry glanced from the pipe back to Hermione. He noticed her blood saturated uniform, and the dark red reminded him of something.
"Fawkes," he muttered quietly, finally seeing the way out. "Fawkes," he repeated again, louder this time.
There was silence for a few moments as Hermione looked at him, her eyebrows raised as Harry heard the familiar call of Dumbledore's phoenix. His heart filling with utter relief Harry looked around the long tunnel as Fawkes appeared above them, his magnificently coloured feathers gleaming in the dim light produced by the two wands.
"Harry….what?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Just trust me," he said as Fawkes perched on his outstretched arm. It had been so long since he had seen Fawkes magnificent beauty that for a moment Harry was speechless. Looking as the phoenix, Harry could almost see the pain it felt from Dumbledore's death. He knew that he would remember the mournful song it had sung forever. How could he have overlooked Fawkes? How could have forgotten the incredible powers that this bird possessed.
Knowing exactly what Harry needed, Fawkes spread his wings high and took flight again, circling just above Harry's head.
"Come here," he ushered Hermione, giving her the Firebolt again and holding out his hand to her. "You have to hold on tight."
Finally seeing what Harry had planned Hermione took his hand, paling even further. He took a strong grip of Fawkes' tail feather, feeling an amazing sense of lightness that spread through his body as the phoenix took flight. With a great whoosh they were flying through the dark and dirty pipe back towards Hogwarts, and never once did Harry feel their bodies smacking against the sides of the pipes. Fawkes provided much more protection than they would have had flying his Firebolt.
Almost as soon as it began they saw a bright glimmer of light up ahead, and within moments they found themselves dumped unceremoniously on the floor of Moaning Myrtles bathroom. Clambering to his feet Harry let out the breath he had been holding, looking towards the ceiling to find Fawkes. There was no sight of the phoenix, but he gave this no second thought. He was horrified to see that they had a little less than ten minutes to make their way back to the dormitory before he and Ron transformed back into themselves.
'C'mon," he ushered Hermione, pulling her to her feet.
"Wait!" she implored, pulling the Marauder's Map and the invisibility cloak from inside her robes. She consulted the map as they rushed towards the bathroom door, opening the door when they saw that the surrounding corridors were empty. Their legs heavy with tiredness the two friends bolted through the corridors and up the staircases, concealing themselves under the cloak whenever they passed other students or teachers, before removing it and running again.
They had reached the seventh floor when Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop, dragging him to stand by the nearest wall as he flung the cloak over themselves again. He looked at the map to see who was coming towards them and his heart froze as he saw the label that accompanied the dot just around the corner.
Malfoy was there, his dot on the map steadily making its way closer and closer. Harry glanced at Hermione who was trying to steady her laboured breathing, making a split second decision. He glanced down at himself, seeing that his robes were covered in muck and slime, dried blood staining his hands and legs. Throwing the cloak off himself Harry stood and began cleaning himself up, using his wand to siphon off the evidence of their venture into the Chamber of Secrets.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hermione hissed as she too threw the cloak off, her eyes wild with panic.
"Get back under!"
"He'll see you!"
Harry ignored her and began walking down the corridor, hearing Malfoys echoing footsteps just around the corner. He glanced back and saw only an empty corridor, satisfied that Hermione had concealed herself under the cloak with the map. He momentarily wondered how long he had left before his transformation began.
Hurtling around the corner, Draco Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ron Weasley standing before him, his face falling. The two of them stood and stared at each other, Malfoy fidgeting uncomfortably as he thought hard in his mind. He opened his mouth and hesitated, rethinking what he was going to say. "How's Potter?" he asked, his genuine concern baffling Harry.
Harry stared at him incredulously, furious that he had the nerve to ask. "None of your business, is it Malfoy?" Harry spat, pushing past him roughly and carrying on down the corridor.
Malfoy laughed to himself quietly, his whole demeanour changing. "Fine, if that's how it's going to be," he muttered before continuing loudly. "The Dark Lord can't wait to get his hands on your sister, again."
"What was that?" Harry responded sharply, turning around on the spot.
"None of your business, is it?" Malfoy sneered up at him, not caring that Ron was almost a head taller than him.
Harry said nothing, exercising great restraint until Malfoy turned and walked away. Furious, he raised his wand towards Malfoys back and hesitated, knowing that it was cowardly to attack him while his back was turned. Knowing that Malfoy had never hesitated to do so, he silently cast a strong hex, satisfied when the bright jet of light hit his target square in the back, causing him to stumble clumsily.
Malfoy turned around in shock before he turned green and clutched his stomach, bending over and vomiting a large slug onto the ground before he could even retaliate. Harry wasted no time in turning away and quickly leaving the scene, his satisfaction growing as he heard Malfoy retch loudly, the squelching sound of slugs hitting the floor filled the corridor as Harry turned the corner, breaking into a run as Hermione threw off the invisibility cloak.
"What the hell were you thinking?" she berated him, seething with anger at what he had done. She consulted the map as they ran. "You're lucky Malfoys aurors aren't following you!"
"Just hurry up," Harry panted, checking his watch again. Their hour was almost up, but Harry could already feel Ron's body slowly changing back into his own. Within moments he had to make sure he didn't trip on the hem of Ron's too long school robes, his feet already slipping inside Ron's shoes as he and Hermione continued to run. The Fat Lady's portrait was just around the corner.
"Wait." Hermione grasped his arm and forced him to stop running, her eyes scanning the map. "Ron's already in the dormitory."
"Are the aurors outside the portrait?" Harry asked breathlessly, gasping at the renewed pain in his wounds.
"Yes," she replied shortly, folding up the map carefully. "You can't be seen going into the common room twice."
She handed him the invisibility cloak and the map, cleaning herself up as he concealed himself. Hermione took a deep breath before rounding the corner and heading for the portrait hole, doing her best to not look guilty. Beneath the cloak Harry reopened the map and found the entrance to Gryffindor tower, seeing that there were indeed two aurors standing guard outside. He closely followed Hermione to the Fat Lady's portrait, slipping inside undetected as she followed him in. They passed through the busy common room and made their way up the spiral staircase, revelling in their good luck as they passed nobody else.
Seeing on the map that Ron was alone in the dormitory, Harry burst through the door and pulled the cloak off in a flourish, the impact of what he and Hermione had just done suddenly hitting him. "We did it!"
"You did it?" Ron said in surprise, looking up from where he was sitting on his bed.
"Yeah," Harry replied, pulling the bloodied locket from his pocket. "It's done."
"I thought you were just getting the Basilisk fangs!"Ron exclaimed, a look of great mirth filling his face. He carefully took the locket from his friend, looking at it in awe.
"So did I," Hermione replied sternly, glaring at Harry with amusement. "But someone just couldn't resist."
"You're the one who brought the locket!" Harry laughed, sitting on his own bed across from his friend. "Merlin, I wish you could have been there."
"He let me do it," Hermione added with pride. Seeing Ron's confusion, she continued. "I stabbed it."
"I though she should have the pleasure."
"Whoa," Ron said in awe, grinning from ear to ear. "You know what that means. The next Horcrux is mine!"
They all laughed, celebrating the small victory as they passed the broken locket between each other. Hermione recounted their adventure to Ron in great detail before she left them and went in search of her Charms essay, having been convinced by Ron to let them copy it. A small reward for their great success. Stretching out on his bed Harry kicked off Ron's too big shoes, too tired to bother changing out of his friends school uniform just yet. He was still buzzing from their victory, any thoughts of school work or going down to dinner were far from his mind.
"So what did you do in the hour?"
Ron raised his eyebrows at him, surprised that his friend even had to ask. "I went down to dinner. Honestly, I think people were surprised to see you there!"
"Thanks mate," Harry replied sarcastically.
"Oh, by the way," Ron began sheepishly, blushing slightly. "You've got a cold, alright?"
"Sorry?"
Ron sat up uncomfortably, as though trying to avoid thinking too much about what he was about to say. "I saw Ginny at dinner."
"So?"
"She tried to kiss me."
"What did you do?" asked Harry, sitting up with a mixture of amusement and horror.
"Well I couldn't kiss my own sister! I told her you have a cold."
"Oh, thanks mate," Harry replied sarcastically.
"It was awful," Ron continued as though Harry had not spoken. "She was practically all over me, I couldn't get out of there quick enough! I think she was probably a bit offended."
"Ron, did you have to reject her that much!"
"She was trying to feel my knee," he replied solidly, shaking his head as though trying to rid himself of the memory. "You two are not sitting next to each other at dinner anymore, not now I know what's been going on."
"Well," Harry replied guiltily, remembering what he had done whilst in Ron's body. "I'm apologising in advance, you're probably going to get in a bit of trouble."
Ron was immediately suspicious. "What did you do? I mean, what did I do?" he asked apprehensively.
"You, uh," Harry began apologetically. "You may have attacked Draco Malfoy."
"What?" Ron exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "What did you do that for? Never mind, I don't care. That's brilliant, what did I do to him?"
"You hexed him. He's vomiting slugs."
"Perfect," Ron replied with a grin, remembering his failed attempt at the same curse back in his second year. "I wish I could have been there."
"Alright, you two. Enough gloating," Hermione interrupted as she re-entered their dormitory, glaring at Harry. "I've got my Charms paper here, Ron. Your reward for our success."
"Excellent."
Harry rolled onto his side and watched his two friends conversing cheerfully, celebrating their success. He was thoroughly tired, his body seemed to ache all over as he fought the need to close his eyes and sleep. Sitting up Harry summoned a parchment and quill, wanting to finish his Charms homework while Hermione was still around to save it. As he dipped his quill into the ink and began writing, Harry couldn't seem to banish the sense of unease that had crept upon him. It was easy to celebrate their victory so naively, especially after it came about so easily. He forced himself to remember the great difficulty and sacrifice it had cost Dumbledore to destroy Marvolo Gaunt's family ring, and the failure they had endured after finding a fake locket. He couldn't allow he and his friends to become too relaxed just yet. The worst was sure to come.
A/N Thanks for reading again guys. To keep you entertained until Chapter 4 comes out, check out my new one shot that I just wrote, All the Time in the World.
Thanks again, and please don't forget to review.
killtherat
