"You know, if you have to use the loo so badly there is a perfectly good gents loo right around the corner."

Harry grinned cheekily at his bonded, "I am aware, but we going to this loo."

"Why would we want to do that? Isn't this where that weepy ghost hangs out?" Draco looked aghast at the idea of entering a girls lavatory.

"Aww, just come on!" Harry pulled Draco through the door, forcing the issue. Once inside Harry slipped out from under the cloak, motioning to Draco to stay put and stay quite, "Myrtle, you in?"

"Who is it?" A garbled voice came from one of the stalls. Evidently she was relaxing in the bend of one of the toilets again.

"It's me, Harry."

There was a great splash and then Myrtle came barreling through her stall door, "Oh Harry! You hadn't stopped in yet this year!"

"I know, I am sorry Myrtle. It have been putting double hours in with my training. How have things been going with Nick?" Harry questioned.

Myrtle squealed, "He is just soooooo romantic. He is all chivalrous and knightly. He took me on a date to the astronomy tower last week. We had to scare out some Ravenclaws, then we watched the stars. I think he will snog me soon!"

"That is great Myrtle. So he is finally over the age difference?"

"I think so. He kinda backed down after I lost my temper a little and told him, in no uncertain terms, that I may have been a teenager when I died, but that doesn't mean I stay one forever. I ghost has needs you know!" Harry tried not to think of what those needs might be.

"Good for you! Now Myrtle, I need you to do me a favor, and it is not a little one." Harry said conspiratorially.

"Oo, what do you need Harry!" She was practically bouncing with excitement, which was an odd effect when the figure was hovering in the first place.

"I have heard a rumor that Draco Malfoy has gone missing. I need you to spy in the dungeons and see if you can find out anything interesting."

"That sounds like fun! Can I bring Nick along?"

"Sounds good, thank you Myrtle!"

"Any time Harry!" She crowed as she darted out of the bathroom.

Harry sent a strong locking spell at the door then turned to the direction he assumed the cloaked Draco stood, "Should be all clear now."

Draco (only slightly to the left of where Harry assumed) pulled off the cloak, "I really hope your plan gets better than hiding in a girls loo."

"Oh it defiantly does. Myrtle is a dear, but can't keep a secret to save her life...or well her afterlife...or whatever. Soon the entire castle will know your missing and be hunting for you." Harry gave a surreptitious pat to his robe pocket to check if his Firebolt was still shrunken inside from Quiddich earlier that day.

"Isn't that a bad thing!"

"No, it will convince Lord Moldybutt that you have indeed run off and he will try looking for you elsewhere." Harry walked over to the last sink, polishing the faucet with his sleeve.

"Yeah, until I am found just standing in the middle of a girls loo!" Draco seemed like he was about to lose it so Harry reached out and tugged him close.

"Relax, my love," Harry softly kissed his temple then gave a low hiss and as the sink began to slide from the wall Harry jumped, pulling Draco along in his arms.

Surprisingly enough Draco did not scream or yell at the abrupt plunge down a dark hole. All the blonde did was tighten his grip on Harry as they sped down the slimy tunnel. The landing was jarring, compounded by the fact that their limbs had gotten tangled on the way down. This resulted in Draco's elbow catching Harry's stomach and Harry's knee getting bent slightly awkwardly underneath them both.

Harry whispered the word "close" in parceltounge and was relieved when he heard the echo of the sink sliding back into place far above. Draco was still clutching onto Harry, his face buried in the stronger boy's neck.

"Thanks for the warning." Draco groused, as soon as he seemed in control enough to speak.

"Sorry, I didn't want to give you a change to talk yourself out of the plunge."

Draco relaxed his hold on Harry, although he didn't let go completely, and looked around at the pitch black that surrounded them. "What is this place?"

Harry helped his mate to his feet and let him go in order to fish out his wand. Harry cast a bright lumos, lighting the small area, "This, Draco, is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

There was a soft thud and Harry whirled around to see that Draco had fainted.

Harry knelt down beside the unconscious boy. Harry was unsure if he had fainted due to blood loss or just shock. he cast a mild enervate and watched as Draco slowly blinked his eyes open.

"Did you just say 'the Chamber of Secrets'! As in Salizar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets?!"

"That would be the only one I am aware of, so yes." Harry helped Draco to his feet for the second time in the las five minutes, "I haven't been here since second year, but with the basilisk gone I figure it is a good place to hide out."

"A basilisk?!"

"It is ok, I killed it second year. But if you hear any hissing close your eyes just in case." Harry was sure the basilisk he met in second year was dead, but it seemed quite possible that Salizar could have stashed another somewhere. Harry began to lead a fairly dazed Draco down the pipe that let to the chamber. He made sure that the second batch of blood replenishing potion was still safely stowed in his pocket. He was sure that at least some of Draco's haziness had to do with his blood loss. He would still have to wait another hour of so before administering another dose.

"Wait you killed a basilisk at twelve?" Draco asked shrilly.

Harry scratched his neck awkwardly,making the wand light bob and cast eerie shadows along the walls, "Well Faux helped...and of course I had the sword of Gryffindor..."

"Oh of course you did." Harry could hear the snark in Draco's voice and it made him smile again. He hadn't realized how much he had missed the blonde's sass this term.

Just then they reached the point of the cave in caused by Lockheart. Harry began to describe the happenings of their second year from his perspective as they climbed up and squeezed through the opening at the top of the pile. It had seemed bigger in the past, but then Harry realized he was much bigger now at sixteen than he had been at twelve. Draco seemed to have an easier time of it since he was considerably thinner than Harry. Once they were through Harry took Draco's hand again as he led on.

"Just how far is this place?" Draco whined. Some other may have found this rude, but Harry could see the absolute exhaustion underlying the blonde's complaint. Draco wasn't just whining, he was covering up that he truly couldn't continue much longer.

Harry kissed Draco's temple, "Not much further, love. Would you like me to levitate you the rest of the way?"

Draco sighed, "No, I can make it."

True to Harry's word, not two more minutes of walking brought the two boys to the ornately carved chamber. Nothing had changed in the years since Harry had last been here. Water still lapped over the path, giant stone snake heads lurking menacingly in the shadows. The basalisk was little more than a hulking skeleton with scarce strips of dried, scaled skin clinging to the bone.

"What is that!" Draco squeezed in fear, as the dim wand light danced around the skeleton making it seem to shift and move in the shadows.

"Don't worry love, it is just the remains of that old snake I was telling you about." Harry moved closer to the old corpse and then conjured a giant tablecloth to cover it, "I will get it out of here later. I am sorry if it bothers you."

"How did you kill that thing, it is freaking huge!"

"I will tell you the whole story another time. Let's see if we can get settled in somewhere." Harry looked around the large, damp stone room. It wasn't exactly homey, nor elegant. Probably not quite up to Malfoy standards. "I suppose we need some better light in here."

Harry pointed his wand at the high, dark ceiling and focused on casting Lumos Maxima. It was s simple enough spell, but he had not yet had a reason to use it out of class. Luckily it worked on the first try and a huge ball of white light flew out his wand to float along the ceiling.

"Merlin! Scarred of the dark, Harry?" Draco groused holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

"Huh, I guess I need to practice that spell more." Harry said glancing momentarily at the ridiculously large ball of light. The ones he had made in charms had not been nearly as large, nor as bright. "Well at least we can see now!"

The light didn't really help the atmosphere at all. Despite the miniature sun twinkling merrily in the rafters the chamber still held a gloomy, oppressive air.

"There isn't really much to it, but it is probably the last place anyone would think to look for you." Harry said, "I will sneak some furniture and stuff down here and we can maybe raise the floor so it is not as wet, and conjure some sort of walls eventually to make it a bit more homey..."

"What are you talking about, Potter?" Draco said tiredly, "This is just an entrance hall."

"Huh? I thought this was the chamber."

Draco sighed, as if he couldn't really believe that Harry was really that dense, "It is obviously just as entrance hall. All of the ancient pureblood castles have the same basic layout. This is a traditional entrance hall design. Note the tall columns and the intricate stone work. The Slytherin family guardian was the snake, hence the snake guards. The Malfoy palace grounds is similar in layout back in France, albeit a bit less soggy."

"Well if this is just an entrance, shouldn't there be a door?"

"Tradition would dictate that the main entrance be located beneath the family crest."

Harry looked around him cluelessly, "Ummm..."

"Oh, for pity sake, right there!" Draco indicated one section of wall where the carved designs of the chamber formed a serpentine pattern nearly halfway to the tall ceiling. If it weren't for the ridiculously bright light illuminating the space it would have been completely concealed by the shadows. Even with the light Harry never would have picked it out as anything special.

"Do you want me to see if I can figure out how to open it, or would you rather us bunker down here for the night and explore tomorrow." Harry asked, highly aware of Draco's exhausted state.

"I would rather find a place that is a little less waterlogged if possible. But if we can't figure it out quickly we can make do."

Harry released Draco's hand so he could approach the wall below the crest. He ran his hands along it feeling for any fishers, or seams in the rock. There was nothing to feel but cool smooth stone. Taking a step back he hissed the word open in parceltounge. Still nothing. Harry looked at Draco with a helpless shrug.

"What did you just say?"

" 'Open.' Just like upstairs where it opens the sink." Harry explained.

Draco looked pensive for a moment then looked up, "You are beeping rude."

"What?"

"You need to ask for admittance, you can't just tell it to open." Draco spoke slowly as if talking to a child.

"Ummm, ok." Harry turned back to the wall and hissed, "May we please come in?"

Nothing.

"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. Now did you ask for admittance?"

"Yes! I asked if we may please come in."

Draco smacked his forehead, "What are you, a muggle? Ask the proper way."

"There is a proper way to ask for a magical door to open?"

"Of course there is. Now listen carefully to me. 'We humbly ask permission to enter the most noble house of Slytherin. We bare no ill will towards that most respected family.' "

"Seriously?"

"Yes, now quickly, my feet are getting cold from this water."

Harry repeated Draco's words in parceltounge and watched with a slackened jaw as the stone seemed to melt into a large open archway, "I can't believe that worked!"

"You obviously have no respect for custom." Draco sniffed, haughtily.

"It isn't like the school offers a pureblood etiquette class for those of us raised by muggles."

"Which is why my family, along with many other pureblood families, have been partitioning the school to add one for generations. In fact it is that exact loss of important customs that caused so many to first turn to the Dark Lord. Unfortunately he spreads madness like a plague."

Harry had to agree. It did seem that those who followed Voldemort became more and more unhinged as they spent more time under his regime.

"Well, do you think we should go in. I mean, it might be booby trapped, or something." Harry eyed the archway nervously. Little could be seen beyond but darkness.

"It is possible, but unlikely. With a basalisk guarding the front door I think that Salizar would have felt safe enough. We should still keep are guard up though." With that Draco again took Harry's hand and both gripped their wands tightly as they approached the darkened space, "How about another of those lights?"

Harry obliged and cast another lumos maxima. The hall they entered was surprisingly cheerful. Well, maybe not quite cheerful, but defiantly a vast improvement over the intimidating entrance. The stone walls were interspersed with large beams of warm wood. Sweeping staircases lay to both the left and right, leading up to a large balcony. Four doors were open to the main hall, and a handful more could be seen upstairs overlooking the balcony.

"Wow." Harry murmured as looked around, "This is like an entire mansion under the castle!"

Draco opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a pop that had them both jumping and training their wands on the intruder.