Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters belong to JK Rowling. Thank you, JK Rowling, for creating such an awesome story and characters and for your generosity in letting us play with them.
Chapter 4 – Inside the Chamber of Secrets
They made their way down flights of moving stairs quite easily, Ron having been moved to suggest that Hermione put a featherlight charm on her bag so that it didn't weigh as much as a giant boulder. Hermione had glared at him (but her cheeks had gone red because she hadn't thought of it herself), but had heaved a sigh of relief when her bag no longer seemed to be dragging at her shoulders. The second floor corridor where they had had their adventures in second year was quiet and still.
"We have to make sure no-one comes here while we're down in the chamber," said Harry as they reached the entrance of the girls' bathroom.
"I'll put a keep-away charm on the door," said Hermione, pulling out her wand. The other two went inside and she followed after performing the spell, closing the door of the bathroom behind her.
"Who's there?" asked the quivering voice of Moaning Myrtle. The pearly figure of the plump ghost came out of one of the stall. "Oh it's you lot. Come back to kill someone else, have you?"
"Yes," said Harry, hurrying to the sinks where the opening to the chamber was located. "We're trying to kill the guy who had you killed in the first place. Remember him? Tom Riddle?"
Myrtle's face changed from sneering to fright. "You're going back down there." She smiled smugly. "Well, don't forget my offer still stands, Harry. If you do get killed, you can always share my toilet."
Hermione made a sound suspiciously like laughter. Harry glared at her. "Thanks Myrtle," he said, trying to sound happy about the prospect. An idea suddenly struck him. He glanced at Myrtle, and smiled. "I appreciate the offer. If anyone else comes here, could you make sure they stay away? It's for their own safety, you know."
Myrtle puffed up importantly. "Of course!" she said, her eyes shining.
"Without telling them what's happening, mind," said Ron, feeling this was important to add.
"Thank you, Myrtle," said Hermione, making the gloomy ghost of the bathroom even happier. As Myrtle left, she said: "That was a good idea, Harry."
"Keeps her out of our way, too," said Ron.
Harry wasn't listening. He had found the sink with the snake engraved beneath the tap and had his eyes half-closed, trying to picture it alive.
Hermione jumped when sudden hissing came out of Harry's mouth and the sinks started moving apart. She glanced nervously at Ron as if to ask if this was what happened last time. Ron looked at her and nodded. A minute later Harry had disappeared down the tunnel, followed by Ron. She could hear their yells echoing from a distance.
Taking a deep breath and keeping a firm grip on her wand, she too jumped in and slid down the pipe, trying very hard not to scream. When she felt herself slowing down, she prepared to stop, just barely managing to keep her feet as she came out of the pipe.
Harry and Ron steadied her as she let out a long breath. "Well, that was interesting," she said. "Who'd have thought Slytherin liked sliding down pipes?"
"Maybe he was more fun to be around before he turned all gloom and doom," suggested Ron, grinning.
Ahead of them, they could see a large pile of stones with a small hole cleared in the middle. "Is that where-" she began.
"Yes," said Ron, his tone brooding. "That's where that git, Lockhart, tried to obliviate us and the rocks fell. Come on, we have a lot of work to do if we're going to make an entrance big enough to go through for all three of us."
"Wait," said Hermione, lighting the tip of her wand with a quick lumos. "Let's see if the rest of the roof's steady enough first. We don't want to make more rocks fall."
"We need more light," Harry observed. "We're not going to be able to move rocks and light our wands at the same time."
"Oh I have matches," said Hermione, remembering. "Can either of you conjure a lantern?"
Harry looked at her blankly, feeling out of his depth. How on earth was he supposed to conjure a lantern? He looked at Ron and was reassured by the same expression of wonderment on his face.
Hermione made an impatient noise. "Never mind, I'll do it," she said, and handed her satchel to Harry. "Look for the matches, Harry. They're in a small box."
Harry proceeded to rummage inside the bag, feeling strange. Ron had grown up in the wizarding world whereas he and Hermione had grown up in the Muggle world. But somehow, Hermione had acquired a depth of knowledge of magic which very few people had. He had always dismissed it as being knowledge that no-one else cared about, such as information from Hogwarts, a History. But more and more it was being borne in on him just how ill-prepared he was for a magical world. He had next to no knowledge of magic at all other than the few defensive spells in his repertoire. Other than knowing how to transfigure snails into buttons or making tortoises from plates, he had no idea how to conjure things like lanterns or perform protective charms.
If it wasn't for Hermione, it was quite likely none of them would survive the next few months. Ron seemed equally as clueless as him.
Finding the matches, he drew them out carefully, observing Hermione creating her lantern. It was a pretty little thing, he noticed, with little roses on the bottom. He struck the match and lit the wick inside and blew out the match.
"Can you show me how you did that?" he asked Hermione. "We'll need a few. These still don't give us enough light.
Hermione looked surprised, then pleased. "Here," she said, showing him the wand movement. "Keep the image you want to create very strong in your mind and you have to perform the incantantation nonverbally. But first create the image. Have you got it? Now repeat the incantation after me."
As Harry focused both on the lantern in his head as well as the incantation, a bright light came out of his wand and died. He looked disappointed.
"It was a good effort, Harry," said Hermione kindly. "Keep trying. I'll create some more. Oh, do you want to try too, Ron?"
As he heard Hermione instructing Ron, Harry tried again, focusing his attention more intently on his lantern. As another bright flash came out of his wand, he felt a little tired, then squared up to try again. Another bright light came out of his wand to the sound of cheers from Ron and Hermione.
"You did it, Harry!" said Hermione. "Ron's almost got it, too. Come on, Ron, give it another go."
Harry looked at his lantern happily as he lit it. He felt good. He had been able to conjure something out thin air and it was useful. It gave him a new reason to learn spells. He could now see what Hermione was talking about. If the three of them were to go out on their own without the safety of Hogwarts, where their basic needs were taken care of, he needed to know more. And suddenly, he regretted all those hours he had wasted goofing off and playing around, instead of learning more. Of course, he had had fun, but perhaps he could have done as Hermione had and studied a bit more. Then he wouldn't feel so helpless. As it was, Hermione seemed to be the most prepared of the three of them. No wonder she often seemed to get exasperated with them when they couldn't do the things she could.
No more, he decided. He was going to be independent and he was going to contribute to their little group. Ron's whoop let him know that the lantern creation had gone off successfully, and with the light available, they all checked the ceiling and walls of the cave carefully.
"I don't see anything," said Hermione at last. "But we'll try and move the rocks gently anyway, so they don't bang into the walls or something."
"How?" asked Harry. "We'll have to lift them and - oh, I get it."
He glanced at Ron who grinned back. They both pointed their wands at a few rocks and said: "Wingardium leviosa."
"Who'd have thought that spell would've come in so handy, eh, Hermione?" said Ron cheekily as Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"Stunning trolls, lifting rocks, levitating feathers," said Harry. "And you've still got the pronunciation right, Ron. Impressive."
They smirked at each other and Hermione said: "Oh honestly, you two!"
With the three of them working on moving the rocks, it was far easier to widen the hole to make their way through to the chamber. They crept through silently, and Harry tensed as Hermione gasped, clutching his arm.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said, "I thought it was the real basilisk!"
By now, Harry could see what had scared Hermione. It was a giant skin left behind by the basilisk, probably during its younger days.
"It was there before, too," he said, patting Hermione's arm. "Don't worry, Hermione. The basilisk's dead. I promise there's nothing here to hurt us now."
Hermione nodded nervously, eyeing the skin carefully as they passed it. They came to a giant door adorned with great serpents. Again, Harry hissed in parseltongue for it to open, and the trio went through the doors and in to the Chamber of secrets.
Hermione let out a sigh as her eyes rounded in wonder, gazing around the chamber. "It's actually quite beautiful," she said, her voice echoing in the chamber.
But Harry had no eyes for the chamber. His eyes were locked on the corpse of the giant snake lying there, with its deadly fangs exposed in the light of the chamber. He could remember the desperation with which he had called for help, the tearing pain as the basilisk's fang had pierced his skin. He remembered the teenage Voldemort taunting him just as he now remembered the warmth of Fawkes who had sat and cried on the wound and healed him. Had he really been only twelve? It seemed … so long ago.
He felt a warm grip on his hand and he emerged from the memories, dazed, staring into Hermione's eyes. "It's all right, Harry," she said gently. "You're not alone this time. We're here with you."
He could feel Ron's solid presence behind him, and he nodded his head jerkily. "Thank you," he said, looking at both of them gratefully. "I don't know what I would have done without both of you always being there."
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Ronald Weasley had always known that Harry had saved his sister from both Tom Riddle and the basilisk. He'd known too that the basilisk was big, but it was only now that he was faced with the reality of it. Harry had never made a big deal out of it, and neither had Ginny. They had all moved past it, accepting with glee the two hundred points apiece that he and Harry had received, and rejoicing in Hermione's return. It was only now that he realized that Harry, small and scrawny as he had been then in second year, had faced not only Lord Voldemort, his superior even then at the age of sixteen, but a giant snake that could kill you on sight.
And Harry had faced both these monsters with a phoenix, the sword of Gryffindor, and the sorting hat for help. He had nearly died from being bitten by the basilisk, but he had still triumphed and had returned his younger sister to them all alive.
Ron didn't think he'd ever felt more humbled than he did at that moment.
He could hear Harry thanking him and Hermione for always being there, and suddenly all Ron could feel was shame.
He had always been jealous of Harry on some level, despite being his friend. He had always felt left in the shadows, in fact he'd always felt less somehow, just because Harry was also the famous Harry Potter. Harry had always seemed to outshine him, Ron, whether it was with his wealth, with Quidditch or studies, or anything. In their fourth year, he had abandoned Harry when Harry had needed him most. The whole school had turned against his friend and yet Harry had still managed not only to forgive them all, but to keep fighting for them. He had forgiven Ron without even being asked, and it was only now that Ron realized how very lucky he was to have a friend like Harry.
Harry had never fully confided in either him or Hermione about the Dursleys, but Ron remembered the look of happiness on Harry's face when he and the twins had come to rescue him at the beginning of second year. Harry'd been locked in, Ron remembered, and the whole room had been a mess. Despite all his troubles, Harry'd never complained about anything. Ron suddenly remembered the eleven-year-old Harry approaching his mum so hesitantly asking how to get on to the platform because his relatives had simply left him there. How they'd exchanged sweets on the train, the rags that Harry had been wearing each year because he never got any new clothes.
Everything Harry had ever said about how lucky he, Ron, was to have his family suddenly rang in his ears. Harry had not had anything better despite being wealthy. He had known loneliness, bullying, and unkindness, but he never let that taint how he viewed others. He helped out at the Burrow without being asked. He talked so eagerly with all the Weasleys.
There was no way that Ron could repay Harry for all the countless ways he had saved all their lives over the years. Saving Ron, Ginny and his dad. Giving Fred and George his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament so they could start their jokeshop. Telling the wizarding world despite his injuries and Umbridge's continuous persecution about Voldemort's return. Trying desperately to warn them about Malfoy despite repeated rebuffs the last year.
It was only in retrospect that Ron realized the sheer enormity of things that Harry had done for them all. And was continuing to do by hunting down the horcruxes by himself if he had to.
Not that he would. In that moment, in the face of all that he had realized, Ron made a vow to himself to be as generous and kind as Harry. Perhaps Harry would always be better, but he, Ronald Weasley was going to be the best friend that he could to the hero that Harry was. Because at the heart of it, Harry was just a boy doing his best to survive.
And he needed Ron and Hermione.
He was pulled out of his musings by Hermione bumping his arm. "Ron," she hissed piercingly. "Come on! We haven't got all day!"
She could give a bloke a minute when he was making important decisions, he thought grumpily, following her to the basilisk. After that, he had no more time to think, because he was busy trying to extract the venom from each fang to the vials that Hermione had unearthed from her trunk and had charmed to be unbreakable. It was painstaking, tedious work that required all their skills to avoid the poison touching their skin. By the time Hermione had deemed the quantity they had obtained sufficient, they were all exhausted.
Harry groaned and sank to the floor. "How many vials do we have?" he asked, lying down against the cold stone floor. The others imitated him.
"We have about twenty vials," said Hermione. "I think that should be enough."
"Twenty!" Ron sat up and eyed Hermione in shock. "Why do we need that many?"
Hermione also sat up, glaring at him. "They're a good defense to have," she said. "If there's someone threatening us, we can always throw a vial at them and escape!"
He was silenced and so was Harry who had been about to protest. Again and again, it was borne in up them just how large a task they had ahead of them.
"Some of them will have to be in breakable vials, obviously, but if we get captured, or if we lose our wands," said Hermione wearily, "at least we'll have some way of defending ourselves. We're going to be in an all-out war soon. I'm trying to give us as many defenses as I can."
Her shoulders slumped and Ron found himself moving forward to give her a hug.
"We'd better get going," Harry said, getting up. "We've still got to go ask McGonagall about practising here. And we've still got the rest of the Order to - hold on."
"What is it?" asked Hermione worriedly as Harry's face turned red with excitement.
"The order," he said, trying to get the words out as fast as he could. "Why can't we just practise at headquarters?"
"Snape can get in there, Harry," said Hermione.
"That's because Dumbledore was the secret keeper," said Harry, his eyes dimming a little. "But what if we put the place under a new fidelius charm? Then we'd be the secret keepers and even Snape couldn't find us then!"
For a moment, the three of them just looked at each other. Then Hermione grinned triumphantly. "That's a great idea, Harry! It's so simple, too! One of us will have to be the secret keeper and I'll do the charm myself, but then the order can also continue to use it as Headquarters and we'll have a safe place to meet!"
"And I know how we can communicate to your families, too," said Harry. "Sirius gave me a mirror that I never used, and he said it was linked to another one so it was really easy to talk without anyone knowing or being able to intercept us. I just didn't know about it. What about if we set up something like that for both your parents?"
"Or even something like the galleons we used for the D.A." said Hermione in excitement. They looked at Ron eagerly and he nodded just as excitedly.
"I like the plans," he said. "Let's do it."
Harry gave a last look at the Chamber of Secrets. Perhaps it wasn't so bad after all. He'd finally faced it. And this time he'd had his friends with him.
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A/N: Yay, things are finally starting to get going. Writing Ron is actually a surprise to me because he's coming out way better than I thought he would. I don't generally like Ron in canon, but I did a little exploration of his thoughts here, just as I did of Hermione in earlier chapters. It was a lot of fun. I guess I just want to make them all more committed to each other as a group so that they're more united, hence Harry deciding to better himself magically, Hermione toning down her bossiness, and Ron realizing his role in the group. I think all these are important. I don't know the pairings yet, probably they won't happen until the end. I don't even know if Hermione will end up with either Ron or Harry. We'll see how the story and the characters develop.
Hope you're all enjoying the story! Feel free to leave comments. I love reading them.
IrishDiamond: Thank you for your awesome and great encouragement! You're the best!
Beatamut: I did overlook accidental wandless magic. I think I was thinking more about intentional and purposeful use of wandless magic rather than the panic of the moment, so I guess in this story, it wouldn't make as much sense. But it's a good point :D As for the come-and-go room, I've seen it used for those training purposes, too, which is great, because I think it's one of those tools that's completely under-utilized. It has seemingly unlimited potential :D