The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead after they finally landed at the bottom.
"Ugh…" Ron grumbled as he stepped on the bones of small creatures. Harry swallowed gathering his courage. He suddenly felt the weight of the mirror in his robe, and wondered what Moria would have done, or would likely do if she found out that he had done this.
Shuddering at the prospect he climbed up into one of the adjoining tunnels.
"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away."
But the tunnel was quiet as a graveyard and they continued down the hall. Ron stopped suddenly.
"Harry, there's something up there." said Ron hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.
They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving. Harry edged forward, his wand held high.
"What's this?" Ron asked. Lockhart swallowed staring at it with a pale face visible in the low lighting.
"It looks like…" Lockhart swallowed. "Like a snake…"
"It's a snake skin." Harry clarified as the light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor.
"Bloody hell." said Ron weakly. "Whoever shed this must be at least 60 feet long."
Lockhart made a gurgling sound and the two boys looked at him to see that he had apparently fainted right next to him.
"Heart of a lion, this one." Ron remarked sarcastically.
Suddenly Lockhart sprung to his feet, then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground. Harry jumped forward, but too late, Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face.
"The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "But don't fret." He said easily. "The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl, how you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body." He explained. " So…you first Mr. Potter. Say good-bye to your memories!"
He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and yelled, "Obliviate!"
The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Harry flung his arms over his head and ran, slipping over the coils of snakeskin, out of the way of great chunks of tunnel ceiling that were thundering to the floor. Next moment, he was standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.
"Harry!" Ron called out from the one side. "HARRY!"
"Ron!" he shouted rushing back to the rock. "Are you okay? Ron!"
"I'm fine!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rockfall. Lockhart suddenly groaned and then looked up at Ron with a dazed smile on his face.
"Hello." He greeted. "…Who are you?"
Ron blinked several times. "Um…Ron Weasley?" He said uncertainly, wondering what the man was going on about.
"Really?" Lockhart remarked, apparently mystified with that answer. "And uh…who-who am I?"
It clicked in Ron's head.
"Lockhart's memory charm backfired!" He called out to Harry. "He hasn't got a clue who he is!"
"This is an odd sort of place isn't it?" Lockhart said lightheartedly, laughing as he picked up a rock and tossed it in the air. "Do you live here?"
Ron looked at him in disbelief.
"No." He grumbled, taking the rock from the obliviated teacher.
"Really? Well-"
Whatever Lockhart was going to say, was cut off as Ron smashed the rock into the back of the teacher's head, knocking him out.
"What now?" Ron's voice called out again, sounding desperate. "I can't get through - it'll take ages to pull all these rocks out."
Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. He had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic, and now didn't seem a good moment to try - what if the whole tunnel caved in? They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours. Harry knew there was only one thing to do. He moved forward and slid the mirror into the only crack large enough to have the mirror fit. It was pulled away from his hand and Harry swallowed.
"Wait there, and call my Mum in a little bit. Just call for her using her name and she should show up. Tell her where we are and what's happening." he explained to Ron. "I'll go on... If I'm not back in an hour…" He trailed off swallowing. There was a very pregnant pause.
"I'll try and shift some of this rock," said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady. "So you can-can get back through. And, Harry-"
"See you in a bit." said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice.
And he set off alone past the giant snakeskin.
"Great. First I lose my daughter. And now I can't find my son." Moria grumbled pushing her hair back in frustration. They were in lockdown. How was it, she couldn't find either of her kids?
Sure, she had gone and found Dumbledore and brought him to his office, and had stayed a little while longer, trying, in vain to comfort Molly, but it couldn't have been more than an hour at most. How was it that-
Suddenly the mirror in her pocket began to warm and vibrate. She glowered and lifted the mirror, expecting Harry.
Instead, she got Ron.
"Ron? What in the blazes?"
"Sorry, this took me awhile to figure out how to actually use it. I had to use a bunch of different names!" The redhead said quickly.
"What are you doing with Harry's mirror? And where the hell are you?" She asked as she looked at the surroundings around his head.
"We're in the Chamber of Secrets!"
"…you're WHAT?!" She screeched.
"It's in Myrtle's Bathroom at the sink! It should still be open!" Ron said quickly. "We had Lockhart with us-"
"That's not reassuring!" Moria snapped as she hurried around the corner heading to the bathroom.
"Don't have to tell me that, Lockhart tried to obliviate us but it backfired! Harry and I got separated and-"
Moria shoved the mirror in the pocket as she slid into the bathroom and saw the missing sink.
"Goddammit Harry." She whispered. "Why can't you stay out of trouble!"
Harry swallowed as he looked into the actual chamber at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more serpents rose to a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. It had taken a few minutes for him to get here of all places with all the twists and turns, plus using Parseltongue again. But here he was. As he glanced around he spotted something in the distance and felt his heart swoop down. In the distance he spotted not one…but two still bodies, crumpled and close together. One had flaming red hair, the other dark.
It seemed he had found not just Ron's sister…but his as well.
"Ginny! Max!?" Harry muttered, sprinting to them and dropping to his knees, dropping his wand. "Don't be dead! Please don't be dead!"
He grabbed Ginny and Max's shoulders, and turned them over. Ginny's face was white as marble, and just as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. He swallowed at the implications and then looked at Max's face. In contrast, Max's face still had color, but one side was stained with blood, and the slightly matted area on the side of her head was a sign as to what happened.
"Please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking them. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side and Max barely stirred.
"She won't wake." said a soft voice. "And soon neither will the other."
Harry jumped and spun around on his knees. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him
"Tom? Tom Riddle?"
Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.
"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not…she's not… And Max…"
"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just. The other is alive as well, but teetering on the same ledge, but the edge is weakening."
Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.
"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.
"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."
He gestured to the diary resting in Ginny's lax grip. Harry noted that Max was clutching the other hand in a loose, yet almost desperate grip. He wondered what had scared his sister that much, but realized there were more pressing matters to attend to.
"They're both cold as ice." Harry muttered. "You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk-"
"It won't come until it is called." Riddle replied calmly.
He looked up. Riddle was still watching him – twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.
"What d'you mean?" he asked. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it -"
Riddle's smile broadened.
"You won't be needing it," he said.
Harry stared at him.
"Listen we've got to go. We've got to save her!"
"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," Riddle remarked as though he hadn't heard Harry's remark about Ginny. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."
Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here. Then he remembered Max's comments about how Ginny had been acting stranger and stranger as the year progressed and even he had spotted the changes as the year had dragged on.
"How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly.
"Well, that's an interesting question," Riddle remarked pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."
"What are you talking about?"
"The diary," said Riddle. `My diary. See, little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes; how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how her best friend was making more friends, and how…" Riddle's eyes glinted at this. "How she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her."
All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them.
"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven- year-old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. 'No one's ever understood me like you, Tom…I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in…It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket.' All this and more as she drifted farther and farther away from her friends and family." Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh and it made the hairs stand up on the back of Harry's neck.
"If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted, I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her."
"What do you mean?" Harry croaked out.
"Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, a halfblood, and the Squib's cat.
"No," Harry whispered. "She couldn't…she wouldn't…"
"Yes," Riddle replied calmly.
"Why?"
"Because I told her to. Like I said, you can find me to be very, very persuasive. Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. She was…shall we say…in a kind of a trance. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries, far more interesting, they became. 'Dear Tom,'" he recited, watching Harry's horrified face, "'I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and 1 don't know how they got there.' 'Dear Tom, l can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front.' 'Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me...There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad... I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!'" Tom continued and gave a laugh. "Still the power of the diary began to scare her." Riddle explained. "And after a little spat with this one…" Tom nudged Max slightly with his toe as though Max was nothing more than a nuisance. "She became more suspicious and she finally tried to dispose of it in the girl's bathroom. And then, who should find it…but you? The very person I was most anxious to meet."
"And why did you want to meet me?" Harry asked. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady.
"I knew I had to talk to you. Meet you if I could. You see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history. " His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. "So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust-"
"Hagrid's my friend." Harry interrupted, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you?"
Riddle laughed his high laugh again. "It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry. Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dipper to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper."
"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted and his smile wry.
"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," Riddle remarked. "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. So I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."
"Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly. "In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again -"
"Haven't I already told you," Riddle asked quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been -you."
Harry stared at him.
"And I was hoping to learn more about you. Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me again, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. 'What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters?' So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back. But I knew what I must do. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery of Slytherin's Heir particularly if one of your best friends was attacked. So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. Along the way though, who would find her but the little girl you fashion as your sister. Two for the price of one. An even better trap for you. She struggled when she realized my intentions and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her. She put too much into the diary…into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last. And once she's gone her life will ensure that I can leave the pages forever." He said gesturing to Max.
"Over my dead body." Harry growled.
"But first I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."
"Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.
"Well," Riddle said, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent – managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?" Riddle spat and Harry glared.
"Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time."
"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, a grin growing on his face. "Is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter." He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
"You…you're the Heir of Slytherin. You're Voldemort." Harry repeated softly.
"Surely you didn't think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name? No. I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Harry's brain seemed to have jammed.
"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world. Not you." You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred.
The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.
"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed. "He'll never be gone. Not as long as those who remain loyal to him!" Harry retorted. Riddle opened his mouth, but froze. Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar. A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.
"Fawkes?" Harry breathed, as he stared at the phoenix. A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet. Harry looked at it and saw it was the Sorting Hat.
"So this is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"
Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.
"Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter."He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed – but Harry understood what he was saying. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. " Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue. Horrorstruck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.
And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth.
Something was slithering up from its depths. Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight. Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?
Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder - he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice: "Kill him. "
Well…this was definitely new, Moria observed as she hurried down the tunnel.
Granted the décor was doing little to help Moria's growing panic.
Especially the godforsaken skeletons.
"Professor!"
"Ron?" Moria called out jumping down into the chamber and spotted the redhead boy. Nearby was a wandering Lockhart, whistling a merry tune.
"…what the heck…"
"Obliviated himself."
"I thought you were just kidding." Moria remarked. She then looked at the opening to the other side. Ron didn't waste another moment and began to move more rocks.
"Ginny's on the other side with Harry. I'm trying to get a big enough space for them…for them to crawl back out."
"What do you want me to do to help?" She asked and Ron looked flabbergasted. "I can either stay here and try to move some more rocks, or I can go on the other side and assist Harry."
"How are you going to get on the other side? Apparate?"
"No. I'm an animagus." Moria explained. "Ron, you decide. Do I stay here or go ahead?"
"But you're…"
"I may be a teacher, but your sister is in there. Your needs get top priority."
"And your son…Harry is in there too."
Moria swallowed as Ron looked at the opening and then Moria.
"You should go through Professor. That way Harry has backup. He's…he's pretty clueless without help." Ron said weakly trying to make a joke. Moria smiled and bent down till she was Ron's level.
"We'll get Ginny back, Ron."
Ron nodded and then seconds later a scarred fox stood in front of him. Moria stretched and then bounced into the crevice. But it appeared to be much smaller than the two had anticipated, as she was midway when her back quarters grew stuck. And no amount of tugging forwards or backwards seemed to get her out. Ron looked around.
All there was around him was an obliviated professor. He gulped.
"Sorry Professor." He apologized then quickly as he could, lifted Moria's back half and gave a shove.
She let out an alarmed bark as she tumbled out of the crevice and landed onto the ground in a heap.
"Sorry Professor!" Ron squeaked out but Moria shook her head and transformed back into her human form.
"It's alright. Now keep working on the hole. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Ron nodded and she hurried away.
It was in slow motion. The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true as Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword that had come from the Sorting Hat and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth-But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.
Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color. He stumbled to where the two girls and Riddle were, falling to his knees.
"Remarkable isn't it?" He heard Riddle say in the haze of his head. He looked at Max and Ginny, his eyes slowly trailing to the diary in Ginny's arm. "How quickly the venom of the Basilisk penetrates the body."
He looked up and saw Riddle had an expression of sickening glee as he looked at the stricken boy.
"I guess you have a little more than a minute to live." Riddle cocked his head to the side. "You'll be with your dear mudblood mother soon, Harry."
Harry glared at him and then looked at Max and Ginny. He reached and gripped the pairs holding hands, and felt the chill of Ginny's skin under his numbing touch. Max's thumb however twitched.
"Don't give up Harry…"
He blinked, because he had to be imagining his sister's voice ringing through his head.
"You're Harry James Potter, Harry…you can think of something to make sure he doesn't come. I know you can." Her voice whispered sweetly into his head. "You're my big brother, so you can fix things I screw up on."
"Funny, the damage a silly little book can do." Riddle mocked, nudging Ginny's foot. "And how useless love of friends are when the book is in the hands of a silly little girl."
Harry looked up to glare then glanced back down at the diary.
"You can do it Harry. It's alright." Goaded by his sister's voice and wincing at the movement he grabbed and pulled the book out of Ginny's grasp, flipping it open.
"What are you doing?" Riddle asked, his voice suddenly changing as Harry grabbed the discarded basilisk fang. He then looked at Riddle, and the Slytherin boy realized what he was doing.
"Stop!" He called out, moving forward as Harry plunged the fang into the journal.
"NO!" Black ink suddenly began to seep out of the pages. Riddle jerked backwards and Harry looked up to see what looked like a hole tearing into the young man's chest. He gritted his teeth and pulled the fang out. Riddle moved forward again but Harry plunged the fang into the page next to the other, and more ink spilled out. Riddle's expression became pain-filled as light began to eat away at Riddle. Harry closed the book and for a third time, plunged the book; this time into the center of the leather cover. Riddle screamed, the sound echoing and bouncing over the walls, and with a blinding light Tom Riddle vanished.
Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just traveled miles by Floo powder. Slowly, he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.
Then came a faint moan. Ginny was stirring. And then as though she had been revitalized as well, Max began to groggily sit up. As Harry crawled towards them, both finally sat up. He supposed in any other situation, he would have laughed as the their bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. Max's face however turned pale and he was worried that she was going to pass out again. Ginny followed soon after and she drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face as she looked at both Max and Harry, guilt riddled on her face.
"It was me." She sobbed and Max looked at her in confusion, Harry not so much, granted he was in pain so he didn't really try to hard. "Riddle made me…"
"Riddle, who's Riddle?" Max asked and Harry shook his head as Ginny sobbed.
"I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy—it was me, but I—I s-swear I d-didn't mean to—R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over and then when he spotted you following us Max, h-he attacked made me attack you and—and-how did you kill that—that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r- remember is him coming out of the diary, and saying that after me i-it was going to be Max and-and!" Suddenly she gasped looking at Harry's arm. Max followed her gaze and her face became a sickly color.
"Harry! You're hurt!" Max exclaimed, crawling over to him.
Faintly Harry thought he heard his mother…well both his mother's voices calling out to him. He didn't know which was real and which was not, and he didn't know who to follow at this point, but getting both girls out was top priority.
"Don't worry." He forced out. "Max, Ginny, listen to me." He ordered, but Max was already shaking her head. "You need to get yourselves out."
"No." Max replied weakly, wincing as she pushed her hair back.
"Follow the chamber, and you'll find Ron."
"No, Harry we aren't leaving you." Ginny whispered just as fervently. He was growing desperate. He didn't want his sister and their friend to watch him die.
A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him.
"Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were brilliant, Fawkes…I just wasn't quick enough."
Moria's voice was now growing in its echoed and he was hallucinating that Max and Ginny's heads turned towards the sound.
He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him and he almost smiled at Max's gaping face. But Harry blinked. Fawke's head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.
Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning.
Even the pain was leaving him...But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. Ginny now staring at him in wonder as Max stood, grabbing the wand that was in her pocket as footsteps grew louder A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound, except that there was no wound. He then remembered and he finally grinned, tugging on Max's hand as he struggled to stand.
"Of course. Phoenix tears, they have healing powers." He said and Ginny looked relieved.
"It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, as tears began to bubble into the corner of her eyes. "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, let's get out of here-"
"HARRY!"
Alright, now he knew he wasn't hallucinating and looked up to see Moria jumping down the last few steps into the chamber and hurried to them, her eyes wide, and her expression a mixture of fear and confusion.
When she spotted Max and Ginny there was relief for about an instant and then she spotted the Basilisk.
He had to admit, he was quite sure that he was probably the only one to make her appear as though she would drop into a dead faint at the sight of the large snake.
"What are you doing here Max!? Harry, why is there a basilisk here?! What in the bloody hell is going on!?"
"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet, looking at Moria pleadingly. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and—and, oh w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"
"Oh Ginny, sshhh…you're not going to be expelled, I promise." Moria attempted to soothe, impressing her children with the complete 180 of personality. "I promise."
The girl did not seem all that persuaded, but her sobbing did get quieter. Moria looked at her children and sighed.
"Let's get out of here. I'll ask for explanations later." She said and they nodded. They went to where Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. He then flew over and landed on Moria's shoulder who glanced at the bird. It seemed to be saying 'I had everything perfectly under control'. Moria chanced a glance back and shuddered at the large snake before she urged all three children forward, stepping over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Under control indeed.
After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.
"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"
He heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall. He blinked in surprise at the sight of Max though who just shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.
"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? Max, what are you doing here?!"
"Long story." She replied simply and he noticed the phoenix resting on Moria's shoulder.
"How-what…where did that bird come from?"
Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny and Moria changed into her fox form and jumped through thankfully not having a repeat of the last time.
"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself
"How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.
"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever.
"You better." Moria grumbled.
"But-"
"Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"
"Back there," Ron replied, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe.
Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.
"His memory's still gone," said Ron. "Still hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I even asked him about Professor Black and he had no clue who she was. Told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."
Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.
Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe. "Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron. Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.
"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there -"
"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird. He can carry up to four people." He turned quickly to the others.
"But there are six of us…" Ron said and Moria shook her head.
"I'll deal with getting Lockhart and me up." She said. "You four let Fawkes carry you and we'll worry about everything once we get back to the school."
Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers. Max and Ginny clung onto one another and then an extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through their whole bodies and the next second, in a rush of wings; they were flying upward through the pipe.
Moria glanced at Lockhart who was humming a chipper tune to himself, looking around in interest at the stalagmites and stalactites.
"So…you tried to use a memory charm on my son and his friend?" She asked pleasantly and he chuckled.
"Hm…did I? Well I suppose I likely di-"
He didn't finish his sentence as Moria was finally able to do what she had wanted to do since the school year had started.
Harry and the others didn't even ask why when Moria and Lockhart finally came up from the tunnel that the obliviated professor was sporting a black eye.
Remus was now pacing as Pomfrey continued giving each of the petrified victims their Mandrake juice. He had essentially booted out of the fake wall, to give the victims their privacy, which he well did understand.
But that was his son beyond the wall too.
"Now move your fingers for my Mr. Lupin, that's good. Easy, Mr. Lupin, It will feel a little bit strange getting all your movement back, so don't stress it too-"
That was it.
Rules be damned, Remus hurriedly went around the curtain and strode to his son, earning a quick glare from the head healer, but he only locked eyes with his son, who was scratching the back of his head slowly, his expression extremely tired. But he spotted Remus just as quickly and, he gave his characteristic grin that Remus hadn't seen in 6 months.
"Dad-"
Geoffrey's call was cut off as Remus grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, crushing his face into his chest. Geoffrey patted his hand, trying to be a comfort.
"You're alright?" Remus asked hoarsely and Geoffrey gave a dry cough.
"Yeah…granted, I'm being smothered to death at the moment." He remarked and Remus sighed, ignoring the coos and aw's from the girls in the room.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear? You took a decade off of my life when Moria came in and said you were petrified.
"I'll do my best." Geoffrey grumbled, resting his cheek on his father's chest. "Granted, remember that you gave George, Fred, Lee, and me the nickname Neo Marauders for a reason."
Remus laughed, smoothing out his son's hair. They all glanced up when they heard the door open and footsteps enter. Pomfrey moved the curtain to see who it was, and gave a short shriek. Remus's heart plummeted. There couldn't have been another attack-
But no, it wasn't. However Remus had about another five years taken off of his lifespan as he spotted Ginny and Max both being coddled by Arthur and Molly, bruised, bleeding, Max leaning onto Arthur and both looking as though they had gone against a sludge monster.
…Maybe he would have to reconsider what nickname went to whom.
Moria sighed as she looked at Harry later on, glancing at the tear in his sleeve as he looked at the stained and destroyed diary. Dumbledore was talking to Malfoy at the moment, with Dobby in there as well. The look that he had given Harry when the house-elf walked in was enough proof for her that Malfoy had been involved in it somehow. But she had been quickly escorted out along with Harry. Every single word that Harry had said had felt like a blow to the heart, and likely had caused her to lose a year of her life. She looked at him and sighed, ruffling his hair.
"When I said use the mirror, Harry…I mean for you to use before you go getting into perilous danger. Not after. You shouldn't have to keep doing this."
"I had to Mum. There was no time, and Ginny would have died if we had waited too much longer. And then Voldemort would have killed Max, and-"
"Harry, I didn't say I wasn't proud that you risked your life to save your friend and, unbeknownst at the time your sister. What I said was, that you shouldn't have to. We're here for a reason, especially me Harry, and that means you can come to me if you need help."
"If it's any consolation, we did go to a professor this time." He chirped hopefully and Moria sighed in aggravation.
"You went to a now obliviated moron. Who apparently Dumbledore had known that he was a fraud, just couldn't prove it!" She whispered and he grinned. She groaned, rubbing her face.
"I don't know what's going to kill me first. You giving me a heart attack, or your mother sending a bolt of lightning down at me for the amount of danger you get yourself in under my watch." She grumbled. Harry didn't have time to respond as the doorway to Dumbledore's office opened and Dobby came falling out, squealing in pain. Malfoy followed soon after, a look of rage on his normally calm and collected face. Moria glared as the pair continued down the hall. She wanted to do something, but unless Malfoy didn't give a piece of clothing to him, she couldn't-
She saw Harry's expression light up and within seconds he took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed it into the diary. Then he ran down the dark corridor. He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.
"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt. "Mr. Malfoy! I have something of yors."
And he forced the destroyed diary into Lucius Malfoy's hand. Malfoy looked at it and sneered, before looking at the boy.
"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh I think you do, sir." Harry grumbled as Dobby whimpered. Moria stood back a little ways, letting Harry speak. It seemed he was jumping at the chance.
"You must take after your godmother more than anyone realizes." Malfoy remarked, glaring at Moria who shrugged. "She always had a knack…of seeing things that weren't there."
"I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron, that day at Diagon Alley."
"You do, do you?" Malfoy scoffed and jerked the diary into Dobby's hands. He then walked towards Harry but stopped at the glare from Moria. "Why don't you prove it?" He hissed out and then turned to go.
"Come Dobby."
Dobby made a move to go, but stopped as Harry looked at him.
"Open it." He whispered.
Confused, the house elf did so. He then gaped as the pages fell open and there right in the fold…
Was Harry's sock.
Moria smiled. Always clever.
"Dobby!" Malfoy called out to.
"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment.
"What?" Malfoy remarked turning. "I didn't g-" he froze and Moria smirked triumphantly.
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes." Dobby breathed, clutching the sock like it was a precious treasure. "Dobby is free."
Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf before glancing at Harry who lifted up his trouser leg to show a bare ankle. Then he lunged at Harry.
"You've lost me my servant, boy!"
But Dobby shouted. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" And dove in front of Harry
Moria moved forward and Harry sensed before he heard and ducked. A light shot out past him as well as another light in front of him.
Lucius Malfoy was thrown backwards from both Moria and Dobby's spell. Moria lowered her wand, his wand resting at her foot. She then smirked at Lucius.
"Well Lucius. It looks like you just lost your position for being Hogwarts School Governor." She remarked, kicking his wand to him though it rolled several feet farther. He struggled to stand and turned to see Snape and several other students and teachers standing there. He frowned, glaring at Moria.
"You'll be lucky if I don't charge you with attempted assault."
"Like you could get that to stick, you harpy." He hissed out, and Moria kept silent. "His parents were meddlesome fools too." He warned and Moria's glare narrowed. "Mark my words Black." He hissed out, walking towards her, stopping when she raised her wand again, pressing it into his chest. "Someday soon, he will meet the same sticky end."
"Over my dead body." Moria remarked and he chuckled though there was no humor in it. Just malice.
"We'll see." He snarled and with that turned around storming away. She glanced at Snape whose expression was just as cold as ever, but the students were whispering and Professor Sprout was saying something along the lines of going to talk to Dumbledore as they ushered the students away.
"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, the light reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!"
"Least I could do, Dobby," said Harry, grinning.
"How can Dobby ever repay him?"
"Just promise me something."
"Anything, sir." Dobby said as Moria turned around, curiosity on her face. Harry smiled
"Never to try and save my life again."
Dobby laughed and then threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.
"Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter!"
And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.
Max winced as she touched the bandage on the side of her head. Apparently she had gotten a pretty severe head concussion as a result of flying into the bathroom wall, and then subsequently being dragged by Ginny down the Chamber. Coupled with likely a spell or of such that had been casted by this Riddle person that had kept her out of it and Pomfrey had said she would be stuck in the bed for the night. Which sucked because now that everyone had been freed from the petrification, she was going to be all alone. She glanced at Ginny, who was staring at her knees. Molly had gone to go get some new clothes from home for the girl as she needed something to wear, and Molly had felt that an outfit from home would be better than something from the tower. She swallowed and then cleared her throat.
"So…how are you feeling?" Max asked as she got up and limped to Ginny's bedside, sitting down next to her. They would thankfully both be allowed to go to the feast, before it was off to the hospital wing again for Max.
"…alright…I suppose." Ginny murmured in reply. The two sat in awkward silence again but as Max floundered on what to say, Ginny suddenly burst into tears, startling the other girl.
"I'M SO SORRY!"
"You-you're sorry? For what?" Max asked flabbergasted.
"F-for everything! For how I've been acting, hitting Merlin, dragging you down into the Chamber-"
"Now Ginny, none of that was your fault. It was that Riddle person in your diary. He was manipulating your emotions." Max reminded her easily as Ginny sobbed. "I can't well blame you now for it, can I?"
"Others would."
"Well I'm not other people." Max reminded gently with a smile. But Ginny didn't seem to acknowledge that.
"What does my mum always say that my dad is?"
"Hot headed? Impatient? Loud?" Ginny suggested sniffling.
Max was quiet for a brief moment.
"...I was more referring to him being loyal. And I like to think that I gained that trait from him." She replied with a smile. "And that means that through good and bad, I want to be your friend. So…"
Ginny stared at her in shock as Max's smile grew.
"Will you be my friend again?"
Ginny opened her mouth but was abruptly cut off by the door opening and footsteps echoing in the hall.
"Max!"
The said girl looked up from her spot, before three other girls, Charlotte, Nysa, and Luna, the latter of the three holding onto Charlotte's wrist, tackled her.
"Oh we were so worried!" Charlotte implored.
"I was worried a MouthTooth had caught you!" Luna expressed her own concern as Max laughed.
"No, no…I'm fine really. Just a headache."
"Good." Nysa remarked. She then saw Max's gaze shift over to the redhead, who seemed to suddenly shrink and seem all alone in her bed.
"Weasley, right?" She asked and Ginny jumped a bit.
"Um…y…yes…." She stammered out.
"I have a question for you."
Ginny seemed to stiffen, prepared to have a snide comment.
"…what is it like having 6 brothers?"
That…she wasn't expecting that.
"I…pardon?"
"Well, I'm just saying, I only have one older brother and a younger brother, and they make me want to climb up a wall. And I don't even live in the same roof as them. But you're stuck with four of them still living at your house. How do you do it?"
Ginny blinked several times, glancing at Max who was grinning and nodding. Then slowly Ginny nodded and then laughed.
"Patience and a good set of ear plugs."
Nysa grinned at that and plopped down next to the redhead.
"Then you'll do just fine with us. With Max's comments about you, we were already hoping you'd be friends with this weird group of ours."
Max flushed and sputtered in indignation. Unnoticed by the group were three parents all smiling as their daughters conversed with their friends.
"Well, I have to say…I'm so glad that they met one another." Moria commented and Molly laughed, wiping her eyes.
"I agree."
Moria sighed, resting against the door.
Another year done.
She wondered what lay ahead.
