Ron and I ran and ran and ran, with Fang at our side, until we reached the spot where we the car sat.

Ron and I jumped into it, and the car, without any further instructions, speeded to the entrance of the forest.

We were out. We were free. I laughed hysterically, even though there was nothing funny about what happened. "Hagrid's innocent!" Ron said, gaily. "But…who then?"

I shrugged. "Let's just go to bed. We've had enough adventures for tonight," I said, going inside Hagrid's cabin to retrieve the Cloak Ron left in there.

"I can't believe Hagrid told us to go in there," Ron muttered angrily on the way back. "They were going to kill us!"

"If we hadn't told them Hagrid was waiting for us," I said, shaking my head. "Good thinking, Ron."

Ron just shook his head. On our way back upstairs, I thought very hard about what he had heard. Hagrid and Aragog were not culprits. The dead girl was found in the bathroom.

We reached the common room when something dawned on me. "Ron!" I exclaimed.

"Yes?" he asked sleepily.

"The dead girl…was found in a bathroom. What if she never left?" I asked excitedly.

"Moaning Myrtle?" Ron cried, incredulously. "We'll ask tomorrow! But now, Haile, we need to sleep. Like you said, no more adventures tonight."

I agreed, and I went to bed, anxiously awaiting the answers tomorrow would bring.

However, Ron and I were having trouble getting away from our classes, especially when Professor McGonagall informed everyone there were exams.

"WHAT?" the class erupted during Transfigurations.

I had been so hung up on the Chamber of Secrets this year that I had not even paid much attention to my schoolwork. Without Hermione, I was doomed. Ron held up his wand. "Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he groaned.

During dinner that night, Professor McGonagall made another announcement, though this one was much more cheerful. "The Mandrakes will be ready tonight. The people that have been petrified will be revived. We hope that we will be able to find out the culprit."

Cheering erupted thought the Great Hall. "We'll just ask Hermione!" Ron said to me. "No need to talk to Myrtle. Hermione will have all the answers, I expect."

Ginny plopped down next to Ron, looking extremely sick, and really tense. "What's up, Ginny?" I coaxed.

"I…I can't…"

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Ron demanded, looking alarmed.

Percy abruptly interrupted the conversation. "Ginny, you're looking tired, why don't you run up to bed?"

Ginny hesitated and then nodded. She dashed out of the Great Hall. Ron and I turned to Percy, who took Ginny's seat. "What's up with her, Perce?" Ron asked.

"Oh, um. Nothing, really." We didn't look convinced, so he continued. "Listen, she saw something the other day…I asked her not to say anything…I hoped she wouldn't tell…"

Ron tried to press the subject, but Percy left as quickly as Ginny had. Ron and I shrugged together and continued eating.

"I miss Hermione," I said wistfully. "Ron…I think I'm going to ask Professor McGonagall for permission to see her."

"You'll see her tomorrow," Ron pointed out, but I could tell he wanted to, too.

"Yes, but…I just want to," I said. "It's just not the same."

Ron nodded. "I know. Let's go."

When we approached Professor McGonagall, she looked up sternly. "Yes?"

"Professor…I just wanted…to know…if we could see Hermione. I…do miss her a lot," I said, looking down, brushing my bangs away from my face. "I…"

To my surprise, Professor McGonagall's expression softened. She glanced at the two of us. "Go. Tell Madam Pomfrey you have my permission." She tearfully eyed us, and then shooed us away.

Ron and I grinned at our good luck. We raced upstairs. Madam Pomfrey wasn't enthusiastic about our visit, but the sight of our faces made her agree.

We sat by Hermione, frowning. Then, I noticed something I hadn't before. There was a piece of paper crumbled up in her right hand. I motioned to it to Ron, and quietly, we both tried to get it out.

Ron tried for a long time, and finally he managed to twist it out. He unfolded it, and Ron and I read it silently.

It was a very long paragraph about Basiliks. They were absolutely HUGE serpents, and it has venomous teeth, a murderous stare that kills anyone who meets its eyes, spiders flee from it, and the crow of the rooster is fatal to it. Hermione had scribbled the word pipes at the bottom.

Ron and I's faces turned from curious to…well, what was it? Fear? Realization? Surprise? We knew what was finally attacking everyone! Not a spider, but a spider's enemy—a Basilik! Once again, Hermione had come through.

"That's why I'm the only one who can hear it!" I cried, the pieces fitting together finally. "It's a snake—I'm a Parseltongue!"

"And that's why Colin didn't die. He saw it through his camera, right?" Ron said.

"And Justin saw it through Nick, who's already dead," I put in.

"And Hermione warned that Penelope girl to look through a mirror," Ron said, remembering the day Hermione was petrified.

"And the cat?" I wondered.

"Water!" Ron said. "Water from the bathroom that night."

"The crowing of a rooster…OH, MY GOODNESS, RON!" I nearly screamed. "Remember in the beginning of the year? Hagrid's roosters were killed?"

Ron racked his brains and then gasped. "Yes," he breathed.

"It's been using the plumbing," I said, looking at the word pipes Hermione had scribbled.

"And spiders flee before it!" Ron added.

"It all fits!" I exclaimed.

"The entrance," Ron said, gripping my arm. "In the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

"Come on!" I said, jumping up. "We have to tell Professor McGonagall!"

Ron and I nearly sprinted out of the hospital wing, but we never even made it down the corridor. An announcement flooded the school. It was McGonagall. "All students return to their dormitories at once. Teachers to the staff room. Immediately."

Ron and I didn't return to our dormitories. We rushed to the staff room, and listened outside the door, undetected. The teachers probably didn't even notice.

"A student has been taken into the Chamber itself," McGonagall was saying.

I heard several teachers gasp and scream, and Snape's voice said, "How can you be sure"

McGonagall said, "The Heir left another message. Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

"What student?" asked Madam Hooch.

"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall choked out.

I looked hurriedly at Ron, and his face was indescribable. I had never seen anyone look like that. It scared me. It brought tears to my eyes. My stomach was a bubbling pit of pain and my heart ached awfully.

Snape's voice spoke again, "So, Gilderoy, it's your turn at last. Go fetch the girl, will you? You were telling me the other day you knew where the entrance was."

"Yes, thank you, Gilderoy," McGonagall said.

Lockhart spluttered for a few moments and finally said, "Uh, yes, I'll be in my office getting ready."

"Come on!" I told Ron, angry tears slicing my eyes. "We're going. We're going to save Ginny. Right now."

We ran away from the door, before Lockhart got out. We met him at his office. If he was really going in, he would need our help.

"Oh, hello," he said, brushing past us, and starting to pack all of his stuff away.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Nothing in the job description said anything about saving anyone," he muttered.

"You're running away!" I screamed, angrily. "It's his sister!" I jerked my head toward a pale Ron. "AND YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY!"

"Haley, dear, it's not like that," he said, still packing.

"YES, IT IS! AND FOR THE LAST TIME, MY NAME IS HAILE, NOT HALEY!" I shouted at him. "You faking, two-timing idiot! You're coming with us! NOW!"

"It's not quite as easy as faking," Lockhart murmured. "Memory Charms, interviewing other people…my fans expect much of me…and now, I'll have to erase your memory."

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, and his wand flew out of his hand.

"What do you want me to do?" Lockhart cried, grabbing at his curls.

"Come. With. Us. Now." My voice was poisonous.

He obliged. We led him to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle was waiting for us. "Hello," she said. "What do you want?"

"How did you die?" I asked, bluntly.

"Oh, it was rather terrible. I was crying my eyes out," she said, eager to tell her story. "Because Olive Hornby had been making fun of my glasses. Someone came in, speaking a different language. I unlocked the door to see who it was, and…I died."

"How?" I asked.

"All I remember is a huge pair of yellow eyes," she said proudly. "I came back to haunt Olive Hornby. And oh, did I."

She pointed behind us, and Ron and I whipped around. We saw what looked like an ordinary sink. However, with a closer look, one side was carved with serpents.

"Say something in Parseltongue," Ron told me, his voice cracking.

"Open up," I said, and Ron stared at me like I was crazy, which meant I was definitely speaking Parseltongue.

The sink began to move. We watched as the sink slid right out, leaving a black hole in the middle of the bathroom. I turned to Ron, my face solemn and serious. "Ron, I'm going to go in there," I said, my voice even. "I'm going to save your sister. She's still alive…I just know it."

Ron nodded. "I'm coming too," he whispered.

"Cute," Lockhart chirped. "Now, I best be going."

"You get to go first!" I said with mock cheerfulness.

Ron pushed him in, Lockhart yelling at the way down. I jumped in after him, without hesitation, and Ron went after me. I was beginning to feel the fear, especially after I hit the hard bottom.

I lit my wand. Ron came a second later, and Lockhart was shakily trying to stand. I jumped to my feet. We were in a tunnel. "This way," I said, pointing ahead.

"Remember, close your eyes at any sign of movement," Ron reminded us.

Up ahead, we found the snake's skin. Chills moved through me as I saw it, and the fear starting to bubble in the pit of my stomach increased.

Unexpectedly and suddenly, Lockhart tackled Ron to the ground, snatching his wand, and pointing it at us. "HEY!" I shouted.

"This is it! Will I have a story when I get back! You two are going to have your memories erased!" he cried wildly. "Obliviate!"

Using Ron's wand was a big mistake. The spell backfired on him, and Lockhart was thrown backwards. Ron and I stared in horror. Rocks started to tumbled from over our heads. We both ran, hands over our heads.

However, we ran in opposite directions. The next thing I knew, I was alone, facing a solid wall of rocks. "Ron!" I screamed.

"Haile!" he called through the wall. "I'm with this moron, his memory's lost!"

I thought quickly. There wasn't much time left. "I'm going to go on ahead," I said clearly, sounding more brave than I felt. "If I'm not back in an hour…go."

"I'll try to shift some of this rock…so you…you and Ginny…can get back through," he said shakily. "Haile…good luck."

"Thanks," I called. I turned around. I walked. I didn't want to. I had to. I needed to. I forced my feet forward. I was scared now. I was alone. And scared.

I walked and walked and walked until I reached a dead end. Serpents were on the wall. "Open up," I hissed again, in a voice that didn't sound like mine.

The walls opened. I walked in.

I now stood in a low-lit chamber. It was extremely frightening for some reason. It gave me the creeps. Then, I saw her.

She was laying on the floor, fifty yards away. I ran to her. "Ginny!" I said breathlessly. "Please! Wake up!"

She was motionless, pale, and cold. "You can't be dead!" I said, tears springing to my eyes again. "No!"

"She won't wake," came a quiet, cold voice.

I turned around. The boy from the diary's memory stood there, in all his glory. The outline of his body was blurred, as if he were a memory. "Tom Riddle?" I asked. "How are you…what are you…"

"Don't speak, young Haile," he said, walking closer to me. "This girl…she will die soon."

"No, please," I begged. "Please help me!"

He walked even closer to me. He was a few inches from me now. His hand reached up and touched my hair. He tucked it behind my ear. I opened my mouth to protest, and his other hand put a finger to it.

"So young you are," he said, softly. "So beautiful. I've wanted to talk to you for a long time."

I shook my head in impatience. "Look, Tom, we're in the Chamber of Secrets! We have to save her!"

I spotted the little black diary near her. "Yes, the diary," he said, watching me looking at it.

"Tom…how did Ginny get like this?" I asked him suspiciously.

"She opened her heart and spilled her secrets to the diary. To me."

"What?" I asked, my heart sinking, trying to take a step back. His hand caught my back, and pulled me close again.

"As she became more attached to me, I grew stronger," he told me, smiling a lovely half-smile. "And then…I reversed the operation."

"What?" I whispered again.

"Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets, you silly girl. She killed the roosters and wrote on the walls. She was the one to attack the Mudbloods and the cat."

My vision blurred. I looked away. "No," I said, trying to struggle against his arms.

"Yes," he whispered back. "She didn't know it, of course. When you're being possessed, you can't remember what you did. Oh, the things she used to write. Horrible thoughts. She tried to rid of it, after she became suspicious. And then…you found it. I couldn't have been happier."

"Why?" I asked fiercely, liking this Riddle fellow less and less.

Then, without warning, Tom Riddle lowered his lips to mine, his lingering on mine for just a moment, while I struggled with all my might. He pulled back, grinning.

"I showed you the memory of your friend, Hagrid," he said. "That was a laugh. I couldn't believe anyone actually believe me. I created this diary to leave instructions to repeat the process."

"It was you," I whispered, still shaking. "But you haven't succeeded. No one has died."

"Oh, I don't care about anyone else dying," he said indifferently. "The only person that I want dead…" his eyes burned into mine, smoldering me. "…is you."

I breathed heavily, and he leaned his face forward again.

"And then…afraid that you would find out her secrets...she stole the diary back," he said, whispering into my ear. "Then, I had her write her own death message and come down here. Oh, how she struggled."

"What do you want with me?" I hissed.

"Now, now," he said playfully. "I want to know…how did you escape the greatest wizard of all time?"

I barked out a laugh. "Greatest wizard? Pul-ease. Dumbledore's the greatest wizard. Besides, Voldemort was after your time."

It was Tom Riddle's turn to laugh. "Don't you get it? I am Lord Voldemort."

I gasped, my stomach dropping. Then, I calmed myself down. "You're still not greatest, whoever you are," I said, trying to make myself not think that Lord Voldemort had just kissed me.

Suddenly, music reached my ears. It grew louder and louder. Tom Riddle was now staring over my shoulder. The music was beautiful. It made me feel hopeful, happy, not afraid. I turned around, and Riddle let me.

It was Fawkes, the phoenix from Dumbledore's office. It landed on my shoulder, and I felt a foot taller. Fawkes dropped something on the ground. It was the Sorting Hat.

I was no longer alone. I was aware Riddle was ridiculing me, but I felt more hopeful. I had Fawkes here with me. And he was beautiful.

"How did you survive?" he asked again.

"Love. My mother…died to save me," I whispered. I thought of my mother. My father. I'd get through this for them. They didn't die for nothing.

"I see. So, you're not special. You know, me and you, we're alike, aren't we? Half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles, Parselmouths…"

I shrugged. Riddle held up my wand. I hadn't notice him take it.

"Now, it's time to test the powers of Lord Voldemort against Haile Potter, the Girl Who Lived, and the best weapons Dumbledore could provide."

Riddle spoke in Parseltongue and said, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

"Oh no," I muttered, backing away. Fawkes took flight. "Don't leave me…" I couldn't blame him. I would do the same if I could.

Then, the giant serpent came pouring out of the wall.

"Kill her."