"Who would Fardels bear"

Harry didn't sleep well. He didn't sleep at all, in fact, and had risen early in the morning to map out what he now knew. It wasn't much, but it was something.

At eight, he was summoned out to the common room. They were all to walk in groups now, even to meals. Dinner would be taken in the common rooms. As they fell into line, Harry felt even more restless. Was the heir another second year? Doubtful. Likely a sixth or seventh year, if that. Maybe a teacher... which of the professors had been in Slytherin? With a cold shiver, Harry realized he didn't even know.

The Great Hall was abuzz with new rumors as the students settled in to breakfast. That another student was now lying petrified did not seem to dim any spirits - actually, Harry could have sworn he heard a betting pool going on...

"Didn't you hear?" Draco asked, pleased with himself as he tore into a blueberry muffin. Harry turned back to his friend. "Idiot One and Idiot Two got detention. I wish I could have seen that conversation... though how do you think they managed to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry said with a yawn.

"They broke into the common room last night to interrogate Draco," Tracey said, frowning. "And I don't think it's funny," she added sharply to Draco. "Somehow they managed to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle and left the two of them stunned in some first floor hallway. They were in the Hospital Wing all night."

"Look on the bright side," Draco said cheerfully. "I've been upgraded from 'that idiot Malfoy' to the fucking Heir of Slytherin. Sounds awesome to me -"

"Oh, shut up," Tracey said suddenly. "Don't you understand?" She glanced around them and leaned in. "We're locked in here. We can't leave. Do you understand that?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, placing her toast back onto her plate carefully. "Surely they'll evacuate the school now that... Tracey?"

Tracey was shaking her head. "My parents asked permission to remove me from school. Dumbledore wouldn't grant it."

"What do you mean, permission?" Hermione replied, puzzled. "They're your parents, they don't need..."

"We're legally required to go to school," Draco answered, his voice a little quieter now. "Don't they have that law in the muggle world?"

"Yes, but - with exceptions," Hermione said slowly. "Like homeschooling. Or going to a different school. Or..."

"Did you have another school, Hermione?" Tracey asked, glancing over at Draco before looking back to the other witch. "Or were you only told about Hogwarts?"

"Yes, but -" Hermione glanced between the three of them. "I just thought there weren't enough children for another school," she admitted slowly. "I don't know. It's Hogwarts. Who wouldn't want to come to Hogwarts?"

Tracey chuckled dryly. "Have you heard from your father, Draco?" she asked, changing the subject. "Surely he's tried to do something."

"No, but maybe something will come with the post," Draco replied. "Though it's past eight thirty... normally it comes by now..."

The four Slytherins glanced at each other, suddenly desperately aware of how quiet the Great Hall was.

"How did you manage to talk to him?" Narcissa demanded. "We didn't even bother to send a letter. Severus warned us a week ago that Dumbledore was stopping the post."

Sirius shrugged in response. "If it makes you feel any better, only Harry responded. He was in a bit of a panic... though he wouldn't quite say why." Sirius shifted in his chair. The window into his office let a little of the moonlight through, and it traced a wide arc over his desk. Both of them were still in their dress robes from the party, though Narcissa's hair had slipped out of her bun as she paced his office.

"Who wouldn't be?" Narcissa responded bluntly. "And no one seems to have the diary - no thanks to your little lie, by the way," she added.

Sirius bit his lip, considering the glass of scotch in his hand. "I'm sorry," he said at last. "We shouldn't have kept that from you. But we only wanted to -"

"I can take care of myself," Narcissa said, waving off his apology. "And you can ask my forgiveness if our children don't end up petrified - or worse, dead. Merlin, Lily is going to kill me..." At that thought, Narcissa glided over to the drinks cart and poured herself a vodka.

"Well, you hid that from me," Sirius pointed out. "And I still don't know where she is. Do you?"

"No, but that's not necessary," Narcissa replied, taking a sip as she turned back to him. "And she was upset enough with Lockheart teaching. The only reason she hasn't come back now is she can't take Harry out of school even if she wanted to."

"Yes, I remember those rumors," Sirius said grimly. "I know some parents have warned their daughters. Not to mention his complete lack of skill in any area. It's appalling, to allow a man like that to teach. Even for Dumbledore's standards."

"Oh please, it's a miracle there's any standards at those school," Narcissa shot back. "Remember Quirrell? A dark wizard nearly kills the students - nearly kills Potter, now there's a thought - and not so much as a peep to the parents. And have you even heard about what happened to Crabbe and Goyle's sons this week?" she demanded.

"Yes, Severus already spoke to me - I managed to calm him down, but that idiot Dumbledore only gave the two of them detention. With McGonagall, no less. A basilisk free in the school, and no punishment for leaving two students unconscious -"

"We don't know it's a basilisk," Narcissa said dryly. "Dumbledore insists it's not, and asked Lucius why precisely he seemed so sure of it."

"Lucius shouldn't have said anything..." Sirius said with a frown. "There's no way to prove it. No good way, at least. Though I'm surprised Dumbledore even denied it, it's not like there's any other explanation for what's going on."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll find an explanation," Narcissa said quietly. "They always do."

There had been no voice this time. The only notice they were given early Saturday morning was that they were to make their way back to their dormitories immediately. Without a word, the prefect gathered them into a group on the stands of the Quidditch pitch. Despite Snape's insistence otherwise, Dumbledore had ordered the game to go ahead. Good for school morale, apparently. Admittedly, every student was at the game, shivering in the cold May air through several delays. As Draco had pointed out dryly as they saw him off with the team, no one had been petrified on the Quidditch pitch yet.

"WhO do you think this one is?" Pansy whispered as she stood huddled with Daphne. "The teams didn't come out. Maybe it's someone on them?"

"We saw the Slytherins leave together," Hermione pointed out, shivering in her robe. "Maybe a Gryffindor? That'd explain why they wouldn't start the game..."

"Maybe it was Potter this time," Tracey muttered under her breath. Hermione shot her a warning glare, though no one around them heard. "What? It'd be the best thing that happened to us this year."

"Well, only if it attacked Weasley too," Hermione deadpanned.

Tracey snorted. "Draco was right, it's always better to look on the bright side. Here, we're moving out. At least we'll be in the warmth soon..."

Harry lost them for a moment as the house crowded together, moving as one. Whispers came here and there, rumors flying as to who had been attacked this time. A Ravenclaw this time... But then there was also a new rumor, one that slowly began to grow until it drowned everything else out. Harry couldn't believe it.

Caught.

They'd caught the Heir.

Harry felt his heart stop. If they caught the Heir, had they discovered the book? What would come next? Would they find him? No, Tom wouldn't give him up... not willingly. But the questions would come. Would he be next? He hadn't told anyone, not even Sirius. What if -

With some force - a surprising amount, he would note later - Harry found himself pulled out of the crowd. For a moment he panicked: had they found him? Merlin, they had. It'd be -

With a blink, his eyes adjusting to the dark, he found himself in front of a short redhead.

"Who -"

"Shhh," she whispered frantically, motioning outside the alcove.

After a few moments, the footsteps passed.

"Why -"

"Tom sent me," the girl said frantically. "He said you would help - I -"

"Help with what?" Harry said dumbly, trying to figure out who was in front of him. "Was there another attack? I thought they caught the Heir..."

"No, no, it's all wrong," the redhead replied. Was she crying? No, it was hard to tell in the darkness. "This wasn't supposed to happen. It's not her, but they don't care -"

"Her?" repeated Harry. The girl in front of him was a first year... how did she get caught up in all of this? None of it made any sense.

"Fia," the redhead blurted out. "They have Fia - and it's all my fault -"

Harry's blood ran cold, that small amount of panic enough to calm him. "Fia," he repeated. "Why do they have Fia?"

"They think she's the Heir," the girl said breathlessly.

"Why?" he demanded. "Calm down," ordered Harry, thought whether that was to him or to the girl, he wasn't quite sure. "Why would they think she's the Heir? She's a first year... she's a Black."

"We - we were exploring this year," the first year stammered. "She was nice! But we had to sneak around since - since -"

"You're a Gryffindor," Harry pointed out bluntly, eying the crimson stain of her robes. "She's a Slytherin."

The girl nodded. "And my brothers -"

"Oh, Merlin," Harry replied, the realization settling in like a cold dread. "You're a Weasley. Why the hell did you drag her into that?"

"I liked her!" Weasley protested. "We were friends. And I didn't have - I - Gryffindors aren't..." her voice died away for a moment. "Tom was nice, too. And he showed us places to explore, where we could just hang out, and no one would know..."

"The Chamber?" Harry said in confusion. "That's where she -"

"It's not like you noticed," the girl said sulkily. "She said you never hung out with her this year. Like you forgot all about her."

It was Harry's turn to protest. "I had school! And - I was busy. With stuff. Studying," he added, aware of how lame his protest was. "And I didn't tell her to go down to the Chamber."

"So? We weren't doing any harm -"

"Until you released a bloody Basilisk?" Harry demanded. "How stupid do you have to be -"

"That wasn't us!" the girl whispered urgently. "That's what I'm trying to tell you - what I would have told them - those idiots -"

"If it wasn't you, who was it?" Harry replied incredulously. "You went into - Merlin, why would Tom drag two first years into something like that -"

"Because it was safe!" the Weasley girl replied. "We - I don't know," she admitted, softly this time. "Somehow she got loose. We didn't know it was connected at first. But then when we told Tom... he was - I've never seen him that angry. He didn't want us to go down again," she added. "He said we couldn't lock her up, that we wouldn't be able to do it on our own. But Fia said we had to do something, so we got him to help us figure out a ritual that - well, it would have stopped her from leaving again."

"... Her?"

"Tom said her name's Regina," the girl said primly. "Anyways, when we tried to go back down, she was, uh, loose again, and -"

Harry laughed nervously. "Please - ah, please don't tell me that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is in the girl's bathroom..."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh please. No one ever uses that one anyways, since it floods. Moaning Myrtle would have told anyone who asked. It's not exactly hard to figure out -"

"And Fia stole the book back from my room," Harry interrupted in sudden realization. "That was fortuitous for you two," he pointed out. "Tom would have told me everything if -"

"It wasn't like we were doing anything illegal," the girl protested. "What was there to tell? And Tom's perfectly nice."

"A talking book that takes you to the Chamber of Secrets? Yes, perfectly innocent," Harry replied sarcastically. "Explains how Fia got arrested. Why weren't you?" he demanded.

"I'm - I'm sorry about that," the girl said quietly. "We were going down into the Chamber - we had Tom back, and we were going to stop the Basilisk... I didn't realize they'd followed us," she admitted. "It was Charles and Ron. They stunned her. I would have done something but - but I closed the Chamber instead."

"You -"

"I was in a panic!" the girl said defensively. "What was I supposed to do? Let them in? Regina already petrified someone today. By the time I came back out, they'd gone, and I heard some rumor they'd caught the Heir. They don't have any proof," she added insistently. "Or they're not going to."

Harry considered her with some surprise. Fia couldn't be held as the Heir if...

"Come on," the girl said urgently. "I already know what to say -"

"What precisely is the plan?" Harry asked bluntly. "I don't exactly know how to petrify you. It's not something they teach in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Pretend I've been taken," the girl said, shrugging. "Write a message like the first one, then Fia will get freed. She can't be the Heir if she didn't write the message and kidnap me. Basilisks can't kidnap people."

"But no one else got kidnapped. Why do you think anyone would believe that?"

"Because they're idiots who thought a first year let a Basilisk loose in the first place...?"

"That doesn't solve the rescuing you part though. I'm not supposed to be the one kidnapping you, right?" he added.

"I hadn't thought that part through yet," the girl said, rolling her eyes. "But you can help put the Basilisk back," she said. "I need someone to help, and Tom said you would be able."

"Yeah, I need to have a word with Tom," Harry said darkly. "Well, come on," he added, opening the curtain. "Lead the way."

"Miss Black," Dumbledore began, smiling gently at the girl in front of him as the two boys glowered from the other side of his office. "I think we can all agree that there is a reasonable answer to what happened here today. Wouldn't you agree?"

But the girl wouldn't look at him. Instead she sat huddled in her chair, her dark brown hair falling in a wave over her face. He frowned. That wouldn't do - it wouldn't do at all. If she would only meet his eyes...

"Lemon drop?" he asked pleasantly, chuckling when she finally shook her head. "Ah, well, they're not for everyone. My brother never liked them either," he said conspiratorially.

No, she still wouldn't raise her head. "Mr. Potter, perhaps you could explain once more what - "

Charles, the impudent little brat, interrupted him immediately. "She was hunched over some huge hole in the middle of the bathroom," he said imperiously. "We found her right there. She was about to jump in. Clearly -"

"Mr. Potter, perhaps it would be better if you wait outside," he said gently, trying his best not to give into his urge to throw him out altogether. "You as well, Mr. Weasley," he added. "I will speak to Miss Black alone -"

"But I'm the Boy Who -"

"Yes, and you have saved us all from a terrible threat." Albus Dumbledore smiled benevolently at him. "We must talk later," he promised. "I expect your great uncle and father will be most proud."

Why, he asked himself, had it seemed like a good idea to test the Potter boy like this? Well, they needed a hero - and unfortunately he would have to see to it that the school knew of his heroism. A shame, he thought, as he considered the lemon drops in front of him. If only he could get the Black girl to eat one. It'd puff the boy up even more - but it would all be worth it, to rally the families to his side once more. Why Charlus thought he was training the boy was beyond him. It wasn't training, it was -

"May I see my father?" the girl asked nervously. He nearly didn't hear her, her voice was so quiet.

"I've already sent an owl," Albus promised. The smallest one in the flock. And with the wards around Black's house - well, it wouldn't get there anytime soon. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to set the girl at ease.

"Miss Black, I do not believe you are the cause of this," said the headmaster, cutting right through the thick of it. "The Chamber is burdened with an old, ancient kind of magic - one too strong for any first year to control... no, Miss Black, I do not believe it was you."

"I'd like to see my father," the girl answered again, drawing further into herself.

"Of course," Albus replied, smiling. "Though unfortunately, some action must be taken. And you have been discovered at the scene of the crime. A crime for which, unfortunately, the penalty is… Azkaban."

She stiffened. He could practically smell her fear, it warped her magic into a delightful twist.

But," he said, as gently as he could, "you can still save yourself. Just tell me how you did it."

The door burst open just as he was getting the girl to crack. He cursed inwardly. If this was the stupid boy -

"Albus," Minerva said frantically, as she flew into the room. "We must - Miss Black?"

"Is everything quite alright, Minerva?" Albus said calmly. Perhaps he could still keep control of this interrogation. "Miss Black and I were just talking -"

"No, Albus," Minerva said stiffly in visible annoyance. "Everything is not quite alright - the students are in a panic, we had to evacuate the entire Quidditch pitch -"

"Yes, and as I have announced, we have the person responsible -"

"Really, Albus?" Minerva shot back. "A first year is responsible for this mess? Then why is there a Gryffindor missing? Clearly we do not have the person responsible."

"Which Gryffindor?" Albus demanded.

"Miss Weasley," Minerva said coldly. "I just had the most unfortunate job of informing her brother. I sent him straight to the Hospital Wing - Molly should be arriving any moment. Now, Miss Black, please come with me - your father has requested to see you -"

"Minerva -" Albus warned.

"Immediately," Minerva continued, ignoring the headmaster, and shuffled the girl out of the office. She still wouldn't look at him, the fool.

Well. Albus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. A student missing... four or five nobodies were fine, but getting up to six was really pushing his authority. Hopefully the Basilisk hadn't killed her. And anyways, how had Black managed to turn up so quickly?

"Don't you think this might be a little grim?" asked Harry, as they stood back to look at their handiwork. The way the blood dripped was an especially nice touch, he had to admit - "and where precisely did you get blood?" Harry added.

"Spell Fred and George taught me," Ginny said flippantly. "Used to freak Mum out all the time. I dunno, 'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever' seems exactly what some crazy person who wants to kill everyone would say."

"It's a little obvious, but you have a point," Harry admitted. "They'll probably believe it's the Heir. And just who is supposed to be the Heir?" he asked, as he followed her back into the bathroom.

"Open," Ginny demanded. "Took me so long to figure out how to do that," she admitted, frowning. "Fia was so much better than me. Stand back," warned Ginny.

"I -" Harry jumped back a bit, startled as the floor started to rumble, the huge sink in the middle moving back in bits and pieces as if a puzzle. "Potter and Weasley saw that?" he asked in surprise, eying the large hole now in the middle of the floor. "Well, that does make more sense why they'd stun her..."

"I don't think they saw us open it," Ginny said. "Stairs! Here." She led him over to where there was a hidden stone staircase growing out of the side of the tunnel. "It's really not entirely subtle. Tom said there was another entrance, since the Basilisk can use this one, but it's in the Slytherin common rooms and I can't get in."

"Aren't you nervous the Basilisk might come through here?" Harry asked, following the Gryffindor down into the darkness as the entrance closed up on top of them again.

"Trust me, you'll hear her if she does," Ginny said quietly. "Here - careful, we're about to step down onto the floor." Something crunched under her feet as she said that.

Carefully, Harry made his way off the steps, and into - "are these bones?"

"We tried to tidy up a bit, but we really don't know enough spells," Ginny admitted. With a wave of her wand, small lights lit up, illuminating the cavern they found themselves in.

Harry was mildly shocked as he took in his surroundings. The floor was littered with the remnants of bones - mice, maybe, but also bigger animals, animals that by right should not have been easily killed... and as they moved down the hall, the milky white, curled up -

"Regina shed recently," Ginny said apologetically. "Sorry. We're nearly past it."

"Shed?" Harry said, a little shocked. It was one thing to read about it... yet another to see the skin of - a what? twenty? thirty? forty? - foot snake entirely. It laid criss crossed across the chamber they entered, too long to even be held out in its whole form. "How did it even get into the castle..."

"We tried to figure that out, actually," admitted Ginny. "Tom said something about the pipes, but I think he was just trying to shut us up. He really hates telling secrets. Probably cause I'm not a Slytherin... oh, here we are," she said absentmindedly, as they came to a wall with snakes holding a large shield. "Open." The snakes began to slither across the wall, moving just as if they had been real. Both of them struggled a little to get over the threshold.

The chamber they entered took Harry's breath away.

Charles and Ron made their way down through the corridors, avoiding the main staircases.

"We'll be back up in ten minutes," Charles reasoned. "They won't miss us. We can get down to the kitchens and back up before they even know we're gone."

"You're right, I'm starving," Ron announced. "You'd think Dumbledore would have given us something to eat, seeing as we saved..." his voice trailed off as they rounded the corner on the second floor.

"Yes, it'd be nice to get some more appreciation when I save everyone," Charles replied reflexively, glancing behind them to make sure no one was there. "Ow," he complained loudly as he slammed into Ron. "Watch it -"

But Ron wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he was standing gape mouthed in the middle of the corridor.

Rubbing his shoulder, Charles walked to the side of him.

"Professor?" Ron said in confusion. Lockheart spun around in surprise.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley. Mr. Potter. This is - a - a surprise."

"What are you doing here?" Ron said in confusion. "Is that blood?"

"It was here when I got here!" Lockheart replied quickly. "That is - I mean, a terrible tragedy. I, ah, heard your sister had gone missing and had come to investigate," Lockheart said with a shit eating grin. "Of course. Since I'm the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. And I obviously know where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is. Which you should not come with me to find - I'm perfectly capable of rescuing your sister myself -" he laughed, moving towards them.

A cold washed over Charles as he read the message. Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever... The door to the girls' bathroom stood there, taunting him. But that hadn't been there before, when they took that Slytherin to Dumbledore...

"What are you two doing here?" Lockheart said suddenly, eying them. "You're supposed to be in the dormitories. All the students are."

"We were just going to the ki-" Ron began, before Lockheart cut them off.

"Rescue your sister," Lockheart said, beaming. "Very noble. Not to worry, I have it all in hand. Run along back to your dorms," he added, as he moved past them. "I'll go down to the Chamber myself -"

"Sir, isn't the Chamber that way?" Ron said in confusion, pointing towards the girls' bathroom.

"So it is," Lockheart chuckled, as if trying to sound reassuring. "Very astute of you. Now that I think about it... Mr. Potter, I would be honored to have you by my side as I fight this beast."

"Of course," Charles said frankly, the fear passing through him. Ginny, in the hands of the monster - he was the Boy Who Lived. He had to do something.

"Really?" Ron whispered at him in shock.

"Really?" Lockheart said at the same time, looking a tad more cheerful. "Well, yes, of course. You are a hero."

"Let's go," Charles said with determination, leading the group into the bathroom he'd first seen the tunnel in. But how had that girl done it? Had she done it? He eyed the sinks - perhaps he'd been wrong. If she'd only had the misfortune to be there... well, he had saved her from a worse fate. But still, he thought to himself, frowning. That was the reason Ginny was down there now.

"Stand back," Lockheart ordered. "This requires an advanced form of magic. I've seen it before, I'm afraid. Very ancient. The same kind that hid the vampires from me. But not to worry! I can open the entrance for us in a moment... boys, if you will please turn away and take a few steps back..."

Charles and Ron obeyed, and not a moment too soon, for just as they turned their heads a loud boom echoed through the bathroom and the floor began to groan.

"What did you do?" Ron asked nervously, eying the tunnel that began to open.

"Oh. Ancient magic," Lockheart replied quickly. "Very advanced. You wouldn't know it. If you please?" he motioned forward. "You'll just have to jump."

Charles looked down the darkness beneath them. Well, no choice then. Besides, he was the Boy Who Lived - it wasn't like he was going to die in some dark tunnel. Scoffing, he let himself fall through. It wasn't too bad - after a slight fall, it turned into a bit of a slide. With a groan, he landed on his backside. After a few moments in the dark, he heard the two of them land behind him.

Ignoring them for a moment, he began to walk forward. Light emerged from one of the tunnels ahead of them, illuminating the bones they were stepping on.

"Bloody hell. What sort of monster would leave this?" he heard Ron ask unnerved behind him. "All these bones..." But Ron suddenly shut up, and Charles knew why. As they stepped into the tunnel, the light revealed a far worse secret - a translucent snake skin, that stretched as far as the eye could see...

"I don't know," Charles admitted quietly. "I've never heard of such a snake."

"Oh, perk up boys," Lockheart said far too cheerfully, bringing up the rear. "Let's go. Can't leave Miss Weasley to the monster alone. Besides, what's so scary about a snake?"

The three of them moved forward through the tunnel. Just ahead seemed to be a wall - no, Charles saw, some sort of doorway that led to another tunnel. That had to be -

"Charles, look out!" Ron screamed. The awful sound filled the air, and Charles leapt forward instinctively. Coughing, he got to his feet as the air cleared. But it was no use, he saw as he glanced behind him. The walls had tumbled down... "Ron? Sir? Are you alright?"

"Oh no," the reply came, echoing through the cavern. "You'll have to go through alone, Mr. Potter. Nothing to be done. Not to worry about us, though. We're perfectly alright."

"We'll clear these rocks, Charles," Ron said determinedly. "Quickly -"

"Best hurry, Mr. Potter," Lockheart said calmly. "Miss Weasley needs you."