Chapter Ten: Confessions of a Rule-Breaking Gryffindor

Charlotte woke up sometime later, to Myrtle's loud admission. "You're alive."

She jumped up, tucking her wand into her pocket. "Harry! Ron! Ginny! You're alright!" She hugged Ginny tightly, who was crying quietly. "Merlin's beard, Harry, you did it again! And, you're bloody filthy." She wrinkled her nose, taking in the sight of Harry's wet robes covered in mud and blood, and the shiny, bloody sword in his hands. Then, she saw Fawkes. "Is that a phoenix?" She whispered, stroking the bird's hot feathers.

"Yeah. No need to sound disappointed, Myrtle."

"Well, I was thinking if you'd died down there, you'd be welcome to share my toilet." Myrtle's cheeks turned silver.

"Um, thanks."

"Where to now?" Ron asked.

Fawkes, however, was leading them out of the bathroom. Ginny held tightly to Charlotte's hand as Harry pushed the door open to Professor McGonagall's office. "Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley flung themselves on their daughter, sobbing.

Dumbledore was there, as well, beaming at the trio, while McGonagall and Flitwick were trying to catch their breath. Then, quite suddenly, Mrs. Weasley pulled the three into a hug. "You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that." McGonagall said weakly.

Harry laid the Sorting Hat, the sword, and the remains of a book on the desk and started speaking. He told them everything, including their trip to the Forbidden Forest and how she and Hermione had figured out it was a Basilisk. Then, he took a breath. "So you found out where the entrance was-breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add-but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

Harry then told the group about Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, but then, he stopped and looked at Dumbledore. "What interests me most is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests of Albania." Dumbledore said gently.

"What?" Mr. Weasley said, stunned. "You-Know-Who? Enchant Ginny?"

"It was this diary." Harry reacted quickly, picking it up to give Dumbledore a better look. "Riddle wrote in it when he was sixteen…"

"Brilliant. Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." Dumbledore said softly.

Then, Ginny was sent to the hospital wing and McGonagall was sent to the kitchens. Flitwick stuck around however, and Dumbledore faced the three. "I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules." He was talking to Harry and Ron. "Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words. I think you two shall receive Special Awards for Services to the School and two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor. As for you, Ms. Potter-"

"I didn't really do anything, sir. Just helped them a bit is all." She answered, aggravated with herself for letting her fear of snakes get the better of her. "I-I was too scared to go with them into the Chamber."

He smiled. "Ah. But, you did help. One hundred points for Ravenclaw, Charlotte. Being scared is nothing to be embarrassed about. But, Gilderoy, why so modest?" He now spoke to Professor Lockhart.

"Professor Dumbledore, there was an accident in the Chamber. Professor Lockhart-"

"Am I a professor? Goodness me, I expect I was hopeless, wasn't I?" Lockhart said and Charlotte snorted, agreeing with him.

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired." Ron said quietly.

"Would you mind taking him to the infirmary, Ron, Charli? I'd like a few words with Harry."

They nodded and led Lockhart out. The two were silent until Ron said, "Why do you hate me, Potter?"

"I don't hate you. I hated the way you treated Hermione our first year. Be a git to her again and I'll punch you again."

"Oh, okay." He smiled at her. "So, why are you so terrified of snakes?"

"I got bit by one when I was six." She shuddered. "Dad thought I was going to die and rushed me to St. Mungo's. Why so scared of spiders?"

"Fred turned my teddy bear into one when I was little."

She giggled. "Of course he would."

Ron scowled at her, but they walked back down to the feast together. Everyone was in their pajamas and Isobel was sitting with Seamus and Dean at the Ravenclaw table when Harry came in, followed by the people who had been Petrified. Hermione threw her arms around all three of them. "You solved it! Oh, I'm so glad!"

Then, Hagrid came back at around three in the morning, Gryffindor won the House Cup for the second year in a row with Ravenclaw in second, Charlotte and her friends set off more fireworks for the celebrations, and Professor McGonagall announced all exams were canceled as a school treat. But, the best thing was Malfoy apologizing to her for being a git to Hermione.

All too soon, they were on the train back home. Merlin was curled up between Seamus and Charlotte, as they were sitting on one side. Dean and Isobel occupied the other seat. "We've got to get together over the summer to try and make our map, okay?" Isobel said. "We'll need it for next year."

"Definitely. Come over to my house and we can all go to Diagon Alley together, and scour Dad's library for how to make the map."

"Sounds great." Dean grinned.

"I'll tell Mam." Seamus added. "Speaking of, I asked her how she and your da know each other. They went to Hogwarts together."

"And?"

"She didn't say anything else."

Charlotte sighed, looking out the window. "I wonder what's going to happen next year."

"Who knows?" Isobel said. "But you and Harry will probably be in the thick of it."

"Definitely." Charlotte grinned. "I'm beginning to think the Potter name is a magnet for trouble."