Author's Note: Does anyone know the elemental opposite of a fire-breathing dragon? That's right, water. The thing that is covering my floor in a six-inch layer. Turns out my new apartment is just a little too close to the creek. The creek which just overflowed, thanks to all this unseasonable rain we've been having, and has taken up residence in my living quarters. Hence the Godawful delay in posting this chapter. I am currently living with my sister, so updates might be a little slow for a while. Eh. Laissez faire (even if 'them' happens to be the water skeeters in my kitchen).

A.N.2: Wow. Who knew so many people were looking forward to seeing Dumbledork topple from his pedestal? Well, I do so like to oblige my readers... heh heh. I see there's some interest in the identity of my mysterious traitor: I'll have to start dropping hints soon.

Warnings: Light-bashing, Dark!Harry, surely you know the drill by now.

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter. Simple math, people.

A.N.3: I know the Ulama isn't very imposing in real life. It projects an illusion that keeps Muggles from seeing its true nature. In 'reality' it looks sort of like a phoenix, only darker and more reptilian (bear with me people, I'm not totally insane - yet).

A.N.4: I can now provide my first estimate of total number of chapters. If events continue at this rate, I think things should wind up at about twenty to twenty five chapters. Which, if I keep writing chapters this length, means a word total of roughly sixty thousand words. That's six times my longest previous fic. Somehow, this thing is becoming addictive.

That morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione were not the only three to take seats at the Slytherin table. A lot of shuffling had gone on when the students started arriving, and by the time the Golden Trio arrived almost half of the Order of the Chimaera was ranged at the end of the Slytherin table. The rest of the students were muttering among themselves, clearly puzzled as to what was going on. Harry ignored them all, heading straight for his customary seat next to Draco.

"Everything's set." he said briskly, in answer to the Malfoy heir's questioning glance. Draco grinned.

"That was fast. What did you do, tell him you were ready to switch sides and then jump him?"

"He jumped me, really." Harry said, smirking in a very Slytherin manner.

Draco choked on his orange juice and Pansy let out an ear-splitting shriek of delight. "Oh Merlin, finally!"

"Nice one, Harry." Blaise drawled. "Frankly I didn't think you had the nerve. I'm pleased to see that I was mistaken."

Harry grinned at the compliment and let himself be drawn into the conversation about the Order's next move. A stray thought made his smile widen. I wonder what Dumbledore's going to think when he finds out what I've done?

...

"THEY WHAT?"

The cloaked informant trembled. "They - they have bonded, Headmaster." the voice whispered, quivering in fear.

After his initial outburst, Dumbledore remained utterly silent, sitting frozen at his desk as he stared blankly across the room. Just like that, seventeen years of constant work and relentless effort were wasted. Destroyed. Worthless.

Albus Dumbledore, however, was a man of many resources and much determination. He would not succumb to the bitter pangs of disappointment and despair. The situation might still be salvaged, if he played his remaining cards correctly. Certainly he would have to sacrifice a few pawns - but that was simply how the game was played.

"We must move quickly." he said quietly, a disturbing twinkle lighting his blue eyes. "We can no longer waste time attempting to coax Harry back to the Light: he must die. Summon the Ulamas. Direct action must now be taken. Return to your post, my dear: this means war."

The spy hastened from the room, wringing her hands in anxiety. How much longer could this madness go on? Sooner or later, things were going to come to a head - and the spy really didn't want to be in the crossfire when that happened. She had always had the worst of luck, though: she would probably end up being caught by Lord Voldemort himself.

Couldn't be much worse than what had already happened to her, though.

...

DADA was... interesting, to say the least. Considering that most of seventh-year Gryffindor had been inducted into the Order already, it was fairly common knowledge that Harry had spent the night with Riddle. This meant that Riddle's entrance into the classroom was met with a wave of mutters and giggles amongst his students.

Harry, still coasting on the emotional high from the night before, was oblivious to it all. Riddle appeared to have a hidden agenda, though, because he spent the class teaching them an ancient variant on the Shield Charm that even Hermione had never heard of.

Having already mastered the spell, Harry leaned back in his chair and ostensibly watched the rest of the class as he reached out with his mind. Care to explain just what you've got up your sleeve this time?

You're rather suspicious these days, aren't you? came Riddle's answer, his mental voice laden with amusement. As it so happens, however, I do have an ulterior motive. This spell, unlike the standard Shield Charm, will dull the cry of the Ulama. Nothing can block it entirely - well, nothing that I can teach, anyway - but this will keep it from being fatal.

That's what you were looking up last night, isn't it? Harry asked, struggling to keep the grin from his face. You sly old snake. How Dumbledore ever managed to fool you I'll never know.

Sheer dumb luck. And just who are you calling old, my little serpent? Riddle's voice had dropped to a dangerous purr. Harry felt a tingle of arousal shoot along his spine and shook his head.

You're what, forty years older than me? Not that I'm complaining, you certainly didn't seem old last night...

You're going to pay for that later. Riddle said, the statement somewhere between threat and promise. Harry stifled a laugh and settled himself more comfortably in his chair, propping his feet on the desk and smirking across the room at Riddle. The professor was rather harried this morning, trying to instruct three of his more hapless students at once, and his eyes flickered slightly red as he glared at Harry. The slight twitching of his lips, though, coupled with the amusement radiating through their bond, rather spoiled the effect.

Hermione had been watching Harry even while trying to learn the spell, and once she had it she dropped into her chair and said, "You're about as subtle as a Hungarian Horntail, you know that?"

Harry grinned at her. "Why should I be subtle? Almost everyone here knows already, and even if this gets back to the Headmaster he's hardly going to object. What's he going to do, fire Tom? I don't think so."

"Well, yes, but it's traditional to be a little more circumspect." Hermione said, smiling. She glanced over at Riddle. "He seems happier, you know. Less terrifying somehow. Maybe you're a good influence on him."

Before Harry could even open his mouth to reply, a searing wave of agony crashed over him. He was dimly aware of someone yelling as he hit the floor, writhing, his veins burning as though they were on fire. His mind filled with a terrible stuttering squeaking sound, like thousands of bats all chittering at once. He thought he heard whimpering underneath the cacophony, and wondered in a strangely abstracted way if that sound was coming from him.

"Harry!"

Strong arms around him then, shielding him from the unbearable noise. Harry opened his eyes, shaking from the aftershocks of the chaos, to find Riddle's silver eyes gazing down at him in considerable concern. Harry blinked, trying to focus his rather rattled mind.

"Wha- what happened?"

"I'll explain later." Riddle said grimly. He helped Harry back to his feet: the rest of the class was frozen, staring in horror at the classroom door. Following their gazes, Harry gulped.

Through the glass pane of the door he could see a mass of flitting shadows, passing back and forth across the door. Shadowy darkness, pierced with flashes of crimson: after a moment Harry realized that the shadows were not shadows at all, but black feathers clustered so thickly they seemed a single mass. He looked up at Riddle in shock.

"What are they?"

"Ulamas." Riddle said grimly, gripping his wand tightly in the hand that wasn't supporting Harry. "Dozens of them at least, more likely hundreds. They attacked in enough force that they shattered the wards: they're all over Hogwarts now."

Hermione was white-faced and shaking as she stared at the feathery chaos outside the door. "What are we going to do? We're trapped here!"

"No, actually, we aren't!" Harry said suddenly, recovering enough from his shock to start thinking again. "There's an old secret passage behind that tapestry, I think it leads to the Entrance Hall. Sirius and my dad used to use it, to get to class on time when they overslept."

Riddle appeared to come a decision and gestured briskly with his wand, causing the tapestry in question to swing out of the way, leaving the passage open. "All of your, back to your dorms, as quickly and carefully as possible. Stay there until a teacher comes to collect you. There are additional wards on the dorms that should keep the Ulamas out."

There was a minor stampede for the passageway, but only part of the class participated. Every Gryffindor who was in the Order stayed put, wands drawn and expressions determined. Ron spoke for them all. "We know that look, mate, you're thinking of doing something stupid and heroic again. We're not going to let you do it alone."

Harry was touched by their dedication, but he was picking up flashes from Riddle's mind again, and he knew what he had to do. "Sorry guys, but for now there's nothing you can do. Get back to the dorms, keep an eye on the others. I'll let you know the second there's something you can help with, I promise."

Reluctantly, the Chimaeras obeyed. Once they were alone Harry turned to Riddle, his gaze questioning. "You're plotting something. What is it?"

"Ulamas are the dark half of the most powerful magical birds, the reflection of the Phoenix." Riddle said, still eyeing the door warily. "Which means that their only natural enemy..."

"Is the Basilisk." Harry finished. "Great, there's just one problem. The Basilisk's dead."

Riddle glanced at him, a hint of amusement on his face despite the dire circumstances. "How many Basilisks did you kill?"

Harry's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me. There's more than one?"

"At any given time there are twelve Basilisks residing in the Chamber of Secrets." Riddle said calmly. "Each time one dies, the Chamber's inherent magic prompts another of the dormant eggs to hatch. It's been five years, the replacement for the one you killed should be nearly matured by now."

Harry remembered the searing wave of pain that had incapacitated him. "Is that somehow connected to why I collapsed? Because I'm a Parselmouth?"

"Very good." Riddle said, smiling. "Yes. I was a target of the assault as well, of course, but my mental shields are far stronger than yours."

Harry felt a little of his panic drain away, replaced by the familiar lightning thinking that had helped him solve more than one major crisis during his time at Hogwarts. "So if there are twelve Basilisks, they could be used to chase the Ulamas out of the school. I though most Parselmouths could only control a few snakes at a time, though?"

"Correct again." Riddle said, nodding. "That's where you come in."

Harry felt a grin spreading across his face. "So between us, we open the Chamber, call up the Basilisks, and send Dumbledore's little pets packing." He looked up at Riddle and grinned wider. "I quite like this plan."

Riddle chuckled. "I thought you might. You seem to know the passageways here as well as I once did: do you recall any shortcuts from here to the second floor?"

Harry paused, a thought striking him. "Yes, but that could get messy pretty fast. Myrtle, the girl who died - she's still there, you know. She's been haunting the bathroom this whole time."

Riddle frowned. "That is a shame. I was rather rash in my youth and tended to act without thinking, but I never really meant for anyone to die. I had planned only to scare them... and I would never have risked the school closing. That's why I was forced to frame your friend Hagrid."

Harry thought it over for a minute, then shrugged. "Kind of late to worry about Myrtle, I suppose. If she freaks out we'll just have to deal with it. I think there's another tunnel in the Entrance Hall that goes up to the second floor."

Harry set out along the secret passage from the DADA classroom, Riddle close behind. He couldn't quiet suppress the thought of how surreal this was: sneaking around through the tunnels in Hogwarts accompanied by the Dark Lord himself, about to summon a dozen Basilisks to defeat a force of evil birds sent by Albus Dumbledore to attack the school.

So much for a calm, normal school year.

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Return of the evil cliffhangers! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for long. Not like last time, that's for sure. Roses are red, violets are blue, you want more story, then leave a review!