Disclaimer- I do not own the Harry Potter series

Authors Note- this is the ending you've all been waiting for, sorry it took so long I just wanted it to be perfect, you know I had to get in the mood. That just sounded really dirty, but hopefully you know what I mean. Also if you didn't know already this is an alternate ending.

"Shh, I think she's waking up," a voice whispered to all the Weasley's crowded around a single bed. They all gazed as Hermione's once hard stone body began to warm and turn more human like. Her hair was getting back its frizz, her cheeks were blooming red, her clothes were wilting back onto her body, and her deep wells that were eyes blinked.

Hermione looked around at all the people a little dazed. Jumped at what she saw at first, like she was living a moment that had gone by months ago. A slight scream escaped her before she realized where she was at.

"What...? How...? I was petrified wasn't I?" Hermione said discovering the conclusion herself.

"Yeah, but you'll be alright now. Madam Pomfrey fixed you right up," Ron said from her side, seeing a little awkward as to how to greet her. Hermione fixed that by pulling him into a tight hug.

"I was so scared. How long have I been...?"

"A few months," Ron said calmly.

"Yeah about time you woke up, sleeping beauty," Fred said before tugging his brother towards another person who was waking up. Hermione didn't have time to think about how they knew who sleeping beauty but got to the matter at hand.

"Months!" Hermione looked shocked. "It felt like-"

"Only seconds? Madam Pomfrey said that's how it would feel to you," Ron replied matter of fatly.

She stared at him awhile, the truth dawning on her. She could have sworn that she had been in the library only a second ago, with her mirror, going to tell Ron and Harry about her discoveries, before...before she saw...

"Bright, large, yellow eyes," Hermione whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Ron asked looking questionly at her.

"Nothing, just thinking."

She bent her head low and clasped her hands, looking at her twiddling thumbs. She suddenly looked up needing to know the answer to a very important question.

"Did you get my message?" she asked hurriedly.

"Oh, the crumbled piece of paper telling us that the monster was a basilisk? No haven't seen it," Ron joked. Hermione wasn't so easily humored but did crack a smile.

"So is the chamber of secrets closed? Is the basilisk dead? Did you figure out who opened it? Where is Harry anyways?" Hermione blurted out in a blurred rush.

"Okay slow down. The chamber of secrets is closed now, turns out all you have to do is speak Paseltongue to get in. The basilisk is dead; you can thank Harry for that. And... I don't think I should be the one to tell you the next answer, it's complicated. And where Harry is at, look beside you," Ron said turning towards Hermione's right. She turned her head and pushed her bushy hair behind her ears before gasping. He lay like a Greek statue with a look of pain on his face but the rest of his body was surprisingly limp. Like the snake had caught him in a nightmare, but how was that possible?

"When...?" she asked softly, the word lingering in the air.

"Last night."

Hermione dwelled on this awhile. How could it just have happened last night if the chamber of secrets was closed and the basilisk killed unless... unless.

"Harry was in the chamber of secrets." Hermione said, not a question.

"Yes," Ron said taking a seat, for her knew that this would be a long conversation.

"Tell me all of it." Ron thought of how he was going to start this horrible conversation. How were you supposed to break it to a girl that her best friend was as close to death as you could be without actually being dead? He didn't have to dwell on it much longer though because a small red head banged past the hospital wings doors and ran straight toward Hermione's bed.

"Hermione!" she yelled pulling her in a tight hug.

"Ginny!" Hermione said surprised, they hadn't really talked much this year.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry. I wasn't in my right mind. I'm just glad you're okay, I don't think I would be able to forgive myself if...if I had hurt you too," Ginny blabbered on not even realizing what she was saying half the time.

"Ginny, I haven't told her all that's happened yet," Ron said gently.

"Oh...well I can just go then," she said already making her way toward the door.

"No, Ginny, it's okay. You can stay," Hermione called after her. The youngest Weasley turned around and hopped onto Hermione's bed hoping that she wouldn't be such a tag along. She hadn't made very close friends over the year, only with a few of her roommates, but she really didn't have that much time, seeing as she was being possessed for the whole year. She hoped that this would be a time that she could get to know the smart Gryffindor and maybe become friends. Ginny just had to get Hermione to forgive her first.

"Well, umm, yesterday night..." Ron began looking at the two girls. "I and Harry had just found your note and there was a message on the wall saying that there was someone in the chamber. We later found out that it was Ginny." Hermione looked at Ginny when Ron said this. She noticed that her face was very pale, her eyes red from crying, and like she hadn't slept in days.

"Are you okay, Ginny?" she asked softly. Ginny just nodded, sniffling a bit. Then she looked up for Ron to continue.

"Well McGonagall sent Lockhart to go and save her and me and Harry went to tell him what we knew. We soon found out, however, that he planned to run away. We dragged him down to the chamber, though, and Harry opened it. When went down and then when Lockhart tried to obliviate us with my broken wand it backfired and caused a cave in. Harry had to go on alone. I don't really know the rest after that," Ron said sheepishly, turning to Ginny.

"I...I wasn't conscience for the fight. I just woke to Harry there and his arm was bleeding. The basilisk had gotten him and the poison was spreading fast," she stuttered.

"How is it that he's petrified then?" Hermione asked. IF he wasn't petrified by the basilisk then how is he petrified at all?

"Well, when Ginny brought him out to where I and Lockhart were we all got back to castle as fast as possible. Ginny found McGonagall and she didn't know of anything to cure basilisk poison, except-"

"phoenix tears," Hermione finished.

"And since we didn't know where Dumbledore's phoenix was and we were running out of time so McGonagall petrified him."

"So then his body would be frozen and the poison wouldn't spread any further, giving him more time," Hermione couldn't help but explain her thoughts out loud. "Is Dumbledore here then?"

"He arrived last night when hearing of our... adventure," Ron said.

"He said he wasn't sure if the phoenix tears would work, because you can't force a phoenix to cry. He said Harry might die, and it's all my fault," Ginny said bursting into tears again.

"Ginny, it's not your fault. You weren't in your right mind," Ron said sternly. He had had enough of his sister blaming herself and it was about time that she realized that it wasn't her fault.

"But if it wasn't for me then harry wouldn't be on the brink of death." she sobbed.

"Ginny, it wasn't your fault. From what I have gathered before and after my petrifaction you were being possessed and couldn't have known what you were doing. Harry knowingly put himself in danger and he knew the consequences. I'm happy that you are alright, though, and you should be too," Hermione said surprising Ginny.

"You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not, for the reasons I have just said," Hermione said kindly and hugged Ginny tightly.

Later that night...

"I believe that this is the only chance we will have and it is better done sooner rather than later," Dumbledore said to the people in the room. They were talking of what they should do about Harry Potter. There was no other possible way to cure basilisk poison, other than phoenix tears, known to man at the time. They would have to move fast and all they could do for the boy was hope.

"Have you got the bird, Albus?" Minerva asked.

"I'll call him." A few seconds later a brilliant bird appeared. It was a gleaming, red ball of fire coming to save Harry from a horrible death. The bird glided smoothly down the rest upon Dumbledore's raised arm and called lightly. His body was majestic but the birds black, beady eyes showed a sorrow of seeing too much death and knowing what was going to be asked of it.

"Do it now, Poppy," Dumbledore said calmly announcing that everything was ready. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood off to the side watching this all go on. Hoping beyond hope that this miracle could save their friends life.

Poppy administered the potion and, like previously that day, he became slowly alive again. His skin changed from a hard coral like texture to one of flesh and blood. HIs black hair slowly went back into its all-time messy dew. A breath escaped him but turned into a blood curdling cough, like liquid was running through his lungs. He opened his bright emerald eyes and pain was reflected in them. He saw everyone above and around him and seemed to know what was to come.

"Ron...Hermione," he gasped. They looked at each other and came forward so that their friend could see them.

"We are right here, Harry," Hermione said causing Harry to smile.

"You're...not p...petrified anymore." That seemed to be too much for him because his breathing became even more labored then it was, coming in short quick gasps.

"Do it now, Albus, do it now," Minerva called sharply seeing the boy pass right before her eyes, once again. She had seen him alive and well just the day before and then dying, turned to stone, and now he was literally taking his last breath.

Dumbledore lowered the bird on Harry's side. Fawkes looked at Harry and Harry looked at Fawkes. Nothing was said, silence was the only noise, and not even a breath was taken. The black eyes stared into the emerald ones and an internal understanding was between them before Fawkes blinked his beady orbs and tears streamed down his small feathered face onto Harrys arm. The bird had felt Harry's pain, knew that he deserved more life, knew that more was yet to come for the boy and that it was not yet his time to die and finally join his parents in glorious salvation.

Harry breathed deeply for the first time that day and a smile sprang to his face.

"Thanks," he whispered to the bird, so no one heard him before he drifted off into a much needed sleep.

Authors Note- well that is the end of my first story that was more than just a one shot. I think it went a lot better than I thought. Thank you to all of you guys for the reviews they really make my day. Keep reading and have a great life: D