After dinner, Harry and Ron walked out of the hall and were halfway down the hall when Cedric came to a halt in front of them.
"Look Potter, Weasley, I'm sorry I put Denise through all this crap this year- and you're her friends…but you have to help me save her. I love her- she's my kid sister. But also my confident and best friend." Cedric's face softened and his tough exterior fell away, leaving a poor 15 year old boy with sad eyes and a hurting heart in its place. He looked vulnerable and he made himself that way, by admitting his brotherly love to his sister's friends. "Ron, your younger sister is down there too. You know how I feel. Like you'd take back anything terrible you ever did to her- if only she were safe."
Tears formed in Cedric's eyes and almost flowed over. A lump formed in his throat, and then Ron nodded meekly- feeling the same. Harry broke the silence. "We have an idea where the entrance could be. Ron and I will go and bring the two girls back. I promise."
"I'll go too." Cedric stepped towards them.
"That's alright." Harry said hastily. "We've got it covered." And he pulled Ron away with him.
…...
Harry walked into the chamber, and off to one side, he saw Ginny. On the other was Denise. Both pale, unconscious, but breathing shallowly.
Riddle stepped out from the shadows and spoke to Harry all about Ginny's part in this.
"And Denise?"
"Oh, her. Ginny spoke so much of this girl. And how she was so jealous of her. She was beautiful, had a boyfriend, friends with all the right people…So just yesterday, I made Ginny come up and take her. I'm planning a painful death for her- and then- Ginny can be the heroine, not the sidekick." he laughed sarcastically.
Harry stood, open-mouthed, as he got an in look on these two girls lives- girls he thought he knew so well. Riddle continued on with his story of framing Hagrid and Harry watched, stealing glances at the two girls by him. And so- the duel began.
…...
In my dream- the handsome boy of 16 or 17 was speaking parseltongue, and a basilisk was blindly attacking Harry. I wanted to scream. To run and get help, or to never come back- but I glued to my spot.
When the giant snake bit him, I thought Harry'd died. I was sobbing and holding my chest as if it would stop the pain. But a phoenix saved him. Crazy right? And the famed sword of Godrick Gryffindor slid out of the ratty Sorting Hat and Harry plunged it into the black diary.
Then the cute boy disappeared as did the dream/nightmare.
I felt real pain now- instead of feeling like I was walking on clouds. I felt sick and almost dead.
I groaned and sat up, still in the chamber. I looked to Ginny, her hand to her head, moaning, she sat up.
"Ginny." I smiled weakly.
"Denise." She gasped, like she was afraid of me.
Harry rushed to us and I looked around. Everything looked as if my dream had in reality happened…had it? No…it couldn't be…wait a minute…
Ginny poured out tears as she apologized to Harry.
"Denise, same to you…I never wanted to hurt you…" she sobbed, taking gasps of air per few words.
Harry helped up to our feet, and let Ginny do all the talking.
As we traveled through the chamber, we came to a blockage of rocks.
"Ron!" Harry yelled. "I've got them!"
Ron cheered and Ginny smiled. Her brother had tried to come. Her entire family was probably worried sick, when mine didn't care at all.
When we got through, Ron pulled Ginny into a fierce hug that made her blush.
"I've been worried sick…as you Denise…let's just say something amazing is waiting for you back up in the real world."
Oh joy. I'd learned to not expect too much in surprises. The person giving the surprise always thought the surprise was so great, when the person being surprised might not be amused at all.
Thank you, Fred and George. For helping me make that realization. I mentally rolled my eyes.
But I got a pleasant surprise as we encountered Lockhart.
He was a mess. I grinned broadly- not bothering to pretend to be upset my teacher was injured. His memory…gone. Good…
And when we got into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, I gasped. The entrance was here? In this place? I had been right about something being off in here?
We went to "McGonagall's" office. Inside were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I knew it. My family had disowned me.
"Denise." I jumped and turned to see Mum & Dad. Dad's glasses hung slightly off his nose and I crinkled my forehead.
"But…" I looked to Ginny, who was crying into her parents' embrace.
I started to get blurry vision and teary eyes, but luckily no tears spilled over. "Mum. Dad." I ran to them and must've apologized a bazillion times.
"How did you save them?" Mrs. Weasley and my mother gasped.
McGonagall smiled. "Please tell. We'd all like to know."
And so, Harry told the story, and everyone listened with rapt attention.
Everyone spoke after, and I stayed silent.
Ginny went up to hospital wing- but Dumbledore generously allowed me to go back to my regular activities.
The basilisk victims were going to be okay…everyone that I loved was alive…
I stayed a bit longer in the office to watch the "amazing" Gilderoy Lockhart eat his words- as his memory was gone.
But I left when Dumbledore wished to speak to Harry.
Many questions were answered that night. For everyone.
But as for me, one was why I was put in Gryffindor…I mean- it seemed most reasonable to be in Ravenclaw if not Hufflepuff.
Because I'd asked not to be in them, I realized.
A weight was lifted off my shoulders. But Cedric…now I wished I was dead in that chamber- just so I wouldn't see his disappointment.
As I crossed out of Dumbledore's office, I passed Draco's father- Lucius Malfoy. He sneered at me and continued on.
He'd know who I was soon enough.
