So one more after this.

Sorry it took so long, hope you all like it!

Chapter 14: The Sword, the Hat, the Journal, and the Lockhart

For a moment there was silence as Alexis, Harry, Ron, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and, in Alexis and Harry's case, blood. Then there was cursing. A lot of cursing.

"Damn it, lass!"

It was Mad-Eye Moody, who had finally stopped cursing to make actual words. His real and magical eye crossed over each of them before settling on Alexis. Beside him was Professor Snape, who's eyes seemed to do the same as Moody's only to continually sway back in forth between Alexis and Harry.

Alexis and Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing behind his desk, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. It was quite evident she had been worried about them.

"Hi," said Alexis, sheepishly waving at her professors and uncle.

'Hi?' thought Harry. 'Of all the things to say, you chose hi?'

Very slyly Alexis elbowed her best friend right before Moody spewed out a bucket more of curse words. By the time he was finished all three second years were blushing terribly and Lockhart was in awe.

"Now," huffed Moody, "how the blasted devil did you escape?"

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

"Um," said Alexis. She looked at Harry but found it rather difficult to see him through the Sorting Hat so she took it off. She twisted it nervously in her hands before it snapped at her and she stopped. "Sorry."

"We're waiting," snapped Snape dryly.

Hesitating only slightly, Alexis and Harry walked up to the Headmaster's desk and deposited the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Tom Riddle's diary.

Then together, Alexis and Harry, with some thrown in parts by Ron, started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour they spoke into the rapt silence taking turns explaining each side of what happened: Harry told them about hearing the disembodied voice, and Alexis told them about discovering that the diary held Tom Riddle's memories. Harry told them how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes, and Alexis told them how she started to realize she was only sleep walking when students were getting petrified. She told them how she tried getting ride of the diary, and Harry told them how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died. Harry told them how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom, and Alexis explained how not only was Harry right but how Tom Riddle was able to trick the previous headmaster into thinking he knew nothing about it...

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted them as they paused, "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?"

"Well, professor," said Harry. "That's even more confusing."

"Yeah, you said it," mumbled Alexis. She kept her eyes on anything or anyone other then Moody.

'He's going to think you're hiding something if you keep doing that,' warned McPherson.

'I am hiding something though,' Alexis snapped back.

"... And when I reached her she didn't have a pulse and then suddenly she did," said Harry, having carried on with the story without her.

"You were dead but came back?" McGonagall asked, seven sets of eyes falling on Alexis.

"He said he thought we were in my subconscious," said Alexis. "He said I wasn't dead but I would be if I didn't wake up. So I woke up, and then I saw Harry next to me."

More then anything, Alexis wanted to continue on with the story but was greatly disappointed when Snape asked, "Who is this he you speak of?"

Unintentionally, Alexis made eye contact with Moody, his face falling emotionless.

'He already knows,' Alexis thought before looking way.

"Tom McPherson," she stated. "I can, usually at least, talk to him even though he's gone."

"Usually?" questioned McGonagall.

"The diary made it impossible for a long time," said Alexis. "But when I woke up in the Chamber after talking to him, he was able to come back. In my head that is."

There was a very uncomfortable silence in the room in which all eyes were on Alexis. It made her very uneasy, but Harry squeezing her hand had continued the story. When they were finished Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Alexis, with only his memories in a mere diary. Of course, Tom Riddle was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen."

"So the diary is proof she didn't do those wretched things on her own free will?" asked McGonagall. She sounded beyond eager for the answer to be a yes.

"Quite," answered Moody for the Headmaster. "The dark magic still radiates off the bloody thing."

"Wait a minute," said Alexis shaking her head. "You all knew Tom Riddle was Voldemort?"

The four adults nodded.

"Don't you think, I don't know," said Ron with a shrug, "that that should be public knowledge?"

"Yeah," said Alexis rather pissed. "I would have turned the fucking thing in."

"Language," whispered Ron.

"I NEARLY DIED! I WILL NOT WATCH MY FUCKING LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW!" snapped Alexis, sending the paper around her in every direction.

Moody cleared his throat, or tried to anyways, clearly entertained by his niece's outbreak.

"Might I ask where you found Riddle's diary?" said McGonagall.

"I didn't find it," said Alexis, bluntly.

The last thing she wanted to do was cause Lucius trouble because of this. Surely he hadn't known what the journal was... but it did explain why Dobby had stolen it and why Dobby tried keeping her and Harry away from Hogwarts. No, Lucius was not a bad guy. He wasn't like the other Ministry workers, he had just made a mistake. He hadn't meant for this to happen, surely he hadn't.

"It found me," she lied in the end.

Evidently the lie worked, however, and Snape quickly excused himself from the room.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, moving to the door. She disappeared down the stairs almost joyfully.

"As for you, Miss Alexis," said Dumbledore with a small smile. "I believe it would be best if your uncle accompanies you to the hospital wing for a quick checkup. You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice- I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

The three Gryffindors shared a grin at these words.

"Hermione!" they shouted together. Dumbledore beamed their enthusiasm.

"They are healthy as always," he said with another smile.

"Right," said Moody. "We going or what?"

"I wish to speak to you afterwards, of course, Alexis," added Dumbledore. Alexis nodded her head and smiled.

"Yes, professor."

With a quick hug from both Harry and Ron and a strange pat on the head from Lockhart, Alexis descended the spiral staircase, Moody right on her heels. They had just reached the bottom step when Moody spoke.

"You really are something, you know that?"

Alexis was surprise by his words.

"Is that a complement?" she teased. "Because if it is, we're going to have to work on that."

Moody scowled and mumbled something about not knowing if he could deal with this kid all summer if she was always so arrogant. He was stopped suddenly when Alexis hugged him.

"You're lucky I didn't hex you into next week," grumbled Moody, but whatever effect his words were supposed to have on Alexis didn't work because he hugged her back.

"Oh shut up and admit you were worried," said Alexis.

Moody let out his usual creepy chuckle before breaking their hug. "You, lass, are going to be a handful this summer, aren't you?"

"Does that mean I get to stay with you?" said Alexis surprised.

Moody answered her with his famous frightening smile.

"Great 'cause I'm getting a tattoo," said Alexis. She didn't have to look at her uncle to know what expression he was making. "Don't worry, it's a memory tattoo, Tom made it."

Moody made a grunting sound that told Alexis a better explanation was needed but before she could speak again Alexis was being twirled in the air by a pair of semi-transparent arms.

"Tickled dragons, you're okay!" exclaimed Peeves, who had now become completely visible. "I saw you writing on the wall and I knew you were bewitched so I chased down Potter but you were already gone! I couldn't follow them through the tunnel. Diggory was in a panic when he found out you had been taken and-"

"Peeves, don't let go," said Alexis.

"Of course not, Hex," said Peeves, surprised.

"Good, because we're fifty feet up in the air and I don't have my broomstick."

Sure enough Peeves had lifted Alexis so high in the air that she could touch the ceiling of the hospital wing. Smiling gingerly, Peeves returned her to the ground before releasing her.

"Hex!"

Alexis looked over Peeves' shoulder to see Hermione climbing out of her bed, grinning. Alexis couldn't help but to grin back.

"Hiya, Moony! Enjoy your beauty sleep?" Alexis teased as the two friends embraced in a hug.

Afterwards, while Madam Pomfrey was checking for any injures casting several cleaning spells on her and her filthy, tattered robes, Alexis explained what had happened to Hermione. She restarted several times when more students were unpetrified before finally starting with the first attack. Moody watched on in amusement, which could easily have been taken as annoyance by people who didn't know him (and Alexis liked to think she did), while Peeves somersaults, unable to hide his joy from finding out Alexis was safe.

"...and then Fawkes led us to the Headmaster's office and- Ron!"

Ron came trudging into the hospital wing still covered in filth, Gilderoy Lockhart right on his heels smiling pleasantly.

"How'd you get clean?" he asked but quickly forgot his question when he saw Hermione. "Mo-Hermione!"

"Ronald!" Hermione squealed and the two best friends hugged. "Alexis told me what happened, you and Harry are incredibly stupid!... But incredibly brave as well."

There was a slight blush forming on both faces of Alexis's friends, making her for the first time since she started going to Hogwarts uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and asked Ron where Harry was.

"Dumbledore is still talking to him," he replied. "He asked me to send you back up after I dropped Lockhart off."

"Aren't you coming back up too?"

Ron shook his head.

"No, he just wants to see you and Harry. I'd hurry if I were you, the feast is starting soon."

Nodding, Alexis hugged her friends one last time before saying goodbye to Moony and heading off for the Headmaster's office. She didn't make very far however. Just as she was turning to take the stair to the sixth floor, Alexis quite literally ran into Lucius Malfoy.

"Alexis," said Lucius, his voice rather- worried? "You're alright?"

"Yes," said Alexis, surprised to see Draco's father here at this hour. "Harry saved me, then I saved him, of course. Couldn't let him have something over me could I?"

She has meant the last part as a joke but it did not seem to have its attended effect on Mr. Malfoy. Instead he just looked twice as, well, Alexis wasn't sure but it wasn't his usual composure. When he squeezed her shoulder gently and smiled faintly at her, Alexis knew he felt responsible for what had happened, his pride, however, prevented him from voicing this feeling.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "I didn't tell them you gave it to me. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen."

She hugged him, which was a surprise to the very prim and proper Pureblood, but he tried to make it less awkward by backing her on the back in return. Smiling, Alexis broke off into a run up the stairs.

"Tell Narcissa I said hi!" she called out without looking back. Then, as if as an after thought, she said, "And tell Dobby I said hi too!"

If Alexis had looked back she would have seen Lucius scowl but she didn't and instead continued her way up to the Headmaster's office, grinning.

One more chapter I think, just the feast, going home, and of course the TALK with Dumblebee, my home G! Thanks for the reviews last chapter!

Emily Is Me: I'm glad you enjoyed both books especially the last chapter. I hope this chapter was up to your standards as well.

Nathaliie: As always, thank you kindly for the review!

Luna the HP fan: Glad you liked it and my speech for this award shall be, I want to thank Christian Coulson for making Tom Riddle look exactly like what I expected a possessive sociopath to look like. I couldn't have done this without you ;D

More reviews guys, it always makes getting started on the next chapter easier! Thanks so much for following for so long!

DCF