A/N: Hey guysssss...

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Chapter 26: Escaping

Hazel ran ahead with Frank to help shift the remaining rock. There was a shove from Frank and a small grunt of effort from Hazel as the last of the massive wall came tumbling down. Ron's red hair came into view.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!"

Ron gave a strangled cheer and ran over.

"Ginny! You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How - what - where did that bird come from?"

Fawkes had swooped in.

"He's Dumbledore's phoenix," explained Harry.

"How come you guys've got swords?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand, then the glowing bronze sword in Percy's, who hurridly put riptide back in his pocket.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever, and Hazel, who had returned to comforting her.

"But-"

"Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "We've got a lot to tell you."

"Where's Lockhart?" asked Percy curiously.

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose huge scarlet wings let off a soft glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting on the bones, humming placidly to himself. Even Nico smirked.

"Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself," Ron explained.

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said, fiddling with what looked like a bird's skull. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"Yes, yes we do," replied Percy sarcastically, "Welcome to the city of bones, our humble residence." (TMITMITMI)

Frank facepalmed.

"Do you really?" asked Lockhart with an expression of mild interest.

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

"Oh," Lockhart said, confused.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.

The ginger boy shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past them and was now fluttering in front of them, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold..." said Ron, looking perplexed. "But we're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there-"

"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart-"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Ginny's other hand—Frank hold onto Lockhart, Hazel onto Frank, Nico onto Hazel and Percy onto Nico."

Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

Just as they were about to take off, Percy stopped them.

"Wait... are we going to fly?"

"Gods, Percy, we're underground," Hazel sighed.

"Still... I'm using my own method of transport!"

Percy closed his eyes and made a massive wave which pushed him up the pipe. Hazel stared in bemusement at her brother, who was also looking uneasy.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go, bye."

He shadow-travelled away.

"Well," Hazel said as she and Frank linked hands, "I'll go with Frank, then."

He changed into an eagle and Hazel climbed onto his back.

"Wait-!" Ginny said suddenly. She looked really confused. Uh-oh. But that wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

"Hazel, can you stay with me?"

Hazel let out a soft 'oh!'

She did not know how much Ginny had always wanted an older sister. Hazel was just how the younger girl had always imagined her.

"Ok," Hazel said immediately. She got off Frank who changed back. She walked back to Ginny and held her hand.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through them and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Lockhart was danglingat the bottom saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!" Too soon, the ride was over, and all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place. Percy and Nico waved.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive too," she said blankly.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"Oh, well... I'd just been thinking... if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver. Percy let out a small snort which Harry returned with a glare.

"Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

"Where now?" asked Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed.

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

BLEH WHAT'S UP?