Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything else that may be referenced in this chapter.
A/N: Massive thank you to you all for reading, reviewing, following and favouring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
Chapter 13
"SEVERUS! SERVERUS!"
"What?!"
"THERE'S A DIARY IN MALFOY MANOR! A COPY OF THE ONE YOU, LUCIUS AND NARCISSA TALKED ABOUT IN THE SUMMER! YOU HAVE TO DESTROY IT! IT'S IMMUE TO-"
"Fire and water, I know. Many other methods of destruction too, funnily enough. Trust me, I'll take care of it. Just make sure you get yourself and everyone else out of that dratted chamber alive and as quickly as possible."
"…Okay."
Rose wondered for a moment just what made Severus so cooperative. She had expected questions, then to be grounded after he realised she and Draco had eavesdropped. Then she remembered the liquid luck and smiled. Her smiled quickly faded to a frown as she realised she, Harry, Millicent and the still unconscious Ginny Weasley were stuck in a chamber with a fast rotting dead Basilisk and the ever strengthening memory of the darkest wizard of all time, and were unable to aid in its destruction.
Still, she reflected as she turned her attention to Tom Riddle, going over the ways she could annoy him the most, it was out of her hands now.
"Malfoy Manor!"
Severus closed his eyes against the glow from the vivid green flames as he swept in a whirl of black through the Floo network. Arriving in the formal entrance hall of Malfoy Manor he strode from the fireplace, as the click-click of a pair of high heels sounded on the polished marble floor.
"Severus?" Narcissa questioned, emerging from the small corridor by the staircase that led to the sitting room. Behind her came Giselle Zabini, Blaise's mother. "It's 9 o'clock at night, what on earth are you doing here? Is everything alright?"
Briefly, Severus outlined the events of the school year and his current predicament.
Narcissa summoned her cloak as he concluded. "Okay, well I'm going to go to the castle and find out exactly where Draco is, you do whatever you need to do. There's an unsummonable ward on all the rooms and chambers, but the house-elves are at your disposal."
She snapped her fingers, nodded to Severus and hurried to the fireplace, her cry of "Hogwarts!" echoing around the hall. Giselle mimicked her actions, her face anxious.
Severus stood for a moment, thinking hard. Reaching a decision, he made a mental note to ground Rose later, and summoned a house-elf.
"Take me to your garbage disposal, please."
"T-the garbage disposal?" The elf questioned before he could stop himself, startled. "But, why sir?"
"Just do it!" Severus snapped, feeling impatience creep over him. "And prepare me a cauldron!"
"Y-yes sir. Follow me please sir."
The elf lead Severus into the dining room and over to the enormous painting of Armand Malfoy that hung above the fireplace. The elf reached for a poker, jumped high in the air, and threw his weight behind it, tearing a great gash across the face of the portrait.
Creeeaaakk.
The entire fireplace swung forward as a door, revealing a metre high archway.
"It's just through there, sir. Hoops will go and prepare your cauldron."
"Thank you."
As Hoops disapperated with a bow, Severus considered the gap before him. Seeing no alternative, he placed the Muggle briefcase he had brought on the floor, drew his wand, lit it, placed it between his teeth, went down onto his hands and knees and crawled through the archway, wincing as he banged his head. He crawled for about a minute before the floor vanished and he fell, deep, deep below ground level.
He landed on a mattress that was evidently meant for someone a lot smaller than him, the smell of every kind of rot greeting him. Severus stared around him, his eyes sharp.
Piles of rubbish surrounded him, everything from orange peels to fire ashes. It was the latter Severus was interested in. Finding nothing in the first pile, Severus continued to search until finally, disheveled and covered in ashes, Severus found it, buried in the mist of the largest pile of ashes at the very back of the chamber. Clutching it as though it was the elixir of life, Severus waded back to the front of the chamber and over to the entrance. Quickly conjuring a makeshift elevator from a piece of wood and ropes, Severus proceed up the tube and through the tunnel into the dining room, where he found a Cauldron prepared and awaiting him. Rolling up his sleeves, Severus placed his briefcase on the table beside the cauldron, opened it, and got to work.
Almost an hour later, his potion was compete. Slowly and with baited breath, Severus lifted a ladle filled with the plain, milk like liquid and poured it over the diary.
The effect was instantaneous. With a loud shriek hat rattled the window-panes, the diary exploded, the only remaining evidence of its ever existing being Severus's presence in the manor and his utensils. Smirking, Severus made the necessary arrangements and headed back to Hogwarts, looking forward to seeing his daughter safe and well.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY SEVENS?"
"GO FISH!"
Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as he was, gritted his teeth. He would not crack, not again.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY THREES?"
He cracked.
"YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS!"
Rose bit the inside of her lip, willing herself not to laugh. She, Harry and Millicent, had been playing imaginary card games, frustrating the life out of the perfectionist, realist Riddle to no end. It was the funniest thing Rose had done and a while, but she was determined not to laugh and ruin the game. Riddle's retreating to the other side of the dungeon had only served to amuse them further, for they had resorted to shouting so he could hear every word. It was now evident he had, and had risen to the occasion magnificently. Harry's shoulders heaved slightly and his voice trembled as he bellowed;
"HERE YOU GO!"
He 'handed' a card to Millicent.
Resorting to violence, Riddle drew Harry's wand and approached the three. "This should- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A great, gaping hole appeared in Riddle's stomach and expanded, until Riddle, his shriek still echoing around the dungeon, was no more. At the other end of the dungeon, as Millicent had done, Ginny awoke with a gasp.
"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, leaping up and running to her side. As soon as she saw him, Ginny burst into tears.
"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry! It was me; I opened the Chamber of Secrets and made all the bad things happen and get those people petrified. I didn't mean to, Riddle made me! You have to believe me, oh, please-" Ginny coughed violently, trembling with emotion.
"Hey, Ginny; it's alright, I believe you, we all do." Harry smiled at her. Shakily, Ginny smiled back. "Now, come on, let's get out of here."
He led the way back to the others. A large hole had been formed in the rock wall and they scrambled through it to find the others surrounding Draco, who was poking an unconscious Lockhart in the cheek.
"What happened to him?" Rose asked.
"Oh, you're alive!" Pansy squealed, jumping up and hugging her and Millicent, as Ron did the same to Harry and Ginny. "Lockhart's unconscious; we're not sure how long he's been out. We'd just finished making the gap in the wall, when we noticed Lockhart hadn't gotten up from the explosion."
"Ooohhh," Rose bit her lip thoughtfully. "So, how do we get out of here? I thought he'd just make a ladder or something."
"I think Fawkes has an idea," Harry remarked as Fawkes cawed.
Rose straightened up as Fawkes dropped her, the last of those in the chamber, for she had hung back a little and got a present for Severus. Crabbe and Goyle lifted Lockhart onto their shoulders with rather more care than they would have done had been conscious, and lead the small crowd of exhausted students in their following in Fawkes' wake.
Fawkes led them to Professor McGonagall's office. Goyle knocked.
"Enter!" McGonagall called. They did so.
"Oh my goodness, Ginny!"
"Millicent!"
Both Mrs. Bulstrode and Mrs Weasley launched themselves from their chairs and flung themselves at their respective daughters, hugging them tightly. Rose scanned the shadows and saw a faint outline in the vey back corner of the room. Wordlessly, she went to his side.
"I got you a present," she murmured. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"How did you-?"
"Please," Rose settled next to him, smirking. "You taught me how to play hide-and-seek. You always won, but I've improved."
"I see that. So why are you here, and not with the others?"
"I told you; I got you a present." Rose slipped it into his hand.
Severus ran his fingers over the Basilisk skin, feeling every scale. "Excellent condition. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Rose smiled.
"By the way, you're grounded for a week."
"Wonderful," Rose muttered, returning to the others.
"Be grateful it's not two."
"I am."
"How on earth did you save them?" Mr Weasley was asking.
"That's what we all want to know, I'm sure." McGonagall said.
Harry steeped forward and gave Dumbledore, who stood behind McGonagall's desk, the original diary, then between them, Harry and Rose explained the events of the year and their actions.
Once they finished, they eyed Dumbledore apprehensively. "What do you think sir?" Rose asked. "About the Dark Lord?"
"I think it's very interesting."
"How so?" Narcissa questioned from the small sofa by the fire.
"As yet, my dear Narcissa, I am not sure enough to say," Dumbledore frowned reflectively. "I assume Voldemort, in his way, knew of the events of this year, and he has been thwarted. We can only wait. Now, I suggest Miss Weasley, Miss Bulstrode and Professor Lockhart be taken to the Hospital Wing. You are all welcome to stay in the castle overnight." He finished to the parents.
"Thank you, but I must return home," Narcissa stood up as she spoke. "I-I am glad you are all safe," she inched her head with difficulty at the Weasley's, clearly hesitant to show emotion.
Giselle Zabini followed her lead. Severus and McGonagall lead the Bulstrode's and Weasley's to the hospital Wing, the students following. Rose noticed Harry hanging back and paused, curious.
"Professor?" Harry approached Dumbledore. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."
Dumbledore glanced at Rose. "Would you please close the door?"
Rose complied and joined Harry at the desk as he beckoned to her. Dumbledore seated himself in McGonagall's chair and surveyed the two. "Thank you, Rose. Pray, continue Harry."
"Well, it's just that when we were in the chamber, Riddle said that He had been waiting a long time to talk to us; me more than Rose, actually. He never really elaborated, so I was wondering if you had any idea why he wanted to speak with us."
Dumbledore peered at them over the tops of his spectacles. "I should imagine it had something to do with what happened the night Lord Voldemort visited Godric's Hollow when you were little. I rather think it would drive Voldemort to distraction not knowing the true cause of his downfall. You see, your mother invoked very powerful magic that night and, forgive me, died to save you two. The magic she invoked was more powerful in your case Harry, for you would be facing the, ah, killing curse. For I reason of which I am unsure, she chose to hide Rose in the nursery and entrust her into the care of Professor Snape, and, knowing he would care for her, gave Rose a less powerful, yet, rest assured, Rose, still significant protection. It may also have something to do with the fact that when he died, Voldemort accidentally placed a little of his soul in you, Harry, which is why you, amongst other things, can speak Parseltounge, and a trail of that magic has settled upon you Rose, giving you some of those abilities. But do not for a moment, think this changes who you are, either of you. It is our choices, remember that matter, and show who we are. Such as, Harry, your pulling the sword of Gryffindor-," here Dumbledore presented the sword to hem, displaying the name Godric Gryffindor on its blade. "-From the sorting hat. Only a true Gryffindor could have done such a thing." Harry looked relieved.
"But why did Voldemort want to kill us, or Harry?" Rose asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you as yet," Dumbledore looked rather burdened. "You will know in time."
Rose opened her mouth to ask for a hint, but before she could do so, the office door banged open and Lucius strode into the room, Dobby in his wake.
"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed.
"How do you know Dobby?" Rose asked.
Lucius interrupted, addressing Dumbledore. "You've returned, have you?"
"Good evening, yes, it would appear so."
"You were suspended by the governors of this school and yet you deem yourself able to return?"
"Not only able: I have done so." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he presented their surroundings to Lucius with a sweep of his arm. "I was contacted by the other members of the board and told some very interesting things. Some of them, no doubt, had been mildly confunded."
Something in Dumbledore's tone seemed to startle Lucius. Nevertheless, his tone was sharp as he replied;
"What of the attacks? Have you caught the person responsible?"
"Indeed," Dumbledore beamed. "It was as before; Lord Voldemort, though this time, in memory, rather than physical form." He held up the diary as he spoke.
Lucius blanched.
Dumbledore's next words were very crisp. "You will agree, I think that it was very important that Harry found the diary, otherwise Ginny Weasley may never have been proved innocent. It would, I think, have had a very negative effect on the reputation of the Noble House of Weasley, and its campaigns for Muggle rights."
Rose lifted the corners of her mouth an inch in the most subtle smile she could muster, silently thanking Dumbledore for not mentioning her of Millicent to Lucius. It was evident Lucius felt she was only present because Harry was her brother, and she didn't think Narcissa or Draco would ever tell him she had helped Harry, or of Millicent's involvement.
"You are correct in your assumption; I could not agree more," Lucius bowed.
Harry suddenly spoke. Rose noticed Dobby twisting his ears in the corner.
"Mr Malfoy, aren't you curious as to how Ginny got hold of the diary?"
"How do you propose I would have any idea of such a thing?" Lucius snapped.
"You gave it to her, didn't you?" Harry responded firmly, ignoring Rose's frantic mouths of 'shut up!' which were more for show than anything else, after all; Lucius was a powerful enemy. "After the fight outside Flourish and Blotts; I was told all about it."
"Oh, really? I gave it to her? Can you prove that?" Lucius sneered.
"I doubt anyone will be able too," Dumbledore smiled at Lucius. "Not now the diary is destroyed. I advise you to think twice Lucius, before disposing of anything else Voldemort may have left you. I shouldn't think Arthur Weasley will be alone in ensuring they are traced back home."
Lucius turned away from him. "Dobby!"
He swept from the office, Dobby in his wake.
Dumbledore sighed as the door swung shut behind them. "Well, the cat's among the pixies. I suggest you two spend the night in the Hospital Wing, or Madam Pomphrey will not be pleased."
As the two got up to leave, Harry gestured to the diary. "Sir, may I borrow this?"
"Certainly." Dumbledore beamed.
"What are you going to do with that?" Rose asked.
"Save Dobby." Harry replied.
Knowing it would probably do Dobby good- he was after all, rather different to the other elves in Malfoy manner, Rose did not protest. "Good luck."
"I want to thank you two," Dumbledore smiled. "For only if you showed a great loyalty to me would Fawkes have come to you tonight. Goodnight."
The twins smiled back. "You are the greatest wizard of all time; goodnight sir," Harry said,
Rose nodded. "Goodnight, Professor."
A she lay in bed in the Hospital Wing, Rose reviewed everything that had been said and had occurred in McGonagall's office, and what those things meant for the future, the light snores of the other occupants of the wing surrounding her. Dumbledore was right, she thought. It was Voldemort's move; all they had to do was wait, and counter.
A/N: Please review! :)