ActualWeeb: Hi guys, I'm back! Sorry this chapter is a little late, I was at a convention all weekend. However, I think maybe I should tell you guys this: I'm planning on making an animated series on Crystalline's universe. It will be a long time until I even start animating it, so don't expect it out by like next month, but just so you know, that's a thing.


Anyways, onto the chapter! I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Seventeen, The Heir of Slytherin.

Tom looked down. That must be him, right?!

They were standing at the entrance of a very long and dim chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Riddle lead her to the end of the chamber, where a statue as high as the chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Bella had to crane her neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell all to the bottom of the wizards sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

Draco sneered. The great Salazar Slytherin isn't "mokeyish".

"What...what do you plan to do?" Bella asked shakily.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Riddle. "I'm but a memory of a past life- a phantom. Here, however, I can return to my original state, to my former glory."

"What are you talking about? Get out of Ginny's body!" Bella demanded. Riddle smirked at her, tossing the diary on the ground.

"As you wish."

"Choose your words carefully, Potter," Moody growled.

It was in that moment that Ginny's limbs went limp as her eyes returned to their natural chocolate brown.

"Ginny!" Bella exclaimed, running to her side.

Ginny turned to look at Bella, a look of both desperation and relief on her face. She reached out her arm to Bella, as if trying to touch her to confirm she was there. But a moment later, her eyes rolled in to the back of her head, and she collapsed. Luckily, Bella managed to catch her before her head hit the concrete.

"Oh, my goodness," Mr. Weasley muttered.

"Ginny!" Bella gasped, slowly easing her on the ground. "Oh, Ginny, please don't be dead, please don't be dead..." She shook her lightly. "Ginny, please wake up." Her head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

She looked around for her wand, which had been in Ginny's hand. She saw it had rolled over towards the diary when it was dropped, and was at the feet of someone else, who picked it up.

Bella looked up to see a black-haired boy, holding her wand in his hand, twirling it between his long fingers. He was strangely blurred and distant, as if Bella was looking at him through a very foggy window. But there was no mistaking him- it was Tom Riddle. Even though he had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, he looked not a day older than sixteen.

Bella hugged Tom, as he looked like he was about to cry. She didn't blame him, he was only six and being told he would become a monster...

"Any chance you're going to give that back?" said Bella dryly, already knowing the answer.

"Of course not," said Riddle, a smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"Are you going to kill me?" Bella asked uncertainly. Riddle smiled.

"Let's talk."

"About what?" Bella narrowed her eyes.

"About you, Isabella Potter," he said smoothly, beginning to pace in circles around her. "You see, Iittle Ginny slowly became suspicious of my diary, and when she woke up from a blackout on Christmas after I had petrified Daphne Greengrass, she guessed that someone must have been petrified and she quickly tried to rid of my diary. It was no matter, however. Greengrass was gone, so no one would know of what truly lies in this chamber, and it would serve as a good reminder to those who weren't truly loyal to Salazar Slytherin that your blood does not protect you if you are a blood traitor."

"So both theories were right," Astoria whispered sadly.

Bella had to turn her head to keep watching him circle her. "However, to continue my work, I needed the diary to be used again. Imagine my delight when, of all people, the person who I was most anxious to meet picked up my diary. You."

"And why did you want to meet me?" said Bella, trying to keep her voice steady. "More women for your creepy possessed harem?"

Lily laughed. Despite the situation, Bella still had it in her to sass Voldemort.

"What's a harem?" Tom whispered to Bella.

"Uh...you'll find out when you're older," Bella replied, patting the boy's head.

"Of course not, Potter, even if I had a harem, I have standards," he rolled his eyes. "Ginny wouldn't shut up about you. She's told me everything about you...about your interesting history." His eyes fell upon Bella's scar, which was mostly shielded by her hair, and his expression grew hungrier. "In order to gain you trust, I showed you something from my own memories..."

"Oh, yes, I trust you so much after seeing you frame my friend!" Bella ground out.

''But you did trust him," said Luna. "To an extent."

"It was my word against his, Bella... I'm Tom Riddle, poor yet brilliant, parentless yet so courageous, prefect, model student... And he was big, stupid, Hagrid.

Many people growled in anger- Hagrid wasn't stupid, he didn't deserve this.

Getting detention every other week, trying to raise creatures under his bed, snaking into the Forbidden Forest at night. The plan worked surprisingly well! No one suspected me, even though Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. As if he had the power..."

"Hagrid could deck you, mate," Bella snapped.

George, Fred, Ron, James, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Tonks, and Ginny chuckled quietly.

"Well, it's true," James said.

"There was only one person who was suspicious," Tom continued. "The transfiguration teacher, Albus Dumbledore."

"That's because he's not an idiot like you," said Bella angrily.

Dumbledore sighed. Tom wasn't an idiot, that was what's so dangerous about him. He was very morally wrong, but he was very intelligent and rational, which was terrifying. It's dangerous to assume your enemy is stupid, because one will not take them seriously.

"An idiot couldn't have fooled the entire ministry...the entire school..." Riddle said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "It obviously wasn't safe to open the Chamber again, but I couldn't let the five longs years go to waste. I left behind my diary, with the hopes that someone would pick it up again and complete Salazar Slytherin's work."

"Well, no one will!" Bella yelled triumphantly at Riddle, causing him to stop this pacing in front of her. "All the attacks have only been petrifications! Your freakish Slytherin pureblood beliefs won't prevail, you'll be defeated!"

"Yaaaay!'' Tom exclaimed, cheering for Bella. Maybe this older Tom was mean and he was a bad guy, but Bella was a good guy, and Tom wanted to be good, just like her.

She pointed at herself. "You'll be defeated by a Gryffindor you hate like me!"

"The sorting hat wanted me in Gryffindor," Tom said calmly.

"What?" Cho whispered, shocked. "I mean, I know you told us this earlier... but...still...I didn't want to believe it, I think."

"I can't believe You-Know-Who was almost a Gryffindor," Ron said, eyes wide.

There was a long pause as this knowledge sunk in.

"Well," said Bella, "it shows that it was possible for him to be good...even if he didn't take the chance."

Bella froze.

"...Huh?"

"That's right," Tom explained. "I've always been able to read people, you see. Pick out their personalities, tell if they're lying. The sorting hat gave me a choice. It told me that I could either use this talent to benifit myself...or benefit others. I could manipulate others into doing what I want, or I could become friends with them, help them past their insecurities and faults."

"Just like..." Hermione turned to Bella, staring at her, but didn't finish her sentence. No, Bella wasn't like Voldemort...she never would be.

Bella looked at the back of Tom's head, who was on her lap, a sad expression on her face. She didn't want to be like him, but maybe their similarities could help Bella change this Tom.

Gently, Bella wrapped her arms around Tom and pulled him closer to her, in a hug, before leaning her head on James's shoulder. She was so tired- emotionally and physically.

Riddle stared down at Bella, who was looking at him in shock. "I asked the sorting hat what would happen if I chose the latter, and he answered that I would be a Gryffindor. I already knew my choice, though. I was sorted into Slytherin."

"Funny," said Bella. "I was given the same choice, too. Unlike you, I'm not an awful person."

Tom sniffed sadly.

'Not yet,' Bella hissed quietly in Parseltongue. 'You aren't, not yet...you don't have to be.'

James stared at his daughter, who had her head on his shoulder, and hadn't even opened her eyes to speak Parseltongue. The sound of the hissing off-put him, as he didn't know what she was saying, but he supposed that he didn't need to.

"And unlike you, I am not stuck in the idea that there is a good and evil. Those are just titles given to us by society to shame people they think are sinful, that they think are evil," said Riddle. "We have a strange likeness, you know. Very similar personalities, upbringings, backgrounds...we even look alike- enough to be siblings, even... But, at the same time, we are different in one aspect. I made my choice, and you made yours."

"You shouldn't have been given a choice," she glared at Riddle. "You just grew up to become a disgusting supremist who targets muggleborns just for who their parents are."

Lily held Bella's hand. She was so brave, but reading this was terrifying, because her bravery had to be used in deadly situations like this. When this was over, and they got back to Bella's timeline, she would protect her, no matter what. Even if she had to sacrifice herself a second time.

"Don't you realize," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesnt matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been you."

Bella stared at him.

"I was so upset when the next time my diary was opened, Ginny was writing to me again. She had seen you with the diary and panicked. She stole it back. I was planning on taking the little brat down here with me in the first place, but you were discovering everything much too quickly, so I had to speed up my plans. It was no matter, however. Whether I walked down alone or with you, I know you'd come. I have many questions for you, Isabella."

"What questions? How I'm so good at Quiddich? What my favorite colors are? This isn't exactly the best place for small talk," said Bella dryly.

Moody rolled his eyes. "It's dangerous to sass someone who is trying to kill you, Potter. The fact that you're alive after mouthing off to him is the luckiest thing I've seen in a day's life."

"No, you idiot," he snapped. The next moment, he was smiling pleasantly. "How is it that you, a short and skinny girl with no extraordinary magical talent managed to live when faced against the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with a small scar on your forehead, while Lord Voldemort was killed?"

There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.

"Why do you care?" asked Bella slowly, pieces forming together in her mind. He couldn't be... Well, the timeline fit.

"So you were able to put the pieces together first..." Luna muttered.

"Voldemort wasn't around while you were."

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly...

...I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You didn't tell us that," Mr. Weasley whispered. "Why?"

Bella opened her eyes and looked at Mr. Weasley sadly.

"I thought it best if I didn't scare you," she answered quietly."If Ginny didn't know who Tom truly was at the time."

"But you did tell me," Ginny said.

"Eventually, yes, when you were ready to know, I did..."

"Don't you see?" He whispered. "We are one and the same. Do you think I was going to keep the name of my filthy muggle father forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mothers side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? Of course not...so I gave myself a new name. This would be a name that wizards across the world would fear to speak, fear to hear, once I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"I'm sorry...I don't wanna be that powerful if it means being mean..." Tom whispered.

Bella was frozen in place, holding Ginny, her brain jammed. In front of her stood the man who had killed her parents, killed so many others, and was about to kill her, too. Tom was growing clearer now, and it almost looked as if he was a normal person standing there, though he was still quite blurred around the edges. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to let it be in vain. She wouldn't let Ginny die without a fight.

"Thank you, Bella," Ginny whispered, wiping away a few tears. She was touched by the knowledge that even then, if she were to die, Bella would do everything to honor her memory.

These would either be her last moments, or what got her out alive, and she needed to choose them wisely. Carefully, she set down Ginny, and spoke.

"I've never heard anything more ridiculous in my entire life!" Bella laughed, her laughter echoing through the walls of the chamber. "You're not the greatest wizard, you foolish boy."

"Merlin's beard, Bella, no, we talked about this," Hermione exclaimed. "Quit being so reckless!"

"There's no such thing as being reckless when you're already about to die," Bella said flatly. The room had an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Bella was put in danger so often, how could she be casual about this?

James wrapped his arm around Bella's shoulder, not knowing what to say. He wanted to protect her, but he knew that realistically, he couldn't protect her from everything.

"Excuse me?" snapped Riddle.

"I hate to rain on your parade, but you're nothing but a little coward," said Bella with a smile. "You're terrified of Dumbledore. If you weren't, you would've taken over Hogwarts, but Dumbledore is so much bigger than you. You're horrible, you're evil, you're weak. You're a caricature of a poorly-written villain in a children's novel. Dumbledore is powerful, he's good, he's smart, and most importantly, he's more human than you'll ever be, you insane sociopath."

"Yay!" Tom clapped, cheering for Bella. "Bell-Bell! Bell-Bell!"

Dumbledore looked at Bella with a soft smile. She was truly loyal to him, but didn't idolize him like many others did, realizing he was just a person like anyone else. He hoped that she would continue using her wisdom for good.

The smile had gone from Riddles face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"Aw, is wittle Tommy scawed?" Bella mocked in a baby voice. She then returned to her normal voice. "Well, news flash, Riddle, he's not as gone as you might think, as much as you'd like to believe it." She was speaking at random, wanting to scare and humiliate Riddle, though she hoped with all her might that what she was saying was true. She opened her mouth to continue, but she was cut off.

Music was coming from somewhere...

...flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

"A phoenix?" Daphne blinked.

...golden beak and a beady black eye.

"Fawkes came to you?" Remus said, shocked.

...old school Sorting Hat."

"Why did he bring the Sorting Hat?" Astoria asked curiously.

...Do you feel safe now?"

"Yeah, a songbird made of freaking fire," Bella retorted, though she didn't see how Fawkes or the Sorting Hat could do. But at least she was no longer alone. She felt her courage mounting. "I'd say that's pretty hardcore."

"You really are James's daughter," Sirius chuckled.

"Let's get to business, Isabella," Riddle said, smiling broadly. "You've survived me twice in your past, in my future. How? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

"That is true," said Madame Bones quietly. "In situations like that, you should try to stay alive as long as possible."

Bella paused. Riddle was most likely to win- he had a wand and a Basilisk, and Bella had a hat and a bird. But the longer they spoke, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny. They would fight, in the end, so it was better sooner than later.

"Dammit," Sirius whispered. He knew that they both got out alive, but this was still terrifying to read.

"Well," said Bella slowly. "I don't think you deserve to know."

Riddle's smile faded. "What?''

"Honestly, you're such a sack of crap, I'm not going to grace you with an answer," Bella glared at him, standing up.

"Honestly, that is the most condescending 'fuck you' I've ever heard," Fred said, trying to lighten the mood. He turned to his twin, who was looking very pale.

She knew she didn't have a chance, but she could feel the power coursing through her. "Why not skip the formalities and get on to business?"

Riddle frowned. "Very well. I suppose you've chosen the Gryffindor route yet again." His twisted smile widened again. "Now, let's see what the fearsome Basilisk can do against Bella Potter and the best weapons Dumbledore can give her."

"Oh, Merlin, here we go," Ron whispered, pale.

He gave her an amused look before walking away. She heard him hiss in Parseltongue:

'Speak to me, Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four.'

"Greatest of the Hogwarts Four? You're so pretentious," Bella snorted as she spun around to look at the statue, Fawkes swaying on her shoulder.

"Stop insulting people who are trying to kill you, Bella!" Remus sighed, terrified of what was to come- or what had happened- to her.

Anything else she would've said was stopped short, however, as she watched the statue in horror.

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Bella saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.

And something was stirring inside the statues mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

It was in that moment that Bella realized she was terrified.

Bella backed away...

...what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?

"Quite a good one," answered Dumbledore.

...'Kill her.'

"No!" Sirius yelled.

...Eyes still tightly shut, Bella quickly paced backwards, being careful not to trip.

'Do not kill me,' she hissed. 'You don't want to let the Parseltongue race die out, do you?'

"You fool! It only listens to me!" Riddle laughed.

The snake came closer, and Bella retreated so far that her back hit the wall of the chamber. She prepared for the basilisk to bite her- she heard it opening it's mouth-

But it didn't. Instead, she heard a loud, shrieking noise, and something threw her so far off to the side that she hit one of the carvings of snakes on the wall, causing a stone snake to crack and fall to the ground in front of her.

Lily hugged her daughter close to her, as if to try and protect her past self from getting hurt. James, Sirius, and Remus breathed in sharply, looking terrified.

While she was flying through the air, she felt her glasses fly off and heard them shatter. Waiting for fangs to sink in to her body, she heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly against the pillars.

She couldn't help it. She opened her eyes.

Everything was blurred. She could barely see in the dark with her glasses, and now she was essentially blind.

Lily's eyes widened. She had scolded her daughter for getting contacts with the motivation of fighting, but this was why she had switched from glasses.

There was one thing she could see though, and that was Fawkes. His flames burned brightly in the darkness, and she could see his blurred figure soaring around the basilisk's head, who was snapping at him furiously. One of the most terrifying things, though, was that they were directly above her. Bella trembled, preparing to close her eyes if the basilisk turned it's head towards her. She was pretty sure that even if she couldn't see it's eyes clearly, it would still kill her.

Mr. Weasley paled. It was because of this that his daughter was alive...

Fawkes dived. Bella saw his golden beak sink out of sight, and the next moment a shower of blood was splattered on Fawkes, which then fell on Bella, who was nearly directly under them. She shuttered in disgust.

"Ew," said Cho, wrinkling her nose.

The snake's tail thrashed, hitting Bella in the stomach, and throwing her to the floor.

"Ow! Were you okay?" Cedric exclaimed.

"Yes, I was fine in the end," Bella replied.

Her whole body aching, she looked up at the basilisk, and she found herself staring directly into the basilisk's eyes- or where it's eyes should be. She was in such close contact with the snake that she could see, even without her glasses, that both of it's great, bulbous, yellow eyes had been punctured, and blood was streaming down it's face.

"Oh, my God!" Susan gasped.

She could see the snake stop moving all of a sudden. Bella strained her ears to listen to what was happening, and she heard the basilisk... sniffing?

"Oh, no," Ginny whispered.

Bella's heart sank. Of course. She was right in front of the basilisk's face, of course it could smell it's original prey. Bella wracked her brains for a way to escape- she had probably five seconds until the basilisk killed her.

"No, no, no," Molly hyperventilated, gripping her husband's hand tightly.

She couldn't move, because it would follow her movements and then bite her. She couldn't do anything on her own. Well, not on her own...

It was then that Bella remembered Dumbledore's final words to her: "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"Help me!" Bella screamed at the top of her lungs. She knew it was ridiculous, she was probably going to die- it wasn't as if anyone could help her now.

"Someone gotta help Bell-Bell!" Tom exclaimed.

But to her surprise, help did come. Bella found herself engulfed in flames, and in front of her was Fawkes. For a moment, she couldn't see anything except for fire, it seemed to surround her body. And then, the flames died down, and Bella found herself away from the basilisk, somewhere else in the chamber, though she couldn't see where.

"Holy shit," Charlie breathed. Lily and James tightened their hug on Bella- Tom was squeezed uncomfortably in the middle.

"I'm alive, don't worry," Bella wheezed.

She could hear the basilisk moving towards her. Bella felt around wildly for something to fight with- she was in too much pain to stand up and run- and her hand brushed against something cloth. It was the Sorting Hat!

"That thing had better have a secret power or something," Tonks murmured.

Quickly, Bella grabbed the hat and jammed it on to her head.

'Help me,' she thought. 'Help me...'

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Bella's head, almost knocking her out. Stars winking in front of her eyes, she grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.

She couldn't see it very well, but what she was holding was undeniably a gleaming silver sword.

"A sword?!' Riddle scoffed. "You can't even weild one." His voice sounded like it was coming from right behind Bella. So she was back by the statue and Ginny's body again.

She heard the snake come closer. Bella eased herself into a standing position feeling her whole body, especially her stomach, ache in protest.

"Oh, god, oh, god, oh god," Sirius muttered. Remus was staring at his feet, wide-eyed, his fists clenched.

By the time she was standing, Bella could see the blurred figure of the snake standing right in front of her.

Sirius couldn't take it anymore. He turned into Padfoot and jumped on to Bella's lap. Beneath him was most of Tom's body, who's head was sticking out from behind the enormous dog. Tom was very squished.

"Sirius, the hell are you doing?" Ron exclaimed.

"My guess is that he needs physical conformation I'm alive, and the best way to calm himself is to transform," Bella answered. Everyone stared at her. "What? You already know I can deduce these things."

Sirius nuzzled Bella's hand with his head.

"Can't... bweathe..." Tom gasped.

"Oh, sorry!" Lily exclaimed. Sirius stood up and James and Lily loosed their grips, allowing Tom to slide down and run off to sit with Ginny.

"Eh?" Ginny blinked. Tom held up his arms, signaling that he wanted to be picked up. Ginny leaned over and did so, picking him up and putting him in her lap. She held him quite awkwardly, though Tom seemed content.

"Boop," Luna said, tapping Tom's nose. Tom giggled. He was very sad and scared because of the chapter, but Ginny and the weird blonde girl seemeds very nice to him. He was especially happy that Ginny didn't hate him.

Bella gripped the sword tightly, ready to swing it. The basilisk opened it's mouth and lunged, and Bella swung it above her head. At the same time that the Basilisk clamped it's jaw down on Bella's body, the sword tore through the roof of it's mouth, killing it.

"YES!" James, Lily, Remus, Cedric, Cho, Susan, Tonks, Bill, Charlie, Neville, Fluer, Astoria, Luna, Tom, and Daphne yelled. Sirius barked happily, and Hedwig chirped at all the excitement. Ginny closed her eyes sadly- they shouldn't be so happy so soon.

Bella did not have time to celebrate, however, as she felt two of the basilisk's fangs pierce her back.

"WHAT?!" Lily shrieked. Everyone else in the room who didn't know this story made sounds of shock and horror. Sirius fell off of Bella's lap and onto Hermione in shock. James's hug turned into a death grip, his eyes wide in surprise.

"No!" Tom screamed.

"Shh," said Ginny rubbing his back comfortingly.

"How are you alive?" Astoria squeaked.

"Pheonix tears heal all physical wounds,'' said Dumbledore.

The room fell into a silence. If Fawkes weren't there, Bella would be dead.

Sirius turned back into himself and picked up Bella, pulling her into a hug, before sitting back down in between Lily and James, Bella on his lap.

"Sirius?"

"Shut up. I'm hugging you. You almost died before I could meet you."

Lily and James resumed hugging Bella, who felt very squished.

Both Bella and the basilisk fell, half of her body still inside the snake's mouth. Bella used her arms to push herself out of it, feeling her own blood pool from her back.

"Oh, God,'" George breathed. He had heard the summary, but this was absolutely horrific. Imagining Bella with blood pooling around her terrified him, but that had happened- Ginny had seen it happen.

Bella found herself at the feet of Tom Riddle, lying right next to the diary.

"You're dead, Potter," said Riddle.

Tom was crying into Ginny's shoulder, who looked like she was going to cry, too.

Bella gripped the fangs that were spreading poising through her body and wrenched them out, but she knew it was too late. Soon, she would either bleed out or die from the poison. White-hot pain was spreading from her wound. But she wouldn't let Voldemort return. She wouldn't let herself or Ginny die for him.

"Oh, Bella," Hermione sniffed. She was holding Ron's hand for comfort. "You're so brave, even in death..."

"No," she hissed, staring at him with hatred, though she could barely see him. "You're dead."

Bella grabbed the diary, flipped it open, and stabbed it with the fang in her hand.

Bill gasped loudly, realizing something.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"It...it's nothing," Bill whispered- he looked absolutely horrified. He couldn't believe something like that was near his sister...

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Bella's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then-

He had gone.

"G-good," Tom muttered, still crying. He didn't know why his future self was so evil, but he knew one thing- that wasn't him, and it never would be. He vowed would never hurt Bella, not ever.

Bella's wand fell to the floor with a clatter in the spot Riddle had been and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Everything was going darker now. Bella heard Fawkes fly over to her and land next to her.

"Thank Merlin Fawkes saved you," Mr. Weasley whispered.

''You were amazing, Fawkes..." said Bella. "Please, keep Ginny safe."

Speaking of Ginny...

"Bella!" she heard Ginny gasp. Ginny must have regained consciousness. She heard her run towards her, and felt Ginny hold her up in her arms.

"This must have been so horrifying for you, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said softly through tears.

"You two were so brave," Lily added.

"Oh, no," Ginny sobbed. "This is all my fault...it's all my fault..."

"Ginny," said Bella firmly, "it was never your fault."

"Don't blame yourself," Bella croaked.

"You tried to comfort her as you were dying..." Ron muttered sadly.

Weakly, she raised her hand to Ginny's face. As the world grew darker, the last think she could see was Ginny's flaming red hair. '"If this is dying, maybe it isn't so bad..."

"You just accepted your death...?" George whispered.

"What else could I do?" Bella replied.

Bella felt Fawkes place his head on her back.

"I want you to live on," said Bella. "You're so special..."

That was the last thing that she said before everything went dark.

"That is the end of the chapter," Snape announced. He set down the book, waiting for everyone to recover from what had happened. The room sat in a shocked silence, quiet except for the sobs that wracked through Tom's body.


And scene! Onto the reviews!

fanfiction reviews:

YuujouKami: Well, you know what they say- "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", and both Bella and Voldemort fuckin hate Lockhart with a passion. Thanks for reviewing!

DarkRavie: Thank you so much!

training to be a fangirl: Your favorite chapter? Daww, hopefully I'll break your heart enough in later chapters to make them your favorite. Tom knocking out Bella wouldn't have been that surprising, honestly, so I'm not laughing! I'll update ASAP because you're such an awesome reviewer! And yes, we need lots of fluff to balance the angst.

lilly-flower15: Thanks! c:

Padfootette: Thank you! I'll update soon!

KieranDell1409: She's not surprised. She's not mad, just disappointed.

winrykatbell: That's fair tbh

ILoveGeorgeEads: Thank you!

Guest: Actually, I don't like Supernatural. I just thought the quote was funny XD

Wattpad comments:

Kili-Loverxx: Thanks a bunch!

lucyclaxton: Yay indeed c:

lin248: Sorry! The pieces of text are so short because of copyright reasons.