Author's Note: Hey guys! So nearly there! So nearly finished chamber of secrets (woo). So I had the two 'big chapters' written, so I thought I'd just combine them and have one big 'big' chapter instead. After this there is an aftermath chapter and then one more before the events leading to prisoner of Azkaban take place, so bear with me! I loved writing this chapter, so please let me know what you guys make of it and leave me a review. Side note- the answer to how Sirius found the chamber will be in the next chapter, so keep a look out! See you soon!

Harry sprinted down the hallway, Mara and Ron at his heels. The piece of paper they had found on Hermione clasped tightly in his hand. He had to find Sirius… they had to stop this once and for all.

"His classroom!" Harry shouted over his shoulder, "He might be there!"

They ran through the mostly empty corridors, their footsteps echoing loudly as they ran. Harry had never run so fast in his life, his desperation keeping him moving despite being out of breath. They climbed the stairs two at a time, at last reaching Sirius's classroom.

Harry practically rammed down the door he threw it open so quickly, the door itself banging loudly against the wall. The classroom was empty, the rows of tables and chairs standing silently in the stillness. Harry and Mara sprinted through the desks towards the room at the back which led to their living quarters. They pounded through the door only to discover an also empty room. The fire was roaring in the corner, but that was the only sign of life in the room.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted, running into his bedroom. Empty.

"Sirius!" Mara shouted, checking all the other rooms.

"He isn't here." Harry said, sitting on the edge of the couch, bending over and panting loudly as he tried to recover his breathing.

"There's only one other place he could be." Mara said, perching on the couch arm. It amazed Harry how she wasn't even out of breath, but instead seemed to be breathing heavily from nerves.

"Dumbledore…" Harry panted, "He'll still be with Dumbledore."

"Well come on then!" Ron shouted suddenly.

Harry and Mara both turned to look at him, ashamed to say that they had almost forgotten he was with them. It was then that Harry really put himself in Ron's shoes. Ginny was his sister… and she was in danger. If she ended up anything like Mara had… it would be a miracle if she survived this. Time was the most important thing to them now. Every second Tom Riddle had a hold of Ginny, the weaker she got and the stronger he became. They had to get help.

Harry didn't say anything as he stood up. They raced from the room and back down the corridor, climbing up more stairs in the direction of the stone eagle. Mara was in front now, the faster of the two of the three of them. They turned corners and soon were only two hallways away from Dumbledore's office.

And then he heard it.

The voice.

That voice.

The voice that had haunted his dreams every night for so long.

Harry stopped dead, Ron running into the back of him. Mara stopped in her tracks, turning back around to face Harry.

"Harry? What is it?" Mara asked, her voice quivering.

Harry didn't need to answer, for the second he looks up at her she seemed to know.

"You hear it, don't you?" she said, her voice drowning with fear. Harry nodded.

"It's not the monster." He said. "It's him."

Mara turned a sickly white, her eyes wide as she scanned the corridor around her. Ron stood motionless, too afraid to even move.

'Harry Potter…'

Harry spun around, desperate to find the source of the voice. But there was nothing. The corridor was empty except for them.

"Wha- what's that hissing?" Ron gasped.

Mara snapped her head to him. "It's him. It's Voldemort."

'She dares speak his name.'

"Harry, what is he saying?" Mara demanded.

Harry didn't answer, the chills running through his body.

And then he saw him. Standing at the end of the corridor was a boy, no older than sixteen, dressed in a Hogwarts uniform, the Slytherin crest on his chest. He had dark hair, his skin pale like a corpse. His eyes were an unfamiliar grey, but Harry could see the menacing in them that he had seen many a time before. This was Voldemort… or at least a version of him.

He smiled, and immediately Harry's stomach swirled. His head felt light. He wanted to run, they weren't far from Dumbledore's office now- they could make it. But his legs were frozen. All he could do was stare at the boy who was quickly getting closer.

"You will come with me." He said, his voice ice cold.

Mara suddenly spoke up, her voice shaking violently. Harry could tell she was just as afraid as him, although she was trying her best to hide it.

"You're him." She said. "You're Tom Riddle."

Riddle smiled, his lips curling as he did so.

"Well done, Mara… well done."

"But how are you here?" Mara blurted out, "You're out of the diary, you're-"

"-Strong enough to be without a host. It's been fun, living in poor Ginny's mind this last while… but nothing compared to being inside yours, Mara. So much emotion to feed off, so many memories and nightmares that you try and keep locked away. But I could see it all. You're weak… so very weak." Riddle laughed.

"Don't listen to him, Mara." Harry said, "He's messing with us. He wants a reaction."

"Very good, Harry. I can't even imagine what glories would come with being inside your mind." Riddle said, his eyes so intensely on Harry.

"Where's my sister?!" Ron suddenly demanded.

"All in valuable time." Riddle answered. "Now you will come with me."

"We're not going anywhere." Harry said, trying to keep his voice stubborn.

"You will come with me."

"No."

Riddle moved closer, lifting his arm so it was outstretched before him.

"I don't like being told no." Riddle said, his menacing smile gone, his face dangerous.

It all happened so quickly. Riddle moved his hand towards Mara, and before Harry could stop him he had levitated her into the air, her hands clasped around her throat. She began to gasp for air, her feet dangling and kicking wildly below her.

"Come with me," Riddle warned, "Or watch her die. Right here, right now."

Riddle clenched his hand in the air, tightening Mara's grip on her own neck. She was gaping more violently now, her lips turning slightly blue.

"Don't- Harry- Sirius- Run!" Mara gasped, each word a painful effort for her.

But it was no use. If Harry or Ron ran, Riddle would kill her. And he wasn't about to lose her.

"Fine." Harry said. "I'll come with you. Just let her go!"

Riddle was intrigued. "Manners, Harry."

"Please!" Harry begged. "Please, let her go, she can't breathe!"

Riddle put his outstretched arm down. Mara fell from the air, landing on the floor before Riddle and Harry. She was on her knees, gasping and panting for air. Harry knelt beside her, Ron at her other side.

"Mara? Are you ok?" Harry asked. "Just breathe."

"I'm ok…" Mara answered, her voice sounding hoarse.

Harry and Ron pulled her to her feet, each of them supporting her for a moment under each of her arms.

"Come." Riddle said, his eyes on Harry.

Harry turned to Mara, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'll distract him for as long as I can. Get Sirius." He whispered in her ear. Mara nodded ever so slightly to show she understood. Harry pulled away from her, sending Ron a reassuring smile. He turned to look at Riddle, who once again had his arm outstretched, his finger pointed directly at Mara.

"The girl comes, too." He demanded.

"That wasn't the deal!" Harry argued. "The deal was I go with you, not her!"

Riddle looked back at Harry. "I don't recall any deal. The girl comes, too." He repeated.

"Then I'm coming too!" Ron said, rushing forward.

The word 'stop' was on Harry's tongue, but before he could even say it, Riddle had sent Ron flying across the hallway, slamming straight into the wall with a loud thud. Harry and Mara tried to go to him, but were held back by invisible restraints.

"Three's a crowd." Riddle said. He began to walk down the corridor. Harry felt his legs follow behind him, Mara at his side. He willed himself to stop, to turn around and go back to Ron… but he couldn't. He could see he same look of confusion and desperation of Mara's face, making him aware that she too, was under a spell.

"Come. Let me show you the chamber of secrets." Riddle said.

Sirius paced Dumbledore's office, the headmaster sitting perched on his desk.

"There must be another option!" Sirius insisted.

"We cannot locate the diary." Dumbledore said. "These attacks will continue. Petrification is one thing, but I will not risk death upon any one of these students. They are safer at home."

"Well you must have some idea of where the monster is!" Sirius said.

"I do not. I have never known the whereabouts of the chamber. And even if I did, even if we did kill the Basilisk, without that diary Tom Riddle will jut continue to get stronger."

Sirius looked at the old man. "So, what you're saying is that Voldemort will come back."

"Yes, my boy."

Sirius felt light headed. He had spent the last two hours with Dumbledore, trying to persuade him that closing Hogwarts was not something that should be even considered, but his attempts had been in vain. Dumbledore was staying firm with his decision.

"Are Harry and Mara still with Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes." Sirius answered. "I can't imagine. They were with her last night before… well, before she was attacked."

"She will be revived, Sirius. Miss Granger should count herself lucky that the girl's bathroom was leaking when it was. Without that reflection, she would be dead." Dumbledore said, standing up straight.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"The basilisk can only kill if it is looked directly in the eye."

"Which nobody did."

"Precisely."

Sirius looked out the window as the sunset on the horizon. It had been a long day. He made a mental note to explain everything to his kids tonight- to patch things up with Harry after last night. Everything was already a mess, the last thing they all needed was to be arguing amongst themselves.

The door behind them burst open, the last person Sirius ever wanted to see striding in. Snape looked more panicked than usual. He ignored Sirius and walked straight to Dumbledore, a familiar red head following in behind him.

"Ron?" Sirius asked, putting his arms on the boy's shoulders. He was shaking, a line of blood trickling from his head. Sirius grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket, quickly holding it against Ron's head to top the bleeding.

"He needs to go to the infirmary at once." Sirius said.

"I found him in the corridor not far from here, Headmaster." Snape said. "He was unconscious upon my arrival. It's Ginny Weasley, Professor. She is under the Dark Lord's control. When he came around he told me- "

"-He's taken them." Ron interrupted.

Everyone's gaze fell on Ron, who was as white and sickly looking as a corpse.

"Who's taken who?" Sirius said, although in his heart he already knew the answer.

"Tom Riddle." Ron said, "He's got Harry and Mara."

"Where?" Sirius demanded.

"The chamber." Ron stammered. "I think he's taken them to the chamber of secrets."

Sirius's heart was pumping in his chest, his vision blurry.

"Where is the chamber?!" he half-shouted at Ron.

"I don't know!" Ron said, a little bit of fear in his voice.

"I think I have a rough idea of its whereabouts." Snape said.

Sirius's eyes met Snape's, and for a second, just a brief second, they seemed to be on the same page.

"Show me." Sirius said, and to his surprise, Snape nodded.

"Sirius! We must alert the professors- " Dumbledore began.

"I am not leaving them to die, Albus!" Sirius snapped. "I will die myself before I let a single hair on their heads be harmed."

It was freezing. That was the first thing Harry had noticed when they arrived down here. The room was large, stone serpents lining a path that was slippery and cold. The enormous room had a pool of murky water, overshadowed by a wall statue of Slytherin himself. They had not seen the chamber for very long. Riddle had quickly put them in a dungeon like room that was ankle deep with water and protected by steel, grime covered bars. Of course, Riddle had taken their wands as soon as they got down there so they couldn't magic themselves out. And there was still no sign of Ginny anywhere.

Riddle had been gone for quite a while now, leaving Harry and Mara alone in the dungeon like room. Harry was sure it was an old sewer of some kind… but either way, they were trapped like rats. Their clothes were now soaked through completely, making them even colder. Harry was still determinedly pulling at the bars, desperate to find a way out, while Mara was sitting on a large rock with her arms wrapped round her legs.

"Help me, will you?" Harry asked, pulling on a bar he thought appeared slightly looser than the rest. Mara didn't answer.

Harry turned around to look at her, all set to give her hell for giving up, but when he saw her he held his tongue. Her head was rested on her knees, her damp hair clinging to her head as her tears silently streamed down her face. Harry walked over to her, the water splashing beneath him. He sat down beside her, neither of them saying anything. He looked at her once more- the broken girl who had given up.

"They won't find us down here." She whispered.

"Yes, they will. Sirius will find us." Harry said, wanting so hard to believe his own words.

"He doesn't even know where to look." Mara said. "We're going to die down here."

Harry couldn't answer her. He didn't know what to say to that. He wanted to believe they would be found… although he knew there was a truth in what Mara was saying. They were so far down, so distant from everyone else up there. Sirius wouldn't think to look in the girl's bathroom, he didn't know to speak Parseltongue to open the door… he didn't know where they were down there. But Sirius had never failed Harry before, not when it truly mattered.

They sat in silence for a long while, the only sounds they could hear being the water and their own shivering. Harry didn't know how long they sat there, but it felt like a lifetime to him.

Eventually they heard the echoing of footsteps getting closer and closer. Harry jumped up, Mara standing behind him.

"No matter what happens out here, Harry… promise you'll stay with me?" Mara said, grabbing his hand.

"Always." Harry said, squeezing her hand tightly. The door opened, just as he spoke, Riddle standing in the doorway. He was a lot more real looking now… more human.

"Come. We have someone for you to meet." Riddle said.

Harry and Mara walked out of their dungeon, still clasping each other's hand tightly. Riddle led them to the large room they had seen when they arrived, the snake heads lining the path as they walked down towards the murky pool and the statue of Slytherin himself.

"Ginny." Mara said, relief almost in her voice.

Harry followed her gaze. There was a small figure on the floor at the top of the chamber, her red hair sprawled out over the floor behind her. She was pale, ghostly pale. For a moment, Harry's heart dropped as he assumed her to be dead, until her chest moved ever so slightly.

"She's alive." Harry whispered as they now stood merely a metre before her.

"Only just." Riddle said, the sound of accomplishment in his voice. "The process is nearly complete. In a few moments Ginny Weasley will be dead."

"You're taking her life source." Mara said, the disgust raging in her voice.

"Yes, very clever. You see, like you, when Ginny wrote in my diary her soul and my soul latched on to each other. I became her, and she became me. But there is only one life source… only one of us can live. And after months of listening to her whine about her life, about her brother's teasing her, I feel I deserve it. A sort of prize." Riddle explained, a smirk on his face.

"Her life is not a prize to be won!" Mara shrieked. "It's hers, and only hers! Give it back!"

Harry was shocked. It was like seeing Ginny an inch from death had brought out something deep inside of Mara. She was fighting back, and she was no longer afraid of what lay before her.

"And why would I do that?" Riddle laughed. "Amazing what a silly little book can do, especially in the hands of silly little girl's."

"But she'll die." Mara said.

"And I will live… a fair exchange."

The air was so tense, Harry felt almost suffocated. He watched Mara closely as she stared down Riddle, the anger clear on her face.

"You're nothing but a murderer. You take people's lives away, you steal what matters most to them and for what? So, you can live? How can you live like that? Knowing you're the reason behind so much misery and death, knowing that there are children growing up orphans because you made it like that when you killed their parents in cold blood. You think you deserve her life? Think again. You are nothing in this world but a murdering bastard." Mara spat.

Riddle looked taken aback when she had finished speaking. He stood for a moment, watching her, before simply smiling as he raised his wand.

"Crucio!" he jeered.

Mara went down like a bag of bricks, her body slamming against the stone floor. She writhed in pain, her screams echoing through the chamber as she twitched on the floor. Harry felt tears in his eyes. Not again… he couldn't watch this again. Before he knew what he was doing he ran forward, jumping straight onto Riddle and taking him to the floor. The wand fell from his hand as his back slammed against the ground. Mara's screaming stopped, replaced by her panting for air.

Of course, Harry had no plan of where to go from here. Riddle threw him off him, sending him flying against the rock-hard floor.

"Harry!" Mara shouted.

Harry stood back up, watching Riddle as he advanced on him. He expected to be hit with a curse at any second, but instead was smacked straight across the face. His head felt immediately heavy, the taste of blood in his mouth. He felt a hand on his arm, turning to see Mara beside him. Her lip was bleeding from her collision with the floor.

"Good try. But let's see how the creature of Salazar Slytherin matches the great Harry Potter." Riddle said.

The mouth of the Slytherin statue opened behind Riddle. Harry couldn't breathe as he watched the biggest snake he had ever seen slither out from the hole.

'Kill them.' Riddle hissed.

Harry grabbed Mara's hand, the both of them sprinting down the chamber.

"What do we do?" Mara panted.

"I haven't got a plan!" Harry shouted back.

They continued to run, their feet echoing off the floor. Harry couldn't look back at the monster that was so close behind them, the fear and adrenaline keeping him moving. They had no wands… nothing to defend themselves against the basilisk. They were nearing the end of the chamber… and after that, they had nowhere to run.

And then they heard it.

"Harry! Mara!" The voice was faint, but there was no doubt in who it was.

"Sirius!" Harry cried. They had reached the door of the chamber. It was closed shut, but it seemed to be where the voice was coming from.

"Harry! We're here! We can't get in!" Sirius shouted from the other side of the door.

Harry and Mara both began smacking and pushing on the door with all their might, but it didn't budge an inch. The monster had not yet reached them, but they could hear it not far behind them.

"Sirius, it's coming!" Harry screamed.

"Don't look at it!" Sirius shouted back. "Whatever you do, don't look it in the eye!"

They could feel the basilisk close to them now.

"Harry! Say something in Parseltongue!" Mara screamed. Harry didn't know what to say or what to do, but it seemed Mara had a plan.

"Stay here! Get that door open! Hey, hey! Yeah, you! Big slithery thing, this way!" Mara called. She took herself off down a small path that lead back to the sewer dungeon they had been kept in. Harry knew she was a fast runner, but he doubted if she could outrun a 40-foot snake.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted, bringing Harry back to reality.

Harry searched his thoughts, trying to think of something that would open the door. He made a hissing noise, and to his surprise, the door began to open. Sirius was standing there, covered in dirt and grime from head to toe. He pulled Harry close quickly, and let go almost straight away.

"Where's Mara?" he demanded.

"She distracted it. She went that way. Ginny's up there." Harry pointed to the front of the chamber where Riddle was standing over Ginny.

"I'll get Mara. Go to Ginny." Sirius said, and he took off after Mara. Harry sprinted back up the chamber collapsing beside Ginny. He touched her hand. It was like touching a piece of ice.

"Ginny, don't be dead. You need to wake up. You need to fight him."

Harry saw a familiar object in the pocket of Ginny's robes. He lifted out the black diary, wanting nothing more than to see it burn. At that moment, something flew past Harry's head. He looked up to see a bright red bird flying around above him. He had seen him many times before in Dumbledore's office.

"Fawkes." Harry said, looking to see what he had dropped. He picked up what appeared to be the sorting hat, although he wasn't sure if it was. Riddle laughed.

"That's it? That's what the great Dumbledore sends you?"

Harry set the hat down beside him and went back to trying to wake up Ginny, but it was in vain.

"Not long now." Riddle said.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted.

Harry turned to see Sirius running, his hand clutching Mara's. The creature wasn't following them, which seemed to concern Riddle.

"Fawkes blinded it." Mara said, bending down beside Harry and Ginny.

Sirius was watching Riddle with a murderous glare.

"You complete- "Sirius began, advancing on Riddle, but he never finished. Riddle stunned him, sending Sirius's limp body flying across the room.

"Sirius!" Mara shouted, but she was distracted by the sound of a familiar movement. The basilisk had re-entered the chamber and was heading straight for them.

"Your bird may have blinded the basilisk, but it can still hear you!" Riddle shouted.

It seemed hopeless. There was nothing they could do as this monster approached them. Sirius couldn't help, and all Dumbledore had done was send them a stupid hat. No, they were going to die right there in the chamber. The water's reflection caught Harry's eye, which he tried to ignore as he faced his death. But he did look, and saw that it was not the water.

There was a sword in the hat.

Harry wasted no time, he grabbed the handle, pulling it from the hat and ran forward towards the basilisk. He stuck the sword straight through the monster's upper mouth, causing it to hiss and screech in pain. Harry felt a pain in his arm, and immediately felt weaker. He pulled the sword from the basilisk's mouth, and it fell to the floor, limp and lifeless.

Riddle screamed as Harry fell to the floor. He looked at his arm where the pain was coming from, seeing a white fang stuck straight in his flesh. Mara was beside him in a heartbeat, holding his hand.

"It's ok, Harry. It's just a scratch." She said reassuringly, the tears running from her eyes. "We'll get you help, just hold on."

"Amazing what basilisk venom can do. Works very quickly as it attacks the body's organs. I'd say he's got little more than minutes to live." Riddle said.

Mara turned to him, the rage and anger building up inside her so that it was almost bubbling. She could see the diary on the floor near her, and reached out to grab it. That stupid diary, that had caused all this misery and suffering. She didn't want Riddle to pay, she wanted the diary to pay. She lifted the basilisk fang that Harry had just removed from his arm, and drove it straight into the book.

Riddle screamed for her to stop, but as soon as the fang hit the book, he began to disappear in a glowing light, his screams echoing down the chamber. Mara opened the diary, stabbing the middle pages with such force she nearly broke her wrist. And then, she closed it, stabbing the back as hard as she could. Riddle screamed one last time, and then disappeared before her very eyes.

She heard a gasp behind her, turning to see Ginny's eyes open wide and her mouth gasping for air. Mara pulled Harry's head onto her lap, stroking his hair. He was deadly pale, his eyes weak and heavy. He couldn't move his limbs at all.

"Harry you'll be ok. We'll get you help." Mara sobbed, grabbing his arm.

"Look after… Sirius... needs you…" Harry whispered.

"He needs you! Harry you're not going to die here! Please, just stay with me. Just hold on!"

The tears streamed down her face, a tear forming in Harry's eye also.

"You can't leave us." Mara sobbed. "Harry, you can't go!"

Sirius opened his eyes, seeing the ceiling above him. His head felt fuzzy from the stun, but his mind quickly activated once more, causing him to sit him almost straight away.

"Harry, you can't go!"

Sirius saw the girl kneeling on the floor, the boy lying on the floor, his head on her lap. Sirius stood up, running over to the pair of them and immediately feeling what was left of his heart, shatter into a million pieces.

He saw Harry on the ground, Mara crying over his nearly lifeless body. He could see his chest still moving ever so slightly, his eyes open just enough to see the emerald green shining through.

"Wha- what happened?" Sirius gasped, but Mara couldn't answer him. She was sobbing, holding Harry close to her.

"Harry…" Sirius whispered, putting his hand on his godson's cold cheek. His heavy eyes looked up at him, a weak smile appearing on his face.

"We… had… fun…" Harry gasped, every word sounding like an immense effort.

"Don't you do that." Sirius said, the tears pouring down his face. "Don't you say goodbye. You're going to be ok, my boy." Sirius kissed his head, the coolness making him jump back.

Harry smiled again. "I'll… b… be… ok."

"But I won't." Sirius sobbed. "I need you."

Sirius's mind replayed through the last 11 years. He saw baby Harry, toddler Harry, young child Harry. Harry's birthday's, Christmases, his first piece of magic, his first steps, his first words. He remembered meeting him.

"Sirius, would you like to meet your godson?" James said.

Lily in the bed, passing a bundle wrapped in blankets over to him. He was so small, so tiny and innocent. He vowed to protect him.

"Any names?" Remus said.

"We have a few ideas." Lily smiled.

"Well, what will it be? What's my godson's name?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, meet Harry James Potter." Lily said.

"Hello, Harry James Potter…" Sirius said, the green eyes watching him.

And it was all about to be taken away from him. He felt his inside ache, his stomach clenching so tight he thought he would be sick. The air in his throat was stuck, failing to go down to his lungs at all. He couldn't do this. He couldn't lose him.

"Black?"

Sirius looked up to see Snape standing over them, his eyes watching the boy who was just about holding onto life. Snape had gone to check for other ways in when they'd got there.

"Severus… take them out of here." Sirius said, not meeting Mara's gaze and jerking his head towards Ginny.

"I'm not leaving him." Mara sobbed.

"Take her, Severus."

Snape couldn't stop looking at the boy, and for a second Sirius was sure he saw whatever was left of Snape's heart, completely shatter also. Snape grabbed Mara's arm, who put up a fight. She kicked and screamed, demanding to be left to be with Harry. Ginny went with less fuss, tears streaming down her face as she followed Snape.

"Harry! Harry! HARRY!" Mara screamed, punching Snape and kicking him also. He eventually lifted her clean off the ground, walking up the chamber with her in his arms. Sirius could hear her screams, her pleads to be brought back.

He couldn't do it.

He couldn't do it.

He looked back at Harry. "Please… please, my boy. Please don't go where I can't follow."

Harry's heavy eyes closed over, the green disappearing in an instant. Sirius felt his world erupt inside of him, his thoughts and memories screaming out, his life source being ripped apart, his insides imploding into each other.

"I promised, Harry. I made a promise." Sirius sobbed. "I love you. I love you so much. You're the best thing that ever happened to me." Sirius rested his head against Harry's, crying so hard he was sure he would never in his life be able to stop again.

"I don't want to exist in a world without you in it." Sirius whispered.

He felt a flutter of wind behind him, and in his tears, a blur of red appeared.

He felt a soft peck on his ear.

And then a groan.

Green eyes met grey once more.

And Harry smiled up at him.