Title: Reexamining Things

Rating: T

Summary: This is a story of Harry Potter shattering what everyone things about him and their first impressions. Based on the First Impressions challenge posted by PyroChilde on Potions and Snitches.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K Rowling's characters and I'm not making any money off of this.

Chapter 55: Snape Saves the Day

"Are we going to inform Mrs. Weasley of this," Professor Flitwick asked.

"We have to," Snape told him, "We'll just have to see if she shows signs that she knew that this was going to happen."

"How could anyone know that this was going to happen, especially Mrs. Weasley," Sprout asked him.

"You would be surprised what people know," Snape stated.

Snape didn't like the idea that Hermione had been taken down to the chamber and he didn't like the idea that some of the Slytherin's thought this was the best thing ever. He knew that he had to go down there but he had never seen a basilisk before and he had no idea what would happen. However he had to get down there and rescue both his students before the snake feasted on them. So he grabbed the hat and his wand and headed for Moaning Myrtles bathroom.

When he entered he saw the ghost crying and felt bad for her. No one should be used in this way.

"What are you doing here?" Myrtle asked.

"I need to save someone," Snape told her.

"But this is a girl's bathroom," she said.

"Yes, I know," Snape said coldly, "And I'll be out of your bathroom soon enough."

He then waved his hand, spoke something, and then vanished.

When he reappeared he was in a tunnel and it amazed him, at once, that Salazar had been able to craft this. Of course Salazar had been a great wizard until went all 'I'm Pure and if your not then I don't want you around,' on people. Snape shook his head, some people would never learn. He took a deep breath, that wasn't needed, and began his journey down the tunnel.

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"Where's my Master at?" Harry asked Sprout.

"Severus has gone to rescue Ginny and Hermione," Sprout told him.

"Are you sure that's wise," Harry asked her.

Sprout looked at him, "Do you want to go down there and fight a snake?"

"Well no but-."

"No butts, let our Headmaster fight it," Sprout told him, "Now go back to your common room."

Harry saw her watching him so he turned around and headed down into the dungeons.

When Harry returned to the common room he told Nott and his friends what had happened. Ron was horrified that Snape had gone down there and Harry had a bad feeling that Snape might get hurt.

"He's being foolish," Pansy said.

"I know but I think he's doing what he knows is right," Harry said, "I mean, this is still his school no matter who's trying to get him removed."

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked.

"We wait and see if my Master can do it," Harry told him.

Of course Harry had no intention of just waiting around until he got back. If Snape was in trouble then he needed Harry's help.

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Snape noticed something in the way half-way down the tunnel. Being a vampire he had a good idea of distance and time. He had already been down here an hour and he had no idea what shape the girl's were in. It turned out to be a snake skin, about eight feet long. Snape shuttered to think of something eight feet long and bigger in head then in body. However he took another not needed deep breath and stepped over it, continuing on his way.

The door that suddenly appeared told Snape that he had found the chamber. He spoke something and then vanished. When he appeared he was in a long corridor that had snakes on each side. It looked as though hundreds of spells had been used to keep the chamber from going under. And then he noticed them, lying on the floor. He ran as fast as he could, which was pretty fast, and knelt before them.

That's when he noticed the diary.

"I wouldn't touch that, if I were you," said a cold voice.

Snape looked up to see a boy standing there. He rubbed his eyes and saw that the boy looked around sixteen at the most and that he was blurred around the edges. At once Snape knew this was Tom Riddle.

"Your draining them," Snape told him.

"Well your not as dumb as I thought you were, Headmaster," Tom said, "I'm most disappointed that you're aware of what I'm doing."

"I didn't practice the dark arts and come out of it stupid," Snape told him, "Release them or I'll make the last moments of your memory a living nightmare."

Riddle laughed, "Oh you think that you can threaten me. I'm far more powerful then you'll ever dream of being."

"It's all in your warped mind, courtesy of Dumbledore."

"My mind is clear and sharp," Tom told him.

"Well that's not what your other self says," Snape told him, "He wants you gone so that he can be mortal."

"Mortal, I-."

"I know about the Horcrux," Snape cut in, "I know that's what you are."

Riddle went pale and Snape knew that he had him.

"Your nothing, your just a memory," Snape went on, "You think that your other half won't kill you. I know the real Tom Riddle, the one that isn't controlled, and I know that he's a responsible wizard. You're the one thing that's keeping him from being human and he wishes for your downfall."

Riddle hissed at him and then blasted him against the wall, Snape's wand dropping in the process.

"You know nothing of me," Tom snarled, "And I'm going to prove it."

Snape slowly rose up and shook his head. If he had been human he would have been dead.

"I know that your mum died in childbirth and left you with people that didn't care for you," Snape said, "I know that you fooled your teachers into believing that you were normal."

"And do you know that Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the monster on that mudblood Creevy."

"Don't use that word around me," Snape said, "I'm still the Headmaster here and I wish for you to keep that lying half-blood mouth shut."

Riddle gave him a cold look and then he shot a spell from Snape's own wand. Snape dived and landed right on Hermione. That's when he noticed that she had her wand with her and he pulled it out. It might not match up with him but it would still work.

"Triox," Snape called out and ice came out of Hermione's wand and blasted against Riddle, who fell, his feet soon covering with ice.

He blasted the ice away and flew up and then dived for Snape, Snape used the skills that he had learned from Riddle against him and dodged the attack and took to the air as well.

"You can fly as well," Tom said.

"I was taught by you," Snape told him and the duel started again, this time in the air.

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Harry, in phoenix form, couldn't believe what he was seeing. Riddle and his Master were dueling in mid-air. Showers of sparks were bouncing off the chamber wall and ceiling and Harry barely manage to find a spot that the spells couldn't reach. He watched as Snape slammed Riddle against the side and then moved aside as a spell tried to hit him.

"Be careful," Harry said.

And then Riddle landed and that's when everything changed.

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"Your impressive, no wonder you took over," Tom said, "But it's time to end this once and for all."

He turned to the statue and spoke with the same hissing that Snape had heard Hermione using. Suddenly the statue opened its mouth and something came out of it. Riddle spoke again and the thing charged. If Snape hadn't turned away at that moment he would have been Petrified. He bolted and that's when bird acted. It dived down and started to attack the snake's eyes. It screamed in pain and then Snape knew that it was safe to look at.

"See what your pet bird did," Tom said, "I'm going to kill you for that."

He shot a spell at Snape and Snape managed to dodge it.

"Come and duel me when you have better control over your emotions," Snape told him.

"I have better control then you think," Tom said.

"Keep telling yourself that and one day you might believe it," Snape said to him.

"Shut up," Tom snarled and then he said something to the snake and it bolted.

Snape bolted as well, the hat still in his hand. How it had stayed there Snape didn't understand but he still had it. Suddenly the snake hit him in the side and man and hat went flying. He landed on the stone floor, the hat a few inches away. Suddenly the sword appeared and Snape grabbed it and drew it out.

The snake launched at him and Snape brought it down, cutting its head clean off. He looked up to see Tom staring at him. Snape walked over to Ginny and pulled the diary out.

"Get away from it," Tom said.

"I don't think so," Snape said and he stabbed the diary with the sword.

Tom screamed in pain and then exploded, showering them all with glitter. At once Ginny and Hermione woke up.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Your down in the chamber," Snape told her.

"Oh no, Tom, I was-."

"We all know that you were controlled Miss Weasley," Snape told her, "Now lets get out of here."

Suddenly a phoenix landed and extended its leg.

Snape took it and soon the three of them were flying threw the air, the chamber falling behind.

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"Harry, there you are," Ron said, when Harry came back into the common room.

"Sorry, were you worried about me," Harry asked.

"You darn right we were," Nott said, "Where were you?"

"Out," Harry told him.

"Your lucky you weren't caught," Ron told him.

Harry said nothing and went up to bed.