Chapter 1

Harry just could not understand the people running around like chickens with there heads cut off at the mention of Voldemort. He just could not be bothered with it. It may sound slightly apathetic, but he just did not care for anyone. People were fickle minded, they just did not give him the satisfaction. He knew he was different, Aunt Petunia was right; he was a freak. Although, the spurt of satisfaction he had gotten at the mention of him being a wizard: that was something he knew... he felt. The only time he did feel. Now he was at Hogwarts for his second year and he loved it by Merlin. Hogwarts was his home and Dumbledore had the nerve to say that Hogwarts would close if the culprit was not found– the person petrifying the students.

Harry did not like that one bit. The only time he felt the slightest bit of pleasure and content was in Hogwarts and Albus Too Many Names Dumbledore was not going to take it away from him. He did not care what it took, he would not go back to the Dursley's. His life would not turn dull once again. Harry's whole life was dull up until finding out he was a wizard and his green eyes weren't sparked with anything until he found out what he could do was magic. He felt his magic embrace him whenever he used it and that was the only thing that kept him going. Life was boring. He didn't understand why people put the effort into doing anything unless it fulfilled something... unless you got something in return. He may sound Slytherin and truthfully, he was. He was placed in Gryffindor, though... and if that wasn't a shock to Harry's system...

The sorting hat was genuinely going to place him in Slytherin but Harry had a feeling that the old goat was not having it and forced the hat to place him in Gryffindor. The Boy-Who-Lived could not be a slippery serpent Slytherin: a Dark Wizard. Harry did not care for it, though. It was not worth putting in the effort of telling the Headmaster off. The Headmaster would not know what hit him. A Gryffindor in Slytherin is not much of a fright because everyone knew a Gryffindor would not be as cunning but a Slytherin in Gryffindor...? Let's just say, they would not see anything coming. Although, Harry did not really think he would do anything.

It takes effort after all, but he had to do something and being the Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, was taking everything out of him. The only thing that was making him continue the charade without torturing everyone into oblivion was his manipulations and the way that everyone's face changes into utmost satisfaction at the naive boy they thought they were talking to. They didn't have the slightest clue that they were the ones being manipulated and the rush of glee Harry always got when people thought that they were molding him... he could cackle, but you know... effort.

Now that he was in second year and hearing voices whisper to him in the walls, he knew something was going to happen. He also knew it had to be a snake because it was not his first time talking to one and he would hear the sibilant hiss of a serpent anywhere. The first time he talked to a snake was when he was six years old and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon left him outside in the garden. It was bitterly cold and he did not come out of it unscathed.

A hiss brought him out of his thoughts on his boring existence and the hiss turned into a voice.

'Cold... ssso cold...' The snake hissed pitifully.

Harry did not know what to do because it was a snake and he could hear it. If he didn't think he was mental before, he did now. Harry looked down at the small garden snake and placed his arm out to it, cold zipping up his unclothed arms as they shook like a leaf amongst the freezing leaves of fall. Harry's face was pink and his green eyes were glowing in contrast to the unadorned garden that Aunt Petunia could not make a beautiful sight if her life depended on it. The snake reared up and looked Harry in the eye.

'Ssstay back, I may be a garden sssnake but I can ssstill bite!' The snake hissed angrily.

Harry looked at the snake curiously and reached his arm further out to it. The snake hissed again when Harry decided to speak.

'Hello sssnake, it isss nice to meet you.' Harry hissed back. He could tell he spoke snake because he could hear the continuous lisp to his speaking. The snake gasped as much as one could and reared up further and Harry's nose found itself being hit by a snout.

'A ssspeaker!' The snake hissed excitedly. Harry felt a forked tongue tickling his nose as the snake hissed in enlivenment. 'A real ssspeaker!'

Harry didn't really know what to do. The snake seemed to be vibrating with excitement, even through the coldness of the night.

'What isss a ssspeaker doing in thisss terrible cold?' The snake said, finally remembering her predicament. Harry shivered, a particularly cold wind whipping through him.

'My relativesss locked me out.' Harry hissed back. He cuddled into himself to get some extra warmth.

'Humansss did thisss to you?' The snake hissed, tilting her head to the side.

'Yesss, they don't like a freak like me contaminating their houssse.' Harry hissed back dully. 'It doesssn't matter. They have to come get me sssooner or later.'

'What isss your name ssspeaker? ' The snake asked. Harry tilted his head.

'Harry. What isss yoursss?'

'My sssiblings were partial to Rainan.' The snake, now Rainan hissed. Harry shivered violently as he began to feel numb. He looked down at the small snake that was cold as well and reached his arm back out.

'Sssslither up my arm and under my ssshirt.' Harry hissed. Rainan hissed back and slithered up Harry's arm, around his neck and into his shirt. The snake hissed in pleasure of the body warmth, but although the snake was not suffering anymore, Harry was still taking the full brunt of it.

Harry did not get to go into the house until it was almost too late for him and the Dursley's were forced to bring him to the hospital because of severe frostbite. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense why they did what they did but Harry didn't care. What ever happened in his life, happened. The snake lasted another year before it died and Harry buried it outside in front of a bright green bush. He didn't go back since.

And right now? Right now he was sauntering down the corridors of Hogwarts and into the girls bathroom that located the Chamber of Secrets which housed Ginevra Weasley. If he was not going to get Hogwarts closed, he was going to have to be the Gryffindor hero and rescue the damsel in distress. Harry stood in front of the huge sink and glanced at the snake symbol carved into it.

'Open.' Harry hissed at the sink. The sink opened and a tube formed. Harry tried to glare at it but couldn't bring himself to do it. He did not want to slide down that. There was no way Salazar Slytherin made this to slide down. He then thought of something.

'Stairs.' Harry smirked in satisfaction when the tube spun and turned into stairs. He gracefully glided down the stairs in smug glee. When he got to the bottom, his feet crunched on the pile of fish carcasses that littered the floor. He passed a giant snake skin, which he now knew was a basilisk. Merlin, Harry did not think he was getting out of the Chamber of Secrets alive, but it was the Dursley's or Hogwarts. Harry didn't even need to say what he chose, it was obvious. He approached a vault kind of door and the snakes attached to it. Harry hummed, hissed out another 'Open.' and entered the Chamber.

Harry walked up into the chamber slowly. He had already seen Weaslette passed out on the chamber floor but he wanted to see who was behind it. Who was bold enough to release a basilisk on Hogwarts and think they could get away with it? It sure as hell wasn't Hagrid because that big oaf wouldn't have the sense enough for it. He walked up to Weaslette, taking his own time and when he got close enough, Harry brought his shoe to Weaslette's cheek and lightly kicked.

"Oi, Weaslette," Harry sighed out, "Get up, I am so not going back to the muggles because of you." Ginevra didn't make a peep. The diary was still tucked into her arms in a protective embrace. "Oi! If I have to go back to those muggles I'll...I'll-" Harry paused, "Actually never mind. That would be too much work." Harry did not like having to wait. Weaslette was getting on his last nerve.

"Oh! I have an idea! How about this, if you don't come now... I'll leave you down here!" Harry exclaimed. "Come on! You know what you have to do. Get up and follow me! Come on!" Harry sighed at the still form. "Just my luck," Harry muttered to himself.

Harry knew what he said did not make much sense at all. The reason he came down into the chamber was to get Weaslette, not leave her but she was being very annoying. Harry sighed for thousandth time and took out his wand. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches was presented in front of him and pointed at the Weaslette. Harry knew that the spell he was going to use was Dark, but it was worth it considering he was down in the Chamber of Secrets and nothing could detect it and he really did not want to fool around with all of this. He would have done this instead of coming down here if it wasn't for him needing an actual body to perform the spell on.

The spell he was going to use was found in a Dark Arts book that he found in Knockturn Alley when he was there. The Weasley's thought he didn't mean to go there, but what can you do. Borgin and Burkes was an interesting place with interesting things. He found the book on a shelf full of dust. The book wasn't fairing much better. The title was, 'Dark Arts: A Guide to Self Protection.' which he was now sporting in the palm of his hand that he took out from the pocket of his robe. He had to delusion it to appear as the book, 'Quidditch Through The Ages.' That's what Harry Potter, the saviour, liked after all.

Harry glanced down at the book in his hand, traced his wand over the spell, and read it over. "Okay... okay," Harry muttered and pointed his wand back on Weaslette, "Exemplum Hominem," Harry incanted his wand making an triangle, squiggle kind of gesture. A glow emitted from Ginevra and then a bunch of white specks moved away from the body and joined together to create a bright light. There, where there was nothing, was a copy of one, Ginevra Weasley.

Harry knew it wouldn't be exactly the Weaslette that everyone knew but it would suffice and the best part of it was, this Weaslette followed his orders without even trying. Harry sighed and poked his book back into his robe pocket. "That's done," Harry said relieved. "Come on, pet." Harry looked at the copy and it jerked up and finally started to act like Weaslette.

"Harry?" Copy Weaslette said in a raspy unused voice. Harry jerked his head to the entrance.

"Come on, Weaslette. I haven't got all day." The copy of Weaslette went slack and her eyes glazed over. She started walking to the entrance of the chamber and stopped, waiting for her 'master'. The best part about it was, she would act as Weaslette until Harry gave her a command. Harry started to move towards the entrance as well when a smooth voice that was like melted chocolate met his ears.

"Well..." The figure of Tom Riddle came into view, his face twisted in an amused smirk and sounded like he wanted to laugh for all it was worth, "This was certainly a surprise..."