Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all characters and the world of Harry Potter. I'm just here to have some fun and may through in some OCs here and there. I hope you like it.

Plot: Harry dies in the final battle and is taken to Valhalla, where he is told of betrayal and lies that have been committed against him. He will learn of a soul bond and how these betrayals have affected both their lives for the worst.

Dumble-bash/Weasley and Granger-bash

Pairing: HP/DG.

Of Basilisks and Riddles

It was a surprising voice that silkily spoke up with the most emotion anyone had ever heard from the man. That the emotion was a bit of fear and a hint of awe made all turn to stare at the man. "Bloody hell, Potter!"

Everyone turned to look at the dower potions professor. But the man didn't seem to care anymore what they thought of him. This was a lot to take in. He and the other professors had been given a brief explanation of what had happened, but as with the board, none knew that it was a Basilisk. The fact that a twelve-year-old had to face such a creature alone and in a dark, lonely place such as this was not lost on anyone. They really couldn't blame Snape on his reaction.

Harry's friends were all in stunned silence. They knew the story, but like Daphne seeing truly is believing. The only ones who didn't know the real story were the twins. They were in almost a state of hysteria at the thought of their sister anywhere near this creature.

"Mr. Potter, do you know who it was that released this beast on the school?" Asked Madam Longbottom.

"Yes." Was all that Harry said before he took a long pause to sort out his thoughts. "A diary was given to Ginny Weasley that contained a memory of some sort. The memory was from a young man named Tom Riddle, or better known as Voldemort. (cue shudders) He used that memory to possess a then first-year Ginny to do his bidding. Through her, he released the Basilisk and killed the school chickens." The twins had lost any modicum of control at this point and were holding onto one another, crying. "I destroyed the diary using a fang I pulled from my arm over there where the ink stain on the floor is."

"YOU WERE BITTEN?" exclaimed a few of the adults, including the press.

"Yes." He rolled up his sleeve, which was challenging while still holding Daphne. "It went in here. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix cried into the wound and healed it."

"I see… and how did you kill this beast." Asked Matthew. It was odd to watch his daughter cling to another man for comfort. But he was glad he was there for her.

"Yes, well, Fawkes brought me the sorting hat and then pecked out the things eyes. I, ah, didn't know what to do with the hat, so I put it on." They had to chuckle weakly hat the thought of it. "When I did, a sword fell out and hit me in the head with the pommel." Again a few weak chuckles.

"Are you saying you killed this thing with a sword?" Asked a member of the press.

"Yes, I later found out it was the sword of Gryffindor." That pretty much did it for most. They pretty much lost all thought process as this hit them. Harry Potter boy-who-lived had killed a Basilisk owned by Salazar Slytherin with a Sword owned by Godric Gryffindor. In the process, he almost dies from a bite from the creature. In the background of this loss of thought, the goblins had begun their work. "Anyway, I stabbed it through its mouth as it came down to bite me."

They all looked at him like he was crazy or the next coming of Merlin. They could tell he wasn't bragging of his deed. No, he was simply telling them what had happened. The fact it was so astounding was a mere coincidence to him. If the adults in that chamber didn't respect Harry Potter before coming down here, they sure as hell did now. Even Snape had to admit that the boy wasn't as big a braggart as his father, a bit modest even. The problem, however, was Dumbledore.

The question on everyone's' mind was, how did he not know this was here. The fact that his phoenix could come here would suggest that he could arrive here. Phoenix are known to be exceptionally smart. So, the fact the bird would only come with a hat is odd. Why not bring his master as he was such an accomplished wizard. To leave this to a boy of twelve seemed more than a bit ridiculous. No matter who the boy was.

They were slowly gathering their wits when one of the curse breakers approached. "Mr. Potter, we believe we have found something over here along this wall. It would appear to be a room that is hidden behind it. We think that perhaps it would open to the command of a Parseltongue. The wards themselves are not very vicious. They seem to be more to keep the elements from entering in. They appear old and undisturbed, though it can be hard to tell sometimes."

Harry, holding a calming Daphne to his side, walked over the other cruse breaker. Once there, he started focusing on snakes and tried a few words, such as enter and open. When those didn't work, he had to stop and think for a moment. That was when a thought came to him. "Open for I am the great Salazar Slytherin." He hissed.

A soft glow surrounded what appeared to be a door. Then without any assistance, it slowly opened. The now open door revealed a scene of the past. Within was a study straight from the time of the founder. The walls were covered in scrolls and even a few books. There was a large ornate desk made of ebony and seemed to be trimmed in silver. There was a single chair by the fireplace made of the same wood with silver studs holding emerald green fabric. It was the picture of what one could imagine high class living at that time would pass for.

Daphne seemed to come out of her funk when she laid eyes on the many scrolls and books. Harry held her back only to remind her to let the Curse breakers go through and check things first. She then stood at the door in excitement as she waited on their ok. As Harry watched his wife and soul mate, with a soft smile at her enthusiasm, a question from Augusta Longbottom pulled him back to the others.

"Misters Weasley, if you don't mind, be asking, has your sister ever seen a mind healer?" She asked the twins, who were slowly calming down with the help of the woman from before. "I only ask out of concern. Possession of any kind can leave the mind in a… delicate state. She could still take suggestions that aren't in her best interest as being the best thing for her."

The twins looked at one another as if speaking with their minds. It kind of crept Harry out, and he hoped he and Daphne didn't look like that when they began speaking like that. "No ma'am. We have never seen her go anywhere without the family, and no one had come to the Burrow over the summer."

"I see…" She replied slowly before looking at the other members of the board. "I think when we return to the surface, we should contact Arthur and Molly and have them come in. This happened at a school that is touted as being the safest place in the world, and it failed in that. The least we can do is provide the girl with the help I believe her to need." There were many nods of agreement to her words, all but Harry, who let off a small snort drawing their attention.

"Is there something funny, Mr. Potter?" Asked the witch by the twins. She seemed a little tweaked at his uncaring manner toward the girl.

"It's not that I disagree with what was said about Ginny. Quite the contrary, I believe that it is for the best she gets any help she needs. My delight comes from the school being called the safest place in the world." They all now had looks of confusion on their faces, so Harry pressed on. "My first year here, a Cerberus was being held on the third floor. It was there to protect the philosopher's stone. The stone, I believe, was being used to attract the attention of Professor Quirrell, who was possessed by Riddle. I had to save the stone as no professor would believe my old friends and me. Professor McGonagall had just brushed us off. Apparently, Professor Dumbledore had taken a broom for an emergency at the ministry and wasn't here."

Once again, the adults were stunned. Fortunately for Albus Dumbledore, the press had quickly taken their leave to the outside of the chamber, where it was quitter to start writing. Unfortunately, the board was, as a collective, pissed. This was also news to them.

"And do you know what happened to Quirrell?" Asked Matthew threw clenched teeth.

At this, Harry looked down. He still had nightmares of what happened to Quirrell. How the mans faced turned to ash in his hands. His screams still rang through his ears on occasion, as it did now. As he flashed back to that night, he suddenly felt arms wrap around his waist. He looked down to see the concern is the sapphire eyes he had come to love so much. He wrapped his arms around Daphne to draw from her strength. They stood for a long moment, much to the confusion and concern of the others. Whatever had happened to the man was not going to be good.

In a soft but steady voice, Harry replied, a small tear rolling down his cheek. They were all listening intently now, and even Snape looked intrigued. "He had tried to grab me, to kill me. I had somehow managed to retrieve the stone from the mirror of erased; it was in my pocket. When he touched me, his hands burned. I was afraid and panicked. I grabbed his face as he came at me again. This time he started to turn to ash. I… I killed him." Silence reigned amongst them as the noise of the goblins worked on behind them. "I asked Professor Dumbledore about it when he visited me in the hospital wing. He claimed it was my mother's blood protection that stopped him. I am so sorry." The last was said in not, but a whisper as soft tears rolled from his emerald eyes.

Those in the chamber, who had thought him to be an overly strong boy who defeated a basilisk, now seen him for what he was, a scared child who had been put through more than most adults had ever had to. He was a young man in truth, with what he had been through, his abuse, the battle with Quirrell and the chamber. But he was also just a thirteen-year-old who had not had anyone on his side. They had heard from their children who went to the school or their nieces and nephews or grandchildren how the golden trio had split up. They had heard of the incident with Gryffindor and how the boy was now a Slytherin.

They all stayed silent as they watched him softly cried into his wife's shoulder. It was someone they least expected that moved first. Snape walked softly to their side and got down on one knee. "Look at me, Potter." He said softly and waited for the boy to look at him. "You listen and listen well. You did not kill that man. You-know-who did that. He is the one who controlled him and made him attack you. It may have been your hands that did it, but it was him that caused it. You. Are. Not. A. Murderer. You did what you had to do to live. Remember that you hear me. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here to be held by your wife. You wouldn't get the chance to live to your fullest." He had grabbed Harrys' hand at one point in his and held it tight.

Matthew Greengrass watched his daughter comfort her husband. He watched as a man he didn't think even liked the boy comfort him. At that moment, he decided he needed to talk to Sirius and Remus and get Harry to a mind healer as well. He had been through so much with no help. But now he had that help, and Matthew would be damned if he didn't help him.

The board, for their part, new that they needed to take a more active role in the school. They had let Albus take the reins, and he had all but ruined this young man's childhood. They would take this school kicking and screaming into a better place.

They stayed down in the chamber for hours as they watched the Basilisk was rendered. Some explored the office as the curse breakers cleared it. Others sat and talked about the events of the day. Harry, for his part, didn't go far from any one of his friends. He found it comforting to have them around. He stayed close to the twins as they helped to distract each other from their problems. It had been hard, but by the time they returned to the castle proper, Harry had unwittingly started on a path healing.

(Board room of Hogwarts a few hours after returning.)

Arthur Weasley sat in the board room, confused and concerned. He didn't know his daughter had been possessed during her first year. The only thing he had learned was that she had been taken to the chamber of secrets and was rescued by Harry Potter. To him, it was over and done with. But a possession? That was a different story. As a ministry worker, he understood the direness of such a thing. Why hadn't he been informed?

He looked to his wife as the board members watched them and Headmaster Dumbledore. What shocked him more than anything was the fact that she didn't seem at all confused by this, quite the contrary. She almost seemed like she didn't care at all. He was about to ask her if she understood what was being said when she spoke.

"Your point?" She demanded, to the raised eyebrows of the board. "Headmaster Dumbledore has already informed me of his. He told me that she was perfectly fine and that she didn't need any more care. Are you calling him a liar?"

"Yes, in fact, we are Mrs. Weasley." Stated Madam Longbottom. "Possessions are serious business. One does not simply brush it off. In fact, without proper treatment, the victim can become unstable. The fact your daughter has gone so long without any help is concerning. Even a year can cause irreparable damage."

"HOW DARE YOU…" She was cut off from her rant by a now irate Arthur.

"ENOUGH, MOLLY!" Silence enveloped the room. No one had heard him yell before. But now the usually quite tempered man had taken on the shade of red that his family was known for. Everyone unconsciously moved away from him in their chairs. "HOW DARE YOU NOT INFORM ME SHE HAD BEEN POSSESSED! HOW DARE THE HEADMASTER NOT INFORM US BOTH OF THE SITUATION!" He took a deep breath as everyone had gone pale. "We should have had her with a healer the moment she was returned from that accursed chamber. How could you not think that that would be for the best? Just because Albus Dumbledore said she was fine, you didn't think to get a second opinion? He is NOT omnipotent. He is only human! This is the life of our daughter we are discussing!"

Albus, for his part, was doing his best to look abashed. He had planned to use the girl to get to Potter. With her possession by a man obsessed with the boy, it would only help to fuel her own obsession. It helped that she would be even more susceptible to 'nudges' he planned to make to her through Granger and her mother. The fact that Molly held him to such high regard didn't hurt for sure. She was willing to do whatever he wanted if he asked.

"Arthur, how can you say…" She began.

"NO, I have heard enough from you! You will keep your mouth shut, Molly, or I will silence you." This was no longer the gentle, almost timid man they all knew. Now the head of a noble family had replaced Arthur Weasley. Even though his grandfather had disgraced them, they still held the title. The man had done his best to drag their name through the mud and killed his brothers for the headship. "My Lords and Ladies of the board, my family is in debt to you all for bringing this to my attention. We humbly accept your offer of aid. I wish to be sure my daughter is healthy." He said as he bowed his head to the board. He didn't understand what his wife was thinking, but he would be damned if he looked a gift horse in the mouth. He loved his family too much to do such a thing.

"You are welcome, Arthur, and please keep us up to date on your daughter's well-being." Said, Matthew. He liked Arthur from the ministry, though he always thought he let his wife walk all over him. A shocked Molly followed her husband from the room. This was not what she would have expected of him. Matthew and the others turned to Albus. "As for you, Headmaster, this is unacceptable. The way you have been running this school is a joke!"

"Come now, Matth…" He began to defend himself before being cut off by Augusta.

"Don't you 'come now' us, Albus! Matthew is correct; this is a joke! We came here today to see if the chamber was, in fact real, what we found was so much more. How could you let a twelve-year-old boy fight a basilisk?" She seethed. "Then there were the events of the boys first year! You didn't even get him any help after he thought he killed a man."

Albus knew he was screwed if the boy told him of his previous two years. He had no explanations to justify his actions. By Augusta's tone, he knew they were aware of Fawkes's help in the chamber. "I… I have no explanations that would satisfy you. All I can say was that I was not aware of their being a basilisk in the school."

"So, you are saying you were aware that you had a possessed teacher within these walls?" Asked Matthew.

'Shit, the boy did tell them all about his time here then.' Thought Albus, as he said. "I was aware that Quirrell was a bit… off but not that he was possessed." He tried to cover his arse.

Augusta looked at the other members of the board. They had discussed in length their options before calling this meeting. They couldn't just can the man. He had too much public pull at the moment. If they did, magical Britton would have their heads. This was going to have to take a different approach, a more Slytherin approach. They would have to wait and watch for the right time to strike. This didn't sit well with her Gryffindor self, but she knew it was the only way.

"Albus, as of this moment, you are on probation. Their head of house must accompany all your interactions with the students. We will be going over the books and spending receipts for all departments. There will be major changes over the summer that will be going into effect starting the new term. We are partially glad that Minerva has stepped down as head of house Gryffindor as she will be taking on some new duties as deputy. We will also be discussing and approving all new hires through us. We cannot change your choice of defense teacher for the next year, however. You are to inform Binns that this will be his last year as a professor. History had become a joke in this school, and it ends now." Augusta wanted so bad to tell him to hit the trail that it was even in her voice as she laid down the law.

This was not going to be a good summer for Albus Dumbledore. He had to deal with the preparations for the Triwizard Tournament and the world cup. Now he was going to have the board breathing down his neck. He hadn't had an opportunity to plan a way to get the boy back under his control since the trial of Black and the Dursleys. This meant that now he didn't have any time to do it for the next several months at the least.

All Dumbledore could say was, "Very well, I look forward to your input." That, however, was not the right word to end on.

"This is no input!" Almost every member shouted back.

"These are the new rules of this school Albus Dumbledore, and you will follow them. You are no longer the end all be all of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." Said Augusta.

'Yes, this is going to be a long summer.' Thought Albus as he slumped back into his chair. He had lost a lot this year, and it would seem he now lost his school.

(Harrys POV)

Harry had left his friends at the entrance hall to seek out Professor McGonagall. He didn't care for Hermione anymore; it was true. However, it was evident that she was having problems coping with the time travel this time around. She seemed to have a headache most of the time now. He quickly made his way to his old head of houses office, hoping she would be there. He was in luck as she was just about to enter.

"Professor, could I talk to you for a moment?" He called to her.

McGonagall turned to him, a look of calculation on her face. "Of course, Mr. Potter. Please come in." Once inside, she offered him a seat. "What is it I can help you with today, Mr. Potter?"

"Professor, you know that I don't get along with Hermione and Ron anymore, correct?" She noded that she did indeed know this. "Well, you see, I've noticed that Hermione has seemed not to be feeling well as of late. I have noticed her holding her head in the library most days. She seems not to want to draw attention to it, but she's not doing well. I know what she has been using to get to all those classes she signed up for, and I think it is negatively affecting her."

The professors' eyes widened a fraction as he revealed his knowledge of the time turner. "If I may ask Mr. Potter, how is it that you came to know what she uses?"

"It didn't take me long to figure it out, Professor. She has many classes that are at the same time as others. The only way she could make it to all of them as if she was able to time travel. When I figured that out, I found a book on the subject and found out about the device." He didn't have to lie too much on this. He had looked at a book on the subject a few weeks into the term. However, his reasons were purely academic.

McGonagall looked relieved that the girl hadn't told anyone, and more than a bit concerned for her. "I see, well, I am thankful that you brought this to my attention, Mr. Potter. I ask you not to tell anyone else about the device. I will admit that I was negligent in trusting such a thing even to Ms. Granger. She may be smart, but the device is very powerful and can take a toll on the body."

"I won't tell anyone, professor. I may not be friends with Her anymore, but I don't want to see anyone get hurt."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Twenty points to Slytherin for your thoughtfulness and observations." She gave him a soft smile before he ended their time together with a friendly good-bye. He had always liked her. She was strict but fair.

Harry rejoined his friends by the black lake. It was a beautiful day to sit out in the sun. That night at dinner, they heard the news of the bushy-haired Gryffindor. Apparently, a lack of sleep and stress from so many classes had caused her to have high blood pressure. She had developed a brain aneurism and had been slowly suffering for a few months now. She was currently in the hospital wing and would be there for a few days. It wasn't as easy to fix this as it was to fix a broken bone, but it could be done. While he couldn't care if she was happy, Harry still had fond memories of their friendship. It may have all been a lie, but he still didn't want her to be severely hurt or anything.

A/N: Well, I hope you guys like this chapter! When I had started it, I thought it would be relatively short. As I went on, more thoughts came to me on how this could play out into the grand scheme of where I want to go with this story. I would like to remind everyone to keep the different events in mind as we continue. They may pop up later! If you wonder why Harry hasn't struck out against those who have wronged him, the answer is that this Harry is different from cannon. He is no longer the bold Gryffindor. As stated in the earlier chapters, he is playing more on his Slytherin traits. It will happen, but only when the time is right. That's not to say he won't do little things to them, hint hint.