Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to PenguinLord0029, who beta this story.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The Heir of Slytherin

Harry looked at that the door blocking his way, there were snakes engraved into it and it was easy to figure out what he had to do. He again imagined the snakes were real, which he found very easy now, and told it to open in Parseltongue. The door slide aside and he continued waking with as much determination as he could muster, as he battled with his fear. He knew he was going to be facing a Basilisk soon, but he had to keep walking …

As soon as he saw her fiery red hair, he forgot his fear and ran to her.

"Ginny," he moaned, kneeling next to her, and checking to see if she had a pulse, which she did, though he was barely able to make it out. He noticed the diary next to her and got a sickening feeling as he realized that Ginny must have been the one that had the diary before him. He pushed that thought aside as he tried to shake Ginny awake.

"She won't wake," a voice said from behind him and though he had only heard that voice once, he recognized it.

"What did you do to her?" Harry growled, as he turned around to face Tom Riddle face to face. The other boy had a glow that seemed to blur his edges making him look not quite normal yet, but he seemed to become sharper the longer Harry looked at him.

"It seems you're not as foolish as I was expecting," Tom said, looking slightly disappointed. Harry noticed that he was holding Ginny's wand, and he clenched his own wand closer to himself.

"It seems that you're eviler than I thought," Harry said, squeezing Ginny's hand that he was still holding.

"Why thank you, Harry, that means a lot," Tom smirked, seeming to really enjoy hearing that and flicked his wand so quickly that Harry didn't even have time to react, his wand was flying out of his hand. "Ah, that's better."

"Coward!" Harry hissed at him. "You don't even have to courage to duel a boy!"

"Such childish taunts won't bait me into a fight, Harry," Tom shook his head. "And I have much to discuss with you before I wish to destroy you."

"I can care less about whatever you want to talk about," Harry glared at him, realizing that he had no way of defending himself now.

"All the same, I believe I will get the answer I desire," Tom said in a confident tone. "How is it that you survived as child when the greatest wizard of all time …"

"You really do think highly of yourself, don't you," Harry scoffed. "You were never the greatest wizard of all time … you aren't even the greatest wizard still alive. Dumbledore …"

"Is a foolish old man!" Tom hissed, his eyes going mad as he glared at Harry with contempt. "To compare him to me only proves how diluted you are! He was chased away by the mere memory of me!"

"You will never be able to truly get rid of him! He will always be around to stop you … and so will I!" Harry shouted, not really knowing why he was saying this but taking courage by it all the same.

"I see there's no getting through to you," Tom shook his head, "just tell me how you survive …"

"No!" Harry glared at him; he was not going to give anything this man wanted.

"Very well," Tom said and waved his wand at him, "Crucio."

As soon as the curse hit him, he felt as if his body was being split apart and every inch of it was filled with more pain than he had known before. He screamed as his throat burned. However, the pain was suddenly gone and he looked up to see Tom waving his hand at a red bird. Fawkes!

Dumbledore's phoenix had come to help. He quickly got up, his body feeling odd as the lingering effects of the curse raked through him. He was running towards his wand but before he could get to it his body went stiff from the new curse that Voldemort had hit him with.

"It seems that Dumbledore had sent his song bird to help you, but as you can see it is a useless attempt on his part," Tom said smugly, walking towards the statue of what Harry assumed to be Salazar Slytherin. "I think the games are over now, it matters not how you survive … after all you will not do so again."

Harry tried to struggle against his invisible restraints, but Tom's curse was too strong. He had to watch in horror as Tom commanded the Basilisk to come to him, the statue opening his mouth …

He shout his eyes, knowing that even if he couldn't move … couldn't stop the Basilisk from striking him down, he wasn't going to make it easier on the beast. He could feel the Basilisk enter the room, he could understand Voldemort's command that the monster only listen to him alone. And then he fell down on his face, able to move again. He could not believe that Voldemort would actually let him move around but he quickly figured out that was because he wanted to see Harry struggle to stay alive … knowing that it was impossible.

He kept his eyes close running in the direction he thought was back towards the way he came from, knowing that would be the straightest path he had before he ran into a wall. He tried to think of something he could do to fight the Basilisk, but his mind was blank. And then he stumbled over a rock and he fell hard on the ground.

He thought for sure he was done for but he could hear screeching coming from Fawkes and hissing (that Harry could tell was painful) coming from the Basilisk. He took that as a sign that the Basilisk was being preoccupied for a while, though he was sure that wasn't going to last long, so he looked for his wand. Again, he ran for it, keeping his eyes on Tom this time as he listen with all his might for sounds of the giant snake coming after him (glad that it sound like the snake was still fighting Fawkes).

"Forget the bird, go for the boy!" Tom shouted in Parseltongue.

Again, Harry was inches from his wand, when he was hit by the tail of the snake, and crashed to the floor again. His eyes were open as he rolled and before he knew what was happening he found himself looking at the face of the snake!

It took him a few second to realize that he had not been killed and that the reason for that was because the Basilisk's eyes had been clawed shut. A surge of gratitude for Fawkes filled him as he got up, but the snake was not going to let the fact that it was blind stop it. Harry just barely had time to dodge the first attack and had to whirl around to watch what the snake would do next.

Fawkes gave a thrilled as it passed over Harry's shoulder as it attacked the Basilisk again. He felt something land on his head and as he pulled it off, he realized it was the sorting hat. He was completely flabbergasted at the appearance of the hat, but he placed it on his head immediately, having faith in Fawkes … there had to be a reason that the bird brought this to him … right?

He was nearly knocked out when something from inside the hat hit him on the head. He took it off and saw something that wasn't in the hat before, grabbing the object's hilt he pulled out a beautiful sword. A shot of excitement filled him as he held the sword, knowing this had to be the legendary sword of Gryffindor … he had heard tales of this sword from Sirius. He didn't have time to make sure it really was the sword he thought it was, but he could feel it had to be, and that feeling made him more confident. Granted, he was still facing a giant snake that could swallow him whole, but at least he now had a weapon that the snake could choke on.

The Basilisk turned on him and he swung the sword with all his might, which caused the snake to swerve to the left, missing him by inches again. But it snapped back quicker than Harry could have imagined and his own reactions came as thoughtlessly. He raised his arm and stabbed upwards causing the sword to go through the snake as if it was butter. As the snake slummed to the floor, he knew that it would not move again, but it had done its job. There was a sharp pain in his shoulder where the snake's fang was sinking in … the fang stay in his shoulder after he pulled away from the corpse.

He walked towards Ginny, feeling bad that he wouldn't be able to save her. His legs felt like lead as he felt the venom poison his body and he nearly collapsed on the floor when he reached the girl.

"How does it feel to get so close, and yet be unable to save anyone?" Tom asked coldly, taunting Harry.

He glared with all the might he had left at Tom, the boy that would become Voldemort, and he wished that he could do something to stop him … to save Ginny.

"The girl was so foolish, believing that I was a simple diary … pouring her soul into me," Tom smiled, the expression making him look monstrous. "Which is just what I needed to come back … using her to open the Chamber of Secrets … watching …"

"Will you shut up!" Harry growled at him, pulling out the fang from his shoulder, his vision was starting fade … he had to try hard to force himself to stay conscious.

"What's the matter, Harry, can't stand that you were completely useless, that all that you have accomplished by coming down here is to died alongside this foolish girl?" Tom laughed a high pitch laugh that Harry had heard in his nightmares before. He felt Fawkes land next to him; the bird's head was bowed against his shoulder. "It seems that you have even let Dumbledore's bird down …"

Harry's mind was buzzing too much to understand what was going on, his vision was brought back into focus and he could feel his strength returning. His griped on the Basilisk fang tighten, though he did not know what he would do with it.

"Argh!" Tom suddenly hissed. "I forget that phoenix's tears could heal … never mind that. It is better that I get to kill you with my own hands!"

Harry saw Tom raise his wand as if in slow motion, he felt his heart beat faster in his chest, and he noticed everything around him. The thing that caught his eyes was the diary, there was a faint glow that was coming from it, the same glow that was surrounding Tom (and Ginny too) and he did the only thing that he could think of, he brought the Basilisk fang down on it with as much strength as he could muster.

"NO!" Tom shouted, but as the fang pierced the diary the shout became painful. He continued to shout as the ink seemed to spill out of the diary like blood. As soon as the screaming died, Harry saw some color come back into Ginny's cheeks and warmth spread through the hand that he was now holding.

"H-harry," he heard a weak voice said a few seconds later and he felt relief fill him.

"Ginny … you're okay!"

Ginny blinked her eyes, looking around to see where she was and dread filled her. She was inside the Chamber of Secrets. The diary that she had been using … the same one that had been controlling her had something sticking out of it and black ink was leaking from its pages. There was a bird, a beautiful bird that was sitting next to Harry. Harry himself looked like he was covered in grime and blood. That was the worst of it. She knew that he had just risked his life for her … and it was all her fault.

"I-i'm so s-sorry," she said, tears starting to come to her eyes.

"For what?" Harry asked in a surprisingly soft voice.

"I-I'm the one that's been doing …" she started but he was shaking his head.

"This could never be your fault, Ginny," Harry said firmly. "It's Voldemort's!"

Ginny shuddered at that, more tears filled her eyes, "so Tom really was …"

"Yes," Harry's eyes darkened. "And I have to tell you, he fooled me too …"

"Don't …" Ginny's lips trembled.

"I mean it … and I'm sorry, for not helping you sooner," Harry continued and she just started to cry more than ever. "But I think we should get back to the others … everyone has been worried about you …"

Ginny just nodded her head, getting up and following Harry out of the Chamber. He never looked more like a hero to her as he picked up the sword and a phoenix flew by his side … and she never felt farther away from him. How could she ever deserve someone like Harry, who would risk his life to save anyone, after everything that she had done?

She had not realized that they were walking until they got to the rocks that were blocking their way.

"Ron?" Harry said when he got there.

"Harry!" Ron answered and the rocks no longer muffled his voice.

Harry ran over to where the voice was coming from and was pleased to see that there was a hole big enough for them to go through … in fact Fawkes had already flown through it.

"What the …?" Ron said next and Harry could see his flabbergasted expression as he looked at Fawkes. Harry then pushed Ginny so she could go next, hoping that she would feel better when she saw her brother. "GINNY!"

Ginny wasn't able to say anything as Ron pulled her into a hug, but that was enough for right now.

"Thank Merlin, you're okay!" Ron muttered as he held her, relief raking through him. He didn't realize until that moment just how much he actually believe that he would never be able to see her again. As Harry walked through the hole he made Ron smiled at him, mouthing the words 'thank you.'

Harry, however, was looking at Ginny with concern, which made Ron worried about his sister. He wondered what happened in the Chamber … what had happened to her? He wanted to ask, but he knew that Ginny was not going to be up to talk about it and he couldn't ask Harry about it in front of her. They walked back to the exit and were helped up the pipe by Fawkes; it was amazing that he was able to carry four people.

"What are we going to do now?" Ron asked as he kept this eye on the phoenix that seems to be waiting for them to follow him.

"We should probably follow Fawkes …" Harry said. "I'm pretty sure I know what's going to happen next."

"I'm sure Mom and Dad are here …" Ron said thoughtfully, knowing that they would be relieved to see Ginny alive and … happy. He frowned when he thought that, his sister was anything but happy at the moment. In fact, she was shaking now.

"I can't … I can't see them," Ginny cried, backing away.

"Gin …" Ron said looking terrified at his sister.

Harry frowned at Ron before he walked to Ginny and put his hand on her shoulders. "I know you're worried about … something," he said trying to find the right word to say but he really didn't know what happened. "But whatever happened, we're not going to blame you …"

"You should," Ginny mumbled, tears falling down her cheek, but she could almost smile at the fact that she was no longer bonded by the diary … she was finally free from it. But that didn't change the fact that she had let it use her.

"He was a monster Ginny," Harry said firmly. "Whatever happened … it was his fault!"

Ginny wanted to believe him, but she couldn't get over all that she had done.

"I'm sorry Ginny," Harry sighed, bowing his head. "I should have figured this out sooner … I knew that book was no good …"

"Don't," Ginny moaned shaking more than ever. "H-harry I …"

"Oh, give it a rest Gin," Ron said in annoyed voice walking over to his sister and pulling her into another hug. "We're never going to effing blame you, so stop mopping around."

Ginny still couldn't say anything but she was smiling; it was just so Ron to say something like that.

"Come on, everyone is going to want to see you," he added in a softer voice.

"Just look at him, if that's not an indication that everyone is going to be happy to see you, I don't know what is?" Harry smiled at her and then he turned around to follow Fawkes, grabbing Lockhart's hand so the other man would follow him. He heard Ron and Ginny follow him too, and before long, he found himself in front of McGonagall's office, which he was a little surprise about. However, as soon as he opened the door and saw Dumbledore there, everything made sense.

However, before he could say anything, Molly Weasley screamed and ran over to Ginny and pulled her into a hug … Arthur only a few steps behind his wife. Though Ginny was still pale, she looked pleased to be in her parents' arms.

Harry was pleased when Dumbledore asked him to tell him what happened, because it gave him something to do. He told Dumbledore everything that happened that year, well, besides making illegal Polyjuice Potion and the fact that it was used to pull a prank on the entire school, but other than that he told him everything. It took him awhile to get to the Chamber of Secret, but when he did, he paused not wanting to upset Ginny. However, Dumbledore seemed to be able to fill in the blanks for himself and was able to pacify Ginny and the Weasleys by stating that he already knew about the diary.

Harry was frowning at that, wondering how Dumbledore knew about the diary, but seeing as it was making everyone else cheer up he didn't ask any questions. It seemed that Dumbledore could tell that he wanted to talk to him though, for it was only a few minutes later that Ginny was leaving with her parents to go to the Hospital wing and Ron was taking Lockhart there too (after he and Harry got several points for their bravery and a special award to boot).

"What is on your mind, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling like normal.

"I was just wondering about the diary," Harry frowned. "How did it work … how was it able to control Ginny like that?"

Dumbledore was frowning now, and gave Harry a piercing look. "It is a magic that I have never seen before. Making something that can not only feed off the magic of another but also use that magic to create a being like you have described … I would never have thought that possible."

"How did you know about the diary?" Harry asked. "How did you know what was happening …"

"You asked me before who had opened the Chamber the last time and I had chosen not to answer you, Harry," Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sorry … perhaps I should have told you then, but I was hoping that you wouldn't …"

"Risk my life like I just did," Harry suggested, smiling at him sheepishly.

"Exactly," Dumbledore actually smiled at him before he became more serious again. "I knew that Tom Marvolo Riddle … which by the way spells out I am Lord Voldemort … was the Heir of Slytherin."

"You knew he was the one that opened the Chamber the last time," Harry nodded his head.

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed. "Even fifty years ago I believe he was he was the one that opened the Chamber, but I had no proof … it was madding that I couldn't prove that it was him, especially after he had framed poor Hagrid."

"You helped Hagrid as much as you could, sir," Harry said. "I know how much it means to him that he got to stay at Hogwarts …"

"Yes, but still …" Dumbledore sighed. "When the Chamber was opened this year I wonder how that was possible. I knew that no other would have the ability to not only find the Chamber of Secrets but open it as well. It would not have been hidden for a thousand years if it could be found so easy. And I had come to suspect that one would have to be a Parselmouth to open it. I was trying to find something … anything that would help me solve the problem but at last, I was unable to.

"However, when I saw the diary in your hand as you walked in, everything seemed to fall into place and I could see how effectively Tom could have used such an item," Dumbledore finished with a grimace. "He has a way of corrupting the most innocent of things and using them for such a dark purpose …"

Dumbledore stopped there and Harry looked away, he didn't want to think about what Ginny had to go through with the diary. He didn't want to think about how this was going to affect her in the future. He walked over to Fawkes, finding it comforting standing next to the beautiful bird.

"You were right … er … about Fawkes, he is beautiful," Harry said and Dumbledore chuckled. Harry then asked his headmaster a question that he's been wondering about for a while. "Why am I a Parselmouth? I know it's usually a gift you inherit from your family …"

"Harry, you are a Parselmouth because Voldemort is one," Dumbledore said in a grave voice. "I believe that he had transferred some of his power to you the night he tried to destroy you."

Harry didn't know what to say about that, he had never heard of anything like this before and this information scared him. He really didn't like that he got anything from Voldemort.

"This, of course, does not change who you are, Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, noticing how hard the boy seemed to be taking this news. "You are a Gryffindor as truly as both your parents were … you have proven that time and time again … But of course I don't have to tell you that seeing as what you have pulled out of the hat."

Harry couldn't help but smiled at his headmaster as he held up the sword of Gryffindor. "I can't believe that this actually came to me …"

"Ah, but that is what Gryffindor had intended when he had the sword made," Dumbledore smiled. "He had realized quickly that his brave followers tended to get into a little too much trouble and he wanted to make sure that as long as their hearts were on a just cause that they would always have help when they needed it.

"I must say thank you Harry, you must have shown me great loyalty for Fawkes to go to your aid like that," Dumbledore finished with a smile.

"I only stated a simple fact," Harry smiled back in returned, but before he could say anything else, Lucius Malfoy burst into the room closely followed by Dobby.

Harry nearly groaned as soon as he saw Dobby, knowing that the elf was Malfoy's and his long-standing suspicion was proven true … Malfoy was the one behind this. His mind tried to put the pieces together while Dumbledore and Malfoy talked, and when he remembered the fight that Arthur and Malfoy had he grimaced. That had to have been when he had slipped Ginny the diary.

"You did this!" Harry said loudly, interrupting Malfoy in mid sentence, he glared at the older man not caring that Malfoy was an adult and as of right now had more power than him. "You gave Ginny the diary at Flourish and Blotts!"

"Oh," Malfoy said with a sneer, "Prove it!"

"He can't," Dumbledore said glumly, but he was looking at Malfoy with the coldest look Harry has ever seen in his headmaster's eyes. "But be assured if any of Voldemort's old school things find their way here, I will be holding you accountable."

Malfoy paled at the threat before he left the room, Dobby following closely behind him.

Harry felt his heart sink as he looked at the poor elf, he couldn't stand the thought of Dobby having to suffer because his masters were such horrible people. An idea came to him and he asked Dumbledore if he could take the diary. He ran after Malfoy, slipping off his dirty sock and putting it in the diary.

"Malfoy," Harry called after the older man, who turned around with a cold stare. "I just thought you would want this back."

Malfoy took the diary, looking at it with disdain before he flipped through it only to be faces with Harry's sock. He threw the sock from the book looking at Harry with disgust. "You think you're clever boy …"

"Well, at the moment … yeah, I think I am," Harry smirked at him.

"I will wipe …" Malfoy start to say, it looked like he was reaching for his wand but before he could do that Dobby exclaimed in happiness.

"DOBBY IS FREE!"

"What?" Malfoy looked at him, noticing the elf was holding Harry's dirty sock.

"Master is throwing a sock and Dobby is catching it!" Dobby said still shouting. "Dobby is free!"

"See … clever," Harry smiled smugly at Malfoy.

"Why you …" Malfoy said in a cold and dangerous voice and Harry knew he was in trouble but before Malfoy could do anything Dobby had raised his arm and Malfoy went flying backward.

"Dobby will not be letting you hurt Harry Potter!" Dobby said, standing in front of Harry.

Malfoy's glare, if anything, became even deadlier but he didn't say anything as he left the castle.

"Thanks Dobby," Harry smiled at the elf. "You really saved me there."

"It is the least Dobby could do," Dobby said smiling at Harry. "You is freeing Dobby!"

"Honestly, that was the least I could do," Harry chuckled. "After everything you've done for me this year … I had to help you somehow. Though, the next time you want to help save my life, you might want to keep from hurting me in the process."

"Er …" Dobby smiled at him sheepishly.

"But seriously Dobby … thanks," Harry smiled at him. "And remember that you can come and see me anytime … my life doesn't have to be in parole or anything …"

"Dobby is remembering that, Sir," Dobby gave him one last smile before disappearing.

Harry smiled at the space that the elf had just vanished from before he decided to go to the Great Hall for the feast that Dumbledore had just set up.