Eyes closed, Cedric felt every sense but sight strain itself.

His heart was pounding, roaring in his ears. It almost physically hurt, it was beating so hard. His hands were clenched so tightly they trembled, his grip on his wand slick with nervous sweat made worse by the sheer heat he felt coming from it. Bombarda maxima was a constant chant to him, and he could hear Percy's quick, steady chanting of the strongest shield charm he could make, Steve was steadily gouging out pieces of the Chamber of Secret's floor, as both Harry and Ron sent it flying in the general direction they could hear the snake. Little Ginny was protected by them, as they stood around her in a loose circle.

The basilisk was coiling around them, trying to find a weakness in the shield.

"YOU'LL CRUSH THE GIRL!" shrieked the ghostly form of Tom Riddle, aka Voldermort as a sixteen-year-old boy.

"We need to break his connection to Ginny!" cried out Harry, voice thick.

"How?!" called out Ron.

Cedric focused on his casting, spell after spell hitting the basilisk with a sickening thud and squish of flesh being gouged with explosions that were getting weaker and weaker with each spell.

"It's the diary- we need to get it-"

The basilisk gave another dull roar, and a mournful, beautiful cried filled the chamber.

"That's a phoenix!" called out Steve.

The monster of Slytherin gave out a cry.

"NOT THE EYES!" cried out Lord Voldemort's specter.

Cedric took a risk. Opened his eyes, prayed to anything listening that the distortion of the basilisk's eyes through Percy's shield would be enough to save him. And felt he got really lucky when the bloody sockets of the snake.

"The phoenix blinded the basilisk, everyone can open your eyes!"

"BLOODY HELL CEDRIC!" called out Percy, pale white beneath his glasses, freckles stark in his skin, "YOU COULD'VE KILLED YOURSELF!"

"JUST KEEP CASTING!" he yelled back.

He almost missed Harry Potter slipping out of the shield to snatch up the discarded diary.

"Harry!"

"KILL HIM KILL HIM!" Shrieked the specter, before he slipped into a series of rasps and hisses.

Then the phoenix dropped the Sorting Hat of all things on top of him.