Draco hoped that he would never visit the Forbidden Forest after his detention last year. The dark, misty woods hadn't changed as the boys' feet crunched on dried leaves and twigs. They were careful not to step on the spiders and avoid tripping over the thick roots of the overgrown trees. Though the weather had been warming up, the spring night was cold enough that Draco could see his breath in the chilled May air. He was trying to ignore Ron's whimpers and Fang's growls as they got louder the deeper they journeyed into the forest. He didn't dare look off the path to investigate what was moving in the shadows and pretended not to notice how the spiders seemed to get bigger the longer they walked. Harry was steadfast on their quest, his focus never leaving the spiders' trail as it ultimately led them through a tunnel and into a patched dirt grove.
A large web awaited them at the end of the path. Draco shivered when a loud rustling noise came from underneath it and gasped when the ground shook as a giant Acromantula made its presence known. The terrifying, hairy creature blinked its eight eyes at the boys before croaking, "Hagrid? Is that you?"
"We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry hurried out, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
Ron grabbed Draco's arm, whimpering with tears streaming from his eyes. Draco was holding his breath, looking between Harry and the Acromantula. Of all the crazy things the boy-who-lived had roped them into doing so far, this one definitively was going to get them killed. Draco couldn't stop mentally reciting facts from his creature book when Harry asked, "You're Aragog. Aren't you?"
"Yes… Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," the Acromantula, Aragog, responded.
"He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks like the last time. They think it's Hagrid. That, he opened the Chamber of Secrets, and you are the monster responsible," Harry explained in rushed, broken sentences.
Aragog clipped his pinchers in offense, "That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets! Hagrid is a good man!"
"Then… you're not the monster?" Harry questioned.
"No. The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land in the pocket of a traveler. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me…."
"Harry, can we leave now," Ron cried softly, tugging on his friend's shirt sleeve. Draco looked up to see where Ron was pointing and almost cursed aloud when he saw the hordes of spiders circling the boys.
Harry shushed him before continuing his interrogation, "But, if you aren't the monster, then what did kill that girl 50 years ago?"
Aragog growled, "We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."
"Have you seen it?" Harry asked, summoning his remaining courage.
"The only part of the castle I saw was the cupboard Hagrid kept me in. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused and blamed for her death, Hagrid protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…."
"Harry…" Draco breathed out, barely audible above Ron's whimpering.
"What?" Harry snapped, annoyed for being interrupted. The young Gryffindor quickly changed his tune as he looked up to see why his friends had been trying to get his attention. Gulping, Harry addressed Aragog, "Well, Thank you. We'll just be going now…."
"Go!?" Aragog laughed cruelly, "I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but alas, I cannot deny them the prospect of fresh meat when it wanders so freely into our midst. Goodbye… friends of Hagrid."
The boys huddled up, back-to-back, drawing their wands at the swarm of Acromantulas that had been converging upon the grove. It was clear to Draco that they were outnumbered and had no escape route.
"Can we panic now?" Ron sobbed.
"Know any spells?" Draco yelled.
"Just one! But it's not powerful enough for all of them," Harry shouted back.
"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron cried.
Just as the Acromantulas were closing in, the boys gasped when a sudden bright light illuminated the grove. Honking its horn and driving over the hill was the Ford Anglia that Ron crashed into the Whomping Willow. The car magically opened its doors to let the boys dive inside to safety. Ron took the driver's seat while Draco ushered Fang and himself in the back.
Harry cast the charm he knew to fend off a spider before jumping into the passenger seat just before the car reversed through the forest. Draco had never been in a muggle vehicle before, but he swiftly concluded that this was a truly terrifying form of transportation. He was jerked and thrown all over the cabin as the car avoided hitting trees and roots. Suddenly, the vehicle jumped into the air sending the boys up and over the tree line. Just as quickly as they entered the atmosphere, the boys went plunging towards the ground, roughly landing a few paces away from Hagrid's hut. Breathing heavily, the boys sat stunned for a minute until they were violently ejected from the cabin. Laying on the ground, Draco watched as the Ford Anglia revved its engine for a bit and then drove off into the darkness of the wood.
Fang started barking at the car when Ron got up, "Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"
Harry helped Draco up before running into Hagrid's hut to collect the invisibility cloak.
"I mean… what was the point of sending us in there! What have we found out?" Ron asked, still hysterical after the encounter.
"We know one thing. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent," Harry replied.
"We know more than that. We know the monster was born in the castle, and it doesn't get along with Acromantulas," Draco clarified as Harry threw the cloak over them.
"We can debate this tomorrow. Come on. Let's go," Harry said, exhausted.
"I still can't believe they are making us take exams after all this," Seamus loudly complained, distracting Draco from his essay. It had been a couple of days since the Forbidden Forest rendezvous, and the boys were still trying to process the information. Since the attacks, the library had designated study times, making it harder to access and continue their research. It was a depressing Friday afternoon, leaving Draco to sit by himself because his usual study partner and best friend was still lying petrified in the hospital wing. He tried not to feel defeated or bitter by the thought, intending to focus on his schoolwork when the chair opposite him scrapped along the floor. He looked up to see Luna taking a seat.
"Hello, Draco. How are you doing?" she asked politely.
Draco smiled at her, "Hey, cousin. I'm sorry we haven't talked much. This year has turned out to be quite… busy. How are you holding up?"
"Oh, no need to worry about me. I'm as well as can be expected," Luna said quizzically. Draco raised an eyebrow, trying to get her to elaborate when she waved him off. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I haven't gotten the chance to give my condolences. Hermione is your best friend. It must be very difficult for you to continue without her support."
"Yeah, I miss her a lot," Draco sighed. He quickly brushed off the melancholy mood before asking, "Have you made any friends, Luna?"
"Now that you mention it, I wanted to talk to you about something. You see… Ginny Weasley and I have been friends for quite some time, but then after the Chamber of Secrets opened, she started to become distant."
That caught Draco's attention. "Distant how?"
"It started small. She would cancel study sessions with me or stop talking to me for long periods of time. Then one day, I noticed her whole aura changed. She went from having a passionate and energetic red to a thin black line. Draco, I think someone or something is hurting her. It's quite literally draining her life force."
"Why haven't you told a professor about this?" Draco asked.
Luna paused for a moment thinking how to answer, "I don't think they will believe me."
Draco reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand, "I believe you."
"I know," Luna gave him a small smile, "I never did tell you, did I? You and Hermione share the same aura. Both of you have pale yellow ones that symbolize your optimism and intelligence. It's quite beautiful to look at when you two are in the same room."
Draco slowly retracted his hand, "That's very kind of you to say. You'll have to tell her when she wakes up."
"It won't be long now. Professor Sprout said the Mandrakes are a day or so away from harvest. Soon, everyone who was petrified will be awake again," Luna informed him in her usual whimsical tone.
"Mate! You have got to see this!" Ron came barreling over, sitting in the chair next to Draco with a heavy book, "Oh, hello Looney… I mean Luna."
"I'm sorry, but what did you just call my cousin?" Draco spat at the redhead causing Ron's cheeks to burn as bright as a tomato.
"Hello, Ron Weasley. It is a pleasure to see you again. I've heard all about your epic chess matches from some of the older students in my house and do hope that one day you will allow me to play you," Luna interjected politely, saving him from Draco's ire.
"Oh… uh… thanks, Luna! That's swell. If you don't mind, I need to talk to Draco for a second," Ron said.
"Of course. You, Draco, and Harry Potter need to stop the Heir of Slytherin from hurting anyone else. Don't let me keep you," she commented before walking away.
"You told her?" Ron gasped.
"No! I didn't!" Draco defended, "Luna just has a way of knowing things that others don't. She actually came to talk to me because she's worried about your sister and thinks someone is trying to hurt her."
"Who?"
"She doesn't know. Just said that Ginny's aura was fading and that she couldn't tell a teacher," Draco summarized.
Ron scoffed, "That's because everyone thinks Luna is crazy."
"Well, she's not! She's my cousin, and I expect you and Harry to be nice to her," Draco warned in a low tone.
"Hey, mate. I didn't know you two were related. I'm just repeating what I heard from Seamus," Ron raised his hands in defeat.
"Which is?" Draco prompted.
"That… Luna has some bizarre ideas and says some weird things. Also, some of the older Ravenclaws like to take her shoes and hide them. They think it's funny she doesn't try to find them and will go to class barefoot," Ron admitted. Draco cracked his knuckles and gritted his teeth at hearing that students were bullying Luna throughout most of her first year. Noticing his reaction, Ron patted Draco on the shoulder, "Look, mate. I get it. If it were Ginny in her place, I would be taking names as well. I'll help you hex the tossers someday. But right now, we need to focus on this."
Draco looked down at a page Ron had opened. It was an ancient creature textbook that depicted a giant serpent. He read the passage to himself.
Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters roaming our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, also known as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach a gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is b orn from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare…
"Ron, you did it! We need to find Harry now!" Draco jumped up from his seat, gathering his books, and ran to the Gryffindor common room. He barged through the door of the dormitory to find Harry lying on his bed. The dark-haired wizard was startled when he saw Draco and Ron running towards him.
"Ron figured it out," Draco blurted excitedly.
"Look," Ron said, handing the book to Harry, "The monster in the Chamber is a Basilisk! It's a giant snake! That's why only you can hear it when it's moving!"
"Ron! This is brilliant! How did you find this?" Harry asked.
"Well, after I calmed down from the… incident… I started researching Acromantula's since Aragog said that the creature was their mortal enemy, or whatever, and there was a cross-reference to this book!" Ron exclaimed.
"Hermione would be so proud of you," Draco laughed.
"Tell me about it. I don't think I've ever done this much research for any of my classes," Ron chuckled, "But one thing I don't get, besides the fact that no one has seen a giant snake slithering around Hogwarts, is that the Basilisk can kill people just by looking at them. How come no one has died?"
"And how has it been getting from place to place?" Harry asked.
"Well, you said you heard the voice in the walls. What's behind walls? Stone, ventilation ducts, piping…." Draco listed off.
"Pipes! You mean it could be using the plumbing?" Ron gasped.
"Don't sound so surprised, Ron," Draco cajoled, "Even you can't miss a giant snake roaming about. It's got to use something to sneak around and petrify everyone."
Ron rolled his eyes, "Right, it still doesn't explain why no one is dead. Not that I'm complaining."
Harry was gazing at his repaired bedside mirror, lost in thought, when he suddenly said, "Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Think about it. Colin saw it through his camera. Hermione through the mirror," Harry ticked off the attacks on his finger.
"Nick is a ghost, so he can't die twice, and then Justin saw the Basilisk through Nick," Draco added, Harry nodding.
"What about Penelope and Maxine? Mrs. Norris?" Ron questioned.
"Penelope was found near the Ravenclaw tower next to a window. She must have seen it through the glass. And then Maxine…." Harry trailed off, trying to remember where the older Hufflepuff was found.
"They found Maxine in the Prefect's bathroom next to the stained-glass window. She was getting ready to take a bath. She must have seen it through the bathwater in the tub," Draco recalled.
"Water… There was water on the floor that night we found Mrs. Norris," Harry finished.
"Don't you think it's kind of odd that all the attacks happened near or in a bathroom?" Draco asked the boys.
"Well, if it were using the pipes, a bathroom would be a sure way to get in, attack, and then get out," Ron theorized.
"Of course!" Harry sprang from the bed.
"Where are you going?" Draco called after him.
"Remember what Aragog said about that girl 50 years ago? He said she died in a bathroom. What if she never left?" Harry was practically jumping in anticipation like he had figured out the entire mystery.
"Myrtle's bathroom," Ron whispered, his eyes wide as he came to the same conclusion.
"We need to go," Harry ordered when a sudden announcement came over the intercom that everyone needed to return to the dormitory while teachers were to meet in the second-floor corridor.
Harry grabbed the invisibility cloak, and the three quickly headed towards the second floor, being mindful to avoid frantic students rushing back to their common rooms. The boys were leering around the corner to find themselves at the same spot where the first message appeared. More blood was dripping on the wall as the teachers huddled around the scene.
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. The monster has taken a student into the Chamber itself," McGonagall paused, "I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts. We need to prepare the students and send them home immediately."
McGonagall's morbid speech rang in Draco's ears. He was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from gasping when Lockhart flew past them, unaware.
"So sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?"
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last," Snape said snidely. He had a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.
Lockhart blanched, "My moment?"
"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asked, each word making Lockhart's face drop and sweat drip from his brow.
"That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy," McGonagall chimed in, "Your skills, after all, are legend."
"Very well," Lockhart's mouth formed a forced smile, lacking its usual charm and luster, "I'll just be in my office getting… getting ready."
As the staff was dispersing to inform the students of the turn of events, Madam Pomfrey touched McGonagall's arm, "Who has the monster taken, Minerva?"
"Ginny Weasley," the witch announced with a grieved expression on her face.
Ron slapped a hand over his mouth to keep from crying. When all the teachers had cleared the corridor, Harry flung off the cloak off of the boys. Draco could not tear his eyes away from the message in blood that reflected large and clear through the torches' light.
Her Skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever...
Harry threw off the invisibility cloak, turning to face Draco and Ron.
"It took Ginny!" Ron whimpered.
"I know. Ron, we need to go tell Lockhart," Harry said, walking back towards the staircase.
"Lockhart is useless, Harry!" Draco called out, following his friend.
"Maybe so, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. At least we can tell him what we know," Harry replied, sprinting towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The boys wasted no time and barged through the office door to find Lockhart frantically packing all his belongings.
"Are you going somewhere?" Draco snapped, not bothering to hide the disgust he felt for the man.
"Well, yes. Urgent call. Unavoidable… Got to go," Lockhart stammered out.
"What about my sister?!" Ron wailed.
"Well, um… as to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I…" the Professor responded, refusing to meet their eyes as he continued to pack.
"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. You can't go now!" Ron yelled at the man.
Lockhart didn't even look ashamed, "Well, I must say when I took the job, there was nothing in the job description…."
"You're running away?" Harry cut him off, "After all that stuff you did in your books?"
"Books can be misleading," Lockhart defended, the pitch of his voice rising.
"You wrote them!" Harry retorted.
"My dear boy! Don't you use your common sense? My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things," Lockhart said, exasperated.
"I knew it! You are a fraud!" Draco pointed in Lockhart's face, laughing at the man.
"You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done," Harry snapped.
"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked.
As soon as the question left the redhead's mouth, Draco snorted, "Not likely."
"Yes," Lockhart snipped at the boys, "Now that you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, all those wizards would have gone blabbing, and I'd never have sold another book. In fact, I'm going to have to do the same to you."
Half a second before Lockhart raised his wand on the boys, Draco, Ron, and Harry all pointed their wands at him.
"Don't even think about it," Harry gritted out, "Drop your wand."
Bristling about being outnumbered, Lockhart followed the command reluctantly.
Smiling manically, Draco took a step towards Lockhart, "If you two don't mind, I have a special spell in mind for our Professor."
Harry and Ron backed up just a smidge to give Draco some space to hex Lockhart. Draco waved his wand toward Lockhart's desk, "Go sit in your office chair."
Lockhart did as instructed. He slowly sat down without taking his eyes off Draco. The blond wizard let out a slight chuckled before his face dropped, eyes piercing on Lockhart.
"You know my father, Lucius Malfoy?" Lockhart nodded, prompting Draco to continue, "Well, there are some… unsavory rumors about him. Maybe you heard one or two, such as how he knows some extremely dark curses. Ones that he might or might not have taught me. I think doing one or two on you would be the least you deserve."
The Professor's eyes widened as Draco raised his wand higher, "Brachiabindo!"
Long, thick ropes coiled from the end of Draco's wand, magically wrapping around Lockhart and securing him to the chair. He was struggling against his restraints when Draco fired another spell, "Calvario!"
Ron couldn't help but laugh as all of Lockhart's hair instantly fell off his scalp. The man was completely bald. Draco flicked his wand, turning the chair so Lockhart could look in the mirror. He burst into a full-blown tantrum at the sight of his wavy golden locks shedding from his head.
"Oh, do stop your whining," Draco muttered before uttering one last spell, "Langlock!"
The jinx stuck Lockhart's tongue to the roof of his mouth, silencing the man's wails. Draco leaned forward with a menacing look on his face, "There are four people in the hospital wing, one of them my best friend. And now my best mate's sister is dying in the Chamber of Secrets. You don't get to run away from the consequences of your actions anymore, you sniveling, conceited chuffer. It may not be a memory charm, but these ropes have a particular counter curse that I'm fairly confident you don't know the spell. But look on the bright side, even if you don't have your hair anymore, I'm sure you will win Azkaban's most charming smile when the Prophet publishes your arrest portrait."
Lockhart was practically quaking in his bindings as Draco put away his 10-inch Hawthorn. He picked up Lockhart's discarded wand before turning to Ron and Harry, both staring at him wide-eyed and mouths open.
"What?" Draco asked them.
"You know, Hermione is scary, but you? Draco, you are terrifying," Ron said.
"That was brilliant! But Lockhart's going to have to wait until we get into the Chamber and save Ginny," Harry reminded the boys.
"Right. Girl's bathroom, here we come," Ron announced, following his friends out the door.
"Just out of curiosity, did your father really teach you those curses? I remember Hagrid steering me away from the book with the hair loss curse my first time in Diagon Ally," Harry asked.
"To be honest, I didn't know they were going to work until I cast them. And no, my father did not teach me. The manor has an extensive private library, and I was very bored," Draco revealed.
"Merlin! No wonder you and Hermione get along so well," Ron muttered.
They cautiously entered the lavatory to find Myrtle floating about, moaning per usual. She stopped and smiled when she saw Harry.
"Myrtle, we need to ask you… how you died," Harry said, approaching her cautiously.
The ghost's face fell. Myrtle's eyes glossed over a bit as she recalled the last day she was alive, "It was dreadful. Just dreadful! It happened right here in this particular cubical. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in."
"Who was it, Myrtle?" Harry inquired gently.
"I don't know. I was distraught!" she hiccupped before continuing her story, "But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language. When I realized it was a boy, I unlocked the door to tell him to GO AWAY! And then… I… died!"
"Just like that? How?" Draco asked.
"I only remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes… over there… by that sink," she pointed at one of the disused, rusty faucets before floating away, moaning about her misery.
Harry stepped up to the sink, inspecting it. He tried to turn the faucet, but no water came out. As he was running his fingers along the cool metal, he felt the indent of a snake on the left side of the nob. "This is it! The Chamber of Secrets."
"Great. Now how do we open it?" Ron asked.
"Open Sesame!" Draco shouted at the sink, earning him weird looks from Ron and Harry.
"What? It worked for Ali Baba. Haven't you read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights?" Draco asked. Ron shook his head, confused by the reference.
"Isn't that a muggle book?" Harry questioned in disbelief.
"Yeah… Hermione lent it to me over the summer," Draco admitted sheepishly.
"Well, I don't think Ally Babwah tried to open a hidden chamber with a deadly snake that can kill people by looking at it," Ron retorted, ignoring Draco correcting his mispronunciation under his breath. "If we don't have a spell, then maybe Harry should try saying something in Parseltongue."
"That's definitely a better idea," Draco muttered, embarrassed.
Not understanding a single word, Draco and Ron watched wide-eyed as Harry hissed at the sink. There was a deep pop, startling the boys. They backed up when they saw the top of the sink levitate towards the ceiling. The circular basin that connected all the faucets split apart to reveal the entrance. The young Gryffindors cautiously approached the recently uncovered dark hole in the floor to find a colossal pipe that was big enough for the boys to jump down. Still peering into the darkness, Ron gulped.
"Well, who wants to slide down Salazar Slytherin's murder tunnel first?"
Draco smirked, "After that description, I feel like you should go."
"Uh… how about the oldest first?" Ron corrected quickly.
"Still you, Ron," Draco replied.
"No! I'm not…" the redhead trailed off, realizing his mistake.
"See? Without Hermione, you are the oldest. Remember, June comes after March," Draco reminded him.
"Stone, Parchment, Wand?" Ron squeaked, shakily holding up his fist.
"Enough! We are all going together. Ready?" Harry interjected, "On the count of three."
The boys followed Harry's command, gravity pulling them speedily through the pipe into an underground chamber several yards below the school. They landed roughly in a pile of fish bones that cracked with each step they took. Harry cast a Lumos charm to help them see better.
"We could be under the Black Lake," Ron theorized, looking upon the low carved-out ceiling.
"Let's go this way, and remember, if you see anything move, you need to shut your eyes. Immediately," Harry ordered.
The boys carefully walked through the various dirty tunnels, being vigilant of their surroundings. The ground was rocky and uneven, which made it difficult for them to watch their footing. After what felt like forever, the boys stumbled across the remains of a snakeskin that Ron commented must have been at least 60 feet long. Once they passed a few more bends and turns, they finally found a round, iron door in the wall. It was locked by stone snakes that fanned out around the metal like spokes on a wheel. Just like in the bathroom, Harry told the door to open in Parseltongue, causing a metal snake to come to life and slither around the door. The motion pushed the other snakes back and unlocked the door leading to another chamber.
The new area was much larger and more open than the tunnels they left behind. The long pathway ahead appeared to be surrounded by water and flanked by giant stone sculptures resembling a viper's head on each side of the path, like an army standing at attention. Off in the distance was a floor-to-ceiling stone monument of what Draco presumed was supposed to be the face of Salazar Slytherin. The image did not improve the closer they got to what could be considered the Chamber's center.
"I see he went with a theme here. Can't say it's very inviting," Ron quipped when Harry suddenly stopped walking.
"Ginny!"
All three of the boys broke out in a run at the sight of Ginny Weasley lying on the cold floor, her left arm clutching the diary to her chest. Harry tried to shake her awake with no success. Ron begged Draco to use the spell on her that woke him up when the white queen knocked him out. It, too, was unsuccessful.
"She's so cold," Ron whispered, his voice cracking, "Please don't be dead. Please wake up."
"She won't wake," a voice said off in the distance. As the figure walked towards them, Draco could make out that he was an older student by the prefect badge on his robes, though the style was not one he recognized. Draco and Ron had no clue who the stranger was as they eyed him suspiciously, but Harry recognized him.
"Tom! Tom Riddle!"
"What do you mean she won't wake?" Ron snapped, his face dropping in realization, "She's not…."
"She's still alive, but only just," Tom Riddle replied stoically. Standing clearly in the light now, Draco noticed that he had dark brown wavy hair and a sharp jawline. The look on his face was quite callous, and any hope Draco had that this stranger could be an angel in disguise quickly vanished.
"Wait… Are… Are you a ghost?" Draco asked skeptically.
"A memory… preserved in a diary for 50 years. Safeguarded by a most trusted and loyal servant acting in the name of Salazar himself," Tom drawled, his eyes narrowing on Draco, "Such a shame the son could not live up to the name of the father."
"My… My father hid your diary?" Draco stuttered, the mystery coming together, "This summer… This was the dark artifact my parents fought about. He wanted to give it to me. He wanted me to open the Chamber of Secrets."
"Yes, now you are starting to comprehend," Tom said with a flourish before he went on, "So imagine my surprise when it wasn't the Malfoy Scion but an eleven-year-old girl who started writing in my pages… divulging all her secrets. Ginny was so lonely and, of course, being her only friend, had no problem sharing with me her deepest desires and venting her frustrations. You see, the more poor little Ginny sought comfort in my diary, the stronger I became until it was only too easy to manipulate and control her. Not that she knew what she was doing. Let's just say she was in a sort of a trance."
"No, that's not possible," Ron denied, "She couldn't! She wouldn't!"
"It was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was Ginny who set the Basilisk on the Mudbloods and Filch's cat. Ginny, who wrote the threatening messages on the walls," Tom taunted Ron.
"No! You're lying!" Ron yelled, tears streaming down his face as Draco held him back from lunging at Riddle.
"Why?" Harry demanded, "Why after all this time?"
"Why? To meet you, of course," Tom stated. He was circling the Gryffindors like a vulture eyeing his prey.
"Me?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes, I had to talk to you. Meet you if I could. When Lucius failed to hand Draco the diary, he tossed it off to the next most convenient person to bring my story to life, but then the power of the diary became too much for her. And so, Ginny tried to dispose of it that day in the bathroom… only for the person I was most anxious to communicate with, pick up a quill and take to the pages. But I had to gain your trust somehow, so I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid."
"Hagrid's our friend!" Harry spat, "and you framed him, didn't you?"
"It was my word against Hagrid's. Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent," Tom recalled with disdain.
Harry smirked, "I bet Dumbledore saw right through you."
"He certainly kept an annoyingly close eye on me after that. I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school, so I decided to leave behind a diary, thus preserving my 16-year-old self in its pages so that one day I would be able to lead another to finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work!" Tom revealed.
"Well, you won't finish it this time!" Ron yelled.
"That's right!" Draco added, "In a few hours, the Mandrake Draught will be ready, and everyone the Basilisk petrified will be all right again!"
Riddle manically laughed, "Haven't I told you? Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore."
The ghost, no spirit? Essence maybe? The lifeforce of Tom Riddle just kept dropping bombshell after bombshell of information that left Draco dizzy just by trying to keep up. He was barely coping with the fact that his father essentially wanted him to become possessed by a cursed object and be used to harm his best friend and others like her. But if opening the Chamber and ridding the school of those Slytherin deemed unqualified to learn magic wasn't the heir's goal, then what was? Draco was about to get his answer.
"For many months now, my new target has been you," Tom pointed at Harry, his eyes narrowed in a deadly gaze. "How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"
"Why do you care how I escaped? Voldemort was after your time," Harry questioned.
Tom gave an evil smirk, "Voldemort is my past, present, and future."
He summoned Harry's wand from the Gryffindor's hand using wandless magic, raising it in the air and writing his full name. With the wave of his arm, the burning letters moved to form a hidden message:
I
Am
Lord Voldemort