Hi everyone Clover here. And well I'm back with more of Mirror image. Once again this story is being coauthored by my friend and roommate Meggie182000 and DARKAMY1 over on deviant art. The original credit for the request for the story goes to DARKAMY1's friend Veronica who again, doesn't have a deviant art account. I know I take forever with updates Anyways Harry potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Please remember that updates for this story will be slow. Also this is the last completed chapter. As soon as more come out they'll be posted.
Chapter 3: Battle in the Chamber of Secrets
The days went rather quickly, in no time at all we've entered the third week of Hyacinth's physical treatment. For those past days before, Hyacinth/Hermione spent much of her free time reading the Parapsychology books sent by Hermione's parents, which she found truly fascinating, wizards should really consider adding such books to their libraries, add a fresh, different point of view about the supernatural.
The subjects contained in those books really are helping her discover the new powers she now possesses, powers she now knew to be Astral Projection, Telekinesis, and a branch of telepathic ability called Memory Implante, which explains why she's so good at creating fake memories for the bodies she uses. And thanks to the tips found in those books, Hyacinth/Hermione was able to train in her new powers when ever she can during brakes and even classes, using Hermione's or someone else's body.
In only a few days of training, Hyacinth got a pretty firm control over her Telekinetic powers, now she can call upon them at will and with enough precision to manipulate things from a distance without failing, Malfoy got the privilege of experimenting that precision first hand during a Quidditch game, when, while possessing Snape's body, the Quaffle suddenly flew on its own to the astonishment of all and kept fallowing Malfoy around like the spelled Bludgers that tried to kill her earlier in the year. Poor Malfoy hit a wall trying to get away from it and Snape, whom McGonagall saw him doing discreet but still noticeable movements with his wand, accused him of being responsible for the spelled Quaffle. Yes, revenge is sweet indeed.
Unfortunately, her training also increased the weird supernatural happenings in the school, which of course made the teachers more alert to find the source of those happenings and stopped them, they were all even hoping that these happenings and the attacks were one and the same and that stopping them would also stop the attacks. Hyacinth doesn't blame them, and she sure wants to stop those attacks herself, but she can't stop her training just yet, guess she'll have to train more discreetly.
But her training also developed her intuition to in almost telepathic level, its was thanks to it that Hyacinth finally noticed just how strange Her friend Ginny's been acting and looking: She became extremely pale, her eyes seem to be getting swollen and turning red, she could feel her aura turning more and more dark and more then once, she surprised her in the Hospital Wing near her body, waving her wand in complicated patterns over it as if scanning it to find something.
That night, Hyacinth surprised Ginny at her bedside again doing the exact same thing, only this time, she was not along.
''Hey, Ginny, what are you doing?'' it was Axel that said that, his shoulder was aching again, so he came to the Hospital Wing to ask for something to make it better, that's when he surprise Ginny with her wand pointing at Hyacinth's body.
Ginny in turn immediately turned around to face him while trying to hide her wand. "Me? i'm not doing anything, just making sure Hyacinth is comfortable in her bed." Ginny said to Axel, who was not convinced. "Oh, then if you're not doing anything, why are you here so late and why do you have your wand out?" Axel asked, looking suspicious of the redhead.
'Something's not right here.' Axel thought. "Well, I could ask why you're here so late too." Ginny said while looking at the boy up and down with a critical look. "My shoulder's bugging me again, so I came here to ask Madam Pomfrey for a soothing potion or something." Axel said while putting his hands in his pockets. "But you still haven't answered my question Ginny." Axel added, "I did answer you, i'm here helping my friend." Ginny said. "Then why do you have your wand out?" Axel said, starting to get annoyed with the Gryffindor's lies.
"That's none of your business." Ginny said irritably, then without warning she took out her wand and cast a stunning spell him.
Axel reacted on pure instinct and clapped his hands together to create a shield on his prosthetic arm, which he used to shield himself from the spell. 'Heh I guess all those sparing matches against Amy really came in handy.' Axel thought while making the shield disappear.
'What kind of magic was that?!' Ginny thought while casting another stunning spell, but Axel side stepped the jet of red light then He cracked his neck and grinned "Let's do this." Axel said as he clapped his hands again, turning his metal arm into a blade. "I'll try not to hurt you, but you might end up with a scratch or two if you piss me off, Of course if you want to get out of Ginny and face me yourself then I'm okay with that." Axel said just after he performed a telepathic scan of Ginny's mind and now knew Ginny wasn't in control.
"Clever boy. I fooled everyone else, even Ginny herself. But I must ask, how you figured it out." Ginny said with a very creepy and sly grin. "*Shrug* It was simple, I've seen enough cases of possession and people plunging into insanity to know when someone isn't themselves." Axel said, then lunged at Ginny with his blade, but she managed to dodge the blow and retaliate with a curse of her own, which Axel blacked by switching his arm from blade to shield form.
Meanwhile,
Hyacinth watch the sudden duel that was taking place from above them and was surprise by the strange display of power Axel was showing, but she was even more surprised that this kid was able to tell that Ginny wasn't herself.
That's when she noticed that Axel raised his head a bit and seemed to nod at her in a knowing sort of way 'WTF, can he see me?' Hyacinth thought when Ginny or rather, the person controlling Ginny, fired a spell that forced Axel to dodge away from the door, giving the possessed Ginny the opportunity to run out of the Hospital Wing. Axel went in pursuit, but not before he signaled Hyacinth to follow him, 'OMG, he really can see me.' Hyacinth thought again as she followed him out.
The two gave chase to the possessed girl and Axel was a lot faster than he appeared, even when being able to fly, Hyacinth could barely keep up, but she managed to keep them both in her line of sight.
The three then got to an intersection in corridor, Ginny got their first, making the 2 others loose sight of her for a second, and it was more then enough for them to loose track of her completely, its like she disappeared out of thin.
Axel stopped running and leaned against the wall, clutching a stitch in his side and gasping for breath, then he turned his arm back to normal and clutched both sides while Hyacinth let her feet touch the floor next to him.
"So, how long have you been able to see me?" Hyacinth asked the panting boy. "S-Since you possessed Longbottom." Axel said between breathes, ''That long? Then way haven't you-'' before Hyacinth could finish her question, the two heard footsteps coming their way.
"Well, Well, Well what do we have here?" A voice said. 'It's Lockhart.' Hyacinth and Axel thought. "A student out of bed. Ah all this trouble just for my autograph." Lockhart said while coming over to a still gasping Axel.
While it made her none existent skin crawl, Hyacinth immediately took the opportunity that presented itself and took over that buffoon Lockhart just as he took out a per signed photo of himself from his night robe pocket. "Good work Hyacinth, you'll need that fool if wee are to fight the one possessing your friend Ginny." Axel said as Hyacinth/Lockhart took complete control of their teacher. "Well Lockhart is the easiest person in the castle to possess, so I took the opportunity. But once i Wake up, i'm so going to need a hot shower." Hyacinth/Lockhart said while shuddering in slight disgust, possessing in idiot like Lokhart or a git like Snape always left her feeling dirty.
"So as I was saying before. Why didn't you say anything?" Hyacinth said, obviously a bit annoyed and curious at how he did it. "I didn't wanna risk a confrontation. People already look at me weird because of my missing limb, so imagine how they well react when a start talking into empty space." Axel said, having regain control of his breath.
"Good point. Anyways i'm just glad i can talk to someone as myself again." Hyacinth said with a smile.
"But how are you able to see me when I'm not possessing someone anyways?" Hyacinth then asked curiously, "Its because i recognized the symptoms of illness you've been having since the start of the year. and I'm speculating that Madam Pomfrey found toxins in your bloodstream and a tumor in your brain. I know all that well because you, like me, were exposed to certain chemicals. However your exposure seems more advanced since you've most likely have been exposed to the chemicals for a longer period than I was, If the rumors about your guardians are true at least." Axel said with a dead serious expression at the end.
"But what does this have to do with you seeing me like this?" Hyacinth asked again.
"Well Hyacinth, to put it simply, the tumor in your brain gives you the ability to use at least half or maybe more of your brain, which gives you the abilities you posses, astral projection included. I myself have a tumor and it allows me to use about 42% of my brain, which gives a strong connection to the astral plane to see and sense other people there." Axel explained, stunning Hyacinth/Lockhart as he/she processed all that information.
"Listen Hyacinth, i know what i just said is shocking, but right now i need you to stay focus on the current problem here, cause I have a plan to help Ginny." Axel said, snapping Hyacinth/Lockhart out of his/her shock state. "Oh yeah, your right, Let's here it." Hyacinth/Lockhart said, grateful that someone had a plan to help his/her friend.
"Tomorrow's a Saturday, which would have been the first match for the house cup." Axel said, "Yeah I know that, the match was rescheduled for when I got out of the hospital wing, or rather 'When i return from rest at home', as Professor Dumbledore said to everyone else at school to explain my absence, the only exception are the staff, my friends and you apparently." Hyacinth/Lockhart said, doing air quotes at one point.
"*Nod* right. Anyways, on that day the halls and classrooms of the school well be mostly empty, so we should be able to search the castle for Ginny and whoever or whatever's possessing her. My guess is that the entity that's possessing her well take her to the chamber of secrets. So looking for its entrance must be are top priority." Axel said.
"*Smiles* No problem, I already know where the entrance is. One of the advantages of Astral projecting is that you can go anywhere without restrain and discover many a secret. " Hyacinth/Lokhart said. "*Smile* Good, that'll make things a lot easier." Axel said back. "Okay, so tomorrow we go down there, defeat whatever's down there and then we save Ginny, Right?" Hyacinth/Lockhart said while hitting a fist against his/her hand.
" *Nod* That's the plan, but there's just one more thing you'll need to do." Axel said. "What?" Hyacinth said. "You'll need to keep possessing Lockhart till this is over if you want to fight. He well also be good cover If we get caught sneaking into the chamber ." Axel said, making Hyacinth/Lockhart groaned in annoyance. "Look, I know the man's a git and a liar. I've known for almost a year now that he takes credit for more then 50% of the adventures he talks in his books from the true adventures that lived them and whipped away their memories so they wouldn't tell on him. The rest were just made up by himself." Axel said, feeling a bit awkward to admit something like that for some reason.
''Well that explains it, the man can't even cast a simple bone mending spell right, let alone face and defeat monsters like Vampires and Banshees. But how the hell do you know he's a fraud?'' Hyacinth/Lockhart asked.
Axel's eyes then lit up with visible excitement, he obviously never really had the chance to talk to anyone about his abilities. "Well, and I know this might sound crazy, but there are others like us. You see, if a person is exposed to certain conditions, such as extensive Radiation or Chemical exposure, or a strong enough trauma to the head and servives, a non dangerous tumor will grow in the Dead Zone part of the brain, allowing one to access much more of their brains than humans normally can, giving mental powers, Improving the body's Healing abilities and slowing the aging process. These people are called muggle witches, since the first ones that discovered these abilities were labeled by regular humans as such. But until recent years, only regular humans have become Muggle Witches, you and me are the first known Magical/Muggle Witch Hybrids." Axel said before taking a break to catch his breath, then continues.
"The muggle witches have an entire society just like the magical community, but ours is closer, while still hidden from muggle society and it incorporates more muggle science that may look like magic to them, like are own potions created through ancient and modern chemistry and Voodoo Dolls which are really more like a way for a telepathic MW to extand their telepathic range to a particular target through visual aid then in actual magical doll. Also like the Magicals, wee have a whole , but smaller government that keeps track of every Muggle Witches on the planet called the Witch's Council... and i'm rambling, aren't i?" Axel said while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
''Hey don't worry about it, I can ramble about quddicth all day if someone doesn't stop me." Hyacinth/Lockhart said while laughing a bit, making Axel laughed too.
"Man, since I've came to Hogwarts, I've never really been able to talk to someone like a normal person. Hell people in my own apartement building avoid me just because of my arm. Your the only one who's treated me like a normal guy aside from my parents and uncle Roddy, who's also a muggle witch working for the council." Axel said smiling.
"Well, how about when this is all over and I regain consciousness, we hang out some more." Hyacinth said while smiling back. "That would be really cool. Who knows, maybe you could make the train and come visit my current home town, its in Ulm Germany, in a large apartement building on the 4th floor, Door number 410" Axel said, making Hyacinth/Lockhart smile. "That sounds really cool. The next time the Dursleys take me to London, I could steal some of my uncle's money and sneak away to board a train for Germany." Hyacinth/Lockhart said, "*Grin* Okay, but you should probably get to Lockhart's room and have his body sleep for the rest of the night while I head back to the hospital wing to make sure your body's ok and to get that something for my aching shoulder." Axel said, to which Hyacinth/Lockhart nodded and The two parted, unaware of what was going to happen.
The next day.
Everyone was in the great hall panicking over the news that a student was taken to the chamber of secrets while Hyacinth, still in Lockhart's body, and Axel made way to the Girl's bathroom on the second floor, accompanied by Ron, who looked to be in a semi trance.
the reason for all that is that Axel told Hyacinth/Lockhart before breakfast that they would need a third person in the chamber with them, so while Hyacinth took care of the monster that petrified the students and Axel took care of the thing that was possessing Ginny, the third person could get Ginny out of there. The two first decided on Hermione, but then remembered she was found petrified 3 days ago along with in other girl named Penelope Clearwater, so Ron was the second logical choice since he is Ginny's brother.
For that to happen, Axel brought earlier a Zaubertrank, a muggle witch potion his uncle made for him just encase that he poured into Ron't pumpkin juice and put him in a mind control trance that well make it easier to gain his help, and once the potion wears off, he won't remember what has or well happen, making it easier for Hyacinth to implante false memories later on.
After the potion took effect, all 3 were going to leave when suddenly, professor Finch ran into the room and yelled. "A student has been taken into the chamber!" causing all hell broke loose, everyone was scrambling around while Axel took the opportunity to grab Ron and managed to get them both out of the great hall, with Hyacinth/Lockhart not far behind them.
This all brings use back to the current event where are three heroes march to Myrtle's bathroom. Once in there and after convincing Myrtle to let them do what they had to, Hyacinth/Lockhart put him/herself in front of the bathroom's sink and focused his/her telekinetic power on it to forced it open.
When Hyacinth discovered the chamber for the first, she somehow discovered that it can only be opened by someone that can speak Parseltongue, but for some reason she can't talk Parseltongue in other's body. With no other choice but to ''Break Down the Door'', the whole sink crumbled and split in half under Hyacinth/Lockhart's impressive display of raw power.
She then stepped back as the huge pipe was exposed. "Oh man, that looks like a hell of a drop." Axel said as he looked down into the dark pipe and turned pale. "Are you okay?" Hyacinth/Lockhart asked, noticing that the poor boy looked like he was about to throw up.
"I'm fine, or I'll be fine once we get in there. It's just, seeing a huge drop like this reminds me of when the train began to tilt and fall while we were going down a steep incline." Axel said while clutching his arm, getting paler by the second.
"Axel listen, this won't be like the train wreck, it'll be like a slide. Don't worry I'll be right behind you." Hyacinth/Lockhart said, offering him some sort of comfort. Axel nodded as he heaved himself into the pipe and let himself slide down and landed down safely.
He then shouted that it was safe to come down and Hyacinth/Lockhart went next followed by Ron. Once they were all down they briefly walk down a tunnel and soon ended up in the corridor leading to the chamber.
"We'd better be careful, looks like the ceiling could cave in at any given moment." Axel said while looking up at the cobblestone ceiling. Hyacinth/Lockhart looked up as well, seeing the huge cracks on the ceiling, then he/she exchanged a knowing look with Axel, they needed to move even faster now.
Hyacinth/Lockhart, Ron, and Axel moved along the corridor as carefully as possible when suddenly, a green glow on the ceiling formed cracks, making the ceiling start to cave in. "Shit! Move!" Axel yelled while pushing Hyacinth/Lockhart forward and grabbing Ron's arm, pulling him forward. Unfortunately, the group was separated by the cave in, but they are all still alive.
Axel and Ron were on one side of the rock pile and Hyacinth/Lockhart on the other, coughing as the dust cleared. "Axel, Ron, are you guys okay?!" Hyacinth called out. she heard some coughing then Axel's muffled voice came through. "Ron's been knocked out and he has a gash over his left eye, but other than that he's fine. Unfortunately for me, my prosthetic arm got crushed by the falling rocks, but otherwise I'm fine to. I can move the rocks and join you on the other side!" Axel called out, but then a few pieces of rock fell from the heavily damaged ceiling on Hyacinth/Lockhart side, and he/she immediately knew what would happen if they tried to move the rocks.
"Axel wait, don't do it or more rocks well fall and crush you for sure, you should stay where you are with Ron since he's hurt, i'll go on without you and be back soon." Hyacinth/Lockhart called back to her trapped friends. ''*Sight* your right, but before you go, take this.'' Axel called out while managing to slip a vial of Purple colored Liquid through the cracks of the rock pile. ''What's that?'' Hyacinth/Lockhart called as he/she took the vial, ''In other potion gifted to me by my uncle just incase , it boosts stamina, diminishes pain and speeds up the body's ricovery from certain injuries and very bad diseases. Give it to Ginny after the entity in her is expelled and destroyed, it well make her feel better.'' Axel explained.
"I will don't worry. Wait, how do we get that thing out of her anyway?" Hyacinth/Lockhart said, still having no idea what he/she was about to face. "I'm not sure, but maybe if you focus hard enough, you could telepathically force the entity out of her, if your mentally strong enough to do it that is. Guess you'll find out soon enough." Axel said. "I guess wee well, thanks for the advice and take care of Ron so he doesn't bleed to death." Hyacinth/Lockhart said. "I will, just promise you'll get back here with Ginny, okay?" Axel said, sounding worried. "I'll come back with Ginny, don't worry." Hyacinth/Lockhart before walking down the corridor.
Eventually, she came across a huge snake skin in the middle of the corridor, that's when he/she remembered that Hermione read something about a giant snake, a basilisk, while searching for possible monsters that could petrify people and during one of her possessions, it must be the monster that's been terrorising the school.
That's when Hyacinth/Lockhart immediately started sprinting, terror seized him/her as he/she clued out for Ginny, not caring in the least that the basilisk could hear him/her coming.
Eventually Hyacinth/Lockhart arrived in front of the chamber of secrets door, which again can only be opened using Parseltongue, so again he/she had to telekinetically push it open, ripping the door off of its hanges and loundly clatter on the floor.
Inside, Ginny was lying unconscious near a large stone face at the end o the chamber. Hyacinth/Lockhart ran forward and got almost halfway across the chamber when a disarming charm hit him/her in the stomach, knocking him/her backwards. "Damn that hurt." Hyacinth/Lockhart said while clutching his/her stomach as Tom Riddle stepped out of the shadows with Ginny's wand in hand.
Hyacinth/Lockhart immediately stood up and stood his/her ground. "Who are you and why did you bring a student down here?" Hyacinth/Lockhart asked while pretending to be just Lockhart. "I am Lord Voldemort, or at least I'm his sixteen year old self named Tom Riddles. And I brought this girl here to give my faithful beast a proper kill and to reveal to the world that I am the heir of Slythrien!" Tom said while looking deranged.
"Like hell you are!" Hyacinth/Lockhart yelled while raising his/her hand and released a telekintic pulse, but Tom blocked it with a shield charm. '' I do not know what kind of magic you just used fool, but that won't save you from my pet, [Awaken my pet, and kill this arrogant fool!]'' Tom said the last words in parseltounge, then suddendly the mouth of the statue opened and out slithered the monster of Slytherin: A basilisk almost as tall as the castle.
Immediately, Hyacinth/Lockhart closed his/her eyes, knowing that one look at that monster well kill him/her instantly, now he/she has no choice but to relly on sound and her developing psychic intuition to fight.
The monster struck, but Hyacinth/Lockhart managed to dodge it, and every other strikes it made the next 5 minutes. "Kill him you dumb animal!" Tom yelled at the monster, distracting it just enough for Hyacinth/Lockhart to fire in other telekinetic wave that hit the beast in the eye, destroying it and making blood poured heavily out of the now roaring in pain snake's face.
"Lucky shot Lockhart, but You're luck just ran out. [devour him!]" Tom said, adding the last part in parseltounge." Hyacinth/Lockhart dodged the attack again and fired in other pulse, but this time it was not telekinetic energy , but ice, he/she felt a pulse of ice shoot out of his/her hand, to his/her surprise, and hit the Basilisk Under his head, it quickly freezed and shattered into a thousand pieces, but one of its fangs went flying and buried itself into Hyacinth/Lockhart, the pain snapping him/her out of her shock daze caused by the appearance of her new Cryokinetic power.
"What the hell?!" Tom yelled, angry that his monster was destroyed by this buffoon. "Heh, you're luck just ran out Riddle." Hyacinth/Lockhart said, knocking him back with a telekinetic blast and making him drop with look like a small black book. Hyacinth/Lockhart could feel the dark energy pulsing it and knew it was the source of Tom's life force, if he/she destroys it, he/she well destroy Tom.
'This is gonna hurt!' Hyacinth/Lockhart thought as he/she grabbed the fang stuck in his/her arm and yanking it out, making his/her arm blood splattered out from the wound, then he/she extended his/her hand to summon the book at her side and immediately stabbed 3 times, which cause Tom to scream in agony as his body disentagrated and then exploded in a burst of light, ending this mess once and for all.
Hyacinth/Lockhart then walked over to the unconscious Ginny, feeling very exhausted because of the venom coursing through his/her veins, slowly killing Lockhart, oh well, the death of a Liar/Thieve/Pervert won't be that big of a lost to the world.
Hyacinth/Lockhart got Ginny into a sitting position and managed to open Ginny's mouth and poured the potion Axel gave to him/her down her throat. A few minutes after, Ginny's color came back and she was already looking so much better, good enough for Hyacinth/Lockhart lift her up in his/her arms safely and carried her on his/her back out of the chamber, taking the destroyed black book with him/her to have it shown to professor Dumbledore.