A/N so here's 26. Clara's back in action, but I see this chapter as easier in Renee POV unfortunately. Or maybe a mix. You know me, I just make stuff up as I go along. Kinda like JK Rowling on her twitter….anyways, chapter 26 everyone.
Renee POV
We walked up to Dumbledore's office, Clara gripping my hand. The door was ajar, and Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Percy, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley, David, McGonagall, Sprout, and Dumbledore were all waiting restlessly.
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screamed, running to hug her daughter. "Oh Ginny!"
David ran to Clara in quite the same way, their parents quickly on his heels. "Clara! You're safe! Oh Clara, we thought for sure…." He embraced her. Then he stepped back for his parents to hug her, and stepped over to me. "Renee." He smiled warmly.
"David."
"You…." he looked around at everyone. "You saved them!"
I looked at Harry and Ron. "They helped. Actually, Harry did most of the work."
"Nonsense." Harry shook his head. "You killed the snake."
"Well….fine. But I am not about to take credit for that alone."
"But Renee," Mrs. Bradley asked, "how?"
"I think that is what we would all like to know," said McGonagall faintly.
Harry and I looked at each other, and then launched into a fifteen minute explanation about the disembodied voice we had first heard with Lockhart, how Hermione and Clara had finally realized that the voice was a basilisk, how they had been petrified ("or else this whole thing could have been solved a lot sooner," Ron interjected), how we had followed the spiders after Hagrid was arrested and learned that the girl had died in a bathroom, and how I had figured out it was probably Myrtle.
"That's all very well," said McGonagall when I took a breath. "So you found the chamber, breaking more than fifty school rules, I might add. But how did you manage to escape?"
Harry's voice was growing hoarse, but I kept talking, telling them about Fawkes's timely arrival and how the heir was really Lord Voldemort. Everyone except for Dumbledore gasped at this point. Dumbledore just smiled and nodded. Then he spoke.
"What interests me most," he said, "is how Voldemort managed to enchant the girls. Especially when my sources tell me he is currently in Albania."
"You-know-who-enchant Ginny?" Mr Weasley stammered. "But Ginny's not….Ginny hasn't….?"
Harry and I exchanged a look of relief. Dumbledore knew that there was something else about this that didn't make sense, and he didn't want to blame first years.
"It was this diary, Professor," I explained.
Harry nodded. "Voldemort wrote in it as a boy."
"Brilliant," Dumbledore whispered. "Of course, Voldemort was one of the most brilliant students Hogwarts has ever seen." At this, the Weasleys looked shocked.
"Ah yes. You see, many people do not know that during his boyhood, Voldemort went by another name. His birth name was Tom Marvolo Riddle." Dumbledore showed them the diary.
"There's no way we are letting our daughter and her best friend stay here! We're bringing Clara and Renee home after we sort out this mess, and they're never returning. Witch or not, they have enough to worry about without episodes like this!"
"Dad no! Hogwarts is just as important to me as-" I gave her a look, there were enough people who didn't know the secret that she shouldn't say it here. "As Muggle school was back before all this," she finished lamely. I rolled my eyes.
"No! Clara, you can't stay here! We got a message from Renee saying you were probably dead, and that she was going to try to rescue you!" He turned to face Dumbledore. "Why would you let a school be run like this?"
I suddenly remembered something I should have thought of weeks ago, when Clara was petrified and I first got the letter from David. "Mr. Bradley, you see that woman over there? That's Professor Sprout, Clara's Head of House and the herbology professor. She's like us."
Mr. Bradley raised his eyebrows. "You mean….?"
"Yes, Dad," Clara said. "But not here."
"I am sorry to interrupt this but we should get Ginny up to the hospital wing. And there is one in your party who has been strangely silent. Cat got your tongue, Gilderoy?"
The five of us started laughing uncontrollably again. I know it was mean, but we couldn't stop. "Professor Lockhart tried to perform a memory charm on us, Professor. He used Ron's wand, though, so it backfired," I explained. Ron held up his broken wand, and his parents smiled weakly.
"Impaled by your own sword, Gilderoy?"
"I haven't got a sword. That girl does, though, she can lend you one."
Dumbledore smiled and looked at me.
"Ron, can you take Gilderoy up to the hospital wing? And Molly, why don't you follow with Ginny. Arthur, take the Bradleys, you all could use something for stress. Minerva, go alert the kitchen staff, I think we could use a feast."
McGonagall rolled her eyes. Dumbledore then looked at the remaining people, who were me, Harry, Clara, Sprout, Percy, Fred, and George.
"Fred, George, will you go up to the Gryffindor common room? I believe it was Longbottom who told you that Harry and Ron did not follow him up to bed? Will you alert him that everyone is safe?"
Fred and George left, smiling. "Percy, will you alert the other Prefects and Head Boys/Girls that the heir is gone and the chamber no longer a problem, and that there will be a feast for all houses?"
Percy nodded and left, much less cheerful than Fred and George had been. Once they were gone, we looked toward Sprout and Dumbledore. "You can't make us leave!" Clara begged. "I'll fight to get back. I'll enchant another Ford Anglia and fly here if I have to!"
Harry laughed and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. I grinned.
"Renee, you forgot, didn't you?"
"Forgot what?" I asked, although I was pretty sure I knew what.
"You forgot that I was a demigod-witch. Exactly like you two."
"Yeah, I guess." I grinned sheepishly. "But what will it do for our case?"
"I believe I told one of you that I had heard from Chiron recently. He's been….replaced, it's actually because of Kronos. Do you remember what Chiron and Kronos have to do with each other?"
Clara and I thought for a minute. "Kronos is….his father, isn't he?" Clara asked slowly. Sprout nodded. Then there was a bang on the door, and the conversation was interrupted as Lucius Malfoy burst in on us.
"So it's true. Dumbledore has returned, then? Even after the governors removed you?"
Dobby was trailing Lucius. When he saw the diary, he pointed between his master, the book, and his head. I couldn't figure it out.
"Strange tales they told me, too. Very strange indeed. Most of them were under the impression that you would curse their entire families if they didn't agree to suspend me." Dumbledore smiled. "I got a flurry of owls this evening, they seemed to think I was the best man for the job. Once they found out two girls, one being the daughter of a prominent Ministry worker, had been killed in the chamber, they requested me back immediately."
Lucius sneered. "Well?"
"What?" I snapped back without thinking.
"Hold your tongue you insolent little girl, this is a matter between the headmaster and myself."
"Don't talk to my students that way, Lucius," said Dumbledore calmly. "And yes, the attacks have been stopped."
"And the culprit?" He looked around at us, as if he believed one of us responsible.
Dobby was insistently pointing between the book and Lucius and then slapping his head. I finally understood, and Harry looked at me, he had too. Lucius was responsible for the diary.
"Same as last time, Lucius. But this time, he acted through others, Ginerva Weasley and Clarissa Bradley, via this." He indicated the diary, and it was clear that he understood Dobby's message as well. Malfoy raised his eyebrows.
"A clever plan, had it not been discovered. It was our very own Renee Sanderson, this first year you see here, who first had suspicions that this book may not be what it seemed. Had it not been discovered by Harry, Renee, and their friend Ron, Ginny Weasley could very well have taken all the blame, as if she was acting of her own free will." He looked right at Lucius as he said these last three words.
Lucius gave him a hard stare. "If you're trying to suggest that I had something to do with that diary ending up in Miss Weasley's possession, that's preposterous. I care deeply about the welfare of this school and its students."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Be that as it may, Lucius, if any of Voldemort's old school things were to find their way back, the punishments would be severe for the one responsible."
Lucius nodded. "If that is all, I'll be going now." He gave Dobby a kick, making Clara yelp.
Harry and I looked at each other. We were getting too good at communicating without words, something Clara and I had never mastered. It was a little unnerving.
I picked up the diary. "Professor, since Harry and I went through all the trouble, may we give this book back to Mr. Malfoy?"
Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling as they so often did. Harry and I ran out to catch him, leaving Clara and Sprout looking bewildered.
"Mr. Malfoy!" I called. "Wait!"
"What is it, girl?" He snarled when he saw me.
"We wanted you to have this, as it was originally yours," Harry explained innocently.
"Mine? Rubbish. Dobby, take this." He chucked the little book at the house elf, and Harry and I watched eagerly.
"Dobby, come," Malfoy ordered, but the elf wouldn't move. "I said come!"
"No!" The elf yelled. "Mister Malfoy is no longer Dobby's master!"
"Nonsense!" Malfoy retorted, but Dobby had flipped to the back page of the diary, where there were two socks. The elf had a wide grin. Harry cuffed his pants on his right leg, and I did the same with my left. Harry was missing one black sock, I was missing one pink.
"Potter! Sanderson! You cost me my elf!" Malfoy roared, pulling out his wand. Harry and I pulled out ours, but Dobby was quicker.
"YOU WILL NOT HARM HARRY POTTER AND RENEE SANDERSON!" Dobby shot something from his hands that tripped Malfoy. Harry and I grinned.
Dobby came over to us. "Thank you, Harry Potter and Renee Sanderson. Dobby will do anything to repay you, sir and miss."
"Just….never try to save our lives again, okay Dobby?" Harry asked. The elf nodded.
"Will you be okay, Dobby?" I added. We had to get back to Dumbledore, we hadn't finished our conversation. Dobby nodded again, and I grinned. I now knew that if the Bradleys knew Clara had friends like me and Harry, they'd let her stay.
Dumbledore smiled when we got back to his office. "Clara, I don't believe your parents have anything to worry about when you have friends like Renee and Harry here." We grinned.
"Now, who actually pulled that sword out of the hat?" Dumbledore asked.
"It was Renee, and she was the one who killed the snake. I just immobilized it."
"I thought so. Clara, Sprout, you may go. Clara, go down to the hospital wing and inform your family that they are of course allowed to stay for the feast, and that there is a hotel in Hogsmeade that will take them for the night if they wish. Pomona, can you send a letter to Azkaban for Hagrid's release?"
They nodded, and I grinned.
Once they left, Dumbledore resumed what he was saying. "This brings us to an interesting conundrum. You must have shown me real loyalty in the chamber, Renee and Harry. Otherwise Fawkes would not have come. Take a closer look at this sword."
On the hilt, there was an engraving. "Godric Gryffindor," Harry said. "So Renee….you belong in Gryffindor…." Harry and I looked up confusedly.
"So it would seem," said Dumbledore. "If you want, that is."
"But professor, it's clear I belong in Slytherin just as much as she belongs in Gryffindor. I mean, Voldemort and I have many similarities. We can speak Parseltongue, we're both orphans, we're both half bloods. The only reason I'm not in Slytherin is because I chose to be."
"All three of those things apply to me as well. I'm a Parselmouth, I'm an orphan, and I'm a half-blood. And I'm in Slytherin because I was given a choice, too," I said hotly. "And no, I really don't want to switch, Harry, I'm sorry. I chose Slytherin as a challenge when sorted, and the little eleven year old girl I was then would have done anything to be given this opportunity. But the twelve year old girl I am now wants to stay in Slytherin." Yep. It was June 9th, and I had been twelve for over a month without realizing it. "Who'd keep Sandra and Gill company? Who'd be there to keep Kaylee Parkinson in check? And most importantly, who'd be there to help Luna and save her from the teasing in Herbology?"
"Very well," said Dumbledore, smiling. "In that case, one hundred points each to Ron and Harry for Gryffindor, and fifty for Slytherin."
"Professor, that's not fair!" Harry yelled. "Renee did most of the work!"
"Oh, look at the hourglasses on your way out and you will see that it is, indeed, very fair." Dumbledore smiled again. "We'll have the closing feast tonight."
Harry and I left the office to make our way down to the feast, stopping to look at the hourglasses on the way. There were exactly as many rubies as emeralds, and Gryffindor and Slytherin were tied for the lead. Harry and I looked at each other and grinned.
A/N: So here's the next chapter. I'll be publishing a bit more this week, because I am on break. So enjoy the frequent updates while they last. Tomorrow I have to work a lot on homework, and on Friday I go to New York, so that means I expect to finish Chamber of Secrets with the feast and the train ride home on Thursday, and then I will read Sea of Monsters to see what I can do with Clara and Renee then. As always, please review! Thanks to reader chocolate-writing-perfection for being my biggest supporter and inspiration for this. If you aren't following her story, it's Love and Hate's Daughter, and then the sequel is The Years of Change. If you like this story, I can guarantee you'll love hers as well.
Anyway please review!
~Hufflepufferfish
