A/N: I do not own Harry Potter nor the Advent of the Archmage. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Mo Xiang respectively.

The ride down was not long, it was not short either. However, the thing that bothered the two students the most was the feeling of some slimy substance that kept clinging to their robes. It was too dark to see the colour but they were hopeful it was just algae and not any other type of disgusting imagery their repulsed brains could come up with.

Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Grateful to get out of the sewage they just slid down. Glancing back at the fallen Potter, Link couldn't help but tease her.

"Well, you failed to keep up little Potter. Look at you down in the dumps"

Reminded that she was indeed sitting on the floor of a sewage system, Rose was nauseated. She jumped to her feet as fast as she could. Giving her chuckling friend the stink eye.

"At least you cleaned some of the gunk off for me, seeing as you slid in before me. So there" She stuck out her tongue for good measure.

She felt a bit disappointed that the only reaction she got was her friend still snickering at her.

The situation was serious, but Link did not want Rose to feel pressured, so he tried to ease the tension a bit. He was already on his way to the snake ingress in front of them. Rose in step with him.

It was an odd hatch, reminiscent of the doorway on a submarine, though without the gears. The design is in line with the whole Slytherin motif. A grouping of snakes slithering towards the edges of the wall as though to latch onto it and ensure its sealed state.

Rose already knew what she had to do and spoke with having to be prodded by Link.

$Open$

Similar to the sink above, hardly a sound was made as the stone serpents seem to come alive, moving about the wall as they turned around and returned to the doorway, seemingly melting within. Soon after, the door swung inwards revealing the tunnel entrance to the next location.

With a deep breath, Rose followed Link who already stepped forward unperturbed by all the theatrics.

Moving forward along the subterranean passage, Rose felt as though she were a criminal on death row. Walking morosely to the hanging noose just beyond the exit. The adrenaline shot that is common among humans when their 'Fight or Flight' response was triggered was oddly absent. Searching for the reason for such an occurrence, all she saw was Link's steady back as he made his way at a steady and calm pace. Neither in a hurry nor with any reluctance.

His stride was the epitome of confidence, the march of a King on his way to bless the masses with his very presence. It struck her as odd, yet it made sense at the same time. Link had always been incredible, why should he change now that they are in foreign territory. The strange dichotomy of calm and anxiety presented a strong contrast within her mind. The thought 'As long as Link is present, nothing should shake me' made itself known, engraved deep in her subconscious. Turning the thought into a reflex, an action made without any conscious input.

Their feet echoed in the massive chamber, plopping onto the water that is just above the floor. Before them lay a massive statue, the detail reminiscent of the finest sculptor in the muggle world. The attention to detail and the realism it exuded provided the illusion that the statue is alive, its eyes following their every movement as they made their way to it.

They came to halt as they came upon a person standing before the statue. They recognised their lithe form. It was none other than Luna Lovegood standing idly, her gaze stuck on the great effigy. Almost as though in a trance.

It would have been dismissed as another trait from the usually spacy pre-teen, had it not been that Link felt as though something was missing. Her magical signature seemed to be fluctuating erratically, as though it was on the verge of change.

However, that is ridiculous. Magical signature does not just change. Even as you grow in power, your signature is the same as the day you first awakened your mana. Similar to how a thumbprint is unique to every individual, the Magical signature is unique to an individual.

The only way a change could happen is when the individual delves into dark magic, and even then the signature is the same only tainted with the stench of darkness. A less than pleasant imagery would be the same fingerprint but caked in grease and grime. The print is still the same but buried underneath a disgusting cloak.

It is for that reason that he held up his hand to stop Rose from approaching their friend.

"Luna, are you ok?"

Dumbledore was standing alongside the head of the DMLE, Madam Bones, in the very corridor where a professor had just lost his life. Her aurors scurrying about to try to locate a modicum of evidence or clues to determine the culprit of the vile act.

They were discussing the situation, each of them sporting a severe expression. Appalled that death happened in these sacred halls. The Headmaster felt numb as he recalled a similar scene fifty years ago.

It was just before he decided that he will fight against Grindelwald, his old friend. His mind was preoccupied with the great war happening just beyond the walls of his school. He didn't see the signs, and could not strive further as the ministry at the time simply did not have the time to deal with a single accidental death inland. The war was at its height, the muggle side was brutal and dangerous. Thousands upon thousands of bombs and rockets exploded within the capital. The Ministry did everything it could to keep itself hidden from the eyes of the muggles, as well as fight off all agents sent by the opposing wizard. In a way, the war was much more dangerous than the war with Voldemort as it included many more countries than a simple civil war. However, Voldemort waged war for a much longer period of time.

However, that is no excuse. He could never forgive himself, his inattention had caused the death of a student. It could be said that he agreed to fight in the war because he needed to escape the guilt he felt for having lost a student.

It is for such a reason that he never allowed himself to be called a war hero. He knew deep down, that although he might have been the reason Gellert was defeated, he made so many mistakes before that. He did not join the wizarding task force. He did not participate in raids. He did not see the horrors of war. At least, not at first. All he did, was head to wherever Gellert was present. He fought him, he ensured that nobody else fought him or there could have been more casualties. Dumbledore was the strategic deterrent of the allied front. But he felt that those men and women that fought on the daily, were more deserving of praise, compared to him that had stayed in relative luxury and ended the war eventually in a truly epic battle.

He knew this, as he had participated in a raid once. In the hopes that he could be of more use. There was no great honour in these fights, it's killed or be killed. It was a horrible experience. It is why he never wanted his country to enter an era of war. All that death could have been avoided.

He tended to be lenient to Death Eaters precisely because of this past trauma. He always wished to negotiate, to circumvent the need for death. Unfortunately, Death Eaters are fanatics. Fanatics do not listen to reason. Sadly, Dumbledore could not force himself to stop showing mercy. War changes people, and he became more attached to the idea of life and love, rather than hate and death.

"Headmaster, Madam Bones, please help us"

The two leaders of the Light Faction turned their heads towards the source of the commotion. They were surprised to see a teacher, Professor Babbling more specifically, rushing towards them. She seems to be anxious and fretful. Concerned, the Headmaster gave her his full attention, Madam Bones was also curious.

"What's the matter Bathsheda? Did something happen?"

Calming down slightly before the reassuring aura she felt within the presence of the great wizard, the Professor took a deep breath:

"I'm sorry to disturb you Headmaster, Madam Bones, but something did indeed happen. Once all the teachers and staff were gathered in the Great Hall, we discovered that a few students were missing. The Deputy Headmistress sent out a couple of Professors to look for the wayward students, however, it's been close to an hour now since we left but there are still three students missing. By taking a closer look we discovered that they are Luna Lovegood, Link Granger and Rose Potter."

The news was alarming, the mere loss of students was cause enough to panic. However, when one of said missing students is a national hero and celebrity, whose very presence is a symbol of peace and freedom. Well, it just became a national problem. They must find her immediately if they are to have any hope of mitigating any problems that might crop up in the future.

"Also, Professor McGonagall had the idea of having the elves look for the students, which in hindsight should have been the first method we used, however, even the elves only managed to transport us to a bathroom on the second floor. For all three students. Something is blocking the elves from reaching the children."

It now became obvious why the Professor seemed so stressed previously.

Nodding, Dumbledore asked that the Professor lead the way to the bathroom, turning to his partner he spoke:

"Madam Bones, I think there is a possibility that we will find a clue to this incident with the students. It is too much of a coincidence that such matter happens mere hours after the death of a Professor. Care to join me?"

"Yes I will, Chief Worlock."

Hopefully, they could reach the young witches and wizards before it is too late.

"I'm sorry, Luna is not available at the moment. Can I take a message?"

Luna, or rather, Luna's body turned around slowly revealing the unhinged grin on her face. Her eyes, wide and intense, it is clear that the girl before them is not their friend.

The girl was still in her school uniform, including the Witch's hat that no one ever wears, except on special occasions. Not even the professors are strict with that particular item of clothing, bar perhaps Professor McGonagall.

They had assumed it was another of their friend's eccentric behaviour. Now they were not so sure. The Gryffindor pre-teen eyed non-Luna with cautious intent. Was she really not the friend she knew? What happened to Luna? What's going on?

"Who are you?"

Link was still as calm as could be. He stared at the entity before him, was it still Luna? Doubtful, but perhaps the girl he has grown to care for is still there, buried underneath whatever is taking the front seat of her body.

"Oh? I wonder, should I answer?"

Not-Luna sported a taunting smirk on her face, it seemed really odd when one remembered the sweet girl she is.

"How did you possess Luna?"

Rose was staring wide-eyed at the process, small unshed tears at the corner of her eyes. Is Luna… dead? No, she can't be. She must still be in there somewhere. It should be similar to what Link told her happened to Quirell last year. Luna is still alive. They have to save her.

"Enough… you are quite presumptuous boy if you think you are owed any explanation from me. How dare a mere mud-blood question me? Just know, that your friend is no more. There is only me until I create a better body than this weak vessel."

Not-Luna sneered in disdain at the end, but she did look at the boy in front of her with an odd glint in her eyes.

"Though, perhaps I do not have to look too far. You seem to have good potential, despite your less than stellar pedigree."

Although he was being compared to a dog right now, Link showed no reaction to the quite frankly subpar provocation. Rose was a bit miffed, but even she knew it was not much of an insult. It was petty, really.

"I know that you are trying to anger me with such blatant goading, but honestly, you aren't very good at it. I have heard better insults from a muggle school cafeteria. Turns out, with all your 'noble' blood as a wizard, you are no better than a muggle child. Do you see your life? All that for nothing."

A snort escaped Rose as she tried to stifle her laughter. Link was too bad, how could he attack someone like that? The person should have some form of competency if he managed to possess someone.

Not-Luna turned red at the insult.

"You dare mock me, boy? Do you have any idea what it is you are courting with such flagrant disregard?"

"I thought you didn't want to tell me? Are you slow?"

The entity was grinding her teeth in fury. However, before she could speak, Link continued to demonstrate the true meaning of the words 'killing by words'.

"It's ok child, I understand. Sometimes it is difficult to express yourself in front of such obvious disadvantages. Don't worry, I kind of figured out who you are…"

Just as she was puffing up her chest in pride, Link deflated her ego in the next sentence.

"After all, not everyone is challenged. See I figured you might be Tom Riddle, otherwise known as Voldemort. Aren't you ashamed of such a name? Literally denouncing yourself as a coward that runs from death?"

Luna's body was trembling in rage, her breath was heavy, her eyes were glaring, and her fists were clenched. The entity was so apoplectic she could hardly form words to insult the boy. It got all the worse when she spotted Rose Potter's halfway turned body as she attempted in vain to stifle her mocking snickers.

"Anyway, I have to ask, what are you using to control the girl? Is it similar to the Diary you created? Yes, I have the Diary *Pffft* Pansy, that's how I figured out what you are. Given that Luna suddenly started wearing her hat when she didn't before could only mean that the item is there, am I correct?"

There was silence in the chamber, except for the stifled snickering from Rose. Voldemort's eye twitched in irritation. He wanted to be dramatic and mysterious, this damn child… he is even more irritating than what he thought.

Removing the mage hat, it is unisex, Voldemort proudly displayed his tiara.

"Behold, the legendary crown of Ravenclaw. Worn by Lady Ravenclaw herself. Bask in my greatness, for I had found what no other had seen in centuries."

Looking at it in a complete deadpan, Link sighed in dismay.

"The entire wizarding population of the British isles were terrorised by a preteen girl in her fantasy period… you have a diary and a tiara… the more I know about you the less fearsome you become. How… disappointing."

Voldemort's eye twitches intensified in his irritation, whereas Rose had lost the battle in stifling her laughter.

"You wretched useless mudblood, you will kneel before me. I will torment you with so much agony that you will wish you were dead. I will break every bone in your body, heal it and break them all over again. I will force…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get. I'll get the big pain, oh however will I live. Listen, drama queen. I don't care what you are, but right now you are nothing but a ghost in possession of a pre-teen body. Sure she has potential, but as of this moment, you don't have access to that. My point is, you're weak. It will be easy to just take you, but I want to save the soul of that body. So stand still will you? I need to purify you."

Rose was smiling mockingly at the Luna possessed Voldemort. 'Who told you to be so stupid as to take over a child? Who told you to provoke Link? You're done for'

Taking a deep breath, Voldemort forcefully calmed himself. While it was true that this body is not powerful enough to house him, it is enough to allow him to build his new body. Besides, he still had a powerful card to play. He will kill that child in the most painful way possible.

"Mock me all you want, boy, we will see who has the last laugh. It is true that you might be able to defeat me from what I have seen of the girl's memory, you will still need quite a bit of time before that happens. I have enough time to do this:"

Link looked on in curiosity, is he going to show him how he killed Lockhart? Is it a spell? Can he cast the killing curse while in Luna's body? Is there enough magic to cast such a powerful spell in such an underdeveloped body?

While it was all fun and games, Link never let his guard down, his wand ready and a spell at the tip of his thoughts. He may have surprised Voldemort in this exchange, but that is all he did. Voldemort was taken aback by the crass and direct disregard of his being, something he was not used to. Especially in his later years, just before becoming Voldemort. Tom Riddle is not to be underestimated, a rarely seen genius in the mystic arts. Few are those who could oppose him even at a young age. While he may not be at full power at the moment, his experience in duels and magic will help him circumvent this problem to become a fierce opponent for most mages. A moment of carelessness and the price might be too high.

He was taken by surprise, however, when instead of pointing his wand at them, Voldemort turned around and spoke to the statue.

$I summon thee, in the name of the great Salasar Slytherin. Heed my call$

Slowly, the mouth was lowered, and something was making its way out of it from the darkness. Luna's body turned back to them and spoke with a smug smirk on her face. It was unsettling.

"How will you fare against the monster left behind by the great Salazar Slytherin? How long do you think you will last against a beast of myth? One of the few Class 5 creatures of the world, its very gaze will kill you. It's time to pray to whatever gods your feeble minds may believe in because there will be no mercy from us."

As if a bucket of cold water had drenched him from head to toe, Link realised what it is they were facing. A Basilisk. One that has been alive since the time of the founders. A thousand-year-old beast. Very few are those capable of understanding that life span. What it means.

Link is a man that had faced such a creature before in his previous life. The forces of darkness had long lives, it was not uncommon in history to find the same foe mentioned in three different time periods.

The reason why humans had lower power levels on average was not that the opposing party had more potential, but because they live long enough to realise their full dormant abilities.

No, the creature does not frighten Link. The reason for his slight panic was realising that Rose was right next to him. Had he known that a Basilisk awaited them, he would not have allowed his friend to accompany him.

Of course, Rose would argue that it was presumptuous of him to believe that he could order her around. She would have followed him whether he liked it or not. Especially once she realised that their friend could be in trouble.

It was not long before a plan of action had taken place in Link's mind, which he did not hesitate to relay.

"Rose, whatever you do, do not look at its eyes. Keep your eyes on the ground, move according to the shadow you will see. Also, its main weakness is the crow of a rooster. Ass I do not have a real rooster, I can conjure one. Though it will not be as effective, it should be enough to leave it partially immobile."

"But I want to help."

"Rose please, this is dangerous"

"Exactly, let me help"

Voldemort looked on in some amusement, as well as irritation. How can they ignore this 50-foot, deadly creature?

"Stupefy! It's funny you think that I will just stand idle. Unfortunately, this body can not handle the stress of stronger spells. It will be enough to take care of you two though."

Link reacted on instinct and pushed Rose away as he leaned backwards, barely dodging the spell that was aimed at them.

"You know what, fine. Rose, keep Voldemort occupied. I'll take care of the snake."

"Stop uttering my name through your filthy mouth, you damned mud-blood. Reducto!"

Rose re-oriented herself and focused on Luna. Not daring to spare the snake a second's worth of a glance. Nodded, indicating she understood her role in this. She quickly cast the shield spell.

"Protego"

Thus Rose finally went up against the person that took everything away from her, nearly 11 years back.

The Basilisk, which had been almost idle as it awaited its orders, finally went onto the offensive once it saw its master attacking the two little blood-bags in front of it.

Roaring a battle cry, its effect is enough to render a normal wizard catatonic for a few seconds before recovering. Which is what happened to Rose, as she froze for a bit, eyes wide as she turned to look at the approaching creature. If not for Link, who quickly admonished her, as well as the second spell coming her way courtesy of an indifferent Voldemort. Which was promptly blocked tactfully by Link, who always kept an eye on her to make sure she was safe.

"Don't! Rose, focus on your battle. Trust me, nothing will happen to you"

Nodding, her eyes were set in steely determination. 'I will prove to Link. I am not a burden. I can accompany him on the battlefield. I am not weak.'

Taking in the experiences and the strategies used in her near-weekly duels with Link, Rose was able to stand up on nearly equal footing as the greatly weakened Voldemort. Though she was still at a disadvantage, it is not immense. She should be able to hold on for quite a while. A fact that greatly angered the Dark Lord, so he taunted her. Insulted her. Insulted her parents. Anything to make her angry and reckless. To tip the tide further in his favour. Lord Voldemort cannot accept anything less than complete victory over his opponent.

Meanwhile, Link had already conjured a Rooster as soon as he had seen the Basilisk move. As he had said before, it was not a fatal weakness as the Rooster is not real. However, it is still enough to make the giant snake writhe in agony, with its eyes shut.

One of the biggest advantages the Basilisk has is its incredible magic resistant hide. Few are capable of wounding the beast, fewer still are those able to restrain it. A practically non-existent number are those capable of killing it.

Of course, a team might be able to subdue it. But there is no team here. Only Link. And his prowess in magic. Strong as he is, he is still not strong enough to easily kill off the beast. He will need to use his spells. He was just deliberating on how he should proceed.

Dumbledore had just popped into the second-floor bathroom, courtesy of the house-elf. Madam Bones right behind him. Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick were already present. The rest were guarding the students at the Great Hall.

"Is there any progress?" asked Dumbledore as soon as he stepped into the bathroom. Madam Bones hot on his heels.

"We believe there is a secret passage somewhere here, similar to others around the castle. Only this one seems to be warded against intrusion, including elf magic." remarked Snape, eyes raking the room.

Flitwick nodded in agreement as the usually cheerful fellow has his eyes set in sombre determination.

While the Professors and Madam Bones were looking around, Moaning Murtle glided through the walls.

"I think I may have the answer to what you are looking for, Professors"

Her statement instantly made her the centre of attention.

"Is that so, Myrtle? Please, share with us. We would like to help the students as quickly as possible." urged the Headmaster.

"I don't know how they got through, but I saw two students go through the sink. It opened after the girl recited something. I couldn't quite understand what it was she said. Lots of hissing. But then it opened and they jumped down."

"Of course Potter and Granger will jump head-first into danger. How arrogant are they? Why did they not come to fetch a Professor?" derided Snape.

"Because you left such a warm invitation for students to approach you? Best not criticise when your house is made of glass Severus" retorted Flitwick. Snape gained an unhealthy shade of red on his very pale face, glaring daggers at the charms Professor.

"That's enough you two, we do not have the time nor the leisure to be bickering at this moment. We have to figure a way to get through the sink" scolded Madam Bones.

"I already have a way, I will be back soon with the children, if it all goes well." intervened Dumbledore, at their questioning looks he simply called out for his bonded. "Fawkes"

Almost instantly a controlled explosion of flames burst to life right above the Headmaster. Similar to the splashing of water within a sphere, an almost mesmerizing sight. Further compelled by the beautiful song that reached the gathered adults' ears. All their stress was soothed, and all their worries vanished. The majestic form of the fire phoenix, the creature most closely associated with the light, captured the people's attention straight away.

"Get me to the Students Fawkes"

With a melodious cry, the Pheonix surrounded both the Headmaster's and its own body in bright orange flames teleporting the duo straight to the entrance of the chamber.

The only reason Dumbledore was not able to find it in the past was because he was not looking for it, nor did he know its close approximate area. However, now there are three of his students present down there. It became much easier to find.

"Rose, aim for the Diadem. I'm sure that's what's suppressing Luna. She should be able to come back when it's removed." said Link, his attention still split between the giant snake and Voldemort's vessel.

Though he didn't have to worry all that much about Rose, as she was still able to hold her own. Not giving in to the onslaught of spells directed at her. In fact, she is slowly improving over time. A great testament to her potential.

With every spell cast her aim improved by just a bit more, her consumption of mana is just a bit less, and her movement was just slightly more direct with fewer wasted strides. Perhaps the progress is minimal, but over time, the difference between Rose before and after the duel with Voldemort is almost similar to night and day. Link is honestly impressed with her progress.

"Give it up, your friend is long gone. Only I remain. Nothing will stand in the way of my return to power."

Not-Luna snarled in anger and perhaps a bit of anxiety.

Link paid her no mind, conjuring and transfiguring an innumerable amount of ropes and chains to retrain the basilisk, to force it to become immobile. He also covered its face to hide the eyes.

He was starting to get tired with the excess use of mana. It is no easy task to restrict a fifty-foot monster. The fact that he is accomplishing what few teams of wizards could right in front of him, frayed the collected rational Voldemort portrayed. He became desperate. Throwing caution to the wind, Voldemort cast a spell beyond his means.

"Avada Kedavra"

The effects were instantaneous. Fatigue nearly overwhelmed him, but he persevered through it to witness the results. It was not aimed at Rose, but rather at her companion.

The girl-who-lived's eyes grew wider by the second as she witness for the second time in her life a beam of toxic green fly towards Link's unprotected back, she couldn't help but scream.

"Liiiinnnnkkk!"

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.