Chapter Four

~The Four Lights~

Tom examined the orb in front of him, through it; he could watch whatever he wanted to. He was watching Her, she was sleeping soundlessly and in apparent peace, but he knew better. He entwined his hands a supported her chin on them, he had to hit her weak spot, and as Hufflepuff's Heir, she was loyal, and that meant she was loyal to her friends. So if her friends were in danger, she would do anything to save them… He knew what he had to do. There was not much time left.

***

Ginny slept comfortably, her worries did not exist in her dreams, and instead, her dreams were a whole another dimension for her. It was a form of escape for her; it was almost as an Avius Memoriola. However, her dreams couldn't be stranger…

There were two bundles on the floor, two crying babies that had no protection. Lying side by side, a boy and a girl, unprotected. She knew who they were, knew what she had to do. It was very odd to see them as babies, when she already knew them as teenagers. The boy had bright, green eyes and black messy hair. The girl had brown eyes, and brown, bushy hair. She looked at them, they were crying as if they knew what would happen to them, and they did.

She pulled out her wand and pointed it first at the boy, there was a moment when he stopped crying and opened his green eyes, staring at her in a puzzled expression. But she'd found out that she couldn't control herself, and that she didn't care.

"Avada Kedavra!" she shouted, a flash of green light and the baby was dead. She did the same with the little girl, and she too died.

Soon four people came, two of them she recognized; a woman with long, red hair and green eyes, and a man with jet black messy hair and dark eyes. The other two both had brown eyes and brown hair. The two she recognized kneeled over the baby boy, and the woman shrieked and erupted in hysterical sobs while her husband held her.

"James!" she cried "Oh James that was our little Harry!" she said in between sobs. And James began to cry as well over their perished boy.

"Lily, he was not! He—was—not—Harry! Tell me that is not Harry!" cried James and he reached for the baby, and when he saw his son's pale, terror-stricken face, he dropped to the floor consumed by tears.

The other two were already mourning their little girl. "Our Hermione!" said the woman hysterically "Our Hermione! She's dead!"

And there was a moment when the four adults on the floor, all, at the same time, raised their eyes to Ginny—and she woke up.

Ginny panted and trembled helplessly and uncontrollably. She denied accepting the fact that she was going to cause those two deaths. She had to get out of that Chamber.

Ginny walked out of the room in a rush of sweat and tears and ran through the Chamber, not caring where she would end or if she got lost, just as long as she didn't have to live long enough in the past, to become a threat in the future. And as she ran, she reached the main room of the Chamber, where Salazar Slytherin's statue was, and the same room she had been in when she was eleven. And there were two figures chained to one of the columns. One of them had with black untidy hair, round glasses and green eyes; and the other with brown wavy hair and brown eyes. It was Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

***

Tom reached Ginny's bedroom and opened the door, but she wasn't there. He knew she had been there moments ago; the necklace on his neck was burning faintly. After he had had the little "encounter" with her yesterday, he had found that the necklace had left a permanent mark on his chest, the same shape as the necklace amulet.

However, now was not the time to be thinking about what he felt for her, if he felt anything at all. He exited the room and went in look for her throughout the Chamber. At last, not finding her, he cursed himself for not having thought of the Necklace before. He squeezed it and could visualize her, grasping her necklace as if it'd burned her as well and she had already seen Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. We'll see how loyal she truly is. He thought.

***

Harry and Hermione were unconscious, chains bind their hands together and Hermione's head dangled to Harry's shoulder and they seemed to have been just brought there.

Ginny's necklace immediately started burning and she clutched it, closing her eyes. She immediately caught a glimpse of Tom. And when she opened her eyes, he was already there.

"I should have known," he said "You'd come help your friends."

"What are they doing here? I thought the deal was that you only wanted to kill me and use me. Not them, not now anyway." She said wearily.

"There was no deal," he said and surveyed her slowly, "I never told you there was."

"How did you bring them?" she asked

"You are very nosy…" Tom said "I need not reveal that to you, and I won't. But they will wake up in a matter of seconds; it takes only a while for them to get accustomed to year's time traveling."

And as soon as he said these words, Harry and Hermione both woke up. Both of them looked in horror at the Chamber, and Hermione automatically clung to Harry in fear. It was Harry who spoke first, as he saw Tom.

"You!" Harry spat, the chains rattling as he tried to thrust himself at Tom "What the hell? I sent you away years ago! What are you doing in our time?!"

Tom just smirked and stared at him, not saying a word. Hermione's eyes rested on Tom's robes and Ginny saw that Hermione noticed the Head Boy badge. She slowly turned her gaze towards Ginny, and gasped lowly

"Harry," whispered Hermione eyeing Ginny and Tom. "What if—what if we're in his time?"

"That's impossible, Hermione—"

"Is it?" Tom cut in "Why don't you ask little Ginny here?" His smile broadened.

"Ginny," said Hermione "Did you have any to do with this?"

Ginny didn't answer. But Tom quickly did. "Of course she has!" he said "She has everything to do with this!" Hermione's expression soon showed disappointment followed by a struck of sadness. "And this has just gotten interesting." Said Tom "Ginny here has to perform a little task for me if she wants to keep being alive, if she ever wants to return to her own time, she will have to do me a favour."

"What kind of favour?" asked Ginny speaking for the first time since they had woken up. Harry and Hermione looked at her. They both had the same expression on their faces; confusion and disappointment.

"Have you heard of The Four Lights?" Tom said, but he didn't await an answer. "They are called the Lumen de Oreas, Lumen de Intimus, Lumen de Cupitditas, and Lumen de Audentia, each founder had one; Oreas for Helga, Intimus for Rowena, Cupiditas for Salazar, Audentia for Godric. You see, this Chamber, it needs these Four Lights to work properly. They absorb the powers of the people in possession of them; they have to be true Heirs, and then, the power is used to power up the Chamber. The Chamber of Secrets is an energy supply, it needs of these Four to be used to its full extent. Therefore, unleashing the power of the Four Heirs and whoever controls that power… is unstoppable. Oh, and yes, when the Four Lights are properly placed… Salazar Slytherin shall come back, that is the secret of the Chamber of Secrets. It's a pity that those who have just heard it… will die. Except, of course, my darling Ginny. I've taken a liking to her.

"Now, Ginny, what you have to do is simple… if you want to keep on that charming little face of yours that is... you need to take the two Lumens these two hold. They have to give them to you voluntarily for it to work, but as I'm sure they won't, you'll have to kill them, and you know you can." He smirked in triumph and Ginny stared at him in horror. "I shall leave you to it. I need to get to class. Goodbye Potter. And goodbye to your little Mudblood girlfriend as well." Tom snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared. And Tom disappeared as well.

Harry and Hermione fell forward as the chains let them free of the column. Harry gathered himself up and helped Hermione to her feet; she held him tightly and he looked down at her.

"We may not get out of here alive," whispered Hermione looking straight into Harry's eyes. He looked at her as well and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I know," he whispered back and held her close to him. Silent tears were beginning to pour down Hermione's cheeks.

"It's like she's not herself anymore," she said.

"Of course she's not," replied Harry "He's done something to her. And she might kill us, Hermione. We have to accept that."

"But why? Why does he want to kill us, unless—you don't think—we are… what he says we are?"

"We must be," Harry said "And it's a bigger threat than he ever imagined." He kissed her head. "But, either way… dead, or alive, we'll go together."

Hermione looked up at him and a puzzled expression was read on her face. Ginny thought they must have forgotten she was there, but she let them go on, as she knew what he was going to say to her. It had grown to be pretty obvious over the years that the two of them had fallen in love with each other. At first, many believed it would be Ron and Hermione, but they had tried it, and failed. Ginny, herself, knew that is was going to happen like that, Ron and Hermione bickered constantly and it was pretty clear that they couldn't go a day without arguing. At the end, they had decided it was much more fun to argue as friends and they had ended their extremely short relationship.

As for Harry and Hermione, they had never told each other their feelings for one another, but it was obvious they felt something. People would notice those sneaking glances at each other, blushing whenever the other one smiled, and, of course, Hermione's continuous clinging to Harry. Even when Harry and Ron didn't speak to each other, Hermione passed her time with Harry and not as much with Ron.

And for Ginny to see them clinging to each other in a time like this, she felt that he owed her, at least, the chance to say what he felt to her.

"Erm…" said Harry. Hermione chuckled nervously.

"Just say it, Harry," said Ginny, surprising even herself. Harry looked at her for a moment and almost smiled, but he didn't.

"Hermione," said Harry "Ever since I saw you for the first time, I've loved you. But I never accepted it, I always covered it with meaningless crushes, trying to convince myself that I hadn't fell in love with my best friend, but I had. And the time came where it was… unbearable. And I had to accept it, and it was a painful—"

"Tell you what," said Ginny. "Continue this conversation by yourselves; I don't think you want me overhearing you."

"Harry, I already know what you mean, you don't need to tell me. I feel the same way." Said Hermione and turned to Ginny, holding Harry's hand in her own. "Go ahead, kill us already."

And so the time had come for Ginny to do it. Of course Ginny wanted to keep her life. Of course she wanted to be able to go back to her time. But it seemed almost impossible that Tom would just let her go.

A few moments passed where the only sounds was the distant dripping, and the sounds of their breathing. She stared at them, two persons that shared a deep friendship that had gradually turned into love. She almost felt jealous of them, but she knew what she had to do. And she raised her hand, closed her eyes and shouted "Reditio Tempus Aeternus!" And sent them back to their own time.

A/N: Yes, It is confusing, perhaps even boring. So, if you think this one was boring, SAY SO! Just please review… No, I'm not desperate… well maybe… Hee! Once again, thanks to the people to review, especially to Nani, since you didn't have to, you'd already told me that you liked it.

~Blue