"Here we go," Nora said.
"Ready, Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Ginny said.
"Are you sure?" Ron asked.
A small amount of annoyance crossed Ginny's face, even though she knew her older brother was just being concerned.
"Yes, Ron, I'm sure," Ginny agreed.
"Chapter Seventeen," Gideon narrated. "The Heir of Slytherin."
"Well, let's go see what Riddle is all about," Bellatrix said.
Those in the know wondered how Bellatrix would feel at the end of the chapter. Narcissa looked in, knowing what was about to happen. And she hoped they could deal with the meltdown that may incur.
Harry moves into the Chamber. It is an eerie sight and there's a sense of dread. And a wonder where Ginny is.
"That's foreboding," Astoria murmured.
"No kidding," Kara said. "How shot were your nerves?"
"I just kept moving," Harry said. "I didn't really think."
"Best way to deal with something like that," Sirius said.
"Would have been losing my mind at that age," Alex said.
"Oh, that's not the worst part," Harry said. "That's to come."
"I know," Alex agreed.
After a bit of a search, Harry comes against Ginny's lifeless looking form in the Chamber of Secrets.
The Weasley Twins and Ron flinched at the lifeless body of the younger version of her sister. Knowing that she was alive and well in the future did not quell their nerves.
"She looks so dead," Lily said quietly.
"How aren't you more messed up?" Alex asked. "Coming across what you thought was the dead body of a young girl."
"At this point, I don't know," Harry said. "I guess I just had to be strong."
"Well,there's having to be strong and shoving things off to the side," Ava said. "And no offense but there's times where I think you just brush trauma to the side, like it's no big deal."
"I was fine," Harry remarked.
"No, you're not," Astra said. "You thought she was dead."
Harry could not argue.
Harry frantically begs for Ginny to not be dead and to wake up. But she's not moving at all.
"Fuck," Sirius swore.
"I'm really glad I wasn't down there," Ron said. "Because I'm not sure I could have held it together as well as Harry did."
"There was nothing," Ginny said. "I was already gone."
"Wait, you were gone?"Lita asked in alarm.
"Yes," Ginny agreed.
"How did you come back?" Lena asked.
"We'll find out in a bit," Ginny said.
"Oooh, the suspense!" Bellatrix growled.
A calm voice tells Harry Ginny won't wake.
"And there he is," Harry said.
"So unassuming, so innocent looking," Zari remarked. "Under that calm handsome demeanor is the face of a predator. He really is the magical version of a cyber predator."
"It's apt," Ginny agreed. "He manipulated me."
"He really is a magical version of Ted Bundy," Ava said.
"Yes," Harry agreed.
Harry turns around and goes face to face with Tom Riddle.
"Bastard," Astra murmured.
"He's enjoying this," Snape said.
"Of course he is," Kara said. "The type of person he is…"
"The Dark Lord did the world a favor putting him down," Bellatrix said. "Shame he had to use such a vile form of dark magic to pull off this scheme."
Harry is surprised that Riddle is alive. Riddle tells Harry he's a memory.
"Oh, he's more than a memory," Bellatrix said. "He's a…"
Bellatrix got spoiler locked. She snatched a piece of paper and tried to write it down, only to find that her hand cramped.
"Damn, your spoiler enforcement is good," Nora said.
"Of course it is," Lily said proudly.
"We do our best," Sara said. "We'll all get to it soon."
Harry notices the black diary lying in the Chamber. And he had a bad feeling. Even worse than the feeling he got when gazing upon Ginny's cold lifeless body.
"Somehow he's keeping calm," Remus said.
"I'm not sure how," Natalie said.
"Keeping a calm head is not as easy as it looks," Tonks said.
"You really have to be in the field," Alex said. 'The problem is, preteens don't belong in this situation."
"And yet, here Harry is," Lita said.
"Shouldn't be," Charlotte said. "An entire school of qualified teachers and it's down to this twelve-year-old child to clean up these messes."
"Mum, please let it go," Hermione said.
"Children actually," Ron muttered.
"I'll let it go, when it stops becoming a recurring problem," Charlotte said.
"Hermione, trust me, you aren't going to win this one," Kate said.
"And they did miss an obvious detail of the piece of paper clinging into your palm for about…two months wasn't it?" Daphne asked.
Hermione just threw her hands up in defeat.
"We've made several mistakes that we all wish we could change," McGonagall said.
"Well, it's not like you could go back in time and fix things," Ruby said.
Hermione flinched and here Ava's eye twitched. But they would get to that during third year. And Ava had been waiting to go off on the entire time turner thing for a very long time.
Harry begs Tom for help, telling him there's a Basilisk.
"Oh, trust me, he knows," John said.
"Bastard loves toying with his prey," Astra said.
"That's his downfall though," Lily said. "He's too arrogant for his own good."
"Which means smiting this asshole would be glorious," Bellatrix said.
"He loves playing with emotions," Ginny said. "He enjoyed slowly tormenting you. I was worse than dead right now by the way.
Harry notices that his wand is missing.
"Harry!" Astra shouted.
"Bad form," Nyssa said. "Surprising from you."
"I was twelve," Harry said. "And didn't have League of Assassins training from the moment I could walk."
Nyssa nodded, conceding he had a point.
"Oooh, that was unfortunate," Sara said.
"I understand why you tried to get away from using wands at the first possible opportunity," Kara said.
"It's a tool, but it shouldn't be your only tool," Nyssa said. "One of the key lessons of the Dragon."
"It's unfortunate that my future self wasn't able to enlighten me," Harry said.
"True," Nyssa agreed.
"Moody would have a stroke about this," Tonks said.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
Everyone jumped up and saw a chuckling Junior. Harry just chuckled.
No wonder he could impersonate Moody so well. Because, that was spot on.
"There's about five years off of my life I'll never get back," Tonks murmured.
"What, I do a fair impression of Moody," Junior said. "Should see my Cornelius Fudge."
"Didn't know you were flexible enough to stick your head that far up your arse," Regulus commented lightly.
A bit of levity was good in the situation. They needed it.
And then he notices Tom has his missing wand.
"And suddenly things go from bad to worse," James said. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."
"You're not the only one," Lily said.
"And the bad guy has the only thing that Harry can use to defend himself," Mia said. "Great."
"Not just a bad guy, the worst guy," Ginny said darkly.
"Beginning to see why you said that you shouldn't rely on one thing," Mia said.
"He's obviously speaking from experience," Thea said.
Riddle remarks the Basilisk won't come until called. And Harry won't be needing his wand.
"Great, I feel a monologue coming on," Sara said.
"He can't help himself," Kara said.
"Most egomaniacs can't," Kate said.
"He's toying, he can kill you at any time," Lily said.
"And you shouldn't just play games with your enemy like that," Nyssa said.
"Riddle's obviously never picked up a comic book in his life," Tonks said.
"If he did, he would learn all of the wrong lessons from them," Lita said.
Riddle says that he's been waiting to see Harry for a long time. He wanted to speak to him for a long time.
"Oooh, fuck," Astra murmured.
"All of this was a gambit to get Harry down into the Chamber," Lily said grimly.
"Seems like it," Severus said.
"Maybe not at first," Malfoy remarked.
"Not until I mentioned that Harry defeated Voldemort," Ginny said. "I couldn't keep my mouth shut."
"He would have gotten the information out of you anyway," Harry said. "He has his ways."
"I can't…I can't, this is just a lot," Ruby said. "How can you stand it?"
"Kid, just breathe," Kara said.
"You can go into the next room to calm down, if you want to," Ava said. "And that goes for anyone."
"I'll take you for a walk, if you want to," Alex said.
"I'm fine," Ruby said.
The realization something weird was happening hit Harry. And he asks Tom how Ginny got like this.
"This is slowly dawning on Harry right now," Nora said. "He hasn't put the final piece together."
"This is unprecedented magic," Junior said. "I've never seen anything like this."
"It's magic that our family even finds too terrifying to use," Sirius said.
"And that includes me," Bellatrix said.
"Really just goes to show you how depraved Riddle was if the Blacks won't even use this magic," John said.
"No shit," Bellatrix groaned.
Tom explains how Ginny opened up her heart and mind to an invisible stranger, by writing in his diary for months and months.
"Oooh, this is really the creepiest thing ever," Ruby said.
"No shit," Lita said.
"And this is why you really have to be careful giving your personal information out to people," Zari said.
"Good rule of thumb," Sara said. "Don't give anything to anyone who can use or manipulate you with it."
"It's good practice," Charlotte said.
"Also, don't trust any inanimate object that can think for itself," Bellatrix said.
"Dad always said never trust something if you can't see where it keeps it's brain," Ron said.
"Well, that's why you shouldn't trust politicians," Sirius said.
"You can't see where they keep their brains because most of them don't have one," Junior said.
"Oooh, moving on," Ava said.
Tom further explains how he manipulated Ginny by giving her a sympathetic ear. And as a result, he was able to pour some of his soul into Ginny.
"Ugh," Astra said. "That vile bastard. He's way worse than I thought."
"And he's only sixteen," Natalie said.
"Good thing the Dark Lord killed him, right?" Bellatrix asked. "The Dark Lord doesn't seem so bad now, does he?"
"Hold that thought for just a little bit," Sara said.
"Not sure what could change my mind," Bellatrix said.
"Let's keep reading," Kara said in a sweet voice.
Tom lays it out how Ginny was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the Basilisk. She was behind the attacks.
"You used her as your meat puppet!" Nora yelled at the screen.
"He got a sick joy of manipulating a little girl into doing his bidding," Lily said.
"Damn, this is…this is just…" George said. "I don't have any words for this."
"I do," Fred said. "He's a sick bastard, who got everything that's about to come to him."
"Sums it up perfectly," Astra agreed.
A mocking Tom remarks how Ginny's diary entries became more interesting after those attacks started.
"Just keeps getting worse," Lena said. "He's worse than my brother."
"Honestly, he really is," Ginny agreed.
"Yeah, I have to agree," Kara said.
"He's amused by her torment," Ruby said. "What kind of monster is this?"
"The very worst, the very worst," Harry said.
"There's a special kind of place in Hell for a monster like this," Astra said. "And he was always vile. Twisted. Rotten."
"Would it have been different for him, ever?" Zari asked.
"Well, we're getting into nature versus nurture, and that's a messy debate," Alex said.
Tom remarks he was very glad Harry found the diary after Ginny threw it away.
"A new plaything for him, then," Lily grumbled.
"Evil bastard," Sirius growled.
"He's in your head, playing with you even more," John said.
"What is this thing?" Natalie asked.
"Magic most wicked," John said. "It takes a special kind of depraved wizard to create such a thing."
Bellatrix nodded and glared at Riddle on the screen.
When Harry wonders why Riddle wanted to meet him, Riddle talks about how Ginny told him that entire fascinating history. And how he showed Harry Hagrid's capture to gain his trust.
"He's a predator," Ginny said. "And he used me to get to Harry."
"But why?" Junior wondered.
"We're about to find out," Ava said.
Ava had always been fascinated with the minds of serial killers and depraved murders. And looking at Riddle and seeing how manipulative he was, it really caused her interest to pique.
Riddle remarks it was easy to frame Hagrid for the attack.
"He's got a point unfortunately," Astra said.
"Lucky for him Hagrid had that hideous thing,' Peter said.
"Hagrid played into his hands," Kara said.
"That oaf was an easy mark," Malfoy said.
The only one who saw right through Riddle was Dumbledore.
"You're not about to out-game the gamesmaster," John said.
"Dumbledore knew it was him fifty years ago," Lily said, trying not to lose her temper.
"Dumbledore's secrets are many," Snape said. "And he has a nasty ability to get people to do what he wants."
"He let Riddle walk and Riddle…well we'll see in a minute," Harry said.
"Well, Dumbledore couldn't have made people see reason," Hermione said. "He couldn't have branded Riddle as the villain. And it's not like had an idea of what Riddle would become."
"Someone who was like that at sixteen has more than enough alarm bells," Ava said. "More than enough red flags."
"But, Dumbledore couldn't just expel him," Hermione said. "Would that even work?"
"She does have a point," Daphne said. "It might have only delayed him."
"What about Azkaban?" Tonks asked.
"There would be some purebloods who would pin a medal on him," Narcissa said.
"Unfortunately true," Malfoy agreed.
After some more back and forth, Riddle says he switched his true target to Harry Potter.
"And it just really goes how obsessed he is," Ava said.
"He just can't let it go," Harry said.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.
"Keep reading," Harry said.
"I understand how Bella feels, the suspense is killing me," Sirius groaned.
Riddle remarks that he was angry when he saw Ginny writing again. And Ginny was panicked, and fearful of what Riddle might have told Harry.
"He's hit the nail on the head there," Ginny practically spat. "And he enjoyed it. Enjoyed me. And I had to do everything that he said to get out of it. I thought…I thought he might have me attack you with the Basilisk."
"That would have been practical," John said. "Although it wouldn't have lined up with his ego."
"Obsessed, he's completely and utterly beyond mad," Junior said.
"Just wait," Harry said.
Riddle manipulated Ginny one last time to make her write a final message and brought her down here to drain her life energy.
"That's the thing nightmares are made of," Zari said.
"It took me five years before I stopped having them," Ginny said.
"Did your parents get you any help?" Ava asked.
"Just a lecture about not trusting things," Ginny said.
"What about a mind-healer?" Lita asked.
"Those are pretty dodgy at best," Malfoy said. "A scam at worst."
"A way to part idiot wizards with their Galleons," Junior said. "Providing they just don't just prescribe you endless Dreamless sleep potions or make you take a Forgetfulness Potions."
"Or just memory charm the trauma away," Regulus added.
"Constant dreamless sleep potions are addictive, and they don't take any trauma away," Snape said.
"Things are getting a little bit better, but we're well behind the curve on mental health," Kate said.
"And given that mental health is a very complex thing that a lot of people don't fully grasp in the non-magical world, that makes you very behind still indeed," Alex said.
"Honestly, a wonder how progressive we are on that front," Tonks said. "Given how we're at least a century behind in other areas."
There were many questions. Like for instance, how did Harry Potter, at age one, defeat Lord Voldemort?
"And here it comes," Kara said.
"Yes," Zari agreed.
"He's enjoyed toying with you up to this point," Ginny said. "But, it's finally to reveal who he truly is."
When Harry asks Riddle why he cares about Voldemort, being after Riddle's time, Riddle coldly states that Voldemort is his past, present, and future.
"What does he mean?" Bellatrix asked.
Harry pointed to the screen.
Tom Marvolo Riddle. I Am Lord Voldemort.
No one spoke. Severus blinked. Regulus looked at the screen frowning. Bellatrix started to snarl.
"No, it's not…it can't be!" Bellatrix yelled.
"It was a metaphor," Junior said. "Riddle had to die for Voldemort to live. Clever. Twisted, but clever."
"He's a…no!" Bellatrix yelled. "It can't be the Dark Lord. This Riddle can't be…he's against everything our cause has fault for. Everything we believe it! Everything that I believe in!"
"He's not for our cause, he's merely for himself," Narcissa said. "He's willing to use us."
"No, no, no," Bellatrix said. "NO!"
"Yes, Trixie, it seems like your lord and master is just as big of a hypocrite as Albus Dumbledore," Sirius said smugly.
"I told you not to call me that!"
"No, you told Regulus not to call you that," Sirius said.
"It's not true, his blood has to be pure, he can't have created one of those vile things!" Bellatrix yelled.
"Face it, he's no better than Dumbledore," Astra said. "Championing a cause to better his agenda."
"Please, it can't be him," Bellatrix said.
"Sorry," Zari said.
"Totally him," Lita said.
"Sorry," Nora said.
Harry noticed Bellatrix going through the stages of grief.
Riddle talks about how he's used the name. About his Muggle father, who left his witch mother. And how he's become the best sorcerer of all time.
"That's right, all of the pureblood supremist bow before a filthy half-blood," Sirius said. "And one who has utterly destroyed his soul for power. If he doesn't care about his soul, then he obviously cares about nothing. Wasn't that what dear Mother said, Regulus?"
"Yes, I'm surprised you listened to her though," Regulus said.
Bellatrix fumed at what was happening before her. Her entire worldview just spun on its head. The champion of their cause had been a filthy hypcocrite.
"So, why did his Muggle father leave him?" Lena asked.
"Sixth year," Harry said.
"Yeah, she's not exactly an innocent victim," Lita said in disgust.
"That's for sure," Nora agreed.
Harry tells Riddle that Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer of all time.
"No," Astra said. "I understand why you said it, but no."
"He's gotten underneath Riddle's skin," John said.
"And at this point, I was clinging onto hope that he's everything people believed him to be," Harry said.
"You really had to," Kara said.
"Just because you disagreed with him, doesn't diminish Dumbledore's capabilities," Hermione said.
"Well, the greatest sorcerer of all time is sitting in this room," Mia said.
"The indoctrination is strong with that one," Nyssa murmured.
Ava nodded solemnly. The behavior of some people who followed Dumbledore was too similar to several cults in the Muggle world to make her comfortable.
Riddle is angry at that and says Dumbledore has been driven out of the Castle by his memory.
"Oooh, I think someone touched a nerve," Kara sang.
"Good," Astra said.
"An angry opponent could be a sloppy one," Sara said.
"And he's not gone," John said. "He's never too far."
When Harry tells Riddle that Dumbledore's not completely gone, a phoenix song fills the Chamber of Secrets.
"Fawkes?" Lily asked.
"Oh, you know Dumbledore's Phoenix?" Harry asked her.
"Yes, although I feel like sometimes Fawkes is his minder," Lily said.
"That might be pretty accurate," Ron said. "And he's got impeccable timing."
Fawkes arrives with the Hogwarts sorting hat.
"What the hell is a ratty old hat going to do against a Basilisk?" Peter asked.
"I think we're about to find out," James said.
"Riddle was thrown off a little bit by that," Harry said.
Riddle mocks the sort of help that Dumbledore gave Harry.
"To be fair, I would be as well," Malfoy said. "That's the best Dumbledore could do?"
"The Hat's merely just the delivery method," Harry said.
"How did he know that would work?" Lena asked.
"At this point, it's just Dumbledore," Lita answered. "Things tend to work."
"Harry makes them work," Thea said.
"Still, he's got to be confused," Tonks said.
"I was," Harry agreed. "I didn't understand it any more than Riddle did."
Riddle asks Harry how did he survive. And suggests that if Harry talks, he'll live longer.
"He's trying to leech Ginny's last bit of life out of her," John said.
"There wasn't too much left," Harry said.
"Most times, I would agree with keep the bad guy talking," Sara said. "Especially one who likes the sound of his voice as much as Riddle did. But that's not the time."
Harry remarks that Lily died to save him. And how now the real Voldemort is barely there. A wreck.
"Would the two merge together, I wonder?" Nora asked.
"We're in unprecedented territories of dark magic," Harry said. "I don't know."
"And that is what makes this experiment so terrifying," Astra said.
Riddle comments about how similar they are, but says that it was chance that saved Harry.
"No, it was a very capable witch who understood what she was doing," Astra said. "It was a shame a bumbling old idiot messed up her charmwork."
"Astra?" Natalie asked.
"If you want to know, I'll tell you after this book," Astra said. "But, you won't like it."
"It's only inevitable they found out," Sara said.
"Our mothers are too smart for their own good," Harry said.
"And while you are similar on the surface, you are nothing alike," Bellatrix said. "I doubt very much that Potter would crudely mangle his soul to cheat death."
"I agree with Bellatrix," Lily said. "He wouldn't."
"We know he wouldn't, even if it meant the difference between life and death," Lena said.
"I will say this about Potter, he wouldn't stoop to that level," Snape said.
"Pretty cold in Hell right now?" Nora asked.
"I'd imagine it is," John agreed.
And then, the Basilisk is released.
"Close your eyes and run like hell!" Sara yelled. "You have four other senses."
"Five," Harry corrected her. "Parselmouth remember."
"Which you haven't mastered yet," Mia said.
"Oh, I made up for it," Harry said.
The most of the women in the room grinned. That was for sure.
Riddle orders the Basilisk to kill Harry.
"Ginny's done," Ron said. "He wouldn't have ordered his pet to kill Harry otherwise."
"But, if Ginny's done, than why is she alive?" Astra asked.
"Worse than dead," Ginny reminded him. "Thankfully Harry breaks every single rule of magic."
Harry stumbles around blindly, trying to get away from the Basilisk. Every second brings the threat of the Basilisk looming around the corner.
"Like something out of a slasher film," Kara said.
"And that damn thing is more competent than any villain," Mia said.
"Just keep moving, don't stop," Sara said.
"Trying to do that, yes," Harry said. "Although I'm not as good as running around blind as I would."
Fawkes punctures the Basilisk's eyes, which allows Harry to move around with his sight undone.
"Finally, good on you, Fawkes!" Peter cheered.
"Yes, but those fangs are still a problem," Remus said.
"And highly venomous," Junior added.
"But, the odds are a bit more even now," Natalie agreed.
"And that's a good thing," Astra said. "Although I'm not sure how Harry's going to do it. He's not going to pull some killer rabbit out of that hat, is he?"
"That would be terrifying," Kara agreed.
Riddle orders the Basilisk to kill Harry.
"Yes, it can still smell him," Regulus said. "You better do something now."
"If it gets you, you're dead in seconds," Natalie said.
Astra had a pretty good idea of what happened now.
The Sorting Hat is in Harry's hands.
"Okay, I'm stumped," Sirius said.
"Just wait for it," Harry said.
"Maybe the Sorting Hat would give him a rooster?" Bellatrix asked. "It would kill the damn thing."
"That would be practical," Lena agreed.
Harry begs for help. And something clunky falls onto his head.
"Ugh, another concussion," Lily said.
"Well, I don't think having a rooster dropped on your head would be that bad," Bellatrix said.
"I don't think it's a rooster," James said.
"I bet you ten galleons its a rooster," Bellatrix said.
Harry has a majestic sword. But the Basilisk is trying to get at him.
"Definitely not a rooster, Trixie," Regulus said.
"Ugh, fine I was wrong," Bellatrix said. "A sword's cool, I guess…here Potter, don't spend it all in one place."
Bellatrix shoved some galleons into the hand of James Potter who smiled.
"At least, I won't be paying out any more," Bellatrix said.
"We should really have a talk about that gambling problem of yours," Narcissa said to Bellatrix.
"It's not a problem," Bellatrix said.
"Only when you're wrong," Tonks said cheekily.
Bellatrix only rolled her eyes in response.
Harry stabs the Basilisk in the mouth just as the Basilisk stabs his fang into Harry's arm.
The grisly sight caused everyone to scream.
"JESUS CHRIST!" Lily yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Fuck, that looks painful," Kate said.
"Was painful, I felt like my blood and my bones were all on fire," Harry said.
"You shouldn't survive that," Junior said.
"You shouldn't survive the killing curse either," Narcissa reminded them.
"Touche," Junior said.
Through blurred vision, Harry spies Fawkes. And affirms that Fawkes did great.
"That's right, thank the bird with your dying breath," Ginny said.
"Riddle's still there," Peter said. "And I think he's almost back."
"He won't be," Sara said.
Fawkes lays his head on Harry's wound.
"Oooh, so that's how that happened," Astra said.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Phoenix tears," Junior said.
"Dumbledore really thought of everything," Charlotte said.
It did not sound like a compliment coming from her.
"Magnificent bastard," Mick said.
Riddle mocks Harry and says it's done. And he says Dumbledore's bird is crying.
"Oh, little Tommy boy is going to get a rude awakening," Kate said with a grin.
"He didn't take Care of Magical Creatures," Zari said.
"Between that and the Cerberus, Riddle's got a few blind spots," Sara said.
"The only thing that's constant during his life is his big fat ego," Kara said.
"And he's not as smart as he liked to be," Harry said.
"Apparently not," Bellatrix grumbled.
Narcissa saw her sister had gone through the final stage of grief regarding her revelation on the Dark Lord. Acceptance was slowly being reached.
Riddle keeps mocking Harry and says he's here to watch him die.
"Just keep talking you jackass," Mick said.
"Dangerous and arrogant at once," Sirius said. "Lord Voldemort."
"Terrifying to think about what he's done," McGonagall said. "Although the diary was a shadow of his sixteen year old self."
"And teenagers aren't naturally known for common sense," Remus agreed.
"He's already twisted, with how he manipulated children," Ava said.
"Two of them," Charlotte said.
Malfoy shivered. That thing was underneath his roof for many years. To be honest, he was glad he heeded his father's warnings to stay away from the drawing room beneath the stairs.
Suddenly, an inch from death, Harry snaps back to life. And there were tears where the wound was.
"Didn't catch a glimpse of your friend again?" Sara asked.
"I could feel a soothing presence," Harry said. "I think she was there to encourage me, although I didn't understand it."
Astra sighed. And that explained why Harry had the chaotic combination of phoenix tears and basilisk venom in his bloodstream.
In his arrogance, Riddle forgot that Phoenix tears have healing powers.
"Arrogant wanker," John said.
"Oooh," Bellatrix groaned.
"That was something you should have remembered, Tom," Ginny said. "And now, Harry's going to kick your arrogant arse."
"Oh, this is going to be wicked," Peter said with glee.
Riddle, almost solid, has the wand and prepares to finish Harry off.
"And now the moment of truth," Sara murmured.
"Wandless magic wouldn't hurt right now," Kate said.
"Sadly, I don't properly master that until my fifth year," Harry said. "But, we'll get there when we get there."
Harry never wanted death to be one lost or misplaced wand away.
Fawkes slips the diary to Harry.
"One of the only ways to….ooooh!" Regulus said in sudden realization.
"Instincts kicked in here?" Mia asked him.
"Big time," Harry said.
"Good," Alex said. "Most would have frozen."
"Including some professionals," Tonks agreed.
"Stab that bastard," Astoria said.
Ginny grinned. She was ready to see all of Riddle's plans go up in smoke.
Harry stabs the fang through the diary.
Everyone cheered at the destruction of the diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Riddle contorts and screams, with his form fading.
"Bye, Felicia!" Lita said mockingly waving.
"Good bye you miserable wanker, don't bother coming back," John said. "Congratulations, you destroyed one of the vilest pieces of dark magic."
"I hope it was painful," Ginny said.
"We all do," Ron said.
"He got everything he deserved," Daphne said.
Ginny stirs awake after Riddle's done.
"I felt like I was being pulled back from the edge," Ginny confirmed.
"Just almost cut it close," Sara said.
"It wouldn't be me if I didn't save the day at the last possible second," Harry said.
"Or save yourself," Astra said.
Harry nodded. That was too true.
Now broken free from the spell from Riddle's diary, Ginny tearfully says it was her.
"No, it wasn't," Alex said. "It was the monster who manipulated you."
"Brainwashed you, took advantage of your trusting nature," Zari said. "Completely gaslighted you in every way."
"I know that now," Ginny said. "But I was afraid. And Riddle did a number on me. And being expelled Hogwarts is the worst possible thing that could happen. At least that's what I thought at the time."
"I completely understand your plight," Harry said.
Harry tries to assure Ginny it's going to fine. But, she's too worried about being expelled.
"No, Dumbledore wouldn't do that," Hermione said.
"He wouldn't," Lily agreed. "But not for the reasons you think."
"Some of you really can't give him the benefit of the doubt," Hermione said. "Well, we'll see."
"Yes, we will," Kate said. "Although, you haven't forgotten about the bars on the window."
"It didn't happen again," Hermione murmured.
"The point is, I was here, scared to death," Ginny said. "And I appreciate Harry's efforts, I really did."
"Nothing he would tell you would convince you everything was going to be fine," Kara said. "Reminds me of someone else."
"Reminds me of a few people actually," Sirius said.
"C'mon," Harry murmured while pocketing what remained of the diary "I'm getting you out of here."
Harry made his way down the tunnel, along with Ginny, with Fawkes following, and Harry clutching the sword.
"HARRY!"
"Ron, I've got her," Harry said. "It's over."
"Ginny!" Ron yelled. "Are you okay?"
Ginny was shaking and Ron swept her up into a one armed hug. Ginny moved back slightly to notice Ron's hands were messed up from the obvious signs of trying to dig his way out without his hands.
"We managed to get through in the end," Beatrice said. "You have a sword?"
"How did you get a sword?"
"Especially that sword."
Harry turned and noticed a tall and very attractive red-haired woman with blue eyes approach the tunnel. She dressed in what appeared to be armored robes, far different than anything he ever saw.
"Cassandra Jacobs?" Harry asked.
"In the flesh," she said. "Call me Cassie. Or CJ."
"You got my letter?" Harry asked.
"And thankfully Fawkes made it to you in time," Cassie said. "I heard his song. Are you okay?"
Harry had questions, but he was aware.
"Fine," Harry said. "I just got bitten by the Basilisk, but Fawkes saved me."
"Just got bitten by a Basilisk?" Beatrice asked.
"I'll explain everything later," Harry said. "We've got to get Ginny out of here."
"We just finally broke through the cave-in just before you came around," Cassie said. "We thought we would be too late."
"Well, if it wasn't for Fawkes," Harry said.
"Well, that's an interesting way of meeting her," Tonks said.
"I concur with Beatrice," Astra said. "Just got bitten by a Basilisk?"
"You two would get on," Harry said.
"What happened?' Kara asked.
"Later, luv," Harry said.
"I know she's…."
"Kara, you won't get this out of him any more than I can," Sara said. "Or Astra."
"She better not have done anything to hurt you," Astra said.
"What makes you think that?" Natalie asked her daughter.
"Just a feeling," Astra said.
Harry offered no insight whether Astra was right or wrong. And they all knew that matter was not going to be resolved until Harry was ready to tell them.
"Lockhart?" Harry asked. "What happened?"
"Lost his mind, literally," Cassie said.
"Ron's wand blew his brains out," Beatrice said. "Memory charm backfired big time."
A delirious Lockhart stumbled around the hallway.
"Who are you?" Lockhart asked. "Who am I?"
"Professor Lockhart?" Harry asked.
Lockhart looked confused.
"Oh, is that me?" Lockhart asked. "Am I a Professor? I must have taught you everything you knew. Or maybe I didn't. I don't remember. Do you live down here? This is a dreadful place. They should fire the decorator."
Lockhart almost stumbled around drunk.
"So, how do we get up?" Ron asked.
"Fawkes," Cassie and Harry said in unison.
"That bird?" Ron asked.
"He's not an ordinary bird," Harry said. "We better get Ginny out of here. And Lockhart."
"Before he injures himself again," Beatrice said.
"It's okay, sweetie," Cassie said. "We're going to get you out of here."
"Hold onto my hand kid," Beatrice said.
Everyone locked hands and Fawkes airlifted them all out of the Chamber of Secrets and back into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Well, Lockhart just lost what passed for his mind," Natalie said.
"That's karma, you wanker," John said.
"I can't really feel sorry for him," Zari said. "After everything he's done to people."
"He should have faced justice," Malfoy said. "And not spend the rest of his days as the longterm spell damage ward of St. Mungos, at the tax payer's expense."
"Dementors would have been delicious for him," Astra said savagely.
"At one hand, it's poetic," Ron said. "But, that's not justice for all of the people whose memories he stole."
"He lied, lied to everyone," Hermione said.
"Goes to show you that, books are only as honest as the people who write them," Ava summarized.
"A lesson many people should learn," Daphne said.
Myrtle is surprised that Harry is alive.
"Don't sound too disappointed, luv," John said while rolling his eyes.
"Oh, that ghost has a fixation on my son," Lily said.
"Harry has a way with the ladies," Sara said.
"Not all of them are mentally stable," Kara said.
"That's for damn sure," Ron murmured.
"Good thing she's mellowed out a lot," Harry said.
"Yeah, thankfully she escaped her fangirl phase," Ginny agreed.
"Myrtle?" Lily asked.
"No, we're talking about another person," Ginny said. "We'll get to her later."
Ron makes a comment about how Ginny's got competition after Myrtle said Harry could live in her toilet after he died. But, Ginny's too upset.
"Timing, Ron," Astra said. "Timing."
"Kind of funny in hindsight," Ginny said. "Although given how Tom used my crush on Harry to manipulate me, not funny at the time."
"Understandable," Ron said. "Sorry."
"Don't be, you were trying to make me feel better," Ginny said.
"So, what now?" Ron asked.
"Dumbledore should be back by now," Cassie said.
"Did he ever leave?" Beatrice asked.
Cassie just shrugged. Ron looked at the two quizzically. A sighing Beatrice grabbed a stumbling Lockhart before he wandered back into the Chamber.
"We'll talk later, Harry," Cassie murmured. "About everything."
Harry nodded.
"McGonagall's?" Harry asked. "We know she's here."
"Dumbledore arrived just thirty minutes before you came up," McGonagall said.
"Around the time that Fawkes went down to the Chamber," Daphne said.
"Imagine that," Nora said while rolling her eyes.
"Cassie was the one that got my letter," Harry said. "Of course, if Dumbledore never left…"
"Beatrice pretty much said that at the time," Lena reminded him.
"It was a busy night," Harry said.
"True," Kara agreed.
"Not going to argue that one," Lena said.
The group makes their way towards Professor McGonagall's office. Harry knocks on the door.
"And that's, that chapter," Sara said.
"A draining one," Sirius said. "Bella?"
Bellatrix just waved off his concern.
"How?" Bellatrix asked. "How?"
Her entire philosophy on life had gotten shattered.
"One more for this book," Sara said.
"Shouldn't be as bad as this one," Ruby said.
"You're going to almost die once a year, aren't you?" Astra asked.
"Read on," Zari said.
Astra groaned. That non-answer answered her question perfectly.
"Final chapter," Lily said. "At least the big danger has passed."
Until next year. Because there was going to be next year.
"I wish I was known more for beating that Basilisk than the Voldemort thing," Harry said.
"It was more remarkable," Astra agreed. "Beating Voldemort was all Lily."
And with that, they prepared to read the next chapter. The final chapter of Book Two.
To Be Continued.