chapter 6 almost to the end of CoS

step 1: read

Professor McGonagall told the first years, that despite the attacks, there would still be exams. This announcement was met by groans and moans. I definitely didn't want to take exams, they were in one week, and I hadn't started studying.

I studied that night, and talked to Tom. I tried to remember what I had been studying, but I forgot. I had just been studying it a couple minutes before. How could I have forgotten already?

A couple days before exams started, I walked into the Great Hall, everyone was cheering. I went over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ron. I had to tell him that I was the one attacking everyone. I had realized it the night before, and had to tell Harry and Ron. I was nervous and twisting my hands.

"What's up?" Ron asked me, taking more porridge.

I didn't say anything, I was deciding to how to put it into words. I looked up and down the Gryffindor table, checking to see who was around. No one was near us. I had to tell them. Why couldn't I spit it out?

"I've got to tell you something," I murmured, not looking at Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked me. I couldn't decide how to say it. I had to say it.

"What?" Ron said impatiently. I opened my mouth, but I just couldn't say it.

Harry leaned forward, close to me and said in a hushed voice so no one could hear. "Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Has someone been acting strange?"

That was exactly what I needed to hear. I started to nod, when Percy appeared. I couldn't say it front of him!

"If you've finished eating, Ginny, I'll take that seat. I've just come off patrol, and I'm starving," he said. I threw him a fleeting scared look, jumped up quickly and ran out of the room. I was hoping Ron and Harry would follow me, but they stayed where they were and kept talking to Percy.

Tom, i am the one attacking everyone! You're the one making me do it!

I was waiting for you to figure it out, you silly girl. Its too late for you to do anything about anyway. You're stuck now! I've taken a hold of you, and you can't escape. I have been able to pur enough of myself into you that I can control you. You've been strangling roosters, and setting my snake on those mudbloods. And you can't do anything about it! We're going into the Chamber, and there's nothing you can do about it.

I screamed and struggled but there was no one to hear and help me. I was gone.

For some reason I maintained my mind while this happened. I wrote a last message on the wall and entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I walked past the cubicles and to the sink that had always been broken. A strange hissing escaped my mouth. I understood exactly what it meant 'open'. I wasn't a parselmouth! It was Tom possessing me! That made me feel good for a minute, but the situation was extremely bleak. The sink sank into the floor, and behind it was a huge gaping hole, a slide. I jumped in, and slid down quickly. I got slime all over my robes, to mix in with the red paint. Once I hit the bottom I stood up and walked slowly down the hall. I walked until I saw a pair of snakes engraved on the wall. their eyes were emeralds, and the snakes looked alive. More hissing left my lips, and the doors opened. I was standing in a long, chamber, with very little light. Immense stone pillars with serpents carved on them supported a ceiling you couldn't see. I walked to the end of the room and sat down in front of a huge statue. Riddle's diary lay next to me, a quill on top of it. I sat there crying and writing in the diary. I struggled, but I could feel myself becoming much weaker. I could barely sit up and I fell onto the marble floor. The last thing I remembered was Tom come out of the diary, his indistinct form becoming more solid, and then I passed out.

I moaned and sat up. Harry was running toward me. I looked around. There was a gigantic, but dead basilisk lying on the floor. Harry was carrying a long sword, with rubies in the hilt; the once shiny blade was smeared with blood. Harry's robes were soaked with blood. There it was. The diary. Harry was holding the diary, but a white fang was thrust into the middle of it. It was all too much. I drew in a trembling breath and began to cry.

"Harry – oh Harry – I tried to tell you at breakfast, but I couldn't say it in front of Percy. It was me, Harry, I opened the chamber of secrets, I set the basilisk on the muggle-borns, I strangled the roosters, I wrote the messages on the wall. I – I swear I didn't mean t – to! R- Riddle made me do it – he took me over – and – how did you kill the basilisk? Where's Riddle? The last thing I remember was him coming out of that diary..." I choked. I told Harry everything, everything I had done. I was crying so hard it was hard to talk. My robes were already stained with blood, slime and paint, and now tears were soaking it.

"It's all right," Harry said, holding up the diary with the basilisk fang in it. "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon Ginny, let's get out of here..."

"I'm going to be expelled!" I cried as Harry pulled me to my feet. "I've wanted to come to Hogwarts ever since Bill got his letter, and n-now I've come and I'll have to leave and – w-what will Dad and Mum say?" I sobbed with all that I had, everything I had wanted was now gone. My dreams. My hopes.

A phoenix was waiting for us at the entrance to the hall. The bird had red and gold plumage that cast a soft glow in the dark tunnel before us. I had never seen a bird so beautiful. Harry urged me forward and we moved through the chamber out into the tunnel. The doors shut behind us with a quiet hiss. It was a tall wall with two lifelike serpents carved on it. Their eyes were emeralds, and they flickered, making them look alive.

Walking with Harry was wonderful, but it wasn't exactly a romantic setting. I could hear rock being moved up ahead. What now?

"Ron!" Harry shouted moving faster. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

Those words 'I've got her' echoed in my ears. I heard Ron cheer and we could see him through a hole in a pile of rock.

"Ginny!" Ron yelled, he pulled me through the hole. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? Where did that bird come from?"

Harry squeezed through after phoenix.

"He's Dumbledore's," Harry answered. "His name is Fawkes."

"How come you've got a sword?' Ron asked, and I started crying harder than ever.

"I'll explain later, so I only have to do it once," Harry said. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Back there," Ron said disgustedly. "He's bad. C'mon."

Lockhart was sitting, humming to himself. Fawkes plumage cast a glow in the darkness.

"My wand backfired, so his memory charm ended up on him. He doesn't know who he is, where he is, or who we are. It's terrible," Ron said disgustedly.

Lockhart looked at us, happily, smiling.

"Hello," he said grinning like a little child. His curly hair was streaked with grime, and his hair was flying everywhere. "Strange place in here, don't you think? Do you live here?" he picked up a rock and examined it carefully.

"No," Ron said shortly. He looked at Harry with raised eyebrows.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Harry asked Ron, who shook his head.

Fawkes fluttered in front of Harry, waving his tail feathers.

"Uh, he looks like he wants you to take hold of his feathers," Ron said, clearly confused. "No offense against you Harry, but I think you're a bit to big to be flying around hanging onto birds."

"This is not an ordinary bird," Harry said turning quickly and instructing everyone what to do.

"We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny take Ron's hand, Ron you grab mine. And you," he pointed to Lockhart. "Take hold of Ginny's other hand," he pointed to Ginny.

I took Professor Lockhart's hand and with my other, I clutched Ron's. I watched Harry put the sword and the sorting hat in his belt.

Lightness flooded my body and suddenly we were flying, up through the pipe, which I remembered sliding down hours before. Lockhart, holding onto my hand, cried. "It's just like magic!" The wind was whipping through my hair, letting it stream behind me like a flag. I closed my eyes and enjoyed myself. Free from everything, this was the best I felt since I found Riddle's diary. The ride didn't last long; soon we had landed on the wet floor of Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle stared at them.

"You're alive...," she said, shocked and slightly disappointed.

"There really isn't any need to sound so depressed," Harry said absentmindedly, wiping the slime and blood off his glasses, and pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Realization of what was going to happen came flooding back to me. I silently started to cry again.

"Oh, well... I'd just thought that if you had died, you would be welcome to share my toilet," Myrtle said her cheeks more silver than normal.

Harry smiled painfully and quickly led the way out of the bathroom.

"Ugh!" Ron exclaimed. "Harry! Myrtle's grown fond of you. Ginny, you've got competition!" He grinned, but seeing my tears, coughed and said. "Where now, Harry?"

Harry pointed after Fawkes, who was leading the way. Minutes later, they stopped in front of Professor McGonagall's office. I watched, all hope draining away, as Harry knocked and opened the door.

The part where she goes into the chamber took me forever to write! This was extreely emotional, I feel a lot like Ginny, although I've never been possessed.

step 2: review

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