Disclaimer:  Once again I do not own it.

Thank you to those of you who have reviewed, questions are answered at the end this time.  If you haven't reviewed will you please take a few seconds (or minutes) to do so, it's greatly appreciated.

Chapter 8

            Draco had stayed for Christmas Holiday that year.  Over holiday two of what appeared to be but didn't act like their fellow Slytherins had asked them questions, too many questions, about the Heir and if Harry or Draco knew anything about it.  Of course neither of them did but that didn't stop them from asking.  After awhile they had run off, saying something about needing to use the bathroom.

            Since the incident with the Dueling Club people had been eyeing Harry wearily, they thought he was the Heir of Slytherin.  Of course Harry did nothing to allay their fears until one day when Dumbledore called him to his office.  The moment he was inside he spoke, trying to defend himself.

            "Professor, I'm not the Heir of Slytherin.  I haven't been doing this." He said quickly.

            "It's alright Harry, I know you're not." He said with a smile, "But everyone's afraid because you are Parseltongue."

            "I saved that…Justin's…life.  I stopped that snake from attacking him." He said, stopping himself before he referred to him as a Mudblood, which certainly wouldn't have gone in his favor.

            Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, Harry, I understand." He paused, "If the attacks continue we might have to close down Hogwarts." He paused, "There have been two more attacks, Hermione Granger, Justin Fitch-Fletchley, and the Gryffindor ghost." He sighed and was about to continue when the door opened.

            Harry recognized who it was immediately, Lucius walked inside, a half smile on his face.  Harry smiled at him, "Hello Harry." He said warmly then looked at Dumbledore, his smile growing a bit, "The governors feel it's time for you to step aside." He said, taking out a piece of parchment, "This is an Order of Suspension." He said as Dumbledore took it, "You'll notice all twelve signatures are on it.  There have been two more attacks today, haven't there?  At this rate they'll be no more Muggle-borns left." His voice was a low purr, as if that idea was quite appealing, "Let us hope your successor has better luck in preventing anymore killings." He said before walking out, giving Harry a smile.

            Harry looked at Dumbledore, "So what happens now sir?" He asked respectfully.

            "We shall see Harry." He said with a smile, "Go ahead back to your common room."

            Harry smiled to himself and began the walk to the dungeons, Open. A low hiss came from within a blocked off bathroom.

            He scowled, "What the hell?  Who else is a Parseltongue?"

            Veneficus poked his head out of the collar of his robe; he had been hidden up his sleeve all year, Find out. He hissed.

            Harry nodded and crept into the bathroom.  His eyes grew wide as he saw a red haired girl slip into a tunnel hidden behind one of the sinks, I should go get Draco before going down there after her.

            Veneficus nodded and they quickly walked out, making their way to the dungeons where Draco was waiting.  On his way out he failed to notice the message under the first one:

HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER

            "Drac!" Harry said, opening the door to their room.  He looked up from his book with a start, "I know where the Chamber is."

            Draco raised an eyebrow, "Really?  Let's go."

            Harry nodded then smiled, "I have an idea and it'll get that git Lockhart out of our way as well."

            Draco smiled, "Do tell."

            It wasn't long before they had Lockhart at wandpoint and Harry had demanded that the Chamber open.  Draco went down first so they could keep an eye on their idiot teacher.  Harry pushed Lockhart down and Draco made sure he wasn't going to be a threat, at least that is until Harry came down.  Harry landed hard, dropping his wand.  Lockhart grabbed it up quickly.

            "Ha!" He shouted.

            Draco snorted, "You can't even do a decent spell, what makes you think that we're afraid of you now?"

            "My specialty is Memory Charms." He stated in a mater-of-fact tone, "Now I'll have to fix it so you can't go blabbing my secret.  I can just say something horrible happened down here and you lost your minds."

            Harry raised an eyebrow as he went to cast the spell.  His pendant began to glow and the Memory Charm he cast backfired, hitting the caster instead.  Draco laughed as Lockhart looked around dumbly, obviously not remembering what was going on.  Harry chuckled and took his wand.

            "Remind me to thank Lucius over and over again for the pendant." Harry said to Draco, "So…Should we just leave him here?"

            Draco chuckled, "Hmm, it would be more fun to bring him back." He looked at Lockhart, "I'll stay with the idiot, you go ahead, see what's going on."

            Harry nodded and went forward, coming to a large door after awhile.  Gently he ran his fingers over the snakes carved into the door before hissing, Open. Parseltongue was becoming easier for him and he enjoyed the way it sounded.

            Veneficus hissed in his ear, Careful.  Don't get yourself hurt, understand?

            Of course Veneficus.  I haven't come this far to get myself killed.  You sound like a mother.

            Well, you need one. He hissed back.

            Harry rolled his eyes and the door opened.  He stepped through, head held high, looking forward to seeing who was behind this.  He certainly didn't want the school closed, maybe under new management and without many of the Mudbloods, but other then that it was fine.  Some Mudbloods were needed so there wouldn't be inbreeding but that was all.  Ginny Weasley was on the stone floor and the foot of a giant statue resembling Salazar Slytherin.  A journal was lying beside her and there was the ethereal form of a 16 year old boy beside her.  Harry scowled slightly and the boy looked up at him with a smile.

            "You must be Harry Potter." He said, continuing to smile at him, "Ginny told me all about you."

            Harry returned the smile, "You know my name, might I ask yours?"

            "Of course, of course, how rude of me.  I am Tom Riddle." He said with a short bow.

            Harry made a short bow in return, "It's a pleasure to meet you.  Are you the one who has been picking off Mudbloods?  Not that I have a problem with it, it's just that I really don't want the school to close."

            He scowled, "They're resorting to that again?" He sighed, "They should just be more careful who they let in here." He looked down at Ginny, "Then there are the weak willed ones."

            Harry chuckled, "I would think that all Weasleys are." He said with a sigh.

            Veneficus took the opportunity to poke his head out.  Tom looked at him, "Beautiful snake." He said with a smile.

            "Yes, he is." Harry replied, stroking his head.

            Veneficus looked over at Tom, He smells like you. He said, flicking his tongue out to taste the air.

            Harry scowled, Really?

            Tom looked over at the two of them, I do? He hissed at the snake coiled around Harry's arm.

            He blinked, "You're a Parseltongue as well?"

            "Of course, how else could I have opened the Chamber?"

            Harry scowled, "I saw her open it, not you."

            "That's where it gets confusing, you see, I've been using her to get my life back.  In order to do that I've been taking hers, making her do things for me, like talking to the basilisk."

            "Ahh, I see.  So, how long have you been…gone?"

            He chuckled, "Thirteen years.  You see," He paused, moving Ginny's wand to form his name, Tom Marvolo Riddle, "I have gone by another name as well." He flicked the wand and the words changed to form the words 'I am Lord Voldemort', "Do you see?"

            Harry blinked, "So…you're the one…" He said, trailing off.

            "That would be me.  Are you going to oppose me like many others do?"

            Harry half smiled, "No, I don't think so.  I have no reason to except for what I've been told by that fool, Dumbledore, and a few other people." He absently fingered his pendant, it had become a habit when he was nervous, "I would rather this school be Mudblood free, except for maybe some of the strongest but that's only so there doesn't end up being inbreeding and so the lines don't die out."

            Tom nodded in complete understanding, "You're intelligent Harry."

            "Thank you.  Are you going to let Ginny go?  I have no love for the Weasleys but she hasn't done anything to me."

            He sighed, "I'm afraid I can't do that.  She will die and I will live again."

            Harry shook his head, "I'm sorry but I can't let that happen.  I'm not one for heroics but I don't want the school to close.  If she dies it will."

            Tom hissed lowly, Come, destroy my enemies. He hissed, looking up at the statue, "I'm sorry Harry."

            Harry sighed, "I'm sorry Tom." He replied before hissing, Sleep loyal basilisk.  Sleep until you're called for again.

            The huge snake that had begun to appear from the statue went back inside, hissing softly, Sleep…

            Tom's eyes grew wide, "No…" He looked shocked then scowled.

            "Sorry Tom, the basilisk will sleep.  Now let Ginny go." Harry said, absently petting Veneficus.

            "I don't understand?"

            "Just between me and you, I don't either." He said before casting one of the spells Lucius had taught him on the journal, destroying it in a flash of light.

            Tom let out a cry of anger and pain, disappearing.  Harry closed his eyes for a moment then carefully picked up Ginny, carrying her back to where Draco was waiting.  When he got there he promptly passed out, that spell had taken a lot out of him.

Review Responses:

Greeneyes:  I'm working through the events in the books until I get to the fifth one where it'll veer off on it's own without following the basic events.  I'm not sure if I'm going to do m-preg or not, I haven't decided on that.  Anything else you want to know?  I'll answer.

Shadowface:  I know, it would have made me happy too but the school would have been closed, so, I didn't but at least Harry has control over the basilisk now and can always use it later.