I unfortunately do not own the world of Harry Potter.

I would just like to say a quick thanks to panneler-san, AnonymousMSQ, Celeste Belle, doulike14, Xpurpleis4heartsX, domenica13, jadekate, and saralestrange980.

This is my first fan-fic. Hope you like it! (And if you haven't guessed by now, reviews are greatly appreciated!)

Just so you all know - I am also writing another fan-fic - Mysterious Last Name. I would really appreciate it if you would check it out. Thanks!

Chapter 18:

The Chamber of Secrets and Its Aftermath

It was now the nearing the end of the year. Many people had been petrified, including Hermione Granger. Ariella was making her way up to the hospital wing, when she stopped, and hearing voices, crept down the hall way. She stopped suddenly, when she saw the wall in front of her. She read:

Her body shall lie in the Chamber of Secrets forever. Ariella's heart stopped. She hoped the girl wasn't dead yet. If only she could find the chamber, then maybe she could help the girl. In a flash, she remembered something that Draco had said, "Last time the Chamber was opened, a Mudblood died". Moaning Myrtle! Ariella realized, and raced around the corner to the bathroom. She didn't know where to look, made a quick decision and yelled,

"Open!". The sink in front of her started to move, revealing the entrance to the Chamber. Apparently, it had responded to her speaking in Parseltongue, though how she had, she had no clue. She took a deep breath, and jumped.

"Ow!" she said, in response to landing on the hard floor. She looked down, and realizing that she was surrounded by bones, quickly stood up, and hurried down the passageway. She finally came to a room with huge snakes' heads lining the room. At the end, she could see the face of Salazar Slytherin. She also spotted a body lying on the floor. Ariella ran towards the body without further thought. As she knelt beside the body, she recognized the girl to be Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister.

Oh, no. Not her! She tried to shake the girl, to get the first year to wake up, but the only girl stirred briefly, before going limp in her arms, the color quickly fading from her face. Distantly, she heard footsteps seemingly getting louder, and looked up, tears forming in her eyes, to see Harry Potter staring at down her and Ginny, a horrified, yet confused look on his face. He knelt beside Ginny's body as Ariella answered his questioning expression.

"I found her like this when I got here only a few moments before you showed up. Harry nodded solemnly, seeming to accept words as truth. He didn't want to think about another possibility - the possibility that she was lying,

"Is she still alive?" asked Harry, his voice uncertain, as if he didn't really want an answer.

"Yes," said a voice from behind them, "but only just". The two second year students looked up, and into the face of a young man.

"Tom," Harry said, recognizing the young teen, "You've got to help her!"

"Why should I? For you see, as Ginny Weasly grows weaker, I grow stronger."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Ariella questioned, rising to her feet.

"I am the memory of 16 year old Tom Riddle. Preserved in a diary for 50 years. You see, as Ginny Weasly wrote in that diary, she gave me life. Soon I was able to control her, and it was she, at my bidding, who opened the Chamber of Secrets. She who wrote the messages on the wall. She who killed the roosters. She didn't know that she was, but she began to have her suspicions. That's when you found the diary, Harry Potter. But Ginny was nervous when she found out, so she stole it back from you. But ever since then, my interest hasn't been in petrifying mudbloods, but in you."

"Why me?" Harry questioned. Tom simply wrote the words TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE in mid-air, and then waved his wand for them to reform. They formed out the words I AM LORD VOLDEMORT. Harry's eyes widened, and Ariella stared in shock.

"Now let's test the the power of Lord Voldemort against the Boy-Who-Lived! Come! Come now!" Ariella's eye's widened as she gasped, only to scream,

"Harry! The basilisk!" At this, they both started to run.

"Over here!" Ariella cried as she ducked inside a passage way, pulling Harry along with her.

"Stay still. Don't move, and it won't notice us." Harry said as the basilisk came around the corner. It poked its head through, then went the other way when it didn't detect anyone. Then, very quietly, made their way out of the side chamber, and to the main hallway. Voldemort saw them, and ordered the basilisk to go after Harry, who ran towards the head of Salazar Slytherin, and started climbing up. Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound filled the chamber. Ariella looked up to see Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix soaring through the air with a black bundle in his beak. He dropped the bundle by Harry, and Ariella recognized it as the Sorting Hat. Harry looked confused while Riddle just laughed. Meanwhile, Fawkes flew around the basilisk, and ended up blinding the great snake a few minutes later.

"Nooo!" Riddle screamed, and then ordered the snake onto Harry, who by that time had almost reached the bottom of the statue.

"Harry! The Hat!" Ariella yelled to the Gryffindor as something began to form, and stick out of the hat. Harry ran over, and out of the old Sorting Hat, pulled a jewel-encrusted sword. The basilisk lunged, and as Harry tried to move out of the way, the basilisk's fang sank into his right harm. Ariella ran, grabbed the sword from where Harry had dropped it, and stabbed great snake in the side, which promptly fell, finally defeated, finally dead.

Meanwhile, Harry had grabbed the diary, pulled the fang from his arm, and struck the diary with it. Immediately, the form of Tom Riddle started to falter, and in the next minute, it was gone. The minute the cry of Voldemort faded, and his form disappeared completely, Ginny sat up suddenly. She looked around widely, a worried expression on her face. When she found Harry, though, she began to speak quietly, but hurriedly.

"It was me. Harry, I didn't want to, but he made me. I killed the roosters, I opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was me." By this time, she was silently crying, but then noticed his arm.

"Your arm!"

"I'll be fine. Ginny listen to me. Go with Ariella. At the end of the passage way, Ron is waiting for you. I'll be okay." Suddenly, Fawkes came soaring out of nowhere, and landed by Harry's arm. The brilliant bird started to cry.

"Phoenix tears! Of course! They have healing powers!" Ariella said, speaking for the first time since Ginny awoke. It was then that the red-haired girl noticed her, a look of fear crossing her face.

"I'm glad you're alright, Ginny. You had me scared for a bit." Ariella said, trying to ease the tension. Ginny looked surprised at the Slytherin girl's words.

"Th-Thank you," she stammered. The two Gryffindors stood up, and Ariella spoke, this time to Harry.

"Here, uh, I guess this is yours. Neat trick by the way." she said, handing the sword to him, which he took with a nod. The three students the set off, back towards the exit. Ariella walked a few feet behind Harry and Ginny, a small smile on her face.

After a few minutes with little conversation, they reached the entrance. Harry and Ginny went through the small gap in the rocks first, and Ariella followed, standing off to the side, unsure of what to do. Ron was embracing his sister, and as he pulled away, he noticed her.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, suspicion and surprise in his voice. Ariella started to answer, but Harry cut her off.

"She helped kill the basilisk, Ron. She helped save Ginny." A look of total shock crossed Ron's face. Ariella simply nodded, before speaking aloud to everyone in general.

"Next question, how are we getting out …?" but was cut off by Fawkes flying towards them, wings stretched out. Harry smiled, and yelled

"Grab on!" and without another word, the students held on tight, (Ron dragging Professor Lockhart, who had apparently lost his memory when he tried to use Ron's wand to wipe out the memories of Harry and Ron - Ron's wand being broken, backfired,) out of the Chamber of Secrets. The group made their way up to Dumbledore's office, where they were greeted warmly.

"Miss Weasley, I suggest you go up to the hospital wing with your family, and get some rest." Dumbledore said once everyone had settled down a bit. After they left, Harry recounted their story while Ariella stayed silent. She was staring at the diary. A memory suddenly came back to her, Lucius Malfoy putting it in Ginny Weasly's caldron. A loud thud was heard behind them as the door opened, and both students whipped around to find none other than Lucius Malfoy strolling into the room, followed by a frightened Dobby. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear, thought Ariella.

"Dobby! The Malfoy's! That's who you work for." Harry exclaimed, and Lucius gave the house elf such a glare that he shook as he went to stand by Ariella. Normally, Ariella would have smiled at him, but she was just too angry.

" I see you're back," Mr. Malfoy stated to Dumbledore, disgust evident in his voice.

"Yes," the headmaster relpied, a twinkle in his eye.

"And the Chamber of Secrets… the culprit has been caught?"

"Yes, it was the same person who did it last time. Voldemort, by means of this." Dumbledore answered, holding up the diary.

"Ah," he said, no trace in his voice suggestion his connection. Ariella couldn't stay silent any longer.

"How could you!" she cried out, and everyone turned to look at her. "How could you give Ginny the diary? Knowing full well that she would get hurt, that it would open the Chamber of Secrets?!" Lucius' eyes narrowed as he spoke,

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That day, in Flourish and Bott's, you slipped the diary into one of her books as you put the book back in her cauldron." Lucius sneered.

"I will deal with you when school ends," he said coldly. Harry looked confused at his words, and looked over at Ariella, expecting to see her even a bit scared, but instead, with a determined look on her face, replied,

"Fine." Lucius turned, and strode out of the room. Dobby, whimpering, following him out.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, calling the boy over to him, "if you have any more doubts about which house you belong in, I think that you should take a closer look at this," he said, holding out the sword.

"Godric Gryffindor," Harry breathed queity, reading the inscription on the sword.

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat," Dumbledore said with a smile. Suddenly, Harry asked for the diary, took his sock off, slipped it in the diary, and sped out of the room. Ariella, with a confused look on her face, followed him.

"Mr. Malfoy! Since this is yours, I think that you might want it back." Lucius took the diary stiffly, then threw it at Dobby. Harry motioned for the house elf to open it, which he did, to reveal Harry's sock. Ariella smiled, but that quickly faded as the elder Malfoy drew his wand, enraged, and pointed it at her classmate. Dobby shouted, and he was thrown backward, at Dobby's magic, and when he stood up, disheveled, he simply glared at them, and left in a rush. Harry made Dobby promise not to do him anymore favors, and then the two students walked back to the headmaster's office, where he was waiting for them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasly are waiting to meet and thank you in the hospital wing. You may go there. You should have Mrs. Pomprey to look at those cuts, as is." The two students nodded, and then started to make their way to the hospital wing. Harry glanced at the Slytherin girl at his side, and was surprised to see a worried, and slightly frightened expression upon her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Ariella looked at him as she replied,

"Huh, yeah, I-I'm fine. Thanks." After a small silence, Harry spoke again.

"You were really brave down there. You know that, right?" Ariella looked surprised, and taken aback, but not in a bad way.

"I guess. The thing is, when I saw you hurt, I didn't think of my fear of the snake. Ironic, I guess, considering I'm a Parselmouth. I was afraid that it would be too late for Ginny, and that if I didn't hurry, then you, well, wouldn't be alright. I didn't really think for myself at all. It wasn't much. Besides, it was you who made a difference. You fought really well, by the way."

"Er, thanks," said Harry, uncomfortable, "so what did Mr. Malfoy mean when he said that he would deal with you when school ended?" Ariella, suddenly very uneasy, quickly looked away as she responded,

"Oh, er, nothing. Forget about it."

"Er, okay. Wait, you're not nervous about seeing the Weasleys, are you. Because they're really nice." Harry said.

"Yeah, I am actually," Ariella confessed quietly, "I know they're nice, but still." She continued, shrugging. A few moments later, they reached the hospital wing. Harry went in, trailed by Ariella.

"Harry! Oh, thank goodness, you're alright!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasly, embracing the boy in a hug. "Thank you so much! You saved Ginny's life!" she continued, releasing him, and holding him at arm's length. Harry was red in the face.

"Er, thank you Mrs. Weasley." It was then that the Weasly boys noticed Ariella.

"What do you want?" asked one of the twins.

"Fred! She helped save your sister!" Mrs. Weasly reprimanded her son, and all four Weasly boys (Percy, Fred, George, and Ron) instantly looked surprised and suspicious.

"Thank you." Mr. Weasley said to Ariella, then speaking a bit louder, said, "I don't think you could find two braver Gyrffindors." Harry saw Ariella wince out of the corner of his eye.

"Actually sir, I'm not in Gryffindor, though I wish I was." she spoke. Ron snorted.

"Oh, well, then what house are you in?" Mr. Weasley replied. Ariella took a deep breath before replying.

"Slytherin." Both Mr. and Mrs. Weaslys' eyes widened. Ron then voiced the question then they were all wondering.

"Why'd you save her then? Aren't you the heir?"

"No, I'm not the heir. Just because I'm a Parselmouth doesn't mean I'm a bad person. Just look at Harry..."

"You're a Parselmouth? Who are your parents?" Mr. Weasley cut in. Ariella looked down, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I-I don't know sir." Then, looking up, she continued to answer Ron's question.

"As for why I did it, I didn't even know that it was Ginny who was down there, I just read the message on wall, and knew I had to help. When I saw that it was your sister, I just felt worse. That's the truth." A stunned silence followed her words. Suddenly, her arm burned, and she just managed not to gasp out in pain. What could Mr. Malfoy possibly want now?"

"Look, I, er, have to go. I'm glad you're alright Ginny." And without another word, she raced out of the hospital wing, rounded the corner, and put her right hand to her left arm, and pressed the burning mark.

Harry raced after the girl, but when he got to the hallway outside the hospital wing, the girl had vanished. Harry, a bit confused, went back to join the Weasleys.

Ariella, to her surprise, didn't land inside the manor, but instead, of the floor of the Slytherin common room. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy, a sneer on his face.

"What?" asked Ariella, rather annoyed, and yet glad it wasn't his father.

"Why didn't you just let that blood-traitor die? What happened in the Chamber of Secrets?" he questioned her.

"I wasn't about to let anyone die. She's a good person, unlike you," Ariella answered, rising to her feet, looking straight into Draco's eyes as she spoke, "As for what happened, the basilisk tried to kill Harry and I, but in the end, we killed it. That's all you need to know. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pack." And without saying anything else, swept past a shocked Draco to her dormitory.

The Great Hall was buzzing with rumors with what had really happened beneath the school. All those who had been petrified had been returned to their conscious, healthy selves. Ron was suddenly glaring at Ariella, so surprise there. Hermione caught him, and spoke up.

"Ron, she helped save your sister's life. What more do you want from her?"

"Hermione, while I'm glad that she helped save Ginny, that doesn't mean I'm just going to forget everything. She's still a Slytherin, and she still hangs out with Malfoy way too much."

"Ron, you do remember what happened when Malfoy called Hermione a...a you know what, don't you? She threatened him pretty badly. She's not a bad person, at least she doesn't seem to be. If she hasn't shown her "evil side" by now, then I think that what she puts out is who she is." Harry told his friend. Ron opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as Dumbledore began to start his speech.

"Another end of the year has come. Thanks to Hagrid and Madame Pomprey, all those who had been petrified are now with us once more. A few final points are to be awarded due to recent events. First, to Miss Ariella Lyons, for her quick decisions, and ability to want to help, 20 points." He paused to allow some applause. Ariella looked surprised, Draco glared suspiciously at his servant, and Harry grinned at the girl, clapping loudly, where he was slowly and hesitantly joined by the rest of the room.

"And also to Mr. Harry Potter, for his bravery and courage in the face of danger, 30 points." The room exploded, Ariella clapping along with everyone else (excluding the other Slytherins), a true smile on her face. Gryffindor won, but Ariella was surprisingly happy, despite what had happened.

The next morning aboard the Hogwarts Express, she suddenly heard her name,

"Ariella! Wait up!" She turned to face Harry, (who had called out to her,) Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Would you like to sit with us?" he asked once close enough.

"No, she wouldn't. She can't." said a cold voice from behind Ariella. She turned, and her expression hardened at the sight of Draco Malfoy.

"What?" she asked, partly because she wasn't sure if she had heard right, partly because she didn't really want to deal with him right now, (or ever for that matter).

"You heard me. You're not sitting with them." Draco repeated, his voice colder than usual.

"Oh, and since when have you ever wanted me around, huh?" Ariella spat at him.

"What do you mean she can't sit with us? It's not like you own her!" Hermione said. Ariella winced, and Harry caught this.

"Actually..." Draco started, but was cut off by Ariella.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll be there in a minute." With another glare, Malfoy turned and left, leaving a defeated Ariella, who then turned back to the Gryffindors before starting to speak softly.

"Look, I'm sorry. Thanks so much for the offer, it means a lot, but..." she trailed off before continuing. Ron interrupted in that pause.

"What did he mean when he started to say 'Actually'?"

"Forget about it, alright?"

"You're hiding something from us, aren't you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Yes, but it doesn't concern you, so just forget about it, please? Have a good summer. I'll, uh, see you around, I guess?" The four simply nodded, Harry bading her a good summer, and the four started to leave. Ginny, however, turned back to Ariella.

"Ariella?" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For helping me." Ariella nodded.

"You're welcome. Have a good summer, Ginny." The two girls smiled before going their separate ways. As she made her way down to Malfoy's compartment, she let her thoughts roam free. Why did he always have to ruin everything. Also, why must my life be so complicated? Ugg, I am so not looking foward to summer. She just didn't know how right she was.

**Note - I didn't take anything directly from the book, but anything you reconize is from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. **

Sorry for the long wait! Hope this chapter makes up for it! :)

Thanks to all who are reading, and liking it. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please feel free to review/private message me. Also, if you have any ideas at all, or would like to see something happen, let me know, and I'll consider putting them into a chapter. Thanks! ~ Leanora