Hello everybody! I just got back from seeing The Crimes of Grindelwald with Madison's inspiration, and I was inspired to put out another chapter! Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.)

Chapter 20:

Rock Bottom

"Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he spotted Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
'My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?' he shrieked.
And his popping eyes fell on Harry.
'You!' he shrieked. 'You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -'"

"Why does this always happen to you?" Molly said as she and the other time-travelers stood in a huddle around Opa's Petrified body.

"I don't know," Madison said. "I mean, I feel like I'm a magnet for everything bad that happens in this school. First I'm killed by Voldemort's slave, then my pet gets Petrified - what's next? I pull a Harry Potter and start fainting at the Dementors?"

"What are Dementors?" Molly asked.

"Never mind," Madison said. "The point is, how do we fix it?"

"I think we just have to wait for the Mandrakes, just like in the books," Zoë said.

"Wait - we can use Mandrakes?" Molly asked. "Those disgusting things that scream so loudly they can kill you?"

"Yep," Zoë said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Molly said. "Let's go ask Professor Sprout!"

"Not so fast," Stella said. "The Mandrakes aren't fully grown yet. They can't help us."

"Oh," Molly said, downcast.

"Oh, and there was something else," Madison said. "Molly - have you gotten to the part about Parseltongue yet?"

"I'm still on the first book," Molly said. "I had to stop after they mentioned the twins hitting Voldemort with snowballs."

"Why would you stop there?" Jonah said. "That's, like, the best part!"

Molly rolled her eyes, pointing to Madison.

"Oh," Jonah said. "Right."

"Well, anyway," Madison interjected, "there are people in the Harry Potter universe who can talk to snakes - they're called Parselmouths, and they speak the language called Parseltongue. Usually, only heirs of the founder of Slytherin can do it - well, so can Harry, but that's because of other circumstances that you'll learn in due time. But the point is, last night I was in the bathroom when I heard this hissing noise - and I could understand it."

"What?" Molly said, shocked. "You're a Parselmouth?"

Madison nodded grimly.

"How is that even possible?" Molly asked. "You're not a Slytherin - you're not even close to being one."

"I know," Madison said. "I can't come up with a sneaky plan to save my life - literally. So then why can I understand Parseltongue?"

"Maybe there's some sort of connection to the diary?" Ava pondered.

"Wait - there's a diary involved?" Molly asked.

"Will you read the books already?" Stella said. "Just finish Philosopher's Stone and move on to Chamber of Secrets. Then you'll understand."

"I told you," Molly said. "I can't get past where Madison's death should be. I probably won't be able to get past the detention scene. By the way, I still don't know why Mackenzie said that thing about detention. Now that first year has come and gone, will you please explain that?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember that now," Mackenzie said. "In the books, Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Neville get detention in the Forbidden Forest, but in the movies, Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Ron get detention. I guess it turned out to be Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Stella."

"It was either that or Neville," Stella said. "It all worked out in the end."

"What was the Forbidden Forest like?" Molly asked.

"Don't believe the hype," Stella responded. "Yeah, it's dangerous, but nothing a Protego or two can't handle."

"Protego?" Molly asked. "Is that a spell?"

Stella sighed. "Just read the books. Madison's fine. You didn't have detention. Jonah's been acquitted. The world is perfect the way it is."

Molly shrugged. "Maybe later."

Stella rolled her eyes. "I'm getting McGonagall."

She walked out of the room, screams of "You've murdered my cat!" echoing through the halls.

"And there's Filch, right on schedule," Beatrix said.

"What happened with Filch?" Molly asked.

"Mrs. Norris got Petrified, too," Ava explained.

"Oh, goodness," Molly said. "Filch is going to be furious."

"There's a reason he's screaming at Harry," Jonah said.

"Wait - he's screaming at Harry?" Molly asked. When nobody responded, she headed toward the door with a conflicted look on her face. "I'll be right back."

She left the room, leaving the others standing around Opa's Petrified body.

"Okay, who's going to go out there and stop her?" Jonah said.

Nobody answered.

"Perfect," he said. "Neither am I. Come on, everybody."

In unison, the group headed to the door, Zoë picking up Opa on the way out.

To Molly's dismay, by the time she arrived at the scene, Harry and Filch had gone to Dumbledore's office already. "It's a shame," she told Mackenzie as she stormed back to the Gryffindor common room. "I was really going to tell them off this time."

"Are you sure that's what you wanted to do?" Mackenzie said.

Molly nodded. "They've caused nothing but trouble since they got here this year. My ears are still bleeding from Mrs. Weasley's Howler a few weeks ago."

"I know," Mackenzie said. "But maybe it's been long enough since the car thing. Everyone deserves a second chance eventually."

"But then how do you explain this?" Molly asked. "Mrs. Norris and Opa Petrified, on the same day? And Harry just happens to be at the scene of the crime?"

"Just ignore the whole Madison's dead thing and read the books already," Mackenzie said. "They'll give you all the answers."

"Have you even read the books?" Molly asked.

The hall fell into an awkward silence.

"That's what I thought," Molly said. "Maybe I will read the books. Maybe I will take the advice that you haven't even followed. But heed my words: unless you can prove to me that Harry is innocent, I will not speak a single kind word to him until I die. And as soon as we're both in wherever we go after death, I will be giving him the longest talking-to he's ever heard."

"Unless he's proven innocent," Mackenzie clarified.

"Of course," Molly said, as though it was obvious.

By then, they had arrived at the Gryffindor common room. "Wattlebird," Molly said angrily.

"Well, you don't have to have such an attitude about it," the Fat Lady said as her painting opened. Molly held the door for Mackenzie before walking in and collapsing on one of the plush red chairs.

"I'm just going to nap here for a bit, if you don't mind," she said.

Mackenzie smiled. "Sure thing, Sleeping Beauty," she said, rolling her eyes as she went up to her room.

It was less than a week later that Ginny visited the bathroom again. Madison could still hear Ginny coaxing the Basilisk in Parseltongue, and she still didn't know why.

After the Basilisk returned to the Chamber, Madison could hear Ginny say, "Oh, God...it happened again…"

"Ginny?" Madison said, opening her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Suddenly, a flat, brown object flew through the air, directly through Madison's chest. The diary.

"You take it!" Ginny screamed. She was crying. "I don't want it anymore!"

Madison was taken aback. She knew how dangerous the diary was, how quickly it could possess anyone...but maybe if she tried it out, she could figure out why she could understand Parseltongue…

"Ginny, I have a spell I want to teach you," Madison said. "I can't use the diary if I'm not solid."

Ginny turned to Madison, her eyes glassy with tears. "H-how do I do that?" she sniffled.

"Just point your wand at me and say 'Deposio Spiritus,'" Madison explained.

Ginny nodded, drawing her wand. "Deposio Spiritus,'" she said. Madison could feel the transformation take place; her feet on the ground, she walked over to the diary.

"Thank you, Ginny," Madison said, picking it up. "You should get back to the Gryffindor common room before anyone sees you."

"You won't...tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not," Madison said.

Slowly, Ginny stood up and walked to the door. "Goodbye, Madison," she said.

Madison smiled. "Goodbye, Ginny."

As soon as Ginny left the room, Madison opened the diary. She pointed her wand to the door. "Accio Quill and Ink," she said.

It only took a few seconds for the bathroom door to open for a quill pen and an ink jar to float through it. Madison grabbed them from the air and sat on the floor.

"I'm only writing because I want to know why I can speak Parseltongue; if you even try to possess me, I will conjure up some Fiendfyre like that," she wrote, snapping her fingers afterward for emphasis.

After a few seconds, writing appeared.

"You Mudbloods are quite spunky."

"Don't call me a Mudblood," Madison wrote.

"Or you'll conjure up some Fiendfyre?"

"Exactly."

"I can't tell you why you're a Parselmouth; to be honest, I don't know myself."

"And don't you tell me that you can show me instead. That's how you got Ginny, and that's how you'll get Harry."

"I get the honor of talking to Harry Potter?"

"I've written too much. My point is that I know you're Tom Riddle, so get out of the diary already. Or is that just in the movies?"

"What's a movie?"

"Never mind. Just come out already."

"I can't unless I've possessed someone."

"Is there any other way I can talk to you face to face?"

"We can both be in a flashback together. But then I can't Petrify anyone."

"That sounds alright to me."

"Oh, darn."

The book lit up, and Madison dived in headfirst. When she hit the ground, she had turned so that she was on her feet again.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The night you died," a voice said. Madison jumped and turned to see a boy, a little older than her. He was handsome, but in a devilish way, with dark hair and eyes and a sweet yet foreboding smile.

Madison looked around. "This is Quirrell's classroom," she said. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," Tom Riddle admitted. "You wanted to talk, so I obliged."

"Why can I speak Parseltongue?" Madison asked. "Tell me!"

"I don't know," Tom admitted. "You're a Mudblood, as far as I know. You have no blood in your veins that came from Salazar Slytherin."

"But neither does Harry, and he can speak Parseltongue."

"Harry Potter is a...special case," Tom said. "But I can assure you that you do not have a Horcrux inside of you, and even if you did, it would've been destroyed...right about now."

Madison turned to see Quirrell standing on the other side of the classroom, pointing his wand at Jonah, who in turn was pointing his wand at Madison. Opa lay at Madison's feet, dead.

"Why are you doing this?" the flashback version of Madison said. "You're hurting him!"

"But it will all be over in a second for him if you don't fight," Quirrell said. "You've lost - just give up."

The past version of Madison paused for a second, then looked at Quirrell defiantly.

"Never," she said, at the same time that the present-day Madison did.

"Have it your way, then," Quirrell said, turning his focus to Jonah.

"Avada Kedavra," Jonah said, a green bolt flashing from his wand and hitting Madison square in the chest. The present-day Madison cringed as her former self was flung across the room, landing on the ground with a thump.

"It's interesting to see it from another perspective, is it not?" Tom said.

Madison nodded, still staring at the tableau occurring in front of her.

"So no Horcruxes, then," she said, nervously laughing. "I wish I could see every moment like this - it's like a movie of my life."

"I definitely wish you could see this moment like this," Tom said. Madison, confused, turned - to see Tom, wand in hand, aimed at her throat.

"What are you doing?" Madison said. "You can't kill me."

"I know," Tom said, an evil glint in his eye. "But I can incapacitate you, and I can still hurt each and every one of your precious friends as you watch, helpless." He laughed. "It'll be like a movie of their lives."

"I'll fight you…" Madison said.

"I have no doubt that you won't be able to," Tom said, holding up another wand. Madison's. "It's rather easy to pickpocket a witch when she's distracted."

"What are you going to do with me?" Madison said.

"Well, I won't possess you - or you'd conjure up some Fiendfyre like that," Tom said. "But you'll be working with me from now on. You will do everything I ask, or your friends will be killed. It's almost worse - every deed you do will be done willingly."

"No, it won't," Madison said. "You're forcing me to do this."

"Maybe I am," Tom said. "But your friends don't know that. I can do much worse than what I did to your owl."

Madison didn't say anything. She just stood, watching, helpless, with no idea what to do.

Suddenly, the world around her spun away. When Madison could see again, she was back in the bathroom, kneeling in front of the diary.

"See you soon," Tom Riddle wrote. And then the diary closed.

Madison looked at the diary for a few more minutes, in shock, tears threatening to pour from her eyes. Finally, she put the diary to the side, next to the Petrified form of Opa. She grabbed her wand.

"Sublimate Spiritus," she said. The wand fell from her hand as she turned back into gas.

"I'm sorry, Opa," she said as she hovered against the wall as though she was sitting down. "I'm so sorry…"

Hi everybody! Thanks for reading this chapter; here are its behind-the-magic fun facts:

1) I feel like I have a part in each chapter that I mention how much I enjoyed writing, but I really enjoyed Madison's conversation with Tom Riddle and the flashback to Madison's death. To be honest, this book was not my favorite to write about, so I felt like I had to find really interesting story arcs to explore, and in doing so, I ended up having fun writing for Chamber of Secrets.

2) The "You won't...tell anyone, right?" "Of course not" exchange is taken straight from the way Stephen Colbert opens his "Midnight Confessions" segments on his show. (Also, he hasn't done one of those in a while, and he should. They're hilarious.)

3) Madison's questions about how she can speak Parseltongue will continue for a while, and I have a really cool payoff in mind.

4) I wanted to take a second and explain Mackenzie's "I wonder who's getting detention" comment from Chapter 2, and I really like Stella's unimpressed reaction to the Forbidden Forest.

5) Did anyone notice that I snuck my pen name into the story? I was very proud of that one.

6) Madison's inspiration and I had an interesting conversation about Molly's speech to Mackenzie about Harry and Ron. Madison thought that Mackenzie and the others should tell Molly that Harry and Ron had good intentions when they drove the car to Hogwarts (albeit weird ways of demonstrating those intentions), but then I pointed out Molly's reaction when they spoiled her about Lavender Brown's death. Then Mackenzie said that this wasn't that big a spoiler and it's based on a part of the story that she's already experienced. My response was: "Flawed characters. They make stories interesting."

(Side note: One of the things I was worried about when I decided to write a story with a cast based on me and my friends was that I would end up making the characters too perfect without being unlikable. I've had a lot of fun over the past few years getting to work with my friends to help create accurate portrayals of the eight of us.)

7) Unrelated to the story, but HOW GOOD WAS THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD?! I've only recently gotten into the Harry Potter franchise, so this was the first time I saw a Harry Potter movie in theatres, and it was so much fun! I loved some of the plot twists with Queenie and Jacob, and I can't wait to see how the next movie deals with the revelation about Credence. (And also - Newt and Theseus's interaction right after that wand-ground moment from the trailer was one of my favorite parts - it was just too sweet and emotional!)

Feel free to review, but please no negative reviews or cursing. (And please, NOTHING POLITICAL!) Thanks!