Disclaimer is in chapter 1.

After leaving the girl's washroom, their abject failure in coaxing Myrtle back out of her hidey hole, the duo spent the next couple days trying to brainstorm another lead when matters were forced on them. The rumors of the mysterious 'chamber' abounded, and the fact that 'she' would rest in the chamber forever.

The identity of the girl in question was the subject of rumors, but in short order it became obvious that there was only one missing student.

"Ginny Weasley."

Xander blinked when Wednesday delivered that information, "You sure?"

She raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Right. Of course you are." Xander rolled his eyes. "Ok, new plan. Let's move."

"Where?"

"Where else, we find Harry and follow him."

"I fail to see how that will help."

Xander half smiled, "You ever hear the expression 'better lucky than good'?"

"Of course."

"Harry's lucky." Xander said, then shrugged, "Both kinds of luck, in spades, but he's lucky. Ron's little sister is in the Chamber, right?"

"I see your point."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Xander smirked, nodding to the door of the library.

Finding Harry and Ron wasn't hard, figuring out what the hell they were up to on the other hand was another matter.

"What are they doing?" Xander hissed from where he and Wednesday were shadowing the duo.

"I believe that they're going for help," Wednesday replied, disgust in her voice.

"From *Lockhart*!?" Xander returned, equally disturbed.

The dark girl didn't answer as the two reappeared from the DADA professor's office, holding wands on the so called professor.

"The very fact that two second years got the drop on him should clue them in to the fact that he's not going to be much use." Wednesday said dryly.

"Better lucky than good," Xander replied in a soft hiss before the twosome broke cover to follow the group.

They were led through the halls until they wound up right back at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, much to Xander's disgust. Xander and Wednesday crept forward in time to hear an argument going on inside.

"So how do we get in?" Ron grumbled, kicking at a fixture.

"I don't know," Harry replied, equally perturbed, but calmer about it. "But it has to be here somewhere. Myrtle said..."

"I know what the moaning ghost said, Harry!"

Xander shot Wednesday a dark look as he whispered, "Oh look, some people don't scare the ectoplasm out of the only witness around. Imagine that."

Wednesday scowled at him and calmly laid a hand across his thigh, then squeezed. Xander's eyes bugged out as he crumpled to the ground, teeth clenched in pain. When she let go he took a few breaths, then nodded, "Good point, it's probably time to let go of that and move on. Never dwell in the past, that's what I always say..."

She rolled her eyes slightly and focused back on the argument in the bathroom.

"It's impossible, I tell you," Lockhart was saying, much calmer now than he had been earlier, "Only the Heir of Slytherin can open the Chamber, accept it and move on."

"Move on!?" Ron snarled, jabbing his wand at the professor, "That's my SISTER you're talking about!"

"Yes, yes, tragic I admit, but there's nothing to do." Lockhart said, obviously faking a sad tone. "However it would require at least a bloodline trait of the Slytherin family to gain access."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Well obviously I know how to do my research," Lockhart sniffed, "My books didn't write themselves, you know."

"Wouldn't surprise me if they did, you git." Ron growled.

"What traits did the Slytherin line have?" Harry asked, his tone a little desperate sounding.

"Well, several really. The line is one of the oldest pureblood lines in existence, you know." Lockhart said, rolling his eyes. "Most famous is Parselmouth, of course, then..."

"Wait, what's Parselmouth?"

"Talking to snakes," Ron answered, "Only dark wizards do that."

There was a long silence from inside the room.

"Uh... but I can do that, I think." Harry's voice said, sounding very small.

"What!?" Ron and Lockhart yelped together.

"I mean, I did it once I think." Harry said, "When I was younger."

"But... but... that's a *dark* wizard ability." Ron hissed.

"Look, do you want to save your sister or not!?"

They didn't hear another else out of Ron, but instead heard movement followed by a soft hiss and then a harsh grating sound.

"Blimey." Ron said softly. "You found it, Harry!"

"Yes well," Lockhart spoke up, "Glad I could help, I'll just be going now and..."

"Move it!" Ron growled, "You go first."

Wednesday and Xander waited until they heard three whooping yells, then ducked inside. They found a gaping hole and tunnel where the fixtures had been.

"My, my," Wednesday said, her voice idly interested. "Harry Potter is a Parselmouth. Fascinating."

"We going down there?" Xander asked, looking down the tunnel, "Cause I'm not really fond of sewers, you know."

"Honestly. There are no sewers in Hogwarts, especially not in an area of the castle this old." Wednesday replied, "When the castle was built sewage was handled entirely externally."

"Huh?"

"Think outhouses."

"Oh." Xander nodded, then grimaced, "Still looks like a sewer."

Wednesday sighed, then jumped. As she spun silently out of sight Xander grimaced again and followed suit.

At the bottom they slid to a stop and got to their feet in a hurry as they heard shouting just ahead. The two drew their wands and quickly jogged down the path to find Lockhart threatening the two boys with a wand, obviously about to cast a spell as he sneered at them.

Xander glanced at Wednesday, who looked at him, and they both nodded together and aimed their wands.

"Difindo Ossi!"

The two bone splitter curses slashed out, one striking the professor's right arm, the other his left. Xander winced slightly as Lockhart's arms were suddenly jerked straight out in either direction and snapped with a sharp tug. He howled in pain as he collapsed, his wand clattering across the floor.

"Buh... buh... bloody hell!" Ron swore, face sweating slightly.

"This yours?" Xander asked, hefting the fallen wand.

"Yeah," Ron nodded.

Xander tossed it back to him, then looked down at Lockhart, who was moaning in pain as he tried to cradle his broken arms, which only resulted in twisting them more than they were already. "What were you two thinking, bringing this waste of good O2 along?"

"Waste of what?" Ron blurted.

"Nevermind," Xander shook his head. "So, this is the Chamber, huh?"

Harry nodded uncertainly, "We think so. See the snakeskin?"

Xander looked over and paled as he saw the size of the skin in question, "That's one big snake, Wednesday."

"Indeed. It would appear that the legends are true. A Basilisk would have to be almost a thousand years old to be that size."

"Right." Xander looked around, eyeing the walls. "New plan. We grab Ron's little sister, run like hell, and then maybe collapse this tunnel. It doesn't look too stable, I think we could do it."

"But..." Ron started to object.

"Look, I'm not too keen on killing a thousand year old snake, ok?" Xander cut him off. "Anything that lives that long, it's meaner than me."

"I'm not so sure about that," Harry said, looking at Lockhart's whimpering form.

"Oh please." Wednesday rolled her eyes.

"We going to do this, then?"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, then nodded.

"Alright then. Onward and, well... downward." Xander said with false enthusiasm.