Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter also a very tiny bit of this chapter is directly lifted from CoS so all credits there to JKR.

"A basilisk." Harry rammed the book into Terry's hand, the page already open.

Terry flicked the page over to read the cover. "Most Macabre Monstrosities?" He read, an amused lilt to his tone before he remembered the severity of the situation and shook off any amusement, returning to the page and reading the passage.

"It's a breed of serpents, actually, this specific breed is also known as the King of the Serpents." Michael explained for Anthony whilst Terry read the book.

"That sounds ominous." Anthony replied.

"They can live for centuries on end, are huge - gigantic I think the book read - and is XXXXX rated. That's five Xs."

"Five?! That means..." Anthony trailed off.

"Yep. Killers, can't be domesticated, the evil of all evils." Michael continued - always a flair for the dramatics.

"This doesn't make sense though." Terry handed the book over to Anthony after he finished reading it. "It said that it's stare will kill you."

Anthony nodded, his finger scanning along the page. "methods of killing... the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death." He confirmed as he read.

"Exactly." Terry dismissed. "Everyone's been petrified. Not dead."

"Because no one has looked directly into it." Michael rebutted - unable to keep the superiority out of his tone as he corrected Terry.

"When Mrs Norris saw it there was a puddle on the floor in that corridor, she must have seen it through the reflection. Indirect. When Hermione saw it she was found holding a mirror. Indirect. Kenneth saw it through Nearly Headless Nick. Indirect - and well Nick can't die. He's already dead, so he doesn't count. Still don't know how they're going to de-petrify him though..." Harry trailed off in thought. He shook himself out of it. "Penelope was in the girls' bathrooms. She'd have seen it in the mirror reflection I'm guessing."

"And Justin?" Terry asked.

"I don't know. But you get that many coincidences, and suddenly it isn't a coincidence. Maybe Justin saw it in the reflection of a window or water or a mirror, I'm not sure. Either way this is the only theory we've come up with which actually makes sense. It really makes sense."

"It could travel through the plumbing. That's our theory at least." Michael continued. The two had plotted it out quite thoroughly in the library, and then continued talking it through until they reached the dorms and could present their theory to the others.

"Myrtle's bathroom." Terry suddenly said.

"What?" Harry asked confused at his outburst.

"If it travels through the plumbing... I don't know. It's just a random theory."

"Theories are all we've got Ter." Harry reminded him.

"If maybe the exit is in a bathroom. Penelope was petrified in one of the bathrooms. Plus, it'd make sense if the exit is somewhere like that, where there's a lot of pipes coming together, the sinks maybe?" Terry offered tentatively, clearly unsure in his own idea.

"I don't know. It's definitely a stretch."

"Isn't this all a stretch?" Terry retorted, a lot more defensive now that Michael was questioning it. Michael just nodded.

"Myrtle." Harry muttered. "Damn we're stupid." He let out a laugh - not that he was amused. "Myrtle's bathroom, that's where Myrtle was killed, obviously, but isn't that the same bathroom Penelope was petrified in. And where did everyone find Mrs Norris? The second corridor outside the bathrooms right?"

"It was flooded, - that's why there was water on the floor, Myrtle sometimes throws tantrums so it'd make sense that she'd have flooded it." Anthony piped up.

"Merlin." Michael breathed out. "This... this is crazy right? We couldn't have actually figured out where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is when people have been looking for that for like a thousand years."

"Wizards and common sense. The two aren't exactly a match made in heaven." Terry replied quirking his eyebrow.

"When - if - you presume it is a basilisk, then it makes sense. Of course if our monster prediction is all wrong then..." Harry trailed off, the end of his thoughts obvious.

"We should tell someone." Terry stood up.

"It's just a stupid theory." Michael sounded sceptic.

"Even so, it's an idea - and that's more than anyone else has offered."

"We could ask Myrtle?" Harry asked hesitantly. "I mean, maybe she saw something before she died that could help clue is in?"

"You think no one's ever asked her before?" Michael still seemed sceptic - though maybe increasingly less so.

"Wizards. Common Sense." Harry reiterated Terry's former point accompanied with an irritated scoff and Michael nodded slowly.

"We should split up." Even as he put forwards the suggestion Terry sounded reluctant.

"Said everyone at the start of the horror movie just before they get killed." Harry snarked.

"What?" The three turned to him confused.

"Movies?" They still looked confused. "Come on, you guys are half-bloods, that means you at least have some muggle ties right?" They nodded their heads. "But you don't know movies?" Harry asked incredulously as they shook their heads.

"Is this important?" Mike returned.

"No." Harry said sheepishly.

"Why are we splitting up though Terry?" Michael asked, turning back around to face the brunette. "Are we in that much of a rush? Does each minute matter that much?"

"Maybe." Terry replied bluntly. "For all we know Slytherin's monster - the basilisk or whatever - is out there stalking his next prey right now, and the next kid might not get as lucky as to be next to a mirror or something."

"Okay." Michael conceded.

"You and Ant go to the headmaster's office, try to talk to McGonagall, bring the book and explain everything - even if this is just a shot in the dark, it's probably useful for her to know." Terry ordered, taking command before turning to face Harry. "We'll go talk to Myrtle, see if we can get extra information out of her." The boys nodded.

"Alright then." Anthony stood up, starting to make his way out of the door.

"Ant wait!" Harry called after him. "You guys need protection from the basilisk, a mirror or something."

"You guys?" Terry returned confused.

"Contacts." Harry told him, gesturing to his eyes.

"I don't really know what that means but sure..." Terry said frowning.

"I'd offer you guys my spare glasses and stuff but then you'd barely be able to see. Any of you got mirrors?" The three turned to look at him. "Right. Of course not. Any spells you can think of?"

"Not unless we just aguamenti everywhere we walk." Michael replied.

"I guess, if its really our only option, you can have my glasses then?" Harry offered hesitantly, and though it seemed like a stupid idea the other three nodded in acceptance. "I've got spare contacts, but only two pairs of glasses, and trust me you won't want my contacts." Harry said scrummaging through his trunk before he found his glasses.

"Who gets them?" Mike asked, tentatively picking a pair up and trying it on. "Woah. Your vision is this bad?!" He asked Harry incredulously.

"Yep." Harry replied with an impish grin.

"We'll take one pair, you guys take another." Terry resumed his leadership position. "Harry and I are going into what we think is probably the exit, so it's more likely we'll be encountered by it and need it - also because Harry's a presumed muggleborn. You two..." He trailed off in thought, "One of you wears it, the other keeps your eyes shut - tie a jumper around them if you have to - whoever wears them will guide you around."

"Is this seriously the best idea we can come up with?" Michael asked, clearly wary about having to either walk around Hogwarts with Harry's vision, or to let Anthony lead him around completely blind.

"We don't have time to come up with a better one." Terry replied. "We need to get moving."

"Okay, my vision isn't this bad." Harry said slightly frustrated as Terry nearly faceplanted into the wall.

"It kind of is though." Terry replied and Harry reluctantly grabbed onto his arm.

"Come on. We're nearly there." He guided Terry through the confused spectators - for once thankful that they all clearly believed he was the heir so gave him a wide berth - and luckily it was lunch so there weren't many of them.

The next corridor was completely empty as they walked along it, so empty and quiet it was almost creepy, like they actually were in a horror film and were walking towards their inevitable deaths. Harry couldn't help it as a violent shiver temporarily took over his body.

"Wait!" He ordered in a hushed whisper suddenly.

"You heard something?" Terry asked anxiously - clearly scared at the premise of facing the so-called 'King of the Serpents'.

The two had reached the end of the corridor, ready to turn into the next which contained Myrtle's bathroom, but Harry was sure he'd heard something. Hesitantly he peeked his head round the corner, ready to flinch back at the potential sight of a huge serpent but instead he saw a gaggle of Hogwarts professors, all with similar grave expressions on their faces.

"What is it?" Terry asked fervently as Harry came back round to face him.

"Sh." Harry hushed him quickly. "It's the teachers, nearly all of them I think. Be quiet!" He ordered Terry as he looked back around.

"What's happening." Terry whispered.

"They're... they're going I think." Harry deduced as the teachers eventually started moving away.

"Coming towards us?" Terry hissed nervously.

"No. No." Harry reassured him before grabbing his arm. "Come on." He dragged him towards the now empty corridor before turning to face the wall the teachers had been so engrossed with.

There was writing on the wall, in red ink which was dripping to the ground, it looked almost exactly how Harry had theorised the original warning of the Chamber of Secrets looking.

Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever

That was when Harry realised it wasn't red ink. It was blood.

"It's so blurry I can barely read it. Something about lie, chamber?" Terry asked and Harry gripped his arm a little more harshly than he'd intended and turned Terry around.

"It's another message on the Chamber." Harry paused, trying to properly consider his actions here. The conditions before were that worst case scenario he'd be expelled, and that perhaps there was a slim chance he'd get sent to a holding cell in the ministry.

This, this elevated it to the next level. Cameron had said Azkaban was a place for unforgivables and for death eaters. Harry might not have a clue what an unforgivable was, but he definitely knew what a death eater was. The implication was clear. Azkaban was for murderers. If someone was dead down there, in the chamber, then Harry would be pinned with it.

Harry would go to Azkaban.

"Well, what does it say?" Terry asked impatiently.

"Nothing important - I can barely read it either to be honest, it's really messy and smudged." Harry's hand shook more than he'd like to admit as a plan formulated in his head. "You need to go after McGonagall and the other teachers. Time is of the essence here."

"And you?" Terry asked, not sounding at all convinced so far with these orders.

"I'm going to go talk to Myrtle - I'm the one who can actually see after all." Harry tried to play it off as a joke, laughing slightly though his whole body was shaking in fear and nerves. "Then I'll catch up to you guys." Harry sighed, before placing a hand on Terry's arm. "Every second counts." He murmured. "It'll all be okay yeah?" He asked and Terry nodded.

"Don't worry, there's no way you'll be arrested or whatever." He reassured Harry - unaware that that wasn't what Harry was scared of right now.

"Yeah." Harry exhaled. "Alright. Let's go." Harry said, lightly shoving Terry in the right direction and watching as the boy lumbered down the hall-way, only for him to immediately face-plant into the wall.

"Ow." Terry yelped before he stood up and started moving again, yelling "I'm okay, it's okay" down the hallway as he left. Harry couldn't help but smile at what could be the final image he'd ever see of his friend, before he grit his teeth, and started to enact his plan.

Harry ran into the Myrtle's bathroom, scrambling over to the sinks where he knew the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets lay. His hands clawed over the sinks as he hurried around the bathroom, looking for some clue - any clue - which might help him know how to open the chamber. He was running out of time. His hands pawed over the taps, and the drains, he looked below beneath the sinks for some sort of cupboard which might open and above to see if there was some sort of nook which might help. He ran his finger over the final tap, his eyes looking somewhere else in his haste, multitasking to try and hurry up. This was life or death.

His fingers ran over something bumpy, something which he hadn't felt on the other sinks he'd already tried. He pulled his head, leaning over the sink to try and see what he had found. There behind the tap was a small engraving of a snake. This was it. It had to be. It was Slytherin's chamber after all, and Slytherin's monster, and Harry knew all too well that Slytherin meant snakes.

"Open." He said, his mind now scrambling for possible solutions to how to open the chamber. No one had ever been able to open it, no-one had ever found it, not since Salazar Slytherin had walked out of Hogwarts disgraced and sealed it. "I am the Heir of Salazar Slytherin. Open with my command." He called, perhaps his (inherited) ancestry could come in handy for once. But the nothing happened, and Harry was left in a bathroom talking to a sink. Harry tapped his foot against the floor anxiously, his hands still shaking furiously.

"Damnit!" Harry finally yelled exhausted and exasperated. His mind not coming up with any way to possibly open the sink. He shivered violently as something passed through him. Something cold, which left an almost icy feeling in his chest.

"Keep it down will you." A voice screeched from in front of where he sat, his back slumped against the sink in defeat. How was he, a twelve year old, meant to open a chamber most thought was a myth. "Boys." The ghost in front of him sneered. "This is a girls' bathroom!"

"I know!" Harry shouted back, the girl's tone annoyed him, and he was feeling so stressed his usual calm and measured nature had disappeared. "Sorry." He breathed out as the girl in front of him started sobbing.

"Everyone's mean to Myrtle." She started in high-pitched, grating voice in between her sobs. "No one likes Myrtle. No one cares about Moaning Myrtle."

"I'm sorry!" Harry repeated with growing annoyance - he did not have time to comfort a ghost, not when someone's life was at stake.

"Too busy? Everyone's too busy for Myrtle. No one talks to me, asks how I am, cares that I died."

"Yes I'm too busy." Harry replied shortly. "Someone's life is in danger."

"My life was in danger." Myrtle shot back angrily, floating in the air before him.

"I need to get into the Chamber. Have you seen anyone in here, around this sink here, acting suspicious?"

"Now you want my help?" She asked him bitterly. "Why would I help you?"

"So no one dies like you did. You're Myrtle Warren." Harry stated and Myrtle's eyes widened in shock. "The girl who died fifty years ago when the Chamber of Secrets first opened." It was funny that five minutes ago he'd come here to speak to her, and now he only wanted this conversation to end (with the little bit of advice that he so desperately needed of course).

"You know me!" Myrtle gasped incredulously before nodding. "It was terrible - my death." Myrtle told him, she floated back through him causing Harry to shiver uncomfortably. "I was right over here. In this bathroom. Crying. Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses again. So I hid. In here." She floated over to a bathroom stool and Harry reluctantly got up. Another victim of bullying. Like Hermione. Myrtle was what Hermione could have been, if the troll had- Harry shook himself out of his thoughts, turning his attention back to Myrtle, walking over to her.

"The door was locked, and I was crying, and then," She paused dramatically, clearly liking being the centre of attention, "I heard somebody come in. They said something funny in another language, it must have been another language at least, it definitely wasn't English. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him go and use his own toilet, and then... I died." Myrtle floated away back towards the sink and Harry paused, trying to absorb. the new information.

"Another language?" Harry asked. "What did it sound like?"

"I don't know." Myrtle replied sounding offended that that was the part of the story Harry was focused on.

"Where was the boy standing?" Harry asked, his brain clawing at all the pieces of the puzzle but unable to put them together yet. So much for being a Ravenclaw.

"Right here." Myrtle zoomed over to the sink where Harry had found the snake. "Just like you had been. You remind me of him." She added, Harry was unsure if she was trying to make him more uncomfortable, but either way she succeeded. This was probably another Heir of Slytherin, an evil heir - the real heir - who'd opened the Chamber to try to rid the school of the muggleborns.

"Here?" Harry walked over to the sink with the snake, looking for some reassurance as he shook off the last part of her comment. Myrtle nodded. "And he spoke in a different language..." Harry trailed off as he thought. "Did it-" He hesitated slightly, "Did it sound almost like he was hissing?" He asked.

"I can't remember." Myrtle sounded offended again, clearly she disliked how Harry wasn't focussed on her own loss but on the actions of the boy instead.

Parseltongue. It must be.

"Open." Harry hissed, literally hissed. All that time practicing had actually paid off. From behind him Myrtle gasped and Harry stepped back as the snake began to move.

"That's what the other bo-" Myrtle started before she stopped in awe as the sink began to move. It sank out of sight, leaving behind it a hole, big enough for Harry to fit into. Small spaces. Harry groaned at the thought, but he had no choice. He had to do this.

He walked over to the hole, putting one leg over the edge before hesitating and turning to Myrtle. "I might die in here." He told her, somehow able to keep his voice steady, despite being about to literally jump to his potential death. "I need a favour."

"I don't know why you'd think I'd help you just because you might die. Unlike me you're choosing to do this. I had no choice. I was only fourteen, and I died. Just like that. Two big yellow eyes and I died."

"Do you want that to happen again?" Harry asked her, trying to gage what Myrtle's priorities were. "You want another muggleborn like you to die before their time. Or do you want to stop that ever happening again. Do you want to be a hero? Everyone will praise your name. You'll be Myrtle Warren. The girl who helped defeat Slytherin's monster."

The ghost hovered around before nodding. "I would like to be invited to some of the other ghosts' parties, they sound like such fun." She told him.

"So, a favour?" She sighed and Harry felt his heart drop. He needed her help.

"Tell me what you need." She said eventually and Harry looked up at her gratefully.

"Well..."

Harry brushed off his clothes before surveying the area. He'd gone down the hole - or pipe - and was now in a small room, surrounded by skeletons of rats, mice and bats. Something scurried off to the left of him and Harry jumped back, his eyes fastened shut, before he realised it was just a small creature, a rodent of sorts.

Harry reluctantly stood himself back up, gingerly walking over all the small rodent skeletons on the floor, trying to make as little noise as possible. He had no idea where this monster might be, and he'd prefer to not find out.

The room folded out into a corridor, so long Harry couldn't see the end - the lack of lighting certainly didn't help. "Lumos." Harry whispered and his wand lit up, lighting a meter or two of the corridor in front of him, whilst the rest remained in darkness.

Harry cast his wand around the corridor as he walked, shedding light on the ancient room. Suddenly he jumped, his wand lighting the head of the basilisk. As he crawled back to his feet, his back pressed firmly against the wall he shook himself. It was just the skin. Harry forced himself to keep moving along the corridor. Someone's life depended on it - and his did too.

Every time Harry expected to see the tail of the Basilisk the body itself kept going. 10 feet, 15 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, 40 feet, 50 feet, 60. This was just the skin. Harry knew that when snakes shed skin its often because their skin no longer fits them. That they've grown. A 60 feet basilisk was scary enough. Harry didn't want to know how big this snake was now.

Eventually he reached the end of the corridor and was met by a stone wall, with large snake engraved on it. "Open." Harry hissed, trying to keep his volume down. No need to alert the beast.

The door creaked open (louder than Harry would've liked) revealing a long room - no, a chamber - in front of him. He was here. He'd made it. The Chamber of Secrets.