A/N: Because this is basically a different book 5, I will use many of the ideas of JK Rowling and they will appear in here differently than in books 5 and 6. For example, Harry does not yet know of the prophecy, but I still plan on using it later on. It will just be told differently, which is sad because Rowling is the best, and there is no way I could come close to making it cooler than hers. That having been said, I will not use ALL of her plot in this story. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't plan on it.
Chapter 3: Old and New
Ron stared as Harry and Ginny were locked in a kiss, brooms forgotten on the ground.
Ron was too shocked to make a noise at first. Then he blurted out, "Oi, mate… you….sister, wha…?"
Harry and Ginny broke and looked over at Ron's shocked face. They both went a little red, but not as red as Ron was. "Well, Ron, mate, I don't know what to say to that, because I have no idea what you said." Ginny started laughing and Harry's heart got a little lighter about the situation.
Ron stared back, then got a little cooler, "well, when did this happen…Harry, I had no idea you liked my sister…and Ginny, I thought you gave up on him."
Harry laughed, "Well, as soon as your wonderful sister became herself, I found I liked her…I really liked her. And it just happened about thirty minutes ago."
"And I gave up on Harry, I didn't get over him." They laughed at Ron's sour expression.
"Eww, this is so wrong…I can't believe this. Mum's going to flip with excitement. Fred and George are going to…you don't want to know. And…Ginny, whose broom is that?"
Ginny looked over at her forgotten broom. She had forgotten it because she got something much better right after. "Harry gave it to me, because he sort of broke my other one."
"THAT'S A BRUSH WITH DEATH! AND HE JUST GAVE IT TO YOU"
Ginny paused before saying, "Yea."
"Well I'll have to let you break my broomstick next time, Harry." Ron was getting uncomfortable, so Harry suggested they go inside. "Oh and what happened to the door?"
"I kind of broke that, too," Harry said ashamed.
"Well as long as you don't break Ginny's heart, too…I guess I'm ok with all this. I somehow thought it would happen." Ron struggled to say this, but he said it sincerely.
Harry sighed in relief, "Thanks mate." He then turned to Ginny and went in for another kiss.
"WOAH! No way, just because I said I'm okay with it, doesn't mean you can do that."
"Well, tough." Harry and Ginny said in unison.
They ate breakfast together, when Fred and George came downstairs to join them. Harry looked over at Ron to tell him not to say anything, but was too late. "Guess what? Harry and Ginny are going out."
Ginny looked like she was going to murder her brother on the spot. Fred and George looked over at the two, and the looks on their faces were confusing to Harry. Then it hit him. They were fighting the teasing, and it looked like it took all their strength to do it. Harry was suddenly a lot happier he gave them the 1000 galleon prize money.
Ron wasn't expecting them to say silent, so he told them off for losing their touch. They quickly turned on Ron, and whatever they held back on against Harry, the let it out on Ron. The rest of the day flew by in wonderful happiness.
That day was on Harry's Top 5 list of happiest days in his life. He had fun with the others making fun of Ron, then they played some games after the twins put the door back on. They were of age, so they could do magic whenever they wanted. Ginny showed off her new broom to her brothers, who were amazed at her flying skills. Then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley got home.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were overjoyed with the news that Harry and Ginny had gotten together. They were having a nice dinner when Sirius walked into the room. He looked at Ginny's and Harry's hands holding under the table, grinned, and let loose. Whatever the twins had refrained from saying, Harry's godfather made up for. Soon everyone was rolling on the ground laughing.
That night Sirius told Harry that Dumbledore got his letters and that Harry should expect to hear from him soon. Then Sirius began telling Harry about his mischievous days as a marauder. Harry got some wonderful ideas for his fifth year.
"Then Moony bit me, luckily he wasn't in wolf form at the time…that would've been bad. I do still have a strange scar, I wonder if werewolves have a poison in their saliva even when they aren't transformed." Sirius finished his story before motioning for Harry to go out of the room with him.
"Listen Harry, Dumbledore told me about your scar. Did something happen or did it just flame up?"
Harry answered, "No, it just starting hurting, but the only time it hurt that bad was two weeks ago when he touched me. I don't know what caused it or what pulled me out of it, but I do know that I had a strange feeling of anger until Ginny helped."
Sirius grinned, "Oh, you Potters and your redheads. James never got the girls until his 7th year…I guess it's because you're famous."
Harry laughed with his godfather some more. Harry was really beginning to feel part of a family. He saw his godfather--and only link to his parents--on a regular basis, he was living with his best friend's and girlfriend's family, and they all seemed to care greatly for him. He had even nearly forgotten all about Voldemort during all the excitement of the day.
As Harry hugged his godfather for helping him feel better about his scar a little, the kitchen table, which they were standing next to, burst into flames. Sirius spun around and put it out before it did any damage. "Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore will talk to you about this magic of yours as well." They walked back into the room where the Weasley's were all talking about quidditch, and Ron was boating about the Chudley Canon's team this year..
As the night wore on, Sirius left and the rest of the Weasley's went to bed leaving Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Harry suspected Ron did not plan on leaving them alone for the evening because Ron did not leave until Ginny had said her goodnights. She leaned down and kissed Harry as Ron grimaced as if in pain. Ron then left, and Harry laid on the couch thinking about how much his life had changed in the last couple weeks.
He had gone from being disliked because everyone thought he was an attention-seeking teenager, to trying to survive through the tasks, and then he witnessed Voldemort's return. There were no words to describe what that did to him…what it would do to anyone. Even more, he was now hated by many of the wizarding world because they thought he was making up a story to gain even more publicity.
Now, in the last two days, a family that cared for him had taken him in, and he could see his godfather almost every day. And, as a wonderful bonus, he had an amazing girlfriend. His life was turning for better amazingly after it had been crushed throughout the previous year. For a while, he may not even have to worry about Volde….
Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he saw the flames in the fireplace change colors, and a tall, thin figure stepped out. "Oh, Harry, I thought you'd still be up, if you would come with me please." Dumbledore motioned to the fireplace. "Dumbledore's office."
Harry stepped into the flames and said, "Dumbledore's office." A moment after swirling around, he found himself at the foot of the fireplace in his headmaster's office. I need to work on my floo exits, Harry thought.
Just as he was dusting himself off, the old, but amazingly active, man stepped out calmly. "Ok, Professor…what am I doing here?" Harry curiously asked. He had never been to Hogwarts during the summer, but it wasn't any different.
"Harry, we need to hurry, and I will tell you what I can on the way, but you are just going to have to trust me."
Harry thought for only a moment before saying, "Of course, sir, lead the way." Dumbledore looked pleased, but unsurprised at Harry's obedience and trust.
Dumbledore muttered his thanks and sped out of the office with Harry at his heels. Down the spiral staircase, Dumbledore looked at Harry still walking quickly. "I need you to come with me to the Chamber of Secrets. I would not ask you to do this, but we both know only two people can get in there."
Harry suddenly was excited; no fear came to him as his next adventure revealed itself. "Of course, Professor, I'm happy you need me."
Turning the corner Dumbledore smiled at Harry, "Well, Harry, you are a bigger part in this than I think you realize…you should see this. When we are done with this little escapade, I think we will have a short talk."
Harry was confused, but he felt extremely safe with this amazing wizard that he was getting to know better. Harry was amazed by the power that seemed to radiate off the old man.
They soon rounded another corner and went into the girls' bathroom. Harry had forgotten about Myrtle until he walked in to hear someone squeak. He turned around and found her head sticking out of the toilet. "Oh, hi Harry…have you come to talk to me?"
With a smile, but with urgency in his voice, Dumbledore said to Myrtle, "Not now Myrtle, we have important business to attend to."
Myrtle starting wailing and flushed herself down the toilet. The spun around and around with her screams echoing around the bathroom. At last she disappeared and Dumbledore motioned Harry over to the sink.
Harry felt he would be a bit rusty on his Parseltongue, but then remembered he didn't really know how to speak it anyway. He looked at the snake on the sink and pictured it moving and hissed, "open."
Dumbledore merely smiled when he heard the hissing, and watched as the sink dropped away, leaving a gaping hole. "See you in the sewers Harry." And with that, he jumped into the hole.
Harry waited a moment before following. He landed down at the bottom similar to when he came out of the floo. He stood and found Dumbledore looking around. "Well, Harry, you are the expert down here, so if you would lead me to the Chamber, it would be wonderful."
"Right," Harry said as they started off. They walked for a while and Dumbledore asked Harry to tell him the story once more as the walked. They soon came to where the small cave-in had happened. "And this is where Lockhart hit himself with his own spell. I'm sorry, but the small hole in the rock wall we made isn't quite big enough for you."
Dumbledore just waved his wand and rocks flew out of his way, leaving a nice walkway for them. "Great…well, Ron and Lockhart were stuck on that side so I kept…." Harry continued his narration. They came to the entrance and Harry said, "Open."
The doors to the Chamber opened, and Harry's mind flashed through that night. The dead Basilisk lay rotting at the end of the chamber. The stench reached their noses, but they didn't take notice. Dumbledore observed Harry's hesitance and asked, "If you'd rather not come we can turn back, Harry. There is no shame in..."
"No, I was just in a daze for a moment; I want to come with you Professor. So this is where I…" Harry froze once again, remembering his girlfriend lying there, appearing to be dead. He brought himself out telling himself she was alright. He continued, "…where I found Ginny unconscious." As he said Ginny's name, he pointed to the spot where he saw her. When he pointed the ground, it cracked and spread out like a spider web in a ten foot radius.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Harry. He simply stated, "Then Tom came out." Harry nodded wondering what had just happened. Dumbledore walked into the middle of the chamber and closed his eyes. Harry thought he may be in a mediation of some sort so he didn't press the issue.
After several minutes Harry got impatient and said, "Professor, what happened to the ground."
"Later Harry, when I am done." He suddenly opened his eyes. "Did you say the snake came out of the statue's mouth?"
Harry told him yes and Dumbledore said, "Will you open the mouth for me?"
"Well, Professor, I'll try. Open!" Nothing happened. "Wait he said something, Slytherin, open your mouth! Hmm, oh I remember! Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." It killed Harry to say this, and he wanted to apologize to Dumbledore, but he couldn't understand him anyway.
They watched as the mouth to Salazar Slytherin's mouth opened. For a moment, Harry feared another basilisk would come out. When nothing happened, Harry sighed in relief and watched Dumbledore carefully. His eyes were once again closed. He suddenly smiled, but when he opened his eyes, the twinkle was gone.
"Come now, Harry, let's go get a bit of Voldemort while he can't get us back." Dumbledore looked like only one thing mattered at the moment, and it was lying ahead. Harry didn't understand his statement, but trusted that all would be revealed in good time.
They climbed into the hole and Dumbledore lit his wand. "Wand out, Harry, I give you permission to use it if you need to." Harry whipped out his wand and walked silently with Dumbledore.
They came to a dead end, and the wall had no snakes on it, so Harry feared that this whole trip was for nothing. Then Dumbledore muttered several things under his breath while pointing his wand at the wall and frowned.
"Surely he would not be so crude. Of course he would." Dumbledore waved his wand and a knife appeared. "Tom Riddle must have set this here to make sure no one ever got behind this wall." Then without warning Dumbledore cut a slit across his palm and wiped the blood on the wall.
Harry was shocked to see Dumbledore hurt himself, but even more shocked when he saw the wall dissolve into nothing. Dumbledore turned to Harry and said, "Voldemort thinks that there is nothing worse than pain and death. Use this weakness to your advent…"
But he was cut off from Harry yelling "Impedemetia." Hundreds of snakes, some as thick as Harry, were slithering towards them.
Harry had slowed many of them, but for the most part, the only good his spell did was tell Dumbledore there was danger behind him. Dumbledore spun around very quickly, but also without fear.
The previous year Harry saw Dumbledore use a simple Stupefy, yet it was so strong that Harry could not believe it was the same spell he knew. Since then, he had felt the power radiating off of Dumbledore. Now, he saw another example of Dumbledore's power.
Using the exact same spell Harry had used, Dumbledore wordlessly cast the spell. Instantly, over half the snakes slowed to a stop. Dumbledore cast the second in the other direction so quickly it made Harry wonder if it was all actually one spell that spread out.
Harry gaped at his professor, who said to Harry, "Thank you so much Harry, by the looks of that Nosiop, it would have only been seconds before its poisonous bite would kill me. Excellent work on keeping on your toes. The real Professor Moody would've been proud. Now, shall we have a lesson quickly?" Dumbledore picked up a smaller snake and waved his wand, and Harry watched as it curled up and became a beautiful necklace. "Your turn."
Harry was shocked that the professor wanted him to do magic, but he gladly obliged. He waved his wand and muttered the transfiguring words at a snake. Harry's snake coiled around like Dumbledore's and turned into a necklace, but it was quite ugly, and it didn't latch in the back.
Dumbledore laughed, not at Harry, but with him. "Harry, let's try once more, and don't think about the words. Think instead on how it would look, let's say, on young Miss Weasley."
Harry blushed, and wondered if and how he knew they were going out. However he took his advice and thought hard on Ginny's picture and a necklace on her neck. As he went to pick up a snake to do the magic, it turned into a striking necklace before he even touched it.
Harry looked quickly up at Dumbledore whose twinkling eye reassured him that nothing was wrong. "Wonderful work Harry, and without a wand." Without further explanation, Dumbledore turned and cast a spell, and the snakes slid up against the walls, leaving them a path to walk on without the sound of snakes under their feet.
They continued down the long cavern, and it seemed to be getting brighter really quickly. Dumbledore took off his lumos to allow Harry to see where the light was coming from. Harry squinted down the hallway as a bright red light came towards them. "Protego," Came out of both the headmaster's and student's mouths. The blue spell bounced off of their shields just as Harry saw a red beam of light coming at them.
"Traps for people? Like a turret that shoots spells?" Harry asked Dumbledore.
"You are exactly right," Dumbledore said. "Now, why don't you do destroy it. I believe it will be a wand that has stored spells in it to activate if someone were to pass a certain point. Oh, and Harry, don't touch the wand, it may curse upon touching it."
Harry nodded and ran forward, blocking a few spells every so often. When he was blocking about every three seconds, he saw a wand, floating in mid-air. Harry cast, "Expelliarmus," and watched as the wand blocked his spell. He began a duel with an imaginary person.
After several moments of fighting with spells, Harry realized nothing was working. Nothing that he learned in his DADA classes anyway. Then Dumbledore's lesson came back; Dumbledore foresaw everything. Harry thought of the wand becoming a rubber chicken, and cast the spell.
The chicken-wand landed on the ground with a squeak. "Thank you for remembering our lesson so quickly, Harry." Dumbledore continued, "Defense is important, but so is seeing things on ways other than fighting. If I am not mistaken, that item was not a wand to begin with, but Tom made it appear that way to fool any who may enter here so that they would fight, rather than think of a way to solve the problem at hand."
Harry thought about this for a moment, then silently told himself that he should work harder in his other classes this next year to prepare himself for the rest of his life. They continued walking for a few more minutes, almost in silence. Harry tried to think things over during the stillness.
"Professor…why have his traps been so weak? Don't you think he would want to gueard whatever is here a little more?" Harry asked.
"You have an excellent question, but you are forgetting that Tom never thought anyone would get down here. I'm sure all of this is in case he ever brought someone down here, and they got away somehow. He never would've thought that someone could get here on their own." Dumbledore continued, "He thought he was the last Parslemouth to be alive, and probably the last one that would ever live."
Harry nodded. There were a lot of questions buzzing through his head now, but it would all be revealed in good time. Of that he was sure.
Suddenly, there was a very sharp drop off, and Harry watched in terror as Dumbledore fell down a steep pipe. Relief swept through him when he heard Dumbledore's voice, "Coming, Harry?" He jumped down into the hole. He couldn't help but laugh at Dumbledore's confidence and how he took everything in instantly.
When Harry touched down on the ground after sliding down the pipe, he stood up. When he looked up at the room he was in, he fell back down in bewilderment.