Chapter 37: Confronting a Future Dark Lord
"Wow… I can't even imagine what that would be like," Hannah said as Myrtle finished telling them how she died.
"Did you feel anything?" Susan couldn't help but ask.
"No. I didn't. It was actually rather anti-climactic in the end. I just saw the eyes of that Basilisk and I was dead. No pain. Nothing. I guess you could say I felt shocked at the lack of anything," Myrtle said.
Harry was in thought as he looked around the bathroom. He stood up and looked at one of the sinks. It had what looked like a snake etching on it. "Was this the one he stood near?" Harry asked.
"It was," Myrtle answered.
"Do you think that etching is a marker?" Hannah asked.
"I used to always think it was just something a Slytherin added," Myrtle said.
Harry looked at it in thought. "What do you think the password is?" he asked.
Hannah raised an eyebrow and asked, "How many people do you know that can speak Parseltongue?"
"There probably isn't a password," Susan commented.
"Couldn't someone just hiss at it and open the passageway then?" Harry asked.
"You can't just imitate parseltongue and control snakes. That would be so ridiculous if you could just hiss a few different ways and it would work," Myrtle said.
"There's magic to speaking parseltongue you have to have. That's why it is so rare and why everyone usually sees it as a dark art. If you could just learn to speak it, then it wouldn't be as scary," Hannah said.
"There would be books with translations and such," Susan said.
"Okay. I get it. Dumb question," Harry said.
With how the wizarding world was at times, he wouldn't have been surprised if you could just hiss a few times and get the Chamber opened. Sometimes it felt like some person wrote a bunch of rules for magic and then ignored them when convenient for their whims.
Harry focused on the etching. He took in a deep breath and spoke to it. "Opennn," he hissed.
The three students and a ghost backed up as they heard the sound of stone moving around behind the walls. It was a little worrying to be honest. Harry wasn't the only one fearing this entrance or the chamber below could just collapse one day.
"Whoa…" Hannah said as she looked at the large opening in the wall.
"How have you not noticed that before?" Susan couldn't help but ask.
Myrtle frowned to her. "I don't spend all of my time crying in her every single day…" she said in defense.
"Sorry. I was just wondering. That isn't exactly subtle," Susan said pointing out the large opening and the rearranged sinks.
"Maybe there's magic the Heir used to drive others away," Hannah suggested.
"That could be…" Myrtle thought out loud.
"As interesting as I am sure such a conversation would be… We need to get going," Harry said.
"Right. Soooo… Who's first to go into the creepy dark hole in the wall that leads to a chamber everyone thought was just a myth and houses a giant basilisk?" Hannah asked.
All four seemed a little apprehensive at her words. Harry swallowed and went first. "This is for Hermione and Luna," he said just as he entered the opening. The others looked equally determined at his words.
[-] [-] [-]
Under different circumstances, Harry would have enjoyed entering the Chamber. It was like a big slide you would go on at a water park. It just wasn't as pleasant. You were sliding on muck instead of water and it was really dark.
The exit point left much to be desired as well. Harry gave a groan as he stood up. The area the entrance led to was dark. Harry immediately used a light spell to see in the area. The place was surrounded by damp and slimy rock walls. The ground he stood upon was so dirty he wondered if the actual floor was a couple of feet below.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" Harry soon heard coming from behind him as both Susan and Hannah flew out of the slide. Myrtle floated in right behind them. She was looking around curiously. Harry hadn't expected her to follow them.
"Yuck…" Hannah said as she stood up and grimaced at the state of her robes.
Susan looked like she was keeping her mouth shut so she wouldn't accidentally puke after that long and twisty slide ride. She also looked like she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to wash out the muck and dirt.
"I never knew it was like this below the school," Myrtle said. She seemed to be a bit excited.
Harry supposed she had long since learned the school's layout, being a ghost and all. This was probably like discovering a new tasty treat for the first time to her.
"You know. If I was this heir person… I would have at least cleaned this place up a bit. Maybe put up some lights. If you're going to have a secret lair… Go all out at least," Harry said.
He needed to say something to get his mind off the fact he might die down here. He had no idea how to deal with the Basilisk. Susan gave a giggle along with Hannah causing both girls to relax a little as they all focused on the task at hand.
"Well... Let's get going," Harry said as they walked forward.
The others followed but all of them felt uneasy. It didn't help that they heard some kind of rumbling coming from somewhere above a few times. "Try not to think about that…" Harry told himself. He only had problems with small enclosed spaces when they were unstable… like this one.
There was a crunch sound and Hannah let out an "Eeep," sound. She then let out a breath, but grimaced. "Animal bones…" she said to the others. They all felt relieved in their own right. Animal bones were creepy, but they weren't a floor crumbling away or a boobytrap springing.
Harry was in the lead with the others a little way behind him. The rumbling sounds suddenly grew really loud. This time the ground even shook a little. "Brace yourselves!" Harry called just before part of the ceiling collapsed between them.
Once the dust settled, Harry stood up and looked around making sure he was okay and if we could find Hannah, Susan, or Myrtle. He frowned. "Are you alright?!" he shouted, but heard no reply.
Just as he feared he led his friends to their deaths, Myrtle's ghostly head popped out of the debris. "Oh good! You're fine. Hannah and Susan are okay as well," she said before disappearing again.
Harry felt relieved and was now glad Myrtle decided to follow them. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to figure out if they were fine or not otherwise.
Myrtle's head popped back out again. "They said to continue while they figure out how to make an opening. Their wands are fine so they have options," she said.
"I'm glad to hear that. Tell them I wish them the best of luck. I also hope they will be careful. The rocks could collapse again while they make that opening," Harry said as Myrtle nodded and vanished again.
Harry looked back at the large rock pile behind him one last time. He really hoped he could get back through somehow and they would be careful. He also really hoped he lived so he could worry about if he could get back or not.
"Wait!" a high-pitched ghostly voice called causing him to pause and look behind him again.
"Myrtle? What are you doing?" he asked as the ghostly girl floated over to him.
Myrtle looked determined as she said, "I can't just sit back. Not when Luna was attacked. I'm coming with you. I can't really help Hannah and Susan anyways."
"You already helped out by telling us what happened," Harry said.
"And I could have done so much sooner. If I had, maybe Luna wouldn't have been attacked. She may just be petrified, but that is by luck alone," Myrtle said.
Harry looked her over. Luna's attack had been worrying for many due to her blood status. With Myrtle, the attack was on someone she saw as a friend. Maybe even the closest friend she ever had in both life and death. Harry could appreciate her determination.
"The basilisk's gaze can petrify you. Sir Nick was petrified when it looked at him," Harry said in warning.
"I'm still coming," Myrtle retorted.
"I'm not saying you have to leave. I'm just letting you know," Harry said.
"Ohh," Myrtle said as she paused for a moment.
"I honestly don't know what to do about the gaze," Harry admitted with a frown.
"I have some ideas. The silliest is I'll be immune, since it was the gaze of the snake that killed me," she said.
"A not as silly one?" Harry asked.
"Basilisks are dangerous and ancient. But they are also basic when it comes to evolution," she started.
"Basic, but still the deadliest of creatures," he said.
"That the crow of a rooster can kill," she added.
Harry had to pause in step to that. He knew that was true, but it was something else hearing it said to him. Why would something so dangerous and so deadly be so easy to kill? You would think after some time they would have evolved past that.
"What are you thinking?" Harry asked her.
"The basilisk can kill with just its gaze. If you see the reflection, you are petrified. The basilisk attacks your very magical core with that gaze. That is how it kills with that alone," Myrtle said.
"What about muggles then?" Harry asked.
"All muggles actually have magic cores as well. They are very weak, but not always and that is how muggle-borns come about. It is also the reason why almost every muggle/magical family will have all magical children. For their love of lineage and such, pure bloods really don't know much about genetics. Most magicals don't," she said.
"That does explain a lot… but not what your plan is," Harry said.
"Sorry…" Myrtle said with a slight ghost blush.
"I'm not being mean. Just getting back to the topic at hand. Hermione has a tendency to go off on tangents. The only reason she isn't in Ravenclaw, is because she holds on tight to those she considers friends," Harry said with a smile.
"I did like meeting you two, however briefly it was, at the Deathday party. We have to do this for her as well and whoever was brought down here," Myrtle said.
Harry nodded in agreement.
"My point about attacking cores directly is this. A basilisk can attack several separate cores at once, all of those in its gaze, but if I were too… Quasi… possess you. That wouldn't work," she said while blushing.
"Ghosts can actually do that?" Harry asked a little worried.
"With magicals, it has to be voluntarily. We can possess muggles and squibs with more ease, but it would be very obvious to all other magicals if we did so to a magical. It isn't obvious if we are voluntarily possessing a magical though," Myrtle explained.
"So, it can't be forced on a magical in any way?" Harry asked to be sure.
"Precisely," Myrtle replied.
"What would it mean if we were to do this?" Harry asked.
"Ghosts have cores as well. It is the very reason we are able to exists in the first place. They are intangible, but they do exist. If we were to do this, our cores would be intertwined. They would be two wrapped into one. The Basilisk's gaze would not be able to attack us. It couldn't determine which one was which. As I said, it has to attack a single core, even if it can attack several separate cores at the same time," Myrtle said.
"This still sounds like a long shot," Harry commented.
"It has never been done before to my knowledge and it's mostly something I came up with. I may spend a lot of time crying… But I have been… dead… for half a century. Ghosts don't need any sleep, and I've never left Hogwarts' grounds," Myrtle said.
It was interesting to hear this about ghosts. Harry had never really thought too much about what the afterlife for a ghost was like. It sounded like something that could get a little stale to him though.
"So… being a Ravenclaw, I've naturally spent most of my free time in the library studying books. I don't even have to worry about the protections around the restricted section. I can't take the books with me. But I can read all of them if I want, for as long as I want. I just have to stay there while reading them," she said.
Harry gave a thoughtful smile to that. He was pretty sure Hermione would want to become a ghost when she died after hearing that. Unlimited access to books? For all of eternity? That was probably her version of Heaven.
"I still don't like it, but it is probably our best bet," he said.
"If we knew each other better, we could try something different. I could keep watch while avoiding the eyes. You could follow my directions with your eyes closed while attacking. I don't think we know each other well enough for that level of teamwork though," Myrtle said.
"I'll agree with you on that. Are you sure about this?" Harry asked.
"I already said I will do this for Luna, Hermione and whoever else is down here. I shouldn't have been as selfish as I was earlier. I may not be a Hufflepuff, but that doesn't mean I don't care for my friends, few as they are," Myrtle said.
"Just double checking. This is a very serious situation. I'm fine with this idea. What do you think will happen if you are wrong though?" Harry asked.
"It is possible the snake's attack could separate us before attacking us individually," she said.
"When it appears, could you look for me? I would close my eyes and you can look. That way it will just petrify you and I won't die. I know you are touchy about it, but…" Harry said.
"I'd rather get petrified and you stay alive to figure something else out," Myrtle interrupted him.
"Let's do this then. I think it is best if we do it now. That way I can get used to the possession before we have to jump into action," Harry said.
Myrtle nodded in agreement.
[-] [-] [-]
Luckily, Myrtle knew what to do for this possession to work. They were able to get it together rather quickly. That's why Harry was currently sitting in a meditative pose in the middle of a drawn circle with ghostly glowing flames at certain points. It wasn't too complicated of a setup process, but took some work.
"Magics of Yore," they said together. Harry in his normal voice and Myrtle in her ghostly voice. "I beseech thee. We wish to be two in one until our task is done. Hear our plea," they finished together.
There was a ghostly wind in the area reacting to their call. It wasn't cold, or warm. The flames burned brighter. The two gasped at the same time as they closed their eyes. Magic swirled around them. Harry could feel the energy from the magic. He could also feel Myrtle's core as the two eventually combined into one.
Harry opened his eyes once the spell was complete. "This feels… Different," he said in his normal voice. He was thinking it would be echoing or something. Then he realized Myrtle said it wasn't easy to know if a magical was possessed willingly. Having an echoing voice would kind of give it away.
What he did notice was another presence inside him. That was Myrtle he could tell. It was cold, but not an uncomfortably cold. The coldness slowly ebbed away, but the feeling of another presence remained. His mind started to fill with knowledge.
"Since we are one, you are learning everything I know," Myrtle's voice said inside his head. It was similar to when the Sorting Hat spoke to him.
"Does it go both ways?" Harry asked mentally. He was sure if it did, it wasn't much for her. It was probably all stuff she already knew for years.
"It does… Wow… Really?! I'd never thought of that…" Myrtle said distractedly.
Harry raised an eyebrow. Maybe he was wrong. "What are you learning that you didn't already know?" Harry asked in his mind. He was approaching this as he did during the sorting. It seemed to be the right way to do this.
"It is hard to explain it all. I guess you could say your approach to things. The stuff you learned growing up in the Rust District as well," Myrtle thought.
Harry's eyes widened to that.
"I won't tell anyone and they won't be able to force it out of me," Myrtle told him. She felt his worry.
Harry relaxed. He liked that he was learning more magic. It did however mean classes would be even easier for him in the future. He decided he would focus on studying other things when he could, so Hogwarts wouldn't become boring.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry and Myrtle, or Hartle as Myrtle jokingly referred to them, came to a wall with giant stone snakes on it. They almost looked real. It was like they could just break free and slither over to you.
"I think we found it," Harry said.
"The Chamber's entrance," Myrtle added in awe.
He could feel Myrtle steeling herself. He agreed with her theory after learning what she did, but it was still a risk. A risk both of them felt was more than worth it to stop the attacks and avenge Hermione and Luna, even if they were still alive.
Harry looked at the giant snakes. It was really easy to concentrate on using his parseltongue ability with them. "Opennnn," he hissed at them.
"So, that's how it works," Myrtle said in thought regarding Harry's usage of the snake language.
There was a grinding sound they heard coming from the giant snake door. Soon they heard several clicks from behind the door. Then the snakes started to move and unwind themselves. The door opened as they heard the sound of stone sliding along stone.
The chamber behind the doors was lowly light. There were pipes coming into it from the top and the sides of the area. The ceiling was really high with low lighting coming from something like sky lights, even though they were deep below the castle. There were snake head statues along the walls as well and at the opposite end there was a large statue of Slytherin's head.
More importantly than that, Harry saw a figure he recognized as Ginny lying on the floor. He didn't notice the other figure standing nearby. He immediately focused on the girl.
Myrtle did though.
"Be careful, Harry! That's him. He's the one who spoke to the snake the day I died," she said to him.
"Thanks for the heads up," Harry thought back to her. She would trust him here. He would know how to handle such a situation better than her.
Harry looked over Ginny in worry. Her body seemed faded. Her usually bright red hair seemed dimmed as well. Even when she looked her sickliest throughout the year, her hair had always remained Weasley red. Harry placed a hand on her cheek. It was cold.
"What do we do?" he thought to Myrtle.
"That book there. It seems to be draining her, and feeding him. It seems to be halted currently," she replied.
That was worthy of note. He just wasn't sure what to make of it yet.
"She won't wake," Riddle spoke calmly to Harry.
"Tom?!" Harry asked in pretend surprise. "Sorry. I didn't see you there. What do you mean? What happened to her?" he asked.
"I suppose it makes sense you would only notice her at first. As for her…" Tom started. He seemed to be acting like he was thinking over how to explain what was happening.
"She put her trust into something she shouldn't have trusted. First years are often too trusting. Especially her. Alone. Mostly ignored by her brothers. Roommates having given up on her…" Tom said.
"You seem to know a lot about it. In fact… How are you here?" Harry asked looking to Tom with narrowed eyes.
Tom gave a chuckle. "Figures you would put two and two together. You are very different from any other Hufflepuff. If I didn't know any better… I'd say you were being the perfect Slytherin and taking refuge in the least likely house."
Harry looked to him calmly as he tried to figure out what to do.
"That is part of the reason I've been eager to talk to you, Harry," Tom said.
"What do you want? I get the feeling you aren't here to help," Harry said coolly.
"Heh. Maybe you aren't as smart as I figured. You haven't even figured it out yet…" Tom said standing there looking half amused.
"Who are you really? How did you do this?" Harry asked.
"I suppose I'll humor you for a moment. I want to know how it was an unassuming toddler managed to defeat the most powerful dark lord seen in ages! The answer to why I am so curious is obvious," Tom said.
He waved his wand in the air. It spelled out his full name. "I always despised my mother for giving me my father's name," Tom said as he flicked Ginny's wand and the letters rearranged themselves to spell out:
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
Harry looked at the words with wide eyes. "Really? He just used an anagram to come up with his name? How original," Harry thought sarcastically causing Myrtle giggle a little.
"So… Hagrid was a scapegoat after all," Harry said.
Tom gave a cold chuckle. "That was all too easy. When they threatened to close the school, I had to end my fun and set up a patsy. He was perfect for the role. Always bringing in dangerous creatures, treating them like cute little pets."
Tom gave a scoff. "For crying out loud, how could you ever consider an acromantula cute or little? Hagrid was always getting in trouble. He even tried to raise werewolf cubs under his bed during his first year. He was in trouble at least every other week for some such plan," he said.
"Why her though?" Harry said standing up carefully.
"She was easy. I needed a vessel so I could prepare my own resurrection. I've always been interested in immortality. Why should wizards settle for death? Even if it is much later than filthy muggles. Many of my attempts failed. It seems some at least bore fruit to an extent," he mused to himself.
"She was so trusting. So eager to spill her secrets to a diary that spoke back to her. She rarely bothered to even question what was happening," Tom said.
He moved a little as Harry moved in counter.
"It was so annoying at first. Harry this. Harry that. The-Boy-Who-Lived is a hero. Too bad he isn't in Gryffindor. His eyes are green as a fresh pickled toad. I wish he was mine. He's so divine," Tom said in a mocking voice.
He then gave a dark chuckle. "Once Hogwarts started and it got close to Halloween... Then things finally got interesting," he said.
He cleared his throat to take up a mocking voice again. "Something's wrong. I can't remember what I was doing a couple of nights ago. I woke up in the dark surrounded by blood and dead roosters… I… I think I killed them… What's happening to me?"
"Today… I don't know what day it is. It seems like weeks have passed from what I last remember. There was an attack on a student… I hope it wasn't me who attacked them. Those dreams… What's happening, Tom?"
Tom gave a cruel laugh. "That was amusing. You however were unexpected…"
"How so?" Harry asked. Could he fight Voldemort here? The shade only had Ginny's wand. Wands weren't as reliable if it wasn't yours. Would defeating Tom bring Ginny back?
"I hadn't expected the opportunity your little friend from Ravenclaw gave me. More than that though… You seemed to resist too well. I even played into all of your own worries about what was happening and the obsession for coverups the Headmaster had, which even you noticed. Then… you just tossed my diary into the bottom of your trunk! Never bothered with it again," Tom said. He seemed a little offended by the last part.
Harry gave a slight smirk to the last bit.
"I eventually had to use some magic, courtesy of my connection to this slip of girl, to come back to her. Possessing her had its points of amusement, but the whole overall process was slowing down much more than I anticipated or wished," Tom said.
"Well I mean… you are the son of a muggle. At least my mom was a muggleborn and my dad a full wizard," Harry said.
"I was finding our chat amusing. It seems you need to have your attitude adjusted. I am Slytherin's Heir!" Tom said angrily.
Harry thought maybe he shouldn't have provoked him so much. He figured a confrontation was inevitable, but wanted to pass some time first. He also had a feeling Tom was buying time for some reason as well. That wasn't the case anymore.
"Sssspeak to me, Greatest of the Hogwarts' Four!" Tom shouted in parseltongue.
"Really? That's the password for the snake? Speak to me, Greatest of the Hogwarts' Four?" Harry asked in amusement.
Riddle was surprised Harry understood him. Had things been different… Well it didn't matter now.
The giant statue at the end of the hall opened its maw. Harry shut his eyes. Myrtle got ready.
"Let's see how you act once facing the King of Serpents," Tom said with a smirk.
The snake slithered out of the statue and let out a hiss. "Masterrrr…" it said.
"Use your eyes on this fool!" Tom commanded.
Myrtle opened her ghostly eyes. If Tom was paying attention, he would have seen her do so. The snake stared right at her. It flicked its tongue in confusion at the strange extra eyes this morsel had.
"It works!" Myrtle cheered inside Harry's mind.
Harry opened his eyes and stared directly into the Basilisk's yellow eyes. He felt petrified in fear. That was just it though. He only felt petrified. Harry smirked, even if the snake was still dangerous, its deadliest weapon was of no use.
The snake itself was still huge! It was well over 60 feet long. It was massive. Harry didn't see how such a monster could hide in Hogwarts without being found. He didn't even see how it could get around in pipes inside of walls without breaking them.
"How… How can this beeee… It staresss at meeee… it doesn't dieee…" the snake hissed in confusion.
Tom was confused as well. He had no idea what was happening. He didn't let it show though. He was already an expert at hiding his emotions before he even started at Hogwarts. "Then use your fangs…" Tom grumbled at the snake like it was no more than a stupid child.
Harry dived into one of the many pipes and hopped into a different one. He ran through a few more and flattened himself in a dark part of a pipe where he couldn't be seen. He also quickly cast a spell Myrtle found that would hide his heat signature. He stilled his breathing.
"Well… We can look at it. Now what… I need something. There has to be some way to get a chance here," Harry thought.
He noticed an item silently pop into existence next to him. It was the sorting hat! Harry looked at it and placed his hand inside it. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on wanting something to help him.
Harry felt something metal and cool with stones of some kind inside the hat. He wrapped his hand around it and pulled out the item. It was a sword! A beautiful sword. He instantly knew what it was due to the knowledge he gained from Myrtle possessing him.
It was the sword of Gryffindor! Something lost to time. Something thought to only be legend. It was made of goblin silver. This meant it would only become stronger. He quickly tucked the sorting hat in the belt on his pants tightly.
"That will work… If we can get a hit with it," Myrtle said.
Harry held his breath as he sensed the snake coming near them. He tried to better flatten himself against the pipe's wall. The snake flicked out its tongue trying to taste him, but had no luck. It slithered away carefully.
"What is taking so long!" Tom roared from the chamber proper.
Harry decided to thrust out with the sword. He needed to see how much damage it would do. He cut a small and shallow gash in the snake. It hissed in a manner that was clearly more out annoyance than in pain.
Harry quickly escaped out of the pipe outlet he used to hide. He was now in the main chamber again. He was thinking what to do. It seemed he would have to find a weak point on the monster snake. He knew of one… but it was too risky. He really hoped there was a better option.
"He's out here, you Imbecile!" Tom growled. He wondered where the hell the boy got the sword. It looked impressive, but he doubted Harry knew how to use one. Riddle decided he would add it to his collection once he was reborn.
The snake soon came out of the large pipes. It tried to stare Harry to death once more. "It really isn't that bright. Is it?" Harry mocked.
The snaked hissed and lunged its head at him. Harry jumped to the side and the monster's head hit the stone floor. It shook its head and hissed in annoyance again. Harry could still tell that attack did more damage to the snake than he did with the sword.
The snake looked to him again and once more lunged quickly at him!
Harry was still ready though. He jumped again to the side. Once more, the snake hit its head on the floor. Harry had a feeling it would soon learn to watch out for that maneuver.
Another lung!
Another dodge!
This time the snake stopped just in time and Harry let out an "Ooof!" as he hit the side of the snake's body.
The snake looked victorious, even if it meant its fun would come to an end. It had never faced such opposition before! Nothing apart from its master survived the stare completely unfazed. Its master was getting angry though.
The snake once more lunged for Harry and opened its maw.
Harry took in a steady breath and did a small dodge this time. He thrust the sword forward and upwards at the same time he dodged.
The snake let out a final hiss of pain and thrashed about as the life left it. Harry's sword attack was aimed well and struck true. What else would you expect from someone Boss once saw as his successor? The sword of Gryffindor pierced the soft and fleshy roof of the snake's maw. Right into the brain.
Tom was completely shocked. He had not at all counted on someone killing the snake.
Harry seemed to stagger away from the snake and collapsed to his knees. He was holding a fang which got his shoulder and he dropped it to the floor. Harry groaned in pain as he held his wounded shoulder. That was exactly why he didn't like that option, even if it was the most effective. The snake was still very venomous.
Tom blinked and gave a cruel smile. "Well… It seems you were only capable of so much. Granted… it was more than that silly girl or many greater wizards than you. However… so ends The-Boy-Who-Lived. He slayed the mighty Basilisk only to be done in by his own recklessness," Tom said.
Harry took in a wheezing breath and shook a little.
"I can only imagine how painful you feel at the moment. At least if the snake's gaze killed you… it would have been instant and painless. Basilisk venom is a very painful way to die," Tom said with a little chuckle.
He then quickly narrowed his eyes. "In fact… I find it curious you aren't already writhing in pain and foaming at the mouth on the stone floor," he said.
Harry was suddenly surrounded by ghostly light. Then suddenly a girly moan could be heard.
Tom's eyes widened in surprise.
Myrtle seemed to be woozy as she stagger floated to the side. "Disgusting…" she whined. She then doubled over and puked out something Harry was glad he didn't see. Harry caught his breath and used his wand to close the wound on his shoulder. It wasn't anywhere near the level of Madam Pomfrey's ability, but it would work here.
"I don't think I'll be much help here…" Myrtle said weakly. Absorbing the snake's venom took a lot out of her. It was strong enough to break their connection.
"You did plenty, Myrtle. I'll take it from here," Harry said as he stood and regained his balance. It took a little adjustment after their connection broke.
Tom couldn't help but look completely impressed. "Voluntary possession… I would have never thought of that! I really am impressed. If things were different, I'd be tempted to offer you the choice of following me," he said not hiding his intellectual amusement at learning something new.
Tom then grew serious. "Sadly for you… that isn't the case."
He held Ginny's wand level. "Honestly. I prefer it this way. This will give me a chance to stretch my legs, as they say. You may have the knowledge of a pathetic fourth year girl who spends her time crying in a toilet," he said.
Tom then gave a confident grin. "I, however, was already far more knowledgeable than professors by this point. That annoying transfiguration Professor, Dumbledore, was the only one who even suspected something was different about me," he said.
"You really sound confident for a memory," Harry said.
"And why shouldn't I be? I have all of my abilities and knowledge from when I created myself. I am not just a normal memory. After all… I did create the diary," Tom said.
He looked Harry over for a moment. "I wonder how well you can handle yourself. This will be an entertaining fight. But only I will ever know of it," Tom said as he got ready.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted quickly. He actually got the drop on Tom and his spell struck true. Ginny's wand clattered to the ground.
Tom was a bit surprised. It was rare for someone to take the initiative like that on him, especially a second year. He grinned though and picked it up. He then felt something slice through him. "Ooowww…" he let out painfully.
That wasn't expected.
He looked up and saw Harry standing just past him with the sword out. That caught him off guard too. Wizards never used a sword in conjunction with a wand. He figured the maneuver earlier was pure luck. It seemed that might not be the case. He hissed sharply in pain.
"That was painful," he said as he looked at the sword. It was dripping venom… He should have known. Then again… How was he still alive? It wasn't even that painful considering.
Tom looked down as the gash seemed to close itself. Harry looked as well. He hid his own shock the attack hadn't been enough. "It seems the fact I am not fully manifested is to my advantage," Tom said as he held Ginny's wand once more.
"Confringo!" Tom shouted.
The curse shot for Harry.
"Proflecto!" Harry shouted in reply. It was a spell he got from Myrtle's shared knowledge.
The blasting curse hit the shield and ricocheted towards the ceiling. It blasted stone, dust, and debris down on Riddle. Right at that moment, the diary hissed again in pain. He had been distracted by the result of his attack.
He glowered at Harry as he winced. He raised his wand just as Harry shouted, "Diffindo!" at the ground. Dust shot up from the spell's impact and obscured Riddle's vision.
"Expelliarmus!" Riddle shouted hoping to hit Harry's sword arm.
He missed. Again, he felt that pain. "Painful as this is… I can power through it!" Riddle yelled and shot a red spell at Harry.
Harry raised his sword and the spell was absorbed. Harry then got an idea as he looked past Riddle. He side-stepped to the left while keeping Tom in his sights.
"I've played along long enough, Potter. I had hoped you would show me something more interesting. The games end here!" Riddle said as he followed Harry's movements.
"Aveda Kedavra!" Tom shouted in anger. Sickly green light raced towards Harry.
Harry moved his wand without using an incantation. A large piece of stone debris floated over and exploded as it intercepted the Killing Curse.
Silent casting was something Myrtle had already practiced a little in her life, despite it being a sixth-year skill. She could only do it with basic spells though. She had theories how it could be applied in combat, but nothing more. She was a rather regular fourth year witch, fighting was never something she really practiced.
Harry however, was able to put that theory into practice. He already knew how to fight and the basics of using a sword. It was more proof of just how different he was as a wizard thanks to life with the Street Knights.
Tom blinked in a moment of surprise. Few were able to actually act like that in a fight. Usually wizards and witches froze when the Killing Curse was used. Harry needed to be finished here! He was too dangerous to live any longer.
Just as Tom was going to attack again. He felt and heard what sounded like wind pass by him.
He hissed a little in pain. "You still haven't learned… Potter," he spat.
Then he heard the sound of something stabbing something that wasn't flesh or stone. Riddle suddenly felt pain unlike anything he ever felt before! He couldn't even growl out in pain it was so intense. He turned around and sunk to his knees.
"What... Did you…?" he tried to ask as he looked to where Harry was standing.
Harry looked back over his shoulder as Tom Riddle sunk to his knees. He pulled the sword up.
"Heh…" Tom let out in a gasp. Harry stabbed the diary with the now basilisk venom imbued sword. Tom let out an unearthly cry as light seemed to burst from him. "Noooo…" he barely got out before he exploded into bright light.
The diary was spouting ink like blood, where Harry stabbed it. The small book soon turned black and shriveled up. Harry let out a breath as he staggered a little in exhaustion.
"We defeated Voldemort…" Myrtle said in awe. She recovered some during the fight.
"No…" Harry corrected as he picked up a fang carefully and stabbed the diary with it a few times. "We defeated Tom Riddle, the exceptional Prefect. He was a far cry from the dark lord he became," Harry said as he came over and examined Ginny.
It seemed the color was returning to her. Her hair was turning that ever noticeable Weasley flame color. Her freckles seemed to stand out better as her skin went from deathly pale to its usual fair coloration. Harry let out a sigh in relief and plopped down on the floor next to her.
"She's going to be okay?" Myrtle asked.
"As much as she can be…" Harry said. "I'm going to need a moment or five," he added with a wain grin.
"I'll go and check on Hannah and Susan. I'll let them know you're okay," Myrtle said as she slowly floated off.
[-] [-] [-]
"What to do about this sword?" Harry wondered to himself out loud as soon as Myrtle left. He kind of didn't want to return it to Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry figured Dumbledore already found his way back to being a fully reinstated Hogwarts Headmaster. There was just enough time for him to do that. The man might have even collected an extra favor or two in the process.
The headmaster would use the sword as a show piece and probably brag about how he helped recover it or something. There was no way he would admit a Hufflepuff summoned it. He would have to answer to many other questions if that got out. The least of which would be what drove a Hufflepuff to summon the sword in the first place.
Harry was under no delusion. He knew the truth about this year wouldn't get out. It may be over, but that just meant Dumbledore could focus all efforts on the cover up story without worry.
Harry had a feeling the sword would be very important in defeating Voldemort. Myrtle looked through the Restricted Section in the library plenty. She had read a lot before many of the books were removed to protect the 'fragile minds of young students'. He knew what that diary was because of this information.
It was Voldemort's first Horcrux.
Harry would bet there were more. One Horcrux? That was what amateur Dark Lords stopped at. Not Voldemort. He just didn't know how many Voldemort made. He did know it took a lot to destroy such things.
Horcruxes were vile. They were the darkest of dark arts. They tore out a piece of your soul and anchored it to this plane of existence. Thus, they were the key to Voldemort's immortality.
It was scary to think Tom Riddle was able to create one in his fifth year at Hogwarts. He probably didn't even fully know what it was at that point. A true Horcrux wouldn't be so… independent.
Gryffindor's sword was now one of the few tools that could destroy them, thanks to the absorbed Basilisk venom.
Harry heard the sound of a throat clearing from next to him. He looked over and saw the sorting hat sitting there. It was smirking at him.
"How did you get here anyways?" Harry asked the hat.
"Put me on and find out," it replied.
Harry sighed and placed it on his head. He felt something come over him as the hat spoke.
"Magic knows how important you are. Hogwarts knows how important you are. It heard you call. It knows you're the answer. You are right to keep the sword," the hat said in a kind of cryptic manner.
Harry felt something surge through him and looked down at where the sword was. It seemed to fade away in light.
"There! My duty's done. You can now summon the sword of Gryffindor at will. The houses and founders aren't exactly as history now tells us. You have proven you are worthy. It matters not you are Hufflepuff. When your years on this plane come to an end, the sword will be returned to the goblins. Best not let them know you are in possession of it. Retrieving goblin crafted items supersedes all else in their culture. Even making gold," the hat warned Harry.
"Duly noted," Harry said before taking the hat off again.
Once off, the hat disappeared in the same manner it first arrived to his aid.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry was still sitting there when he heard a small groan. He looked next to him as a dirty and slightly grimy Ginny Weasley propped herself up. She shook her head and blinked her eyes.
"Good. You came too," Harry said in a friendly manner. He had to admit to himself she still looked kind of cute, despite her current state. He was surprised to have such a thought at the moment. Maybe it was because of how close he came to death, he had it.
"I-I-I… I'm sorry!" she whined and started crying suddenly. Some of her memories were returning. Just the recent ones.
"It was the diary! I knew something was up with it. I tried to fight back! Then it was suddenly in front of me. Something latched on to me… And… And… That fifth-year boy came out of it!" she stammered out.
"That was Voldemort in his school boy form," Harry said.
"Really?!" Ginny gasped. She was so out of it and exhausted she couldn't even give the characteristic shudder magicals did hearing his name.
"Yep. Pretty impressive you held off as much as you did," Harry said to her with a small smile.
"But… All of the attacks… It was me. Wasn't it?" she asked as she felt dirty and shamed.
"It was Voldemort," Harry corrected looking to her seriously.
"But… Even Luna… Oh gods! Luna!" Ginny said as she started to sniff and tears spilled from her brown eyes anew. She shuddered and despite everything leaned on Harry's shoulder as she started cry her eyes out again.
"She will be alright. All of them will be. Professor Sprout's mandrakes have already been harvested. I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Snape was almost finished brewing the restoration potions," Harry said. He instinctively rubbed Ginny's back as she sobbed into what remained of his school robes.
"We should head back," Harry said after a moment and Ginny calmed a little.
Ginny gave another sniff and blushed furiously. She had just been bawling her eyes out on Harry! She barely even knew him for real. "Maybe, I should start trying to correct that… I need to patch things up with Luna first," Ginny thought to herself.
"Sorry for crying like that," she said quietly.
"You've been through a lot. Don't be hard on yourself," Harry said as he seemed to wipe a lingering tear from her cheek.
"Let's get out of here…" Ginny said and blushed again as she stood close to Harry.
"Your family is probably here by now as well. I'm betting they figured out you were the one missing," Harry said.
Ginny felt both comforted and worried hearing that. Her dad would have a lot to say to her. She really wasn't looking forward to this next summer. No doubt her mom would be even more… momish… with her.
[-] [-] [-]
It wasn't long until they made their way back to the rock pile. Hannah and Susan had just cleared away enough rock to make a passageway. Ginny was relieved to see other students. She did kind of wish they were familiar faces though. She held on to Harry tighter.
"You made it!" Hannah said breathlessly as she and Susan hugged them both. Ginny would admit it was nice, even if she didn't really know them. She was also kind of disappointed none of her brothers were in the rescue party.
"Yeah, we did. Did Myrtle head up already?" Harry asked.
"She did. She looked a little off," Susan replied as the group walked.
Once they were back at the pipe, Ginny asked, "How do we get out of here?"
Harry looked around and saw something that gave him a smile. "Hopefully this won't bother you, Ginny," he said.
She didn't know what he was talking about.
Harry looked at a snake etching on the wall at the base of the pipe. He concentrated on what he wanted. "Liftttt," Harry hissed to it. With Myrtle's added knowledge, he knew even more how important intention was in magic.
Ginny gave a small shudder at the all too familiar tongue, but she quickly recovered.
They heard the sound of stone moving and then there was a "Ding!" sound next to them. The group looked to the left as two doors opened into a small box shaped room.
"Let's get going," Harry said as they all walked inside.
Low and soothing music played as the lift moved upwards. It took some time, but eventually the lift reached the top and opened into the Girls' Bathroom.
"Ohhh. You all made it back quickly," Myrtle said. She looked a little exhausted as she lazily hovered in the center of the room. That venom really took a lot out of her. She would recover, but it would take time.
"Thanks for passing on the message," Harry said to her with a smile.
"You're welcome," Myrtle replied with a tired smile.
"You will be okay? Right?" Harry asked in worry.
"I will be. Basilisk venom won't end me, but it really was painful and took a lot out of me. I couldn't work up the energy to go and get any of the staff. Sorry," Myrtle said.
Harry gave a friendly chuckle. "Nothing to be sorry for. You saved my life and helped me win the fight," he said.
Myrtle smiled to that and blushed a little.
"Let's getting going everyone," Harry started. "See you around, Myrtle. I'll be sure to stop by once we know the victims are unpetrified. There's no way Madam Pomfrey will let them leave the Hospital Wing too quickly just because they recover," he said.
Hannah and Susan gave chuckles to that. They knew he gained that insight from experience. Ginny seemed too exhausted and worried to really respond at the moment. She was still holding on to Harry for support.
"I'd like that. I miss Luna," Myrtle said in a sad voice, but it seemed she wasn't about burst into tears as she would have in the past.
Perhaps she gained more than just knowledge from Harry. Perhaps he rubbed off on her in a good way. Maybe it was the fact she helped defeat the monster that killed her and finally had a little closure when it came to her death. Whatever the case, Harry felt this was a change for the good.
Harry gave a yawn and as much of a stretch as he could. He really wished he could just go back to his bed and plop down on it and sleep for a day. Before that though, he had to let the Headmaster know Ginny was safe and the chamber issue was dealt with completely this time. He wasn't looking forward to the many questions he would have to answer.
A/N: I know. I threw shade at the whole chamber thing again here. It just really pisses me off. We were always told how rare and powerful Parseltongue is. How few people can speak it. How it is so rare and powerful everyone sees it as a dark art. We're told how difficult it was to track down the Chamber of Secrets. How even with the ability to speak parseltongue, it isn't easy to speak it on command.
Yet Ron listens to Harry use it a couple of times. He then hisses at the sink a few times and is able to open it…
I'm not even going to really touch much on how Hermione gushes about how "Soooo brilliant and Amazing!" Ron is. She was acting like a damn fangirl… in the middle of a battle. I'm surprised she didn't start calling him Won-Won in that moment.
Okay so I touched on it…
Yeah… Not really a fan of Ron and Hermione. I might sometime write a story with them as a side romance, but it will be as a way to challenge myself and make them a couple that doesn't annoy me.