Chapter 23

I looked between the Basilisk and Harry fighting; Ginny lying in the pool of blood and the dark haired teenager. My scar since stopped burning, but it was prickling uncomfortably because Harry was in trouble.

I looked to the teen's feet and saw a book. I picked it up and opened it to the back cover.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

I looked up at the teenager. He was smirking.

"Are-are you Tom Marvolo Riddle?" I asked, my voice ringing through the chamber.

He nodded "I am, Hannah Potter. But I am much more than that." he said, taking a wand out of his pocket…Harry's wand.

He wrote his name in midair with it, the letters gleaming brightly despite the fact that it was dark in the chamber. One flick of Harry's wand and the letters moved, forming four new words.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

I gasped and took a step back, then I suppressed a snicker. The most feared dark wizard in history…was named "Tom"?

"You find my name amusing?" Tom demanded, taking a step towards me.

I gulped, all humour of the moment gone "Skinner, help me." I whispered.

Tom…Voldemort, whoever he was, pointed Harry's wand at me "You really are the Devil's Spawn."

I broke into a run and joined the fight between Harry and the Basilisk. I stowed my wand in its scabbard and pulled out my dagger.

"If you're going to be of any use to me besides cutting Potion ingredients, now would be a good time to do it!" I shouted at it before aiming it at the great snake.

The snake turned to me and I shut my eyes quickly before I threw it. I heard a hiss of agony and Harry shouted "Nice aim! You got it in the eye!"

I heard footsteps in front of me and another agonizing hiss right after.

"You can open your eyes, sis! The Basilisk's blind!" Harry shouted.

My eyes shot open as Voldemort hissed. I read his mind.

Get them! You can still smell them!

Harry and I looked at each other and started to run.

"What the hell are you doing down here!" Harry demanded as we were chased after by the Basilisk.

"I'm saving your ass, what's it look like I'm doing?" I explained as I felt a swish of wind through my hair "DUCK!"

Harry and I ducked as the Basilisk's tail swished where our heads were not two minutes prior.

"But this is too dangerous for my baby sister!" Harry shouted, clutching a stitch in his side. "Here's your dagger by the way." he added, handing me the blood stained blade.

"Thanks." I said, taking it and putting it in it's sheath. "And why can you implement harebrained schemes and not have me in them! I want to help too!"

"Look, you're too important. If one of us dies in a scheme, there'll always be another to save the wizard world."

"Well, maybe I wanted to help you with this!" I snapped, turning around "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to save my friend!"

"Hannah, wait up!" Harry shouted as a flash of glowing orange, fiery red and bright yellow flew past our heads "FAWKES!" Harry shouted as he ran back down into the main Chamber.

I ran after him and started to pant. I tried to focus my eyes on Fawkes.

Turns out, Fawkes was a phoenix. Not just any phoenix, he belonged to Dumbledore. Harry told me all of this as the phoenix dropped something into Harry's and mine's lap.

It was the Sorting Hat, in all of it's frayed, patched glory. Harry jammed it onto his head and immediately pulled it off.

"Ow!" he yelled as he pulled something out of it.

I recognized the item Harry removed from the Hat at once. It was Gryffindor's sword.

Voldemort looked amused.

"All Dumbledore could send you is a dirty old hat, a stupid bird and a pathetic little sword!" he cackled, wringing his hands "That sword is nothing compared to my Basilisk."

I gaped "Your Basilisk?" I asked, gripping Harry's shoulder.

Voldemort nodded "Yes, Potterella. My Basilisk. You weren't here when I told your dear sweet big brother that it was I who reopened the Chamber of Secrets. It was I who attacked the students, with help from Miss Weasley. Sadly, none of the Mudbloods died this time around, but maybe destroying you two will make up for it."

I glared and took the sword out of Harry's hands "It was you!" I demanded, clutching the hilt of the sword as tightly as I could.

Voldemort nodded, a smug look on his face.

"You're the reason I was accused of being Slytherin's Heir!" I screamed, walking up towards the slithering Basilisk, Harry in tow.

Voldemort smirked "Yes, you could say I am."

I put the sword in between Harry and I "Hold it." I ordered, glaring up at the Basilisk "We stab it on three."

The Basilisk stopped slithering for a moment and reared its head at us.

"One…" I said, my palms heating up in fury.

"Two…" Harry said before stopping "wait, Hannah. I want to do it. I have a bad feeling that you're gonna get hurt."

I rolled my eyes and let go of the hilt "Fine. But I get to burn that snake when it's dead." I said bitterly.

"THREE!" I shouted as Harry plunged the sword's blade into the roof of the Basilisk's open mouth. One more screech from the great snake and it was on the ground of the Chamber…dead.

Harry yelled and dropped the sword. I looked quickly over to him and saw that one of the Basilisk's fangs was deep in his left forearm.

"Harry!" I screamed as he dropped onto his back. My scar prickled dangerously. I gulped down a wave of tears.

That Basilisk's venom was deadly. Harry was going to…going to.

"Harry, please don't die!" I pleaded, kneeling down next to him.

I heard a high, cold laugh. I turned around, my hand still on Harry's chest and saw Voldemort standing behind me, laughing.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter." he sneered triumphantly "I guess he'll be with his dear Mudblood mother soon, Hannah."

I blinked and two stray tears made their way down my cheeks as Fawkes rested his head on Harry's injured arm.

The next thing I knew, Voldemort was standing at Harry's feet.

"I'm going to watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time, I'm in no hurry. Maybe when you're dead I'll finish off your sister so she'll join you."

I didn't try to stop the tears from falling this time. I wasn't afraid to die, I just didn't want Harry to.

"Harry…" I started, my voice cracking.

"Sis…" Harry croaked out, ruffling my hair "you were brilliant."

I looked over to Fawkes, he was crying onto Harry's arm, his tears hitting the wound. I spun around and glared at Voldemort as I took the fang out of Harry's arm.

"You…are…so…dead!" I shouted before plunging the fang into the diary in a gesture of pure anger and loathing.

There was a loud "NOOO!" that rang through the hall as Riddle's body spurted out a black inky substance, mirroring what was coming out of the diary.

"What…have…you…DONE!" Riddle screeched before he faded away.

I looked over to Harry…and he was getting up.

"Harry!" I cried out, running up to hug him "I thought you were-"

"Dead?" Harry asked, hugging me back "Fawkes saved my butt with those healing tears of his."

I smiled and pulled off as Ginny's body began to stir. Harry and I forgot instantly about that moment and ran up to her.

"Ginny!" I yelled, hugging her as she began to cry.

"I'm…going…t-to be expelled!" Ginny sobbed into my shoulder "What is Mum and Dad going to say!"

Harry pulled Ginny and I to our feet "Come on, let's get the hell out of here."

I nodded in agreement "Yeah, this place is starting to give me the creeps!" I said as we made our way back to the rock avalanche that Ron and Lockhart were behind.

"What happened to him?" Harry asked when we all got through the wall, jerking his head at Lockhart.

I explained to him what Ron had told me when I first came down and Harry stifled a chuckle.

"Now how do we get out of here?" Ron asked hugging onto Ginny tightly.

Fawkes flew in from the crack in the rock and landed on Harry's arm, giving him an "I-Have-A-Plan" look.

"I think…" I said looking into Fawkes's eyes "that he wants us to grab hold."

After a quick debate over whether or not Fawkes could manage all our weights, we were out of the Chamber, out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with a very mad Ivy on our way to McGonagall's office.

"You had to go into the Chamber when I specifically told you to stay here!" Ivy shouted all the way there. "It's a miracle, Hannah…a pure miracle that you aren't dead! Oh, Malfoy's so going to have some choice words for you!"

I groaned as we entered McGonagall's office. Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting by a fireplace, looking up when we all entered the room.

"GINNY!" Mrs Weasley shrieked, pulling her daughter into a hug.

I looked over to Harry as Ron was explaining what had happened up to when I showed up. "You still mad that I came down?" I asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head "No…you saved my ass. Where'd Ivy go?"

I spun right around as McGonagall told Harry to explain what happened in the Chamber itself. He was right…Ivy was gone!

"Crap!" I hissed as I began to run into the dungeons, praying that Ivy really wasn't going to tell Draco what I did.

I was too late when I burst through the common room. Ivy was sitting on the couch closest to the fireplace, waiting for me.

"Skinner!" I hissed.

"Calm down, Han. I'm not going to tell him what stunt you pulled." Ivy said, motioning for me to sit with her.

I hesitated and sat down.

"You were pretty brave." Ivy said, smirking at me "I probably wouldn't have been able to do that sort of stuff that you did down there."

I blushed "Thanks. So…you still mad at me?" I asked.

Ivy shook her head "No…I'm actually kind of…impressed."

Ivy and I smiled and hugged.

"I'd better go pack." I said, standing up "Tomorrow we leave, remember?"

Ivy nodded sadly "This time you'd better owl me back!"

I rolled my eyes and sat down to explain about Dobby and that he didn't want Harry and I to come back.

"Wow…dumb elf." Ivy snapped, annoyed "I think I'd better tell Malfoy to control his elf."

We shared one last laugh and I went upstairs to pack.