Updated as of 2/08/19
A/N: Please note I used some deleted scenes and parts from the book.
Hermione sat in one of the hospital wing beds, still recovering from the mishap with the Pollyjuice Potion. Harry sat at the foot of the bed while Ron and Fiona sat on the bed next to Hermione's, the Invisibility Cloak lay folded between the two.
"There's a name in this diary," Hermione noted. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Tom Marvolo Riddle?" Harry asked. Ron took the book from Hermione and looked at the name.
"Hang on, I know that name," he said. "Why do I know that name?" Ron's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Of course, that night I had detention. My job was to polish the silver in the trophy room. I remember, because I kept burping up slugs over Tom Riddle's trophy."
"What was the trophy for?" Harry asked.
"He won an award, 50 years ago, special services to the school or something," Ron said as he handed the book to Harry.
"Fifty years ago? Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, why?" Ron asked.
"Don't you remember what Myrtle told you? The last time the chamber was opened was-"
"Fifity years ago," Harry interrupted. "But that means,"
"Tom Riddle was here, at Hogwarts when it happened. What if he wrote about what he saw? It's possible he knew where the chamber was, how to open it, even what sort of creature lives in it. If so, whoever's behind these attacks wouldn't want this diary lying around. Would they?"
"It's a brilliant theory Hermione, there's just one flaw." Harry opened the book. "There's nothing written in this diary." He flipped through the pages to show them.
"Maybe it was just a Christmas gift he didn't want," Fiona suggested.
"But how'd it end up in the girl's bathroom?" Ron asked. The black haired girl shrugged.
"And where's it been for fifty years?" Harry added.
"Well, you three'd better get back to the dorms before Madam Pomfrey finds you," Hermione said. Harry nodded and grabbed the cloak. Fiona gave Hermione a quick hug before she joined the two boys under the cloak.
February 14th, there hadn't been an attack on anyone since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick before Christmas, the one thing Fiona didn't expect when she walked into the great hall that morning was that everything would be pink. The walls were covered in pink flowers and heart shaped confetti was in a constant fall from the ceiling. Lockhart, the cause of the change in decorations, was dressed in all pink to match. Fiona found Ron and Hermione, Harry having slept in, and found them to be having opposite reactions to the day.
"What is going on?" she asked as she sat down. "Since when does this happen?" Ron shook his head slowly. Hermione was trying not to giggle. Fiona picked the confetti on her pancakes.
"I think it's lovely," Hermione said.
"You would," Ron muttered.
"Where's Harry?"
"He- there he is," Fiona said nodding towards the main doors. He looked as confused as she had.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Take a look at Lockhart," Fiona said. Harry saw at the teachers table, Lockhart was standing and waiting for everyone's attention, the rest of the teachers looked like statues.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. He thanked the 46 people to have sent him card before clapping his hands and summoning a dozen of dwarfs, dressed as cupid.
"What the absolute hell?" Fiona muttered.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart declared. The dwarfs were to be delivering valentines all day according to him.
"Oh no," Fiona groaned. She risked a glance at the Slytherin table to see a certain blond who looked to be lost in thought.
…
Fiona managed to avoid any dwarfs through Charms and History of Magic. She had been heading towards the dungeons, on her way to Potions, when one of the cupid clad characters walked up to her.
"Fiona Gaunt?" It asked. She let out a sigh but nodded.
"Tell me it's just a card," she hoped.
"More than that Miss!" The dwarf handed her a medium box of chocolate. Fiona winced as the dwarf plucked at the harp before clearing its throat.
"I can't think of anything else at all,
I can't resist your charms- it's true
You are the cutest one of all.
I'm totally crazy about you
Tell me, 'do I have a chance?'
You're the most beautiful girl under the sun
You have the cards in your own hands
I'm under your spell – what have you done?" The dwarf finished by holding out a handful of roses tied together with a green ribbon. A few students around snickered quietly at the cheesy poem. Fiona was covering her face with both hands.
"I'm gonna kill him," she muttered. The students around her went silent and she realized her mistake. "It's a figure of speech!" Fiona hissed with a frown at them. The non-Slytherins quickly continued on their ways. Fiona let out a loud sigh and took the flowers. "Thanks," she muttered to the dwarf who nodded before it left to find the next person on their list. Reluctantly, Fiona continued on to class, she didn't have time to go back to the common room so she had to carry the flowers with her. When she walked into the classroom her face was beet red, seeing a few of the Slytherins there had been some of the ones to hear the little musical number in the hall. She sat down, putting the flowers on the table in front of her on top of the box of chocolate, before putting her head down and covering her head with her arms.
"Miss Gaunt, are you ill?" Snape questioned, not a hint of concern in his tone. She lifted her head slowly.
"No sir."
"Then sit up. And next time leave any gifts in your dorm."
"Yes sir," she said with a slight glare at the flowers and chocolate. The source of her discomfort arrived a few moments later, a huge grin on his face when he saw she'd received the presents. Fiona met his eyes and felt her face light up like a furnace when he winked. She looked away and could've sworn she saw Snape smirking in amusement before he turned from the class.
…
The class finally ended, after what seemed like hours, and Fiona grabbed her things – including the flowers and chocolate – before she quite literally ran from the room. She ignored the snickering Slytherin students, and a few Gryffindor, as she fast walked down the hall to leave the dungeons. She heard feet thudding behind her and glanced behind her to see Harry and the others. Fiona hadn't been able to explain where the gifts had come from, though the three had a pretty good idea, and she'd obviously left too quickly.
"Bloody hell, you're fast!" Ron exclaimed as they caught up to her.
"Malfoy?" Harry asked with a disgruntled look. Fiona nodded.
"But hey, free chocolate," Ron pointed out with a grin. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"While it is unlikely there is a chance he's laced them with a love potion."
"He's not that good at potions," Fiona said with a frown.
"Exactly." Fiona grimaced. "Though I'm sure you could ask a teacher to check them over if you really wanted to eat them," Hermione suggested.
"Here, you ask then," Fiona said as she pushed the box of chocolate into his arms.
"And those?" Harry pointed towards the flowers.
"I mean… there's nothing wrong with them," Fiona muttered.
"Except that they're from a snake," Harry muttered back.
"I'm going to ignore that fact," she shot back with a frown. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go put these away." She turned on her heel and walked away.
Ron and Fiona were in the bleachers of the Quiddich stadium later on that month. There was a Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match scheduled. Hermione had told the two she'd met up with them later. Harry and McGonagall found them and told the match was canceled and that there was something they needed to see. McGonagall led the three to the hospital wing.
"I warn you, this could be a wee bit of a shock," she told them.
"Hermione!" Ron gasped when he saw her.
"She was found near the Library, along with this." She picked up a handheld mirror. "Does it mean anything to either of you?
"No," Harry said. He gently touched her hand.
…
McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room where everyone was talking quietly.
"Could I have your attention please? Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately." She held up a scroll to read from. "'All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions.' I should tell you this: unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed," she informed them before leaving. The students whispered about the school closing.
"We've got to talk to Hagrid," Harry said to Fiona and Ron as they stood by the stairs. "I can't believe it's him, but if he did set the monster loose last time, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."
"But you heard McGonagall! We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class," Ron whispered back.
"I think it's time to get my Dad's old cloak out again."
"Wait, why do you think Hagrid opened it?" Fiona asked.
"I'll explain," Ron said with a nod to Harry who headed up to find the invisibility cloak.
…
The three snuck out to Hagrid's hut and knocked on the door. They heard him inside.
"Who's there?" he kicked open the door holding a cross bow. "Hello? Hello?" The three pulled the cloak off.
"Hagrid?" Fiona asked with wide eyes.
"What's that for?" Harry asked.
"Oh, nothing. I- I was expecting, ah... It doesn't matter- come on in- I just made a pot o' tea." The three came in and Hagrid poured three cups of tea.
"Hagrid, are you okay?" Harry asked when he saw Hagrid spill the tea by overfilling the cup, his hands shaking.
"I'm fine! I'm alright," he said put almost dropped the lid to the kettle.
"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, all righ'."
"Look, we have to ask you something." Harry glanced to the others. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked.
"What you had to understand about that is—" Suddenly there was another knock at the door and Fang barked a few times. "Quick under the cloak. Don't say a word. Be quiet... " The three hurried to hide under the cloak and moved in front of the fireplace. Hagrid opened the door. "Professor Dumbledore, sir!"
"Good evening, Hagrid. I wonder, could we...?" Dumbledore asked.
"Of course! Come in! Come in," Hagrid said.
"That's Dad's boss! Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic!" Ron whispered.
"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come- three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act," Fudge said.
"Oh, but I never- you know I never, Professor!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," Dumbledore said.
"Albus look, Hagrid's record is against him. I've got to take him," Fudge said.
"Take me? Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison?" Hagrid asked.
"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid," Fudge said. The three under the cloak exchanged glances. The door opened again.
"Already here, Fudge? Good..." Lucius said as he walked in. Fang started growling.
"What're you doin' here? Get outta my house!" Hagrid said to him.
"Believe me, I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your-" The three had to move back out of the way as Lucius walked forward. "you call this a house? Huh! No. I simply called at the school, and was told the headmaster was here."
"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore asked.
"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension." He walked over and held out a scroll to Dumbledore. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school." He turned and faced the trio, they were the only ones to see his smirk.
"Yeh can' take Professor Dumbledore away. Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! You mark my words, there'll be killin's next!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"You think so?" Lucius asked.
"Calm yourself, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," he said before looking directly at the three under the cloak. Lucius glanced to the side where he'd looked.
"Admirable sentiments. Shall we?" Lucius opened the door. Dumbledore looked at the three a while longer before following. "Fudge," Lucius said sharply with a nod before leaving.
"Come, Hagrid... Well?" Fudge asked.
"Ahem! If, uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff," Hagrid said as he glanced at the trio. "then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup!" He headed to the door. "That would lead them right! That's all I have to say. Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away." Fang growled.
"Good boy," Fudge said before leaving, closing the door behind him. The three took off the cloak.
"Hagrid's right! With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day!" Ron said.
"What did Hagrid mean… follow the… spiders," Fiona mused with a frown as she looked by the window. "Oh no…"
"Look!" Harry said seeing spiders crawling out the window. "Well, come on. Come on, Fang!" Harry grabbed a lantern. They walked around the hut to see the spiders that had crawled out the window and were crawling down the hut. "Come on!"
"What?!" Ron asked, his voice cracking.
"You heard what Hagrid said; 'Follow the spiders.'"
"They're headed to the Dark Forest!" Ron said, his voice high and squeaky. Harry started walking. "Why spiders! Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies?'"
The three entered the forest with Fang leading. Ron was clearly uncomfortable and Fiona was doing her best not to shudder every five seconds. Harry held the lantern out for them. A sudden growling made them stop.
"There's something moving over there," Harry said motioning to where the sound came from. "Listen, it sounds like something big." Ron whimpered. The growl sounded again and suddenly a light shined on the trio. They took a few steps back.
"Harry! Harry, it's our car!" Ron exclaimed as he saw the blue, slightly beaten, car.
"The car you flew here?" Fiona looked at the two with wide eyes. "What's it doing out here?"
"Must have been here all the time," Ron guessed. "Look, the forest has turned it wild."
"Can that happen?" Fiona asked. The car turned its lights off.
"Come on, we don't want to lose the trail," Harry said. The three continued through the woods trying not to step on any of the spiders.
"Harry, I don't like this... Harry, I don't like this at all!" Ron said.
"Shush!" They saw millions of spiders crawling and followed them.
"Can we go back now?" Ron asked.
"Come on!" Harry said.
"If one touches me I'm going to scream," Fiona whimpered and Ron made a sound of agreement. They entered a tunnel where the spiders were all along the walls. They left the tunnel and saw the spiders heading down a larger hole. There was a loud cracking sound from the hole.
"Who is it?" came a voice. Fiona grabbed onto Ron's arm as he grabbed onto hers. Fang started to bark slightly.
"Don't panic," Harry whispered to them.
"Hagrid? Is that you?" The voice came again.
"Panicking," Fiona squeaked as she and Ron shook.
"We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry said. They saw the giant legs come up out of the hole until the giant spider was facing them. "And you? Y- y-you're Aragog aren't you?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before," the spider said.
"He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets, like before."
"That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"Then you're not the monster," Harry said.
"No! The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler."
"Harry," Ron squeaked after seeing more big spiders, smaller than Aragog but big enough. He shook Fiona's arm as if she hadn't also seen what he'd seen.
"Harry," she whimpered as she tugged on his arm.
"Shush. But if you're not the monster, then- then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry asked.
"We do not speak of it. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."
"But have you seen it?"
"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."
"H-Harry!" Fiona hissed urgently.
"What?" Harry turned to the two.
"Ahh- hhh..." Ron couldn't form words as he pointed up at the large spiders all above and around them.
"Well, thank you. We'll just...go," Harry said. The three started walking backwards, Fang whimpered.
"Go? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid."
"Can we panic now?" Ron asked. A large spider landed in front of them. Harry swung the lantern at it. Fang barked while the three took out their wands. "Know any spells?" Ron asked.
"One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them," Harry said.
"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron asked. The spiders were closing in when suddenly the flying car crashed over the hill and sent the spiders running. The three backed up, thinking it was going to hit them too but it stopped and opened its doors.
"Let's go!" Harry shouted. They hurried to the car Ron and Fang getting in one side, the door shutting just in time while Harry and Fiona went for the other. "Arania exumai!" Harry shouted sending one spider flying. He pushed Fiona in before getting in himself. Fang was in the back so the three were all squished in front. Spiders landed on the car. Fiona screamed as she had to duck down after a spider landed on the top of the car, pushing the dent already in the car a bit further down. "Go!" They backed up the car over the hill it had come flying over.
"Whoah!" They landed and the car stopped.
"Glad we're out of there," Ron said. Suddenly a spider appeared in the window and grabbed Rob. "Ah- Aaaah!" Fiona ducked down and Harry cast a spell.
"Arania exumai!" the spider went flying.
"Thanks for that," Ron said.
"Don't mention it." Harry looked forward and saw the spiders coming towards them.
"Can we go?!" Fiona screamed.
"Get us out of here. Now!" Harry shouted. Ron switched gears and backed up. "Come on! Come on! Move faster!"
"Aah!" The three screamed as they spun around before driving forward.
"Go on! Go! Get us in the air," Harry shouted.
"The flying gear's jammed!" Ron shouted.
"Come on! Pull!" Harry shouted.
"I'm trying!" Ron shouted back.
"Try harder!" Fiona shouted. The three grabbed onto the gear and finally managed to pull it and get the car flying. They only managed to fly just out of the forest before the car landed roughly. They all climbed out. Ron stormed around the front of the car as Fiona let Fang out of the car. "Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!" Ron shouted. The car started moving on its own again and drove back into the forest.
"Thanks!" Fiona called out after it, throwing her arms up before letting them fall.
"I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?" Ron asked.
"We know one thing. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent."
Ron and Fiona sat beside Hermione who lay motionless on her hospital bed. Harry changed the flowers in the vase on the bedside table before sitting down himself.
"Wish you were here Hermione," he said. "We need you... now, more than ever." He took her hand then suddenly pulled out a paper that was crumbled in it.
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"This is why Hermione was in the Library the day she was attacked. Come on!" Harry said.
…
"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it.' Ron, this is it. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk. That's why Fiona and I can hear it speak. It's a snake!" Harry exclaimed.
"But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" Ron asked. Harry stopped and looked at the window and saw his reflection.
"Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least." The three started walking again. "Colin saw it through his camera. Justin...Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it- but he's a ghost- he couldn't die again. And Hermione...had the mirror. I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners, in case it came along."
"And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, Harry."
"The water. There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection. 'Spiders flee before it.' It all fits!"
"It says a rooster's crow can kill it, Hagrid's roosters were killed!" Fiona reminded them.
"Somebody wanted to make sure they couldn't be used against it," Harry said with a nod.
"But how's a basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake- someone would have seen it," Ron said.
"Hermione's answered that, too," Harry replied before showing the two the spot on the page where Hermione had written 'pipes'.
"Pipes? It's using the plumbing!" Ron said.
"Remember what Aragog said, about that girl fifty years ago? She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?"
"Moaning Myrtle," Ron and Fiona said at the same time. Harry nodded. Suddenly there was an announcement by McGonagall that echoed throughout the castle.
"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor, immediately."
Of course the three instead ran straight to the second floor corridor where they found the head of houses and Madame Pomfrey.
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message," McGonagall said. "Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts."
"So sorry- dozed off- what have I missed?" Lockhart asked as he arrived.
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come, at last," Snape sneered.
"My m-moment?" Lockhart asked.
"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asked.
"Well, that's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend," McGonagall said.
"Very well- ah- I'll just be in my office getting, um- getting ready," Lockhart said before leaving.
"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Madame Pomfrey asked.
"Ginny Weasley." Ron's eyes widened. The teachers walked away, no longer blocking the message from the trio.
"'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever,'" Ron read. "Ginny..."
A/N: I didn't not come up with that poem, I used a "love poem generator" cause I wanted something really cheesy sounding.