My thanks and gratitude to the inimitable Mogul for his beta reading help. This beefy chapter would be far worse otherwise.

Previously: Harry decides after some sort of internal compulsion to write in the mysterious diary, where he is truly shocked to hear from a "Tom Riddle" who uniquely can call Harry his own name. But then the diary is lost and Harry feels concerned he made a grave error. Soon things are far worse, as Hermione and her Ravenclaw pets get petrified and Dumbledore is sacked. Only slightly after this comes a new odd message on the wall, that Harry believes is a message to come and find Tom, and rescue Ginny from misfortune. After Lockhart unusually grows a moral backbone, Harry finds himself alone with the diary. And Tom.

Harry and the Mysterious Curse of the Girl-Who-Lived

CHAPTER TWENTY: A MYSTERY WITH NO ANSWER

The Chamber had an odd scent to it, something Harry couldn't quite figure out. Somehow feeling both wildly alive and sickly dead. The room was stone and nothing else, with an eerie green light seeping in from nowhere at all. "I am the hidden Heart of Hogwarts" the whisper came, not in words, but in a sense beyond sense.

There was no mold, nor cobwebs, nor even dust. It was weirdly, bizarrely clean, but it was more ancient than anything Harry had ever seen before.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Tom said with a sigh. "Salazar built this place, stuck in between the magic of Hogwarts and out of place with the rest of the world. The man was a genius, stuck and alone in a world that never appreciated him."

"How did you find it in the first place?" Harry asked as he noticed for the first time a troubling sight: Ginny Weasley lying unconscious on a nearby stone slab. Better to wait until Tom brought her up first, he decided.

Tom frowned. "I don't know that I did, as it turns out. I have been pondering and pondering our... situation if you will, and I am beginning to suspect that our dear friend Volotredi had a hand in it all."

"But you don't have any memory of her, right?"

"None," said Tom and he shook his head. "I am aware of how that sounds, but-" He trailed off and looked at Harry with concern.

"Obliviation?" Harry offered, the memory of Lockhart easily coming to mind.

Tom nodded and he looked at the floor. "I suspect it's something like that, yes. Why should she want me to set the basilisk free and hunt down Muggle-borns? How did the diary get to Ginny Weasley anyway?"

"Sirius Black, I'm sure," said Harry and then he looked around, suddenly alert. "He's not here, is he?"

"No, I don't even remember the man interacting with the diary." Tom tapped his translucent chin. "But if he knew I was trapped inside, he'd have known to make no contact. I can only sense people touching it or better, writing in it."

"So why did Sirius Black, a known follower of Volotredi, want to release a basilisk, a creature... how old is it?" Harry felt he had the first inklings of the answer.

"My guess is a thousand years or so, certainly left here by Slytherin himself."

Harry chuckled at a sudden thought. "So that a thousand years later, someone would let it free to kill or petrify a bunch of Muggle-borns? Instead of doing it himself or triggering it much sooner?"

Tom's mouth opened and then he closed it with another frown. "Harry, you make a convincing argument. If that is all true, which it seems to be, the basilisk must have some other purpose."

"Well, we know Muggles were more anti-wizard back then by a lot," said Harry, giving Tom a careful look. "Maybe the basilisk was meant as a last resort sort of deal? A way to kill a bunch of Muggle invaders if they were at the gates of Hogwarts somehow."

"Hogwarts is Unplottable and charmed to repel Muggles," said Tom with a sneer. But then he looked thoughtful. "But Hogsmeade isn't. Maybe you're right about that. Volotredi found out about the basilisk then, and left instructions with Black, her most loyal minion."

"Right," Harry said excitedly. "To release the basilisk in Hogwarts, create chaos and - " and then he paled. "Get Dumbledore out of the way so he can do something even worse. Like maybe, somehow, bring Volotredi back."

Tom looked at Harry with alarm. "It was a snare! My memories exposed, constructed like a trap I'd fall into. And like a bloody fool, I did." He cursed softly. "I cannot believe it, not me!" There was suddenly a glint in Tom's eyes, and his face was cruel for a moment. Then he shook his head and sighed. "No time for that, though."

"Speaking of which," said Harry and he walked a bit over to Ginny. "What's wrong with her?"

Tom's mouth twitched slightly. "I'm borrowing her energy. It's the only way I can stand here and talk to you. But if I do it too long, or try to become fully whole..." He gestured down at his translucent form. "As you can see, I'm not entirely present."

"So..." Harry stopped speaking and gulped. "Is her life in danger?"

Tom looked away and nodded. "I needed this time, though, Harry, don't you see? Now I think - I know, rather, that we've been manipulated to be at odds. To trick my mind into thinking Muggle-borns are my enemy by Volotredi and Black."

"Is it even possible to change the diary's memories like that?"

"Yes," said Tom and his lips pursed sourly. "If you knew what it was. I suspect my altered memories pushed me to perform these deeds, but oddly - I never had the basilisk kill anyone, and I wondered why, if it was all a coincidence that they kept being petrified. But I see it all clearly now." He scowled, his face filled again with a sudden fury that faded quickly.

Harry wasn't sure at first about this point, but then it came to him. "If the basilisk had killed any students, the school would've simply been evacuated, wouldn't it? Shut down. But Volotredi and Black must have needed the school to stay open, with the students here, and Dumbledore gone."

Tom nodded again and he smiled slightly. "Well reasoned, Harry. Precisely my thinking, as it turns out. I don't like being played for a fool. Or being manipulated like a mindless puppet." This last word came out in a near hiss. "I cannot believe it."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," said Harry back and then he frowned. Something about those words had made his mouth feel odd, pinched or something like it. He saw Tom's shocked expression, and he continued, "Who can blame you for being trapped in the diary?" Harry gasped, thinking of something horrid. "Hey, do you suppose she meant the same sort of thing for me? But somehow my mother's protection turned it back?"

Tom blinked and he chuckled. "You are full of surprises, Harry. Do you realize you just spoke in Parseltongue?"

"I... I'm afraid I don't know what that is," said Harry.

"It's the language of snakes," said Tom with a laugh. "Highly rare gift. I have it, naturally. As do you, and..." Then his face fell. "I suspect Volotredi. Perhaps she stole it from me when she trapped me in that accursed thing."

Harry nodded. "That makes a lot of sense." He glanced over at Ginny's unconscious form and saw that skin had grown very pale. "Tom, Ginny's fading."

"Yes, well," Tom closed his eyes and put his fingers on his brow. "You would prefer her to remain alive, I suppose." He opened his eyes. "But I need another way, Harry. Some other person, maybe? Is there an evil witch or wizard that we can sacrifice?"

Harry's mind went to Lockhart but he dismissed the idea. The man wasn't a saint, certainly, but he didn't deserve to die. "It's too bad we can't trick Sirius Black into using the diary, eh?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "If you can manage to capture him, that'll be our plan."

"Do you recognize the name Black? I know he's from an old pure-blooded family."

"Yes," said Tom. "I knew a Black from my time, but don't forget, my memories are suspect. Still, this is the sort of underhanded business I'd expect from them."

"Right. Isn't there some... way I dunno." Harry sighed and put his hand over Ginny's forehead. Her skin had already begun to get clammy and her skin as pale as a corpse. "Some way to slowly give you that energy?"

"I mean... I suppose it's possible," said Tom slowly. "But it'd likely take a year or more, carefully pulling that life-force out. And it would cut years from whomever that was besides. Life for life, no matter how you get there."

"Well then..." Harry looked down at Ginny and back at Tom and the decision was obvious. "I'll do it."

"What?" Tom stopped talking, and then he smiled. "I am surprised, Harry. Very kind of you to be so generous."

"It'll let us stay in touch, right?" Harry said, pointing at the diary he spotted next to Ginny. "Plus who cares if I die a bit sooner? Volotredi or Sirius Black will probably kill me anyhow."

"Hmm." Tom's eyes glinted. "Not if I have anything to say about it." He looked down at the diary and seemed to pause for a moment. Then Tom looked back up, and there was a look in his face that Harry couldn't identity, nor interpret. But it was something that sent goose pimples down his spine.

"I agree to your plan, Harry," said Tom and he smiled, a bit wider this time. "Talk to you soon then." And he held out his hand over the diary and closed his eyes. His body began to grow increasingly transparent, and the diary began to glow with a green light of its own. And then, suddenly, he was gone.

Harry looked over at Ginny in worry. Her face was still pale, and Harry wracked his mind for a healing spell. But then the colour started to return to her skin. Soon, it almost seemed like her hair too had gotten brighter.

And then she gasped and sat up, looking around the Chamber in alarm. She saw Harry then, and jumped, nearly falling off the slab.

"I've got you," said Harry, helping her back to an upright position.

"Harriet? What - what are you doing here?"

"I came to save you, naturally," Harry said with a grin. He was feeling quite proud of himself. "And to save Tom too, as it turns out."

"Did you say Tia?" Ginny looked around again and spotted the diary. She gasped and scooted away from it. "Harriet, that diary is evil!"

Harry shook his head. "No, it's not, Ginny. Tom was just as much a victim as you."

"She - she was?" Ginny asked.

"It's simple, in a way," said Harry. "I mean it's not simple at all, to be honest." He gave Ginny a big smile, and she giggled. "It was V- sorry, I mean, it was You-Know-Who. Tom and I, we figured it all out."

Ginny quirked her head to the side.

"Before she died, You-Know-Who had a, what do you call it? Oh, right, backup plan. She had trapped Tom in the diary many years ago as a trap just in case things went sideways. Sirius Black, of course, he's the top dog of the Death Eaters right?"

"Right," said Ginny with a nod. "Everyone knows that. He betrayed your parents."

Harry winced but nodded back. "Yes, exactly. So the basilisk, which is thousands of years old, was trapped or something by You-Know-You back when she was at Hogwarts. Tom probably cottoned on to her plan so she memory charmed him and stuck his brain in the diary."

"That's... terribly Dark magic, Harriet," said Ginny, her eyes wide. "You're sure about this?"

"Tom basically admitted that he'd been manipulated. Don't much think he liked admitting it either. We suspect that it was a plot to get Dumbledore out of school, and use your death as some sort of awful sacrifice to resurrect Volotredi."

Ginny flinched.

"Sorry, well, you get it right?" Harry realized that some of these last thoughts had only just come to him, but not a one seemed wrong. Why else would Volotredi try to trick Tom into killing Ginny? Probably to sacrifice him too in some awful way, but he'd have to ask Tom about it later.

"I bet it was Black and some of his old Death Eater pals," said Harry with a hint of anger. "Likely Malfoy's parents. You remember that long haired tosser at Diagon Alley?"

"Yes," said Ginny with a bit of a growl in her voice. "Bigoted Kneazle dung in the shape of a man, that's what I say." She giggled. "Although don't tell my mum I said that."

"No worries," said Harry in amusement. "But speaking of Dumbledore, we probably should get out of here before Black gets back. There was an accident and Lockhart and Parvati got knocked out." He paused as Ginny gasped. "Oh and that odd house elf too, Dobber or something. No, Dobby, that was it."

"Not Parvati! She's so cool!"

Harry laughed. "Yeah, she is. C'mon then."

When they got back to the pile of bricks and stone, there was the sound of mild cursing from the other side.

"Lav? You still there?"

"Harriet?" This was said a bit softly, and then Lavender shrieked loudly, "Harriet, you're okay! What about Ginny?"

"I'm fine," Ginny called out in a scratchy voice. She frowned and looked at Harry. "Sorry, I guess I'm not fully there yet," she said softly.

"You have nothing to apologize for," said Harry and he turned to the rock slide. "Lavender, how are the others?"

"They're still... oh wait a minute, Harriet." After a moment, Lavender called back. "Harriet, I think that house elf, Dobbert or something... he's waking up!"

"It's Dobby," Harry whispered to Ginny who grinned back.

"Hey there, Dobbert, you hear me?" Lavender said loudly, although it wasn't so difficult to hear her already. "You okay?"

After a pause, the house-elf responded, "Dobby, miss. Yes, Dobby is whole, he thinks. Where is Harriet Potter? Dobby was trying to save her, he was watching out for her as Harriet asked."

"Oh, sorry," said Lavender. "Dobbly, then. Yes, Harriet is okay, but she's trapped behind that bunch of rocks and-." She stopped talking suddenly at a popping sound, but then Dobby appeared right in front of Harry and Ginny.

"Harriet Potter is okay!" Dobby's eyes filled with tears. "Dobby was so worried."

"Yeah, I'm okay, Dobby," said Harry. "And we figured out why the basilisk was happening, so you don't have to keep it a secret anymore. I suppose you still can't talk about your masters though, right?"

Dobby scratched his head. "Dobby is not allowed to, but he cannot remember his masters. Does Harriet Potter remember?"

"Uh, no, Dobby, you wouldn't tell me, you should remember that at least, don't you?"

"Harriet," Ginny said, pulling on his sleeve. "Sirius Black, remember? He might be on his way here any minute."

"Ah, right, of course. Dobby, you think you can help us out with this bunch of rocks?"

Dobby grinned widely and bobbed his head quickly. "Yes, of course Dobby will help!" He turned to the collapsed stones and waved his hand at them, causing all of them to smash against the wall. Dust fell from the ceiling, and Ginny coughed.

"Sorry!" Dobby's face fell and he grabbed his ears and twisted them. "Dobby is so clumsy and stupid!"

"Don't punish yourself," Harry said quickly. "I can see that the way is clear, so you did just fine, Dobby."

Dobby's eyes filled again with tears, but before he could say anything, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and gestured to the house-elf. "Come on then, Dobby, let's get out of here." He led Ginny, who stumbled a bit, over the broken floor out to the secret slide.

Lavender was standing, covered in dust, looking like a pale green and grey ghost, her hands at her hips. "Finally, Harriet! I was having trouble remembering the spell to move things." Her eyes connected with Ginny and she ran over. "Ginny! You look alright, I think. Are you okay then?"

"I think I will be," Ginny said and she smiled slightly. "Harriet saved me."

"Of course she did," said Lavender, giving Harry a look of admiration. "As per usual, I suppose. We needed a last minute overly heroic act, didn't we? Proper Gryffindors, the lot of us, eh?"

Harry was barely listening to this, as he had spotted a still unconscious Parvati. "Dobby!" He said loudly. "We need your help. Can you float Parvati and..." he looked over at the also knocked out Professor Lockhart. "And him up with us? We need to get to Madame Pomfrey."

Naturally Dobby was only too happy to assist, and Harry only felt a small pang of guilt when he accidentally knocked Lockhart's head against the wall as they went back up the slide. He grabbed Lockhart's wand off the floor as they went - it wouldn't do to leave it behind, after all.

After a few minutes of walking through the halls, they came across an utterly shocked Professor McGonagall in a hurry towards their direction. "What - what is the meaning of this? Miss Potter, what happened? Who is that house elf?"

Dobby trembled and bit his lip.

"It's Dobby, ma'am," said Harry, looking straight at her, while still helping Ginny on her feet. "He's helped us out, but the story is complicated. I'm happy to explain, but we need to see Madame Pomfrey, as you can probably see."

McGonagall's lips thinned but she nodded. "I see something alarming has happened here. But Miss Weasley, are you sound? Can you walk?"

Ginny shrugged. "Mostly, Professor. I still feel weak, but I think I just need to rest."

The professor breathed in deeply. "Well, I wager something dramatic... but no matter. The very fact Miss Weasley is safe, well..." She shook her head. "Thank Merlin Miss Weasley is safe. I'll accompany you all to the infirmary."

They started to walk, and then Harry said, "Oh, maybe you should use one of those cat messages to tell the Headmaster or the others. Lockhart said that he Obliviated Ron and Neville when they went to him for help, so somebody should check on them."

"He did what?" McGonagall whirled, fury in her eyes as she glared at the floating, unconscious body of the Defence professor. "You should have said so at once, Miss Potter!" She looked over Lockhart again, perhaps noticing his battered appearance for the first time and sniffer. "Who is responsible for his current state?"

"Er, Dobby, Professor," said Harry as he adjusted the arm he held Ginny with. "You remember the house elf over the summer, right? But please don't punish him, he was only trying to help!"

McGonagall looked surprised and then she nodded. "Yes, I do remember, Miss Potter. Well then, Dobby, is it? I am grateful for your assistance."

Dobby seemed shocked at the praise and simply bowed his head.

"And, yes, you are probably right about the - cat message, as it were," the professor said and she raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum." A spectral cat with spectacle-like markings around its eyes, bright, cheery, and pure light, appeared and looked expectantly up at the Professor. "Please let everyone know we will be visiting the Hospital Wing first. Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom are likely insensate in the Defence classroom." The cat nodded and sped away through the walls.

"Amazing," said Lavender with a breathy voice. "So that's how the 'Patronum' Charm looks, is it? She was beautiful, Professor."

"Well, now," said McGonagall, her mouth quirked in a way that seemed to be hiding a smile. "It is called the 'Patronus' charm. And how, may I ask, did you know about it?"

Lavender glanced guiltily at Harry.

"Professor Snape told me about it," Harry said quickly. "A way to defend against Dementors since they are worse for me. We were supposed to practice it, but it's been so busy lately..." He shook his head. "Anyway, he said I could tell my friends about it. But of course, he also said 'under no circumstance should I be permitted to have them attempt it.'" He smiled up at McGonagall and said, "We never did, Professor."

McGonagall frowned. "I shall be having words with the dear Potions Professor, Miss Potter. But I suppose his intent was not... entirely misplaced." She sighed. "You seem to be without injury, so perhaps... well, never mind. I'll have Poppy check you both over just to be safe."

Once they reached the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was standing outside the entrance, tapping her foot in irritation. "Finally!" She glared at the group. "It took you long enough. Quickly now, let me take a look at you." She ran her wand over Harry, and then Lavender. "You two seem alright enough, I suppose. Nothing out of the ordinary."

She then moved to Ginny and after a minute she frowned. "You are in far worse shape, Miss Weasley. Get into a bed immediately. And Miss Brown, will you help her please?" While Lavender pulled a mildly protesting Ginny into the Wing, Madam Pomfrey scanned her wand on Parvati and Lockhart.

"What on earth happened?" She said and grimaced, rubbing her temples. "Miss Potter, can you explain?"

"It was Dobby here," said Harry. "He blocked Professor Lockhart from using a Memory Charm on us."

"Hmm." Madam Pomfrey considered this and nodded. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense, in a way. Come then, Minerva, help me take these two into the Wing."

Harry waited for a moment and then he started to follow - but then he turned back to Dobby. "Do you need medical help or something? Maybe Madame Pomfrey should have a look at you too.

Dobby shook his head and smiled. "No need, Harriet Potter. Dobby feels just fine. He is happy to wait here."

Resolving to check up on the house elf later, Harry nodded.

He walked next to Lavender, who was wringing her hands worriedly. He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, and she winced in response, so Harry pulled back. Then Lavender turned and she breathed out a sigh.

"Oh, sorry, Harriet," she said, and then she grabbed Harry in a hug. "Oh, but I'm so worried about Parvati!"

"She'll be fine," said Harry and patted her back, willing it to be true. "That's why we came here first." He put down Lockhart's wand and the diary on a nearby table and sighed.

"Correctly done," said Madam Pomfrey as she continued to cast her spells. "And yes, Miss Potter, I believe you are right. Miss Patil here was mainly caught up in the spell fugue."

Harry nodded, feeling a sense of relief spread through his body. "Ah, yeah, Lavender you mentioned that before. What is that?"

"Uh, well it's hard to explain, Harriet," said Lavender. "It's like when, you know, a bunch of magic blends with another kind of magic and then... weird stuff happens after."

"That's not that helpful," said Harry with a laugh, feeling a bit giddy. "What kind of stuff?"

"Allow me, Miss Potter," interjected McGonagall with a small smile. "You see, spell fugue as Miss Brown has mentioned it is more of a common term. It is a bit of a catchall for the unusual aftereffects of two wildly different sorts of magic interferes. Typically we use it when wizarding magic and some other sort are involved." She frowned. "Although I can't recall ever hearing about house elf magic causing it."

"What does it mean in this case though?" Harry asked, looking over at Parvati. "You said she'd be okay, but did something happen with this fugue?"

"Yes," said Madam Pomfrey with a nod, who was now looking over Lockhart. "She caught the edges of the fugue, so she will be a bit out of sorts when she wakes up. She'll need rest, of course, and some healing spells, but nothing permanent. I am a bit more concerned with Gilderoy here, since he shows signs of being at the epicentre of the fugue."

"Oh no!" Lavender gasped. "Is he going to die?"

McGonagall looked as if she was trying hard not to say anything.

"Of course not," said Madam Pomfrey as she completed her investigation. "But I think he has suffered some more serious damage. We'll have a better idea when he wakes up, but... Miss Potter, did you say it was a Memory Charm that he attempted?"

Harry nodded.

"In that case, I wouldn't be surprised if he is suffering from some memory loss, a self-inflicted wound, if you will. I've seen a fugue turn around hexes on their casters before, but it's hard to know how permanent the damage is right now. St. Mungo's will probably have a better idea."

"St. Mungo's?" This was a shout from the entrance, from a familiar voice. Mrs. Weasley barged in, followed by Mr. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore.

"Mum! Dad!" Ginny exclaimed and sat up in her bed.

"Professor!" Harry said at nearly the same time, and then he paused to wait for the family reunion. Dumbledore gave him a nod and a smile.

"Please give the patient some room," said Madam Pomfrey with her typically strict tone, edged now with considerable irritation. "This room is already getting too crowded. Arthur, Molly, I must ask that you come back later. In fact, Minerva, please take your healthy students out too. And Albus, really, you too? I thought they sacked you."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I always adore your sense of humour, Poppy. I will happily vacate the premises, but would you mind if we had a quick word with Miss Weasley and Miss Potter? Merely to settle that which remains unsettled, as I'm sure you can appreciate."

Madam Pomfrey's lips thinned but then she nodded. "Five minutes," she said and turned back to her patients.

"I think I can explain it the most quickly," said Harry as he looked at the Headmaster. "Ginny was the victim of Sirius Black and an enchanted diary. The diary belonged to someone named Tom Riddle, but he was a victim too, of Volo- sorry, I mean You-Know-Who. She trapped him in the diary and modified Tom's memories to think he needed to let the basilisk out to attack Muggle-born students."

Professor Dumbledore frowned and held up a hand. "I think, my dear, that is enough explanation for now. I believe I see the rest of the story. You can explain anything I have missed later, I am sure." He turned to the Weasleys. "Miss Potter has the right of it. Ginevra was a mere victim of a powerful magical artefact, she bears no blame in any of our recent problems."

Mr. Weasley opened his mouth and then closed it. Then he said, "I'm sorry, what was that about a basilisk?"

Mrs. Weasley wasn't listening, as she was hugging a now uncomfortable looking Ginny in her bed.

"Mum, come on," said Ginny, pushing back. "I need to rest, you heard Madam Pomfrey." The Healer in question gave an approving nod and then looked at Mrs. Weasley with a steely gaze.

"Oh, very well," said Mrs. Weasley, although she didn't look too pleased. "Harriet, is that right, what you said? Did you rescue our daughter?"

"Um, well..." Harry trailed off, now feeling a bit embarrassed about his pride at saving Ginny earlier. "I had a hand in it, I suppose. We all helped."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes began to tear up and she grabbed Harry in a crushing hug. Behind her, Harry could spot Ginny grinning widely and giving him a big thumbs up.

Finally she released Harry and wiped her eyes. "I can scarcely imagine it, so young and so brave." She sniffed.

"Our family can never repay such kindness and valour," said Mr. Weasley in a serious tone.

Harry, to pivot from his intense embarrassment, decided to ask a different, relevant question and turned to the Headmaster. "Sir, how did you get back here so quickly?" Harry asked. "McGonagall only just sent the Patronus message."

"Why, I was already here," said Dumbledore with a smile. "There appears to have been some miscommunication with the governors about the situation here, so gladly that was resolved in the nick of time." The Headmaster looked around the room and then at McGonagall. "Minerva, would you mind terribly if I had a private word with your student for a few minutes? We have a few things to clarify."

Harry nodded eagerly but McGonagall frowned. "Albus," she said with a slight edge in her voice. "What about that basilisk Arthur mentioned? Don't we need to find and subdue it?"

"I shall be looking into it in good time, my dear Minerva," said the Headmaster with a beatific smile, although McGonagall did not seem too pleased at the response. Before she could say anything, Dumbledore added, "You do understand, I would never put our students in peril if I could do anything about it?"

After a moment, the Head of Gryffindor House nodded, although her face showed strain. "Yes, I know, Albus, but sometimes... well, you know what I'm getting at."

"Of course, but this brief tête-à-tête will shed light on precisely what needs to be done about the basilisk." He nodded his head towards the Weasley parents. "Trust me, please, I shall explain fully when I return."

Mr. Weasley seemed a bit uncomfortable but he returned the nod.

As they walked out, the Headmaster turned to Dobby, who was waiting patiently in the place they had left him. "Ah, our house elf friend. Dobby, am I right?"

The house elf nodded his head nervously.

"A spell fugue is a mysterious thing," said Dumbledore in a dramatic tone. "I wonder how it affected you, Mister Dobby. You do not recall your former masters, is that right?"

Dobby nodded again, clearly still too nervous to say anything.

"Intriguing," said Dumbledore, rubbing his chin. "Can you determine if you need a new master?"

"Is - is Headmaster Dumbledore offering to be a new master for Dobby?"

Harry gave the Headmaster a sharp look.

"Dobby doesn't want to not be grateful, sir," the house elf said quickly. "He is grateful. But Dobby wants to be free, sir."

Dumbledore blinked, a mild look of surprise on his face. "Fascinating. A house elf that desires freedom? I do not believe I have ever come across any house elf that has expressed such, even when they are greatly abused." He looked over Dobby with a now shrewd look in his eyes. "I had an idea, Miss Potter," he said.

"I was going to request Dobby here switch his bond to you," Dumbledore continued. "But if he does not wish that, we will need to try something else."

"Dobby likes the idea of freedom, sir," said Dobby and he looked at the floor. "But he likes work too, sir. Dobby likes work more than freedom, he thinks." He cautiously looked up at the Headmaster. "Maybe the Headmasters knows someone who will hire Dobby?"

Dumbledore scratched his beard and made a thoughtful noise. "I am sure I would be happy to hire you, Master Dobby. We have a cadre of hardworking house elves at Hogwarts who would be glad for the assistance. None of them take payment, of course, but that is no matter. What do you suppose might be fair, Dobby? I am unsure how much payment a house elf needs."

Dobby frowned, seeming like he hadn't considered the idea all the way through. "Dobby doesn't need much," he said finally. "Maybe a Knut a month? And two days off... maybe three days off a year?" Dobby breathed out in a rush, perhaps shocked at his own daring.

"I know I'm not exactly an expert," said Harry, with a frown on his own. "But that seems awfully low."

"I concur, Miss Potter," said Dumbledore with a smile. "Perhaps a counteroffer, Master Dobby? Ten Galleons a month, and weekends off instead?"

"No, no," said Dobby, shaking his head madly. "That is too much freedom, Headmaster. Dobby likes it, like he said, but that is too much. He thinks only a Galleon a month, no more. And Dobby will only take off one day a month too, the same day he gets his Galleon."

Dumbledore looked over at Harry with what could only be described as a mischievous expression. "A fair compromise, I believe. Miss Potter, would you be willing to hire Dobby at that price for the summer?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, thinking that the Headmaster had something clever in mind. "Well, I don't know, sir," he said brightly. "You sure I can afford that?"

The Headmaster chuckled. "I am certain you can. If Dobby is interested?"

"Harriet Potter wants to hire Dobby?" The house elf's eyes began to fill with tears and his smile grew enormous.

"For the summer," said Harry firmly. "Not sure what you can do, exactly, but I think Professor Dumbledore has a few ideas."

Dobby bobbed his head with excitement and Harry wondered what he was agreeing to - but likely the Professor had something in mind, perhaps to solve the problem with the Dursleys as he had promised once before. Having to deal with an overly excitable house elf seemed a more than fair trade than returning to Privet Drive, if that was somehow the plan.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore and he made a gesture down the hall. "Now that business is all settled for the moment, let us proceed to my office, we have more to discuss. Dobby, you too for now." He dramatically turned, causing his robes to swish a little, and began to walk down the hallway, Harry quickly walking to catch up.

When they reached the staircase to the Headmaster's office, a familiar and unpleasant sight awaited them.

"Dumbledore!" Mr. Malfoy, Draco's father, practically spat the word. "What are you doing back here? The governors dismissed you, and for good cause, I am quite certain."

"Well now, that is quite the tale," said Dumbledore calmly. "It appears that some of the governors were under the impression that you had threatened them to force my dismissal. Of course, who can say for sure, except that they have agreed to reinstate me."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Rank speculation and nonsense accusations, Dumbledore. As I'd expect from you. And I see you have your little pet Potter with you." He sneered at Harry. "I should wonder at what sort of relationship you are fomenting."

Although Harry didn't quite understand what Malfoy was getting at, the tone was clear enough and he was offended. "The sort of relationship you have with Sirius Black?" Harry said with not a small amount of anger. "We know the two of you were working together."

Malfoy frowned and he gripped his walking stick tightly. "More base accusations. I see she has learned quickly, all the more the shame to it. I do not even wish to guess what sort of crime you are accusing me of this time, Miss Potter."

"Be careful, Lucius," said Dumbledore in soft but clear voice. "Your old mistress is not welcome here, not are any of her servants."

"I was cleared of any wrongdoing," hissed Malfoy. "As you well know, Albus. I do not take kindly to your threats or-" He stopped talking and looked behind Harry. "Dobby... what... get over here this instant!"

Dobby gave Malfoy a confused look. "Dobby doesn't know you, sir. But you doesn't seem like a nice person."

Malfoy looked over at Harry with a barely controlled fury in his eyes. "What did you do to my property, girl? Theft is theft, and I shall have the Ministry involved if it is not returned."

At first, Harry was a bit unsure, but suddenly the pieces came tumbling together. "Dobby isn't your elf," he said with a small smile, hoping that this was true but trusting that Dumbledore wasn't wrong about it. "Not any longer and never again. Bit behind the curve, aren't you Malfoy? Missing a diary too, are you?"

Malfoy's face paled and he raised his wand, but before he could say anything, Dobby threw up his hands and the blonde man was thrown into the stone wall.

"Dobby," said Harry softly. "You didn't need to do that. The Headmaster was right here."

"Indeed," said Dumbledore and there was a glint of something hard and cold in his eyes that was a bit frightening. Malfoy seemed to have picked up a bit of it, as he seemed even paler as he pulled himself to his feet.

"You will find that I will not accept threats to any students under my care," said the Headmaster, and his tone seemed friendly except for the ice in his eyes. "I trust we understand each other, Lucius?"

Malfoy sniffed and stormed past them, giving Harry another glare before he disappeared into the halls of Hogwarts.

"Pff," said Harry and he nearly spat on the ground before realizing that Dumbledore was watching him carefully. "Good riddance to bad rubbish," he said instead.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, I suppose that answers that, doesn't it? If Dobby can no longer be commanded by Lucius, then he truly and surely can be hired by you without issue, Not-Miss Potter."

Harry blinked and then he smiled. "You knew Malfoy was going to be here."

"I had an idea," said the Headmaster with a wink. "In any event, our house elf does not need to be present for this conversation. If you would like to dismiss him, I am sure he can find work to busy himself until you need him. Am I right, Mister Dobby?"

Dobby nodded happily.

"Alright then, Dobby, go ahead and be dismissed," said Harry, feeling oddly drained. "I'll talk to you later." The house elf vanished, and the two proceeded to walk into the Headmaster's office.

After they had settled, Dumbledore sighed and popped a Sherbet Lemon into his mouth. "I would like to hear the rest of your tale, if you do not mind."

"Oh, right," said Harry. "Well I wasn't lying or anything. I guess the only thing is that I found the diary earlier and wrote to Tom - it turns out he's under the curse too. I asked Luna and she couldn't say his name. Can you?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, you are right about that. I noticed as you said your fellow cursed victim's name earlier that I could not quite connect it in my head, the same as with you. A 'Not-Miss Riddle', if you will."

"Ah, good," said Harry in relief. "You believe me."

"Naturally," said Dumbledore with a warm smile. "Now, I should like to see the diary if you don't mind."

"Of course." Harry checked his robes and frowned. "You know, I just remembered. I left it with Lockhart's wand there in the Hospital Wing."

Dumbledore made a considering sound. "Very well. I am not entirely happy about the idea of it being so far from our eyes, so we will have to be sure it is still there."

"Sorry," said Harry. "But if it makes you feel better, I know Tom was a victim of Volotredi too. We talked it over, and we agreed that she had trapped him in the diary and modified his memories to make him target Muggle-borns but never kill them. We think it was to let Sirius Black into Hogwarts with you gone so they could resurrect Volotredi."

"An interesting theory," said Dumbledore, and he had an odd look that Harry couldn't decipher. "Well, regardless, please do not write again in the diary until I have inspected it, just in case. Agreed?" He gave Harry a smile again.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," said Harry. "I will admit, I was a bit concerned about it at first. Thought it was maybe a trap for me by Sirius Black or one of the Slytherin b- um, girls that don't care for me. Since Tom could say my name and all. But now I think we're on the same side."

"I hope you are right," said Dumbledore softly. "I believe I understand what I need to understand. Let us proceed to the Chamber, if you agree. I would like to inspect the entrance and check for any signs of the basilisk."

The chamber entrance was still wide open when they arrived, the eerie green lit slide no less odd or strange than the last time. Dumbledore peered through the opening, saying a few words under his breath, and silently waving his wand further another minute.

"Fascinating," said the Headmaster finally. "Hidden right within the Hogwarts walls. Not-Miss Potter, I don't suppose your diary friend said anything about the Chamber or how it was hidden?"

"A little, I think," said Harry. "Something about Slytherin not giving away his secrets and that it's out of place with the rest of the world. I think that was it."

"Hmm. Yes, yes, I see. Perhaps that explains it. Fawkes!" At this unusual word, there was a shift and then the air shimmered. A beautiful melody crept in from the walls and stones, and like a symphony reaching its crescendo, an immeasurably entrancing and graceful bird appeared, with red-orange plumage so bright, the feathers seemed almost aflame.

Instantly Harry felt a deep sense of well-being and he grinned. "Who is this, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled happily at the bird. "This is Fawkes, my old and trusted companion. A phoenix, and a particularly clever one at that."

Fawkes seemed to understand and trilled a delightful note.

"He's your pet?"

The phoenix issued a sharp note of dismay, so apparently it could indeed understand them. "Sorry," Harry said quickly. "Friend, then?" Fawkes hovered up next to Harry for a few seconds, and then it trilled again and floating back near Dumbledore.

"Never a pet, nor is any phoenix the servant of any wizard or witch, my dear. He is instead my comrade in arms or my familiar in most ways, if you recognize the term."

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so. He's quite pretty. If you don't mind me saying so, Fawkes."

Fawkes let out a note that felt pleased, so Harry smiled in response.

"Fawkes often grants my help when I ask it, but he is his own creature, after all." The Headmaster turned to his familiar. "Fawkes, I should like to ask you to investigate this hidden Chamber that is now uncovered. Keep a watch for any snakes or basilisks and be certain you can easily return here."

The phoenix trilled once and flew quickly down into the dark, green shadowed opening.

"Will he be okay, sir?"

"A phoenix is very difficult to injure, let alone kill. He will be safer than either of us venturing in there alone, I am certain."

Harry considered this and nodded. "Okay. I guess if Sirius Black or the basilisk are in there now, we'd need our double-paned spectacles simply to be petrified instead of killed." He tapped them. "Still there, actually."

"Let us retain the enchantments for now, shall we? Just in case." And then, Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "I feel I can be a bit more honest with you, separated from the rest. You have entrusted me with the secret of your Curse, and have lived and strived through so much. Your maturity astounds me, to be quite honest. If there is anything you wish to know, I will answer it - as much as I can, of course."

This was such an unexpected offer, Harry couldn't breathe for a moment. Thankfully he had a distraction with the return of Fawkes, appearing suddenly in a burst of fire.

"Ah, so you can go there and back, my friend? Excellent." Dumbledore said, looking pleased. "I shall have to ask Filius - Professor Flitwick, that is - to assist with looking through the Chamber. And perhaps a curse breaker we can trust. I believe your friend Ronald's eldest brother is so qualified, is that right?"

"Um." Harry started to think about it and then he laughed. "Sir, I think we both know you remember the answer to that question even if I don't."

Dumbledore chuckled. "You have seen through my little scheme, as per usual. Just as it happened your last year."

"Oh, last year," said Harry, a thought coming to him. "Actually I guess I do have a few questions. Did you know I was going to be going after Volotredi and the Mirror?"

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a few moments and then he nodded. "I had a feeling fate was going in that direction. Your discussions with your friends and your theories on solving the mystery of the trapdoor. Hagrid mentioned to me that he had been a bit careless with mentioning Flamel's name around you.

"I did not plan for you to confront Volotredi, not precisely. Instead, I hoped you would not have to, but in my heart, felt you deserved to meet the one that gave you that scar. And perhaps, gave you the Curse as well."

"You think she's responsible for the Curse?" This had not occurred to Harry over the last two years even once. "How?"

"That I cannot answer, I am sorry to say. Still, I must admit that when I heard from Miss Patil that you had ventured past the Cerberus, my concern for your safety overrode any other feelings of misplaced guilt." He gave Harry a proud smile. "Thankfully, you exceeded my every expectation and dealt with Quirrell and Volotredi quite handily."

"I know I defeated Volotredi the first year, sir," said Harry, swallowing a lump in his throat and he looked down to catch himself. "In a manner of speaking." Then he turned to the Headmaster and smiled slightly. "Sorry I couldn't manage to take care of Sirius Black this time around."

"Ah, unfortunately my sinister plan to have you defeat Sirius Black was foiled this year, unlike last year's success."

"Well, then I suppose I'll simply have to defeat two mental Death Eaters next year to make up for it," Harry said with a perfectly straight face.

"I suppose that will have to suffice," said the Headmaster.

"Better luck next time," said Harry with a grin.

"Perhaps I can explain something about Mister Black, then? His history with your parents and perhaps, to understand his betrayal."

"I - I think I know most of it," said Harry. "Professor Snape explained a lot. Black was crazy, he said, pretending to be a normal person. Played a prank that almost got Snape killed. There was that Peter fellow, the one Black killed. I mean, Snape did say that maybe he was tortured into betraying my parents, although he didn't believe that."

Dumbledore didn't say anything at all, merely stroked his beard. And then he looked at Harry with a questioning look in his eyes. "Do you know how it is that Sirius Black betrayed your parents?"

"Um..." Harry blinked, realizing that he didn't know this little bit of trivia.

"I see," said the Headmaster, correctly reading Harry's response. "A moment, if you will." He waved his wand, and an odd ripple shimmered in the air around them. Harry could feel a twinging sense of something that put his nerves on edge, just for a moment.

"Now we cannot be eavesdropped upon," said Dumbledore. "So I am free to explain. You see, Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper for your parents. What this fairly dry term refers to is a critical person involved with a dreadfully complicated charm, the Fidelius Charm. Nearly impossible to cast, it is exceedingly powerful. Anything under the Fidelius, whether it is a treasure, a person, an idea, or even a place is completely hidden from the rest of the world."

He inclined his head towards Harry. "In this case, the location you were hiding with your parents. No one could have pierced this secret, unless said secret was willingly told by the Secret Keeper. So unfortunately the outcome is clear: Sirius Black told Volotredi the secret of your location, and she was able to find Godric's Hollow."

"But couldn't he have been tortured?" Harry asked. "Not that I'm particularly sure one way or the other."

"Nothing magically coerced will reveal the secret," Dumbledore said. "But that said, it is theoretically possible that a different sort of torture, cunningly constructed, might have tricked Sirius into giving the Secret away." He paused. "That is, I will admit, a secret, unlikely hope. I doubt it to be true, but the Sirius Black I knew seemed devoted to your parents. It is hard to fathom, even now, that he betrayed them out of malice."

"What about what he did to Snape? How he almost killed him?"

Dumbledore frowned. "A fair point, I am afraid. At the time, I was convinced that Sirius was merely being highly irresponsible, and did not realize the scope of his actions."

"Can you— can you tell me how it happened?"

"Part of the story," said the Headmaster with a smile. "You see, your father, Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin were as close as any friends could be. There is more, but it would involve breaking a confidence with Mister Lupin. If you see him over the summer, which he has requested of me, you may ask him for the details."

"I..." Harry frowned and trying to think of something else he had always wanted to ask. He sighed as the image of his friends in the Hospital Wing jumped to his mind. "Sir, not that I don't want to ask more questions, but I think I'd like to see my friends. Parvati was still out cold when we left, and I still don't know about everyone who's been petrified..."

"On that account, you have little to be worried about. The Mandrake juice, Madam Pomfrey informed me when I arrived, is ready and waiting to be given to all of the victims."

"So... Hermione. Her Ravenclaw..." here Harry nearly said "pets" but choked out "friends" instead. "The rest. Um, Lisa Turpin too, I suppose. Hope that helps Mandy be less angry at me."

Dumbledore peered down at Harry. "I have a great deal more to tell you, if you should desire to know. Many things you should benefit to know."

"I'm sure that's true," said Harry, but the thought of his friends in the infirmary stayed in his mind, driving away everything else. "I can't think of anything else right now," he admitted. "It's not that I don't... We have the whole summer ahead of us, don't we? We can find time later, right, sir?"

The Headmaster nodded and smiled.


"Harriet?"

Harry's head rose sleepily and then he shot awake. "Parvati, you're okay!" He felt a compulsion to hug her, but stopped himself just in time. Pomfrey would've likely had a conniption, he figured.

"Yes, I am okay," said Parvati, and she looked decent enough, only a bit paler than usual. "At least I feel okay."

Madame Pomfrey appeared nearby, although Harry hadn't noticed where she had come from. "Let me see here, Miss Patil. One moment please."

"Thank you for letting me stay here," said Harry in as polite and respectful tone as he could manage. "I tried not to disturb her."

The Healer granted Harry a small smile and an even smaller nod. "Well done, Miss Potter. I am glad my trust was not misplaced." She turned back to Parvati. "Miss Patil, you still need a bit of rest, I'd wager. But otherwise, I see nothing the matter. You'll be good as new by tomorrow, I'm sure."

Parvati looked around the room, which had no other occupants. "Where are all the petrified people? What happened to Ginny?"

"Ginny's already recovered," said Harry. "You missed how I saved her from the Chamber and insulted Draco Malfoy's father to his face."

Pomfrey made a sort of muffled snort. "I did not hear you say that, Miss Potter. Now then, I have a few things to do. In the meantime, I shall give you two your privacy." And she walked away.

Parvati grinned widely at Harry. "I can't say I'm surprised on either count, Harriet. What did you say to him?"

"Actually, Ginny had a better insult, although she didn't say it to him. 'Bigoted sack of Kneazle dung in the shape of a man' or something like that."

Parvati giggled madly. "That's scarily accurate. How did you save her?"

Harry told her the quick, slightly abbreviated story of their encounter, filtering out anything about his Curse since he knew Parvati wouldn't understand that part of it. But she still seemed enthralled by what she could understand, gasping at the right moments of revelation and laughing at the joking asides.

"Where is the diary now?" Parvati asked when he finished his story.

Harry patted his robe pocket. "I have it with me. Don't want to let anyone else find it."

"Yeah, for sure," said Parvati and she frowned. "What a tale, Harriet. It's hard to believe, except that it's you, so maybe it's not so hard to believe." Then she smiled warmly at Harry. "I'm glad you waited here for me. We're friends, right?"

"Of course," said Harry easily.

"Best friends," Parvati said further. "Right?"

Harry blinked and felt a sudden tightness in his chest. "Yes, we are," said Harry, as he realized it was true. "Best friends."

Parvati glanced around the room, and then nodded before turning back to Harry. "I'm glad you saved the day, Harriet. I love you, you know that?"

"I-" Harry stopped talking, the words stuck in his mouth. He was certain it was the first time he had ever heard someone say those words to him in his entire life. Perhaps his parents had, likely they had, but it was not something he could remember.

Instead of saying anything else, Parvati reached over and pulled Harry into a hug. "You don't have to say anything, Harriet. I know." She sighed as she continued to hold him. "You're like a sister, except better because you don't drive me spare like Padma."

"I always wanted a brother or sister when I was growing up," said Harry, his voice muffled and choked up. "Or even just a fr-" but he stopped before he said anything else.

Parvati pulled back and Harry could see tears in her eyes through the fog in his own.

"Look at us," said Parvati and she gave a sharp laugh. "A bunch of ruddy girls, aren't we?"

Harry laughed. "Maybe so."

The world seemed unreal in the last few days of the term. Ron and Neville were none the worse for wear, and seemed shocked if weirdly excited about the whole thing, having no memory of anything before coming to Lockhart's office.

"Hard to believe Lockhart would fancy the two of us threats enough for a Memory Charm," Ron said when talking about it in the Gryffindor common room later. "Nev, though, maybe less so. I've seen the mysterious danger in his eyes."

Neville only laughed at this and wiggled his eyebrows.

After Harry had explained the whole story (filtered further still from what he had told Parvati), a newly unpetrified Hermione closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. "This whole business is honestly absurd, Harry," she said, her eyes still closed. "But I suppose..." She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. "At least I know I was right about the basilisk."

Lavender giggled. "So now you can hold it over your 'Claw pals, is that it?"

"Well now," said Hermione with an exaggerated, haughty air. "I hardly think it prudent to admit that, do you?" And then she giggled a bit, unable to maintain the pretence. Ron laughed along, clearly relieved that she wasn't still angry.

At dinner, a triumphantly welcome Dumbledore had cancelled the exams (naturally only Hermione and a few Ravenclaws seemed troubled by this windfall). Harry caught the eye of Mandy Brocklehurst at one point, and if anything, she was angrier than ever. The recovered Lisa Turpin seemed none the worse for wear though, and was clearly trying to avoid looking in Harry's direction. So nothing new.

Almost predictably, as they walked past each other later, Mandy whispered "I know it was you." Harry considered himself quite mature for not responding at all.

The day before the last day of the term, Harry received an owl message from Dumbledore.

HP:

I regret that I could not tell you this message in person, but I have been busy steadily working on an alternative to your summer arrangements. As I promised you, you will not have to stay with your relatives, not even if I must keep you in an uncomfortable room in Hogwarts. But that unpleasant outcome aside, I believe I have a far better idea that you will likely find a grand choice.

Do not worry about it after you leave the Express, which is where I shall meet you, if all goes to plan. Or even if it does not.

-AD

On the last day of term, Harry's friends all seemed to be hiding something, with odd, secret smiles. Parvati's was the best, nearly completely like her normal ones, while Ron was the worst, grinning in that way that meant he was poorly keeping a secret. But Harry figured it was due to Dumbledore's surprise and instead tried to guess what it possibly could be.

He continued to quietly wonder about it on the Express back to London while his friends chattered around them. Parvati clearly noticed his lack of communication but thankfully didn't do anything but sit near him and hold his hand a few times.

No Dementors worried them on the way, which was also a relief. Perhaps though Dumbledore had taken a harder stance with the Ministry after his whole "fainting spell" the start of term. Worry after worry came and went in his mind until suddenly they were back in London and everyone was saying goodbyes.

Hermione distractedly patted Harry on the shoulder and ran over to argue something to Anthony and Padma, who were "debating" in their typical manner. Various people came up to greet and thank Harry for his role in saving Ginny, as the story (in a very highly edited fashion) had spread to the whole school.

For her part, Ginny seemed annoyed by the whole mess. "Harriet, I'm glad people are recognizing how great you've been," she said to him as he stood near Parvati.

"Fair point, Miss Weasley," said Parvati with a theatrically solemn nod.

Ginny gave her a withering glance. "Merlin, Parvati, don't give me that McGonagall impression okay? Even if you're bloody good at it." Parvati giggled and Ginny continued, "Harriet, my point is that I'm sick of people asking me about it. At least nobody blames me for it, not after Dumbledore and the Ministry cleared me."

"Yeah, that was good of him," said Harry and he yawned. "I'm sick of people talking to me about it too." He turned to Parvati. "When are you leaving? I mean, I don't know..." And his voice trailed off.

Parvati smirked. "Yeah, smoothly said, Harriet. Don't worry, we'll talk soon. And I'll see you soon too!" She smiled widely and hugged him tightly. "You'll see," she whispered. And then she was off to her waiting parents.

"Sorry again, Harriet, about everything," said Ginny, who looked miserable. "You shouldn't have had to rescue me, even if you were bloody brilliant about it."

"It's okay, Ginny, you're still pretty cool in my book." And then he smiled a bit evilly. "Even if Luna didn't help me write it."

Ginny snorted. "Berk. Didn't realize Luna had told you about those."

"Maybe we can write more together over the summer."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Harriet," said Ginny and she laughed. "Thanks, you've helped me feel loads better. I'll see you soon, okay?" And she gave Harry the briefest of hugs, and ran off to her family.

Harry stood by himself until Susan Bones walked over, looking tired. "Have a good summer," the Hufflepuff said, and she leaned over to hug Harriet.

While she was doing this, she whispered, "I think Mandy might be talking to Slytherins." And then she pulled back. "I hope you figure it all out."

Harry grimaced. "I'll worry about all that later."

Susan nodded and she hurried off.

Harry stood there another few moments and scratched his head. And then he heard a movement behind him.

Professor Dumbledore stood there, looking a little smug. "I had wanted to wait until the platform had cleared," he said. "I had a few important news items for you. First of all, I have a simple question. Do you still have the Riddle diary?"

Harry nodded, patting his side to confirm its presence.

"In that case, I should like to have a look at it when it is convenient for you. You have remembered your promise not to engage with it until then? It is for your protection, I promise you."

"Well..." Harry frowned but then he nodded. "Yes, alright, sir. I suppose that's fair. So... what's the big surprise?" He bit his lip, hoping this hadn't come across as rude.

Dumbledore chuckled, seeming not offended at all. "Well discovered, my dear. There is indeed a surprise about the summer. I had a few things to take care of over the last few days. There were a few logistical obstacles to clear up, and some Ministry paperwork to complete. And of course, then there's Dobby."

"Dobby?" Harry tilted his head in confusion. "What's he have to do with anything?"

"Not-Miss Potter, what would you say to living in your own family home at Godric's Hollow?"

"I- I thought it was destroyed or something."

"Highly damaged," said Dumbledore. "And drenched with some nasty bits of Dark magic left over from when Volotredi was defeated. But with the help of a few useful experts, the worst was cleared up. And now it is ready to be fixed."

"Fixed? So it's still damaged?"

"It is, I have not exactly had the time to fix it myself." The Headmaster looked down at Harry and he winked. "But perhaps with the help of a few friends, the work might go faster. And with some key work by myself to connect the new wards with Dobby, perhaps you will be even safer than on Privet Drive. I spoke to an old friend, and a bit of an expert with house elves - well, the particulars are unimportant."

He smiled warmly. "Suffice it to say, a free house elf working for you will work just as well, perhaps even better than one bonded through unpaid servitude."

A rush of excitement flooded through Harry as he thought he had figured it out. "Let's go," he said with a huge grin.

Dumbledore nodded back and took Harry's arm. They vanished and reappeared near the wreck of a house that ought to have been familiar. Harry's breath caught in his throat. And then he spotted a few people walking up. And still more. And then Dobby popped in, a deliriously happy smile on his face.

Sure enough, it seemed that most people Harry knew in one way or another were showing up. The Weasley family, the two Lovegoods, the Patil twins (accompanied by their serious faced parents), Neville and his grandmother, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and even Hermione with her bewildered Muggle parents.

Hermione ran over and grinned at Harry. "Surprise, Harriet! I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm glad to spend a few hours on it." She glanced back at her parents. "They'll do their best too, they promised."

Harry blinked back something in his eyes and nodded. Then Parvati was next to him and she frowned at Hermione. "Hermione, how did you get here first?"

Hermione shrugged. "You had your chance." And then she laughed, and Parvati giggled too.

"Oh, you," she said.

The Weasleys gathered around next, along with one Harry didn't recognize, older than Percy. He had his hair in a ponytail and even had an ear pierced with what he looked like a fang. Whoever he was, he had an easy smile, and when he grinned at Harry, he just seemed... cool.

"You're Bill, right?" Harry asked, guessing and holding out his hand.

Ron laughed. "See what I mean, Bill?"

"I do," said Bill and he shook Harry's hands. "Great to meet you, Harriet. And I thank you for saving my sister."

"Well..." Harry's face flushed and he shook his head, not liking to boast about it. "Any of you'd do the same for me, I'm sure."

Bill seemed surprised by this and then he nodded. "You're right, Harriet. Well said." He turned to look at the wreckage of the house. "The Headmaster asked me to take a look here and... that place in Hogwarts while I was taking a holiday over the summer. Think it ought to be fun, eh?" He turned back to Harry and grinned.

"Appreciate anybody's help, of course. I'm ready to-" Harry then paused, realizing his manners. "I am also happy to have two Hogwarts Heads of Houses here to help us out."

Professor Flitwick chuckled and inclined his head. "Of course, an honour, Miss Potter."

McGonagall gave Harry one of her rare smiles. "Perhaps we should get started, then? I do not suppose you recall the charm - and forgive me for stepping on your specialty Filius - for repairing objects such as a door last year?"

Harry blinked and he considered this - after a moment it came to him and he nodded. "I do, actually, Professor. And how you need to hold in your head the idea of the door and what it needs to be."

"What it wants to be," added Luna.

McGonagall seemed taken aback but Filius nodded with a smile. Then McGonagall shook her head and gave Harry what was clearly a look of pride. That was all he needed to see.

"Got it," said Harry and he turned to where the wooden shards lay of a door. The door where Volotredi had broken a Fidelius Charm and destroyed the only home an infant Harry had ever known. He took a breath and considered that probably everyone's eyes were on him. Not unusual, he supposed, whether you were Harry Potter or Harriet Potter.

And he raised his wand and said the word he remembered.

"Reparo!"

End of Book Two

Next Time, Harry Potter and the Problems with Puberty

Or: Harry Potter and the Gringotts Gambit

Or: Harry Potter and the Grimacing Grim

Or: Harry Potter and the Time-Turning Trouble

Really, you can take your pick, any of those will work.

"You see, Harriet, I have a terrible secret," said Lupin as he sipped his coffee with shaky hands.

"How bad could it be?" Harry asked and then immediately regretted the question.


OMAKES NUMBERS ONE: FIRE PRINCESS GREENGRASS

It was a fine autumn day as they finished their Potions assignments. Snape was even practically pleasant, merely berating Neville for being a know nothing pillar of uselessness instead of his usual insults about his appearance, family, competence, or choice of hair style.

Parvati and Pansy sniped at each other in their usual fashion, but oddly Harry noticed the weird one of Pansy's gaggle of sycophants eyeing him in a calculated manner, her typical half-grin plastered on her face and her left eye twitching as she failed to wink.

"Have a good day, Potter," the odd Slytherin girl said as he walked out of the classroom, her fellow Slytherin girls giving her scathing looks in response.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked later while they ate their lunch outside.

"Eh?" Ron looked up from his oversized sandwich. "Oh, you mean Greengrass. What about her?"

"You mean why was she so friendly?" Parvati asked and she made a face. "Ignore it, that's what I say. You can't trust a Slytherin."

"Not even Fire Princess Daphne Greengrass?" Ron quipped as he wiped mustard off his mouth.

"That's a vile name," Lavender scolded. "Ron, really now."

Ron shrugged, looking only a little embarrassed. "That's what people call her. She's, you know, friendly. She's just like a fire, hotter and hotter until she explodes in your face."

Harry frowned, not really understanding what Ron was getting at.

"Honestly, Ron," said Hermione with a scowl. "I don't know whether to be more offended at your sexism or your terrible metaphor."

"Why not both?" Neville said with a laugh, still clearly giddy from his Potions escape.

It felt pointless, Harry decided, to bother discussing it further.

Later, Harry was walking alone in the hallway when Daphne came up to him, her half-grin twitching and her teeth shiny and almost glowing.

"Have any fun weekend plans, Potter?" She asked.

"I - Greengrass what's this about? I thought you Slytherins hated me."

"I don't hate anyone," said Daphne with a manic laugh akin to a hyena. And then she frowned. "Until they cross me." Instantly she half-smiled again. "But Potter, you'd never do that, would you?"

This was not particularly a difficult question to answer. "Of course not," Harry said. "You seem nice enough."

Daphne grinned in that lopsided fashion, a near rictus as her eye twitched madly. "I'm the nicest person in the world."

"Agreed," said Harry, slightly terrified and wanting this exchange over.

"I'll be seeing you quite soon," Daphne said unsettlingly and she pranced away.

This sort of exchange continued over and over as the weeks went by, Daphne saying creepy, odd things and Harry placatingly agreeing with them, no matter how bizarre. The only thing that was changing was that Daphne's appearance kept changing. Her hair, which originally was the colour of a pleasant summer breeze, became increasingly harsh and red, nearer and nearer to the Weasley style. Her face, naturally clear like a sunny afternoon, grew more inflamed and reddened.

It was as though, Harry mentioned to his friends later, that she was literally slowly catching on fire.

"Told you," said Ron as he masticated a bunch of cozenberries. "Fire Princess."

"What, are you saying she's due to self-immolate?" Hermione said archly. "Don't be absurd."

Parvati frowned. "I dunno, Hermione. I think there's definitely something off about the whole thing. You have to accept that much."

"I- I suppose that's so," Hermione said slowly. "But Ron's vile nickname is merely that."

"Hmm," said Harry, not really convinced either way.

And nothing really changed until one day, as they argued in the library about the Heir, a massive sound of something broken and impactful shuddered through the school.

Ron sat up with a gasp, a loose strand of pasta falling from his lips. "It's her," he exclaimed. "Greengrass finally went and did herself in."

Nobody seemed to want to disagree, not at that moment. Instead they rushed out of the library to see what had happened.

It was, in point of fact, fairly obvious when they got there.

A giant snake lay there in the hallway, near a glowing Daphne Greengrass, standing while the air shimmered around her. Perhaps it was the basilisk after all, although it was hard to tell as its head was blown off and the body still smoking.

"Merlin's ruddy ball sack," Ron cursed. "Greengrass, what did you do?"

Daphne Greengrass turned around, a mad look in her one remaining eye. The other was a smoky ruin. Blood dripped from the closed side of her lopsided half-grin. "Oh, hello, Harriet," she said in an oddly clear voice. "This large snake tried to kill me. How bizarre!" Then she began to laugh hysterically.

And as she laughed, she started to rise into the air, her form growing translucent and flickering. As she reached the ceiling, she stopped laughing and said, "See you real soon, Harriet." And then she shot straight up and vanished entirely.

"I think," said Harry carefully. "That we should all simply forget about this and move on with our lives."

Everyone in the school agreed, even Ron, although in the future he was always suspiciously watching Astoria, who never showed any signs of blowing anything up. Still, better safe than sorry.

Inspired by: The clichéd fanon nonsense that is Ice Princess Greengrass.


OMAKES NUMBER TWO: THE POLYJUICE MISHAP

They sat in silence, wondering, as the spectre of the mysterious Heir hovered like a ghost over them. Another victim of the Heir, another ratcheting up of the tension in the school until it felt fit to burst.

"How about this one," said Ron suddenly. "Maybe someone in Slytherin knows who the Heir is."

"I thought we agreed it was Sirius Black," Harry said. "Since his family was all Slytherins and all that."

"I'm not convinced," Ron said darkly. "I expect there's some plot with a student in Slytherin about it. Nev? Lav? Back me up here."

Neville raised an eyebrow. "Did you just mention the two of us because you could shorten our names like that?"

"I could've said 'Parv', but she'd have hexed me," said Ron with a grin.

"Yes, I would've," said Parvati through her teeth, an angry look in her eyes. "I have told you I don't care for that name."

"There you are," Ron said with a nod of his head. "But also, I happen to think you lot agree with me more often."

"Well, maybe," Lavender said and she bit her fingernails nervously. "Maybe you're right. How would we find out? We don't know anyone in Slytherin, except our year mates and they're all awful."

Ron slumped over. "True. Oi, Hermione!" He said this only a bit loud, so as not to irritate Madam Pince. The bushy-haired bookworm looked up questioningly. Ron made an inviting gesture to join them, so Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over.

"How can we inculcate Slytherin?" He asked her.

Hermione frowned in confusion. "Ron, I don't think that's the word you intended."

"He means to sneak in and find out secrets about the Heir," Harry clarified. "I'm not sure which word he intended to use."

"Oh, you mean infiltrate," said Hermione, her eyes widened. "Well now, that is more of an interesting question. Maybe your Invisibility Cloak, Harriet?"

Harry made a face. "No thanks. Don't want to take a chance on losing that. Besides, I'm not even sure how many people could fit under it."

"I suppose," said Hermione and she tapped her chin in thought. "Perhaps we could use Polyjuice Potion? It's Restricted, of course, but you can change your shape into someone else."

"Okay, let's do that," said Ron with a grin. "Hermione, can you whip us up a few batches?"

Hermione gave him a withering look. "No, Ron, I cannot 'whip up' a Polyjuice Potion. From what I remember, it takes over a month to brew properly."

"Um, okay," said Ron, taken aback.

"You could ask Professor Snape," said Parvati with a bored tone. "I mean you in particular, Harriet. He doesn't care for any other Gryffindors. Why, he called Neville a 'spineless lump of pointlessness' the other day."

"Thanks for that, Parvati," Neville said with an annoyed look at her.

"I guess I can try," said Harry as he considered the idea. "I'll just have to think of a good excuse."

The excuse he came up with seemed reasonable enough, as he waited for the end of Potions class. After the other students filed out, he brought up his excuse to Snape.

Snape raised an eyebrow and then nodded. "That is an interesting plan," he said. "Anything to confuse our enemies, the Heir or Black, either if they are separate monsters or one and the same. But who will you pretend to be?"

"My friends have volunteered to allow their hair to be used," said Harry, lying but certain they would be okay with it. "We'll take turns so that it's not predictable. We figured that only you might have properly prepared Polyjuice around."

"A reasonable assumption," said Snape a bit archly. "As it turns out, you can only pre-prepare Polyjuice, because the final step is to add the hair and wave your wand to close the activation ritual. But any witch or wizard could handle that step, it is the rest that I'd trust very few." He frowned and thought about it for a moment. "Very well, Miss Potter," he said. "I shall provide you a few small doses. But if I hear of any usage that does not fit with the plan..."

"Of course, sir," said Harry with a grin. "I won't allow it to happen. And if it does, I'll let you know immediately."

Often plans, well made, fail utterly on their attempts at success.

So it was that Draco Malfoy found himself crying in a ball on the ground after being berated by his father (Harry with a pitch perfect impression) and Snape (Neville surprising everyone with his own take on the Potions Professor). This all while the girls attempted to infiltrate the Slytherin common room. Ron had waited outside as a watch out, in the guise of McGonagall, his terrible version of her accent only making things worse.

The only thing they managed to find out was that it was impossible to guess the password and that Polyjuice did awful things to one's hair. At one point, things got a bit out of control as plans had gotten mixed up and three different Draco Malfoys (Fred, George, and Luna) ran into each other in the hall near the Potions room.

"You handsome idiot," said George in annoyance. "We agreed I'd be the prat and you'd be the fool."

"That we did," replied his twin with an incongruous looking bow. "And that is precisely what I have done."

"Neither of you has my cousin quite right," said Luna-as-Draco dreamily. "Neither of you is nearly rude enough."

Fred and George laughed, but then they paled as Snape appeared.

"Hope that's Neville," Fred whispered.

"Did you steal that Polyjuice from Miss Potter?" Snape demanded in fury.

The twins shared a guilty look. "Didn't think she'd notice a little missing," said one of them.

Snape grumbled and held up his wand. "I should've guessed one of you malcontents would interfere with Miss Potter's plan. Detention forever, both of you."

"What about me, Professor?" Luna-as-Draco asked lightly.

"You're not a part of this, Draco," said Snape dismissively. "Go back to your common room."

Later, as they gathered in the Gryffindor common room, everyone back to normal (except Colin Creevey, who the twins had given Polyjuice mixed with an owl feather, so he was currently flying home).

"I think," said Harry carefully. "That we should all simply forget about this and move on with our lives."

"Sure," said Ron, still trying and failing to maintain McGonagall's accent. "I'll come up with a new plan soon enough."

But thankfully, he never did.

Inspired by: The realization that I didn't use a critical plot point of CoS at all.


OMAKES NUMBER THREE: WAIT, THESE ARE THE TRAPS?

"That was a close one," said Neville in relief as they walked away from the Devil's Snare. "It feels almost as good as when I managed not to destroy my cauldron in the last Potions class. Why, even after he referred to me as 'a malformed mass of mistakes', I was still able to turn it in."

"Yeah, well," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "We take our victories where we can, Nev. C'mon." They walked up to the nearby door, but as they grew closer, the door jumped and suddenly became three doors.

"Oh, bother," said Hermione in despair. "This must be a trap of some sort."

"Well spotted," said Ron sarcastically. "Well, nothing to do but go through I guess." But when he opened the door, the other two opened as well. "Um, Hermione, guys, what do you think?"

"Maybe we need to all go through at the same time?" Hermione offered. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I've never heard of this sort of charm before."

"Alright then," said Harry with a determined nod. "Let's go." He walked towards one, and Hermione and Neville walked up to the next one. On Harry's nod, they all moved at the same time, but although Ron, Harry, and Hermione made it through, Neville bounced back.

"Neville?" Harry whirled in alarm, but the doors had vanished, leaving only stone walls in their place.

"I do hope he isn't trapped somewhere," said Hermione worriedly.

"Nothing to do but move on, I suppose," Harry replied, but he was beginning to get a bit concerned.

As they walked across the oddly empty, room, Ron said, "So what do you suppose-" but he was cut off as the ground around them turned into sand and he began to sink.

"Hermione, we need to help him! Use a spell!"

Her wand arm trembling, Hermione cast something to pull Ron from the sand.

"Thanks, Hermione," said Ron as he got back to his feet. "I think that - bloody hell!" This exclamation came as the floor shifting again to a very slippery mud, and they all started to fall. Harry wrenched his leg out, thinking it was unusually sticky.

"Let's gather ourselves back at the start," he said. The other two nodded and followed him back.

"I wonder," said Hermione after a minute and she tossed something onto the now stone floor. The stone began to bounce, and bounce again, higher and higher, until it smashed into the ceiling.

Harry winced. "Uh, I don't suppose you have any more of those rocks, do you?"

Another rock was thrown, and this time the floor turned into a writhing, awful pit of snakes. A further one and the three slammed back into the walls as the floor turned into a giant bonfire.

"Flame-Freezing Charm, Hermione?" Harry called over the sound of the blaze.

But before she could cast it, the fire died down. Ron ripped off some of his robe and tossed it into the fire. This time, the floor turned into a huge, seemingly endless field of spiders.

Ron shrieked in alarm, and Harry wasn't too pleased about it either.

"Bugger this," Ron shouted. "We need to figure out how to get past this evil floor."

But after a few minutes of thinking, nobody had any ideas.

"I think," said Harry carefully. "That we should all simply forget about this and move on with our lives."

This proved quickly to be the right choice, as Dumbledore arrived soon after, just in time to catch Quirrell, who had been possessed by the grim spectre of Volotredi. After a lightning quick investigation by the Ministry, the spirit of Volotredi was locked in a secure place in the Department of Mysteries, and Harry proceeded to have six fairly dull school years in a row.

Inspired by: Wondering what if the protections for the Philosopher's Stone were actually meant to be difficult.


OMAKES NUMBER FOUR: STOP BEING CREEPY

As they sat eating dinner one day, Luna Lovegood approached the Gryffindor table with an oddly determined look in her eyes.

"Hrrprr," she said with a clear voice. "I have an important note to deliver."

"Um, okay, Luna," said Harry, unsure what the Ravenclaw had in mind.

"The message is for you, the reader," Luna said, turning to face you. "So listen carefully."

"The reader?" Hermione made a face. "Luna, what on earth are you talking about?"

"I saw what you wrote," said Luna further. "Have you forgotten I'm essentially little more than a child? It's a bit inappropriate, and I don't appreciate it."

The Gryffindors looked at each other in confusion. "She's gone barmy," said Ron in a loud whisper. "Barmier than usual, even."

"I think they got the message," said Luna with a respectful nod towards the more respectful readers. "And I should hope they don't do it again." With that, she turned and walked back to her table.

"I think," said Harry carefully. "That we should all simply forget about this and move on with our lives."

"You forgot to make another reference to Snape insulting Neville," Luna shouted, but this time targeted at the author.

But perhaps the real insult from Snape was the friends we've made along the way.

Inspired by: Way too many requests.


Well, everyone, dudes and dudettes, ladies and gents, lads and lasses, and all those readers otherwise, despite what Luna said, I appreciate your readership. I've been doing this fanfiction thing a long time, and it's probably the most fun writing I have, despite all of the difficulty I sometimes have with it. Mysterious Girl is an easier story to write at times because at least I know how it ends, so I can build on it as I write it with that ending in mind. My other active story Far Too Many Time Travelers also has an ending (which took me too long to figure out, but that's time travel for you), but it's so complicated that it takes a lot more work to plan out each chapter.

I started GWL and FTMTT in similar ways, with humorous takes on what I thought were pervasive, ill-done story ideas in HP fanfiction. GWL came from all of the poorly done Female!Harry tales that seemed to misunderstand their own conceit and delighted more in exploitative nonsense and canonical adherence than any deep thinking about the concept. I wasn't simply going to copy the mere idea of a gender swap - I think the best "pure" version of that is Victoria Potter by Taure, but in general it's a tricky thing to get working. I don't like simply copying an existing idea, because where does that take me? So instead you get GWL - a Harry that's a Harriet - or is he - or is she? No spoilers here.

FTMTT was a similar thing, but I don't need to get into that more here. I've (as Dumbledore might have said) gone on long enough.

Thanks for sticking with it, everyfolk and happy twentieth chapter!

-J