Harry exited the hut in a flurry of excitement, with Ron, after grabbing the forgotten invisibility cloak, quickly following suit with a confused expression on his face.

"Where are we going?" Ron called, already huffing from the running.

"We're going to follow the spiders!" Harry replied. They kept running at a fairly fast pace, Ron quickly getting out of breath. However, Harry's blood was pumping with adrenaline now and didn't feel the burning of his lungs as he should have.

"Harry if we're…following spiders," gasped Ron, "then where are they?"

"In the castle," Harry said as he shot through the side door into the castle. He then remembered the line of spiders from when he had heard the monster outside of the library. He wondered whether the spiders would still be there, escaping out of the window—but he doubted it. He would just have to search the halls until he found them.

Once inside the castle both boys took a breather..

"What now?" asked Ron, once he had caught his breath.

"Now we find the spiders," Harry answered.

They searched all along the ground floor of the castle underneath the invisibility cloak. They meandered their way along the corridors flickering with candle light, their noses glued to the ground. They were searching with such concentration that it took them a moment to hear someone walking towards them.

"Quick! To the side!" Ron hissed, and they both threw themselves against the corridor wall, nearly tripping over in the process.

"Poor Ms Granger and Ms Clearwater, a double attack in one night, the school is going to have to shut down. The students are barely contained as is, they're so panicked." The voice was a familiar one and they turned the corner of the corridor that Ron and Harry were in. Professor Sprout walked alongside the Divination Professor, Trelawney, both Professors were holding their wands, most likely doing their rounds for the night.

Harry quickly covered Ron's mouth, already anticipating the gasp that he was going to make. Harry's chest clenched. Hermione had been attacked. She was now in the medical wing petrified. This was personal now.

When the two Professors walked by and turned the corner, Harry removed his hand from Ron's mouth and turned to him. Both boys wore the same determined expressions. They had to save Hermione. They had to find this monster and save them all.

They searched more feverishly now, even ditching the cloak risking taking their wands out and using a dim lumos to help them find the spiders. After another period of searching, Ron whooped in triumph. Harry shushed him and hurried to where he had aimed his wand down. Ron had found a line of spiders making their way out of the open window.

"Never thought I would be so happy to see spiders," Ron smiled and Harry clapped him on the back.

"Let's just climb out the window, we're only on the ground floor," said Harry, and with that he shoved the stiff window more open with his shoulder, eventually getting it open enough for him to squeeze through. Harry landed on the grass outside the window and aimed his wand onto it. The spiders didn't seem too worried about him and continued their march in a straight line. Ron landed next to him.

"Follow the spiders," whispered Ron and Harry nodded.

After five minutes of following them, it became apparent where they were heading. Right into the Forbidden Forest.

Ron sighed and Harry reciprocated it.

They continued to follow the small line of spiders into the Forbidden Forest, but paused at the border, shining the light of their lumos into the tight knit trunks of ominous trees. Harry took in a deep breath and steeled his determination. Ron appeared to do the same.

"Well here goes nothing," Harry mumbled and he stepped across the border of the Forbidden Forest. Ron followed suit and they walked together now, their hands slightly shaking with fear and jerking at each little noise. But they stayed determined and followed the spiders off the paths of the forest, going deeper and deeper with each step. Eventually all sounds of life began to evaporate from the forest and the only things they could hear were the sounds of their own steps and the scuttlings of the growing amount of spiders. Sweat began to drip down from Harry's face, tension thick in the air. He turned to Ron who had a grim expression on his face.

The air felt thick and the trees seemingly widened, pressing in on them. Harry noticed that the spiders they were following began to look much larger than they were before, Ron whimpered in fear when a spider crawled too close to his foot. There were millions of eyes reflecting off of the lumos of their wands, causing both the boys to constantly jerk their hands back and forth, their nerves on edge. Harry didn't know how much more he could take before he booked it back to the safety of the Hogwarts grounds, but the reminder that Hermione had been petrified kept him going.

"Harry…" whined Ron, trembling all over, fear etched into every line of his face.

Before Harry could say anything, the trees suddenly clear and they step into a clearing. It was hard to see the size of the clearing due to there being no light except from their own wands, however it was clear that there was something very large and domed-shaped in the middle of the space. Ron stopped in his tracks, the limits of his bravery clearly having been reached. So, with a tentative step, Harry moved closer and found that the domed-shape thing was in fact a large web, formed into a cocoon of sorts.

Harry didn't know what to think, for terror had frozen all thoughts within his brain. However, his body was not frozen because when a long, black, hairy leg extended itself out of the dome, Harry stumbled backwards, falling onto the grass. He scrambled back toward Ron on all fours, that horrible clicking noise intensifying around them as more legs came forth from the web until Harry was facing an extremely large black spider. Larger than Hagrid, who was the biggest person he knew.

The spider was staring down at him, its large ebony pincers vibrating as they clicked with eyes staring down at him, milky white and possibly clouded from blindness. Harry continued to scramble backward, hitting the legs of Ron who didn't even move when hit. Ron was locked in place with terror.

"My children have let you pass, which means you must be important." The pincers moved rapidly as the spider spoke in a clicked tone and Harry remained on the ground, overcome with terror.

Then a spider, still large but considerably smaller than what Harry now thought of the King of Spiders, scuttled forward.

"Friends of Hagrid's," the spider clicked and Harry flinched back from it.

"Ah, friends of Hagrid's are you? That has saved your life then," the King of Spiders clicked.

The King of Spiders moved a couple of legs forward and leant down, its eight milky eyes staring down into Harry's soul.

"Why are you here? Friend of Hagrid's."

"Hagrid is in trouble," Harry croaked out.

"Trouble?" The clicking intensified once again along the forest. "Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before, he must be in much trouble then."

Harry thought about getting up, but instantly knew that his legs wouldn't support him and Ron was still a statue behind him.

"They've taken him away…they think he's set"—Harry took a calming deep breath, his heart racing too fast—"set something loose on the castle again, like fifty years ago."

The King of Spiders clicked his pincers furiously, echoed around the forest by his children.

"So long ago and they still believe it was I that killed that girl. But no, Hagrid did not open what they call the Chamber of Secrets to free me. He cared for me, yes, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never hurt a human, even if it was in my nature to do so."

"How did you get in the castle then? Why was Hagrid caring for you?" Harry needed answers, and if he had to get them from this terrifying spider, then so be it.

"I was not born in the castle, but in a faraway land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was but an egg. Hagrid was just a child then, he had no clue what he was getting into. Still he cared for me, kept me in that small closet and fed me scraps when he could. He gave me my name, Aragog, and protected me when I was discovered and blamed for the death of that girl, even when I hadn't been anywhere near that bathroom. I have much to be thankful for Hagrid, my wife and children are all thanks to him."

"If you didn't kill her, then what did?" Harry asked now and instantly an outbreak of clicking surrounded him. Aragog looked almost offended, if spiders could look offended.

"We do not speak the name of that thing that we spiders fear above all else! Oh how I wanted to be free from the castle when I first sensed the beast slithering around the castle."

"It is a snake then!"

Aragog hissed furiously and Harry crawled back so desperately that he even knocked over Ron who fell to the ground in a shocked state.

"We do not speak the name of that thing here. Hagrid begged many times and still I would not tell him."

Harry didn't want to press the matter any further.

"Okay thank you…for uh…your time, we'll just be going now."

Harry got to his feet as fast he could and pulled a still fear stricken Ron up. Aragog began retreating back into his domed web.

"Go?" Aragog clicked slowly. "I think not."

"But—"

"My children do not harm Hagrid under my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it so willingly walks in here. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid." Aragog fully entered his web and Harry became surrounded by eager looking spiders.

This would be a good time to run.

"Ron, RUN!" Harry yelled and, taking Ron's arm, they began sprinting out of the forest. Harry didn't know which way he had to go—he didn't care for that matter for the spiders were now on their heels, clicking hungrily.

Harry, with wand in hand, shot out any spells that he knew that he thought would work. Most harmlessly bounced off the spiders, but he found that the Leg-Locker Curse worked to stall the spiders and began using that. Ron ran on auto-pilot with him, his face still a statue of shock, but the adrenaline pumping through him now must have begun to wake him up because when Harry was just about to get overcome by the spiders when Ron cried out, "Locomotor Mortis!" Two legs of the spider in front of him locked together with invisible ropes and stumbled, allowing Harry to run past it.

"Glad to see you back!" Harry yelled, throwing another curse at a spider that had come too close.

"Fuck spiders!" Ron yelled back, throwing curses out like a starved man.

The curses were easy for the spiders to break, but they were just enough to cause them to delay or stumble which saved their lives many times over. Harry's lungs felt as if they were about to burst, but he knew that if he stopped running he would be overwhelmed. The branches of the trees whipped them across their face and arms and a spider caught the back of Harry's leg momentarily cutting him across the calf. However, he had to keep going. Finally the trees began to thin and Harry knew that they were getting close to the border of the forest. Hopefully the spiders wouldn't overstep it. Hopefully.

Harry didn't say anything to Ron, there was no time to pause to say anything else but the Leg-Locker Curse and when Harry's legs finally began to give way he stumbled his way out of the forest and back onto the green lawn of Hogwarts. The clicking still surrounded them and when Harry chanced a look back—!

The spiders did not come out of the forest.

Relief flooded through him.

Ron seemed to know this too and instantly collapsed to the ground, exhaustion overcoming him.

"Follow…the spiders…he…he said," gasped Ron. "I'm…going…to kill him!"

Harry sat on the grass and inspected himself. He was a bit cut up on the arms and most likely the face, but they were only surface cuts and didn't bother him. The back of his leg however was a worry. He turned his leg over and hissed when he saw the damage. He must have still been in shock because he didn't feel any pain from it. Yet.

"What type of spiders have claws?" Harry groaned.

The cut was deep, oozing blood onto the grass and sticking the fabric of his pants surrounding the cut to his leg. Harry tried to think of any healing charms he knew one but when he attempted to cast Episkey, the only thing this managed to do was slightly close the cut up. It would have to do, at least it wasn't bleeding as severely as before.

"That looks nasty," Ron hissed when he noticed Harry's cut.

"It's fine, right now we have to go find Moaning Myrtle."

"Who?" Ron said and Harry was reminded that Harry had been the only one to have met Moaning Myrtle that day in the bathrooms.

"The ghost that haunts the girls bathroom! Aragog, you know the massive spider? mentioned her, which means Myrtle was killed by the snake!"

"Ohh!"

Harry got off the ground and tested his leg, it seared with pain, but it seemed no tendons were severed and he could walk just fine through the pain. Harry hurried Ron along back to the castle. The moon shone bright through the dusting of clouds and Harry looked down to his watch to find that it was well past midnight.

"You still got the cloak?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah, right here." Ron dug the cloak out of his pocket and handed it to Harry.

"Don't you think we should get a teacher or something first?" Ron asked nervously but Harry shook his head.

"By the time we go to get a teacher and explain everything that happened, the snake could attack another person! This time probably kill. I bet Hermione didn't die because she figured out what truly is in the Chamber and was smart about it. But now with Dumbledore gone, no one's safe."

"Harry, your leg is injured and we barely got out of the forest from those spiders, I don't think we should do this alone."

"Fine, you go get McGonagall, I'm going to go to Myrtle."

"Harry…"

"Ron! We don't have time, I can feel it. Please, I have to go see Myrtle." Harry began marching faster towards the castle, his leg protesting in pain.

"Promise me you want do anything stupid until I get back!" Ron grabbed Harry's arm and forced him to look at him.

Harry stared into his best friend's face, the fear and determination set in his face made Harry nod his head.

"Yes, okay I won't." Harry wasn't sure if he could keep this promise, but he would try his best.

Ron stared at him hard for another second, probably checking that Harry wasn't lying to him knowing his lack of self-preservation, but once he seemed convinced he let Harry go.

"I'll get McGonagall, you go to Myrtle and we'll meet you at the bathroom."

"Okay, it's a plan." Harry nodded.

They continued along back to the castle. Harry could feel the skin beginning to break again on his cut and he questioned whether he should perform another Episkey, however his magic was already so drained from running from the spiders that he didn't want to waste more magic on something that he could get healed once this was all over.

Harry and Ron split ways once they got into the castle. Ron didn't bother asking for the invisibility cloak and Harry didn't want to be caught trying to go to the bathrooms, so he donned it as he made his way to the second floor. Harry walked as quietly and as quickly as he could, teachers making their rounds he avoided only barely.

Finally, he made it to the bathrooms, he hoped that Myrtle would be around—he didn't know how to call for a ghost. He took off the cloak and searched around the bathroom, Myrtle didn't seem to be around.

"Myrtle?" Harry called out and just when he was about to give up, a toilet rumbled and Harry turned to find Myrtle coming out of a toilet.

"I've never had someone call me before," Myrtle said in her high pitched voice as she emerged from the toilet.

"Myrtle!" Harry said relieved.

"Yes that is me, what do you want?" Myrtle sniffed, floating in front of Harry and giving him a suspicious expression.

"I want to ask how you died," Harry hoped he wouldn't cause offence to Myrtle and, instead of getting the expected fat tears from her, she looked as though she had never been asked a more flattering question.

"Oh finally someone has asked me this!" she said with pleasure, "I was in this very cubicle when it happened. I remember it so well, I was hiding here because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying when I heard the bathroom door open and then I heard someone talking. It sounded funny, like another language or something, but that didn't matter because it was a boy that was speaking. I opened the door to tell him to go to his own bathroom and then—" Myrtle floated closer to Harry, her transparent eyes shining. "I died."

"How?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," Myrtle said in a hushed tone. "I just remember seeing a pair of big great yellow eyes and then I was dead, a ghost looking at my own body. I came back because I wanted to haunt Olive Hornby, oh how sorry she was for making fun of my glasses."

"Where did you see the yellow eyes?"

"Somewhere there. " She pointed towards the sink in front of her toilet.

Harry looked at it and hurried to it, this must be where the snake had come from and—then it made sense! It travelled through the pipes to get around the school and when it wanted to kill it came out through here to attack! Harry searched around the sink, nothing obvious popping out at him. He turned on the tap, but no water came out of it.

"That tap has never worked," Myrtle said. Harry frowned and looked closer to the side of the tap and found a tiny snake etched onto the copper metal.

"Myrtle, you said you heard that boy speak a funny language before you died?" Harry turned to her, hoping he remembered correctly.

"Yes, I don't know what it was though."

"He must have spoken parseltongue, which means the Heir of Slytherin was a parselmouth and someone else here can speak it if it has been opened again," Harry mumbled to himself as he stared at the sink. He wasn't sure if he could speak parseltongue, but if he could understand the snake then he could maybe speak it; he just had to figure out how.

"Open up," he said but the sink did not budge. He turned to Myrtle who shrugged. He hadn't used parseltongue then.

How would Hermione or Draco go about this? Hermione would get a book about parseltongue, which he didn't have the time for, and Draco…Draco would…tell him to imagine a snake. So Harry concentrated and stared at the simple carving of the snake on the tap, he imagined this snake slithering around, moving and hissing and then he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Open up!" That felt weird on his tongue and Harry knew that he had hissed something that time. Harry shook his head and looked at Myrtle who was giving him a wide shocked expression. She squeaked and flew away, plopping down into a toilet.

When he turned back to the sink, the tap was glowing a brilliant white light and began to spin. The sink began to move and then it began to sink out of sight. Harry took a step back. Once the sink had finished sinking it left a large pipe exposed, large enough for a man to slide in.

Harry hesitated. He had promised that he would not do anything until Ron arrived here with backup, but the chance was right there, to save the school—his friends! How could he ignore it and wait?

"I'm sorry, Ron," mumbled Harry and then he crouched through the pipe and was gone.

"Please Professor, we have to hurry!" Ron rushed down the hall with a very disgruntled Professor McGonagall and Professor Lockhart who he had met first before finding McGonagall. He hadn't been able to find McGonagall in her office so resorted to the Lockhart's office which was the closest, the man seemed to be packing when Ron arrived. Thankfully Lockhart knew where McGonagall was doing her rounds and they collected her quickly.

They rounded the corner towards the bathrooms and Ron prayed that Harry was still there, keeping his promise and waiting for him. However, Ron knew his best friend and was half expecting Harry to not have listened to him and gone ahead on his own. When he found the bathroom empty save for a large pipe exposed where a sink should have been, Ron knew that Harry had broken his promise.

"Where is he, Ron?" Professor McGonagall asked, stepping into the room and observing the pipe.

"He's gone to fight the snake on his own."

McGonagall turned suddenly, shock on her face. "Foolish boy!" she tutted.

"Should I go and get back up, Minerva?" asked Lockhart, a twitching nervousness about him.

"Yes, go and get Severus and take Ron with you."

Lockhart nodded but Ron hesitated, he didn't want to leave his best friend behind.

"Ron, go, I'll go after Harry."

Ron turned to McGonagall and, where there was usually a stiff sternness on her face, protectiveness had replaced it. Ron trusted Professor McGonagall in that moment and nodded, going with the waiting Lockhart.

Ron followed Lockhart and he made some excuse that he had to get something in his office first, and on arrival Ron was promptly cornered. Lockhart began talking and pointing his wand menacingly at Ron. He stared nervously at the extended wand of Lockhart's, who was now sharing how he had used memory charms all along to steal the experiences of others and take credit of them in his books to gain himself the fame that he had accumulated.

This was no big shock to Ron, he always knew the man was a fraud, but now he was facing a fully experienced wizard and Ron didn't know the first defensive spell to protect himself. Though, just recently he had had some practice with a particular charm. He took a deep breath to calm himself, waiting for the most opportune opportunity to cast it.

"Say goodbye to your memories, Mr Weasley!" Lockhart brandished his wand, pointing it at Ron and, just before he could say his spell, Ron quickly aimed his wand at Lockhart and firmly said, "Locomotor Mortis!" before any words could leave Lockhart's mouth.

Lockhart gasped as his legs snapped together and, in seemingly slow motion, he fell forward onto his face. A sickening crunch echoed through the room as his nose broke on impact.

"You underestimated me, Professor Lockhart," Ron said triumphantly. "Too many people tend to do that."

Lockhart only groaned in response and Ron bolted out of the room; he needed to find Professor Snape.

Harry walked along the tunnel with his lumos lighting the way. His nerves were beginning to fray as he dreaded what was going to happen when he got to the end of the tunnel. His leg was starting to really bother him now and he didn't know how much longer he could ignore the pain for. He turned around what felt like the final bend and he came to a solid wall. The wall had two entwined serpents carved upon it, each with glittering emerald eyes. Harry knew what he had to do.

"Open," he hissed.

A loud thud made Harry jump and the door cracked down the middle, opening up and allowing Harry passage through. Harry walked into a dimly lit space. The chamber was held up with stone pillars which also had serpents wrapped around them, their emerald eyes reflecting what dim light was mysteriously lighting the room. Harry walked further into the chamber, examining the pillars. The eyes of the serpents seemed to be following him. Harry kept his wand out pointing ahead, his heart pounding against his chest and thumping in his ears.

Harry then noticed a looming statue towards the end of the chamber. The statue was shrouded in darkness until Harry got closer where he could see more features. He craned his neck up to see the face of what seemed to be an old man with a long beard that fell to his feet. Harry followed the beard down and, when his eyes got to the large feet of the statue, Harry noticed a black cloaked figure laid between the feet. He sprinted closer and realised who exactly it was.

Draco.

"Draco!" Harry yelled, he fell to his knees at Draco's body, his already pale skin translucent and skin shockingly cold. "Draco wake up!" Harry dropped his wand and grabbed him by the shoulders to shake him, hoping that he would wake up, but he did not react at all. Harry placed him gently back onto the floor though his heart felt as if it was about to break out of his chest. He was so riddled with dread and panic that he didn't know what to do.

"He wont wake up," a gentle voice said and Harry turned around. A tall black haired boy was leaning against a pillar with a casual aura surrounding him. He looked at Harry as if he was bored. Harry quickly groped around for his wand and stood up, standing in front of Draco to protect him.

"Who are you?" Harry called out, pointing his wand at this boy that he had never seen before. The boy was wearing a Slytherin uniform with a silver prefect badge, but he had never seen this prefect before.

"I am Tom Riddle," he said, pushing off the pillar and taking a step towards Harry.

Harry took a step back. He instantly didn't trust Riddle, he shouldn't look so young for someone that lived fifty years ago.

"What do you mean he won't wake up? Have you done something?"

"He was the one that trusted his soul with me," Riddle shrugged.

Harry didn't know what that meant. trusted his soul with him? Harry wanted to stall Riddle, stop him from stepping closer, find out more. "What are you? A ghost or something?"

"No, I am a memory, preserved in that diary for fifty years," Riddle said quietly. He took another step towards Harry and glanced down. He looked to where Riddle was focused and saw a black diary laying open on the floor not far from them.

"What does a memory from fifty years ago want?" asked Harry tentatively as he continued to point his wand at Riddle.

"I want to be free, that is what I want and now you are in my way."

Riddle took out a wand from the sleeve of his cloak. The sleeve, Harry noticed, looked semi-transparent. Harry then looked at the wand and realised something familiar about it; it was Draco's wand.

"Give that back," Harry demanded, straightening his wand arm.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Harry, I have plans that I need to ensure." And with a flick of his hand, Harry's wand was gone, flying in the air with Riddle catching it.

Riddle opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then loud music was coming from somewhere. The music was growing louder. It was an eerie tune, spine-tingling, unlike anything that he had ever heard. The hair rose on the back of Harry's neck and he clenched his hands into fists. Then, as the music rose to such a high pitch that Harry could feel it vibrating through him, a pillar burst alight with flames. Both Harry and Riddle watched as a bright bird came forth from the flames. The crimson bird with a fanning golden tail the size of a swan soared towards Harry still singing its song as it flew. The bird which Harry realised now to be Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, landed on his shoulder and dropped something at his feet.

"That is…a phoenix and the old Sorting Hat?" asked Tom, a smirk forming on his face. "I see Dumbledore hasn't lost his lack of care for students."

"You don't know what Dumbledore is planning," said Harry, but he felt uncertain. What was he supposed to do with this old hat and a phoenix?

Riddle began laughing, laughing so hard that he had to lean down on his knees and take deep breaths to control himself.

"Dumbledore really hasn't changed over these years. Now Harry, I am going to teach you a little lesson. Let's hope these weapons of yours will help you."

Before Harry could react, Riddle was speaking, but this time he wasn't speaking in English, but Harry understood what he was saying with perfect clarity.

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

Riddle cast an amused eye over him before pointing his wand at the statue of what Harry realised to be Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house. The mouth of Salazar Slytherin opened and Harry first heard more hissing before a large…far, far too large serpent slithered out of the hole.

Harry stood his ground, for he had Draco to protect. Draco stirred then for a moment and he groaned turning to Harry.

"Harry, close your eyes," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Draco what?" Harry didn't care about the snake at that moment he crouched down to Draco. He was barely breathing.

"It's a basilisk, Harry, don't look it in the eye." Draco said no more as he seemed to fall back to unconsciousness again.

"He's stronger than I thought," Riddle mused, staring at Draco.

Riddle took a step backwards as what Harry knew now to be a basilisk and it dropped to the ground with a great thud in front of him. Harry squeezed his eyes shut. He was lost now, he had no clue how he was going to defend himself against this basilisk, he had no wand and no weapon. He was screwed!

Harry crouched down to be Draco and felt for him. He managed to grab Draco's arm and he began pulling him backwards, managing to press the both of them against a wall. Harry continued to keep his eyes closed.

"Kill him," Riddle hissed and Harry moved against the wall. How was he going to protect Draco and not get taken by the basilisk at the same time? Harry then felt something soft brush against his cheek and weight leave his shoulder; Fawkes had flown away.

Harry extended his arm out as if to stop Fawkes and he continued to move along the wall, praying he wasn't about to meet his demise. Maybe McGonagall would show up soon with backup? The basilisk was barely a few metres from him, he could hear it coming.

But before Harry could meet his expected end, there was a loud explosive hissing sound right above him and something heavy hit Harry, throwing him against the wall. He yelled out as pain exploded from his back and his leg protested. But there were no fangs that sunk into him and the sound of the basilisks thrashed around him.

He couldn't help it, he had to open his eyes to see what was happening. The basilisk, a bright exotic green, thick as a tree trunk, was curling itself around a pillar where Fawkes was attacking him. The bird, bright as a flame, was swooping around the basilisk's snapping jaw, barely avoiding its death. Fawkes then dived towards the serpent, a screech burst forth from the basilisk and a shower of dark blood burst from its face. Fawkes had attacked its eye.

The basilisk thrashed and its tail narrowly missed Harry. The serpent turned to Harry and before Harry could close his eyes shut, he was staring into its piercing yellow eyes, though they both were crying with blood from the puncture wounds that Fawkes had caused. Harry cringed, but nothing happened to him. It appeared that Fawkes had helped after all.

Now that Harry could see the serpent, he had to plan his next move. The basilisk, though blind now, was still a major threat to him.

"No!" Harry heard Riddle yell. "Leave the bird! Leave the bird! Go for the boy, you can still smell him! Kill him!"

Fawkes continued to attack the serpent and Harry was still up against the wall, Draco right next to him still very unconscious. Harry could feel the tendrils of hopelessness wrap around him. He didn't know what to do, how was he supposed to win against something like this when the odds were so against him? The serpent, not having listened to Riddle's instructions continued to be distracted by Fawkes, its tail thrashed again and something soft hit Harry against the chest. He looked down to see that the basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms.

What the fuck was he suppose to do with this?

Harry, with the last of his sanity, thrust the hat upon his head and crouched down low.

"Help me, help me please," he whispered frantically. "Someone. Anyone!"

There was no answering reply to his desperation, however the hat constricted on top of his head and then something heavy and hard thudded against his head. He removed the hat and with it came something long and metallic, clanging to the floor. The loud noise of the sword falling to the floor got the attention of both Riddle and the basilisk. Fawkes swooped down again to distract the serpent, but it did not take the bait this time.

Its large, forked tongue flickered out of its mouth and it slithered towards Harry, its eyes searching but not seeing. Harry quickly leant down and picked up the sword, holding it in a two handed grip. He didn't know the first thing about swords, but he held it upwards as best as he could as the serpent advanced upon him. Fawkes was still trying his best to distract the serpent, but it had caught Harry's scent now and it wasn't going to be dissuaded.

"Yes! Yes, that's it!" Riddle excitedly called.

The serpent lunged for Harry and he narrowly avoided it by rolling away. It hit the wall with its snout, fangs chipping off some of the stone wall. Harry looked to see if Draco was unarmed and luckily he had only gotten sprinkled with a few bits of stone. Harry ran away from the serpent now to not get Draco caught in the crossfire, dragging the basilisk away from his friend. The serpent lunged for him again and Harry dropped and rolled to avoid it. He could feel the blood dripping down his leg once again, pooling in his shoe soaking into his sock, silently hoping it wouldn't cause him to slip.

He turned back to the serpent, still right on his heels. The basilisk lunged again and Harry, holding up the sword, saw this as the best moment to put his whole weight behind the blade and sink it into the open basilisk's mouth.

The sword sunk through the mouth of the serpent and Harry angled it forward to ensure that it went into the brain, however, in doing so he punctured his arm on one of the fangs. Searing hot pain instantly spread through his entire body. Harry held strong through it as the basilisk continued to thrash wildly, trying to get off the sword. When it couldn't, the thrashing soon began to die down and turn into twitching.

Black dots invaded Harry's vision, but he couldn't stop now. He had to see this through. The serpent twitched for a few more agonising moments and then finally went still. Harry couldn't hold up the dead weight of the serpent and dropped the sword, the head of the Basilisk thumping down onto the ground. The fang that had pierced his arm came loose and skidded onto the floor by his feet. Harry swayed and fell to the floor. He was in agony in so many different places, darkness at the edge of his vision, that he had forgotten what it was like to not be in pain.

The ebbing darkness of unconsciousness overtook Harry and he lost all strength in his body. He fell back onto the cold stone, his breathing becoming laboured. The pain was beginning to overtake all of his senses, just a burning sensation throbbing through him. Fawkes was singing a soft song as he came to Harry, landing on his arm.

"Fawkes," Harry croaked out with the last of his strength.

Fawkes did not reply. He was crying, twinkling tears falling down his golden feathers and onto Harry's arm. Harry wanted to say thank you to Fawkes, for being there and crying for him, but he was lost to the fog of pain now and couldn't even muster the strength to open his mouth.

He heard footsteps approaching him and turned his head with great effort to see Tom Riddle standing in front of him, a smile of great triumph on his face.

"I am going to watch you die, Harry," he said.

Fawkes did not move from Harry and continued to cry on him.

If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad, even as pain was leaving him.

Wait…the pain was leaving him? Harry opened his eyes and the room seemed much brighter than before. He looked to Riddle, who was still holding that triumphant look on his face.

Harry groaned and moved, he groped around for a weapon and his hand found the basilisk fang.

"Oh…phoenix tears. Right, I forgot that they heal," Riddle hissed and took a step back, bringing Draco's wand up aiming it at Harry.

"Unfortunately, I cannot let you live," Riddle said with a bored tone.

Fawkes took flight, pecking at Riddle's face and momentarily distracting him, allowing Harry to stumble to his feet. The world swayed and he nearly fell back to the ground again, but he somehow managed to stay upright.

"Get away stupid bird!" Riddle seethed, swatting at the bird. Fawkes, in a flurry of feathers, left Riddle and flew away. Harry watched him go and felt the loss of his ally.

"Now, Harry, let's end this."

However, before Riddle could do anything to him, Fawkes was returning and he dropped something in front of Harry. The diary of Tom Riddle dropped to the floor right at his feet and he looked at it for one shocked moment.

"NO!" Riddle roared and he lunged for the diary, but Harry got there first.

With the Basilisk fang in his hand he dug it into the diary. There was a long dreadful, piercing scream as black liquid burst from the diary.

Harry watched as Riddle convulsed and his body that had been slightly transparent before became fully see-through, and then he was gone with one last enraged look at Harry.

Draco's wand clattered to the floor.

Harry, shaking all over, got up from the floor and made his way to Draco who was groaning now and seemed to come out of whatever spell he had been under. Harry collapsed to the floor next to him and placed his hand on his chest, ensuring that he was alive.

"Harry," Draco gasped out, he sat up too fast and grabbed Harry who couldn't find the strength to stay up.

"Hey," Harry greeted, a relieved smile forming on his lips.

Tears began streaming down Draco's face. "I should have known that Riddle had taken control of me, but you had left before I could find you and then it was too late. He had me under—"

"Draco, it's okay, I'm just glad that you're okay." Harry was feeling like he was going to pass out again, the adrenaline clearly beginning to wear off.

Draco looked at the body of the basilisk and gasped, but when he seemed to see that it was dead and quickly relaxed, he turned back to Harry.

"We're gonna be okay, I killed the basilisk and Riddle is gone," Harry said as he sat up, forcing himself to stay conscious.

"Can you get up?" Draco asked and Harry questioned whether or not he could. He looked down to his leg which wasn't healed, and it seemed Fawkes tears only healed the poison and the puncture that the basilisk's fang had made.

"I don't think so," Harry shook his head and Draco looked down to his leg, another gasp coming out of his lips.

They sat there for a while, waiting for Ron's backup to come find them. Draco shifted so that Harry could lean against his chest and not have to hold up his entire weight. After a moment longer, Harry and Draco turned when they began hearing footsteps pound towards them. Harry really hoped this was the backup.

"Harry!" a very familiar and welcoming voice called out, Ron had arrived.

"Over here!" Draco yelled.

The footsteps became faster and Harry this time let himself succumb to unconsciousness now that he knew that they were safe.

When Harry awoke he was in a bright room surrounded by white privacy screens.

Harry was back in the infirmary.

Harry groaned as he woke and sat up with effort. He opened the privacy screen to find a weary looking Remus sitting on the bed next to him nursing a steaming cup. His eyes were closed and his breathing somewhat even. How long had Harry been out?

"Uncle Remus?" Harry croaked out, his voice weak.

Remus jolted awake, spilling the liquid over his fingers, but he didn't seem to care because he slammed the cup down on a bedside table and jumped off the bed and rushed to Harry.

"You're awake!" Remus sobbed, pulling Harry into a crushing hug.

Harry allowed the hug for a moment, but soon it became suffocating and he needed to be let go. "Uncle Remus, injured here," Harry said.

Remus instantly released him and wiped away his tears. "Sorry, I'm just so relieved."

The room then began to fill with people who had been waiting for him to wake up. Harry withstood another bone crushing hug from Sirius and from Mrs Weasley and of course Ron. Dumbledore then strode into the room, his eyes twinkling and his long beard nearly brushing against the floor.

"Welcome back, Mr Potter," Dumbledore said, parting the crowd of people around him.

Harry nodded. "Hello Professor."

Dumbledore then took from his sleeve the diary that Harry had destroyed.

"Are you aware of the origins of this diary, Harry?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded.

"Yes, it's the diary of Tom Riddle, a student that was here fifty years ago. He said that he put his memories in this diary," Harry explained and it seemed that his family didn't know this either.

"Yes, that is correct. This is Tom Riddle's diary he wrote when he was sixteen. Tom Riddle who is also known as Voldemort."

A wave of gasps spread through the room.

"Voldemort?" said Harry.

"After Tom left school, he travelled far and wide in search of the Dark Arts," Dumbledore explained. "He sank so deep into the dark arts, consorted with the wrong sorts and had so many magical transformations that when he resurfaced he looked nothing like the Tom Riddle that he had been before."

"Why was this diary here? And what did it do?" Remus asked now.

"Draco Malfoy appeared to be the owner of the diary and he seemed to have been using it. The diary then enchanted him, I'm afraid, causing Draco to do things that I know he would have never done before."

At the reminder of Draco, Harry looked around the infirmary but he didn't seem to be around.

Dumbledore seemed to notice this, adding, "Draco is currently with his father, Harry, but he told me to reassure you that he would come to see you soon."

Harry nodded and calmed knowing that Draco was okay.

"What about the others, Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked, he could see the still-frozen bodies of the victims lying in beds on the other side of the room.

"The mandrakes are along the way to adulthood and will be ready to stew soon. Not to fear Harry, everyone will be restored by the time the holidays are over."

Harry sighed in relief, that was good to hear. Harry was caught up on everything that had occurred during his sleep; the basilisk's body had been left there for it was far too large to be moved, but the fangs had been recovered and were being kept in Snapes personal collection for safe keeping.

Dumbledore left Harry now to talk with his uncles and the Weasleys. Harry felt guilty for having worried his family once again with his adventures, and Ron was still feeling upset about Harry breaking his promise, but Harry insisted that he felt just fine now and everyone began to relax.

"Oh, you should check out your leg Harry, got a pretty epic scar now," said Ron.

Harry lifted off the blanket and raised up his pant leg to find that Ron was correct, the long cut that had been running vertically down his calf was now a jagged scar. It was still a bit red with the freshness of the wound, but Harry couldn't help but think how pretty cool it looked.

Remus replied to his answering face, "Pomfrey did her best to heal it, but since it was given to you by a magical creature, she couldn't heal it without leaving a scar."

"Ron told us it was a spider that gave it to you. You really have been up to a lot of mischief, aye son?" Sirius said, clapping Harry on the back. Remus gave him an unimpressed look.

"And I outed Lockhart as a fraud! He tried to obliviate me, but that bloke didn't know who he was up against, I had just been through my worst fear. I wasn't going to let him beat me." Ron put on an exaggerated show of besting Lockhart and breaking his nose, much to the entertainment of his uncles.

Harry just laughed, he laughed so hard that his chest began to hurt. Ron laughed with him. As night continued, Harry was beginning to feel the trickles of exhaustion affect him and everyone began to gradually leave, leaving just Remus and Sirius by his side.

Just as Harry was about to go back to sleep, the doors to the infirmary opened and a rush of footsteps came to Harry's bed, Harry sat up and smiled wide.

Draco was here.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hey," Draco replied breathlessly, reciprocating Harry's smile.