The Tunnel of Darkness
The next morning
Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron stood outside the girl's bathroom.
"You ready?" Asked Harry,
"If I said no would it make a difference?" Said Ron nervously, Harry shook his head, and pushed open the door.
"Who's there?" Said Moaning Murtle appearing from her toilet,
"Oh… it's you," she said frowning, she had hated Harry ever since the incident with Malfoy, "the murderer!" She said angrily.
"For your information, Malfoy isn't dead," said Harry shaking his head,
"I wish," muttered Ginny.
"You were so mean to him! He didn't to anything to you!" She said frowning,
"He was going to kill Dumbledore!" Harry said angrily, Murtle let out a 'hmph,' and disappeared into her toilet, the contents spilling everywhere over the floor.
"Hasn't changed much since we last met her has she?" Said Ron shaking his head, Harry approached the basin, tracing the snake with his finger.
"This is it," he said standing back,
"Open up," he said, just as he had in second year, willing the snake was real so that it was possible to talk to it, snake language flicked off his tongue. That tap glowed and began to spin, the next moment the sink began to move. It began to descend out of sight, leaving the large pipe exposed.
"It… is ok down there… isn't it?" Asked Hermione peering into the hole,
"Depends," said Ron, "I wouldn't live down there," he said frowning, Harry slipped into the pipe, down the long slide. It felt like it was never ending, and he was pretty sure he had left his stomach behind somewhere.
He slipped into the pitch dark tunnel, followed by Ginny, who stared around at the eerie surroundings. Ron was next; he slipped out of the tunnel and fell onto the hard pipe drenching his pants leg.
"I hate this place," he said wiping off the dirty water with his palm. Hermione came next, looking very wind-swept,
"Lumos!" Yelled Harry holding his wand above his head, the tip ignited.
"Major Déjà vu," said Ron, peering at the slimy walls,
"Where in the Chamber of Secrets could it be?" Said Hermione,
"Anywhere," said Harry shaking his head,
"Maybe in the mouth… where the snake came out?" Said Ginny frowning,
"Maybe," said Harry shrugging. They walked through the thin line of water still covering the floor, each step echoing down the pipes. Harry pointed his wand at the floor, knowing what was coming up, sure enough there were bones covering the floor.
"Someone hasn't done the cleaning," said Harry kicking one of the rat skulls across the floor. They continued to walk, bones cracking under their feet until they came to the rocks that had fallen, still with the hole Ron had made for Harry to crawl back through. He had grown a lot since second year so he had to shift more rocks to make it to the other side. He crawled through, grazing his elbow slightly and came to the other side; he helped the others through. Harry clasped his wand tightly, knowing what was coming. The tunnel winded and crept under the ground, each sound suspicious.
They came to the door, where two entwined snakes were carved, their eyes glowing in the non-existent light,
"Open up," he said in parcel-tongue, it swung open. He entered the chamber, the roof unable to see.
"Wow," said Ron, looking around, at the snake pillars. Harry looked at where Ginny had lain almost five years ago. Memories penetrated his mind, of him running towards Ginny, and then finding out Tom Riddle was Lord Voldemort. The Basilisk trying to attack him and Harry stabbing it, getting a tooth stuck into his arm, and coming close to death.
Harry stood in front of the giant face, racking his brain to think of what Voldemort had said to make it open, something to do with Slytherin, he bit his lip in frustration,
"Speak to me…. Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four," he muttered, that was it,
"Say what now?" Said Ginny,
"Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four," said Harry in a low snake voice. The mouth opened,
"Right," said Ginny frowning slightly, "let's go," she said beginning to climb up, slowly, finding hand and foot holds able to hold her. Harry followed, putting his wand in his pocket. It was a difficult climb, their were not many holes. Ginny got to the mouth, and heaved herself through. Harry followed, his feet landing on the hard floor on the other side; he helped Hermione and Ron through.
"Lumos," said Harry, his wand above his head, the tip ignited then went out, Harry frowned in the darkness, "Lumos!" He yelled, the tip glowed dully for a second then disappeared. He heard Hermione try her wand, the tip didn't even let out a tiny spark,
"What now?" Said Ron quietly, Harry turned to the mouth, it closed snap shut. The whole place was pitch black, Harry couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
"What happened?" Said Hermione in a scared whisper,
"Were locked in," said Harry putting his hand on the wall,
"Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four," Harry said in snake language, the door remained sealed shut.
"What now?" Said Ron, Harry was quiet for a minute,
"I don't know, but there is only one way we can go," he said, looking into the directions of the tunnel, he sighed and walked over to the wall touching the smooth, cold surface, he began to walk, and heard the others follow him. The tunnel bent and rose effortlessly like a snake.
Harry didn't know how long he had been walking; it seemed like a lifetime, the only noises, their lonely footsteps and sharp breaths. Harry stopped, Ginny bumped into him,
"Why are you stopping?" She said,
"Shhh," muttered Harry, holding up an invisible hand, everything was silent until they heard a noise, almost impossible to describe. Like a, rustle of a branch, but there were no trees. He heard Ginny hold her breath,
"Keep on walking, but keep a lookout," said Harry in an urgent whisper, he continued to walk, swiftly, there had to be somewhere there is light. It was getting increasingly cold, as the tunnel went down. Harry felt something move past his leg, he looked into the darkness. Willing for light,
"Lumos!" he said, hoping it would work, the tip ignited. For a single second, but that was enough to send chills down Harry's spine; for in that single second, he saw a creature unlike he had ever seen before. From the middle of its spine down was snake with gleaming black scales; its tail was very long. Its torso was man-like; its skin was ebony, black scales at irregular intervals. Its arms were longer than any other human arms Harry had ever seen. Its fingers long and nails sharp and dirty, its head was disfigured into a monster, eyes white and small, a mouth gaped into a growl, pointed teeth rose from the bottom set of teeth to its lump of a nose. Its black hair matted, pointed in odd directions.
Ginny gasped, Hermione screamed and everything went black. The snake lunged at Harry and he dodged it, it let out a dinosaur scream,
"Stay to my right!" Said Harry to the others, "and try to be quiet, so I can hear," they hushed, Harry moved off the wall, darting his head around, following the sound of the slither. He looked over his shoulder; it let out another piercing scream.
Harry fired a spell, but it darted, he felt a sudden pain in his ankle, it was blinding, he collapsed, holding his bloody ankle with his hand, his ears twitched to where the creature was slithering,
"Munshrude!" said Harry pointing his wand at the direction of the creature. A silver white 'X' appeared on its chest, and it began to inflate. Harry crawled back, the monster exploded, and it lit up the entire room. They all ran over to Harry, his ankle soaking his hand in blood. He lifted it up; Hermione pulled up his pants leg and waved her wand over the deep cut. It healed, slowly; new skin grew, leaving only a small scar.
"Let's just hope it isn't poisonous," said Hermione placing her hand on the scar. Harry stood up, transferring his weight from foot to foot.
"Thanks, seems to be fine," Harry said looking around for the first time. It was a perfect circular tunnel, the roof made of mirror shards, the walls were smooth black pipe. It continued on, to a door at the other end, Harry ran to it, touching the dark wood with his fingertips.
He clasped the handle and pulled it open; it opened as if an invisible hand was shoving it with all its force against the pipe. Harry stepped through, and the door slammed shut. Harry tried to open it again, but it was locked.
"Harry?" He heard through the banging on the door,
"I'm ok!" He said, "I guess I have to go alone," he sighed, turning around. The main theme in the chamber was obvious here too. Stone snakes slithered down from the walls, their gleaming emerald eyes watching him as he went. The floor, a giant half-pipe, and steps leading to a podium; Harry walked swiftly up the stairs. On the podium was a broach, with the Griffindor lion on it, about the size of Harry's palm. Harry went to touch it, but removed his hand quickly, there was a catch. Harry rolled his eyes. Turning in a circle and pushing his hair back in irritation, he sighed, and put his hand around the broach.
Darkness encased him once again, he grabbed the broach and the door swung open, he heard movement all around him, hissing the main noise,
"RUN!" He yelled to the others, he heard their footsteps bolt away; Harry slid through the door, and ran after them, the noises getting closer. Harry run, adrenalin keeping him going. Ginny, Hermione and Ron crawled out of the mouth, a snake grabbed Harry just as he was about to jump out. He hit it over the head with his foot and lost balance over the edge he fell with a thud onto the hard stone floor.
His whole body felt broken, his head aching, and blood was rushing from his hip, arm and head. The mouth closed.
Ginny jumped down, landing on her feet, she ran over to Harry.
"Harry?" She said, lifting him off the ground, he looked at her, his vision blurry.
"We have…..to get out…… of here," he said slowly, trying to stand,
"RON, HERMIONE HELP!" Roared Ginny to the others, Ron grabbed Harry's arm and put it over his shoulder, heaving him up. Hermione grabbed the Horcrux from Harry's hand,
Harry's head felt like lead, his whole body was throbbing. He didn't know why he was alive. Ginny went on his other side, he gasped as he tried to put weight on his left foot. It was broken,
"There is no way we can get you up the slide," said Ron, walking slowly back with him,
"Get Fawkes," said Harry, wiping blood away from the side of his head.
"How?"
"Call him."
"Fawkes?" Said Ron loudly, there was a burst of flame and the bird appeared, its feathers with miraculous gold and red. "Wow, it worked," said Ron surprised.
Fawke's landed on Harry's head and spilt tears on his wound, it grew hot and healed. Ron grabbed hold of its tail feathers, Harry held on, with the last ounce of strength he had in his body. Ginny did also, and Hermione, they were lifted through the pipe. They came to the bathroom and Harry let go, knees buckling he almost fell on the floor again,
"We have to get him to the hospital wing," said Hermione, they all carried him there, he was only half aware of what was happening, he felt himself being placed on a bed, he looked up at all their concerned faces and collapsed.
Hope you liked the chapter, please read and review, this chapter took me ages especially to figure out everything. Makes you appreciate Harry Potter more, I'm starting a petition, say if you do or do not want Harry to return to Hogwarts for his last year. The vote with most number will happen,
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