Lia stepped into the girls' lavatories on the first floor, her gaze raked around at the ivory coloured sinks that were arranged in circular formation around a broad, towering column. Her eyes latched themselves onto a particular tap - engraved on one side of the copper paint, was a small, inconspicuous snake.

Harry stood a few metres to her right, turning his eyes away from her. Lia knew that he was still annoyed from what he'd heard when he and Ron had taken the polyjuice potion.

"What was Malfoy talking about?" Ron had rasped, when he and Harry had finally managed to find her the next day. Lia had been trying to delay the inevitable explosion by avoiding them.

"Um," said Lia, fibbing. "… I don't know what he was saying?"

"Don't lie! You said … you said he asked you to date him!" Harry spat out.

"Yes … uh … that might have happened."

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"I didn't think you needed to know," Lia grumbled. "And … I didn't think you would take it very well. I wasn't wrong."

"Of course I'm not taking it well! A slimy git asked out my sister!"

"I didn't say yes to him," Lia said, rolling her eyes. "Malfoy's just an idiot. You should have heard how unromantic he was. And you don't need to worry about me, I can tell who's worth my attention, and who's not."

"So you don't like him then? Are you sure? I've noticed you getting awfully chummy with him these past few weeks!"

"Gross. No," said Lia, shuddering. "And the only reason I even talk to that boy at all is because I'm trying to change his mind about all his prejudices and stuff. I'm not sure if it's working. And I know the sort of person he is anyway."

"You promise me that you don't fancy Malfoy?"

"Yes Harry, I promise I don't. The day I like Malfoy, is the day that the sky falls down."

"What about that Heir of Slytherin business?" said Ron.

"Well, you know I sort of told my house that I was Salazar's heir … Don't give me that look, it's not like Harry's acting any different! I saw him walking down the hall the other day, and Fred and George were yelling, "Make way for the Heir! Seriously dark wizard coming through.""

"That was just a joke," said Harry, cheeks red.

"Well obviously I was lying to my house too. It's been quite useful too. The other day Flint bought me breakfast in bed. And it's only because Zabini told me that he'd seen lots of spiders scurrying into the woods, and asked if it was because they were scared of my monster, that we even thought of going into the Forbidden Forest."

Harry and Ron had not looked pacified, but luckily the bell had rung out, and they were forced to walk away to class. "This isn't over. We're talking again, later," Harry had whispered as she'd sat down.

Presently, the three of them were in Myrtle's bathroom, searching for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"This one," she said, motioning for Harry and Ron to come over. Lockhart stood rigid behind them, a look of dread plastered on his face. Lia pushed her hand on it, turning anti-clockwise, but found that no matter how much force she applied, the tap would not budge.

"That tap's never worked," Myrtle said brightly, as she watched Lia struggle.

"Harry, Lia," said Ron. "Say something in Parseltongue."

"Open up," said Harry. Lia looked over at Ron for confirmation.

He shook his head. "Still English."

"Open up," said Lia. Ron shook his head.

"Open," she said again. Nothing happened.

"Open. Open sesame. Unbolt. Unfasten." She growled. "Open up!" She was getting frustrated now, and swore.

"Come on. You've got to be kidding me. Stupid brain. You just randomly start speaking Parseltongue one day, and now you just bail on me? When I need it the most! Open! … You've got to be freaking joking. I swear to god, I'm going to grab a drill and bore a hole down in the floor, if you don't bloody start workin-"

Sometime during her rant, her words must have swapped into the hissing of Parseltongue, for the tap began to radiate out a blindingly white light. The entire sink moved, falling down, as if it were sinking into quicksand, and it left behind a large pipe, the hole big enough to fit one person at a time.

"Finally."

"I'm going down there," Harry said.

"Me too," said Ron.

"Me three," said Lia.

"Well, you hardly look like you'd need me," said Lockhart the Coward. "I'll just –" He put his hand on the door, preparing to exit the lavatory, but all three of them pointed their wands at the professor.

"You can go first," Lia snarled. "You're the least valuable out of all of us. A fiend and a weakling."

"Boys," Lockhart said, his body trembling. "And girl. What good would it do?"

Harry walked over and stabbed Gilderoy in the back with his wand. He reluctantly hobbled back and sat on the edge of the pipe.

"I really don't think -"

No one heard what he thought though. Lia pushed him in before he could finish, and followed directly after - Harry, and Ron not far behind her.

Sliding down the tunnel was sort of like going down a ride at a water park. The slime that encrusted the pipe eased the friction, slightly dampening Lia's robes. She wrinkled her nose. As she kept falling and falling, Lia wondered how deep she had gone. They were certainly past the Slytherin common room now.

The room they collapsed in when they finally reached solid ground, was dark, even despite the small light that flickered out from Lia's wand. They moved onwards, trying not to wince as they trampled over the bones scattered around the passageways. They came in front of an oversized, emerald snake skin. It was enormous, and had to be at least fifteen metres long.

"Blimey," Ron said, just as Lockhart's knees gave way, and he half-sunk to the ground.

"Get up," Ron barked, and pointed his wand at Lockhart.

Lia watched in horror as Lockhart sprang up to his feet, and, before any of them could react, dived at Ron, knocked him to the ground, and pulled Ron's wand from his grasp.

"The adventure ends here!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body - say good-bye to your memories!"

He raised Ron's badly taped wand up over his head, and yelled, "Obliviate!"

An explosion came out of it, as if Lockhart had cried, 'Confringo', instead. She threw up her hands over her head, pulling on Harry's arm, almost slipping on the strands of snake skin. A large stone plummeted towards her head, and she narrowly missed it by yelling, "Protego!"

The next thing she knew, she and Harry were standing in the middle of a pile of shattered rocks, a solid wall of fractured stone separating them from Ron and Lockhart.

"Ron!" Harry shouted.

"Are you okay?" asked Lia, wide eyed.

"I'm here." Ron's voice was stifled from the wall that segregated them. "I'm okay … not sure about the git though … he got blasted by the wand … it must have backfired."

She heard Lockhart's voice ask, "And, uh, wh-who am I?" There was a thud. Ron must have knocked him on the head.

"What now?" he said. "I can't get through. It'll take ages."

Lia thought of Ginny, sweet-eyed Ginny, Ginny who they still might be able to save. "Wait here alright?" she said. "If Harry and I aren't back in an hour … fetch McGonagall."

"I'll try and shift some of the rock," Ron sounded like he was desperately trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. "So you two can," his voice broke. "Can get back through. And … be careful."

"See you in a bit," said Harry. His face was pale.

As they moved through the gloomy corridors, they arrived at a row of serpentine columns. She caught sight of a petite figure in black robes, with fiery red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled, rushing forward. "Ginny, don't be dead, please don't be dead." He shook the girl. "Ginny, please wake up."

"She won't wake," a soft voice said. A tall boy with dark hair walked over.

Lia stared at him. There was something about his face, something memorable about it, something that she recognised, something about that figure that reminded her of something. Just as a thought brushed at her mind, Harry's voice rang out, and the thought fluttered away.

"Tom … Tom Riddle?"

Riddle nodded, his eyes piercing as he watched Harry. So this was Tom then, the boy from Harry's diary. But if the Chamber had been opened in Riddle's fifth year, which had been fifty years ago, then how, how did still look as if he wasn't a day over sixteen? He should have been at least fifty-five by now.

"Harry," she said slowly, alarms bells ringing in her head. "Harry … something's wrong."

But her brother appeared not to have heard her. Riddle's eyes however, swept to Lia's face, and curled up into a savage smile. He looked cruelly delighted that she was here too.

"What do you mean, she won't wake?" Harry's voice was desperate. "She's not – she can't be?"

"She's alive. Only just," said Riddle.

"Are you a ghost?" Lia asked. The nauseous sensation in her gut screamed at her.

"A memory," he said, his eyes were still searching her face with spine-chilling thrill. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

"You've got to help us, Tom," Harry said, he was raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk ... I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment ... Please, help us."

Lia watched in alarm as Harry looked around, frantic, for his wand. Riddle twirled it in his fingers.

"Thanks," Harry stretched out his hand, expecting Riddle to place it in his waiting palms. The boy only stared at him, spinning and spinning the wand. Lia waited, and seeing the malice still shining from Tom's eyes, hastily drew out her own wand from her pocket.

"Listen," said Harry urgently. He was trying to pick Ginny up, but he was scrawny, and he sagged under the girl's weight. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes -"

"It won't come until it is called," Riddle said. His voice was calm.

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.

"What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it -"

Riddle's smile grew ever wider.

"You won't be needing it," he said.

That was all the evidence Lia needed. She pointed her wand at Riddle, about to send a stunning spell at him. But he was quicker.

"Expelliarmus." The wand flew out her grasp. Riddle's malicious gaze was on her once more.

"Daliah Agorios –"

"How do you know my name?" Lia cut in.

"I knew your mother." The boy continued then, as if she hadn't spoken. "- And Harry Potter. I've waited a very long time for this. For the chance to see you two. To speak to you both."

"How did Ginny end up like this?" Lia demanded angrily. "And give me back my wand before I make you pay for disarming me!"

"Well isn't that an interesting question?" Riddle's eyes were stormy as he explained how the youngest Weasley had poured out her heart and soul to him, and in the process, lost herself. So it was Ginny – no, not Ginny, but Tom, Tom possessing her – who was responsible for the attacks.

Riddle talked – about how he had gained Ginny's trust, about how the girl had grown suspicious, about how the diary had found its way into Harry's house, about how he had framed Hagrid all those years ago, about how Dumbledore had grown suspicious of him, about how he realised he would not be able to open the Chamber whilst studying at Hogwarts, about how he left behind a diary, about how he would finish Salazar's 'noble' work, about how Ginny had written about Harry and written about Lia, about how his attention had now shifted towards the two of them.

"I have questions for you, Harry Potter," Riddle said.

"Like what?" Harry eyes were livid, his fists clenched.

"Well," said Riddle, smiling without mirth, "how is it that you a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent - managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

Lia saw a red gleam in his eyes. A gleam that she had seen once, a gleam that had stared at her out of a face poking from the back of a man's head.

"Run," her brain screeched at her. "Run." But Lia would not leave Harry. And something was cementing the two of them there. Although both were irate with anger, they were bewitched, transfixed by Riddle's words, drawn with a dread and desire to solve the mystery that had escaped them for so long.

"Why do you care how I escaped?" Harry asked. "Voldemort was after your time…"

Riddle's cruel smile was back. "Voldemort," he said, his voice a murmur, "is my past, present, and future."

He pulled out Lia's wand, and three shimmering words appeared, in what looked like thin fibers of fiery flame:

"TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE"

Which, with a flick of Riddle's wand, rearranged themselves, so that the words now made up:

"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT"

Riddle proceeded to insult Dumbledore, and Harry replied with a snappy retort about how Dumbledore, not Tom, was the greatest wizard in the world.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" Riddle spat out, shaking with anger.

"He's not as gone as you think!" Harry yelled.

It was at that exact moment, that eerie music began to ring out of the Chamber, growing louder. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, landed on Harry's shoulder, dropping the tattered sorting hat onto Harry's feet.

Riddle let out a high, cold laugh, which both infuriated Lia, and sent chills flooding down her body.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defenders! A songbird and an old hat!"

Lia noticed how as time passed, Ginny was growing even paler, and Riddle's outline even clear. He was sucking the life force out of the girl. They needed to hurry.

"You should know," Lia snapped, "that in the future you become a filthy disgusting half-human, with a face straight out of a horror movie. You're forced to resort to sharing a body with a quivering, ugly man, and you drink vile unicorn blood to survive.

"And you know why? Why you became so pathetic, so weak? Because of Harry. Because of Harry's mother. His own muggle-born mother was able to beat you. You. Tell me, how does it feel to be overpowered by a 'mudblood'?

"And last year? Harry and I beat you. Again. And you know what? We've both beaten you once before. I'm sure we can do it twice."

Riddle laughed. "You must be a brave girl to speak to me like that." He looked at the scar on Lia's arm. "I gave you that mark, didn't I? I sense my magic in you."

Lia glared. "You cursed me. And you killed my mother. You'll pay."

He chuckled once more. "You may be brave, but stupid too, and your mother was stupid as well, stupid if she dared to betray me. I suspect that you're the product of a mistake. You have no idea of what your true heritage is? But, no matter, no matter, I left my mark, and now, you are a weapon, a weapon for me to wield."

"What heritage? And what weapon?" she scoffed. "As if you can ever control me. I'll never grovel before the likes of you."

"Do not make promise too quickly." He smiled sinisterly. "And as for your ancestry, I think you will know in time. When Voldemort rises again, you will be the warrior by his side. Now. I think I'm going to teach Harry here a little lesson. Let us match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him …"

Riddle spoke, in a hissing voice, to the statue of Salazar, to the stone face that was resting above the high pillars of the room. The face moved, as if something slithered out of its depths, something green, long and scaly.

Lia knew that she should have trembled in fear at the basilisk that was gliding out of the depths of the statue's mouth, but a calmness was taking hold of her. A voice was whispering in her mind, caressing her thoughts with a gentle mind, a soft breeze of wind that billowed against her mental walls, slipping around for a way through. Lia sighed, it was just so comforting, so soft, so serene, that she gave in to the pleasure.

Instantly, a dark grip tightened around her mind. She tried to shake her head, to shake away the sickness, but she found that she could not move. She was rooted, like a frozen effigy.

Close your eyes.

Her eyes snapped shut. Somewhere in the back of her head, she heard a hiss say, "Kill him." And she could have sworn a body slide towards Harry. Harry! She panicked and her hand twitched by her side.

Calm down. Everything is all right.

Lia's body became paralyzed again. Harry yelled, "Lia! Get out of the way! The basilisk! It's coming." A hand tugged at her arm. But she didn't care. She was calm. And everything was fine.

Good girl. Now just –

The voice whispering at her mind stopped. Lia's eyes flew open again and she looked around. Fawkes was soaring at the basilisk, diving at it, raking its claws into the serpent's eyes, so that they now streamed with blood, the snake hissing in pain.

"NO!" Riddle screamed. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIMI"

"Harry!" Lia yelled, while Riddle was distracted to some extent. "Harry! You have to get out of here. Riddle's possessing me. I – I can't trust myself –"

Close your mouth. Walk forward and –

The voice trailed off again, as Riddle saw that the snake was still launching it's spitting head at the phoenix, in a furious attempt to crush its jaws.

"KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF … SMELL HIM."

The basilisk lunged at Harry, the aim off due to its newfound blindness. Harry scarcely dodged it, banging into the wall of the Chamber. It pounced again, the jaws almost over Harry's head, this time, dropping down, to bite him.

"Stop!" she yelled. Her words were the hiss of Parseltongue. To her surprise the basilisk obeyed her, pausing midway. It appeared to be wrestling with itself, not knowing whether to listen to her command, or to Riddle's.

"Leave," Lia said. Her eyes widened in wonder, as the great serpent shrunk back, and seemed to be turning its body, reluctantly moving to slither back into the hole it came from.

All of a sudden there was a shooting pain in her head.

"Attack the boy." The words that came out of Lia's mouth were not her own. Her tongue moving of its own accord.

The snake hissed in anger and launched itself forward again. This time, it dug a fang into Harry's arm.

Simultaneously, Harry held the sword in his two hands – Lia had no idea where he had managed to get it from - and drove the tip up, impaling the basilisk in a clean strike from it's jaw to the top of its head. Blood was bursting out of Harry's wound, soaking the black robes.

Lia screamed. She knew that basilisk venom was poisonous.

Nothing is happening. That boy is not your brother.

Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing? He's crying."

Indeed, tears were leaking out of the phoenix's eyes and dripping down onto Harry's shoulder, onto his arm. His eyes were growing clearer, his expression less pained.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him - I said, get away –

He shot a spell at Fawkes, who glided away into the air.

"Phoenix tears. - ." said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm, the skin was stitching itself back together again, the blood seemingly absorbing into his skin. "Of course ... healing powers ... I forgot. . ."

Tom shook his head, and raised Lia's wand. Thinking twice, a smirk came over his face, and he dropped his hand. "But of course, it does not make a difference. In fact, it will be more entertaining this way. Let's see Harry, whatever shall you do? When your own sister," he spat out the word, "turns against you."

Come here.

Lia walked over, her expression void of emotion.

"Lia, no!" Harry yelled, desperately. "Please, Lia. Don't you remember me? Don't you know who I am? I'm your brother."

Thoughts of hugs and laughs, and bandaids placed on her stinging cuts, of pats on the back as she cried, of a protective shoulder around her as boys taunted her ... thoughts of talks on cold winter nights, of sneaking out of Vernon's house to be pushed on a swing in the park – those thoughts rose in Lia's mind.

No! He is not your brother.

The thoughts cleared. Lia could not remember. She could not think. She could not feel. There was nothing expect for the voice whispering to her.

He is a murderer. He is responsible for your mothers' deaths. Anger flared up in her. He is a follower of Voldemort, sent here to kill Ginny, as she lies defenceless on the floor. The voice paused. Will you let him?

Lia saw a memory of Ginny, Ginny with a naïve expression on her face, Ginny as she laughed, pure and innocent. Ginny who was only eleven.

Lia felt furious.

Good. Good. Now, attack him!

She paused, something was screaming at her, telling her that the voice was wrong, that Harry wasn't a murderer, that she was being lied to, that –

Suddenly there was a blur in Lia's head, and now instead of seeing Harry, gazing in anguish at her, fear in his eyes … she saw a monster. He bore the same merciless red pupils as Voldemort himself. Before her very stare, Harry's face distorted until it became demonic and cruel. He leaned in front of Ginny, about to stab her with his sword.

Attack him.

Lia held up her hand. A rope of water hovered up out of the puddles that lay around the Chamber. Lia summoned the liquid towards her, so that they converged to make a basketball sized orb. Drawing her fingers back so that they were bent and clawed, she froze the water, shaping it into a long, spiked shard of solid ice.

Kill him.

She sent the fragment flying, whirling through the air like a dagger.

Straight towards Harry's heart.