1Chapter Eight
Finding Tom Riddle proved to be more difficult than Minerva imagined. For one, he was a Slytherin, and they rarely stayed anywhere that Gryffindors were likely to be. Two, even if she did find him, how would she convince him to notice her and give her information?
Until it hit her like a brick - transfiguration, of course.
It took almost no effort to change the Gryffindor emblem on her robes to a Slytherin one. Just to make sure she would not be recognized, she also used her magic to dye her hair red and turn her eyes blue. All I have to do is grow a beard and I'll be Albus, she idly thought. Acting like a Slytherin, however, proved much more difficult than looking like one.
The first person she ran across in her new garb was Lara. "Do I know you?" she asked, looking confused.
Minerva almost opened her mouth and said that it was indeed her, and of her plans. Instead, she barked, "Why would you know me, you filthy little Gryffindor?" and stalked off.
She did feel bad for being mean to her best friend, but she had no choice. She stalked off towards the dungeons, where she felt it was more likely to find a Slytherin. Crawling and creeping, they sure did like the ugly places of the school. Just like the snakes they represented. She suddenly felt very unclean, as if the robes were affecting her.
Wandering the halls proved ineffective. All that happened was she ended up getting turned around and lost more times than she could count. She considered asking someone for directions, but decided that might be a bit obvious. Luckily, she found her subject wandering down a deserted corridor in her aimless wanderings. He was tall and pale, but held himself proudly, even arrogantly. Attractive - a bit. This was the first good look she'd had at him, and he at her, so she decided to make a good first impression.
Minerva used a nonverbal spell to split her bag, causing her books to spill all over the floor. Sure, cliche, but it was all she could come up with on short notice. Leaning over to pick them up, she noticed that Tom was staring at her.
"I know you," she said suddenly, abandoning her books. "Tom, right? The one who can trace his lineage back to Salazar Slytherin himself?"
She of course, had no idea if this was true, but it did sound like a rumor he would be proud of. Tom smiled.
"Yes, actually," he smiled, showing his pearly white teeth. "And you are - beautiful, for one, but does beauty have a name?"
"Alana," she said with a coy smile, twisting a lock of hair. "I'm a 4th year."
Why she lied about her age, she didn't know. For some reason, she doubted Tom would like someone older than himself.
"A pretty one, at that," he said, leaning over to help pick up her books.
"What were you doing all the way down here?" she asked, smiling. "I can't imagine why a guy like you would be alone."
Tom fixed her back with a quick 'reparo' and leaned over to her ear. "I can show you if you won't tell."
"I won't tell a soul," she promised. Tom turned back around and Minerva followed him.
For ages it seemed they wandered through random corridors, corridors Minerva didn't even know existed. He stopped abruptly, causing Minerva to run into the back of him.
"Careful, sweet," he said. They had stopped in front of a girl's bathroom.
"What's in here that you're going to show me?" Minerva said, still trying to maintain a school girlish type manner.
Tom grinned and opened the door to lead her inside. It seemed like a normal bathroom, except it didn't seem to have been used in a long time. "Does no one come here, Tom?"
"No one knows it's here," he said softly, "Or at least I don't think they do. Come here."
He led her over to a sink that had a snake etched on the side. Suddenly he began speaking in hisses - sharp breaths -
Minerva let a soft breath in amazement. "I should've figured you would've inherited that from Salazar also."
The sink suddenly became a passageway of sorts. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the sink.
Minerva took a deep breath and jumped inside. After a quick slide-like ride, she landed on cold, concrete floor. Tom followed suit shortly thereafter.
"Minerva, this is the Chamber of Secrets."
She caught it. "How did you know?"
He sneered. "Too obvious. Dumbledore sending you to do his dirty work?" His wand snapped up. "And I suppose you'd want this..." He held up Minerva's wand also which, she realized, he must've lifted when he helped her with her books.
"...it might help," she said weakly.
"No, Minerva, I'll be keeping you in here. After all, it does get lonely..." He shot a spell at her that transfixed her on the spot. He ran a cold hand down her face. "I know you're a pure-blood, or this would be a disgrace. Or maybe it wouldn't...after all, I will still kill you afterwards..."
She couldn't move, as hard as she tried. His cold lips pressed against her equally cold, lifeless ones. "Well, this won't be any fun if you can't squirm a little."
The next thing she knew, she was tied up on the ground. "You foul, - "
"I, foul? When you're dallying with a Professor?"
"You're foul, opening the Chamber of Secrets! And I'm not dallying with him, I'm in love with him, something you wouldn't know much about!"
"ACCIO WANDS!"
Minerva did not know where the voice came from, but she very well knew who it belonged to. Swirling down from the sky, being carried by a phoenix, was none other than Albus Dumbledore. And now, he had his own wand, Minerva's, and Tom's.
Tom was very obviously livid. "No one will believe you," he said scathingly.
"You are indeed correct," said Albus. "And I'm willing to bet you, or Slytherin, have some sort of protection over this place that will cause those who hear of it to forget it. It's not uncommon..." Albus looked to Minerva briefly, as a way to try to explain. "So I will tell no one. You still have time to turn back, and I trust you still can, Tom. But beware, for I shall be on the lookout for you."
"How? You won't remember you were ever here!" Tom spat.
Albus gave one of his knowing smiles. "Because the reason dear Minerva followed you down here was because I was on the lookout for you. I am sure that will not change once my memory leaves me." Albus closed his eyes. "Yes, this is ancient magic…Salazar did this, not you, am I right?"
"Obviously," Tom snarled. "The magic has had time to amass power over the centuries."
"Of course, of course," Albus said. "And I could tell Dippet this instance, but the chamber undoubtedly would close before we arrived back here, and there's the chance my memory will have slipped by then…oh this was very, very clever Tom."
"Did you really expect anything less?" Tom smiled sickeningly.
"No, I didn't. Well, this is a dismal place. I don't think you want to try your power against mine, Tom?"
He shook his head. "I am strong, but I'm no fool. One day I will face you, old man. But why am I telling you this? You'll forget. Why don't you just get us out of here?"
"An excellent idea." Albus gripped his phoenix's tail feathers, and Minerva clung to Albus, while Tom hung from an ankle.
"Close it and return to your dormitory." Albus ordered.
Tom obeyed, and left with that same arrogant strut. Albus and Minerva were left in the bathroom.
She collapsed into his arms. "I'm so glad you came," she whispered, tears silently falling.
"Minerva, I will always be here for you." His voice was soothing. "Though I hate to tell you that the charm will cause us to forget everything that is happening until we leave this bathroom and are safely away from this corridor.
"I know," she said through her tears, "I believe you."
Albus pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't worry."
"I'm not," she said, "After all, you're here."