Disclaimer: Same as in all other chapters. I had to heavily lean on the book towards the end of this chapter because I just didn't know how else to do it. I'm sorry to seem a mere plagiarist in those instances, but I fully recognize Rowling as the owner of her work and I'm not trying to pass it off as my own. Yes, the lines that you can just as well read off the book are hers and hers alone. I just had to bridge the gap. Enjoy.

Chapter 8

It was three days till June when Professor McGonagall had an announcement for them during breakfast. She told everyone the Mandrakes were finally ready for cutting and that they would surely find the perpetrator once the students had been restored. Gale glanced at the Gryffindor table every now and then when she noticed Ginny act very odd. She had noticed changes in the girl before now, however at this point it seemed more pronounced. She couldn't hear anything beyond the loud voice of her own House and could only guess what was going on. Ginny seemed like she wanted to tell something to Ron and Harry, but she ran off before she said anything. Then she met Harry's eyes; there was something odd in the way he looked at her, but she dismissed it and left the great hall.

….

Harry and Ron excitedly passed around in the teacher's lounge. They had found a page about the basilisk in Hermione's hand and the word 'pipes' written in her hand; it had solved everything. The monster was a basilisk and the reason no one had died from its gaze was because no one had looked it right in the eyes. Furthermore no one had seen it because it was using the plumbing to get around the school and only Harry had heard the voices because he was a parselmouth. But instead of the bell to signal break, Professor McGonagall's magically magnified voice echoed through the halls.

"All students return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staffroom. Immediately, please."

Harry and Ron quickly looked around for a place to hide and hear what was going on and ducked into the wardrobe. It didn't take long and the teacher's filtered in looking puzzled or fearful. Finally McGonagall came in and everyone fell silent.

"It's happened," she said. "One of the students has been taken into the chamber itself."

Some of the Professors gasped and Snape gripped the back of a chair so hard his knuckles went white.

"How can you be sure?" he asked.

"The Heir of Slytherin left another message under the first one," said the pale McGonagall. "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

"Who is it; do you know which student?" asked Madam Hooch who had sunken into a chair.

"Ginny Weasley," said the Professor.

Harry's stomach dropped out and he felt Ron slip to the floor.

"We'll have to send all the students home tomorrow," continued McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts…"

She was interrupted when the classroom door opened again and Professor Lockhart came in beaming.

"So sorry- dozed off- what have I missed?" he asked completely oblivious of the hate emanating from each and every adult in the room.

"Just the man for the job," said Snape stepping forward. "A girl has been taken by the monster right into the Chamber of Secrets; your moment has come, Lockhart."

Lockhart turned pale.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the Chamber is?" Professor Sprout chipped in.

Lockhart tried to sputter an answer, but failed miserably.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you knew exactly what the monster was?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"I—I don't recall… Did I really?"

"I most certainly recall you saying it was a shame you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Remember, you said you should have given free reign from the start and that this whole affair had been botched up?"

Everywhere Lockhart looked he saw the icy glares of his colleagues.

"You must've misunderstood—I merely—that is to say… I—I…"

"Tonight will be an excellent time to tackle the monster by your self," said McGonagall. "Free reign at last; we'll make sure no one's in your way."

"O—of course…" he quivered. "I'll—I'll just go to my office a—and get ready… yeah…"

Lockhart quickly turned and fled the room.

"Finally," said McGonagall. "Now that he's out of the way we can get to the point. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students of the situation and tell them they will be sent home first thing tomorrow. The rest of you make sure there's no students left outside their dormitories."

With that they all left.

….

Snape strode into the crowded common room and immediately everyone fell silent. He got right to the point.

"There has been another attack and this time the student has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Therefore the school will be closed and you will all be taken home first thing tomorrow," he said.

"Who has been taken, Professor?" asked Silvia Nellie.

"A Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley. She's a first year," said Snape.

Malfoy laughed, "The Weasley girl? That's sure to get the monster sick!"

Snape clenched his fist, but knew he couldn't strike the boy, lest he get fired. Instead he looked around the common room to see if everyone was present.

"Where are Mr. Follek and Miss Glider?" he asked.

"Sorry," said a seventh year as he came down the stairs, "I had misplaced my wand, but I found it."

"And Miss Glider?"

"I'll check the dormitory."

Silvia ran up the steps, but came back rather fast, "She's not in any of the rooms."

"What?!"

Snape rushed up and into Gale's dorm room. It was empty. He slammed open the all the doors, but she was nowhere to be found. He practically flew down the stairs.

"Nobody leaves this room!" he barked and rushed out of the common room.

….

It was near sunset when Harry and Ron found themselves sitting relatively alone in the Gryffindor common room. It was ten that Ron spoke for the first time since they had hidden in the wardrobe.

"It wasn't something stupid about Percy," he said. "Ginny knew something about the Chamber; that's why she was taken. She was pureblood, there's no other reason."

Harry chewed over what he was about to say before finally saying it.

"Ron… that night when we went after the spiders, I saw something," he said slowly in hushed tones. "On Gale's arm; it looked like a skull and a snake…and after Ginny left... so did she. And earlier when McGonagall was talking to us and Snape barged in I could've sworn he said Gale was missing too."

"Harry! That's the dark mark," hissed Ron jumping to his feet. "That's you-know-who's mark! That's it! It's her; it has to be! Ginny hung around her every now and then; she must have found her out and waned to tell us! We have to go tell Lockhart everything we know Harry!"

….

Lockhart in his office ready to make a run for it was the last thing the boys thought they'd find on their arrival, but that was just what the coward was doing. It was revealed he had stolen the credit for great deeds of others to write his books and had erased their memories with a charm afterwards. Harry and Ron managed to subdue the man as he had tried to cast the Memory Charm on them and lead him into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where she revealed how she'd died. The entrance to the Chamber as it turns out was the tower of faucets and Harry used Parseltongue to open a large hole. Kicking Lockhart in first, the boys followed and landed in a large cavern. Harry's wand lit up and they began their search. The floor was littered with small animal bones. Further in, a strange shadow was cast onto the wall and they stopped.

"Remember," said Harry. "If anything moves close your eyes."

He squinted and edged closer to the object casting the shadow.

"What is it?" called Ron.

Harry raised his wand, "It's—it's a giant snake skin!"

He heard a thud and turned around, "What happened?"

"The coward fainted!" said Ron turning back to Harry.

Lockhart jumped up and grabbed Ron's wand.

"Aha! This is where your little adventure comes to an end, boys."

He pointed the wand back and forth between Harry and Ron.

"Don't worry though; I'll tell them what happened. I'll take some of this skin back up and tell them I killed the monster. I couldn't save the girl and you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. You first Potter; say good bye to your memory. Obliviate!"

Ron's wand backfired, sending Lockhart smashing into the wall. The boys had to duck for cover as large chunks of rock caved in and divided them.

"Ron, are you O.K.?" called Harry.

"Yeah, you?"

Lockhart came to shortly after.

"Hello," he said with an innocent smile. "Who are you?"

"Ron… Weasley," said Ron slowly.

"Oh and… who am I?"

"Hey Harry; my wand backfired!" he called. "That lousy, double-crossing git has lost his memory!"

Harry heard some incessant mumbling, a thud and then silence.

"What happened?"

"Sorry, this rock just slipped out of my hand and hit him in the head!" said Ron in mock seriousness.

Harry snickered, but the situation caught up, "Listen, you try and clear some of these rocks and I'll continue looking for Ginny."

"Be careful."

"Don't worry, I will."

Harry didn't have to go far as there was a round steel door with a number of snakes on it. Again he used parseltongue.

"Open," he hissed.

Along the rim a single stone snake slithered once around, touching the snout of the other snakes, causing them to coil back. The door opened and revealed a large dimly lit Chamber, the ceiling supported by great pillars with carved snakes coiling around them. His heart was pounding in his chest as he stood listening for any movement or a sound from Ginny. Then, taking out his wand he lit the tip and carefully made his way through the pillars, scared that at any moment one of those carved snakes would come alive. At the end of the chamber stood a towering statue of a wizard, high as the chamber itself. Harry had to crane his neck to take it all in, but when he got to the feet he let out a gasp. Ginny was laying facedown between them and he quickly ran to her side, dropping his wand aside to take her shoulders.

"Ginny wake up—please don't be dead, wake up," he said turning her around in his arms.

Her face was pale as stone and she felt cold, but her eyes were closed so she wasn't petrified like the others.

"Ginny, wake up," he muttered desperately. "Don't be dead, wake up!"

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry startled and spun on his knees to see a tall, black-haired boy leaning against one of the pillars watching. He seemed out of phase in a way, but there was no mistaking him.

"Tom Riddle?"

The boy nodded, keeping his eyes on Harry's face.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "She's not dead is she?"

"No; she's alive," said Tom. "But just barely."

Harry remembered him from the vision of Hogwarts fifty years ago, but as he stood there he looked not one day older.

"What are you?" he asked. "A ghost?"

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

The boy pointed to the floor by the statue's toes where Harry saw the diary. But there were more pressing matters.

"Tom, you have to help me," he said. "There's a basilisk and I don't know when it'll come around; we have to hurry."

When Harry meant to grab his wand he found it missing and looked up to see Riddle twirling it between his slender fingers, all the while watching him. Harry felt there was something very wrong.

"Give me back my wand Tom," said Harry. "I might need it when the basilisk comes."

"You won't need it," said Riddle calmly. "It won't come until it's called."

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry staring at him.

"I've been waiting a long time to talk to you Harry Potter," said Riddle smiling broadly.

"Don't you get it? We're in the Chamber of Secrets; there's a basilisk in here; we can talk later," pressed Harry loosing his patients.

"No; we're going to talk now," said Riddle as he pocketed Harry's wand.

The feeling of danger increased as he noticed the almost hungry look with which Riddle kept his eyes on Harry.

"How did Ginny get like this?" asked Harry carefully rising to his feet.

Riddle revealed everything then; how he had gained Ginny's trust and grown stronger as she poured her heart out to him, how he'd made her do all these things. He told Harry of how he'd had wanted to get to know him and showed him the false vision to gain his trust, and how he'd been the one to find and open the Chamber of Secrets and frame Hagrid. And finally how he had fed off Ginny's soul to the point of being able to leave the pages.

"I've been waiting for you ever since we came here, Harry Potter," he said finally. "I have so many questions for you."

"Like what?" spat Harry angrily.

"For starters tell me this," he said smiling pleasantly. "How is it that a scrawny boy like you managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How is it that you survived with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

Harry could see a red gleam in his eyes now.

"What do you care?" said Harry. "Voldemort was after your time."

"Voldemort is my past, present and future," he said softly.

Riddle took Harry's wand out of his pocket and started tracing his name in the air. Tom Marvolo Riddle. Then, with a wave of his wand, the letters realigned and now read I am Lord Voldemort. Riddle continued to tell Harry how even then he'd been using the name among his most intimate friends and how he'd hated his muggle father for abandoning him before he was even born.

"You see Harry," he was saying. "I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak my name after I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"You're not," said Harry after a numbing moment, his voice full of hatred now.

"Not what?" snapped Riddle.

"You're not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry. "Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world; he saw right through you and he still frightens you wherever it is you're hiding these days."

Riddle's face turned ugly.

"Dumbledore was driven from this castle by the mere memory of me," he hissed.

"He's not gone; not really!" retorted Harry.

Riddle was about to speak but froze when eerie music came out of nowhere. He whirled around, staring down the corridor as it grew louder. There was a burst of flames from the nearest pillar and Dumbledore's phoenix flew straight at Harry, dropping a ragged bundle at his feet before landing on his shoulder to stare at Riddle.

"That's a phoenix…" said Riddle staring shrewdly back at it. "And that's the old Sorting Hat."

Riddle started laughing so hard it rang off the stone walls.

"So this is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and a hat! You must feel very brave now Harry Potter!"

Harry didn't know what good either would be, but at least now he wasn't alone anymore and it gave him a sense of courage.

"Now tell me everything," said Riddle with his broad smile. "Tell me how you survived both our encounters and know that the longer you talk, the longer you live."

Harry frantically searched for a way out of this when he noticed his adversary was becoming more solid by the minute. He had to do something and soon.

"I don't know why you lost your powers," he said finally. "No one does; but I know why you couldn't kill me. My mother died to save me. And I've seen you, how you are now; all of your power is gone and you're hiding. You're ugly; foul."

Harry could see it as all he could do to force an awful smile.

"I see; it was you're mother," he said. "I was just wondering… there are so many strange likenesses between us; but in the end it was just luck."

Harry glanced at Ginny; she had little time left.

"It's time to see who is more powerful. Famous Harry Potter and the best weapons Dumbledore has to offer, or Lord Voldemort, Heir of the great Salazar Slytherin."

Riddle calmly walked away and stopped before the great statue.

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four," he hissed in parseltongue.

As the statue's mouth opened wide to reveal a large opening Harry could see something moving inside. He quickly backed up against the chamber wall and closed his eyes, feeling Fawkes take flight. He desperately wished the bird had stayed, but he could hardly expect the phoenix to be any real good against the king of serpents. His heart pounding, he listened as something hit the Chamber floor.

"Kill him," hissed Riddle.

Harry could feel the basilisk slithering towards him and blindly ran to the side with his hands stretched out in front of him. He didn't get far when he tripped and hit the floor hard, biting his lip. He could hear Riddle laughing and what worse, the serpent coming ever closer.

….

Gale pushed herself through the final gap of the claustrophobic's hell and dropped to the floor in a cavernous Chamber. For once she was glad of her small body as she looked back to the crack in the wall. It was times like this she wished she could enter the shadow realm in Kiasa's complete absence, but as it stood it had taken her nearly three hours to crawl through the cracks and crevices and she was more than glad to be in a relatively open space. Her attention was caught by not too distant voices and she carefully snuck along the carved pillars, keeping well hidden in the shadows. When she saw Harry she was momentarily indignantly outraged at how he could have possibly gotten here before her, but when she found Ginny lying on the floor she pulled herself together. She had been right; this truly was the Chamber of Secrets. The third person, a boy she didn't recognize but even at this distance seemed strangely familiar walked away from Harry to speak to the huge statue in parseltongue.

When she heard the words she knew he was the cause of everything. Gale watched as the statue's mouth opened and a large serpent uncoiled within, lowering it long body to the ground beside the boy.

"Kill him," said the boy.

Gale ran forward as Harry blindly ran away and tripped, her footsteps drowned out by the basilisk's hissing and the boy's laughing. She reverted in mid stride and launched herself at the beat, clamping down on its spine. She hadn't expected its hide to be so though, but did her best to bite down as the heavily muscled tail wrapped around her in a crushing grip. The effect was as she'd hoped and the basilisk diverted its attention to her, giving Harry time to get up. An eerie song filled the cavern and Gale barely saw the phoenix fly in and attack the serpent's eyes. He managed to puncture one of them and the Snake thrashed more wildly and snapped at the bird. Gale raked her claw over it's snout to keep it from reaching the phoenix and roared in pain as it instead struck her, biting down hard at the base of her neck repeatedly. Fawkes dived and punctured the other eye. The basilisk sputtered madly and thrashed so hard it threw her off, lunging after her.

"LEAVE THE DRAGON," screamed Riddle. "IGNORE THE BIRD! GET THE BOY! HE'S BEHIND YOU; SMELL HIM OUT! KILL HIM!"

Gale tried to get up and resume the fight, but her entire side started going numb and her strength seemed to flow from her as fast as the blood pouring from the nasty tear at the base of her neck. She could barely see anymore as everything began to swim out of focus…

….

Harry had watched as Gale hit the Chamber wall as he tightly clutched the Sorting Hat that had been flung into his arms. This tattered old hat was all he had left now and he jammed it onto his head as he ducked for cover as the basilisk's tail swept over his head. He shut his eyes tight and begged for help over and over in his head, hoping for some miracle. Instead he received a sharp blow to the head that almost knocked him out and grabbed the hat to take it off, feeling something long and hard underneath. It turned out to be a gleaming silver sword, its handle fitted with great glittering rubies.

"STOP SNAPPING AT THE BIRD!" Riddle was screaming. "KILL THE BOY! HE'S BEHIND YOU! SNIFF! KILL HIM!"

When the basilisk finally listened to its master and blindly turned towards Harry he was standing ready with the sword gripped tightly in both hands. The basilisk lunged and struck at Harry, but missed, striking again. This time its aim was true and Harry threw all his weight against the sword, ramming it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth. But the warm blood spilling over his arm was not only the creature's; a long venomous fang dug deeply into Harry's arm and broke off as the basilisk keeled over sideways to lay dead.

Harry slid down and pulled the dagger from his arm, knowing the venom had already spread; it was too late. He could feel the pain spreading from the wound and his vision blurred in a matter of seconds. He felt the phoenix approach and lay it's head on his wound.

"You were brilliant Fawkes," he said thickly.

Riddle stepped closer.

"Borrowed time, Harry Potter," he said. "That's all your mother gave you. And I will sit her and watch as you die. Look, even the bird knows it. He's crying for you."

Harry rested his head against the wall as Riddle's voice seemed to grow ever more distant. He was dying. However, an odd feeling suddenly sprung up and the pain left his body as tough it had never been. Instead of descending darkness, he found the Chamber became clearer by the second and he looked down at his wound to find it was gone.

"Get away from him," said riddle suddenly. "I said get away bird!"

He pointed Harry's wand at Fawkes and a loud bang chased him off.

"I forgot phoenix tears have haling powers," he said quietly. "No matter; I relish the chance to finish you myself, Harry Potter."

Riddle raised his wand when in a flurry of feathers, Fawkes dropped the diary into Harry's lap. Both of them stared at it for a moment and then as though he had meant to do it all along, Harry grabbed the broken basilisk's fang and plunged it into the heart of the book. Riddle screamed and writhed as ink spurted out of the book like blood until Riddle just disappeared. Harry's wand fell to the floor and everything went quiet. Harry got on trembling legs and collected his wand, the hat, the diary and the sword after tugging it free. Then he heard a feint moan and saw Ginny stirring, hurrying to her side at once as she sat up. Her confused eyes swept the scene when she finally focused on Harry and started crying. She let the words pour out and told Harry how it had all been her.

"The last thing I r—remember is Riddle coming out of the diary," she finished thickly.

"It's alright," he said showing her the diary. "He's finished and the basilisk is dead— Gale!"

Harry spun around on his knees with a feeling of unforgivable guilt as he'd forgotten all about her for these few moments. Together they stood up and hurried to her body, slowing only when they had t step into her golden blood that had pooled all around her.

"Oh Harry—is she… she's a dragon?"

"I—I don't know," he said kneeling by her head. "Gale, wake up! Please wake up."

He shook her head, but nothing stirred and he got up again, putting his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly.

"You… better… be…"

"You're alive!" both shouted in unison.

Gale opened her eyes to a sliver; they looked terribly pale, almost white and she slightly shifted.

"…Took me… three h—hours… to get…here and y—you already… here… less time," she said with effort.

Harry couldn't stop the corner of his mouth twitch in her weak attempt of humor at this time. Then Harry frantically looked around.

"Where's Fawkes, he can heal you with his tears," he said. "Fawkes!"

Gale let out a soft growl as she strained to keep her eyes open.

"No use…Harry," she said. "Only… on h—humans."

"Can't you change back to human?" asked Harry desperately. "We can carry you out and—"

"No," she said again. "My body… is crushed… poison… can't fight m—much longer…"

With that Gale's eyes fell shut.

"No Gale; open your eyes," cried Ginny. "You can't give up! Open your eyes!"

"Come on; if we hurry we might find help in time to save her," said Harry taking Ginny's hand.

….

"Ginny! You're alive!" croaked Ron as soon as the two came into sight.

He had managed to create a sizable hole and pulled Ginny through, hugging the life out of her as she cried more than ever. Harry quickly filled him in on Gale's situation and they hurried back to the large pipe. Just as they asked themselves how they were supposed to get up there, Fawkes swooped over their heads and beat his wings on the spot, gesturing for Harry to take hold with a wag of his tail. Holding onto each other, the phoenix carried them up with no difficulties and they were back in Myrtle's bathroom.

"We have to hurry and find someone to help," said Harry as he hurried to the door.

Giving the door a hefty push Harry was surprised when it hit something halfway and bounced shut again. Ron gulped when he heard the terribly familiar voice spit out a fierce swear and Harry slowly opened the door to see Snape bent over with both hands over his bruised nose.

"Professor; am I glad to see you."

And for once he meant very word.

"You better have a bloody good explanation for this Potter," spat Snape has he straightened up.

His nose wasn't broken and before Snape could call on anymore wrath to spew at Harry he quickly filled him in on the situation.

"Show me where; now!" he barked keeping the fear from his voice as he noticed the golden stains on the boy's robe.

Harry showed him the hole and explained the way.

"Please sir, you have to hurry; she's in terrible shape."

"All of you go to Professor McGonagall's office," he ordered the group.

They left without protest and Snape jumped into the pipe; he desperately prayed he wouldn't be too late.

……

Hope you liked it anyway. This story is officially done on my hard drive, but I won't update the last few chapters one after another. I'll leave a few days in between just so I can get a start on the sequel.

Later Days, Imako the Demon Wolf