The Chamber of Secrets

Crimson blood dripped from Harry's irritated red scar to the dusty ground below him. The pain in his forehead was unbelievable. Broken bones and infected wounds he could handle, but the pulsing, devouring, blinding pain in his scar was more than his twelve year old body could take.

A sinister voice came above from where he was kneeling. "The Ministry of Magic thought a twelve year old boy could defeat me? I am invincible, not even Dumbledore can stop me now."

Harry looked up at the pale, snake-like figure. Red eyes burned into his green. "You can't really blame them, last time you were injured badly by an infant." He gritted out. Harry refused to show weakness to this heartless bastard.

Voldemort snarled and kicked Harry in the chest. The small boy flew back several meters and landed with a dull thud. Harry bit his tongue to keep the moan of pain inside. But Voldemort did something incredibly stupid in his anger. He kicked Harry towards his wand. It was right there, lying in the grass innocently.

He had to get it.

"That was a mistake boy. I underestimated your mother, but I wont do it again this time. She is long dead and you are defenseless and lying in dirt. What was Moody thinking only bringing a mere child with him to investigate Death Eater sightings?" Voldemort mocked as he walked closer.

Moody was lying unconscious a bit away from Harry. Voldemort's newest high ranking Death Eater was standing over him. The former Professor Quirrell.

Harry rolled over, trying to look like he was intending to escape, but really was reaching for his wand.

"Oh no boy. You aren't going anywhere. Crucio!"

It was the third time that night that Voldemort had cast the spell on Harry, and topped with the pain in his scar, it was a miracle he didn't fall dead right there. But Voldemort finally got what he wanted when an animalistic scream ripped it's way out of Harry's convulsing body. Voldemort finished the unforgivable and smile in triumph. But as Harry lay twitching his hand finally touched it. His wand.

"Master, watch out–"

"Shut up you fool!" Voldemort snarled at Quirrell. He had seen Harry reach his wand and took a few steps towards his master. "You will not ruin my moment of pleasure."

"But sir–" Quirrell begged.

"Silence!" Voldemort roared.

Voldemort had turned his side to Harry, and it had given him the few moments that he needed to scramble to his knees and point his wand at the Dark Lord.

"No!" Quirrell screamed and lunged for his master as Harry uttered two unforgivable words.

"Avada Kedavra!"

oOo

"I can't believe you lied to me about who you are!" Draco turned on Harry the second the door to his room shut. His eyes flashed a molten silver.

Harry stepped back in surprise. He had been expecting a highly anticipated repeat performance of what happened in the ministry bathroom a few weeks ago. Not an irate Draco with a hateful glare.

"I'm sorry, but it's not like I expected to ever see you again." Harry defended himself. "Kirke Shacklebolt is my alias in the Ministry."

Draco's chest tightened and he glared more fiercely. "Oh. I see. You never wanted to see me again. I was just some quick shag you had in the bathroom. Just another notch on the famous Harry Potter's belt." He spit out bitterly. The weeks after the bathroom encounter were hard on Draco. He kept hoping Kirke would send him an owl, but nothing ever came. Nothing.

"No, Draco, I never expected to see you again but that doesn't mean I didn't want to see you again. And you meant something to me too. But when you have a life expectancy like a gnat like I do, you tend not to expect much from life and make the most of it while you can." Harry growled as he slammed the side of his fist into the stone wall to relieve a bit of his frustration.

"I meant something to you? Just something?"

"Yeah, something. I don't know what but something, yes!"

"I gave you my virginity for Merlin's sake!"

Harry stopped dead. "You...what? Virgin?" He half whispered.

"Yes! You couldn't tell?"

"No! What kind of virgin has sex in a public bathroom?"

"One who thought they found the perfect man!" Draco snarled back. Harry stared in amazement at the blonde. Perfect? "But you obviously aren't perfect, not even letting a bloke know that they just shagged the most famous person in the wiz–"

Draco was interrupted as Harry's lips crashed down on his. He protested at first but Harry was persistent and felt too damn good. Draco moaned as Harry sucked on his bottom lip and one hand stroked the small of his back.

"You think I'm perfect?" Harry whispered against his lips.

Draco gasped as Harry nibbled along his jaw. "Th-thought. Past tense."

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for the past couple of weeks. Your deceptively strong arms, your flawless skin, your taste, oh Circe, your taste." Harry licked at Draco's jugular and then blew across it. "You were the only thing I was looking forward to about this place."

Harry's words cut through the blissful haze Draco had fallen into and it took all his strength to push off Harry. Harry stumbled back a few steps in confusion.

"And you thought I'd welcome you between my legs again? After you lied to me? If you spent that past three weeks thinking about me you should have sent me a letter or something!" Draco hissed.

"A letter?" Harry barked. "And say what, 'Yo Draco, it's me, Kirke Shacklebolt! But guess what, that's not my real name. It's just one of my aliases and my real name is Harry Potter, yeah, the Boy-Who-Lived!'?"

"It would have been a start!" Draco glared. "I'm not letting you anywhere NEAR me now. You think that just because you're the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, that you can have anyone you want. Well guess what? You can't! Now get the FUCK out of MY room!" Draco snarled and ripped the door open to his room. "NOW!" He ordered.

Harry stormed out and Draco slammed the door the second he was out. "Fucker." Harry hissed in parseltongue at the door, and coincidently enough, Salazar Slytherin.

"I BEG your pardon?" Salazar asked.

"Sorry sir." Harry nodded and stormed off to the boy's staircase.

When Harry disappeared out of sight it was only then that the portrait realized they had their whole conversation in parselmouth.

oOo

Harry woke up the next morning in a foul mood. He showered and dressed with the rest of the seventh year boys in silence. They were still wary of Harry and didn't try to talk to him yet. Harry wore black slacks, a white button down shirt, and a black outer robe and that was the closest anyone was getting him to wear the Hogwarts uniform. He wasn't a student and therefore would not wear the full uniform. He almost wished someone would argue with him over it so he could chew their head off. He was pissed still from his and Draco's argument.

He followed the other boys up the stairs to the common room where he met Tracey.

"Hey, how was your night?" She greeted as they started out of the common room.

Harry shrugged. "It was fine. Goyle snores like a fog horn and Crabbe mumbles about bunnies and trolls. But they haven't tried to kill me in my sleep yet. You?"

Tracey smirked. "Mine was fine. I thought you would have slept in the head boy room." She raised her eyebrows.

"Me too." Harry narrowed his eyes in frustration. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Not before breakfast."

Breakfast passed without any incidents. Many of the students still stared at him in awe and whispered in their friends ears. Nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, today the Myrmidons were attending classes. NEWT level classes worked a bit differently, all the houses were mixed and no two NEWT classes were in session at the same time. Transfigurations was first.

Neville jogged up to Harry and Tracey as they walked to class. "'Morning guys. Man Harry it's a shame you skipped out on Gryffindor, they're loads of fun and the seventh years are nice blokes. I'm pretty sure if we had attended seven years ago I would have been sorted to Gryffindor."

"Please!" Mandy butt in sarcastically as she joined the group. "You're a hundred percent Hufflepuff. Sure, you're brave and courageous but then you see a friggin' nettle and you're off blubbering about how wonderful nettles are and start listing the potions they're in."

"So, wouldn't that make him a Slytherin?" Tracey pointed out. "After all, Professor Snape could do the same and he's the Head of House."

"Let me emphasize the blubbering. I doubt Snape blubbers." Mandy smirked.

"I do not blubber over nettles and their uses." Neville huffed. "Maybe a Mandrake, or a Chinese Chomping Cabbage. At least I know something useful. What do you know, muggle fashion?"

"Hey, I have a very practical skill for undercover missions. Yours isn't useful in the field." Mandy argued back.

"Oh shut up. It's too early in the morning to deal with you two prattling on about nothing." Roger moaned as he joined in.

"Agreed." Harry nodded.

Both huffed and glared at each other and then Harry and Roger.

oOo

Classes were boring. That was the only thing that Harry could think about. Transfiguration, normally a fascinating subject, was full of theory and writing essays. Essays had always seemed pointless to Harry, and the Theory was beaten into them five or six years ago. McGonagall was a good teacher, but the subject matter was dull. Harry, to keep himself awake, started listing ministry regulations on magical creatures by species alphabetically mentally. Occasionally he, or Tracey, would elbow Neville to keep him awake.

But History of Magic was the worst. And Roger had a rant or two stored up by the time the bell dismissed them.

"I can't believe they have a ghost, a sodding GHOST, teaching one of the most important subjects." Roger glowered as they left the room.

"Most important? Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Neville asked skeptically as he stretched his arms. Lucky for him noone bothered to keep him awake and he enjoyed a nice long nap.

"How are the students supposed to learn from past mistakes if they don't know what the past mistakes are? History is doomed to repeat itself unless we do something about it. No wonder we're in another war with another Dark Lord." Roger ranted. "History is fascinating! They're learning about Merlin and Arthur and Morgaine and none of them were interested. And they're all Ravenclaws! History is the easiest subject! It should be full of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors!" Roger was passionate about history. If they were ever allowed to retire, Harry was sure that Roger would spend the rest of his life traveling and studying other cultures and their past.

"I never knew that anyone could make Arthur Penndragon boring." Harry yawned. He was guilty of dozing during the dull lecture. "He's one of my favorite historical figures."

"Exactly! I'm going to have a word with the Headmaster about this. It's ludicrous! I bet no one in this school actually knows who they Myrmidons were." Roger sighed bitterly.

"Ooh, I'll take this bet. Five galleons." Mandy bounced.

"Fine. Harry is judge." Roger agreed with a predatory grin.

"Me?" Harry asked startled.

"Well, yeah, no one has the guts to lie to you." Roger shrugged.

"That's true." Mandy nodded.

And with a bet in play, there were off to lunch.

oOo

The last class of the day was, unfortunately, potions. Harry didn't really like potions, they took too much time to brew and Harry was more of a instant results kind of guy. But he could brew the necessities: healing potions, calming draughts, and pain reliever potions. But from the moment Harry sat in the back of the room next to Roger, Professor Snape was out for his blood.

"Today we are going to review the last few years of your pathetic existence and ensure that our new ... additions to the class are worthy of being here. Potter!" Snape barked and whirled around to face the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Yes?" He asked warily.

"If I combined Sneezewort, Scurvy-grass, and lovage, what potion would I get?" He snarled.

Harry blinked. One time in Albania he, Neville, and Mandy all stumbled into a nest of Imps while they were looking for Sneezewort. They needed it to brew... brew... Imps are known for befuddling... "...A befuddlement draught?" Harry answered uncertainly.

"The correct name is Confusing and Befuddlement Draught. I would think that someone who passed his OWLs years ago would remember such as simple fifth year potion. This is who the Ministry of Magic hopes will save us all? Pathetic." Snape snarled.

"Whoa. Yeah, the Ministry of Magic does hope that I'll save the world. Again. But I doubt Lord Voldemort-" the whole room flinched "-is going to fall for a befuddlement draught. So I fail to see your point." Harry glowered back.

"Thank you Mr. Potter. Class, thank Mr. Potter for the meter long essay on all the kinds of befuddlement draughts he just earned you. Which is assigned on top of the essay on caldron thickness that was previously assigned and both due by next class." Snape faced the rest of the room and growled.

Draco flinched. He couldn't believe Snape assigned so much work on the first day of class. This year was going to be killer with his workload, Quidditch and Head Boy duties. He sent a quick glance and at the baffled Potter. Snape was being extra vicious to him, and he felt sorry for him. Draco wanted to tell him that Snape was an arse on a good day and not to feel bad, but Draco still didn't want to talk to him. Draco Malfoy was nobody's trash.

oOo

"I've had a real fucking bad day." Harry was lying spread eagle in the middle of a corridor on the fifth floor and in front of a statue of Gregory the Smarmy. Neville wasn't quite sure what 'smarmy' was, but waved it off as he plopped down next to his friend. It was dinner time so it was only him, Neville, and Tracey in the corridor. They had just finished the evening patrol.

"I don't know why Snape was picking on you so bad. It's as if he has a personal vendetta against you." Neville mused.

"Shacklebolt says he's a good guy though, he's in the Order of Phoenix." Tracey sat down on Harry's other side.

"And you're even in his House. I hope Draco was worth switching into Slytherin." Neville teased.

Harry stared at Neville. "You think I switched because of Draco?" He asked in disbelief.

"What, you didn't?" Neville grinned and nudged his unamused friend.

"No, I didn't. I switched because Tracey's parents are Death Eaters that escaped from Azkaban a few years ago and Slytherin is full of Death Eaters' children." Harry replied coldly.

"All right then, Draco is a perk."

"I haven't fucking touched him." Harry growled.

"Nev, leave it alone." Tracey hissed. She could sense Harry's rising anger.

"Wait, you haven't touched Draco? I remember you were so excited to see him again." Neville continued to prod Harry for information.

"No. I haven't. He's pissed because I lied to him about my name and he thinks he was 'just another notch on Harry Potter's belt' and he thinks I've been mollycoddled my entire life." Harry ranted. "As if I've ever been coddled."

"C'mon Harry, of course you've been coddled your entire life." Neville rolled his eyes.

"Coddled? You think I've been CODDLE my entire life?" Harry sat up to face Neville. Obviously that was the worst thing to say to the seething teen. Harry's anger and frustration had been building up all day and Neville just pushed him over the proverbial edge.

"Harry, I meant-"

"So when I broke my arm in four places after saving Scrimgeour's ass from a covenant of vampires and he made me heal the muggle way so that I would learn to better deal with pain, I was being coddled?" Harry snarled.

"No, Harry that's not-"

"And when I first killed a human BEING at age TWELVE and then none of my friends were allowed to comfort me from the resulting nightmares so that I could become a stronger person, I was being coddled?"

"Harry, calm down-"

"Or how about when Moody left me half dead and defenseless in the middle of the AMAZON rainforest with my only company a snake that had tried to EAT me the day before and called it survival training, I guess that hard-ass Moody was just CODDLING me again! Because you sure FUCKING fooled me!" Harry roared. He clenched every muscle in his body in anger and a nearby window exploded. Neville scooted away from his steaming friend.

"Harry." Tracey placed a calming hand on his shoulder and began in a soothing tone, "You haven't been coddled, none of us have. We all had a fucked up childhood, and they were the hardest on you. But you still stayed strong. We take comfort from your unwavering strength. We look up to you as an older brother. We love you." Harry began to relax bit by bit and Tracey began to stroke Harry's back to comfort him. "Neville only meant that witches and woman, wizards and men have coddle you. They refuse to deny you pleasures, even if they don't know you're the famous Harry Potter. And you've been spoiled in the way that no one has ever attempted to deny you sex when you wanted it."

Harry sighed in defeat. He knew Tracey was right. And he shouldn't have gotten so mad at Neville, but was just so frustrated. "Merlin's balls, Nev, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up at you, I've just been so fucking pissed with everything today and I just... exploded. Sorry." Harry glanced over at the other teen.

Neville smiled and patted Harry on the shoulder. "It's okay. Even you are allowed to have tantrums every now and then. Just be glad it wasn't in front of the students. Or Dumbledore."

"Yeah. I'm starving, let's go raid the kitchens. Dinner is finishing up in a few minutes." Harry stood and brushed himself off.

"Sounds good. We just have to tickle ... a peach? Pear? Pomegranate? Some kinda fruit." Neville grinned.

"A green pear." Tracey corrected.

The three teens meandered their way down the floors. When they reached the second floor Harry froze as a murderous voice rushed over him. "Rip...Tear...Kill...hungry...hungry for so long...time to kill..."

"Holy fuck, did you guys hear that?"

The voice began to fade, but Harry could still faintly hear it. "Blood... I smell blood..."

"Hear what?" Tracey and Neville asked at the same time. They instantly became guarded and looked around suspiciously.

"That voice... I think it was parseltongue." Harry stared at the wall in shock. Was there a ghost in the school that could speak parseltongue? Or ... maybe a snake in the walls? But it was going to kill...

Harry started to jog along the wall in an attempt to find the voice again. Tracey and Neville jogged after him. Harry didn't catch up to the voice again, instead he found something worse.

"Merlin!" Neville gaped. "Isn' that the Caretaker's cat? Filch's?"

"Mrs. Norris." Tracey filled in softly.

Mrs. Norris was strung up by her tail from a torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, eyes wide and staring. But above the poor feline was what really got the three of them. Scrawled in blood read:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE

oOo

To Be Continued!

Thanks to all who have read this so far! especially: baby-legolas, dablksaiyangurl, DemonRouge (I love bad ass!harry too), huwaw, Wolflady, zoomaphonethepirate (thanks!), fudgebaby, someonesgurl, Like Totally Like, slashysecrets, HDoBseSsIon, Lady Slone (don't worry, you're right ), Calyxess (thanks!), blu sanada (3 reviews! woot! thanks!), soldmysoul (ah, thanks. if that's the only mistake it's a miracle! and Proudfoot is actually some random auror that i stole from the HP lexicon), SuperChic (i didn't make you wait too long), Morsus (I'll try adding more detail! thanks!), Miss Moonlight, DrAco's FAN GurL, Tora88 (there will be a flashback in every chapter), RavenMistress (I'll have to have some tonks and draco interaction), Lady Jillyan Malfoy-Potter, Celeste Jacobs, Earendilsgirl (I like to see a strong Neville too), Lisa14, DeathzBeauty, XxscreamingXXsilencexX, CompleteGeek (ah thanks!), and Ashes of Stars

Thanks everyone! let me know what you thought of that twist, eh? did anyone see that coming? Review please!