A/N: Yes, we are getting close to the end. And I do want to thank everyone for continuing to read the story. I've tried to give a reply all of my reviews but I gave up on being timely about it, and I'm sure I've neglected a few. For that I apologize. You spent the time to say something, I should, at the least, acknowledge it.
For those who are curious about Malcolm, I have a week worth of chapters ready to post, and I am prepping the chapters at a rate of two to three a week. I've tried to make each chapter longer, which means the story won't have as many chapters as the book. And I may make changes. For example, I am strongly considering the idea of having a plot in this story. Please note: because it is a Malcolm story the chapters, once I start, will be posted daily.
Good Reading.
Chapter 14: The Chamber of Secrets.
Draco followed Moody into the pipe. He regretted it at once. It stank of mold and damp, and death. He fell down the pipe as though sliding down a steep ramp. He reached the bottom to land amid a pile of old bones. Moody was already on his feet and had his wand out.
He was in a cave. The light was enough to make out the rough walls and ceiling, but the smell told him the most. That and the crunch of bones under his feet from long dead rats and other vermin. He carefully approached Moody, trying to figure out what the man was looking at. All he could tell was that it was large and long, although it had a fragile look about it, like a sewer pipe made from parchment. He was almost sure of what the answer would be when he asked his question: "What is it?"
"Snakes shed their skin as they grow," Moody said without emotion. He led the way past the discarded skin which must have been at least twenty meters long. It was only a slight relief when they finally passed it. The snake which shed it was still somewhere in front of him.
"Do you hear anything?" Moody asked in a whisper.
"Only us."
"And me," Myrtle's voice said softly from behind them.
"You followed us?" Draco asked.
"You're hunting whatever killed me. I thought I could help. I mean, I can't die again."
Draco smiled, but it was Moody who spoke. "Thank you for coming. We can use your help."
Myrtle smiled at the polite tone he used, and floated next to Draco as they made their way. No one spoke but Draco felt increasingly uneasy as they went. The only noise was the occasional crunching of the bones beneath their feet.
It was almost a relief when they reached the end. It was a flat wall etched with two intertwined serpents with jewels for eyes, the same colour eyes that Draco had. No one had to tell him that the Chamber of Secrets was on the other side. And he had no idea what he would find.
"Should I tell it to open?" Draco offered. As Moody was in charge, it was for him to say.
Moody started to answer but paused to look at Myrtle. "Miss, may I ask a favour? It could be dangerous."
Myrtle smiled. "Gee, what kind of favour would you want from a girl who can float through walls?" Laughing lightly at her joke, she glided forward. She slowed as Moody admonished her to be careful. No one knew what effect a basilisk would have on a ghost. She nodded to him, then faded into the wall.
Faster than expected, Myrtle returned. Her face showed confusion and surprise.
"Draco," her urgent whisper called, "That boy is in there. And he looks EXACTLY like I remember him. That girl is lying unconscious on the floor and he's standing there . . . watching her. I think he's waiting for her to die."
"Who? Riddle?" Draco's eyes bulged when Myrtle nodded.
"The boy who owned the diary?" Moody asked. "Draco, that book has just become very important. Where did you get it?"
"Aunt Bella asked me if I wanted it. Her sister was trying to give it to the Weasleys but she was so rude she almost started a fight. Aunt Bella took the books away from her and told her to leave." A smile crossed his lips. "Then she told me she was my godmother."
Moody wasn't smiling. "You do understand, Mister Malfoy, that giving the girl that diary may have been the cause of all of this? That little bit of information ties all of the pieces together." His natural eye was focused on Draco, but it was as if he was thinking a deep thought. "And I think I understand what Tom Riddle is doing here."
"Um," Draco began. "You said that the book may be the cause of all of this?"
"I am willing to wager anything that the diary is . . . cursed. And that the curse is activated when you attempt to write in it. That isn't the real Tom Riddle, only a simulacrum. But that may be enough. It's safe to say that Miss Weasley is not the Heir of Slytherin, but she was possessed by him. And I know he had help. Someone who knew what the diary could do."
Moody's eyes both looked directly at Draco. "Our task here is now twice as hard, Mister Malfoy. We have to stop the basilisk and we have to destroy that book." He paused. "And we have to do it now."
"Will that save Ginny Weasley?"
Moody shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if she can be saved at this point. If we destroy the book, that keeps it from harming anyone else."
"She'll die?"
"She may already be dead."
"Do you want me to look?" Myrtle offered. It was obvious she did not want to.
"Thanks but no, Miss," Moody told her. "Could you do us one more favour? Let them know that we're going into the chamber? I'll have Draco open that door as soon as you're safely away."
Myrtle nodded with relief, smiling briefly when Draco told her he was grateful. She floated away and, once she was out of sight, Moody told Draco to open the door.
Draco sighed. He took a deep breath, paused, then said, "Moody, what would happen if a basilisk saw its own reflection?"
Moody snorted. With one hand he tapped the sunglasses sticking out of Draco's shirt pocket. "I am very interested in finding out."
Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out his sunglasses. The ones with the mirrored lenses. He paused. "Couldn't you conjure a mirror?"
"I could, but Riddle could unconjure it if I'm right. We'll try subtlety this time. If it doesn't work, then I'll conjure a mirror."
Draco smiled at the joke. And he did understand. As Moody clasped his shoulder, Draco turned to the door and called open. "Open by my command."
The serpents untwined themselves as the wall spit into two and retracted into either side of the cave. Once they had disappeared, the Chamber itself was visible. "Glasses on," Moody instructed, and guided Draco through the entrance.
The Chamber was, to Draco, more like an ornate temple to an ancient god. Tall pillars of stone stood on either side to support the high ceiling which stood above them, covered in darkness. Before them was a once grand aisle, now spotted with mud and mold. And at the far end stood a statue several stories tall. Draco did not need anyone to tell him that this was Salazar Slytherin. And it was possible to see all of this, even with the glasses on, because everything had a sickly green glow. He was also grateful that Alastor Moody was guiding him, because the sunglasses made the ground before him dark in the already dim light. As a result, he could barely make out where to walk. He spent his time watching the figure of the young man standing over the prone Ginny Weasley. It was about the halfway point. Moody began whispering instructions to Draco.
"If there is any sign of the basilisk, close your eyes at once. I'll try to attract its attention so that it comes close enough to see itself. If we succeed, do your best to keep him occupied until help arrives."
"And you?" Draco was curious.
"I can't close both my eyes. I'm hoping, because I'll see it with my left eye, I'll only be petrified. If I'm wrong, it was nice knowing you."
"But . . ." Suddenly this wasn't an adventure anymore. It had become real, and terrifying. "Why don't we wait for help?"
"Trust me," Moody told him. "Time is very important. And if you can destroy that book, it will help greatly. Most likely, you'll have to keep it away from him until the help does arrive." As though understanding Draco's next question, he added, "it's lying next to the Weasley girl. And I already know how to get my hands on it."
They stopped when they were still a fair distance. Moody then spoke loudly.
"Hello, Tom. I see you haven't changed."
Draco couldn't make out Tom Riddle's expression, but his voice held honey and menace.
"Could it be? Little Alastor Moody? You have grown from our school days but you're still as handsome as ever. And you brought your son. How charming."
"You don't mind my calling you Tom?" Moody asked. "I could call you by your new name."
Suspicion. "You know who I really am?"
Moody managed to laugh and snarl at the same time. "It was easy to figure out." He patted Draco's shoulder to let the boy know that the next remark was to be directed at him. When Draco looked up, Moody continued, loud enough for anyone in the Chamber to hear. "It's an anagram of his old name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Now he calls himself Lord Mia Voldemort."
"Stupid first name," Draco laughed.
"YOU DARE MAKE FUN OF ME? I . . . AM . . . LORD . . . VOLDEMORT."
"Temper, temper" Moody admonished. "It's nice to see you can still be easily provoked."
"Forgive me," Riddle said. The honey was gone from his voice. "I should never have let you trick me like that. It won't happen again."
"I know, Tommy Boy. That's why I'm here. I came to take care of you personally."
Draco could tell that Moody had drawn his wand and was pointing it. Tom Riddle was laughing.
"It won't work, Alastor. Whatever spell you use. I'm not really here."
"I'm not interested in you," Moody said calmly, then called out, "Accio Biblio." He let go of Draco to catch the diary as it flew toward him. He promptly handed it to Draco with the admonishment to run with it if needs be.
"How droll," Riddle's voice said. His voice became mocking sadness. "You can't destroy my book, either. It has such a powerful charm on it that doddering old Dumbledore couldn't break it in his prime. But you can hold on to it if it makes you feel better." He called out, in parseltongue, "Come. It is time to feed."
Draco looked up at Moody. "He said . . ."
"No need to translate, boy. We're having company. Get ready."
Even Draco could see the mouth of the statue begin to open. The monster was coming. And Draco could hear it clearly.
"I am hungry. I want to eat. I want to kill."
"Are you sure about all of this?" Draco asked. His confidence in Moody was fading rapidly as the great snake neared.
"Don't worry. And don't worry about me, either. All you have to do is stop that creature. And if I'm wrong about it being a basilisk, we'll both run like blazes. And if I'm right . . . you'll be seeing Dumbledore before I do. Tell him there's hell to pay." He glanced down at Draco. "And close your eyes."
Draco dutifully closed his eyes. "Your plan will work, though?"
"If it doesn't, you'll have no time to compl . . ."
Draco froze in his place. He knew exactly what had happened. Moody had seen the basilisk with his magical eye and was now petrified. He could almost hear the man saying, "Yes, that proves it"
"One down, one to go," Tom Riddle said cheerfully. He added, in a mocking tone, "Oh, did I say one? I meant two? I forgot about my girlfriend. She was rather fond of me, you know. She told me all of her secrets. She let me grow strong, strong enough to possess her. "
"Yeah, I know the story." Draco was half listening. He was more intent on hearing where the monster was. He could hear it sliding but . . . he began to shout, in parseltongue.
"Come On, You Fat Worm. I'm Right Here. Look Me In The Eye, You Stinking Smelly Excuse For A Snake." In the back of his head, Draco wondered if snakes understood about being taunted. He also made a mental note that Tom Riddle was expressing his surprise at discovering another parselmouth. As Riddle was assuring Draco that the serpent would only listen to him, the boy was screaming.
"LOOK ME IN THE EYE."
A fetid smell filled the air. Draco gasped and shouted again.
"LOOK, YOU BASTARD, LOOK."
A scream of rage erupted from where Riddle was standing. Amidst a garble of words, How and What were the only two that could be made out clearly. Draco dared to chance it, and opened his eyes. He could see nothing but a dark shape. He took off his sunglasses and looked. And laughed. The great snake was close enough he could have reached it in two strides. And it appeared to be made of stone. Petrified. With a touch of humour, Draco thought to himself that it would be best if this one weren't given the restorative potion. His laughter ended with a coughing fit.
"Oh, dear me," Tom Riddle said as he approached. "The laughter was amusing but that cough doesn't sound all that good. And, what's this?" Draco coughed once more into his sleeve as Riddle bent down, and came up holding Moody's wand. Riddle chuckled. "Why, I now have a wand. Isn't that amazing? And you aren't doing anything. I would wager that I could kill you right this moment and you wouldn't try to stop me." He paused. "Or I could cure your cough. Would you like that?" He smiled with genuine mirth. "No, wait, I don't think I can."
With an effort, Draco suppressed his cough, although his throat seemed scratchy. He tried to appear casual as he looked around for the best avenue of escape. Inside, he was cursing himself. Moody had told him more than once. Constant Vigilance. And he had let his guard down for the sake of a good laugh. He glared at the older boy as he tried to think of a way out. Riddle seemed to sense his mood and took a step toward him. Draco made it a point to step backward and away form him. At his third step backward, he bumped into something.
He turned around to see the basilisk. Its mouth open and turned at an angle. It took only a second to understand. The snake was turning its head sideways to swallow him when it finally caught its reflection. That was a mild surprise. In the cinemas, the monster always came from above.
Draco fought back the urge to cough. His chest was beginning to hurt. And Riddle was saying something to him.
"Whot?" The word came out hoarsely.
"Who are you? I'm curious. After all, you know who I am."
"Yeah, met you a couple times before." Draco was staring at the monster. At the mouth. It looked wet.
"You did?" Suspicion mixed with arrogance.
"Once, when I was a kid. Don't remember that." A drop of something oozed out of the beast's mouth. Science class, thought Draco. He remembered the teacher telling them about condensation. Hot breath and cold cave.
"Really?" A touch of amazement. "You are! You're Draco Malfoy. And my friend told me he had arranged to get rid of you." Riddle was gloating. "And here you are. You came back all this way, only to die." He grinned widely when Draco looked up at him. Then he laughed. "And you don't look well at all."
Draco knew he didn't look well. His throat hurt, but he could still swallow without a problem. His chest hurt, but he could still breathe. Not as easily. He knew what had happened. Riddle had hinted at it. The snake. When Draco smelled its breath, he must have inhaled some of its poison. It wasn't affecting him as quickly as if he had been bitten. Because it was diluted by the air. That meant that his death would be slower. And there would be much more pain.
"There's no cure," Riddle told him.
"So," Draco asked. "You said he helped you. Which teacher was it?"
Riddle still had his grin in place. "Which teacher?" He put his finger to his lips. "Let me see? Severus? No, I don't think he knows anything about the diary. And that would leave . . ." He waved his hand to dismiss the matter. "No, I don't think I'll tell you. I want you to die in ignorance. But . . . I'm not completely cruel. It wasn't a teacher. Any more questions while we wait?"
"Don't you want your book back?" Draco rasped. He tried to sound sarcastic, but it came out roughly, as though he was spitting the words out, which he was doing. He stood there, trembling, holding the book with both hands.
"I'll wait until you die. Not that I'll need it anymore."
It was funny, Draco thought as he shook his head. He understood what was happening, although he didn't know all the reasons why. Voldemort was trying to restore his body. He was doing so by means of the cursed Diary. Once his victim died, he would be whole.
"Ginny dead yet?" The words were an effort. Breathing was more difficult and his whole body was beginning to ache as the blood distributed the poison.
"Almost."
That was what Draco needed to know. His last act would not be a useless gesture. He swung his hands with all his remaining strength. The book hit one of the fangs of the basilisk, moist with poison, and was pierced by it. A scream from Tom Riddle gave him added strength. He swung again as hard as he could and the book lodged itself onto the large sharp tooth.
Draco turned to look at Riddle, who looked like he was in as much pain as Draco was. He could not keep his eyes on other boy as he was now falling, all of his strength gone. He did hear Riddle try to shout a spell. With satisfaction, he heard the sound of wood hitting stone as Moody's wand landed on the floor of the Chamber.
Pain laced through his body. Every part of him hurt. He vaguely heard Ginny Weasley say something but he was in no condition to acknowledge her or even to feel a bit of satisfaction that he had saved her life. His only thought was that he wished he were already dead.
Someone grabbed his arm and forced him on his back. Draco screamed. He didn't know it was possible to feel even more pain. Then he choked. Something had been thrown into his mouth. As a reflex, he swallowed.
It was as though someone had turned off a switch.
He laughed. Draco couldn't stop laughing. The sudden absence of pain made him feel so good that he couldn't do anything else. He felt someone try to pull him to his feet. He could move freely. He opened his eyes and his laughter went to a new level as he hugged Uncle Severus with all his might.
"Phoenix tears," Professor Snape was telling someone. "The only cure. I don't know about the euphoria."
"It's probably the relief," McGonagall said from behind. When Draco had calmed down enough to where he was only grinning madly, she suggested that the two children be led out of the chamber.
"She's . . ." Draco began to ask.
"Wishing she were dead," Ginny Weasley said from behind him.
"I know the feeling," Draco said jokingly as Professor Snape pushed him toward the exit. Draco stopped when he saw the Professor bend down and pick something up. He looked at his reflection in the mirrored lenses then held them out.
"Yours, I presume."
"Very useful," Draco said gleefully, as he took the sunglasses and put them in his pocket. As Snape led him and the sullen girl from the Chamber, Draco couldn't help himself. "You know, we could take the basilisk and put it out on the lawn. That Whomping Willow might like something to play with."
"I'll mention it to the headmaster," Snape said dryly.
"Mention what, Severus?" Dumbledore asked. He was standing at the entrance, breaking into a smile when Draco stopped to stare. "The board asked me to return when they found out about Miss Weasley. They thought I was the best man for the job. But it seems I wasn't needed." He looked past Draco into the chamber and his smile faded.
Draco couldn't help himself. He was still in too good a mood. "Hey, Albus. Uncle Al told me to give you a message. There's hell to pay."
He had to laugh at the headmaster's reaction. Dumbledore was clearly shocked that a student would dare to be so familiar. Draco didn't even mind that Professor Snape pushed him out of the Chamber for his rudeness.
Snape's wand was out and he was now leading the way through the cave back to the pipe. Ginny walked in the middle as they slowly made their way. It was enough time for Draco to calm down. As he did, he became aware of his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that he was wet from head to toe. He could barely see his hands in the dim light but they looked as though they had been stained. He would find out soon enough. Once . . . he thought of a question.
"Sir, how do we get out? The pipe is too steep to climb up. And it's not too clean, either."
"Professor Flitwick is waiting for us. He has our means of travel."
"A portkey?"
"No. A phoenix. The same one whose tears you drank." Snape looked back. "It is the only known cure, by the way. Please act out of character and show this creature some respect."
"Where'd he get a phoenix?"
"It belongs to the headmaster."
A light appeared ahead of them. Professor Flitwick held his glowing wand aloft. And Draco saw something else. A scarlet bird shining with its own light. As he walked up and could see the bird close at hand, he whispered, "you're beautiful."
The phoenix, looking at him, bowed its head in acknowledgment. A second later, the bird had left its rocky perch and Professor Flitwick was shouting at them to join hands. Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and she grabbed Snape's hand. The Professor reached out and grabbed the phoenix by the tail.
Draco felt as light as a feather and laughed as they began to fly up the pipe. He even saw Ginny smile at the experience. And all too soon, it was over.
They were standing in the girls bathroom with two teachers and Mister Filch staring at them. At him. Filch spoke.
"Merlin's beard. I've never seen such a mess. And you're going to track it through the halls, I'll bet."
Draco heard a familiar laugh. Moaning Myrtle was floating over her stall, her hand over her mouth. When she saw him look up, she pointed to one of the mirrors. Draco turned and looked. His blond hair was stained black with ink. Two bright spots, where he must have wiped his eyes, were the only clean spots, relatively speaking, on his face. Between the ink and the slime and the muck, a small bone could be seen stuck to his cheek.
Draco looked down. His clothes were also filthy, but not as bad as he expected. He saw Professor Snape watching him and knew why. There was a Draco sized stain all over the front of the man's robes. Draco tried to suppress a grin as he said, "Sorry about that."
Snape waved the apology away. "Despite Mister Filch's objections, we'll let you get cleaned up. We have time enough. Dumbledore will want everyone meeting in his office once they are done."
One of the other teachers, Snape said it was Professor Vector, led Ginny away while Draco was led in the other direction. In short order he was shown to the prefects bathroom and assured that clean clothes would be waiting for him when he was done. Before Snape left, he paused, his face unreadable. He started to say something, then stopped. "I'll collect you when you are ready."