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Balance Factor Chapter 12

Year Two

The Chamber

HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER

Harry looked at the words on the wall. Ron looked horrified, both at the thought of being caught and at the message.

"The monster took one of the students. Dragged it right into the Chamber itself," McGonagall said seriously. Sprout looked terrified.

"Who is it, Minerva?" Sprout asked.

"Ginny Weasley."

Harry spotted the petrified look on Ron's face. But then a door banged open.

"Sorry, dozed off, what have I missed?" Lockhart said loudly, disregarding the mood completely.

Snape scowled, standing up. "Just the man we need. The monster has dragged off a student. Now is your time to shine, Gilderoy."

Lockhart looked confused.

"Oh yes, didn't you tell me that you knew where the entrance to the Chamber was all along?" Sprout said. Harry snorted softly at Lockhart's crestfallen face.

"I-"

"And didn't you tell us that you wish you'd have gotten a crack at the monster?" Flitwick inputted. Lockhart laughed nervously.

"What I meant-"

"Very well. Then we shall leave the rescue of the student in your capable hands," McGonagall said crisply. Lockhart paled a little, but then took a deep breath.

"Very… well… I'll be in my office getting… getting ready."

Lockhart swept out of the room. McGonagall snorted.

"That's one problem out of our hair."

Ron pulled Harry aside, looking at him excitedly.

"Harry, this is our chance! We can tell Lockhart what we know and he can defeat the basilisk!" Ron said, the prospect of saving Ginny completely throwing common sense out the window. Harry looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really think Lockhart would be noble enough to do that?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head.

"Well, we've got to try, shouldn't we?" he asked. "Come on." He pulled Harry along, almost half dragging him into Lockhart's office. Harry looked down at the concealed two way mirror, tempted to ask Draco how to kill the giant snake.

Lockhart was scrambling around, smashing things into a suitcase. He stopped short as he spotted the two boys. "Oh… Hello boys! I've got an emergency. Got to run!"

"Well what about my sister?!" Ron yelled desperately. Lockhart gave him a pitying look.

"Most unfortunate, yes," Lockhart said, closing the suitcase, his office stripped bare.

"What about all the things you did?!" Ron cried out indignant. "Those books you wrote!"

"Books can be misleading." Lockhart said, throwing a stack of books into a bag.

"I knew he was a fraud," Harry muttered, glancing at Ron. Ron fumed.

"You're the Defense Against Dark Arts Professor!" Ron said.

"Well, when I signed up for the job, I admit, this wasn't what I had in mind," Lockhart said, dragging his suitcase to the door. "Just one more thing, I think." He turned to the boys and said, "Sorry boys , but I'm going to have to erase your memories. I can't have you going around and babbling my secrets." He brandished his wand but Ron was faster.

"Expelliarmus!"

Lockhart's wand flew high out of his reach. Harry caught it.

"You're coming with us," Harry said quietly. "We know where the entrance is. And what's in it. With any luck you'll survive both, but I wouldn't count on it." He led the way as Ron prodded Lockhart in the back, forcing him to move with them.

"Boys… Boys…" Lockhart said weakly, not knowing what to say. Harry ignored him.

After the fiasco with Moaning Myrtle, Harry opened the Chamber. He slid down the pipe and landed in a pile of snake skin. Frowning, he moved aside to allow Lockhart and Ron landing space. He inspected the skin and then looked up to stare at the stone walls. Considering the size of the chamber and snake skin, they were dealing with something quite large. Lockhart fell heavily, but Harry ignored him.

"Get up," Ron said. Harry looked back at him, frowning. "We're going deeper in."

Lockhart suddenly lashed out and wrestled Ron's wand from his grip. He shot a strange spell at Ron. Harry threw up a powerful barrier between him and Ron, causing the spell to bounce off and hit Lockhart. Lockhart was blasted backwards.

"Ah…" Harry said quietly, looking at the fallen Professor. "I didn't mean to do that…" He glanced up as he heard a soft rumbling. Then he leapt back narrowly avoiding being squashed by falling debris. Apparently, decades of water had weakened the structure. He waved his hand in front of his face in attempt to clear the air around him.

"Harry," Ron coughed. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Harry said. Ron frowned as Lockhart sat up. Due to the angle, Harry couldn't see Lockhart or Ron. "Ron?"

"Hello," Lockhart said pleasantly at Ron. Ron swallowed a little, wondering if the older man was going to attack him again. "Who are you?"

"Ron Weasley?" The ginger head said uncertainly.

"Oh… And… Who am I?"

Ron stared at Lockhart and then said, "Harry, Lockhart's memory charm backfired! He doesn't know who he is or who we are."

"Good," Harry said. "Maybe he'll shut up for once." He sighed and turned to the tunnel. "I'm going to go see if I can find Ginny." He looked down the chamber and ruffled his hair a little. "Draco? Did you ever find out what kills a basilisk?"

There was a small shuffle on the other side of the mirror. Draco's face appeared.

"The crowing of a rooster," he said. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Great. Get me fifty roosters and throw them in the Chamber of Secrets with me, will you?" Harry said sarcastically. "Any spells?"

"Basilisks are resilient to spellwork," Draco said, shuffling some papers. "I suppose you could slice it in half. That outta do the trick."

"Hmm… If worse comes to worst, I suppose," Harry said mildly, placing his hand against the wall and closing his eyes. "If you hear things turn bad, mind calling Professor Dumbledore? I don't think he can find his way in, but I'm pretty sure he can have at least a few people ready to take Ron and Lockhart."

"What happened to Lockhart?" Draco asked. Harry frowned, feeling his way across the room.

"Got hit by his own memory charm," Harry said. Draco snorted.

Harry made his way deep into the Chamber, stopping at the stone door. He hissed out a "open" and watched the Chamber door move. He was in.

Ginny Weasley was on the floor, pale and looking very much drained. Harry stepped forward, gazing down at her and then at the book beside her. Draco had mentioned a diary to him. Perhaps it had been Ginny's.

"She won't wake."

Harry looked up, frowning a little. A young man was standing a few feet away, staring at him, apparently fascinated. Harry looked back at Ginny and spoke.

"And it's your fault, I suppose?" Harry asked. The man turned to Ginny.

"It's that foolish little girl's fault." The man said, "I've waited a long time to meet you, Harry Potter."

"Oh? Really? And who might you be?" Harry asked, looking at him suspiciously. "Not a whole being. A mere... fragment. You drain the life force of those who fall into your trap.

"The memory of Riddle," Riddle said, looking at him. "Tell me, Harry Potter, how did you survive the greatest wizard of all time? Why did you survive?"

"Why would you need to know?" Harry asked, sitting down on the stone floor, looking at the water. "Voldemort is after your time." He gazed up at Riddle. Riddle smiled grimly.

"Voldemort is my past... my present... my future." Riddle held up Ginny's wand and waved it. Letters flew out and spelled out:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He waved the wand again and the letters rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see. I am the memory of the greatest wizard who ever lived," Riddle said. Harry snorted.

"Greatness cannot be defined so simply," Harry said. "You feared Professor Dumbledore's power. Legend has it he was the only wizard you ever feared. You prey on the weaker and less magically powerful than yourself. That's a coward's way of fighting."

Riddle's face contorted in anger. "Dumbledore was driven out of the school by the mere memory of me!"

Harry laughed. "And therefore the school is defenseless? You underestimate the power of wizards today. Wake up, old man. Fifty years ago, you may have been the big shot, but not anymore. You were a vile and disgusting parasite before and now you're sapping the soul of children. How desperate you are, Voldemort."

Riddle opened his mouth in anger, but there was a sudden thrill. Fawkes the phoenix flew down and dropped the Sorting Hat in Harry's lap. Harry blinked as Riddle laughed.

"So... this is what Dumbledore sends his greatest defender. A songbird... and a hat..." Riddle spoke in disgust. Turning to the stone statue, he hissed. "Come to me, Slytherin, Greatest of Four!"

There was a low rumble and Harry closed his eyes. Riddle chuckled.

"Accepting your fate, Harry Potter?" He leered. The basilisk slithered across the water, rearing up to look down at Harry. Harry smiled a little.

Fangs flashed, but Harry did a quick backflip to dodge it. He flipped several more times; landing on the ground, water splashing a little. The basilisk hissed and swung its tail at him, which Harry also dodged. Riddle looked stunned.

There was a screech and Fawkes swooped down, beak and talons meeting fangs and scales. There was a loud hissing and then a spurt of blood Harry barely avoided. The basilisk thrashed and Riddle screamed.

"The bird may have blinded the basilisk, but it can still smell you!" Riddle hissed.

Harry opened his eyes. He looked at the snake and dodged its thrashing. He didn't know any spells to take down such a large creature.

His Factor pulsed and echoed. Harry gave a small start as his extendable sack started to leak darkness, spreading out to his hands. Fawkes gave a soft cry, feathers falling and flapped away from him, flying up. Harry pulled out the cane head.

Darkness spread over the item, gathering to form a single, shiny blade. Harry smiled.

"Kill the boy!" Riddle said furiously. Harry held the blade up, basking in the power which used to belong to Shirogane. Riddle took a step back. "Harry Potter! What kind of Dark Magic is this?!"

"Dark Magic? Oh, no, Riddle. This is simply magic you have not seen before," Harry said softly, holding up the blade and swinging it as the basilisk tried to strike him with his tail. The katana cut through the flesh like butter, darkness pouring out of the wound on the large creature.

No wonder Shirogane loved his katana. This kind of power coupled with this kind of weapon was almost intoxicating. A pleasant shiver ran through his body, darkness spilling off his body and onto the floor, rising up the walls. Riddle gasped, casting the killing curse at Harry with Ginny's wand. Harry raised his blade, his eyes sparkling with a deep red color. The killing curse dissolved in the shadows.

"No…!" Riddle gasped. The basilisk lunged again with its sharp fangs, but was sliced cleanly in half by the katana Harry was holding. Black hair slowly became white, lengthening and wrapping around his body. His robes changed from black to white. A burst of darkness later, a black cape covered his shoulders, lined with silver and gold. Harry's eyes swarmed with the reddish color of Ryuuko's eyes consumed with madness.

"Your presence offends me…" Harry spoke pleasantly, his red eyes gazing straight into Riddle. Riddle took a step back, shooting curse after curse at Harry. Harry leaped high into the air and was suddenly face to face with Riddle. "So you're better off dead. Will you die?"

The wand quivered in Riddle's hand, Riddle seemingly frozen in place. Harry kicked the wand out of Riddle's hands and swung the katana at him, stabbing him clean in the stomach.

"I wonder how pretty your organs look from the inside. Shall we see?" Harry asked, his eyes dripping with malice, face set into a pleasantly terrifying expression. Riddle gasped, the darkness leaking off the sword. He was going to die. Oh god, he was going to die…!

"HARRY!"

Harry jerked back, the red in his eyes vanishing into emerald green again. The white hair disappeared into the darkness and his clothes were suddenly replaced by his school robe again. Draco's voice echoed in his head, beating the darkness aside just enough where the light in his Factor was able to be seen. The equilibrium quivered, then remained balanced between Light and Dark.

"…What… happened…?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. What in the world was that?! He had never felt like that before! Not even anything close to it. That wasn't his father. That had been… himself. "Draco…?"

"Came to your senses, finally?" Draco asked, the glint of the two way mirror hidden over Harry's clothes. "You see the diary? Riddle probably came out of that. He is a memory, after all."

Harry turned to the diary, looking at it next to Ginny. Then he pulled out the katana roughly and plunged it straight into the diary.

There was a horrible, hiss-like scream as Riddle started to dissolve. Harry cut the book in half and stabbed each half twice. Riddle screamed louder, exploding into particles of light.

Harry panted and looked down at Shirogane's katana. That was… very dangerous. He didn't know what had happened there, but he could feel his body depleting the extra darkness it had accumulated.

"Draco…? What happened to me?" Harry asked slowly. Ginny gasped and sat up, looking shocked. But Harry wasn't even paying attention.

"You're asking me, Potter? How, in Merlin's name, would I know?" Draco scoffed. "You went berserk or something. There was blackness coming from the mirror when I turned to look at it." He paused and sighed. "Is Riddle gone, by the way?"

"More or less," Harry said, looking at Ginny for the first time. Fawkes swooped down again, flapping his lovely golden-red wings, waving its tail at him. Harry shook his head, standing up straight, supporting himself with the katana.

"Harry…! I-" Ginny started, but was cut off by Harry.

"Save it for Professor Dumbledore, Ginny," Harry said. Ginny gulped and started to cry. Harry ignored her, trying to process what had happened during that fight with Riddle and the basilisk, moving towards the entrance. Ginny followed, sobbing loudly, Fawkes giving a small musical thrill, picking up the Sorting Hat before following.

Harry absentmindedly sliced through the rock, looking at Ron on the other side. Ron was holding a few rocks, moving them aside to try to get to Harry.

"Harry! Ginny!" Ron rushed forward and hugged them both, closing his eyes and gasping in relief. Harry remained still and let the other boy hug him, his mind still spinning from the possibilities of what could have happened in the Chamber.

What was going on? Was he losing control of the balance? He had kept it stable for years now, so why did it suddenly go out of control like that.

"Harry, where did you get that huge sword?"

Harry sighed, looking at the weapon. Maybe he should have put this away.

Now, if only he knew how…

-0-

Ten minutes, three narrow hits to Ron's neck, and a thoroughly knocked out Lockhart later, Harry had finally resealed the weapon back into the cane head. He sighed deeply, leaning back. It should have been obvious that all he had to do was draw the Darkness back out of the cane head, but it took several tries. The Darkness he had placed into it over the year had built up significantly.

Harry was sitting on the floor, panting hard as he saw drops of sweat fall on the floor. That was too dangerous of a power to use, whatever he did. Without Ryuuko or Shirogane there, he was essentially running blind into something no one had a clue about.

He stood up shakily, running his hand through his waist length black hair. Ron smiled a little, looking at him.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Harry nodded, shaking his head a little.

"I think so…" Harry said. He looked at Ginny sitting quietly, being soothed by Fawkes and then Lockhart sprawled across the stone cold floor. "We're going to get out now… But how will you two get out?" He purposefully discounted Lockhart from the question, not even really wanting to rescue the other man.

Fawkes looked at them before flying to Harry, offering his tail feathers. Harry paused, watching him wave them and then grabbed the feathers. Ron held onto Harry and half cradled Ginny as Fawkes started to fly up, snatching Lockhart along the way in his talons. Harry felt a pang of disappointment. He personally wouldn't have minded if they had left Lockhart behind...

By the time Harry had swung open the door to McGonagall's office, he had already thought about his next step. He swept into the room and dropped the diary pieces on the table, scowling at Dumbledore.

"If you ever see Voldemort ever again, tell him that the next time it'll be his head in pieces," Harry growled, ignoring Mrs. Weasley's joyous cry of "GINNY". Harry crossed his arms and Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, shaking his head a little.

"Harry… You shouldn't talk to Professor Dumbledore like that…" Ron said. But Harry shot him a nasty glare before turning back to Dumbledore.

"I specifically told you last year that you needed to screen your teachers better!" Harry growled, pointing at Lockhart, who was looking around curiously. "Not only was he a complete fraud, he was completely willing to let Ginny Weasley die in the Chamber of Secrets! Let's not even talk about his Professor status-let's talk about his quality as a human being!"

Before Dumbledore could reply, the door slammed open. Lucius Malfoy entered, but stopped dead when he saw the Weasleys. He sniffed in distain, moving to face Dumbledore. "So, you've returned."

"I'll deal with you later!" Harry snarled, glaring at Lucius with one emerald eye, a dark look passing his face. Lucius almost flinched.

"Harry… I think we all need to calm down and…" Dumbledore started. Harry slammed his fist on the desk, cracking the wood.

"I AM CALM!" He roared, furious.

Ron turned to his mother, letting her wrap him in a hug. "Mum…?" He chose to ignore the fuming Harry, as nothing good would come out of messing with the already angry boy.

Harry glared into Dumbledore's eyes and stood up sharply. "Forget it. There's no point in arguing with you. AND YOU!" Harry rounded on Lucius. "You better free your god-damn house elf or I will murder you myself. But before you do, tell that thing to never attempt to save my life. EVER AGAIN!"

Lucius looked a little miffed.

-0-

The end of term feast wasn't as grand as Harry would have liked. Still, he managed to eat some foods and taste others. Draco had reported to him, with a snort, that he had freed Dobby and taken on a new house elf. His father didn't seem to care either way.

The Mandrake drought had been a success, though at this point, Harry could have cared less. He told Hermione and Draco what had happened in the Chamber, as well as filled in what Ron was missing from the truth.

Harry revealed nothing in front of his friends, even after he was on the train. He didn't feel like it was fair to explain to them something he did not understand himself. He simply told them that he had found out he possessed a power that he didn't know he had. Draco was the only one not to look convinced, but Harry didn't elaborate.

He had to figure himself out first.