"Ron?" Harry's voice came to him distorted, as if through water. Ron couldn't respond, couldn't even turn to look at him. All he could see were Riddle's shiny shoes, wavering every now and then, as if they weren't quite there. He just had to Wait quietly for the Dark Lord's instructions. "What have you done to him?" Harry demanded.
"Nothing," Riddle said smugly. "Perhaps your friends aren't what you thought, Harry." Harry said nothing, and Ron hoped he knew Ron couldn't help it, that he wasn't really a traitor. "And put your wand away; it's not going to do you any good." Ron couldn't see if Harry listened of not.
"Ron?" This time it was Ginny's voice, tiny, quavering, and confused. "No- Ron, you couldn't-" Ron wanted to say something, do something, but wasn't able to. Wait quietly for the Dark Lord's instructions.
Bugger off, he told the voice, for all the good it did.
"Oh, she didn't like that," Riddle said, sounding pleased. His shoes seemed to become a little more solid, and Ron heard movement from up where Harry and Ginny were. "Just leave her there, so we can have a chat-"
"Finite Incantatem!"
Riddle snorted and then said, "And what was that supposed to do, Harry? Make her better? Make me disappear?" He snorted again. But the spell had cleared Ron's mind. The voice was gone, and he wriggled his toes in his shoes - where Riddle couldn't see it - to be sure he was back in control. Relieved, his first instinct was to get to his feet and draw his wand, but he smothered it.
Think, he told himself. Getting up and causing a scene won't fix anything now. Better to wait. He stayed where he was, kneeling, but was able to look up.
Harry wasn't looking at him; likely as not, he didn't want to give them away, but some of the tension in his expression eased when Ron gave a slight nod. Ginny was draped over the foot of Slytherin's statue, unmoving. Ron's stomach twisted, but he thought he managed to keep his face blank.
"To think you ever beat me," Riddle scoffed. "And twice." He made a revolted noise. "Well, you're out of luck, Harry. There won't be a third time."
"I suppose we'll see, won't we?" Harry said tersely.
"You, a particularly average twelve year old, against me? I am the greatest wizard Hogwarts has ever seen, and I have the basilisk, who will come as soon as I call on her, while you're alone," Riddle said. "Unless, of course, you count Ginny, who's as good as dead, or my new servant." Ron felt Riddle's gaze on the side of his face.
"My Lord," he murmured. The words tasted foul in his mouth, but seemed to please Riddle, who smiled.
"You're not," Harry said quietly.
"Not what?" Riddle's smile froze in place.
"Not the greatest wizard Hogwarts has ever seen. What about Dumbledore-"
"Dumbledore's been removed from the school because he couldn't stop me," Riddle said, with an ugly look on his face. "I don't think highly of you, Harry, but you worked it out at least; you're here, futile though that may be. Dumbledore's old, useless, weak."
"You're one to talk about weak," Harry said. "You have to borrow bodies just to get around. The other you's in hiding, because he lost last year, and even when you were in power, you stayed well clear of Dumbledore. You're afraid of him, that's why you had to wait until he was gone before you came down here-"
"Afraid? Dumbledore's old and senile, and here I am, young and sharp. He couldn't even dream of accomplishing the things I've accomplished, of taking the steps to immortality that I have-"
"That's because he knows better," Harry said quietly. Ron wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that, but Riddle seemed to, and frowned.
"You're one to talk," Riddle said. "You're as involved as I am." This time, Harry didn't seem to know what he meant either, and Riddle's smile reappeared. Harry just stared at him, face blank. "Afraid," Riddle said again, and snorted. "Dumbledore's been driven out of the castle by the mere memory of me-"
"He's not gone though," Harry said. "He's still keeping an eye on things-" And at that moment, fire and music exploded over Harry's head. Ron lifted a hand to cover his eyes, and Riddle took a step back, looking startled. When the fire settled, there was a Phoenix sitting on Harry's shoulder. "See; Dumbledore sends his regards," Harry said quietly, and Ron could have cheered, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
"He's sent a bird," Riddle said, composing himself. "And- the school Sorting hat." He was looking at a ragged bundle at Harry's feet, and then, abruptly, laughed. "Do you feel safe now, Harry?" The bird on Harry's shoulder ruffled its feathers.
"Well, you haven't tried to hurt me or Ron, yet," Harry said. "So I reckon we're safe enough, yeah."
"Why you?" Riddle asked after a few moments. "You're normal. Not particularly good at anything, unless you count flying and prying into other peoples' business, not particularly gifted when it comes to magic, not related to anyone important… Why? Why did I try to kill you?"
"Couldn't say," Harry said lightly, but his expression was tight.
"That's the one thing I can't understand," Riddle said. "That, and how you survived, of course." He looked at Harry, perhaps trying to invite an explanation, but Harry was silent. "So we're just going to wait here in silence are we?" Riddle asked. "How dull."
"Wait?" Harry asked. "For what?" Riddle gestured up at him, and Ron watched as Harry's eyes dropped to Ginny.
"It's nearly complete," Riddle said quietly. "She'll be dead in a few more minutes, and I'll have my body back." He held his hand up and turned it over with an expression of interest, and then pulled a small leather book out of the pocket of his robes. Ron recognised it as Ginny's diary. "All year, she's been pouring her soul into my diary, letting me grow stronger on her fears and anger. By the time she worked out who I was, it was too late; she was mine." Ron wanted to punch the smug, possessive look off of Riddle's face, but forced himself to stay still. "Not that she didn't try to break free; the last time I left her alone, she and Percy tried to find Dumbledore, but you both know how that ended." Riddle smiled again, and Ron clenched his fists, thinking of Percy's scared, frozen face. "I didn't dare leave her alone after that, but it doesn't matter now. She's played her part, willingly or not."
"So what now, then?" Harry asked. "I suppose you're going to try to kill us?"
"You. Reluctant as I am to sabotage my older self," Riddle said, "I can't see any other alternative." Harry gave Riddle another blank look. Ron didn't think he was making sense either. "Stand." It took Ron a moment to realise Riddle was talking to him, and another second or two to work out what to do. Seeing no better option than to listen, he stood, legs stiff, and followed Riddle to the far left side of the Chamber to the edge of the water. Ron glanced down, nervously, and wondering at Riddle's reason for moving. "So what do you say, Harry?" Riddle called, smiling broadly, diary still in hand. "Are you ready to die?"
Harry lifted his wand in response, and the Phoenix lifted its wings, apparently ready to take to the air. Ron expected Riddle to pull his own wand out, but he started to hiss instead.
The basilisk will come when he calls her, Ron remembered. Right, game's up. Do something… He looked around. His wand was in his pocket, but he didn't know any spells that would be useful – either against Riddle, or against the basilisk. There was no way they'd be able to outrun it – not with Ginny as she was – and even if they could, Ron didn't have the first clue about how to help her.
So, Ron did the only thing he could think to do; he shoved Riddle, as hard as he could, and Riddle was solid enough that it worked; Riddle's hissing cut off as he fell backward into the water. Ron heard the splash, and Harry's startled laugh, but didn't look back. He ran for the statue.
Fawkes launched into the air and went to swoop at Riddle, who was struggling to climb out of the water. Harry heard him snarling, but he hadn't yet tried to summon the basilisk, so that gave them some time at least. Ron skidded to a stop at the foot of the statue, and a new wave of relief swept over Harry. He thought he'd fixed whatever was wrong with him with his earlier Finite but he hadn't been certain. Harry scooped Ginny up with some difficulty, and managed to lower her down to Ron.
"We need to get her out of here." Ron struggled under his sister's weight, but managed to keep hold of her, while Harry jumped down. "Petfrificus totalus!" he said, flicking his wand over Ron's shoulder. A wet, and furious-looking Riddle was fending Fawkes off with one hand, and trying to pull himself up with the other, but was forced to duck underwater to avoid Harry's spell.
Climbing back up that tunnel's not an option though, Harry thought, looking back up the Chamber. They wouldn't get back up to the school in time to help Ginny if they went that way. I can't make a portkey… I could probably Apparate – he doubted, given that none of the teachers knew where the Chamber was – that it was as well warded as the rest of the castle, but he was out of practice and didn't trust himself to be able to Side-Along with two people, and he wouldn't know where to take them; obviously the castle was too well warded to be an option, and he wasn't sure where the next best place for Ginny would be.
Fawkes swooped Riddle one last time, vanished, and then reappeared above Harry, like he had the first time.
"Fawkes," Harry breathed. "Ron, hold Ginny and grab hold of Fawkes." Understanding blossomed on Ron's face, and he reached up to grab one of Fawkes' long tail feathers. "Take us somewhere safe," Harry said, and looked over at Riddle, who'd managed to pull himself out of the water. By his hand, lying open where it must have fallen when Ron pushed him, was the diary. As the heat started to build around them, Harry let go of Fawkes.
Unlike the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, the Ravenclaws arrived loudly. Sirius caught snatches of their conversations.
"Who do you think it is?"
"No, it can't be him, it said 'her body'-"
"Still think it's a bad idea to close the school?"
An older man left them under Professor Sprout's eye, and Sirius watched him limp over to where Snape and McGonagall were talking. They spoke, briefly, and Sirius couldn't hear what was said over the noise, but Snape swept up the staircase leading to the dungeons, and the teacher – presumably the Silvanus that McGonagall had mentioned earlier - limped back to the students with McGonagall at his side. Next to Sirius, Marlene was watching intently.
"Into year level groups within the Houses, please!" Silvanus said in a gruff voice. "And then look around; if there's someone from your classes, or your dormitory who's missing, I want to know!" Scared whispers broke out amongst the students, and Sprout and McGonagall walked through them, apparently counting.
"No one," McGonagall said, after a few minutes, and swallowed audibly.
"Gryffindor, then," Sprout said grimly, putting her hand on McGonagall's arm.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked, approaching them. Yaxley and Marlene shadowed him, and he could smell their worry. But before McGonagall answered, Robards pulled out his Sidekick.
"Brown?" he asked, and then held the Sidekick out so that everyone gathered would be able to hear the response.
"Robards," he said, and it sounded like there was a lot of talking going on in the background. "Lockhart isn't here, and there are students missing." Sirius' heart decided it would rather live in his throat that his chest, and his stomach decided to migrate to his toes. He knew the name – or at least one of the names – that Brown was going to say.
He pulled his mirror out of his pocket and managed to choke out Harry's name, just as McGonagall asked, "Who, Mr Brown?"
Brown didn't answer right away, but Sirius could hear him talking to people – probably the other Gryffindors.
"Ron and Ginny Weasley," he said a moment later, "and Harry Potter." Marlene stiffened beside Sirius, and scared chatter broke out amongst the students and some of the Aurors, but Sirius didn't pay them any mind; the only thing he could focus on, was the dark emptiness in his mirror.