DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 41

They had been really busy the whole of the next day attending classes, as they had a lot of syllabus yet to cover, what with the attacks that had been happening at school. So it was only in the evening that Harry had the time to approach Ginny. He had taken Draco with him in case the situation got out of control and walked over to the Gryffindor table.

Looking at Ron and Hermione he asked them if they had seen Ginny anywhere since she wasn't sitting at the table. Hermione looking unconcerned said that she had just come to them and had asked to speak to Darren about something important. She pointed towards the direction they had gone in and Harry following her finger swallowed in fear, had he been too late? Where on earth she taken Darren?

He thanked them and took off running in that direction closely followed by Draco, "Harry why are you running?" Draco called out.

"Something doesn't feel right Dray," Harry said "I know for a fact that Ginny hasn't been able to speak to Darren for nearly a year now and suddenly she can? No, something is off."

Picking up the pace trying not to think about anything frightening, they reached the empty isolated corridor near the girls' abandoned bathroom and saw Ginny and Darren standing facing each other with Ginny's wand drawn out and pointed at the other. She whispered something and Darren's face took on a blank expression, suddenly she turned and looked straight at Harry grinning evilly, a cold calculating expression coming over her face and in a terrible voice she hissed something at the wall behind them and grabbing Darren's hand she pulled him into the bathroom.

Harry for some reason had frozen at that chilled look from Ginny, she had looked almost unrecognizable and when he saw her drag Darren off with her, he had stopped breathing. Draco had had no such problems and had run full speed ahead following the disappearing couple, when suddenly there was huge bang and the wall between the Harry and Draco exploded causing the debris to form a temporary dust cloud. A huge green glistening snake arose from its depth's coiling menacingly in Harry's direction.

"Close your eyes Dray!" Harry screamed shutting his own, "It's the Basilisk".

Draco had been coughing from the dust fumes loudly said "Harry it's headed in your direction, I saw it before shutting my eye's, be careful."

Harry felt so helpless and backed away unsteadily from the danger in front of him, trying desperately to figure out his next move when Draco said resignedly "Harry I'm really close to the bathroom, I'm going to help your brother and Ginny, try and stop this monster."

Harry had never felt more grateful towards anyone in his life and said "I'll try and hold the snake off for some time, thanks Dray."

Then Harry getting a grip on his wild emotions, focused on the job at hand. Holding out his hand he said 'Obstructio Murus ' and felt a wave of magic leave him, he had produced a strong thick wall made of magic behind and in front of the snake completely trapping the snake inside and preventing it from going after Draco.

Feeling relieved for a moment he was about to open his eyes when he heard the snake crash headlong into the wall trying to break its way through, chancing a peek Harry saw the wall crack and suddenly give way.

Running further back he threw wall after wall at it when he felt an ancient voice speak inside his head "Stop running Dragon Tamer and open your eyes!" Harry stood still, shocked. If he was right, then the snake had just spoken in his mind.

"If I open my eyes" he shouted, "then I'll die. I'm not that foolish."

"You are a Dragon Tamer" came the voice echoing strangely in his head, "I cannot harm you even if I tried, I am the oldest of my species and closest to the Dragons themselves I mean you no harm" it said and sent a flurry of reassuring images into Harry's head.

Breathing deeply Harry opened his eyes and banished the magical barrier in front of him. He looked at the snake almost waiting for instant death when nothing happened.

"I am the beast that dwells in the chamber of secrets" the snake said "and I have lived there long and peaceably until the new heir found me and used me to commit the most heinous crimes, putting the great name of Slytherin to shame. Thi.."

The snake had been about to continue when a beautiful sound came hurtling at them from down the corridor, looking astonished Harry saw a beautiful phoenix carrying what looked like the sorting hat fly above them and disappear into the same bathroom that the others had gone in.

"It carries the sword" said the snake "know this Dragon tamer when you go to rescue your friends you must destroy both the Diary and I if, you are to end that traitors life, there is no other way. Take the sword and use it to destroy both of us" it said leaving Harry confused wondering what sword.

"I am now able to control my actions a bit as I am far away from my master, but when I follow you down I will be entirely under his control, farewell Dragon Tamer" it said and disappeared back into the wall.

Harry wasted no time and ran into the bathroom, almost immediately spying on an opening in the floor where the basin should have been, walking over to it and peering down into nothingness he jumped, really he thought I seem to be doing this on a regular basis.

Land on a pile of what seemed to be bones, Harry scrambled up and followed the tunnel to wherever it led him. He suddenly saw it open up into a large room and stopped to evaluate the scene before him. Darren was holding on to a beautiful sword encrusted with emeralds and rubies with both hands taking a fighting stance, while Draco was standing beside him holding on to his wand tightly and on one side of them he saw a pale ghostly figure of a boy and on the other side the basilisk, who seemed to have its eyes poked out and was blinded, behind them Ginny lay crumpled on the floor.

"Attack them!" shrieked the ghostly apparition and the snake made a great lunge towards Darren, Harry screamed and came running in to the room to see the snake fling Darren away from him causing him to land on the floor banging his head and falling unconscious.

Harry ran to him blindly and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him breathing.

"Harry! That's the Dark Lord" Draco screamed pointing at Riddle "Tom Riddle and he are one and the same."

Harry turned to the rather handsome boy and glowered at him, when the boy sighed and said "Another comes in, which is probably very good for me since there are now enough people in this room I can draw magic from."

Harry looked from the crumpled forms of his brother and Ginny and felt his blood boil; turning to look at the boy who would one day become the most feared man in the entire world, he said coldly "Do not underestimate the power of those you know nothing off."

So saying Harry started to emanate a strange green aura and the wind at his feet slowly picked up, Draco watching him slack jawed felt goose bumps rise on his hands, from the show of power.

Licking his lips almost hungrily at Harry Tom said "Kill him!"

The snake moved from its current stationary position and made its way to Harry. Harry looked around wildly and saw the sorting hat lying on the floor, suddenly getting aa inspiration into his mind he pointed his wand at it and cried "Mutatio Gallos."

The sorting hat twitched and turned into a fine specimen of a rooster which started to crow at the top of its lungs, the basilisk that had almost reached him stopped suddenly and began to quiver, Harry seizing the opportunity picked up the fallen sword and made his way over to the paralyzed snake to kill it.

Standing before the magnificent beast harry raised the sword but stopped before he could plunge it into the beast, "I can't kill it Dray" he whispered distraught "I can't"

"Do you have to?" Draco asked his voice sounding shocked at all that had taken place just then.

"To finish off Tom and release Gin I have to kill the snake and destroy the diary they are all connected."

"Then do it "Draco said coldly.

Harry gripped the sword once more and stopped, looking sick to the core.

"You vowed to protect your brother against all odds Harry, then stick to that promise. My father always told me that war meant sacrificing everything, your ideals, your innocence and your soul. Man up and do it." Draco said and walking over to him, he gripped the hilt of the sword with Harry and they plunged it deep into the snake and killed it.

Tom was screaming, writhing and flickering madly, Harry walked over to the Diary giving him a final look and plunged the sword into it causing Tom to disappear with a long shriek.