I know last chapter was pretty bad, I have to admit, not my best work. Again, thank you for all the suggestions, I will take them with consideration. A big sorry if I depicted Luna wrong, for me, Luna's one of the hardest characters to write about.

Chapter 9: Visions, Chamber of Secrets, King Of Serpents

Harry was standing at behind edge of the entrance of what seemed like a bathroom, "Open." A voice hissed, Harry gasped, there was someone else who knew Parseltongue. He couldn't make out the identity of the mysterious figure who had a hood up but judging by size, it was someone in first or second year. Immediately a loud clunking sound echoed the bathroom, Harry watched on with fascination as the tap glowed a brilliant white and began to spin, the sink sunk downwards and out of sight. The figure than leapt down and disappeared.

"Ready?" Harry asked, looking at his trembling brother next to him. "You know, you might want to go back to bed. It's not going to be pretty down there, knowing what's in there." Harry said.

"Ginny's missing, she's my best mate's sister, I have to do this." Eric Potter squeaked, desperately trying to put up a brave front.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Harry said and held out an arm, Rina appearing with a burst of flames. The two of them slowly crept towards the where the hooded figure had disappeared and saw the large pipe that led the way to infinite darkness was exposed. Harry gagged, the stench was horrible, a mixture of dead carcass and decomposition.

"What are you doing?" Eric Potter asked with fear as his brother raised his wand in at his face. Suddenly he saw a bubble forming around his head.

"If you rather breathe in that stench by all means." Harry said with a shrug before casting a bubblehead charm around his own head, then before Eric could say anything Harry jumped downwards with a loud "Woo Hoo." Harry casted a cushioning charm as soon as he fell out of the pipe and was glad that he hadn't landed on the pile of what seem to be a carpet of bones of all sorts of different creatures.

Harry then twisted in his bed as the scene changed before him.

"What the hell?" Harry exclaimed as he felt his brother tugging the back of his sleeve. Eric Potter was now close to pissing in his pants as he pointed towards what seemed to be recently shed snake skin on the floor. "Why are you so surprised? Basilisks can grow up to sixty feet in length." Harry said with a frown and went on deeper in the cave like tunnel, he was already scared enough already. He could feel it, a familiar presence, but where? The tunnel leads to a solid wall, carved with two entwined serpents with emeralds for eyes.

"Open" Harry hissed. The eyes of the snakes gleamed as they slowly untwined and the solid wall opened, they open into a long, dim corridor, lined with monumental statues of snakes, including two towering stone pillars with more carved serpents that brace the ceiling. A colossal statue of Salazar Slytherin, looking ancient and monkey-like, is at the centre.

Before Harry could do anything, Eric Potter dashed pass him, "That stupid Gryffindor." Harry muttered angrily before whipping his wand to light up the dark chamber.

Scene Changing

"Oh Fuck." Harry said, noting the size of the snake that was coming out. It was enormous, over sixty feet in length and six foot wide with dark green scales with what Harry was sure, deadly yellow eyes. "Attack."

Harry immediately shot up from bed, panting and gasping for breath, it had to be a vision, complimentary of his precognitive dreaming ability. Rina sang a note with concern at her perch next to Harry's bed. His previous dreams were all distorted, all jumbled up with no clear purposes at all. But ever since Christmas, his dreams were becoming clearer, more detailed. This dream in particular, as if he were really there, immediately.

"I believe we know the hideout of this monstrosity now." Rina sang.

"I believe so too. I recognize that bathroom, it's the one with Moaning Myrtle haunting it…now all that remains is who? And why is my brother there with me?" Harry said in their link, clearly confused, as far as he knew it, they've been at each other's throats ever since that night the Dark Lord paid his visit.

"I do not know either hatchling but if that is how it happened, it must be. His fate is connected to ours." Rina sung as she flew off her perch and landed in front of Harry and gently nuzzled his cheek with her beak. Harry didn't like it but if it was how he dreamt it would happen, there was no way he could change it. Harry glanced at his clock, it was only five in the morning. Instead of falling back to sleep, Harry changed into his school robes and with Rina walked out of the dormitory. He began finalizing plans on how to defeat the Basilisk, being a true Ravenclaw that he is, he had even stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas, despite the protests of Sirius and Lupin; there was no way in hell Harry would have told them that he was preparing himself for a sixty foot death staring Basilisk. The skin of a Basilisk most likely has magical protection like most Occamy and magical snakes. Normal spells most likely won't harm it, and Harry didn't know if he had the intent as Dolohov stated in his Advanced Dueling Technique book to cast the killing curse. Also there was the death stare, literally.

"How can I defeat something that I can't even face."

"You have me, hatchling." Rina said through their mental link.

"But-"

"Your concern is noted Hatchling but you forget what I am, the stare cannot kill me." Rina said, gently nibbling her companion's thought as he stared out the window of Ravenclaw Tower. It was frustrating, Dumbledore and the staff aren't taking any decisive action, placing their trust on a fraud. He had learnt from Elena Turpin that a Hufflepuff was petrified as well as the Gryffindor Ghost, Nearly Headless Nick

"How many more until it finally uses its death glare?" He thought. He then fished out his Dueling books, which Lucius and Sirius had sent him for Christmas and began looking for spells that might helpful against a sixty feet abomination, even if Rina did blind the beast, it still has its superb sense of smell and hearing not to mention, its poisonous bite. Rina disappeared in a burst of flames as the students began to wake up and file down to the Great Hall, all were shocked when they saw U-17 England Quidditch Captain Harry Potter sitting on the sofas with stacks of books beside him, reading furiously.

"Wow Harry, what's with all the sudden cramming? I don't think we have any upcoming quizzes do we?" Roger asked, scratching his head. Harry didn't answer but smile cheerfully as he pounded the books into his bag as the two walked down towards breakfast.

"Hopefully not my last breakfast." Harry thought as he cut his sausages before placing them in his mouth. Meanwhile Eric Potter was fidgeting slightly, he kept on thinking about the other day in Dueling Club when he clearly heard the snake that Malfoy had summoned. But how had that happened, being able to speak snake tongue was a trait of dark wizards, he had seen his brother's expression that other day, he only glanced once but it was enough to see the shock on his face; it had to be a genetic trait. He was unusually quiet with the food around him, what would people say if they found out that their savior could speak snake tongue. Harry took no notice in his classes that day, knowing what was just around the corner; it made him want to throw up, it wasn't everyday a person has a destined encounter with a sixty feet snake. The only thing that kept him focused on the task ahead was Rina's comforting song, which she sang through their link.

He was about to head to the library to read more about spells since it was free period after lunch when he saw more people crowding around a corridor. Going into Prefect mood, he shoved pass the mass of people, "Prefect, prefect. Move aside, NOW!" He shouted, Harry's eyes grew wide with fear as he spotted the bushy hair on the floor.

"Please no, please not her." Harry thought desperately as he shove the onlookers aside. There she was, her face frozen with shock, clutching a mirror with one hand was Hermione Granger. "Hermione, no, Hermione…please wake up, wake up." Harry said desperately as he placed a finger on her wrist, he was relieved to feel a pulse. Somehow, the bushy haired witch had grown in his heart and became as close to him as Little Rosy was, ignoring all the whispers and staring, Harry lifted Hermione bridal style and quickly ran to the Hospital wing,

"Madam Pomfrey!" He called for the matron who quickly burst out of her office.

"Harry what is it?" Poppy Pomfrey asked and one look at Hermione's frozen body answered her question.

"This way." She said and guided Harry to a bed, gently, he placed her stiff body on the bed.

"Harry, I'm afraid you have to go now, you have classes to attend to. There's nothing you can do…until the Mandrake Drought is completed." Madam Pomfrey said softly, noting the tears forming at the Ravenclaw Prefect's eyes.

"I have free period right now, I'll just stay by." Harry murmured as he took one of Hermione's small hands in one of his large Quidditch battered ones. Madam Pomfrey felt her heart go out to the black haired wizard as she watched him weep, muttering while holding her hand in his in a distance. News soon spread out, Cho and Elena all gave Harry hugs, they had become fast friends with the residential bookworm. All afternoon, all Harry could think of was the Chamber and the Basilisk that lurked within, he would make sure that it pay for what it did to Hermione. Harry was shocked when he overheard some older years saying that Hagrid and Dumbledore had been carted off to Azkaban by Nott Senior and The Minister, after checking one last time that his wand was securely strapped in its holster, Harry set off towards Myrtle's bathroom.

He couldn't tell his friends, handling a Basilisk was just too dangerous. "Hermione's already been petrified, I'm not going to let them follow me into this madness." Harry thought as he neared the bathroom.

"What are you doing here." Harry quickly spun around with his wand quickly drawn, and in dueling position. His eyes narrowed when he saw his brother oddly enough he was alone without his Weasley lap dog.

"It doesn't concern you." Harry said, lowering his wand slightly but still gripping it tightly.

"You understood what the snake Malfoy conjured was saying didn't you?" Eric stated, it didn't sound like him at all, to be all polite and civilized; it amazed Harry. Not knowing what to do, Harry nodded, no words were needed here, both of them knew Parsel-Tongue.

"Someone's coming." Harry hissed and with a wave of his wand too fast for the human eye to see, casted a disillusionment charm on himself and Eric. Shutting his eyes and hoping that his brother would do anything brash like ambushing the hooded figure, he waited. He sighed in relief when he saw that Eric hadn't moved a step.

"Open" a voice hissed.

"Here we go." Harry thought, it was happening exactly like the dream. Immediately a loud clunking sound echoed the bathroom, Harry watched on as the tap glowed a brilliant white and began to spin, the sink sunk downwards and out of sight. He looked over at his brother who was shaking in fear,

"Goddamn it, isn't he suppose to be bravest?" Harry thought. . "You know, you might want to go back to bed. It's not going to be pretty down there, knowing what's in there." Harry said quietly.

As in the dream, Eric Potter squeaked, "Ginny's missing, she's my best mate's sister, I have to do this."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Harry said and held out an arm, Rina appearing with a burst of flames.

"My familiar." Harry added quickly, noting his brother's o-shaped mouth. The two of them slowly crept towards the where the hooded figure had disappeared and saw the large pipe that led the way to infinite darkness was exposed. The stench was more unbearable than it was in his dream, he quickly casted a bubble head charm on his brother and himself. "Last chance to back out." Harry said but Eric just shook his head stubbornly. Harry shrugged his shoulders and jumped down towards the impending doom. He couldn't help but enjoy himself as he slid down, it was like a giant slide.

As soon as he flew out at the end, Harry casted a cushioning charm and was glad that he didn't land face down onto a carpet of animal bones, his brother was not so lucky as he flew out with a loud scream. Harry just shook his head and with a wave of his wand incanted, "Lumos." Behind him, Eric Potter did the same thing as the went deeper into the lair of the serpent.

"What the hell?" Harry exclaimed as he felt his brother tugging the back of his sleeve. Eric Potter was now close to pissing in his pants as he pointed towards what seemed to be recently shed snake skin on the floor. "Why are you so surprised? Basilisks can grow up to sixty feet in length." Harry said with a frown and went on deeper in the cave like tunnel, his heart was literally in his mouth. At last he arrived at the tunnel leads to a solid wall, carved with two entwined serpents with emeralds for eyes.

"Open" He hissed in Parseltongue, the eyes of the snakes gleamed as they slowly untwined and the solid wall opened, they open into a long, dim corridor, lined with monumental statues of snakes, including two towering stone pillars with more carved serpents that brace the ceiling. A colossal statue of Salazar Slytherin, looking ancient and monkey-like, is at the centre, it was exactly how his dream had played out.

"Ginny!" Eric Potter rushed pass his brother towards a motionless figure lying on the floor not too far from Salazar's statue.

"That stupid Gryffindor." Harry growled as he ran, lighting up the torch holders as he sprinted.

"Ginny, please don't be dead." Eric Potter sobbed.

"Her hands are cold. Please wake up." He exclaimed. Harry meanwhile was walking closer to Salazar Slytherin's statue, he was one hundred percent sure that the king of serpents was inside, waiting to be commanded by its heir. Speaking of Slytherin's heir, Harry was stumped, Ginny Weasley couldn't have been the heir and there was no one else. Salazar Slytherin had done well in designing his chamber, it was the darkest, dankest and most depressing place Harry had ever seen in his life.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice. Harry immediately directed his wand at a tall figure leaning against the nearest pillar. Harry's eyes narrowed as soon as the figured near them, it was a tall, black haired boy.

"Tom – Tom Riddle?" Eric Potter stammered. Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Eric's face. Riddle, that name struck a chord in Harry's mind, the wizard that was awarded with Special Services to the school nearly fifty years ago, something was very wrong with that picture.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Eric said desperately.

"She's not-she's not-?" "She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Meanwhile, in Harry's Ravenclaw mind, there was nothing but numerous possibilities and calculations going on. How could Tom Riddle, a student who attended Hogwarts fifty years ago keep his appearance of a sixteen year old, and why did the feeling he got off from Riddle feel so familiar?

"Be careful around this one, he does not feel quite normal to me." Rina said through their link as she gazed at the tall Slytherin boy.

"Are you a ghost?" Eric said uncertainly.

"A memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years." Riddle said quietly. With that he pointed at a little black diary on the floor near the statue's giant toes, Harry saw as Eric's eyes widened with recognition; he would have to ask him about that later.

Then Harry found Riddle's gaze fall on him, Harry thought he saw a flash of surprise appear on the Slytherin's face. "Who are you?" Riddle asked uneasily.

"Potter, Harry Potter. I don't recall knowing a Noble House of Riddle." Harry said, he had a bad feeling in his gut.

Riddle immediately balled his fists, this confirmed his suspicions, Salazar Slytherin's heir wasn't a pureblood. "Quite ironic." He mused.

"Harry, this isn't time for throwing smart arse insults, give me a hand with Ginny." Eric shouted to him, quickly remembering what was at stake, Harry went over and helped his brother with the red head's dead weight. As Harry hoisted Ginny off the floor, Eric bent down to pick up his wand. But it had disappeared.

"Did you see-?" He looked up. Riddle was still watching him-twirling his wand between his long fingers.

"Thanks," said Eric, stretching out his hand for it. A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Eric and Harry, twirling the wand idly.

"Expelliarmus." Harry incanted but his eyes narrowed when the disarming spell went right through Riddle.

"Interesting, if I can't hit you… Accio Eric Potter's Wand."

"Protego." Riddle hissed as the shield blocked the summoning charm. "Now onto business, Harry, Eric," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice in your pass, in my future, we have met-" "Met, I don't think so." Eric said causing Riddle to laugh, it was cold and high pitched. Harry immediately cringed, he heard that laugh before, last year and the night Voldemort attacked, "This can't be," he thought.

But his fears were confirmed when Riddle drew the words TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE IN THE AIR and with a wave of Eric's wand, the words reformed themselves into I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

"You see?" he whispered. "Thanks to dear Ginny Weasley here, I've learnt all about the-boy-who-lived. But where was I, yes- it was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course." He then turned to Harry. "You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name for ever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No, I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards across the world would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Then before Harry could throw another spell, Riddle hissed loudly, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four" Harry gulped,

"This is it. The dream can't help me anymore." He thought. Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. He could only stand with true terror as Slytherin's mouth opened wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depth.

"Hatchling, it is time." Rina sang as Harry allowed her to fly off his shoulder.

"Now, Harry, Eric, I'm going to teach you both a little lesson. We shall match the powers of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the Harry and Eric Potter. Something huge hit the stone floor of the chamber, Harry and Eric turned their heads away, they could feel it, the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth.

"Kill Them" Riddle hissed

"Oh Fuck" Harry muttered before whipping the Elder Wand out of his holster, knowing that he was probably the only one capable of fending off the behemoth, Harry casted a fast disillusionment charm on Eric, knocked him out cold with a stunner and quickly ran, avoiding the yellow death stare. Riddle watched on with great fascination, the older Potter was no doubt the stronger one out of the two that came, his magical core was almost as powerful as his own and a phoenix familiar, phoenixes did not bound with ordinary wizards.

"Rina, help me." Harry literally yelled through their connection. In his frantic mood, Harry slipped and fell face down into the cold stone floor, he tasted blood as he bit his tongue. The slithering sounds were so close, as he shut his eyes to brace for the worst, he wanted to retaliate so badly but the chance of the death stare was too great. Then he heard a loud squawk followed up by a painful hiss and liquid spattered the floor.

"It is done." Rina sang through their connection.

"Bloody Brilliant." Harry said as he quickly got up and turned around to see his bonded familiar in her flaming phoenix mode, soaring away from the now blinded Basilisk, both its great bulbous yellow eyes had been punctured by Rina; blood was streaming to the floor as the king of serpents thrashed in agony.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle scream. "Leave the bird! The boy is behind you. Smell him. Kill him!" Harry smirked, now that the death glare was removed from play, he could look at his target.

"Sectemsempra." Harry incanted and smiled when the dark cutting curse slashed through the Basilisk's magical skin. He repeated the curse several times, the Basilisk was now hissing furiously as it tried to bite its target only to be met with a painful cutter.

Knowing that it was time to use the spells he learnt from Antonin Dolohov's book, he waved his wand in an intricate pattern and incanted "Intabeviscus." The Basilisk let out an especially loud and agonizing hiss as it was hit with an organ-liquefying curse, Riddle could only watch on as the King of Serpents blindly thrashed with pain as it no longer had the strength to attack and keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor. Although the organ liquefying curse definitely worked and was taking its toll, the time it took for it to kill something as big as the Basilisk would take unbearably long; Quickly conjuring a silver long sword, Harry casted a protection charm on the blade so it would last for the task he was about to do. Waving a hovering charm, the silver sword was guided above the barely conscious Basilisk's head,

"Forgive me." Harry hissed before making a slashing motion with his wand, the sword immediately impaled itself downwards, the thick Basilisk skin was useless as the blade of the sword plunged itself deeply into the roof of its head. The King of Serpents gave a shudder then promptly fell limp.

Clap, Clap, Clap, Harry looked away from the dead Basilisk and saw Riddle clapping with a hungry gaze on his face. "Well done, Potter… now…." He raised Eric Potter's wand at Harry who prepared himself for a wizards duel until suddenly, Rina squawked at him and dropped a diary into his empty hand.

"Riddle's diary, of course, this is the key to all this madness. How could I be so stupid." He thought and before Riddle can utter a curse, Harry waved his wand and the sword, which had been lodged in the Basilisk's head suddenly flew into his outstretched hand. Time seemed to stop as Harry dropped the diary on the floor in front of him and caught the steel blade, now covered with Basilisk venom; with one downward thrust, Harry plunged the sword into the diary.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then disappeared with an explosion. Eric Potter's wand fell t the floor with a clatter and there was silence save the steady drip drip of ink still oozing out of the diary. There was a huge whole in the diary.

Harry then quickly cancelled his disillusionment charm on Eric and for the first time of his life, slung him over his shoulder. "Merlin, this lad really needs to ease off the meat and dessert." Harry thought. Then he heard a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny Weasley was stirring and before she could realize what was going, went limp from a mild stunner casted by Harry.

"No one must know what happened, especially Dumbledore." Harry thought as he waved his wand and Ginny's small body was levitated from the floor. Tucking the silver sword into his belt, pocketing the charred Diary and after a long moment of consideration, a Basilisk fang with he had pulled off from the snake carcass. Harry left the Chamber of Secrets.

"Hatchling, grab onto my tail feathers." Rina sang. Harry obeyed and grabbed onto his familiar's tail feathers and he almost let out a cry of surprise when an extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next thing he knew, he was flying upwards through the pipe.

It was soon over as Rina pulled the four of them back to the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. After checking the two Gryffindors were still unconscious, Harry levitated them both as he casted a disillusionment charm on all of them and strode towards the Hospital Wing. After placing them on beds, Harry cancelled the disillusionment charms and called Madam Pomfrey to check them up.

Harry strolled towards Hermione's bed and sat down on the empty seat, "I did it. It's gone. Forever." He whispered into the petrified girl's ear before tucking some bushy hair behind her ear. "Harry, the Mandrake Drought will be completed very soon...you may leave..and judging by your hygienic state, I don't even want to know where've you been the last couple of hours. Go wash up…NOW!" Madam Pomfrey practically yelled the last word, with a chuckle, he hugged the elderly matron who clenched her nose at his awful stench.

He was on his way out of the Hospital Wing when he came face to face with the last person he wanted to see on the face of the planet. Albus Dumbledore had rushed to the Hospital Wing when he had heard his poster boy had been sent there, without Eric Potter, there was no one else who could open the Chamber. He was about to slam the doors wide open when they opened, revealing a grime soaked Harry Potter. Awkward silence passed between the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Headmaster.

"Harry, my boy. I heard that your brother has been sent to the Hospital Wing." Dumbledore said while silently probing the boy's mind with mild Legilimency. As tired as he was already, Harry instantly reinforced the barriers in his mind, "That is correct, Headmaster, good day." Harry inclined his head and quickly strolled away.

Dumbledore thought he saw a flash of silver as Harry walked off but quickly went over to the dazed boy who lived. After using Legilimency on both the semi conscious Eric Potter and Ginnerva Weasley, Dumbledore was livid, he had seen Harry Potter go down to the chamber with Eric Potter and he was the one who had fought the Basilisk. At that moment, Albus Dumbledore knew that Harry Potter was the one he should keep his eyes on as he went to summon the parents. Harry was in rush when he walked back to Ravenclaw Tower under his disillusionment charm.

"You did it hatchling." Rina sang.

"No, we did it." Harry corrected her with a tired smile as he removed his dirty, smelly clothes onto his bed and went into the showers. Harry couldn't help but wonder his brother's newfound attitude,

"What caused this?" He thought as the warm water cascaded down his body. Refreshed, he came out of the showers with a new set of robes. The sun had set, the night slowly approaching. Time amazed Harry, just not too long ago, he was fighting for his and the lives of two other people in the dark Chamber. He then walked down to the Great Hall and was immediately confronted by McGonagall and Flitwick, he raised an eyebrow at them.

"The Headmaster wants a word in his office." McGonagall said with her Scottish accent. Harry just shrugged as he followed the two teachers.

"Lemon Drops," said McGonagall as the gargoyle sprang alive and carried the three of them up to the Headmaster's office.

"Harry!" Harry found himself seeing a sea of red hair before he felt himself pulled into an embrace. He just stood there as Lily Potter cried into his robes

"I just changed, for heaven's sakes." Harry thought as he felt his robes getting soaked, gently; he pushed her aside and casted a quick wandless drying charm on his robes.

"Headmaster you wish to see me?" Harry said sitting down on a chair across from Dumbledore.

"Ah, Harry, how good to see you again." Dumbledore said in his grandfatherly voice.

"Cut to the chase, Headmaster please." Harry said.

"Very well, Harry, I merely wished to award you with special services towards the school." Dumbledore said, the twinkling in his eyes on full blast.

"What-" Harry started before being cut off by the Headmaster.

"Your Occlumency skills are formidable, I admit, however your brother's is non-existent as with Ginny Weasley. Need I go on?" Dumbledore said. Harry merely raised an eyebrow, meanwhile the Potters were fuming.

"Albus, you used Legilimency on your students?" James Potter shouted.

"Relax, there is no harm done. They were barely conscious." Dumbledore reassured them but kept his eyes on Harry. Knowing that he was stuck in a sticky situation, Harry told the headmaster exactly what happened minus the dream and the fact that he used an organ liquefying spell and the dark cutter spell that he had learnt from Snape.

"I see, that is no small feat at all….not at all." Dumbledore muttered.

"I had help, headmaster." Harry said curtly.

"Ah, your bonded familiar. Of course, phoenixes are immune to the death glare of the Basilisk."

"Harry, when did you get a familiar?" Lily Potter asked, still shaken by the fact that her fifthteen year old son had faced a Basilisk.

"September 1st, When Sirius came to see me off." Harry replied. "Now is there anything else, headmaster?" He asked, Dumbledore shook his head and Harry promptly stood up and left the headmaster's office, not once did he look back. Dumbledore's gaze never left the tall black haired boy, he reminded him of another student who was brilliant, "Hopefully, he would not follow in Tom's footsteps."