A/N: Because things were hectic for awhile at work and me being sick for the past week with no energy to do anything really, I am posting the last few chapters to Book 2 but I'm still behind on my other stories so I'm asking for any comments/questions/suggestions/ideas for sequel to Gift, possible sequel to New Leaf/Fate, and Book 3...hopefully that'll give me something to work with otherwise I hope u enjoy the last few chaps

Chapter Nine

Carefully, two invisible Gryffindors snuck down a barely lit path to a dark hut sitting upon the school grounds. They hurriedly rushed to the door and knocked, hoping the smoking chimney meant that Hagrid was still awake. They practically screamed and threw away the invisibility cloak at the sight of a giant crossbow suddenly coming through the now opened door, "Hagrid!"

The big man blinked as he saw who his company was, "Ember! Ron! What are you two doing here?" He pulled away his weapon, inviting them inside as he glanced about in a paranoid fashion. "Get in, quick!"

"Hagrid?" Ember never saw him act in such a fashion before, "Hagrid, we came to ask you about Basilisks."

That caught the groundskeeper attention but did not settle his anxiety, "Basilisks are great creatures. King of the serpents, they are. Always wanted to see one but they are illegal to sell or trade without a license now-a-days. One look of their eyes means death but there have been cases of being petrified, if you can manage to avoid a direct look. They're very venomous too. One scratch of their fangs means instant death."

Ember fidgeted as she then asked, "What about the spiders?"

"Most predators fear Basilisks. Just about anything that comes in contact with one doesn't survive, no matter their size or venom."

They noticed the nervousness growing by the minute when Ron asked, "Who's Tom Riddle?"

Hagrid practically went through his own roof, swinging his crossbow about, scaring his company into hiding behind their chairs, "Where did you hear that name?"

"So you do know him! Who is he?" Ron was anxious to know. He had to know who this guy was and why Ginny was so afraid.

"Did you see him here at Hogwarts once?"

Hagrid looked away, shame filling his eyes as he gruffly explained, "I went to school with him. Fifty years ago I went to this school but was expelled for harboring a so-called dangerous pet but Aragog would never hurt someone. But Riddle didn't care. Just after a student died from a monster attack, he caught me with Aragog and got me expelled."

"Aragog?"

But a knocking interrupted them, "Quick! Back under your cloak. Stand by the mantle and stay quiet." Hagrid waited until they did as told before gruffly yelling, "Coming!" He held his bow up as he flung open the door, only to find a smiling Headmaster and fearful Minister, "Dumbledore!"

"Ah, Hagrid, you are home. I wasn't sure if you were patrolling the forest yet. May we come in?" Hagrid stood to one side, lowering his weapon, "Come, come, Cornelius, I'm sure Hagrid can aid your search."

"Uh, tea, anyone?"

The Minister cleared his throat, trying to appear professional, "Sorry about this, uh, Hagrid, but I'm here on official business. Bad things happening at Hogwarts, very bad things. I'm sure you heard. Three Muggleborn students have been attacked as well as a student of a Ministry worker. I'm afraid you will have to come with me, Hagrid, at least until this affair has been settled."

"But…"

"Now, now, Hagrid, I have full faith you shall return soon to our school. Am I correct, Cornelius?"

Said Minister jumped, nervous, "Uh, yes, yes, of course as long as he is not at fault."

"No," Hagrid dropped into a chair, suddenly defeated, "not Azkaban."

Before any more demands were made, another figure made his way inside Hagrid's hut. Ron glared as the wizard dared to simply barge inside without knocking, hissing in Ember's ear, "Malfoy!"

Luckily, no one else seemed to hear him. Though Ember could have sworn Dumbledore spotted them as he glanced their way with twinkling eyes, but that's impossible to see through an invisibility cloak!

"Mister Malfoy, how may we help you?"

The blonde aristocrat sneered as he glanced about, "I ran into Severus earlier. He mentioned you were on your way down here. He kindly," Lucius then stood aside as Severus moved into view, holding tightly to an obviously tired Harry Potter, "escorted me here. Do forgive me, Mister Potter, for interrupting your nightly sessions with your Head of House. I'm sure Draco will not be pleased that I have interrupted his time slot. But it was quite important that I find the Headmaster."

"Lucius, what brings you here?"

Steel gray eyes turned from his companions to find a nervous Minister, "Ah, good, Cornelius, here as well, I see." He suddenly pulled a tied scroll from beneath his robes, holding it out, "I came to deliver this to the Headmaster. It's a demand that Dumbledore vacates his position as Headmaster immediately. You will find all twelve Board members have signed. It's a terrible thing to have such incidents happening on your watch, Dumbledore."

Hagrid leapt to his feet, "No! You can't do this! Those students…"

But Dumbledore waved a hand, cutting him off, "It's quite all right, Hagrid. If this is what the Board wishes, who am I to deny their wishes? I'm sure as long as someone believes they shall be aided in their time of need. Now, let us be on our way so that I may enjoy my tea next time and so Mister Potter may head to bed."

Dumbledore waited as Hagrid was led away first by Aurors before sweeping out with the Minister at his side. They left behind two invisible students, one visible student, and two fully trained adults. "How does my son fare?"

Severus kept watch over the conversing two. Even though Lucius was his friend, he would not leave someone like Harry in the man's grasp alone, "He awaits his time. Is his mother ill?"

Lucius frowned, "I do not believe so. I shall remedy that once I return home. Narcissa does enjoy her trips abroad."

"If you are quite done with my student, Lucius, it is past curfew and I still have two sessions to complete tonight before it gets too late."

"Of course, Severus," Lucius waved them off, not bothering to apologize. He knew how every Head of House were protective of their students, Severus even more so since very few ever worried about the health and home of Slytherins. "I simply didn't have a chance until now to thank him."

Harry seemed to understand as he tipped his head, "I do not believe it will be useful again." Lucius said nothing as he followed the two from the hovel back to civilized society.

Behind fumed a redhead as he trembled beneath his friend's cloak. Now he was sure that diary was trouble for Ginny, "I told you he was Dark. You saw how comfortable he was with Malfoy's dad."

Ember ignored him as something caught her attention, "Ron, look!" She pointed to the same black spiders as before. She shoved her cloak in a random pocket before grabbing a lantern and rushing outside, "come on!"

"Why?"

Ember had forgotten that Ron hated spiders but this was too important to pass up. "Because, Ron, there's more to this story than what we're being told. Hagrid knew this Riddle too well and was expelled by the man."

"Well, yeah, Hagrid had a pet snake. You know how he talks about dangerous creatures like their innocent fluffy kittens."

She huffed in frustration, "Ron! Were you not listening at all today! Basilisks are snakes and we know one was in Slytherin's Chamber where only an heir can get access to. If that's where it was fifty years ago, how did Hagrid have it as a pet?"

"Uh…"

"No! No more arguments. Hagrid had a pet he could control."

"And we're following spiders because?" He had dared another lecture to question why they were entering the Forbidden Forest.

"Maybe the spiders will lead us to his pet. I mean, they're the ones afraid of a snake and if that was Hagrid's pet I doubt he would have let it have loose reign with innocent students about."

Ron swallowed harshly as he stumbled along, "Oh no we aren't." He grabbed her by the arm to keep her from going any further. "One trek inside was enough, I'm not going back in. And as much as finding my dad's car in there could be appealing I have to check on Ginny."

Ember had no choice but to drop the lantern back inside the hut and race after Ron's disappearing back. She wasn't chancing the forest on her own, promise or no promise, even if her desire to know was very strong.

But it was probably a good thing.

"All Professors report to the Fourth floor corridor. I repeat, all Professors to the Fourth floor corridor."

They threw the cloak back on and hurried after the rapid steps of a harried Professor McGonagall. They hid behind a convenient pillar as the Professors converged about a portion of the corridor wall. Peering around, they could see and hear.

"Minerva?"

Said witch was frazzled as she spoke what she knew, "Albus felt the wards just before he was escorted with his things from the school. He alerted the Aurors and Minister of a missing student that went beyond the wards of the school. The wards didn't alert of them leaving the grounds, just the castle."

"No!" They all gasped as eyes turned, with two extra, to find the most recent and possibly last red colored scrawled message, Her skeleton shall lie in the Chamber forever.

"We have to search the school for this Chamber and rescue the student."

"What'd I miss?" All eyes turned in stunned disbelief to find Lockhart just deciding to join them

"Good." Severus smirked as McGonagall eyes flashed angrily, "You're here. We're on the search for a missing student. After all, you were just telling how you had clues as to where the Chamber could possibly be.

"Who, Minerva?"

"Ginny Weasley." Ember could barely keep Ron from crying out.