Chapter Ten

"No, not Ginny." Ron whimpered as the Professors had finally gone their separate ways, never knowing they were overheard in their panic. His little sister was hurting and waiting to be rescued. He knew he should have gone to McGonagall after the whole diary fiasco instead of rushing off with Ember to confront Hagrid. Maybe if he did, Ginny wouldn't have gone missing.

Now, feeling detached, all he could do was be led by his best friend. "We'll find her, Ron. We just have to find Lockhart before he heads for the Chamber. No one knows of the Basilisk so they haven't told Lockhart. We have to warn him." She pulled Ron through the classroom to Lockhart's office, flinging open the door, only to find the man frantically packing. "Professor! What are you doing?"

Lockhart jumped, bringing Ron back to reality. He smiled sheepishly as he edged away from his harried packing, "What are you two doing out of bed?"

Once again, the Weasley temper of one Ronald Weasley burst forth, "You are a fake! I knew it! Your books are lies! You're willing to let my sister die to save your precious hide!"

Lockhart weakly chuckled, "Heh, heh, uh, books can be misleading, my dear boy. Yes, I wrote them, but my true skill has always been the ability to refresh the mind," he flourished his wand in hopes of escaping, "obli…."

But never got to finish.

"Experilliamus!" Ron didn't care if his wand was faulty, his emotions fueled his attempt, so he never paid much attention but it shocked Ember to watch his wand work perfectly, stealing Lockhart's with ease. "I won't let you let my sister become a sacrifice just so you can sell more lies."

That was when Ember realized this could have had a different outcome. She could have broken her promise on going to it alone and confronted her idol only to lose in the end just because she would believe his obvious lies and lost her mind, never once drawing her wand in defense. Things would have been very messy without a friend's aide. Ginny would have never been found and Ron, even his family, would be devastated, "You're coming with us!"

She allowed Ron to prod Lockhart into action while leading the way to Myrtle's bathroom. Although, Ron hadn't been too sure of their destination, "We don't know where it is."

"Yes, we do. We just didn't at the time. Fifty years ago a student died. Only one ghost resembles a student wearing Hogwarts robes."

"Moaning Myrtle." She nodded as she pushed her way into the bathroom.

Myrtle glanced down from her window, "Oh, you're back again. Come to throw something else at me like everyone else?"

"No, Myrtle, we wouldn't do that. We simply wish to know if someone came here."

"You mean that strange little girl that's always visiting?"

"Ginny!"

"I told her to leave, that this was my bathroom and no one was allowed inside but she wouldn't listen. She kept ignoring me while talking in her little made up language. It sounded so nice years ago but not anymore!"

"Myrtle, where was she standing? Please, we must know!" Ember hoped the ghost girl would help before running off. Surprisingly, Myrtle did, she pointed to the sinks. Ember turned to face the faucets in hopes of finding some key when it stared back, snakes on the faucets! Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why didn't I realize that?

"How do we get inside?"

Ember ignored everything around her as she concentrated. She felt the link between her and her brother humming as well as a link even darker coming forth in her mind. Forgive me, Ron. "What the bloody hell?" She barely heard the question as she allowed her gift to finally flow free from years of being locked away without a key. The sinks creaked as they obeyed her demand, opening for the second time that night.

"Ember?"

She faced a pale Ron, shrugging, "It wasn't always just Harry. HE was willing to use it but I couldn't. I didn't want to face dad with this stigma. But we needed it now if we want to save Ginny."

Ron wasn't sure if he should trust Ember but she was right. Ginny's life depended on them. She came first. Arguments would come last, once he was sure she was safe and unharmed. "Well, then, adults first." With a gleeful smile, he shoved Lockhart into the opening in the floor. He followed afterwards with Ember right behind; after all, Lockhart had no wand to get away.

Ember was the first to find it as she led the way. Since she could speak the tongue it was only right, just in case. "Oh!"

"Wow!" Ron had never seen a snake that big, never seen a snake that big leave behind its skin either. They stared at the obvious snakeskin in awe until it seemed too much for Lockhart, who fainted. Ron snorted, "too much entertainment obviously."

"Ah ha!" Lockhart got them by surprised by rolling to his feet and gaining at least one wand as Ron fought back. Even though two students each had a wand, they couldn't forget, despite Lockhart being a liar, a cornered animal was the most dangerous to fight. They could only wait for an opportunity to strike, "So sorry, children, but this is where our adventure ends. Don't worry. I will tell your story of how you found the young lady, already lost, and how it caused you to lose your mind and how I couldn't save you all from such a tragic moment." He grinned with triumph, "Oblivate!"

His triumph failed as he realized too late whose wand he now held. Ron and Ember had a fleeting joy to see their Professor fly through the air into the stone wall until a rockslide was the ending result. "Ember!"

"Stay there, Ron!" Both friends had found themselves on the opposite sides of the avalanche. "Try to shift some of this so Ginny and I can get through."

She turned away before he could protest, hurrying through the cavern to find Ginny. And find her she did at the end of a stone walkway surrounded by water. She rushed to the other girl's side, falling to her knees while searching the all too pale skin for a pulse. It was too faint for her liking. "Oh, Ginny, what happened to you?"

"She can't wake. She's too far gone. Nothing can help her now."

Ember jerked, practically hunched over her friend's body in a protective stance. "You did this!" She could already tell what happened. Someone slipped Ginny a curse diary, the very same diary Ginny held now. Ginny, instead of turning it in, kept it. As the only girl, Ron was right, she needed something to vent to. And when it began to scare her, she tried to be rid of it only for her and Ron to return it. "What did you do?"

The ghostly form of a teenage boy stepped forward from the darkness, "Oh, it's quite interesting. For every breath she loses I gain more life. Who knew how easy it would be to manipulate a silly little girl? And all because of a simple book. But when she eagerly wrote of a certain pair of twins, she never saw it coming."

"You know nothing! You're simply a ghost trying to revive yourself! Why should you care about a pair of twins? We are nothing to anyone but family, friends, and Voldemort!"

The boy laughed, "Those twins do matter to me now. Once I heard from that girl of what happened, I knew I had to meet them.. I had to know how two simple children survived the greatest Dark Lord ever, for Voldemort had been my past, was my present, and will be my future."

With a twist of his wrist, he forced the borrowed wand that Ember never noticed him having to flare with his magic, writing out his name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. She cried out when the letters moved and flowed to form, I Am Lord Voldemort, "No!"

Ember had not figured out that piece of the puzzle and now she knew. "You framed Hagrid!" Now she understood everything told to her all year.

"That oaf…"

"How could you!" She shoved to her feet, holding her wand onto the very creature that had tried to take Harry from her, hoping Ginny's wand wouldn't work for him. "He was innocent!"

"He was no more innocent than I," his voice dropped low, "Filthy half breed with his filthy pets."

"He was innocent and I bet Dumbledore saw through it all! Despite his expulsion, Hagrid remained at Hogwarts when you couldn't! You failed!"

Riddle's eyes flared with dangerous intent, "That cracked fool never did trust me but I plan on paying him back in full."

"Good! You don't deserve any recognition for destroying an innocent man's life!" She was determined to fight back. "I hope your days in school were horrible after what you did! I'm glad you were never trusted!"

His anger rose more as he twirled to face the stone face of his distance relative and Founding House, Come to me, greatest of the Hogwarts Four! Come to me, ancient King!

Ember flinched at the hissing but turned to her friend, promising, "Don't worry, Ginny, we'll be walking out shortly."

"I think not, Potter!" Riddle smirked viciously as he stood to one side. From an opening of the statue's mouth came a slithering sound, revealing the King of all serpents, the Basilisk. "You will not leave from here." Destroy her! Feed upon her blood!

Ember yelped as it swung her way, scrambling to flee. She knew nothing of how to slay a beast like that. She stumbled in her escape, sliding on wet concrete, "oomph!" It hurt to land but it would hurt more when she heard a slithering sound behind her. She whimpered, covering her head with her arms, Harry! It was all she could think of, her brother, as the snake rose to strike.

Clang. "No!" Hearing Riddle's angered cry, she dared a glance to the reflections upon the rippling water. Thank you, Harry. She could see the warriors that usually guarded her brother fighting back the giant serpent. She thanked their timely rescue. It gave her time to plan a hasty escape.

She had to get to Ginny and get them both out. But the Basilisk still writhed against its foes between her and her target, eyes still intact. "You won't win! I stopped you before and I'll do it again! I don't care if you think you're the greatest wizard! My parents are greater than you! They defied you and lived! Even Dumbledore is greater!"

A trill echoed into the cavern as a fiery bird flew through, dropping a grey object from its talons. Its arrival announced the warriors leave. The Basilisk swayed, stunned from ghostly swords piercing its hide without wounding it but leaving blinding pain behind. "A songbird and a hat?" She too was curious as to why they were here, "This is what your faith brings?"

Fawkes trilled again before showing how loyalty was paid by implementing his own attack, diving for the Basilisks eyes with sharp talons and beak. As their battle rained, Ember felt the Sorting hat quiver in her hands, as if something was falling from it. I will make them proud of their faith in me! She turned at Riddle's cry to find the Basilisk roaring in pain from sharp talons blinding its sight forever. She happened to glance back down to find the hat had fallen but a sword now glinted from its dark depths. Grasping the hilt, she hefted its weight, I will find a way.

"No!" Riddle was not happy, "You may have blinded a predator but they hunt with more than their eyes!" Sniff her out! The Basilisk roared once more, no longer able to kill or petrify at a glance. While he gave orders, Ember stood, dragging her new weapon high, determined to turn the hunter into the hunted.