The next evening, Draco was reading the book on charms he had gotten the Christmas before last. It was really enjoyable, for a textbook. It covered the theory of charms to a greater depth than Professor Flitwick did in his lessons and suddenly certain aspects were becoming clear. Now Draco understood why, not just how. In between the sections on theory were little practical things to do. The last one Draco had come across was a charm to produce flowers out of the end of his wand. He tried it, and found he had a vast bunch of elegant flowers of a type that he had seen before but couldn't name. For some reason, it made him think of Hermione, lying there, in the hospital wing, without even any flowers in her bedside vase. He decided to do something about that.

'Harry.' Draco hissed. 'Can I borrow your you-know-what?' He was in the common room after all, and some secrecy wouldn't go amiss.

'Yeah, sure. But later though.'

Draco nodded and returned to his book, which he carried on reading on the sofa by the fire until Percy Weasley ordered all the second years to bed.

Draco lay in the dorm, enjoying the twilight for another good hour and a half, before he slipped quietly out of bed, got dressed and sneaked over to Harry's bed. Harry was still awake. Draco prodded him on the shoulder to get his attention and asked if he could still have the cloak. Harry, sleepily, said it was on top of his trunk, under the bed. Draco took it out and put it on. He slowly opened the door while lifting it gently to avoid it making the tell-tale creak that would let the whole tower know that someone from his dorm was out of bed. Creeping downstairs he had a quick look around the common room. Good. No seventh years staying up late to do work. He snuck over to the portrait hole and pushed it open. The absence of the squawks of "who's there?" told him the Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait. He'd just have to hope she'd be there to let him back in.

Silently Draco crept through the sleeping corridors and down the dark stairs to the hospital wing. The door was shut fast.

'Alohomora.'

The door was open and Draco went in, silent as the grave, hoping desperately not to be caught by Madame Pomfrey. She didn't seem to be about, so Draco went quietly up to Hermione's bedside and sat down.

'Oh Hermione. You had to go and leave us, didn't you? You're here and now I'm stuck being the brains of the outfit. A sad look-out if ever there was one. Well, I know you can't hear any of this, but I thought I'd bring you some flowers. They'll still be fresh when you wake up. I heard Professor Sprout say that the mandrakes are nearly ready. Then you'll be back and can tell us what's in the Chamber. Because, you know what Hermione...' Although it was pointless he leaned towards her to whisper in her ear, 'You know what, I reckon that you knew what the monster was. That's why you had that mirror, isn't it. Coming back from the library, knowing exactly what it was and then it gets you. Talk about ironic. Now Dumbledore's gone. Fudge has taken Hagrid and we've got exams coming up. Don't know why I mentioned that, it's not as if you've got any more time to prepare now, is it?' Draco chuckled at himself and moved to grasp Hermione's hand, as if to comfort her.

'What's this, Hermione?' he said, feeling something in her hand. 'It's a bit of paper. Can't read it in this light. You don't mind if I take it back to the tower to read it there do you? No? Sorry if it's personal. Oh well. See you round Hermione.'

With a quick wave of his wand and a short incantation a vast bouquet blossomed out of the end of his wand. He put it in the vase on the cabinet next to her bed and crept off into the night.

Morning broke early in the second year dorm that day, with Draco waking Harry and Ron up as early as it was light enough to read. He held out the bit of paper proudly.

'What's that?'

'I went to see Hermione last night, she had this in her hand.'

'What, a bit of horrible old parchment?'

'Yes. She's written something on it, see.'

'Pipes? Why'd she write pipes on something torn out of a book?'

'Easy. Read what's written on the rest of the page. She'd worked it out. She knew what was in the Chamber.'

'What- do you think she meant?'

'Yes, exactly- the monster's a basilisk! That's why Harry can hear it and no-one else can, because you're a parselmouth.'

'It says here a basilisk kills by looking people in the eye. How comes no-one's died then, explain that clever.' Said Ron.

'Easy,' Draco smiled back, 'No-one did look at it, at least not directly. Mrs Norris saw it in the puddle of water, Colin ... through his camera, Finch-Fletchley saw it through Nearly-headless-Nick. Nick took the full blast, but he couldn't die again, could he? I mean, he's already dead. Hermione had that mirror with her. I bet she and that Clearwater girl were using it to look around corners.'

'Alright, but how is a bloody great snake getting around the castle?'

'Hermione's answered that one too.' Said Harry, with a hint of awe in his voice.

'What, pipes? You think it's using the plumbing?' said Ron, incredulously.

Well, yeah. So, we know that Myrtle got killed in a bathroom, don't we? We know that the things using the plumbing to get around...'

'You don't think the entrance to the chamber is in the girls loos do you?'

'It's the obvious solution.'

Come on.' Said Harry, glancing at his watch, 'We'd better be off, we've got potions now and I think Snape will murder us if we're through the portrait hole.'

The three boys hurried off and were accompanied to their lesson with the rest of their class by the ever-pleasant Professor Snape.

'Today we will be brewing Torpidity Salve. It is an unguent commonly used to keep animals calm or when performing evasive surgery where you want to keep something still. Another effective way of doing this is to read them one of your potions essays. This week they were, as usual, mediocre at best. I would advise you all to pay attention today, as any contact with the salve will see you in the hospital wing for three weeks, which would unfortunately cause you to miss your potions exam. You would then score nothing for it, which would be unfortunate. For some of you however,' Snape said with a malevolent grin coming to his mouth, 'that may represent an improvement.'

The lesson went as well as could be expected, with Draco helping Neville to just avoid blowing up his cauldron, a swift manoeuvre that gained Draco four house points at the same time as Neville lost ten. As the lesson ended a terrible sound echoed throughout the school:

'All students to their House common room immediately, please. All staff to the second floor corridor.'

There had been another attack. Armed with the knowledge of what was in the Chamber, the three boys hurried along back to the second floor corridor. They soon spotted the conglomeration of staff, gathered about the wall on which the heir had first announced himself. As they approached they heard the final snippet of the conversation.

'...Ginny Weasley...Well, that's settled then. Gilderoy, you will enter the Chamber and seek out the monster.'

The knot of staff broke up and each went their separate ways. At last the boys could approach and read the new writing on the wall.

Her skeleton shall lie in the Chamber forever.

'You don't think that's why they mentioned Ginny, do you?' asked Ron. Draco hadn't the heart to say anything, so he simply nodded. Oddly, whilst clearly upset, Ron didn't break down at this news.

'Well, come on then. We've got to get her. We know what's down there, we know where the entrance is, what are we waiting for?'

'Lockhart's going down. He may be useless, but every extra wand is going to be invaluable. Besides, he might cast a useful spell.'

'Yeah, by accident.' Draco scoffed. Nonetheless, the next ten minutes saw them enter Lockhart's office.

'Hullo there lads, what can I do for you?' asked Lockhart. He seemed to be packing his trunks and suitcases. Everyone looked at the suitcases already piled in the centre of the office. Draco raised an interrogative eyebrow.

'Oh, this. Urgent call, I'm afraid chaps, got to dash. I'm needed in. I'm needed in .I'm needed in Egypt Terrible case of an escaped Mummy, you know how it is.'

'What about my sister?' asked Ron, angrily.

'Well...' Lockhart blustered, but he couldn't think of anything. 'I don't know anything about the Chamber. Couldn't tell you where it is even.'

'Don't worry about that, we know.' Draco smiled maliciously at the incompetent in front of him.

'Ahh. Well.'

'What about all those things you did in your books?' interrupted Ron.

'Books can be misleading. They wouldn't have sold half as well if I written about the actual witches and wizards who'd done all those things, I mean, they weren't even photogenic or anything.'

'Is there anything you can do?' asked Harry.

'Well, yes, now you come to mention it, I've got something of a knack for memory charms, otherwise all those witches and wizards would have gone blabbing-I'd never have sold another book. I'm afraid I'll have to do the same to you three.' He whipped out his wand and looked up, to find three wands, one admittedly more than slightly broken, pointing straight at him.

'Ahh. So. It's like that is it?'

'Yes.'

They marched Lockhart to the second floor girl's bathroom.

'Boys, that the ladies.' Lockhart pointed out. They ignored him and walked straight in. For some reason, Lockhart had shut his eyes.

Harry put his finger to his lips when he spotted Myrtle, then beckoned her to come over. She stood, well, floated, in front of Lockhart.

'Professor, you can open your eyes, you know.' Lockhart did.

'Arggh!'

The boys and Myrtle burst out into a fit of giggles. When eventually they had calmed down, Draco was the first to speak.

'Myrtle?'

'Yes?'

'I want to ask you how you died.'

'Oh, it was terrible. I was hiding away because Olive Hornby had teased me about my glasses. I was in that very cubicle,' she said, pointing it out with a pale finger. 'Then I heard this voice speaking. It must have been some silly made-up language because it was all hissing but I could tell that it was a boy speaking, so I decided to tell him to push off. This is the ladies after all. Then, I saw this great big pair of yellow eyes, over by the sinks and I died.'

'That must have come as a bit of a surprise.' Said Lockhart, amiably.

'You think?!' Myrtle screeched back angrily, before heading back to her cubicle to carry on moping.

Meanwhile, Harry was looking at the sinks. Then out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a little serpent, scratched onto one of the taps.

'Oh, that one doesn't work.' Said Draco, as he saw Harry trying to turn it. 'I tried to get some water out of it when we were brewing the polyjuice potion.'

'I think this is it. The entrance.'

'What?'

'Yeah, look, there's a little snake engraved on the side of the tap.'

'Speak to it in Parseltongue, Harry, maybe it'll open up.'

Harry did. Slowly and silently, the sink sunk down out of the way, to reveal a pipe large enough for a man to slide down.

'Well done, boys. You won't be needing me now, will you, so I'll just.'

'Go.' Draco sneered, 'I think not. You're going down first, after all what if there's something dangerous down there?'

With Draco's wand in the small of his back, Lockhart had no choice but to agree. He grabbed the outside of the pipe and swung his legs inside. With a vicious little push from Draco, he disappeared down into the darkness. A little while later a faint

'It's alright down here. Smells a bit though.' Came floating up the pipe, and the three boys threw themselves down it. After all, if they were to save Ginny, every second counted.

'Lumos. Blimey it's dark down here.' Said Ron.

'Not half. Looks like the heir of Slytherin doesn't like housework as much as he likes attacking people.' Harry commented.

They walked down the dark tunnel. In certain places Lockhart had to duck. After the fourth such spot, there was a giant shape.

'Eyes shut!' Harry called. They did, not daring even to breathe, they stood there trying not to make a noise, listening intently before anyone said anything.

'Don't you think it would have moved by now?'

'Shut up, Draco.'

'No, its fine. See, it's just an old snake skin.' Draco said, prodding the hollow shell, which broke under his finger.

'Whatever shed that must be at least 20 foot long.'

Lockhart made a strange noise and his knees gave way. Draco rolled his eyes. Suddenly Lockhart was up. He dived at Ron. They both went flying. Lockhart recovered first and grabbed Ron's wand.

'The journey ends here boys but don't worry, the world will know our story. How I arrived too late to save the girl, how you three lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. Say goodbye to your memories.'

Draco reacted first. As a bolt of light came towards him he dived straight at Lockhart. The first spell went zooming over his head. Lockhart cast again, just as Draco hit the cold, dark, clammy floor. Lockhart tried again. This time Draco was a sitting duck. He couldn't move and not even Lockhart could miss. Draco braced himself for a hit that never came. He looked up in time to see Lockhart go flying across the room accompanied by an ominous rumble. Draco rolled away from the noise as the ceiling collapsed. He was with Ron, the remains of Lockhart and. Where was Harry?

'Harry? Harry? You OK?'

'Yeah. I'm fine. I'll go forwards from here and find Ginny, you two dig a hole so we can get back through, then come and find us. Remember, any movement and shut your eyes.'

Draco had a look at Lockhart. He was still alive, but heavily dazed. Ron's wand had exploded in his face, leaving him clueless as to who he was. Draco smiled at the sight of a clueless Lockhart lying half-unconscious in the tunnel.

'Right. You heard Harry, let's get going.' Draco ordered.

'OK.'

They dug through the rock with their bare hands, shifting the pile out of the way. A faint sound in the background cheered them up, and they started to work even harder. Despite a large lump of rock falling on Ron's leg they were making good progress. Already they were about halfway through the slump. Ron however was beginning to slow, as the rock fall had left him with a limp. The clueless Lockhart in the corner was beginning to come to. As he did he asked more and more questions more and more frequently. Draco was getting annoyed. Taking a smaller rock, he lobbed a rock at Lockhart's head. If he'd been playing cricket, the batsman would have been run out for sure, but as it was, Lockhart's head made a sickening crunch and the bumbling man fell silent.

Soon there was a passage through. Draco cautiously walked forwards, right up to the entrance of the Chamber itself an impressive bronze portal which lay ajar.

'Come on. Harry must have gone this way.' Draco yelled back to where Ron was, some minutes behind him.

As Draco pushed the door further open, a terrible sight met his eyes. The Basilisk of Slytherin. It lunged at Harry. Draco jumped down into the main chamber itself. He had no time to be impressed. He ran, ran, ran at the huge snake. Just before he reached it, it fell down dead. Draco saw that Harry had impaled it with a bright sword.

'Harry, you've done it! It's dead!'

'I'm afraid so. But your friend has paid the ultimate price.' Said an unfamiliar voice.

Draco spun round.

'Who the hell are you?'

'I, boy, am Tom Marvolo Riddle. The most powerful wizard who has ever lived.'

Draco smirked. The shear arrogance of the man was unbelievable.

'What about Merlin?' He asked, just to puncture the insufferable sense of confidence the other figure projected. Riddle ignored him, turning instead to taunt Harry.

'You're dead, boy. Look. Even the bird knows it. You see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying.'

With a final look up at the figure, Harry pulled the basilisk fang from his arm. He desperately lunged towards the diary. As the fang pierced it, Riddle let out a horrible scream. It was joined a moment later by another scream from another, more familiar, voice.

'Ginny!'

Ron had arrived and ran straight towards his sister, who had come round and was starting to cry.

'I. I tried to tell you. At breakfast. But.P. was the. There. I couldn't s s say it in front of. of him.'

Ron had embraced Ginny in a tight hug.

'It's alright. Your fine now, we're here.' But Ginny carried on.

'It was me. I opened the Chamber. But I s-swear I didn't mean to. R-Riddle made me. '

'It's alright, he's gone and the basilisk is dead.' Harry said.

'I'm going to be expelled.' Ginny wept. 'I've wanted to come to Hogwarts since Bill came, and now I'll have to leave and...What'll Mum say?' Ginny continued to weep silently. She barely noticed as Ron and Draco picked her up and led her and Harry out of the Chamber. She didn't seem to notice as Fawkes flew them up through the pipe and back into Myrtle's bathroom. She didn't notice as Myrtle offered Harry a post-mortem spot in her cubicle, nor as Fawkes led them to Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked on the door, and pushed it slowly open.