I'm Back!

Chapter 14- The Chamber of, rather large snakes.

Harry's P.O.V

I hadn't noticed that both Ginny and Harriet had disappeared until Flitwick had said their names. Ron and I slumped down the cupboard. "They knew stuff. That's why they were taken." Ron said glumly on the way back to Gryffindor tower. "Don't you remember? At breakfast, before Percy interrupted her. Ginny was going to tell us something, and Harriet went after her. They knew stuff." I nodded, Harriet, my strong, lively, disobedient sister. Taken. "we'll do it tonight. Lockhart said he was going into the chamber didn't he? We'll find him after everyone's gone to bed and we'll tell him what we know." I said. "Will he listen to us?" Ron asked. "Oh he better." I said darkly. "Pig Snout." Ron mumbled to the Fat Lady. ""Remind me to never get on your bad side." In normal circumstances I would have laughed but I didn't; the whole common room was silent and most people went to bed early. Ron and I sat in a corner with the twins and Lee. As the other three went up to bed Fred turned back and said. "If you're going to go do something about this, let me come. Please." I glanced at Ron, who nodded. "Good idea, if it is a basilisk we'll need plenty of people to kill it." I threw the cloak over the three of us an we started down the corridor.

Harriet's P.O.V

My vision was hazy. A stone chamber, statue as big as the Gods. Crap. Ginny lay a little way away from me, Riddles' diary next to her. "Ginny!" I scrambled to my feet and knelt next to her, she was still breathing. Good. "Come on Ginny. Wake up." I shook her gently. "She's not going to wake." A lazy voice said, my head jerked up and I saw Tom Riddle leaning against a pillar. "Not at the moment, no. But she will." I said stubbornly. Riddle flickered slightly as her laughed gently. "No, she won't. Her life force is draining, she'll die soon." I glared at him. "No, she won't. Not f that diary goes into the position of someone else." Tom waggled his head. "It depends on the person, no one can will someone to give away their life force. It has to be coxed out of them." He smiled. "You're a very good Slytherin." I said, inching my hand towards the diary. "Thank you, it was the house of my noble ancestor. Salazar Slytherin."

"Really? I never knew." I said sarcastically. "Of corse you too ended up in your ancestors house, through you father. Descendent of Godric Gryffindor." I rolled my eyes, the idiot. "I told you last year. I'm not only the daughter of James Potter, although thanks for the family history, but I'm also the daughter of someone so big, if I told you your brain would implode." Riddle looked confused; then he noticed my hand on his diary. "What are you doing?" He asked urgently, but I was already up and running. "Stop!" His footsteps echoed behind me. I veered left into a large pipe and sprinted along it. After about five meters it started going upwards. Good, I can find a teacher, I'd even except Dumbledore at this point. "You can't run Potter!" Riddle called after me. "Are you blind? I am running." I called back. Something heavy hit the other end of the pipe. "Get ready to die Potter!" I took a sharp right and fell, shit. A slide, just my luck. Pipes whizzed passed on either side, pray that I wouldn't smash into the wall I lent to the side, I shot off down another pipe and ended up back in the chamber. Riddle smiled at me. "How kind of you to join me Miss Potter." I scowled at him. "You know, I has been awfully hard to get close to you. At first I used that fool Dumbledore, but you didn't seem to like him-"

"Wait, you've been possessing Dumbledore? For how long? Why has no one noticed?"

"So many questions. I've been possessing Dumbledore for a long time now. About twelve years, through another object of corse." My jaw dropped, so Dumbledore wasn't the reason why Sevy had died. "You bastard!" I clenched my fists and glared at the smoky boy. "Now, now Miss Potter. You may want to be a little more polite to the one who controls the basilisk." I so wanted to run him through, but he was made of smoke, so it wouldn't work. The door at the end of the chamber banged open and Harry stood in the doorway. "Harriet!" He called. "Harry! Get out of here! There's a basilisk around here somewhere!"

"I know!" Harry ran over. "What's wrong with Ginny?" He still hadn't noticed Riddle. "Her life force is being sucked out, by that guy." I pointed at Riddle. "Tom? But why?" Riddle sighed and pulled out my wand. "Hay! That's mine! Where did you get that?" The smoky boy chuckled slightly. "I told you not to run." With a flick of my wand his name was floating in the air. 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' "Ok, so we know you name Big deal." Harry said. Riddle didn't answer, instead he flicked the wand again and the letters rearranged themselves. 'I am Lord Voldemort' "What a surprise." I said sarcastically. "It took me a long time to get all the information I could out of young Ginny Weasely. I had to pretend to be her friend. The great Lord Voldemort should not have to stoop to such levels but it was necessary. But the winey little girl kept talking abut how unfair it was that she had to come to school with second hand books, and a second hand wand. How the Slytherins tease her for being a Weasely. How Harriet Potter paid for her robes, how she seams to love almost anyone unconditionally. She really puts you on a pedestal Miss Potter. She told me how nervous she was about disgracing her family, how she was being over shadowed by her brothers, even Ron, who was Harry Potter's best friend, how she wasn't sure if the Potters were only being nice to because of her brothers. I took control of her, made her open the Camber of Secrets, made her strangle rosters and set the basilisk free, setting it on the filth in this school. I made her write her own farewell on the wall and come down here. It would have been perfect if not for the pair of you, always snooping around, getting under my feet." Ginny was getting paler and paler. "Why do you care, sure. You're Voldemort but still, why do you care about us?" Harry asked. Riddle scoffed. "I wanted to find out what was so special about the Potter twins. How two babies, one of them being a girl defeated Lord Voldemort, the greatest Wizard of all time."

"Three. There were three of us. But you should have know this, you were the one who put us with our relatives." I scowled at him, my sword appearing in my hand. "Well, some of those details don't get through so easily."

"And you're wrong." Harry growled. "You're not the greatest wizard of al time. Albus Dumbledore is. You're terrified of him."

"I've been controlling him for the past twelve years! He was driven from this school by the very memory of me!"

"Coward! You're not brave, you're not the greatest wizard! You hide behind young girls and old men. Well we've seen the real you. You're a wreck! You're barely alive!" I yelled at him. Riddle's face contorted. Just then, an eerie song echoed around the chamber, my heart swelled and Fawkes the phoenix appeared in a blaze of fire at the top of the nearest pillar. In his claws he clutched the Sorting hat. Riddle laughed. "These are your reinforcements? A song bird and an old hat against Lord Voldemort? These are the weapons Dumbledore sends his great defenders?" His laugh was high and cold, it didn't suite him. "Well, it seems that it's time to call my own reinforcements." Riddle hissed. "Come to me. Greatest of the Hogwarts four. Come to me." The stone mouth of the massive statue slowly opened, something was slithering towards us. "Shit." I muttered and glanced at Harry. "Know anything about this thing?"

"If you look it in the eyes then you die." He said. "We could rip it's eyes out." I suggested, jamming my eyes closed as something big and heavy slammed into the floor. A whoosh of wings sped past my ear and Fawkes screeched, the basilisk hissed. " Ow, Ow, Ow. stupid bid, that's my eyes!" I looked up through my eyelashes and saw Fakes swooping around the giant snakes head. "No! Stop it Bird!" Riddle yelled. The giant head swung round to face me and blood poured from it's empty eyes sockets. It blundered around, throwing Harry into the wall. "Harry!" I ran towards him, the snakes tail caught me and I when spinning into one of the pools of water. I sank to the bottom, regaining my strength. Something plopped into the water next to me, the sorting hat. I looked up and saw Harry swinging a great ruby incrusted sword. I grabbed the hat and shot towards the surface, I landed next to Harry. "Hay Bro, how's things?" Harry rolled his eyes. "Idiot." He grabbed the hat and jammed it one to my head, it vibrated and contracted. Something heavy thumped into my head. I pulled the hat off and another sword glittered in the hat. I grasped the hilt and pulled it out. It was well balanced and light, perfect.

In the background Riddle is egging the snake on, to kill us. The snake lunged at us, fangs dripping with venom and like we were connected with the same brain, Harry and I thrust our swords into it's mouth, piercing through it's brain. We pulled out swords out with a mighty tug as Riddle began to scream. My arm burned and I looked down, imbedded in my right arm was a long fang. "Harriet!" Harry yells from far away. "Wha?" I look up, the chamber is hazy, Harry is swimming in and out of focus. "Necklace." I mumble and fumble around the top of my shirt, finally I pull Dad's Christmas present from my shirt. The vile swings before my eyes. "What is it?" Harry asks urgently. "Phoenix. Tears. Heal, anything." I mumble. Riddle laughs. "You're dying Potters. And I get to watch." Them I notice Harry also has a fang in his shoulder, Fawkes flies over and rests his head on Harry's arm. Shimmering tears spill from his eyes and Harry begins to heal. Ignoring Fawkes Harry grabs the vile of phoenix tears from my hand and drips a little on to my arm. The fang slowly falls from the wound and the punctured skin knits back together. The chamber comes back into focus. "What? NO!" Riddle points my wand at Fawkes and the bird takes off, Riddle raises my wand again but something falls onto the floor between Harry and I, Riddles' diary. I glance at Harry, he nods. At the same time we pick up the fangs and plunge them into the diary, ink splurges out of the two holes and all over the floor. Riddle screams, contorting in agony then with a burst of light, he's gone. My wand clatters to the floor and I pick it up. There's a gasp from the other end of the chamber, Harry and I sprint towards Ginny and skid to our knees next to her. "Harry, Harriet!" She sees the blood, the ink and the diary then bursts into tears. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean any of it. He just sort of took over and-" I pull her towards me and hug her, she sobs into my robes. "I've been looking forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since Bill came and now I'm going to be expelled. Oh, what'll the others say!"

"Ginny, I promise you won't be expelled. I won't le them." Harry says. "Come on, I left Ron, Fred and Lockhart in the corridor." I help Ginny up and take her hand. "Come non. Lets go sort this mess out." She clings to me as Harry leads us out of the chamber, Fawkes leading the way, Harry holds the Sorting hat in one hand and the sword in the other. I sling my sword over my shoulder and then notice that, not only have I lost both my shoes but half my collar, one of my shirt sleeves, my robes and about a quarter of my skirt. Fawkes and Harry lead us round a corner and a large hole in a mountain of rock greets us near the end. "Ron! Fred!" Harry calls out, breaking into a brisk jog. Ron's head appears in the hole. "Harry! Harriet! Ginny!" He leaps through the hole and hugs Ginny hard. Fred appears next to him and joins in. Ginny doesn't respond to ether of her brothers, her face berried in her hands. "Harriet!" Fred calls and breaks away from Ginny and Ron. He throws his arms around me and kisses me. I think Harry fainted but I wouldn't know, I was too busy kissing Fred. "Um, hello?" Ron's voice interrupted us. I broke away from Fred and glared at him. "We kind of need to get going."

"Fine." I scowled at him. "You know." Fred grinned at me as we made our way through the hole. "You really should do something about you uniform." I stuck my tongue out at him and nearly tripped over Lockhart. "Wha?" Lockhart looked up at us. "Hello. Do you live here?" I blinked. "What happened to him?" Harry asked. "He tried to cast a memory charm with my wand, it backfired." Ron held up his spellotaped wand. "The one thing it did well." I grin. "Yeah. Come on you." Fred gently kicks Lockhart. Our strange procession followed Fawkes to the biggest pipe I've ever seen. "How are we meant to get beck up?" Ron asks, peering up the pipe. Fawkes flutters in front of Harry's face, presenting his tail feathers. "It looks like he want's you to catch hold. But no offence mate but you're much to heavy for a bird." Ron frowns. "Fawkes is a phoenix. He can carry really heavy stuff." Harry says, grabbing Fawkes' tail. "Ron, hold onto me, Ginny grab Ron, Fred grab him, Harriet grab Fred and Lockhart can hold onto you."

"Oi. You, grab her." Ron says to Lockhart rudely. "Up and away!" Harry calls as we take off. Behind me Lockhart is yelling something about magic and soon we're sprawled on the floor of Mooning Myrtle's bathroom. "Oh, you're still alive." Myrtle says. "No need to sound so disappointed." Harry grumbles, getting to his feet. "Well, I was thinking, if you had died down there. Then we'd be welcome to share my toilet." Myrtle turned silver. "Got some competition Ginny." Fred laughs gently, Ginny keeps crying. "Fred, just be quiet." I mutter, following Harry out the bathroom. "What now?" I ask. "We need to send word to Dumbledore." Harry says decisively. "I just hope he's back to normal." I say. "Look, Fawkes wants us to follow him." Fred points to the bird who is fluttering at the end of the corridor. "Better follow him then, before he pecks our eyes out." I say, starting after the bird. Fawkes leads us to Professor McGonagall's office. "Should we knock?" Harry asks tentatively. "Ah screw it. It's to late at night to be polit." I say, grabbing the door handle and pushing the door open. Mr and Mrs Weasely engulf Ginny almost as soon as we've got through the door.

Dumbledore is sat at McGonagall's desk, his eyes no longer ice blue, but soft sky blue that twinkle. "You're back to normal Professor." I say. "It seems I am Miss Potter." Dumbledore smiles. "Potter, what happened?" McGonagall asks, glancing at my ruined and bloody uniform. Between the pair of us we explain what happened. With Riddle and the diary, the basilisk and Fawkes. Mr Weasely looks at Ginny sternly. "Have I taught you nothing? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain" Dumbledore chuckles. "Mr and Mrs Weasely. Why don't you take Ginny to see Madam Pomphry? I find a good mug of hot chocolate always cheers me up." The two elder Weaselys usher Ginny out of the office in a bit of a hurry. Professor Dumbledore turns to McGonagall. "You know, Minerva; I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?" McGonagall nods and make towards the door. "I'll leave you to deal with them shall I?" Dumbledore smiles and McGonagall leaves. We're in deep shit now. "So, where were you in all this Gilderoy?" Dumbledore asks the man. "Wha?" Lockhart looks up. "Um, Sir. He's lost his memory." Ron says. "He tried to do a memory charm and it backfired." Ron explains quickly. "Ah, impaled by your own sword their Gilderoy."

"Haven't got a word. Those two do, maybe they'll lend you one." Dumbledore chuckles. "Mr Weasely, Mr Weasely. Why don't you take Professor Lockhart up to the Hospital Wing and see if Madam Pomphry can uh, do something for him." The two boys look worriedly at us but obey Dumbledore. "I'm very sorry for all the pain I have caused you." Dumbledore looks down. "When your parents died I was going to sent you to live with your Godfathers but Voldemort took over. I'm very sorry."

"It's ok Professor." Harry says gently. "It's not your fault." I agree. "Will you expel Ginny Professor?" I ask quickly. "Heavens no, she did nothing of her own accord." I let out a sigh of relief. "Good, thank you Professor."

"Professor." Harry says. "When we were in the chamber Riddle said something about us being alike. Well, me and him. And we can speak to snakes and when I was sorted I was told I would be good in Slytherin..." Harry trailed off. "Harry, you are nothing like Tom Riddle, when Voldemort tried to kill you he transferred some of his skills onto you and your siblings-"

"So we should be in Slytherin! The sorting hat told me the same thing. It could see Slytherin's power in us and-" I interrupted. "And put you in Gryffindor. It is our choices that set us apart, not our abilities. I you still doubt yourselves then take a look at those swords." We picked up the ruby incrusted swords. Harry said 'Godric Gryffindor' and mine read. 'Gisela Gryffindor'. "Not many people know that Godric Gryffindor had a daughter. Harriet, you carry her sword. Only true Gryffindor's can pull those out the sorting hat. Off you go now. I'm sure Fred Weasely is missing you by now Miss Potter." Dumbledore smiles and I go every shade of red.

We make towards the door. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, can I give that Diary back to Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore looks bewildered but nods. "Of corse my dear girl. If you can find him." I grin and grab the diary. "What are you doing?" Harry asks as we leave. "You'll see." I grin, wrapping my tie around the diary. We turn a corner and nearly bump into Mr Malfoy. "Oh, Mr Malfoy. Here." I thrust the diary into his hands and he looks startled. He rips my tie off the diary and throws it to one side where Dobby catches it. I grin in satisfaction before grabbing Harry's hand and running off down the corridor. "What just happened?" Harry asks as we join a group of Hufflepuffs making their way down to the Great Hall. "I set Dobby free." I grin. "How did you know he was Malfoy's elf?"

"Ron as good as told us. Don't you ever listen?"

"He was joking."

"And besides, who else do you know would make their slave beat themselves up." I shrug as we enter the Grate Hall. "Good point." Harry nods. "Harry! Harriet!" Ron and Neville wave us over. Fred, George and Lee are sitting on the other side of the table. "I still can't believe you doing wake me up!" George says indignantly. "It wasn't your girlfriends life on the line." Lee grins and I knick him under the table. "Ow! What was that for?" He glares at me. "What was what for?" I ask insolently, looking around at all the different pyjamas in the hall.

I think the tables expanded to fit all the food because both dinner and pudding were on the tables that night., the feast lasted until dawn and so many things happened in those hours. For one Harry barley stopped glaring at Fred, for once recognisable from his twin in his dusty school uniform. At midnight Hermione came running down the middle of the hall. "Hermione!" I yelled jumping up and throwing my arms around her. "You're ok!" Hermione nodded happily. "But only thanks to you. You solved it!" She jumped up and down happily. "You have to come eat, you haven't eaten in ages. Come on!" I dragged her back to our spot at the table and sat her down next to me. Just then Justin hurried over from the Hufflepuff table and threw his arms around my neck, sobbing into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry! I thought it was you." He bawled. "Um, it's ok." I said awkwardly, awkwardly patting him on the back. "Thank you. Thank you so much! You saved my life." He said, pumping Harry's hand up and down before running back to his table. I glanced at Harry and we burst out laughing. Hagrid turned up at half past three. He cuffs Harry, Ron and I so hard on the shoulders that we face planted our food. As I removed butterscotch sauce from my eyes Dumbledore stood up and awarded me six hundred points, winning us the House Cup for the second year running, and Professor McGonagall stands up and announces that the end of year exams have been cancelled. I think Hermione was the only one complaining. And then Dumbledore announces that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Everyone, even the teachers burst into violent cheers at that point. "Shame." Ron grins, grabbing his third jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me." I laughed and took another slice of Toffee tart. "I wonder who we'll have next year." Hermione pondered. "Who cares? Just so long as we learn something." George stuffing food into his mouth, finally getting over the fact that Fred went off without him.

The rest of term passed quickly, we spent most of our time lounging by the lake, having water fights ad playing with the giant squid. Hogwarts went back to normal, except that Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. For another thing, Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place And Ginny was perfectly happy again. All too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Dumbledore had insisted that Harry and I would have to go back to the Dursley's as, considering that Camp was closed and everyone else was going on holiday, it was the safest place for us.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and I got a compartment to ourselves. Making the most of the last, magic allowed hours was fun, playing Exploding Snap, setting off the last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practicing disarming each other by magic. Harry was getting very good at it I noticed from where I was curled up against Fred. We were almost at King's Cross when I remembered. "Ginny. What did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" Ginny giggles. "Oh, that. Well, Percy's got a girlfriend." Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. "What?" Fred's jaw hang open. "It's that Hufflepuff prefect, Penelope Clearwater." Ginny grins. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" She added anxiously, half glaring at Fred and George. "Wouldn't dream of it." said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early. "Go easy on his Freddie. He can tease you about me remember." I ruffled his hair. "I don't mind." He grins, wrapping his arms around my middle from behind. "Definitely not." George sniggered at us and I shot a glare at him.

The train slowed and finally stopped. Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment from his pocket and turned to Ron and Hermione. "This is called a telephone number." He told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told Fred how to use a phone the other week. He'll teach you." I nod. "Call us at the Dursleys', okay?" Harry said. "We won't be able to stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to." I shook my head. "Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" Hermione asks as we got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?" I snorted. "Proud? Are you crazy?" I ask. "All those times we could've died, and didn't manage it? They'll be furious." Harry shrugs. "But the rest of our family are proud. Our Dad's and our siblings, and you guys as well. We don't need the Dursleys when we have all you." I grin as we slid through the barrier. "Percy! Ginny! Ron! Fred! George!" Mrs Weasely waves us over. Next to her is a grumpy Uncle Vernon. "Hello Mrs Weasely." Harry smiles. "Hello Dear. Hello Harriet. Had a good year?"

"Little bit better then last year-" I grin. "Still not dead yet." Harry smiles. "Bye Guys. My parents are here." Hermione says hugging us. "Remember to call." Harry calls after her, I see Uncle Vernon eyeing our pets evilly. I grab Hedwig's cage and race after Hermione. "Hay! Otty!" She spins round. "Can you look after Hedwig and Zoe for us? our Uncle won't let us have them."

"Sure, but what about Alexander?"

"He's very good at hiding." I grin. "Ok, I'll see you next year."

"Thanks 'Mione." I say, hugging her one last time and returning to the others. "I'll see you next year." I say, hugging Ron. "Oi! Potters!" Lee calls from behind us. "Stay out of trouble!" He waves. "That's impossible!" I yell at him. "Right you are!" Lee gives us the thumbs up and disappears into the crowd. "Stay away from diaries Ginny." I hug her. "I promise." She nods. "Harry, Harriet. I bestow apon you our very last Filibuster firework." George handed Harry the firework. "If things get too hard send that at them ok?" George grins. "Or we could set fire to something." Harry tucks the firework into his pocket and Uncle Vernon stomps over. "You done yet." I ignore him and grin at Fred. "Stay away from the sea Fred, don't want to provoke anyone." He grins before I pull him in for a final kiss. Someone grabs the back of my jumper and drags me away. "Bye!" I wave as my heels drag on the floor. "See you next year!" Ginny yells. "Can you let me go now Uncle Vernon?" I ask as we get into the car park, he lets go of my jumper and I get my clothes back in place. "In." He says gruffly, throwing our trunks in the boot and slamming the boot. Harry shrugs at me and we climb in the car. Uncle Vernon steps on the accelerator and we whiz away from our family.