Harry hit the floor with a crunch, Damian slammed down next to him with a groan.
"That was fun, let's do it again." Harry cried, clapping his hand together once he'd clambered to his feet. Damian glared at him as he pulled a mouse bone from the hood of his robes.
"It hurt." He grumbled, rubbing what he was sure would become a very vicious bruise on his elbow.
"I've felt worse." said Harry, smiling as he looked around,
"Like when?" Damian asked irritably, hating the casual tone in the other boy's voice.
"Like when I woke up in the hospital wing this one time, with a killer headache, it turns out some git had been spiking me with love potion so that I'd be distracted from Ginny. Not that I even like her that way..." Harry shook his head, "That really hurt more then this." Damian scowled,
"Don't you think I've been punished enough for that? I'm grounded, mum's furious at me, I'm not allowed to fly all summer and I have a detention with Filtch." he cried, throwing his hands in the air angrily as he spoke. Harry glanced at him,
"To be honest, no, I don't think you've been punished enough, if any other student were to do what you did, then they would face expulsion, or at least suspension. But becuase you're the Boy Who Lived, you get away with a slap on the wrist."
"So that's what this boils down to, it's all you ever think about, you're jealous, because I'm the boy who lived, because mum and dad prefer me, because I'm better." Damian paused, breathing heavily, awaiting an angry response, denial, tears, something, but Harry just shrugged,
"I was jealous of you when I was eight years old, for all the reasons you just said, but it doesn't matter anymore, nothing matters right now except the fact that behind that door, is a snake, and a friend. So we can argue all you want later, but now, we need to think." Damian's face reddened, but he merely nodded as Harry continued, "A snake wouldn't carry Ron down to the chamber, or write forboding messages on corridoor walls, so in there, there's someone or something else. Whatever it is, it brought Ron down for a reason, and we can't let it happen. So when we get into that room, go straight to him and get him out, get him to the entrance and if you can, get him back into Myrtle's bathroom. If you see the snake, don't look in it's eyes, for obvious reasons, and send Myrtle to get a teacher. Then, get back here as soon as possible, I know I'm amazing but we don't know what it is we're facing so I need all the help I can get. Ok?" At Damian's nodd Harry turned to the door, "Open," He hissed, and the door slid open with a groan.
High pillars made from a glittering green stone that dripped with sludge lead the path down the center of the room. It was as large as the Great Hall and twice as grand, despite the filth coating it, it was still beautiful. In any other situation, Harry would have got Ginny and explored the place from top to bottom, but he forced himself to look ahead. Lying on the ground, red hair a stark contrast with the white of his face, lay Ron, with his limbs askew he looked dead. Harry felt his insides freeze, were they too late? Beside him, he felt Damian stiffen and spead up, overtaking him, Harry quickened his pace to keep up, wand aready. As they got closer, it was like his limbs got heavier, like walking through tar, and next to Ron, he began to see a shape, flickering, the closer they got, the more defined it became, until it took the form of a boy. He was older then them, with dark hair that fell sleekly around a high cheekboned face. Harry knew instantly that this was what had taken Ron.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes on the figure, not daring to glance at Damian. The thing that looked like a boy smirked.
"Manners, manners..." He drawled, looking at Harry appraisingly, "I go by many names, Potter." Harry forced himself not to look surprised, raising an eyebrow he asked again,
"Your name?" The creature scowled,
"You will likely know me by the name I gave myself," with an elaborate flourish, the thing wrote out it's name in glowing letters, Lord Voldemort. Harry yawned,
"Well, this was predictable, who else would it be, I guess... But it would be nice if there was someone new in the mix, just to spice it up a bit..." The Dark Lord looked at Harry incredulously, and then a look of disapointment flashed across his face.
"Oh." He said, "You're Harry Potter... Mr Weasley has told me a lot about you, he did mention your rather twisted sense of humour. I see it was the famous Boy Who Lived, who just fled with Weasley. How impressive..." He sneered, "It does not matter, young Ronald will not recover. I have made sure to that." Harry smiled, ignoring the lurch in his stomach.
"Promises, promises..." He said, winking flirtaciously at the young Dark Lord, who furrowed his brow.
"This talk has begun to bore me, I will enjoy to watch you fight Potter, perhaps there is some logic in your fighting where there isn't any in your humour." Then, with a turn, the Dark Lord gazed up at the large statue of Salazar Slytherin and hissed, "I am the heir of Sytherin, you are bound to serve me, Come forth." The ground trembled as a serpent began to slither out of Slytherin's mouth, like a grim immitation of a tongue.
"NO. Go back into your nice cave thing please..." hissed Harry, the snake ignored him and Harry shrugged, "It was worth a try..." then he turned and sprinted, the Dark Lord's laugh echoing behind him.
Ron was heavy.
Damian had dragged him all the way to the entrance to the chamber, now there was the problem of getting up the giant tube that separated them from the rest of the school. He glanced at Ron and wracked his brain for anything, spell or otherwise that could help them. Suddenly it came to him, swish and flick,
"Wingardium leviosa" with his wand aimed at Ron, the boy began to rise, Damian smiled as the boy began to float up the tube when suddenly, Ron fell. the unconsious boy tumbled down the tube gracelessly and Damian winced on his behalf, "Sorry mate..." he muttered. Deciding there was nothing he could do, he turned and began to puickly make his way back down to Harry, when a sound stopped him in his tracks. There was a beautiful music coming from the tube entrance, stepping back, Damian peered up. Faintly, down but coming quickly closer, was a light.
"Fawkes!" He cried, feeling all the tension leave his body. Fawkes was Dumbledore's bird, he would bring help, a weapon, something. Fawkes flew closer and Damian struggled to see what was in his talons. Finally, as the bird flew overhead, he saw- the sorting hat. Said hat tumbled to the ground in front of him and he groaned. "Seriously?" he asked, grabbing the hat he jammed it atop his head, "Dear Dumbledore," he thought, "Seeing as you sent this, you obviously mean for me to get something from it, advice? Anything? Please help me..." He was about to rip it off his head when a heavy weight almost knocked him out, yanking off the hat, Damian reached into it, fingers scrabbling until they grabbed a handle, he yanked and out fell a sword. Not just any sword, Damian realised, the Sword Of Gryffindor. "Thanks!" He said to the hat, unsure it it would respond, it didn't, shrugging, he ran back towards the fight he could hear through the large door.
Harry was a mess. Blood coated his left arm, thank Merlin he was right handed, and his robes were soaked. To be fair, the Basilisk wasn't in amazing shape either. There was a long gash down it's tail and the insides were covered with boils, it's back was badly cut up as well, but it wasn't slowing down. Harry had quickly realised that it's head was it's weak spot, however due to it's deadly eyes, he had been unable to even get close. Yelping, he dodged yet another attempted bite, he had not been bitten yet and he didn't want to test what those vicious fangs could do, and slashed once again with his wand. The effect of this attack was somewhat limited however, as his eyes were jammed firmly shut.
Suddenly, he heard it. A faint music that echoed against the walls of the hall. He didn't have time to ponder what it was as he once again broke into a run, desperatly trying not to slip on the soaking surface below him. Behind him, the Basilisk let out a shriek and, against his better judgment, Harry turned. The serpent was writhing, tail swishing frantically,
"Ignore the bird!" Shrieked Voldemort, "Get the boy!" But it was too late for that, the snake was blinded and the bird was gone, "You can still hear him!" he cried, but Harry wasn't running away anymore, wand aready, he slashed again and again, the snake lashed out blindly and Harry staggered back. The serpent swayed, but remained upright. Harry bit back a cry as he clutched his arm. As the snake had lashed out, it's tooth had caught him. A bright white fang protruded from his arm. Using his other arm to push himself, he slid away, just as the door opened and Damian Potter spead in.
"About bloody time." Harry murmured, vision blurring and rainbows tinting the scene, did Damian have a sword? No... probably not, he was likely hallucinating, he blinked, the world was so hazy, he just wanted to sleep.
"Poor, poor Harry Potter. Who fought so hard, but didn't quite make it through... Who died knowing his brother would soon follow him to- What are you doing?" the Dark Lord's voice had taken on a sharp quality as Harry picked up the leather journal that had lain discarded on the floor. Now, where had he seen this before? It was with- ah yes, it was with Ron all the time, wasn't it? Harry fumbled with it, opening it, he flipped through the pages, it was empty, how peculiar, he was sure he had seen Ron writing in it, hadn't he? Harry shrugged to himself, noting that dispite the rainbows in his vision, they didn't quite touch the book, it was hidden in shadows, "Put that down." Voldy said, voice taking a note of panic, Harry narrowed his eyes so much that they closed, 'too narrow' he thought to himself, 'seeing is important'.
"You wan' this?" Harry asked, eyes widening, "Here, I'm sorr'" he held out the book then snatched it back, "Jus'kidding," with a sudden surge of strength he didn't know he posessed, he yanked the tooth from his upper arm, and plunged it into the book. Riddle screamed, and Harry screamed too, just because he felt like it. Next to him, Harry heard a roar, as Damian plunged the sword into the roof of the Basilisk's mouth, causing it to thrash wildly, before stilling.
Damian ran over to him, "Harry, we did it! Voldemort's gone and the Basilisk is dead. Harry?" The boy in question blinked up at him,
"Das' great." he mumbled, his tongue tangling with his words, "Abs'loty spiffing ol' chap, I'm just gon' take a nap..." that's when Damian saw the tooth wound. His eyes widened,
"Harry!" he shook the boy who had his blood running through his veins, panic was running his actions, "Harry! Wake up, Harry, we can fix this, please!" overhead, Fawkse sung sadly, aware that she could not help, for Dumbledore had commanded that she only help Damian Potter, he needed to feel special. "Harry!" Damian shrieked, "Harry, Please." The Chamber of secrets was silent, for all but the steady song of a Phoenix that could not change the paths being pathed, and the sobbing of a boy who did not know his brother.
TBC
More to Come. This is not the end of this fanfiction. Keep reading.