disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella and her story. Hope you all like it!

Outside the Chamber

For a moment, there was silence as they all stood in the doorway, covered in muck, slime and sweat. Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

Mrs. Weasley leapt to her feel and flung herself at her daughter with Mr. Weasley right behind her. She had been sitting crying in front of the fire. Behind them were Professor Dumbledore, beaming, and Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes whooshed past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder just as Arabella, Harry, and Ron were swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

Mrs. Weasley let go of them. Harry looked at Arabella for a moment, they walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the sword, and the remains of Tom Riddle's diary. Then Arabella started telling them everything: Harry hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes, how they had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died, how he had guessed that Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom….

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add – but how on earth did you all get out of there alive?"

So Harry took over telling the story this time, and told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then his faltered. They had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary or Ginny. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, smiling faintly, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not ...Ginny hasn't been ...has she?"

"It was the diary," said Arabella. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen."

"Brilliant," said Dumbledore, picking up the diary and peering keenly at the burnt and soggy pages. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered. "Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… traveled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with — with — him?"

"His d-diary!" sobbed Ginny. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year –"

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic –"

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it –"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This had been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, smiling kindly at Ginny. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice – I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"You know, Minerva," Dumbledore said to McGonagall thoughtfully, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said McGonagall with an edge. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter, Weasley, and Black, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

As she left, Arabella, Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. Deal with them?

"I seem to remember telling the three of you that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore. "Which goes to show you that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and – let me see – yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor. But one of us seemed to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure. Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

They gave a start – they had almost forgotten about Lockhart completely. Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was speaking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart –"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

Harry laughed quietly as Arabella nodded enthusiastically.

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained to Dumbledore.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "And Miss Black, would you mind going to my office. I would like to speak with your after Harry. The password is Lemon drop."

Arabella, Ron and Lockhart left the room. She gave Ron a nod and they set off in different directions. But there was a small problem: she had no idea where Dumbledore's office was. But then something swooshed past her shoulder – Fawkes! He turned towards Arabella and she knew she had to follow him. He guided the way and she marched after him in silence around the corner and down a long corridor.

What could Dumbledore possibly want to speak with her about? He was speaking with Harry right now, he didn't really need to do so with her.

They stopped over a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle. Fawkes looked at her and she said, "What? The password?"

She took his long stare at her as confirmation. "All right, then – Lemon drop!"

The gargoyle sprang into life suddenly and hopped aside as the wall behind it split into two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward. As Arabella stepping onto it, the wall closed behind them and she rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until she saw a glossy oak door ahead with a brass knocker. Arabella knocked on the door and pushed the door open.

Fawkes flew past her and went towards the golden perch near Dumbledore's enormous desk. He made himself comfortable as Arabella looked around the room. It was a large and beautiful circular room with a number of sliver instruments standing on various tales. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom where snoozing gently in their frames. Behind Dumbledore's desk was an equally enormous shelf.

Arabella settled herself into the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited patiently for the man himself. Fawkes was sleeping peacefully and the portraits were starting to wake up with the office door opened. Dumbledore came in and smiled kindly at her. He was carrying the sword and the Sorting Hat with him.

"Ah, Arabella, thank you for waiting here patiently," Dumbledore said. He put the sword and Sorting Hat on the shelf behind him and took his seat. "I am sure you are eager to see Miss Granger and join the feast, so I shall be brief."

Arabella nodded.

"First of all, Arabella, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling. "You and Harry have shown real loyalty and bravery in the Chamber, one that would surely make your mother and Remus proud of. Now, I understand that you have met Tom Riddle, may I ask what he spoke to you about?"

Arabella hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath and told him everything Riddle told her – asking why she was friends with Harry, asking her to join him, to rebuild his army, his Death Eaters, him finding out about Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black, how he was there when the Ministry officials came and he was in disguise, him touching her face, making her look at him, him saying that she would make her family proud and mentioning that he would give Arabella to Bellatrix when she refused to join him.

Dumbledore was silent and never once interrupted her. He waited for her to finish and nodded.

"It is our choices, Arabella," he said slowly, "that shows us who we truly are, far more than our abilities. You standing up to Voldemort during your first year, going down to the Chamber to save Miss Weasley with Harry distinguishes you from Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius –"

"But the Sorting Hat once said that I would do well in Slytherin!" said Arabella. "It said that I would have done well in Slytherin –"

"I had this same conversation with Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore calmly, "and I will say the same thing to you to which I said to Harry: the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. There are some qualities you have that Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students – resourcefulness, determination, a certain disregard for rules, I must say – but you were placed in Gryffindor for a reason. You show a sort of bravery and courage that Godric Gryffindor prided himself on."

He turned and picked up the sword from the shelf. He placed it in front of Arabella and she finally got a good look on it. There was still some dry blood on it and there were rubies on the hilt. There was a name engraved just below it – Godric Gryffindor.

"Harry pulled that out of the hat," said Dumbledore simply, "and Fawkes delivered that to both Harry and you. If you ever doubt why you were placed in Gryffindor, look no further than his own sword."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Riddle took over Ginny's body when he found out about me and Bellatrix," said Arabella slowly. "Will Ginny – will she remember that?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful at her question. "Tom possessed her body and mind during this year and it seemed as though there were many times where she did not know what had happened or where she was. There will be several moments from this year erased or wiped from her memory. I doubt she will be able to recall that small event in the span of this year."

Arabella nodded. She supposed she could ask Ginny if she remembered anything, but maybe if she brought it up, there would be a chance of her remembering through her question. Maybe it would be better to act as though nothing happened.

"Now, there's a question I wish to ask you," said Dumbledore. "With Professor Lockhart currently incapable to continuing his post as Defense Against the Dark Art teacher, I will have to ask someone else to fill in the position next year. I wish to offer this position to Remus Lupin."

Arabella's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course, I had to ask you first. Teachers with children should be comfortable with the arrangement of having their guardian in the castle and having them for a class. There will be no special treatment of any kind coming from Remus and he will be treating you like any other student."

"Yeah – yeah!" said Arabella. "I'm completely fine with it! He'd be a brilliant professor, of course! But… but what about his furry little problem?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at her words. "I shall be making preparations if he accepts. I will have Professor Snape prepare the Wolfsbane Potion for him before each full moon and he will be able to lock himself in his office during that time. The potion will allow him to keep his mind and allow him to sleep peacefully if he so wishes."

Arabella nodded. "You're going to have to convince him to take the position. He's going to say that there are other people that deserve it or that parents won't like the fact that a werewolf will be teaching their children. You're really going to have to convince him to take it."

"Leave that to me, Arabella," said Dumbledore. "I believe I can persuade Remus to take the position. I can also assure you, no one besides the teachers and you will know of Remus's condition." He then pulled open one of his drawers and took out a piece of parchment, a quill and a bottle of in. "I'll shall be writing to Remus right now, offering him the position and I shall be telling him about your little adventure. I suggest you go down to the feast…. Dear me, we do seem to be running through Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, don't we?"

Arabella got up and crossed the door. Just as she reached for the handle, she turned around and said, "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore gave her a small smile. "The feast, Arabella, remember…."

It was quite simply one of the best Hogwarts feasts she has ever been to. Everyone was in their pajamas and celebrations lasted all night.

Arabella stood at the door frame and looked at everyone's happy faces, laughing at each other and teasing each other. This was quite simply the happiest everyone has ever been in the last couple weeks. She saw Hermione at the Gryffindor table and Arabella immediately brightened.

"Hermione!"

Arabella was running towards her and Hermione met her half way and they were hugging each other, screaming some incomprehensibly nonsense at each other. Arabella hugged her close and tight before engulfing Harry and Ron in hugs as well. Ron turned as red as his hair when she kissed his cheek, but his smile never left his face, even as he whispered, "Bloody hell…"

Arabella kissed Harry's cheek as well and whispered, "Thanks… for standing between me and Riddle."

Harry gave her a smile, though his cheeks were a little red. "Of course. You did the same for me. We're friends, after all."

They joined the rest of the Gryffindors in celebration. Justin had come over and shook Harry's hand, apologizing for suspecting him, Colin was back with his camera and sitting with Ginny and the other first-years. Penelope was sitting with Percy, enjoying some pudding, Filch was reunited with Mrs. Norris and looked happier than he had ever been, and Nearly Headless Nick was sitting with a couple older students from various houses, happy to see that they have taken in interest in him once again.

It was announced that Gryffindor had won the cup with Arabella, Harry and Ron's six hundred points and Hagrid turned up half-past three, cuffing them on the back, congratulating them. Then, Professor McGonagall stood up and announced that exams had been canceled as a school treat, and Dumbledore announced that Lockhart would be unable to return next year. A few teachers joined in cheering that news.

"Shame," said Ron, thoughtfully as he helped himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me."

The rest of the term passed quickly. Hogwarts back to normal with a few changes: Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled, Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor so his son wasn't strutting around the school anymore, and Ginny was in good spirits, smiling brightly and laughing with her friends.

Soon enough, it was time to go home on the Hogwarts Express. Arabella, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys, minus Percy, got a compartment for themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Ginny – what did you see Percy doing that he didn't wat you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well – Percy's got a girlfriend."

They all stared at her as Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.

"What?"

"An actual girl?" asked Arabella.

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "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 – you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, looking as though Christmas had come early.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

"I was right!" exclaimed Arabella at Fred and George, giving them a bright smile.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Arabella, Ron and Hermione.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it trice and handing the parchment to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to..."

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious..."

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me guys what you think!