Kindred Spirits

by Tailkinker

This is a work of fan fiction based on the Harry Potter series and the Sailor Moon franchise created respectively by J.K. Rowling and Naoko Takeuchi. The characters and settings belong to their respective owners and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered as part of the official canon of either series.

The Chamber of Secrets

Hundreds of small bones crunched underfoot as the five advanced. Professor Flitwick was in the lead, wand lit with the Lumos Charm and held before him. Professors McGonagall and Snape were immediately behind, ready to cast over his head. Harry and Ron brought up the rear.

The light from Flitwick's wand fell upon a large form, and all five tensed.

"Just a shed skin," said Flitwick.

Snape stepped forward and examined the skin. "It does appear to be a shed Basilisk skin. Mr Potter, I believe I owe you an apology."

"This skin must be forty feet long," said McGonagall. "The largest Basilisk I've ever heard of was less than half that."

"They can live forever," commented Snape, "and so long as they have access to food, they never stop growing. If this Basilisk is truly a thousand years old, it must be of terrible size."

As if to punctuate his statement, a loud hiss echoed throughout the passage.

"It seems we are not alone," commented Snape.

"Let's not draw attention to ourselves," said Flitwick. He raised his wand, and moved further down the passage. McGonagall and Snape followed closely.

"Come on," whispered Ron. He nudged Harry, who was standing, shocked.

"My name...the Basilisk knows my name."

"What? How can it?"

"I don't know," said Harry. "But that's what I heard. The Basilisk called my name."

"The Professors are getting away from us," said Ron.

"Yeah, that isn't good." Harry started down the passageway again, following the glow coming from Flitwick's wand.

Suddenly, that light winked out.

"What happened? Where did they go?"

"I don't know," said Harry. "Lumos." He raised his lit wand, revealing a turn in the corridor. Harry rounded the corner, to discover that it was only the first in a series of corners and junctions.

"Great," muttered Ron. "Now it's a maze."

Harry knelt, and examined the floor. "There's not a lot of dust here." He lowered his wand towards the floor. "Looks like they took a left here."

"Won't they have noticed we're missing by now?" asked Ron.

"Ssh." Harry cupped a hand to his ear. "I don't hear them. No voices, no footsteps."

"What if they found the Basilisk?" whispered Ron.

"We'd have heard that," said Harry. He stood again. "Left, I think."

They started down the left-hand passage, Harry in the lead, his lit wand raised.

"Maybe we should yell for them?" suggested Ron. "I mean, snakes are deaf, right? So the Basilisk won't hear us."

"I'm pretty sure that the Basilisk can hear," said Harry. "It must have heard my name from somewhere."

There was a rumble behind them. Harry whirled about, pointing his wand back the way they had come.

A wall of green scales slid past the mouth of the passageway, scraping along the wall as it did so. Stonework came down, closing off the passageway. Harry ran towards the rockfall, shining his wandlight over the entire entrance.

Every bit of the passageway had been sealed off. They heard the sound of the Basilisk moving off.

"Now what?" asked Ron.

"We go forward," said Harry. "We don't have much choice."

The passage opened up into a small chamber. Across from the passage mouth, a massive door gleamed golden.

"Bloody hell," said Ron. "Is that solid gold?"

"At least gold plated," said Harry. He stepped up to it. "And locked, from the looks of it."

"Another Parseltongue lock?"

"I could try that," said Harry. "But wouldn't it be better to wait for the Professors?"

"It might take them hours to figure out where we are," pointed Ron. "And then there's the rockfall. Ginny might not have hours!"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think you're right." He turned back to the door.

"Open."

With a loud click, the door unlatched. Slowly, it swung open, revealing a massive lit chamber beyond. Harry and Ron stepped through the doorway.

The Chamber of Secrets was lined with pillars, carved in the form of snakes. At the far end of the Chamber, a massive bust of a man, of almost simian appearance, was carved into the wall.

In the center of the chamber lay a small, red-haired form, a familiar black diary lying beside her.

"Ginny!" Ron ran forward, and knelt beside his sister, dropping his wand beside him. "Wake up!" He shook her shoulder, then touched her face. "She's stone cold, Harry."

"She won't wake."

Harry turned to face the new speaker. "Tom! How can you be here?"

"Tom?" Ron looked up. "As in, Tom Riddle?"

"That's me." Tom walked up to Ginny and knelt beside her. "And I am here because of your sister."

"What do you mean?"

"Poor little Ginny. Ignored by her brothers and terribly homesick. Luckily for her, she had her trusty diary to confide in." Tom smirked. "She poured her heart and soul into me. Literally, as it happened." He stood up, and took a step back. "And soon, she will be dead, and I will live again."

"Oh, no you won't," snarled Ron. He reached for his wand—

"Looking for this?" Tom raised his hand, holding Ron's wand. "You should never allow it out of your grasp."

Harry levelled his wand at Riddle. "Tom. Give it back to him."

"No," said Riddle. "I don't think I will. Harry Potter," he sneered. "I've so wanted to meet you. How did you defeat me, all those years ago? How did a mere toddler overthrow Lord Voldemort?"

"I don't—hold on. You are Voldemort?"

"You don't really think that I would keep my filthy Muggle father's name? After he abandoned my mother to her death?" Tom turned, and with Ron's wand, etched letters of fire in the air behind him.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He waved his wand through the letters, and they rearranged themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Wait," said Ron. "Lord Voldemort, the champion of the Pureblood cause, was a Half-blood?"

Riddle's face twisted. "For that, boy, I believe I shall kill you first." He turned to the bust at the end of the room. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

The mouth of the statue slowly ground open. In the gap behind, something moved.

"It's the Basilisk," said Harry. "Ron, run!"

"There's no place to flee," shouted Riddle. "With the passage collapsed, there is no escape."

Harry and Ron ducked behind a pillar, out of line of sight of the Basilisk. "We need to get a message to a professor," said Ron.

"How?"

"I dunno! You're the only one with a wand."

"Dumbledore said that help would always be available at Hogwarts to those who ask." Harry squeezed his eyes shut. "So Hogwarts, we could really use a hand here."

"Appealing to the spirit of Hogwarts?" Riddle's voice was mocking. "That—"

He was cut off by a sudden peal of birdsong, and a golden form appeared in a flash of fire. Fawkes banked towards the boys, dropping something in Harry's lap, then flew towards the Basilisk.

"What are you doing, you accursed bird?"

The Basilisk screamed in pain. "My eyes! It's torn out my eyes!"

"Fawkes has blinded the Basilisk," said Harry.

"Who?"

"The bird. It's Dumbledore's phoenix!" Harry looked at the package that Fawkes had dropped. "What—it's the sorting hat!"

"Your bird might have blinded the Basilisk," called out Riddle. "But it can still smell you. You've only bought yourself some more time."

"Might be all we need," muttered Harry. He passed his wand to Ron. "Here. You're a Pureblood, it might ignore you."

"Fat chance of that," said Ron. But he took the wand anyway. Harry jammed the Hat onto his head.

And was nearly knocked senseless when something heavy fell on the top of his head.

He pulled off the Hat. Protruding from its band was a large handle of some sort. Harry grabbed the handle and pulled.

The sword was far too long to have fit in the Hat, nearly as long as Harry was tall. Its blade, inscribed with some sort of runes, was a dark silvery colour, its quillons and hilt a brighter shade of the same colour. A massive ruby was embedded into its pommel.

"Whoa." Ron's eyes were huge.

"Distract Riddle," said Harry. "I'll kill the Basilisk."

"Are you nuts? That's a nice sword, but the Basilisk is enormous!"

"You see another alternative?" Harry gripped the sword, one hand on the hilt, one on the unsharpened portion of the blade just before the quillons. He stepped around the column.

The Basilisk was on the other side of the Chamber, slowly moving around another column. Harry started towards it, moving as quietly as he could.

"He is directly in front of you!"

The Basilisk turned, sniffing the air. Harry heard Ron yelling, "Expelliarmus!", and Riddle's scream of rage. The Basilisk lunged towards him, and he jabbed the sword as hard as he could into the beast's mouth.

A searing pain burned his arm where one tooth pierced it, but the blade's tip pierced the roof of the Basilisk's mouth. It twitched to the side, catching Harry with its head and knocking him away, and then fell over, unmoving.

Harry staggered to his feet, using the sword as a crutch. The pain in his arm was growing worse. He staggered towards Ginny. Idly, he noted that Ron had both wands, now.

"You only defeated me because the wand I took from you was broken," said Riddle. "My powers are growing, however. With every minute that passes, I regain my strength. And when Ginny Weasley dies, you will face the wrath of a reborn Lord Voldemort."

"This diary," said Harry. "You said it contained your soul?"

"What—"

Harry brought the tip of the sword down on the diary. It penetrated clear through to the floor below. The diary screamed, echoed by Riddle doing the same. And then Riddle winked out of existence.

Harry collapsed next to Ginny, who was starting to stir.

"Harry, mate...you all right?" asked Ron.

"It bit me," mumbled Harry. He pulled back his sleeve, to reveal a puncture wound. "Venomous...I can feel it burning."

Fawkes landed next to Harry, and took a step forward. A single tear emerged from his eye, falling into the wound. The burning lessened, and Harry started to feel stronger.

"Phoenix tears." He smiled. "Thanks, Fawkes."

"What're you on about?"

"Phoenix tears have healing properties," said Harry. "Dumbledore told me." He stood up, hefting the sword over his shoulder. "How's Ginny?"

"She's getting better," said Ron. And indeed, Ginny was trying to sit up.

"Harry—it was me! The diary made me open the Chamber of Secrets. I'm sorry—"

"We'll deal with that later," said Harry. "For now, we need to find our way out of here."