I felt fully prepared for the evening that would require me to go down into the chamber, or, as prepared as I could possibly be. I had a rooster in my shed—being kept happy with a scattering of food in a runic barrier circle—and after lunch, I spent the rest of the day trying to come up with various ways to defend myself should something go wrong. There wasn't much.

Getting into the chamber unnoticed by the beast was my first issue. I had no idea of knowing if it would be running loose in the sewers or kept somewhere until the heir called for it. So I made sure I could silence my footfalls, cover my scent, and use a perfect disillusionment charm. Once in there though, it was as easy as letting the rooster crow but should it fail for any reason, I needed a way to get out of there and potentially collapse the chamber.

Dumbledore had already assured me that doing so would in fact not collapse any part of the castle—which would somehow compensate for the damage via magic, though he just smiled instead of telling me how that worked. Knowing that I wasn't risking anyone's safety other than my own, I created a runic pattern that would act similarly to muggle bombs once etched onto a surface by a wand. It toyed with the idea of a contained blasting spell that built up power until it exploded out of the casing. Highly dangerous and something I would avoid using again if I could help it, but would serve its purpose if I failed and had to flee. It's highly volatile too. I'll need to be extra careful because any magic hits it and I have seconds to try and run.

When it came to protecting myself from the basilisk's gaze though, I was stuck. Closing my eyes would be one thing but then I couldn't see where I was going or where to aim spells. A conjunctivitis curse might save me for some time but that would require knowing where to aim which wouldn't work. My only hope was to somehow avoid its gaze by never looking at its head. No runic tricks or spells could save me should I attempt to see its head, which was undoubtedly the most dangerous part of it. I shivered at the thought, shaking off the worry and fear as best I could. I-I've dealt with dangerous creatures before. I can do this a-and think of the positives. I'll be able to harvest the basilisk's corpse for ingredients. They could prove useful a-and I could sell some of them for a good price. The students will be safe too.

Then, there was a screech, making me jump and turn toward the glowing runic stone as it wailed. I hastily got up and stared at it before summoning my patronus.

"The corridor's been breached. Someone's gone into the bathroom. I will be there first. Could be a false alarm. Tell Dumbledore."

The fox nodded and vanished through the wall as I ensured I had what I needed—taking the rooster and shrinking it into my pocket—before rushing to the corridor. It was just before dinner and students were wandering the halls as they were released from classes and I hoped I was correct that someone had just ignored the sign to snoop. I really don't want to have to fight a student. Once I reached the right floor I cast a disillusionment charm and hurried into the corridor only to relax at the voices I heard in the bathroom.

I released the charm and cast another smaller patronus with the message of a false alarm before stepping in as Myrtle sobbed and ducked into her choice of toilet.

"Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle," Hermione piped up as I came in behind them. "Come on. Let's go—"

She paled at the sight of me raising a brow at them and the other two boys shrank back as well.

"M-Mr. Daggrow. We were just—"

"Snooping where you shouldn't be," I finished for her. "This area is off-limits for a reason."

"It's just a bathroom," Ron grumbled.

"One that flooded with no one in it, including Myrtle," I countered. "And adjacent to what Harry and I discovered the other night. While I said to keep this secret, you do realize snooping here may draw the attention of other students."

"We just wanted to know about the Chamber of Secrets," Harry explained, the braver of the group when faced with me, apparently.

"Then, as I've told you all before, ask. Snooping around where you shouldn't be, just makes myself and others less inclined to want to help you."

The three bowed their heads.

"Sorry, Mr. Daggrow."

I sighed, never one to enjoy giving out punishment even when it's deserved. "Five points from Gryffindor for ignoring the sign. Now, go to dinner and if you're still so inclined, I will speak to you all about it after."

They looked hopeful but I held up a hand.

"Still, this will remain between you three. We removed the words and kept this secret for a reason, which you will understand when I explain. Should any of you say anything, I will seek punishment from each of you, and despite how I may act…" I frowned down at them, making them all stiffen. "…I don't take kindly to my trust being broken."

They nodded and I huffed, shooing them off and watching them go before a smiling Dumbledore came up behind me. Probably heard the whole thing.

"Troublesome trio, aren't they?"

"They're nosy. I'll give them that," I grumbled, giving him a look. "I won't tell them everything. Just enough to deter them from getting further involved."

He nodded as we started to head for the Great Hall ourselves. "Yes, though you will be in for a long night, no?"

I sighed with a nod. "Once it's killed, I'll need to harvest everything. It could prove useful in the future but depending on how big it is…"

"It could take some time. Harry will open it then and I'll send him off. Should you need him again, send your patronus and I'll bring him back. You are willing to destroy the chamber once finished?"

"Yes. No need for anyone else getting down there with or without the basilisk. It should prove to frustrate the heir as well, giving us time once the alarm goes off."

"Then, we know what to do. Midnight?"

I nodded and we stepped in to enjoy a peaceful dinner. It didn't last as long as I'd liked, given I soon felt the stares of the trio as I brought a spoonful of ice cream to my mouth. I gave them an annoyed frown and they tried to act as though they weren't waiting for me to finish. With a heavy sigh, I finished the last bite and stood to leave. The trio rushed from their places as well and waited just outside the hall.

"Come on. My shed."

"Why not just an empty room?" Hermione questioned.

"I don't need anyone overhearing and my shed is the most secure. I'll escort you to the tower when finished."

They followed me outside and I opened my shed and led them in, ignoring the crow from the rooster when I put it back and waving my wand to silence it. They didn't question why it was there, given the other creatures I had hanging about, and I conjured up three stools for them.

"What do you want to know?" I sighed, drawing over a glass and bottle to pour myself something to take the edge off of what I was going to do in a few hours.

And dealing with these three.

"What is the Chamber of Secrets?"

I took a sip of my drink and explained. I told them of the founders of Hogwarts and how Salazar had built a secret room the others didn't know. How his heir was said to be the only one able to open it and control the monster inside.

"So why are we keeping it a secret?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't we warn the other students?"

I shook my head. "We would be causing a panic. Those muggle-borns would be targeted and may very well leave the school in fear both from the dangers of the chamber and those purebloods around them."

"You mean the Slytherins."

"A good portion of them, yes, though there may well be others who feel similarly in other places. The other purpose was so that we could have the space away from nosy students to investigate and come up with a solution."

They looked surprised.

"Have you?"

"How do you fight a monster?"

I sighed, thinking of what I could and couldn't say. "It is no monster but a creature and all creatures have a way to be defeated."

"You're going to fight it?"

I gave Ron an annoyed look at his disbelief. "It's not really fighting. The creature has a very easy weakness that doesn't involve a drawn-out battle. It's not like I'm facing a dragon. The fact that you assume I couldn't is rather rude though."

"Sorry but you're all… you," he said rather vaguely and I rolled my eyes and took another drink.

"I do hope you grow past judging people by their appearances, Mr. Weasley. Your brothers would be disappointed with you for insulting someone who provides them with quite a few items for their pranks." I shot him a look. "Might turn on you for insulting me."

He winced at that, muttering an apology before I turned to Harry.

"We will actually be borrowing you for the evening. You got Dumbledore's message?"

Harry looked surprised but nodded. "Why me? What could I do?"

"Open the chamber," I replied, stunning them. "The only reason it wouldn't open to anyone but an heir would be complex blood magic or an ability that only people related to Slytherin could have."

"Parseltongue?" He guessed and I nodded.

"It was the conclusion I came to after discovering what the creature could be. It is a rather large serpent. Parseltongue made sense."

"But I'm not related to him," Harry countered.

I shrugged. "Dumbledore seemed to have an idea why but he wouldn't tell me and I wasn't allowed to dig deeper than that. The Slytherin line is rather public because they're practically extinct other than You-Know-Who. You could be very distantly related through the Potter line but I have no way of checking to confirm. Once family blood gets mixed various traits tend to die out or become scarce through generations. The only example I know of was the occasional blonde in the Black family, who all had black hair 95% of the time. Could be the same. Parseltongue just became a rare trait that skipped generations."

"So, I could be related to him. To Voldemort," Harry muttered with a hint of defeat as I winced at the name and his sorrow.

"Very, very distantly," I tried to reassure him. "And it's only a possibility. Could be something strange happened when you were a baby and he—" I cut myself short, not wanting to overstep but he nodded in understanding and I cleared my throat awkwardly. "The point is, it's only because you have this ability that we're even able to do anything. The creature travels through the school pipes so without access to the chamber, we would have to get lucky to deal with it at all."

The group was quiet, thinking about all they'd learned and I finished off my drink, silently wishing I could have more but knowing I needed to be sober to deal with the basilisk.

"It's late. I should lead you all back if those are all the questions."

"Do you know who's doing it?" Harry asked as I stood, stopping me for a moment.

"…No, but we have something in place to figure it out which is why you shouldn't be too nosy and should stay out of that corridor. Once the creature is dealt with, we can worry more about the heir, who won't be pleased I'm sure."

They got up and followed me out and soon we were back at the Gryffindor Tower. I waved for them to go inside and gave Harry one last reminder.

"Midnight, Harry. Don't forget."

He nodded and they disappeared behind the Fat Lady portrait as I sighed and started to head to my shed for some rest. I'll need all the sleep I can get.

I woke up feeling somehow well-rested and tired at the same time. The task to come was easy in theory but doing it would be terrifying. I glanced at the rooster resting in the runic circle before letting out a soft sigh. I shrank the creature and put it in my pocket, ensuring I had anything else I would need including vials for venom and dragon-hide gloves so I wouldn't be harmed by the more volatile ingredients. Tucking a blade into my robes for butchering, I left my shed and glanced up at the moon hanging above. The grounds were quiet as always and none of the students but the trio would know what was happening this evening. And hopefully, they never will.

I headed into the school and moved into the corridor where Myrtle's bathroom was; the Grim at my side plodding along as it always did. Even I barely noticed it sometimes but it was always much more prevalent when I was about to face something potentially deadly. Like it knows and is just waiting for its time. A shudder rolled through me at the thought before I stepped into the bathroom where Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry were. Dumbledore was smiling as always but McGonagall didn't look thrilled and Harry shuffled a little uneasily.

"You have everything you need?" The headmaster asked and I nodded.

"And backup plans should anything go wrong," I muttered, giving Harry a small nod. "Whenever you're ready, Harry."

"What do I say?" He asked, looking at the adults for answers and even I wasn't really sure.

"Maybe just… open?" I wondered, glancing at Dumbledore who shrugged as McGonagall huffed.

"I still don't think the boy should be involved."

"We've gone over this Minerva. He's the only one who can open the chamber and as soon as he's done, you can take him back to the common room."

"And Farlan?" She countered, gesturing to me as I rubbed the back of my neck. "You're sending him down there to face that… that thing alone?"

"I have faith that he is fully capable and wouldn't step too far out of his comfort when dealing with creatures."

I offered McGonagall an awkward smile. "Things should be easy if it helps. I shouldn't have to face the creature at all."

She didn't look convinced and pointed a stern finger at me. "Then, you better not fail, Farlan, or you will have me to answer to."

I nodded stiffly, surprised by the threat even though it didn't quite make sense as Dumbledore ushered Harry toward the sink. Harry hesitated before eyeing the snake etchings on the sides of the faucet and a hiss escaped his mouth, sending the sink shuddering out of the way and opening up a large, dark pipe. I approached it, staring down into the dark and swallowing back a lump of fear in my throat as Dumbledore spoke again.

"Should anything occur that requires us—"

"I'll send my patronus," I murmured, turning to face him as he gave me an encouraging nod.

"You are doing the school and myself quite the favor, Farlan. I will certainly owe you for this endeavor."

"Just don't sign me up to teach next year," I said with a grimace of a smile as I glanced back at the pipe. "It's hard enough doing one lesson."

He hummed with a grin. "Yes, well, we shall see."

I took a steadying breath and let it out, before dropping down into the hole and casting a slowing charm when I felt I was going too fast. I landed in the sewer system of the school and quickly cleaned myself off before layering a disillusionment charm, a silencing charm, and one that would hide my scent. Even then, it was hard to stop my steps from creating a light slapping sound from the water on the ground as I walked through the tunnel, spying discarded rat bones along the way and freezing when I saw something large not too far ahead. I stared at it but it didn't move and I felt safe enough to light my wand.

It was a massive shedded snakeskin, one that told of how old this basilisk was and how large. It wasn't until I reached the end of the tunnel that I saw a wall with two intertwined serpents carved into it. I considered calling Harry down for half a second before wondering. If I mimic what he did… I reached my wand up to my temple, drawing forth the memory to look at again before speaking in the same sort of hiss Harry had. I felt I'd gotten lucky as the wall cracked open and slid out of sight, but stepped into the chamber cautiously; light extinguished once more.

It was an amazing piece of work that spoke of how prideful Salazar Slytherin had been as he'd painstakingly carved stone pillars shaped like serpents and the giant face at the very back. It was undoubtedly the man himself, Salazar Slytherin; a face I'd gotten to know when I looked into his family line. I drew myself from my daze though, knowing that somewhere in here was the basilisk. I could hear it moving somewhere behind the stone face, sensing I was here but waiting to be summoned should I be the heir drawing it out. Instead, I drew the shrunken rooster from my robe pocket, hearing a hiss of displeasure.

I hadn't cast any of my charms on the rooster and now that it was out, the snake inside must have smelled it. Quickly, I unshrank the rooster and woke it, making it squawk in annoyance and flap about but not crow.

"You blasted thing," I breathed, turning my legilimency on the creature and urging it to do as I wanted, hearing the basilisk hiss grow nearer.

Thankfully, encouraging a rooster to crow wasn't anything out of the ordinary and it did so, causing a horrible racket as the basilisk thrashed in its confinement until part of the stone face broke under the pressure and the basilisk fell through. I clenched my eyes shut but there was silence and I hesitantly opened my eyes, wand drawn and trailing my eyes up toward its head. I didn't go all the way, worried it might have died with its eyes open and its power still very much potent. Still, the beast was dead as the rooster scuttled about like nothing had happened.

A sigh of relief flowed through me and I scattered some food for the rooster before approaching the serpent. I placed a hand on it, flinching should it move but it didn't and I trailed my hand carefully up to its head until I found an eye socket. A small blasting spell from my wand destroyed its eye and I went around to do the other before finally looking at it properly. It was quite the beast. Over twenty feet long and a brilliant shade of green. The lack of red plumage told me it was a female who had lived quite a long life if she'd been here since Salazar Slytherin's time. I muttered a small apology for killing the beast and stepped back to lay out my tools and start gathering what I could. As Dumbledore had said, it would be a long night.

Hours passed as I painstakingly butchered the snake as best I could. It wasn't a perfect job given how tough the skin was, but I soon had its skin hung off one of the serpent statues to dry. The meat was wrapped and set aside given I wasn't sure how much worth a basilisk's meat might go for and the venom sacks were drained into vials as well as its blood. As potent as the stuff was, I knew I might have a use for the venom later and chose to keep some of it and slowly leak the rest into the market, should Dumbledore decide it was safe to. The bones were all that was left and while I didn't need them, I collected the skeleton anyway. I hadn't tested my runic abilities with basilisk bone and if anything, I could look into what uses it might have on the market or perhaps donate the skeleton for research or display purposes.

By the time I'd finished, I had no idea of what time it might be. I was exhausted and hungry and covered in the vestiges of the beast. My head ached and my muscles throbbed at the extensive amount of work I'd just put in. I sighed and drank some water from my bag before pulling out a shrunken trunk. I returned it to its rightful size and began shrinking the rest of the items around me to pack away. I then shrank the entirety of it and put it away once more, grateful for magic spells as I grimaced at the thought of how I would have had to lug it all out by hand otherwise. I rubbed at my temples once it was done and started to head back to the entrance of the tunnels, muttering under my breath and occasionally carving a glowing red rune on the walls with my wand.

I reached the beginning of the pipe and stared up at the dark hole above before sighing, casting a levitation charm to bring myself up and out. I landed in the bathroom, blinking with a wince at the light before twirling my wand and casting my patronus with a grumble.

"Tell him I'm finished. I'll destroy the chamber now and ensure the alarms are set before moving to his office."

The silvery fox vanished as I went to work checking my wards on the entrance and I pulled a runic stone out of my pocket. I muttered the same spell I'd placed on the chamber walls and tapped the glowing red rune with my wand. It burned a brighter red and I dropped it down into the pipe, waiting and casting a silencing spell on the room should it be louder than expected. There was silence for a moment before I heard the slightest blast. I was then forced to step back as more blasts went off, the sound growing louder until a plume of dust drifted up from the pipe and it went quiet once more. I gave it an extra few moments before nodding in satisfaction at the entrance of the pipe which was now full of rubble.

A brief wave of my wand put the entrance of the chamber back the way it was—the sink moving back in place—before removing the silencing charms and getting ready to leave, only for a soft voice to stop me.

"Y-You've got blood on your robes."

I paused, turning to see Moaning Myrtle tucked behind the open door of her stall, peeking out at me. I glanced down at myself and wrinkled my nose, knowing that if students were about, this wouldn't look very good for me. I waved my wand to clean them up and nodded to her.

"Thank you, Myrtle, and I appreciate your cooperation with all this."

She nodded and ducked away as I stepped out, actually grateful for the ghost. It was thanks to her that I'd discovered where the entrance was in the first place and she'd thankfully not alerted anyone to what we'd been doing the last few days. A bit whiney, sure, but she had died a young, bullied teenager and I honestly didn't mind.

As I headed to Dumbledore's office—rooster tucked under my arm because it kept trying to escape my pocket—I glanced out the windows at the grounds. It was daytime and I wondered how long I'd been dealing with the basilisk. Can't have been too long, I'm sure. Ten hours? Eleven perhaps? I went in just after midnight. I lightly shook the thought off as it just made my headache worse and stepped up to the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office. It jumped aside after a moment and I worked my aching body up the stairs before entering to find a relieved McGonagall and a smiling Dumbledore.

"Apologies," I muttered tiredly. "The chamber and basilisk have been dealt with as requested. I didn't expect it to take as long as it did."

"Do you even realize how long you've been gone?" McGonagall questioned, looking rather angry and concerned. "We were just about to discuss sending someone after you!"

I was a bit surprised and rubbed at my aching head. "I'm assuming ten hours? Was it longer?"

"Nearly three days!" McGonagall informed me, stunning me. "Honestly, I know you get absorbed in your work but you could have sent us word that you were alright."

I opened my mouth but closed it at the sight of her glare, daring me to say something stupid.

"I-I…" I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing at Dumbledore for help but he just kept smiling. "…I didn't expect it to be so big? I-I couldn't tell how long I had been down there either."

"Do you not own a watch?" She scolded and I sheepishly shook my head as she sighed heavily, dropping her face into her hand.

"Now, now, Minerva. Do not scold him too much," Dumbledore hummed, obviously amused by the situation. "He has done us a great favor by doing what he did. I take it everything went well?"

I nodded, hesitantly turning away from the miffed McGonagall. "Y-Yes, sir. The rooster took care of it easily," I said, gesturing to said creature as it scuttled about near the door. "Then, it was just a matter of butchering it and sealing the chamber. I hope you might give me permission to put some items on the market. I'm not sure what the meat would go for, but the skin will sell for a high price as will the blood, bone, and venom."

"Yes, well, you should hang onto everything for a while until we can ascertain what they're used for first. The last thing we need is to be supplying our enemies with rather potent material such as basilisk venom."

I nodded in agreement. "I was also hoping to keep some myself, if I may. The bones and blood mostly, though the venom will be helpful I feel for other things, I'm sure."

He hummed with a nod. "Yes, I'm sure we can work something out for you. I take it you want them for your runic studies?"

I bobbed my head eagerly, ignoring how my headache grew worse at the action. "Yes, please. The properties of blood and bone are always to be considered when using them in runic work and obtaining those from a basilisk is almost unheard of."

His smile returned as McGonagall sighed in exasperation.

"Yes. I'm sure there are many things you could test with them and you have my permission to use whatever you may need. You slayed the beast, after all. The profits of what you've obtained shall be your own."

I cracked a smile myself—grateful—as he continued.

"Now, before I can release you, we need to go over how we catch the culprit. It's been quiet while you were gone but I do not believe it will last."

"Especially not after they discover you've destroyed the chamber," McGonagall added.

"I have ensured that alarms are placed on the bathroom entrance and a ward will close it off once they enter," I reassured. "So long as no students go wandering where they shouldn't, the next person to be there should be the person we're searching for."

"How strong are the wards? We do not know who it is or what they may be capable of. If they're being manipulated or even possessed it's possible they can use some rather potent magic even if they are a student."

I actually smirked at that. "They are wards that I have been preparing for years in order to contain dragons, sir. They should be quite adequate."

"Dragons?" McGonagall questioned in surprise.

"Quite the feat, Farlan," Dumbledore mused. "Have they been tested against them?"

My smirk fell and I shook my head. "No. While I started them back when I was under Magnus, I had no opportunity to apply them to dragons themselves. I was having trouble figuring out how to use them on a wide enough area since runic spells weaken with extra space placed between them. This is on a far smaller scale though, so the effects will be even stronger than if they were applied to dragons. I've tested them only on the hippogriffs here and on a rather feral nundu with Magnus. Though the latter was early on and the wards weren't quite where I wanted them to be."

I rubbed at my right shoulder where the scars from the beast's claws had remained since that day but Dumbledore nodded.

"Then, I will put my faith in your wards but will also ensure that I am quick to respond to your summons should they fall early. You will have the alarm?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. It should still be in my shed. I will grab it as soon as I leave here."

"You will sooner go visit Madam Pomfrey," McGonagall pressed sternly. "I doubt you were caring for yourself while occupied down there, so seeing her is the first thing. Then, you may get your stone and visit the Great Hall for a meal. I doubt you brought anything yourself."

I sheepishly glanced away as Dumbledore chuckled.

"Then, it's settled. To the infirmary with you, Farlan. I will return the rooster to Hagrid and check in with you about the basilisk ingredients as soon as I know more."

I nodded and hurried off before McGonagall could glare at me even more, begrudgingly heading to Madam Pomfrey. I'm going to get scolded, aren't I?

I did, in fact, get reprimanded rather severely by Madam Pomfrey for my lack of self-care while in the chamber. I was dehydrated which was the main cause of my headache and my usual insomnia had returned full force since I'd stayed awake without rest in my distraction. Her instructions were very clear that I was to eat and sleep immediately, and McGonagall assured her I would when she came to escort me to my shed and then lunch. She was giving me the silent treatment as well and I rubbed at my arm uneasily.

"I hadn't meant to be gone for that long," I muttered, getting no response from her as we made our way to the Great Hall. "If I had known—"

"You would have what?" She countered sharply, making me wince. "Need I remind you of how you've taken care of yourself thus far? Sleepless nights, overworking, not eating, and let's not forget you getting 'carried away' while doing blood runes."

I went to argue with her but grit my teeth instead and looked away. She and Hagrid were the two who held that instance over me the most. The half-giant never mentioned it again but his concern over me and hesitance when he saw me was proof enough that he was still bothered by it. McGonagall, though, had been the most opposed and refused to hear me out on the incident. Getting carried away and not having the slightest thought of how what I did might look didn't matter to her or she never truly believed me. I had grown tired of trying to convince her, knowing nothing would change and maybe she sensed that I wasn't pleased by her mentioning it again, and sighed softly.

"There is a trio of Gryffindors who were very concerned as to your well-being," she informed me, drawing my attention back to her as we reached the Great Hall. "Do not forget that despite what you may think, there are those here who worry and care about you, Farlan. Myself included."

A sense of guilt welled up in me as I muttered under my breath. "I really didn't know…"

"Then, remember for next time you decide to do something dangerous," she answered, pushing open the doors. "Now, come along. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

We stepped into the hall for lunch, drawing a number of eyes from various students. Word had apparently gotten around about my absence and sighs of relief were given as I made my way up to the head table with McGonagall. Usually, I would have sat down with the students but she insisted, determined to keep an eye on me and give me an uninterrupted lunch. I started off light with some soup and midway through my second plate of food Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in. They too saw me and looked relieved; Harry even offered me a small wave that I nodded to before continuing to eat.

I finished eating a little while later and McGonagall shooed me off, informing me that she would drop by in the morning. I nodded and began to leave only for the trio at the Gryffindor table to stop me for a moment.

"Are you okay, Mr. Daggrow?" Hermione asked and I hummed.

"Exhausted but unharmed."

"So you did it then? You killed it?" Ron questioned before Harry lightly nudged him.

"Be quiet, Ron. No one's supposed to know, remember?"

"The creature has been dealt with and the chamber sealed," I informed them as I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Then, it's over with, right?" Ron said hopefully but Hermione shook her head.

"We still don't know who did it though."

I waved them off lightly. "Don't worry about it. They won't know that we've taken action against them until they try to do something again. So long as you three stay out of that bathroom, we will have them momentarily."

"You set a trap? Ow!" Ron complained as Hermione kicked him from under the table and I sighed.

"Yes, well, next time the headmaster or staff plan a trap I'll be sure to leave you all out of it."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry grumbled as I lightly shook my head.

"I better go though. I've not slept yet and if I don't go rest soon, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey might very well lock me in my bedroom. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I should be back to my usual duties in a few days. I do believe we're covering werewolves next lesson, so look forward to that."

They nodded, pleased that I would return to my lessons since I'd missed one in the process of preparing for this, and I left the Great Hall to go to my bedroom in the castle; actually eager to sleep in a proper bed and recover from what I'd been doing the last week.

I woke up the next morning, having slept through the rest of the day and into the next, to McGonagall knocking on the door. I groaned but rolled out of bed and rubbed at my face before opening it and giving her a tired look.

" 's it morning already?"

"It was morning nearly an hour ago," she countered, telling me she'd been at the door for a while. "Put your robes on. I will grab you something from the Great Hall and you can grade papers for me in my classroom or work on your lecture for this week. There's a Quidditch game this afternoon if you're up to it, otherwise, you're free to do as you please except working. Madam Pomfrey insists."

I frowned, grumbling under my breath about overbearing healers as I wandered back into my room and found a shirt and my robes. Thankfully, I had been wearing trousers when I answered the door but I switched them out for a fresh pair and stepped out to find her with a fresh plate of eggs, bacon, beans, and toast. I grunted in acceptance and we headed to her classroom where I spent a few hours before lunch.

I wasn't in the mood for Quidditch and chose to return to my room and shower instead. Some light stretching and reading up on runic spells and basilisk uses consumed my afternoon instead, until McGonagall returned looking rather miffed.

"That idiot Lockhart," she complained as we went to the Great Hall for dinner. "Turned poor Potter's arm into jelly. He has to regrow his entire forearm because that moron thought he knew what he was doing."

A rogue bludger had apparently gone after Harry during the Quidditch match and broken his arm in the process. Dumbledore, of course, wanted me to check over the Quidditch items for tampering and prevent another incident but it would have to wait until tomorrow. Lockhart claims to know so much but has never actually done anything. I should probably look into it if he continues to cause trouble.

Other than that though, dinner was a quiet affair and I was again released to my quarters for the evening. It felt like I'd only just fallen asleep when the blaring alarm went off and I scrambled onto my feet. My patronus was summoned and sent off immediately—not even the trio would have been out this late after my warning and with Harry in the infirmary—and I bolted out of the room with my wand ready.

I could hear shouting before I reached the corridor and I silenced the space once there, to prevent prefects or others from hearing. A quick age line was put in place so that if they already had, none could enter except Dumbledore and the staff. Then, I began to approach the bathroom where the shouting had turned to sobs. I hadn't expected what I found either.

A student had been a possibility of course, given that the staff were all trustworthy this year—aside from Lockhart but he was too daft to try something like this. That didn't make it any easier to step into view of the sobbing redhead who was trapped behind my wards.

"Miss Weasley?" I questioned, not knowing any other redheaded family in the school than theirs. The twins mentioned a younger sister too, but why?

The girl looked up, eyes fearful and scared. "M-Mr. Daggrow?"

I nodded slowly, hearing the incoming footfalls of Dumbledore and McGonagall as I watched the young first-year in confusion. It doesn't make sense. She's not a parseltongue nor an heir of Slytherin. As a first year, she doesn't have the magic capable of charming the paint on the wall the way it was, and while a pureblood family, her father is a well-known admirer of muggles.

"Farlan," Dumbledore greeted, his wand drawn but not being raised as he saw me standing there with my own lowered. "Not a false alarm, I hope?"

"I… don't know," I said, moving aside for them to see, and even he was surprised.

"Miss Weasley…"

She began crying again, distraught, and Dumbledore sighed softly.

"Minerva, please go request some calming drought for her from Madam Pomfrey. Farlan, if you would recover the wards so we can escort her to my office."

"Should I call for her parents?" McGonagall asked, earning a startled look from the girl.

"Not quite yet. Let us hear what she has to say first."

"I-It's not me!" She choked out, holding a book. "I-It was him! H-He made me do it!"

I gave Dumbledore a glance but he gestured for me to lower the wards nonetheless. I did so and helped her to her feet, taking the book that she practically shoved into my arms before Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder to lead her. I stayed slightly behind them, wand ready should this be a trick though I doubted it was. A light bit of legilimency told me her tears and fear were legitimate and my connection to her brothers made me hesitate on assuming anything without her input.

Once in his office, she was seated and given a cup of tea first while I examined the book with a mild frown. It made me feel uneasy just holding it, something off about it that I couldn't quite place. A casual flip-through showed me nothing but blank pages other than a name.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," I said out loud, making Dumbledore's gaze snap to me. "You know him?"

The headmaster nodded. "Yes, and that book belonging to him has just confirmed what I was assuming regarding Miss Weasley. She was coerced and not of her own doing, I suspect. Is that correct?"

Ginny nodded, still wiping away tears. "I-I've been writing in it a-and he's been writing back. I found it inside one of the books mum got me. I t-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it."

"I see," the headmaster hummed, gesturing toward me for the book as McGonagall entered. "Thank you, Minerva, if you could escort her to the infirmary for a look-over. I do believe she is innocent in this. Just another victim."

McGonagall hesitated but nodded, drawing a surprised Ginny over toward her as they stepped out. I turned away from the door and back to Dumbledore.

"I feel I have missed something."

"There is not much to miss. Miss Weasley was being manipulated by the diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, who very few would know is the real name of Lord Voldemort."

My eyes widened, having not expected that as Dumbledore waved his hand over the diary, examining it.

"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."

"So, the book is a dark object he created?"

"Yes, and no. Tell me, what do you know of Horcruxes?"

I frowned, thinking back to my studies. "Not much. I believe I only know the general idea of what they are. I must have read it in a book somewhere," I said as he waved me on. "They are pieces of a soul put into an object, aren't they?"

"Yes. Very dark magic indeed. It causes a lot of damage to try and escape death by tearing your soul into pieces. Attempting one Horcrux is a feat in and of itself but Lord Voldemort has made multiple, from what I've learned. This, I believe, is one of them."

I eyed the book uneasily.

"It's a parasitic sort of object as well. It feasts on the magic of those who hold it, driving them to do things they shouldn't. Causing harm to others, emotional bouts of anger or sadness. Older and wiser wizards than Miss Weasley have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort. The real culprit here would be who slipped her the diary in the first place?" Dumbledore asked.

I frowned, not really knowing how to answer that question myself until a thought came to mind. "She said it was slipped in with her books. I could ask the twins and perhaps Ron about it. See if they remember anyone who may have been there while they were getting their school things."

He nodded. "Then, let us hope they know something. I will hang onto the book until then, although, do you still have the basilisk venom?"

I nodded, digging through my robe before withdrawing the shrunken trunk I had forgotten to remove. I enlarged it and pulled out one of the vials, handing it to him as he uncorked it with a smile.

"What are you going to do?"

"Very few things can destroy a Horcrux. Basilisk venom is quite potent, as I'm sure you know," he said, pouring a few drops onto the diary.

They began to sizzle and burn right through the pages and a scream echoed from the book, making me wince. It was a short process and soon the diary was nothing more than an empty book with some holes scorched into it. Dumbledore handed me back what was left of the vial and rested his chin on his hands.

"Now, no more Horcrux. Let us hope you can dig out the culprit behind this and I will summon them here to return their book. I have an idea of who it might be, but having you confirm it will make my job easier."

I nodded, putting my things away and stepping out, still trying to understand everything that had just happened. So, this was planned by the Dark Lord? Or just someone who followed him? How? And that name. I've seen the name before. Dumbledore said he went here so was he the one who opened the chamber all those years ago? There were too many things to think about, and once I was back in my room, it was that much harder to get to sleep.