Ariel's heart had returned, beating fast and hard in her chest like it was throwing punches at her ribs.
Not-Ginny cocked her head and studied her. Ariel felt like a brand-new species that had just been discovered, her head about to be mounted on a wall. She locked eyes with Hermione, who's chest quivered but her eyes were hard and bright, like diamonds. Every time Hermione swallowed, she winced, Not-Ginny's wand digging into her throat.
"Let her go," Ariel said, trying to sound threatening, but her voice wobbled around the edges. "You let her go right now or I'll —"
"You'll what?" Not-Ginny sneered. "Do tell — I'm sure it'll be good."
Ariel swallowed a few times, her mouth suddenly dry. "I'll make you regret it."
Not-Ginny laughed, the sound like the metal of a blade skewering Ariel's eardrums. It was Ginny's voice, but the sound was harsh and cruel. As Ariel stared at Not-Ginny, she both felt a primal fear grip her, like she was back in front of the Mirror of Erised with Quirrell staring her down. It wasn't just Not-Ginny's words that made her uneasy, but the aura of darkness surrounding her. It was like she was a black hole, sucking all light and hope from the room.
Not-Ginny's wand pressed harder against Hermione's throat, causing her to whimper in pain. Ariel took a step forward, fury igniting like a coiled spring in her stomach. Not-Ginny's eyes glinted with amusement as she lessened the pressure on her wand just a fraction.
"Will you now?" Not-Ginny flickered her wand up, and the door behind Ariel slammed shut with a resounding thud. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
"How's the bite doing?" Ariel snarled. "Sounded pretty bad, from the way you were carrying on last night."
Not-Ginny smirked, her wand back to pressing against Hermione's throat. "Oh, it's doing just fine, thank you for asking. In fact, I imagine it's quite invigorating for you to have a taste of the forbidden."
Ariel's fists clenched at her sides, her rage reaching its peak. She felt like a tea kettle about to boil over. "Let Hermione go."
Not-Ginny chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "I don't think so. You see, I have a proposition for you."
Ariel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She didn't trust Not-Ginny, but she needed to get Hermione out of harm's way. "What kind of proposition?"
She lowered her wand just a fraction, tilting it away from Hermione's face and Ariel took her chance.
"Expelliarmus!" Ariel shouted, but Not-Ginny deflected like she was swatting away a wasp.
"How boring," Not-Ginny rolled her eyes. "It is disappointing to see how lackluster your education is. It makes this all terribly mundane."
"Maybe you should have thought of that before you possessed a First Year." Hermione snapped.
Not-Ginny's eyes narrowed at Hermione's words, but her wand remained pointed towards Ariel. "I possess whomever I please, and once I have drained this miserable little husk of the pathetic life she has, I will show you true power. In fact," her lips pulled up in a thin smile. "Why don't I show you now?"
She swiped her wand in Hermione's direction, slamming her against the bedpost. Ariel heard her wheeze as her head hit the wood as Ariel surged forward, but Not-Ginny's wand landed on her next.
"Crucio," she crooned.
Ariel didn't even remember falling as stars exploded behind her eyes, along with a flurry of pain that ripped through her. It was all at once a fire that burned the flesh from her bones, forced her teeth to grind against each other, ignited her eyes, her blood boiling to poison, a fire that turned to ice that burned colder than the hottest flame.
She didn't realize she was screaming until it stopped, but her body felt like it had been turned to nothing, like her nerves had been ripped from her skin, her skin from her bones. After that pain, she didn't know how there was anything left of her, if there was anything left to feel.
Hermione was shouting too, begging. "Stop it, please stop, she's had enough, please —"
Ariel didn't move for what felt like an eternity. She wanted to start screaming again, or even cry, and with a surge of yearning so strong that it made her hands shake, she realized that she wanted Snape. She would have given anything to see him fly through the door right now, to see that crazed, almost inhuman look in his eye, like when he'd crushed Quirrell's head with his foot. She wanted to feel the security of his arms and be held, even just for a moment.
She wondered if she would see him again, after this.
No one was coming. No one was going to rescue them except themselves.
Ariel groaned in pain as she forced herself up with her elbows, her body trembling. She knew what she wanted to do and why, but she couldn't think past the pounding in her skull, the itching burn at the base of her neck that traveled down to her spine.
"You didn't have to make me do that," Not-Ginny sighed. "You only have only yourself to blame."
"Shut — up." Ariel bit out, getting to her feet. Watching Not-Ginny's face twist made her head feel surprisingly clear. "What do you want, Tom?"
The flickering shadows danced across Not-Ginny's face, washing away all the childish shapes, hardening the skin and muscle into something else.
"I'll make you a deal, Evans." Not-Ginny said in a calm voice, like a still, undisturbed lake surface with something sinister lurking just below the surface, waiting to drag you under. "You come with me without a fight, and I'll let the Mudblood here go. I thought of taking you both down to the Chamber, but I'll get her soon enough, and it's only you I want, for now."
Ariel looked at Hermione. She was shaking her head wildly, fresh tears springing into her eyes as Ariel nodded.
"Only if she goes free. I'll be the best-behaved captive you've ever had." Ariel said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the fear and unease churning in her stomach, but she would not let Hermione get hurt because of her. Ariel had, after all, been the one to ask her to look for the diary — stupid, so stupid —
"No!" Hermione forced herself off the ground, but Not-Ginny pushed her back with some unseen force. "Ariel, no, it's not worth it —"
"I would agree," Not-Ginny rolled her eyes. "But you both did make it quite easy for me, so I believe thanks are in order. You've put on quite a show. The Polyjuice was a fine idea, but unfortunately, brewing in my domain wasn't going to be tolerated for long, especially with my comings and goings."
Ariel knew it was stupid and didn't matter, but she felt a whole new level of rage course through her at this news. "YOU ruined the Polyjuice?"
"Don't act surprised, or are you just that dense?"
She glared at her, feeling the overwhelming urge to try and Hex her, but she didn't want to hurt Ginny. Ariel also knew better than to do that again. Her hands still hadn't stopped trembling.
"Tie the Mudblood to the bedpost with these." Not-Ginny pointed her wand lazily at a pair of Lavender's shoes and Transfigured them into manacles. "We can't have her tattling on us so soon. It wouldn't be fair, now would it?"
Gritting her teeth, Ariel strutted forward, ripping the manacles from Not-Ginny's hands. Up close, she noticed for the first time that Ginny's eyes were glowing. It was faint, but unmistakable, like sparks of electricity sparking beneath her skin, like there was a fire in her veins that was burning from the inside out.
Ariel shifted away and bent down, drawing the chain behind the bedpost as she closed the manacles around Hermione's wrists. It felt wrong, every atom in her body rioting as she looked into Hermione's face, twisted with pain and fury and hopelessness, but the same shining thread of defiance Ariel was clinging to herself. It was the only thing keeping her together now.
"Ariel, please," Hermione was whispering, almost hysterically. "You can't, he'll kill you —"
She dug into her pocket and slipped the coin into Hermione's palm. Her eyes immediately widened in panic, shaking her head wildly, but Ariel closed her hand with her own, giving it a firm shake.
"He won't be able to find me," Ariel breathed. "The Chamber —"
"Let's go, Evans." Not-Ginny called, sounding bored, like she was waiting for her dinner order instead of committing a murder. "I haven't got all day."
She rose, not able to bear the stricken look of grief in Hermione's face a minute longer. Not-Ginny was standing by the door with a peculiar expression, like she was both curious and amused, sizing Ariel up, trying to determine if there was something worth keeping in her.
Not-Ginny bared her teeth — or maybe it was a smile. "Grab that Invisibility Cloak of yours. We're going on a little journey."
Severus knew something was wrong almost instantly.
As the crowd dispersed, droves of House Points being taken as Minerva raged, Severus's gaze fell back to the Gryffindor table to find it severely lacking meddlesome Gryffindors, the most meddlesome of them all seemingly vanished from thin air.
No one else seemed to have noticed this as the little shits dragged themselves back to their respective Houses. Severus narrowed his eyes, scanning the Great Hall with a precision like an arrow. With quick strides, he made his way to the Gryffindor table, hoping that she would be hiding somewhere amongst the little idiots, but Miss Evans was gone.
The instinctual urge to throttle her was quickly extinguished when Severus noticed an Auror slip into the Great Hall, making a beeline for Pomona, who was the closest to the door. He leaned close and whispered something into her ear. Pomona's face went white, visibly shaken, as she nodded quickly and walked briskly to Severus' direction.
"No more," Minerva said, a look of anguish on her face. Severus was surprised to see that she was standing directly beside him. "Not another one…"
Severus' next inhale vanished into nothingness. He stared straight away from what seemed like an eternity, but he could not see anything, could scarcely force himself to exhale. He took out the pocket watch and let it turn over his palm, afraid of what he'd see.
Gryffindor Tower
"They've found another student, a Ravenclaws girl." Pomona said in a hushed, grave voice.
He felt his terror unfurl, transforming until he could feel himself vibrating with rage.
Severus was going to make that girl sorry she'd ever been born.
He needed to get in control of himself. Get it together, find the girl. She couldn't have gone far. Severus told himself that she was stupid enough to do anything rash. She wouldn't go looking for trouble, not after last night.
There was that flicker he'd seen though, the little shining light, the thing he feared more than anything else, the thing he feared he would see in her. Echoes of Severus, echoes of a defiance that he knew could quickly turn into something wild and untamed.
Severus had never seen such boldness in the girl before, never seen a sheen of anything other than painstakingly brutal heartache and honesty. He pictured Lily's face in battle, the smile that was not derived from joy but from satisfaction, cold and calculated. It was not that — it was something more. Severus knew what it was, but he had been afraid to acknowledge in it the hospital wing, when her face had glinted with resilience. It was more than just a Gryffindor's battle cry, more than brazenness and bravado.
He couldn't tell if he hated it or not.
The pocket watch vibrated. Almost as if moving on automation, Severus turned it over in his hand.
He's got Ariel
The same message appeared, over and over and over, endlessly, desperately.
Severus felt a wave of icy detachment wash over him. His emotions shut down instantly like a switch. His mind had built an impenetrable fortress to protect itself. He had conditioned himself well and this time was no exception. He found himself descending into the frozen darkness of his Occlumency, falling until he eventually reached the secret chamber where his heart lay buried and dormant for nearly a decade.
There was nothing in the darkness, nothing in the cold that kept him from feeling. His Shields were mountains, his ocean vast and deep and bottomless. He could not see anything, feel anything, or even breathe.
One thought pervaded.
The pocket watch read Gryffindor Tower.
Not-Ginny was breathing down Ariel's neck, her wand pressed into one of the knots in her spine.
She hadn't said anything, but she was practically on top of Ariel, guiding her with the tip as they descended farther and farther away from Gryffindor Tower. Every now and then Ariel would twitch — she figured it was a side effect of whatever awful Curse Not-Ginny had used on her. Whenever she did, though, Not-Ginny would give a cold little laugh, like she was reliving a fond memory.
As they moved through the silent halls, Ariel wondered if Not-Ginny could hear her heartbeat. She kept trying to tell herself she wasn't scared of Tom, of this sick freak that was hurting Ginny, had hurt Hermione, but it was getting increasingly hard to do so. Not-Ginny had made it clear that if she screamed for any of the professors that she would make sure Ginny paid the price, making Ariel feel completely powerless and exposed under her invisible prison.
The large windows on the walls cast eerie shadows throughout the corridors. It was yet another reminder of how empty Hogwarts really was when all of the students were gone, like the halls were inhabited instead of living shadows of what once used to be bustling life.
Ariel hoped Ginny was alright. She didn't know if she was just a helpless passenger, doomed to watch, or if she was... unconscious, but her heart ached for her. It all made so much sense now, seeing her change…
As if sensing her thoughts, Not-Ginny spoke. "Do you know why I'm bringing you to the Chamber, Ariel?" she leaned in closer, her breath tickling Ariel's ear. "To show you what happens when you step out of line. Poor sweet little Ginny did that and look what it cost her. She thought she could warn you, putting my diary on your bed. She thought she could be as clever as the perfect, pretty savior girl."
Ariel's throat tensed up and she swallowed. "You won't get away with this. You don't get to ruin lives and think you're going to walk away. You may have caught me, but I won't let you hurt Ginny."
Not-Ginny chuckled darkly. "You think you can stop me? You're just a Gryffindor brat. I am more powerful than you can ever imagine. And speaking of ruining lives, do you know who else thought they could stop me?" she paused for what Ariel assumed was dramatic effect, but Ariel remained silent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. "Your Mudblood mother. She thought she could protect you from what I became and look at what happened to her."
Ariel's heart sank, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. She knew that Not-Ginny was playing mind games with her, trying to bring up painful memories from her past, but it didn't curb the sharp ache any less. "She died because she loved me. You wouldn't know what that's like, I'd reckon."
Not-Ginny scoffed. "I don't need to. Your mother was pathetic and weak. Perhaps a noble act, yes, but ultimately a pointless one. You're just a worthless little girl, after all. Not worth dying for, and certainly not worth the amount of time Ginny spent blathering about you to me."
She almost stopped walking. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, she's terribly jealous. Maybe you are as blind as she says — pretty little Ariel Evans, with her dead, Mudblood mother's face, the Girl Who Lived that captivated her brothers. You're best friends with the one while those oafish twins think you're some sort of potions prodigy."
Before Ariel could retort, Not-Ginny yanked her to a halt. There were voices coming from around the corner, in a darkened corridor.
"Oh dear," a voice was murmuring — Lockhart's. "This never would have happened if I had been here. Dreadfully sorry I missed it; I dozed off rather late…"
Not-Ginny inched Ariel forward so that she could see what was happening. She should've known it wasn't good if Not-Ginny wanted her to see whatever the entire staff was crowded around. Her stomach clenched as she saw that it was a frozen figure on the floor. From her uniform, Ariel could see that it was a Ravenclaw girl.
"No," Ariel whispered, and Not-Ginny twisted the wand into her back, causing Ariel to hiss in pain.
"I'd say, Gilderoy, we've missed your expertise." Professor McGonagall said in a biting voice, one Lockhart didn't seem to pick up on. "Besides, your moment has come at last. Ginevra Weasley has been taken to the Chamber itself."
Ariel scanned the throng of teachers and other witches and wizards in scarlet robes that Ariel assumed were the Aurors. Snape was not there. Ariel felt a warmth spread through her. He's coming. He's coming for you, Hermione.
Lockhart stared back at everyone, who seemed stony faced and unimpressed. He wrung his hands together nervously. "I — well, I certainly wouldn't —"
"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Just the other morning you were telling the Headmaster that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber is. We were looking for you all morning, desperate for your help."
"I — well, I —" Lockhart suddenly didn't seem half as confident, or even as handsome. He seemed small and pathetic… or more pathetic than Ariel had originally thought.
"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster." Professor McGonagall said in a voice that was colder than any blizzard that could've blown through Hogwarts. "Perhaps you should be given free rein to do what you must, especially with the Headmaster gone."
Lockhart stared at them all, the Aurors seeming expectant while the professors looked more like a pack of hyenas about to rip apart a lone, baby zebra. "I — I really never — you must have misunderstood —"
"We'll leave it to you then, old boy!" Professor Sprout said almost cheerfully. "Tonight will be an excellent time, with all the students secure in their Common Rooms. I'm sure the Aurors would love nothing more than to assist you, isn't that right?"
One of the Aurors stepped forward, clearing his throat expectantly. "What's your plan, then? What is your first move?"
Lockhart stammered and stumbled over his words, clearly terrified. He muttered something about needing time to plan before quickly retreating while the professors looked on with a mix of exasperation and disgust. The Aurors shared a skeptical look between them before following Lockhart, leaving the professors alone with the Ravenclaw girl.
"Now that we've taken care of him," Professor McGonagall was practically seething, nostrils flaring. "Gather your respective Houses — where is Severus? He was just with us, I thought he'd be right on our heels."
Ariel smiled to herself. He's going to get Hermione. He's coming.
The rest of the professors began to walk away as Professor Flitwick conjured a stretcher and lifted the Ravenclaw girl onto it. He touched her hand for a moment, looking stricken, before levitating her after the others. Once they'd disappeared, Ariel felt her temper flare like a wildfire.
"Why?" Ariel hissed. "Wasn't Ginny enough?"
Not-Ginny gave a little shrug, like this was an afterthought. "A distraction from those idiot professors doesn't hurt. I had planned on using your little Mudblood friend, actually. Ginny mentioned that she frequents the library, and I intended on sending the basilisk last night, but after Ginny's little stunt, I realized I didn't have time to be picky."
Ariel thought about pulling off the Cloak and wrapping it around Not-Ginny's neck until she turned blue, but she knew it wouldn't do anything. If she hurt Tom, she hurt Ginny, and she was determined to make sure Ginny was okay.
"You're really something," Ariel said under her breath.
Not-Ginny gave a short, cruel laugh. "You have no idea."
Hermione went from being terrified to infuriated about thirty-seven seconds after Ariel had left.
She spent the first few minutes trying to use the coin, trying to push a message through, but even if she could turn around and read it, she had no idea if Professor Snape was seeing it. When she realized it was a waste of time, she scanned the room for her wand. Not-Ginny had taken it and thrown it somewhere.
Hermione spied it lying just under Parvati's bed, just out of reach out her foot.
She clutched at the metal bindings in her hands and twisted them until she had some space between them. She leaned forward, bending as far as she could, the restraints the only thing keeping her from falling face first into the stone floor.
She sucked in a shallow breath, her diaphragm and upper arms screaming under the strain. Wandless magic was all about intent — Professor Flitwick had said that numerous times. You had to have enough force behind your command to make it happen, imagine it in your mind's eye, offer no room for mistakes or hesitation.
"Veni," she strangled out, opening her mouth wide as her wand flew into it. She quickly bit down on it, feeling a twinge of satisfaction, coupled with relief bubble up inside her. For a moment she just let herself hang there, swallowing down the urge to gag before finally managing to twist her arms around and drop her wand into one of her hands.
With one swift movement and an unlocking Charm, Hermione freed herself of the manacles. She clutched hold on her wand with shaking hands and pushed herself to her feet, wincing as a sharp pain ripped through her side.
She had to get to Ariel. She had to get help — but where was Professor Snape? Granted, Hermione didn't think he'd be able to get to her this quickly, but when she turned the coin over in her hand, there was nothing there. No response. Nothing.
For a moment, Hermione felt an overwhelming surge of loneliness before she shoved it all down and charged through the door, her wand in her hand. They had quite a head start already but she could catch up, she would, she had to, or Ariel would be —
She was running so fast through the dark castle that she almost didn't notice that one of the shadows was moving, that one of them was practically on top of her. A hand shot out and Hermione nearly screamed until she recognized the black mass.
"Professor!" she cried, feeling the air in her chest waning. Her ease was short-lived, however.
Professor Snape's face shuddered with rage, his coal-black eyes wild. As he glared down at her, Hermione could have sworn that the air around them was humming. His eyes were impossible to tear her gaze away from, a raw, animalistic desperation hidden in his normally glacial face. He seemed poised to unleash something devastating at any moment, his lips trembling slightly.
"Where — is — she?" he whispered, but he might as well have screamed it. The hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood up straight.
Hermione opened her mouth, but no words came out. Professor Snape was staring at her with an intensity that made every ounce of courage she had built up over the years disappear in one swift moment. She found herself rendered unable to even blink.
"Ginny — whoever's controlling her — they took Ariel to the Chamber." Hermione finally managed to stammer.
Professor Snape's anger seemed to diminish, replaced by the shadow of the saddest expression Hermione had ever seen on a person. But she knew it wasn't sadness — it was regret. Every line on his face looked like it would split open, like he was only just realizing that something could be irrevocably lost.
She'd seen the ghost of it last year, when Quirrell had taken Ariel. The way he'd torn from the Headmaster's office —
His eyes blazed. It was a wonder they didn't incinerate her.
Hermione tried to force something more out, but she couldn't.
"I need you to think clearly, Miss Granger." Professor Snape said, his voice tight with something new, an urgency that pulled at Hermione like an undertow. "I need you to tell me everything he said. Now."
Hermione sucked in a deep breath. "Ariel told me Ginny left a diary on her bed before she was attacked last night. I went to get it for her — she thought it might've belonged to Riddle. When I got up to the dormitory, Ginny — Riddle — was there. Ariel followed when I didn't come back, and he — he told her," it was getting harder to speak, harder to breathe. "he told her if she went with him, he'd let me go. I'm so sorry, I begged her not to —"
He grabbed her by the shoulders, his grip tight and unyielding. "She doesn't have the time for you to wallow in self-pity. I need you to think of anything he said, anything that would have indicated where the Chamber is."
She fought to remember through haze of terror —
Brewing in my domain wasn't going to be tolerated
Enemies of the Heir beware
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened
"Bathroom," Hermione whispered. "Myrtle's bathroom, on the second floor. Where the writing was."
Professor Snape gave a great, shuddering breath. "You're certain?"
"Yes — yes, I'm certain. He mentioned not wanting us in there. He thought it would have compromised him."
He turned without another word, his black robes the only thing that made sound as they cracked in the air behind him.
Hermione followed.
"A girl's loo," Ariel said. "Very original. Very scary."
There wasn't a word to describe how Ariel felt walking into Myrtle's bathroom. It was like she was walking into a different world. She'd been brewing the Polyjuice in the third stall on the left for months and hadn't any idea that this was where the Chamber lay all this time. Being here with Not-Ginny made her want to start losing it, started screaming and wailing and banging her fists against the walls. The mirror she'd cracked was still there, but she wasn't going to give Not-Ginny the satisfaction. Even Myrtle had found a spot to hide as they'd entered, cowering behind one of the stall doors until she disappeared into a toilet unceremoniously.
Not-Ginny ripped off the Cloak, giving Ariel a look of pure and utter disgust. She threw it behind them, her wand pointed at Ariel like she was about to throw a carving knife at her chest.
"You stupid, pathetic girl," she scoffed. "You laugh, but you spent countless hours here, brewing your silly little potion without knowing. I would watch and wonder if you would ever put it together, but you never did. It's infuriating, more than anything."
"What is?" Ariel asked, her voice flat. "Slytherin's great Heir, his big dirty snake reduced to living in a girl's bathroom? I'd be pretty peeved, too, I guess."
Not-Ginny bared her teeth and grabbed Ariel's wrist and twisted. She let out a cry of surprise more than pain, but she felt a sharp crack as she was flung to the floor. Biting back tears, she massaged her wrist as Not-Ginny bent low in front of one of the taps.
"Open," she hissed, like she was about to begin citing a prayer. Ariel could hear that she was speaking Parseltongue, even though she knew what Not-Ginny was saying and shuddered. That was what she'd sounded like at the Dueling Club? No wonder everyone had been terrified of her…
The sinks began to shake, and a deep rumbling came from beneath their feet. Not-Ginny stepped back as the sound grew louder and the metal framing of the sink groaned and creaked as it started to twist and fold in on itself. Ariel could feel her breath catch in her throat as the mirrors lifted themselves, revealing a cavernous opening in the wall.
The Chamber had opened.
Ariel crept closer on her knees, peering cautiously into the darkness beyond. The smell that came out of it was enough to make anyone sick – a thick combination of rot, slime and age that made her stomach churn with disgust. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like icicles, a murky green sludge visible.
Not-Ginny stepped forward, her face twisted in a wicked smile. She grabbed Ariel's arm and shoved her forward, causing her to stumble headfirst into the Chamber and down the tunnel. She tumbled uncontrollably, desperately grasping at anything that would slow her fall, but there was nothing to grab onto as she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for impact.
She hit the ground with far too much force, grunting as her shoulder slammed into something sharp. When Ariel opened her eyes, she realized that she had landed in a bone-filled chamber, a jumbled mess of ribs, femurs and skulls scattered across the floor. Ariel scrambled to get herself up and tried not to blanch as she rose slowly from the pile of bones and surveyed her surroundings.
The stench in the air was unmistakable: death – or at least something close to it. Along with the smell, there was a soft, green light pulsing somewhere up ahead. Ariel squinted at it, trying to make it out what it was, but there was a whizz of air from behind her and half a second later, Not-Ginny shot out of the chute and onto her feet gracefully.
"Have a nice ride?" Not-Ginny asked mildly.
Ariel wanted to punch her in the face. She racked her brain and thought of what Snape would say, if he were here.
"I don't know if I've said this yet," she snapped. "but you can go fuck yourself."
Not-Ginny's face did not change from casual indifference, and so Ariel did not anticipate the hand that collided against her face with a loud slap. The force knocked Ariel back, sending her flying against the wall of bones, and she could feel her vision swim for a few moments as the pain rippled through her cheek and jaw. Before Ariel could speak, Not-Ginny grabbed her by the hair and yanked her close. Ariel heard the sound of her own hair tearing from her scalp as Not-Ginny whispered in her ear.
"You'd do well to watch your tone, little girl," she purred. "You're in my domain now."
When Not-Ginny let her go, Ariel fell back into the bones, scattered around like confetti from the world's most macabre party. "Get up," she threw over her shoulder coldly, and started towards the light.
Don't cry, Ariel told herself, wishing she could cast Lumos at her heart as her eyes stung, don't cry, don't you bloody cry —
She needed to pull it together, keep her wits about her if she wanted to make it out alive. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and followed Not-Ginny towards the light.
As they walked, Ariel tried to take in her surroundings, but the walls of bones seemed to stretch on forever, and the air was thick with an eerie silence. She felt like she was walking through a nightmare, a place that existed in cautionary tales. Ariel nearly tripped and fell face first into a group of stalagmites, sticking up out of the ground like spikes. Not-Ginny seemed to know exactly where to step as they trekked through, Ariel slipping and sliding through the slime and grime, picturing Not-Ginny's face being impaled by one. It made her feel only slightly better as they walked until Ariel couldn't take the silence any longer.
"Where are we going?" Ariel asked after a while, trying to keep her voice steady, but it wavered a little.
Not-Ginny didn't reply immediately. "You'll see when we get there."
Ariel bit her cheek, every part of her body fiery with pain as her feet caught on something for the tenth time. "I hate surprises."
She turned, eyes shining with malice. "It should be no surprise to you, Evans. Or have you really not figured it out? I'm going to kill you, and I'm going to make sure you suffer. I've been thinking about it a lot, you see. Listening to Ginny complain about you has given me a lot of time to think."
Steeling herself, Ariel stared Not-Ginny down and smiled a tight, knowing smile.
"Trust me," she said. "I've been thinking the same thing."
Not-Ginny sighed. "I would have at least hoped you'd be a little more interesting."
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want more of a challenge?" Ariel bit out. "I can make that happen, if you'd like."
She frowned and stopped. Her hand reached forward and threaded itself through Ariel's hair, almost soothingly. "I've been looking forward to more than this cliché." Not-Ginny murmured.
Ariel didn't know what the heck she was talking about. She wanted to bite her hand again, or at the very least smack it away, but she also knew that she was essentially powerless. She ground her teeth together as Not-Ginny looked into her face, her blood-red eyes searching her own hungrily. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled away, but not before shoving Ariel back down and giving her a swift kick in the ribs.
This time, Ariel did cry out, gasping to suck down a lungful of air as Not-Ginny stalked away. "Move, you brat. We're nearly there."
Ariel forced herself back to her feet. Through the murky darkness, she could just barely make out the end of the tunnel, where there was a solid wall. Two serpents were carved into the stone, their eyes set with emeralds so big that Lavender and Parvati would've fainted outright.
"Open," Not-Ginny hissed again. They parted as the wall slid out of sight, giving view to a very long, dimly lit Chamber.
It was filled with an eerie, green mist that shrouded the towering stone pillars. Entangled within them were massive serpents, as if they were guarding a secret from those who dared enter. The darkness seemed to blanket the ceiling high above, their gaping shadows reaching out towards Ariel like grasping claws.
As they walked forward, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. Ariel craned her neck up to look. It was an ancient face with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of his robes that swept down to two enormous stone feet.
"Slytherin," Ariel whispered, mostly to herself. If Not-Ginny heard her, she ignored Ariel and walked between the feet, falling to her knees.
Ariel stood there watching and a faint, sickening feeling began to crawl up her spine. Her eyes widened in shock as Ginny's body began to spasm and shudder. Thick, black smoke rose from her mouth, billowing around her body until it completely engulfed her. Then came a deafening roar that shook the entire Chamber. Ariel was thrown back against the wall, scrambling to get back to Ginny and she watched in horror.
She could feel the tension rise in the air as a bright, white light began to flicker out of Ginny's body. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her mouth opened wide, unleashing a thunderous scream. As the light gradually grew stronger, Ariel watched, helpless, as the light expanded, building up until a figure appeared within the brightness — a thin boy with an angular face and red eyes, the same ones she'd seen shining in the darkness of her dormitory. He took shape from the smoke floating away as more of his body formed, inspecting his arms and legs, still without a fully visible face.
Ariel watched in complete terror, unable to do anything but watch as Ginny collapsed on the ground unconscious. Her heart raced as she scrambled forward, completely forgetting everything else — Not-Ginny's lights, Slytherin's statue, Tom Riddle — and crying out as she tried to shake her awake.
"Ginny, Ginny please get up." Ariel pleaded. "We've got to go, Ginny —"
"She won't wake," said a soft voice. The voice she'd heard in her dormitory — a boy's voice, so soft but threatening, like a razor hidden in velvet.
It took everything Ariel had left to look up. She hadn't known what to expect but it was certainly not the sight in front of her.
From the dark mist came a boy, a few years older than her with dark, wavy hair and midnight eyes. He was quite tall and wore Slytherin robes and a smile that did not at all fit what Ariel had pictured. It wasn't the crazed, deranged smile Not-Ginny had worn, but it was charming and almost… pleasant.
Tom Riddle offered her his hand.
"Hello, Ariel Evans." he said. "Welcome to your final moments alive. I've been so looking forward to it."
A/N: I was going to wait to post this for the weekend but I am having a serious case of the Sunday Scaries right now and went, "fuck it, why not?" after panic writing all day.
Thank you for the love on the last few chapters, if you could leave a review it would mean a lot. Until next time, aka round 2!