Ariel couldn't help it — she spit in his hand. She leaned back and tried to scuttle away on her hands, putting some distance between them.

Tom Riddle — Voldemort, the boy who would become Voldemort — rolled his eyes and sighed. Then, in a blink of an eye, in the space of a heartbeat, he was there, hovering over her, his hand tight over her mouth and nose. Ariel fell backwards and tried to pry his hand loose, but he was too strong. She clawed at his arm but couldn't even get a single fingernail underneath his skin. Tom had taken one of her arms and twisted it around her back, seemingly more for his own amusement than for actual malice.

He was almost laughing as he tightened his grip until Ariel felt like she would pass out from the lack of air. Her vision was going blurry. She tried to scream but he twisted her arm further and she felt something in her shoulder pop, causing her to holler in pain.

Anger shot through her at the sheer arrogance of him and the audacity at thinking that he could do whatever he damn well pleased to her. Her anger doubled and tripled as the fear scurried back into her mind. Tom Riddle was Voldemort. He was the thing that had sat in the darkness of her dorm room, that had lurked in the moments before the nightmares took her. He was the monster in her dreams and her past, the face on the back of Quirrell's head. The man who had murdered her parents.

Ariel had faced that monster twice and won. She could do it again.

He let go just as black spots overtook her vision and laughed for real, this time. "You have proven that you are much braver than many of your peers; courage is a virtue, after all. I'm afraid I must let you know that there is no hope here. You are at my mercy and the longer you talk, the longer you stay alive."

She glared at him viciously. She hated him — she'd never felt hatred like this before, churning her stomach sour and making her bones vibrate. "What could you possibly want to know? Ginny seems to have told you everything."

Tom's dark eyes roamed hungrily over her lightning bolt scar. "Ginny is not you. She knew your history, but not all of it. I tried to get what I could out of her last night, but she screamed and cried and became terribly boring before I had to shut her up."

Ariel forced herself up onto one leg. Her lungs felt like they'd imploded. "I'd rather you kill me now than have to listen to your voice for another bloody second."

"Oh, please, don't threaten me with a good time." Tom sneered. "Don't be stupid, Evans."

"You still haven't asked me anything."

Tom nodded, trailing his fingers down her cheek. They were cold as ice and Ariel felt her stomach heave, but she held herself together. She could do this. She had stared at the face on the back of Quirrell's head and kept her cool. She could look at this boy — the boy who had been Voldemort — without losing herself.

Snape would expect it of her. He'd shown her the Occlumency, shown her how to protect her mind from herself. She could protect all of herself from Tom. She had to if she was going to save Ginny.

"I want to know all of it," he whispered, almost lovingly. "and I want you to tell me. Tell me how you survived that night."

Of course he'd ask about that. He wants you, my sweet girl — to have been loved so deeply —

"Blood magic," Ariel forced through clenched teeth. "My mother died to protect me. You know this."

"So it's true then?" Tom's face twisted in revulsion. "Dumbledore's savior child, reduced to nothing but her Mudblood mother's sacrifice?"

Do you even know what your life means?

Your mother won

She defeated the Dark Lord —

— for you

"That's right." Ariel wouldn't back down and she wouldn't cry. She would not cry she would not cry she would not bloody cry. "My common, Muggleborn mother defeated you. She killed you to save me."

Tom's laugh was enough to make her skin crawl through her goosebumps. "It's a powerful counter-Charm, yes, but there's nothing even remotely special about you. Ginny went on and on endlessly about your looks, how your hair was a prettier shade of red, and for a while I saw what she meant. You are a pretty little thing, Ariel Evans, did you know that?"

He was leering at her now, but Ariel refused to take the bait. She would've been equally as outraged if he'd called her ugly, but she didn't put any stock into looks.

"This is a strange likeness to us," he went on, like he was enjoying listening to the sound of his own voice. We are both Halfbloods raised by Muggles, both the only two Parseltongues to come to Hogwarts after the great Slytherin himself… do you find that interesting?"

"Not at all," Ariel forced through clenched teeth. "If anything, I find being compared to you absolutely revolting. How Ginny could stand you I'll never know."

"She poured her soul to me, that's how." Tom said lightly, twisting Ginny's wand in between his fingers. "She was so delighted when she found me, droning on and on about every stupid, inconsequential thought in her tiny brain. She talked about you a lot, of your little Mudblood friend. And then she started to notice something was wrong, that she was losing track of time, that she would wake up in different spots than she remembered being in. She caught on rather quickly that she was the one responsible for the attacks, but by then, it was too late."

Ariel stared at him in horror. She couldn't do much else, her stomach feeling like it was inverting in on itself. Tom watched her reaction with amusement, clearly reveling in the fear that he was causing. Ariel could feel the bile creeping up her throat, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her vomit.

"You know what's funny?" Tom said, still with that same sickening smirk. "I think it was one of the most entertaining things I've ever done. Watching Ginny slowly lose her mind and then watching you try to save her from me… it was delightful. Quite a show."

She gripped her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. "I've got something even funnier. Do you want to know how the real you is doing?"

Tom's face contorted. It was quick, like a hiccup and then a hiss. His lips drew back, and he parted his jaw, and for a moment, it was like all of time was stopped by his violent expression.

"You're a wreck." Ariel lifted her chin, pushing herself to her feet. "You're barely alive — you were living off the back of some stupid professor's head, and I defeated you. That's where all your power gets you to — feeding off of others. I'm not surprised you had to resort to using Ginny. I bet I would've figured it out sooner or later."

Tom's expression twisted even further, making him look half-mad, more like Not-Ginny. Ariel felt a sense of satisfaction seeing him angry. She knew that it was dangerous to provoke him, but she couldn't help herself.

"You're lying," Tom hissed, his eyes blazing with fury. "I am not weak. I am the most powerful wizard that has ever lived. You are just a child, barely even a shadow of your Mudblood mother —"

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard to have ever lived." Ariel sat flatly. Her voice echoed through the Chamber, shimmering through the darkness, like the purple glow moonlight cast on a dark lake. "You're just a memory Voldemort left and forgot about."

Tom let out a derisive snort. "Dumbledore is a fool. He's been driven from this castle by the mere memory of me." he sneered; his eyes narrowed as he watched Ariel with undisguised hatred. "A fool who could not even prevent the death of his precious savior girl. Are you ready to die, Ariel Evans?"

Ariel met his wild gaze with steely determination. "If that's what it takes to get away from you."

Tom wavered, like a puppet at the end of its strings. His face shifted through emotions until it settled on a mask of indifference.

"It looks like this is goodbye, then." he stepped towards her, and Ariel instinctively backed away. "You're right — for now, I am nothing more than a memory Voldemort left behind. But I'm doing him one better. I'm going to make sure that you will never forget me, but that the world will leave you behind. Your legend — the Girl-Who-Lived — will die with my —"

He froze as a sound burst forth from somewhere in the distance. A symphony of something ethereal, unlike anything Ariel had ever heard. Time seemed to slow as she searched for the source, her heart swelling to a painful size. It was as if all the peace and beauty in the world had been condensed into one single note. She felt like she was on the brink of shattering when she saw the crimson flame burst forth — a phoenix.

"Fawkes," Ariel breathed. This must've been what Dumbledore had meant, when he'd said she must see him in his glory. He was magnificent.

Something fell from his talons and landed in front of Ariel. It was —

— the Sorting Hat?

Tom started laughing. "Your great wizard sends his champion an old hat and a bird! Oh, I am glad I waited to kill you. That was truly entertaining."

Ariel reached down and picked it up, glaring after Fawkes as he bounded upwards. What was she supposed to do with this? Was it some kind of trick?

(If Dumbledore had sent Fawkes, did that mean Snape —)

He turned to the statue of Slytherin, raising his hands like he was giving thanks. "Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

The whole floor shook as the basilisk moved. Ariel could feel it slithering under her feet as she lurched forward, grabbing Ginny under the arms and dragged her towards the back wall. She threw her cloak over her and rounded just as something was coming out of Slytherin's mouth, something huge —

Ariel shoved the Sorting Hat over her eyes and racked her brain — what could she do, how could she escape, she couldn't kill a bloody basilisk with a Hat —

How can I fight something I can't see?

And then something heavy clocked her in the head.

The smell was overwhelming as Severus entered the bathroom. It stank of something ancient, something musty and rotten that had not been touched in years.

Miss Granger gagged when the putrid smell reached her, a combination of death and decay Severus hadn't encountered since the war. It made his stomach churn as he stepped deeper into the bathroom, immediately catching sight of where the nauseating odor was coming. It was clear that it hadn't seen the light of day in decades. An opening beside the sink with an exposed pipe, leading down into endless darkness, sat ominously, as if waiting to devour the next person who dared to cross the threshold.

Unbelievable, a fucking girl's loo of all places?

He thought of Miss Evans being swallowed by the darkness and nearly blanched.

Miss Granger was uncharacteristically quiet as she stared at the opening in the wall. She seemed hesitant, but there was curiosity in her gaze that kept her rooted to the spot.

"He took her — down there?" she asked nervously.

Severus didn't answer, the words that had been bubbling up in his throat unable to make it past his clenched jaw. He didn't have the ability to, or at least, the ability to say something that wouldn't blister the girl's ears. He stepped towards the opening as Miss Granger made a strangled noise under her breath. When Severus turned, she was holding something.

It was Potter's Invisibility Cloak. Miss Granger's hand knotted in the fabric as she stared down at it before meeting Severus' gaze. "They were here," she said quietly.

Almost a year ago, Miss Granger and Weasley-twerp had brought the very same Cloak to Dumbledore's office. What had followed had —

Severus felt something pass through him, like a ghost. When he noticed Miss Granger was staring at him, he realized that his hands were shaking and balled them into fists.

"Wait!" she gasped suddenly, hurrying into one of the stalls. Severus was about to tell her to not bother coming out — and considered locking her inside — when she emerged with a small, held hand mirror. "For the basilisk," she explained when Severus only stared at her.

He should have fucking known. It was audacity only a Gryffindor was capable of.

"You are not coming," Severus forced through clenched teeth. "You are staying here."

She didn't miss a beat. "Yes, I am —"

"You will only slow me down." Severus worked his jaw, but his control was slipping, the Shields reverberating inside his brain like a steel drum. "What help could you possibly give me?"

Miss Granger went very quiet, then. And then she said: "She's my best friend."

"That does not answer my question."

"I know her better than anyone —"

"And what is that going to do against a basilisk, against the Dark Lord?" Severus snarled.

It was as if a veil had been thrown off her. Miss Granger narrowed her eyes and set her mouth in an expression of uncharacteristic defiance. "She needs me."

"Every second I spend wasting my breath on you is another second she is alone with that psychopath." Severus snarled. "Do not be fucking stupid —"

She lifted her chin. "She saved me. I'm not leaving her."

"You're not leaving her; I am ordering you to stay here where you will not hinder me."

"No," she looked him directly in the eye, then. "sir."

"Miss Granger, Merlin help me, I will see you expelled."

She recoiled at this, but her gaze only hardened, as if she were turning to stone. But then she started forward and Severus sent her knocking back with a Repelling Charm. Severus wanted to put her through a wall, but the last thing he needed was to explain himself when someone found her. Miss Evans would undoubtedly murder him, if she wasn't already dead herself.

The thought pooled like a soft trickle, a crack in his Shields, a defect in his defenses. He told himself it wasn't a possibility. He would find her alive. He had to. He would. He would.

There was a primordial kind of rage that stirred within Severus at Miss Granger's words, festering, and growing as she stared at him down, unabashedly. He wanted to wipe the look from her face, as if she were seeing straight through him. Miss Granger knew The Truth — she had been with the girl when she'd read the letter. She knew and stared at him with such deep regret and doubt that it made Severus almost falter. What had Miss Evans said to her to make her so wary? She'd never shown such defiance or disdain in class — why now? Why when the letter, its contents, why when it mattered most?

Miss Granger's breathing quickened but she stayed silent, the moments stretching between them. They stayed like that before she lifted Potter's Cloak with a shaking hand. "She'd want you to have this, then."

Her glare wobbled, like a hand smacking against a windowpane.

"If something happens I couldn't —" she swallowed. And then she whispered: "You have to care. She cares so much she'd turn herself inside out, if you asked her to."

Severus looked away, grabbing the Clock. To his horror, her words stabbed through him like knives, rending his heart and slicing through his Occlumency, straight through to the other side. He had never wanted this burden; he had spent his adult life trying very hard not to care for anyone — why couldn't he get it under control, get in under control — DAMMIT —

But despite himself, he cared. He could never go back to the way things were before. The letter — standing up to him with all his venomous words dripping from his mouth like deadly poison. Miss Evans was braver than he'd ever be. It terrified him beyond comprehension.

"I will do whatever it takes — that is all you need to know. Now, get out of the way." Severus said in a cold voice, conjured from somewhere deep and terrible. He wouldn't let her see how much Miss Evans scared him — how deeply she had touched something inside.

He would show Miss Evans.

If she was alive.

She would. If she wasn't —

Severus shook his head and stepped forward, intent on not dwelling on such a thought. He had to act — to find her, to save her —

There was the faint call of something that reverberated inside of Severus' chest. Something beautiful yet haunting, causing Severus' head to turn towards the open doorway. The air seemed to shimmer in its presence, and he was filled with a strange sense of familiarity.

Fawkes.

Dumbledore's phoenix.

Flying just over their heads and swooping gracefully through the cavernous opening into the Chamber, the darkness not enough to snuff out the flame of color. He let out a trill as he dove, Severus' ribs vibrating to the note.

Fawkes, a vision more alive than anything in this place, seemed to glow with an inner light. Severus could see him as he disappeared into the black abyss.

He had come on Dumbledore's orders.

The realization hit Severus like a ton of bricks. Dumbledore knew everything, he must have known this entire time in order to know where to send the phoenix. His rage ignited — feelings that were already overflowing inside. He gritted his teeth as fury bubbled up within — no matter what precautions or defenses one may have put up against himself – there would always be Dumbledore who thoroughly circumvented them all every goddamn time —

Before Miss Granger could say anything, Severus surged forward.

"Get yourself killed, choose to stay, flee to Socotra, I don't give a damn," Severus bit out. "If you had any sense, you would alert Professor McGonagall and the Aurora in my stead."

From deep within the tunnel came the roar of something… monstrous. He could hear Fawkes calling —

Severus felt himself swallowed by the darkness as he threw himself forward.

Ariel stared down at the dead basilisk, clutching her arm as she let Gryffindor's sword clatter to the ground.

Fawkes gave another triumphant trill, perched on Ariel's good shoulder. His golden claws squeezed her arm reassuringly and Ariel felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and gratitude at his presence.

That feeling quickly faded when she met Tom's eyes, burning with bloodlust.

She'd done it, she'd killed a basilisk — well, they'd done it. She would have been done for if it hadn't been for Fawkes, but she'd somehow managed to stab the stupid snake. If Fawkes hadn't been there, though, if she hadn't had the sword —

Tom sauntered around the basilisk's body, towards Ariel. "That creature," he looked… annoyed. "was older than Hogwarts itself. It predated even the Founders themselves, if legend is to be believed."

She didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't really in the mood for a history lesson right now. Her arm was screaming in pain, white-hot agony radiating up and down her arm. Ariel glanced at Ginny, wanting to run over and check her pulse but she had a feeling Tom wouldn't be very accommodating. The pain in her arm was spreading, making her knees feel weak and wobbly.

"No matter," Tom murmured, twisting Ginny's wand in his hand. "You'll be dead soon enough… I'll be free, and you'll be with your dead Mudblood mother."

From behind Tom, by Ginny, something — someone — materialized. For a moment Ariel thought that it was more of that horrid black smoke coming up from poor Ginny, but she felt a crushing wave of relief envelope her, so strong that she almost fell over.

It was —

Dad

Ariel's brain tried to backtrack, both because she'd almost given him away and because she'd called Snape Dad. The thought had never occurred to her, not once, but she'd felt it, in little pockets of time where he was not cold and callous. Her heart felt like it was going to give out.

She thought for a moment that maybe he was a hallucination, something her mind had conjured to help her cope. That was what one of the books she'd read, when she'd first started hearing the basilisk, had said. Your brain would create people or things to soften the blow, trick your mind into thinking it was okay when it really wasn't. Snape showing up would've been about the only thing that would've given her even a trickle of hope, like the phoenix song that had nestled underneath her heart.

His face was bone white, eyes iced steel. He almost looked like he was made from pure ice, as if his anger had solidified to form something rigid and unyielding. His jaw clenched so hard that it seemed all the muscles in his face were tense and juddering, barely containing a rush of emotions beneath their surface which threatened to erupt at any moment. Ariel felt a chill run down her spine as his eyes locked with hers.

Ariel couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. He'd always had a presence about him, a way of making her feel small and stupid, but this was... different. The energy radiating from him was deadly — it made Ariel feel as if there were hundreds of more people in the room.

Tom didn't seem to notice him. He must've thought Ariel was staring at Ginny, because he laughed, a short, quick sound that bounced off the walls.

"She's almost gone." he said, his lips twitching, eyes hungry, like he was famished. "Just like you, and then I will be on my way."

He grabbed Ariel, his fingers wrapping around her arm as he yanked her forward. She clawed at his hands as she struggled to breathe, his wand hovering beside her head —

Something slammed into Tom's shoulder blade. There was a geyser of blood that spurred from it, and for a second, Tom almost didn't seem to notice. He was too busy staring into Ariel's eyes as her mouth curved into a smile.

Tom's eyes shifted, like a snake's, until he had them narrowed in the direction of his shoulder. He saw the blood —

"Forgot to mention," Ariel said, teeth bared half out of pain, half in a smile. "you probably should've let us go before my dad got here."

Ariel punched him in the nose as hard as she could, ripping herself free of his grasp. She shoved him to the side as she ran. Snape moved fast, faster than she'd ever seen before, grabbing her hand as she catapulted towards him and threw her behind him. She collided with the floor just in time to see the space between them crack with magic, the force sending Snape back a few feet, closer to where Ariel had landed.

The Shield Tom had thrown up shattered. He looked momentarily shocked before Snape stepped in front of her, blocking her view. She had the feeling she wasn't going to want to see what happened next.

"Sectumsempra!"

There was a loud squelching sound, followed by wet, choking noises. Ariel flinched as something hit the floor, and from between Snape's legs she could see something round roll into view, a dark thatch of hair on the top.

Snape stood there for a long moment, his shoulders shuddering, but he seemed taller — darker — like he'd been peeled from the darkness hanging over them, blanketing the ceiling. He turned, the pinprick of light in his eyes, the only thing in his face Ariel recognized. She focused on that as he stalked over to her and knelt down on one knee. She could feel the intensity permeating off of him, vibrating and making her teeth rattle without him even touching her.

Ariel forced herself to her side, biting back a moan of pain. "Hermione?" she strangled out. "Is she —"

"Safe," Snape said, and Ariel felt her entire body sag with relief. "You damnable, stupid girl —"

Ariel didn't care if he wasn't insulting her. She gripped at him like a lifeline. He caught her arm, caked in muck and blood — blood, where had the blood come from —

"That's where the basilisk bit me," Ariel said, out loud, as a realization to herself more than to let Snape know.

He stared at her. His eyes were like dying stars, cold and dull. It felt like looking into a bottomless pit.

"A basilisk's bite is fatal," he said.

Ariel felt him catch her head as the last of her strength gave out. She was so tired, and the edges of her vision were dark, and the darkness did not hurt. There was nothing there but a strong sense of peace, like someone was tucking her into bed after a long day. It wasn't at all like when she'd been paralyzed, burning, and burning until there hadn't been anything left. The pain was receding as the cold darkness took over.

Snape's arms tightened as he pulled her to him, muttering something sharp and fast under his breath. He was touching her face, a quiet desperation in his own that she tried to cling onto, but the pain was leaving, and she was so tired —

"Stop," Severus said, but his voice sounded strange, far away and muted. "Stop it, dammit —"

"S'okay," she muttered.

"Don't you dare," he snarled, but he was gripping her face, smoothing her hair back almost gently.

Ariel sighed. Fawkes gave a trill, hopping over to her side. He nuzzled her arm and then the hand Snape was gripping her face with.

"You were brilliant," Ariel whispered to Fawkes. He responded by cocking his head at her and gently nudged Snape's arm away from hers. She felt the bird lay his head on the spot where the basilisk had pierced her.

Snape inhaled sharply.

The pain was beginning to ebb, the Chamber coming back into focus. Ariel blinked a few times as Snape's face sharpened into view, the lines in his face jagged, as severe as a razor's edge. Glancing at Fawkes, she could see pearly white dots falling from his eyes and into her wound.

"Wh —" Ariel tried to speak but her thoughts hadn't really formed yet. She'd been quite certain she'd been about to die. She curled her hand around Snape's robes, her head resting against his chest and tried to focus on her breathing. It didn't hurt anymore, Fawkes giving a happy coo as he hopped backwards.

Snape's lips parted, like he was about to say something when all of a sudden, her nose was being smushed into his shoulder blade. It was a desperate hug, the kind that gripped at her heart in fear before being replaced with a warmth that filled her up, all the way down to her toes.

He'd never hugged her willingly before. Ariel froze in shock before everything inside her seemed to give way, like a rock dislodging an avalanche, and a few wayward tears born from happiness and relief sprang into her eyes. Her hand fisted in his cloak as she buried her face in his neck.

Snape pulled back after a while, his hands still resting on her shoulders, and looked down at her with an intensity that made Ariel shiver. He didn't speak for a long moment, but when he did, his voice was a low, gravelly whisper. "You foolish girl," his eyes burned into hers. "How could you?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" Ariel said, a little exasperated. "I didn't ask to get kidnapped."

"I told you to stay put!" he nearly shrieked the last part, making her wince. "What the fuck were you thinking, leaving after you'd just been ambushed? The sheer stupidity —"

"I'm fine. You can't be mad if I'm fine." Ariel tried weakly.

"Do not —" he gripped her jaw. "Tell me — what — to do."

Ariel touched his wrist. He slowly released his grip and she leaned into his shoulder, letting herself close her eyes. His chin rested atop her head.

They sat there in the silence for what seemed like forever until Ariel heard something rustle behind them. At first, she thought it was Ginny, and her eyes flew open — Ginny — gods, Ginny —

When she sat up, from over Snape's shoulder, Ariel saw it.

Tom's head was moving. The head that was no longer attached to this body. Snape had decapitated him, which meant that his head should not be moving, not at all, no — no no no —

Ariel let out a gasp, but it came out more as a strangled sob. Snape's head snapped up and she knew he saw it when he picked her up, shoving her underneath his cloak as Tom's head flew into his body's hands — his headless body that had picked itself up from the ground to stand upright. Ariel couldn't tear her eyes away as something new clawed at her heart, something terrible and raw, scattering her relief like a tornado.

Tom set his head back onto his blood-stained neck. He brushed off his robes like he'd got a spot of dust on them.

"Now," he smiled. "where were we?"

Something lay at Tom's feet as a sickening coldness washed over Ariel. Snape's hand was digging into her shoulder blade like he'd lodged an ax there instead of his fingers.

It was the diary. The little black book, the place Tom had haunted. Ginny's face, bloodless in the firelight —

At Ariel's feet was the fang that had pierced her arm. The fang that had nearly killed her.

I have written you down now, you will live forever —

She forced herself not to look at Snape's face, because she knew she'd lose her nerve if she did. Ariel shoved him back as hard as she could and threw herself forward, dragging the basilisk fang with her as she hurdled to Tom's feet.

She could hear Snape moving, his boots slamming against the wet floor, the air crackling behind her —

"It's just you and me, girl." Tom whispered, the tip of Ginny's wand almost touching her nose.

Ariel grinned at him. His smile wavered.

"I like those odds," she said.

And then she swung the basilisk fang into the Diary.

A/N: Goddammit Tom, ruining the moment!

2 more chapters of CoS, and then the shitshow that will be PoA begins (after a brief summer interlude, of course).

Reviews would be loved and appreciated 3