Authors Notes

Hello everyone! Another chapter for you and I have to say, this was a fun one to write. I had three ways this scene could go and of the options I think this is my favourite, it showcases Harry's skill without making him seem ridiculously overpowered (because he shouldn't be) and it teases some of the 'higher magic' which he is yet to learn.

A big thank you to everyone who has Favourited, Followed and Reviewed! I can't believe there are over 700 of you following this story and over 500 who have favourited it, its an incredible feeling to know so many people like what I have written so thank you all for your support. Please continue to show your support, leave a review if you like what I've written, I read all of them and I love seeing what you all think. Even if you don't like it, let me know what you would do differently!

Reviews

Griffin Blackwood - I hope that's a good OMG and not a bad one haha! Thank you for sticking with this story for so long, you have been one of my longest running reviewers and I always look forward to seeing what you think!

Maelstrom15 - Thank you so much! I am glad you like it, and if you like Malfoy's portrayal in the previous chapters, I hope you like what I'll be doing with him going forward. I think he is a criminally underused character. As for the Fulgomancy, I don't want to spoil it but the way I see it is that the whole "eyes are windows to the soul" thing originates from the magical world and will be more important in later chapters as more complex magics are explored.

Tinkerbell love - Thank you very much, im glad you're enjoying it! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!

Chapter 20

Thankfully the bouncing and tumbling fall turned into a slightly more gentle slide, he still wasn't able to slow himself but by the time he had recovered from the abuse of the initial fall and regained his senses he was able to prepare for his eventual landing. As soon as he could tell the tunnel was opening and ending he pointed his wand at his legs and cast the charm he had learned after his first Flying lesson.

"Cadens mollere!"

He was just in time as the tunnel spat him out into a small cavern at great speed, sending him hurtling out and at the floor. But instead of breaking his legs and ankles on the uneven ground, the impact dissipated across the charm he had cast leaving him no worse than if he had stepped off a slide in the park. Except the lingering dizziness. And the bruises he could feel forming from his time in the tunnel from the girls bathroom.

The cavern Harry had landed in seemed to be more of a natural formation than the tunnel, there were a few broken stalctites reaching down from the ceiling but the floor was well worn in most places and a layer of broken detritus lay scattered all around. A closer look revealed most of the floor was covered in broken bone, mostly small animal bones but a few larger pieces looked to be almost dog sized.

As Harry stood and took a moment to observe his surroundings, a faint creaking echoed from ahead. At the end of the cavern was a passageway, and at the very end of his awareness he could detect some kind of doorway at the end of it.

"Mutatio Saxum."

As it had when he had first fallen into the tunnel, his magic washed across the bottom of the tunnel like a gentle wave against a cliff, it could find no purchase on the enchanted stonework.

"Well I guess I'm exploring the deeper into the creepy cave then." He muttered to himself as he picked his way through the broken bones until he reached the passageway and then the doorway at the end. Doorway was underselling it really. Thirty feet wide, the solid metal disc was decorated with intricately detailed snakes, four extended out from a central point their bodies melding together in the middle, while the fifth and largest encircled the perimiter of the doorway. Each snake had two gems embedded for eyes and the whole thing was enchanted, but oddly the threads of all four of the Founders' magic were present. Whatever this doorway led to, the Founders were aware of it and all four had at least helped in creating the door to it.

"Open?"

The four cardinal snakes shuddered and began to retract, sinking back until only their four heads remained in the middle of the door as the snake that encircled the door also retracted until it's body only extended a few feet along the left-most edge. Hinged on that left side, the door swung outwards with a heavy creak to reveal another cavern. As Harry carefully stepped past the door, he couldn't help but marvel at the thickness and the enchantments that protected it. It had more enchantments bound into the nearly metre thick door than anything Harry had ever seen before.

"Ah welcome Harry, come in. You don't want to be caught in the door's way when it closes I promise you that." The advice seemed sensible as Harry stepped through and the titanic door closed behind him with a heavy clunk.

The warning came from an odd figure stood in the middle of the Chamber ahead. Stood in front of an enormous carving of a bearded man's head was a young man, he looked to be around sixteen but what was most strange was how clear he was in Harry's sight. His Fulgomancy allowed him to perceive his surroundings completely, he was aware of everything around him up to a certain distance but fine details were difficult for him to see, he had to focus his attention on something to see minor details, bumps and curves that make up a face were blurred to him. It was a trade off he had grown to live with, but the boy stood there was clear in his sight. He could see every line of his face, the faint wrinkles of his knuckles as he gripped his wand loosely at his side. His robes were less detailed, more what he was used to but it was still incredible. His colour was almost identical to Harry's own green as well.

But then his surroundings sank in; the serpentine sconces on the walls, the channels of water that ran down either side of the Chamber to meet just behind the prone figure of the young girl who had led him to the bathroom. The girl was sprawled out, occasionally twitching but throughout it all the little black book was clutched firmly to her chest.

"Oh don't worry about young Ginevra, she doesn't have all that long left anyway." The young man waved Harry over, smiling broadly as he did so. "Come on, we need to introduce oursleves properly."

"Ginevra? Wait is that Ginny Weasley?"

"Yes yes, but as I said she doesn't have long left, best to let her go in peace no?" The strangely distinct figure shook his head, the smile vanishing as he did so to be replaced with a serious expression. "Now you go first. Introduce yourself, the formalities must be observed between two wizards such as ourselves."

"What? What do you mean she's not got long left?" The serious expression fell into a twisted sneer as the boy violently shook his head again.

"No no no. We introduce ourselves, if you won't start then I will." The boy gave a mocking bow as he introduced himself. "I am Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin, Master of the Chamber of Secrets."

"What? It's you behind the attacks?!" Harry pointed his wand at Riddle and took a step backwards, if the boy was really the Heir he must know advanced magic. "Why don't I recognise you? Is this some sort of spell to change your appearance?"

"My appearance? But you … oh … oh my. You really can't see properly can you? I had thought it a trick, a ruse from that old fool to make you seem even more talented. " Riddle laughed loudly, a cold and joyless sound that echoed cruelly in the Chamber. "I had thought it false, you navigate the castle well enough and the cane could be a stave or weapon to defend yourself but no, you really were injured that night! Fascinating, but then how do you get around so well little blind boy?"

A wave of Riddle's wand and a ripple of pure darkness swallowed a section of space in front of Harry, for a single breath his awareness faltered, the shadows at the edge of his perception clawed at his awareness as he struggled to maintain control. No one had ever torn away a section of his Fulgomancy before, except for the awful wall of fire back in his first year. It was terrifying to know he could be blinded by a wave of his enemies wand.

"Aha, so you use magic to perceive your surroundings? Fulgomancy? Interesting, very interesting. You must have been trained from a young age to use it so naturally, a unique talent. Not unlike my own ability with Legiliemncy, though of course I had no teacher for that, just the talent in my blood."

Harry did his best to settle his racing heart as sweat beaded on his forehead, his fear of losing his sight was as strong as ever and the knowledge that Riddle could take it from him kept him from reacting. He stood frozen as he desperately tried to think of a way to escape the situation.

"But that is not the mystery I need to solve tonight. No, I want to know why Lord Voldemort, the greatest wizard who ever lived, fell to a baby." Riddle sneered as he pointed at Harry who couldn't help but flinch at the gesture.

"What? Nobody knows what happened, it was in all the papers, I don't even know!"

"You must know! The Dark Lord was undefeated, he beat every opponent until you!" Riddle's previously cultured tone began to slip as he demanded answers, his voice becoming less controlled as he raged.

"I mean he never defeated Dumbledore." Harry didn't know why he was antagonising the boy, clearly he or his family were supporters of Voldemort. The information had just popped into his head when Riddle mentioned him being undefeated, there were multiple articles and reports on the Dark Lord's encounters with Dumbledore and none had ended in a 'win'. On one occasion, Voldemort only escaped because three of the Aurors turned on Dumbledore and his allies at the last moment.

"Albus Dumbledore has been driven from this school by the mere memory of Lord Voldemort! I am Lord Voldemort! I am the greatest sorcerer to wak the earth!" Riddle roared as he slashed his wand through the air, a trail of crimson flames erupting from the wandtip in his anger.

"You? You're only a teenager? Voldemort was born decades ago you lunatic!" Harry shouted as he stumbled back away from the heat.

"We are one and the same Harry, Voldemort is a pseudonym my companions gave me. It is more fitting of a champion of Slytherin than my filthy father's name. But I am wise and cautious, I took precautions so that even if my body was destroyed I would endure. I stored a piece of my sixteen year-old self in my diary, an extraordinary feat of magic, but I was not done! No I enchanted my diary further, so that it could use the life force of a willing host to resurrect me. Poor Ginevra was desperate for a friend, an older student to guide her through her first year." Riddle bragged as he raised his arm up to his face and turned his wand over in his hands. "Even now she gives her life, her soul so that I might regain my physical form."

In fact even as they spoke, Riddle's form seemed to be growing fuzzier if anything, more like normal than it had been. As it grew less detailed, his colour shifted as well. The familiar green fading as crimson and black bled through to overwhelm it.

"There is nothing you can do Potter, I had thought perhaps you were hiding some great power, that you defeated me through accidental magic. But no, I see now you are just a boy, it must have been your parents that slew me. You are talented for a second year Potter, but you are no match for the Heir of Slytherin. By morning the school will be closed, you will be dead and I will have returned to my full power." Riddle turned to face the statue behind him and when he spoke again it was in the sibillant tones of Parseltongue. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. Your Heir needs your aid."

Immediately the faint sound of trickling water was drowned out by the grinding of heavy stone as the jaw of the statue slowly descended to reveal an opening that led into the depths of the stone carving. As the statue stopped and the Chamber settled, a heavy rustling escaped the now wide maw of Slytherin as a shape moved in the dark recess. As the monster emerged from its resting place, Harry felt a sickening dread sink into him. The shape was unmistakably serpentine but it was the haze of caustic magic that preceded it that gave Harry a hint of what had been hiding beneath the castle for so long. A vaguely conical cloud of acidic orange and yellow shifted as the great snake turned it's head, it's gaze, to observe the Chamber and it's inhabitants. It's head was angular and crested with ridges and spines and each scale on the beast was a foot long and shimmered with dull green and grey magic.

"I obey the blood of the Speaker." The low rasping voice shook the ground and Harry could feel his chest vibrate with its words.

"Do you recognise her Potter?" Some sign of the primal terror that he was feeling must have shown as Riddle let out another cruel chuckle. "The myth's and legends do not do her justice, do they? This is Euryale, the last of the Gorgons. Salazar passed her off as a lesser Basilisk, one of her sister's descendents, when he first brought her to the Castle and introduced her to the other Founders. They believed her to be a lesser magical creature, no more dangerous than Helga's Hafgufa, and allowed him to keep her here as a final defender in case the Castle's protections were ever breached. But Salazar was wise and cunning, Euryale was no offspring of Herpo's creations. Salazar brought one of the original Basilisk's to Hogwarts, to protect it from all threats, within or without!"

Harry didn't know much about Basilisk's, but the Gorgons were well known even in the Muggle world and he had read the stories of Perseus many years ago. The stories differed over the centuries but generally the Gorgons were known as three sisters who were cursed or transformed by a god into serpentine monsters that could turn men to stone with a glance. His only hope, as he slowly stepped back and away from the colossal snake, was that it's petrifying gaze wouldn't affect him because of his blindness.

"Goodbye Harry Potter, it is a pity to waste talent such as yours, I considered granting you an honourable death in a duel, the last Slytherin and the last Potter, but I cannot risk history repeating itself. I will give Dumbledore your regards when I visit him next. Kill the boy, Euryale."

At the instruction from Riddle, the enormous snake, sixty feet long at least, lunged forward with a speed that was unnatural for a creature of it's size and weight. It was only Harry's instinctual casting of his shield spell that saved his life.

"Arx Murum!" The shield that surrounded him was perhaps the strongest he had ever conjured, each hexagonal section was an inch thick and magic overflowed from the plates in a thick mist in Harry's sight. It made him feel safe and secure as he readied himself for what he was sure would be a heavy blow to his protection.

His sight slowly returned as he sank to the cold floor on the other side of the Chamber, sliding down the chiselled stone blocks he had struck. The shield had been shattered completely and had barely slowed the Basilisk's strike, just deflecting it enough that he was sent flying across the room as the serpent created a crater in the stone floor where he had been standing moments before. His chest and back burned with pain and he was grateful he had somehow kept a grip on his cane as he levered himself painfully to his feet.

"I admit, I'm impressed Potter. To even deflect her is no easy feat. But do you think you have another one in you? I doubt it." The sound of Riddle's taunting was muffled as Harry leaned against the wall and his cane, his left leg felt hot and sticky and his head ached awfully but he could still stand. The door to the Chamber was closed firmly and even if he could reach it before the Basilisk struck again, he was almost certain he wouldn't be able to open it. Besides, he couldn't leave Ginny behind, the poor girl would die soon if her rapidly fading magic was anything to go by. The only silver lining was that he was still breathig, he hadn't been turned to stone or petrified just from being looked at by the Basilisk which was a good sign that his blindness really would be an advantage in this situation.

It was ironic, Harry had spent days researching spiders, he knew dozens of ways to confuse and deter them but he knew very little about snakes, in hindsight he should have realised Slytherin's monster would be some kind of magical serpent. He knew that most reptiles were cold-blooded, that several species of snake had venom and others constricted their prey, and finally that they laid eggs like birds. He desperately scrambled for an idea as the Basilisk reared back for another strike, the venom and constriction facts were useless to him and unless he planned to raise one he didn't need to know about it's reproductive cycle. It was probably cold-blooded, that meant it needed heat from external sources to stay alive and comfortable. He needed cold.

"Gelidum Pruina!"

It was sloppy but as the thick cloud of frozen air burst from his wand, it was enough to cause the snake to abandon its lunging strike in favour of letting out a deafening hiss as it retreated briefly from the sudden cold. However the respite was only momentary as the mist quickly dispersed, the Chamber was warm and the cold air couldn't hold its shape for long in such an environment. The snake's response to the cold air was enough to give Harry some small measure of hope though; he had found a weakness.

"Oh very good Harry, very clever. But a little cold air won't save you for long. Ignore the cold, kill the boy! He is an enemy of Slytherin!" Riddle instructed the Basilisk as he pointed his wand at the creature and a ripple of red ran down the length of it's body, soothing it as steam wafted from it's huge head. Harry recognised the spell Riddle had used, he had seen older students use it in winter, it protected the object of the spell from the cold, keeping them at a steady temperature. The spell had limits, it wouldn't protect you from the arctic but it was enough to stop any of the simpler spells Harry knew.

With the few seconds he had before the Basilisk turned it's attention back onto him, Harry moved along the perimiter of the Chamber, inching closer to where Riddle stood. He had the vague beginnings of a plan, but he needed some time to recover and gather his strength and he hoped the Basilisk would be more cautious if it might endanger Riddle when it attacked.

His guess was correct as the Baislisk let out an angered hiss before lowering it's head and slithering closer instead of striking from above again, this delay let Harry limp close enough to Riddle that he could begin putting his plan into action.

"Riddle! If you don't call off the snake, I'll stop you from recovering your body!" He shouted as he leant heavily against his cane and pointed his wand out in front of him. Even as he spoke, the enormous Basilisk slithered closer, it's head was taller than he was and it was close enough that he could hear it breathing as it opened its maw to reveal two wicked rows of jagged teeth clearly designed to rend flesh and bone apart.

Inhale.

"How will you do that Potter? In this form I am untouchable and my anchor indestructable, you cannot harm me boy!" Riddle spat the final word at him in an eerily similar way to how Vernon used to, though his grin was infinitely colder.

Exhale.

"I might not be able to hurt you Riddle." Harry swung his wand down and to the left, steeling his heart to what he needed to do as he gathered magic, letting it build with each breath. "But I can hurt her."

Inhale.

For a moment the world froze around them. The Basilisk stopped moving a few paces behind Harry, it's mouth open and ready to bite down on its prey but stopped by some hidden signal from its master as Riddle stared at Harry in silence.

Exhale.

"You are bluffing."

Inhale.

"To stop you? To stop the man who killed my parents from coming back to life?" Harry's arm trembled as a bead of blue light flickered at the tip of his wand, his grip on his wand was slick as blood from some unnoticed cut trickled down his arm. Riddle seemed taken aback by Harry's repsonse and studied him in silence before he responded with a smug smile.

Exhale.

"Yes, you are bluffing. You lack the key element to being a truly great sorcerer Harry. You lack the ambition. You need a goal. You need to be willing to do anything. To sacrifice everything to achieve your dreams Potter. You need to be ruthless." Riddle shook his head and twitched his hand. "You just don't have it in you Potter, you don't have the killer instinct."

Inhale.

The Basilisk reared up until it's jaw was a dozen feet from the ground as Harry lowered his wand from Ginny's prone form and let out a long slow breath, his grip on his cane twisting as he tensed his body involuntarily.

Exhale.

"FROJSA LOGI!" Harry screamed as he spun and unleashed the magic he had been gathering straight up and into the descending monster's mouth. A conflagration of white and blue flames erupted from his wand and cascaded into and through the Basilisk's mouth and throat, scales along its head and jaw cracked to reveal black and blistering flesh beneath as patches of glistening ice formed where the cold-fire burned. The screech it let out as it thrashed it's head was deafening, dust and stones fell from the ceiling as the walls and floor trembled at it's anguish. Whether through spite or the magic that bound it, the enormous serpent turned its attention back onto Harry as the last of the glacial flame sputtered from his wand and even as great chunks of icy scale and frozen flesh broke from it's body, it struck down towards him.

"Cold! The prey burns me with cold!" The Basilisk's cries of agony and fury were deafening as it thrashed and the few words Harry could make out amongst its screamed hissing were broken and nonsensical.

One of it's eyes was all but ruined, a blackened orb of dead tissue, along with much of the right side of the huge serpent's head as white bone gleamed between strands of pink and black muscle, but it's aim was true enough that it was able to half collapse and half bite down on Harry as he knelt on the stone floor. For his part, Harry barely had the strength to raise his head, the spell he had cast was a potent elemental spell and he had only practiced it once before quickly deciding it was beyond him. Fear for one's life was a powerful motivational tool though and he had conjured it near-perfectly on this occasion, though his wand hand was now numb from the cold the spell gave off. He couldn't raise his wand in time to cast from it, but his hand still gripped his cane as he leant against it though. With a desperate squeeze of the warm wood that he had trusted for many years to keep him from falling, he tried to cast a spell through it.

"Arx Murum"

He knew that it took training and discipline to wield magic through a stave, they were not just longer wands they were entirely different focuses and required very different mindsets to use them. But in that moment, it didn't matter. He trusted his cane, it would not fail him. Even as the Basilisk's maw surrounded him and began to close, he did not doubt his stave. It would aid him as it always had.

The magic his stave produced as it drew greedily from his own was not what he expected to create. Instead of the usual dome of magic to protect him, strands of light burst from his stave like branches and roots from a tree. Pale green and deep brown tendrils that struck the ground around him and lanced into the approaching jaws of the great serpent, partly-frozen flesh sizzled and burned where these projections struck and lines of light formed a fragile cage around him that halted the Basilisk's attempt to impale him on it's jagged teeth. The great snake thrashed and writhed as it struggled against the magic that anchored it in place, blood and bile sprayed as it tore free from its place with a sharp crack and reared up to reveal the full conjuration and the damage it had wrought.

The cage around Harry's slumped form was made up of tendrils of light, branches of frozen lightning that flickered and burned around him with forks buried into the stone and jagged spikes speared into the air around him. Even as the Basilisk rose up, swaying as it did, blood and viscera fell and burned against the magic. The wounds the Basilisk had sustained were grievous, gouges carved into its head and swathes of frozen and cracked scales had left it looking half-dead and as it swayed unsteadily above Harry it let out a low mournful groan before collapsing to the floor as shuddering breaths and spasms racked its form.

The immobile cage of light that surrounded Harry dimmed and faded with a crackle leaving him kneeling in a pool of dark blood and slowly melting ice as he gasped for breath, there was a sharp pain every time he took a breath and a slow burn was growing in his arm as he tried and failed to climb to his feet.

"What…what was that magic?" Riddle whispered from his place in front of Ginny's body. His arrogant smirk was gone, replaced by a deep frown and a flicker of fear. "You should not be able to conjure such magic. That is impossible!"

Harry didn't bother trying to reply as he had found the source of the burning pain in his arm. Jutting from his torn sleeve was the broken tip of one of the serpent's jagged teeth. The broken edge was gilded with frost, it had likely snapped off when the Basilisk retreated from the magic his stave had wrought. With a trembling hand he grabbed the edge of the bloody fang and slid it free from its place in his arm with a low gasp of pain, the Basilisk echoed his gasp with it's own final shuddering breath before it stilled, it's tired and beaten form falling silent.

A trickle of blood escaped the rough hole the fang had left in his arm as he sank back onto the stone floor and did his best to staunch the blood as he took short sharp breaths. The burning in his arm hadn't stopped with the removal of the fang, in fact as he sat pressing his sleeve into the wound the heat was travelling up his arm, growing in intensity as it did. It felt like fire was burning in his veins as it reached his shoulder and he couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips as he shifted in place.

"You… you were bitten by her? Oh Potter, you defeated my monster it's true, but the Basilisk's venom is a death sentence. It looks like this will be your last miraculous act Harry Potter." Riddle laughed cruelly again as he stepped closer and leaned down to peer at Harry. "Yes it looks like you don't have long, it is a shame to lose Euryale but it is worth it to take you off the board Potter. I will pay a visit to that old fool Dumbledore next I think, I will tell him how you died bravely Potter. And then I will kill him as well."

"Dumbledore … Dumbledore will beat you … he did it when you were decades …. decades older … a teenager doesn't stand a chance." Harry muttered even as his sight flickered, his awareness shrinking as the burning pain touched his chest and exploded across his body. Every inch of his body was burning, even his eyes that were usually numb and unfeeling suddenly blazed with pain as fire erupted through his veins.

"Goodbye Harry Po-" The voice of Riddle cut off as the fire that raged in Harry's body had apparently escaped him, he could hear the crackling of flames as he struggled for breath. "A Phoenix? Ahh Dumbledore's pet, come just in time to see the boy die then?"

As the heat continued, his muscles spasming and his heart thumping erratically, Harry felt a new sensation interrupt the pain. If the venom's heat was a campfire, this new feeling was akin to the sun in comparison. Fire scorched through his arm, leaving behind a cool relief as it spread up and across his chest. Where the blaze passed, it replaced the pain with bliss. His breathing evened out as his heart slowed to a more regular beat, he could feel pins prickling across his skin as he pushed for his sight to extend out from him again.

The Chamber was mostly unchanged, except now there was a large bird perched on the stone floor beside him, it's head bowed close to his arm. The bird was filled with a raging fire, orange and red and white and blue burned within every feather and it's eyes were piercing black coals that peered intently at him.

"What? How…Phoenix tears. I had thought they were a myth, but you sacrificed your tears for this boy? Why? He will only die by my hand now you foolish bird." Riddle raised his wand and pointed it down at Harry's prone form as red magic gathered ready to lash out at him.

Or it would have if the Phoenix didn't flare it's wings in protest, a sharp cry cutting through the silent Chamber causing Riddle to cry out in pain and clutch at his head. The cry was loud but it didn't sound that awful to Harry, however he wasn't going to waste this opportunity. He scrabbled to his feet, snatching his cane from the floor and, after a moment's hesitation, the broken fang as well before he rushed past the still distracted Riddle.

Ginny lay unconscious behind the young Dark Lord, her magic was pale and flickered like a candle in the wind but it was still there even as wisps of it drifted from her chest, through the little black book she clutched, and into Riddle's slowly solidifying form. A loud bang echoed from behind him as Riddle recovered enough to banish the Phoenix across the Chamber with a furious shout. As he cast the spell, the magic he drew from Ginny pulsed but more interestingly the seemingly mundane book also pulsed. In fact, the book seemed to collect more wisps of the girl's magic around itself, only letting some of it pass along to the Riddle's physical form.

The book must be enchanted, Harry realised as he grabbed it from Ginny's limp grip and staggered a few paces away from her. The draw of magic from her slowed, but even without close contact it seemed to retain some conenction to the girl as smaller fragments of her magic tore free to drift to the book. As Riddle turned to face him, Harry dropped the book and, hoping his instinct were correct, stabbed down at it with the fang in his other hand.

"I'm finishing this now Pot – NO!" Riddle shouted as the fang struck the leather cover, piercing the protection and gouging into the parchment beneath.

The book flashed as grey and black strands of magic shivered into being around it, runes and threads of enchantments unravelling as the fang's venom did it's grim work. Another stab and a wave of foreign anguish shot through Harry as the book shook against the ground, a puddle of ichorous ink bleeding from the two wounds he had carved into its cover. Great tangles and knots of magic were drifting and breaking free from the enchanted book as Riddle screamed in pain and fury, his wand falling from suddenly intangible fingers.

"NO! I am the Heir of Slytherin! I am immortal! I cannot be de-" A third and final stab from the fang destroyed what was left of the magic and Riddle's form vanished, no trace of the Dark Lord's younger form remained. Only a stained and ragged book with three holes in it's cover, devoid of it's previous malevolence.

As Harry let the fang clatter to the floor and let out a sigh of relief, the Phoenix winged across the Chamber to land next to him. It slid the book away with one clawed talon and let out a triumphant cry. Harry couldn't help but chuckle as the adrenaline faded and the realisation of what had happened, how close he had come to death, sank in.

"You're a Phoenix? Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix? And you used your tears to heal me?" He asked the majestic creature as he struggled to process what had happened. Hagrid had told him about Phoenixes; they were only born when a magical fire claimed lives, from the ashes of the fires a Phoenix would rise. Nobody knew why or could predict it and it didn't always happen. The Phoenix was then essentially immortal, they would live and age for a few years before dying in a burst of flame and hatching again from the ashes. More relevant though, was that their tears could heal almost anything, however they could only cry once per life and only a few tears each time. It was a potent gift and an incredible honour.

Instead of replying or acknowledging his query, the Phoenix trilled softly and turned in the direction of the still unconscious body of Ginny Weasley. The girl was breathing and her magic had settled, though it was visibly weakened and looked fragile in Harry's sight.

"She needs help doesn't she? I don't even know how to get out of here let alone get her to the Hospital Wing." Harry muttered, mostly to himself, as he shifted his focus from the girl to the still closed doorway at the other end of the Chamber. "I'm not sure I can open the bloody door for a start."

Another gentle trill echoed from the Phoenix as it flapped its wings and glided across to a small alcove tucked away on the right-hand side of the still open statue of Slytherin.

"Oh I suppose that's how Ginny … or I suppose Riddle? Either way, that must be how they got down here." Harry pondered as he climbed to his feet and stepped across to Ginny. "Wingardium Leviosa. Right, I'll just follow you shall I?" He asked as he walked across the Chamber, giving the mangled corpse of the Basilisk a wide berth as he did so, with Ginny floating behind him.

The alcove extended into a short corridor before it reached a long winding staircase, the Phoenix flew gracefully around the staircase and waited for him every few minutes as he steadily climbed, careful to avoid hitting Ginny's head or legs against the hard stone walls.

"It's less painful than the way I got down here I'll give you that, but my way was much quicker." The Phoenix let out a warbling chuckle at his joke and Harry continued the one-sided conversation as he continued climbing the stairs until finally they reached the top where a dim stained glass window waited for them. It was difficult to tell in Harry's sight but it seemed to depict a castle in the background with four animals playfully dancing in front of it; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake.

Before Harry could consider what the key to opening or unlocking the gateway it hid could be, the Phoenix hopped into the air and flew straight through the tall stained glass window, the surface of the glass faintly rippling as it did so. Harry shook his head and tried not to think too hard about what he was doing as he stepped up to and then through the glass, hoping it functioned like the barrier at Kings Cross and that you didn't need a password or spell to use it.

Thankfully he was able to step through the glass unhindered and as his head passed through the slightly warm glass barrier, his awareness switched from a dim stairway to the bathroom he had been tricked into only an hour or so before. The bathroom was in a much worse state than it had been when he fell down the passageway though; broken chunks of stone and splinter sof wood covered the floor and lying unconcsious in a puddle of … something was Lockhart. In the open doorway Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were stood with their wands drawn as they shouted down the hallway.

Whether it was the Phoenix's cry or the sound of Harry's cane tapping on the stone floor, both professor's turned to see him stepping around the broken pieces of sink and both let out gasps of shock and horror at the sight of him. With blood and viscera in his hair and spattered across his robes, one sleeve was soaked in blood and the other was singed and slightly burned, he knew he looked a state as he reached the doorway and gently manouevred Ginny to hover alongside him.

"I think she needs Madam Pomphrey." Harry said as Professor McGonagall looked between his bloody form and the hovering unconscious girl, the usually unflappable Transfiguration Mistress was stunned momentarily and only broke from her state when Professor Flitwick grabbed Harry and pulled him down into a hug.

"What on earth happened to you Mr Potter? And where did you find Miss Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked as Flitwick released Harry and patted him on the arm.

"That's a long story professor, but I really do think she needs to see Madam Pomphrey. She's been enchanted or possessed or something and her magic was being drained." Both professor's looked horrified by his announcement and Professor McGonagall immediately took control of the hover charm Harry had placed on Ginny as she gestured for Harry to follow her. Professor Flitwick fell into step alongside Harry as Professor McGonagall led the way to the Hospital Wing with Ginny floating along beside her. "Shouldn't we bring Lockhart with us Professor?" Harry asked as he noticed the still unconscious form of the defence professor still slumped by the door.

"Oh yes I suppose we should." Flitwick agreed, flicking his wand in the man's direction as they walked away. A moment later Lockhart's body slid free from the broken toilet stall door it lay upon and slowly slipped across the stone floor behind them, bumping into and then sliding along the wall as they rounded a corner. In Harry's sight he could see an intangible thread connecting Professor Flitwick's wand to the defence professor's left foot and it was this thread that was pulling the man along the floor so ungracefully. Harry could think of several less damaging ways to move a person than the Charms Master's method and was about to suggest one when the man explained. "Professor McGonagall and I found Lockhart in the bathroom hiding in one of the stalls. He explained that you and Miss Weasley had disappeared from the room and then attempted to disarm the two of us and alter our memories. He failed."

Harry turned his attention briefly to Lockhart as his head struck a protruding flagstone with a painful crack and felt a small measure of pity for the man, but what did the fool expect to happen when he attacked an ex-duelling champion and one of the most acclaimed Transfiguration Master's in the world?

"… and then your Phoenix - "

"His name is Fawkes Harry, and he is no more mine than I am his." Professor Dumbledore corrected gently as the Phoenix in question trilled softly from his perch.

"Oh sorry Professor, sorry Fawkes. Well Fawkes cried and his tears healed me and then he sang or screeched and Riddle couldn't stand it, like it was deafening to him or something, so while he was distracted I moved to Ginny and I figured that the book was Riddle's anchor I guess? So I stabbed it with the fang and it hurt him and the book's magic so I did it again and again and then Riddle disappeared and the book stopped … bleeding ink?" Harry finished uncertainly as he gestured to the book that now sat innocently on the Headmaster's desk between them.

"Fascinating. You say your stave conjured a magical barrier that protected you from the Basilisk, but it was not a spell you know or have read about? Might I examine it for a moment?" Dumbledore asked as he leaned forward in his chair, tucking his long beard into his belt as he did so.

Harry nodded, though a small part of him didn't want to give up the cane that had saved his life even for a moment, and handed the cane across to the Headmaster who took it with a careful grip.

"This is Ollivander's work if I am not mistaken. Now I must admit I have never attempted this on a stave before, but I believe the principle remains the same. Priori Incantatem." As Dumbledore brushed the tip of his wand along the carvings on the cane, the lingering magic within the stave swirled and shifted until in bright burst of light, a misty image appeared around the cane mimicking the strange conjuration of jagged limbs and roots that the cane had produced in the Chamber. "Remarkable."

The image lingered for a few more seconds before it disippated and the runes along the cane dimmed until it looked like a relatively normal walking cane again. The Headmaster held it back out for Harry to take and ran a hand through his beard as he hummed in thought, his eyes fixed on a point somewhere above Harry's head as he pondered what he had seen.

"Did you recognise the spell, Professor?" Harry asked curiously, if he could learn how to cast it on command it might prove useful in a variety of situations.

"Somewhat. I have never cast it myself but I have seen something similar once many years ago. I believe he called it the Yggdrasil. A truly unique and potent conjuration of elemental magic I have not seen since, but you do seem to have a talent for such magic, not many students could summon Coldfyre and survive the attempt." Harry shrugged as he twisted his cane in his grip awkwardly, the spell had been a desperate attempt and not one he would be repeating any time soon. "Now I am afraid we are about to be interrupted."

There was no knock at the door, instead it was pushed open and Lucius Malfoy stepped in, putting less of his weight on his cane than he had the previous times Harry had seen him. The sight of Harry sat opposite Dumbledore almost caused him to misstep but he recovered and came to a stop a few feet from the door. A step or two behind the elder Malfoy was a surprising figure that Harry recognised immediately. Dobby, slouched and rubbing his bandaged hands together, stood sadly in Lucius Malfoy's shadow.

"Dumbledore I am surprised to see you have returned. I was asked by the Minister to come and find out what has been done about this Chamber of Secrets fiasco." Malfoy explained as he dipped his head in what could generously be called a bow. "And the Boy-Who-Lived, it is a pleasure to meet you Mr Potter."

"The Governors asked me to return, Lucius. Oddly it seems several of them were sent anonymous and very convincing threats, something about forcing me to resign or their children would be harmed." Dumbledore responded, his tone was pleasant but his eyes were locked onto Lucius' and his usually restrained magic had swelled, now it pressed down on the room like a heavy cloud waiting to break.

"How terrible, well we will have to have another meeting of the Governors to discuss your return then, perhaps after this business with the so-called Heir is dealt with?" Lucius played the role of the innocent well, but the tensing of his hand as he squeezed his cane in frustration was a familiar tell, it was one Harry shared with the man.

"I am glad you agree, the other Governors all believed that with the ongoing trouble and the disappearance of Miss Weasley, I should return to the school. They voted to reinstate me an hour ago." Dumbledore produced a rolled up piece of parchment with a flourish and placed it on his desk. Malfoy's smile fixed in place as he took the information in and nodded along with the Headmaster's explanation.

"I see. And the missing girl? The Heir? Has there been any progress? Has the culprit been identified?" The questions were spaced carefully but Harry thought he could hear an undercurrent of concern in Lucius' voice as he made his enquiries.

"Miss Weasley has been recovered and the Heir and his monster defeated, all by young Harry here. He is a remarkably skilled wizard already." Dumbledore smiled at Harry briefly before he resumed his stern observing of Malfoy.

"Indeed? How wonderful." Malfoy's smile grew strained as he looked Harry over, his eyes pausing on his cane before returning to his face. "And the culprit? Who was this 'Heir'?"

"The same person who opened the Chamber the last time. Lord Voldemort." At the name of the Dark Lord, Malfoy let out a hiss from behind gritted teeth as his left arm flexed involuntarily. "He used a rather ingenious method this time. A book, enchanted to possess and control an innocent child to do his bidding."

"How hideous." Malfoy spat as he eyed the damaged book on the desk. "We must report this to the Ministry."

"I quite agree. In fact, if any more of Voldemort's possessions make their way into this castle I will have to investigate the matter personally. I will allow the Auror's to investigate for now but if I have to get involved the consequences for the culprits will be severe." As Dumbledore spoke the oppressive weight of his magic seemed to double, like gravity had increased in the room as light bent around the Headmaster's still seated form. Harry was glad he was seated even as the wooden chair creaked heavily and Malfoy looked like he was barely able to remain standing, pale and trembling.

"I will ensure the warning is circulated." Malfoy bit out as he grit his teeth, but when the pressure didn't abate he slumped and added. "And compensation will be paid to the victims for their…suffering." Dumbledore smiled brightly and the weight disappeared, Harry didn't try to hide his breath of relief but Malfoy disguised his with a faux cough that fooled nobody.

"Excellent. Was there anything else, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked, though the dismissal was clear even to Harry's inexperienced ear.

"No. Good day Headmaster." Malfoy turned but paused and inclined his head in Harry's direction a fraction. "Mr Potter. Come Dobby." He didn't kick the House Elf as he stormed from the office, but it was a close thing as his toe clipped the Elf's long ears.

As the degraded Elf hobbled from the room with a quick bow in Harry and the Headmaster's direction, Harry couldn't help the swell of pity he felt for the beaten creature. A quick recollection of what he knew of House Elves and their bindings gave him an idea.

"Headmaster? Could I borrow that for a moment?" He gestured to the book on the desk as he loosened his tie from around his neck.

The Headmaster generously agreed with a mischievious grin and chuckled as Harry hobbled to the door to catch up to the Malfoy patriarch. He found him just as the tall blond wizard was rounding the corner that would lead to the grand staircase, the trademark tap-tap of his cane alerted the Malfoy to his approach and surprisingly the man turned and waited for him to near.

"Mr Malfoy, I thought you should have this." Harry threw the bundled up package he held as he approached which Malfoy caught without hesitation, though he did sneer when he realised what he had been given.

"And why, Mr Potter, would I need this?" Malfoy held up the damaged book, bound tightly closed by a strip of black fabric.

"Well because it's yours, isn't it? You slipped it into Ginny Weasley's cauldron outside Flourish & Blotts last year. I remember you fought with her father because Madam Bones left us to deal with it." He was admittedly guessing that Malfoy had slipped the girl the cursed book at that exact moment, but the rest added up perfectly.

"I see. And do you have any proof of this? The animosity between myself and Arthur Weasley is hardly a secret, but to accuse me without evidence would be … foolhardy." Malfoy smirked when Harry scowled and didn't offer up any additional information, tossing the book to Dobby as he stepped closer to Harry. "I must thank you Potter, I will ensure the … artifact is given to the appropriate authorities and the investigation will continue under my careful supervision. Come Dobby."

Malfoy stalked smugly away but stopped when he wasn't followed, he didn't turn back but he did tap his cane impatiently as he called out.

"Dobby! You will not disobey my orders again, I told you to follow me all day so do so!"

"Master has given Dobby clothes." Came the hesitant reply. Immediately Malfoy whirled and eyed the Elf who stood holding the book in one hand and the strip of fabric that bound it in the other, except now the charm to change its colour had faded to reveal the blue and bronze stripes of Harry's Ravenclaw tie.

"What? I didn't give you … Potter! You have cost me my servant!" Malfoy stormed across the corridor and for a moment the man's grip on his cane tightened as he seemed to struggle to resist the urge to lash out. With a deep breath he mastered himself though and instead he leaned in close to whisper harshly in Harry's ear. "Your parents interfered in affairs that didn't concern them as well, always playing the hero. It was a pity what happened to them." Malfoy straightened and smirked cruelly. "I had wanted to deal with your mudblood mother myself, I had to settle for her friend instead. Ask one of your teacher's about Mary McDonald sometime. Let her fate be a warning to you, Potter, on what happens when you cross me."

Harry didn't relax his grip on his wand until the elder Malfoy had descended the stairs and left his awareness completely, only then did he sag back against the wall and take several deep shuddering breaths. That had been foolish, but Dobby's cheerful whooping and joyous cries were worth it. He hoped.

END