Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

When Ron discovers that he can see the future, his entire fate is thrown off of its course. A story about adventure, friendship, growing up, and pushing forward through hardships. This story will get darker as it progresses, just like the original Harry Potter novels. It will cover all Seven Years of Hogwarts, but mostly from Ron's perspective. No Mary Sues, no Character bashing.

43. Chapter 43 - The Heir

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 43 is finished, and posted! YAY! This was a fun chapter to write, that's all I'll say! Now a quick couple of things.

1. To those who are wondering why the Entity revealed it's plans to kill Ron, it's quite simple. It believes that that will motivate Ron to seek it's favor. To beg to be spared. What the Entity doesn't understand is that Ron is a child. And that children don't have the mind to handle such things. Just as Ron can't comprehend the Entity, it cannot comprehend human beings. It's far too different from them, and to it, they are like ants. And when has any person tried to grasp how an ant's mind works? (Wait, bad example. People study ants as a job... You get what I mean!)

2. The time-line has moved up quite a bit than in canon in regards to Tom. This is mostly due to the massive changes brought about by Ron, but you all saw how it all came down to this!

Please Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.

I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.

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Fate

Chapter 43 – The Heir

Harry Potter's POV

February 20th, 1993 (Myrtle's Bathroom – Lunch)

"We just found the Chamber of Secrets…" Davis muttered, she had gone completely pale.

"We need to leave right now" Nott said firmly. "Potter, close the Chamber." Why? We can end this right now.

"We can end this right here and now" Harry told them, and the Slytherins all looked to him.

"We had a deal, Potter" Greengrass frowned. "Close the Chamber right now."

"Harry…" Neville said softly as he nudged him. "We should tell the Professors about this. If there really is a Basilisk down there, then we don't stand a chance." Harry clenched his jaw, and then he nodded. He just wanted to finish this, but everyone else was right. It was too dangerous…

"Close" Harry hissed, and the sink came back out of the ground. It slid back into place, and then the tap spun in opposite direction. The entrance was once again sealed away. "Now what?" Harry asked.

"Now we leave this place" Nott said as he moved towards the exit. "We wait until classes end for the day, and then we go to the Professors."

"Why are we waiting for so long?" Harry asked in frustrations. "We need to tell them now!"

"Calm down, Potter" Zabini frowned at him. "We can't play our hand too soon. Once classes have finished, we will tell our respective Heads of Houses. And we will tell them everything… How we found it, how we worked together, how you spoke Parseltongue to open the Chamber, and what lurks within the Chamber. We can't rush this, do you understand?"

"What if the Heir attacks someone in that time?" Harry asked.

"That could happen" Greengrass sighed. "But if we give ourselves away, the Heir will escape. It's a risk we have to take." That pissed Harry right off, didn't they care if someone got hurt?

"How can you think like that?" Harry asked the Slytherins, and they all blinked at him. "Someone could die, but you only care protecting your own interests."

"What did you say?" Nott glared at him. "You only found the Chamber because of us, you arrogant prick."

"But Harry is the one who opened it" Neville glared back at Nott.

"Because we showed him how" Parkinson retorted. "We had a deal, Potter. And you better honor it…"

"Our deal isn't as important as people…" Harry growled. "The Heir could kill someone in the time it takes for us to move against them." For a moment there, I actually forgot that they are Slytherins.

"And what you're suggesting gets more people hurt" Nott snapped, and Harry blinked at him. "Think about it logically, Potter. We go and tell the Professors everything, and as a result of that, they are forced to cancel classes for the day while they investigate. The Heir realizes that something is amiss, and in a desperate move to save themselves, they lash out. Forget the fucking Basilisk, the damn Heir will become a loose-cannon. How many people will get hurt if the Heir feels cornered?" Harry just stared at Nott as he thought about his words, they made a lot of sense.

"Stop being so self-righteous" Greengrass said venomously. "We want the Heir caught just as much as you, but we are using our logic over our emotions."

"You mean being cold" Neville retorted.

"Call it whatever you want" Bulstrode said in a threatening tone. "But if being cold means that we succeed in catching the Heir with limited casualties, then so be it."

"Don't fuck this up for us" Zabini said firmly. "Or the Heir will be the least of your worries." With that, the Slytherins all left the bathroom. This left behind Harry and Neville, and both boys just stood there quietly.

"Nev, what do we do?" Harry asked softly after a few moments. He wanted to act on this now, but what the Slytherins had said made a lot of sense.

"I… I don't know" Neville sighed. "It feels wrong to just go to class and pretend that we never saw this… But what if they're right? What if the Heir figures out that we found the Chamber?"

"What if they attack someone anyway?" Harry turned to Neville, and he saw that his best friend looked extremely conflicted. "What if we wait around, and the Heir manages to kill someone this time around?"

"We made a deal…" Neville sighed, and Harry blinked at him.

"Aren't you on my side?" Harry asked slowly. "You stood up to them when we argued…"

"I did" Neville nodded. "You're my best friend, Harry. So of course I stood by you… But I think that we should give their plan the benefit of the doubt…" Harry was shocked to hear this, did Neville just agree with the Slytherins over him? "They want to catch the Heir just as much as we do, you said that yourself. And we know that the Heir isn't stupid. If we go and raise alarm bells, the Heir will figure it out. Harry… They could escape from the school if that happens. Or worse, they'll start attacking the students. But with their plan, the chance of that happening isn't as high. With their plan, we could catch the Heir unawares."

"Alright, Nev…" Harry said softly. "We'll do it their way…" The words felt like ash in his mouth, and the fact that Neville agreed with them over him hurt him a little. But Harry decided to trust in Neville's judgement. "Let's go to lunch…"

"Harry, don't be like that" Neville sighed.

"Don't be like what?" Harry asked, his voice came out sharper than he had anticipated.

"Like that" Neville frowned. "I'm not saying that you're wrong, Harry. I'm just asking you to follow my lead for once. We gave Ron our word that we'd work with him, but he's not around anymore. His friends decided to give us a chance because that was his last request to them, and we agreed to their rules… I just… I don't want to let him down again…" Harry just stared at Neville, and he felt a strong pang of guilt. Neville is still hurting about what happened with Ron, which is why he wants to give Ron's friends a chance.

"Alright, Nev" Harry forced on a smile, and Neville gave him a guilty smile in return. "We'll wait… We'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Just like we should have done for Ron."

---

February 20th, 1993 (End of Potions Class)

Potions had been particularly terrible today. Snape was angry about something, and he made sure that the Gryffindors knew it. In between his constant abuse, Snape also forced every Gryffindor to try Harry and Neville's Hair-Raising Potion. The results were terrible, and the Slytherins had laughed their heads off. Every Gryffindor was left with spiky straight hair that was as hard as stone. This had left the girls mortified and in tears, much to Snape's delight. Neville had gone into a depressed state due to the Slytherins laughing at him, and the Gryffindors glaring at him.

But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part about attending Potions with the Slytherins was the fact that Harry had to keep his mouth shut about the Chamber. It felt like he was sitting on a time-bomb that was about to go off any second. He couldn't help but shoot looks towards Ron's friends, and their calm demeanor almost drove him mad. How were they so relaxed?! It was like they didn't even care! All Harry could think about was the Heir prowling the castle, looking for their next victim. What if it was someone they knew? What if was that Matilda girl? It had been too much to deal with, and Harry had ruined his and Neville's potion. Something that Neville had payed the price for.

"I want three rolls of Parchment about this Potion on my desk by Monday morning" Snape said in a low voice, his disgust with his class apparent to all. What his problem today? He's such a git! Seamus groaned at the massive amount of homework, and Snape clenched his jaw. "Make that four rolls of Parchment. Get out of my sight." The class didn't make a peep as they started leaving, but Harry could see everyone glaring at Seamus. Snape is such a tosser. Why is he even allowed to teach here? As they made their way out, Harry noticed Ron's friends slowing down. Harry shot a quick look to Greengrass, and she gave him a small nod. Alright, let's do this.

"Nev, let's go straight to McGonagall's Office" Harry whispered to his best mate, and Neville nodded. Both boys made their way up with the other Gryffindors, but they veered off when they reached the first floor. McGonagall's Office was to the right of the spiraling staircase that led up to the third floor. Once they reached it, they knocked on the door. When no response came, Harry knocked again.

"She's not here" Neville frowned, his spiky hair made him look ridiculous. "Now what?"

"I don't know" Harry sighed. "Maybe she's in her classroom?"

"Mr. Potter? Mr. Longbottom?" came McGonagall's voice, and both boys turned to see her walking up to them. Her lips were pressed tightly together, as always, and she was carrying a lot papers. "What are you doing here? And what happened to your hair?" The boys moved out of the way as McGonagall opened her Office door and stepped inside.

"Professor Snape's class" Harry muttered as he followed her in. "Our potion didn't come out right…"

"I see" McGonagall said as she dropped the heavy stack of parchments on her desk, and then she turned to face them. "Now, what can I do for you?" Guess it's time to set that bomb off.

"Professor" Harry started, and then he drew in a sharp breath. "We found the Chamber of Secrets." McGonagall just started at him, and then she blinked.

"Mr. Potter, if this is some stunt…" McGonagall started, a deep frown appearing on her face.

"It isn't, Professor" Neville cut her off in a desperate voice. "We can show you where it is! Please believe us!" McGonagall looked stunned at that, and then she slowly leaned against her desk.

"Start talking you two" McGonagall ordered, Harry had never seen her look so serious before.

"We've been working with the Slytherins… Ron's friends" Harry started, and McGonagall's mouth slightly parted in surprise. "They've been looking into who the Heir could be, and so have we. After Ron was attacked, we started working together. And together, we found the Chamber. We also know that the monster of Slytherin is a Basilisk, and that it moves around Hogwarts using the pipes." Wow… That's actually all of it, isn't it? Oh, wait! "And we think that Ginny Weasley might be the Heir." An extremely uncomfortable silence hovered over them all, and Harry just stared at McGonagall's shocked face.

"Mr. Potter…" McGonagall muttered. "Have you lost your mind?" Harry frowned a little at that.

"Please, Professor" Neville jumped in. "We are telling you the truth, we swear it. The Slytherins are currently telling Professor Snape the same thing."

"They are?" McGonagall asked slowly. "And why were you two looking for the Chamber? You are only second years" McGonagall frowned deeply.

"The Heir attacked our friends" Harry replied firmly. "And we want to stop the attacks against the Muggle-Borns."

"All the students really" Neville corrected. "You have to believe us, Professor. There are lives at stake."

"I know that, Mr. Longbottom" McGonagall replied in a deadpan tone. "Come with me, we will go and find Severus. I wish to confirm your story." McGonagall then started making her way out, and the boys followed after her. The moment she opened the door, she came face to face with Severus Snape. He had a similar look of disbelief on his face, and Ron's friends were standing behind him.

"We need to talk" Snape said to McGonagall, and she nodded slowly. Snape shot a quick look at Harry, and Harry gulped. I hope he doesn't throw in detention for going behind the Professors' backs.

"I suggest we go to Albus' Office" McGonagall responded. "And we should call in all the Professors. If they are telling the truth, then we need to act immediately." Snape nodded to that, and he began billowing towards the moving staircases. McGonagall followed after him, and the Gryffindors walked alongside the Slytherins.

"How did he take it?" Harry asked Greengrass, and she seemed surprised for a second that he was talking to her so casually.

"Not well" Greengrass replied once she regained her composure. "But he believed us, and that's all that matters. How did she take it?"

"Not well" Harry let out a small sigh. "She asked if I had gone insane…"

"The whole school has gone insane, Potter" Greengrass responded. "We might be the only ones who are still in their right minds." The rest of the trip was spent in silence, and Harry didn't mind that too much. He was just glad that no one was attacked while they had waited, and he was glad that the Professors were taking action.

"Cockroach Cluster" McGonagall said to the stone gargoyle, and it moved aside. "Severus, please gather up Pomona and Filius, and bring them up." Snape gave a curt nod, and then he billowed away without a second glance at the children. "You lot will follow me." They all walked up the stairs, and McGonagall led them into Dumbledore's Office. "Take a seat, and wait." They all did as they were told, while McGonagall walked up to Fawkes the Phoenix.

"Is that an actual Phoenix?" Nott whispered to the group, and Harry figured that none of them had been up here before.

"It's so beautiful" Parkinson whispered in awe.

"Could have a better color scheme" Zabini shrugged indifferently, and both Gryffindor boys frowned at him.

"I think that he…" Neville started, but he was stopped mid-sentence when Fawkes suddenly vanished in a bright blaze.

"What just happened?" Davis muttered, her eyes wide from surprise. I have no idea.

"Phoenixes can 'flash' away" Nott smirked. "It's like disapparating, only it's much more powerful. No ordinary wards can stop them." McGonagall approached and stood over them, her lips were pressed together so tightly that it looked like she had no lips.

"When the Professors arrive, you will all explain yourselves completely" McGonagall told them. "We want to hear everything, is that understood?" The Slytherins all nodded firmly.

"Professor, why aren't we moving against the Heir?" Harry asked, he was starting to get frustrated with all this waiting around. The Slytherins were slightly surprised at his boldness, and they all shifted their gazes elsewhere.

"There is no 'we', Mr. Potter" McGonagall replied with a frown. "You are a twelve year old boy, and you have all put yourselves in enough danger already. There will be no more of that." We found the Chamber though… Harry had to fight the urge to frown. "We will be taking over from here, and that is final." There was a sudden flash of fire behind Dumbledore's desk, and everyone covered their eyes because of how bright it was. When Harry and the others uncovered their eyes, they saw Dumbledore standing behind his desk. Fawkes sat proudly on his right shoulder, and Dumbledore had an easy smile on his face.

"Woah…" Nott muttered in awe, and Harry shared his sentiment. They all did.

"I believe you all have something to tell me" Dumbledore said in a calm tone, his eyes dancing in merriment.

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

February 20th, 1993 (Albus' Office – Evening)

Albus and his staff had all listened to the eight children with rapt attention, and Albus had to admit, he was left in awe. Was he that proactive when he was twelve? No… No, he was not. The children had explained how they had determined the Chamber's location, how they had figured out the identity of Slytherin's monster, how Ronald was the one to figure out how the Basilisk moved around the school, how they had come together to fight a common enemy, and how Harry had opened the Chamber's entrance with Parseltongue. The Professors had been left in utter shock at that particular revelation, and Albus could see that Harry felt somewhat ashamed of his gift. Albus decided that he would talk with Harry in private after all of this.

"We believe…" Neville Longbottom started but stopped. Albus waited patiently for the boy to continue, but Harry jumped in for his friend's sake.

"We believe that Ginny Weasley is the Heir" Harry said firmly, and there were many different reactions in the room. Albus himself was caught off-guard, but he kept his expression calm. Severus managed the same thing, but that didn't surprise Albus. Minerva just frowned lightly, and Albus figured that she had been told this already. Pomona and Filius were openly shocked, while Gilderoy just stood silently in the corner. It turned out that Severus had seen Gilderoy on his way back, and just out of spite, he had dragged the fraud along. Albus didn't mind however, this was the perfect chance to out him. He will make up some excuse to leave, and then he'll flee the castle. I just know it.

"Ginny Weasley?" Pomona asked in utter disbelief. "Her own brother is a victim of the Heir, Mr. Potter. What is your reasoning behind this unbelievable theory?"

"There was this Diary, you see" Harry muttered, and Albus listened with rapt attention again. "It belonged to this person called T. M. Riddle…" Harry was cut off by shocked gasps from Minerva and Pomona. Even Albus went a little pale in the face, and he immediately looked to Severus. Severus' mouth hung open slightly, and he was staring back at Albus with equal shock and horror. "Professors…?" Harry muttered, the boy had grown worried by their reactions. Albus looked back to the children, and he immediately noticed that the Slytherins were staring at Harry in utter shock as well. They know about Tom? How? I need to talk to them as well once this is over.

"Where is the Diary?" Albus asked, his voice coming out harsher than he had planned. What is this Diary? And why is it in Hogwarts?

"We… We believe that Ginny has it…" Neville muttered. "Is it something awful? Is that why it was thrown away?"

"Thrown away?" Filius asked. "You found it?"

"We did…" Harry replied meekly. "And we took it with us. We even kept it for a while…"

"And did it not occur to you that it was thrown away for a reason?" Severus hissed, and both Harry and Neville flinched.

"Severus, there is no need for that" Albus told his grim friend. "Harry, please go on."

"We kept it, and we couldn't find anything wrong with it" Harry went on, his eyes darting towards Severus. "But then someone broke into our dorm and stole it…"

"When?" Minerva asked, she was seething with anger. How could her own Gryffindors be so irresponsible? Why hadn't they said anything sooner?

"Around ten days ago" Neville muttered. "We asked around yesterday, and we learnt that Ginny has been using a Diary just like the one we found all year long."

"We think the Diary showed her how to find the Chamber" Harry added on. "And it also taught her how to open it. We learnt that T. M. Riddle was awarded a trophy for Special Services to the School fifty years ago, and we figured that it was for saving the school from the attacks happening fifty years ago. If T. M. Riddle stopped those attacks, then he probably knew where the Chamber was."

"He did know where it was" Albus said with a hardened expression. "But Harry… He was no savior. Tom Marvolo Riddle was the one who unleashed the horror of the Chamber on the school fifty years ago." Harry and Neville paled at that, and both their mouths hung open. "Harry… Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort." Everyone except for Harry shuddered visibly at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, and Albus shot a quick look to the Slytherins. They didn't look exactly shocked at this revelation, they were just pretending to be. How do they know about Tom?

"The… Dark… Dark Lord?" Neville stuttered, the boy looked like he was going to faint.

"No…" Harry muttered. "No, that can't be…" Albus ignored the shock of the Gryffindors for now, he had another thing to tend to. Albus focused on the magic within Hogwarts walls, and he tried to sense Ginny Weasley. And much to his surprise, he couldn't find her anywhere on the school grounds.

"Minerva…" Albus sighed, they had to move at once because this just got really complicated. Whenever he is involved, it's always complicated. I will get to the bottom of this once the school is secure.

"Albus?" Minerva responded, she looked quite worried and pale.

"Take Pomona and Filius with you to Gryffindor Tower" Albus ordered. "Try and find her, and if you do, bring her in. If she resists… incapacitate her."

"You cannot sense her, Headmaster?" Severus asked with a furrowed brow.

"No, I cannot" Albus sighed. "She must be using some sort of ward to hide from me… Or she might be in the Chamber currently."

"And if we don't find her?" Filius asked.

"Then meet us by the Chambers entrance in twenty minutes" Albus replied. "Harry, where is the entrance to the Chamber?"

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom" Harry replied, he was still quite shocked about Riddle. Minerva moved immediately, and Pomona and Filius followed after her.

"You two will join me" Albus told Severus and Gilderoy, and Albus didn't miss Gilderoy going as pale as a ghost.

"Join you, Headmaster?" Gilderoy asked, his tone showing his cowardice.

"We will be going down to the Chamber's entrance with Harry" Albus said firmly. "Once Harry opens the Chamber, we will descend into it and face its monster." Gilderoy blinked at Albus, and then he put on a shaking smile.

"Excellent!" Gilderoy chuckled with a shaky voice. "Most excellent… I have been looking forward to this for quite a while… It will make for quite the adventure…"

"That is encouraging to hear" Albus smiled at Gilderoy. "Because you will be taking the vanguard."

"Vanguard?" Gilderoy muttered.

"You are the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, are you not?" Severus asked in a cruel tone, he knew what his mentor was trying to do.

"Of course…" Gilderoy nodded slowly. "Of course, an excellent decision Headmaster. Allow me to quickly go to my quarters… I must change out of these constricting robes… I will join you at the entrance shortly…"

"Very well, Gilderoy" Albus smiled, and Gilderoy was gone in a flash. Albus already knew that Gilderoy was going to flee the castle as quickly as he could, but it hardly mattered. Albus had approached Amelia Bones while he was on his suspension, and he had told her everything. She was currently investigating the fraud, and once this was over, Albus would tell her of his cowardice. She would have a team of Aurors apprehend him, and he'd be locked away in Azkaban for his crimes.

"Headmaster, what about my Slytherins and Longbottom?" Severus asked, and Albus looked to them.

"You are all dismissed for now" Albus told them. "Speak nothing of this, and stay in your common rooms. Dinner will be served in two hours, but we should have everything sorted by then." The children stood up at that, and they began to make their way out. "I am very proud of you all" Albus told them sincerely as they were about to leave. "Your actions have shown your bravery and heroism, and I am in your debt." Neville beamed at that, while the Slytherins looked rather sheepish at the high praise. Guess they're not used to it.

"Sir, what about me?" Harry asked once the other children were gone. "What do I have to do?"

"You will open the entrance for us, my boy" Albus him. "And then you will return to Gryffindor Tower just like Neville." Harry bit his bottom lip at that.

"Can't I help?" Harry asked, and Albus couldn't help but smile at that. Brave boy.

"And how exactly will you help, Potter?" Severus hissed. "Shall we dangle you as bait?"

"Severus" Albus scolded, and his friend sneered at Harry. "Harry, you have done enough. Let us take it from here, please." Harry nodded at that, though he looked quite irritated. "Come, let's head down now. Fawkes, you too." Fawkes let out a cry and he flew over onto Albus' right shoulder. We're going to need you to blind the Basilisk, my friend.

They made their way down quickly and quietly, and Albus was glad to see that the castle was all but deserted. The curfew was doing its job of keeping the students away from any dangers tonight, and for that, Albus was grateful. Facing a Basilisk could cause problems, and if it did escape, Albus really didn't want the students roaming around. As they entered Myrtle Warren's bathroom, Albus' eyes went straight towards her black and smoky figure. This madness ends tonight. They waited patiently for a few more minutes, and Albus could see how restless Harry was. But the boy remained silent due to Severus' presence. And then Minerva burst into the bathroom, and she was followed by Pomona and Filius.

"Albus, she was not in the common room" Minerva said, a frantic edge to her tone.

"Then she must be in the Chamber" Albus sighed. How could she do these things? I've met her, she is a sweet girl. Albus frowned a little, had he really misjudged her so greatly? Was she truly capable of this the entire time that he knew her? No, this has something to do with that Diary Harry mentioned. "Harry, open the Chamber for us" Albus said firmly, and Harry nodded. Harry then began hissing something in Parseltongue, and Albus felt his staff stiffen a little. It was certainly disconcerting. And then, one of the sinks slid forward and sank into the floor, revealing a pipe wide-enough for a man to slide into.

"Merlin's beard…" Filius muttered.

"So it's true…" Pomona muttered as well.

"This ends tonight" Albus told them, and they all nodded firmly. "Harry, you are dismissed. Go straight back to Gryffindor Tower, and say nothing to anyone."

"But Sir…" Harry said softly. "What if you need me to open another door of some sort?" This boy… Either he has the heart of a Lion, or he has a death wish.

"Then we will blast it open" Severus replied for Albus. "Leave, Potter. And not another word, understood?" Harry nodded, and then he sulked off. Albus couldn't help but smile at Harry's back, his little shoulders slumped over.

"Brave boy" Pomona smiled at Minerva.

"That he is" Minerva smiled back.

"Or a moron who thinks that he's untouchable" Severus frowned, and both women glared at him.

"Enough" Albus said with a firm tone. "Fawkes, fly down the pipe first. The rest of us will follow after you." Fawkes let out a cry, and then he flew straight into the pipe. "Fawkes will blind the Basilisk, while Minerva and I try to contain it. Severus and Filius, your job is to incapacitate Ginny Weasley if she is down there. Use non-lethal spells only. Pomona, you will cover Minerva and me from any errant spells." The Heads of Houses all nodded, and Albus turned to the pipe. "Watch each other's backs, and don't look at the Basilisk before Fawkes does his job." With that, Albus jumped into the pipe.

Albus slid down at an alarming speed, and the constant twists and turns made his stomach unwell. He could see hundreds of smaller pipes connecting to the one that he was sliding down, and he wasn't really sure where they all went. All he knew for certain was that he was heading deeper and deeper into the earth, and he assumed that he was well below the dungeons by now. As he kept sliding down, he could hear his companions sliding down behind him. Pomona could be heard easily enough, she was rather enjoying the slide down. Severus on the other hand, could be heard cussing every time he thumped against the pipe due to its twists and turns. And then the pipe leveled out, and Albus was shot out into a dark cavern.

"Ow…" Albus groaned as he stood up, the landing left much to be desired. His body was no longer what it once was, and landing on the cold hard ground had hurt. Minerva came out flying next, and she too landed with a thud. And then, it was Severus' turn.

"Damn whoever constructed that pipe" Severus snarled as he stood up, his black robes covered in slime.

"You mean your house's founder?" Minerva quipped, and Snape gave her a deadpan look. Filius then came out and landed before them. While the Charms Professor was attempting to stand up, Pomona came out and landed on top of him. Filius let out a wheeze, and Pomona immediately sprang up.

"Oh Merlin, Filius" Pomona fussed as she helped him up. "I'm sorry for crushing you…"

"It is alright, Pomona" Filius responded as he fixed his spectacles. "I should have probably gone last…"

"Lumos" Albus chanted, and his wand lit up the dark cavern. Albus immediately noticed how wet the ground was, and that he could barely see into the distance. We're below the Black Lake, I'd say. Albus' companions also lit up their wands, and then they all began to make their way forward. "Remember, if you see any movement whatsoever, close your eyes immediately."

"Where is Fawkes?" Pomona asked.

"I image that he is scouting" Albus ventured a guess. Severus slowly walked up beside him, and Albus turned to him. "Severus? What is it?" Albus asked softly.

"What if the girl is possessed by the Dark Lord?" Severus whispered. "Just like Quirrell was… Albus, I can't be seen by him."

"I believe Tom is involved, but not directly" Albus explained. "That Diary has me concerned, Severus. It may have been cursed to put someone into an obedient state."

"Like an Imperius?" Severus whispered, and Albus nodded. Their conversation was cut short when someone stepped on a bone that crunched under their feet. Everyone stopped and looked to the ground, and it was covered with the bones of small animals.

"That's always a good sign" Filius grimaced.

"Ignore it" Albus said. "Keep your eyes peeled for movement." They began marching again, but they all stopped immediately when they all saw something extremely disturbing in the distance.

"Is that…?" Minerva whispered as she aimed her wand at it. Whatever it was, it was long and curvy. It looked like a massive snake, and that was enough to put Albus on high alert.

"Behind me, now" Albus ordered, and his companions got into formation. Albus then slowly approached the long, curvy body, and he shed a light on it. Pomona gasped while they all looked at the shed skin that was over twenty feet long. It was a vivid poisonous green color, and it looked rather intimidating.

"I just realized that Lockhart is missing, he'd have made the perfect bait" Filius frowned as he looked at shed skin. Everyone gave him unsmiling looks, and Filius sighed.

"Where is Lockhart?" Pomona asked.

"He's probably fled from the castle by now" Severus replied.

"That doesn't surprise me" Minerva sighed.

"We need to keep moving" Albus told them. "We're getting close, so stay in formation." Albus then began leading the way forward, and he was more alert now than ever. One small mistake could cost them their lives, and that would not bode well for the students. They walked for a few more minutes along the twisting and bending cavern, and then Albus spotted Fawkes perched up on a rock.

"What is he doing?" Minerva asked as they approached the Phoenix. Fawkes let out a soft cry and pointed his head towards the wall beside him. Everyone looked to the wall and saw that two serpents were engraved into it, their eyes were socketed with glittering emeralds. Another door?

"Maybe we should have brought Potter along" Minerva frowned. "Now what, Albus?"

"Stand back" Albus told them all. With the Elder Wand in his hand, Albus would make short work of this gate. "Reducto" Albus chanted, and a blazing blue light blasted the wall to smithereens. Dust flew out everywhere, and so did the sound of stones collapsing.

"Well, she knows we're here now" Severus frowned.

"It changes nothing" Albus said as he walked through the gaping hole in the wall. "She has nowhere to run, and we end this tonight."

---

Severus Snape's POV

February 20th, 1993 (Chamber of Secrets – Evening)

Snape followed after Albus and Minerva, his heart beating faster and faster. It wasn't Ginny Weasley that he was worried about however, it was the Basilisk. Fighting such a creature was something only done by great heroes in fairytales. And Snape was no hero. This thing was more dangerous than anything that he had ever faced, and Snape had no intention of dying just yet. But it was a great possibility tonight. One wrong look, and he would be dead. One step out of place, and he would be dead. And even if he did all of that perfectly, the Basilisk had venom so poisonous that just a drop of it could kill a fully grown Mountain Troll. It's no wonder that the Ministry outlawed the breeding of such a monster. And this Basilisk wasn't just a mindless beast, no, this was Salazar's Basilisk. And Ginny Weasley could clearly control it. That made it so much more dangerous.

"Minerva" Albus said, and Snape was pulled out of his dread filled thoughts. "When the Basilisk makes itself known, transfigure some debris into a rooster. The cry of a rooster is fatal to a Basilisk, and killing it quickly is the priority."

"What of Miss. Weasley?" Minerva asked. "Shouldn't she be the priority?"

"Severus and Filius will only use weak Stunners or the Disarming Charm" Albus replied. "She will not be harmed. I believe that she is not in her right mind, and that she has to be taken to Poppy."

"Can we please concentrate?" Snape hissed, all this talking was putting him on edge. We need to focus completely, we are in the beast's lair. They moved in formation silently, their wands drawn and their spells hanging off of their tongues. The only sound in the Chamber came from their feet, and from the braziers that burned with faint green flames. Snape's eyes darted to the towering stone pillars that were entwined with more carved serpents, and Snape was fully ready to shut his eyes at the first sign of movement. It could be anywhere, and one look is all it will take.

Snape shot a quick look to the ceiling, and he saw that darkness seemed to be engulfing the towering pillars. The Chamber was far too dimly lit for him to see the ceiling, and its grim green glow made the carved serpents look alive. That did not help ease Snape's mind, and he held a permanent scowl on his face. But as Snape shot one more look to the ceiling, he suddenly felt a little at ease. Fawkes was gliding about silently, and it was clear that the Phoenix was fully prepared to attack the Basilisk at first sight. As they progressed further into the Chamber, Snape began to hear the sound of trickling water. And then, they passed the last pillar. And Snape's eyes widened as he saw a massive carved statue of a man's face standing against the back wall. Salazar Slytherin… But the statue's splendor was short lived because Snape's eyes darted down to a lone figure standing in front of it. The girl had her back towards Snape and his companions, and she seemed to be quite relaxed.

"Ah, Miss. Weasley" Albus greeted, his tone was too hard for such a casual greeting. Snape and Filius trained their wands on her back, but she didn't move a muscle. "We have been searching for you, are you unharmed?"

"Quite so, Headmaster" Ginny Weasley hummed, her back still facing them. That put Snape on edge, this girl had an advantage over them and she knew it. Where is her pet? "How did you find this place?"

"Does it really matter?" Albus asked in return.

"Of course it does" Ginny replied. "I want to know whose life I'm going to take next after I kill you all." Her answer sent a shiver down Snape's spine, and Snape felt Filius tense as well. The dim green glow of the Chamber made her fiery red hair look so vivid, and her calm demeanor emanated power. She is no ordinary little girl. We need to move now! Snape shot a quick look to Albus, and his mentor shook his head slightly.

"And why would you want to kill someone, Miss. Weasley?" Albus asked.

"Because I can" Ginny Weasley shrugged, and Snape heard Pomona draw in a sharp breath. "Because it makes me feel alive. Because it makes me feel powerful."

"I see" Albus responded with a hardened voice. "And tell me, who are you?" Ginny Weasley let out a cold laugh at that.

"Always so clever" Ginny replied, her voice was cold and cruel. No girl her age should speak in such a tone.

"Her left hand is bleeding" Minerva whispered, and they all looked to see that it was true.

"Your hand is bleeding" Albus told the little girl.

"I know" Ginny Weasley replied. "I like to cut her from time to time, just to make sure that she is awake." The Professors all exchanged quick looks, and Snape saw that his mentor was staring at 'Ginny Weasley' with ire. "When I first took control of her mind, I made sure that she didn't see what we were doing. But recently… Recently I've been making sure that she watches" Ginny Weasley laughed cruelly. "Oh how she wept when I attacked her precious little Ronnie." Snape's jaw clenched so hard that he feared that he would shatter all of his own teeth.

"Why him?" Snape grit out. "He is a Pure-Blood, and a Slytherin."

"He was a threat" Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "One that I got rid of just in time."

"Just in time?" Filius asked slowly. "Explain…"

"He knew her too well" Ginny sighed. "Just before I attacked him, he figured out that I wasn't his sister. Not to mention that he actually managed to trap me… If I wasn't wearing his little sister's face, he might have even captured me." Snape's lips twitched upwards for a second, and he quickly suppressed his pride. Stay focused on her. "He even begged me to take him instead" Ginny laughed. "So pathetic…"

"You mean brave" Pomona corrected, her tone righteous and angry.

"I know who you are" Albus said in a deadly calm tone, and Snape's eyes darted to his mentor for a second.

"And who am I, Dumbledore?" Ginny asked in a playful tone.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle" Albus replied, and Snape felt the blood drain from his face. The Dark Lord! He knows of my treachery now… All of our plans are ruined…

"Ten points to Gryffindor" Ginny chuckled, and then she turned around. Her gleaming red eyes and cruel smile made even Snape gasp. Filius aimed his wand straight at her head, his face contorting in rage.

"Calm…" Snape whispered to Filius, his own voice shaking a little. "Stay calm…" Ginny's eyes glazed over them all, and Snape was surprised by the fact that the Dark Lord said nothing to him.

"The brave Professors of Hogwarts… come to die?" Ginny asked with a cruel grin. "There is no need for that. Join me instead… Join me, and I will let you live. Join me, and I will reward you."

"When hell freezes over, coward" Minerva spat out. "You are possessing an innocent child!"

"Innocent?" Ginny laughed. "No… She deserves this. She stayed silent while others suffered because of her actions. She even stayed silent while her own beloved brother was paying for her sins. Her disgusting crush on the worm-that-lived was her only concern. But don't worry, I've shown her the error of her ways."

"Tom… let her go" Albus warned in a deadly calm tone. "Or I will make you…"

"Even if you manage that, she will never be free of me" Ginny laughed. "Not after all the things that I've made her do. Not after all the things that I've done to her mind. Or to her body…" At that, Ginny rolled up her left sleeve. Snape felt his heart twist at the sight of the ugly, jagged scars all over her left forearm. There were almost a dozen scarred cuts, and one that was freshly made. Did he make those scars magically? Damn him!

"Why?!" Pomona shouted, her motherly instincts clouding her judgement. "Why would you hurt her like this?!"

"Cruel beast!" Minerva shouted.

"Life is cruel" Ginny spat out. "So why should I be any different?" Ginny Weasley then shook her head slowly, and then she looked back at them all. "I've grown tired of this meeting. I think our little chat ends here…" Her wand slipped into her right hand from her sleeve, and Snape took on a defensive stance. Ginny's face suddenly contorted in anger, and she hissed in Parseltongue loudly. And that was when all hell broke loose.

A thunderous, ear splitting roar came from within the statue of Salazar Slytherin, and just as Snape covered his ear, a massive serpent burst out of one of Salazar's eyes. Snape snapped his eyes shut as he put up a Protego to stop any incoming spells. Snape heard Albus yell a battle cry as a loud thud echoed throughout the room, and then it was followed up by another resounding thud. Snape could hear the Chamber falling apart, and he could feel the whole ground shaking. It took everything in Snape to keep up his shield and to maintain his balance at the same time. Albus had managed to repel the Basilisk with a shield of some kind, and the beast had slammed back into Salazar's statue.

"FAWKES!" Albus bellowed, and Snape felt something zoom past his ear. The Basilisk could be heard shrieking in pain, and Snape felt something slam into his own shield.

"NO!" Ginny Weasley shrieked.

"Open your eyes, fight!" Albus roared, and Snape did as he was told. The sight before him made his heart leap into his throat. Fawkes was clawing out the Basilisk's eyes, and the massive beast was slamming its head against Salazar's face in an effort to get rid of Fawkes. Before he could fully process it, Snape saw Ginny Weasley throw a Killing Curse straight at him. Snape blocked and immediately threw back a volley of weak stunners. Filius quickly followed up with his own volley of Disarming Charms and stunners. The girl's short stature helped her dodge the spells with little difficulty, and she sent back two Killing Curses in retaliation. Snape and Filius stopped them easily enough, but Snape could already see the disadvantage in this fight. They were trying to incapacitate her while she was trying to murder them…

"Minerva, quickly!" Albus shouted as he fired massive golden chains from his wand that pinned the Basilisk against Salazar's face. Snape could see Minerva transfiguring some debris into a rooster from the corner of his vision, and that's when Snape realized that the cave had begun to collapse on top of their heads. Pomona was the one keeping them from being crushed, and so Snape re-concentrated his efforts on his own job.

"Damn you!" Ginny Weasley shrieked as she fired a powerful Confringo at Pomona, and Snape immediately moved in the way and deflected it into a nearby wall. The resulting explosion sent even more debris towards them all, and before Snape could try and stop it, Ginny Weasley had turned her wand on her own Basilisk. Within a second, she had fired a transparent spell of some kind at the beast. The spell hit near the beast's head, and it resulted in a resounding, concussive sound that nearly deafened everyone in the Chamber. Snape himself was dazed, and as such, he failed to stop the debris from hitting him and Filius. Both men were forced to shield themselves physically, and Snape could already feel the pain shooting up from his body and into his brain.

Things seemed to have stopped for a second as they all recovered from that thunderous, concussive blast, and Snape shook his head in-order to clear it. His ears were ringing, and he could see that his companions were just as dazed. He could hear the Basilisk shrieking in pain as it slammed its entire body around, and that's when Snape realized what had happened. Ginny Weasley had deafened the beast to protect it from the rooster's cries, and she had pretty much deafened them too. Snape shot a dazed look towards her, and he saw her grinning from ear-to-ear. It was a vicious grin, and Snape's blood ran cold when he saw that her own ears were bleeding. She blew her own eardrums…

"Fawkes!" Albus called out, and Snape looked over to see the brave Phoenix lying face down in the far corner of the Chamber. Fawkes had been on top of the Basilisk when that concussive blast had been fired, and the Phoenix had taken the worst of it. Ginny Weasley let out a cruel laugh, and just like that, the fight had re-started.

Ginny Weasley fired a Killing Curse right at Albus, and Snape intercepted it quickly. His mentor had to deal with the enraged beast, and stopping Ginny was his job. Snape fired three more stunners at the girl, and she blocked them with extreme ease. Filius had come around at this point, and he joined in on Snape's assault. They fired stunner after stunner at her, and Snape could see that she was beginning to get overpowered. Two against one meant that she had no time to retaliate, and that meant that they had to keep her there. And then, she did something that sent Snape and his companions into a panic. She dove in front of the Basilisk while laughing maniacally, and Snape knew why. The Dark Lord was possessing her, and he knew that they weren't trying to kill his host. He knowingly put himself in danger so that they would instead concentrate on saving his host, and that meant that he could fight back. Snape's blood boiled at the thought.

"Coward!" Minerva bellowed as she transfigured the debris around her into gleaming swords, and then she fired them at the Basilisk. The serpent's magical hide wasn't even scratched, and Minerva grunted in frustration. The beast let out a loud hiss as it launched itself over Ginny and right at them again, and Albus roared as he put up a golden shield. The beast slammed into it so hard that Snape felt the ground shake, but he had no time to register the impact. Ginny had begun firing Killing Curses and Crucios right at him, and he managed to block them with great difficulty. The shaking ground wasn't helping him, and the girl's apparent lack of self-preservation meant that he was now fighting two battles at once. Not only did he have to protect his own life, but he had to protect hers too.

The beast pushed against Albus' shield with its head as it hissed something in Parseltongue, and Albus pushed back. They were locked in a match of strength and will, and Albus seemed to be winning right now. Snape then saw Ginny pull something out of robes, and his eyes narrowed on the object. It was a book of some sort… That's the Diary! What is she doing?! Ginny Weasley began firing all sorts of Curses at Albus, and Snape intercepted them as best he could. The few that got away were stopped by Pomona, and Snape was grateful for that.

"Severus, we need to stop her first!" Filius yelled, there was blood running down his face. "Leave the beast to them, she's the main problem!" Snape nodded as he joined in on Filius' assault, but Ginny Weasley surprised them both completely. She didn't even move a muscle, or try to block the stunners… No, they seemed to veer away from her. Snape and Filius kept up their assault however, but it was pointless. She suddenly seemed to have some invisible barrier protecting her.

"How is she doing this?!" Snape bellowed as he threw out another stunner, but that's when he realized what was happening. The girl had the Diary aimed at the oncoming spells, and it was deflecting the spells. It was clearly a very powerful dark object, and it was no doubt under some extremely potent protection. "It's the Diary, Filius!" Snape told his partner, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he had to block a torrent of Dark Magic being sent his way. The girl grinned as she used the Diary as a means to negate their spells, and now they were on the defensive. Snape blocked spell after spell, and he could see that Filius was just as tied up. Why is her Magical Core not depleted yet?! That damn Diary has to be behind that as well!

"We can't fight back!" Filius yelled to Albus and the others. Albus seemed to roar at that, and then the old man pushed the Basilisk back with all of his might. The massive serpent was slammed back into Salazar's statue, and Albus threw out more golden chains in an attempt to keep it still. Pomona conjured up thick vines and she used them to tie up the Basilisk as best she could, but Snape could hear both Albus and Pomona grunting with effort. The beast was too big and too powerful to be held back so easily. Just as Snape narrowly dodged a Killing Curse, he saw a massive boulder flew over his head and slam into the beast face. The boulder shattered on impact, and it left the beast dazed. Minerva levitated another massive boulder and sent it flying at the beast's head, and this time, it shattered the beast's long fangs.

"Bitch!" Ginny Weasley hissed at the Transfiguration Professor, and Snape quickly placed himself in between the two. Ginny fired three consecutive Killing Curses at Minerva, but Minerva trusted Snape completely. He stopped the spells while she slammed the beast with another boulder, leaving the beast's face bloodied and slightly mangled. Ginny Weasley was quickly occupied by Filius, but his assault didn't even touch her.

"We need to get rid of that Diary, Severus!" Filius yelled to Snape. "Or this won't end anytime soon!"

"Get her off of her feet!" Snape yelled as he blocked another Cruciatus Curse, he was beginning to sweat quite heavily. Not to mention the pain that his body was in after that Confringo blast. "Aim a Blasting Curse at her feet or behind her!"

"She'll get hurt!" Filius yelled as he leaped out of the way in-order to dodge a purple colored Curse.

"And at this rate, she'll kill us both!" Snape yelled back. "We need to…" Snape was suddenly cut off as the Basilisk roared and broke free of its bondage. The beast spat blood and venom at them all, and Albus once again created a golden shield to stop it. Snape was left in awe at this powerful shield that Albus kept conjuring, it had stopped Basilisk venom! But that awe was short lived as the Basilisk slammed its head into the shield. The shield shattered under the strain of the venom and the battering assault from the beast, and all of the Professors were sent flying back by an invisible force. Albus' magic had backfired on them all, and Snape landed on his back with sickening crunch. He yelled in agony as he felt some of his ribs crack, and he knew that his companions had shared similar injuries. Snape's eyes immediately snapped open as he felt the beast loom over them all, and panic gripped him. This is it…

Just as the beast was about to spit more venom on them all, Fawkes suddenly flew in and dug his talons deep into the serpent's wounded left eye. The beast shrieked in pain as Fawkes dug his talons deeper and deeper, and this gave the Professors enough time to stand back up. The moment Snape stood up, he was forced to deflect another Killing Curse. Snape looked to Ginny Weasley, and he could see that she was panting and sweating. She's weakening!

"Filius, the Diary!" Snape bellowed as he threw pointless stunners at Ginny. Filius followed up with a much slower volley of Disarming Charms, the Charms Professor was badly injured from his fall. Albus suddenly fired a golden beam of light from his wand that sent the beast reeling back into Salazar's statue, and then Snape saw his mentor completely lose his temper. Albus bellowed in rage as he bombarded the beast with golden beam after golden beam, and Snape was awed by the sheer power that Albus possessed. The Basilisk was being overpowered by Fawkes and Albus' assault, and Snape quickly spotted Ginny glaring angrily at Dumbledore. Snape put himself in between the two in-order to protect Albus while he held the beast at bay, and it proved to be the right choice as Ginny started concentrating solely on Albus.

"Filius, do it!" Snape yelled as he stopped spell after spell, he was going to die at this rate.

"Confringo!" Filius yelled with the last of his strength, and a fiery orange light flew right past Ginny and hit the ground a few feet behind her. The little girl was sent flying forward, and she landed on her stomach with a thud. And much to Snape's relief, the Diary slipped out of her left hand. Snape bolted forward just as Filius told him to 'grab the girl'. As Snape ran up to her, Albus let out a thunderous roar as he blasted Fawkes with a golden flame of some sort. The Phoenix exploded into a burst of golden flames that completely engulfed the Basilisk. Just as Snape picked up the unconscious little girl like a baby, his eyes fell on the spectacle ahead of him. The beast was burning alive… Albus had created some sort of special Fiendfyre, and he was holding the Cursed Flames on top of the Basilisk. Snape's mouth hung open in absolute awe as Albus not only held the Flames in place, but also the burning, thrashing Basilisk.

"Severus, move!" Minerva yelled as she quickly moved in to help a struggling Albus. Just as Severus was about to turn around and run, he saw the Diary on the ground to his left. But his eyes instead focused on the young man that stood by it. He had dark hair, handsome features that were contorted with rage, and his eyes gleamed red. Severus was left frozen for a second, but then he saw the boy's eyes drift towards the Diary. Something stirred in Severus, and he ran up and kicked the Diary straight into the Flames. That turned out to be a mistake…

Albus let out a pained grunt as the Diary went flying into the Flames, and its own Dark Magic turned the Flames wild and out of control. Severus cussed at the top of his lungs as he bolted towards his companions with Ginny Weasley clutched tightly to his chest. Albus let out a pained scream as he pushed himself to the limit in-order to keep the Flames from harming Severus and the girl, but he was quickly being overpowered by the Cursed Fire. Pomona and Minerva quickly ran up to the old man, and both women slammed their wands into the ground.

"FINITE!" they yelled, and a bright blue barrier came out of the ground. The barrier was dome-like in shape, and it contained the Flames and the Basilisk within it. Once Snape reached his companions, all he could do was watch as he held the small girl tightly into his chest. The Basilisk was already dead, but the Flames were not. The barrier began to crack, and Snape cursed his own stupidity. In a moment of panic, he had kicked an unknown dark object into an already unstable Fiendfyre, and now they might all die in this place. Albus let out another pained scream as he used every ounce of his strength to protect his companions and his student. Albus felt his own Magical Core drain rapidly as he used it to ease the Flames, but all that mattered was that it was working. He had a firm grip on the Flames, and both Minerva and Pomona were helping immensely. As the Flames began to die down, Albus himself slowly relaxed. And then, the Flames were gone. All that was left behind was the charred corpse of a Basilisk…

Snape fell to his knees, he was covered in sweat and his breathing was shallow. But he held onto the girl in his arms like she was a treasure. She was unconscious, and Snape knew that she would not wake anytime soon. She was clearly overexerted, not to mention the strain her mind must've been in while they had fought. Snape slowly looked to his companions, and he felt his heart relax from relief. Filius was wounded, but he was awake and sitting on the ground. Pomona and Minerva were helping Albus stand up, but they were otherwise fine. We won… We won.

"The girl?" Albus asked in a tired voice. "Is she alive?"

"Yes" Snape replied as he felt her fevered breathing. "She is alive, and she'll be fine when we get her to Poppy."

"Thank Merlin" Minerva exclaimed, her face lit up with one of her rare smiles.

"I can stand" Albus told the two women. "It's alright…" The women slowly let go of him, and Albus steadied himself. "The Diary?"

"I kicked it into the Fiendfyre" Snape replied. "Forgive me, I… I saw something that alarmed me…"

"What did you see?" Albus asked, his expression showed that his only concern was Severus and the girl.

"A boy…" Severus muttered, and his companions all blinked at him. "He was around sixteen or seventeen. He had dark hair, and red eyes… He looked to the Diary, and I decided to get rid of it before it caused any more problems."

"I see…" Albus nodded. "You did the right thing, Severus."

"Who was this boy?" Filius asked as he walked up to them. Snape saw that he had two wands in his right hand, and Snape assumed that one of them was Ginny's.

"Tom Riddle" Albus answered.

"How?" Minerva asked.

"I… I don't know" Albus replied. "But we will worry about that later. Right now, Miss. Weasley requires Poppy's attention. Fawkes!" Albus called out, and everyone looked to the Basilisk's corpse. Snape blinked as he saw the Phoenix suddenly flash back into existence from a brilliant flame, and he flew straight to them. The Phoenix landed on Albus' right shoulder, and he nudged his master's head playfully. "Well done, my friend" Albus smiled softly. "Well done. Everyone gather around and hold onto each other. Fawkes, take us to Poppy."

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

February 20th, 1993 (The Boys' Room – Dinner Time)

The girls all held each other's hands tightly, while Theo and Blaise held onto their bedposts just as tightly. They had been discussing their plans to not take any credit for the Chamber's discovery. The truth was that Daphne wanted credit, and she wanted it badly. They had worked so hard to find the place, and it would have never been found without their help. But the truth was that if they were publicly credited as the reason behind the Heir's capture, things would not go over well for them. Many in Slytherin believed in the Heir's goals, and taking credit for the Heir's downfall would make them targets. And then there were the parents…

Theo's father would not be pleased with his son's part in this, and the same could be said of Blaise's mother. Both boys had made it clear that they wanted no public credit whatsoever, and Millie had joined them. Her parents were staunch believers in Blood-Supremacy, and she didn't want to alienate herself from them. Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey had decided to take no credit as well in order to protect Theo, Blaise, and Millie's interests. It stung… But that's what loyalty was. Sometimes you had to sacrifice your own desires for your allies, that's what a real leader would do.

And then, just as they had all agreed on this, the ground had begun to quake. The whole bloody castle was being rocked, and Daphne's first suspicion was that it was an earthquake. But Theo had reminded them all of the fact that the Chamber was probably buried deep into the earth, and that the Professors were down there. Daphne was left in utter awe at this, what the hell was happening down there? Their fight against the Heir was causing the earth to quake?! They could hear panicked cries coming from the other dorms and the common room, and when the quaking didn't stop, the six friends had all huddled up for the sake of comfort. And then, after ten or twenty minutes, the ground finally stopped shaking.

"Is it over?" Pansy asked meekly.

"I fucking hope so" Theo replied, he had gone pale in the face. "What the hell are they doing down there?"

"Fighting the Heir, and the Basilisk" Blaise sighed as he slowly relaxed.

"Do you think they're all right?" Millie asked.

"It's Dumbledore" Tracey replied. "He couldn't have lost…"

"And he had the Professors with him" Daphne added on to ease everyone's minds, though she herself was panicking a little. "Either way, we can't do anything about it. So stop worrying, and let's talk."

"About what?" Blaise asked. "If it's about taking credit for finding the Chamber, then I'm going to repeat myself. I can't afford to lose my trust account… And neither can Theo."

"No" Daphne sighed. "This is about Ron, and about when he wakes up."

"You think he will want credit?" Tracey asked with a frown. "I highly doubt it. Once we tell him why we can't have credit, he will understand."

"I know that" Daphne frowned back. "I'm thinking about his parents. I want him to tell them that we played a crucial role in capturing the Heir."

"I see" Theo nodded. "You want them to understand that we aren't a bunch of Death-Eaters…"

"Why do you have to say it like that?" Millie frowned at him.

"Because that's what they think" Theo said bitterly. "Self-righteous pricks…"

"Theo, don't rile yourself up" Tracey said with a soft smile, and Theo nodded curtly. "And Daphne is right. None of us want to lose Ron, but so far, every attempt to keep him has failed. And he's been doing it all by himself, we need to step up. He isn't here to make his case."

"Which reminds me" Blaise said suddenly. "Daph, did you hear back from your father? When will those Mandrakes be ready?"

"It's only been a day since I found out about the Mandrakes, Blaise" Daphne sighed. "Please be a little more patient. I sent Marty this afternoon, and he hasn't returned for some reason. Most likely because my father is too busy right now to respond to me."

"Let's just hope they're ready soon" Pansy smiled. "I'm so excited about telling Ron that we saved the school!" Me too. I bet he'll be so happy!

---

February 21st, 1993 (Breakfast)

The students were animatedly discussing the 'earthquake' from last night, and Daphne bit her tongue to stay silent. She hated rumors… And she hated the people who started them. Rumors had caused so many problems for them this year, and she had already had her fill for a lifetime. All the students were slowly entering the Great Hall, and Daphne's heart thumped harder and harder. Every student had gone to bed without dinner last night, and Daphne had barely slept at all. All she could think about was the battle between the Professors and the Heir. She wanted to know if they had succeeded, and now, they all would.

Daphne and her friends made their way to their usual spot, and she was extremely glad to see that all the Professors were in good health. Well, they were alive at least… Snape looked gaunt and tired, and his face had a few scrapes. McGonagall too had some scrapes, but she was smiling quite proudly. They won! Sprout too was beaming at the students, and she looked quite alright. Flitwick too was smiling, and Daphne could see a small gash on his forehead. Why didn't they get healed completely? But it was the sight of Albus Dumbledore that elicited wonder and renewed whispers. The Headmaster had returned to Hogwarts.

"Before you all begin eating" Dumbledore said loudly and clearly, and every student went dead silent. "I have great news to share with you all." Daphne and her friends exchanged quick smirks, and Daphne also shot a look towards Potter. The boy-who-lived gave her a smile and a nod, and she returned the favor. "Last night" Dumbledore went on. "You all felt the school quake last night, and I wish to inform you all as to why that happened. We found the Chamber of Secrets…" The Hall erupted into whispers, and Dumbledore chuckled as he called out for silence.

"Not only was the Chamber found, but the monster that laired within it was also destroyed" Dumbledore told them all, a happy smile on his face. The Great Hall erupted in wild cheers and whistles. Daphne and her friends clapped with faint smiles as they didn't want anyone to suspect their involvement, and the rest of Slytherin house did the same thing. Daphne saw that quite a few of them were forcing on their smiles, Malfoy being one of them. The other houses however, had gone completely mental with joy. Even as Dumbledore laughed and called for silence, the cheering didn't stop. Daphne saw that all the Professors were smiling quite proudly, except for Snape, and she too felt proud of them. They defeated a Basilisk!

"What about the Heir?!" came a loud yell from some male student.

"Quiet, quiet down please" Dumbledore chuckled, and the cheering slowly died down. "The Heir has been taken care of."

"Who was it?!" came an outraged cry.

"Are they dead?!"

"Will they be expelled?!"

"They deserve to be in Azkaban!"

"Silence!" Dumbledore said loudly, his expression hardening slightly. When the students became quiet, Dumbledore smiled at them all. "The Heir has been dealt with, and they will no longer threaten the safety of the students in this school. Beyond that, I will not say anything. You are all safe, and that is all that matters." The students erupted in cheers again, with many of them telling Dumbledore that they 'loved him', and other such nonsense. Dumbledore just chuckled and clapped his hands together, and an outstanding feast appeared on all the table.

"As a special treat" Dumbledore chuckled. "All classes are canceled for today! Now please, eat and enjoy the day!"

---

February 21st, 1993 (Courtyard – After Breakfast)

Daphne smiled as she felt the Sun warm her face, and she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere around her. They were all lazing about in the courtyard, and Daphne could hear the excited voices of the students from everywhere. A sudden feeling of relief and joy had spread throughout the entire school like wildfire, and no one was safe from it. Daphne could hear the first years laughing and she could hear the seventh years praising the Professors with pride. The Heir fiasco had finally ended, but there was still some closure to be had. For one, Ron and three other students were still petrified. Secondly, all six Slytherins had questions about the Heir and her fate. At this point, they all knew that Ginny Weasley was the Heir. They just didn't know how that had happened. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

"This is nice" Pansy hummed, a wide smile on her face.

"It's not too bad" Blaise agreed in his own way, the dark-skinned boy was currently lying down and had his eyes closed.

"Wish I had a cold drink though" Theo sighed, an easy smile on his face.

"I can't believe that we saved Hogwarts" Millie squeaked in excitement. "Do you think that they'll give us a reward?"

"I rather doubt it" Tracey chuckled. "I mean, we are still not taking any credit right?"

"Yes, Trace" Daphne said with a shrug. "And who cares about a trophy? We know what we did, and that's all that matters."

"Still…" Theo smirked. "It'd be nice to have a trophy. I'm sick of Ron being the only one with trophies."

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Daphne teased, and Theo chuckled.

"Guilty as charged" Theo grinned, and the girls giggled at his goofy smile. I wonder though, what will the Professors think of us now? Daphne stretched and decided that that was a problem for another day, because right now, all she wanted to do was relax and enjoy the Sun.

"You six" came Snape low voice from behind them. "Follow me. The Headmaster wishes to speak with you." What was that? Five seconds?

"Of course, Sir" Blaise responded as they all stood up. Daphne looked at her Potions Master, and he looked utterly spent. He fought a Basilisk and won. That is so amazing… Daphne had to fight to hide her girlish smile, she had no clue that her Head of House was so powerful. They all followed after Snape quietly, but the girls were whispering to each other.

"You reckon he dealt the killing blow on the Basilisk?" Tracey whispered.

"Why don't we ask him?" Pansy whispered, a playful smile on her face.

"I'd rather not" Millie whispered. "He just got a lot scarier now that I know how strong he is."

"Millie has a crush" Tracey teased, and Millie frowned at her.

"So why did I see you gawking at him at breakfast?" Daphne whispered, and Tracey grinned.

"I was just impressed with him" Tracey whispered with a grin.

"I can hear you" Snape said coldly, and Theo and Blaise had to stifle their laughs. Daphne felt her face burn with embarrassment, and she was sure that the other three girls felt the same way.

"Sorry, Sir" Daphne muttered, that was embarrassing.

"And no, I did not deal the killing blow" Snape added coldly. "The Headmaster did." Theo and Blaise sniggered, and Daphne glared daggers at them. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, and the girls did their best to hide their embarrassment. Luckily, Snape didn't really care about what they had whispered about him. "Cockroach Cluster" Snape said to the Gargoyle, and it moved aside. Snape then led them into the Headmaster's Office, and Daphne saw that Potter and Longbottom were already there. The two Gryffindors sat in front of the Headmaster's desk, and Dumbledore sat in his chair.

"Ah, welcome" Dumbledore smiled at them. "Please, take a seat. We have a great deal of things to discuss." Daphne analyzed the room quickly, and she saw that Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall were also in the room. Daphne and her friends took the six vacant seats in front of Dumbledore's desk, and the old wizard smiled warmly at them. "Now that you are all here, let us talk."

"About what, Professor?" Potter asked, and Daphne nearly sighed in annoyance. I don't know whether he's extremely bold, or just disrespectful. "Is Ginny alright? Was she the Heir?"

"Ginny is fine, Harry" Dumbledore smiled. "And no, she was not the Heir." All the children exchanged quick looks, and Daphne saw that Theo looked like he had sucked a lemon. "She was however, possessed by the Heir. By Tom Riddle, more specifically."

"How?" Longbottom muttered, and Daphne didn't mind him interrupting the Headmaster because she too wanted to know the answer to that.

"His Diary" the Headmaster sighed softly as he pulled it out of his robes and placed it on the table. "I recovered it this morning before the feast started." Daphne and her friends gazed at the burnt book, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. "Its destruction destroyed any hold it had over Ginny Weasley. She is now free, and safe from its evil."

"So she wasn't in control of her actions?" Theo asked softly.

"No, not at all" Dumbledore smiled softly. "She is currently recovering in the Hospital Wing, and when she wakes up, I will talk to her myself."

"So this Diary was behind it all?" Potter asked. "And if so, where did she get it?"

"The Diary was behind it all, yes" Dumbledore replied. "As to where she got it… I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that yet. Now, onto more important matters" Dumbledore smiled widely. "I believe you eight deserve to be rewarded for your efforts, you have helped save the school after all. You will all be given trophies for Special Services to the School, and two hundred House Points each." Daphne shot a quick look to her friends, and she realized that they were waiting for her to tell the old wizard. Her heart twisted for a second, she hated throwing away such a promising reward. But this is what they had voted on, and this is what had to be done.

"Headmaster" Daphne spoke firmly, she refused to show weakness. "My friends and I would like to respectfully decline the offered rewards." The room went dead-silent, and Daphne looked only at the Headmaster. He looked back at her with an understanding smile, and then he nodded slowly.

"Very well" Dumbledore said, his voice was laced with a little sadness. "You six will not be publicly credited in any way." Daphne smiled at the old wizard for his understanding, and she gave him a respectful nod.

"What? Why?" Potter asked them. "We'd have never found the Chamber without you!"

"This is our choice, Potter" Blaise said coldly. "It has nothing to do with you." Potter and Longbottom gazed at them with shocked and confused looks, but none of the Slytherins showed any remorse.

"But it doesn't…" Longbottom started, but Dumbledore stopped him with a raised hand.

"This is indeed their choice, and it is my wish that you two respect it" Dumbledore told the Gryffindors. Potter and Longbottom nodded slowly, but they still held confused looks. "You six are dismissed, but on behalf of the entire staff and myself, thank you. You have made us all very proud." Daphne could tell that Dumbledore truly meant it, and she smiled at the old wizard. And with that, the Slytherins stood up and left. The made their way down the stairs and into the Hallway, and Daphne finally released a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"Sorry about this" Millie said remorsefully. "I know how great that reward was…"

"It's alright, Millie" Daphne reassured her. "We're friends, and we have to stick together."

"Did you just quote Ron?" Theo chuckled, and Daphne smiled widely.

"I did" Daphne replied in a happy tone. "He sometimes says the right things." We may not have gotten the reward, but we still accomplished something great. That has to mean something.

---

Harry Potter's POV

February 21st, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – Near Midday)

Harry was utterly confused, and shocked, by the Slytherins. Why had they refused a reward like that? It made no sense to Harry, and judging by Neville's face, it didn't make much sense to his best friend either. They could have earned Slytherin twelve hundred points! That would literally just win them the House-Cup.

"I see that you two are alarmed by their choice" Dumbledore stated with a kind smile, and both boys nodded. Dumbledore drew in a long breath, and then he looked to his Professors. "You are all excused. Please, enjoy your day." The Professors all nodded, and then they left the Office. Snape was the last to leave, and he seemed to give Dumbledore a knowing look before he left.

"Sir, it makes no sense" Harry said with a frustrated tone. "Why would they refuse such a reward?"

"Because, Harry, they live very different lives than you and Neville" Dumbledore said in a sagely tone. "But despite that, you all came together when this school needed you to. When you think about that, then you will understand just how beautiful a thing that is." Harry had no clue about what Dumbledore was saying, but he did understand the part about coming together. We did come together, and I won't forget it. "There is goodness in all of us, remember that." Both boys nodded slowly.

"So they won't even get an ounce of credit?" Neville asked, and Dumbledore nodded. "That is just… unfair."

"It was their choice" Dumbledore smiled softly. "If you want to reward them, then start by respecting their choice."

"Alright…" Neville said softly.

"Professor…" Harry started but stopped. He wanted to talk about his Parseltongue ability, but he didn't want to be told that he deserved to be in Slytherin. He had begun to doubt his place in Gryffindor recently, and that doubt was beginning to fester.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"I wanted to ask you about my…" Harry let out a long sigh. "I wanted to ask you about my ability to speak with snakes. The Hat once told me that I would have done well in Slytherin…" Neville drew in a sharp breath at that, and Harry stopped talking.

"Ah, I see" Dumbledore smiled. "You do demonstrate some of Salazar's preferred qualities, Harry." Harry looked at Dumbledore with a weakening resolve, but the old wizard just smiled kindly. "You can speak with snakes, you have determination, you are resourceful, and you have a clever mind. All traits that Salazar wanted in his students, but the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor… Why did it do that?"

"Because I asked it to…" Harry replied softly, he had no idea where Dumbledore was going with this.

"Exactly, Harry" Dumbledore beamed at him. "You asked the Hat to place you in Gryffindor, you made that choice. It is our choices that show the world who we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry and Neville sat stunned in their seats. "You may share some traits that Salazar preferred, but you also share many traits that Godric preferred. Both of you do. You are both brave, bold, daring, and you both have a habit of breaking the rules" Dumbledore chuckled. Harry and Neville both blushed a little at that, but Harry couldn't help but smile a little. Dumbledore was about to go on, but the door to his Office slammed open. Harry and Neville both jumped a little in their seats, and they both turned to see Lucius Malfoy stride in. "Lucius, welcome" Dumbledore greeted calmly.

"I see you have returned" Lucius sneered. "Must I remind you, Albus, that you are suspended from Hogwarts? You have no right to be in this Office, or on the school grounds." Harry felt his blood boil at that, and he glared Lucius Malfoy hatefully. But then his eyes fell to Dobby, and he saw that the small Elf was covered in bandages. Dobby? What happened to you?

"Ah, funny that you should say that Lucius" Dumbledore said as he stood up and locked eyes with Lucius. "Sebastian Greengrass has been making inquiries with the other members of the Board, and he came to me yesterday with a rather odd revelation."

"What revelation?" Lucius hissed, his eyes narrowing on Dumbledore's. Harry looked over to Dobby again, and he saw the Elf doing something extremely strange. The Elf was pointing his bandaged finger at Lucius, and then at Harry. And then, he would hit himself in the head. What is doing? Why is he pointing at me and at Mr. Malfoy?

"Well, you see, Lucius" Dumbledore said in a calm voice. "The Governors told Sebastian that they truly believed me to be the best man for the job. And then they revealed something even more interesting to Sebastian. They told him they believed that you would Curse their families if they didn't vote me out. Someone even mentioned that you bought quite a few shares in their company… That's funny, isn't it?" The two older wizard's locked eyes for a few seconds, and then Lucius Malfoy sneered again.

"That's hearsay at best" Lucius replied coldly. "And what of their claims that you are the best man for the job? Have you caught the culprit? Have the attacks stopped?" Lucius smirked.

"Yes, we have put an end to this Heir business" Dumbledore smiled kindly, and Lucius just blinked at him.

"Well?" Lucius sneered. "Who was it?"

"The same person as last time, Lord Voldemort" Dumbledore replied, and Lucius Malfoy just stared at Dumbledore. Harry saw both Neville and Dobby flinch at the name, and he frowned internally. It's just a name.

"Explain yourself" Lucius said in a disrespectful tone, but Dumbledore just smiled.

"This was the reason behind all of this" Dumbledore said as he held up the burnt Diary. Harry missed Lucius' reaction because his eyes went straight to Dobby. The Elf was pointing at the Diary, and then pointing at Lucius. And then, Dobby would hit himself over the head. Is he…? Wait… Is he telling me that Mr. Malfoy is behind this?!

"And what is this?" Lucius asked, but his tone was much lower this time around. That confirmed Harry's suspicions, and he clenched his fists as he stared at Lucius.

"This Diary once belonged to Lord Voldemort" Dumbledore replied. "It took control over Ginny Weasley, and it made her attack her fellow students. A truly clever plan… But it failed. We have Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Potter to thank for that. They found the Diary, and they passed on that information to us. With knowledge of its existence, we were able to put an end to this horrible episode in Hogwarts' history. If they hadn't found it, then that would be a true tragedy. Ginny Weasley would be blamed for the whole thing, and none of us would be the wiser for it."

"Imagine that" Dumbledore continued, his eyes locked with Lucius'. "The youngest Weasley child being blamed for these horrible attacks, and in the same year that her father established the Muggle-Protection Act. That would be truly horrible. The Weasley Family's good name would be forever tarnished."

"A truly terrible thing" Lucius Malfoy said with an expressionless face. Harry looked back to his day with the Weasleys, and he remembered that Mr. Malfoy had thrown Ginny her books back.

"Mr. Malfoy" Harry called out, and Lucius turned to face him with a sneer. "Don't you want to know how Ginny found that Diary in her possession?"

"Why would I care about how that pathetic little girl found the Diary?" Lucius asked coldly.

"Because you gave it to her" Harry said through clenched teeth, and Harry saw Neville give him a confused look. "In Flourish and Blotts, you got into a fight with Mr. Weasley. And then, you threw Ginny her books back. And you added the Diary into them." Lucius blinked at him, and then Lucius clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Prove it, Potter" Lucius hissed.

"No one will be able to prove that" Dumbledore said calmly. "It is, after all, hearsay considering that the Diary is destroyed. But I will advise you now, Lucius. You shouldn't go around giving such terrible artifacts to children. Because if you do it again, I am sure that Arthur Weasley will have it traced back to you. And if he doesn't… then I will." Harry smiled as he saw Lucius Malfoy shake slightly with rage, and then the Malfoy patriarch turned around walked away.

"Dobby, come" Lucius ordered, and a teary eyed Dobby walked up to Lucius. Lucius smacked the Elf hard as he passed by his master, and Harry felt his blood boil in his veins. Once the cruel wizard had left, an idea occurred to Harry. Dobby told me that he could be set free if his master gave him clothing when we first met. I have to move!

"Sir, can I please borrow that Diary?" Harry asked quickly, and Dumbledore nodded slowly as he passed the Diary to Harry.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Neville asked.

"Helping someone who tried to help me" Harry replied as he took off after Dobby. As he ran down the stairs from Dumbledore's Office, he quickly removed his left shoe and sock. Harry then put his shoe back on, and he put the sock inside the Diary. With that done, Harry bolted after Dobby.

"Harry, wait for me" came Neville's voice, and Harry slowed down to let his best mate catch up. "What are we doing?"

"Just follow my lead and stay quiet" Harry smiled. And then, they caught up to Mr. Malfoy and a limping Dobby. "Mr. Malfoy!" Harry called out, and Lucius Malfoy turned around with a sneer already in place. "I have something for you" Harry said as he tossed the older wizard the Diary. Lucius caught it on instinct, and then he glared at it.

"What is this?" Lucius asked coldly as he pulled Harry's sock out of the Diary. Lucius tossed it aside, and he missed his servant leap up and grab it. The stunned look on Dobby's face brought a wide smile to Harry's face. It worked! He should be free now! Lucius glared at the Diary, and then he turned his glare onto Harry. "One of these days, Mr. Potter, you will meet the same fate as you mother and father. They too were meddlesome fools, and just like them, you'll meet a painful end." Harry's jaw clenched at that, and he could feel Neville tense as well.

"Well, until then" Harry retorted. "I'll be right here." Lucius Malfoy tossed the Diary back to Harry, and then he turned to leave.

"Come, Dobby" Lucius spat out, but the Elf didn't move a muscle. "Dobby, NOW!"

"Master gave Dobby a sock" Dobby sniffled, and Lucius Malfoy turned around slowly. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it. Dobby is free! Master has set Dobby free!"

"What…?" Lucius muttered, and this his eyes fell to the sock in his servant's hands. Lucius felt like he had been slapped… A Lord of a Noble and Ancient House had his servant taken away from him by a child… Lucius glared at Harry, and Harry gave him a smirk. "YOU COST ME MY SERVANT!" Lucius bellowed as he advanced on Harry. And then, he was sent flying into a nearby wall as a loud bang came out of nowhere. Harry was taken aback by this, and he looked to see Dobby glaring at Lucius ferociously. Lucius crumpled to the floor, his hair and clothes disheveled.

"You will not touch Harry Potter" Dobby ordered. "Leave, or Dobby will throw you out of a window next." Harry and Neville grinned at Lucius, and the Malfoy patriarch stood up slowly. His nose was bleeding due to slamming into a wall face-first, and it gave Harry a grim satisfaction. That was for Ginny, and everyone else you hurt. Lucius glared hatefully at Harry and Dobby, and then, he walked away angrily. Harry smirked at his retreating back, and then he turned to Dobby.

"Thank you for that, Dobby" Harry smiled at the Elf, and the Elf smiled back.

"It is Dobby who should be thanking Harry Potter" Dobby sobbed, and Harry hoped that it was from joy. "Harry Potter has set Dobby free!"

"I believe Mr. Malfoy did that" Harry chuckled, and then he was taken by surprise. Dobby had run up and hugged Harry's middle tightly. This got a snigger out of Neville, and Harry went red from embarrassment. "There, there Dobby" Harry said as he lightly patted the thin Elf's back. The Elf let him go, and he beamed at Harry.

"Dobby will never forget this kindness, Harry Potter" Dobby said with big teary eyes. "Dobby will always be there when Harry Potter needs him!"

"It's alright, Dobby" Harry smiled. "Please take care of yourself from now on… And don't hurt yourself anymore." Dobby sniffled and nodded, and then with a loud crack, he was gone.

"Harry, that was an amazing thing to do" Neville said proudly. "Well done, mate."

"Thanks, Nev" Harry said as he turned to face a smiling Neville. "Now let's give this Diary back to Dumbledore. I don't want it anywhere near me."

"I told you we should've thrown it away" Neville chuckled, and Harry smiled softly.

"Shut up…" Harry laughed as he lightly shoved Neville.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

How long had he been in this place? How long had he been left alone in the dark for? Days? Weeks? Months? Ron had no idea… It was like time didn't move properly in this place… But then again, it was always pitch black in this place so how would he be able to tell the difference? It doesn't matter… None of it matters… You don't matter… Ron did another cartwheel, and this time, he landed it perfectly.

"That was amazing, Ron."

"Thanks, Daphne. I've been practicing for… for longer than I can tell."

"Was it from before we kissed?"

"YOU KISSED?!"

"It only happened twice, Pansy. Don't tell the others, please."

"Don't tell us what?"

"Theo, Ron and Daphne kissed!"

"FINALLY! When's the wedding?!"

"We haven't decided yet."

"Theo, want to be my best man?"

"Of course, Ron. Can Blaise be best man too?"

"Of course, Theo. I'll ask him when I see him next."

Ron blinked rapidly when a sudden episode of clarity hit him. Who am I talking to? He shot panicked looks around him, and his stomach twisted. How long had he been here? Days? Weeks? Months? Why was it so dark in here? Why was there absolute silence in this place? Why didn't he get hungry, or feel the need to sleep in this place? Why am I here?

"Because you got petrified, Ron."

"Oh, that's right. Thanks Tracey, I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, Ron."

"Can I tell you a secret, Trace?"

"Of course, Ron."

"Of all my friends, I miss your voice the most."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, really. You're always so cheerful, and you always make lame jokes with me. I miss laughing with you… Actually, I just miss laughing in general."

"Well, you can laugh right now if you want."

"You're right! I can laugh whenever I want."

And just like that, Ron broke into a maniacal laugh. He laughed and laughed, and he didn't stop until he felt his throat ache. Until he felt tears running down his face. Until he keeled over and cried his heart out. Why am I here?

---

Ron paced back and forward. This was a fun habit that he had picked up to waste his time. He'd walked five paces in a straight line, and then he'd walk back another five paces. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. He never got tired in this place, and so he paced for what felt like days.

---

Pacing was boring, it just didn't feel fun anymore. But you know what was fun? Running was fun. Ron had been running for what felt like days, and he had a massive grin on his face. Oddly enough though, there was no wind in this place. Part of why Ron loved to go on morning runs was because he loved feeling the wind on his face. It's also why he loved Quidditch so much. There was no better rush than cutting through the air, and feeling it on your face and in your hair.

---

Ron sat crossed legged, and he just stared ahead of him. He was so fucking bored…

"Couldn't you have left me a chessboard, you cunt?!" Ron yelled at the darkness, and his voice echoed back. Merlin he hated his own voice. How did anyone stand to be around him when he had such an annoying voice?

"Maybe that's why mum cried when you were born" Ron told himself. "You're voice made her sick to her stomach."

"Don't be an arsehole" Ron told himself. "It's not that bad."

"I'd sooner listen to Marty skinning Mrs. Norris alive" Ron told himself.

"That's fucked up" Ron told himself. "Respect the dead, mate! Apologize to Mrs. Norris!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Norris…" Ron muttered in a sad tone.

---

He was going to die. That's what the Entity had told him. At first, he had gone into a full blown panic attack. And then he had gone into several more panic attacks over the next few days. But now… Now he didn't give a fuck. Dying was better than this place. This place was just… empty. And because of his time in this place, Ron felt empty too… Wasn't he supposed to be un-petrified by now? Leave it to my stupid friends to fuck everything up. Damn idiots, the lot of them.

"No…" Ron muttered. "No, I fucked up… I should have bashed that red-haired bitch's head in…"

"That's Ginny you're talking about, Ron" Ron sighed deeply. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Should I?!" Ron argued. "I'm the one stuck in here for showing mercy to her!"

"And she's suffering too, mate" Ron said softly.

"Good, she deserves it" Ron spat out. "She let me take the blame for her actions to protect her lovely little Potter… When I get out of here, I'll kill them both. Rip their insides out and make Molly Weasley eat them!"

Ron suddenly gasped. What… What am I say? Ron clutched his hair tightly, and he looked around in panic. Did anyone hear me? That would be so fucking bad.

"Ron, you're alone in here" Ron whispered. "No one can judge you in here. No one can tell you that they're better than you."

"You're right" Ron laughed softly. "You're completely right… By the way, what's your name?"

"Weasley, Ronald Bilius Weasley" Ron introduced himself.

"HEY! ME TOO!" Ron yelled in excitement. "It's like we're the same person!"

---

Ron was lying down and whistling to himself. It was a similar tune to what Pandora always hummed while she painted. Why couldn't Pandora be my mother? At least she likes me…

"Champion" came the Entity terrifying voice, and thousands of crimson toad-like eyes opened around him.

"Entity?" Ron muttered as he stood up slowly, and then he grinned in pure joy. "ENTITY, YOU'RE HERE!"

"Indeed we are, Champion" the Entity replied, and Ron felt his heart beat faster.

"How are you today?" Ron asked, he wanted to have a conversation so badly. Just one conversation with someone else. The Entity didn't reply, and Ron blinked in panic. Say something quickly! Before he leaves! "Did I offend you…? Please don't go! Um… Do you play chess?!"

"You have lost your mind, Champion" the Entity growled. "Pitiful maggot. You are now useless to us. We clearly overestimated your mind. A mistake that we will not repeat in the next cycle."

"Don't leave… Please don't leave!" Ron begged. "Just talk to me for a bit! I've been in here for so long…"

"It has been a week, Champion" the Entity said in a cold, disgusted voice. Ron blinked rapidly as the Entity's voice burrowed into his mind, and Ron let out a whimper.

"A week?" Ron asked in utter disbelief. "No… no… No, I've been here for so long…"

"We suppose that you have. Time moves differently in here…" Ron suddenly cut the Entity off.

"I GUESSED THAT!" Ron shouted in excitement.

"Do not interrupt us again" the Entity warned with a horrifying growl.

"Sorry…" Ron said sheepishly.

"It has been just over a week in the outside world, Champion. As we speak, they are administering a cure to your body. We needed to make sure that you had learned your lesson, but it is now clear to us that your mind has been damaged beyond restoration."

"No, wait!" Ron yelled. "I learnt my lesson!" There was no response for a few long seconds, and Ron looked at the eyes in panic.

"And what lesson is that?" the Entity asked.

"That none of it matters" Ron laughed. "You're going to kill me anyway, so why should I even care? Did I… Did I get it right?" Ron looked around for confirmation, but he knew that he was right.

"Goodbye, Champion" the Entity hissed with utter hatred. "Perhaps the next one will last us longer than you did." Ron suddenly felt his muscles seize up, and he fell to his knees. Cold, dead tendril slithered over his limbs, body, and face. And then they began to squeeze. Ron couldn't even make a sound as the Entity began to crush him to death, and all he could do was stare at the crimson toad-like eyes in horror. This was the end.

"Enough!" came a woman's thunderous voice, it was both fierce and protective. And then, the Darkness disappeared in an explosion of white light. Ron was completely engulfed by the blinding white light, and the last thing that Ron heard was the Entity screaming in pain.

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March 3rd, 1993 (Hospital Wing)

Ron's ears began to function before the rest of him did, and he could hear a bunch of distorted voices. What is going on? The last thing I remember was… And just like that, it all came back to him. He had been attacked and left petrified by a possessed Ginny! And then… Then he had found himself in that open field. He had heard the twins mock him, he had heard his mother weep when he was born, and he remembered the family breakfast. The Entity was there… And it had utterly destroyed his 'family'. And then… Then he had fallen. And now he was awake? What happened after I fell? Did I just wake up here? I'm so confused right now.

His vision slowly started coming back, and it was so blurry. He couldn't see a thing, but he knew that he was facing a white wall or a white ceiling. Am I being un-petrified?

"When will he start moving?" came a familiar voice. Pandora?

"Any second now, just be patient" came another woman's voice. Madam Pomfrey. Ron tried to move his muscles, but he couldn't.

"Did you see that?!" a woman shrieked. "His hand moved a little!"

"The potion is working" came a cold, low voice. Professor Snape is here too? His vision slowly cleared up, and he once again tried to move his muscles. This time, he felt his body jerk. Sensing this small victory, Ron started trying to sit up.

"Easy, Mr. Weasley" came Pomfrey's voice. "Easy… let me help." And just like that, he was sitting up. He could see his parents, Sirius and Remus, his brothers and Luna, Pandora and Xenophilius, and even Lord and Lady Greengrass. They were all staring at him with smiles, and Ron just stared back at them with a blank look. Where are my friends? And where the fuck is Ginny?! I need to tell them that's she possessed!

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And I hope you all enjoyed the action scene! I hope I surprised you with it! Also, there was a bit of a time jump at the end but it wasn't that big. Ron missed his own birthday though =( Ron slowly settles back into his life in the next update, Lockhart's fate is revealed, and Ron comes to a firm resolution. Just some fun hints!

Now here's something new! People have been asking me to give the day of my next update in my A/N, and I think I'll try it out. Next chapter will be up on Sunday! At some point on Sunday, that is. Australia, Melbourne time.

Let me know what you think, and see you soon!