Year II: The Basilisk

The inner room of the Chamber of Secret was gaudy, ugly even. There were statues of people Harry believed to be other Wizards, lined side by side on each side of the wall, fourteen in total, each with their mouths agape, spewing water from it into a disgustingly muddy looking pool.

Harry spotted Ginny at the end of the stone bridge corridor, laying on her back, unconscious with a small open book laid by her hand. Harry ran to her, pleading to whatever entity, whatever being for her to still be alive, dropping to his knees as he reached her, Harry began to lightly shake her, pleading desperately for her to wake up.

"Ginny? Ginny c'mon, wake up," he cried out softly. "C'mon Ginny, Ron is waiting for you, so is your family."

"She won't wake," said a soft voice. It sent chills down Harry's spine. He looked around to see a tall, black-haired man, standing next to him, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him. It was him… from the memories with Hagrid!

"Tom — Tom Riddle?"

Riddle nodded, smiling almost cruely, not taking his eyes off Harry's face.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?"

"She's still alive," said Riddle dismissively. "Just barely. For now."

Harry stared at him incredulously. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, handsome as he had been those fifty years ago, youthful, haughty, and as arrogant-looking as before.

"A-are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"I am a memory," said Riddle firmly. Offended that the boy in front of him would dare demean him to a being as lowly as a ghost. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years. A memory I may be, yet perfect I am, unspoiled by time and its cruelties, I… am… immortal."

He pointed toward the diary barely cradled in the crook of the lifeless girl's hand, his diary, lying open, the very same diary that Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom which led to their meeting. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there — but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a Basilisk… I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment…. Please, you've got to help me save her."

"Save her?" The man said with an amused chuckle. Harry looked back at him. "Why would I save her? I plan to use her." The man emphasised.

"She's to be the key to my return, after all." He revealed as a matter of fact, as if it were destined for him. "What are you talking about?" Harry said in disbelief, his voice a rasp of desperation. Tom sighed and picked up a wand, Ginny's? And wrote in the air, floating flaming letters, his name, TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE and waved at them, causing the letters to rearrange themselves.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

"No," Harry said in denial. But the man said nothing. It was like he didn't even acknowledge Harry as he turned away from him. Tom turned away from Harry and… looked up? Harry followed to where his head and eyes were staring at but saw nothing.

But Harry had an odd feeling, that even if he couldn't see what Tom could, there was most definitely something there. Harry heard Tom mumble something under his breath, he couldn't quite catch what he said, but it sounded like he was talking to something.

"No matter, you'll be dead soon enough that it won't matter if you know who I truly am," he heard the man mutter. Tom looked back down from the ceiling and walked towards the statue that was made into the likeness of Salazar Slytherin himself.

"Speak to me, oh Salazar, greatest of the four, allow me your power, and lend me your strength, so I may rid this school of its filth." Tom said with disgust. The face of Slytherin's mouth opened to reveal a gaping maw, much to Harry's shock and surprise, out of it was a snake of epic proportions, the word enormous would be an understatement for how large this beast was.

Its head was nearing fifteen feet, a mouth that was filled with jagged, sharp teeth with a forked tongue like the devil itself that had prickles that secreted a poison deadlier than anything mankind knew of. Around the beginning of the neck where the head merged into was a cape, a cowl, mane-like fan like that of a lion's, made of a leathery substance. Scales stronger than steel, two rows of winged back spikes running down the spine to the end of the tail. Its full length, when it finally exited its den from within the statue, was nearly a hundred feet.

Its most prominent feature was its eyes, three sets of them, the first set being the smallest, green as emeralds, normal ones, used for looking. The second pair, purple in colour, was the largest, a foot in size compared to the first and second which were only half its size. The second pair of eyes allowed the monstrous creature to freeze its prey like it had done early in the year, if looked into its eyes. The third pair was black as night; it allowed the apex predator to turn its enemies and whatever is in front of itself into stone, the ultimate weapon for a creature such as this. The serpent had slithered and positioned itself all around the room, surrounding the three in a half circle.

"Great serpent, stop him," Harry heard Tom say, "and kill him. Destroy that boy who invades your home and threatens your master!" He beckoned with his finger towards Harry.

The giant snake hissed fiercely, like it was roaring as it turned its head onto the small being that was Harry, to which the boy screamed in terror at before running away aimlessly. Harry did not get far as a stone wall instantly built up in front of him, he crashed into it, and fell backwards. Where in the world did that come from?

"What the-" The serpent roared, catching Harry's attention once again, he kept his head down as he frantically searched for a place to hide, or at very least run to. Harry then heard a hollow hissing, like a whistle being breathed in, it drew his eyes upward to see the Basilisk's maw open… and then glow.

"Oh no," Harry cried lowly, he scrambled to his feet desperately, they slipped twice on the moist, wet stone, the whistling hiss got louder, and Harry ran faster than he ever thought possible to reach the murky waters. His feet felt a pressure collide with the floor and heat started warming his back before he instantly jumped into the waters.

He looked up through the terrible leaden waters to see bright flames aglow over it, his breath was running out and he could only hope for the monster to stop breathing fire. Not but a moment later his chest began to demand air, it thumped, it heaved, it pounded against his chest as Harry struggled to stay underneath the water.

The flames seemed just as strong as ever as Harry quickly succumbed to his dire situation, he forced his body to move further away from the flames, Harry pushed and kicked as hard as he could, his hands grasped and groped the water in front of him desperate to grab ahold of anything to hoist himself up.

He gasped. Salvation. Air. His lungs heaved as he clutched desperately onto whatever his hands had touched, he freed one of them to wipe his mouth and clear his eyes. Only to see the snout and scaled chin of the Basilisk in front of him. "You've got to be kidding me," Harry groaned.

But, as if by divine intervention, a song was sounded in the air, drawing the attention of both Harry and the Basilisk, it was Fawkes!

The majestic Phoenix came bursting through the darkness in a spillage of bright flames, it shrieked a war cry before stretching out its talons, angling them as it swerved past the left side of the Basilisks' eyes. The great beast of a snake cried out in pain as blood seeped from the now blind left side of its face. While the serpent was distracted, Harry hoisted himself up and looked around, he saw that part of the stone bridge was melted, quite literally, the stone had just cooled down to a rolling finish, it had ridges and some air bubbles in it.

Did the fire that came out of the Basilisk do that?

Harry jerked his head to where he heard a cry of pain, he saw that Fawkes was still battling the snake, from what he could make out with the hissing, Tom Riddle was giving his beast directions on how to defeat the avian creature. The Basilisk now adorned many wounds, open cuts that show a rib or two, all of its eyes, save for the normal one on the right, had all been either slashed, gouged, or pecked out. It was missing several fangs as well and its lower head and jaw were bloody red. It was in pain, and it was angry.

The great serpent spun around, lashing its mighty tail at the bird, it missed and hit the side of the walls, causing pieces of stone to collapse on itself, and the room to shake. Harry stumbled a little as he watched the two creatures fight this battle of dominance and strength, he was in awe. Fawkes dived and ran its talons against the long belly of the Basilisk, angering it even more, Tom Riddle gestured in a frustrated manner for the beast to fight back.

Out of the corner of Harry's eyes, he saw the Sorting Hat, where had that come from? He had but a moment to think before the room was lit by green flames coming out of the Basilisk's mouth, Harry dove onto the floor, grabbed the hem of the ancient hat and rolled back into the water. The Basilisk aimed everywhere; the flames danced in the air as the enormous creature tried anything to hurt its agile opponent.

The flames hit the statue of Slytherin, it hit the waters, it even hit the roof of the Chambers of Secrets, along with the flames being breathed out of the Basilisk's mouth came a long, green trail of liquid acid. It spilled on the floor, melting it, and spreading a foot around the area of impact.

The Phoenix dodged and navigated through the air in effort to avoid getting hit as well as to steer the fires and liquid away from the unconscious girl on the floor. And that was its downfall as the tail of the serpent connected with its body, slamming it across the room and into the opposite wall. But the great snake wasn't finished, it wanted revenge, opening its maw it let out a torrent of flames and sprayed its downed opponent with the acidic liquid as its master, Tom Riddle laughed in triumph.

"NO!" Harry screamed as he had just seen what had happened. He'd just climbed his way out of the murky water, his outcry caught the attention of the smirking Tom Riddle, who began approaching him.

"I applaud you, Potter," Tom said arrogantly, his voice seeming to mock Harry.

"You've survived longer than I ever expected, of course, Dumbledore sending his pet did save you from demise for a few minutes. And what's this," he looked at what was clutched in Harry's hand, scoffing in amusement, "the old Sorting Hat. I'm honoured." He sneered.

Harry ground his teeth and voiced his defiance as he stood to face the man and his bloodied monster. "I'll stop you," he said with determination.

"Hah," Riddle scoffed, laughing.

"You? A boy? You will never defeat me; I can't believe Dumbledore had the audacity to send a child to do a man's job, a child, a songbird, and an old, useless hat." Tom turned his back on Harry, walking away to laugh and prepare to take over Ginny's body.

It was then did Harry feel a weight in his hand, sticking out from the Sorting Hat, gleaming in the darkness, the pommel of a sword. Harry looked up to see that the basilisk was distracted, this was his chance! The beast's remaining eye was following Riddle, all he had to do was get a clean hit and it would be blinded permanently, he could even hide behind the leather mane and sneak behind in order to get closer also!

Harry breathed to steady himself, his hand reached down and pulled the sword out of the Sorting Hat, its blade was long, and the hands and hilt were adorned with jewels and such, yet it weighed next to nothing. On one side of the blade, Harry saw words, it was a saying, 'Worthy be he who wield this sword,' and on the other, 'That all it may protect them from all harm,' he had strode forward confidently, careful as he crept behind the serpent, he could see the outline of the remaining eye, he lifted the sword, aimed, and swung….

The beast screamed and cried out in rage and pain, it lifted its head up high, shrieking in misery. "What are you – you!" Tom snarled as he saw the blood-stained sword in Harry's hands, figuring instantly what had just happened. Harry ran past the great beast and Tom to Ginny. Frantic, angry, and humiliated, Tom growled out his next command.

"Follow my voice! Now, I know you are hurt, and I shall heal you when this is over, that boy is about to ruin everything! Look down and straight ahead, yes, now to the left…."

As Tom directed the snake where he wanted it, Harry had just reached Ginny. "Ginny! Ginny, wake up!" Harry yelled, frantically shaking her, as he peeked behind himself to see that Riddle and the Basilisk were staring right at him them. "Ginny, this isn't funny, we really need to go."

"DESTROY THEM, BURN THEM TO NOTHING!" Tom yelled with fury. Harry turned and faced the two, he saw that the Basilisk's maw was open, preparing for one final attack. This was it. He was going to die. All his efforts, all their efforts, those of his friends and those of others, in hopes of stopping the petrifications were all for naught, it was all meaningless in the end.

No! he refused to accept that! Harry balled his fist and gripped the sword in his hand tightly, he stood his ground, for better or for worse, if he died, he died, if there was one thing on his mind at the moment, it was that he was going to save Ginny.

"Why do you despair O champion of Hogwarts? Kneel, I say to you, for it shall be your victory." Harry gasped. Who said that? It was a woman's voice, youthful sounding.

"Kneel. O Chosen One. Ye who is brave of heart and pure of soul, my dear champion of Hogwarts. Kneel, brave champion." Harry didn't know who was speaking in his ear, but he did as the manly voice commanded, he knelt, like that of a knight, and then he heard another voice.

"Take up the sword, dear boy, kind of character and gentle of spirit, plant the blade to the floor, and rest thy hands on the guards of the hilt." With shaky breath, Harry turned the sword upside down, gently stabbing the tip of the blade, and placed his hands to rest them on the guard handles of the hilt. He bowed his head; he closed his eyes as he felt the heat of the flames spew from the Basilisk's mouth. It was warm, engulfing even, yet as he opened his eyes, not a single one of the flames nor the liquid which erupted from the serpent's mouth touched him.

He was safe, and around him was an outlined figure of a colossal monster, it had the head of a dragon, the snout of a lizard, leather, thick scales like that of the Basilisk, and fierce eyes that held a gentleness to them. It was like a magical shield was encasing him and Ginny, protecting him from all the harm.

The beast that surrounded and protected Harry and Ginny opened its mouth that was filled with a row of sharp teeth, it looked like it was breathing in before saw jaws opened to unimaginable length, sounding out a roar and beam of energy that obliterated the fire and liquid which tried harming the children. The beam of energy engulfed everything in front of Harry like a cleansing, destructive light, the roar which came from the protective monster's mouth was cascading, it shook the whole area causing parts of the melted roofing to collapse near them.

The ray of energy which spilled from whatever was protecting Harry ended after less than a minute of continuous blasting, and the aftermath of its attack had annihilated the Basilisk. There was nothing but a burnt husk of some ribs left, nearly everything was gone, the head, the spine, everything had been burned to ash except for the fatter mid-section where the ribs were wider. One half laid upright on the stone bridge, still smoking and aflame, and the other in the waters, sinking to the depths below.

—-

"Ginny!" It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She leaped to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter. Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly. Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary. Then he started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour, he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realised that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes; how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…

Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add — but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

So Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking, told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Ginny. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her? Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all? Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles, seemingly knew what he was thinking and solved the conundrum with his own hands. Things came to light as to how Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny while being nowhere near Hogwarts, the reality of the diary, and what was to follow next.

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted Ginny (who was revealing where she got the book from) in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than her have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it.

"Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly. "There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore. Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken. "You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore. She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely — surely — they weren't about to be punished?

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor."

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.

"But one of us seems to be mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added, "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile.

When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart —"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.

"Dear merlin," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver moustache quivering, "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Sword?" said Lockhart dumbly.

"Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry…"

Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door. Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire. "Sit down, Harry," he said, and Harry sat, feeling unaccountably nervous.

"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have either shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber or truly have shown a courageous feat which compelled Fawkes to come and aid you. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him. "And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…" Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore…in the chamber… when I was about to face the Basilisk head-on — sword in hand, there were these — these voices which I have never heard before. As soon as I heard them, it felt as if…as if-"

"As if your body wasn't in your control anymore?"

"Exactly."

'Interesting..' Dumbledore thought.

"One of them said to plant the tip of my sword into the ground and kneel. As I did that, there was this projection of this… giant lizard-like creature which was standing on two legs, roared and then this massive beam of blue light came from its mouth and completely destroyed the Basilisk. There were only a few pieces of it left."

Dumbledore leaned forward, plucked out a roll of parchment from underneath one of his many books on the table, dipped his Quick-Quotes quill in an inkpot, and asked, "Harry — as vividly as you can — try to describe the Basilisk and the massive lizard-like creature. Remember, as vividly as you can. Alright?"

Harry slowly nodded.

"Begin."

So he did start to describe the majesty of the lizard-like creature who saved them, and the utter horrors of the massive basilisk. He described the grotesque appearance of the Basilisk and the utter terror he felt when it began to spew acid and inferno which seemed to come from the depths of the underworld.

He also finished with the vivid description of how the giant gentle lizard-like creature was with his almighty bellow and the blinding column of blue light which came forth from the creature.

As Dumbledore's quill finished writing, he read over the descriptions and then in utter disbelief, took out an old tome from the pile of books on his side. He flipped through it to a page right in the middle of the book and compared the two.

He just couldn't believe what he was strewn in front of his very eyes.

He breathed out, "So — so the legend is true."

Harry furrowed his brows and asked, "What legend?"

"The first gods have risen again."