XVIII. Dark
Having very little or no light.
Harry and Jayla gulp, turning toward the statue again, hearing an ominous snarling from inside and breathing heavily as Riddle turns to face the statue's mouth and the Basilisk shrieks. "Hungry!" The stone slab concealing the statue's mouth stops descending, and a second after, the serpent emerges from the darkness, starting to come into the light, growling menacingly. Harry throws the Sorting Hat onto the ground in front of Ginny before racing back toward the door to the Chamber with Jayla as the Basilisk's head comes out of the statue's mouth and its snake-like body lowers into the surrounding water.
At the same time, Riddle, immune to the serpent's lethal gaze, watches the creature, admiring the Magical beast. "Kill them!" Riddle orders, turning his attention to the fleeing second-years, and the Basilisk's body drops into the water behind them. "It only obeys me!" The Basilisk slithers after Jayla and Harry with a ferocious growl. They race down the corridor as fast as possible while the serpent is in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, Harry loses his footing on the slippery floor and trips, allowing the Basilisk to catch up with him. Jayla stops, looks at Harry and raises her wand as Harry's glasses clatter to the floor before him. He immediately puts them on before realising the Basilisk is above them and covers his head with his hands.
"Confringo!" Jayla shouts, closing her eyes, and points her wand at the serpent, making it scream with pain. Fawkes flies toward them, emitting a cry, gaining their attention as he swoops down in the direction of the Basilisk, attacking the colossal snake, pecking and scratching at its eyes as Harry watches their fight by the shadows on the wall. "Harry, get up!" She snaps urgently.
"No!" Riddle shouts. "Your bird may have blinded the Basilisk, but it can still hear you." Harry glances around to see the serpent's yellow eyes bloody as it thrashes around furiously as Fawkes flies off again. Jayla jumps at him, helping him get to his feet before running away on the wet floor, making a splattering sound, alerting the Basilisk.
"Run!" The young Heiress shouts, dragging Harry as the Basilisk lunges at them, nearly getting him, and they run off into a tunnel to their left as the serpent lunges after them again, smashing through a stalactite, narrowly missing the tweens, running into another part of the Chamber.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
They run through the tunnel, and Harry looks back to see if the Basilisk is still behind him and turns to the left, dragging Jayla into an alcove, only to find their path is blocked by a grate. They struggle to move it but turn around upon hearing the Basilisk coming into the tunnel and step back against the grate, trying to hide as the serpent approaches their position. The Basilisk hisses at them and grows nearer with its mouth open, its breath inches from their faces, and Harry picks up a rock, throwing it out of the alcove, distracting the Basilisk away from them. The Basilisk slithers back, following the noise, moving onward down the tunnel, leaving the tweens behind into another passageway. "Good thinking." Jayla whispers, breathing heavily.
"Thanks." Harry sighs, and they run off back down the tunnel, heading into the main Chamber.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Jayla and Harry race into the Chamber, where Riddle and Ginny remain. "Yes, Potter, Darkmore. The process is nearly complete." Tom announces, and Jayla kneels beside her, placing her hand on Ginny's again. "In a few minutes, Ginny Weasley will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory." Harry looks at him. "Lord Voldemort will return… very… much… alive."
"Ginny…." Jayla mutters, glancing at the girl when the Basilisk bursts out of the water surrounding the Slytherin statue and thrashes angrily. Harry turns toward the Sorting Hat, where a gleaming silver sword appears inside the Hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs. Harry grabs the sword and holds it defensively without hesitation as the Basilisk slithers toward him. Harry is on his feet, ready. The serpent's head falls, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twists to face them. He can see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow them whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous - it lunges blindly - Harry dodges, and it hits the Chamber wall. It lunges again, its forked tongue lashes Harry's side, and he raises his sword in both hands.
"Bombarda Maxima!" Jayla shouts, aiming a blast at the Basilisk that thrashes in pain and lunges at Harry. He races for the statue, beginning to climb as the serpent roars in pain, its side bleeding badly from the large smouldering wound. The Basilisk regains its senses and blindly follows Harry's movements, using its tongue to track the boy's location and lifts its body off the floor. The Basilisk uses its tongue again, finding Harry's current position directly before it, and the boy swings the sword at the serpent as it lunges directly at him. Harry dodges as it smashes right into the statue, destroying a part of it, and the raven-haired second=year climbs higher as the Basilisk lunges at him again, missing.
"Get off me!" Jayla shouts, gaining Harry's attention to see Riddle clutching at her hair as she tries moving away and shielding Ginny.
"You stupid girl!" Tom sneers, raising Harry's wand when she raises her.
"Depulso!" She cries, sending him away. "Harry, quickly!" The boy climbs higher onto the top of the statue's feet, and the Basilisk lunges at Harry repeatedly as he swings the sword wildly at the creature. Eventually, the serpent sends Harry rolling down the side of the statue, causing him to lose the sword.
"No…" Harry mutters, seeing the sword about to slide off the top of the statue, and hurries to retrieve the blade as the Basilisk lunges right at him and this time, its aim is true - Harry throws his whole weight behind the sword, driving it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth -.
"Harry!" Jayla shouts, scared for him, and he can feel warm blood drenching his arm, feeling a searing pain above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang is sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and splinters as the Basilisk keels over sideways, falling and twitching to the floor. Harry slides off the statue, gripping the fang as it spreads the Basilisk's poison through his body and wrenches it out of his arm. But he knows it's too late. White-hot pain spreads slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he drops the fang and watches his blood soaking his clothes, his vision goes foggy. The Chamber is dissolving in a whirl of dull colour.
A batch of scarlet swims past, and Harry hears a soft clatter of claws beside him. "Fawkes," Harry mutters thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…." He feels the bird lie its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang pierced him. He can hear echoing footsteps, one faster than the other, then a dark shadow moves in front of him, cradling his side, and another stands before him.
"Harry… you're gonna be okay. Harry, I promise," He hears Jayla whimper, moving his hair away from his face.
"You're dead, Harry Potter," He hears Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying." Harry blinks, and Fawkes' head slides in and out of focus. Jayla watches as thick, pearly tears trickle down the glossy red feathers. "I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry. And once you're dead, I'll kill dear Jayla." Harry feels drowsy, and everything around him seems to be spinning. "So ends the famous Harry Potter. Along with his dear friend. Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends, defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry… She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…."
"Shut up!" Jayla hisses at him, and Harry thinks to himself about dying; it didn't seem so bad. Even the pain is leaving him, and he'll be in Jayla's arms… But is this dying? Instead of his vision going black, the Chamber seems to be returning to focus. Harry shakes his head, and there is Fawkes, still resting his head on his arm. A pearly patch of tears shines around the wound - except there is no wound.
"Get away, bird," Tom orders suddenly, seeing it too. "Get away from him - I said, get away -." Harry raises his head, and Riddle points his wand at the Phoenix. Then there's a bang like a gun, and Fawkes retakes flight in a whirl of gold and scarlet. "Phoenix tears…" Riddle mutters quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course… healing powers… I forgot…" he looks into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry… you and me…." He raises the wand, then there's a rush of wings, and Fawkes soars back overhead as something falls into his lap - the diary. For a split second, all three of them stare at it, and then without thinking or conjuring as though he meant to do it all along, Harry seizes the Basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunges it straight into the heart of the book.
There is a long, dreadful, piercing scream, and ink spurts out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands and flooding the floor. Riddle writhes and twists, screaming and flailing and then - He has disappeared. Harry's wand falls to the floor with a clatter, and there's nothing but silence. Silence except for the steady dripping of the ink still oozing from the diary. The Basilisk venom burns a sizzling hole right through it.
"Harry? Are you okay?" Jayla asks him, checking him over.
"Yeah. I think so," Harry answers, though he's shaking all over and pulls himself up, his head spinning as if he's just travelled miles by Floo Powder. Slowly, he gathers together his wand and the Sorting Hat and, with a huge tug, retrieves the glittering sword from the roof of the Basilisk's mouth.
"Careful," She mutters, helping him move as he wobbles on his feet and then comes a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny stirs. Jayla and Harry hurry over to her as she sits up. Her bemused eyes travelled from the massive form of the dead Basilisk, then over Harry and Jayla in their dirty and blood-soaked clothes and finally to the diary in his hand. She draws a great, shuddering gasp, and tears pour down her face.
"Harry, Jayla - oh, Jayla, Harry - I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy - it was me, Jayla - but I - I s-swear I d-didn't mean to - R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over - and - how did you kill that - that thing?" Ginny asks, looking at the dead serpent, and Jayla carefully sits Harry on the floor and rushes to Ginny's side, checking her over as she cries into her shoulder. "W-Where's Riddle? The last thing I remember is him coming out of the diary -."
"It's all right now, Ginny." The young Heiress shushes her, running her fingers through her flaming-red hair.
"Riddle's finished." Harry assures her, holding the diary and showing Ginny the fang hole. "Look! Him and the Basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here -."
"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny cries, sobbing into Jayla's arms. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts even since B-Bill came, and n-now I'll have to leave and - w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"
"It's going to be okay. I promise. We'll get this all sorted." Jayla assures her, and Fawkes waits for them, hovering at the Chamber entrance. Harry urges Jayla to collect Ginny, and they step over the motionless coils of the dead Basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. They hear the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss, ending it for now.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
After a few minutes, they progress up the dark tunnel, and a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reaches their ears. "Ron! Harry yells, speeding up ahead of the girls. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!" They hear Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turn the next bend to see his eager face staring through a sizable gap he managed to make in the rock fall.
"Ginny!" Ron yells, thrusting an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How - what - where did that bird come from?" The redheaded boy frowns at Fawkes as he swoops through the gap after Ginny.
"He's Dumbledore's. Isn't he beautiful?" Jayla replies, squeezing through herself. "I'd love to have a Phoenix. But I don't think my Dad would be too happy."
"You're as weird as usual, JJ." Ron jokes, helping her through. "How come you've got a sword?" He asks, as Jayla steps beside him and peeks through the gap at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand as he struggles through last.
"I'll explain when we get out of here," Harry tells him with a sideways glance at the girls, seeing Ginny crying harder than ever as Jayla cradles her.
"But -." Ron argues, wanting to know what happened in the Chamber's centre with his friends and baby sister.
"Later," He says shortly, knowing it's not a good idea to tell his best friend who'd opened the Chamber yet, not in front of Ginny. "Where's Lockhart?"
"Back there," He gestures away, still puzzled, but jerks his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see." Led by Fawkes, whose broad scarlet wings emit a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walk all the way back to the mouth of the pipe.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
At the mouth of the central passage, they find Gilderoy Lockhart sitting there, humming placidly to himself. "His memory's gone," Ron explains. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself." Lockhart peers good-naturedly up at them all.
"Hello," He greets them. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"
"No," Ron scoffs, raising his eyebrows at Harry, who bends down, looking up at the long, dark pipe.
"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" Harry questions Ron, who shakes his head, but Fawkes the Phoenix swoops past him and flutters before him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He waves his long golden tail feathers. Harry looks at him with uncertainty.
"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…." Ron says, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there -."
"Fawkes," Jayla says, "isn't an ordinary bird." She turns quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Moron -." She looks at the man, who stares confused.
"She means you," Harry tells him sharply. "You hold Ginny's other hand -." He agrees, tucking the sword and Sorting Hat into his belt and holding Jayla's hand, who takes Ron's, and Harry reaches out, taking hold of Fawkes' strangely hot tail feathers.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Fawkes flies Lockhart, Ron, Jayla, Harry, and Ginny out of the Chamber of Secrets. "Amazing! This is just like Magic!" Lockhart exclaims gleefully as the Phoenix carries the five of them up towards the cave's opening as the moon shines above them. The chill air whips through their hair, and it's over before they can stop and enjoy the ride.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
All five of them hit the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as Lockhart straightens his clothes, looking around the room and the sink that hides the pipe slides back into place. Myrtle goggles at them, seeming almost disappointed. "You're alive," She says blankly at Harry.
"There's no need to sound so disappointed," He replies grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.
"Yeah. He might die next year, and you can share a cubicle together." Jayla scoffs, making Harry nudge her.
"Urgh!" Ron groans, walking out of the room.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
The four students and Professor leave the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside, with Fawkes leading them somewhere. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!" Ron jokes and looks at his best friend, who glances at Jayla, who doesn't seem affected, as she hugs a crying Ginny.
"Where now?" Jayla wonders, and Harry points at the Phoenix, seeming to be leading them along the corridor toward Professor McGonagall's office, and Harry knocks on the door before pushing it open.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
There's silence as Harry, Jayla, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stand in the doorway, covered in muck, slime and blood in Jayla and Harry's case. "Ginny!" Mrs Weasley screams in delight at seeing her only daughter jumping from her seat in front of the fire where she had been crying. Molly leaps to her feet, closely followed by Arthur, the parents fling themselves on their daughter. Harry, however, looks past them. Professor Dumbledore is standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who is taking great, steady gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes whooshes past Harry's ear and settles on Dumbledore's shoulder; just as he finds himself, Jayla and Ron are being swept into Mrs Weasley's tight embrace. "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" Molly cries.
"I think we'd all like to know that," Professor McGonagall adds weakly. Mrs Weasley lets go of the children, who hesitate for a moment then walk over to the desk, and Harry lays upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby-encrusted sword, and what remains of Riddle's diary.
"Sorry I'm late." A voice Jayla knows all too well.
"Dad!" Jayla exclaims, and coming through the door is none other than Daniel Darkmore in one of his expensive suits.
"Oh, you stupid girl!" Daniel cries, bringing his oldest daughter into his arms, not caring about the staining on his clothes. "You had me and your mother so worried when Professor McGonagall told us."
"Where is Mum?" She asks, looking around for her.
"She couldn't leave your brother and sister at home alone." He replies.
"Excuse me, sir, but what are you doing here?" Harry questions, looking at him.
"For that," He answers, pointing at Riddle's diary. "And for my daughter. Now, what happened?" Harry begins telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour, he speaks into the rapt silence: He tells them about hearing the disembodied voice and how Jayla could hear it too, how Hermione had finally realised that Harry heard a Basilisk in the pipes, how he, Ron and Jayla followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog told them where the last victim of the Basilisk had died, how they guessed that Moaning Myrtle was the victim and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in the bathroom….
"Very well," Professor Dumbledore prompts him as he pauses, "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 get out of there alive, Potter?" So, Harry, his voice growing hoarse from all the talking, told them about Fawkes' timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword and Jayla's powerful spell that helped him immensely. But then he falters. He so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary - or Ginny. She stands with her head against Molly's shoulder, tears still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expel her? Harry thinks in panic. Riddle's diary doesn't work anymore… How can they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all? Instinctively, Harry looks at the Headmaster, who smiles faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.
"What interests me most," Dumbledore says gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny when my sources tell me he's currently in hiding in the forests of Albania." Relief - warm, sweeping, glorious relief - sweeps over Harry.
"W-What's that?" Mr Weasley questions in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-Enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"
"It was this diary, sir." Jayla explains quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore and her Dad.
"Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…." Harry adds, and Dumbledore takes the diary from Jayla and peers keenly down his long, crooked nose at its brunt and soggy pages before handing it to Daniel.
"Brilliant," Dumbledore muses softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turns around to the Weasleys, who look utterly bewildered. "Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself fifty years ago at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving school… travelled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, Magical transformations that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."
"But, Ginny," Mrs Weasley mutters, staring at her daughter. "What's our Ginny got to do with - with - him?"
"His d-diary," Ginny sobs, clutching at her mother's robes. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year -."
"Ginny!" Arthur exclaims, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. Why didn't you show the diary to me or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!"
"Now, Arthur," Daniel says calmly, though he knows he'd probably react the same way. "She's young. They don't know everything. And we all know even adult Wizards could be duped by something like this."
"I d-didn't know." Ginny sobs. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-though someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it -."
"Miss Weasley should go up to the Hospital Wing right away," Dumbledore interrupts in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Daniel is correct; older and wiser Wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strides over to the door and opens it. "Best rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up." He adds, twinkling kindly down at the poor girl. "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?!" Ron beams brightly.
"Really, there all okay?" Jayla asks, looking between the teachers, glad her best friend and all the others are safe.
"There has been no lasting harm down, Ginny," Dumbledore assures her. Mrs Weasley leads Ginny out, and Mr Weasley follows, still looking deeply shaken. "You know, Minerva," He says thoughtfully to McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"
"Right," The Deputy Headmistress says crisply, moving toward the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter, Darkmore and Weasley, shall I?"
"Certainly," He replies, and she leaves, making the three tweens stare at each other with uncertainty as Professor Dumbledore leads them to his office. Jayla looks grimly at her father as they walk. Wondering what she meant by dealing with them. Surely - surely - they aren't about to be punished?
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Professor Dumbledore sits in his office at his desk with Fawkes back on his perch while Harry, Ron and Jayla stand before the Headmaster, and Daniel stands to the side, glancing at the children along with the sword and Sorting Hat resting on the desk. "You three realise, of course, that in the past few hours, you have broken, perhaps, a dozen school rules."
"Yes, sir," The three students reply, hanging their heads in shame.
"And there is sufficient evidence to have you three expelled," He adds, and even Daniel looks at him in shock.
"Yes, sir," They reply again.
"Therefore, it is only fitting…" The Headmaster says, making them look up at him," that you three receive… Special Awards for Services to the school." The three Gryffindors look at each other with small smiles, then back at Dumbledore again.
"Thanks, sir." Ron beams, and Dumbledore smiles back at them, then stands up while handing some papers to the redhead.
"And now, Mr Weasley, if you would, have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. I believe we… we want our Gamekeeper back." Dumbledore smiles, and Harry leaves the office, quickly heading to the owlery, and the Headmaster turns to Harry and Jayla. "Harry, Jayla… first, I want to thank you both. You both must've shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could've called Fawkes to you. And, second… Harry, I sense something is troubling you. And I right, Harry?" And moves toward the boy, and Daniel steps over to his daughter, bringing her into a hug again.
"You see, sir. I couldn't help but notice certain things… certain… certain similarities between… Tom Riddle and me." Harry replies, looking worried.
"I see. Well, you can speak Parseltongue, Harry. Why? Because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. If I'm not mistaken, Harry, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar." Dumbledore reveals, and the Darkmores look in shock.
"Surely, you don't mean…" Daniel mutters, looking at the boy.
"Voldemort transferred some of his powers… to me?" Harry mutters, amazed.
"Uh-huh. Not intentionally. But yes." Dumbledore agrees, nodding, returning to his desk chair.
"So, the Sorting Hat was right, I should be in Slytherin." He says, looking at the Headmaster.
"It's true, Harry. You possess many of the qualities that Voldemort himself prizes: Determination, resourcefulness, and, if I may so, a certain disregard for the rules," The elderly man muses, looking at the boy. "Why, then, did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?"
"Because I asked it to." Harry replies, glancing at the object on the end of the desk.
"Exactly, Harry, exactly." Dumbledore smiles. "Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices. If you want proof why you belong in Gryffindor, then I suggest you look more closely," He picks up the sword, "at this." Harry takes the sword off the desk and glances at the blood-covered blade. "Be careful." Jayla looks at it, too, seeing words at the top by the hilt. Godric Gryffindor.
"Godric Gryffindor." Jayla mutters, seeing the words engraved into the top of the blade by the hilt. "Is it really his?"
"Indeed. It would take a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the Hat." Dumbledore informs them, making the students glance back at him.
"Least it wasn't a rabbit. Your brother would have a laugh." Daniel mutters, making the young Heiress giggle when the office door opens, and they all turn around to see Lucius Malfoy step into the room; standing behind him is Dobby, who quivers next to his Master's feet.
"Dobby!" Harry exclaims, seeing the House-elf. "So this is your Master. The family you serve is the Malfoys."
"He's the House-elf that kept warning you?" Jayla whispers and looks at the poor Magical being, nervously looking at Harry.
"Yeah." Harry whispers, his eyes never leaving the poor House-elf.
"Mm-hmm." Dobby nods, glancing up at Lucius fearfully.
"I'll deal with you later," Lucius says through clenched teeth, making Dobby cower and whimper. The cold Wizard pulls out his walking stick, walking toward Dumbledore's desk with Dobby following, and as he walks up the steps, he coldly uses the stick to push the children aside. Daniel glares at his brother-in-law, keeping the children in his arms. "Out of my way, Potter. So…" Lucius sneers, looking at the Headmaster. "... it's true. You have returned."
"When the governors learned that Arthur Weasley's daughter was taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back." Dumbledore replies calmly.
"Ridiculous!" He snaps angrily.
"Curiously, Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their families if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place." The Headmaster accuses faintly, and Harry frowns, remembering Jayla mentioning that her mother was one of the school's governors.
"How dare you!" Lucius growls.
"Silence, Lucius," Daniel sneers at him.
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore questions, looking at the man.
"My sole concern has always been, and will always be, the welfare of this school and, of course, its students." Lucius replies, glancing at Harry and his niece, then turns back to Dumbledore. "The culprit has been identified, I presume."
"Oh, yes." He answers, staring at his former student.
"And? Who was it?" Malfoy demands, feigning curiosity.
"Voldemort," The Headmaster answers after a dramatic pause.
"Ah," Lucius nods.
"Only this time, he chose to act through somebody else by means of this." Dumbledore informs him, holding up Riddle's diary.
"I see." He replies, and Dobby pulls on Harry's sleeve, looking straight at the diary and then at his Master.
"Fortunately, our young Mr Potter discovered it. One hopes that no more of Voldemort's old-school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be… severe." The Headmaster informs the man, looking at him, and Lucius stares at Harry.
"Well… let us hope Mr Potter will always be around… to save the day…." Malfoy sneers.
"Don't worry, he will be, uncle." Jayla replies, staring at him from the safety of her father's arms.
"Dumbledore." Lucius nods to him. "Come, Dobby, we're leaving." The House-elf walks away and growing angry at the poor Magical being, Lucius kicks him down the stairs across the room, Dobby gets to his feet fearfully, and Lucius uses his cane to move the House-elf further out of the office. Harry and Jayla watch them with pity for the poor, mistreated House-elf, and the boy gets an idea.
"Sir…" Harry questions, turning to Dumbledore and placing the sword on the desk. "I would if I could have that." He gestures to Riddle's diary on the table.
"I don't see why." Daniel agrees. "But I will need it back."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Harry runs out of Dumbledores, catching up with Lucius in the Gargoyle Corridor and sees him storming away. "Mr Malfoy! Mr Malfoy!" Harry calls out to him, and Lucius turns around to face him. "I have something of yours." He hands him the diary.
"Mine?" Lucius questions, taking it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do, sir. I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron that day at Diagon Alley." He accuses the man.
"You do, do you?" Malfoy questions, passing the diary to Dobby, leaning into Harry, unaware someone is watching them. "Why don't you… prove it?" Harry doesn't say anything. "Come, Dobby." he walks away again.
"Open it," Potter whispers to the House-elf, and Dobby opens Riddle's diary, revealing a sock in the middle.
"Master has given Dobby a sock." Dobby marvels in a quiet voice of shock.
"Dobby!" Lucius shouts, ordering the poor being.
"Master has given Dobby a sock," He says louder, making Lucius stop, turning around.
"What? I didn't give you a…." Malfoy snaps and sees the item of clothing in Dobby's hand.
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is free!" Dobby beams loudly, and Harry lifts his trouser leg, revealing his bare ankle.
"YOU LOST ME MY SERVANT!" Lucius sneers and pulls his wand out of his cane, beginning to stomp threateningly toward Harry.
"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby says, stepping in front of the boy.
"Avada-" Lucius sneers, raising his wand, and Dobby hits his former Master with a spell, sending him flying across the hallway on his back. He roughly gets to his feet and stares at the ravenette. "Your parents were meddlesome fools too." He points at the boy. "You mark my words, Potter… one day soon, you are going to meet the same sticky end!" Lucius straightens up his jacket and storms away, turning the corner and coming face to face with three Aurors. "Ah.…"
"Harry Potter freed Dobby! How can Dobby ever repay him?" Dobby asks, both unaware of what is happening around the corner.
"Just promise me something." Harry tells him, smiling down at the House-elf.
"Anything, sir." He replies, nodding.
"Never try to save my life again," He orders him lightly, and Dobby gazes up at him with an admiring smile.
"Dobby!" Jayla shouts, running towards them.
"Miss Darkmore!" Dobby smiles at the girl.
"Dad said Flora wants to see you." She informs the House-elf.
"Oh! Dobby will go to Flora right away!" He smiles back at her.
"Good. Mum is looking forward to seeing you again." The young Heiress replies, and the Magical being clicks his fingers, disappearing.
"Where's he going?" Harry asks her, looking at Jayla.
"To the Darkmore Manor. Flora is our dear House-elf." Jayla replies.
"You have a House-elf?" He frowns.
"Course. Flora left the Malfoy Manor with Mum when she escaped to America and met my Dad." She explains.
"I see." The ravenette smiles.
"Flora's been a free elf since way before I was born, but she hates to leave. She loves Mum." The young Heiress adds. "Come on, we should get back to the Common Room. I want to get out of these clothes."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
The feast is much more special than any other the students had seen as everyone is in their pyjamas, celebrating well into the night. Harry, Ron and Jayla also come in their sleepwear, sitting at the Gryffindor table when Nearly Headless Nick returns, floating along the row between the tables in the Great Hall. "Welcome back, Sir Nicholas!" Angelina yells, happy to see the friendly ghost back.
"Thank you." He replies.
"Good evening, Sir Nicholas." Lavender exclaims.
"Good evening." Sir Nicholas beams back at her,
"Good to see you, Sir Nicholas," Bem shouts across the table,
"Thank you," The Gryffindor ghost smiles, glancing at another pair of students that walk into the room. "Hello." He greets them and reaches the doors, passing Filch, who is just happy to have his dear Mrs Norris back in his arms, and Hermione walks in, fully unpetrified. "Hermione! Welcome back."
"Thanks, Sir Nicholas." Hermione replies, and he floats away as she turns her attention to the Gryffindor table. Neville talks to Harry, Ron and Jayla when he glances at the entrance, spotting Hermione.
"Harry, it's Hermione." Neville announces, making them turn to the doorway to see their friend standing there, and they greet her with beaming smiles as Ginny also turns to see her. Hermione, overcome with joy, runs towards them with a beaming smile, and Jayla jumps from her seat, running in her slips toward her best friend.
"You solved it! You solved it!" Hermione screams, hugging the young Heiress the longest, turning to Harry and Ron, with Jayla clinging to her. Ron briefly smiles at the bushy-haired brunette with what may look like a loving look on his face for a second.
"Uh, uh…" Ron chuckles, clearing his throat before he and Hermione shake hands though Harry gets a hug. "We-Welcome back, Hermione."
"It's good to be back. Congratulations." She replies. "I can't believe you solved it."
"Well, we had loads of help from you," Harry says, and Ron nods, smiling at Hermione and sees her glancing over and follows, seeing her looking at Draco, but doesn't comment for now. "We couldn't have done it without you."
"Thanks." The bushy-haired brunette girl grins, and they sit at their table, chatting and even Justin hurries over from the Hufflepuff table to Harry, apologising endlessly for suspecting him.
Soon Professor McGonagall clinks her glass and gains everyone's attention, silencing the Great Hall.
"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall announces, and everyone looks over, seeing their Headmaster stands.
"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout, Madam Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been Petrified," Dumbledore announces. Everyone applauds apart from a few Slytherins, though even Draco seems to have changed as he claps lightly, surprising some. "Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled." The Hall breaks into cheers and applause, except for Hermione.
"Oh, no!" Hermione cries, being the only student in Hogwarts that is disappointed. Before he sits down, Dumbledore informs the students that Professor Lockhart can unfortunately not return next year because he needs to go away and get his memories back. Even some of the teachers join in cheering at the great news.
"Shame," Ron mutters, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me."
"Yeah, like fungus." Jayla jokes, making some students laugh when they hear her. And Jayla, Harry and Ron receive four hundred points for Gryffindor, securing the House Cup for the second year running, making their Housemates shout with joy.
The best part is yet to come when the Headmaster sits in his chair and smiles at Professor McGonagall when the doors to the Great Hall burst open to reveal Hagrid walking inside. "Sorry, I'm late." Hagrid apologises bashfully, and seeing him, the Golden Quartet look at him in amazement and the other students. "The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol." Ron looks wide-eyed in surprise as he and Hermione glance at Dumbledore while Harry looks at the Groundskeeper, and Jayla giggles under her breath. Dumbledore nods, smiling at Ron, and they turn back at Hagrid as he walks right up to the Gryffindor table. The Golden Quartet shift, facing him, happy to see Hagrid again in Hogwarts. "And I'd just like to say that if it hadn't been for you, Harry… Jayla… and Ron… and Hermione, of course… I would, uh… I'd still be you-know-where, so I'd… I'd just like to say thanks." Hagrid chuckles, and Harry glances at his friend, who smiles before standing up.
"There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Harry declares, making the half-giant chuckle, and the boy embraces Hagrid as the others watch, smiling. Dumbledore stands, beginning to clap, and McGonagall joins, making Hagrid look up at them as Harry joins, leading Ron, Jayla and Hermione. Eventually, everyone in the Hall joins in as well. Seamus whistles, and Dean cheers, while Colin snaps pictures happily behind Harry and Hermione, wiping them away and even Hagrid tears up, happily glancing at Dumbledore.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
The rest of the final term passes in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts is back to normal with a few minor differences - Defence Against the Dark Arts classes are cancelled. "But we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron comments to a disgruntled Hermione. News broke out that Lucius Malfoy was sacked as a school governor and arrested for almost performing the Killing Curse on Harry and his rather large collection of banned and illegal contraband in a hidden room under the Malfoy Manor. Draco no longer struts around the school as if he owns the place. On the contrary, he looks resentful and sulky but peaceful. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley is thrilled again.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Too soon, it's time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Jayla, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny get themselves a compartment. They make the most of the last few hours, where they can do Magic before the holidays. They play Exploding Snap, setting off the last of the twins' Filibuster fireworks and practising disarming each other with Magic. Harry is getting very good at it. They are almost at King's Cross when Harry remembers something. "Ginny - what did you see Percy doing that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" He asks her.
"Oh, that," Ginny giggles. "Well, - Percy's got a girlfriend." In shock, Fred drops a stack of books on George's head, making his brother shout.
"What?" Fred asks as George rubs his sore head.
"It's Penny. Penelope Clearwater, She's Ravenclaw's Prefect." Jayla answers, not looking up from her book.
"Yeah. That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know - attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" She adds anxiously.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Fred replies, looking like all his birthdays have come early.
"Definitely not," George sniggers.
"How'd you know?" Hermione asks, looking at her best friend.
"Penny's cat, Pearl told me." Jayla answers, shrugging, and the Hogwarts Express slows, finally stopping at Platform 9 ¾. Harry quickly pulls out his quill and a bit of parchment before turning to Ron, Hermione and Jayla.
"This is called a telephone number." Harry informs the Purebloods, scribbling it three times, tearing the parchments in three, and handing it to them. "I told your Dad how to use a telephone last summer - he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" Hermione asks him as they step off the train and joins the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"
"Proud?" Harry laughs. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious…."
"Well… I'll try and call you from America." Jayla remarks, looking at her friends.
"You're going to America?" Ron asks her.
"Yeah. We're visiting my grandparents. Draco's coming too." She informs them. "Aunt Cissa agreed. Get him away from all that trouble at home."
"Merlin. Imagine being with Malfoy all summer." Ron groans, making Harry laugh.
And together, they walk back through the gateway to the Muggle World.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑵
Sometime later. A new book arrives in the Flourish and Blotts' windows with Gilderoy Lockhart titled "Who Am I?" with the famous fraud Wizard on the cover wearing a straitjacket and a ling on his right arm and mumbling to himself.
