"Harry, slow down just a minute," Lupin said, jogging lightly to keep up with Harry. "We need to talk this through."

"No time," Harry called back over his shoulder. "Dahlia's been taken by the monster, and we need to rescue her."

"Was this another vision?" Lupin asked, sounding exasperated. "You know you can't always trust those—"

Harry rounded on Lupin, frustrated by their slow progress. "It wasn't a vision," he retorted. "McGonagall just told me. She summoned my parents to the school, and she's preparing to tell them she's dead."

Lupin's face paled at this revelation. "Dahlia's been taken?" he asked quietly.

"Haven't I just said that?" Harry groaned. "C'mon, we need to get there before it's too late!"

Lupin continued to pry Harry for information as they rushed through the castle. Harry did his best to ignore the man, knowing that time was of the essence. He was fairly certain he knew where the entrance to the Chamber was, but if he was wrong, or it required an extensive search, he wasn't about to waste a second.

Harry skidded around a corner into Central Hall, which appeared deserted. He veered left, towards the corridor that led to the potions classroom and the dungeons—

"Harry!" a voice called out from across the Hall; Neville was rushing towards them. "Have you seen Hermione?"

"Hospital Wing, I reckon," Harry said breathlessly, moving to step past him. "Sorry, Neville, but we're in a hurry—"

"That's just it, she's not in there!" Neville protested. "Madam Pomfrey said she checked out last night."

"Last night?" Harry frowned. "But I didn't see her in the common room, and she wasn't in class today…"

"That's the thing!" said Neville exasperatedly. "I've asked everyone in Ravenclaw, and nobody's seen her since yesterday! I think something happened to her!"

Harry frowned. "Maybe her parents came to pick her up," he offered. "Lots of students have left term early."

"Muggles, coming to Hogwarts?" Neville asked. "And does Hermione strike you as someone who would voluntarily skip a final exam?"

That was rather unlike Hermione, Harry thought. She hadn't been herself for months, really, but Harry figured that was due to Ron's attack earlier in the year.

But what if there was another reason she was acting strange? What if there was an outside influence acting upon her, causing her to behave irrationally and shun her friends?

"Neville," asked Harry carefully, "has Hermione been avoiding you this year too, or is it just me?"

"We've barely hung out in weeks!" said Neville. "She always says she has to study or do homework, and when I try to join her in the library, she says she needs to concentrate!"

A few more puzzle pieces were falling into place in Harry's head. Dahlia had disposed of the diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom...the same place Hermione had been brewing Polyjuice Potion earlier that year. What if she'd found it? What if she'd begun writing to Tom and having her mind infected by his evil influence without realizing it?

But why hadn't she turned it in, after Harry specifically warned her about the diary? Why had she continued to write in it after one of her own best friends was attacked? Harry was still missing a crucial piece, and could not make heads or tails of what Tom Riddle's motive was in this timeline.

"Listen, Neville," said Lupin patiently. "Go back to your common room and wait for word from the Headmistress. It's dangerous to be roaming the halls right now—"

"Actually, maybe Neville should come with us," Harry interrupted.

"Absolutely not," Lupin said flatly.

"He's a Parselmouth," Harry reasoned. "We might need him to get into the Chamber. Besides, I think Hermione might be in there too."

"What?!" Neville yelped. "How could you know that?"

"Just a hunch," Harry shrugged. "But we need to go now."

"Well, if Hermione's in danger, I'm coming," Neville said adamantly.

"I cannot let two students risk their lives like this!" Lupin protested.

"We're going with or without you," Harry retorted. "You can come and protect us, or stay behind if you like."

"Or I can Stun you both and handle this myself," Lupin growled warningly.

"With what?" Harry asked, twiddling Lupin's wand in his free hand. Lupin patted his robes pocket frantically, having failed to notice Harry nick it when he wasn't paying attention. He lunged for the wand, but Harry's Shield Charm prevented him from approaching closer.

"Harry James Potter!" Lupin shouted angrily. "You are walking a very thin line right now!"

"I'll apologize when my sister is safe and sound," said Harry, pocketing Lupin's wand. "You can have this back when we get to the Chamber. Now, are you coming or not?" And he turned to stride down the hallway, already feeling they'd wasted too much time. He heard Lupin muttering angrily to himself as he followed, with Neville close behind.

Harry located the correct bathroom and pushed it open. It was empty, which was no surprise; the toilets were all out of order, and the pipes were making loud, ominous groaning noises that would frighten most girls away if they entered by mistake.

"It has to be somewhere in here," Harry announced. "Everyone look for a carving of a snake, maybe on a sink or a toilet."

The three began searching. Harry started at the sinks, where the previous Chamber entrance had been, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He joined Lupin at the toilet stalls, even getting on hands and knees in the filthy puddles to check every nook and cranny. But a few minutes later, the three reconvened at the center, having discovered nothing.

"No carvings," Lupin sighed. "You sure this is the right place, Harry?"

"It has to be," said Harry, fighting a growing feeling of panic that he'd been wrong again. "We should look again..."

"Wait," Neville muttered. "D'you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Harry, frowning.

"That whispering," said Neville. "Like someone's trying to say something."

Harry strained his ears to listen. Aside from the faint clanging and hissing of pipes in the walls, he couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary.

Lupin also appeared perplexed. "Neville, I have sensitive hearing due to my...condition," he said. "I don't hear any whispering."

"But I swear I hear something!" Neville insisted, shuffling towards one corner of the bathroom. "I can't quite make it out...it's saying something about 'the Hogwarts four'…"

Harry felt a jolt of anticipation at this. Of course he and Lupin couldn't hear it, nor any Auror who had searched this room...none of them could speak Parseltongue! He watched eagerly as Neville placed his ear to the wall, frowning.

"It's saying 'greatest of the Hogwarts four'," Neville muttered. "Over and over. What does that mean?"

"No one's saying anything, Neville," Lupin said exasperatedly, but Harry ignored him.

"It must be a password," he said excitedly. "Try talking back to it. Say, 'Salazar Slytherin' in Parseltongue."

"But...but I can't reproduce it unless there's a snake!" Neville cringed.

Harry groaned and drew his wand. "Serpensortia!" A large snake burst from the tip of his wand, slithering menacingly towards Neville. The boy squeaked in fright momentarily, then gave a strangled sort of hissing noise, and the snake paused, looking up at him expectantly.

"There's your snake," Harry said. "Now, say it!"

Neville gulped and nodded. He turned to the snake and gave a high, rattling hiss. The effect was immediate: the bricks in the wall began to shift and move aside, creating a passageway that wasn't there moments before.

Harry Vanished the snake and moved forward beside Neville to look through the dark opening. As he expected, it revealed an exposed pipe stretching downward to infinity – the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Right; this is it," Harry announced. "Everyone ready?"

Lupin pulled Harry and Neville towards him, looking desperately anguished. "Boys, please," he said in a strained voice. "Let me handle this. It's far too dangerous...you two go and fetch McGonagall, and I'll take care of this—"

"No chance," Harry said firmly. "Dahlia's down there, and Hermione might be too."

"You'll need a Parselmouth to get in farther, I bet," Neville said, also sounding resolute. "We're coming, and that's that."

Lupin swallowed hard, but nodded. "Can I at least have my wand back?" he asked in exasperation. Harry nodded and pulled Lupin's wand out of his robes and tossed it to him. Lupin eyed them for a moment, and Harry prepared to defend himself if he did indeed try to Stun them and go on alone.

Instead, Lupin flourished his wand and muttered, "Expecto Patronum." A silver wolf bounded from its tip and turned towards him expectantly, awaiting orders. "Go to Dumbledore," Lupin instructed the wolf. "Tell him we've located the Chamber entrance in the girls' bathroom above the potions classroom, and Harry, Neville and I are going in. Send backup when you can."

The wolf said nothing in response, but turned and leapt through the nearest wall, disappearing from sight.

"Will Dumbledore be able to get to us?" Neville asked uncertainly.

"Well, he's not Headmaster anymore, so the wards won't accept him as easily," Lupin muttered. "But this is Dumbledore we're talking about...he'll find a way."

"I'm not waiting around for him," Harry announced, turning to the Chamber entrance. "I recommend a Cushioning Charm; the landing won't be pretty."

"Harry, wait—!" Lupin said, reaching out to try and stop the boy, but Harry had already jumped. The long, slimy slide was bumpier than he remembered (perhaps due to the change of location from his last timeline), and he was grateful he'd thought of the Cushioning Charm. He was spit out into the antechamber moments later, stumbling to his feet and gathering his bearings. So far, everything was as he remembered it.

Lupin and Neville arrived moments later, similarly picking themselves up and gazing around the space. "Blimey, is that...?" Neville breathed, pointing at a massive snakeskin.

"Must've been shed by the basilisk," Harry muttered. "C'mon, let's go."

"Not so fast," Lupin said firmly, turning towards the two boys. "Let's establish a few ground rules. If I tell you boys to close your eyes, you do so at once. If I tell you to run and save yourselves, you run. I will not have you risk your own safety playing hero."

"How are we going to kill the basilisk if we can't look at it?" Neville asked uncertainly.

"We could transfigure a rooster," Harry offered confidently. But to his dismay, Lupin shook his head.

"Won't work," he said. "A transfigured rooster is not a rooster, and while it can mimic its crow, it will not harm the basilisk. Their scales are resistant to most curses, and their only weak point is inside its mouth. If you come across it, try to distract it with concussive charms, and I'll find a way to kill it."

Harry felt incredibly unprepared for the coming fight, even moreso than the last time. He'd been rescued by Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which appeared to be forthcoming. And even if he had thought to bring the Hat, neither he nor Neville were Gryffindors and could therefore not summon the Sword to kill the snake. At least they had Lupin, who seemed to have a plan, and that gave Harry enough confidence to push forward.

They arrived at the heavy stone door marking the entrance to Slytherin's Chamber. "I think this is your cue, Neville," Harry muttered.

Neville nodded and stepped forward, running his hand along the head of the stone snake carving. He gave a low hiss that Harry knew could only mean, "Open." There were low clunks in the wall as the snake head traveled along the edge of the door, and when it reached the other side, it swung forward, granting them entrance. Lupin led the way, and Harry stood strong alongside a trembling Neville to try and reassure the boy.

The Chamber was just as Harry remembered it from his previous timeline. Stone serpent statues lined the corridor ahead, with a giant bust of Salazar Slytherin's head on the opposite wall. There was a small bundle of robes off to one side, and Harry knew at once what – or who – it was. He rushed forward ahead of Lupin, ignoring his cries of protest, dropping to his knees beside his unconscious sister.

"Dahlia!" he said, staring at her pale face in dismay. "Dahlia, wake up!"

"She won't wake," a cool voice said from nearby.

"Harry, look out!" Lupin said in warning. Harry heard a rush of spellfire behind him, followed by a loud bang; Harry wheeled around to see Lupin being blasted backwards, landing unconscious in a heap nearby. His wand was soaring through the air, and Harry followed its trajectory towards the same voice he'd heard earlier. The apparition of Tom Riddle, in his sixteen years old form, stood leering at him, stroking Dahlia's wand delicately.

"You're Tom Riddle!" Neville gasped, pointing his finger accusingly at the apparition. "I saw your photograph in the Trophy Room."

"In the flesh...or soon to be, anyway," Tom grinned, giving a small half-bow. "And who might you two be?"

"Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter," Neville announced boldly.

"Is that so?" said Tom, arching an eyebrow. "How curious...the two boys I was most hoping to meet."

"Why us?" asked Harry, frowning.

"Young Dahlia here couldn't stop fawning over you, Neville," said Tom, a grimace crossing his face. "Quite irritating, really, enduring the love-struck whims of a little girl. But I was most intrigued by your story, which I painstakingly pieced together through her ramblings. An ordinary boy who managed to destroy an all-powerful Dark Lord as a baby? It defied all logic."

"And I'll do it again!" Neville snarled defiantly. "I know who you are, Tom Riddle, and I won't let you get away with this."

"How quaint," Tom sneered at him. "Sadly, the more I learned about you, Neville, the less impressed I became. But Dahlia's attention quickly shifted away from you and toward another. Her own irritating, yet surprisingly adept brother."

"Me?" asked Harry.

"You seemed much more the type than Neville to take on a Dark Lord," said Tom. "Naturally gifted, separate from your peers, terrifyingly adept at magic most Hogwarts students wouldn't dream of attempting. You remind me an awful lot of myself at your age."

"I'm nothing like you, Riddle," Harry spat. "I'm no monster."

"Every person contains multitudes, Harry Potter," Tom grinned menacingly. "All of the ingredients are there: intelligence, ambition, talent. Miss Granger here was awfully jealous of all those things she felt she lacked in comparison."

Tom gestured to his left, and Harry realized with a jolt that there was another presence in the room. Hermione was off to one side of the Chamber, levitating a few feet off the ground, encased in a shimmering purple shield. Her eyes were ominously blank, and she held the diary open in front of her. Occasional sparks of light jumped off of Dahlia's prone form and into the diary, and Harry understood...Tom was slowly sucking her life force out and using it to regain his human form.

"What's Hermione got to do with any of this?" Neville demanded. "Let her go!"

"She found my diary after Dahlia attempted to dispose of it," Tom explained. "She was very open about her intentions, you see: she knew my true nature and intended to turn me in."

"So why didn't she?" asked Harry.

"I convinced her not to," Tom grinned. "I can be very persuasive in that way. Hermione's curiosity got the better of her, and she decided – on my recommendation – to grill me for information before handing me over to the authorities. I was all too happy to share my own story with her, knowing that with each passing moment, she was falling more and more under my spell."

"But she must have known she was responsible for Ron and Daphne's attacks," Neville muttered. "Why did she let it continue?"

"Because she was too busy being fixated on one person," said Tom. "One student in her class with a maddening tendency to one-up her at every turn. To my delight, it was the very same person Dahlia was so irked by."

"Me," Harry realized.

"It was easy to turn her against you," Tom sneered. "To possess her to do my bidding, and target the people closest to you."

"Why would you do that?" Harry demanded.

"Because friends make you weak!" Tom snarled. "Friends can only hold you back, Harry Potter. You could be great, you know, if you turned your back on such foolish relationships and dedicated yourself to the power of magic. I will make you my apprentice, as soon as I have my full strength back. I will show you how to become powerful, and you will be my greatest asset as I take over Britain and rule it with an iron fist."

"I'd sooner die than join you," Harry said, glaring daggers at Tom. "And you will pay for what you've done to my friends and family."

"We shall see," Tom grinned. He then turned his attention to the unconscious form of Lupin on the ground. "Who is your adult friend here, by the way?"

"Professor Remus Lupin," said Neville proudly. "The greatest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had."

"Unlikely," Tom scoffed. "He is a lycanthrope, is he not? He possesses many of the physical traits common among their breed."

"So what if he is?" Harry demanded.

"I've studied his kind, you know," Tom smiled. "Salazar was quite fascinated by their...condition, and wrote extensively of his theories and findings in his personal journals. I've always hoped to witness a transformation firsthand."

"Well, unfortunately for you, it isn't full moon for another week," said Harry confidently. He had memorized the lunar schedule ever since Lupin joined the staff, eager to avoid another incident like his third year in the last timeline.

"Shame," Tom said, though Harry saw a devious glint in his eye that sent a shiver down his spine. "Although I did come across a particularly clever spell in one of Slytherin's journals. Why not give it a try?"

Tom pointed Dahlia's wand at Lupin, and the man sputtered awake, eyes darting to and fro as he remained pinned to the ground. "Harry? Neville?" he asked uncertainly. "What's happening?"

"Just stay put, half-breed," Tom grinned maliciously. "This will only take a second."

Tom twirled his wand overhead, and dark clouds began to form in the air above them, similar to the thunderstorm charm Harry had used against Fred Weasley in their duel. But it did not appear menacing to Harry – the clouds were drifting lazily through the air, not threatening to strike them down with lightning or even rain.

"Is this supposed to frighten us?" Harry scoffed aloud. But when he turned towards Lupin, he saw with horror that the man was staring up at the clouds with a terrified expression in his eyes.

"Harry, Neville," said Lupin gravely. "Grab Dahlia and run. Now."

"Professor—?" asked Neville uncertainly. But Harry suddenly understood. The clouds were now parting to reveal a perfectly-round, shimmering moon. And Lupin was beginning to tremble and shake uncontrollably. His monthly transformation was about to come a week early.

"Neville, we need to go," said Harry urgently, tugging on the boy's sleeve.

"Go?" Tom laughed mirthlessly. "But we're just getting this party started! In fact, I'd say there's one more guest we should invite…"

Harry did not wait for Tom's next move, rushing forward to scoop his sister up in his arms and lug her over his shoulder. He was already turned away from Tom and running as fast as he could towards the exit. He could no longer understand the Parseltongue that came from Tom's mouth, but his vivid memories of the day carried the message across perfectly clearly:

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four!"

The stone mouth of Slytherin's massive bust was opening. Now Harry heard footsteps behind him as Neville, too, began to run away. There was a cacophony of noise behind them as Harry heard the massive basilisk slithering out from his hiding place, overlaid with Tom's ominous hissing and Lupin's anguished howls of transformation. Three separate threats Harry and Neville didn't have a hope of fighting alone, much less at the same time.

They skidded around a corner and found themselves back at the heavy stone door, which had sealed itself shut again. "Hurry, Neville, open it!" Harry said, beginning to panic.

Neville gave a strangled sort of hiss at the door, but it sounded nothing like his command to open it earlier. "I c-can't do it!" Neville said, dismayed. "What do we do?"

Harry scanned their surroundings. There was a small offshoot to their left – some kind of water drainage system, blocked off by a grate. Harry handed Dahlia over to Neville and drew his wand, swiping at the grate and ripping it off its hinges.

"Come on!" he said urgently, grabbing Neville's arm and dragging him towards the passageway. He could hear something sliding along the smooth stone floor behind them, and didn't dare look back to see how close the basilisk was….

The passageway was too small for them to run quickly through, forcing both boys to duck low. Harry guided them down the winding path, which branched off in many different directions. He had no rhyme or reason to his movements – he just wanted to put as much distance between himself and the basilisk as possible. Left, right, left again...straight ahead...another right—

Dead end. Their path was blocked by another grate. Harry raised his wand to destroy the blockage, but realized it was fruitless: the passageway dipped sharply downwards into the murky water, leaving them with nowhere to go.

"What do we do?" Neville panted. Behind them, Harry could hear the basilisk approaching – they couldn't go back the way they came. They were well and truly trapped.

In a move of desperation, Harry pulled Neville back towards the grate and twirled his wand. A solid brick wall appeared in front of them, blocking off the path from which they came. He and Neville crouched in between the two solid structures, catching their breath, the latter still clutching Dahlia in his trembling arms.

They listened with terror as the slithering of the basilisk slowed, and then stopped. Suddenly, there was a deafening crash, as the great snake launched itself at the brick wall, causing it to shudder and spray chunks of mortar upon them.

"It knows we're here!" Neville said in a panic. "What now?"

"Try talking to it!" said Harry. "Tell it to back off!"

Neville moved forward and hissed something in Parseltongue. There was a brief pause, an ominous hiss in return, followed by another crash as the snake resumed its assault.

"It says I'm not its master!" Neville said. "It wants us dead!"

"Let me think!" Harry said, slamming his eyes closed. Another boom indicated another strike by the snake, and judging by the cracks appearing along the wall, it wouldn't hold up forever.

Transfiguring a rooster would do them no good. Lupin had recommended concussive charms, which caused a deafening sonic boom, but that would harm himself and Neville just as much in these confined quarters. There was only one option Harry could think of, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Alright, here's the plan," Harry said, flinching unconsciously as the brick wall took another rattling hit. "On the count of three, I'm going to Vanish the wall. We're going to close our eyes and cast Cutting Charms at the snake."

"Are you mental?!" Neville gasped. "That thing's trying to eat us!"

"Exactly," said Harry. "You heard Lupin: the inside of its mouth is its weak point. If it lunges at us, we can hit it where it hurts."

Neville obviously didn't like this plan, but the next moment he had to duck as half a brick tore itself off the wall from another strike and barely missed his head. "Alright," he nodded resolutely, holding out his wand in his free hand, Dahlia still dangling lifelessly over his shoulder. "On your count."

"One," said Harry, aiming his wand. He had to try and time it so the snake struck just as the wall was removed, giving them their opening. "Two…"

But before he got to three, there was a loud roar from down the pipes. There was a moment's silence as even the basilisk paused to search for the source of the noise. Then the next moment, there was an angry hiss and a great thrashing sound from behind the wall, as the basilisk lurched and splashed violently around in the pipe.

"What's happening?" Neville asked.

"Lupin," Harry realized. "It's attacking the basilisk." He heard guttural roars of rage from the werewolf as he bumbled along through the narrow pipes after them. The sounds of struggle slowly moved away from them as the basilisk took off down the pipes away from its newfound assailant, the rumbling feet of the beast close behind it.

"Is Lupin safe in his werewolf form?" Neville wondered worriedly.

"More safe than in human form, I reckon," Harry thought. "We need to get out of here." He couldn't think about Lupin's safety at that moment, not with his sister still in mortal danger. He hated to think that something might happen to his surrogate uncle, but also knew Lupin would never forgive him for risking his own life to safe him, and Harry didn't know the first thing about fighting a werewolf or a basilisk head-on.

Harry Vanished the wall, and they could see ripples of water moving down the path the basilisk had taken away from them. They went in the opposite direction; Harry did his best to retrace his steps, and moments later they emerged out the same grate they'd gone into, the entrance of the Chamber just ahead of them.

"You take Dahlia and get her help," Harry instructed Neville. "I'm going back."

"What?!" Neville protested. "You heard Lupin; he said to run if he told us to!"

"Hermione's still in danger," Harry said firmly. "I have to make sure Tom doesn't kill her too."

Neville looked horrified by the thought, but he nodded firmly. "You're a better fighter than me, Harry," he said encouragingly. "I believe in you."

"Thanks," Harry muttered. He had no idea how he would stack up against a sixteen-year-old Voldemort, but something told him it wouldn't be a cakewalk. As Tom said earlier, Harry reminded him of himself, ahead of his peers and dedicated to getting stronger...only he was far more willing to delve into evil magicks Harry would never have pursued.

Harry turned back towards the main Chamber, and was horrified to hear sounds of intense struggle. There was loud splashing, angry hissing from the basilisk and guttural roars of rage from the werewolf. Harry averted his eyes, inching forward until he could not dare to move closer without seeing what lay ahead, crouched behind a serpentine pillar.

Then, he heard Tom's voice, shouting with rage: "NO! IGNORE THE WEREWOLF; BRING ME THE CHILDREN!"

Harry could not stay blind; he had to see what was happening. He inched around the pillar and peeked into the Chamber, well aware that it could be the last thing he ever did.

Hermione was still suspended in her protective bubble, and Tom was shouting at the corner, underneath the large bust of Salazar Slytherin. In his peripherals, Harry could see a writhing mass of fur, scales and limbs as the basilisk and the werewolf grappled ferociously with one another. Harry could not tell who was winning or losing, and he was afraid to look any closer lest he get an accidental glimpse of the basilisk's eyes.

So he shut his eyes once more and twirled his wand; a moment later, he heard a dull thud. "What is this?" Tom demanded. Harry strode forward into the Chamber, his newly-erected brick wall shielding the basilisk from view. Lupin would have to fend for himself...Harry had Tom to deal with now.

"You're very fortunate, Harry Potter," Tom sneered. "Salazar speculated that lupine aggression would not trigger against a serpentine foe, but it seems he was incorrect."

"He always overestimated snakes, didn't he?" Harry deadpanned. "Guess that makes two of you."

Tom slowly strode forward, Dahlia's wand held loosely in his right hand, head cocked slightly at Harry as he approached. It seemed as though Tom knew what Harry's intentions were, and almost expected and hoped for it.

"Dahlia has told me of your prowess on the dueling stage," Tom remarked. "Impressive, the way you embarrassed boys many years your elder."

"They underestimated me," Harry shrugged, keeping his own wand at the ready. "I suspect you won't do the same."

"I'm eager to see what you can do," Tom grinned, taking a defensive stance. "If you are to stand by my side in my new regime, I want to be sure you can handle yourself."

"I stand beside no one," Harry said coolly, taking up his own stance and mentally preparing himself for battle.

"Good answer," Tom nodded sagely. "But first, Harry...we bow."

Tom dipped his head low towards his opponent. Harry did not. He launched directly into his attack, using his newfound combination of Banishing Charm, Levicorpus, and Cutting Curse to fire three spells in quick succession. Tom reacted quickly, erecting a Shield Charm to tank the first spell then spinning neatly away from the other two. Harry expected him to react angrily to the breach in decorum, but Tom merely grinned wider.

"Very good, Harry," he appraised the boy. "Never be afraid to fight dirty in a fight to the death."

"Is that what this is, then?" Harry asked casually, tossing a few more lazy jinxes Tom's way to keep him on his toes.

"That depends," Tom shrugged, batting the incoming spells aside with an equally-lazy flick.

"On what?"

"On if you acquiesce," Tom smiled.

Tom hissed ominously in Parseltongue, and a writhing mass of serpents exploded from his wand. Harry's eyes widened as upwards of forty snakes made a beeline for him, fangs bared.

Harry unleashed a torrent of fire, sweeping across the snakes, which hissed and squealed angrily as they were burned alive. Then Harry summoned a miniature tornado to capture the fire, launching it at Tom, who merely smothered the flames in a cascade of dirt, the wind washing harmlessly over his semi-corporeal form.

"Disappointing," Tom clicked his tongue. "Elemental magic, Harry? The most basic and easily-neutered branch of magic?"

"Why don't you show me a branch that you think is better?" Harry retorted.

The devilish grin on Tom's face made Harry regret that request immediately. "With pleasure," Tom smiled.

Tom gave an incantation Harry did not recognize, and tendrils of black smoke shot out of his wand, branching out towards Harry. He erected a shield to intercept them, but the smoke passed through like it wasn't even there, forcing Harry to flatten himself to the ground to avoid them. But the tendrils abruptly changed direction, wrapping themselves around Harry's wrists and ankles and holding him aloft, completely exposed to Tom.

"There is no counter to Dark magic," Tom said gleefully as Harry struggled against his bonds. "I could kill you, Harry Potter, but I would much rather train you. The thought of you with an arsenal of Dark spells in battle? Oh, it excites me!"

Harry let Tom ramble on, focusing on the smoke holding him captive. He had never encountered such magic in textbooks, but there had to be recognizable magic at play, similar to a Binding Curse. The smoke was foreign to him, but perhaps it wasn't smoke at all...it was only a manifestation, a visual representation of the magic constituting the spell.

Is this illusory magic? Harry wondered. He'd delved briefly into the branch earlier that year, and was fascinated by its flexible nature. It could be combined with other magical effects, like the binds that held Harry in place despite no physical object doing so. A standard counter-curse would not be able to neutralize it.

Maybe it can be Transfigured? Harry wondered. He painstakingly twisted his wrist to aim his wand at the smoke, attempting to turn it to water, ice, wind, or whatever else he could think of, but nothing worked. Maybe the state of the smoke itself can be altered, Harry reasoned. Smoke was not solid enough to grab onto him the way it was, so what if its temperature could be altered to change states of matter?

Harry focused his attention on heating up the smoke. If the bonds holding him in place were theoretically solid, he just had to turn them back into gas. He gritted his teeth as his wrists and ankles began to burn from the rapidly-heating smoke – it was working. Then, just as the pain was getting to be unbearable, the smoke burst apart, dissipating into the air as Harry tumbled to the ground, rubbing his raw-red wounds.

"How did you do that?" Tom demanded. "There is no counter-curse to that spell!"

"All magic obeys Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Harry grinned, stumbling back to his feet. "Or didn't you pay attention in Dumbledore's classes?"

Tom's cool veneer was starting to crack. "I could have killed you many times over by now," he scowled, pointing a wand threateningly at Harry. "Enough games, Potter: surrender now, or be destroyed."

"I will not," Harry said defiantly.

Tom opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a high, keening squeal of rage and pain. There was a great ripping sound from beyond Harry's conjured wall, where the basilisk and Lupin had been fighting.

Tom swiped his wand to Vanish Harry's wall, revealing the scene to both him and Harry. The basilisk was bleeding profusely from several deep wounds, writhing in agony. Lupin's jaws were sunk into the basilisk's neck, and to Harry's horror, the basilisk's own fangs were sunk into the werewolf's shoulder. Both lay in each other's clutches, doing their best to extinguish the life of the other, and it appeared that both were succeeding.

"No!" Tom screamed, and he turned to Harry with an almost inhuman expression of pure rage. Harry steeled himself, knowing Tom would no longer hold back.

Tom launched into a flurry of rapid-fire curses and hexes, each of which Harry was sure would either kill him slowly or cause him excruciating pain (likely both). He Shielded, ducked and dodged each of them, careful not to let himself panic or over-exert himself.

Harry waited for an opening, then responded with an offensive salvo of his own. He tried every trick he knew to catch Tom off-guard, mixing in the occasional transfiguration or illusory spell to mix up the attack, but Tom delicately danced around his every best effort. It was clear that Tom was far above the skill level of a sixth-year, and likely already rivaled most adults in terms of power.

"You have talent, Potter, but you lack diversity," Tom panted. "You are becoming predictable."

"I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve," Harry fired back. But in truth, Tom was right: he was running out of ideas fast, and his limited spell knowledge was starting to reflect in the repeated spells he fired Tom's way.

"Why put yourself through this?" Tom asked. "Why fight on, knowing you have no chance at victory?"

"Because my friends and family are in danger," said Harry, dropping to all fours to avoid a particularly nasty Blood-Boiling Curse. "And I won't let you hurt any more of them."

"Your attachment to your loved ones makes you weak, Harry," Tom snarled. "You must discard such frivolous relationships to become strong."

"Those relationships make me more powerful than you can imagine," Harry shot back. "You'll never understand that, Riddle."

"Won't I?" Tom sneered. "You think you can save everyone? I'll show you just how wrong you are."

Tom fired a powerful Blasting Curse at Harry, which he blocked effortlessly with a Shield Charm. Was that his whole plan? Harry thought with a chuckle. But Tom's plan became clear at once, and Harry's heart stopped when he saw Tom pointing his wand not at him, but at Hermione.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the jet of green light erupted from Dahlia's wand and rocketed across the Chamber towards Hermione. She was still in a trance, standing stock-still holding the diary, unable to defend herself.

Harry acted without thinking. He swiped his wand upwards, gouging a chunk of solid stone out of the Chamber floor to intercept the spell. The jet of green light ricocheted off the rock, pinging harmlessly off the ceiling. Harry exhaled sharply with relief at seeing Hermione safe.

But the next moment, he was launched backwards with great force by a Banishing Charm. Harry smacked into the opposite wall and saw stars, collapsing to all fours as his wand clattered away out of reach.

"You see, Harry?" Tom leered, stalking over towards his defenseless opponent. "You must be willing to sacrifice others in order to save yourself. Your foolishness could have cost you your own life."

"There are worse things than dying," Harry panted, glaring defiantly up at Tom.

"It's over, Harry," Tom sighed, his wand trained upon Harry's heart. "Your sister is as good as dead, and soon so will be Hermione, Neville, and your werewolf friend. Surrender yourself now, and Lord Voldemort will show you mercy. I will train you to become stronger than all but myself, and you can rule at my side and never suffer such indignities again."

"Piss off, Riddle," Harry huffed, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva in Tom's direction. "As long as I am alive, I'll oppose you and your tyranny to the last breath."

Tom's expression turned icy at this remark, and his eyes glinted dangerously red. "Very well then, Harry Potter," he growled. "On your last breath be it." Harry closed his eyes as Tom raised his wand to deliver the killing blow.

But there was suddenly a blinding flash of light and fire, and a mighty rush of hot wind entered the chamber. Harry's eyes flew open to search for the disturbance, as did Tom, and Harry's heart soared when he saw Albus Dumbledore standing before them, Fawkes upon his shoulder, looking both majestic and terrifying.

"Dumbledore!" Tom snarled in anger.

"Good evening, Tom," Dumbledore greeted the apparition mildly. "I'm afraid this little outburst of yours has reached its terminus."

"You're too late, old man!" Tom sneered. "Dahlia's life force is nearly depleted as we speak, and I will shortly be back to my full strength to vanquish you once and for all!"

"Professor!" Harry shouted. "The diary! It has to be destroyed!" And he pointed towards Hermione, still floating in midair off to one side of the chamber, eyes blank as she held the diary open before her.

Tom's wand swiped through the air in a blur, but Dumbledore's was faster; Dahlia's wand clattered to the floor as Tom shouted in frustration. "Go, Fawkes," Dumbledore instructed his bird, and the phoenix took flight. Or rather, it burst into a blazing fireball and shot across the room, shattering the protective shield around Hermione and removing the diary from her grasp. A moment later Fawkes was back on Dumbledore's shoulder, and the former Headmaster was holding the diary in his hands.

"This is a remarkable Dark artifact you've crafted, Tom," Dumbledore mused. "I wondered how you managed to assert your presence in my castle despite your physical absence. You always were too clever for your own good."

"Cleverer than even you!" Tom sneered. "You cannot hope to destroy my diary with mere magic. I've ensured its indestructibility from even the most powerful of spells!"

"I do not need to destroy the diary, Tom," Dumbledore smiled. "Only your presence from within."

"What—?" Tom began, but Dumbledore had closed his eyes. Harry's neck hairs stood up on end as another rush of wind built up around Dumbledore, as the old man began to chant solemnly. Fawkes trilled a haunting melody on his shoulder, and shot out a puff of flame onto the diary, which burst into flames. But Dumbledore held onto it, seemingly unfazed by the heat, as Harry heard his incantation over Fawkes' cries:

"O phoenix flame, cleanser of impurities, purge this diary of its sins! Wash away the dark stain of evil and purify the unclean!"

"Stop!" Tom Riddle shouted, but it was too late. Black smoke erupted from the diary, and Tom gave an inhuman screech of pain, then he abruptly disappeared from view. A moment later, the phoenix flame subsided, leaving a wholly intact diary in Dumbledore's hands, smoking slightly but looking no worse for wear.

There was a small splash nearby as Hermione dropped from midair into a shallow puddle. Harry rushed over towards her, examining the girl for injuries as she blinked in confusion and fear. Once she saw Harry knelt beside her and realized what had happened, she burst into tears.

"Oh, Harry, I was so stupid!" she wailed, clutching onto him for dear life. "I was so jealous of you for being the teacher's favorite, and thought I could solve the mystery myself! I should have turned in the diary straight away, but I wanted to use Riddle to find the Chamber myself and take all the credit...oh, I'm such an idiot…"

"Do not blame yourself, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said solemnly, striding over towards them. "Greater witches and wizards than you have been fooled by Tom Riddle before. There is no shame in it."

"Sir – the basilisk," Harry said, pointing towards the mass of scales and fur in the corner. "Is it dead?"

Dumbledore strode over towards the tangled mass. He waved his wand, and the lifeless basilisk rose to the air, as Dumbledore levitated it across the Chamber and set it down out of view. "The snake is dead," he announced. "Professor Lupin is not faring so well either."

Harry rushed forward towards Lupin, who had transformed back into human form and was convulsing lightly on the ground. Harry gently turned him over to examine him; he was covered in blood and scratches, some no doubt self-inflicted, and to Harry's horror, he sported two vicious bite marks on his forearm. Blackness was rapidly spreading from the wound up his shoulder as the basilisk venom took hold – a virtual death sentence.

"We have to do something!" Harry shouted, turning desperately to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore knelt beside Lupin to examine the wound. He tilted his head towards Fawkes, who stared curiously down at Lupin's prone form. "Do what you can for him," Dumbledore muttered to the bird. Fawkes hopped down to the ground beside Lupin, lowering his head towards the bite mark. Silvery tears formed upon the phoenix's eyelids, dripping down its beak onto the wound, where it steamed slightly.

Harry watched with fascination as the tears soaked into the skin. Lupin's grunts of pain subsided to faint pants of exhaustion, his full-body convulsions slowing to faint twitches as the phoenix tears fought the toxins spreading throughout his body. Harry prayed that it wasn't too late, that the tears would save him before he succumbed to the venom….

Harry heard hurried footsteps approaching from across the Chamber, and turned to see Neville stumbling towards them, still clutching Dahlia in his arms. "Headmaster, Dahlia needs help!" he said. "I couldn't get her out...she's really weak..."

Harry ran over to help Neville lower Dahlia to the ground. His sister was extremely pale, eyes drifting in and out of focus as she moaned in obvious discomfort. Dumbledore looked from Lupin to Dahlia, brow furrowed in thought, then he straightened.

"They both need Saint Mungo's," he said, waving his wand once more; Dahlia levitated across the room towards Lupin, landing beside him, both stirring lightly from their ailments. "I will take them myself. Neville, Harry, will you please escort Miss Granger out the main entrance? Find Professor McGonagall and tell her I will be with you all shortly."

"Yes, sir," Neville said, and Harry nodded alongside him. Hermione shuffled uncertainly towards them, and Harry held out a hand to steady her.

Dumbledore nodded, then knelt beside Lupin and Dahlia, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Fawkes gave a final squawk as he spread his wings, engulfing all three in brilliant flame that forced Harry to shield his eyes. When the light dissipated and Harry turned back to the scene, they had disappeared, leaving him, Neville and Hermione alone in the Chamber.

A/N: I ended up splitting the Year 2 finale into two parts to give each moment time to breathe and not rush ahead. The ACTUAL end of the year is soon to come!