The end of the corridor was blocked by rocks, but they could hear Ron furiously shovelling on the other side. It could only be him, because he was cursing between every breath.

There had to be someone else too, because someone was humming from the same side of Ron. Like they were down by the lake.

"Harry?" Ron sounded strained, "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Is…" He stopped.

"Ginny's with me, Hazel too. They're okay."

Okay was very optimistic, but she hadn't the energy to say anything. There was a crunching sound from the other side. It sounded like Ron had collapsed against the rocks, "Thank god! I've nearly gotten through to you, hold on!"

He gave one huge heave, and a large boulder fell away to reveal him, caked in dust and sweat. He pushed his way through and gave Ginny a massive hug which she returned awkwardly.

"I thought," his voice broke, and he went quiet. He smiled awkwardly at Hazel, "I'm happy to see you too."
"Thanks, Ron," she smiled back.

"Bloody hell," He turned to Harry, "Where did that bird come from? Do you have a sword? And the Sorting Hat? And Riddle's Diary? What the bloody hell happened?"
"It's a long story," Harry sighed, "How's he doing?"

It took her a moment to work who 'he' was but when she peered through the opening Ron made, she saw him. Lockhart was sitting on a boulder, humming tunelessly to himself.

"I put him back there out of the way. He's a danger to himself at the minute, stupid git."

"Did he bring you down here?" Hazel asked. Had Lockhart actually followed her to the bathroom? Had the rescue operation been his idea?

Ron snorted, "Hardly. He tried to wipe me and Harry's memories. His stupid spell backfired on him. Hasn't a clue who he is."

"Oh hello," Lockhart beamed that smile, "Who are you?"
"No one important," she said.

"Oh dear," Lockhart didn't stop smiling, "It's quite ghastly down here, isn't it?"

"Come on," Ron picked him up, "Maybe Madam Pomfrey can do something for him. Though I dunno how we're going to get back. I don't fancy climbing back up that pipe."
Fawkes fluttered from Harry's shoulder and stood at the entrance of a massive pipe, waving his tail.
"Of course," Harry said. He grabbed Fawkes' tail by one hand and Hazel by the other, "Come on. Phoenixes can carry great weights. Dumbledore told me."

Really? Hazel bit her lip but took Ginny's hand, who took Ron's who took Lockhart's. There was no way Fawkes could fly with five of them holding on.

Then he took off and they were soaring up through the pipe, the wind rushing through her hair. She held on to Harry and Ginny as tightly as she could, but her heart leapt in excitement.

"Amazing!" Lockhart shouted from beneath her, "This is just like magic!"

They flew up and landed in Moaning Myrtle's damp, dank bathroom. She was sitting waiting for them.

"Oh, you made it," she said gloomily.

"Don't sound too disappointed," Harry brushed himself off as he let go of Fawkes' tail. The phoenix didn't fly off but hovered above them, "Hey, I think he wants us to follow him."
"Harry," Hazel asked as they followed Fawkes through the empty corridors, "Did Moaning Myrtle invite you to stay in her bathroom? If…you know…the worst happened…"

"How did you know?"

"Just an idea. She seems very keen on you."
"I know."

"Would you have done it?"
"Of course not. Being dead is depressing enough without having to spend it with Myrtle."

Fawkes led them to Professor McGonagall's office and Harry pushed the door open. Hazel briefly caught a glimpse of a roaring fire before there was a howl like a wild animal and she was engulfed in cardigan.

"Ginny!" She could barely hear what Mrs Weasley was saying over her sobs, "Thank goodness! Thank goodness! We thought we'd lost you! And you, Hazel! We couldn't have coped!"

Mr Weasley joined the hug, as white as a sheet and red-eyed. Hazel pulled herself from Mrs Weasley's cuddles and tried to stand over to one side of the room. The Weasleys deserved some time with Ginny after all.

A hand took hers and gently pulled her back. It was Mr Weasley who threw his arms around her and held her tight. She hugged back. She'd never hugged an adult before, but it felt nice, warm. Maybe that was just the fire.

"I don't believe it," Professor McGonagall held herself up by the mantlepiece. Standing beside her and beaming widely, was Professor Dumbledore. Fawkes went and landed on his shoulder as Mrs Weasley swept up Ron and Harry into a tight embrace.

"You saved them!" She sobbed, "You saved them! How did you do it?"
"I think we would all like to know the answer to that," Professor McGonagall said between deep, heavy breaths.

Once Harry had pulled himself free from Mrs Weasley's grip, he shared a look with Ginny and Hazel. They dropped the sword, the sorting hat and Tom Riddle's diary onto Professor McGonagall's desk.

Harry told them everything; from the voices he'd been hearing, to the trip into the forest, that he could hear and understand snakes, and finally, how Hermione of all people had discovered that the monster was a basilisk that had been using the pipes.

Of course! That was how it had attacked Colin that night! It had come up through the same gremlin statue she had hidden inside, the one that only opened when the floor was wet…

But Harry was missing out a lot of detail. He hadn't mentioned Ginny at all, or her. She caught his eye and nodded slightly. It hadn't been Ginny's fault. The diary didn't work anymore, so they couldn't prove anything. Ginny had her head bowed and tears were streaming silently down her cheeks. She put her hand in Ginny's. It was the least she could do.

"Yes, that's all well and good," Professor McGonagall said as Harry stopped to take a breath, "You discovered the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, shattering a hundred school rules to pieces in the process, I might add. But how on earth did you get out of there alive?"
Harry took a deep breath and carried on. He told them about how Fawkes had arrived just in time with the Sorting Hat, and how he had managed to pull the sword. Hazel's mouth went very dry as he described fighting the basilisk. Well, it was certainly a story! And he was telling it properly.

He hesitated, and she knew why. How else could he explain why he had stabbed the diary, and how that had stopped Riddle?

"What I don't understand," Dumbledore said with a broad smile, "Was how Lord Voldemort's was able to control Ginny, when my sources tell me he is hiding in Albania."

The other adults, Ron and Ginny flinched.

"You-Know-Who?" Mrs Weasley spluttered, "Control Ginny? I don't understand."
"It's his diary. I've been writing in it all year," Ginny said miserably, "Ever since we went to Diagon Alley."

Hazel wasn't sure how the Weasleys would react to that news, but Mrs Weasley just hugged her daughter even tighter.

"Oh Ginny," Mr Weasley went even whiter, "How many times have I told you; never trust anything that can speak to you, if you can't be sure of where it came from."
"Older and wiser wizards than Ginny have been fooled by Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore ignored the flinching, "And this was exceptionally clever. I think Ginny should go up to the Hospital Wing. She has been through a terrible ordeal this year and some restorative draft will do nicely."

"Am I not being expelled?" Ginny squeezed Hazel's hand very painfully.

"If it had not been you, then it would have been another unfortunate student," Dumbledore said, "And they would be as blameless as you are now. There will, of course, be no punishment.

Yes! Hazel might have squeaked in delight as everyone looked at her and her face went very red.

"Professor McGonagall, would you mind accompanying the Weasleys to the Hospital Wing, then send an owl to Azkaban, we need our gamekeeper back. Then, would you be so kind as to wake the kitchen? I feel news this good should be celebrated with a feast. I would like to talk with Harry and Hazel alone, if I may."

The office felt very empty once everyone else had left. The fire was crackling merrily as Dumbledore turned to Hazel. She tried to meet his eye but ended up looking down at the floor.

"If there is anything you can tell me of the Chamber, I would like to hear it."

So, Hazel told him about Ginny stunning her. She told him about meeting Tom Riddle, how he was draining Ginny's life. She told him about how she had convinced Riddle to spare Ginny, in return for her life. She felt a cold surge of horror, like icy fingers wrapping around her heart, and she gasped at the feeling. She clutched at her chest as she gulped in air. Harry had gone very white. He too was holding his hand over his heart.

To her amazement, Dumbledore chuckled.

"Professor?" Hazel said once the feeling had gone, "I don't understand. I've been having these sensations all year, out of nowhere."

"They may feel like that," Dumbledore smiled, "But if you look a little closer, you may find that each time you have felt like this, Harry was feeling exactly the same way."
Harry stared at her, "When did you first get these feelings again?"
"Just before Halloween. When I was sitting up waiting for you to come back from Lockhart's detention."
"That was the night I first heard the Basilisk! I thought I was going mad! At Halloween, did you feel it too?"
"I did! When I went looking for Ginny. That was how I knew to go to the same corridor as you."
"That's so weird, you feel the same things I do?"
"Not all the time," This was a lot to take in, "Just when you're…super emotional, I guess?"

"I don't get it," Harry looked at Dumbledore, "How can we be feeling the same things?"
"You and your sister have been bound by a very powerful magic," Dumbledore said, "It has tied you together more closely than any brother or sister could hope to be."

"If I were to make a humble guess," The corners of his beard twitched, "I would say that Harry, when you feel overwhelmed or vulnerable, Hazel knows. She shares those emotions with you."
"Is that what healed Harry when Tom made Ginny attack him in the chamber?" Hazel asked. It was good to finally be getting answers.

Suddenly, tears appeared in Dumbledore's eyes. She looked away quickly. She had never seen a teacher cry before.

He wiped them away, "No, Hazel. It was not. That was the result of an ancient magic, amongst the most powerful there is. What healed Harry of the wound that would surely have killed him, was you."
"Me?" Now he'd definitely made a mistake, "But I don't know any healing spells. How could I have done it?"
"To understand, you must first understand the power of what you did in the Chamber tonight. Lord Voldemort could not have harmed you, at his full power or not. Had you stood by and done nothing, you would have been safe."

Safe was a strong word when there was still a giant snake to deal with and it didn't really make sense. What else was she supposed to have done? "But I could never have just stood there and let him…let him take Ginny."
"No," there were tears springing up in Dumbledore's eyes again, "No, you could not. You forswore your own safety, your own life for another. You surrendered the greatest magical protection that exists in our world. You did it without thought of yourself, with only love in your heart."

He was making it sound very noble. It had been obvious for Tom to take her rather than Ginny. She was so strong and had so much and Hazel, Hazel didn't. Her cheeks went as red as her hair as she looked away, "I still don't understand what that has to do with Harry's injury."

"The charm is known as the Alteri. When you gave up your protection to save Ginny's life, you created a powerful magical charm, a magic of pure good. I should say against something that powerful, the curse cast on Harry would be quite helpless."

"So," And she had thought the emotions being joined was hard to get her head around, "I can heal…people?"

"Nearly," Dumbledore chuckled, "Against dark magic, I think you'll find this new skill rather helpful. But I would perhaps not step in front of basilisks if I could help it."
She sat and tried to take this in as Dumbledore explained how Harry was able to pull a sword from a hat. The sword of Godric Gryffindor himself, no less. Harry had been worried about whether he was worthy of being a Gryffindor, now he knew that he was. As to hearing snakes…it seemed it wasn't only her and Harry who had a connection. Did that mean she had a connection to him as well?

Great.

She went up to the Hospital Wing where Ginny lay in bed with Ron, Mr and Mrs Weasley around her bed. Mrs Weasley was holding her hand as afraid she was going to float away.

Hazel went to sit across the Hospital Wing, but Mr Weasley waved her over. As she sat down, Mrs Weasley put her other arm around Hazel and pulled her close. Hazel caught Ginny's eye, and Ginny gave her a smile. Hazel smiled back. It felt like things might just go back to normal.

The next few weeks were amazing.

There was the feast that night, beyond her wildest dreams. The Weasley twins set off so many fireworks that it was nearly like the middle of the day. The ghosts kept flying in formations over the tables and Professor Flitwick danced in the centre of the hall with Professor Sinistra. Halfway through the night, the doors opened, and the petrified students came in to deafening applause. Hermione hugged Harry and Ron tightly, shouting "I knew you'd figure it out!" and Colin threw himself at Hazel and Ginny.

"I just woke up in the Hospital Wing!" He said excitedly, "All I remembered was a set of giant eyes and Madam Pomfrey told me it was a basilisk which is like a giant snake and how amazing is that! I've been petrified for months and it's soo cool! Did I miss anything exciting?"
Hazel and Ginny looked at one another and giggled.

It got even better towards the end of the night as Hagrid arrived to even louder cheers. He went straight over to Harry and Hazel's group and patted Harry on the back, nearly knocking him into his treacle tart.

"Wante' to than' ya all," he said with tears bristling in his eyes, "Never though' ah'd see the school again. Than's."
Hazel gave him a hug. Ron sat with a rigid grin. He was probably thinking about Aragog but everyone was in too good a mood.

Even when they were chased up to the Common Room in the early hours, the party went on. It wasn't until the sun was well up that the exhausted students went to bed. Hazel said goodnight to Harry, Ron and Colin as they went up to the boy's dormitory. It was still so weird she could feel what Harry was feeling. Hopefully he wasn't so emotional in the future!
They said goodnight to Hermione on the stairs as she went up to the Second-floor dormitory. Romilda was snoring loudly in her four-poster.

"Hazel," Ginny took a deep breath, "I wanted to…I just…thank you. For everything."
Hazel blushed, "Anyone would have helped."
"It's not that, not that I'm not happy for that too!" She said, "I've been horrible this year and I've made your life miserable, but you stuck by me."

She didn't really know what to say.

"You're an amazing person, and I'm so glad we're friends."
"Me too," They hugged tightly.

"So, you can like, stop dark magic?" She said.

"I don't really know how. It just sort of…happened?"

"Still! I bet no one else in the school can do it. That's really wicked."

"And all it took was being stunned by my best friend, dragged into an ancient chamber, meeting an evil wizard living in a book and then nearly dying to make it happen."

"Simple when you put it like that," Ginny giggled as they settled into bed. Just before they drew the curtains, Hazel caught sight of the empty bed in the room.

Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any better, Dumbledore announced at breakfast the next morning that the end of year exams had been cancelled, as no one had really been able to study with the security and the attacks. Everyone was delighted, everyone but Hermione.

"But you weren't even awake for half the year!" Ron said.

"That's no excuse!" Hermione wailed, "I would have caught up!"

If she was honest, Hazel was a bit disappointed too. It would have been nice to test her magic and see if she'd improved. Maybe it was better not to test fate just yet…

Dumbledore announced the winners of the House Cup at breakfast the next morning. Slytherin had won, but no one was really too bothered. Putting up with Malfoy's gloating face was worth it. At least they had a school to come back to next year to win it back.

Maybe don't annoy Snape so much next year. That would help.

Even the weather was celebrating. The school emptied as everyone went out to enjoy the blazing sun and clear blue skies. Hazel, Ginny and Colin were on their way outside, walking along the Charms corridor with books in hand.

"I can't believe you transfigured your toothpicks!" Colin said excitedly, "That's so cool! I was so close before I got petrified but then I suppose it won't be too important, and I can always practise over the summer!"
"We're not allowed to use magic outside school," Ginny laughed, "That's what got Harry in trouble last summer."
"I told you it wasn't Harry!" Hazel said, "It was a house elf!"
"Well maybe the house elf was a student here and that's why he got in trouble!"

"I still can't believe Percy has a girlfriend," Hazel giggled. She couldn't help it; it just happened any time she thought about it.

"She's really nice too! For a prefect anyway," Ginny said, "Do you think Fred and George will tease him about it?"
"Those two? Never."

They turned the corner and stopped. Matilda Tallow and her gang of Slytherin girls were sneering and cackling at someone they had surrounded. Who was it this time? Gertrude Graves moved to reveal someone with shiny, blonde hair in the middle.

"I can't believe your family lost their house elf," She sneered, "Are they going to give the job to you? You're definitely pathetic enough to be one!"

Hazel moved without even thinking. She pulled out her wand, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Grave's cloak flew up over her head. She yelped in surprise as it tangled up around her arms. It made her look a bit like the Whomping Willow.

Tallow and Yaxley spun around.

"Oh look, it's Runtley," said Tallow, "You feeling all brave now? I don't know why, you're so weak even the heir of Slytherin didn't want you."
"That's it exactly, Tallow," Ginny said very calmly, wand pointing between the Slytherin's eyes, "Now leave her alone."

Colin stepped up with his chest puffed out and his wand raised. Tallow looked between them and sneered, but she looked worried.

"Is this who you have defending you now? Mudbloods and traitors?"
"That's exactly who's defending her," Hazel said, "Because she's one of us."
"Now, off you pop," Ginny said, "Unless you'd like some boils that match your hair. I'm sure I can manage."

Tallow looked between the three of them and rolled her eyes.

"As if we care. Come on."
She, Yaxley and Graves left the corridor, though Graves hit every statue on the way.

"Nice spell," Ginny said to Hazel, "Professor McGonagall would have liked that one. Probably best she didn't see it though."

"Are you okay?" Hazel asked Atia. She looked so small, hugging her books like a shield.

"I am," She wouldn't look at Colin or Ginny, "Thank you."
"I meant it," Hazel said, "It doesn't matter what house you're in now, you're still one of us."
Colin nodded so strongly he nearly fell over. Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yeah, you're one of us."

A look flashed across Atia's face, but Hazel had no idea what it could be. She took a deep breath,

"I was actually coming to find you."
"Me?" Ginny looked astonished, "Coming to gloat?"
"No," another deep breath, "I wanted to apologise. For everything. I had no idea my father owned anything that dangerous, and I never thought he would give it to anyone. I don't understand why he would do something like that."
Hazel elbowed Ginny before she could helpfully answer the question. She winced and rubbed her shoulder, "It's not your fault."

"Someone could have died," Atia's lip was trembling, "It was sheer luck that no one did die. That, the only people who were nice to me didn't die."

"But no one died!" Colin said, "And you couldn't have done anything about it, like Ginny said. It's not like you knew what was happening!"

Atia didn't look any happier, "Draco shouted at me over Christmas. He told me I was being a disgrace to the family, that father was doing everything in his power to return me to my proper house and I was embarrassing him by hanging out with mudbl-muggles. He said I was going to go to Slytherin and everyone was going to hate me if I didn't start acting like a Malfoy."
She wiped her eyes, "But everyone hated me anyway. They kept telling me I stank of mudbl-muggle. That I was weak, that the Sorting Hat obviously didn't want me tarnishing Slytherin's name with my dirty blood."

"Atia, that's horrible," Ginny said in shock.

"Dumbledore spoke to me this morning," She said, "Now that my father's not a governor anymore, the Board of Governors were happy to move me back to Gryffindor, but he would understand if I wanted to stay in Slytherin."
"What did you say?" Butterflies were suddenly fluttering in Hazel's stomach.

Atia smiled. Was it the first she had ever seen Atia smile? She looked so much prettier when she did.

"I think you said it best. I am one of you now."

"Yes!" Colin jumped forward and hugged her. Another look flashed across Atia's face. Was it shock? Or did it look like disgust? "Welcome back to Gryffindor! We missed you!"
"How could you miss her?" Ginny laughed, "You were petrified!"
"Well, I had to be thinking about something! So I'm sure it was that!"
The final few days drifted by like a wonderful dream. It was ruined only by the end of the school term looming on the horizon and so a return to the Dursleys.

"Are you sure we can't just stay at the school?" She asked Harry as the Hogwarts Express rumbled out of the station. She had already stared at the castle for so long her eyes hurt, just trying to commit it to memory.

"I asked Dumbledore, twice," Harry looked as gloomy as she felt, "He said we had to go back to Privet Drive. At least for a while."
"Oh, I don't know," George said as he shuffled his exploding snap cards. Hazel inched a little further away, "That cupboard looked so inviting."
"I bet you couldn't get that many spiders anywhere else in London," said Fred.
"Don't," Ron hissed, "Mention spiders!"

"But they're bound to be impressed, your aunt and uncle?" Colin was playing snap with Fred and Ginny and his eyebrows were already quite badly singed.

Hazel looked at Harry who laughed.

"Are you joking? All those times I could have been killed and didn't manage it? They'll be furious!"

"It was very poor of you, in fairness Harry," said George.

"Yeah," Fred put down a card that blew up in a puff of smoke in Colin's face, "How could you have been so thoughtless?"

"But you stopped Slytherin's heir! Both of you did!" Atia had been reading in the corner of the compartment, "That is a great achievement."

"They'll be so proud," George pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, maybe they'll throw us a party," Hazel said and, to her surprise, everyone laughed.

"I think we're coming into London," Hermione looked over the top of her book, "I can't believe how much of this year I've missed! I'll spend so much of this summer revising!"
"Like that's different to any other summer," Ron muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"
"Nothing!"

"Oh! Before we go!" Colin stood up, blew on his fingertips and picked up his camera, "Can I get one last photo? Just of everyone together?"
So they all bunched up in front of the window. Fred, George and Ron went to the back, Hermione stood beside Harry and Atia, Ginny and Hazel squeezed together in front.

"Everyone say cheese!"

"Why?" Fred asked.

"Are there crackers?" said George.

"It's a muggle thing," Hermione tutted, "Just go along with it."
"Alright, we'll all say cheese, then Harry will sign it," Fred grinned.
"Oh, jog on, you two."

The camera flashed and temporarily blinded them as the train came to a stop.

"You will write," Hazel asked as she dragged her trunk on to the platform. She'd been so excited in September to be here, now she only felt a dread. It was going to be forever before she was back here.

"Every day," said Ginny fiercely.

Colin nodded eagerly, "I'll have so much to tell you!"

Atia nodded, "When I can."

"Promise?"
"Definitely!" said Ginny.

If only she could write back. Uncle Vernon wouldn't have forgotten about his window. She was going to be lucky not be spending her entire two months under the stairs again. This wasn't going to be a fun summer.

Not that they ever were.

Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting on the muggle side of King's Cross Station, as was Uncle Vernon. He was giving them a wide berth, like they smelt of something especially revolting.

"Harry, Hazel," Mrs Weasley hugged them both, "Enjoy your summer! We look forward to hearing all about your holidays."

Hazel looked at Harry. She really didn't know Uncle Vernon, did she?

"Ah, is that your uncle?" Mrs Weasley swelled up like a bullfrog.

"Yes, Mrs Weasley," said Harry.

Mrs Weasley shared a look with Mr Weasley, and they walked over with Harry and Hazel. Uncle Vernon had been glowering at them but now went wide-eyed in alarm.

"Vernon Dursley? I'm Molly Weasley, a pleasure to meet you. Harry and Hazel have told us all about you."
"Have they really," Uncle Vernon was going purple. That might have been because people were looking at the robe-wearing Mr and Mrs Weasley, or it might have been because Mrs Weasley had taken his hand in a bone-crushing handshake.

"They really are lovely children. You've done well with them."
Uncle Vernon mumbled something.

"We're looking forward to hearing about how they're getting on over the summer. We may even drop around if things get a bit quiet. Liven them up. We can even bring the ghoul, if you'd like."
Uncle Vernon went the colour of beetroot and spluttered as Mrs Weasley let go of his hand and hugged Harry and Hazel again.

"Have fun," she said.

"You've earned a nice break," Mr Weasley beamed, "Don't forget to write."
"Come on, you two," Uncle Vernon barked at Harry and Hazel. The Weasleys, Colin and Atia waved as they followed their uncle and Hazel waved back.

It was weird, Uncle Vernon was still as purple as ever, still as angry and he still towered over her.

But she wasn't terrified at all.

He wasn't so scary now. Not after facing the most evil dark wizard of all time.

Funny how it worked like that.

OOC: This is the end of the Chamber of Secrets! Thank you so much to everyone who read and followed the story! It helped so much when I was struggling for inspiration or motivation!

I hope it was fun to read and I hope it made sense. I will probably end up carrying on with Hazel's story but I'm not sure when.

Thanks again! :)