Soul Searching/End Game
SS Chapter 15 - Into the Chamber of Secrets
By Chem Prof
Chapter 15, Into the Chamber of Secrets
Monday, July 21
A pair of pops and a crack broke the silence of Hogsmeade station as two young wizards and two young witches appeared, the wizards quickly turning in opposite directions with their wands out searching for threats while one of the witches had her wand up to provide cover if necessary. The other witch, who had been holding onto one of the wizards, hesitated briefly and then pulled out her wand also. Eventually, satisfied that no threats were present, they all started walking toward the gates of Hogwarts.
Hermione carefully put away the emergency portkey that she had been holding, ready to activate if necessary. She had created her first portkey yesterday, and as she had predicted, she had been exhausted for several hours and had rested most of the afternoon.
“You really need to work at apparating more quietly, Ron,” she said, turning to him. Those loud cracks the twins are so fond of aren’t very good for sneaking into places.”
Harry braced himself for another Ron-Hermione argument but Ron merely shrugged and replied, “You’re right, Hermione. I haven’t had as much chance to practice as you and Harry.” Harry was pleasantly surprised. Now that he thought of it, Ron and Hermione had been getting along without their usual bickering ever since the wedding. If this kept up, it would make their task that much easier.
Ron turned to Harry and grinned, “That’s quite an interesting apparation technique you use. I always thought side-along apparition only required you to hold the other person’s arm.” Harry grinned back and noticed Ginny blushing. He had dual apparated Ginny by grabbing her into a hug and popping away before she knew what was happening, and was pretty sure she had enjoyed it as much as he had. He was about to reply when Hermione spoke first.
“Oh, Harry’s apparated me that way too. It works just fine.” She suddenly looked up and noticed that Ron and Ginny had stopped at her words. Ron was staring at her strangely while Ginny had looked first at her, then at Harry with concern.
“Oh honestly, don’t look at me like that. It was right after the fight at your brothers’ store. I was all shook up and he took me back to my parents. Besides, we hug all the time.” She marched over to Ron and linked her arm through his, then did the same with her other arm with Harry as they resumed walking toward the gates, Harry grabbing Ginny’s hand as they went by.
As the four of them walked along together, Harry got a feeling that this seemed familiar somehow. A grin suddenly appeared on his face and he turned to Hermione and said, “Follow the yellow brick road?”
She grinned back and began, “Weeeee’re off to see the wizard,” and suddenly she and Harry were skipping and singing, “the wonderful Wizard of Oz. We hear he is a wiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was.” They were pulling Ron and Ginny along with them, and the other two had to break into a trot and were looking very alarmed. Harry and Hermione skipping and singing? What was going on? Were they somehow possessed?
At that point Harry and Hermione stopped and doubled over laughing. Ron and Ginny exchanged a worried look and continued to stare at the two of them.
Harry stood up and began to reassure them. “Sorry you guys. That’s a song from a muggle movie.”
“It’s about four friends who are going to see a wizard and ask him for help,” continued Hermione. “There’s a scarecrow …” she looked at Harry and they both said simultaneously, “Ron” and started laughing again.
“There’s a muggle movie about wizards?” Ron said, still not sure what was going on.
“I’m Dorothy … no Ginny’s Dorothy, she’s smaller,” said Hermione, resuming her description.
“I’m the lion,” said Harry, puffing up his chest, “Rrrroooaaaarrrr!” Ginny couldn’t believe what she was seeing. What had gotten into her Harry?
“I guess that makes me the tin man,” decided Hermione. She turned to Ron, “You’re going to ask the wizard for a brain.”
‘Hey!” objected Ron, causing Harry and Hermione to break out into giggles.
“Well, I need a heart,” Hermione pointed out when she could talk again.
“And I need courage,” Harry chimed in. Hermione snorted at this.
“Yeah, like you need any more courage,” Hermione countered.
“What do you mean, I’m scared all the time,” Harry objected.
“What am I supposed to be asking for,” asked Ginny, not understanding at all why Harry would say that, but starting to get the idea of the story.
“You’re trying to get back home and away from all these strange people,” answered Hermoine.
“Well, I can sure identify with that right now,” Ginny observed pointedly, and they all started laughing again.
As they calmed down and resumed they walk toward the gate, Harry said, “There’s a wicked witch of the west. Who would that be?”
“Bellatrix!” the other three all responded.
“Maybe the next time you fight her you should pour water on her,” observed Hermione. Suddenly she stopped and started to shrink down to the ground, “I’m mellllting!” Harry laughed again while Ron and Ginny just stood there shaking their heads. Their friends had some serious problems.
Harry finished by saying, “You guys have got to come over and see that movie sometime.”
They had flooed McGonagall to tell her they were coming, so Hagrid was waiting to meet them at the gate. After warmly greeting their large friend, and promising to stop by and visit later, they headed toward the castle.
-ooOoo-
Yesterday had been a busy day. After attending the morning service at the little church they had discovered within walking distance of their house, they arrived at the Burrow at lunch time. After lunch Hermione had made the portkey, then napped the rest of the afternoon while Harry, Ron, and Ginny had gone outside to play quidditch.
Harry’s real purpose in getting them outside had been to talk to Ginny. After flying for a while he had them land and gathered them together under a tree.
Ginny’s eyes had grown wide as Harry described Voldemort’s creation of Horcruxes, then started to shake when she learned that her diary had been one of them. The thought of being possessed by Voldemort’s soul still gave her nightmares. Harry had stopped his story and drawn her into a hug, while Ron leaned over and patted her gently on the back.
The next part had both excited her and terrified her. Harry was asking her to go with him! It was just what she had been hoping for. But, he wanted her to relive that horrible time in her life? Could she bear to go through that again? Torn, she had listened mutely as Harry explained that he and Hermione thought it might help her nightmares if she could see Riddle and the basilisk actually die. She had barely registered what he said as he explained seeing the vision of Voldemort killing his parents. Reluctantly, she had agreed to go through it, trusting that he would be with her to help her face the ordeal.
Getting Molly to agree had been a struggle, but not an insurmountable one. Molly knew that Ginny desperately wanted to be included in the trio’s activities, and accompanying them on a visit to Hogwarts to do some research hadn’t seemed too dangerous. They had wisely left out the part about revisiting the Chamber of Secrets when they were trying to persuade her. Their revelation that Hermione had made an emergency portkey had caused her some consternation, but she had to admit that it was safer.
-ooOoo-
As they approached the castle the four became quiet, thinking about what they were about to do. Ginny’s anxieties were coming back, and Harry sensed this and gave her hand a squeeze, trying to comfort her. Ron found himself getting excited at being able to see what he had missed the first time, having been left behind the rock slide. Hermione had missed the whole thing, lying petrified in the hospital wing, but was more concerned about Ginny than anything else.
Professor McGonagall greeted them at the door to the castle and led them to her office, where they were surprised to see Professor Flitwick waiting for them. Harry had been in this office many times, but the others had not and they found their eyes wandering around in amazement at the wonders of the office of the Hogwarts Headmaster. Harry noticed that Professor McGonagall had made a few changes, most notably that some of the silver instruments were missing. Their attention was brought back sharply at the sound of a familiar voice.
“Good morning, my young friends. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?” Professor Dumbledore looked out at them fondly from his portrait. Somehow, Harry thought, his eyes seemed to twinkle even in a picture. At their silence the portrait continued, “Minerva has been kind enough to fill me in on the events of my demise.” Here, Harry noticed that a look of sadness and regret had replaced the twinkle. He had rarely seen regret in the Professor's eyes, and he found himself saddened as his former mentor went on, “How have you been?” The last was directed to all of them, but especially to him, Harry thought.
He answered for the four of them, as the others were still too spellbound by everything to respond. “Pretty good, Professor. We’ve been working hard,” he said vaguely, not sure how much he should say in the presence of the other two professors. To his surprise the portrait laughed out loud.
“Mr. Potter, that may be the first time that I have ever heard you answer that question any way other than ‘I’m fine’. I do believe that Ms Granger is having a positive effect on you.”
Hermione blushed at the compliment, but Harry frowned. How did he know that he had been spending all of his time with Hermione lately? His musing was interrupted by Professor McGonagall clearing her throat.
“I didn’t expect to see Mr. and Miss Weasley here today, but I suppose they will learn of everything we discuss rather quickly.” She had noticed that Harry and Ginny had been holding hands the whole time they had been in the office, and it was well known that Ron was in on everything Harry and Hermione did. “I asked you here to discuss certain matters pertaining to reopening the school in the fall.”
Harry shared a nervous look with Hermione, then glanced at Ron before he looked back at McGonagall and responded. “I’m sorry professor, but the three of us probably won’t be returning in the fall.”
There was a stunned silence from the two professors, broken by a gasp from Ginny as she pulled her hand away and shot Harry a look of dismay and betrayal. How could he have not told her about this decision? Harry gulped, knowing that he had some serious explaining to do to Ginny, but he also noticed that Dumbledore’s portrait was looking at him thoughtfully.
McGonagall finally found her voice. “But Mr. Potter. Why?” She turned to Hermione, not believing that the studious witch would seriously consider abandoning her education. “Miss Granger, is this true?”
Hermione felt her face heat up, uncomfortable about being singled out by her favorite professor and unhappy about disappointing her, but also somewhat annoyed that McGonagall would think that she would break with Harry.
“Yes, Professor. The three of us have a … project that we are working on that will require our absence from Hogwarts until it is completed.”
“Miss Granger!” McGonagall began sharply, then quickly added, “Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. What project can be more important than your education. What could you …”
She was interrupted by Dumbledore’s voice from the portrait. “Harry. I’m impressed that you took my instructions on secrecy so seriously.” McGonagall whirled to glare at the portrait, but kept silent. “But I think it would be to your advantage to explain our little project to Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. I believe that they can provide valuable assistance to you. And I would be most interested to hear of any progress you have made.” He turned to McGonagall and Flitwick and attempted to head off their irritation. “Minerva and Filius, I’m sure you will be most interested in this story, and then you may find that all of them are more willing to consider your offer.
Harry wondered what offer McGonagall had been about to make, but put that thought aside as he considered what to say. After sharing another look with Hermione, and receiving an encouraging nod, he began to relate the story of the Horcruxes. He saw the expressions on the professors’ faces turn from annoyance, to surprise, and then to admiration as he related first his experiences with Dumbledore, then their actions so far during the summer. Hermione interjected details whenever necessary, and actually took over telling the story at times.
Ginny listened carefully, since much of the story was new to her, but Ron mostly kept his attention on Harry and Hermione, noting once again how smoothly they worked together as they spun the tale, both in what they described and in the actual telling of it. Professor Flitwick was especially interested in the charms used on Grimmauld place and the Granger house, and the pensive memory that had been unlocked at Godric’s Hollow. As he concluded, Harry noticed that the twinkle had returned to Dumbledore’s eyes when he told the part about the sword.
Before anyone else could say anything he turned to the portrait and said, “That’s one of the reasons we wanted to come here today. What do you think happened with the sword? Was it not here when Voldemort took it to my house?”
“First, Harry, I want to tell you how proud I am of what you have accomplished since I left you.” Harry winced slightly at the end of that statement, and immediately felt Hermione’s hand give his a comforting squeeze. No one else seemed to notice as Dumbledore continued, “I would have preferred that you included more of the Order in your plans, but the three of you have never seemed to find adults to be very necessary on your adventures.” Ron and Harry exchanged guilty looks at that statement, and Harry glanced at Hermione to see a sheepish expression on her face as well.
Dumbledore’s portrait chuckled as he went on. “I believe that your interpretation of your connection with Godric’s fine sword is correct, although I do not pretend to understand what has caused it. It is indeed true that the Sword of Gryffindor had been missing for many years. In fact, when you brought it out of the Chamber of Secrets it was the first time I had ever seen it. I was not certain from your tale four years ago whether you had summoned the sword somehow, or whether you had simply found it in the chamber. I decided not to press you on the details at that time since you had other things on your mind, such as the condition of both of these lovely young ladies, and reasoning that if there was a connection there that it would be revealed in due time.”
Hermione smiled at his comment. She had known that Harry had worried about her while she had been petrified, but it was nice to hear it just the same. Ginny, on the other hand, blushed furiously since she had always considered that to be the defining moment in her relationship with Harry, and it made her heart race just thinking that he had been worried that much about her even back then. Harry, though, was somewhat irritated that yet another important item of information had been kept from him.
McGonagall was astounded at what she was hearing. Harry Potter was able to summon the legendary sword of Godric Gryffindor? She turned to look at the sword mounted on the wall, and then back at him. “Do I understand correctly Mr. Potter, that you summoned this sword to Godric’s Hollow last Saturday? This sword right here?”
Harry nodded at her, then remembered his manners. “Yes ma’am, that’s correct.” He walked over and looked the sword over carefully. “It looked just like this one.”
“Why don’t you show us now, Harry?” came the voice from the portrait. Harry reluctantly agreed. He had never liked being the center of attention, and it seemed like he was being asked to put on a show. He looked up to see Hermione nodding encouragingly at him and Ron giving him a grin and a thumbs up. Then he noticed that Ginny was gazing at him in awe, which made him uncomfortable again. As he walked away from the sword and focused on what he wanted to do, he didn’t notice Hermione whisper sharply into Ginny’s ear, and Ginny suddenly snap out of it with an embarrassed look on her face.
Harry turned and concentrated on the sword without looking at it. He tried to envision it in his hand. Suddenly, the sword was in the air in front of him. This time he managed to grab it before it fell to the floor. He relaxed, thinking that it seemed like it was getting easier to call the sword to him each time. All at once he heard several gasps, followed by cheering from Ron. He looked around sheepishly while he walked back to put the sword back into its mount. Just as he got there it seemed to leap out of his hand onto the wall, as though it read his intention.
He turned to study everyone’s reaction. Ron was grinning like mad, Hermione was smiling proudly, Ginny’s look of awe had returned to her face, McGonagall was stunned, and Flitwick was bouncing up and down excitedly. Dumbledore’s portrait had a very satisfied look on its face.
Deciding to change the subject, Harry walked over to stand between Ginny and Hermione and turned back to face the professors. The other students, realizing what was coming quickly became serious.
“The other reason we wanted to come here today,” he paused, not sure of the response this would get, “is that we want to go back down into the Chamber of Secrets.”
If the professors had been stunned before, this time they were positively shocked. McGonagall sat down hard and raised her hand to her heart. Flitwick became quite still and just stared at them, then started shaking his head as though denying what he had just heard. Even Dumbledore’s portrait looked very disturbed. Harry also noticed that all the other portraits had awakened and were giving the students their undivided attention. Finally Dumbledore’s portrait spoke.
“That is not a place I thought any of you would ever willingly return to,” he said slowly. “Especially Ms Weasley.” He made note of the trembling young witch and turned back to Harry. “Would you be so kind to explain your reasoning?”
Haltingly at first, and with explanations from Hermione when necessary, Harry explained their idea that a Horcrux may have been left in the Chamber, and that they also wanted to relive his memory of the experience via the pensieve. He concluded by saying something that he had not shared with the others, that by seeing Tom again in the Chamber he might learn something about where he might have hidden a Horcrux.
Dumbledore’s portrait was impressed with the line of reasoning, but not pleased that he would be unable to accompany the group into the Chamber. He was justifiably worried about the dangers of retrieving a Horcrux, for obvious reasons, but since he knew that it was exactly that task that Harry had inherited, there was really nothing he could do about it. He did make a request, which the four students gratefully accepted, that the two professors accompany them into the Chamber.
-ooOoo-
It was a somber group that entered Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom a bit later. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were carrying their shrunken down brooms, which had earned them a questioning look from the others. “We’ll need them later,” was all that Harry would say. He was glad that they had made Hermione practice on her broom while they had been at the Burrow. While she didn’t enjoy flying like he did, she was actually quite competent at it. When they had entered the bathroom and Harry had exchanged his customary greeting with Moaning Myrtle he turned to the sink that hid the entrance.
“Open up,” he hissed in Parseltongue. The others jumped.
“Man, that’s creepy every time I hear you do it,” muttered Ron. Ginny looked at Harry wide-eyed. It was almost like she had been able to understand him! She shuddered as she realized why this would be. Hermione, who had been paying especially close attention to both her and Harry, realized from her expression what had happened and moved over and gave her a hug.
“It’s OK,” she whispered. “No one blames you for it.” The younger witch looked up at her gratefully, and nodded.
Meanwhile, the tap had glowed white and started spinning, with the sink dropping out of sight exposing the large pipe once more.
Neither Hermione, McGonagall, nor Flitwick had seen this sight before, and Ginny had no memory of it. They first three walked around the opening inspecting it with interest, but Ginny merely shrank into Harry’s side while he automatically put his arm around her. Finally the three looked at Harry. “I assume we are going to slide down this thing?” McGonagall asked. Harry and Ron nodded grimly.
“Ron and I will go first,” began Harry but he was stopped by McGonagall.
“No Mr. Potter, I am responsible for this school. I will go first …” Harry was shaking his head resolutely, “with you,” she finished, making the concession.
McGonagall climbed into the pipe and slid out of sight, with Harry right behind her. Ginny insisted on going immediately after Harry, Hermione followed her, then Flitwick, with Ron bringing up the rear.
They arrived at the bottom as slimy as Harry remembered, and as he looked around he heard, “Scourgefy.” He looked up and McGonagall and Hermione were performing cleaning charms on themselves, then on the others. He caught Ron’s eye and grimaced.
“That sure would have been useful to know last time we were down here,” muttered Ron. Hermione heard him and shot a superior smirk at Harry, then bent to whisper to Ginny, causing her to giggle. A glow of warmth toward Hermione filled Harry, as he realized how much she was trying to help Ginny get through this.
Everyone lit their wands and Harry and Ron indicated the direction and they all started down the tunnel. Soon they reached the snake skin and the rubble that still blocked the passageway. The professors gawked at the skin, but Harry stared at the small opening.
“Were we actually small enough to fit through that?” he asked incredulously, turning to Ginny. Ginny, however, was still staring at the snake skin. He took her hand and pulled her around to face him. “Ginny, it’s dead, remember?” She nodded, but refused to let go of his hand.
Flitwick and McGonagall studied the rocks, then began levitating them carefully out of the way. Hermione joined in and soon they had a decent sized hole that everyone could climb through comfortably, even Ron.
“That’s as far as I got last time,” Ron said to Hermione, and she nodded and gave his hand a quick squeeze, then hurried up to stay close to Ginny and Harry.
Finally, after all sorts of turns, the group was standing next to the wall with the twin serpents. Harry turned to the rest of them.
“OK, it gets pretty scary after this.” This was met by five wide-mouthed stares, and Ginny pressed even closer to him. He turned back to the wall and hissed again, “Open.” The serpents parted and the wall moved smoothly apart, and the six of them entered the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry gave them all time to look around at the long hallway with the large serpent covered pillars. Finally he began to lead them forward again toward the end of the hall, until they were within view of the large statue of Salazar Slytherin.
“That’s where Ginny was,” said Harry quietly, remembering it as if it were only yesterday, “and that,” gesturing to the side as they cleared the last pillar, “is the basilisk.”
Harry had been expecting the others to be apprehensive, but he was not prepared for the reaction he got. There were three screams, a shout, and a “Bloody Hell!” from Ron. Ginny buried her face into his chest and the others all stared at him in shock, even Hermione. That, Harry immediately thought, was really unsettling. He was used to surprised looks from others, but this was the first time he had received this reaction from Hermione. Suddenly she rushed at him and wrapped her arms around him bringing her head to rest against his shoulder.
“Oh my God, Harry! I never knew! How did you ever do it?”
Ron had also moved up behind Harry and Harry felt his trembling hand on his shoulder. “Harry, that snake was ten times as big as you were!” Harry noticed that McGonagall was leaning against one of the pillars with her hand over her mouth, and that Flitwick was also shaking.
“I don’t get it. I told you it was big.” Harry was puzzled. Why were they acting like this?
“Harry, that skin back at the beginning was 20 feet long.” Hermione had regained control of herself, but hadn’t let go of his arm. “This thing is 40 or 50 feet. You were only twelve years old, for goodness sakes.”
“Mr. Potter, I … that is …” the imperturbable McGonagall was too flustered to speak. Finally she managed, “It seems that I underestimated you, Mr. Potter. I shall try not to let it happen again. I’m sure we are all very glad that you survived this encounter.”
“Especially me!” said a small voice from Harry’s chest. He looked down to see Ginny peering up at him with a tentative smile, and he smiled back at her. Her smile broadened and she gradually pulled away and stood up straight. Then he looked back at the others.
“Well, like I told you before, I had help. I couldn’t have done it without Fawkes.”
The rest of them just looked back at him shaking their heads, eventually breaking into smiles. How could anyone be so modest?
Harry wanted to end all the admiration that was starting to get on his nerves, so he turned to Flitwick and asked, “Shall we get started now, Professor?”
Flitwick nodded and expanded the pensieve he had been carrying to its normal size. Harry had been delighted when the diminutive charms professor had explained that he could adjust the pensieve to project the memory into the room so that everyone could see it without having to go into the bowl itself. Harry concentrated and put his wand to his head and drew out the memory.
After some thought, he decided to begin the memory at the point that he first saw Ginny, and the others agreed. He tapped the pensieve with his wand and the memory began.
“She won’t wake,” came a soft voice. There were gasps as his companions turned to see the young Tom Riddle leaning against a pillar.
“Tom Riddle! It really is him,” came McGonagall’s voice.
“Oh, my goodness, it is!” Flitwick echoed.
Without taking her eyes off the scene before them, McGonagall said to no one in particular, “He was a year ahead of me at Hogwarts. Just think …”
“And I taught him Charms,” murmured Flitwick. Then they were both silent as everyone listened to Tom’s conversation with Harry.
Ginny had taken Harry’s hand again, and gave it an appreciative squeeze as she watched the vision Harry try to revive her younger self. She buried her head in his chest in embarrassment as they all listened to Tom describe how she had poured her heart out to the diary. She winced as she heard Tom say, ‘She didn’t think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her …’, then shuddered as she heard the words, ‘…start pouring my soul back into her …’
Finally she became angry as the spectral Tom kept calling her ‘stupid little Ginny’ and stood up and glared at him. She was so going to enjoy watching him die!
Everyone stood enraptured as Tom spun his tale of making the diary and then his excitement at discovering about Harry Potter. There was a sudden intake of breath as the words TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE rearranged into I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.
A cheer erupted from Ron as Fawkes swooped into the chamber carrying the Sorting Hat. Ron and Hermione looked admiringly at Harry as the Harry in the vision stood up and started insulting Riddle, and Hermione moved closer and took a hold of the arm that wasn’t holding Ginny.
Harry watched very closely as Riddle went over to the statue of Slytherin. This was the part he really wanted to see. He was paying such close attention to Riddle that he didn’t notice the basilisk until the frightened moans of the others heralded its emergence from the statue’s mouth.
Hermione’s hands became a death grip on Harry’s arm and Ginny shrank further into his side as the basilisk began to attack young Harry. Ron had also moved closer to Hermione and his long arm looped around her shoulders and onto Harry’s back. Unlike the rest of them, though, Harry was focusing on Riddle’s actions during the battle, seeking a clue to the location of a hiding spot.
Harry turned back to that battle as Riddle started shouting at the giant serpent. Another round of screams erupted as the massive head seemed to engulf Harry’s smaller self, only to fall away dead as the Sword of Gryffindor pierced its brain. Automatically, Hermione pulled away and raced toward the phantom Harry, with Ron right behind her. They pulled up sheepishly as they remembered that they were powerless to intervene in this vision. Harry noticed none of this as his attention moved back to Riddle. With the basilisk dead, Ginny managed to pull herself away from Harry’s arms, but kept hold of his hand, watching intently as Fawkes healed the Harry of the vision.
Angry shouts greeted the attack by Riddle on Fawkes, then everyone was quiet as Riddle pointed the stolen wand at Harry’s head, about to kill him. Suddenly Harry plunged the basilisk fang into the diary and everyone jumped as the loud piercing scream filled the chamber and Riddle began to writhe and twist in his death throes. Ginny took several steps forward, her hands clenched into fists of rage, watching her tormentor die before her eyes.
“Die! Die you bloody bastard! Die!” she shouted over and over at the fading apparition. “Harry killed you. You’re gone!” Then Riddle was gone and Ginny slumped back exhausted and Harry was right behind her to catch her. As they watched the twelve year old Harry hurry over to the eleven year old Ginny and help her up and try to comfort her, the older Ginny turned to her Harry with her eyes sparkling and a shy smile appeared on her face. Harry smiled back and pulled her into a hug, then flicked his wand at the pensieve to end the memory.
Ginny wasn’t the only one exhausted from the experience, and the others paused to collect themselves as Harry examined the statue of Slytherin closely. He had noticed that Riddle had paid particular attention to this statue, even after summoning the basilisk. He had made careful note of the words that had been spoken.
“Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four.” With utmost distaste, Harry spoke the command in Parseltongue, causing the others to shudder once again. Just as before the mouth of the statue opened.
“Harry,” Ron said nervously, “what if there’s another one?”
Hermione, despite the emotional rollercoaster she had just been on, slipped naturally into answer mode. “No Ron, there couldn’t be more than one, they would have fought each other until one killed the other.”
“What if it had a mate?”
“Ron,” Hermione said with only a slight amount of irritation, “basilisks don’t mate. They’re bred from chicken eggs hatched under toads.”
There was a pause, then a simple acknowledgement from Ron. “Good.”
Harry, meanwhile, had convinced himself that his suspicions were correct. There must be a chamber of some sort behind the statue. When he informed the others of his thoughts, they all looked at the hole again, the same thought on everyone’s minds. How were they to get in there?
“Ginny might be able to fit through,” offered Ron without thinking.
Immediately Ginny started whimpering, and clutched desperately onto Harry. “No … no … no …” she repeated over and over in a small voice, shaking her head. It was obvious to everyone that she was terrified, and in no condition to even consider climbing through that hole.
Hermione swallowed hard and summoned up courage she didn’t know she had. She was bigger than Ginny, but much smaller than either of the boys. “I’ll go through,” she said with a shaking voice.
Harry reached out one hand and caught her wrist, causing her to look back at him. He looked at her with admiration in his eyes but shook his head slowly. “No, you don’t have to do this.”
Before Hermione could try to insist, Flitwick spoke up. “Well, if size is the important criterion, I’m the logical choice. I’ll go in. Minerva, if you could levitate me please.”
“No.” Harry spoke forcefully, but quietly. “There must be another way. Riddle certainly didn’t get in by crawling through the mouth.” He turned to the two professors. “Professor Dumbledore found a hidden archway in the cave, then we had to use blood to open it. Can you detect anything like that?”
The two professors nodded, then started casting various revealing charms which Hermione observed intently. Soon the outline of an arch appeared between the feet of the giant statue. Harry stretched out his hand, calling for the sword and it appeared in front of him. Catching the handle, he quickly reversed it and drew the blade lightly across his hand. Repeating the process that Dumbledore used to open the hidden archway in the cave, he pressed his bloody hand to the glowing outline and the rock in the arch slowly vanished.
A flurry of Lumos spells lit up the new chamber as they entered the serpent’s lair. Against the far wall stood a stone table, on the table a podium, and on the podium … a gleaming golden dagger. Harry nodded to Flitwick and motioned to the dagger. “Professor?” The charms master moved forward and cast an array of revealing charms, much as Harry recalled Dumbledore doing in the cave.
Eventually he turned back to the others and shook his head. “I can’t detect any traps or enchantments on it. It appears to be just sitting there.”
Harry gave a short laugh, startling the others who looked at him curiously. “Well, I guess a chamber that can only be opened by a Parselmouth, guarded by a forty foot basilisk was enough protection for this one.” The relief in his voice was unmistakable. He reached for the dagger only to be halted by a hand on his arm.
He turned to find Ron looking at him solemnly. “Let me do it.” The rest remained unspoken. If there was danger, Ron was more expendable than Harry. Although every instinct he had screamed at him to refuse, the look in Ron’s eye forced him to swallow his objection and he nodded.
Ron reached out for the dagger, paused while gathering his courage, than grabbed it in one quick motion. There was an audible exhalation as everyone let out a breath that they did not realize they had been holding. Suddenly everyone was smiling, hugging, and clapping each other on the back as relief swept over the group. Harry, finding himself with one arm around Ginny and one around Hermione grinned and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
Eventually they made their way back to the entrance and expanded the three brooms to normal size. Ginny climbed on behind Harry, McGonagall behind Hermione, and Flitwick behind Ron and Harry led them on a flight back up the pipe to the bathroom. As they all trooped out into the second floor corridor Ron turned to the rest and inquired, “Anyone else ready for lunch?”
-xox-XOX-XOX-xox-
Author Notes:
Tom Riddle’s words in this chapter are taken directly from Book 2 (COS). Many fanfics have included the pensieve memory of the Chamber of Secrets. The one that I’ve read that is most similar to this chapter is from The Awakening Power by sib-ff. That story also has Harry taking Ginny down into the chamber and showing her the memory there.