The Curious Chamber

Over the next few weeks, even though Susan was still in the Hospital Wing her bed was never empty.

Most nights Beth slept in Susan’s bed just because she missed her so much, sometimes Artie or Hannah would join her, and Guinevere was keeping a constant vigil over the entrance to the dormitory whilst Beth slept.

Beth woke up one morning and something felt strange about today, then she remembered what the date was.

She only picked at her breakfast and Artie looked at her nervously over the table.

“You ok Beth?” asked Artie.

Ernie bit his lip slightly.

“It’s Susan’s birthday tomorrow,” sighed Ernie.

“Oh,” said Hannah, “yeah.”

“You said she’d be back in time for her birthday,” muttered Beth.
“I said she might be,” Ernie pointed out, “the potion might still take a few more days, her birthdays not till tomorrow, there might still be time.”

They had History of Magic that afternoon and Ernie and Ron were having a furious whispered conversation at the table next to Beth’s.

“So this giant spider thing told me about the Chamber, he said it wasn’t Hagrid!”

“We told you that months ago!” said Ernie shaking his head, “why did you have to go into the forest anyway, we’re trying to keep our heads down.”

“We’re going to have to try and figure out what it is at some point or we might get petrified next.”

“By keeping our heads down I’m trying to prevent us being petrified!”

At this point though Professor Sprout came bursting into the classroom and told them all that there had been another attack, and that they all had to go back to their dormitories now.

Beth sighed and packed her things away and headed back to the Common Room.

Neville, Zach, and Artie were playing a game of exploding snap, Beth was staring out of the window, Hannah was braiding her hair into intricate braids, and Ernie was pacing back and forth.

They had only been back in the Common Room when there was a frantic knocking on the Common Room door.

Cedric got up looking curious and went to answer the door, as he opened the door Ron came sprinting before Cedric had time to shut it again.

“Ron!” said Beth, “what are you doing here?”

“They’ve got Ginny!” Ron gasped who was breathless from running.

“She’s petrified?” asked Hannah nervously.

“No,” said Ron shaking his head, “she’s gone, there was a message, her body will lie in the chamber forever.”

“I need to go check something,” said Ernie going up to the dorm.

Beth and a very confused Ron followed him up the staircase to the boys dorms.

Beth found Ernie scrambling under his bed and looking for a book.

“Here!” said Ernie pulling out the book that Pince had sent a few weeks back.

“What’s that?” said Ron glaring slightly at Ernie.

“Pince sent us the book that Hermione and Susan had been reading before they got petrified, she thought some of the answers might be in there.”

“And you’re just telling me this now!” screamed Ron turning on Ernie and Beth, “my sister might be dead!”

“Don’t shout at her!” said Ernie pulling out his wand, “it was my idea not to check!”

“Why?” screamed Ron, “in Merlin’s name why!”

“Because,” said Ernie, “I didn’t want another three beds in the Hospital Wings filled with petrification victims.”

“My sister could be dead!”

“I know that Ron and I’m sorry,” said Ernie, “but we’re doing something, now aren’t we?”

“Fine,” said Ron still scowling at Ernie as he flicked it open to the right page.

“Pg. 35,” muttered Ernie opening the book to the right page.

“A Basalisk,” said Ernie reading the page looking, “it’s a giant snake.”

“Which is why I can hear it!” breathed Beth.

Ernie nodded at her.

“Any other clues?” asked Ron.

“Just this old newspaper clipping,” sighed Ernie handing it to Beth.

“Myrtle Warren,” muttered Beth, “she’s the girl that died last time.”

“How is that supposed to help us?” asked Ron.

Beth was staring at the black and white moving photo of the young girl.

“Moaning Myrtle,” whispered Beth a look of dawning comprehension on her face.

“What?” asked Ernie whipping his head around.

“Moaning Mrytle,” nodded Beth, “she’s Myrtle Warren, I bet she knows where the entrance to the Chamber is!”

Beth handed the newspaper clipping to Ron and he turned it over to find two words, pipes and obscuro.

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know about pipes, but I think obscuro is a blindfold curse,” said Beth, “maybe it’s a defence system against the Basilisk?”

Ron gave Ernie a significant look as they put the book back away.

Ernie cleared his throat slightly and looked up at Ron.

“I’m sorry Ron,” said Ernie earnestly, “I should have told you about the book and we should have gone through it three weeks ago.”

“Were you going Beth?” asked Ron.

“I need to go get some things.”

Beth headed up to her own dormitory and found her invisibility cloak.

“Cedric?” said Beth walking up to the older boy.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you have any books on the obscuro curse?”

“The blindfold curse?” asked Cedric, “no but I think Selwyn might, give me a minute.”

“I don’t know why you need this Potter,” shrugged Malcom giving her his copy of a standard book of spells grade seven, “but it’s in chapter nine.”

“Thanks Malcom,” said Beth heading back up to find the boys.

“So what do we do now?” sighed Ron as he flopped down on Ernie’s bed.

“We wait until tonight,” said Beth as she flicked through the book.

“Why not just go now?” asked Ron, “she could be dead by tonight.”

“Ron,” Ernie pointed out, “it’s already six o’clock, if we wait two hours it won’t matter.”

“Fine,” muttered Ron as they looked up the obscuro curse in the book.

At eight o’clock they got checked they all had their wands on them and headed downstairs. Zach, Neville, Hannah and Artie were playing exploding snap and Cedric was reading a book.

“Wait a moment,” said Beth leaving the boys by the exit.

“Cedric,” Beth whispered.

Cedric looked up from his book.

“You three are up to something aren’t you?” he asked raising his eyebrows.

Beth nodded slightly.

“The Chamber of Secrets?”

Beth nodded again.

“You three know something don’t you?”

“Just give us a head start,” Beth sighed, “if we aren’t back by midnight, go and tell Sprout, that we’ve gone to the girl’s bathroom on the second floor.”

“Girls bathroom?” asked Cedric who was beyond confused.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

She turned to leave.

“Potter!” he called as they headed out the door, “don’t die.”

“Don’t worry,” said Ernie, “she won’t.”

They all climbed under the invisibility cloak and started to work their way up to the second floor and fortunately didn’t bump into any ghosts or staff.

They reached the second floor and took off the cloak.

“Myrtle!” Beth whispered.

“Myrtle!”

“Hello Beth,” said Myrtle popping out of the far stall, “it’s nice to see you again.”

“Myrtle,” said Beth biting her lip, “were you Myrtle Warren?”

Myrtle Warren.

“What makes you ask?”

“Well,” said Ernie, “the person who killed you is trying to kill someone else, Ginny Weasley. Can you tell us anything about when you died?”

“Well,” said Myrtle enthusiastically her eyes lighting up, “I was crying in this very cubicle and I heard a boys voice. I opened the door to tell them to go away and I saw a pair of bright yellow eyes from that sink over there.”

Myrtle pointed to one of the sinks in the middle of the bathroom.

“Thanks Myrtle,” said Ron as they headed over.

They searched the sinks and found a snake engraved on one of the sinks.

“Try talking to it,” suggested Ernie.

“Open,” said Beth.

Ron shook his head.

Beth closed her eyes and tried to imagine that the snake was moving.

“Open,” she said again, but it sounded different that time.

The sinks spiralled away to form a large shoot that seemed to form a kind of slide.

“Woah,” muttered Ron.

“Beth,” said Myrtle before Beth went down the shoot, “if you die you can share my bathroom.”

“Um, thanks Myrtle,” muttered Beth before sliding down.

The tunnel was so long and slimy, it felt like she had fallen miles below the school.

“It’s all clear!” she called up the tunnel.

Ernie came flying down the tunnel followed by Ron.

“Ok guys,” muttered Beth pulling out her wand feeling that someone had to take charge.

“Wands out, we should probably light them up as well.”

“Right you are Beth,” nodded Ernie pulling out his wand and lighting it up as did Ron.

“It’s this way,” said Beth as they started to walk their way down the sewer.

It was soaking wet, and Beth kept on stepping on things that crunched.

“What do we keep on standing on,” gulped Beth.

“Skeletons,” sighed Ernie, “rat skeletons.”

“Great,” muttered Ron, “just great!”

“Ginny,” muttered Ron as he trudged through slime and rat skeletons, “if we ever make it out of this alive, I’m going to kill you!”

“What the hell is that?” gasped Ernie as his wand found a giant skin.

“That’s the snakeskin,” gulped Beth, “I just hope we’re here on time.”

“So do I,” agreed Ron.

They reached a barrier which had a giant snake engraved on it.

“Ok,” muttered Beth “here goes.”

“Open,” she said, hoping it would work.

“Good job Beth,” beamed Ernie as they went into the Chamber.

They walked into the Chamber which had an inch of water on the bottom which covered Beth’s shoes.

She trudged through water to try and find Ginny.

“Ginny!” yelled Ron running through the water to find his sister who was lying on the floor.

“Ginny, wake up Gin, its ok I’m right here!”

“She won’t wake,” said a soft voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

Beth looked over and saw a handsome young man with dark hair and bright green eyes. His image was slightly blurred, but Beth couldn’t mistake that man anywhere.

“Tom?” Beth stammered.

“Hello Elizabeth, I was wondering if you might show up,” he said chuckling lightly, “and who are your friends?”

“She’s not dead, is she?” asked Ron who was still clinging on Ginny’s body.

“No,” said Tom, “she’s not dead, not yet.”

Beth took a closer look at Tom. He was sixteen in his memory but that was fifty years ago.

“What are you Tom?”

“What do you mean?” asked Tom smirking.

“You don’t look a day older than you did in your memory.”

“Ah well that’s the thing you see Miss Potter,” said Tom chuckling lightly, “I am a memory.”

“Look,” said Ernie getting annoyed, “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but we’ve got to get out of here, there’s a fucking basilisk.”

“Language,” said Tom his lips forming a ghost of a smile.

“I’m perfectly aware that there is a basilisk,” said Tom casually, “but it won’t come until it’s called.”

“What?” said Ron looking confusedly at Ernie as they tried to pick up Ginny’s body.

It was at this point that Beth noticed that Tom was fiddling with Ginny’s wand.

“So,” he smirked, “you’re Elizabeth Potter.”

Beth was more than used to people obsessing over her.

“So the rumours are true,” he muttered brushing her fringe off her face, “you have the scar from when you defeated the Dark Lord.”

“How do you know about that?” asked Beth who was now very confused.

“What does that matter Beth,” said Ernie urgently pulling at her arm, “we’ve got to get out of here!”

“Oh you’re not going anywhere,” said Tom softly, “I have waited far too long for this, to finally meet you Miss Potter, I’ve been waiting patiently all year, but I’ve been waiting a lot longer than that.”

“I’ve had Ginny doing all the work for me, setting the monster on people, petrifying muggle borns and blood traitors.”

“It’s your fault my best friends and my brother are in the hospital wing?” asked Ron

“Why are you so obsessed with Beth?”

“Why am I so obsessed with Beth?” he asked smirking.

“I suppose its because I want to know how an infant could destroy the most extraordinary wizard the world has ever known. How did you escape Voldemort?”

Beth scanned her memory for the time that someone else had mentioned Tom Riddle nearly two years ago.

Beth looked up at him in dawning comprehension, she had been scared enough to begin with and now she was terrified.

“Ernie, we’ve got to get out of here,” she squeaked.

“What do you think I’m trying to do?” said Ernie who was trying to budge past Tom as Ron carried Ginny.

Tom pulled Ginny’s wand out of his pocket and letter appeared.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

These letters quickly rearranged themselves to form.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

“Oh shit!” muttered Ernie.

“I had to find a new name, I could hardly use my muggle fathers names when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world.”

“You’re wrong!” spat Beth pulling out his wand.

“Excuse me?” asked Tom laughing slightly.

“You’re not the greatest sorcerer in the world! Dumbledore is!” screamed Beth, “you’re scared of him aren’t you?”

Riddle’s soft smile was replaced by a scowl.

“Dumbledore’s been driven out of this school by the mere memory of me!”

At this moment the Chamber was filled with beautiful music as a colourful bird came flying into the room.

The phoenix dropped the sorting hat at Beth’s feet.

“Is this what your headmaster has to send your defenders?” chortled Riddle, “a songbird and an old hat?”

“Well,” sighed Riddle, “I suppose it is time to test the great Elizabeth Potter and his friend against the great Salazar Slytherin!”

There was strange hissing noises, but they knew what was coming.

Ron had put Ginny back down on the floor and was guarding her and the other two were standing hipwidth apart with their wands ready.

“Expeliarmus!” yelled Beth.

Ginny’s wand came flying out of Tom’s hand and Beth put it in her pocket.

There was the sound of a giant snake coming slithering into the chamber from out of Salazar Slytherin’s mouth.

They all shut their eyes and pointed the wands in the snakes general direction.

“Obsucuro!” they all called.

Beth opened her eyes a fraction of an inch and saw that it had worked, the snake couldn’t see.

“Great job Beth!” said Ernie.

At this second the basilisk bit Ernie in the arm.

“AHHHHH!” screamed Ernie clutching onto his arm and kneeling down onto the floor.

Then Ernie saw a sword which had appeared in the hat.

“What the?” he groaned picking it up out of the hat and handing the sword to Beth.

“Get it!” said Ron with a look of fury in his eyes.

Beth nodded and took the wand and charged at the snake.

“For Hufflepuff!!” she screamed as she plunged the sword straight through the snake’s skin.

Tom’s eyes were full of fire as if he was about to scream, but he composed himself.

“No matter,” he sighed, “I am becoming more alive by the minute, whereas little Ginny and your friend with the sandy hair is dying.”

“Look at that,” he said sarcastically, “even Dumbledore’s bird is mourning for you!”

Fawkes had been crying into Ernie’s arm, but it was magically healing somehow.

Ernie bit his lip in pain as he pulled the fang out of his arm and he crawled towards the diary which was lying on the floor.

“Did you arrogant fucking git!” shouted Ernie plunging the fang into the diary.

“Wait what?” asked Tom slightly confused.

“NOOOO!!!!” he screamed in agony before fading from view.

“You just called You Know Who an arrogant fucking git,” said Ron picking Ginny back up.

“I did, didn’t I,” beamed Ernie.

“Ron?” said Ginny weakly.

“Gin!” said Ron almost bursting into tears.

“The Chamber of Secrets, Riddle, the basilisk!” she cried hysterically, “they’re going to expel me!”

“Don’t worry Ginny,” said Ernie, “you’ll be fine.”

Ernie picked up the sorting hat and Beth took the sword which she now noticed was glistening with rubies.

They all grabbed onto Fawkes and flew back up to Myrtles’ bathroom.

“You’re alive?” said Myrtle.

“And you’re disappointed why?” asked Ron.

“It would have been nice to have a friend,” shrugged Myrtle.

They walked up to Dumbledore’s office, and the staircase was already down.

“Here goes nothing,” muttered Ernie knocking on the door.