Chapter 49
The air in the hallway felt cold as Harry and his friends walked through the school, the weight of the recent events pressing down on them. The petrifications, the whispers, the fear. Everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something dark and ancient was stirring beneath Hogwarts, and it all seemed to center around Ginny Weasley.
He had been trying to push the thought of the Chamber of Secrets out of his mind, but the mystery, the danger, was too great to ignore. Ginny was missing, and time was running out. His connection to the strange events and the cursed diary only seemed to pull him deeper into the mystery, and he couldn’t ignore the sense of dread building inside him.
As they rounded a corner, Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to the wall ahead. His breath caught in his throat when he saw it—written in blood-red letters, as though it had been carved directly into the stone.
Her skeleton will lay in the Chamber forever.
The words felt like a punch to the gut, and Harry’s heart raced. He stepped closer, running his fingers over the chilling message. The writing was so clear, so deliberate. Ginny was in the Chamber, and this was a warning. A final one.
“Harry…” Ron whispered, his voice trembling. “What—what does this mean?”
Before Harry could answer, Hermione gasped from behind him. “It’s Ginny! She’s in the Chamber! She’s been taken!”
A cold shiver ran down Harry’s spine. It was true. Ginny was in the Chamber, and if they didn’t act quickly, she would be lost forever. He couldn’t let that happen.
"We have to go there," Harry said, his voice resolute. "We have to find her."
Ron’s face drained of color. “You can’t be serious! The Chamber—no one’s ever gotten in there, and no one’s ever come back out.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Harry replied, his eyes darkening with determination. “Ginny’s in there. I’m going.”
Before Ron could protest further, Harry turned and walked briskly down the corridor. He had no idea how to get into the Chamber, but he had one lead—the entrance in the girls' bathroom. The place where Moaning Myrtle had been haunting for years. It was the only clue he had, and he was certain that was where the answers lay.
As they reached the bathroom, the door creaked open, and Harry stepped inside. Myrtle was floating there, as usual, but she seemed different today. She hovered near the sink, her eyes wide with something resembling fear.
“I hope you’ve figured it out by now,” Myrtle mumbled, watching him closely. “You’re the only one who can.”
Harry didn’t respond, his mind already focused on the task ahead. He stepped toward the sink, eyes scanning for the entrance. When he saw it, a sense of recognition hit him.
The Parseltongue.
He spoke the words in a low hiss, his voice ringing through the chamber, and with a grinding sound, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets slowly opened before him. The ancient stone door revealed a dark, swirling abyss.
Before he could step forward, a voice cut through the air. “Potter, wait!” Lockhart’s voice echoed behind him, and Harry turned to see the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stumbling toward him, a wand in hand.
“What are you doing? You don’t know what’s in there!” Lockhart said, his words frantic.
“I have to go,” Harry replied, determination in his voice. “Ginny’s in there, and I can’t waste any more time.”
Lockhart’s face twisted with fear, but then a strange, twisted look came over him. “I’ll—I'll handle this,” he said, with too much confidence, and he raised his wand. “Obliviate!”
The flash of light from Lockhart’s spell was bright and sudden, but it didn’t hit Harry. Instead, there was a loud, crackling sound, and before Harry could react, the spell backfired. The force of the magic slammed into Lockhart, sending him collapsing to the ground, unconscious, his wand falling from his hand.
Harry stood frozen for a moment, staring at the unconscious man. He didn’t have time for this. He didn’t have time for Lockhart or anyone else. Ginny was still out there, and she needed him.
Without a second thought, Harry stepped through the entrance into the Chamber of Secrets, the heavy door creaking shut behind him. The air inside was damp, cold, and heavy, and the darkness pressed in around him.
His heart pounded in his chest as he descended deeper into the Chamber, his thoughts racing. What would he find? Would Ginny be there? Was he too late?
The passageway stretched ahead, and Harry took a deep breath, pushing forward. He had to do this. For Ginny. For the school. For everyone.
As the darkness deepened, Harry’s resolve hardened. Whatever dangers awaited him in the Chamber of Secrets, he would face them.
And he would save Ginny.