Chapter 50
The dark and cold atmosphere of the Chamber of Secrets weighed heavily on Harry as he moved deeper into the abyss. The stone walls seemed to close in around him, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed through the vast, empty space. He clutched his wand tightly, his heart racing with a mixture of fear and determination.
Ahead, he saw a figure lying motionless on the ground. Ginny.
Her body was pale, lifeless—her eyes shut, and her breathing barely discernible. Harry’s heart skipped a beat. He rushed to her side, kneeling beside her, shaking her gently.
“Ginny,” Harry whispered urgently. “Ginny, wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped for breath, but she didn’t speak. Harry’s gaze shifted to the shadows in the room as he felt a shift in the air, a presence lurking just beyond his sight. He could feel it—the magic, thick and suffocating. A sudden coldness filled the chamber.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded, looking around.
A voice echoed from the darkness, smooth and serpentine. “A brave one, aren’t you?”
Out of the shadows stepped a figure, tall and imposing—Tom Riddle. His eyes gleamed with an eerie confidence, his presence exuding an unnatural calm. He smiled at Harry, but there was no warmth in it.
“It’s been a long time, Harry Potter,” Riddle said, his voice smooth and seductive, as though every word was carefully chosen. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. The Chamber of Secrets was meant to be my triumph, but I’ve had to share the glory with someone else.”
Harry stood, his wand raised. “You don’t get to do this. I’m not letting you hurt anyone else.”
Tom chuckled darkly, as if the very notion amused him. “Oh, Harry. You have no idea what you’re up against.” His eyes shifted to Ginny, still lying unconscious at Harry’s feet. “She was just the beginning, you know. My plan is much bigger than that.”
Harry’s breath caught in his throat. He knew he couldn’t back down now. “You’ve hurt her enough,” Harry growled, stepping forward. “You won’t get away with this.”
Tom’s smile widened, and he held up his hand, snapping his fingers.
There was a sudden hiss—a low, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the stone walls. The Basilisk emerged from the shadows, its massive form slithering forward, its eyes glowing with deadly intent. The enormous serpent’s gaze fixed on Harry, its pupils narrowing as it coiled around the chamber.
But then, something strange happened. As the Basilisk approached, it froze, its eyes flickering, its body shuddering as if it had suddenly sensed something—something deeply unsettling.
Harry felt a pulse of magic surge through the air. It wasn’t his magic, but something else. Something dark. The Basilisk, usually so imposing and unstoppable, recoiled. It hissed, its massive head jerking back, as though it feared what was in the room with them.
Tom Riddle’s confident smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing in confusion. He stepped closer to the Basilisk, trying to regain control. “What’s this?” he muttered, his tone dark and threatening. “You should not fear him.”
But the Basilisk did. It recoiled further, its massive body curling protectively around Ginny as if it sought to shield her from Harry’s presence.
Harry was taken aback. The serpent, a creature that had terrorized the school for so long, was afraid of him?
He couldn’t explain it. He had no idea what was happening, but the tension in the air was undeniable. The Basilisk didn’t just fear him—it was terrified.
“You can control it, can’t you?” Harry said, his voice colder now, more confident. “This monster that you’ve unleashed—it’s afraid of me.”
Tom Riddle’s expression darkened further, his features twisting in frustration. “You don’t understand, Harry. You don’t understand the forces at play here.” His eyes flashed with anger. “I’ll deal with this.”
He raised his wand and pointed it at the Basilisk, his voice hissing in a language Harry didn’t understand. But the creature didn’t obey. Instead, it let out a low, menacing hiss, its tail swishing violently as it seemed to hesitate.
Tom’s face contorted with rage. “What are you doing? You are mine!” he shouted at the creature. But still, it didn’t move.
Harry’s mind raced as he watched the Basilisk struggle against Riddle’s command, its once-unquestioning obedience now turned into uncertainty. The creature’s fear of Harry lingered, and it was clear to both of them—Harry had something that Riddle did not.
Control.
“Your pet’s not so loyal now, is it?” Harry said, his voice steady. His wand was still raised, but he wasn’t sure what to do next. His heart beat faster as his mind tried to comprehend what had just happened.
Tom Riddle seemed to sense the shift in the room, the loss of his dominance over the beast. His eyes flicked to Harry, and then to Ginny, his jaw tightening. “This isn’t over,” he hissed, the darkness in his voice palpable.
The tension in the air was suffocating, and Harry knew one thing for sure—he couldn’t back down now. Whatever had made the Basilisk fear him was something that Tom Riddle didn’t understand, something that Harry could use to his advantage. He was no longer just a boy in a fight for survival—he was a player in a game that went far deeper than anyone had realized.
And for the first time, Harry felt the true weight of the power he possessed.