Humble & Wild

In Gryffindor tower, all the students where in more despair now that student with no muggle blood was attacked, the trio are still in shock for what happened to their dear friend, Hermione could not stop the silent tears fall down her cheeks, Ron was twiddling with his fingers, while Harry was staring into nothing, he could not get the image of Terra lying still like a statue in the Hospital Wing out of his head, he can feel Lulu shaking in his pocket, the poor little thing is heartbroken knowing the fate of her friend.

“Could I have your attention please?” Professor McGonagall called out; the chatter stopped to listen. “Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately: all students will return to their house common rooms by 6 o’clock every evening, all students will be escorted to each lesson by teacher, no student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher, and all Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed, there will be no more evening activities, no exceptions.”

She rolled up the parchment, the room was in an eery silence, there is nothing to be said, before McGonagall took her leave she had one more thing to say to her House.

“I should tell you this, unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed.”

Once McGonagall left the room, they began chatting among themselves again, it was when Fred and George’s best friend stepped up for all Gryffindor’s to hear.

“That’s two Hufflepuffs, one Gryffindor plus a Gryffindor ghost, and a Ravenclaw,” Lee Jordan said counting the attack victims on one hand. “Haven’t any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn’t it obvious all this stuff’s coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin, why don’t they just chuck all the Slytherins out?”

Many of the Gryffindors nodded and cheered at the remark.

“But why did the Heir of Slytherin go after Terra?” Neville said among his second years.

“Why? Isn’t it obvious she’s a Scamander,” said Seamus. “She must have found out what kind of Monster the Heir of Slytherin is controlling.”

While the house went back into chatting, Harry turned to Hermione and Ron.

“We’ve got to talk to Hagrid,” he whispered so no one else can hear him but them. “I can’t believe it’s him, but if he did set the monster loose last time, he’ll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that’s a start.”

“But you heard McGonagall,” Ron whispered back. “We’re not allowed to leave the tower except for class.”

“I think it’s time to get my dad’s old cloak out again.”

When some calmness appeared with the lions, Professor McGonagall escorted her House to the Great Hall for an early afternoon dinner, Harry looked over at the Hufflepuff table to look for Terra’s Brother but he could not be seen, the Weasley Twins noticed this and got told from one of Rolf’s mates that he is taken the news about Terra very hard and is skipping dinner wishing to be alone, Harry thought undoubtedly the reason of the Hufflepuff’s absence is looking after Terra’s creatures. Within an hour the new curfew was approaching, the Head of Houses escorted them back to their respected Dorms. It took a long time for the common room to be emptied so they could slip away to go to Hagrid’s, Harry got his cloak while falsely to get something else from his trunk when Hermione and Ron where playing Wizard Chess to fool the other House Mates, when Fred, George and Lee called it a night, is when they made their move.

Getting out of the castle took longer due to all the doubled security, not to mention that the three of them had to walk at the same pace so they would stay hidden, once outside they saw the light burning through the Hut’s windows they hurried over to the door and Harry knocked on it three times.       

The door swung open, seeing Hagrid with a crossbow aiming at them, but with the cloak over them the Gamekeeper was unaware of whom he was pointing at.

“Hello?” he called out seeing no one. “Hello?”

Ron removed the cloak, Hagrid relaxed seeing the three Gryffindors. 

“What’s that for?” Harry asked referring to the crossbow.

“Oh, nothing, eh, I was expecting… it doesn’t matter, come on in, I just made a pot of tea.”

Once inside, the trio noticed how uneasy Hagrid was, he had forgotten to put tea bags in the pot, so he only poured them hot water into the mugs, but it overflowed in to the sources. 

“Hagrid, are you okay?” Hermione asked.

“I'm fine, I'm all righ’,” Hagrid replied.

Clearly he wasn’t fine.

“Did you hear about Terra?” asked Harry.

“Oh, yeah, I heard all righ’.” His eyes looked down on them sadly, just knowing that the fourth is greatly missed in the group.

“Look, we have to ask you something,” Harry said hesitating to ask. “Do you know who’s opened the Chamber of Secrets?”

There was a pregnant pause as the trio watched Hagrid take a deep long sigh, as if he knew they were going to ask him that question.

“Wat ya have to understand about that is-” he started but was cut off by a knocking on the door, Fang was barking. “Quick, under the cloak, don’t say a word, be quiet, the three of ya.”

Harry Ron and Hermione quickly moved to the far corner, Ron threw the cloak over them, they watched Hagrid grab his crossbow again, opening the door.

“Oh,” he mumbled, lowering the crossbow. “Professor Dumbledore sir.”

The trio froze where they stood.

“Good evening Hagrid,” hearing the Headmaster’s voice. “I wonder, could we..?”

“Of course, come in, come in,” Hagrid said stepping back to allow Dumbledore and a second shorter man.

“That’s dad’s boss, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic,” Ron whispered before both Harry and Hermione elbowed him to shut him up.

“Bad business, Hagrid, very bad business,” Cornelius said. “Had to come three attacks, things have gone far enough, the Ministry’s got to act.”

“But I’d never, ya know I’d never Professor Dumbledore sir,” Hagrid replied worriedly.

“I want it understood Cornelius,” Dumbledore said. “That Hagrid has my full confidence.”

“Albus look at it from my point of view,” said Fudge. “I’m under a lot of pressure, got to be seen to be doing something, if it turns out it wasn’t Hagrid, he’ll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him.”

“Take me?” said Hagrid, who was trembling. “Take me where? Not Azkaban?!”

Before Fudge could reply, there was another knock on the door, it opened on its own and the least person the trio did not need to see enter the room.

“Already here Fudge,” Lucius Malfoy says, striding into the hut, Fang started to growl at the man. “Good, good.”

“What’re you doin’ here?” said Hagrid furiously. “Get outta my house!”

“My dear man, believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your…. you call this a house?” Lucius said looking around the cabin. “I simply called at the school and was told that the Headmaster was here.”

Malfoy turned towards Dumbledore.

“And what exactly did you want with me?” Dumbledore asked politely, but the trio noticed the fire in his blue eyes that said otherwise.

“Dreadful thing Dumbledore,” said Malfoy, taking out a rolled-up parchment. “But the governors feel it’s time for you to step aside, this is an Order of Suspension, you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I’m afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn’t it? I heard one of them was Scamander’s daughter,” Lucius turned looking around the cabin again, but the trio spotted a smirk on the man’s face.

Harry felt hot anger rise in his blood, Lu poke her head out of Harry’s pocket, he barely heard the Bowtruckle growling at Malfoy.

“At this rate, there’ll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school.”

“Oh now see here Lucius,” said Fudge in alarm. “Dumbledore suspended… no, no….. last thing we want just now.”

“You’ll find all twelve of us have voted,” Lucius stated.

“An’ how many did yeh have ter threaten an’ blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?” Hagrid roared. “Take him away, an’ the Muggle-borns won’ stand a chance! There’ll be killin’s next!”

“Calm yourself Hagrid,” said Dumbledore, he turned to face Lucius. “If the governors want my removal Lucius, I shall of course step aside, however,” he steps closer to the man. “You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.”

For that moment, the trio was almost sure Dumbledore’s eyes flickered towards them where they are stood hidden.

“Admirable sentiments,” said Malfoy. “We shall all miss your, highly individual of running things.”

He strode to the door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out, soon following him leaving Fudge with Hagrid.

“If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they’d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders, that’ll lead ‘em right!” he says loud and clear, he grab his coat and headed for the door too. “Oh, and someone’ll need to feed Fang while I'm away.”

Once the door closed with a bang, the trio removed themselves from the Invisibility Cloak off.

“Hagrid’s right,” Ron spoke first. “With Dumbledore gone there’ll be an attack a day.”

“Look,” Harry said, pointing at the wall, a trail of spiders where getting out of the window that had a hole in a stain glass plate.

“Come on,” said Harry heading towards the door, grabbing a lantern from the nearby cabinet.

“Come on Fang,” Hermione called out to the boarhound while she and Ron follow Harry outside.

Lifting the lantern up, they see the trail heading away from the hut towards the trees.

“Come on,” said Harry.

“What?” Ron squeaked.

“You heard what Hagrid said, ‘follow the spiders’” Harry quoted.

“They’re heading into the dark forest,” Ron complained.

“Come on Ronald,” Hermione said following Harry towards the forest, Fang at her heels.  

“Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?” Ron muttered slowing going after Harry and Hermione.

They kept on tracking the spiders in the forest for so long the realized they were getting closer to the heart of the forest, the single trail of spider quickly became a mass of them all going in the one direction much to Ron dismay, Hermione uses the Lumos charm when she noticed the lantern was hardly shining the path.

“I don’t like this,” Ron whimpered, taking each step with care, while Harry and Hermione walk ahead of him. “I don’t like this at all.”

“Shush!” Harry and Hermione said together.

They reach a tunnel that tree roots and earth held it together, thousands of spiders where crawling into it, they hunched to enter the tunnel, before Harry wondered how far the tunnel went, they made it to the end into a large ditch where the trees surround acting like a wall to keep things out or in. Harry kept his eyes on the spiders, they appear to be heading to a huge hole on the ground, around the hole was silk webs, Lulu let out a little gasp before lowering herself back in Harry’s pocket, frighten by where they are.

A loud crack made Hermione and Ron look to where Harry was staring at.

“Who is it?” a raspy voice came from the hole.

“Don’t panic,” Harry whispered to the others, mainly at Ron.

“Hagrid is that you?” the voice asked as more cracks and snaps came from the hole.

“We’re friends of Hagrid’s,” Harry spoke out.

The noises became even louder, someone or something was moving towards them, eight long hairy legs appeared from the hole, Ron and Hermione moved closer to Harry as a massive body of a Spider revealed itself, its milky eyes showed that it was blind, but Harry knew somehow that it could see them, he barely heard Hermione whisper something in a frightened gasp, “Acromantula” as she gripped on to Harry’s sleeve.

“And you?” Harry stuttered in shock of the sight in front of him. “You’re- you're Aragog, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before?”

“He’s in trouble,” Harry began explaining, while Ron was looking around, noticing movement around the hollow, movement that made him worried even more. “Up in the school there have been attacks, they think it’s Hagrid they think he opened the Chamber of Secrets like before.”

“That’s a lie!” Aragog bellowed. “Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets.”

“Then you're not the monster?” questioned Harry.

“No, the monster was born in the castle, I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveller.”

“B-but if you're not the monster,” Hermione said with a stutter.  “Th-then what did kill that girl 50 years ago?”

“We do not speak of it,” Aragog replied harshly, making Hermione shrink under his tone. “It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others.”

“But have you seen it?” Harry asked.

“I never saw any part of the castle, but the cupboard in which  Hagrid kept me, the girl was discovered in a bathroom, when I was accused Hagrid brought me here.”

“Harry,” Ron whimpered.

“What?” Harry huffed turning towards Ron.

Ron only respond by pointing up above them, he and Hermione looked, and their blood ran cold, countless spiders as big as them if not bigger where lowering themselves down to the forest floor, slowly surrounding them.

“Well, thank you,” Harry said to Aragog as calmly as he could, hoping his voice didn’t give away his anxious of the situation they are now in. “We’ll just go.”

The trio slowly started to back away.

“Go?” Aragog questioned. “I think not, my sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command,” more spider of many sizes appear still approaching the trio and Fang. “But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friend of Hagrid.”

“Can we panic now?” Ron whimpered.

One spider drop right in front of Hermione, making her scream, Harry hits it with the lantern away from her, before another one soon followed action with its sibling, Harry, Ron, and Hermione where now back-to-back wands drawn as the clutter of Acromantula closed in on them

“Know any spells?” Ron asked his friends.

“One,” said Harry. “But is not powerful enough for all of them.”

“Hermione?” Ron asked again.

“A few but there’s too many,” Hermione replied her voice trembled.

“Where’s Terra when you need her?” Ron complained.

Just when they thought it was the end, a light shined on them, the trio looked where the light was coming from, the sound of a engine reached their ear, the Ford Anglia shot out form the trees, driving into the heart of the hollow running over the spiders, making the rest retreat, the car stopped in front of the Gryffindors, shocked at the surprised recuse, the car opened it side doors as if to say ‘GET IN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!’. 

“Let’s go!” Harry told the others.

Ron got in first slamming the door just before one of the spiders could get him, Fang entered the only opened door, Hermione quickly turned around as three more charged towards her.

“Incendio!” She cried out, a jet of fire shoots out of her wand, unfortunately her aim was off, however it did stopped the arachnids from attacking her giving her time to get into the car.

Harry hurried after her, another arachnid took its chance when the boy’s back was turned, but Harry turned around, wand pointing at the creature.

“Arania Exumai!” Harry casted the spell, a blast of light sending it flying backwards.

With the Gryffindors and Fang in the car, the boys in the front seat, Ron behind the wheel, Hermione in the backseats with the boarhound, the spiders started to attack the car, jumping on the roof and bonnet, Ron put the car in reverse and like a bullet they shot out of the hollow backwards, they went so fast they were nearly in the air before landing back on the ground, once they were a good distance away, they tried catching their breathes.

“Glad we’re out of there!” said Ron relieved.

But he jinxed himself as one of the smaller Acromantula that was on the car, jumped up at the smashed opened window, it grabbed Ron by the neck with its mandibles, Ron screamed trying to get it of him, Harry pulls out his wand.

“Arania Exumai!” Harry casted, like before a bright light shoots out of his wand, sending the spider flying back leaving Ron unharmed.

“Thanks for that,” Ron gasped.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Oh no,” Hermione whimpered, the boys looked at her, she was staring ahead of them, they turned to look in front of them.

The Acromantula where not done with them, they were approaching them and fast.

“Get us out of here, now!” Harry shouted.

Ron snapped out of his frighten state and got the car moving.

“Come on! Come on move faster!” Hermione shouted.

The car drove through the trees just brushing the lower branches scraping the sides, the Acromantula are still hot on their tail.

“Get us in the air,” Harry stated.

Ron grabbed the gear stick, when he tried to shift gear, the grinding of metal did not sound right.

“The flying gear’s jammed!” Ron yelped, seeing the Spiders coming towards them on all sides.

Harry and Hermione aided with Ron trying to set the car in to flying mode, just at the last second they got it in gear, taking off into the night leaving the forest behind them. In less than 30 minutes they landed right outside of Hagrid’s Huts, when the car parked itself, the Trio and Fang exited the car, glad to be out of there, Ron more than the three of them.

“Follow the Spiders! Follow the Spiders!” Ron bellowed, walking in front of them, as the car made its way back into the forest. “If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban I’ll kill him! I mean what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?”

“We know one thing,” said Harry. “Hagrid never opened the Chamber of secrets he was innocent.”

Putting Fang back into the Hut and getting the Invisibility Cloak, they began to head back in Gryffindor Tower, like before it took the long to get to their Common Room, once inside, exhausted they collapsed onto the sofa, trying to get a grip about what happened in the last two or so hours, Hagrid being taken to Azkaban, Dumbledore has been temporarily step down by the council, and now they are back to not knowing who is the doing all the attacks.   

Suddenly Hermione bolt upright, making Harry and Ron jump.

“That girl who died,” Hermione said her eyes filled with realisation. “Aragog said she was discovered in a bathroom, what if she never left the bathroom?”

“What if she’s still here?” Harry said catching on what Hermione was saying.

“You don’t mean Moaning Myrtle?” said Ron.

Trying to get to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom was not easy to say the least, being escorted from classroom to classroom and for Hermione’s case she tried to make an excuse to use the toilet hoping to get to Myrtle’s, but with it being the scene of the first attacks was impossible to go. While their attempts have failed they had to go on with their lessons, and after being told in one Transfiguration class that they are to continue with their exams on the first of June. Days passed and the absence of Terra weighted heavy on their hearts, and with Madam Pomfrey not allowing anyone to enter the Hospital Wing to visit her made it even worse. 

Three days before the exams, Professor McGonagall made an announcement that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last and the people who have been Petrified will be cured, after Harry looked over from the Slytherin table glaring a Malfoy with his group whom did not take any notice to Professor McGonagall’s news, he looks over to where Rolf was sitting, his friends patted him on the back, the boy looked very tired but he was smiling. However with the news of the re-petrified potion nearly completed, he would rather be safe than sorry on what something as serious as this. At midday after the DADA class, Lockhart was taking them to their next class while complaining about not needing to escort the students seeing how the Hagrid is responsible of the attacks and the potion to awaken the victims, Harry played along to get the stupid prat to leave the group near their next class, a perfect moment so he, Hermione, and Ron will head straight to Myrtle's bathroom that they have been trying to do for weeks. Except they forget one tiny little thing, the impeccable time of the Deputy and Head of their House.  

“Potter! Weasley! Granger! What are you doing?”

“We were- we were,” Ron stammered, “We were-.”

“Going to- to go see-,” Hermione added.

“Terra,” said Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Professor McGonagall both looked at him.

“We haven’t seen her for ages, Professor,” Harry went on. “And we thought we’d sneak into the Hospital Wing, you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry.”

For a moment they thought McGonagall was going to scold them, but was surprised to see tears form in her eyes.

“Of course,” she says in a croaky voice. “Of course, I realise this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been… I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Scamander, I will inform Professor Binns where you’ve gone. Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given my permission.”

The trio walked away before McGonagall could change her mind, when they turned the corner, they distinctly heard her blow her nose. And now with no option they head to the Hospital Wing, told Madam Pomfrey they were given permission and where allowed inside but only for a short time. Hermione charmed new flowers in the vase on Terra’s bedside cupboard when she sits on the chair next to the bed while Ron stands next to her, Harry sits on the mattress, when Madam Pomfrey went back to her office, Lulu poked her head out of Harry’s pocket and climbs down his sleeve on to his hand that was holding on to Terra’s. She chirped sadly at her Hufflepuff, then the Bowtruckle then hurried over to Terra, the Gryffindor’s watched at the Bowtruckle looking sad at her human friend. Then Lulu crawls down into her robe pocket.

“Lu?” said Harry, she leaves Terra’s pocket and in her mouth is a folded piece of paper, hurry down the bed to Harry, he takes the paper from the Bowtruckle and unfolds it.

“What’s that?” Ron asked.

“Guys, this is why Terra was in the library the day she was attacked,” he gets up from the bed, Lulu jumps onto his robe and climbs up to his shoulder as he left the Hospital Wing, Ron and Hermione quickly followed.

“Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land,” Harry read out loud while walking down a corridor. “None is more deadly than the basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents, this snake which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken’s egg, hatched beneath a toad. It methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.’

“Of course, that’s how you are able to hear it speak Harry,” Hermione said. “And nobody else, because you can understand Parseltongue.”

“But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one’s dead?” Ron questioned.

It took a moment for Hermione to respond until she looked at her reflection in a window.

“Because no one did look it in the eye, not directly anyway,” she replied looking at her friends.

“You're right,” Harry said catching on. “Colin saw it through his camera, when I was in the Hospital Wing when Colin was attacked I caught the smell of burnt plastic, the Basilisk burned up the film. And Justin must have seen it through Sir Nicholas while he got the full blast of it but he’s already a ghost so he can’t die again.”

“And Terra and the Ravenclaw Prefect had the mirror,” Hermione added. “I bet you anything Terra was using it to look around corners in case it came along.”

“And Mrs Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn’t have a camera or a mirror,” Ron pointed out.

They stopped walking to think, then Harry remembered.

“The water, there was water on the floor that night, she saw its reflection.”

Hermione gets the paper from Harry to go over the text again for herself.

“Spiders flee before it,” Hermione read out. “All the spiders have been leaving the castle after each attack, and Aragog would not talk about it because he and his kind a enemies to it.”

“And Hagrid’s Roosters have been killed because it’s crowing is fatal to the snake,” Harry added. “It all fits.”

“But how’s the Basilisk been getting around?” Ron asked. “A dirty great snake, someone would have seen it.”

“Terra’s answered that too,” said Harry, pointing out Terra’s rushed handwriting.

“Pipes? It’s using the plumbing?” said Ron, then his eyes widen in realisation. “The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! What if it’s a bathroom? What if it’s in-”

“Moaning Myrtle’s Bathroom!” the trio said together.

They’ve cracked the case. But their moment of triumph though was short lived when they hear McGonagall’s voice magically magnified across the corridors.

“All students are to return to their house dormitories at once! All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately!”

The trio hurried down the corridor not heading to their dormitories but to the second-floor corridor, when they reach the corner they hear McGonagall talking to the rest of the staff.

“As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message, our worst fear has been realized, a student has been taken by the monster into the chamber itself. The students must be sent home, I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts.”

Harry was about to step out to tell them what they have discovered, but he stopped himself when he heard approaching footsteps towards the staff.

“So sorry, dozed off what have I missed?” said Lockhart.

“A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart, your moment has come at last.” Snape answered.

“My..m-moment?” Lockhart mumbled.

“Weren’t you saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?” Snape said.

“That’s settled,” McGonagall inquired. “We’ll leave you deal with the monster, Gilderoy, your skills after all are legend.”

The was silence before Lockhart spoke.

“Very well, uh, I’ll just be in my office getting, um, getting ready.”

He takes his leave, then several members of staff started to leave the scene too only leaving Snape, McGonagall, and Sprout. 

“Who is it that the monster’s taken, Minerva?” Sprout asked.

“Ginny Weasley,” she replied in a small voice.

The trio’s heart shank, Hermione had to cover her mouth to not let her gasp be heard when the last of the staff walked away from the message on the wall, written in blood like the last one.

“Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever,” Ron read out loud in a shaken voice. “Ginny.”

Not even bothering to head to Gryffindor Tower, they had to help Ginny, so they head to Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

“Lockhart may be useless, but he’s going to try and get into the Chamber,” Harry said as they ran into the room head up to Lockhart’s Office. “At least we can tell him what we know!”

Harry opens the door barging in the office.

“Professor, we have some information for you,” Hermione spoke.

The office was almost completely stripped, two large trunks stood open filled with countless robes that was hastily folded in one and the other was filled with books and several portraits of himself as well as several boxes with other items that was packed in a hurry.

“Are you going somewhere?” said Harry.

“Uh, well, yes,” Lockhart stammered. “Um.. urgent call unavoidable, uh got to go.”

“What about my sister?!” Ron said with a jerkily voice.

“Well.. um.. as to that,” Lockhart said, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched the draw from the desk and emptying it in his briefcase. “Most unfortunate, no one regrets more than I.”

“You're the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher! You can’t go now!” said Ron.

“Well I must say, when I took the job,” Lockhart replied, grabbing a wig from a buttress of his head, and stuffed in the briefcase too, then closing it and making a beeline to the office door. “There was nothing in the job description about-”

“You're running away?” Hermione said disbelievingly cutting him off from leaving. “After all that stuff you did in your book?!”

“Books can be misleading.”

“You wrote them!” Hermione shouted.

Harry and Ron would have been shocked that Hermione Granger shouted at a Teacher, but they were pressed for time.

“My dear girl do use your common sense! My books wouldn’t have sold half as well if people didn’t think I’d done all those things!”

“You’re a fraud! You’ve just been taking credit for what other wizards have done,” Harry said.

“Is there anything you can do?” said Ron.

“Yes, now that you mention it, I'm rather gifted with memory charms, otherwise you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing, and I’d never have sold another book.” He started to track back to his desk. “In fact, uh, I'm uh, I'm going to have to do the same to you.”

He drew his wand, but the trio drawn first, three wands pointed right at Lockhart’s face, and each of them with a look full of fierce and disgusted towards the fraud.  

“Don’t even think about it,” Harry warned Lockhart, he gestured the older wizard to drop his wand, and he does so.

After dragging Lockhart out of his office, they headed straight to Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, Harry took the lead while Ron and Hermione still had their wands out pointing at Lockhart, so he does not make a run for it. Harry opens the door they quickly hear Myrtle moaning as usual.  

“Oh, who’s there?” she says, noticing them. “Oh! Hello Harry, what do you want?”

“To ask you how you died?” Harry replied.

“Oh, it was dreadful, it happened right here in this very cubicle,” she says pointing down above her toilet. “I’d hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses, I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in.”

“Who was it Myrtle?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t know, I was distraught!” she bellowed. “But they said something funny, some kind of made-up language,” she floats down towards them. “And I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to GO AWAY! and… I died.”

“Just like that? How?” said Harry.

“I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes, over there by that sink.”

She pointed at the sinks before floating away, Harry walked to the sink that Myrtle pointed at, he examined it trying to see how it could lead them to the Chambers, turning on the tap only to see no water come out, then he spotted something etched on the side of the tap, tracing it with his fore and middle fingers, the etch is shaped like a serpent. They’ve found the entrance.

“Harry, say something in Parseltongue,” said Hermione. “Maybe that will open the entrance.”

He stared at the etch snake, if he looked at it on an angle the glow from the moonlight made looked more real. When he said ‘open up’ it sounds like hissing, a different language, the sinks began to move opening to reveal a hole big enough to fit a full-grown person, they looked down into the bottomless darkness.

“I'm going down there,” Harry said.

“Us too,” said Ron while Hermione nodded.

“Well, you hardly seem to need me,” said Lockhart, backing away slowly. “I’ll just-”

They pointed their wands at him again.

“You can go first,” Harry snarled though gritted teeth.

Lockhart eventually went down the tunnel, followed by Harry, then Ron and Hermione, the ride down took several minutes, they landed with a wet flop, covered in slime and Merlin knows what else, they stand up and noticed that the floor was full of scattered small bones, mostly of vermin and amphibians.  

“Now remember,” Harry stated. “Any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away.”

Harry headed down one tunnel, Hermione following Harry’s lead, Ron gestured his wand to Lockhart to go follow his friends and to make sure the Wizard would run for it, after walking in a few tunnels, they seem to be heading nowhere, they where running out of time, Ginny has been gone too long, and just before Harry thought of retracing his steps to go a different way, they find something, something unsettling.  

“What’s this?” said Ron.

“It looks like a.. snake,” said Lockhart.

“It’s snakeskin,” Hermione says, while Harry walked down the trail of shed skin up to what he assumed was the head.

“Bloody hell,” Ron swore. “This thing must be 60 feet long.”

With that sentence, Lockhart keeled over in faint, the trio stared at their “Professor’s” limp form on the stone ground. 

“Heart of a lion this one,” Ron commented unimpressed. 

However Lockhart was only faking it to grab Ron’s wand while the he had his guard down, he points the wand back and forth with each Gryffindor like a mad man.

“The adventure ends here children, but don’t fret, the world will know out story, how I was too late to save the girl, how you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So… you first, Mr Potter. Say goodbye to your memories. Obliviate!”

Ron’s wand exploded with a force of a small bomb, causing Lockhart to go flying up hitting the top of the cavern, then fell backdown in a heap, the shock from the spell caused the ceiling to collapse, Harry ducked out of the way as huge rocks just missed him by the hair, as it passed and the dust settled, he could hear muffled calls from his friends, he looks up to see a pile of rock and stone blocking the path they just entered, he hurries over to the pile fearing for Ron and Hermione’s safety.   

“Ron, Hermione are you two okay?!” he called out.

“We’re fine,” he heard Hermione called back, muffled from behind the rockfall.

“We’re okay, this git isn’t,” hearing Ron call out, “Lockhart’s memory charm backfired he hasn’t got a clue who he is.”

There was a thud followed by a loud ‘ow!’, Harry thought that Ron had kicked Lockhart.

“What do we do now,” said Hermione. “It will take time to move all of this.”

“You two wait here,” Harry called out to them. “I’ll go ahead and find Ginny, if I'm not back in an hour….”

He stopped himself.

“We’ll try and shift some of this rock,” said Ron. “So you can, can get through. And Harry-”

“See you in a bit,” said Harry.

“Be careful Harry,” Hermione says, her voice shaken.

With his wand drawn, he set off alone, passing by the giant snake skin, going down tunnel after tunnel, his nerve was on end and guard was up, he reached a solid wall, a large circular door in the centre are seven snakes, their eyes made out of glinting emeralds, Harry approached the door, he spoke in a low faint hiss. One by one a snake would recoil as an eighth snake slithered around in a circle, the door opened slowly, tightening his grip on his wand he walks inside.

On each side of the dimly lit chamber are huge serpent heads statues, somewhere either dented or chipped probably due to time or Slytherins monster doing, at the end is massive head statue of a bearded man and in front of it a small figure, wearing black robes with flaming red hair.

“Ginny!” Harry ran towards her, when he got close he dropped to his knees, letting go his wand landing on the stone floor with a cluck. “Oh Ginny please don’t be dead, wake up, wake up, please wake up.”

“She won’t wake,” a voice said from the shadows, Harry looked up as owner of the voice steps into the light.

“Tom? Tom Riddle?” Harry questioned. “What do you mean she won’t wake? She’s not-”

“She’s still alive,” Tom replied as he walks towards Harry. “But only just.”

“Are you a ghost?” Harry asked.

“A memory,” Tom answered. “Preserved in a diary for 50 years.”

Harry turned his attention back to Ginny; she looked sickly pale even her freckles had faded.

“She cold as ice, Ginny, please don’t be dead, wake up, you’ve got to help me Tom, there’s a Basilisk.”

“It won’t come until it’s called,” he said calmly.

Harry looked up, he noticed that the older boy had his wand in his hands, Harry stands up facing Riddle.

“Give me my wand Tom,” said Harry, not liking how this is going.

“You won’t be needing it,” Tom says, a small smirk appeared, that sent a chill down Harry’s spin.

“Listen, we’ve got to go, we’ve got to save her,” Harry retorted.

“I'm afraid I can’t do that Harry,” Tom replied. “You see, as poor Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger.” Harry was now confused why was this happening. “Yes Harry it was Ginny Weasley who opened the chamber of secrets.”

“No,” Harry replied taken aback. “She couldn’t, she wouldn’t!”

“It was Ginny who set the Basilisk on the Mudbloods, the Scamander girl, and Filch’s cat, Ginny who straggled the roosters, Ginny wrote the threating messages on the walls.”

“But why?”

“Because I told her to,” Tom replied. “You’ll find I can be very persuasive, not that she knew what she was doing, she was shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still the power of the diary began to scare he, and she tried to dispose of it in the girls’ bathroom, and then, who should find it but you? The very person I was most anxious to meet.”

“And why did you want to meet me?” Harry asked, his anger rising more.

“I knew I had to talk to you,” Tom replied on circling around him. “Meet you if I could, so I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust.”

“Hagrid’s my friend!” Harry shouted stepping forward. “And you framed him didn’t you?”

“It was my word against Hagrid’s, only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent.”

“I’ll bet Dumbledore saw through you,” Harry said with a smirk.

“He certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after that, I knew it wouldn’t be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school, so I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my 16-year-old self in its pages, so that one, I would be able to lead another, to finish Salazar Slytherin’s noble work.”

“Well you haven’t finished it this time, in a few hours, the Mandrake draught will be ready, and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again.”

“Haven’t I told you? Killing Mudbloods doesn’t matter to me anymore, for many mouths now, my new target has been you. How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort’s powers were destroyed?”

“Why do you care how I escaped?” Harry retorted. “Voldemort was after your time.”

“Voldemort is my past, present and future.”

He uses Harry’s wand to write out his full name, ‘TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE’, then with a way of his hand the words became rearranged into ‘I AM LORD VOLDEMORT’.

“You, you’re the Heir of Slytherin,” Harry gasped. “You're Voldemort.”

“Surely you didn’t think I was going to keep my filthy Muggle father’s name?” Voldemort glared at Harry. “No, I fashioned myself a new name.. a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!”

“Albus Dumbledore is the sorcerer in the world!” Harry corrected with anger in his voice.

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

“He’ll never be gone! Not as long as those remain loyal to him!”

Their heated glare was broken when a bird cry filled the chamber, they turned to see a red bird flying towards them. It is a Phoenix.

“Fawkes?”

Fawkes flew closer, he drops a leather cloth from his talons at Harry, he caught it as Fawkes dived pass them, Tom Riddle ducked to avoid the bird, the Phoenix circled around and flied back the way it came. Harry looked at the leather rag only to realize it was the Sorting Hat.  

“So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender?” Voldemort says. “A songbird and an old hat.”

He turned to the head statue, speaking in Parseltongue, the statues mouth slowly creeps open, he turns back to Harry.

“Let’s match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter.”

Harry looked at the now opened mouth, hearing something horrifying, it was the Basilisk, and it was coming closer, wandless, and only thing in his disposal is a hat, he had no choice but to run for it, hearing Voldemort speaking Parseltongue again.  

“Parseltongue won’t save you now Potter!” Voldemort called out, his voice echoing off the walls. “It only obeys me.”

Panic soared higher in Harry’s racing heart, he heard the Basilisk getting closer and closer, he did not look back, he slips on the wet floor landing flat on his front, the Serpent hovered over him, Harry placed his hands over his head and the hat covering the back of his neck as if that will do any good, he heard the Phoenix cry out again, it was closer right over his head, right where the Basilisk was. He would have looked up to see what was happen but he dare not with the Snake that can kill you with one look not far from him, but when he heard cries of pain from the reptile, suddenly harry was knocked to his side by the Basilisk’s tail in the moment Harry opened his eyes, he saw Fawkes piercing his claws into the Basilisk’s eyes, its blood pouring down it’s face, drops landing on to Harry’s robes.

“No!” Voldemort yelled. “Your bird may have blinded the Basilisk, but it can still hear you!”

With the Basilisk now blinded but the dagger like fangs was still a problem and with no wand Harry was defenceless and even with a magical bird he didn’t know how long Fawkes can last against a huge snake, just when he thought he was done for, the Sorting Hat suddenly gained weight, Harry confusedly look inside it, eyes widened when he saw the silver handle with rubies, he grabbed the handle and pulled it out from the hat to find a sword, the Basilisk had calmed down from its wounded eyes listen to Voldemort’s command to look for Harry in Parseltongue, it lunged forward at Harry, he jumped to one side to avoid the snake’s bite, he runs making loud splashes   unintentionally going though puddles, the Snake follows the sound, striking at him again, it missed Harry by a hair hitting one of the Serpent head statues, smashing it to bits, the front of it nose and jaw were bleeding from the force. Some of the debris made Harry fall on his front, the sword slide on the wet floor with a clang, Harry hurriedly get up and bolts it to retrieve the sword, he can hear the Basilisk right behind him, it was so close he can smell its horrid breathe, he grabs the sword and turns facing the King of Snakes, its mouth opened wide that could shallow him whole, with sword in hand he threw his whole weight into his swing and stabbed the reptile into the roof of his mouth, it let out a scream of pain that Harry thought he was going to go deaf, suddenly it jerked its head away, Harry still tight griped on the sword yelled when he felt one of the Basilisk’s upper fangs pierced his lower arm, the fang snapped off the monster’s jaw, while Harry painfully removed the fang, the Basilisk with it last strength coiled up and collapsed dead.

Harry weakly walked away, his vision growing foggy, he fell on to his hands and knees, dropping the sword and the fang, he didn’t realized how close he was to Ginny when barley see her red hair.

“You're dead Harry Potter,” Riddle spoke, hovering over him and Ginny. “You’ll be with your Mudblood mother soon.”

Suddenly Fawkes swopped down dropping something in front of Harry, he could make out the item to be the Diary, without thinking he seized the fang and strikes it down on to the book.

“NOO!” Voldemort screamed as the venom from the fang burned a hole right through the centre of the book, his body writhed and twisted, ink streamed out of the pages onto the wet floor, he continued yelling before he disappeared into nothing, he’s cries echoed in the chamber fading into silence.

Harry dropped the fang to the floor again, Ginny wakes up with a gasp, slowly sits up, ink dripped of the tips of her red hair, she turned to see Harry looking terrible.

“Harry, oh Harry,” she whispered. “It was me, but I swear, I didn’t mean to, Riddle made me, and..” her eyes widened seeing he’s blooded arm. “Harry you're hurt!”

“Don’t worry,” Harry weakly replied trying to cover his wound with his other hand. “Ginny, you need to get yourself out, follow the chamber, and you’ll find Ron and Hermione.”

Tears filled up in Ginny eyes, a song cried out into the chambers, the two Gryffindors turned to the sound, Fawkes flew around them before landing in between them, the Phoenix looked a harry, his eyes full of concerned.

“You were brilliant Fawkes,” said Harry, his strength dropping by the second. “I just wasn’t quick enough.”

Fawkes lowers his head over Harry’s arm, then pearl like tears gentle dripped onto the wounded, several more dropped and in no time the wound was gone, Harry was slowly feeling better, he looked down to see nothing but dried blood and slime.

“Of course, Phoenix tears have healing powers” Harry said he looks up a Fawkes. “Thanks, it’s all right Ginny, it’s over, it’s just a memory.”

They both stand up, Harry grabbed the dairy, the Sorting Hat, and the sword before leaving the Chamber of Secrets.  

Shortly after the events below the castle came to a close, the victims of the King of Serpents were giving the revived potion, Terra was first greeted by Rolf who nearly tackled her to the floor, he informed her of what happened after she got petrified, and how there is a night feast in celebration of curing them and Dumbledore’s return. Given the all clear from Madam Pomfrey the Hufflepuff’s headed for the Great Hall.  

“Terra! Welcome back,” Sir Nicholas greeted them when they got to the Hall entrance.

“Thanks Sir Nicholas,” Terra replied with a smile. “Good to see you too.”

The student tables were mixed with the four houses, friends siting with friends instead of the normal sitting plan, and most of them where wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns, given how late it is, Rolf pats her shoulder before heading to the his own mates, as she walks and before she could find her friends she charged at by Harry, Hermione and Ron into a group hug, she hears Hermione snivelling that brought tears to her own eyes. When the now reunited quartet, tears were in all four of their eyes.

“Welcome back Terra,” Hermione said wiping away her tears with her robe sleeve.

“It’s good to be back, congrats you three solved it.”

“Well we had loads of help from you,” Harry replied. “We couldn’t have done it without you,” Terra smiled sheepishly. “Oh right Lulu is right… here?”

They hear little shrieks of joy, they look down to see Lulu in Terra’s pocket, it would seem that she crawled from Harry’s robe to Terra’s during the hug, the little tree spirit is practically bouncing up and down with happiness, they all chuckle at the Bowtruckle. They hear the usual glass tip from Professor McGonagall from the staff table.

“Could I have your attention please?”

They quickly sat down, as the Headmaster stands up.

“Before we begin the feast,” he began. “Let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout, Madam Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who have been Petrified.”

The claps and cheers were loud, Dumbledore raised a hand to get the students attention for he has more to say.

“Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled.”

The cheers were even louder then the first, Terra adamantly breathed a sigh of relief, not so much for Hermione who seemed disappointed, as Dumbledore was about to sit down, the doors to the Great Hall open and Hagrid walks in.  

“Sorry I'm late,” he says. “The owl that delivered me release papers got all lost an confused, some ruddy bird called Errol.”

Ron stiffened, before given the Headmaster a look saying, ‘whoop’. Hagrid approached the quartet, smiling down at them.   

“And I’d just like to say that, if it hadn’t been for ya, Harry, an Ron, an Terra n Hermione of course…” he says, they smiled up at him. “I would uh, I’d still be you-know-where, so eh, I’d just like to say, thanks.”

The four of them, looked at one other before they all stand up from their seats.

“There’s no Hogwarts without you,” said Harry.

Hagrid chuckle heartily at them, the four of them hug him, he bends down wrapping them in his arms, they soon hear applause from the staff table, Dumbledore starting clapping followed by McGonagall then the rest of the staff, Hagrid looks up over to them, then Harry clapped, then Terra, Ron, Hermione, the rest of the Gryffindors, then the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and small hand full of Slytherins, the students closest to Hagrid moved over to shake hands with Hogwarts Grounds Keeper, Rolf and his Mates shake hands with him, the cheer carried on, Terra can feel her hands starting to get sore from the clapping, but she did not care, she was glad for things to be back to normal… well as normal as Hogwarts gets, when the cheering finally calmed down, Harry, Hermione and Ron began to explain what happened after she got petrified and she could not believe what transpired but thankful the craziness is over and looking forward to relax with her friends before heading home.