The Chamber

The Chamber
by Hermione Granger

Harry Potter was dying. He knew it. And there was nothing he could to do stop it. He moaned softly, looking around the room.

For once in my life, my glasses aren't helping, Harry thought wryly. He almost smiled. Riddle noticed him.

'What's so funny, Potter?' he demanded coldly.

'You,' Harry replied shortly. He was irritated with Riddle and didn't want his voice to be the last thing he heard. He just wanted to think that he'd never told Hermione…

'I wouldn't be so smart if I was you, Potter,' Riddle's highly annoying voice broke through the fog gathering in Harry's brain.

'You're not me, Riddle. And thank God for that,' Harry snapped back. He wished Riddle would just go away and let him die in peace.

But, was this dying? Even the pain was leaving him. Everything, instead of going black, was coming back into sharper focus. Harry blinked, and looked down at his arm, to see the wound the basilisk had caused, except there was no wound…

'Get away, bird,' Riddle said, suddenly, 'I said, get away.' Harry looked down at Fawkes the Phoenix, and the great, pearly tears that were forming from his eyes. Fawkes remained where he was, however. Riddle raised Harry's wand and muttered something that Harry couldn't hear. There was a loud bang and Fawkes, startled, took flight.

'Phoenix tears. I'd forgotten…of course…healing powers, ' Riddle frowned. He glanced at Harry, who was struggling to his feet.

'But, I prefer it this way, ' Riddle grinned. He stuck Harry's wand into his back pocket, and was nearly hit by Fawkes as the bird came flying over to Harry. He dropped something into Harry's lap.

The diary.

Harry and Riddle both stared at the diary. Then, Harry, without thinking, without *knowing* what he was doing, snatched up the diary and the basilisk fang that'd been lying near him in one quick motion. Riddle stood above Harry. He'd gotten out Harry's wand and had raised it in the air. Riddle's eyes meant Harry's. They were cold, and wide with horror, but very little surprise.

'No, ' he hissed. Harry glared up at him, feeling hate course through his body. It wasn't something he was used to. Harry didn't hate people. Not even Draco Malfoy. He just disliked them. Hate was something Harry'd felt only a couple times before and he still wasn't used to the emotion.

'You killed my parents, you bastard, ' Harry snapped and without a second thought, as though he'd meant to do it all along, drove the basilisk fang through the very center of the diary. Riddle emitted a long piercing shriek. Harry dropped the diary, which had spurted ink of all color, emerald green, blue, pink, purple, Harry's own scarlet ink, and Ginny's yellow, and clapped his hands over his ears, trying to block out Riddle's screams. He watched, horrified, as Riddle, twitching horribly, sank to the floor. Harry bit his lip, suddenly wishing Hermione was with him, holding his hand so he wouldn't be so scared. He was never scared when Hermione was with him.

'Ohh, Harry Potter, you wait!' Riddle sang out cheerfully. His voice somehow managed to find it's way in between Harry's fingers and into his ears. Harry squeezed his eyes tight shut against the threatening tears.

'You'll join your Mudblood mother soon, Potter!' Riddle continued in the same singing voice. Harry gasped and his eyes flew open, much to Harry's dismay. He saw Riddle, melted into an emerald green puddle. Except his head. His head was still there. For now. Riddle's cold silver eyes were focused on Harry, bright with laughter. His slowly melting mouth twisted into a gruesome smile.

'Bye for now, Harry Potter, ' Riddle laughed, that cold high-pitched laugh that made Harry's blood run cold. He gulped, his bright green eyes wide with terror and revulsion. Then Riddle was gone, melted away, with nothing left of him except for the diary. Harry glanced down at it.

'Ohhhh, ' he heard a low moaning somewhere behind him. He rose quickly, grabbing Godric Gryffindor's sword as he did so. His eyes roamed around the large Chamber anxiously, wondering what more Creatures Riddle could have hidden down here. As it was, he saw a small figure lying crumpled on the floor. Harry cried out, thinking at first it was Hermione, and wondered what she was doing. Then he blinked and made out Ginny Weasley, sitting on the cold stone floor, watching him. Harry became sorely aware that he was covered in muck, ink, and blood.

'Harry!' Ginny gasped, her blue eyes wide. Harry winced. She looked as though she'd taken quite a beating.

'Ginny, ' Harry quickly hurried over to her. He dropped the sword and the diary and flung his arms around her. He'd been so worried about Ginny. She was like the little sister Harry'd never had.

'Oh, Harry! I wanted t-to tell y-you at b-b-breakfast, but I-I couldn't! N-Not with P-P-Percy there!' She wailed into Harry's shoulder.

'Shhh, ' Harry whispered, uncomfortably, wanting to comfort the younger girl, but not sure how, 'It's all right. He's gone.'

'I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean…' she broke off wiping away her tears. She pulled back and looked at him.

'Riddle's gone, Ginny. I don't think the slimy git'll be back, ' He grinned. Ginny smiled back at him, then her gaze turned to the diary. She glared at it hatefully.

'Bastard, ' she muttered softly. Harry smiled again as he watched her. There was a long silence, in which Harry finally broke by standing up.

'Here, ' he held out one of his hands. Ginny took it, gratefully, and Harry pulled her awkwardly to her feet. She stumbled slightly and accidentally stepped on Harry's foot.

'Ow!' he hissed, grabbing his foot.

'Oh, Harry, I'm soo sorry, ' Ginny's eyes went wide. Harry bent down just as Ginny was stretching upwards and their foreheads smacked together.

'Geez, ' Harry muttered. But he was grinning.

'I'm sorry, Harry, ' Ginny found herself repeating the same words she'd used five seconds before. She looked up at him. Harry was taller than her, but not by much. He was still a midget in glasses. Ginny only had to tilt her chin up half an inch to be able to look into Harry's deep green eyes. What she saw when she looked up at him shocked her. Harry was laughing.

'Harry, what…?' Ginny stared at him. Harry only shook his head, still laughing.

'What's so funny?' Ginny demanded, after a minute or two had passed. Harry struggled to make his face a solemn as possible. Which wasn't much. The laughter still remained in his green eyes.

'You know, I don't know the answer to that. Hermione would, but, as you can see, she's not here right now…' Harry looked around him, confused. Ginny winced at the mention of Hermione. It was very obvious Harry was worried about her and wanted to get to her as soon as he could. But he was here with Ginny now and she wanted to keep him here as long as she could.

'You're nearly hysterical. You've been through a lot, ' she informed him, feeling a great deal older than eleven. She moved closer to Harry, glad to just be near him. Even if Harry never loved her, never wanted her, like she loved and wanted him, she would at least be grateful for this moment, where it was just the two of them sitting on the cold stone floor, Harry covered in muck and slime and blood and ink and herself covered in slime and muck. But no matter, her arms were around Harry in a sisterly fashion.

'I've been through a lot?' Harry demanded. He pushed away from Ginny, 'Ginny, what about you?' Ginny blushed. She looked up at Harry and saw the worry and concern reflecting back at her from the depths of his eyes. She smiled slightly.

'I'm not the one who was stabbed through the arm with a basilisk fang, ' she pointed out. Harry smiled.

'I was?' he asked innocently. Ginny rolled her eyes. Harry closed his own eyes and leaned his head on her shoulder. Her arm found it's away around Harry's skinny shoulders and her other hand stroked his untidy black hair absently. They stayed this way for a long time, minutes, maybe hours, flew by. Ginny didn't notice. She was lost in her own thoughts, thinking about the past year at Hogwarts, her first year, and how it had been ruined. She was only eleven, but she felt so much older than that. If this was what it felt to have adventures like Harry, Ron, and Hermione did…. Ginny didn't want to know how old they felt sometimes, even though in truth they were only a year older than her.

'Ginny?' Harry's head lifted from her shoulder and his bright eyes met hers.

'We'd better find Ron and Professor Lockhart, ' he said, standing up slowly.

'Ron's here?' Ginny asked, shooting up much faster than Harry. She quickly looked around the Chamber for any sign of her older brother.

'He's back there, ' Harry bent, picked up the sword, the diary and his wand, then turned to her.

'Let's get outta here.' He grinned. Ginny took the diary and examined it as she followed Harry through the Chamber. Fawkes flew ahead of Harry, clutching the Sorting Hat in his talons. Ginny smiled at Fawkes then returned her attention back to the diary. The diary which she'd trusted so much had a big hole in the center of it, from the basilisk poison and was drenched in different colors of ink, purple, pink, emerald green, blue, Harry's scarlet ink, and Ginny's own yellow ink. She looked up to find Harry had paused and was watching her intently.

'What?' she asked, her eyebrows drawing together.

'Are you sure you're all right?' he frowned at her. She shook her head, but smiled. Harry walked back towards her.

'I was worried about you, Ginny, ' he said. Ginny's heart skipped a beat. Was Harry, Harry Potter, of all people, the boy she'd daydreamed about constantly for the past year, was he really telling her he'd been worried? Ginny closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. They were still in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry was still standing in front of her, and she was still holding Tom's diary, 'Ron was…is…worried, too, of course. Naturally, ' Harry was saying. Ginny took a deep breath. She couldn't believe what she was about to say.

'So…I, um, I guess Tom…told…you about, um….' She began, but Harry cut her off.

'Yea, ' he said, rather shortly.

'You're not mad?' Harry grinned.

'You're the one who should be mad. You've just had all your most personal secrets spilled. Ginny, you bugger, why d'you think I'd be mad?'

Ginny felt something warm run through her stomach.

'Well…I…um, I…' she stammered, her face as red as her hair. Harry's face grew solemn.

'Ginny, ' he said quietly. She looked up at him, terrified. At that moment, Harry seemed so much older than twelve, 'I…we are friends, aren't we? Aren't we always going to be?'

Ginny managed a small smile.

'Yea. Yea, we will be, won't we? Especially since my brother's your best friend, ' she laughed.

'Right, there's always Ron to think about, ' Harry replied, grinning once more. He opened his arms and Ginny stepped into them.

'Besides, there's always Seamus, ' she mumbled against Harry's shoulder. Harry laughed.

'Now, there's something that'll really annoy Ron, ' Ginny giggled. After a moment, they broke apart.

'It's Hermione, isn't it?' Ginny asked quietly, after a moment of silence. Harry made a strangled sort of sound. She glanced at him, worried. Harry didn't answer her question, but gave her a very small smile. Ginny raised her eyebrows, understanding.

*****

They turned a corner and the distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ear.

'Ron!' he yelled, 'I've got Ginny! She's all right!'

Ron gave a strangled cheer. He pushed aside a few more rocks and a hole formed, allowing Harry to see Ron peering at him, his big blue eyes anxious.

'Ginny!' Ron cried. He shifted a few more rocks and the small hole became a big one, allowing Ginny room to move through the space. Harry helped her through, thinking of Hermione and hoping she was all right.

Minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Ginny stood side by side, looking down at the man that, hours before had been the great Professor Lockhart. He was twiddling his thumbs absently.

'Oh, hello. Odd sort of place, isn't this? D'you live here?' Lockhart asked good naturedly, peering up at Harry.

'Um, ' Harry glanced at Ron.

'Wand backfired. Hit him instead of us, ' Ron explained, glaring down at Lockhart. Fawkes flew over and landed on Harry's shoulder.

'I think it's time to go, ' Harry said, glancing up at Fawkes. He grabbed onto Fawkes' tail.

'Ginny, take Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart-'

'He means you, ' Ron snapped, kicking Lockhart in the thigh.

'-take Ginny's other hand, ' Harry himself took Ron's free hand. Then, with a jerk, Fawkes lifted upwards. Harry smiled against the wind that was musing his already untidy black hair. Boy, would Hermione be upset. She hadn't even gotten a look at the legendary Chamber of Secrets. Fawkes flew up the tunnel that had led them down to the Chamber to begin with. And they flew on, Fawkes, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Professor Lockhart, not knowing what would happen when they arrived back in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

But, for now, Harry didn't care.