Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

Act 3

The Chamber Reopened

EXT. ABOVE ENGLAND - NIGHT

Three figures in black hooded cloaks hurtle through the night sky on their broomsticks. The English countryside rushes by below them.

EXT. SCOTLAND - HOGWARTS - SUNRISE

Three figures in dark cloaks land their broomsticks, in the courtyard outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as the sun rises in the distance.

The old castle is still dark as most of its occupants are still asleep.

INT. HOGWARTS - HALLWAY

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are walking quickly through the hallway leading to Dumbledore's office, when they come upon Professor MINERVA MCGONAGALL, a thin, stern-looking witch in her late seventies, walking towards them.

A look of surprise, then relief, crosses McGonagall's face as Harry, Ron, and Hermione pull back their hoods.

MCGONAGALL

Harry?

HARRY

Professor!

Professor McGonagall approaches them quickly, her cane clicking sharply on the deck. She glances at the three of them, before her gaze rests on Harry.

MCGONAGALL

What are you three doing here?

Harry notices that she is slightly on edge.

HARRY

The Chamber of Secrets has been

opened again, hasn't it?

Professor McGonagall straightens in surprise.

MCGONAGALL

(breathless)

Yes. How could you possibly have

known that?

HARRY

I saw it in a dream.

Professor McGonagall's eyes narrow in thought.

MCGONAGALL

A dream you say?

RON

Is Ginny okay Professor?

McGonagall looks over at Ron in concern.

MCGONAGALL

I am afraid not Ronald. She has

again been taken into the Chamber.

The color drains from Ron's face, as Harry and Hermione glance at each other in alarm.

MCGONAGALL (CONT'D)

Follow me.

She turns and heads down the hallway. The others follow.

FADE TO:

Professor McGonagall leads the three former Hogwarts students to the Gargoyle statue below the Headmaster's office, and stops before it.

MCGONAGALL

Chocolate Frogs.

She taps the statue with her wand, and the statue begins twisting upward. A spiral staircase appears below it, and follows the statue upward.

Professor McGonagall steps onto the staircase followed by Hermione. They disappear as the staircase carries them up towards Dumbledore's office.

Ron leans in close to Harry when the two women are out of site.

RON

(quietly)

I don't thing I'll ever get used to

old McGonagall calling me by my

first name.

They step onto the staircase as it continues to spiral upward.

INT. HOGWARTS - DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE - OUTER OFFICE

Ron and Harry step into the outer office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall is already opening the door to Dumbledore's office. She turns back to them before heading inside.

MCGONAGALL

Wait here.

Almost as soon as she disappears inside, the office doors open again, and Professor McGonagall waves them inside.

An elderly gentleman with piercing blue eyes, long silvery hair, and a long silvery beard, is sitting behind a large desk. Half-moon spectacles are perched on the end of his long, crooked nose.

All about the room are strange silver ornaments making odd noises, and letting out puffs of steam.

A large brightly colored bird sits on a perch next to the real ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He smiles broadly as he clasps his hands together on the desk in front of him.

DUMBLEDORE

Hello Harry, Ronald, and Hermione.

I have been expecting you, although

I am surprised that you came so

quickly. I only just received your

message.

HARRY

Then you know why we're here?

The smile leaves Dumbledore's face.

DUMBLEDORE

I am afraid that I do Harry.

HARRY

Do you know who opened it?

DUMBLEDORE

The culprit has not yet revealed

themselves.

(pause)

May I ask how you were able to

discover that it had been opened?

Harry frowns uncomfortably.

HARRY

I had a dream about it.

DUMBLEDORE

(nods)

Hmm. Very interesting.

HARRY

Do you know when it happened?

Dumbledore glances over their shoulders, to the left.

DUMBLEDORE

Professor Longbottom discovered a

message on the wall just an hour

ago.

Ron and Hermione glance at the current Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, in surprise, as they had not yet noticed him.

HARRY

(absently)

Her skeleton will lie in the chamber

forever....

DUMBLEDORE

(nods)

As to how long the Chamber has been

opened...that is anyone's guess.

Even more color drains from Ron's face.

HERMIONE

But why would anyone want to break

into the chamber again?

HARRY

Maybe there's something down there,

some hidden artifact, or weapon,

that Voldemort wants.

RON

I still think it could be a trap to

catch you again Harry.

HARRY

Trap or not, Ginny's down there.

We don't have a choice.

NEVILLE

Maybe. But knowing of the trap's

existence is the first step in

avoiding it.

Everyone glances at Neville in surprise, except for Dumbledore, who smiles proudly.

Harry turns back to Professor Dumbledore.

HARRY

Have you tried to go in yet?

DUMBLEDORE

No. The Chamber has sealed itself,

and only those who speak

parseltongue can open the chamber.

HARRY

Meaning me.

Ron looks at him with an "I told you so" expression.

Harry stands up straighter and pulls his cloak tight.

HARRY (CONT'D)

Right then.

He looks at his friends.

HARRY (CONT'D)

Ready?

INT. HOGWARTS - MOANING MYRTLE'S BATHROOM

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore stand before the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, a circle of sinks in the middle of the haunted girls' bathroom.

Harry steps before one faucet in particular, one that has snakes engraved on the faucet.

He opens his mouth and begins to speak in the slow, deliberate, hissing language known as parseltongue.

Everyone steps back as the sinks begin moving outward, and the floor underneath the sinks slides away, revealing the entrance to the chamber, a deep dark hole.

Harry turns to Ron, who has again turned pale.

HARRY

Back again.

Ron swallows nervously.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville step forward and prepare to jump down the hole, while Harry turns back to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, who are still standing near the entrance.

HARRY (CONT'D)

Aren't you coming too?

Professor Dumbledore smiles sadly.

DUMBLEDORE

Not this time. This task must fall

to you Harry, and to you three.

Dumbledore looks at Ron, Hermione, and Neville in turn.

DUMBLEDORE (CONT'D)

I am sure, that our three newest

Aurors, and our new Defense Against

the Dark Arts instructor, will be

able to handle the situation quite

admirably.

He smiles knowingly and glances at Professor McGonagall before heading toward the entrance.

Professor McGonagall looks at each of them with motherly concern.

MCGONAGALL

Please be careful. I have no wish

to attend any more of my student's

funerals.

She follows Professor Dumbledore out of the room, her cane clicking on the stone floor.

INT. HOGWARTS - CHAMBER OF SECRETS

Ron and Hermione come tumbling out of the lower tube coming from the bathroom, while Harry and Neville fall from the upper tube. They crash to the ground onto a vast pile of bones.

Ron helps Hermione to her feet, while Harry and Neville stand. They look around in disgust.

They are in a large underground chamber that is littered with the skeletons of dead rats and other creatures.

RON

(grimaces)

Ugh. Hasn't changed much has it?

Harry wanders around, remembering the past.

HARRY

No, it hasn't.

Hermione glances at Ron in disgust.

HERMIONE

I think I'm glad that I was

petrified the last time you came

down here. This place is

disgusting!

Ron grunts his assent as they follow Harry into the next chamber.

They come upon the old giant snakeskin and involuntarily look around in fear.

RON

(quietly)

You don't suppose they found another

basilisk do you?

HERMIONE

Don't you dare even think that!

RON

Well, they could have couldn't they?

HERMIONE

Actually no. If you'll remember

the legend, the basilisk has to be

born inside the castle. They

wouldn't have had time to raise a

new one.

NEVILLE

And even if they did, it would only

be slightly larger than a normal

snake right now.

Ron frowns in disgust.

RON

That's comforting.

The four friends step out into the main chamber, and gasp in shock.

Eighteen year old Ginny Weasley, dressed in her school robes, is lying on the wet stone floor in the exact same spot where Harry found her six years ago, at the mouth of the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

Her long red hair is splayed on the ground around her head.

HARRY

(softly)

Ginny.

They rush forward towards Ginny, but stop when several figures in black hooded robes, with small slits for eyeholes, step out of the shadows, and cut them off.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville narrow their eyes in anger at the site of the Death Eaters, and pull out their wands.

DRACO MALFOY, the tallest, and thinnest of the newcomers, steps forward, still masked, and addresses his old classmates. He spits Harry's name with contempt.

DRACO

Hello...Potter!

Harry glares at Malfoy with equal contempt.

HARRY

Malfoy!

RON

I always knew you'd turn out to be

scum Malfoy, just like your dear

old Dad.

DRACO

And I see that you're still wearing

hand-me down robes Weasley, even

with your father being Minister of

Magic.

He glances in Neville's direction.

DRACO (CONT'D)

And Longbottom, a Hogwarts

Professor....

He turns to two heavyset Death Eaters.

DRACO (CONT'D)

What a joke!

The two large Death Eaters begin to laugh stupidly.

HERMIONE

Crabbe and Goyle...still too stupid

to think for yourselves I see.

Crabbe and Goyle look at each other as they try to think of a comeback. As a surprise to no one, nothing comes to mind.

DRACO

I don't know how you managed to get

here this quickly, but you won't be

leaving the chamber alive this time!

He quickly pulls out his wand and points it at Harry.

DRACO

(yells)

Cruc-

Harry, who already had his wand out, points it a Malfoy before he can finish his curse.

HARRY

(yells)

Protego!

A bright light shoots out of Malfoy's wand and hits Harry. It bounces off of him and zooms back at Malfoy, who dives out of the way.

HARRY

(yells)

Expelliarmus!

Malfoy's wand flies out of his hand and up into the air.

Hermione, Ron, and Neville charge forward, wands out, as Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of the Death Eaters struggle to pull out their wands.

HERMIONE

(yells)

Petrificus Totalus!

Goyle's body goes completely rigid, and he falls on his face.

Ron and Neville try blasting spells on the other Death Eaters, who manage to avoid them.

Malfoy jumps to his feat and stretches out his hand.

DRACO

(yells)

Accio wand!

His wand twirls though the air, and lands in his outstretched hand.

DRACO (CONT'D)

You'll need more than disarming

spells to beat me Potter!

Harry grits his teeth, and charges toward Malfoy, who accepts the challenge and charges toward Harry.

They meet in the middle of the chamber and their wands flash through the air like swords.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville manage to stun or petrify several of the remaining Death Eaters, but are still outnumbered.

Harry and Malfoy's duel takes them all around the chamber as they mutter curses and counter curses at each other.

Harry finally lands a blasting spell, which knocks Malfoy onto his back.

Harry stands over Malfoy with his wand pointed at Malfoy's face.

HARRY

Don't move!

A look of alarm suddenly crosses Harry's face, and he whirls around, as the torches in the chamber suddenly flicker and die, casting everything in total darkness.

HERMIONE

(yells)

Lumos!

The tip of Hermione's wand lights up, illuminating the area around her.

Her left arm, which is soaked with blood, is hanging limply at her side, while her right arm is raised in the air with her wand held aloft.

Harry, Ron, and Neville light their wands, and the four friends retreat to the center of the chamber.

Their backs are pressed together in a circle, as twenty Dementors close around them.

HARRY

(yells)

Expecto Patronum!

The others repeat the incantation at almost the exact same moment as Harry.

Four SILVERY WISPS of LIGHT shoot out from their wands and coalesce into four large animals, which charge the Dementors, and chase them away.

NEVILLE

Incendio!

One of the torches along the walls illuminates again, revealing Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and a still unconscious Ginny Weasley, in an empty Chamber of Secrets.

RON

Bloody hell...they're gone!

Ron looks around furiously, trying to find any trace of the Death Eaters, until Hermione grabs him by the arm.

HERMIONE

Ron!

Ron pays her no heed.

HERMIONE (CONT'D)

Ron!

Ron looks at her in anger, and then softens when he realizes who it is.

HERMIONE (CONT'D)

There's no way we can find them now.

They know this place better than we

do.

Ron's eyes grow wide in concern as he notices that she is injured.

RON

You're hurt!

Ron pulls her closer to inspect the injury, a large gash starting at her left shoulder, and running down to her elbow.

Hermione pulls away gingerly as Ron inspects it.

RON

(softly)

Sorry.

HERMIONE

Crabbe used a cutting spell.

RON

(angry)

A cutting spell? On a person?

That...that's....

HERMIONE

They're Death Eaters Ron. I don't

think they play by the rules that

we do.

Ron continues to rant.

RON

I'll show him a cutting spell!

'Cept it won't be his arm I aim at!

Hermione pulls Ron's face toward her with her right hand, and smiles reassuringly.

HERMIONE

I'm all right Ron. Really.

NEVILLE

Alright you two?

They turn and nod as Neville strides up to them, with a few small cuts and bruises on his face and arms. His dark green robes are torn slightly.

HARRY

Ron, Neville, give me a hand!

Ron, Hermione, and Neville rush over to Harry, who is crouched beside Ginny.

RON

Is she...?

HARRY

She's alive. C'mon, let's get her

out of here before they come back!