The Family Name

The Family Name

By Slytherin Tattoo

Chapter 19

"You--Artemis Fowl--pick up my wand over there and bring it to me."

"Oh no," Butler said immediately. "No charge of mine is going anywhere that close to a man with a blade in his hands. Absolutely not."

Riddle raised his eyebrows, slowly becoming calmer, more confident. "Your charge?"

"He's Fowl's bodyguard," Draco supplied dryly.

"And you were. . . Malfoy. Malfoy. . . not Lucius Malfoy's son? You do look like him. Ginny's mentioned you. She seems to think your father is a faithful follower of Voldemort."

Draco's expression was unreadable. "And you seem to think you are Voldemort. But I have news for you, he's dead. And relatively unlamented--he was defeated, after all." Draco buffed his fingernails against his robe carelessly while Voldemort's grip tightened around the knife. Draco looked down at his nails (although he couldn't really see that well in the dimness), then back up at Riddle. And smiled. "You, however, are young and in the prime of your power. You could start anew. With Potter out of the way. . . ah, but wait a minute, Potter doesn't seem to be dead."

Riddle stiffened, his eyes flashing to Harry. Ron stepped aside to reveal Potter sitting up. "What--how--?"

"Phoenix's tears, yes?" Artemis asked. "Fawkes did cry on your wound, didn't he?"

Harry nodded, looking amazed.

"And I wouldn't follow you, anyway," Draco finished, with as much superior arrogance and loathsome disdain in his voice as a Malfoy could manage. "You--Mudblood."

Potter stood up, holding the sword concealed in his robes.

"Who wants you anyway, Malfoy," Riddle seethed. "You're apparently every bit the swanker Ginny described you as. Now bring me my wand."

"If Fowl wouldn't do it, I'm not doing it," Draco pouted. "I don't care about some poverty-stricken Weasel brat who apparently insults me to boot. Let Potter do it."

Riddle ground his teeth together.

"I'll do it," Harry cut in hastily. "Don't hurt her. I'll do it."

He began walking forward, slowly and carefully. Riddle eyed him with hatred and distrust.

"Malfoy," Artemis said suddenly. "Did you just deny your father and Voldemort and foreswear his service?"

Draco blinked. "No. . ."

"Well, Voldemort is a half-blood. . ."

"Shut up," Riddle hissed. "The blood of Salazar Slytherin runs in my veins!"

"Yeah, whatever." Artemis waved this aside. "Malfoy?"

Another step closer. Another. Weasley bit his lip, watching Harry.

"All right, maybe, maybe I'm not too thrilled with the possibility of becoming a Death Eater. That's all I'm admitting."

"Fine, it's a start."

"That in no way changes who I am, Fowl."

"Of course not. Your basic Malfoy personality remains as rotten as ever."

Another step, almost there. . .

"For example," Artemis continued, speaking quickly, "if you wanted information out of someone, and he wouldn't talk, what would you do?"

"Threaten him," Draco replied promptly. "And if that didn't work, hex him a bit."

"You are an evil git, Malfoy," Ron put in with a sneer.

Draco's eyes flashed to him, then back to Fowl as Artemis spoke once again. "It's just a Slytherin thing, I guess, because I did that same thing with a certain book. . . it got very talkative after I threatened it with Incendio."

Draco's eyes widened as Weasley, who had not been ordered to throw down his wand out of oversight, pulled it and yelled, "Accio knife!"

It didn't work, of course; his wand let out a strange sickly color, but the knife was torn from Riddle's hand to sail in the opposite direction from Ron. Tom dropped Ginny.

Potter pushed aside the folds of his robe and thrust for Riddle's heart with his sword. It went into his chest up to the hilt. He pulled it back out with shaking hands; the reality of what he'd done taking that long to hit him.

Only there was no blood, and Riddle was laughing.

"Ginny's not dead yet," he grinned. "I'm not real yet. You can't touch me. You can't kill me."

Potter stared at him, suddenly feeling weak. Riddle grabbed for the sword in his hand. Fowl moved for his wand.

Draco was faster. He had a Seeker's reflexes, after all. He lunged forward and scooped up both the wands he'd laid down.

Riddle was stronger than Harry. He wrenched the sword from his grasp and turned towards Draco, who was reaching for something else on the floor.

Riddle went pale. "Leave that alone!" He brought the sword around.

Draco leaped back, holding the diary in his hands. Riddle leveled the sword at him. Potter tackled Tom from behind.

"Incendio," Draco said, and his wand flamed at the tip.

"No! Stop!" Riddle threw Potter off of him.

Draco touched the diary with the burning wand.

Riddle screamed. Ink spurted out of the diary like blood. "Hotter," Draco whispered; the fire responded. He had to drop the book to the floor, where it burned quickly.

Riddle screamed again and fell, writhing and twisting on the ground. Ink and ash pooled around the diary like a dreadful river.

Then Riddle was gone.

Silence. Everyone stared around at each other. Then Ron ran to his sister.

Artemis smirked. "I can't believe it, Malfoy. You actually took a hint."

Draco crossed his arms. "You're the strategy man. I'm the Seeker. And I expect far more congratulations than that, by the way."

Ginny moaned and stirred. Potter rushed over to her side, as well. Fowl and Butler both went to join the rest in the middle of the Chamber.

"Ron--Harry--I tried to tell you once, b-but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy--it was me--but I-I swear I d-didn't mean to. . ."

"Don't worry, Ginny." Ron cradled her in his arms and rocked her back and forth. "We know. It wasn't your fault."

"W-where's Tom?"

"Would you believe Malfoy killed him?"

"No. . ."

Draco threw up his hands. "Fine! That's the thanks I get. I kept your wand safe and everything." He held it out to her.

She looked up at him, then slowly reached out and took it.

"And Fowl killed the basilisk," Ron said.

"Let's get out of here," Potter suggested.

"A very good idea." Butler looked at Artemis, who nodded.

Ron helped Ginny up. "I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny was crying. "W-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

"I think Dumbledore will understand you were possessed," Artemis said in a soothing tone. "I don't think you'll be expelled. Everything will be fine."

Artemis wasn't used to reassuring people, but she seemed to calm down at his words.

Fawkes flew ahead of them as they left the Chamber and walked back through the tunnel. Potter had retrieved the sword and the Sorting Hat and brought them along. Ron watched Ginny closely to make sure she was OK and didn't stumble. Butler guarded the rear.

Draco looked over at Artemis, who looked back. "You knew destroying the book would get rid of Riddle."

"Yes."

"How did you know I'd figure out what you meant?"

"Because, Malfoy, you are an enemy to be reckoned with."

A strange warm feeling filled Draco, and he smiled. Artemis marveled at the smile--Malfoy looked really, honestly happy. "Yeah, I know."

Artemis half-smiled back. "You know if Potter hadn't tackled Riddle, he'd have run that sword through you before the diary could burn."

"If I hadn't grabbed the diary, he would have skewered Potter."

The rest of the smile crept onto Artemis's face. "So it all balances out in the end, I guess."

Draco nodded. "I still don't know why you went into the Chamber in the first place, though. There's more to your reasoning than you're letting on."

"Hm. You think so?"

"I know so, Fowl, don't even try it."

They had reached the pipe. "How do we get back up this?" Harry asked.

Fawkes flew in front of Potter and fluttered there, waving his long golden tail feathers.

"He acts like he wants to carry us," Ron frowned. "But we'd be much too heavy."

"He's a phoenix," Potter shrugged, "not an ordinary bird. I suppose it'll work." He turned to the others. "We'll have to hold on to each other."

"Everybody hold hands," Draco sing-songed, taking Ginny's. Artemis grabbed Ginny's other hand as Malfoy winked at her.

"Why are these Slytherins handling my sister, Harry?"

"What, you think we want to hold your hand?"

Butler took Artemis's other hand; Ron and Harry played Paper, Rock, Scissors to see who'd be stuck with Malfoy, as Butler insisted on keeping one hand free (to fire a gun). Draco looked greatly offended, especially after Harry lost.

Potter tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt and took his position. Ron took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers. An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through them, and the next second they were flying upward through the pipe with a rush of wings. Moments later they were standing again in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and the sink was sliding back into place to hide the tunnel.

Myrtle goggled at them. "All alive?"

"Do you have to seem so disappointed?"

"Oh, well. . . I was thinking. . . well, if Artemis died, he could share my toilet." Myrtle blushed silver.

"Time to report to Dumbledore," Artemis spoke hastily. "Bye, Myrtle!"

Malfoy laughed all the way down the hall.

__________ ________

They stood outside the secret entrance to Dumbledore's office, taking turns guessing at the password. "Do we have to talk to Dumbledore?" Draco complained again.

"I think he's going to want to know about the Chamber of Secrets."

"What about the Chamber of Secrets, boys?" came a voice.

They all turned to see a man with rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, wearing a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm, he carried a lime-green bowler. Draco cringed at the lack of fashion sense.

Ron gulped. "You--you're Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic! You're my dad's boss!"

"You must be a Weasley," the man said, "and you, as well." He looked at Ginny. Ron had his arm around her protectively.

Draco shoved forward. Fudge noticed him and smiled weakly. "Why hello, young Malfoy. Bad business it's been here, hasn't it?"

"What brings you here, Minister?"

Fudge looked a bit uncomfortable. "Here to see Dumbledore. I'm afraid there's going to be an arrest over this Chamber deal."

Ginny let out an "eep" and fainted. Ron managed to catch her.

Fudge stepped back. "Oh dear. Why should the arrest of the groundskeeper be so shocking to her?"

"Hagrid!" Potter exploded. "You can't arrest Hagrid! He's innocent!"

"There's been another attack, young man. The Ministry must do something! Things have gone far enough!"

The gargoyle suddenly opened and stairs rotated into view. "Are you all here to see me?" Dumbledore inquired, coming down the stairs. He radiated peace and serenity, which was a good thing.

Not that it helped. "I'm afraid I'm here to arrest Hagrid," Fudge announced stiffly. "His record is against him. The school governors have been in touch. . ."

"If I may insert a word here," Artemis cut in smoothly. "You are, of course, doing what you feel is best. You must maintain the people's confidence in the Ministry."

"Quite so, quite so, young man! And who might you be?"

He smiled and Fudge tightened his grip on his hat so hard he nearly crushed it forever out of shape. "I'm Artemis Fowl."

Fudge stared at him. "Are you," he said weakly.

"As good as your intentions are, however, your actions are unnecessary, for the Heir of Slytherin and his monster have both been defeated. As of roughly 10 minutes ago."

Fudge's mouth dropped open and he gawped.

"Indeed?" Dumbledore peered at Artemis, then Potter, over the rim of his glasses. "Perhaps we could all go to my office and you could explain the current situation to us." They all nodded. "But first, let us revive Miss Weasley."

"About blooming time somebody saw to her," Ron snapped, not even caring this was the Headmaster at that point. "She's been through too much; she needs rest."

"I quite agree," Dumbledore said calmly. "Why don't you help her to the hospital wing once I've revived her, and I'll be along to see her once I have all this sorted out."

Then Ron was somewhat mollified. Ginny was woken up and babbled incoherently until Dumbledore assured her that he quite understood and she was by no means going to be arrested or expelled.

She calmed after that and let her brother lead her off to the infirmary as the rest of the group trudged up the stairs.

Then Butler, Artemis, Draco, and Harry found themselves seated in comfortable chairs in Dumbledore's office, next to the Minister of Magic (who sat by Malfoy), with the Headmaster at his desk, examining the lot of them.

"Now then," Dumbledore smiled, "would anyone care for a lemon drop? No? Then why don't you begin your explanations."

Harry sighed. "I'll start. I was hearing voices, which Hermione later realized was the basilisk. I could hear it because I understand Parseltongue. I knew it wanted to kill people, so I started investigating about it. Along with them."

"And why were you two investigating?" Dumbledore asked them in a kind, reasonable voice.

Once again the two Slytherins found themselves glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes. "Because we didn't like the idea of some monster stalking around, picking off students, either," Draco answered after a moment.

"And what did you discover?"

"We learned that the Chamber of Secrets was opened 50 years ago by a student named Tom Riddle. That he bound part of his soul and his magic into a diary that was found this year by a student. She wrote in it, not realizing what it was, and was entrapped by it. It possessed her, causing her to open the Chamber and set the basilisk free once more," Artemis said. "And today we tracked her to the Chamber, followed her down, killed the basilisk, burnt the diary, and freed the student from her enslavement."

"Well, that's an incredible story, if it's true." Fudge fidgeted around in his seat. "Where's your proof?"

"You mean, besides six eyewitness accounts and the dead body of a basilisk in the Chamber? You can look at that, if you'd like."

"Oh. Oh, that's great, then. All this time, the monster was a basilisk. Extraordinary."

A knock sounded on the door. "Enter," Dumbledore called.

The door opened. Standing proudly in the doorway, with an aristocratic elegance Potter could never hope to copy, was Lucius Malfoy.

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