The Raven's Call

The Basilisk

The silence in the chamber was deafening, as myself, Asteria and Harry process this new-found information. "You.. You're the heir of Slytherin. You're Voldemort." He's not the only heir.. but I'm keeping that to myself for now, and I hope Asteria does, too. "Surely, you didn't think I was going to keep my FILTHY Muggle father's name. 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" Tom says, anger deep in his throat. "Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Harry argues. "Dumbledore has been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me." Tom argues back. "He'll never be gone! Not as long as those who remain are loyal to him!" 

A Phoenix swoops into the chamber, squawking and clutching a ragged bundle in its golden talons. "Fawkes?" Harry exclaims with a smile. Fawkes flies toward Harry, dropping the ragged bundle in his hands before exiting the chamber again. Harry unbundles the material to reveal the sorting hat. Tom scowls. "So, this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender. A songbird and an old hat." He says, before turning to the face of Salazar Slytherin, holding out his hand. "Speak to me, Slytherin." He obviously has no fun when it comes to Parseltongue. 

 Suddenly, the stone face's mouth starts to open. "Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin against the famous Harry Potter" There is a rumbling sound, followed by the sound of hissing and slithering... Harry turns away and runs. The Basilisk, a giant serpent, spills out, uncoiling heavily to the floor. It slithers out past Tom, Ginny and Asteria, her eyes wide in amazement. "Kill him!" Tom exclaims, turning his attention to the fleeing Harry as the Basilisk's body curves to its right behind it. "Parseltongue won't save you now, Potter. It only obeys me!"

The Basilisk slithers after Harry with a ferocious growl. Harry races down the corridor as fast as he can while the Basilisk is in hot pursuit; unfortunately, Harry loses his footing on the slippery floor and trips, allowing the Basilisk to catch up with him. Just as the Basilisk is about to attack Harry, Fawkes emits his cry, getting their attention. Fawkes swoops down, going directly for the Basilisk, and attacks the colossal snake, pecking at it, evidently scratching the creature's eyes out. "No! Your bird may have blinded the Basilisk, but it can still hear you!"

I watch for a moment as Harry gets to his feet, before making a run for a passageway to his right, the Basilisk close on his tail. I'm then surprised by a sudden voice beside me. "Atti, how do we get Ginny out of here?" Asteria asks, looking over towards Ginny and Tom. "I'm not sure.." I mumble softly. "Wait, Phoenixes can carry a lot of weight.. maybe we could get Fawkes to help..?" "And how do you suggest we do that? What, you can speak phoenix, now, too?" She asks, I roll my eyes in response. Then I notice Tom's attention now has turned to us, wand extended. "You two aren't thinking of leaving, are you?" He asks, taking a step towards us. "No, of course not." Asteria responds. "Not without Ginny and Harry, of course." I retort. 

Tom laughs as Harry runs back over to Ginny, no Basilisk to be seen. "Yes, Potter. The process is nearly complete." Tom speaks as Harry puts his hand on Ginny's hand again. "In a few minutes, Ginny Weasley will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory. Lord Voldemort will return... very... much... alive." "Ginny..." Harry mumbles as the Basilisk bursts out of the water surrounding the Slytherin statue and thrashes about; Harry turns toward the Sorting Hat, where a sword magically appears. Harry, without hesitation, grabs the sword and holds it up defensively as the Basilisk slithers toward him. "Did you just see that?" I ask Asteria, staring at the sword in disbelief. "Yep." Asteria replies.

Harry races for the statue and begins to climb it; the Basilisk blindly follows Harry's movements, using its tongue to track his location, and lifts its body off the floor. The Basilisk uses its tongue again to find Harry's current position directly in front of it; Harry swings the sword at the Basilisk; it lunges directly at him, he dodges, and it smashes right into the statue. Harry climbs higher as the Basilisk lunges at him again, missing again; Harry climbs onto the top of the statue's head, the Basilisk lunges at Harry repeatedly as he swings the sword wildly at the creature. Eventually, the Basilisk sends Harry rolling down the side of the statue, causing him to lose the sword. All Asteria and I can do is watch, my feet won't let me move.

Seeing the sword about to slide off the top of the statue's head, Harry cries out. "No!" Harry hurries to retrieve the sword; the Basilisk lunges right at Harry once more. Harry stops the sword just in time, and rams it right through the Basilisk's upper jaw. The Basilisk bellows in pain until Harry pulls the sword out. Harry screams in pain as one of the Basilisk's venomous fangs lodges itself into his arm; he pulls the fang out, unfortunately by now, the venom is already in his bloodstream. The Basilisk thrashes around, roaring and bellowing in pain, collapsing under its weight, and falls backwards to the floor, dead, splashing water everywhere; splashing Asteria and I in the process. Riddle stares at the Basilisk's corpse in disbelief.. then anger.

Harry limps past the Basilisk's corpse, dropping the sword and falls to his knees, he then crawls towards Ginny once more as Tom walks toward them. "Remarkable, isn't it? How quickly the venom of the Basilisk penetrates the body. I guess you have little more than a minute to live. You'll be with your dear Mud blood mother soon, Harry." My eye twitches at the foul word, though it doesn't relate to me any more. Harry extends his left hand to Ginny's again. "Funny... the damage a silly little book can do... especially in the hands of a silly little girl." Harry looks at the diary in Ginny's arm and carefully pulls it out, placing it on the floor between her and the Basilisk fang. "What are you doing?" Harry picks up the fang and holds it up while staring at Riddle, who immediately realizes what Harry is about to do. "Stop. No!" Tom pleads as Harry stabs one of the diary's pages with the fang as Riddle steps forward to try and stop him; Riddle's body crumbles and gives a discharge of yellow light; ink starts to ooze from the diary, Riddle recoils and growls with rage; Harry pries the fang out. Riddle attempts to attack, but Harry stabs the other page, crippling Riddle, and causing him to crumble further; Harry closes the diary and stabs the cover with the Basilisk fang; Riddle screams in agony and disintegrates into yellow particles; shortly after Riddle's demise, Ginny awakens, hyperventilating, and sits up.

"Ginny.." Harry whimpers. "Harry, it was me. But, I swear, I didn't mean to... Riddle made me. And... Harry... you're hurt.." Ginny says, stumbling over her words.. "Don't worry. Ginny, you need to get yourself out. Follow Asteria and Atticus through the Chamber, and you'll find Ron." Fawkes squawks his song again; we all look down the corridor to see him flying towards us; he swoops around the Basilisk's body, and lands in between Harry and Ginny, then steps over to Harry as Asteria and I make our way over to them. "You were brilliant, Fawkes. I just wasn't quick enough." Fawkes emits a soft grunt, then lowers his head to Harry's wound, and cries on it. "What's happening..?" Asteria asks me in a whisper as the wound on Harry's arm miraculously disappears; her and Ginny stare in amazement. "Of course!" Harry exclaims. "Phoenix tears have healing powers." He says to Ginny as I say the same thing to Asteria. Fawkes grunts affirmatively as Harry glances at him. "Thanks." He then looks at Ginny, Asteria and me. "It's all right, Ginny. It's over. It's just a memory." 

I help Harry to his feet, and Asteria helps Ginny up. Fawkes perches on Harry's shoulder with the sorting hat in his mouth, Harry with the sword in his hand and Ginny with the diary. We make our way to Ron, who had dug out a cave-in in the chamber, which must've happened during that moment the caves shook. And who else is there but Gilderoy Lockhart, who has NO IDEA who he is, who we are or where we are. The six of us link arms and allow Fawkes to fly us out of the Chamber the way we got in. "Amazing!" Lockhart exclaims. "This is just like magic!" I shake my head in disappointment.

The moment we get out of the chamber, we are met with Dumbledore himself, standing right at the entrance of the chamber waiting for us, with a stern looking face. He stays silent for a moment before uttering. "Follow me." as he leads us to the hospital wing where we're told to stay the night.

In the infirmary, Alex and I share a glance. A glance in which I tell him we had succeeded.