Neville Longbottom and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 18: The Heir of Slytherin

Neville grabbed the Hat and Ginny's collar, and tried to pull them out of the way, but he wasn't strong enough. Fawkes took to flight and began her song again, and Neville remembered that he needed to keep his eyes closed to avoid being petrified or killed. Feeling braver, he turned and crawled with the Hat until his head struck the cave wall. He sat with the Hat in his lap and his eyes closed, and whispered to himself, "You were sent to help . . . please help me."

Several things happened in quick succession. The Hat was suddenly heavier, and he had to grab it so it wouldn't slide off his lap. Then he heard the Voice louder than he ever had, "My eyes . . . pain . . . PAIN!" 

Riddle began shouting in anger, "NO . . . STOP . . . KILL IT!" Then there was a loud 'flump', and the ground gave a brief vibration.

Neville instinctively opened his eyes, afraid that he would see Ginny crushed under the Basilisk. The serpent had not fallen on her and he saw dark holes where its eyes should have been. It appeared stunned from the fall as it sluggishly squirmed and righted itself.

"Your silly songbird may have blinded him, but he can still smell you . . . he can still hear you," Riddle said with a raw anger in his voice. And then in Parseltongue, "Kill him!"

Bracing himself against the wall, Neville stood up and looked down at the Hat. Something metallic glinted inside, so he reached in and grabbed what felt like a handle. He pulled it out of the Hat and found he was holding a sword.

He had no time to examine it, and dove to the side as the serpent's great head smashed into the cave wall. He got back to his feet and could see that the pillar-lined corridor was behind him. The serpent's head was bobbing as though shaking off confusion, and Neville backed up so he was blocked by the corner. It heard him and lunged, careening off the corner and into the corridor.

This gave Neville an idea; he stood mostly behind the first pillar and waited for the creature to turn toward him. He reached the Sword around and used it to tap on the frond of the pillar. The serpent struck at the sound, cracking its face into the pillar. The force of the impact caused the Sword to flip out of his hand and clatter to the floor of the Chamber.

Without thinking, Neville dashed for the Sword. He tried to slide up to it, but instead one slipper struck a raised flagstone and he was jerked into a barrel roll. When he came to a stop the sword was right next to him. He picked it up and started with a crawl that turned into a run for the first pillar on the opposite side from the Basilisk.

Before he reached the pillar something hit his foot and sent him rolling into the corridor wall. Despite a lump on his head and a ringing in his ears, Neville crawled to the pillar. As he stood up and moved so the pillar was between him and the serpent, he realized the Sword had cut open his arm when he fell.

. . . listen . . . seek . . . hunt . . .

The serpent was too close to this pillar for his trick to work so he stumbled up the side of the corridor to the next pillar, and when the moment was right he ran across to the other side. Then, tapping this pillar, he watched the Basilisk move toward him and noticed a gash across its snout. It was also bleeding freely from its eyes, mouth and nostrils.

Having learned from the past, the serpent moved slowly up to the tapping. With no other option, Neville ran to the next pillar and, just as he hoped, the serpent struck at him hard and fast. As its face impacted the corridor wall, Neville's foot was sandwiched between the wall and its lower jaw. Neville jolted to a halt, but immediately turned and started hacking at the huge head with the Sword using both hands. Its body flipped about violently, coiling and undulating, then shaking and finally laying still.

For a moment Neville sat to catch his breath, and ripped off his tattered sleeve to use as a bandage for his arm. He was unable to put any weight on his ankle which was almost certainly broken, so he used the sword as a makeshift crutch. Hobbling out from behind the pillars, around the Basilisks body and down the corridor, he saw that Riddle was still standing near Ginny's body.

"It's too late, you fool," Riddle cackled with glee. But Neville could tell it was a lie by the quiver in his voice. "She's as good as dead, and I will be whole."

Neville ignored him and approached Ginny, crawling the last few feet. She was still breathing, so he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Soon it will be just you and me," Riddle continued. "Lord Voldemort and Neville Longbottom, and know this . . . I will kill you once and for all."

The cry of the Phoenix echoed through the Chamber again. They both looked to see her perched on the huge statue's shoulder. There was something held in one claw - the Diary.

Riddle flinched, and blurted out, "Drop that!"

Neville realized that the Diary must still be important, maybe even a weakness. The Phoenix took to flight and swooped downward. She dropped the Diary in Neville's lap then fluttered in front of Riddle causing him to stagger back.

There was only one way available for Neville to destroy the Diary. Putting it on the ground, he grabbed the sword by the blade as it was too long to use by the handle. Riddle yelled, "NO!" and lunged toward him.

Neville drove the sword's tip into the Diary's cover and the blade cut into his hands. Black liquid began pouring from the Diary, and a beam of light burst from Riddle's chest. Riddle was writhing and screaming in pain, and additional beams erupted from his body with each stab of the Diary. And then his yelling stopped, the light went out, and he was gone.

* * *

Fawkes landed next to Neville and, before he had a chance to do anything else, he heard Ginny behind him, "Neville, are you okay?"

"Not really," he said and he laid on his back, exhausted.

He could see Ginny from where he was, she looked around the Chamber in horror, then began to weep. Neville sat up despite the pain in his head, arm, hands and ankle. He looked at his hands which were still bleeding, then Fawkes hopped up beside him. The bird seemed to examine his hands, and tears dripped from his eyes onto Neville's hands. He felt a tingling, and when Fawkes stepped away his hands were completely healed.

"Ginny . . . it's okay," he said, "Riddle is gone, the Basilisk is dead, and the others will be unpetrified in a few days."

"But it's all my fault," she choked through her sobs, "none of it would have happened if it wasn't for me. I'm going to be expelled for sure."

"Let's worry about getting out of here first." He braced himself on the Sword and started to stand. Ginny stood and helped him up.

"Thanks," he grimaced, "my ankle's broken, but I don't think Phoenix tears will help with that."

Neville reached down to pick up the Diary and put it in his robe pocket. Ginny picked up the Hat and handed it to him, so he tucked it into the belt of his robe. With the Sword's support on one side and Ginny on the other they slowly made their way back through the tunnel. Fawkes flew around overhead as they went.