The Black Legacy The Rise of Bellatrix's Prodigy

Beneath the Basilisk's Gaze

As the ground settled from the tremors, Druella and Harry rushed into the chamber, their hearts heavy with the gravity of the situation. The sight of Ginny lying motionless on the cold stone floor only deepened the weight pressing on their chests. Harry immediately dropped to her side, desperately trying to rouse her from unconsciousness.

Druella, her voice tinged with panic, kneeled beside them. "She won't wake. She's still alive, but not for long," an unfamiliar said, Druella's fear evident. Harry continued to shake Ginny, calling her name in a frantic attempt to pull her from the brink.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows—a boy, whose presence seemed to freeze the air. Ginny's weak voice barely carried, her plea for help cutting through the tension. "Tom, help me, please," Harry whispered.

Tom Riddle appeared, his sinister smile sending chills through Druella's spine. With swift movements, he seized Harry's wand, holding it with an almost mocking ease. Druella's heart raced. "Harry, be careful!" she shouted, her wand already raised at the dark figure.

Riddle's cold gaze shifted to Druella, a smirk curling his lips. "Nice try, Druella; I knew you would come with him," he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll grow stronger as she dies," he declared with chilling certainty.

Druella's stomach churned as Riddle revealed the truth: Ginny had opened the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing the Basilisk and causing the petrifications. "She flushed the diary down the toilet, and you, Harry, found it," he sneered, growing more confident with each word. "I'm glad you found the diary."

Anger flared within Druella, a fierce determination surging through her. "If you were only after them, why did Draco get petrified?" she shot back, her voice sharp.

Riddle's smirk widened as he turned to face her. "So I could get you here along with Harry," he replied, the words dripping with venom.

Harry, his resolve solidifying, challenged Riddle about framing Hagrid. Druella nodded in agreement. "I knew he was innocent!" she added, her mind briefly flashing back to the way her own family had manipulated her, her anger fueling her words.

"You deserved it," she spat, her voice filled with a raw hatred. "You framed Hagrid, and you got him expelled!"

Riddle continued, recounting how he had never been able to open the Chamber during his own time at school. Then, with a smug flourish, he revealed the true horror: "I preserved my sixteen-year-old self in the diary. So I can lead another to finish Salazar Slytherin's great work."

A cold shiver ran down Druella's spine as Riddle turned his gaze on her. "Druella, join me and together we can finish his work," he said, his voice low and enticing.

Druella's breath hitched. She could feel the darkness swirling around her, but the thought of joining him—after everything he'd done—was inconceivable. "Why would I join you? You petrified my cousin!" she snapped, her anger mixing with confusion.

Riddle snickered, his attention now fully returned to Harry. Druella's heart raced as she saw the sinister plot unfolding before her.

"Harry, be careful! This isn't just about the Basilisk! He's the other enemy!" Druella urged, the urgency in her voice undeniable. She could feel the weight of what was at stake, and the gravity of the battle they were about to face.

Harry, though determined, challenged Riddle once again, declaring that the chaos would end and everything would return to normal. Tom, his smirk unwavering, retorted coldly, claiming that he was only after Harry and Druella. His intention to kill Harry while trying to recruit Druella sent a surge of fury through her.

"Like I would join you! I will kill you!" she shouted, her voice resolute and filled with fury.

Before she could act on her words, Harry grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Wait a second."