Death is but the Next Great Adventure

Chamber of Secrets

In the last chapter: Harry discovers what the diary actually does and begins conversing with Tom. Anthony and Draco find out about Harry's animagus form. Ginny steels the diary back. Harry finds the final message in blood on the wall saying that Ginny's body would remain in the chamber forever.

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HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER

The words cut into Harry's tangled thoughts and emancipated from his mind the only words that seemed appropriate.

"God damn it, Tom!" His voice echoed through the silent hall, indignant and tired.

A cold, wet blanket draped over Harry's mind as he settled his anger started seeking the solution.

Where's the Chamber? Harry projected, still standing in front of the wall, but not caring if someone were to see him.

'You know where it is. . .'

Harry huffed in frustration.

Damn it! This isn't the time for any games or riddles, a young girl could die. Harry tried to reason, hoping that the stakes of the situation might pry an easier answer out of his old friend.

'Nonsense! There is always time for games. At least, for you and I. As for the girl, why do you care? You know what lies for her beyond this world, you know it is better than this place.' Despite his words, Harry knew that his companion was not so flippant about snuffing out a life, so Harry didn't feel the need to lie in order to get his help.

You're right, having seen it myself, I can't say that dying holds much fear or grievance for me, were she an adult, had she lived a full life, I might not have stepped in so hastily. But she is still a child, she has not yet lived and if I can do something to save her I will, because death does not just affect us, it affects everyone around us, as well. And if that is not enough for you, then consider the repercussions of whatever that Horcrux has planned for her. If there is anything I have learned about soul magic over these past few years, it is that taking a life and magic always have incredible outcomes—either very good, or very bad—and the very good is all too rare.

There was a long silence afterward, and Harry wasn't sure what that meant for him. For Ginny.

Finally, Death spoke, a chilling and bone rattling baritone that tickled the hairs on the back of Harry's neck in a phantom breath.

'This is the same exact place that the girl wrote the other message.' Death said with significance.

Knowing that there was something Harry was supposed to have gotten from that, Harry looked around. He was right, of course, this was the exact same place that the other message had been left. The other message, which said that the chamber had been opened.

It's here? The opening to the chamber is here? Harry frowned at the wall, looking for any sort of sign that it was anything more than just a stone wall.

'Yes, very good. Now think, that girl somehow gets into the chamber with the diary's help and then gets the Basilisk out to attack students. How would such a creature move unnoticed through these halls?'

. . . Moving around unseen? Harry knew that there was no way it could have been placed under and concealment charms. Even if completely invisible, a full grown basilisk would be too large to not make noise or run into other students and staff along the way. Wait. . . Suddenly, the scene of that first message bloomed in Harry's mind like the spreading of ink in crystalline water.