The New Trio and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 17: The True Heir of Slytherin

Notes: Okay, so here's the second last chapter for you guys!

My first chapter of book three will be posted on the 18th of July, and I will try to update every Tuesday after that. If I have no ready-made chapters of book 3, I will be posting a chapter of my Harry/twins fic, called 'When One Door Closes', and I have no idea how it will turn out.

Have fun with this chapter, I hope I made it worth your while to read how everything is really starting to become much more AU now.

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The trio walked cautiously through the twists and turns of the dank antechamber until they came to a large, solid-looking wall, where they saw two carved serpents entwined around each other. The eyes of each serpent were set with emeralds the size of Harry's two fists together, and they glittered in Neville and Harry's dim Lumos spells like an ethereal green fire burned within each of them.

Neville swallowed. "I guess you need to speak to them again."

Harry nodded and approached, throat dry. The jewel eyes made the snakes look strangely alive. He cleared his throat, and it seemed like the emerald eyes flickered for a moment. :Open.:

The serpents parted smoothly, and the wall cracked open. Shaking, Harry grabbed one of Draco's and Neville's hands, and led them inside. They found themselves at the end of a very long, dimly-lit chamber. Every so often, there was a towering stone pillar with carved serpents which supported a ceiling, which they couldn't see, either because it was so high, or because there was such little light aside from the unnatural, green gloom permeating the area which seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"I can't really see Salazar Slytherin wanting this for his precious pet Basilisk. As a snake, it would be really uncomfortable being in such a cold, damp environment," whispered Draco, rubbing his forehead to stave off a forming headache.

:Lights?: asked Harry tentatively, and immediately the pillars all lit up in a dim glow. The combined light was about as bright as a normal summer's day, which caused the three boys to curse and close their eyes. When their sight had adjusted, they were better able to see the surrounding area, and saw that the colours of the Chamber had transformed from the eerie green to a pleasant forest green, and the ceiling had been revealed to be enchanted similarly to the Great Hall's.

"Well," started Neville, "This is certainly more pleasant. Can we try to save Blaise now?"

Harry and Neville Nox-ed their wands and held them out in front of them. Draco, feeling distinctly uncomfortable without his wand, just stuck closely to Harry's side, darting his eyes every which way to see if something (mainly the Basilisk) would come out of nowhere and attack them. As they passed between the pillars, they saw a huge statue of Salazar Slytherin himself, his face ancient and almost monkey-like. At his feet lay Blaise. Draco's headache got stronger.

"Oh no!" muttered Draco and rushed to his oldest friend's side and dropping to his knees. "Blaise! Please don't be dead!"

Harry and Neville knelt next to Draco and helped him turn their unconscious friend over onto his back. Harry remembered Sirius telling him about how to check if someone was alive or not, and quickly put his fingers over the pulse point on Blaise's wrist. "He's alive," he said, relieved. Draco and Neville just looked at him like he was crazy, so he just said, "You can feel his heartbeat. Here, try it."

Draco tried it, then, surprised, nodded his assent to Neville, who tried it as well.

"He won't be alive for much longer," said a soft voice.

They all jumped and spun around, although Harry stood protectively in front of the other two, trying to offer some form of protection from whatever it was. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching them with some amusement. He obviously wasn't solid, since he was quite blurred around the edges. There was no mistaking him. Harry had seen him before; had drawn him before the school year had even started. This young man, who was clearly a Prefect, with his silver and green badge shining on his lapel, was cold and cruel. His chocolate brown eyes, which should have been warm and comforting, were cold and calculating. Harry knew that if he waited long enough, they would flash red like they had in his dream.