Marauders' Godson Book 2: The Chamber of Secrets

Chapter Eighteen

Fawkes landed beside Harry and lay his head over his wound.

"Fawkes," Harry whispered, "you were brilliant...."

"Harry, don't speak," Edward rasped.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," Riddle said above them. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

"DON'T" Edward shrieked, spinning on Riddle "SPEAK!"

Riddle was startled at his fury and backed away.

Edward turned back to Harry, pain and anger mingling in his chest. But Harry was blinking, breathing easier, and as he watched, the wound began to close up.

"Phoenix tears!" Edward gasped, shock and relief replacing the anger and pain. "They have healing powers-"

"Get away, bird!" Riddle snarled, stepping forward. "Get away from him -- I said get away-"

Fawkes did fly away from Harry, only to land by Edward. He dropped a few tears on his bleeding arm and hand, and they slowly healed as well. The bird took off again as Harry sat up.

"It makes no difference," said Riddle after a pause. "In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you two and me, Potters... you and me-"

With a flutter of wings, the diary landed between Harry and Edward.

For a moment, the three of them stared at the diary. Then, as if their minds were connected, both Edward and Harry seized the basilisk fang and stabbed the book.

Riddle let out a scream and collapsed, writhing. Ink poured out of the diary like a flood, soaking the bottom of Edward's and Harry's ragged robes. 

Then, with another loud scream, he disappeared. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter. Edward and Harry released the fang, panting, and Edward helped Harry to his feet.

"Where did you get the sword?" asked Edward, walking over to the dead snake. He heard Harry picking up his wand, the diary, and the tattered hat. He yanked the sword out of the basilisk's mouth.

"From this," Harry answered, holding up the Sorting Hat.

Edward blinked at him with surprise, then looked down at the sword. His jaw dropped. There were two words edged on the blade, just below the handle:

Godric Gryffindor.

"Ginny!" Harry yelped, and Edward looked up to see the red-haired girl blinking awake. He rushed over.

His foster sister looked from Edward, to the huge dead snake, to Harry in his blood- and ink-soaked robes, and finally to the diary in Harry's hands. She burst into tears.

"Harry -- Edward -- I wanted to tell you, b-but I couldn't -- I swear I d-didn't mean to -- R-riddle made me, he t-took me over -- and -- how did you kill that -- that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary-"

Edward let the sword drop with a clatter and pulled his foster sister into his arms, letting her sob into his chest. "It's all right, Ginny," he said gently. "I know you'd never do it under your own mind. And Riddle is dead -- we destroyed the diary. Let's get out of here."

"Am I going to be expelled?" she rasped as Edward helped her to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-bill came and n-now-"

"No one would expel a girl who was under the control of You-Know-Who," Edward said calmly. Ginny relaxed. Then he turned, picked up the sword, and led his foster sister and half brother out of the chamber with Fawkes soaring after them.