Snakeskin (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 16: Riddle Me This

Chapter 16: Riddle Me This

There were several Dementor attacks in London this morning – several Muggles and two wizards were Kissed. The war is getting worse now that Voldemort has gained those dark allies. I have to learn how to protect my brothers from them.

**

They were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Leo dimmed the light at the end of his wand before striding forward, Harry close behind.

Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, he thought he saw one stir before shaking his head, trying to calm his paranoia.

Then, as they drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. Leo felt it was a bit over the top and ostentatious.

They had to crane their necks to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry muttered, sprinting to her despite Leo's calls and dropping to his knees. "Ginny — don't be dead — please don't be dead —" 

He flung his wand aside, grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Even as far away as Leo was, he could see her face looked as cold and white as marble, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be...

"Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her as Leo approached the duo. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice. 

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees. Leo leveled his wand at the newcomer, eyes narrowed threateningly.

A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Leo were looking at him through a misted window. Leo had no idea who he was, but he felt oddly familiar for some reason.

"Tom — Tom Riddle?" Harry said.

Riddle nodded and Leo tightened his grip on his wand, prepared to strike in case he made any sudden moves toward himself and Harry.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not — she's not —?" 

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Leo's eyes shifted from the blurred Riddle to Ginny's eerily still form and back. How is Riddle here? He's supposed to be in the book. He frowned. Unless...

"You're doing this, aren't you?" he growled. "Taking her life-force to feed yours. That's how you're here."

"I always felt you were too clever for your own good, Black," Riddle sneered, taking out a wand. Harry's wand.

"Listen," said Harry urgently, unsure of what was going on anymore. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes —"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.

"What d'you mean?" Harry said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —"

"It won't come until Riddle calls it, Harry," Leo informed the boy. "He's the Heir of Slytherin."