The Legacy of Salazar

Honorary Weasley

The echo of the cavernous Chamber of Secrets lingered in his ears; Slytherin's mosaic danced behind his eyes as lies filled the air. The diary with a hole burned through its heart sat on the desk. And as the black ink running up his arm stained his skin, Merlin told a story of fiction weaved into truth.

He had received a note he thought was from Lockhart to meet on the second floor, at the message on the wall outside the girls' bathroom. He had found Ginny there, who had discovered a clue about where to find the Chamber of Secrets. They found it inside the bathroom. He told Ginny to grab a teacher while he stood guard. While his back was turned, he was hit over the head and woke up on the ground next to Ginny, in front of a statue of Salazar Slytherin. A light shone from Ginny's pocket and Tom Riddle materialized out of the diary. He took Ginny's wand and commanded the basilisk to attack him.

Ginny shifted out of the corner of his eye, burying her tear-stained face against the crux of her mother's arm. Severus Snape's pallor worsened as he spoke, and he began to tread a path back and forth behind his desk. On the couch, Florean had his head in his hands, hiding his expression while Silas watched Merlin with large hazel eyes.

"Please, go on," Dumbledore said, sitting in a conjured purple chair.

So Merlin continued. He defeated the basilisk through a combination of luck and clever use of small spaces to collapse a portion of the tunnel on it. He used a basilisk fang to destroy the diary before Riddle drained Ginny completely. She woke up after he vanished, and together they climbed out of the Chamber of Secrets—to find Lockhart sitting there at the entrance.

"Yes, speaking of—" Dumbledore said with a shadowed glanced in Snape's direction. An odd chill ran through the room, the fury of the Headmaster like tangible energy.

"Minerva is escorting him into custody as we speak," Snape replied, each word on the edge of a snarl.

"I will have to send word to Madam Bones advising her of the, ah—specifics of his situation," Dumbledore said almost to himself. He paused and regarded Merlin again. "I must say, I'm impressed."

"Sir?" Merlin asked, but the twinkle in the man's eye was all the answer he was going to get.

"So how—how did Ginny get involved?" Mr Weasley asked, wiping his eyes behind his glasses.

At this, Ginny gave a shuddering sob. She lifted her head to look around at them. "I—I found the diary in one of my textbooks," she said, her voice thick. "I thought it was just a blank one someone had forgotten about."

"Ginny," Mr Weasley said, reaching over to wipe his daughter's wet cheek. "You should've told me or your mother when it started writing back."

"I know," the girl sobbed, flinging her arms around him, a fresh wave of tears shaking her shoulders.

"Never trust anything, if you can't see where it keeps its brain," Mr Weasley whispered comfortingly against her ear. He held her like that for a long moment, Mrs Weasley rubbing soft circles into her daughter's back.

Merlin looked away. His heart had conjured a reminder of his own mother and the sudden nostalgia left him feeling a little empty. He felt someone touch his hand and started, only to see Silas smiling up at him. Then he wrapped Merlin in a tight hug, and the feeling of emptiness lessened. He glanced over Snape who had bent to whisper something into Dumbledore's ear.

"Quite right, too," he heard the Headmaster respond, and Dumbledore stood up. Silas let go of Merlin and stood beside him, watching as Dumbledore came to stand in front of Merlin. A little bewildered, Merlin glanced back at Snape before he met that twinkling gaze.

"Merlin, I can't thank you enough for accomplishing what we couldn't," and to his amazement, Dumbledore inclined his head in an unmistakable bow. Florean looked up, and Merlin swore his eyes looked redder than before. "As such, it is only fitting you receive an award for Special Services to the School and—yes—I think two hundred points, a hundred each for the safe return of Miss Weasley and the defeat of the basilisk."