Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

Down The Drain

Myrtle smiles at her shoulder flirtatiously, before her face became very serious, "What do you want?" Myrtle seemed angry. Lockhart looked at the ghost bewildered, Ron kept his wand pointed at Lockhart whilst Harry lowered his to talk politely to Myrtle, "To ask you how you died." Myrtle's smile reappeared on her usually sorrowed face, "Ooooh, it was dreadful, it happened right in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in." "Who was it Myrtle?" "I don't know, I was distraught! But, they said something funny, a kind of made up language, and I realised it was a boy speaking so I unlocked the door to tell him to GO AWAY, and I died." "Just like that?How?" Harry questioned further, "I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. Over there, by that sink." Myrtle pointed to the only rusted sink in the bathroom.

Harry walked towards the sink and began to exam it. He found a carving of a snake on the metal tap, "This is it. This is it Ron, I think this the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." Lockhart looked at the sinks terrified. Ron told Harry to say something in Parseltongue. Harry asked the Chamber to open up in the snake language, as the top floated up, the sinks all spread out and the sink with the engraved snake slid down, leading to a massive hole in the floor. Lockhart congratulated Harry before trying to leave, they pushed him towards the hole, he grabbed onto the sinks near by. The boys pointed their wands at Lockhart, "you first." Harry spoke viciously. "Now boys what good will it do?" Lockhart asked, "Better you than us." Ron spoke cooly raising his eyebrow at the Professor. Lockhart slowly turned around, looked down into the hole where there was no end in sight. Ron pokes him with his wand and Lockhart fell into the hole. The was a thud, "it's really quite filthy down here." Lockhart moaned. The two boys jumped down together, they ended up sliding and reached an opening where Lockhart brushed himself off. The two boys quickly got back on their feet and aimed their wands at Lockhart. There was a crunch under their feet, "urgh." Ron groaned as he saw bones all over the ground. "Now remember, any sign of moment, close your eyes straight away." Harry told them before he turned and advanced through the chamber. Ron urged Lockhart to walk between him and Harry. The Chamber was silent apart from the slapping of their feet on the wet ground.

The continued through the chamber before being faced with a massive snake skin, all dried out. "What's this?" Ron asked standing beside Lockhart. "It looks like a snake." Lockhart's voice trembled, Harry explained that it was only a snake skin, "Bloody he'll, whoever shed this must be sixth feet long or more!" Ron spoke bewildered, he turned to Lockhart who's legs gave way as he passed out. "Heart of a lion, this one." Ron states to Harry as he looks down at Lockhart's limp body. Lockhart quickly jumped up and grabbed Ron's wand pointing it at Harry, Ron stood still in surprise. "The adventure ends here, boys." He flickers the wand towards Ron, "But don't fret, the world know our story. How I was too late to save the girl, how you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So.." Lockhart turns back towards Harry, "You first Mr. Potter, say goodbye to your memories." He took a dramatic pause, "OBLIVATE." Lockhart yelled, a ball of blue light appeared before Lockhart was thrown against the roof of the Chamber. The roof collapsed, separating Ron and Harry while Lockhart laid unconscious on the floor. Once the rumble comes to a stop, Ron starts screaming Harry's name to make sure he's alright. Which Harry responds by screaming to Ron asking if he's ok. "I'm fine." He yelled back, Lockhart woke up with a groan. "Hello, who are you?" Lockhart asked dreamily, "Um.. Ron Weasley." "Really? And uhh.. who, who am I?" Ron didn't respond to Lockhart, instead he yelled at Harry that the spell backfired and how he doesn't know who he is. "It's an odd sort of place it is isn't it? Do you live here?" Lockhart asked Ron while he moved the a piece of rock. Ron told him he didn't live there before hitting him over the head with a rock. The boys devised a plan of Ron staying behind and clear some of the rumble while Harry goes to get Ginny.

Harry came across a circular door with seven snakes carved into it. Harry spoke to the door telling it to open. A eighth snake slides around the door as the other ones move away from it, unlocking the door. The door swings open, revealing another circular Chamber which lead to a massive room. Harry climbs down the ladder into the room, at the opposite end was a massive head carved into the wall, which Harry assumed was Salazar Slytherin. On each side of the path, there was 10 pairs of snake heads columns showing their fangs and split tongues displaying aggression and some bodies of water. The floor was damp as Harry walked towards the Slytherin head. He saw a body clasping a book, laying lifeless on the ground, he recognised the girl as Ginny Weasley. Harry began running towards the girl, his footsteps echoed around the Chamber as he raced to rescue the helpless unconscious girl. Harry dropped his wand on the ground as he knelt beside the pale red head, "Ginny, oh Ginny please don't be dead! Wake up! WAKE UP!" Harry tried to wake Ginny but she never moved a muscle as she laid still on the wet floor. "She won't wake." Tom Riddle cane out of the shadows, Harry gave him a confused look, "Tom? Tom Riddle? What do you mean she won't wake up? She's not-" Tom cut Harry off telling him she's still alive but barely. Harry asked him if he was a ghost, "A memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years." Tom walks closer to Harry, Harry touches Ginny's hand.