The Mystery of the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 17: The Heir of Slytherin

He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpent heads rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the Basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? And where were Etta and Ginny? He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpent columns. 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, with a jolt of his stomach, he thought he saw one stir. Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: it was ancient and monkey-like, with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth chamber floor. And between the feet, face down, lay two small, black robed figures. Harry ran to them and dropped to his knees. Ginny's eyes were closed but Harry saw Etta's eyes were moving. He moved closer to Etta's face. Because of Etta's dinosaur heritage, the Body-Bind curse was not completely effective. She strained to move her lips. Harry brought his ear close to her lips when he saw them quiver slightly. She whispered the words, 'Finite Incantatam."

Harry understood and cast the spell. 

Etta's limbs unlocked and she found her voice, "Ginny used magic to bring me here. But, she didn't seem aware of what she was doing. I think someone is possessing or controlling her. She passed out as soon as we got here."

Harry told Etta about Hermione's discoveries about the monster.

"We must try to wake Ginny now," said Etta decisively.

She knelt beside her and said, "Enervate," but nothing happened.

She tried again but still Ginny did not respond.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry and Etta spun around. A tall black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though they were looking at him through a misted window. But Etta recognised him.

"Tom Riddle?" she asked.

Riddle nodded.

"What do you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately, "She's not-she's not-?"

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

Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly, "preserved in a diary for fifty years."

He pointed towards the floor near the statue's feet. Lying open there was the little black diary Etta had seen Ginny using.

"You've got to help us, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head up, "we've got to get out of here. There's a Basilisk...I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment. Please help us..."

Riddle didn't move. Etta got to her feet to help Harry.

"We need to hurry, Etta," said Harry, "if the Basilisk comes..." he left the sentence unfinished as Riddle said calmly, "It won't come until it is called."

Etta took Ginny's full weight, holding her easily in her arms and Harry turned to look at Riddle.

"What do you mean?" he said.