You're Not Alone-Hermione Granger(Currently Editing)

Twenty-Eight

Juniper and Harry slowly approach the chamber. "I hope Ron's doing okay" Harry sighs and Juniper nods. "He'll be fine. Better than we'll be at least. He doesn't have to deal with the Heir of Slytherin" Juniper points out. They go around another bend and spot a wall where stone serpents were, their eyes shining emerald.

Juniper motions for Harry to speak and Harry opens it with parseltongue. It opens up for them and they share a nervous glance, both of them with their wands held defensively. They walk in and see a long, dimly lit chamber, lined with snake head statues, their eyes shining emerald as well.

As they walked down the path, their footsteps echoed while the eyes of the snakes seemed to follow them. Water covered the path, causing their shoes to slosh as they walked. "Look, it's Ginny" Harry points and they notice Ginny layed on the ground in the distance.

They run towards her, getting down to look at her. She was incredibly pale and freezing cold, almost as if she was dead. "Ginny! Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up, wake up. Please wake up" Harry shakes her awake, throwing his wand to the side.

"She won't wake" The two snap their heads over and see a figure lurking in the shadows. He slowly walks into the light where they can get a better look. Harry looks at him confused as Juniper turns to look at Harry. "Who is that?" She whispers. "Tom. Tom Riddle. What do you mean, she won't wake? She's not...?" Harry asks confused. "Wait, you're Tom Riddle? The one with the diary?" Juniper chuckles.

"Yes, the one with the diary. And she's still alive, but only just." Tom explains to the two. "Are you a ghost?" Harry wonders curiously. "A memory...preserved in a diary for fifty years." "She's cold as ice. Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up" Harry begs. Juniper takes notice of Tom picking up Harry's discarded wand.

She stands up, holding up her wand. Harry notices her. "He's good, Juniper. You've got to help us, Tom. There's a Basilisk" Harry explains. "It won't come until it's called" Tom informs them. "Harry, he's not good. He's got your wand. He knows all about the Basilisk." Juniper tells the oblivious Gryffindor.

"Give me my wand, Tom" Harry holds out his hand. "You won't be needing it." Tom says, his lips turning into a smile. "Listen, we've got to go. We've got to save her" Harry says. "Harry, he's the Heir of Slytherin, don't you see? His robes have the Slytherin symbol on it. Not to mention he's acting creepy" Juniper points out and Tom smirks over at her.

"I see that's your Ravenclaw intelligence coming in" He smiles. "I'm not a Ravenclaw" Juniper denies. "But your parents are. I know who you are, Juniper Rosewood. Your parents adore me." He smirks and she scowls as Harry looks between them confused. "We have to get Ginny out of here" He tells them, not understanding why they were using the time to argue right now. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You see, as Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger." He explains as Harry furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes, Harry, it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets." Tom smiles. "No. She couldn't. She wouldn't." Harry denies. "It was Ginny who set the Basilisk on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat. Ginny, who wrote the threatening messages on the walls." Tom explains. "But why?" Harry frowns. "Because I told her to. You'll find I can be very persuasive. Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, shall we say, in a kind of trance."

"Still, the power of the diary began to scare her. She tried to dispose of it in the girls' bathroom. And then who should find it but you?" Tom looks at Harry, a broad smile on his lips. "The very person I was most anxious to meet." Tom says. "And why did you want to meet me?" Harry wonders.

"I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid...to gain your trust" "Hagrid is not a brainless oaf." Juniper growls. "Hagrid's our friend." Harry says and Juniper nods. "And you framed him, didn't you?" "It was my word against Hagrid's. Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent." Tom sighs.