He returned as steady as the Mountain Wind

Chapter 11: "The Chamber of Secrets"

While Regulus was explaining how he and Blaise had snuck into the staff room, how they overheard McGonagall inform the other teachers of Ginny's abduction, how Lockhart had swooped in and the other teachers set him on the monster's trail. Harry heard the words, but didn't listen to them. His focus was on the twins. Both pale. Both terrified for their sister. Harry himself held little sentiment towards Ginny, for a lack of interaction on both sides. Aside from her being the youngest and only Weasley daughter, and Ginny's obvious infatuation with Daniel, Harry knew next to nothing about the first year. But he felt for Fred and George. If Regulus suddenly was kidnapped by a basilisk, Harry would blow a gasket. A massive one.

Massive enough to make him throw sense out of the window. He kept looking at the twins. Their twins. His friends. Friends who – for some reason – accepted being ordered around by a twelve year old. Friends who stood by his side, against their house and family. His friends. His. His! HIS! And someone dared, dared to hurt them. By abducting their sister. Hurt them! His friends! Oh, he had been annoyed before, them having attacked Hermione and Draco, having driven Theo, Luna, and Daphne out of the castle. But this, this was the last straw.

"Let's get this bastard." He hissed, interrupting Regulus. The first year stared at him, unaware of the storm brewing inside of Harry.

Blaise shrugged. Unlike Regulus he knew how Harry looked like when he was furious. The second year had been waiting for this to happen. For his friend to take personal offence, to get protective, for mere annoyance to boil over into anger. Harry was pissed. And if Blaise guessed correctly – as he usually did, no matter what Reg said – Harry was done playing nice. Well, who knew? Might as well make this a team effort. "I'm all for our typical routine of, swoop in, save the Gryffindor in distress and generally being the secret heroes, but I think you missed a critical point here: We do not know where the Chamber is."

The twins had caught on to what was happening. Their snakes were willing to play lions for the day. To save the school. To save their sister. For them. Well, if Slytherins could be Gryffindors for a bit, Gryffindors should be able to be Slytherins as well – for a bit. They gave each other a glance before giving their snakes identical, downright vicious grins: "Oh, but we know. The only problem is getting there. If you haven't realized: Teachers are going to be swarming this place soon."

"We'll figure it out along the way," said Harry, already rushing off towards Myrtle's bathroom.

The others followed him, leaving behind a confused Regulus. "What's going on?" he yelled running after them.

"We're going to fight a basilisk. And save both the school and Ginny Weasley along the way," Blaise huffed once Regulus caught up to him.

"What happened to being sensible?"

"Screw being sensible!"

Regulus slowed for only a second. That was unexpected. But he could work with that. He could definitely work with that.

As they ran past Lockhart's office, they heard tumultuous noise coming from inside. Harry saw Lockhart panicking through the ajar door. The others stopped as well, standing behind him to look over his shoulder. "I think we just found ourselves a hall pass, don't you think?"

"Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets"

By John Williams

(from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"")

It had been laughably easy to convince Lockhart to accompany them. The man was so horrendously incompetent that all it took where two second year wands aimed at him and he complied. More than that, he even confessed to having stolen the achievements of others and claimed them as his own. The twins had interrupted him at that point. "No one cares! Get us to the bathroom."

When Lockhart had only looked at them confused Fred had grabbed his arm and physically dragged the man with him. Harry sometimes wondered whether things might have gone differently if they had listened to Lockhart's whole tale.

They stood in front of the sink Myrtle had indicated. Harry wasn't quite sure where to go from here. Sure, he knew the thing somehow led to the Chamber, but to him it looked like a perfectly ordinary sink...unless...Myrtle had mentioned weird hissing sounds. Harry looked at the sink more closely. He must look like a madman, he absentmindedly thought. Then, finally he found the hint that they were indeed in the right place: a small snake carved into the tap. Wasting no time he hissed: "Open!"

With a bone shaking crunch, the entire sink, plus the wall behind it sank into the ground, leaving a gaping hole. You couldn't see the bottom of the pit, and Darkness wavered inside like a liquid almost living thing.

"At least it sets the atmosphere," commented Blaise with a raised eyebrow. Regulus groaned. Trust Blaise to not take anything seriously.

There was a short moment of silence, before Lockhart further sealed his fate by saying: "Well, time for me to go, you obviously don't need me here anymo-" He turned around only to be face to tip with the wrong ends of the twin's wands. "Oh no, professor. You'll go first."

"Boys," he drawled, while the twins backed him towards the edge of the tunnel "What good would it do?"

"Better you than us," Blaise hissed from the side lines.

Lockhart's arms where outstretched to avoid falling: "You sure any of you don't want to test it first?" at the blank looks he received, he turned towards the hole. "Oh my..." he muttered. When he didn't seem to come to a conclusion, Regulus gave him a shove that tipped him finally over the edge.

There was a scream. Then a thud. Then silence. Everyone gathered around, wondering whether they had ended another DADA professor, when finally: "It's really quite filthy down here."

With one last glance at each other they jumped into the tunnel.