Chapter Forty Four – Basilisk Battle

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. Me, I'm just a PR professional. I don't profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world. However, its her sandbox and she's left the gate unlatched so we can go in and play a bit. Which, I've done.

Chapter Forty Four – Basilisk Battle

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-==(oIo)==-

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"Neville!" called Harry. "Leave her, for now. Get away from the statue and over here behind the pillars!"

Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and saw Neville get up and come running over. Just before he reached and took cover behind another pillar, himself, he felt Fawkes's wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.

Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but, what chance did a phoenix have against the king of serpents?

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder. He knew what was happening. He could sense it. He could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth.

Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice, §Kill him.§

"Neville!" called Harry, to his friend. "It's coming for me! Got your block ready?"

The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry began to run sideways, not looking at the serpent. Riddle was laughing.

"Sorry, Harry!" said Neville. "I left it next to Ginny!"

Harry tripped at the words. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood. The serpent was barely feet from him and he could hear it coming.

There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall. He dropped his own block of wood.

Waiting for fangs to sink through his body he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars. And the song of the phoenix from Fawkes.

He couldn't help it. He opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on. And reached into his bag for his sunglasses.

His fingers found them, broken. The lenses broken into itty bits.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabres

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry. And, before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned - Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes - both its great, bulbous yellow eyes - had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

§NO!§ Harry heard Riddle screaming. §LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL THEM!§

Harry dropped down and picked up his block. He ran back the other way, back behind his original, now smashed, pillar. Bending down, he threw and slid the block across the stone floor until it hit Neville in the side of the foot.

The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

"Nev!" called Harry. "It can't kill you with it's stare any more! Fawkes gouged out its eyes! The block's at your foot!"

The serpent's tail whipped across the floor again. It struck what was left of the pillar behind which Harry was crouched. Something soft hit his face.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. Not knowing why, he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail smashed the rest of the pillar away.

The hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head. He grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat. Its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

§KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF! SMELL HIM!§

Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide - wide enough to swallow him whole - lined with fangs long as the sword in his hand. Thin, glittering, venomous.

It lunged blindly. Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, but Harry was already running off behind yet another pillar. He needed to lead the beast away from Neville so the other boy could get his rooster to crow.

When he heard Harry lead the serpent away, Neville bent down and picked up the block of wood. Popping his wand out of it's holster, he muttered "Finite Incantatem!" over it. As it changed back into a rooster, he swept the little hood it was wearing before being transfigured, off it's head.

He held his wand up, and muttered, "Lumos Solem!" And a bright light appeared above them.

The clucking the rooster had been making when it was transfigured back had begun to draw the basilisk to his location.

The basilisk lunged and struck the wall just to the side of the pillar. Just missing him.

Harry stepped out from behind his latest pillar and whistled. The beast spun about. Harry stood his ground and hissed, §I'm over here, stinky-breath!§

The basilisk lunged straight at him. Harry dived out of it's way, as it struck the wall of the chamber behind where he was standing.

Neville, stepped out from behind his pillar to see Riddle was staring, watching Harry.

"Come on, you bugger!" muttered Neville.

Suddenly, the rooster crowed! And it was a full-bodied crow.

The basilisk screamed and began thrashing about.

Riddle spun to stare at Neville, and screamed, "No!" He raised the wand in his hand.

Still with his own wand in hand, Neville prepared to cast a shield or dive out of the way.

Neville gave the rooster a little jiggle and it crowed again.

The basilisk screamed again and continued to thrash.

From the other side, Harry stepped out on the opposite side to where the serpent had already struck. He charged the now, barely moving, basilisk.

He whacked it once on the snout with the edge of the sword, but made no damage. Changing his idea, he drew the sword back like a spear, intent on thrusting the point between the beast's eyes.

Just as he was making his thrust the rooster crowed for a third time.

The basilisk suddenly tilted it's head back and opened it's mouth.

With the sword thrusting forward with all of Harry's might, it drove through the open mouth, through the roof of it's mouth, and struck through to the brain.

Harry was pulled forward with the initial thrust. His arm now within the serpent's mouth; his hand gripping the hilt.

The beast suddenly wrenched it's head; and Harry was flung away to land near the opposite wall. Near where Neville still stood.

As warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was left embedded in his arm.

He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound as he lay on the floor. Even as he held the fang in his hand and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull colour.

"Neville!" he called. "It's dead!"

He heard Neville come hurrying over. He, again, held a wooden block.

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him.

"Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes."

Looking at his friend, who was looking back in shock and sorrow, he said, "Did you see, Neville? He was magnificent!"

"So were you, you bloody idiot!" croaked Neville.

He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him.

He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

Harry blinked. Fawkes's head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice before he laughed his high, cruel laugh. "In the Chamber of Secrets; defeated, at last, by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry. She bought you twelve years of borrowed time. But Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must."

'If this is dying,' thought Harry, 'it's not so bad. Even the pain was leaving him.' "Do us both a favour, won't you, Tom? Shut yer yap!"

But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound - except that there was no wound.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him, I said. Get away..."

Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing the Weasley girl's wand at Fawkes. There was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.

"Phoenix tears," said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course - healing powers - I forgot."

He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter. I'm going to kill your friend Neville, here, first. You can watch him die..."

He raised the wand. But Neville was faster.

"With a flash of his right hand, Neville's hand - now holding his wand - shot up. "Stupefy!" he cried.

Riddle, as well as being struck by the spell, was sent soaring across the Chamber to slam into the wall on the opposite side. Neville had instinctively drawn in magic, and pumped the lot down his arm and out his wand.

In a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap; the diary.

Harry sat up and looked at it. There, on the cover in gold letters, was the name T.M. Riddle. Wondering why the bird gave it to him, he looked at Fawkes where he landed just apart from them. Fawkes looked at the diary, then at the fang in Harry's hand, then back at the diary.

Riddle stirred over next to the wall. He rose to his feet and, staggering, slowly raised Weasley's wand. Neville hit him with another Stunner; sending his flying back into the wall, again.

Without thinking much about it. Harry seized the basilisk fang off the floor next to him, dropped the diary in it's place and plunged the fang straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor.

Riddle, over near the wall, was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing. He appeared to burn from the inside out. And disappeared in a flash of light.

Silence.

Silence, except for the heavy breathing of two young boys and the steady drip drip of water from the ceiling. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through the diary.

Shaking all over, Harry started to try to rise. Neville quickly stood and softly said, "Here, Harry," offering his arm. Taking it, Neville pulled him up to his feet.

Harry's head was spinning as though he'd just travelled miles by Floo powder. Slowly, he gathered together his wand - which he immediately resheathed - the Sorting Hat and the diary with the fang still in it.

Neville walked over to the now motionless and clearly very dead basilisk and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the basilisk's mouth.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Young Miss Weasley was stirring.

As Neville hurried toward her, she sat up. Her confused eyes travelled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Neville with 'his' dirty great sword, over Harry in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Harry - oh, Harry - I tried to tell you, but I c-couldn't! It was me, Harry - but I - I s-swear I d-didn't mean to! R-Riddle made me! He t-took me over - and - how did you kill that - that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary."

Neville knelt down next to the distressed girl, placed the sword down on the ground, and took her in his arms. "It's alright, Ginny," he soothed.

Harry held up the diary, showing the girl the diary with the fang through it. "Riddle's finished. Him and the basilisk. Now, let's get out of here..."

"I'm going to be expelled!" the girl wailed as Neville helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came; and, n-now I'll have to leave and - w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance.

Neville bent down and picked up the sword by it's hilt, and urged the girl forward. They stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe.

"Have you thought about how we're going to get back up this?" asked Neville.

"Nope!" replied Harry.

Fawkes was now fluttering in front of them. His beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold..." said Neville, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there."

With dawning realisation, Harry said, "Fawkes isn't an ordinary bird."

He turned to the other two and said, "We've got to hold on to each other in a line. Miss Weasley, grab Neville's hand and hold tight."

Harry took the sword off Neville and tucked it, and the Sorting Hat, into his belt. He continued to hold the diary with it's venomous fang attachment in his hand. "Grab a fistful of my trailing robes, Nev," he instructed. Neville took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair; and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over. The three of them hit the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

From lying flat on his back on the floor, Harry looked up to see Professor McGonagall staring back down at him - from an upside down perspective.

"Thank Merlin!" she said, clearly breathing an audible sigh of relief.

From where she was floating off to the side, Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly to the ghost, standing up and helping the others up.

"Oh, well - I'd just been thinking - if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.

"Well, that's very nice of you, Myrtle. Thank you," he replied.

"While I'm sure you'd enjoy a chit-chat with Myrtle, I'm afraid there are some people waiting for us in my office."

"Too bad!" said Harry. "We're off to the infirmary. If anyone wants to talk to us, they can talk to us there. After we've endured the loving ministrations of Mistress Pomfrey."

Turning to the other two, he said, "Right! Infirmary, you two - and me. Come along."

Professor McGonagall looked like she wanted to argue, but didn't. Instead, she stepped aside to let them pass, and followed until they were walking in the doors of the infirmary. She did not say a single word the whole - though, admittedly, short - trip.

As they were about to pass through the doors, she turned and walked away, muttering to herself.

Harry flung the doors opened and half-bellowed, "Madam Pomfrey!"

"Mister Potter!" the medi-witch bellowed back, from her desk just inside the door.

Harry yelped and leapt aside.

Neville snickered while leading Young Miss Weasley inside.

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-==(oIo)==-

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Harry had demanded the girl be seen to first and was explaining about the possession. "She's going to need to see a pretty competent mind healer to help her through what she's been through," he said.

Madam Pomfrey set her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Are you trying to do my job for me, Mister Potter?"

"No, Ma'am!" replied Harry, backpedalling a little. "I just don't want to see dear old Albus try to tell her parents she's fine and they've got nothing to worry about. She's not fine, at all."

Madam Pomfrey got more of the story out of the girl before the doors were, again, flung open.

"Ginny!" It was, apparently, Missus Weasley.

Of course, the girl immediately burst into tears.

"Damn it!" barked Harry. "We're not ready to see anyone, just yet."

Behind her came Mister Weasley, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, the Greengrasses, Sirius, Madam Longbottom and - unsurprisingly - Albus Dumbledore.

Neville found himself being swept into the woman's tight embrace. "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

She then came bearing down on Harry, who held his hand out in a fending off gesture, and barked, "NO!"

Missus Weasley seemed to hesitate between shock and anger at being spoken to that way, but skidded to a stop.

"The reason why we're not ready to see anyone just yet is - for a start - I'm somewhat covered in the deadliest poison known to wizarding kind; I'm bearing, under my robes, a very sharp and very lethal weapon; and I have in my hand..." he said, waving around the diary, "... a combination of both. Any of which can kill you dead where you stand in seconds.

"Now, please; back off!"

"I think we'd all like to know how you saved Miss Weasley," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

"Later, Professor," said Harry. "Medical treatment first; explanations later. Miss Weasley, for starters, has been quite distressed and has gone through nine months of mental hell. She needs to spend time talking it through with a competent mind healer before you all distress her any further. In the mean time, she needs to spend time with Madam Pomfrey and none of you will interfere with that."

"Who do you think you are, young man?" Missus Weasley barked back. "I'm of a good mind..."

"Shut it!" barked Harry. "I happen to be one of two people who just saved your daughter's life! However, I will not consider it finished saving until she's been seen to by Madam Pomfrey and a mind healer."

"Molly!" growled Mister Weasley. "Back down! He's right."

"What do you mean 'poison', Mister Potter," asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Basilisk venom," said Harry. "And, if you want to know how big..." He lifted the diary in his left hand and pulled the fang out with his right holding it aloft. "... It was this big. This is the tip of one of it's fangs.

"And that's part of what I meant by having sharp and deadly weapons on my person. The fang will still have venom within it. One, even tiny, scratch and you'll be dead before you can get help."

That had some of the adults talking; and Missus Weasley turning white as a sheet.

Harry placed the diary and fang on a close by patient's wheeled table. "And here's another," he said, reaching into his robes and carefully drawing the sword back out through his belt before holding it aloft.

More talking. Missus Weasley had to put her hand on a bed rail to steady herself.

"From where I shoved this up through the roof of the basilisk's mouth, I suspect it punctured a venom sack and became coated in basilisk venom in the process," he said.

Missus Weasley promptly fainted. With a few tsk'ing sounds, Madam Pomfrey levitated the woman and placed her on the bed alongside her daughter.

Harry then removed the Sorting Hat from his belt and placed it, brim down, on the same table. "It's about time, Mister Potter," said the Hat.

Harry ignored it.

"Now; once Madam Pomfrey's talked with Miss Weasley and has her settled in bed for the night - even I know she needs plenty of rest, Madam Pomfrey - I need her to take a look at my arm," said Harry firmly. "Then, Neville and I need to shower and change.

"Only then, will I deign to answer any other questions. So, if you quite enjoy standing around a hospital ward being quiet and watching patients being treated, then stay. Otherwise, leave us be until we, and Madam Pomfrey, consider ourselves ready to see you."

All of the adults except for Madam Pomfrey, of course, wisely chose to move away and go stand on the other side of the infirmary to stay out of their way.

Dumbledore tried to step forward, but when he said "Now, Harry, I really..."

Harry swirled his magic and growled at the man. Dumbledore wisely beat a hasty retreat.

Harry chatted to Neville a little, said, "Don't let Dumbledore try to use Legilimency on you, or try to convince you to remain quiet about this. He's just looking to cover his own incompetent arse."

He turned to the medi-witch and said, "Neville and I are going to leave you and Miss Weasley to talk until you're ready to see me."

Moving over to stand with the adults, Gran said to Neville, "I trust, Neville, that you do not have on your person any sharp and deadly objects?"

"Luckily for Missus Weasley; no, Gran," he replied.

And for the first time Harry had seen her, the stately lady enveloped her grandson in a firm hug.

"Any more on you, Harry?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, on the right hand sleeve of my robes and my hands," said Harry. "I need to get the stuff cleaned off."

Dumbledore quickly conjured up a small stand with a large basin of warm soapy water in it.

"Thank you, Headmaster," he said, quickly dipping his hands within and doing his best to scrub them clean. The ink was another matter, though.

After he pulled his hands out - and accepted the offered conjured towel he was handed - Isabel, Cygnus, Gran and Sirius all stepped forward to give him a hug without going near his right sleeve.

"Alright," said Harry. "The full telling of this would take hours, because what you don't know about this started three full weeks ago, with the petrification of our loved ones." He indicated the three where they lay a short distance away. "So, we're going to give you the highlights."

When the adults didn't say anything he nodded and said, "Alright. As I said, this all started three weeks ago when Daphne, Tracey and Hermione were petrified. While he and I were in here - very soon after the girls were brought in - Neville and I made a pact."

With Neville adding a few important points, Harry then explained a little about their research, their physical search for the entrance, the gist of the physical manifestation of Riddle, Ginny's thrall, and their battle with the basilisk.

The adults were just starting on asking questions when Madam Pomfrey called Harry over.

"Besides being cranky," she said as he walked over, indicating he should lie down on yet another hospital bed. "What seems to be the problem with you?"

Harry reached down and pulled up the sleeve of his robe on the arm where he was bit. Getting them far enough raised to show the healed mark, he said, "Basilisk bite..."

Madam Pomfrey gasped and backed off a bit. "Mister Potter!" she yelped. "I should have seen to you first!"

That brought the Greengrasses, Sirius and Dumbledore over.

Harry glared at the old man and said, "This is a medical issue I wish to discuss with my magical guardians and godfather, Mister Dumbledore. Please back away and allow us our privacy."

Dumbledore looked somewhere between abashed and angry, but he did move away and return to stand with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, Gran, Neville and Mister Weasley.

Harry, again, lifted his robe sleeve to show the basilisk fang bite.

"This is where the big green beasty bit me," he said. "The fang with the diary over there went right in there."

"Sweet Merlin!" gasped Cygnus. "Why aren't you dead?"

"Phoenix tears," replied Harry. "Apparently, phoenix tears heal bites and poisonings by basilisks. But, it was a close thing."

After Madam Pomfrey checked the bite over, she told him the scar would always remain but would diminish with time. Once she was satisfied the basilisk venom was no longer a risk in his system, she'd give him a cream that would help to eradicate much of the scar.

She also healed the wound inside his lip and cheek when he'd tripped over something in the Chamber, plus a couple of others he didn't know he had. During this, Dumbledore had left.

She released him to shower and change. But, instead, Harry went back across to the sword, fang and diary. He conjured a bag for the fang and diary, and used a piece of cloth to hold the hilt of the sword.

With the sword in one hand and the bag in the other, he walked back to Ravenclaw tower.

Students, again, leapt out of his way in fright or fear as he came towards them. However, this time, he was pretty sure it had more to do with his dirty and haggard appearance, and that he was carrying a bloody great sword, than with him being the supposed Heir of Slytherin.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

Walking into his dorm he dropped the sword, bag and his bookbag onto his bed. Then stripped off and took all three items into the bathroom.

There, he thoroughly cleaned the sword and fang and did his best to wipe all the dried venom off the cover of the diary. And gave himself a thorough scrub down.

Returning to his bed, he opened his trunk and pulled out a decent set of lightweight clothes that were stylish and smart.

Thinking for a moment, he called, "Petey!"

The little elf popped into the dorm room. "Yes Ma... Harry?"

Holding the sword and fang out, he said, "Can you please be very careful with the edge on this blade and the fang because both are very sharp and have recently had poison on them, and take them to Potter Manor, leaving them on the desk?"

"Yes, sir, Harry," the little elf said before popping away with both items.

Harry then picked up the diary and returned to the infirmary. Like Dumbledore earlier, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were also gone. Mister Weasley was now standing alongside the bed of their daughter, with his now enervated wife on the opposite side.

The Greengrasses, Sirius and Gran were seeing to the girls. Gran was clearly waiting for a, now gone, Neville to return.

"I'm baaa-aack! Did you miss me?" he cheekily asked, walking over to stand alongside Daphne's bed.

He then earned himself another round of hugs. This time from Isabel, Gran, Cygnus and Sirius. He walked over to stand at the head of Daphne's bed, leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "I'm safe, sweetheart," he murmured to her. "You had nothing to worry about." Before moving on to greet the other two.

At Hermione's bedside he leaned in and kissed her of the forehead and said, "You did it, Hermione. You figured it out weeks before Neville, I, Susan and Hannah did. And we have you and your research skills to thank for heading us in the right direction to find the Chamber."

"Errr - Harry?" said Sirius.

"Mmm?" he replied.

"You know they can't hear you, right?" his godfather asked.

"I know I've been told they can't hear me," he replied. "But how many other people have there ever been who have been petrified by a thousand year old basilisk? And has given evidence to say whether or not they could hear, or otherwise understand, while being petrified?"

"Errr..." said Sirius.

Harry just grinned at him.

Mister and Missus Weasley approached and, with a very visible nudge from her husband, Missus Weasley said, "I apologise for trying to hug you earlier, Mister Potter. It is clear to me now I could have gotten us both seriously hurt or killed because you had those - items on your person at the time.

"However, now that I have calmed down from being a frantic mother, grateful her daughter had been rescued and was alive, may I give you a hug?"

Harry smiled and said, "Apology accepted, and yes."

With a beaming smile, Missus Weasley came forward and hugged him. Backing off just as it was becoming uncomfortable, she said, "Thank you, Mister Potter. My daughter is priceless to me and my family. If there's anything we can do for you, please, just ask."

"The only thing I ask - actually, I pretty much demand it," said Harry. "Is get Ginevra in to see a proper mind healer. She's going to need it."

Both Weasley parents blushed and looked down. Mister Weasley coughed and said, "We - that is, we can't..."

Understanding their embarrassment, Harry cut in and said, "As Neville and I saved her life, I hope you'll accept I don't want all that hard effort to go to waste. I'll organise a mind healer for her. You just need to make sure she goes to see him or her."

"We can't accept charity," said Missus Weasley.

"You said I was to tell you if there was anything you could do for me," he firmly said. "This is it. It will make me very happy if she receives proper mental care. Tom Riddle, the spirit that had her under thrall, told Neville and I what Ginevra had been writing in that diary. He bragged about how - pitiful - she sounded.

"I will not cause her further embarrassment by relaying it to you. But it was sufficient to convince me she needs this. So, I'm going to pay for it. Alright?"

Molly looked like she was still going to refuse, but Arthur said, "Thank you, Mister Potter. I will ensure our daughter attends those appointments."

After a few moments hesitation, Missus Weasley said, "There's one other thing."

"Yes?" he asked.

"Ginny wonders if she can talk to you for a while," she replied. "She wants to thank you."

"Of course," said Harry.

He walked over to where the girl was lying on her side looking absolutely miserable.

He grabbed a stool and placed it on the side she was facing and sat down on it. "Hey, you," he greeted her.

Ginevra burst into tears again, so Harry stood and bent over the bed, wrapping the girl in a hug. "I'm sooo sorry," she sobbed. "I nearly got everyone killed. I nearly got you, the famous Harry Potter, killed. I..."

"Ginevra - Ginny! - Stop," said Harry. Once the sobbing subsided, he moved her back to lying in the bed and retook seat on the stool. "You are an eleven year old girl who was tricked by a magical device designed to do exactly what it almost did to you. You didn't really stand a chance."

"But he was such a nice boy at first," she said. "I trusted him. It wasn't until it was too late I found out he was also - Voldemort."

Harry heard the Weasley parents gasp. And thought he heard others.

"I know," said Harry. "That is, or was, Voldemort's greatest power. When he wanted to, he was able to charm anyone out of practically anything. And that includes some of the wisest witches and wizards out there.

"He has practically everyone else - but not you and me - convinced he is a pureblood. But we know the truth, don't we?"

With a bare hesitation she nodded.

"No, we know he is only a half-blood," he continued. "And that he's lied to everyone else, about who he really is. We know Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle."

She nodded again.

She suddenly said, "Thank you for saving my life!" And blushed before turning away.

"You are most welcome," he replied. "But please remember that Neville Longbottom was also part of that. It was he, who had the rooster to crow. And, it was he, who sent the one who calls himself Voldemort flying across the Chamber with an overpowered Stunning Charm when he was about to kill me. And he did it, twice. So, you should think about saying that to him too, alright?"

She nodded and said, "Alright."

"Good," he said. "Now, there's something you can do for me over summer. It's not a big thing, but it is an important thing. Alright?"

"Alright," she replied, looking a little happier.

"To help you overcome the terrible year you've just had here at Hogwarts, your parents are allowing me to have you speak to someone about whatever is bothering you," he said. "So, whatever you were writing in that diary, you can now talk about with a real person who will really help you, rather than tell you lies like Riddle did.

"What I want you to do is write to me, as often as you like, over summer and tell me about both how those visits go - and how much you're enjoying your summer - alright?"

"I can do that," she said.

"Thank you," he replied with a smile. "Now, if you will excuse me, Miss Weasley, there are other people demanding of my time today. I have yet to see Susan Bones or Hannah Abbott, and I expect they will want to kick my and Neville's bums for not coming and seeing them as soon as we brought you out of the Chamber, to let them know we were alright."

"Alright, Harry; thank you," she smiled.

With a nod and smile in return, Harry gave her hand a gentle squeeze and went to move away. Suddenly, he stopped and moved back. "One last thing, Ginny," he said, with his face showing curiosity. "Where on earth did you find that diary?"

"It was in with my books when we got home from shopping for school supplies," she said.

"In?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was inside another book," she said. "A second hand one my parents were able to buy for me."

"Was it your Transfiguration book?" he asked.

"Umm - Yeah," she said. "How'd you know?"

"You can think of it as just a guess," he replied. "Now I've really got to go." He smiled and moved away.

'Lord Malfoy. In the bookshop. With the Transfiguration Book,' thought Harry. 'Gotcha! And that explains Dobby.'

He returned to the adults to find Neville had returned and was dressed neatly in everyday 'casual' wizarding robes without the outer robe.

"Is it dinner time yet?" asked Harry, rubbing his hands together. "Slaying a thousand year old basilisk has managed to make me build up an appetite."

Neville snorted. "Only you, Harry; would make such a remark," he said.

Turning to the adults, he asked, "I hope you're willing to join us for dinner? I'd like you to see what happens, here, when a Potter and Longbottom enter the Great Hall."

"Me?" stammered Neville. "I think you mean you, Harry."

"Not any more, Nev," disagreed Harry. "You just slayed a thirty-plus foot long thousand year old basilisk one moment, and crossed wands with Voldemort, kicking his arse, the next. Twice!"

Gran gasped.

"Oh!" said a surprised Neville. "I did, didn't I?"

Harry grinned and one-arm hugged his mate.

The adults smiled, looked at each other, and Cygnus said, "As long as you're inviting us, why not?"

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

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