Chapter Forty Five – Getting Told Off

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 Five – Getting Told Off

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With the adults following, Neville and Harry walking side-by-side into a now full Great Hall. As expected, the entire Hall went silent.

"See?" said Harry over his shoulder.

Walking forward, Harry was looking around for where they'd be sitting, when they saw Hannah and Susan rise from their seats at the Hufflepuff table and come running over.

Susan grapple-hugged Harry while Hannah did the same with Neville. "You bloody idiots!" said Susan, softly. Then the girls switched.

Sirius, ever the wag, called out, "Yes, yes. It is I, Lord Sirius Black, the ever-lovable."

Looking up at the head table in the silent hall, Harry called, "Headmaster, do we have room at table for a few guests?"

The old man smiled and magnanimously said, "Of course, Mister Potter."

With a girl under an arm each, Neville and Harry walked over to the Hufflepuff table. They quietly made room for the extra six of them.

Once they were all sitting, and the noise of conversation renewed, Harry leaned over to his Godfather and said, "The whole Hall going silent like that when we enter is what's been happening all year."

"When you enter, Harry," corrected Neville.

"Not any more, Nev," replied Harry with a grin. "Expect your name to now be, 'Neville Longbottom, basilisk slayer'. And when we enter a room, it'll be, 'Hey, there's Neville Longbottom and his friend Harry'."

Gran sat up, proudly.

As the meal wound to a close, one of the younger 'Puffs finally gathered up their courage and asked Harry, "You really went into the Chamber of Secrets?"

Clearly, Susan and Hannah had been talking with their housemates, at least.

"Yes," he replied.

"What was it like?" asked the 'Puff.

"Big. Damp. Dimly lit by torchlight. And scared the whoopees out of the both of us," he replied with a bit of a shrug.

Neville snorted and said, "Got that right."

Harry could see those within hearing distance of what he said had gone quiet to listen.

"It's a long room, with pillars running down both sides just in from the walls. There's a snake motif going on, throughout. And, at the far end, is this huge stone statue of Salazaar Slytherin, himself.

"The entrance to the chamber, itself, has a huge stone door barring entrance. And requires parseltongue to open it."

"And the monster was a big basilisk?"

"Yeah. Neville effectively killed it. I just administered the final killing blow to make sure it was dead."

"How big was it?"

"Ummm – Thirty feet, I think." Turning to Neville he asked, "Hey, Nev?"

Looking back, Neville asked, "Yeah, Harry?"

"The basilisk," said Harry. "You had a better look at it than I did. How big was it really?"

"Ummm - about - thirty foot long, I think," he said with a shrug of his own.

"I just remember how big a mouth it had," said Harry. "The thing could have easily swallowed a person whole."

"The strength in it's body was pretty impressive, too," said Neville. "It smashed to rock-dust that pillar you were first standing behind. And left big smashed holes when it rammed the walls trying to get to you."

"But, who was doing it? Who first opened the chamber?"

"Hang on," said Harry. Turning to Neville he said, "You know, we're going to plagued with these questions over and over again. How about we just tell the story once to the student and staff body and get it out of the way?"

"Yeah," replied Neville, understanding. "That would be good."

Harry stood and looked to the head table.

As soon as the rest of the Hall recognised Harry was standing, it went silent again.

"Yes, Ha... Mister Potter?" asked the Headmaster.

"Headmaster," he said. "It has quickly become apparent to Neville and I that we will be near-forever plagued by questions about what happened this afternoon. May I have permission to address the student body to explain?"

"Errr - I don't think that would be wise..." he started to reply before be was cut off by Cygnus standing.

"Let the boys tell it, Headmaster," said Cygnus. "You know what he is saying is true."

With a sigh and exaggerated weary slump of disappointment, the old man said, "Very well. But, please make it quick."

"Thank you, Headmaster," said Harry before looking at Neville. "You, too. Come on."

Neville nodded and also stood. And both walked to stand in the area in front of the head table.

"Headmaster, I believe this will go a lot quicker, which is what you said you want, if we show this in a projector pensieve."

"Very well," said the old man, again.

Harry quietly called, "Petey," and the little elf popped in.

"Yes, Master Harry?"

Kneeling down he gestured the elf forward and whispered, "Can you get me my pensieve and a - plinth - for it to sit upon, please?"

The elf nodded and disappeared. A moment later it returned with what Harry asked for next to him.

"Thank you," said Harry, and the elf popped away.

Standing back up Harry turned to the student body and said, "Mister Longbottom, Miss Bones, Miss Abbott and I, with purpose, set about attempting to solve the year long mystery of why and how students were being petrified.

"We also decided to search for the so-called Chamber of Secrets, as the two issues appeared to be tied together. Many of you have come across us over the past three weeks while we were engaged in that search."

There were a few nodding heads among the students.

"Well, shortly after lunch, this afternoon, we found another message daubed onto the wall underneath the original one. For those who don't already know, it says, 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever'.

"At that time we were headed for the haunted bathroom on the second floor. Miss Bones and Miss Abbott had the very clever idea to talk with the first victim - no, not Mrs Norris - Myrtle Malone; Moaning Myrtle. The girl killed when the Chamber was last opened, in May 1943."

Neville took it up. "With the message making it clear we were quickly running out of time, we spoke with Myrtle and she provided us with three very important pieces of information. One was the identity of the student opening the Chamber and bringing the beast up into the castle. The second led us directly to the hidden entrance. The third confirmed what we believed the monster to be. It was a basilisk."

That had quite a few gasps and talking from the students.

"But, a basilisk kills when it looks at you, not petrifies you," called one older Ravenclaw.

"Yes," replied Neville. "And solving why the victims were only petrified, and not killed, was part of the problem."

"However, we did just that, too," said Harry. "We discovered none of the victims were caught in the direct gaze of the basilisk.

"Mrs Norris was drinking from the still water that was on the floor of the corridor. She saw the basilisk in the reflection off the water. Mister Creevey was looking through the lens of his camera. Mister Finch-Fletchley saw the basilisk through the misty form of Sir Nicholas. Sir Nicholas saw it direct but, as he's already dead, it only petrified him. And our three friends saw it through the reflection of a small hand-held mirror Miss Granger was holding in her hand at the time.

"None of the living caught the direct gaze of the basilisk. And that, of itself, is nothing short of a miracle."

"It will also interest you to know," said Neville. "That, from both their positions when they were found petrified, and by a note held in Miss Granger's hand at the time, the three of them had only just figured out that the monster was a basilisk. That is why they were looking around corners using a hand mirror before actually walking around the corner."

"It took me using parseltongue to open the entrance, which is magically sealed," said Harry. "So, you can forget about trying to do it yourself. We sent Hannah and Susan to Professor McGonagall with what information we had; in case we didn't come back.

"Neville and I had already, by this time, taken to carrying around a transfigured rooster each. They were transfigured into two ordinary blocks of wood. It is known that the crow of a rooster will kill a basilisk.

"So, armed with a transfigured rooster each, our wands, and a pair each of special mirror surfaced sunglasses - that should have only seen us petrified rather than killed by the basilisk's gaze..." Harry held up his own pair, "...Neville and I went down the secret passage to the Chamber."

"After quite a while of carefully walking," said Neville, "we came upon a great stone door. Again, Harry had to use parseltongue to open it. And we entered.

"We carefully made our way down the length of the Chamber and found the unconscious body of a girl lying at the feet of a great stone statue of Salazaar Slytherin, himself."

"With me standing guard," continued Harry, "Neville tried to rouse her. He could not. And, no, I'm not going to say who it was, just yet, because she is pretty much blameless for what happened. The student was being held in thrall by a magical artefact, and was acting outside of her own control. Think of it as another form of the Imperious Curse; but much, much worse.

"There was the - essence? - of another student there, until that time hidden. That student you've heard me name before. His name was Tom Riddle."

"Mister Potter!" exclaimed Dumbledore, as the students whispered among themselves.

"You're far too late, Headmaster," said Neville turning to him. "They all already know of whom he's speaking. And have known for three weeks."

Dumbledore looked very shocked and quite disturbed. But, he didn't say anything more.

Turning back to the students, Harry said, "That's right, folks. The same student who dobbed in Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets in 1943, is the same one who opened it this time. So, no doubt you can figure out who actually opened the Chamber last time, yes?

"Spirit-Tom and I exchanged words, while Neville tried to help the unconscious student. And, like all megalomaniacs, Tom liked to talk about how great he was. Then, once he finally shut his yap, he called forth the basilisk using parseltongue. Here's what happened from there."

Harry then concentrated on the memory of the battle, up to them leaving the Chamber, and used his wand to withdraw the memory. He dropped it into the basin of the pensieve and tapped the rune to make it project in the space above.

As soon as it started, he enlarged it and enhanced the sound, so everyone could watch and hear. He and Neville moved off to the side.

During the playing of the memory the students gasped, shrieked and gasped again in all the right spots. When Riddle identified himself as Voldemort while waiting for Harry to die, they received the biggest shrieks and gasps of the showing.

When it finished, Harry withdrew the memory and dropped it into one of his ever ready phials. Then he called Petey to take the pensieve back to Potter Manor.

While he was doing that, Neville looked at the students and asked, "Any questions?"

Everyone was looking at him and Harry in awe. And not the normal kind, either. It was an awe of outright fear and respect.

"Errr..." said a Gryffindor, "Tom Riddle was really V-V-Voldemort?"

That earn yet more gasps and shrieks.

"No," replied Harry. "It would, however, be correct to say Voldemort..." more gasps, "... is actually really named Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Most on the Slytherin table were looking most unhappy about what they heard.

"Mister Potter!" roared Dumbledore.

"Oh, give it a rest, please, Headmaster?" snarked Harry, turning to the old man. "Stop trying to keep it a secret! The truth will set you free; and, in this case, the truth will set you free of the unjustified fear of the man!"

Turning back, Harry said, "Tom Marvolo Riddle was born the son of a near-squib witch named Merope Gaunt, and Tom Riddle, a muggle - not a muggleborn - a muggle; one with no magic whatsoever. So, yes, folks, the one who's false name frightens you so much you can hardly bear to hear it, is - or was - a half-blood."

And that really upset the Slytherins.

"And Neville here - the person Mister Malfoy and his cronies sneeringly calls a squib - crossed wands with him, this afternoon, and blasted him into a wall with nothing more than a simple Stunning Charm. Twice!"

"That was only a spirit! Or whatever it was," yelled one of the Slytherin upper years.

"A spirit, you say?" asked Harry right back. "One that was able to hold Miss Weasley's wand in his hand, and who you saw cast magic through it; one that was affected by a simple Stunning Charm; one that, when he actually hit the wall, hit with enough force to crack the rock wall behind him. No, he was solid enough, alright. Even an idiot could see that."

Turning back to the rest of the students, he asked, "Some of you, over the past three weeks, have gone to the Trophy Room to look for the information I provided you about Riddle before, yes?"

There were quite a few nods and 'Yeses' in reply.

"And that other - student - in the memory looked exactly like him in the photograph, yes?"

More nods.

"Well, now for the final proof," said Harry.

With a wave of his wand and a muttered, "Flagrate!" Harry wrote TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE in the air in shimmering fire. He swished his wand and the letters began to rearrange themselves, finishing with I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

There were quite a few gasps and much whispering. Dumbledore sat there with his head down and muttering to himself. He really wasn't happy.

He left it there for a few seconds before swishing his wand through the words and extinguishing the flames.

"I'm sure none of you now doubt the veracity of my words?" he calmly asked.

No one replied. Even the very unhappy Slytherins couldn't rebut.

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After the 'dinner entertainment', Harry and Neville escorted the adults out to the front steps of the castle. Harry drew the memory of the period when he was talking with Riddle-spirit and dropped it into another phial, and capped it before handing it to Cygnus.

"I think I need to hand this off before Dumbledore sticks his broken beak in and tries to demand it off me," said Harry.

I'll have a look tonight, Harry," he said. "We all want to be back here tomorrow morning for when Daphne and the others are woken. I'll be bringing the Davises and Grangers with me."

"Oh?" asked Harry. "I didn't think the Grangers would be able to see the castle, let alone enter it."

"They'll be wearing special pendants that will allow them in and able to see," smiled Cygnus.

"Thank you," sighed Harry. "I'm sure Hermione will be very happy to see them when she wakes up."

"As am I," he said.

With words of parting, the adults left on the long walk back to the main gates, before apparating away.

Curfew was fast approaching, so Harry and Neville headed upstairs to their respective towers. Both were absolutely knackered and were looking forward to sleep.

When Harry entered the Ravenclaw common room the few students in there looked up at him with wary acceptance.

One of the older muggleborns quietly said, "You wear a pair of big brassy ones, Mister Potter."

Harry just grinned back with a weary expression. "I was scared nearly enough to shite myself for almost the whole time. But, I also knew, as the only parselmouth I knew of, I had to be at least one of the ones that had to go down there."

"That's what makes it all the more impressive," the older boy said. "You're more than intelligent enough to also be rightfully afraid. Yet, you still did it; and came out victorious."

"Well," said Harry, "thank you. I just think we were incredibly lucky and am thankful we were able to save the young Gryff girl."

The older boy just nodded.

Over in the Gryffindor tower, Neville had just managed to remember the password and had clambered over the sill before he was grabbed and had the stuffing almost hugged out of him.

First, it was Ron Weasley who hugged him, then they were joined by the twins, who proceeded to bounce them up and down.

When he was finally released the oldest brother, Percy, with tears in his eyes, arm-clasped him before giving a very quick and manly one-armed hug. "Thank you," croaked the older boy. "Thank you for saving my sister's life."

Blushing, Neville replied, "Yeah, umm - that's alright, yeah?"

"Neville Longbottom!" cried one twin.

"Basilisk slayer!" cried the other.

"Rescuer of damsels-in-distress!" cried the first.

"Defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in battle!"

"Cross him at your peril!"

"A Gryffindor's Gryffindor!"

"That's enough!" barked Percy, before they went any further. "The poor boy must be exhausted."

"I am," said Neville quietly. "I'm heading for bed. I want to be up early for when our friends are revived."

"Then we bid you goodnight," said the first.

"Sir Neville of Longbottom," said the second.

Then both bowed deeply with opposite and matching gestures towards the stairs up to the boy's dorms.

Neville gave a little snort of tired amusement before trudging up the stairs.

Both he and Harry were asleep when their respective heads hit their pillows.

Neither of them knew their dorm mates stayed as quiet as they could in their own preparations for bed.

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Both boys met in the infirmary with Susan and Hannah, and with the adults, early the next morning before breakfast. Both looked as if they needed more sleep.

Cygnus, Isabel and Sirius were joined by Edmund and Petra Davis, Wendell and Monica Granger, Aunt Amelia and two of her aurors. Aunt Amelia and her two aurors were off to one side with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. She clearly wasn't happy with either of them.

With five petrified patients, plus the cat and the ghost, it would have made for a crowded room if it wasn't so large.

Madam Pomfrey walked in a short time later with Professor Snape, who was carrying a rack of six identical potion phials. They were followed by Caretaker Filch, who was looking a little anxious.

"Well, it seems we'll be having a bit of an audience today, Severus," she said, a little surprised by the size of the crowd.

The Potions Master just muttered something under his breath.

"We'll be starting with Mrs Norris," she said in her no-nonsense manner, heading for where the cat was hidden behind a screen in the corner.

It looked like a couple of the parents were about to object, but they decided against it when they were cut off by dual glares from the healer and Potions Master. From experience, they clearly knew the middle-aged witch was not to be trifled with when treating patients.

The screen was removed and Snape set his phial rack down on one of those patient wheeled tables. With her wand drawn and pointing at the throat of the cat, she carefully massaged the muscles around the throat while Snape gently tipped a small amount of the potion down into its mouth.

It took a little while, but the cat began to stir. Soon, it was moving freely. A little while later, Madam Pomfrey picked the cat up and offered it to a hurrying over Argus Filch, who accepted it with grateful sobs and thank yous.

He moved out of the way while cradling the cat in his arms, whispering to it with tears in his eyes.

Medi-witch and Potions Master then moved to young Colin. This time it took a little longer, and the entire potion, before he stirred. But, his skin tone had returned and he was breathing easily by the time the two moved on.

Next were Justin, then Hermione, Tracey, and finally Daphne.

By the time Daphne was being administered the Mandrake Draught, Colin was sitting up in bed and looking around.

Suddenly, the boy exclaimed, "It's a ruddy great big snake!"

Madam Pomfrey moved over to him as Snape gave one last general sneer to everyone before sweeping out of the infirmary with robes billowing.

"Hush! Mister Creevey," the medi-witch said to the boy. "We know and it's been dealt with."

"Oh. Good," the boy said, before he suddenly blurted, "What time is it? I'm going to be late for class!"

Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. Others joined in with their own giggles or snickers.

It was up to Professor McGonagall to tell the boy just how long he'd been out of it.

Daphne was just starting to stir when young Colin called out, "Seven months?" and then, "I missed Christmas?"

Dumbledore was talking to Finch-Fletchley. "How much schooling did I miss?" the boy asked. "Where are my parents? They must be frantic!"

That's actually a very good question, young man," said Cygnus.

"I'll say!" said the boy.

Dumbledore looked quite abashed. He muttered something to Finch-Fletchley. The boy replied, "I don't bloody care who you think you are! You're not my parents! I want to see my parents!"

"Me too!" said Colin.

"Well, Albus?" said Cygnus. "You'd best go get them. You'll notice we brought the Grangers to see their daughter."

Harry looked across and could see Hermione was quietly sobbing in her parents arms. Neville went over to them.

With another of his disappointed grandfather sighs, the old man asked both boys for the address of their respective parents and left the room.

"I've missed so much school!" wailed Hermione.

While he had his hand gently brushing her hair back from her face, Daphne opened her eyes.

"Hey you," he quietly said.

"Hey," she quietly said. "I'm guessing three weeks?"

"Yeah," he replied before bending down and kissing her.

She smiled back.

"I'll leave you with your parents for a bit," he said. "I need to go talk to my protectee."

She nodded with a smile.

Harry went around to see Hermione, on the opposite side of the bed from her parents, and said, "Hey you."

She turned to look at him and then spun about to fling her arms around him. "Harry!" she cried. "It's a basilisk, Harry. And a - bloomin' big one!"

"We know," said Harry, easing her away. "Neville and I dealt with it."

With a gobsmacked expression on her face she asked, "What do you mean by you 'dealt with it'?"

"Neville and I went down into the Chamber of Secrets and killed it," said Harry, smiling.

"Harry James Potter!" she barked. "Neville Francis Longbottom!"

Harry backed up a bit and grinned at Neville, who was grinning just as much back.

"Yeah, she's better," he snickered.

"Yeah, all three names," chuckled Harry back.

"You could have been killed!" she yelled at them. "You should have let the professors handle it!"

"Woah, Hermione!" said Harry holding up his hands. "It took a parselmouth to get in and time was of the essence."

"Yeah," said Neville. "There was a damsel in distress who would have died had we not gone down."

Looking at Neville, Harry quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Damsel in distress?" before thinking about it for a few moments. He shrugged and said, "Yeah, actually; that's about right."

"You two idiots!" she barked.

"Hey, that's what Susan called us," said Neville.

The girl in question came over and said, "I did, too!"

"Look, Hermione," said Harry to the angry girl. "I'll let you yell at Neville some more. I'll be with Daphne."

"Hey!" complained Neville. "What happened to 'Where a Longbottom goes a Potter will be by his side'?"

"That's the future Lady Potter over there, Nev," replied Harry, pointing his finger to Daphne.

"Then I'd best come with," he happily said.

They'd taken only a few steps when Daphne called, "Yes. It's my turn to yell at you."

The adults around her bed separated to allow Daphne to see them both. Cygnus and Sirius were both sporting wide grins. Daphne, however, was not.

Both boys stopped dead in their tracks. They looked at each other and Neville said, "Errr - I think breakfast is about to be served in the Great Hall."

"Good idea, Nev," replied Harry happily. "We'd best go, then."

"What?" scoffed Daphne. "You have no problem facing a thirty foot basilisk that can kill you just by looking at you; but you won't face me?"

Both boys looked at each other again before turning back and saying in stereo, "Hell yes!"

While it amused the adults, by the look on her face, it clearly didn't amuse Daphne. "Get over here, you two!" she growled.

With heads hanging and attempting to ooze contriteness, both boys moved to stand each side of her bed.

"As Hermione said," she said, "'You two idiots!' It was not your job to go charging in like silly Gryffindors..."

"Hey!" said Neville.

"... just because some girl might have been in danger!"

"We were prepared!" said Neville.

"Yeah we had these roosters transfigured as blocks of wood," said Harry

"And it took a simple Magic Cancelling Charm to transfigure them back..."

"Plus, we had a pair each of my mirror sunglasses for our eyes..."

"And the note Hermione had, said a simple rooster's crow would kill the thing..."

"So all we had to do was not look at it eye-to-eye..."

"While we transfigured the wood back to roosters..."

"And just let the roosters crow within it's hearing range!"

"Is that what happened?" she ominously asked.

"Errr..."

"No."

"And what did happen?" she quietly asked with a bit of a growl.

"Ummm - you'd best watch the memory your father has."

"Yes; that would be best."

"We may muck up the telling of it."

"But, the memory doesn't lie."

"You two are starting to sound like the Weasley twins," she said, calmer now.

"Now, that's just..." said Harry.

"Wrong," said Neville, before they both grinned at each other.

"Comedians, the pair of you," she huffed.

From where he was leaning on a spare bed, Sirius was trying not to laugh so much he was crying. Cygnus wasn't far off, either. And, Isabel was trying to glare at the two boys in support of her eldest daughter, but had her lips pursed like she was sucking on an unripened persimmon.

From the next bed over came the voice of Tracey. "Do I get to yell at them now?"

Both boys glanced at each other for a few moments, then ran out the door. It would have been a photo finish as to which one made it out first.

"Cowards!" Tracey yelled after them amidst laughter.

"Imagine what they'd have been like..." mused Sirius.

"If they'd grown up together?" asked Cygnus.

"Now don't you two start!" said Isabel.

Both man laughed even harder.

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-==(oIo)==-

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