CH 186

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."

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