The stream of curses that followed greatly expanded Harry's vocabulary. He knew he'd won the argument. It didn't make him feel any better. "FINE! You are going to end up giving me a heart attack before I hit 25 you bloody bastard! I swear to the Goddess if either of you die in there before we get through than I am going to personally resurrect you just so I can kill you again!"
"Harry, make sure you're careful, mate!" Neville yelled also sounding rather frustrated and annoyed. "If you get hurt, Hermione's going to kill me for letting you go alone."
"He's not alone!" Daphne yelled. "Be careful with the tunnel and hurry up!" She started down the tunnel. "Come on, Potter. Let's get Tracey and get the hell out of this place."
Harry nodded and started after her. They had gotten a few dozen meters further down when he heard a soft crack and looked down at his feet. Lifting his boot, Harry saw he had stepped onto a pair of small glasses. "Daphne, hold up. I need a minute here."
Daphne came back and glared at him. "We have to keep moving, Potter." She stared at the glasses in his hands and froze. Reaching out a shaking hand she pointed at the lenses. "Those are Tracey's reading glasses…"
"Well at least we know she's definitely here," Harry said distractedly. He pulled out his etching tool and quickly added the markings to turn them into Reflector Lenses. Harry really wished he'd paid more attention to the charm Hermione had used the first time he met her. "Here," he said handing them over to her. "The left lens is a little cracked but I think the runes will mostly hold. Remember, I have absolutely no idea if these things will actually work to reflect its gaze. If either of us gets hit and petrified than we know it doesn't work. If the left lens, cracks then close your eye because that cluster will be broken."
Daphne nodded slipping the glasses onto her face with a small grimace. "Well at least her eyes are mostly good. This is still going to give me a headache though."
"Better a headache than dead," Harry retorted standing up. "You can see though right?"
"Well enough. Can we go now?"
"Yeah, let's go." The two proceeded a bit further into the tunnel before stopping in front of a large door covered with snake motifs around a central circular seal.
"Guess this is it," Daphne said barely above a whisper. "Potter…Harry, thanks for this…"
"We'll save her, Daphne," Harry replied. He turned to the door. ~Open.~ The snake carvings slithered away from the central seal and the door swung open. "Be careful," Harry said stepping through the door, wand and rune held high in each hand.
Harry and Daphne padded cautiously into the Chamber of Secrets covering both sides as they walked forward. When they were halfway through the cavernous room the torches along the walls lit up illuminating the rest of the space. Blinking from the sudden light, Daphne's eyes widened when she centered on the figures near the base of a statue of the front of the room.
"Tracey!" Daphne ran forwards with Harry cursing and following after her. "Tracey!" she yelled skidding to a halt next to her friend. Daphne grabbed her sweaty, pale hand and checked for a pulse.
Harry meanwhile had pulled up and held his wand on the transparent figure standing nearby on top of a vaguely familiar ratty old book. "So," Harry said with forced calm, "you're the one who's been doing all this?"
"Technically, Tracey Davis has been, but yes, I've been whispering to her and forcing her hand," the spirit said with a small nod.
"She's alive." Daphne carefully let her friend's hand drop back to her chest then stood and pointed her wand and the figure with a snarl. "What the hell have you done to her, arsehole?!"
"She did it to herself," the figure shrugged. "She poured her heart and soul out into me. Quite literally at that." He chuckled. "Being in love with one's own best friend is apparently enough to upset one quite dearly. Times certainly have changed since I first prowled these halls."
Daphne visibly flinched at that comment and her wand hand shook. Harry grimaced but resolved to deal with the issue later after everyone was still breathing. "I'm going to kill you, you bastard," Daphne whispered to the spirit.
"Who the hell are you? And how do we save her?" Harry asked.
"You must be Harry Potter," the spirit said raising its eyebrows. "I have to say I'm a little disappointed that you're not more intimidating. However you did reach this place so I suppose you're not a total disappointment. Tell me, how did you kill me? I am ever so curious."
"What?" Harry and Daphne both exclaimed.
"How did you kill me? Do you remember? Tracey said you were just a baby at the time so I doubt it was intentional but still you never really know with things like this."
A growing horror seeped through Harry at the figure's words. "That's not possible…"
"Oh I assure you it is. I took great steps to ensure my longevity after all."
Daphne looked between Harry and the spirit. "What the hell is going on, Potter? Can you kill it? Will that help Tracey?"
"Oh, he can't kill me," the spirit laughed again. "I am not the physical. Not yet."
"You look a lot different than you did last year," Harry said. 'Stall. Worked last time. Maybe I can keep him talking long enough for Shiva and Neville to get here. Maybe they'll know how to kill a…ghost…thing.'
"Ah so that was true? Tracey wasn't certain if those rumors had substance. Well, it's good to know my later efforts weren't entirely wasted. Even if he has been rather pathetic overall. Really, 10 years to make a play? I will do far better once I regain form."
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Daphne whispered.
"You haven't figured it out yet? Shame. I thought you were supposed to be intelligent. I was actually planning to give you a high place in my society. Well, perhaps a bit of help I suppose?" He took a wand out from behind his back.
Daphne's eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a snarl. "That's Tracey's."
"Yes. I am draining her after all. It's not like she can use it at the moment." He drew a series of glowing letters in the air: TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. "Now watch closely here. I thought this a rather ingenious anagram myself." The words rearranged themselves into: I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.
Daphne's face emptied of color. "That's impossible…"
"Why did you think that was a smart anagram, Riddle?" Harry asked swallowing a lump of dread. "Doesn't seem all that hard."
"Well, Harry, 'Vol de mort' means 'flight of death' in French. I have become immortal. Well, parts of me have anyway. It is quite appropriate."
"All I saw last year was a pathetic ghost parasite that could barely exist on its own," Harry taunted. "And all I see now is another little pathetic leech." Harry heard Daphne's mouth snap closed and she her face take on a slight grin at his words. 'Good, stand up to him. It's just a shadow or something. Keep focused, Daph.'
"Little pathetic leech?" Riddle snarled. "Fine. You want to play games, Harry Potter? Let's play." His sneer broke into a wide, predatory smile. ~Bessy! Kill these two!~
Harry saw movement in the mouth of the statue behind Riddle and his eyes widened. "Oh, shite! Come on, Daphne, he's called the basilisk!" Harry grabbed her arm and pulled, running towards the closest pillar and ducking behind it as a large weight crashed to floor behind them.
"Plan?" Daphne asked holding her wand and rune stone tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.
"Well I've got a plan A," Harry said peeking around the side of the pillar. The basilisk wasn't quite looking at them thankfully, but it was close enough Harry could shout to it. ~Hey, Bessy! I'm, Harry! That guy you're talking with isn't on your side. Help me and my friends instead and we'll give you all the food you want and get you some better living quarters!~
The snake froze and turned towards Harry. He quickly lowered his eyes before he could meet its gaze – no point in testing the Reflector Lenses if it wasn't needed. ~You may be a Speaker child but you are not the Master. Bessy will not fall for tricks. Bessy has been waiting eons for a Master to return. For food larger than rats. Bessy will not follow you!~ A loud hiss followed the small speech and the snake started towards the pillar.
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