Book 2: The Chamber of Secrets - A Hermione x Male Reader Story

A Place to Call Home

He heard conversation between two individuals. One of them sounded like an adult, but he couldn't tell for sure. All he did know was that his head was throbbing, his hand felt like it was on fire, and his entire body ached, but at least he could feel pain, that was something. He found it difficult to open his eyes, not because of a bright light, but because it was taxing on his physical state to do so.

"You're not," he heard the faint sound of a boy around his age. He felt like he'd heard the voice before.

"Not what?" The other voice snapped at him.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world..." the first voice said. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so-" he stopped hearing the voice, there was a ringing in his ears that was deafening.

He tried to move his body, but found that his arms and legs were bound in place. He struggled against the binds that held him in place. He focused his magic, building it so that he could break free.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" A voice said. It was the voice of Harry Potter, one of his best friends.

(Y/N) (L/N) opened his eyes, letting his magic loose and breaking free from his bindings. He hit the floor with a thud, and the other two stopped talking, but not because of him, they all heard the sound of singing. (Y/N) stood up slowly and leaned up against a pillar. He walked around it until he saw a Phoenix carrying a hat, the Sorting Hat.

"That's a Phoenix..." the ghostly figure said.

"Fawkes?" Harry said breathlessly.

"And that-" the man pointed towards the Sorting Hat, "that's the old school Sorting Hat..."

The man began to laugh, "This is what Dumbledore sends his defender? A song bird and an old hat?" He laughed again, "Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

"I should be asking you that," (Y/N) said, getting their attention.

"You!?" The man standing up said, "But you died!"

The memory flooded back into (Y/N) like the sky suddenly opened up and released all the water in the atmosphere. He recalled being hit with a spell, the incantation was Avada Kedavra. If he was supposed to be dead, then it must be a Killing Curse or something. "I don't know how I'm not, honestly..."

"No matter, you and Harry Potter will die here, but please, humor me for a moment, tell me your name before you die?" The man asked him.

"And why would I tell Tom Riddle my name?"

"How did you-" Tom asked him.

"That is not your concern... but my name is (Y/N) (L/N)," he said and his eyes began to glow, he knew Tom Riddle was dangerous, and that he was Voldemort, "Descendant of Merlin Ambrosius, the greatest wizard to ever live."

"Merlin...?" Tom Riddle seemed afraid for a moment. In desperation, he spoke in Parseltongue. To his right, a gigantic stony face of Salazar Slytherin was moving. (Y/N) clenched his fist in anger, knowing what was about to come out of that statue head.

The moment he saw the nose of the Basilisk slither out, (Y/N) closed his eyes and he heard Tom speak in Parseltongue again, "(Y/N)! Run!" Harry yelled.

That must've been what Tom said to the Basilisk, to kill him.

(Y/N) opened his eyes, glowing red, and stared the Basilisk down. He didn't know why he tried to intimidate it, considering the size difference, or why he opened them at all, because what if his glowing red eyes hadn't saved him? He blindly tried to hit the Basilisk with spells, before his memory informed him that the hide was impervious to spells.