Kai Lily Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter 19: The Heir of Slytherin

"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked uncertainly. 

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years." 

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. 

Lying open there was the littleblack diary they had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. 

For a second, they wondered how it had got there — but there were more pressing matters to deal with. 

"You've got to help us, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to gether out of here. There's a basilisk... I don't know where it is, but it could be along anymoment... Please, help me." 

Riddle didn't move. 

Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor, and bentto pick up his wand again.

But his wand had gone. 

"Did you see —?" 

He looked up. 

Riddle was still watching him — twirling Harry's wand between his longfingers.

"Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it. 

A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. 

He continued to stare at them, twirling thewand idly. 

"Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight. "We've got togo! If the basilisk comes —" 

"Give. Harry. His. Wand. Or. Else." Kai hissed, wand still pointed at his chest. 

Something wasn't right here, and she could feel it. 

She simply glared at Tom, not letting her eyes off him.  

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly. 

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer. 

"What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give me my wand, I might need it —" 

Riddle's smile broadened. "You won't be needing it," he said. 

Harry stared at him. "What d'you mean, I won't be —?" 

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry, Kai Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you two.To speak to you." 

"Look," said Kai, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber ofSecrets. We can talk later —" 

"We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry'swand. 

Harry stared at him. 

Harry too could feel that there was something very funny going on here.

"How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly. 

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. Isuppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart andspilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger." 

 "What are you talking about?" Kai asked. 

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months andmonths, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes — how her brothers tease her, howshe had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how —" Riddle's eyesglinted "— how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her..." 

"I knew it!" Kai congratulated herself. 

"Not the time, Kai." Harry whispered, he was getting a very iffy feeling in his stomach and he didn't like it.