𝐈𝐈. 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 | 𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏

epilogue

For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood. Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment, before speaking up, "We didn't do anything." Harry said quietly.

They raised an eyebrow at the boy, who glanced at Ron for backup.

"Lilith... She killed the Basilisk. She destroyed Riddle's diary. It was him. He was the Heir of Slytherin. Ginny got ahold of his book somehow, and Riddle possessed her, I think. He's been using Ginny's body without her knowledge to control the Basilisk. The attacks, it was all him. Fifty years ago, it was him too... When Ginny was brought to the chamber-" Harry couldn't finish his sentence, so Ron helped him.

"Riddle was sucking out her life force. He was killing her to gain his body back-- We tried to tell Lockhart, but he was useless. Lilith knocked him out and said that we had to deal it ourselves. Harry used parseltongue to open the Chamber and Lilith did the rest. She had a sword, she killed the basilisk. Then she said something about a horcrux-- the diary, and she did this weird magic thing and destroyed it." Ron finished.

a'Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "..so you found out where the entrance was—breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add—but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter? Not to mention, where is Miss Jade?"

"Er-- Lilith did this weird magic thing again before, casting a shield around us before she fought the basilisk. She should be here by-"

Harry was cut off by Lilith's light footsteps behind him. Everyone turned to look at her as Molly Weasley ran to pull the girl into a bone crushing hug, thanking her repeatedly.

Instinctively, Lilith looked at Dumbledore, who looked troubled, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen..."

"A horcrux." Lilith told him, staring at him with such intensity that he had to look away. :What interests me most, however, Professor. Is why you sent Harry a Sorting Hat and a Phoenix when you could've followed Fawkes to the Chamber." Lilith crossed her arms,

"I assumed that Harry would have been the one to kill it." Dumbledore said, and Molly turned to look at him in shock.

"You expect a twelve-year old to kill a basilisk? Instead of Professors, Aurors, or anyone else who aren't children?" Lilith emphasized her last word.

"Well, you've managed to kill it."

"What if I hadn't been there, Professor?"

"I have great trust that Harry could've handled it. Hence, why I sent Fawkes and the Sorting Hat to him. The hat contains the sword of Gryffindor, which would've helped Harry kill the Basilisk. Phoenix tears have healing properties, in case Harry was injured in any kind of way." Dumbledore explained, trying to defense his actions.