𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝙻 𝙾𝙵 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 | 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚆𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚢

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔵𝔦

"Agh!" Maria yelled as she struggled to escape her chains, but it was useless without her magic. 

"Don't bother," Maria jumped at the new voice as she turned to catch a boy a few years older than her dragging Ginny into the chamber.

The boy's dark hair was swept back messily, but it seemed to fit him perfectly and matched his dark, brown eyes. He wore a Slytherin uniform, but the color green seemed to enhance his looks even further. If Maria didn't sense the dark magic radiating off him in waves she would almost admit he was handsome. But the sight of him dragging an unconscious Ginny stopped her.

"What did you do to her?" Maria questioned as she noticed Ginny's skin was paler than usual and it didn't seem like she would be waking up anytime soon.

"You're not exactly in the position to be asking questions," Riddle tusked at her as he laid Ginny in the middle of the chamber before slowly making his way over to Maria.

Maria ignored every fiber in her body to step back with every step he took forward until he finally reached her. His eyes were cold and calculating as Maria struggled not to portray her emotions. 

Maria had never felt so much emotion before, especially fear, and she wasn't sure how to handle it. She wondered how normal people were able to handle their emotions every day, for she struggled to handle them in fleeting moments.

"You didn't die," Riddle stated as he stalked around her like an animal eyeing its prey. "You looked into the Baskili's' eyes and lived. Why?"

"I don't know," The lie easily rolled off Maria's tongue despite her fear. "Maybe I didn't look into-"

"Stop!" Riddle yelled angrily as his hand shot out and tightened around Maria's neck. A chocked breath escaped her lips as she struggled against his strong grip to no avail. Just when Maria thought she would never breathe again, he released her as she fell to a giant heap on the ground gasping for air. 

Maria felt the chains around her wrists slip forward and she knew what she had to do. She hadn't run when she had first unlocked her chains because she had heard his footsteps entering the chamber when she had finally freed herself. Not wanting to fight, she had slipped them back on, although she left them unlocked, and figured she would slip away when he left. It was clear now that Riddle would kill her before he left and she was determined not to let that happen.

Riddle had momentarily turned his back on Maria, and it was all the time she needed as she slipped off her chains and took the opportunity to run through one of the tunnels. 

"Kill her," Riddle's hisses echoed against the stone tunnels Maria was escaping through. Dread filled her as she realized he had sent the Baskilisk after her and pushed herself to run even faster.

She turned left, then right, then left again until she realized she had no idea where she was going and was utterly lost. She tried to backtrack slightly but only ended up more lost.

Hisses echoed against the stone walls as Maria turned another corner and almost screamed at the scaly body that greeted her. The Basilisk was bigger than she had anticipated as she watched its body slither past her, obviously missing the girl as the snake continued to search for her.  She released a shaky breath as she slowly backed away from the snake and running in the opposite direction.

Maria was not so lucky at the next corner she turned at as she ran into a heavy body that sent her flying to the ground. She barely caught sight of the silver blade before she had rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed by Tom Riddle. A surprised gasp escaped her lips as the knife came at her again, and she barely had any time to dodge it. 

Maria jumped back onto her feet as Riddle continued to swing at her repeatedly, each time getting closer to hitting her. She jumped and dodged every swing he took at her, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he wore her out.

Maria hissed when he finally managed to slash at some of her skin and her hands immediately went to her stomach where she felt a wet, sticky substance on her hands. Riddle had paused his attack momentarily, satisfied that he had finally gotten a hit, but Maria wouldn't let him dwell in his victory as she pulled her fist back and punched him square in the nose.

She didn't wait to see his reaction as she took that moment to escape Riddle. Maria ran and ran until her feet couldn't take it anymore and then she ran some more. She didn't stop until she reached a strange staircase winding up and didn't hesitate to climb them to escape Riddle and the Basilisk. 

Just when Maria thought she couldn't go any further, she found herself at the end of the staircase and in front of the exit door. Without hesitation, she stumbled out of the secret doorway only to crash into a redheaded Weasley twin.

"George?" Maria stared down at the redhead currently underneath her.

"Maria?" George stared back at the girl with the same puzzled expression.

"I need to see Dumbledore immediately," Maria's eyes widened as she scrambled onto her feet, only to stumble back down.

"Whoa, alright there, Maria?" George leaned over her in concern as she barely managed to stay up on her feet.

"The knife," Maria whispered as her hand suddenly shot to her stomach. When she pulled it away, her entire hand was covered in blood.

"Bloody hell!" George exclaimed at the sight of blood as Maria suddenly collapsed into his arms. "We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey."

"No," Maria mumbled, struggling to stay conscious as she fought against George. "Dumbledore. I need to tell Dumbledore before it's too late."

Maria's eyes became unfocused as she slowly sank lower in George's arm, who was still struggling to hold the girl upright.

"Maria, can you hear me?" his voice seemed more distant with each passing moment as Maria became less aware of her surroundings. "Maria? Mar..."