The Parselmouth and the Basilisk {Jade Book 2}

Chapter 14

At first, Harry didn't take any notice of us, instead running straight to Ginny. He examined her pale face and, right then, I just wanted to go and help him.

But I had a job to do right now, and I couldn't abandon it.

"Ginny! Don't be dead! Please don't be dead! Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered.

"She won't wake," Tom said, and Harry looked up.

He clearly hadn't noticed either of us, but now he fixed me witha penetrating glare and then turned to Tom.

"Tom – Tom Riddle?"

How did Harry know Tom?

Then I recalled Tom saying that he had gained Harry's trust. Had Tom done it by showing Harry something about himself, and therefore showing his appearance?

There were so many questions to ask.

I turned my attention back to the conversation. Tom was just telling Harry that he was only a memory.

He clearly didn't understand that Tom was the 'bad guy', and wanted to kill him.

That wasn't very smart. Generally speaking, the whole point of being inside the Chamber of Secrets was so that you could access the monster and therefore kill a bunch of Muggle-borns.

Tom had now taken Harry's wand and was twirling it idly between his fingers.

"Look, give me my wand, I might need it," Harry said.

"You won't be needing it," Tom replied.

Harry stared at him.

"What d'you mean, I won't be –"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," Tom told Harry. I didn't understand all that much of what was going on anymore. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Look, I don't think you get it.We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later."

"We're going to talk now," Tom informed Harry, putting his wand in his pocket.

Harry frowned. I think it was then that he realised that maybe Tom wasn't good news.

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

Tom then proceeded to tell Harry everything he had told me – how he essentially lived off Ginny.

"I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work," Tom explained calmly.

"Well, you haven't finished it," Harry said triumphantly. "No-one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours, the Mandrake Draught will be ready, and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again."

"Haven't I already told you that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been – you."

He told Harry about bringing Ginny down here.

"I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spat.

"Well, how is it that a baby with no extraordinary talent managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?" he asked.

I had an idea where this was going...

"Why do you care how I escaped?" Harry questioned slowly. "Voldemort was after your time."