Harry, Y/N and Ron made their way to the hospital, to visit Hermione. Harry and Ron were sat on chairs beside Hermione as Y/N changed the dead flowers next to her into newer, fresher ones. He looked at Hermione with guilt on his face, he wished he could swap places with her. He wanted to hear her voice, her laugh. He wanted Hermione back.
"Wish you were here Hermione..." Harry spoke up snapping Y/N out of his thoughts.
"We need you... Now more than ever..."
Ron looked at her with a sigh as Y/N grabber Hermione's hand, rubbing it with his thumb, fighting the urge to blame everything on himself once more. Y/N felt something whilst holding Hermione's hand, startled, he looked down seeing a crumpled piece of paper. He quickly pulled it out of Hermione's hand, unfolding it.
"What's that?" Ron whispered raising an eyebrow at Y/N.
"Harry, Ron." Y/N spoke up.
"This is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked." He continued.
"I never bothered to ask her, thinking she only wanted to study..." Y/N sighed at himself before reading the piece of paper once more.
He then looked towards Harry and Ron, signaling for them to follow him as he ran out.
"Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years... Instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it." Harry read out the two boys, clenching the parchment in his hand.
"This is it! The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk. That's why Y/N and I can hear it speak. It's a snake!" Harry exclaimed.
Y/N simply nodded towards him while Ron gave them a skeptical look.
"But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" Ron questioned.
The three thought for a moment.
"Because no one did look it in the eye..." Y/N suggested.
"Not directly, at least." Harry added, also realizing.
"Colin saw it through his camera... Justin... Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it. But he's a ghost, he couldn't die again." Harry explained as the trio walked across the hallways.
"And Hermione had the mirror... She must have been using it to look around corners in case it came along." Y/N added, still concerned about their bushy haired friend.
"And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror." Ron questioned.
"The water..." Y/N whispered.
"There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection." Harry continued, getting the idea.
The three continued down the hall lost in thought before Harry pulled them to a corner.
"Spiders flee before it." Harry pointed out on the ripped out page.
"It all fits." Y/N said calmly.
"How's a basilisk been getting around? A dirty, great snake. Someone would have seen it." Ron questioned as Harry returned the piece of paper to Y/N.
"Hermione's answered that already..." Y/N replied, showing the handwritten word to Ron.
"Pipes? It's using the plumbing?" Ron asked, looking towards the ceiling.
"Remember what Aragog said? About that girl 50 years ago? She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?" Harry said, giving hints to Ron.
"Moaning Myrtle?" Ron questioned earning a nod from Y/N.
"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once." A voice said through a speaker.
"All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately." It continued.
The trio ran off towards the teachers instead of the dormitories.
"A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself." They overheard as they approached.
"The students must be send home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall continued.
"So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?" Lockhart exclaimed with a smile as he trudged over to the rest of the professors.
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last." Snape spat.
"My-My moment?" Lockhart questioned, startled.
"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape snapped.
"That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy." McGonagall finished.
"Your skills, after all, are legend."
"Very well." Lockhart responded with pride.
"I'll just be in my office getting... Getting ready..."
He then walked off.
"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"Ginny Weasley..." She responded with remorse.
Ron was shocked, his own little sister had been taken. Harry and Y/N shared a concerned look. Even Professor Snape had a worried look on his face. The professors then walked away, revealing writing on the wall. "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever" The writing read, written in blood.
"Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber." Harry yelled as the three ran across the halls making their way to the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom.
"I highly doubt it..." Y/N whispered as he ran with them.
The three burst into the room to see Lockhart frantically running across the room, packing his stuff.
"Are you going somewhere?" Harry replied, catching his breath.
"U-uhm, well, yes. Urgent call. Unavoidable. Gotta go." Lockhart blurted.
"What about my sister?" Ron shouted.
"Well uhm- As to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I." He said as he searched through his papers on his desk.
"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. You can't go now!" Ron argued.
"Well I must say- When I took the job, there was nothing in the description-" Lockhart said before making his way to the door.
"You're running away?" Harry spat out as Y/N blocked his path.
"After all that stuff you did in your books?"
"Books can be misleading." Lockhart retaliated.
"You wrote them." Y/N said sternly, placing his hand on his sword.
"My dear boy, use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!" Lockhart exposed.
"You're a fraud. You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done!" Harry scolded.
Y/N glared at him as Ron and Harry outed him.
"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked.
"Yes, now you mention it. I'm rather gifted with memory charms." Lockhart said, trying to grab his wand.
In a flash, Y/N had his sword out, holding it backwards as usual. As Lockhart turned his back to face the trio, Y/N had his sword at Lockhart's neck.
"If you so much as try to cast a spell at my friends, I will have your head rolling down on this very floor." Y/N whispered with a glare, his red eyes shining.
Lockhart then dropped his wand with a gulp, Y/N sheathed his sword and turned towards the two other boys.
The trio, and Lockhart made their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with Y/N leading Lockhart, wand behind his back.
"Who's there?" Moaning Myrtle asked, startled at the footsteps.
"Oh, hello Harry." She blushed.
"What do you want?"
"To ask you, how you died." He responded.
"It was dreadful. It happened right here in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in." She explained.
"Who was it, Myrtle?" Harry interrupted.
"I don't know. I was distraught!" She yelled.
"But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language." She continued, floating over to the 4 boys.
"And I realized it was a boy, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and... I died."
Myrtle tried to recall what had happened but gave up with a sigh of frustration. She pointed towards a sink, telling them she recalled seeing eyes there as she floated away. Y/N dragged his hand across the sink, inspecting it. Harry looked towards the tap, noticing a snake engraved into it.
"This is it. I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said.
"Try saying something in Parseltongue." Ron suggested.
Harry looked towards Y/N who simply nodded. Harry focused on the sink and spoke words that Lockhart and Ron didn't understand. The sink quickly opened, the top of it raising towards the ceiling and separating from each other, revealing a hole in the middle of the floor. The four of them looked towards the hole, seeing no end to it.
"Excellent, Harry. Good work. Well, then, I'll just be-" Lockhart was then cut off by Y/N simply pushing him into the hole.
Ron and Harry looked towards Y/N, in shock of his actions but he just simply shrugged before jumping down after him. Ron and Harry's screams tore through the silence as they slid down the hole. Ron faceplanted down on the ground as Y/N caught Harry, helping him stand.
"Close your eyes at any sight of moment." Y/N reminded them, his voice as quiet as usual.
Ron pointed his wand at Lockhart as Harry and Y/N lead the way through the cave.
"What's this?" Ron questioned.
"It looks like a snake..."
Harry went ahead, inspecting the snake skin as Lockhart fainted, falling to the ground dramatically. He then reached for Ron's wand, catching him off guard then pointing the wand at Y/N.
"The adventure ends here, boys. But don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body." He said, pointing the wand at all three boys.
"So... You first, L/N. Your eyes have always given me quite a fright. I'm sure the world won't miss you, as they congratulate me of getting rid of the monster."
Y/N gritted his teeth, ready to behead the professor at the insult to his eyes when he suddenly remembered that Lockhart had Ron's broken wand. Y/N simply stared at the teacher, with his usual expressionless face.
"Obliviate!" He casted but the spell backfired, causing him to fly up and passing out.
Lockhart's crash caused the cave to cave in, rocks burst in from the ceiling, separating the four boys.
"Harry! Y/N!" Ron yelled from the other side of the rocks.
Y/N helped Harry stand up as they rushed towards the rocks.
"Ron! Are you okay?" Harry yelled.
"I'm fine!" Ron replied as he went to deal with the now awakened Lockhart, knocking him in the head with a rock.
"What do I do now?" Ron yelled through a gap.
"Wait here, we'll find your sister." Y/N replied.
"Try to shift some of the rocks so Y/N and I can get back through!" Harry added.
Y/N and Harry went on further, Harry with his hand out and Y/N gripping onto his sword. Harry opened what seemed to be a snake door using Parseltongue. The two ventured on warily as they approached the chamber filled with snake statues. Harry and Y/N exchanged glances, nodding at each other as Y/N grabbed his sword, still in sheath, one hand on the hilt and the other on the sheath slightly parting them. They trudged forward, making sure to stay on guard. There they saw the body of a small girl laying on the ground.
"Ginny..." Harry whispered as the two boys ran towards her.
Harry dropped his wand beside her as he kneeled down, Y/N stayed guard, looking around the area.
"Ginny! Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up, wake up. Please wake up." Harry exclaimed, slightly yelling at her unconscious body.
Y/N gripped his sword tighter as he noticed a young boy walk towards them.
"Harry." He called out getting his attention.
"She won't wake." The boy called out.
"Tom. Tom Riddle. What do you mean she won't wake?" Harry asked as the boy walked towards the three.
Y/N heard the ringing in his head, louder each time Tom walked closer, though this time, he managed to stay awake through it.
"She's still alive, but only just." He responded.
"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.
"A memory. Preserved in a diary for 50 years." He responded, not paying any attention to Y/N he cast his eyes on Harry.
Y/N watching cautiously, gripping onto his sword, gritting his teeth, fighting the urge to pass out from the ringing in his head.
"She's cold as ice. Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up." Harry whispered as Tom picked up Harry's wand.
"You've got to help me, Tom. There's a basilisk." Harry pleaded.
"It won't come until it's called." Tom replied.
Harry looked towards Tom, noticing his wand in Tom's hands.
"Give me my wand, Tom." Harry said, standing up.
Y/N took this chance to kneel down to the young girl, placing his sword on his waist, he grabbed her in his arms, trying to warm her up.
"You won't be needing it." Tom said to Harry.
"Listen, we've got to go. We've got to save her." Harry yelled with frustration in his voice.
"I'm afraid I can't do that Harry, you see-" He trailed off, looking towards Y/N who was on the floor, holding Ginny tight.
Tom looked at Y/N with amusement in his eyes before continuing.
"As poor Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger." Tom explained causing Y/N to hold Ginny tighter.
"Yes, Harry, it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"No, she couldn't. She wouldn't!" Harry retaliated.
"It was Ginny who set the basilisk on the Mudbloods and Filch's cat." Tom continued.
Y/N glared at him.
"Ginny who wrote the threatening messages on the walls."
"But why?" Harry questioned.
"You made her." Y/N whispered coldly.
"That's right Y/N. Because I made her. You'll find I can be very persuasive. Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, well, shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still, the power of the diary began to scare her. She tried to dispose of it in the girl's bathroom. But then, who should find it but you two?" Tom explained, now pointing the wand at Harry.
"The very people I was most anxious to meet."
"And why did you want to meet us?" Harry growled getting close to Tom.
Y/N clenched his head trying his best to stay conscious.
"I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid to gain your trust." Tom spat.
"Hagrid's our friend!" Y/N yelled losing his expressionless demeanor.
"You framed him, didn't you?" Harry questioned.
"It was my word against Hagrid's, only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent." Tom hissed.
"I'll bet Dumbledore saw right through you." Harry grumbled.
"He certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after that. I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school so I decided to leave behind a diary preserving my 16 year old self in it's pages so that one day, I would be able to lead another to finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work." Tom finished.
"Well, you haven't finished it this time. In a few hours, the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was petrified will be alright again." Harry spat.
"Haven't I told you? Killing mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore. For many months now, my new target has been the two of you." Tom threatened.
"Why do you make my head split in pain?" Y/N questioned, breathing deeply.
"The answer to that, I don't know myself." Tom started.
"But I do know one thing, the closer I am with you, the more your powers seem to sweep out, bringing out more potential and destruction than I could ever dream of. That seal on your neck prevents you from destruction. Though I can bring you to power Y/N. What do you say? Come join me and I can fulfil all your desires." Tom tempted, taking a few steps towards Y/N.
Y/N clenched his head as he brought Ginny close, keeping her safe.
"Y/N don't!" Harry yelled as Tom's head snapped back to face him.
"How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?" Tom hissed, pointing his hand at Harry's scar.
"Why do you care how I escaped? Voldemort was after your time." Harry asked.
"Voldemort is my past, present and future." Tom answered as he wrote his name with Harry's wand.
"TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE" He wrote in all caps in the air as he waved the wand rearranging the letters to write "I AM LORD VOLDEMORT".
"You... You're the Heir of Slytherin." Harry whispered in shock to which Tom simply stared back at him.
"Surely, you didn't think I was going to keep my filthy muggle father's name? No. I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would fear to speak when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world." Tom exclaimed, his voice getting louder and louder with each word.
"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Harry corrected.
"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by a mere memory of me!" Tom yelled.
"Now..." Tom said as he turned his attention back to Y/N.
"How about you join me and together we can rule the wizard world." Tom said reaching his hand out to Y/N.
Y/N simply moved backwards, still holding onto Ginny and shaking his head.
"I would never join the likes of you!" Y/N yelled replacing his listless face with anger.
"Y-" Tom was cut off when a bird's screech was heard.
Fawkes flew through the sky startling Tom. Fawkes headed towards Y/N, landing on his shoulder.
"So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defenders. A simple songbird." Tom teased.
Y/N let Fawkes fly off as Harry glared at Tom. Tom spoke to the big statue with his hand reaching out to it causing the chamber to shake.
"Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin against the famous Harry Potter and the red-eyed Y/N L/N."
The mouth of the statue opened revealing the giant snake as Y/N gently put Ginny down to the side, gripping his sword.
"Harry. Take care of Riddle. I'll take care of the snake." Y/N said gently, gaining his listless expression back.
Y/N ran across the chamber, leading the snake to the other side of the room. Y/N closed his eyes, breathing out mist as he turned to face the giant snake. Using his great hearing, he kept his eyes closed as he unsheathed his sword. Holding his sword facing down he made a few slashes in the air, summoning red beams hitting the giant snake, weakening it. Y/N huffed as he regained his footing, listening carefully for the serpent's next move. The serpent bit at Y/N, grazing his cheek as he tried desperately to dodge the attacks, Y/N dodged and parried the attacks with his sword, knocking one of the snake's fangs out. Y/N took a hit as the serpent caught him off guard, sending him flying towards the wall. Still with his eyes shut closed, Y/N managed to flip himself over and landed on the wall with his feet before pushing himself across the room slicing the serpent's head off. Y/N fell down to the ground in exhaustion, feeling himself at his limit and wincing at the pain on his cheek.
"Venom." Tom stated, looking towards Y/N on the ground.
"Y/N! No!" Harry yelled.
"It's amazing how fast the venom of serpents work. I'd say L/N only has a few more minutes with that. What do you say Y/N would you like to join hands with me now? I can get rid of that venom for you in an instant-" Tom explained.
"Ginny!" Harry interrupted earning the attention of both boys.
"In a few minutes, Ginny Weasley will be dead, and I will cease to be a memory." Tom explained as Harry placed Ginny's hand in his own.
"Lord Voldemort will return. Very much alive."
"Harry!" Y/N yelled as he threw the fang over to Harry with the last of his energy.
Harry quickly scurried towards it, grabbing it and pulling the diary out from Ginny's robes.
"What are you doing?" Tom asked with concern.
Harry glared and Tom and stabbed the book over and over with the fang causing it to bleed out ink. With every scream Tom yelled, Harry stabbed the book even more. Tom then burst into a light, disappearing.
Ginny woke up, gasping for air looking around the room before getting up as Harry made his way towards Y/N.
"Ginny..." Harry whispered, turning back to look at her.
"Harry..." She whispered back, getting up and following Harry.
"It was me... But I swear, I didn't mean to. Riddle made me, and-" She explained but cut herself off when she saw Y/N with a pained expression, laying on the floor.
"Y/N- What happened?" Ginny questioned.
Y/N and Ginny had a pretty good relationship, she was scared of his eyes at first, but after seeing him around with her brother, she opened up to him, treating him like his own older brother.
Ginny ran towards Y/N with Harry kneeling down next to him.
"Ginny... Harry... You need to go... You need to tell gramps..." Y/N said weakly.
"We're not leaving you!" Harry and Ginny argued.
Y/N's eyes grew heavy as he tried to force them to stay open yet failing.
"Y/N? Y/N!" The two yelled at the now passed out boy.
Ginny cried onto Harry's shoulder as Harry's lip quivered. "Y/N can't be dead!" He argued in his head. "What am I supposed to tell Hermione? Ron? Dumbledore?" Harry was pulled from his thoughts when they heard a bird's cry. Fawkes had arrived at the scene, landing next to Y/N as he examined him. The bird then leaned his head towards the cut on Y/N's cheek to which Harry and Ginny looked at him curiously. Fawkes started crying, dropping his tears into the cut, making smoke pour out of it as the cut seemed to heal instantly.
"Of course! Phoenix tears have healing powers." Harry whispered, looking towards Fawkes.
Y/N's eyes fluttered open as he looked towards the two.
"Oh no... Did you two die too?" Y/N asked innocently with his listless facial expression causing Harry and Ginny to giggle before Ginny tackled Y/N into a hug.
"Amazing! This is just like magic!" Lockhart yelled with amazement as Fawkes carried all 5 of them out of the Chamber.
--------------------------------------
"You three realize, of course that in the past few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules. Y/N I didn't expect you to break any rules." Dumbledore scolded.
"Yes sir." Harry and Ron answered while Y/N only nodded.
"There is sufficient evidence to have all you expelled." He continued.
"Yes sir." The boys responded yet again.
"Therefore, it is only fitting that you all receive special awards for services to the school." He finished with a smile.
Ron and Harry looked at with other, beaming with happiness as Y/N's cold expression turned into a soft small smile.
"Thanks sir." Ron thanked him with a bright smile on his face.
"Now, Mr. Weasley, if you would have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. I believe we want our gamekeeper back." Dumbledore said, passing papers to Ron leading him out of the room.
"Harry, Y/N, first I want to thank you. You must have shown me real loyalty down in the chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you." He complimented.
"And, second. I sense that something is troubling you both..."
"It's just... You see sir, I couldn't help but notice certain things, certain similarities between Tom Riddle and me." Harry explained.
"I see. Well, you can speak Parseltongue, Harry. Why? Because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. If I'm not mistaken, Harry. He transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar." Dumbledore said as he pointed to Harry's scar.
"Voldemort transferred some his powers... to me?" Harry asked raising his voice at the end slightly.
"Not intentionally..." Dumbledore answered, turning his back, walking over to his desk before taking a seat.
"So the Sorting Hat was right. I should be in Slytherin." Harry added.
"It's true, Harry. You possess many of the qualities that Voldemort himself prizes. Determination, resourcefulness and if I may say so, a certain disregard for the rules." Dumbledore continued.
"Why, then, did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?"
"Because I asked it to." Harry answered.
"Exactly, Harry. Exactly. Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show what we truly are... It is our choices." He explained earning a satisfied smile from Harry.
"Now, Y/N. I must commend you for protecting your friends. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of death in order to keep your friends from harm. What is it that is bothering you?" Dumbledore asked the young boy who stood with his arms behind his back.
"Tom Riddle said that he didn't know where I came from or why my eyes are red... Do you have any answer for that gramps?" Y/N asked his grandfather with his gentle tone back.
"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore answered.
"When he asked me to join him. He told me that the closer I am to him, the more my powers try to release itself from this seal." Y/N continued, pointing to the talisman on his neck.
"Grandfather, will I ever be able to control my powers without this restraint?" Y/N asked.
"Yes, of course. I will have it arranged that in the holidays. You will be training with your sword master without your restraints. I believe you are now in the age where you are capable of using your powers in a short period of time." Dumbledore explained, ruffling Y/N's hair.
The door swung open, gaining the attention of the three in the room revealing Mr. Malfoy with Dobby hiding behind him.
"Dobby?" Y/N asked, his listless expression back.
"So this is your master. The family you serve is the Malfoys." Harry said.
Dobby looked up to his master in fear.
"I'll deal with you later." Mr. Malfoy spat, giving the small house elf a glare.
"Out of my way, Potter, L/N." He said, using his cane to push Harry out of the way, while Y/N dodged.
"So, it's true. You have returned."
"When the governors learned that Arthur Weasley's daughter was taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back." Dumbledore explained.
"Ridiculous." Mr. Malfoy muttered under his breath.
"Curiously, Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their family if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place." Dumbledore recounted.
"How dare you!" Lucius exclaimed.
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked inching closer to the blonde haired man.
"My sole concern has always been and will always be the welfare of this school... and of course, it's students." Lucius muttered, looking towards Harry and Y/N with a slight glare.
"The culprit has been identified, I presume?"
"Yes." Dumbledore answered, nodding his head.
"And? Who was it?" Lucius asked.
"Voldemort." Dumbledore answered, with authority.
"Only, this time he chose to act through somebody else, by means of this." Dumbledore finished, bringing the now ink covered diary in front of him.
Mr. Malfoy stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say next.
"Fortunately, our young Mr. Y/N and Mr. Potter discovered it. One hopes that no more of Lord Voldemort's old school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be severe." Dumbledore warned.
"Well, let us hope that Mr. Potter and Mr. L/N will always be around to save the day." He spat.
"Don't worry. We will be." Harry declared, glaring at the taller man while Y/N nodded, his eyes seemingly glowing brighter for a split second.
"Come, Dobby. We're leaving." Lucius said, pushing Dobby down the steps, hurting him.
Y/N and Harry exchanged glances and nodded, seeming to know what each other were thinking.
"Gramps?" Y/N said, breaking the silence as he walked towards Dumbledore's desk with Harry right behind him.
"I wonder if we could have that?" Harry asked, pointing towards the ruined diary.
Dumbledore, let them take it as the two ran out the door.
"Mr. Malfoy!" Harry yelled, running in front of Y/N.
"I have something of yours." Harry said, giving him the diary.
"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about." Lucius grumbled.
"Oh I think you do, sir." Y/N added.
"I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron that day at Diagon Alley." Harry accused.
"You do, do you?" He spat, giving the diary to Dobby.
"Why don't you prove it?" He whispered, going closer to Harry's face.
He then walked away, motioning for Dobby to follow him.
"Open it." Harry whispered.
Dobby looked towards Y/N who gave him a small nod. He then opened the book to reveal a sock tucked inside it.
"Dobby!" Lucius yelled, noticing the small house elf wasn't following him.
"Master has given Dobby a sock." Dobby said, looking towards Lucius.
"What? I didn't give-" Lucius spoke as he turned around.
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is free!" Dobby exclaimed.
Lucius looked towards Harry as Harry simply lifted his muddy pants, showing that he wasn't wearing a sock on that foot.
"You lost me my servant!" Lucius snarled, pulling out his wand, causing Y/N to instinctively put his hand on his sword's hilt.
Dobby stood in front of Y/N and Harry protectively.
"You shall not harm Y/N L/N and Harry Potter!" Dobby yelled, raising his hand as a beam of light flew from it, sending Lucius flying across the hall.
Dobby crossed his arms proudly as Y/N gave him a proud smile. Harry looked towards Lucius with a smirk.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Students were filling up the great hall, ready to eat their dinner. The petrified students were now starting to wake, entering the hall one by one.
"Hermione! Welcome back!" Y/N lifted his head from his plates after hearing her name.
"Thanks, Sir Nicholas." Hermione responded.
Y/N looked towards her, her voice made his stomach flutter. He quickly made his way across the hall towards her without the Gryffindor's noticing. Y/N ran across the hall before tackling Hermione in a hug surprising her. They came barreling to the ground, with Y/N holding her tight and shifting their positions making Hermione fall on top of him. The students were too busy chatting to notice them.
"Oomph- Y/N!" Hermione giggled as Y/N held her tightly in his arms.
"Don't leave. Please. Never again." Y/N said, burying his face into her neck.
"I-I'm sorry I should have been there to protect you I-" Y/N was cut off by Hermione wrapping her arms around him tighter.
"It's alright... I'm okay... I'm here." Hermione said with a soft, hushed tone as she pat Y/N's head.
The two then separated, a blushing mess as Y/N took her hand into his, walking through the crowd. He desperately held onto her hand as if the moment he let go, she would disappear on him.
"Harry! It's Hermione!" Neville yelled.
Ron and Harry instantly got up, running towards Y/N and Hermione. Y/N let go of her hand to let her do her thing, though with a small pout. Hermione ran towards Harry as she gave him a quick hug and gave an awkward handshake to Ron causing Y/N to giggle as he walked up behind her.
"Welcome back, Hermione." Ron said.
"It's good to be back." She replied, smiling at the three boys.
"Congratulations. I can't believe you solved it!" She said with amazement.
"We had loads of help from you." Harry smiled.
"We couldn't have done it without you." Harry added.
"Thanks." She said with a smile.
"Could I have your attention, please?" McGonagall yelled among the crowd.
The quartet quickly took their seats as Y/N, took Hermione's hand back into his own, earning a blush from the brown-eyed girl. "When I'm away from her. I'm away from home" He thought to himself.
"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all those who had been petrified." Dumbledore exclaimed, earning cheers and claps from all around the hall.
"Also, in light of recent events as a school treat. All exams have been canceled!" Dumbledore yelled, earning more cheers from the students and a frown from Hermione.
The crowd grew silent as the doors burst open revealing Hagrid, who had just entered the hall.
"Sorry I'm late." He said.
The students stared at him.
"The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused."
Hagrid stopped in front of the quartet who looked at him, smiling.
"And I'd just like to say that... If it hadn't been for you, Y/N, Harry and Ron... And Hermione, of course. I would still be in you-know-where so uh- I'd just like to say thanks."
"There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Harry answered as he gave the giant a big hug.
The hall erupted with claps, cheering that they had Hagrid back.
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"Don't forget to write!" Hermione yelled towards Y/N as they made their way to the Hogwarts Express.
"Wait Hermione." Y/N said, causing the bushy haired girl to stop in her tracks as Ron and Harry went to find them a compartment.
"What's wrong?" She asked him in a hushed tone, moving closer to him.
"I- uhm." Y/N mumbled, holding his hand out while his other hand scratched his neck.
"I got you this." Y/N said with a soft, gentle tone.
Y/N had gotten her a small necklace. The necklace had a ring on it, with a ruby in the middle. Hermione smile at him, blushing.
"Could you help me put it on?" She asked him as he went in closer to her.
Y/N put the necklace around her, clipping it on as she held the ring in her hand, reading an engraving on it.
"I'm not lonely, because I have you." She read out, feeling her smile grow.
"Remember when you told me that my eyes were beautiful and they looked like rubies?" Y/N asked her, gaining her attention.
"How could I forget? Your eyes are still as beautiful." She responded, earning a smile from the younger boy.
"I had them put a ruby on the necklace. So that you'd know I'm always with you..." Y/N whispered, his face getting redder by the minute.
"I-I know we've only known each other for a year and I don't even know what I f-" Y/N was cut off from him mumbling when Hermione gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The two stared at each other in the eyes, their faces almost as red as Y/N's eyes.
"Hermione! Quick the train is about to go!" Ron's voice snapped them out of their thoughts.
Hermione gave Y/N a quick hug as goodbye as she rushed towards the train.
Y/N made his way back to Hogwarts, getting his stuff ready to train with his sword master, unable to keep the smile off of his face as he remembered the warm feeling of her lips on his cheek.