Chapter 20-Home
Harry's POV:
It was finally over. We had defeated the Heir of Slytherin, which was surprisingly was Tom Riddle. After a few minutes of walking through the dark tunnel, with Ginny, there was a sound of a rock slowly shifting.
"Ron!" I yealled out loudly as I can hear my voice echo through the tunnel. "Ginny's okay! I've got her!"
Me and Ginny sped off to where was Ron, as we saw him through the sizable gap that he had managed to make from the rock fall.
"Ginny!" said Ron, with relief in his voice, as he held out his hand through the gap as he let Ginny go through the gap. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happen-"
"How's Y/N?" I asked, cutting him mid-sentence as we all turn to look at Y/N lying down on the cold ground. She looked like she was just peacefully sleeping.
"Good thing the rock that fall on her head isn't that huge," said Ron, as I walked closer to her as I can hear her slowly breathing, making me sigh in relief.
"How - what - where did that bird come from?" asked Ron.
Whiles Fawkes flew through the gap.
"He's Dumbledore's," I said, quite out of breath from the events earlier.
"How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in my hand.
"I'll explain when we get out of here," I said, as I glance at Ginny who was crying harder than ever.
"But-"
"Later," I said quickly, I heard a small movement on Y/N's direction as I saw her move her hand to her face. She stared coughing as she tried to sat up, as I helped her.
"Are you okay?" I asked, as she slowly opened her eyes whiles our eyes met.
"Never better," she said with a assuring smile, as I returned a smile as well. She started looking around, her eyes trailed to the sword in my hand, to Ginny and to Fawkes. "Wait, how did you... Did I missed everything that happened?"
Ron and I simply nodded, as she started looking around and her eyes stopped at Ginny.
"Are you okay?" She politely asked, whiles she stood up and walked up to her. Ginny nodded with tears still stinging her eyes, Y/N pulled her into a hug as Ginny kindly accepted.
"Where's Lockhart?" I suddenly asked.
"Back there," said Ron, jerking his head towards the tunnel towards the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."
Fawkes led us to where Lockhart was, whiles Fawkes wide scarlet wings emitted a golden glow that lit the whole tunnel. Gilderoy Lockhart was sat there, humming to himself.
"His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."
Lockhart peered at us beaming as we stood in front of him.
"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"
"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at me.
I bent down a little bit to look up to the long, dark pipe.
"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" I said to Ron.
"We can use Fawkes to fly up there," Y/N suggested, as she said this Fawkes flew in front of me it was now fluttering in front of me, his eyes was glowing through the darkness. He was now waving his long golden tail feathers.
"He looks like he wants you to grab hold..." said Ron. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there-"
"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Y/N, grab Ginny's hand, and Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart-"
"He mean you," said Y/N to Lockhart.
"You hold on Ron's hand," I said, while Ron tries to complain but he was stopped by Y/N nudging his arm.
I tucked both the sword and the Sorting Hat into my belt, as I was ready to hold on Fawkes Y/N let out a small gasp.
"What?" asked Ron, looking quite worried.
"Isn't that - would that be - no way!" Y/N was looking down at the sword. "That's the sword of Gryffindor!"
"That doesn't matter right now, Y/N," I told her, as she nodded in agreement.
I held onto Fawke's strangely hot tail feathers. Lightness seemed to have spread through my whole body as we went flying upwards through the pipes. Lockhart could be heard downwards saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!". The chilly air inside the pipe was whipping through my hair, and before I knew it we were now standing on Moaning Myrtle's wet floor.
"You're alive," she said blankly, looking at me.
"There's no need to sound so disappointed," I told her, as I wiped off the blood and slime on my glasses.
"Oh, well... I'd just been thinking... if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.
"Urgh!" said Ron as we left the bathroom. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"
Y/N laughed at this, as I didn't felt my heart beat going faster and faster. Usually my heart would be thumping like a nonstop drum whenever I hear her laugh, but now it sort off vanished. I might have accepted the truth of her not liking me without even realizing it.
"Where now?" asked Ron anxiously. I pointed towards Fawke's direction, he was leading us where Professor McGonagall's office was.
As we were now standing in front of Professor McGonagall's office, I knocked on the door and pushed it open.
~•~
Y/N's POV:
Harry opened the door. There was a long silence of us stood in the doorway covered in slime, and in Harry's case blood. Then there was a scream.
"Ginny!"
Mrs. Weasley ran to her only daughter and instantly wrapping her hands on Ginny, whose eyes were still covered in tears. Mrs. Weasley was also crying, Mr. Weasley followed to his wife and daughter. I looked at them whiles a smile was spreading across my face, then me, Harry and Ron was swept into the hug by Mrs. Weasley.
My eyes grew wide open, in shock, I looked up and saw Professor McGongall and Professor Dumbledore, with Fawkes on top of his shoulder, looking at us whiles I saw my brother, Severus, next to them as I saw it again. The real smile of Severus, it wasn't the sly or the pity smile, it was his real smile.
I immediately accepted the hug, politely.
"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 me and Harry, who sort off hesitated at first. Harry laid the Sorting hat, the sword and the destroyed Tom Riddle diary. I walked to Severus as he put his hand onto my shoulder, his was smile was now vanished (as he didn't want anyone seeing him smiling). He was looking at the top of my head, as I raised an eyebrow at him.
"What happened?" He said, as I saw blood on his fingers.
"There sort off had a small eruption in the Chamber, thanks to Lockhart, and a rock then decided to fall on top of my head making me unconscious for quite some time," I said, as he took out a small flask and put my blood inside of it.
"Your blood is very important," he reminded me, as he saw my questioning look.
Harry started telling everyone what happened from start to finish. He told them all about the voice.
"I stared hearing this voices on Halloween, and Y/N told me that she also had heard all about it, but it sort off stopped in the middle of everything," explained Harry. Yes, that is true, I still don't know why I stopped hearing those voices. I looked at Dumbledore as Harry said this, and he seemed to have understand it.
Harry continued onto the story. He started telling them about Hermione realizing it was the basilisk that he was hearing through the pipes, as I didn't bother to tell them that it was actually me who had ripped the book page about the basilisk at the book shop in Diagon Alley, and realize that it was coming through the pipes.
The story was almost ending, Harry finished off by telling them about entering the Chamber.
"Very well," said Professor McGonagall, you can see in her face that she has a lot of questions for us, "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?"
Harry now started talking about Fawkes timely going inside the Chamber. I listened carefully since I was unconscious when everything of it was happening.
"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."
My eyes widen. The Dark Lord is in Albania? I thought tl myself. Mrs. Weasley looked horrified, as well as Mr. Weasley. A little relief swept across me as I knew that The Dark Lord isn't near us, especially Harry.
"W-what's that?" stuttered Mr. Weasley. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not... Ginny hasn't been... has she?"
"It was thee diary," I quickly said, pointing at the diary on the desk.
"Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen..." explained Harry quickly.
Harry had lifted the Diary, as Dumbledore took it to have a good look on it.
"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the Weasleys, looking bewildered.
"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school... traveled far and wide... sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."
"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with - with - him?"
"His d-diary" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year-"
"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!
"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny, once again. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it-"
"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," interrupted Dumbledore with a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." Professor Dumbledore strodee off to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice - I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."
"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly, as I looked at Dumbledore with full of hope.
"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.
Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out of the office, with Mr. Weasley following behind, still looking shaken.
"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"
"Right," said Professor McGonagall, as we walk to the door as well. "I'll leave you to deal with Snape, Potter and Weasley, shall I?"
"Certainly," said Dumbledore. "And Severus, you may go. I will have a little talk with Y/N."
I looked up at Severus, he nodded and walked out of the door his long black robe trailing behind him.
"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbleodre.
Me, Ron and Harry looked at each other as we gulped hard.
"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and - let me see - yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor and a hundred points for Slytherin."
"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"
He turned around and saw Lockhart, still wearing his smile.
"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart-"
"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"
"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, as well as his long silver beard. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
"Sword?" said Lockhart. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."
"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry... And Y/N, could you please wait outside I also have some few words to say to you."
Ron and I nodded, Ron led Lockhart outside as I followed behind, closing the door. Ron looked at Lockhart, who was still beaming while looking around the castle. I patiently waited outside the office, as I go forward and backward with the heels of my shoes.
A few minutes has passed, Harry and Dumbledore hadn't finished talking, as I was waiting to the door I saw someone going to the office. I recognized who it was when I saw it's gold locks and a innocent elf walking next to him.
"Lucius," I said, as Lucius approached to the door of the office with fury in his face.
"Y/N, is Professor Dumbledore in there?" he asked, I looked down at the elf and saw that it was Dobby, he was looking quite scared whiles I saw his bandaged hands shaking. "Oh, don't mind him. So, is Professor Dumbledore in there?"
"Yeah, his with Harry," I said, and looked down at Dobby. "Are you okay?" I mouthed at Dobby, as he nodded. I was sure that he was lying.
Lucius opened the door with a loud 'Bang!' there was Harry stood to the door, as his hand was out stretched. It looks like he was about to reach for the doorknob.
"Good evening, Lucius," greeted Dumbledore.
Harry was almost knocked off as Lucius swept into the room. I slowly walked inside, as I stood next to Harry. Dobby came following behind Lucius, Harry and I looked at Dobby feeling really sorry for him. Lucius was looking at Dumbledore with fury in his eyes.
"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."
"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasleys daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."
Lucius turned paler than usual, but his eyes were still full of fury.
"So - have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"
"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.
"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"
"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."
Dumbledore held the diary, as Lucius looked at it. But, mine and Harry's attention was on Dobby, he was doing something odd, he kept pointing onto the diary, then suddenly, Lucius hit Dobby in the head with his black cane.
"I see..." said Lucius slowly to Dumbledore.
"A clever plan," said Dumbledore to Lucius, still staring at him.
"I think Dobby wants you to take the diary, Harry," I whispered to Harry.
"But, why?" He asked.
"I saw Lucius put the diary inside Ginny's cauldron when he picked Ginny's Transfiguration book and slipped the diary in it, I know that you saw that too. You might want to give Lucius back his precious diary," I whispered to him, as he grin at me. "And Harry, I don't want to see Dobby in this state ever again. Could you please give me a favor?"
"What is it?" He whispered back, we don't know what Lucius and Dumbledore was talking about by now.
"Take off one of your socks and put it inside the diary," I told him.
"Why?" He asked.
"I know that Dobby might have told you that the only thing the a house elf can be free if you gave them a piece of clothing," I told him, as I looked at him in the eyes. I think he might know what I'm going with this.
"So, you want me to free Dobby?" he asked, as I nodded.
"Could you do that?" I asked him, as he nodded, I smiled at him whiles he returned a smile as well.
"What might have happened then... The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and - killing Muggle-borns... Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise..." said Dumbledore, as our attention went back to him and Lucius.
"Very fortunate," said Lucius.
I saw Harry nodding at Dobby at the corner of my eyes, and saw the Dobby was twisting his ears for somewhat punishment.
"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.
Lucius looked at him.
"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.
"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"
Lucius was super pale, but he was looking like a paper at the moment.
"Prove it," he hissed.
"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you..."
Lucius stood in his ground with quite some time, as I saw his hand twitch as though he was tempting to reach for his wand. But, he just turned into his house elf and said, "We're going, Dobby!"
He kicked Dobby to the door, as we could hear Dobby squeal in pain through the corridors.
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry suddenly said. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"
"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember..."
Harry took the diary as he dashed out of the office, when I was about to follow him, but then Dumbledore said, "Y/N, I have a few words to say to you, remember? And please, close the door."
I nodded and did what he said, I closed the door and walked up to Dumbledore.
"Have a sit," he said, as I sat down at a chair.
"You might be confused of why you can hear the basilisk on Halloween night, am I right?" He asked to make sure.
"Yes, sir," I said, nodding, as I let him continue.
"And of course, you already know the story of your mother, Eileen Prince. You stopped hearing the basilisk because, of the potion that your mother drinked before she eventually died," he said, as I looked at him confused.
"I don't quite understand, Professor," I told him.
"You heard the basilisk because your mother might have put something that made you hear the basilisk, and of course, like any other potions it will wear off," he said, as I waited for him to continue and tell more about the potion that my mother made. "Some of your abilities that you don't inherited from your parents or your brother, Severus, it is because of that potion. So, don't be confuse if you do something that is completely impossible for you to do."
"So, everything that I might do in the future that I know is impossible, it is because of the potion that my mother made," I asked, to make sure.
"Yes," said Professor Dumbledore shortly. There was a small silence between us before he spoke once again. "I know that Miss Granger wasn't the only one who discovered the basilisk."
I looked at him, my eye wide open. How long did he knew?
"H-how did you knew, Professor?" I asked him.
"You are a very clever girl, you know. And no, it isn't because of the potion. It's because you inherited it from your mother or maybe from Severus. And don't think of this in a wrong way, I think you might be cleverer than Miss Granger, Severus had taught you very well," he said, as a smile spread across my face.
"He might not look like it, Professor, but he's a great person as well as a wizard," I told him.
"I already know that, Y/N," he said. "Your brother is a strong wizard, and we both know that he put his life in mortal danger everyday. Can I ask one favor, Y/N?"
This was quite odd. Dumbledore asking for a favor on a student?
"What is it, Professor?" I asked, quite confused and also quite scared.
"We know that I won't be in this world forever, and I can't protect the students and staff in Hogwarts. I need you, Y/N, to take care of Severus," he said, as I looked confused, but then I realized it.
"Of course, Professor, I will do everything that I can," I told him, as he smiled at me.
"Very well then, you need some energy for tomorrow. The feast might be starting by now," I nodded and stood up. I walked to the door of the office, as I reached for the doorknob I stopped and turn back at Professor Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Professor," I told him, with a smile as he nodded.
"And Y/N, you and Draco are adorable. You might take care of him as well in the future," he said, as I blushed at his comment. I opened the door and saw Harry with Dobby, but Lucius was nowhere to be seen.
"Dobby?" I said, as I walked up to them.
"Harry Potter had freed Dobby," said Dobby happily, as I smiled and looked at Harry.
"Actually, it wasn't my idea. It was Y/N's idea," said Harry.
"Thank you, Y/N Snape! Y/N Snape and Harry Potter freed Dobby!" sobbed Dobby.
Harry and I smiled at Dobby.
"Harry Potter and Y/N Snape is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter and Y/N Snape!"
There was a loud crack, and then Dobby vanished in thin air.
I've had feasts in Hogwarts in countless times, but tonight was louder than ever. I was sat down next to Millicent munching food nonstop like always, as Draco was sat down in front of me.
"Where did you go?" asked Draco in a hundredth time.
"I've told you everything okay? Now, can I continue eating?" I told him, I was starving like I didn't ate for about a week. Even though I didn't do that much in the Chamber I was absolutely starving.
"Woah, slow down you'll-" I interrupted Draco by coughing, Millicent was patting my back as Draco gave me a glass of water. I drank it and I stopped coughing, I sighed in relief as Draco and Millicent laugh.
"What's so funny about that?! I almost choked to death," I told them, but they continue laughing whiles I rolled my eyes.
The night went on, the Gryffindor house had won the house cup once again. Of course, the Slytherin weren't that happy about it, but I'm quite proud of my friends on Gryffiindor. Hermione was now perfectly fine, the huge doors on the Great Hall opened and there stood Hermione. Harry and Ron stood up as Hermione ran up to them and met Harry with a surprise hug, when they broke apart she was about to hug Ron, but stopped and just shook hands. Hermione looked at the Slytherin table as our eyes met.
"Welcome back," I mouthed to her, as she ssmiled and sat down with Harry and Ron.
The lively fun Hogwarts was back again, exams was canceled which everyone was happy about, except for Hermione. I was a little bit pissed because of how much time I have spent for the exams, but mostly happy. Everything was back the way they were suppose to be, except for Defense Against the Dart Arts since Professor Lockhart got his mind wiped out was sent to St Mungos the wizarding hospital, and so DADA was now canceled.
The end of term has approached. Me, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were playing with some Exploding Snap, since they allowed us to do magic before the holidays. When we arrived at King's Cross, I was walking with Ginny and Hermione, the three of us was getting along pretty well. Harry approached Ginny.
"Ginny - what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" asked Harry.
"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well - Percy's got a girlfriend."
"I knew it!" I said, jumping. Fred and George dropped the stack of book and went to us to listen.
"What?"
"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know - attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added.
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred.
"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.
All of us walked out of the Hogwarts Express. I was looking around to see if Severus would go and fetch me like he did last year. We said out goodbyes to each other.
"Bye, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley!" I said, as they waved back at me.
"Bye, Y/N! Have a safe way back home!" She said, then she looked up at my shoulder. "Oh, hello Severus."
I looked up and saw my brother, the Weasleys looked quite shock.
"I'll be off now," I told them and waved once again.
"Oh, Y/N!" I turn around and saw Harry, he looked up at Severus before looking at me. He handed me a piece of parchment with a few numbers written on it. "It's a telephone number, I think you know what that means and how that works."
"Perfect! I'll call you on holidays, I don't really know what to do with my telephone at home," I told him, as he nodded with a smile. "See ya, Harry!"
I turn around and saw that Severus was a few feet away from me and he was talking with Lucius, i catch up with him and saw Draco, glaring at Harry.
"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked Draco, really curious on what he was about to answer.
"What do you mean?" He asked, he wasn't really that great of a liar.
"You know what i mean," i told him.
"What? No, i don't know what you mean," he said, as i rolled my eyes. We started talking about random stuff about the Wizarding World and what were our plans for the holidays. Severus had thinked that we should walk with the Malfoys through the Muggle World, me and Draco talked throughout the walk and we would sometimes laugh at some muggles. We talked and walked with each other as we seperated parts, saying our goodbyes to each other and walked at two different ways to go home.
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And this is where The Half-Blood Princess Year Two ends.
Now, get ready for Year three!! I already have its cover all ready and i already have some plans at whats gonna happen on year three, so get ready for it! So, how was the Year Two? Is it good? Or is it not that bad? Please let me know, I'm really dying to know.
Anyways, i hope you liked the whole story! And here's a little hint on what's gonna happen on Year Three.
Confusion. Accidents. Hatred.
Three hints for year three.
~Sophia
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