"Well" I nudge Harry gently with my shoulder "go on then. Make it open."
My brother looks back at me with fearful eyes "how am I supposed to do that?"
We stare up at the large circle door in front of us, metallic snakes lay in the centre of it positioned in a way that makes it seem like they are alive.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I try to calm myself down. I open my eyes back up and the little light in the tunnel hits one of the large snakes in front of me in such a way it seems to move. Focusing on this life-like snake I whisper.
"Open."
Slowly a large metallic snake clicks into place and circles the door causing each one of the other snakes to move back into the centre. The snake finally completes the circle and a large grinding sound fills my ears as the door swings open.
Harry grabs my hand once again "nice work Ang."
I shakily smile at my brother as we step through the door together. As soon as our feet touch the floor beyond the door torches flicker to life around us. Unlike before where we seemed to be standing in pipes this time a large marble chamber surrounds us. The walls are lined with large circles that upon second reflection I realise are actually large pipe entrances. My eyes immediately land on the giant 3-D marble face that takes up the entirety of the back wall.
Harry however is focusing on something else "GINNY!"
He rips his hand from mine as he runs towards the small girls unmoving body which lays at the very end of the pathway from us.
I run after my brother feeling uncertain as to what is happening, Harry collapses on the floor next to Ginny as his wand rolls away from him. Harry is shaking the small girl and trying to get her to respond.
I stare at my brother feeling sick at the thought that we are too late when suddenly a voice echoes around us confirming my thoughts.
"You're too late."
I spin around and reach for my wand, Harry stands up besides me quickly as we both watch the figure walking towards us from the shadows.
A pale boy who has to be around seventeen years old walks slowly towards us smiling in a cold way. Harry let's out a breath of relief.
"Thank Merlin you are here Tom. Help me save her please." Harry begs as he bends down besides Ginny again.
I continue to stare at the boy in front of me curious as to how Harry knows him. The boy simply ignores me though as he smiles that cold smile at Harry again "I can't do that I'm afraid Harry."
My eyes land on my brothers wand which is spinning between the long fingers of the mystery boy in front of me.
Harry stops shaking Ginny and again stands besides me "what? What are you talking about Tom? She's still breathing we have time."
The boy called Tom shakes his head "no Harry it is too late. Every second that poor Ginny there continues to fade away is a second for myself to grow stronger."
I gasp loudly as I grab onto Harry's arm "what are you talking about? What are you doing to her you maniac?"
The boy glances at me and I'm sure that I see his expression soften for a fraction of a second. He begins to open his mouth to speak to me when he suddenly stops.
He looks away from me and back towards Harry as his eyebrows draw together again into a frown "it's quite simple Harry. Poor little Ginny Weasley began the process the day she started to write in my diary, pouring her heart out about the fact that she has no friends blah blah blah" the boy rolls his eyes as he glares at Ginny's lifeless body "for months I had to reply back pretending to be interested in her incessant complaining. That is until she mentioned you, Harry. That's the day I finally became interested in what the sad little girl had to say. It was easy enough to convince her to do a few things here and there for me, tell me about you and all about your amazing life story.
She went on and on and on about you, it's quite sweet really. Finally I was powerful enough to enter into the weak girls mind, having her do my bidding and letting my beast free to wander around the castle when needed. I lost contact with her for a while however and that is when I first met you Harry. We spoke and I got to meet you, show you my memories in a hope that you would accuse that oaf Hagrid of being the heir of Slytherin.
Everything was going to plan until Ginny stole my diary back from you that is. At least by then the poor girl was even weaker than before and getting her to come down here so she could die slowly, and thus allowing me to live was just the final piece I needed."
The boy smiles widely at us in a disturbing way "and now you are here Harry!"
His eyes flicker to me "and you" he steps closer to me "you are also here of course. Ginny told me all about you, because of course I wanted to hear about you as well." His face turns cold and his lip curls up "she kept referring to you as 'Harry's twin sister Angelica' I just knew who you were straight away."
I take a step back unsure of myself and raise my wand again at the boy "I don't know what is happening right now, but what I do know is that you cant kill Ginny." I raise my wand higher and glare at him "I won't let you."
The boy bursts out laughing to my confusion as he rolls his eyes. With a simple flick of his wand he has easily disarmed me and my wand loosely flies out of my fingers and into his outstretched hand. "Such ferocity and strength, you really are your mothers daughter. She always had a thing for trying to save the pathetic weak ones of the pack."
Harry finally speaks up his voice shaky "I don't understand why you're doing this. Why are you trying to kill Ginny?"
Tom steps forward once again and raises my wand now, having pocketed Harry's.
He begins to write in the air "isn't it obvious to you both by now?" His blue eyes gleam as the letters he is writing stay burning in the air before us all.
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
The large letters shine in front of Harry and I as we silently watch on in shock.
"My birth name given to me by my weak mother, Tom Marvolo Riddle. I later changed it into a much more fitting one." He waves the wand once more and the letters begin to fly into a different order.
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
Realisation dawns on me as I grab onto Harry's arm suddenly feeling extremely sick. Harry has gone pale and his mouth is hanging open in shock.
I find my voice and step slightly forwards as anger begins to coarse through me "y-you are the man who killed our parents?"
Tom waves his wand as the letters disappear and a dark look appears on his face "you really are an idiot aren't you? Again that must be from your mother, she was never overly smart either. Who I killed over ten years ago is not important right now, what is important is who I am yet to kill."
He turns his back to us ever so slightly as he raises his arms to the large marble face a hissing noise surrounds us as Tom calls out in parseltongue "come out now, join me."
Harry and I stare at the large marble face utterly entranced by what is happening, I let out a loud gasp as a loud slithering noise fills my ears.
Harry grabs my hand and yells at me "close your eyes Ang it's the basilisk!"
I do as my brother says as I slam my eyes shut suddenly feeling extremely disoriented, the slithering sound grows louder and I feel Harry rip his hand from mine as he begins to run away from me.
"Harry?" I call out desperately. I turn my back to the marble face where I assume the basilisk is now coming from and face back down to the large entrance, I open my eyes and see Harry's small body running into one of the side pipes.
Before I have a chance to close my eyes the basilisk slides past me without even looking at me and slithers into the large pipe that Harry has just ran down.
Realising that I am now safe from the basilisk I turn back to the Tom who is watching me with a puzzled expression on his face.
My wand hangs limply between his fingers and I bravely step forward grabbing it out of his hand. To my surprise he doesn't fight against me and simply allows me to take it.
I grab onto my wand as I glare back at the ghost like boy "why are you doing all of this?"
Tom looks at me with an eyebrow raised acting as if he is merely talking to a friend "it's what's necessary. When you are older I am sure you will understand and even sympathise, I was wronged and taken away far too early. I had just started to do very powerful magic and hadn't even began to do all that I could."
I shake my head "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Everyone is capable of killing someone, it's only the truly evil people who actually do it. That doesn't make you great or powerful, it just makes you a bad person."
Tom's face breaks into a dark expression "how disappointing, they truly have broken you haven't they? I had hoped that at least someone would show you the right path."
Harry's yell of pain breaks through to me as I look around in terror for him. I begin to run away from Tom and towards one of the many pipe entrances that lead off from where I am, desperately looking around for a glimpse of any kind of movement.
"Harry?" I yell out terrified for him.
I run down into one of the large pipes and feel the water splashing around my feet. I slow down as I reach a turn in the pipe suddenly aware of how much noise I am making. I try to silently step through the water as I listen out for either Harry or the basilisk.
Minutes pass as I try to quietly work my way through these pipes, I walk in the dark through them as I try to stay as hidden as possible. I begin to approach another corner and my heart rate begins to accelerate. I can feel something nearby but I'm not sure what it is, I grab onto my wand tightly as I approach the corner. I hold my breathe as I get closer and closer, the feeling that something else is near by begins to grow and I feel myself beginning to sweat.
I step up to the corner and cautiously with half opened eyes begin to peer around the corner into the other pipe.
"AHHHH!"
I scream as I come to face to face with a shadowy figure, I pull my wand out and allow it to light up the figure in front of me.
Harry's familiar green eyes look back at me with fear written across his face.
"Oh thank goodness it's you Harry!" I exclaim as I throw my arms around my brother.
He pulls away from me as he looks around us "we don't have time Ang. Fawkes blinded the basilisk so now we don't have to worry about looking it in the eyes. We need to kill it though, I just don't know how."
I try not to allow my brothers coldness towards me affect me too much, reminding myself that we are literally running away from a giant deadly snake right now and it probably isn't personal.
"Okay let's split up, I'll meet you back by where Ginny is" I offer Harry a grimace as I turn to walk away from him with my wand still out.
"Wait Ang" Harry pulls on my robe sleeve and I turn back around to face him "be careful okay? I can't lose you as well."
I smile softly at my twin as I stare into his eyes "you too Harry. We can do this okay?"
He nods at me and we head our separate ways. I silently walk back through the large pipe trying to find my way back into the main part of the chamber, as I try to listen out for any non-human like sounds. Finally I begin to see the shine from the torches within the large chamber ahead of me and I begin to run towards it.
I run out of the chamber with my wand drawn as a large force suddenly strikes me in the stomach. I feel myself flying through the air as the basilisks tail hits me. I yell out as I feel myself flying across the room, my back impacts against the marble wall and I crumple to a heap on the floor.
"NOO!" I hear a male voice yell "not her, not her. Go after only the boy, leave her alone!"
I struggle to open my eyes as I feel hot liquid running down my forehead.
"Angelica? Are you okay?"
I force my eyes open as I stare up at the face above me, instead of seeing Harry's face like I had expected I am instead looking into the cold blue eyes of Tom Riddle.
"I'm fine, get away from me. Where is Harry?" I gasp out as I pull myself up onto my feet. I feel myself swaying unsteadily as the room begins to spin around me.
I try to take a step forward but instead I stumble and Tom catches onto my arm.
I gasp at his cold touch and pull my arm away "you're nearly fully human aren't you?" I ask as I look over towards Ginny's very still body.
"Yes" Tom nods at me as his eyes search my face.
I nod my head and feel myself begin to grow weak, I sigh loudly as I slide down onto the floor sitting with my head between my legs.
Tom stands in front of me watching me with an odd expression on his face once again "you're very strong."
I look up at the weird ghost boy in front of me utterly confused "what?" I try to ignore the ever growing throbbing in my head.
My attention is quickly taken by Harry who comes running into the chamber, he doesn't seem to see me as he instead heads towards the large marble face at the other end of the room to myself and Tom.
At the bottom of the large face is a crumpled up grey sack looking thing which Harry quickly grabs and begins to climb the face. Soon the basilisk enters after Harry, it turns its head left to right as it tries to smell out Harry's scent. It finds it and soon slithers straight towards Harry.
I try to push myself up into a standing position with my hands but feel an intense pain in my shoulder and fall back down to the ground again in defeat.
By now the basilisk is facing the large marble head on which Harry is standing at the top of with the grey fabric in his left hand.
The basilisk faces him directly and opens its mouth wide, its draws backwards and then forwards sharply at Harry only missing him by inches. It takes a large portion of the wall with it and it begins to crumble on to the ground.
"No" I groan as I try to stand up once again, I stumble but finally make it to my feet, determined to help my brother.
"Stop" Tom grabs onto my robe and pulls me backwards. He clasps my thin arm tightly in his hand and holds me against him "don't interrupt. This is necessary, you will see that soon. This is how it was meant to be."
I struggle in his tight grasp as I watch the basilisk once again open its wide mouth and go for Harry. This time Harry dives out of the way and clings on to the face.
"Let go of me, I need to help Harry." I yell at Tom as I try to force his fingers away from my arm. I look desperately around and see my wand laying on the floor away from me. "Please let me go" I say quieter now as I stare at Tom's cold face "he's my brother."
Tom glares at me and shakes me roughly "oh shut up with that will you. Don't you realise who you are? You aren't just Harry Potters twin sister, you are so much more than that. You have the power of the original within you and you could truly be a great and powerful witch."
I stop struggling "what? What do you mean?"
"AHHHH!" Harry's yell of pain startles both Tom and I and I feel his grip loosen on me. Without hesitating I tear my arm away from him and run towards Harry.
As I approach I see the basilisk has stopped moving and the glistening of something sticking out of the roof of its mouth.
"Harry?" I yell out as I try to manoeuvre around the large beasts body. "Harry where are you?"
I finally reach the basilisks head and see thick pools of blood surrounding its mouth. I look around by it's head but can't see Harry anywhere. My vision has now turned extremely hazy and I am struggling to see anything.
"Harry?" I yell out in distress.
Tom walks towards me as he looks at the basilisks unmoving body "no! No! No! What have you done?"
I stagger backwards and slip in a puddle of blood. I sit looking up at Tom who is patting the large beasts body.
"Tom" I finally hear the strained voice of Harry from my right. I turn and see him standing there in front of Ginny's body. In one hand he is holding a large silver sword which is covered in blood and in his other hand he has what seems to be a large tooth.
"Oh thank goodness" I mutter grateful that he is still alive.
Harry ignores me as he glares at Tom "it's over Tom."
Tom laughs as Harry weakly let's go of the sword. Harry suddenly falls to his knees and looks down at his arm which appears to be bleeding a lot.
Tom takes a step towards Harry "you're right Harry it is over. You got bitten by a basilisk and now you will slowly die."
"No!" I yell forcing myself to run towards my brother, I throw myself down besides him and hold his arm in my hands.
Harry and I look at each other and I can see the fear in his face. He is really going to die, I close my eyes and press my forehead against his. We both take a deep breath in and I try to think of a way to stop this from happening.
A loud birds cry fills my ears and I open my eyes to see Fawkes flying towards us landing onto Harry's shoulder.
Tom laughs again "see, even the stupid bird knows that you are dying."
I stand up once again and walk towards Tom unsteadily wobbling from the pain. "Seriously what the hell is your issue with my brother?" I stop opposite him and glare at him "why are you so determined to kill my brother but also so kind to me?"
Tom's face softens as he looks at me "isn't it obvious yet? I thought surely that you would have worked it out. Look around you, look at the great face of Salazar Slytherin above you. This is where you are meant to be, this is who you are meant to be."
I shake my head "no. That's not right. None of this is right, I don't want to be whatever the hell this is" I gesture towards Ginny's body.
I turn to look at Harry and see him looking at me with a soft expression on his face as Fawkes let's out a single tear. Tom begins to walk towards me and stands besides me as we both watch Fawkes' tear fall onto Harry's injured arm. As we all watch the wound begins to heal itself up.
Tom let's out a frustrated groan "no!"
Harry simply smiles back at him as he reaches out his arm holding the fang and reaches for the diary besides him.
Tom begins to pull up Harry's wand once again but before he has the chance to even think of a spell Harry has plunged the fang deep into the centre of the diary.
An unearthly scream fills the chamber as Tom begins to clutch at his heart, he screams louder as blood begins to pour of his chest and he falls to the ground disappearing leaving behind only a puddle of blood.
I turn back towards Harry smiling widely only to see him looking at me with a scared expression on his face.
"What is it Harry?" I ask as I begin to walk towards him.
"I-I don't know how to explain it" he says as he avoids looking me in the eyes.
Before I have a chance to question him further Ginny begins to stir on the floor. She groans and slowly sits up, Harry runs over to her side and holds her hand.
I smile and begin to run over also only to feel the world slip out from under me, my vision begins to fade and the world around me fades into blackness. I feel myself falling further and further into the dark as my body becomes weightless.