Snakes and Anagrams (Part One)

"That," Neville said his eyes wide, "is a very large piece of skin." He was pointing at a discarded molt which had presumably been left by the basilisk. It looked to be about 30-40 feet long.

Harry shrugged. "This thing was Salazar Slytherin's pet. It's over a thousand years old. Of course it's going to be big, Nev."

Daphne stared at Harry and shook her head. "How the bloody hell are you so calm about this?"

"Well, when you've fought a man with a face poking out of the back of his skull a big snake isn't quite as bad." Harry paused and sighed. "Also, I'm not calm – I'm terrified. I've just had a lot of practice with hiding some of my emotions." His eyes narrowed and a small storm of fury played over his features. "And this thing hurt Hermione. I'm going to kill it."

"Right...Remind me not to piss you off," Daphne muttered edging away from him slightly.

The small group walked a little further down the tunnel before Harry stopped and turned to Shiva. "Shiva? Can you transfigure a rooster? It would make this a lot less dangerous…"

Shiva rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Seriously? I can't transfigure glasses why would you think I can transfigure a rooster?"

"You could at least try," Daphne snarked. "You are a teacher."

"A Runes teacher," Shiva muttered. "Fine, it can't hurt to attempt it I suppose. You know even if I get manage to get a rooster it's not very likely to do much of anything beyond scare the thing? Transfigured animals aren't actual animals. A transfigured rooster won't have whatever properties allow real roosters to hurt the basilisk."

"It's a thousand year old snake," Harry replied dryly. "Any advantage is a good advantage."

Shiva crouched down aimed at a large rock in the tunnel about the size of a chicken and started muttering enchantments and flicked her wand at it. After a few seconds the rock, with a bit of a pop turned into a craggy rooster-like shape that gave a croak before flopping over onto the ground and not moving.

"I told you I suck at transfiguration," Shiva grumbled.

As she started to stand, Lockhart suddenly rushed her. Neville yelled attempting to fire a stunner at him but the shot went wild. Harry and Daphne drew their wands towards the man but he twisted back away from Shiva with his broken wand in hand before they could do anything. "Such a shame that you all were killed by the basilisk. This will make a perfect end to my newest book," Lockhart said with a manic grin. He started to slash his wand down.

Shiva yelled out, "Protego!"

At the same time as a luminous shield sprang into existence in front of the group, Lockhart screamed out, "Obliviate!" His spell shot out from both ends of his wand. One beam struck Lockhart sending him into the wall of tunnel. The second beam hit Shiva's shield and rebounded into the ceiling. A spreading crack was all the warning the group had before a large section of ceiling shattered and gigantic pieces of rock crashed into the corridor. Harry dove, knocking Daphne out of the way of the debris, both students holding their hands over their heads as the dust settled and the rumbling stopped.

Picking himself up, Harry turned back to the newly formed blockage. Daphne was the only other one he could see. "Shiva! Neville!" Harry yelled frantically throwing some of the smaller rocks back. 'Please let them be okay. Please let them be okay. Please let them be okay.' He didn't know who he was praying to, but prayed anyway.

"Harry!" a muffled voice yelled back. "Harry! Are you okay? Is Daphne alright?" Harry breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Shiva's voice. He looked over at Daphne who coughed and gave him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, we're fine, Shiva! Are you okay? Is Neville alright?"

"I'm fine, Harry!" Neville's reply was just as muffled as Shiva's. "Looks like Lockhart brought down the ceiling. One rock hit him in the crotch as it fell. Serves the bugger right." Now that Neville mentioned it...Harry could dimly make out a sort of muffled groan.

"Harry, stay there, I'm going to try to shift some of these rocks," Shiva said. A few moments later there was a soft crash as some of the boulders moved and the ceiling groaned. Harry could hear soft cursing coming from the other side of the barrier. "Bloody freaking hell! Okay guys, I'm going to have to shore up the ceiling as I shift this stuff. I'll add some runes into the supports to make sure it holds but it's still going to take close to hour to get through this shite."

Daphne snarled and grabbed Harry's arm. "We can't wait that long! Tracey could be dying!"

Harry looked between his…friend…and the cave-in. Eventually he sighed and nodded at her. "Shiva, Daphne and I will keep going. You guys catch up when you can."

"What the bloody hell!? Don't you bloody dare you git! You two stay right – "

"Shiva!" Harry yelled back cutting her off. "We came down here without waiting for the others because Tracey's in danger! We'll be careful but we can't afford to just sit here and wait!"

"I don't give a rat's arse about that you little shite! I have not been looking out for you for the past two years or fighting to get custody for the last year just for you to run off and get yourself killed and eaten by a BLOODY BASILISK! YOU HEAR ME HARRY! YOU STAY RIGHT THERE UNTIL I GET THROUGH THIS!"

"But Tracey could be - " Harry tried.

"I don't know Tracey! I know you! I care about you! It's bad enough I let you convince me to bring you down here! You can't run off on me like this, Harry! Not now! Not ever!"

Having someone yell at Harry because they cared about him was an entirely new experience to the boy. Even Hermione hadn't ever really raised her voice to him quite like this. He cringed a huge feeling of guilt settling onto his shoulders.

"Listen to me, Harry. This isn't a cerberus lulled by music or a troll you can hit with a club or an exploding rune. This is a bloody basilisk. A creature a thousand years old with venom strong enough to kill you with a single drop and a stare that spells instant death. If you and Daphne go forward without us in all likelihood you will die!"

Daphne grabbed his hand and drew his gaze into her eyes. "Please, Potter. I can't leave her there...please..."

Harry took a shuddering breath, squared his shoulders and turned back to the cave-in. "Shiva...what if it was me in there? Would you want someone to wait while they could maybe save me by going ahead?"

The stream of curses that followed greatly expanded Harry's vocabulary. He knew he'd won the argument. It didn't make him feel any better. "FINE! You are going to end up giving me a heart attack before I hit 25 you bloody bastard! I swear to the Goddess if either of you die in there before we get through than I am going to personally resurrect you just so I can kill you again!"

"Harry, make sure you're careful, mate!" Neville yelled also sounding rather frustrated and annoyed. "If you get hurt, Hermione's going to kill me for letting you go alone."

"He's not alone!" Daphne yelled. "Be careful with the tunnel and hurry up!" She started down the tunnel. "Come on, Potter. Let's get Tracey and get the hell out of this place."

Harry nodded and started after her. They had gotten a few dozen meters further down when he heard a soft crack and looked down at his feet. Lifting his boot, Harry saw he had stepped onto a pair of small glasses. "Daphne, hold up. I need a minute here."

Daphne came back and glared at him. "We have to keep moving, Potter." She stared at the glasses in his hands and froze. Reaching out a shaking hand she pointed at the lenses. "Those are Tracey's reading glasses…"

"Well at least we know she's definitely here," Harry said distractedly. He pulled out his etching tool and quickly added the markings to turn them into Reflector Lenses. Harry really wished he'd paid more attention to the charm Hermione had used the first time he met her. "Here," he said handing them over to her. "The left lens is a little cracked but I think the runes will mostly hold. Remember, I have absolutely no idea if these things will actually work to reflect its gaze. If either of us gets hit and petrified than we know it doesn't work. If the left lens, cracks then close your eye because that cluster will be broken."

Daphne nodded slipping the glasses onto her face with a small grimace. "Well at least her eyes are mostly good. This is still going to give me a headache though."

"Better a headache than dead," Harry retorted standing up. "You can see though right?"

"Well enough. Can we go now?"

"Yeah, let's go." The two proceeded a bit further into the tunnel before stopping in front of a large door covered with snake motifs around a central circular seal.

"Guess this is it," Daphne said barely above a whisper. "Potter…Harry, thanks for this…"

"We'll save her, Daphne," Harry replied. He turned to the door. ~Open.~ The snake carvings slithered away from the central seal and the door swung open. "Be careful," Harry said stepping through the door, wand and rune held high in each hand.

Harry and Daphne padded cautiously into the Chamber of Secrets covering both sides as they walked forward. When they were halfway through the cavernous room the torches along the walls lit up illuminating the rest of the space. Blinking from the sudden light, Daphne's eyes widened when she centered on the figures near the base of a statue of the front of the room.

"Tracey!" Daphne ran forwards with Harry cursing and following after her. "Tracey!" she yelled skidding to a halt next to her friend. Daphne grabbed her sweaty, pale hand and checked for a pulse.

Harry meanwhile had pulled up and held his wand on the transparent figure standing nearby on top of a vaguely familiar ratty old book. "So," Harry said with forced calm, "you're the one who's been doing all this?"

"Technically, Tracey Davis has been, but yes, I've been whispering to her and forcing her hand," the spirit said with a small nod.

"She's alive." Daphne carefully let her friend's hand drop back to her chest then stood and pointed her wand and the figure with a snarl. "What the hell have you done to her, arsehole?!"

"She did it to herself," the figure shrugged. "She poured her heart and soul out into me. Quite literally at that." He chuckled. "Being in love with one's own best friend is apparently enough to upset one quite dearly. Times certainly have changed since I first prowled these halls."

Daphne visibly flinched at that comment and her wand hand shook. Harry grimaced but resolved to deal with the issue later after everyone was still breathing. "I'm going to kill you, you bastard," Daphne whispered to the spirit.

"Who the hell are you? And how do we save her?" Harry asked.

"You must be Harry Potter," the spirit said raising its eyebrows. "I have to say I'm a little disappointed that you're not more intimidating. However you did reach this place so I suppose you're not a total disappointment. Tell me, how did you kill me? I am ever so curious."

"What?" Harry and Daphne both exclaimed.

"How did you kill me? Do you remember? Tracey said you were just a baby at the time so I doubt it was intentional but still you never really know with things like this."

A growing horror seeped through Harry at the figure's words. "That's not possible…"

"Oh I assure you it is. I took great steps to ensure my longevity after all."

Daphne looked between Harry and the spirit. "What the hell is going on, Potter? Can you kill it? Will that help Tracey?"

"Oh, he can't kill me," the spirit laughed again. "I am not the physical. Not yet."

"You look a lot different than you did last year," Harry said. 'Stall. Worked last time. Maybe I can keep him talking long enough for Shiva and Neville to get here. Maybe they'll know how to kill a…ghost…thing.'

"Ah so that was true? Tracey wasn't certain if those rumors had substance. Well, it's good to know my later efforts weren't entirely wasted. Even if he has been rather pathetic overall. Really, 10 years to make a play? I will do far better once I regain form."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Daphne whispered.

"You haven't figured it out yet? Shame. I thought you were supposed to be intelligent. I was actually planning to give you a high place in my society. Well, perhaps a bit of help I suppose?" He took a wand out from behind his back.

Daphne's eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a snarl. "That's Tracey's."

"Yes. I am draining her after all. It's not like she can use it at the moment." He drew a series of glowing letters in the air: TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. "Now watch closely here. I thought this a rather ingenious anagram myself." The words rearranged themselves into: I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Daphne's face emptied of color. "That's impossible…"

"Why did you think that was a smart anagram, Riddle?" Harry asked swallowing a lump of dread. "Doesn't seem all that hard."

"Well, Harry, 'Vol de mort' means 'flight of death' in French. I have become immortal. Well, parts of me have anyway. It is quite appropriate."

"All I saw last year was a pathetic ghost parasite that could barely exist on its own," Harry taunted. "And all I see now is another little pathetic leech." Harry heard Daphne's mouth snap closed and she her face take on a slight grin at his words. 'Good, stand up to him. It's just a shadow or something. Keep focused, Daph.'

"Little pathetic leech?" Riddle snarled. "Fine. You want to play games, Harry Potter? Let's play." His sneer broke into a wide, predatory smile. ~Bessy! Kill these two!~

Harry saw movement in the mouth of the statue behind Riddle and his eyes widened. "Oh, shite! Come on, Daphne, he's called the basilisk!" Harry grabbed her arm and pulled, running towards the closest pillar and ducking behind it as a large weight crashed to floor behind them.

"Plan?" Daphne asked holding her wand and rune stone tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.

"Well I've got a plan A," Harry said peeking around the side of the pillar. The basilisk wasn't quite looking at them thankfully, but it was close enough Harry could shout to it. ~Hey, Bessy! I'm, Harry! That guy you're talking with isn't on your side. Help me and my friends instead and we'll give you all the food you want and get you some better living quarters!~

The snake froze and turned towards Harry. He quickly lowered his eyes before he could meet its gaze – no point in testing the Reflector Lenses if it wasn't needed. ~You may be a Speaker child but you are not the Master. Bessy will not fall for tricks. Bessy has been waiting eons for a Master to return. For food larger than rats. Bessy will not follow you!~ A loud hiss followed the small speech and the snake started towards the pillar.

"Plan A failed," Harry said ducking back and paling.

"Plan B?" Daphne asked.

"Shoot it until it dies?" Harry said with a slight hesitation.

"Works for me!" Daphne jumped out and started tossing diffindos, reductos, and confrigos at the snake from her wand while letting loose with the Reductor from her off hand. Harry jumped out of the other side of the pillar also tossing spells and rune powered shots. He tried adding a few disarming and stunning shots into his volley. Bessy just hissed in what Harry dimly realized was laughter.

Their spells weren't even making a scratch on the hide of the beast.

The giant tail of the serpent came around aiming at Harry's head. He ducked and rolled. As he regained his feet he made the critical mistake of looking up. Harry met the basilisk's eyes and time seemed to stop. Riddle laughed in the distance. Harry almost laughed in return as he could still feel his muscles twitching in fear. He wasn't petrified!

But then, neither was the basilisk. It shook its head after a few seconds and opened its hissing mouth wide doing an extremely good impression of a pissed off lion's roar. Harry took the opportunity to run.

He got to Daphne's side and they ducked behind a pillar further back down the chamber. "Plan B isn't working so well," she grunted trying to catch her breath.

"I noticed," responded dryly. "Reflector Lenses work though. I think I stunned it for a few seconds."

"Yeah maybe for you. My left lens busted the first time it looked at me. It seems only one eye reflection doesn't affect it. And I'm half blind now." Harry flinched and quickly looked her face over. Breathing out a quick breath of relief Harry saw her eye wasn't actually injured, she just had it screwed shut since the left rune cluster hadn't held up under the strain of the magic.

"Um, okay I have a Plan C but I'm going to need a minute to get it ready. Can you distract it?" Harry asked holding the Blastor against the pillar and palming his etching tool.

"Maybe. What are you doing?"

"Setting a feedback loop into the Blastor. Basically a somewhat controlled explosive failure."

"You're making a magical bomb?"

"More like magical grenade. Also it might blow me up once I charge it." Harry grimaced. "There's a reason I've been staying away from volatile clusters you know."

Daphne stared at him with wide eyes. "You are either the bravest or stupidest boy I've ever met."

"Just distract the bloody snake please."

"Don't die, Harry." Daphne jumped out from behind the pillar as the basilisk closed in on them. She yelled at it and started tossed out more spells leading it towards the next pillar in line.

Harry finished his modifications uttered another short prayer to whoever was listening and then yelled out, ~Bessy! Your mother was a chicken and your father was a toad!~

The basilisk turned from Daphne to hiss menacingly at Harry. ~I should kill you simply for thinking that was a worthy insult hatchling.~ As soon as the snake opened its mouth, Harry charged the altered Blastor and tossed it at the snake. It ended up exploding a foot or so from the mouth. The stone shards pelted the monster and but didn't seem to do any noticeable damage.

"Bloody hell!" Harry ducked back behind the pillar swearing. "If anyone's listening up there, I could really use some help about now!" Not expecting any actual answer Harry nearly dropped his wand and Concussor as the air above the basilisk blazed into a burst of fire. A song Harry remembered Fawkes trilling resounded throughout the Chamber before turning into a screech. Harry twisted to look around the pillar in shock noticing Daphne doing the same around her own.

The beautiful avenging phoenix dived towards the group. It tossed a large hat clutched in its talons towards Harry before twisting and attempting to dive bomb the eyes of the basilisk. Bessy was faster though and managed to stare at Fawkes just before he impacted. The phoenix dissolved into a burst of feathers and Harry's stomach plummeted again. 'I'm sorry Fawkes…Thank you so much for trying buddy.'

"Harry! Look out!" Daphne screamed.

Harry glanced up and saw the basilisk striking towards him with its fangs bared. 'Since when does a snake have more than two teeth?' Harry idly found himself wondering as he dove out of the way. He tumbled down near the hat that Fawkes had brought.

"What are you waiting for, boy? Put me on!" the Hat yelled. Harry stared dumbfounded before realizing it was the Sorting Hat. Harry hurriedly grabbed the Hat and jammed it onto his head as he ran from the basilisk towards Daphne. The Hat had barely touched his hair before a weight settled onto the top of Harry's head.

Dashing behind the pillar, Harry pulled the Hat off and handed it to Daphne. A sword fell out of the top and clattered to the ground at Harry's feet. "That's the sword of Godric Gryffindor," Daphne said her mouth gaping.

"I would've preferred powerful staff or energy lance rune cluster myself. Or anything long range," Harry said picking the sword up.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Harry Potter!" the Hat said before falling silent.

"Okay new plan," Harry said glaring at the Hat.

"Your other plans have sucked."

"Yeah and this one sucks more."

"Not instilling a lot of confidence here." Daphne said.

"I'm going to stun it with the Reflector Lenses then I'm going to stab it with the sword."

"That's a horrible plan!"

"Do you have a better one?" Harry asked glaring at her.

Daphne ground her teeth. The basilisk was almost on them again. "Don't die, Harry. I'm just starting to like you."

"Likewise, Daphne." Harry took a deep breath and leaped out. This time instead of running away he ran towards the giant snake. Bessy opened her mouth baring her fangs at him and pulled back readying a strike. Harry came closer hoping his horrible brand of luck would hold long enough to finish this. Bessy struck forward. Harry finally managed to catch a glimpse of the basilisk's eyes and it froze in place as he jumped forward. The stun was just starting to wear off as Harry leaped into its mouth and thrust the sword up through the top plate of its jaw.

The sword pierced through like a hot knife through butter and Bessy made a horrible screeching sound. Harry was flung out of the snake's mouth as it thrashed. He flew through the air and landed on Daphne who just barely managed to cast a cushion charm on them both. Bessy screeched again and snapped her jaw shut. That was apparently the exact wrong move. The top of Gryffindor's sword pierced up through the snake's head and the basilisk flopped down to the chamber completely still.

"Merlin," Daphne whispered the awe evident in her voice and the trembling of her arms around his waist. "You killed a 60 foot basilisk with a bloody sword."

"We still have to kill Riddle," Harry whispered back as he glanced towards the figure at the front of the room. The spirit of young Voldemort was much more solid now and Tracey seemed far paler.

"He said she was pouring out herself out to him right? She's been writing in a diary since the year started."

"He was standing over a small book. Was that the diary?"

"Yeah." Daphne nodded letting her arms go and shifting Harry so that they could both get up. "Look exhausted and beaten."

"Not going to have to fake that," Harry muttered. "I'll grab the sword and we try stabbing the book?"

"Hell, it worked on the monster snake – why shouldn't we be able to kill a book with a sword?" Daphne paused and giggled. "That sounds so stupid."

Harry's eyes widened at the manic sounds coming from his friend. "Hold it together another minute Daph then you can break down. Help me open its mouth."

Together the two students managed to pry the mouth of the dead basilisk open enough for Harry to reach in and grasp the sword. "Careful, don't touch the fangs. Basilisk venom is some of the deadliest stuff there is," Daphne said.

"Really? I didn't know that. Thanks, Daph," Harry replied dryly.

"No need to be a jerk about it, Harry."

Harry got the sword free finally though it was accompanied by a small amount of black liquid dripping from the wound in the mouth. Holding onto the sword in one hand Harry and Daphne supported each other as they stumbled back over towards Tracey and Riddle.

"You two are far more impressive than I initially assumed," Riddle said with narrowed eyes as they drew close. "You would do well under me. I could lead you both to greatness."

Harry spied the diary still lying under Riddle's foot. He walked a bit closer. "You know what I have to say to that, Riddle?"

"What we both have to say to that," Daphne chimed in.

Riddle cocked his head. "Go to hell, arsehole!" Harry yelled. He raised the sword and stabbed it forward spearing the diary.

"No! What have you done!?" Riddle screamed first in astonishment and angry. The scream quickly shifted to pain as ink began to spurt out of the diary. As the ink drained, the spirit lost its substance. Tracey's wand clattered to the ground from insubstantial fingers. Tom Riddle gave one final roar of pain and defiance before fading completely, the diary falling completely dormant under Harry's sword.

"Tracey!" Daphne exclaimed falling to the ground beside her friend. "Tracey! Please wake up! Please don't let us have been too late! Please wake up, Tracey!"

Tracey moaned and a bit of color started to return to her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open and locked onto Daphne. "Daph?" She glanced around the room. "Potter? Wha-what?"

"Oh Goddess, Tracey!" Daphne flung her arms around the girl and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "I thought you were going to die. I thought – " She broke off and just clung to her friend.

"You alright, Tracey?" Harry asked leaning on the sword for support. It probably wasn't the most respectful way to treat a priceless artifact from one of the founders but then he had just killed the pet of one of the other founders and casually tossed aside their enchanted Hat. Leaning on the sword was probably the least disrespectful thing he had done that day.

"I – I – No. Not really. But I'm…better. I think…Daph, Potter…I think I'm the one who was opening the Chamber!" She leaned her head against Daphne and started to sob.

"Shh, shh, it's okay Trace," Daphne whispered running her hands in circles along the other girl's back. "It wasn't you. That diary was a trap that V-Vol-Voldemort left. It possessed you. You didn't do anything, Trace."

"You-Know-Who? What? No, I was writing to Tom…I knew something was wrong but I couldn't stop…"

"It was Voldemort, Tracey," Harry said. "A memory or spirit or something from when he was teenager. He showed us his name and it's an anagram for 'I am Lord Voldemort'. You got tricked. It's not your fault. You aren't like Quirrell. You didn't invite the arsehole in."

"It was really him?" The other two nodded. "I can't believe it…I – I don't even know where I got that stupid diary from. It was in my stuff when I got back from the bookstore before school started. I must have picked it up but I don't remember it…Wait!" she pulled back from Daphne's grip and stared between the two. "If that was You-Know-Who and if he was possessing me to control the monster then where are we and how are we going to kill it?!"

"Trace," Daphne said clearing her throat. She pointed towards the dead basilisk. "We killed the diary already so Volde-Voldemort is dead. And Harry killed the basilisk." Tracey's eyes followed Daphne's arm and widened before turning back to the other two and gaping. "With a sword." Tracey's eyes flowed down to rest on the sword in Harry's grip. She looked back at his face and Harry just nodded.

Tracey slumped into Daphne's arms again and groaned. "Can this day get any weirder?"

"Trust me you don't want to ask that," Harry sighed. "It's better not to tempt the universe. Can you walk? We should get back to Shiva and Neville."

"Who the bloody hell is Shiva?" Tracey asked as she accepted their arms to pull her to her somewhat shaky feet.

Harry winced. "Err, Professor Babbling. I'd appreciate it if you both kept it quiet until next year that I call her by her nickname."

"Well considering you both saved my life I think I can do that…" Tracey looked at him like he was crazy. Daphne just shook her head and nodded. "And wait, since when do you call him 'Harry', Daph?" Tracey got an odd look as she stared at the two of them.

"Somewhere in the middle of getting down here and killing the basilisk. I think that qualifies as a bonding experience don't you? At least enough to bump him up from 'Potter' to 'Harry' I would say." Daphne said looking amused.

"Well I was hoping for 'friends' myself," Harry grumbled good-naturedly.

"Eh, trial basis." Daphne said before all three of them broke into laughter.

The trio of students got themselves under control and walked back down the middle of the Chamber. Daphne stopped to pick up the Sorting Hat which stayed resolutely silent even when she placed it on her head so she could keep supporting Tracey with one arm and hold her wand with the other. Harry stopped as they approached the pile of feathers where Fawkes had given his life to try and help them.

"I'm so sorry, Fawkes…I never wanted…" Harry trailed off and stared in astonishment as a tiny nearly featherless bird poked its head out of the feathers and ashes. It looked at Harry and squawked happily. Harry's mouth just dropped open and scooped the baby phoenix up in his hand. "What the…?"

"That's a phoenix, Harry," Daphne said with an arched eyebrow. "They're reborn when they die."

"Oh." Harry just nodded still dumbstruck as the phoenix cuddled into his hand.

"Come on. Let's go." Daphne started leading the group back up the corridor again pausing only long enough for Harry to again open the door out.