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🕑 Added 2022-03-08 07:14:27 +0000 UTCChapter 6- Making Friends
Halloween. The day of the dead, people say. In a very normal household, it involves getting dressed up. Running around the streets shouting “Trick or treat” and collecting a hoard of candy. Sounds simple enough.
But simple isn't a word that one can ever associate with Harry Potter. When Harry Potter is in the middle of things, it always ends up upside down.
That was exactly what Harry was thinking as he tapped his quill on the desk. 'Troll in the first year. Chamber mess in the second. Sirius in the third. Goblet in the fourth. And of course. The Halloween where it all started.
Suffice to say, if Harry had to pick a holiday where everything goes to shit, it was Halloween.
McGonagall was going on about silent conjuration. Art that he was well versed with. Not only him, but James was also excellent at it too. Not surprisingly as James was probably one of the best in transfiguration. With years, he would go up to the level of McGonagall and Dumbledore. Sirius was an excellent duelist. He could be an excellent DADA teacher.
Remus, the boy was a genius. There was nothing he couldn't do. Harry had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let Remus suffer. He knew that the jobs would be difficult for him to get. He would take care of it.
Peter was different. He was a prodigy in potions. Harry learnt a lot from Peter in two months than from Snape in four years. He had kept an eye on Peter. So far, he had not raised any concerns. Harry too was getting along well with the boy.
Something big must have happened for him to change.
"Harry." James shook him awake from his wondering. "The class is over. Let's go." Harry nodded and left the classroom with his four friends.
Harry felt that something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
What he heard next, was something that he had never expected to ever hear.
"Ripppp…..killl…..tear……". Harry froze.
" Oh crap!" He whispered. He didn't bother answering Sirius's question. He darted away from the corridor towards the location that he knew held the answer.
That's when he came upon the sight that he would say was almost reminiscent of the last time.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED AGAIN
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE
"Oh...crap." That was all Harry could say.
-----&&&&------
The entire school was in an uproar. There were a lot of discussions regarding who the Heir was.
But there were two of them who knew the answer to that question. One Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.
But the thought process of the men was entirely different. Dumbledore was more along with the likes of 'How did Tom get into the castle without him knowing?'.
Harry's thought process was different. Harry knew exactly what had taken place here. Someone had the diary in the castle. The very same diary that had ensnared Ginny Weasley.
Another Horcrux was within his reach. Another step closer to ending Riddle. But the question was, how could he find out where it is? Who has it?
He had to think of a plan. He had to get this obstacle out.
Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall went quiet.
"I know that all of you have a lot of questions running through your mind." He spoke softly.
"But rest assured, you have nothing to fear. I fear that this might be an elaborate prank to scare you." He explained with his typical grandfatherly smile.
The eyes of the students automatically fell on their group. Every eye was on them and there was anger in those eyes, for causing worry.
Harry had avoided any and every contact with the old man till this moment, but now, he pushed too far.
"Are you fucking senile?" Harry growled, taking the entire hall by surprise.
Dumbledore baulked at the blatant disrespect the young man displayed.
"Are you fucking insinuating that we are responsible for this stupid mess?" Harry questioned. His eyes now began to burn with anger and hatred against the man.
"Are you planning on turning the entire school against us?" He continued.
Dumbledore didn't respond. Harry was now apocalyptic. The air around him went thick and the goblets and plates exploded in his vicinity.
"Mr Potter. That is no way to speak to the Headmaster." McGonagall chastised him.
Harry didn't pay any attention to her.
"You as well as I know who is responsible for this fucking mess, old man." Harry hissed.
"I don't know what your intentions are, but I will find out. I will find out why you pinned this blame on us.
When I do, you better hope that I am in a forgiving mood, Dumbledore. You think that just because you are in a position of power, you can hide the truth from students and the public, you are gravely mistaken.
If there was a less than noble intention, believe me, I will strip you of every single power that you hold. I will make sure that you are left to the streets without a single damn penny on you other than those ridiculously stupid robes. You better pray that I don't find that out." He warned, stepping away from the table.
"It's your ignorance that led to the loss of so many lives with Grindelwald. It was due to your fucking ignorance that Ms Warren lost her life just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's because of you that Tom Riddle has become who he is. Never forget that." He spat, secretly enjoying the way the old man's face paled.
He walked out of the Great Hall, leaving it silent and stunned.
----&&&&&&----
"Harry." He watched Narcissa call him and he turned back to her. "Cissa." He smiled.
Narcissa beamed at him.
"Good. You remembered." She pointed out happily.
"I have learnt not to disobey your words, Cissa." He snorted, causing the girl to blush slightly.
"So. What was that all about?" She questioned him
"Nothing. He tried to pin the blame on us to cover his slacking." Harry growled.
"He purposefully pitted the school against James and the boys with that excuse. They would have been slandered every day. It was not a small matter." Harry answered.
Narcissa nodded. "If grandfather or Uncle Charlus get to know what has happened, they will destroy Dumbledore politically," Narcissa spoke. "I think that man has too much power, doesn't he?" She asked.
"I mean, he is the Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Headmaster of a very reputed institution." She counted off her fingers.
"Yes. He does have a lot of power. Fucking old goat." He grumbled.
"Harry. Language." Narcissa chastised him, slapping his arm leading to chuckles.
"You will be in detention for the rest of the year with how you spoke inside." Narcissus pointed out. Harry nodded.
"It's not a big deal." He shrugged.
"Who is Tom Riddle, by the way?" She questioned with a frown.
Harry's eyes blazed as his body was trimmed with magic.
"Voldemort." He spat, causing Narcissa to jump back a step at the anger that was evident in his voice and eyes.
Harry cooled down as he noticed the girl step back. "Sorry." He apologized.
Narcissa smiled before stepping closer and holding his arm in both her hands.
"You don't have to apologize to me, Harry. That bastard has given a lot of pain to you and I for one want you to destroy him." She answered his question.
"No. I worry for you, Harry. You have put a huge burden on yourself." She explained softly.
Harry made to speak, but Narcissa tugged his arm. She pulled him closer to her and began walking.
"Let me finish. I am not telling you to forget everything. Just avoid the ever lingering tension that you carry all the time." She pulled him a bit closer and stood on her tiptoe before kissing him on his cheek.
Harry froze in shock and surprise.
"You should smile a lot often, Harry. It suits you." She whispered. "Good night." She slowly walked away leaving a confused Harry behind.
"Women are weird." He shook his head and started to walk away to wherever he was walking away.
---&&&&&&----
"Albus? What was that about Tom Riddle?" McGonagall questioned Dumbledore
McGonagall remembered Tom Riddle. The boy was a good boy when he arrived and she was apprenticing under Dumbledore.
But as she started observing the boy, he grew more confident from the shy and polite boy. It wouldn't have given her a cause of concern if it wasn't that his entire demeanor changed from shy and polite to scheming and manipulating.
"Minerva. This is not the time…." Dumbledore tried to speak but was cut off by an irate McGonagall.
"And when is the right time, Albus?" She questioned him.
"That is the answer that you always give out to everyone. Can't you for once in your life come out clean, Albus?" She asked in exasperation. Dumbledore was silent for some time.
The boy had spoken truthfully. He was harsh and unforgiving. More than that, he managed to hurt Dumbledore with his actions. Something that no one had done since his best friend.
Dumbledore could instantly see the similarities between Harry Potter and Tom Riddle. Handsome, intelligent and very powerful for their age. Though, the young Potter was more powerful than he or Tom had ever been at his age.
Dumbledore hadn't expected this response. He had once again believed that he could play this off without much fuss.
Yes. He was very much aware of what had happened the last time this chamber was open. What he now liked to know is how Harry Potter knew all these things. Myrtle Warren's death was kept in wraps. Not many knew of this and certainly not the Potters.
What puzzled him all the more was how the boy knew of Tom Riddle. That was certainly not common knowledge. Nobody knew of the boy who went on to become The Dark Lord Voldemort.
How much more did he know? How much information did the boy have?
By blaming the four boys, he had thought that the school would laugh at the prank and get back to the way it was. What he didn't expect was how seriously the boys took it. He miscalculated the situation.
The threat that Harry Potter gave out was a tad bit frightening for him. He didn't expect the boy to openly oppose him. Sure, he and Lord Potter had a few conflicting opinions, but they were never so hostile. Not as much as he sensed it from the new young Potter.
And he had all the ability. The entire Wizengamot was eating out of his family's hands. They had three votes within the family, not forgetting their allies. Dumbledore rubbed the sides of his forehead tiredly. This was not what he had in mind. Now, he had alienated himself from the Potters. He only hoped that the boys would forgive him.
He was pulled away from his musings by an irate looking professor. He had a long night of explanation scheduled.
----&&&----
Harry had thought long and hard for the past fifteen days. He had formulated a plan, but for that to work, he needed to know when the Basilisk came out of the chamber.
That is the reason why Harry was now walking towards the second Floor bathrooms to the entrance of the chamber. He kept an eye out for Myrtle and approached the sink. He flicked his wand and went about chanting softly around the sink and flicked his wand to the side before waving exaggeratedly.
A blue glow left his wand and hit the sink before it shimmered away. "That would alert me to anyone that tries to enter." He whispered.
He exited the bathrooms and was walking away from the corridor when he saw Lucius Malfoy huddled in a corner, planning God knows what.
Harry frowned. The expressions of the boys were not something he was keen on facing. They were plotting and something told him that it was related to him.
He pondered for a while if he must go eavesdropping or let it go. In the end, he decided to let it be. He silently walked away from the corridor.
"Harry?" Harry was quick to turn and his wand was trained on a very familiar face.
"Andromeda?" The girl smiled but was still nervous. "Uh…. Harry. Your wand?" She pointed to his raised wand with nervousness evident on her face.
Harry lowered his wand."Merlin, I almost cursed you, Andromeda. What were you thinking about sneaking like that?" Harry glared at the girl
Andromeda smiled cheekily. "Oh, I managed to frighten the big and scary Lord Peverell." She cheered, causing Harry to chuckle.
"What are you doing here, Harry?" She questioned as she fell into step with him.
"Nothing. Those gits are planning something." He nodded towards Malfoy.
Andromeda frowned.
"They are always huddled up together, even in the common room." She replied.
"I want you to be careful, Andromeda," Harry warned the girl.
"They might be idiots, but a moment's action might lead to long term consequences." He said.
"We will be fine, Harry. Don't worry. We will be as careful as possible." She reassured the boy. "Now be a gentleman and lead a lady to her destination," Andromeda ordered in her snobbish pure blood voice.
Harry looked around in confusion. "I don't see any lady here." He frowned.
"Oh, you utter prat." She scowled and charged after a running Harry, laughing and smiling all the way.
Harry led her to the common room. Andromeda was confused. "Tell me. How in Merlin's name do you know where the Slytherin common room is?" She questioned.
"Now that is a secret," Harry smirked, causing the girl to chuckle.
"You have to be the most Slytherinish Gryffindor." She shook her head.
It was at that moment Narcissa decided to make an entrance. "Andi….there you are….." She trailed off and stiffened as she noticed Harry.
Andromeda smirked at her younger sister. She stood on her toes and pecked Harry on his cheek, lingering a little longer than necessary.
"Thank you, Harry." She smiled at the boy, smirking inwardly as she observed her sister fuming.
"What the hell are you doing, Andromeda Black?" Narcissa glared at her sister.
She grabbed her sister and pulled her away from Harry.
"See you later Harry. I need to have a word with my sister." Narcissa waved, dragging her giggling sister along.
Harry watched the two walk away with confusion. "Girls are really weird." He shrugged and left the dungeon entrance.
----&&&----
"Why can't you play seeker, Harry?" James groaned as he sat up slowly, grimacing from the various injuries that he had received.
"I won't tell this again James. Just stop it." Harry grumbled, not bothering to look up from the book.
"But why?" Sirius whined. "We would win very easily." He said and James nodded his agreement.
"For the last time…." He stopped abruptly when he realized that his wards were activated.
Harry jumped to his feet.
"James. Where is the map?" He asked quickly
James nodded towards Peter who immediately placed the map in Harry's hand.
Harry opened the map and his eyes immediately fell on the second-floor bathrooms.
'Amelia Bones', the map read.
Harry was running to the exit very quickly.
"What's wrong Harry?" James questioned, but it fell on deaf ears as Harry disappeared.
Harry raced through the corridors ignoring all the others around him. He was worried for the girl. But one thought was running around in his head. Amelia Bones was probably one of the strongest figures in the wizarding world.
She was the Head of The DMLE at a very young age. Harry had heard a lot about her from Hermione. She was a nightmare for the death eaters in the war.
Harry was at the washrooms in record time and it didn't take long for him to identify that his wards were compromised. He hissed at the door for entrance and dropped down the hole, just like he had in his second year.
'Stupid Gryffindorish traits.' He mumbled in his head. What he failed to notice was another pair of eyes that had seen him enter the bathrooms and had widened in surprise when he spoke Parseltongue and had almost cried out when he jumped through the pit.
----&&&---
Bellatrix was lost deep in thought as she was returning to her common room. The looks that Malfoy and the other baboons had been shooting Cissy was very worrying and she had to get to the bottom of it.
They knew by now, to not cross Bellatrix. The last time that Rudy Lestrange had made a pass at her, she had frozen his bits, making him spend two weeks in the hospital wing and her brother had followed after she introduced him to a few very painful curses.
She didn't notice another figure running against her and he crashed into her. Bellatrix went down to the impact. But the figure continued running with a quick sorry.
Bellatrix recognised the voice. She would recognise it anywhere.
"Harry?" She called the boy, but there was no reply as he continued running in the opposite direction. She got to her feet and shot after the boy, confused at his behavior.
She watched as he entered the bathrooms.
"Girls bathroom?" She pondered. If it was any other boy, she would have dismissed him as some sick pervert. But not Harry.
She peeked into the room to see him waving his wand over the sink. She was about to go in and question him when she froze as she heard him hiss.
"Parselmouth?" She questioned no one in particular. "He is a bloody parselmouth?" She wondered. "Why didn't you tell this to anyone, Harry?" She wondered.
The boy had a serious issue of downplaying his abilities. Any other would have marched around with pride if they had the abilities he possessed.
She found that side of him strangely attractive. The quiet and powerful type.
She gaped in surprise when the sink opened up and a huge hole appeared.
Before she could call him back, he leapt inside. Bellatrix was shocked. "Is he mad?" She questioned herself. She walked in and peered at the edge of the hole.
A deep pit. Very deep pit.
Bellatrix eyed the hole warily. She didn't know what was inside and it wasn't her tendency to jump into things without thinking.
"I will kill you if anything happens to me, Harry. Stupid Gryffindor idiot." She grumbled and jumped down the tunnel.
She screamed as she slid down the slimy path and landed in a heap on what seemed like grime. "Eek.." She felt as if her stomach wanted to empty. She flicked her wand and cleaned off all the slime of her body.
She then started walking into a tunnel. That was the only way forward. She lit her wand and muttered a spell. The light left her wand and floated next to her, seemingly bigger and brighter.
Bellatrix was extremely proud of this spell. It was her creation after all. She loved Spell crafting, her Aunt Cassieopia who is the only master of the art in all of Britain had taught her a few things. If there was anything she loved more than dueling, it was spell crafting.
She walked carefully through the tunnel and suddenly, was pushed against the wall and a wand was pointed at her face. She was faced with a familiar pair of green eyes. Harry noticed who it was and let her go before she was pulled to the side, behind a fallen rock.
"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed, glaring at the girl.
Bellatrix glared back. "Well excuse me. I thought that my cousin was in trouble when he barged into me and knocked me off my feet and ran into a girl's bathroom and jumped into a pit." She bit back.
Harry sighed. "Ok fine, but you still should have not followed me," Harry explained. Bellatrix shook her head, not bothering to answer.
"What is this place?" She asked, looking around. Harry shushed her and pointed to a girl standing in front of a door.
"Bones?" She questioned quietly. "What is she doing here?" She asked.
"Bellatrix. Please leave. It's very dangerous." Harry begged the girl.
Bellatrix was now annoyed. Her temper rose very quickly.
"You think that I am some weak-willed girl? Do you think that I can't hold myself against danger?" She questioned furiously.
Harry sighed. She was truly very stubborn.
"But listen…." Bellatrix interrupted suddenly.
"I am coming with you, Harry. No questions. There is something creepy going on here." She snapped.
Harry shook his head and moved to the opened door, with Bellatrix following him.
They silently crept towards Amelia Bones. She was stiff. Too stiff for her liking. Bellatrix instantly knew something was wrong with her.
"Why are we creeping behind her?" She asked Harry. "We need a diary." Bellatrix frowned. "What are.., .." She stopped when she heard another hissing noise.
Her neck snapped towards Bones.
"She is a parselmouth?" Bellatrix whispered furiously, but Harry didn't answer.
A stunning spell left her wand before she could see and Bones dropped onto the floor. The diary tumbled from her hand and fell to the ground. Harry got up from his hiding place and walked to the fallen girl.
Harry took the fallen book and observed it front and back. Bellatrix watched as Harry smiled. She did agree to the fact that he looked extremely handsome if he smiled.
"What is it?" She questioned, eyeing the book curiously. Harry waved the book in his hand.
"A very dangerous artifact." He ground out.
He placed the book on the floor and raised his wand when he heard a hiss.
Harry paled at the noise.
"Oh fuck." He grumbled before pulling the book away from the floor and dragged Bellatrix with him and floated Amelia behind.
"Listen. I told you to get away, but you wouldn't listen. That sound, it's a basilisk." He explained and Bellatrix dropped her wand in shock.
"What?" She sputtered. Harry nodded.
"I am sorry. But I have to do this." He raised his wand.
Before Bellatrix could speak, Harry had bound her.
She struggled against the bonds.
"Harry. Potter! What the fuck are you doing?" She screamed.
"Forgive me for this, Bellatrix." He whispered. He crouched next to her.
"Listen." He whispered. She continued struggling.
"Bellatrix. Please listen to me." Harry requested the girl.
The girl stopped but was glaring daggers at the boy.
"They are extremely strong in sensing people. I am a Parselmouth. I can speak to it without killing myself. The same cannot be said for you too." He explained.
"So here is what I will do." He started.
"Wait till I speak to the damn thing. If it goes out of hand, Hedwig will be here to help me." He explained.
"Wait for me to take its eyes out. If I do, I will free you of the body bind. Until then, you will be like this and will be silenced." He muttered, his eyes flitted to the mouth of the huge face of Salazar Slytherin.
It was for the first time that Bellatrix noticed that. "We are in the chamber of secrets aren't we?" She asked.
Harry nodded."How did you even know it exists?" Harry questioned. Bellatrix shook her head.
"It's a legendary story in the Slytherin House that tells you that there is this place in Hogwarts. The Parseltongue and Basilisk made sense. It was easy to put two and two together." She answered.
Harry got up. "Be careful." She whispered as he flicked his wand and started to silence the girl. Harry nodded and turned back to the entrance, just in time.
Harry had read about it constantly. The moment he had decided to fight the thing, he had tried to gather some knowledge that would be decisive against the thing.
The majestic creature of legend slithered out of its nest and hissed dangerously.
"Alright. Let's see what you have to say."
"Stopppp." He hissed. The snake didn't bother and lunged at him. Harry conjured a rock and threw it at its face and dived away.
"Hedwig." With a flash, his loyal familiar had arrived and immediately got to work in aiding her master. She flew towards the eye of the beast and clawed at the beast, causing it to roar in pain and fury. The basilisk shrieked and thrashed around violently. Its tail striking all over the place, bringing down rocks on itself and Harry.
Harry narrowly managed to jump away from the shower of boulders but two managed to graze his upper left arm and right leg.
Harry grunted in pain and screamed as his feet got stuck in the heap of boulders. "Damn it." He gritted as he tried to pull his leg, but it was well and truly stuck. His upper leg was probably fractured and now one of his feet was stuck.
Harry would have tried to use a healing spell, but they need extreme concentration. A healing spell used wrong will permanently damage the affected area.
He watched as Hedwig tore its eye apart. The eyes of the basilisk closed and it started bleeding. Harry took this as a chance. He blasted a few rocks near him and banished a few of them to the basilisk.
He started to attack the beast. He sent two piercing hexes at its open mouth, which hit the roof of the basilisk's mouth. With its eyes blinded and its mouth damaged, he sent forth a flurry of spells. A blasting curse, a ribbon-cutting curse, a bludgeoning curse. With his other hand, he freed the bound Bellatrix.
The basilisk had now been injured pretty badly. It was thrashing around the place weakly. Harry fell to his knees.
"Bellatrix." He called the girl who started to clear the boulders around him.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Harry waved her off. " I will be fine. Conjure a quill and write a letter to Gringotts." He instructed the girl to write it down.
Hedwig flashed away with the letter and Bellatrix helped clear the mess around him. The snake was hissing pathetically.
She made to take his arm but Harry screamed in pain.
"Sorry. Sorry." She apologized. "It's fractured, Harry." She said as she ran a few diagnosis spells. "Cissy is good with this stuff," Bellatrix grumbled.
Hedwig flashed back and dropped a package on the floor. Harry grimaced as he whispered a numbing spell on his leg.
He dragged his leg and limped pathetically towards the now almost dead Basilisk.
"Harry. Tell me what to do?" Bellatrix stopped him. Harry didn't reply.
He removed the package and brought up a dagger. Harry had a reason for this. He couldn't carry a basilisk fang on him every time. He had this dagger made by the goblins and he sent Hedwig to get it.
The goblin forged steel tended to take in or absorb material stronger than itself. There was no material as potent and dangerous as basilisk venom.
He dragged himself to the dying basilisk and shoved his dagger into the roof of its mouth. The place which contains the venom sacs.
The basilisk didn't have any more power left to struggle. It hissed painfully before falling limp. His spells had already made all the necessary damage to the internal organs of the beast.
Harry collapsed on the ground. His leg was no longer able to support him.
Bellatrix crouched next to the fallen boy.
She was about to speak when they heard a groan from nearby.
"She is waking up." Bellatrix pointed out.
---&&&-----
Amelia Bones woke up with a pounding headache. She didn't remember anything. Her mind was blank. She cleared her eyes and noticed that she wasn't in her dorm.
She panicked a little bit. She then remembered her brother's words.
'Always stay calm while on unfamiliar grounds. Losing cool leads to problems.' He had said.
Her brother was celebrated around the Ministry of Magic. Edgar Bones was one of the best Aurors to be graduated from the academy. He was trained and approved by Alastor Moody himself.
Amelia was extremely proud of her brother. She was brought up by him. She had lost her parents when she was twelve. He had been her rock and her support. He taught her everything.
Amelia was a loner. She had no friends. She longed for friends, but she was shy. That was when she came across a book. Riddle had become her friend when nobody had even bothered to speak more than two sentences with her. So glad she was that she had someone to speak her heart out to, she didn't realize that she was making a huge mistake.
All purebloods were warned in their childhoods to never listen to magical objects that can think or speak for themselves. That was exactly the opposite of what Amelia did.
She had flashes of this place, but she couldn't place it. She was wide awake now. She stood up and turned around before freezing in her place.
"Bones." Bellatrix sneered. "Nice of you to join us." She spat sarcastically.
"Come and see your handiwork." Bellatrix motioned the entire room.
Amelia stood shell shocked as she witnessed the carnage in front of her. The dead beast, the caved roof of the chamber and the majestic statue of someone who looked suspiciously of Salazar Slytherin.
Amelia then let her eyes fall on Harry. The various cuts and the resulting blood on his body was a dead giveaway as to what had happened. She felt ashamed of herself. She wanted the earth to swallow her as a whole. She started wringing her hands and shuffling on her feet.
Tears flowed freely through her eyes. She started to choke on her breath. "I am sorry." She apologized. "I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry." She kept on repeating.
She looked up from her hands when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the burning eyes of Harry Potter. She immediately averted her gaze and shuffled on her feet again.
"I really can't stand up. My leg is pretty much bashed up. Let's sit down, shall we?" Harry dropped to the floor and patted the spot next to him.
Amelia slowly complied with his wish, not wanting to anger the young man. His temper was legendary around Hogwarts.
"Tell me, Amelia. You don't have a lot of friends do you?" He questioned. The bright red-haired girl nodded glumly.
Harry smiled kindly at the girl.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Amelia. I could see it in your eyes. The very same eyes that I had for the past fifteen years." He explained.
Amelia was shocked. "But...but you are very outgoing and popular and famous." She whispered.
"No, Amelia. I was privately tutored for many years and I was taken away when I was one. I grew up alone and without anybody to rely on. I was a loner. I had no one to speak to. Play with or even laugh with." He explained to the still shocked girl.
"I better than many understand the loneliness that you put up with." He said.
"Tom Riddle took advantage of this vulnerability." He explained.
"Who is Tom Riddle?" Amelia questioned curiously.
"Lord Voldemort." He answered.
Amelia to his pleasant surprise didn't flinch.
"You aren't afraid of his name." She nodded.
"Edgar has taught me to never fear a name," Amelia explained.
"And Edgar is?"
Amelia smiled. "My brother." She replied with pride.
She then frowned.
"After everything I put you through, why are you even speaking to me?" She questioned and Harry didn't miss the underlying prayer in her voice.
Harry smiled at the girl. "I won't abandon a friend, just because she made a mistake." He answered and Harry almost chuckled at her wide eyes and hopeful expression.
"What?" She muttered.
"I won't abandon a friend just because a mistake happened, Amelia. We correct each other's mistakes and move on." Harry said.
Amelia had never been happier in her life. She finally had a friend. Harry pointed to the diary that lay abandoned on the floor. He handed Amelia the dagger.
"Destroy it." He instructed. "That will help you fight your demons. Just go ahead and stab it." He instructed.
Amelia took the dagger from harry. She slowly kneeled in front of the diary. She looked back at Harry in uncertainty. Harry just gave her a thumbs up.
Amelia gathered her breath and stabbed the diary with the dagger. An ear-splitting scream ricocheted off the walls of the chamber as black smoke rose out of the
Diary.
The smoke slowly turned into the form of her brother. Amelia could only stare at the now new projection of her brother.
"Shame on you, Amelia Bones. You aren't deserving." He spoke.
An old couple stood before her now.
"We raised you better, Amelia. You are no daughter of ours. You are a disgrace." The older man spat.
Harry was surprised when the next projection was of him.
"You are pathetic, Bones. I don't even know why I bothered to be your friend. You are weak. You don't deserve to have friends." Distorted Harry spoke.
Amelia faltered but pushed on. She let her eyes fall on the original harry. He smiled at her and nodded. That was all the motivation she needed. She brought the dagger down with ferocity and anger and stabbed the diary repeatedly.
Another ear-splitting scream was heard before a black inky substance rose from the diary and exploded into pieces. Amelia dropped the dagger and collapsed onto her knees. What the diary had shown were her worst fears. The disappointment of her brother. Her parents are ashamed of her. The last one was a surprise to her as well. That particular scene brought about anger inside Amelia. The fact that she had no friends hit her home hard and painfully. That memory almost had her losing any and every hope at happiness.
She slowly stood up and rushed towards Harry and captured him in a hug.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Harry smiled into the girl's head. "You are welcome. It was you that did all the hard work. I was just a bystander." He said.
He grimaced again as he left the hug.
"If it's not a bother, let's get back. I am dead on my feet." He grimaced once more as a wave of pain hit him.
He motioned Bella to join him. Harry summoned Hedwig and the three were taken away from the chamber in a flash.
----&&&&-----
The three flashed into the second floor bathroom and froze. Harry was standing face to face with an irate looking Dorea.
That's not all. An annoyed Charlus Potter and worried James and Sirius.
One look at his mother's eyes and Harry didn't look up. He just stood, awaiting her words.
Dorea noticed the state of Harry. Her brain was screaming to slap some sense into the boy, but her maternal instincts won out.
"Hospital wing. Now." She ordered.
Harry wanted to say something but his mother's glare silenced him.
"Not a single word, Harry Potter. Not a word." She growled.
"Hedwig. Get him to Poppy." She ordered and the Phoenix disappeared with Harry.
Dorea rounded Bellatrix.
"You. I expected better from you." She growled and Bellatrix had the decency to look ashamed.
"Sorry." She muttered.
Dorea sighed. "What happened?" She questioned. "Why is he injured?" She added.
Bellatrix went on to explain everything that happened to her aunt and uncle. She hoped against hope that Harry had not been injured too much. The two almost looked like they would blow up things in rage.
"That silly boy." Dorea hissed as she swiftly left towards the Hospital Wing.
"He is in big trouble, isn't he?" Amelia questioned James.
"Nah," James assured the girl with a smile.
"Mom loves the git a lot. But being alone for all these years, he doesn't realize until the last moment that there are people who love him and would stand by him.
Mom will surely chew his head off, but he will learn. He is a good boy, my brother." James announced proudly.
"Come on. I got to see Harry being on the receiving end of Aunt Dorea's rant." Sirius smirked gleefully and left the bathroom towards the Hospital wing.
---&&&---
The group came upon a patched up Harry who was gulping down potion after potion being shoved down his throat by Madam Pomfrey.
Harry gagged on the taste of the potions.
"Please stop it. It's disgusting." He grimaced at the foul taste in his mouth.
"Please be quiet, Mr Potter." Poppy grumbled as she went about waving her wand.
"I don't know why the youngsters these days are so reckless." She muttered.
"You will not strain yourself for two weeks, Mr Potter. After that, you can get back to your activities one by one. But no strenuous activities." She said and Harry nodded.
"Would you give us a moment, Poppy?" Dorea requested her old friend.
"Sure Dorea." The aged matron walked out of the room.
"I am sorry, Mum," Harry whispered.
Dorea sat down on the bed next to Harry.
"I am fed up with telling you this, again and again, Harry. You are not alone anymore. How difficult is that to understand, Harry?" She questioned.
"I was worried sick when James called us and told us that you had disappeared." She sighed.
"Don't even get started about what you did. A basilisk. For Merlin's sake, Harry. Do you have an inkling of how dangerous they are? What were you thinking, rushing head first into a huge pit of all places?" She questioned.
"I had to. I couldn't sit quietly. Not when I had a chance to get to the bastard." Harry mumbled.
"And how is a very large and dangerous beast that can kill with it's sight, be linked with him?" She questioned.
"Horcrux." He whispered and Dorea reeled back in shock.
"He didn't…." She stammered but Harry nodded. "This was one of the Horcrux that I had previously come across." He continued in a low voice. Harry wasn't surprised that she knew about it. The Blacks were infamous for their knowledge of the dark arts.
Dorea composed herself from her shock.
"The basilisk?" She questioned.
"No. It was the guardian of the Chamber of Secrets." Harry shook his head.
"It was a diary. It was Lucius Malfoy who put it in Amelia's lap." Harry nodded to the girl.
Dorea couldn't fault him for what he did. She knew that he wouldn't sit back and let this happen.
"Next time you pull a stunt like this, please inform us. You will really hurt us if something happens to you, Harry. Don't forget that you have people for you." She hugged the boy close and kissed the top of his head.
Harry nodded into the hug. He will do very well to remember that.
TBC---------
