A/N: This is it, the end. Finite. It'll be at least a month before I post Jamie Snape and the Prisioner of Azkaban, cause that one's a work in progress, but if it's any consolation, Jamie Snape and the Goblet of Fire will be done by the time that one is and be posted faster. Stay tuned!

Warnings: Blood.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything affiliated.

Jamie Snape and the Chamber of Secrets

Original Dark Angel

The shattering of the little glass, light-filled sphere echoed in Draco's ears as the second worst sound he'd ever heard, just under the sound of his father's voice. He knew right off that their chances of survival had diminished greatly. Jamie was useless in the dark, just another liability. He heard a splash as his friend fell forward into the puddle, undoubtedly curling into a ball and shaking. A low keening sound filled the Chamber, and something inside Draco flamed up. "Some all-powerful sorcerer!" he shouted rashly. "Having to play off the fears of a little boy!"

"Hold your tongue!"
"You can't even bring yourself back without the magical energy of the littlest Weasley kid. You're pathetic."

A blast of force knocked him backward and Tom Riddle advanced on him. "And what of you little Malfoy? You who have nothing and no one, no love. No loyalty. How pathetic is that?"

"I'm loyal to Jamie and he's loyal to Snape and Dumbledore," he spat. "You're afraid of both. I mean, yeah, Dumbledore is more powerful than you, but you're really afraid of Snape, because not only is he talented at Spying and Potions, but more importantly, he loves Jamie. Jamie is his kid! Snape takes care of him and will fight you to the death to protect him and that's what cost you your power the first time!"

"Snape had yet to be born in my time and I will deal with his traitorous ways when I return to power."

"I won't let that happen," Draco growled, tightening his fingers around a rock, silently chanting, "Go ahead. Turn your back on me. I'm just a cripple after all."

"Should I set the basilisk on you first, little Malfoy? Or shall I make you watch your friend's death first. Slytherin, greatest of-" Tom had finally turned his back on Draco and when the rock hit him in the head, he spun back around.

"He's my brother, and you'll have to go through me," Draco growled decidedly, reaching out for the other boy's robes and pulling him closer. He saw Riddle touch his head and draw away bloodstained fingers. "And you're not invulnerable."

"No, but neither is little Ginny," he taunted. In horror, Draco saw blood on the ground, under Ginny's head. "Our physical health is linked, until the energy transfer is complete."

A phoenix was singing. Draco recognized the sound, and it was coming closer. The bird alighted on his head and dropped a frayed piece of fabric in his lap. Picking it up, he recognized it as the Sorting Hat. As the bird flew around the room once more, he recognized it as Fawkes, Dumbledore's familiar. "Great. Now the old coot sends me a riddle." He groaned inwardly at the inadvertent pun.

"Excellent, Malfoy. Let's see how you intend to take out the greatest wizard of all time with a pretty bird and an old hat."

"I couldn't," Draco snapped. "But I'm not trying to take out Dumbledore, I just have to take out you." He jammed the hat on his head, but the voice was mysteriously silent, so he ripped it off again. Didn't muggles think that magic was pulling things out of a hat? Dumbledore would have loved that idea. Draco slipped his hand into the hat, and felt around. Moments later Draco felt something heavy land in the hat and pulled out a long narrow fencing foil, perfectly balanced. If he could move, than it would be an easy thing for him to handle. He had been in training since he was eight. What good would it do a cripple?

"Nice sword, brat. Pity you can't use it. Pity you're a useless, crippled, disowned, mudblood-lover, unworthy of bearing Slytherin's sword."

"It's called a foil, you idiot. Even I know that," Jamie rose unsteadily to his feet. "And my brother isn't useless. He's worth a thousand of you. You see, I may be the Gryffindor with the reckless bravery, but he's the Slytherin. He's got the plan." He took the hat from Draco and moved to face the blinded basilisk. He slowly withdrew a ruby-encrusted broadsword. "Now, this is a sword." Jamie swung the blade and followed through with a flip over the lashing tail.

Draco was shocked. Jamie trusted him enough to get them out of here alive? He'd normally be pretty pleased with himself, but there was one problem. He had no plan. "Improvise, Draco. You're on the right track or the founders wouldn't have given you the foil. There must be a reason you received it. Think. Jamie is fighting the basilisk. Riddle's open but hurting him will hurt Ginny. My assets are a hat, a fencing foil, and the bloody diary that Riddle . . . that Riddle is still partially trapped in until Ginny dies." He raised the foil and slammed it across the book. It was so razor-sharp that it cut through the pages like butter and black ink gushed over his hands.

With a scream, Riddle turned on him, fading as Draco held up the two halves of the book still spurting ink. With one final scream, Riddle disappeared. Draco whipped around to see how Jamie was faring with the basilisk. The snake lay in a still heap, and Jamie was stumbling towards him. The smaller boy fell as he reached him. Draco pulled Jamie over. "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Jamie cocked his head. "Thing bit me, Dray."

Fawkes landed on Draco's shoulder before the blonde boy could react, and began crying over Jamie. "Thanks, Fawkes. Please work. Please work." The wound closed up right in front of him and Jamie flexed his arm experimentally. "Cool. How'd he do that?"

"Phoenix tears have magical healing powers. Why do you think they're an ingredient in so many healing potions?" Draco was surprised when the bird landed on the ground and butted his hand with its crested head. He lifted it and surveyed the long scratch across his palm. "That rock I threw at him had a sharp edge."

Jamie held up his own hand. A diagonal scrape ran across it. "I almost fell when I was on the statue so I grabbed its nose. Didn't work exactly the way I planned. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Blood brothers?"

Jamie grinned and grabbed his hand. "Harry James Potter-Snape. Nice to meet you, big brother."

"Draco Alexander Malfoy, soon to be Malfoy-Snape. Same to you, little brother."

Trilling a note that sounded like the phoenix was put out with their silly antics, Fawkes wept over their joined hands and they healed up except for a tiny scar in the shape of a teardrop in the center of their respective left palms.

When they looked up, they were surprised to see Ginny staring at them wide-eyed. "Is he gone?"

"Yeah." Jamie went over and gave her a hand up. "Are you okay?"

Ginny burst into tears. "You both almost died! And it was all my fault!'

"No it wasn't," Draco scoffed. The ground wasn't the most comfortable place to be sitting and there was a rock poking his leg that was starting to hurt. "He was possessing you. He's the one who killed the first chicken and the last one too. He painted the messages and petrified people. It wasn't your fault, Ginny. Now come on. Your brother's frantic and we left him back with idiotic Lockhart after the cave in." The rock was really starting to get on Draco's nerves. It was sharp. Wait. "Jamie! I can feel my legs!"

"What?" Jamie splashed over to him. "Are you sure?"

"No, Jamie. I just thought I felt a zillion rocks poking into my useless legs," Draco replied sarcastically. "Yes!"

Jamie hauled him to his feet with Ginny's help and Draco wobbled forward two steps before his knees gave out, not that Jamie let him hit the floor. "Well, that will make it easier to get out of here, because the crutches? Not so helpful after the cave in and the basilisk conspired to crush them."

With one on each side, they made it back to the rock wall relatively quickly. "Dad's going to kill us," Jamie muttered as he helped Ginny through the space Ron had made. Ron practically dragged her through, and it was a minute before he turned around to help Draco.

"Murder's a distinct possibility. I'd rather be grounded for eternity though." Draco handed Ginny the sorting hat, diary, and weapons. "You go up with Lockhart first. I think Fawkes will give you a ride."

Moments later they were back in the girls bathroom with an offended Myrtle. After reassuring her that everything was fine, and that they were sorry not to have died while down there, they emerged and headed straight for the Headmaster's Office. As Ron snickered; "I'd be honored that she wants my company if she had been the least bit particular about who she wanted to spend eternity with. She didn't care which of us died as long as she had someone to share the toilet with."

Ginny was not amused. "Am I going to be expelled?"

"No way," Jamie reassured her. He was on one side of Draco, with Ron on the other. "It was all Riddle's doing."

"But he isn't in the diary anymore. What if they think I'm making it all up?"

"They won't. I promise," Draco reassured. "They can't call all of us liars. Especially Jamie and me. We'd just have to write a letter to the Daily Prophet and the public would be outraged."

A tiny glimmer of a smile appeared on Ginny's face only to disappear as the gargoyles loomed ahead of them. Before they could start guessing sweets, the stone guardians parted and they stepped on the winding stairway.

Inside the office, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk with Percy, Fred, and George. They immediately tackled Ginny and Ron, while Professor Snape had Jamie in his arms before the door shut. All in all, it was a good thing that Draco was only two steps away from a vacant seat. He calmly took a seat and acknowledged the Headmaster's wink (he wasn't really surprised to see the old man there) by placing the weapons, the hat, and the diary halves on the desk before him. Fawkes flew to his perch and began singing. Everyone immediately quieted and found a seat. Professor Snape slid into the seat next to Draco with Jamie in his lap. Glancing from the door to Draco, the man raised an eyebrow. Draco grinned and pointed at Fawkes. The potionsmaster nodded and returned his attention to the Headmaster.

Ron started the story, explaining how they found Hermione's clue and overheard the Professors, gone to get Draco and cornered Professor Lockhart when he tried to leave. He explained about the Girls Bathroom and the Opening to the Chamber, Professor Lockhart's memory charm and the cave in.

Draco explained about Tom Riddle, the basilisk, Fawkes, the sorting Hat, and the weapons. Jamie supplementing the information. They left out the parts about Jamie being bitten by the basilisk (the adults didn't need a stroke upon everything else) and their blood brothers ritual or Draco's miraculous recovery (that could wait until they were alone with Snape and Dumbledore).

Finally Ginny stuttered out the story about the diary and how she came by it. She was crying by the end, and curled up in her father's lap to hide her face. Dumbledore looked very grave. "I do apologize, Miss Weasley. It is a highly unpleasant thing to come across a horrible memory, and to have come across the one you did, I can only regret not realizing and intervening sooner. You have a right to know, all of you that Tom Marvolo Riddle became Lord Voldemort."

Draco and Jamie shrugged nonchalantly while all of the Weasleys gasped in horror. "Riddle told us that in the chamber. Bit of a nasty shock, I might add," Draco commented dryly.

Ron glared at him. "Nasty shock? It's horrible!"

"No, it isn't. At least now there's only one evil wizard Lord in the world. If Riddle had been somebody else and then there were two of them, well, I think I would move to another planet right quickly. I understand from Jamie, that the muggles have some technology that could pull that off. With a little boost of magic . . ." he trailed off. "Sorry, off topic."

Arthur Weasley grinned at him. "No, no. I've heard of the same wonderful things. Rocket ships, I do believe that they are called. Marvelous things. Must try one someday."

Dumbledore cut in smoothly. "I do believe that Miss Weasley has been through enough tonight, and should go up to the hospital wing to be checked over. Then she may return for the feast."

"Feast, Headmaster?" Snape inquired.

"How could we not celebrate such an event? I do believe that Madame Pomfrey has just administered the restorative to the petrified victims. We will celebrate this in fine style. I must run Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary as well, he does seem awfully quiet, something must have struck him quite odd. I shall see you all at the feast, and I do believe that I will be having a word with you and your boys tomorrow morning, if you'll join me here for breakfast."

"We shall be delighted, Headmaster."

"Excellent. Excellent. Move along."

-----

Snape pulled his boys aside as soon as they left the office, catching Draco as the boy's knees gave out. He tapped his wand twice and conjured a new pair of crutches. Either that or he summoned a pair from his quarters. Draco didn't catch which. He nodded his thanks, and regained his footing. "Better than before," he shrugged. "So, feast?"

"Not so fast you two. I want a slightly more detailed account of why exactly you two went down into the Chamber alone, and how Fawkes healed you, Draco."

"We had to rescue Ginny," Draco offered with a pointed look. "And Fawkes cried over our hands, when Jamie and I swore a blood brothers oath."

Snape got his silent message, but Jamie turned around. "I don't need to be protected, Draco. I made the choice to go down to the chamber even though you warned me not to. And I had to. I'm the only parselmouth and without me no one could get in."

Snape looked first at Jamie and then at Draco. He nodded. "I'll ground you tomorrow. Go to the feast. The others will be down soon. Enjoy yourselves, because you're restricted to the grounds until Jamie's birthday."

"I can deal with that," Jamie shrugged. "Not much of a punishment, Dad."

"You've got another five years for me to make up for it. Now get out of my sight, before I give you detention until you graduate."

They didn't need to be told a second time.

-----

Hermione appeared half-way through the feast. In her eager congratulatory hug, she threw her arms not only around Ron and Jamie, but a very startled Draco as well.

He untangled himself as quickly as possible. "Are you feeling okay, Granger?"

"Never better," she chirped.

He wasn't the only one looking strangely at her now. "You hate me, Granger. I'm an evil Slytherin, remember?"

Hermione hung her head. "I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Draco glanced over at Jamie's elated expression. Of course that was all it took to get back in his good graces. He was a Gryffindor after all and too forgiving for his own good. But that was what Draco was here for; to use his cunning to protect Jamie from the ones who would take advantage of him. With any luck, Hermione would have truly learned her lesson and not fall into that category. He wouldn't count on it, but right now, it wouldn't do to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"As long as you're what's best for Jamie, it's forgotten," he stated calmly, offering one hand to shake. She accepted. Jamie's grin was worth it.

"So Hermione, did Dumbledore catch you up?" Ron asked curiously.

"No," she answered pleasantly. "So what did I miss?"

Ron grinned brightly. "You'll never guess who the Heir of Slytherin is!"

"Voldemort naturally," Hermione replied. "He's the only known parselmouth in the last century, besides Jamie of course."

Ron stared at her. "Well, we knew him by another name. See he used to be . . ."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, Class of 1949," Hermione answered promptly. "He used an anagram for his new alias."

Ron's mouth dropped. "Hermione? You're scary. Brilliant, but scary."

Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "How did you figure it out, Grange-I mean, Hermione?"

She had the good grace to blush. "I was trying to connect you to Riddle. I knew that I had seen those mannerisms before, and there's an old theory that when a person is reincarnated they bear a name made from the scrambled letters of the name of the previous incarnation. It came close, but there were a few discrepancies. I re-arranged the letters that were left over from his name and saw Lord V. I pulled out Lord Voldemort from Tom Marvolo Riddle with only three letters left over, which created the words I Am."

Draco nodded. "I think that Riddle would have liked the theory. He was reincarnating himself as a new person."

"Sort of like me?" Jamie inquired.

Draco shook his head, and messed up the disastrous nest his brother called hair. "You were Jamie all along. The rest of the world is just too blind to see it."

Jamie yelped and put both hands protectively over his hair. "As if it wasn't bad enough already, Dray. I'm gonna steal your hair gel for that."

"We've got all summer, Jamie-boy. All summer."

Jamie grinned. "Good, cause I've got big plans."

-----

Kings Cross was busy, and actually unnecessary, but Snape let them ride the train home anyway and met them at the station with the Weasley parents. He was conversing with them when he noticed a disturbance a short distance away. He abruptly halted the conversation and moved to his son's aid.

-----

Jamie felt a strong hand close over his shoulder and jerked away, turning to face his Uncle. Fear clutched at him as he stared in horror at the man. Draco rose to his feet unsteadily, not yet totally recovered from the spinal injury, but obviously was willing himself not to collapse. "Don't you dare touch him!"

Vernon raised a hand to backhand the boy out of his path, but Jamie grabbed at the beefy appendage and stopped him. "You can't hurt him. And you can't hurt me anymore, either!"

"And why not you little freak," the man asked in a dangerous tone.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore. You see, my dad's gonna kick your butt for threatening me and Dray. Look behind you."

Vernon turned to face an outraged Snape who punched the man square in the face, before turning to Petunia. "If any of yours come near my son again, I will turn you all into slimy creatures the like of which has never been seen before."

With a petrified squeak, Petunia clutched Dudley to her, but Vernon heaved to his feet and faced Snape. "The boy's our property! That Umbridge woman said so!"

"My son is no more your property than Buckingham Palace, Dursley. Anyone who says differently is lying." Snape calmly lifted Jamie onto his shoulders and walked away with one arm around Draco's shoulders.

"Bye, Dudley! I'm going to have the best summer!"

"Dead straight," Snape confirmed.

The End.