The Chamber of Secrets

"Wait, what are you doing? No, no!" Riddle yelled as Harry sunk the basilisk fang into the diary. Riddle screamed and held his chest as light began to escape his chest. Harry stuck the fang into the other side of the book and light began to escape Riddle's face. Harry closed the diary and sunk the fang into the cover. Riddle left out a final scream before he disappeared in a blinding ray of light. Then the chamber was silent except for the dripping of the fang and Ginny stirring a few feet away from him. Harry crawled over to her and she sat up.

"Harry, I'm so sorry! I opened the Chamber of Secrets and I attacked everyone. I swear it wasn't my fault though, Riddle made me do it! I tried to tell you at breakfast but I didn't want to say anything in front of Percy. I've looked forward to coming here ever since Bill came and now I'm going to be expelled! What are mom and dad going to say? Wait, where's Riddle and his giant snake? He was right here last thing I remembere he w" Ginny said, sobbing gently. Harry showed her the fang hole in the diary and pointed off toward the dead basilisk.

"They are both gone. They can't hurt you anymore" Harry told her.

"You probably hate me for this" Ginny cried, her tears falling freely down her face. Harry looked deep into her eyes before continuing.

"Ginny, please listen to me. I don't blame you for anything, but you need to get yourself out of this chamber. Follow the chamber back away from Slytherin's head and you'll find Ron" Harry said.

"Harry, you're hurt" Ginny whispered when she saw Harry's arm. At that note Fawkes came and landed on Harry's arm. The phoenix planted a few tears on Harry's arm and the wound on his arm disappeared. Harry stood up and pulled a crying Ginny into his arms and looked down at her.

"Ginny, don't worry, you're safe now" Harry told her.

"I'm going to be expelled" she cried.

"I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't" Harry promised. She didn't reply, but Harry stood up and helped her back to Ron and Lockhart. She was crying silently into Harry's shoulder the entire time, but she put on a brave face for Ron.

Ron ran up and hugged his sister warmly, not noticing her tears, but it seemed that he didn't notice anything wrong with her.

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, it does feel like we're stuck" Harry admitted.

"It's too steep to climb" Ron said.

"We could try levitating ourselves up" Harry suggested. They tried, and when that plan failed, they sat down to think. Fawkes had flown over and landed on Harry's shoulder again, but Harry didn't see anything about it.

"Harry, that's it! We can fly out!" Ron exclaimed.

"Don't tell me you think Fawkes can carry all of us out of here" Harry said, shaking his head.

"It's worth a try" Ron suggested.

"Alright, Fawkes can grab onto Lockhart's robes with his claws. Ron, you grab Lockhart's hand, I'll grab yours and Ginny will grab mine. Let's hope this works" Harry said.

"Harry, I don't think this is such a good idea" Ginny whispered.

"Don't worry, I'll hold onto you. No harm will come to you" Harry promised.

"You promise?" Ginny asked, looking at her feet.

"Yes, I promise no harm will come to you as long as I am here to protect you" Harry told her and she hugged him. Harry grabbed onto Ron's hand and Ron grabbed onto Lockhart's. Fawkes grabbed onto Lockhart's foot and they began to fly out of the chamber. Ginny's arms were locked around Harry's waist and she dug the side of her face into Harry's stomach. She was looking up at Harry with envy, but still had tears in her eyes. Harry gave a small smile at her when they got up into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"You're back" Myrtle said, looking exasperated.

"Don't sound so disappointed" Harry said, smirking.

"Well I was just thinking that if you hadn't come back, you were welcome to share my toilet" Myrtle said. Harry looked over in horror at Ron and scowled when Ron laughed.

"Harry, I think Myrtle has grown fond of you. Look out Ginny, you've got competition" Ron said. Harry rolled his eyes and looked down at Ginny's tear stroked face. She didn't seem to realize what was being said in the bathroom about her crush on Harry.

They walked out of the bathroom and up toward Dumbledore's office.

"Sherbet Lemon" Harry said. The gargoyle opened and Harry led Ginny, Ron, and Lockhart up to Dumbledore's office.

He knocked on the door and let go of Ginny.

"Come in" Dumbledore called.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screamed when they got into the office. She had been crying in front of the fire, but when Ginny came in, she and Mr. Weasley jumped at their daughter.

Harry, however, wasn't looking at them. He was looking across the desk where Professor Dumbledore was sitting there with beaming eyes and Professor McGonagall was sitting, clutching her chest and letting out some strained breaths.

But Harry didn't look at them for long, because he was taken off his feet literally by Mrs. Weasley.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"I think we'd all like to know that" Professor McGonagall said.

Harry took a deep breath and told them all about how he had been hearing voices. He told them how Hermione had found out about the Basilisk using the pipes as transportation. He told them how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest and how Aragog told them about Hagrid's innocence and where the last victim of the basilisk had died. He told them about he and Ron had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in the bathroom she refused to leave.

"Very well, you found the entrance while breaking over 100 school rules in the process. Now please tell us all how on earth you got out of there alive, Potter" McGonagall said when Harry paused.

Harry had been talking for nearly 20 minutes, but he continued anyways. He told them about Fawkes' timely arrival and the sorting hat giving him the sword. But then he faltered. He had not mentioned Riddle's diary or Ginny yet, but he was running out of time. Ginny was standing by the fireplace with her head on her mother's shoulder, tears still flowing freely down her face. Harry was panicking. He didn't want Ginny to get expelled but with Tom Riddle's diary being destroyed, there was no way to prove that he had been the one who forced her to do everything.

Harry instinctively looked up and Dumbledore who smiled slightly, the firelight glowing off his glasses.

"What interests me the most is how Lord Voldemort was able to enchant Ginny when my sources tell me he is hiding in the forests of Albania" Dumbledore said.

"What? You know who enchanting Ginny? What are you talking about?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"It was this diary. Riddle wrote in it when he was 16" Harry said, tossing the diary to Dumbledore.

"But what does that have to do with Ginny?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I've been writing in it all year" Ginny sobbed.

"I wrote in it as well. So any punishment that Ginny goes through will have to be taken out on me as well" Harry said before anybody else could say anything.

"You realize that you could very well be getting expelled. Don't you realize that, Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"I know what I have to go through. Ginny won't go through it alone" Harry promised.

"That is a very noble action, Harry, but it is unnecessary. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort. Now, I think it would be wise for Ms. Weasley to be taken by her parents up to the hospital wing. Ron, go with your parents and sister" Dumbledore said. They all left before Dumbledore turned to Harry and Lockhart.

"What happened to Lockhart?" McGonagall asked.

"He tried to use a memory charm on me and Ron's wand backfired" Harry explained.

"Well, Minerva, will you take Professor Lockhart to the hospital wing? I presume he will need to be sent to St. Mungo's soon. I must speak to Harry privately" Dumbledore said. Harry watched the door close and he gulped when Dumbledore looked down at him calmly.

"Well Harry, I told you that if you broke any more rules that I would have to expel you. But I guess this proves that even the best of us can eat our words. You and Mr. Weasley will receive special awards for services to the school. Now that that is over, I want to thank you. You must have shown me great loyalty down in the Chamber when you met Tom Riddle. That is the only thing that could have called Fawkes to you" Dumbledore said. Harry grinned when Dumbledore stroked the Phoenix.

"Riddle said I was like him. But I don't think I'm like him at all. I mean, I'm in Gryffindor and he's in Slytherin. How are we alike?" Harry asked.

"Tom Riddle admires many characteristics about you, Harry. Along with being able to speak Parseltongue, which is Salazar Slytherin's gift himself, you have resourcefulness, determination, and of course, just like your father, a certain disregard for the rules. Yet the sorting hat placed you in Gryffindor, and I think you know why" Dumbledore said.

"It only put me in Gryffindor because I asked not to be put in Slytherin" Harry told him.

"Exactly, it is your choices that set you apart from Tom Riddle. But if you need proof that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you take a closer look at this" Dumbledore said, handing Harry the sword.

"Godric Gryffindor" Harry whispered.

"Only a true Gryffindor could pull that out of the hat" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. Harry nodded and he turned his head when Lucius Malfoy entered the room with Dobby in tow.

Harry proceeded to free Dobby before he went to the feast. The feast lasted all night and all exams were canceled, but other than that, the rest of the term went pretty much calmly.

Ginny, however, still wasn't speaking much and she wasn't hanging out anywhere near anybody except for Harry. Even with Harry, she didn't say much, at least until the train ride home.

Back on the train home, Ginny and Harry were sitting across from Ron and Hermione. Ginny was sitting right next to Harry, her head on his shoulder while Ron and Hermione kept their distance from each other on the other bench.

Suddenly the door opened and Malfoy came into the compartment.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron demanded.

"I just heard the rumors about the Heir of Slytherin dating the youngest Weasley" Malfoy said.

"They are not dating!" Hermione snapped.

"Ah, well I guess that shouldn't surprise me. Even Potter can do better" Malfoy said, smirking lightly.

At that comment, Harry stood up and walked over to Malfoy. Ginny tried to stop him, but he shook his arm free of her grip.

"Get out" Harry hissed.

"Make me" Malfoy told him. They stared into each other's eyes, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Harry backed away a few steps and Malfoy laughed.

"Well, I guess that proves it. Look Weasley, if you want a real man, come to my compartment" Malfoy said, winking at Ginny. Harry had enough and he punched Malfoy right in the jaw as hard as he could. Malfoy crumbled to the ground outside the compartment in front of Crabbe and Goyle. Harry slammed the door before moving back to his seat next to Ginny.

"Nice punch" Ron commented.

"I'm generally opposed to violence, but I'm willing to make an exception in this case" Hermione said, smiling slightly.

"I have to say, Malfoy definitely had that one coming" Ron said.

"Ron, Hermione, can we speak to you for a moment?" Fred asked.

"It is very important. By the way, nice punch, Harry" George said. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and they followed Fred and George out of the room. When they were all out of sight, Ginny looked up at Harry.

"Thank you, Harry" Ginny whispered.

"Thank me for?" Harry asked.

"Thank you for defending me" Ginny said softly, looking down.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I just never thought that you would be willing to defend me. I thought I was just somebody you never wanted to be around, somebody you would never notice" Ginny said softly, not gazing up from the ground. Harry put his hand on her cheek and forced her to look into his eyes.

"I don't want to ever hear you say that, Ginny. I know you are a little torn up about what happened this year, but if you ever need anybody to talk to, you can write to me. I would love to talk to you" Harry told her.

"You don't need to do that for me. I don't want to waste your time" Ginny said, looking anywhere but in Harry's eyes.

"Ginny, don't even say that. I don't want you to look down on yourself because of this. I don't care what happened this year. I still want to be your friend" Harry told her.

"How can you not blame me for this? I almost got you killed!" Ginny said, crying softly into Harry's shoulder.

"Ginny, it wasn't your fault that this happened. It's mine" Harry told her.

"How is it your fault?" Ginny asked.

"Voldemort attacked you because you are my best friend's little sister. If I wasn't around, you wouldn't have been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, Ron wouldn't have broken his wand, and Voldemort wouldn't be near any of you! Without me, everybody would be safe, and none of this would have happened" Harry told her.

"Maybe that is true, but Voldemort would still be killing everyone, and he wouldn't have disappeared. So you saved the entire Wizarding World" Ginny said, wiping her tears.

"It seems like we both have some guilt to work out. Maybe we can work it out over summer" Harry told her.

"I'd like that" Ginny said, smiling. Without thinking, she pulled him into a hug, and he hugged her back. But neither of them noticed Ron and Hermione come into the compartment.

"What's that about?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing" Ginny said, letting go of Harry and looking down at her feet. Harry sensed her embarrassment and decided to change the subject.

"So what did Fred and George want?" Harry asked.

"Oh, they just wanted to know if Ron and I are involved in a relationship" Hermione said, blushing deeply.

"About time you two got together" Harry said, winking.

"Look, the chances of Hermione and I getting together are about the chances of you and Ginny getting together, mate" Ron told him.

"So that must be a guarantee" Ginny said, grabbing Harry's hand. Ron looked like he had a heart attack, Hermione's mouth was hanging open, and Harry was looking down at Ginny with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. At that, Ginny burst out laughing.

"You should have seen your faces! Your reactions were priceless" Ginny said through her laughs.

"Don't even joke about that" Ron whispered.

"Who said she was joking?" Harry asked, winking at Ginny.

Harry and Ginny burst out laughing at Ron's face before looking at each other to share the same thought.

It was going to be a fun summer.

Author's Note: Well there you go. This story won't follow the official story perfectly, but it will still be a HP/GW and RW/HG story. Read and Review and tell me how I can improve. Thank you all!