Chapter 16

"Regine isn't in the dormitory?" Anna Kowalski, Regine's roommate and the only person she considered her close friend in Hufflepuff, shook her head timidly. "Then where could she be?"

"I don't know. She isn't supposed to go anywhere, much less out of the dormitories. Professor Spout has warned us through and through that it's far too dangerous to just wander around the castle, but she's not here." Anna whimpered, a hint of panic creeping into her voice. "What should we do?"

Harry puckered his lips, scowling a little. Regine had been acting strangely, and she hadn't been herself. He had noticed her odd behavior ever since the Chamber of Secrets had been publicly opened. As to whatever was causing this anxiety, he had no idea, but he did know just how much she was affected by it. Sometimes, he could see the dark rings circling her eyes and she didn't seem to be eating well or paying any heed to her surroundings. Her behavior would only worsen whenever there was an attack and she would constantly be wary of those around her.

He looked up at the timid girl to see her now pacing to and fro, muttering fretfully to herself. It was clear she was awfully worried about Regine. Even though she was quite timid and bashful, Harry was thankful that she befriended Regine and gave her a shoulder to lean on. It would be awfully lonely if you didn't have a single friend in your house. And even Daphne, regardless of her aloofness and frostiness, had more luck compared to Regine in relation to friends. It proved that the girl in front of him was a true Hufflepuff.

"Don't worry, Kowalski, I'll find Regine and accompany her back. You just stay in your common room and wait for her there."

"Are you sure?" Harry nodded his head. "Alright, but please do be careful. I'm worried about Regine. She hasn't been herself lately."

Harry nodded and excused himself, swiftly departing and heading towards their private place by the lake, at the edge of the forest. If there was one location Regine would be, it was their special memorable spot. She was peaceful every time she was there. Harry felt an emptiness growing inside him as every hallway he turned was vacant. The corridors were usually crammed with students and faculty members, the halls were alive with their energy. Now, he was with the mere company of dusty walls, rusty suits of armor, and flickering torches of fire lining the walls.

Exiting the castle, he was greeted with a rush of wind. He looked up the clouds and sighed in contentment, embracing the breeze as it caressed his skin. In front of him, he could make out the large tree by the Great Lake and, with a jolt, he saw a flicker of scarlet hair. Without a second thought, his legs propelled his body in her direction. Harry's eyes softened as they took in the girl's slender figure and the way her gold-like eyes wandered over the lake. The water glistened under the scrutiny of the sun. Harry approached the figure by the water and knelt down next to her, situating his hand on her shoulder.

"Regine..." Harry murmured kindly.

The girl shifted her stare to him. "Hey, Harry..." She gave him a weak smile.

No words were needed as he joined her and sat down, fixing his eyes on the clouds, not minding the proximity of their bodies. His back was against the large tree. A comfortable silence settled as the wind playfully ruffled their hair and rustled their clothes. Harry was snapped from his reverie when he felt a petite figure lean into him, slipping between his legs and nestling against his chest. A head rested on his shoulder, and a sweet scent breached his nostrils. His face drowned in red at the intimate gesture.

"U-Um... R-Regine?" Harry stuttered. He suddenly realized that this was the third time, he had found himself in such situation as it has also happened with both Daphne and Sheila. "W-what are you doing?" Ignoring Harry, Regine draped his arms around her, snuggling comfortably into his chest. "Regine!"

"Please, Harry..." she choked out. "I just need... some comfort..."

At the sound of her anguished voice, he momentarily discounted their position from his mind. "Regine, tell me what's wrong. You know I won't judge you."

"I-I'm just afraid... Th-he thing... it's a B-Basilisk..." she whispered softly.

Then it hit him. "You know? You knew this whole time?" She nodded her head a bit too rapidly.

Of course, Harry had forgotten about her ability. No wonder she had been so restless. This explained it all.

"Shhh..." Harry comforted her, rubbing her shoulders tenderly. "It's okay..."

"No, it's not okay." She shook her head, vehemently restraining her sobs. "If I-I had told you all, then C-Callista wouldn't have..." Regine could no longer maintain her composure and her eyes became swamped in the ensuing tears.

"No," Harry said firmly. "You can't hold yourself responsible for any of the attacks."

"B-But-"

"No buts," he interrupted her. "It's okay to be afraid. There's nothing wrong with it. You were just too scared to say anything and that's all. What's more, you feel insecure of our friendships and you fear we'll abandon you just because you're unique. But Regine, we like you just the way you are, you know that," Harry chided her gently. "Being different from the others doesn't makes you a freak. In fact, you're a special and important person to ever attain such a gift. Don't ever doubt us again, understand?"

"O-Okay..." Unconsciously, Harry tightened his arms around her, holding her as she began to calm down. Realizing their position, tints of red surfaced on his cheeks, but he didn't dare push her away. She required all the comfort she could get.

They arrived in front of the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. Regine, having soothed her whirlwind of emotions, smiled at her friend. Smiling a little, Harry readied himself to get back to the Ravenclaw common room.

"Harry..." She reached out for his hand. "The Basilisk..."

"I told you not to worry about it. I already figure that the Basilisk was behind the attacks and I bet Callista found the answer months ago."

"It's not about that. It's something else." She was tentative. "Ever since the chamber has been opened, I've been hearing its voice... and it's full of a frightening bloodlust. Whenever I hear it, it gives me nightmares... It's almost as if it has lost all of its reason."

"Reason?"

"You have to understand, Harry," Regine said, her body shaking slightly as she gripped Harry's hand. "Every creature, vicious or not, has reason and the ability to think rationally. That's why Hagrid's dangerous creatures, like Fluffy for instance, don't run around harming people. If they don't have a logical thought process, their instinct will likely consume them, and it's never good if they fully submit to their primal impulses, especially if the creature in question is a dangerous animal. But this Basilisk has completely lost all of its reason. Now it's a just mindless beast, filled with a burning desire for blood...What I mean is, once a creature like Basilisk has lost all of its reason, it will just hunt and kill prey. But, this Basilisk..."

Harry mulled this over. "You're saying it's being controlled by someone?"

Regine chewed her bottom lip. "Possibly... That's also the only answer as to how the Basilisk knows its way around the castle. And if it's released, it will just continue attacking people until there is no prey left to hunt. That's the kind of instinct a beast like the Basilisk has. It is quite similar to Aragog but Aragog suppressed his instinct with his reason."

"I see... So, all the attacks up until now have been organized..."

Regine nodded. "It's no coincidence that all of the victims have been Muggleborns. Whoever the person controlling the Basilisk is, he or she has deep hatred for them. Sound familiar?"

"You mean the bigotry of the Purebloods?" Harry's eyebrows knitted together. "No, I think this is something beyond their capabilities. For this person to orchestrate every attack without a speckle of evidence shows that they are a lot more powerful and cunning..." Harry shook his head. "Forget it. It's useless to speculate at something that we're completely uncertain of. Let's just concentrate on tomorrow. The Mandrakes are ready for use. Callista will be good as new."

That educed a smile on Regine's lips. "You're right, Harry."

"Oh, one more thing, Regine." Harry did not let go of her hand when she went to enter the Hufflepuff common room. "How much does one mature Mandrake cost?"

Regine was puzzled. "Why would you ask that?"

"No reason. Just curious, that's all. With all this Mandrake business, I wondered why the school couldn't just purchase the amount they needed."

"Well, if you put it that way..." Regine mumbled. "But Harry, while Mandrakes may not be rare or an extremely hard-to-find special ingredient, they are still expensive and when I mean expensive, I mean really expensive. Mandrakes are one of the ingredients important and crucial to countless potions. Do you know that one of the key ingredients for the truth serum is a Mandrake? Do you know that St. Mungo's is in need of Mandrakes every month?" Harry shook his head.

"Curing those who are petrified is just one of its many functions. Mandrakes are also used in the field of creating poisons, for example. Though, European Mandrake is the best for producing poisons. Moreover what you're asking for, is a mature Mandrake and that will be far more expensive. Only people who are desperate to acquire one will purchase it straight from the shop. Professor Spout is forced to just grow them over the year because the school budget simply cannot cover it. If you intend to buy fully mature Mandrakes, just twelve of them are enough to make a dent in the pile of money you earned during your time with Puddlemere."

Harry whistled in astonishment. "That much, huh?"

"Yes." Regine nodded her head. "However, if we look through the quality, the mature Mandrakes in the stores are much high-quality rather than raising the Mandrakes on our own. Actually, that goes the same with the rest of the magical plants."

Now, Harry was baffled. "What's the difference?"

"There are many. Although I can tell you this, the stores have the latest equipment to nurture and perfect a superior plant. Hogwarts' greenhouses might be suitable to the needs of the school, but most of the equipment is horribly outdated. Spells will aid in the process but not as much as the right apparatus would. Think of it like Quidditch. Even if you have all the talent in the world, you can't win a game if your broom is terribly obsolete. If you have a great broom that works with your skills, then you have a better chance of winning a game." Regine shrugged. "Anyway, one of the reasons why most plants have been successfully grown is due to Professor Spout's expertise in the field and her excellent knowledge of magical plants. If it weren't for her, I'm positive that most of the plants at Hogwarts would just wither away."

"Wow..." Harry was truthfully amazed. "You do have a natural aptitude for Herbology."

That served the color of pink on her cheeks at his words. It was rare for her male friend to compliment anyone.

Scowling, Harry ruffled his hair, tossing his notes to the table in front of him. He glared at the parchment, as if it was the paper's fault that he couldn't read anything from it, that it was merely because he cannot concentrate. But it was all due to the picture of a Basilisk roving around the castle that splashed into his mind to the point he couldn't sleep well last night. He also didn't pay much attention in class today. Harry sighed, pushing himself away from his desk.

Since there would be no class today, he shucked off his school robes, v-neck sleeveless jumper, blazer, tie, socks, and his shoes. Diving into the depths of his bed, he sighed in satisfaction at the softness of his sheets. Harry closed the curtain of his four poster bed and relaxed his body on the mattress. He looked up at the multitude of parchments, of various lengths and sizes, all stuck around his bed. Upon their surfaces were snippets of advanced magical theory. Everything from animal transfiguration and lists of ingredients for brewing specific potions, to common characteristics of magical creatures and plants, to complex rune symbols and their meanings.

Harry was privately hard work, but his research was kept a secret, even from the girls. This extracurricular magical exploration was the main reason why he was top of the school. If he couldn't sleep at night, he would revise these parchments. Right now, however, that was not the case since his eyes were gradually closing. It didn't take long before he drifted off to sleep, mind exhaustedly succumbing to darkness.

31 October 1981.

A four year old Harry scampered down the hallway. He ran down the stairs and hopped the last three.

"Harry!" Lily scolded, rushing to her son and fretting over him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? I swear, you're going to get seriously hurt one of these days!" James just laughed at his son's antics and sent a wink his way, which Harry enthusiastically returned. "Don't encourage him, James! I know you Potters, and you all have a tendency to hunt for trouble."

"Hey, hey, he's your son too! And we don't go looking for trouble, trouble finds us," James countered smartly, adjusting his robes. "I'll just go over and check the wards again. Make your little goodbye quick, Lily, the meeting is about to start."

"Just give me a minute, James."

"Lily, I assure you, they will be fine. I told you the meeting won't take long."

She quirked her lips and muttered audibly, "I know, it's just… I don't like leaving them out of my sight."

James strode to his son and tousled his hair affectionately. "Harry, try not to hurt your caretaker, okay?"

Harry blinked his eyes innocently. "Harry don't know what daddy mean."

James chortled. "Just don't blow the house up and anything else is fine by me!"

"James!" He grinned at his wife and then attended to the wards, letting mother and son to themselves.

Lily transferred her attention to Harry, building up a reproving expression in an effort to appear angry. Harry just grinned cheekily, eyes gleaming impishly. Lily's shoulders slouched and she heaved a sigh, shaking her head. She swore the boy was too much like his father, too full of mischief. He was already overly sneaky at his age, too sneaky for his own good. Who knows how he would turn out in the future. She could picture him pranking many people and deceitfully escaping his punishments. Lily shuddered. Merlin, she hoped he wouldn't begin the next generation of marauders. But staring at Harry's grin, she couldn't resist the smile that curled across her lips.

"Mommy and Daddy will be gone for a while. You be a good boy to your caretaker and, like your father said, don't give her any trouble, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!" he answered merrily. Too merrily that made Lily suspicious.

"You promise?"

Harry pouted cutely at this, his bottom lips quivering. He was always true to his promises, and his mother knew that.

"Well, do you promise or not?" He feigned obliviousness. "Harry, I better not find out you caused her any trouble when I get back."

"But- but, she's a big meanie! She's smelly too and she doesn't like Harry! She thinks she's so pretty but she's not!"

"Harry," Lily cautioned, her tone warm but stern. "She's watching over you and your baby brother, so be grateful, okay?"

He folded his arms over his chests, huffing. "Okay…"

Smiling, she embraced him lovingly. "Also, keep an eye on your brother and protect him from the bad man Mommy told you about, alright?"

He nodded his head energetically on his mommy's shoulder. "Okay, Harry promise!" She held him tightly, enjoying his warmth.

Harry, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as his gaze latched onto an eerie glow behind his mommy, a patch of shimmering gray light. Lily noticed nothing as she continued hugging him, even as the temperature suddenly plunged and the room darkened. He blinked rapidly, his eyes struggling to adjust to the amplified dimness and make out the shape that lurked ominously behind the light. He squinted to achieve a better view, mouth drying and eyes widening as the shape came into focus. A tall ethereal figure - no, multiple figures - looked straight at him from beyond the light, setting his heart racing and sending chills up and down his spine.

Harry didn't know exactly how many they are, but he was convinced that it is not one but many. He was certain he felt their piercing stare on him, but wasn't sure how it was happening as they didn't have any eyes at all. Where the eyes should have been were sockets of a glowing fiery gray light. They were saying something, their mouths moved in unison and their voices were deep, low and anomalous. But Harry couldn't understand their language, and he was too frozen with fear to even try. The sound of a distorted bell chimed again and again in the air as the figures kept chanting, seemingly trying to say something to Harry. He whimpered fearfully, not ready to accept whatever they were telling him.

The otherworldly figures then started to close in on him. His first instinct was to warn his mommy but when he opened his mouth, no sound emerged from his throat. He wriggled his body, whimpering more. His mommy just held onto him. He realized, then and there, that his mommy was as cold and unmoving as a statue. They had done something to her. Harry couldn't hold back sobs as tears streamed down his cheeks. As quickly as they had arrived, the figures suddenly disappeared and the temperature around them returned to normal. Time seemed moving back normally.

Lily was surprised when she felt something moisten her dress. She released Harry, concerned. "Harry, what's wrong, baby? Why are you crying?"

Harry was also stunned as his hand traced his cheeks to confirm her statement. He was bewildered.

Looking at his mother, Harry sobbed, "H-Harry don't know, Mommy."

And indeed, he didn't know. The memory of his meeting with the frightening and strange figures was completely forgotten. It was as if they had wiped the recollection from his mind. Lily misunderstood the whole situation, thinking that he was crying because she and James were leaving him for a short while. Embracing him, she rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. Harry, however, was confused about the whole thing, and his body couldn't stop shaking. His head may have forgotten whatever it was that transpired moments ago but his body seemed to remember it. A glimmer of light at the corner of the ceiling shrank and vanished.

29 May 1993.

Harry jolted awake, scrambling upright. His breath was ragged, his sweating body trembling violently, heart was thumping at a painfully fast rate. He abruptly swung open the curtain of his four poster bed abruptly and breathed a sigh of relief at finding no one there to witness him in such a horrible state. Harry was on his feet in seconds, but quickly had to clutch at the post of his bed, his legs weren't responding to him at all. Wobbling his way to his desk, he clumsily snatched a blank parchment.

Grasping a quill, he bathed it in black ink and pointed it directly at the blank paper. He didn't care when the ink sprawled messily over the parchment, his teeth just furiously grinded together as he focused on the task at hand. His body was still shaking violently, but he had to force his hands to obey his mind for a short while, just long enough for him to write a few sentences. The quill blurred as his fingers twitched and he scribbled lines of black ink at a rate he never thought possible. He ceased writing, still gasping for air, and his eyes widened as he gazed down at the words on the parchment. He wasn't at all bothered by the fact that his handwriting was chaotic and untidy, no, he just couldn't believe what he had just written.

We have been waiting for you to be born into this world... it has been many years... Your ancestor has defied us many times and as his direct descendant, it is your role to take his place as one of our champions... We desire what it is inside you that belongs to your ancestor... but you shall first face your destiny... you shall face the obstacles that lay ahead of you... you shall slay the horror that is about to be unleashed unto the world... and you alone shall face it… We shall prepare you for your destiny as you are ours... you will join us and you will become ours... Your journey shall begin from this day onwards... until then, we await you... Harry Potter...

"Captain!" Two of Harry's roommates entered the dorm and staggered to see their captain in such a mess.

"Whoa, Captain, are you alright?" Frank Birke queried.

Harry steadied his breath, his right hand running down his face. "Y-yeah, I'm fine..."

"Are you sure, mate?" Jason Spum persisted, trailing behind Frank. "You're sweating like crazy."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry reassured them. "I just had a nightmare, that's all." He turned his head to them. "What? You two got a problem with that?"

They both lifted their hands, hurriedly waving them in a gesture of surrender.

"No, no problem at all, mate," Frank grinned. "We just never thought you would have a nightmare."

"We're just glad that you didn't piss your bed." Jason smirked.

"Oh, fuck off."

They both laughed as they each went to their respective sides of the room. Harry looked back to the parchment. Fury coursed throughout his body as he crumpled the paper in fit of rage and burned it wandlessly. What was that all about? Was it one of his memories? Why he never recalled that one before? One hand stroked his temple as countless questions bounced around in his head. Just thinking about it all gave him a migraine. He shook his head, discarding everything that had just taken place minutes ago, it was too disturbing and unsettling. The questions he had would remain unanswered unless he asked the old man all about it, and Harry was sure the old man could provide him with the responses he was looking for. Yes, along with information about the real King of Serpents. For now, he needed to be patient.

"Hey, is it still afternoon?"

"No, it's already night. You were asleep for quite a while, mate," replied Jason.

Davies entered their share room and grunted incoherently. Harry came to a sudden realization that they were packing their things.

"Did I miss anything while I was asleep?"

"You bet you did," Frank piped up. "We're going back home tomorrow. The Hogwarts Express will take us back."

"What? W-Why?"

Jason turned to him gravely, folding his clothes all the while. "Someone has been taken into the chamber."

Harry was swept by surprise. "Who?"

"The Weasley youngest, whoever she is," Frank replied, waving his wand to clean his messy desk. "Professor Flitwick informed us all while you were asleep. We told him we'd convey the announcement." Frank then leaped onto his bed, sighing. "Man, I can't believe this. Usually, we'd have three more weeks 'till the term ends. What are we going to do about exams?"

Harry discounted his last comment as he put on his shoes and readied himself to leave the dormitory.

"Uh...mate?" Jason eyed him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just going to lounge around the common room. I need a bit of a walk," Harry lied smoothly. Briskly storming out of his dormitory, he stopped outside the door, surveying the hallway. Seeing no one was around, he took a deep breath and mildly shut his eyes. After a moment, he snapped them back open. He could sense his brother and two other people rushing in the direction of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Also, keep an eye on your brother and protect him from the bad man mommy told you about, alright?

Exhaling his breath noisily, he hastened out of the Ravenclaw tower.

"Well now, that's a phoenix." Riddle stared shrewdly at it. He swiftly raised Ginny's wand and sent a curse towards it. Daniel moved out of the way as Fawkes immediately took flight. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed, and the spell struck the golden bird. Fawkes let out a loud shriek, and the next thing, the phoenix was a pile of smoldering ashes on the ground. Harry watched the scene transpire, observing callously from the shadows, noting that the image of Riddle wavered a bit as he cast the unforgivable. He had followed his brother down to the Chamber of Secrets and was impressed that his brother had discovered the location of the chamber. But he scoffed at how the two dealt with Lockhart. To him, that was nothing more than a stroke of luck.

"No, Fawkes!" Daniel shouted.

"Now, we can't have that bird helping you and I'm just taking necessary steps. Though I wonder what the phoenix will do. I have to say they are remarkable creatures." Riddle continued to smile cruelly. "The phoenix will revive itself, but by the time it does so, you'll be dead, Daniel Potter."

All attention glued to the sound of slow applause coming from the corner of the chamber. Diffusing his invisibility spell, Harry stepped out of the shadows, hands still clapping, eyes coldly gazing at Riddle. Daniel shivered slightly at his brother's expression, quickly dropping the idea of saying anything to Harry. He hadn't seen that look for almost a year now, but he definitely remembered that it was the expression when Harry confronted him before the troll fiasco.

Riddle narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. "And who might you be?"

A sinister smirk worked its way across Harry's lips. "Who would ever have thought that Lord Voldemort's father was actually a Muggle? I wonder how interesting it would be if the whole country knows it. To think that all the time his followers believed him to be a Pureblood, he was actually a Half-Blood. Come to think of it, he's actually the lowest kind of Half-Blood imaginable, even a Muggleborn father would have been better than a mere Muggle. "

The expression of superiority was replaced by one of fury. "Are you mocking me, boy? How dare you! Who are you?" he thundered angrily.

Harry casually sauntered to Daniel's side, eyes fixed on Riddle. "I'm Harry Potter, the brat's older brother."

A cold smile toyed his lips. "Is that right? I admit I'm surprised that anyone would be here other than the person I was expecting and that is your brother, Daniel Potter." His tone was now silkily smooth. "I've always had deep interest in your family. Tell me boy, since you are a Potter, are you gifted with natural talents? Amongst all the Pureblood lines in the country, your family is perhaps the most mysterious... and I won't deny that many under your coat of arms are quite exceptional. It's a pity the Potters didn't join me in the last war. I even gave them a chance, but they declined my generosity. I was hoping as the eldest of your siblings, would you consider joining my ranks?"

Harry's half lidded eyes stared emotionlessly at Riddle. "Why should I?"

"Oh?" The smile vanished. "Why, then? Is it because of your loyalty to your brother?"

Harry was silent, his hands shaking as his fists clenched tightly. "Your followers murdered my grandparents!" Harry snarled viciously after a moment of tension passed by. Memories of two old couples smiling gently at his little self swam to his mind.

"If your family hadn't turned down my charitable offer to enter as one of my elite inner circles, then I would have spared their lives. Too many times had I been so gracious to them yet they spat in my face," Riddle retorted, eyes glinting severely. "Is that the only reason? Such a shame that you came all the way here just to avenge their meager deaths..."

"No." Harry spoke in a soft dangerous tone. "That's not the reason I'm here."

"Oh?" Riddle raised an eyebrow. "Then why have you come?"

"I knew I had to keep the vow I made long time ago. To watch over my brother and protect him. That is why I'm here. And I'm not one to break my promises, so I pursued the brat without any plan like a true Gryffindor." Harry scooped up his brother's arm and lugged him to his feet. "I didn't know who the real culprit was, but I knew what creature had caused all the attacks." His emerald eyes then turned icy. "But now that I've learned the Basilisk was truly being controlled and that person intentionally led all the attacks, I've changed my mind. I desire revenge."

"How honorable you are, Harry Potter," Riddle scorned him. "To avenge those pitiful Mudbloods-"

"I don't give a shit about most of them!" An image of Callista plunged into his mind. "But there's a Ravenclaw girl, one of the last two victims you attacked. I want to know if you've been targeting her this whole time!"

"Targeting?" Realization dawned on Riddle and he laughed aloud, a high cold cackle that made the hairs on the back of Daniel's neck stand up. "Ah yes, I remember now. That girl, yes... I do recall her. I have to say, she is a brilliant one, too brilliant for her own good. She was able to solve the mystery of what it is that has been petrifying the Mudbloods. But it was mostly luck, you see. Poor little Ginny was searching for a book in the library when she was drawn to a discussion the girl was having with her friends. I suspect you were one of the friends at that time. Dear little Ginny was frantic after overhearing it, frightened that the girl would pinpoint all of the attacks to her. She asked me what she supposed to do. I figured that with the girl's exceptional intelligence, it wouldn't be long before she unraveled everything, and I couldn't allow her to investigate any further. So I decided she would be my next victim. I genuinely wished for her death, but she charmed the floor into a mirror...and poof... she was petrified. I was furious and frustrated that a Mudblood could outsmart me. However, I came across another one on my way back and she was petrified as well. That did calm me a little bit..."

"Hermione..." Daniel muttered, immediately grasping who Riddle was talking about.

"Now, you know..." His words were tuned out by the Potter brothers.

"Brat," Harry hissed. "Is your wand with you?"

Daniel nodded, rage blazing inside him as well. "There's this crazy Auror that Dad used to tell me about. Although this guy is mad and paranoid, I learned one important thing from the stories about him, he never let his wand lay around."

"Good. Cast Reductor Curse on my mark, and aim at the bastard." Both brothers furtively whisked their wands out. "Now!"

"Reducto!" Both cast the same spell at this same time, doubling its effect. The light, however, just sailed through the man, and there was a small explosion on the other side. A huge hole was crafted in the wall behind him. Riddle looked over his shoulder at the hole before his cool gaze fell onto the brothers once more. "I see I wasted my breath." He flicked Ginny's wand in his hand, chucking a curse at them.

Both of them were unfazed as Harry slashed his wand, effectively blocking the spell. Then the elder boy lightly elbowed Daniel. Taking this as a cue, the younger brother quickly hurled a Disarming Charm towards Riddle. It just went straight through the man yet again. Riddle haughtily looked at where the spell landed and Harry grabbed this distraction as an opening, attempting to summon Ginny's wand. But Riddle was fast enough to assemble a simple shield to thwart the magic before it could tug the wand from his long pale fingers. Harry growled in discontentment.

"I underestimated you two..." Riddle was impassive. "I must confess that was very sneaky... I bet I could make a fine pair of Slytherins out of you two. But it ends here. Your bodies shall remain in this chamber forever! Dumbledore's phoenix isn't here to help you both!" Riddle threw an amused glance at them and the tattered Sorting Hat before turning to Salazar Slytherin's gigantic stone face. &Ssspeak to me, Ssslytherin, greatessst of the four!&

Harry's body went numb as he racked his brain for a plan. But his mind came up short.

"Fuck plans. Running is the best option right now," Harry groused. "Come on!" Jerking Daniel along with him, they wheeled around and whizzed away from whatever was exiting the statue's mouth. "Whatever you do, never look it in the eye!" Daniel bobbed his head rapidly, looking scared for his life. "Gather all the courage you've got, brat."

"W-what should we do?"

"I don't know! I'll think of something…For now, just run! Keep up with me!" Harry quickened his pace. Harry could sense the creature slithering heavily across the floor, hissing. His heart thumped his chest strongly. Harry glanced down at the floor and distinguished a big shadow looming over them. "Shit!" Harry didn't expect the huge snake to be that fast. "Brat, close your eyes now!"

Harry sealed his lids tightly as well, still running. Daniel, blindly sprinting and in his frantic state, tumbled to the ground. Skidding to a stop, Harry used his senses technique to locate his brother. He was overwhelmed by the magical core of the Basilisk but promptly regained a steady demeanor as the snake was more or less about to consume his brother. Skillfully flying over Daniel, he shoved his brother out of the way, the Basilisk nearly biting Harry's head in the process. Harry shivered a little, feeling his hair contact the Basilisk's teeth.

Forcing his brother's body to stand up, Harry yanked Daniel with him as he fled. His left hand was outstretched, seeking any indication of their direction. His fingers touched the wall and they had to spin around, facing the Basilisk with eyes closed tightly. Harry cursed the situation, intuiting that the Basilisk was probably preparing to devour them. He could put up a fight with his eyes shut, but his brother was his main concern now. A sudden impulsive crazy thought trespassed his mind. He brought to mind his memories with the old man last summer, recollecting something crucial about the Mystic Eyes….

It will also shield your eyes from any form of magic or…instant death…

Is this what the old man meant by instant death? It was a huge risk, but it was worth a shot. Rallying every fiber of his guts, Harry snapped his eyes open, gaze furiously darting to the big bulbous yellow eyes. Harry felt a sudden force of magic pressuring his own magic down, trying to penetrate it to get to his eyes. Harry let out a grunt of pain. Lowering his head, he shut his eyes. A small amount of blood trailed down his cheeks, emanating from his eyes.

It was unwise of him to look intently and directly into the Basilisk's gaze. He felt his wand vibrating warmly in his hand. Harry understood now. He'd have to focus every last ounce of his magic into his eyes in order to fully push back the Basilisk's own magical force and now, wandless magic was out of the question. If he does it, he'd just lose concentration on siphoning the magic to his eyes. However, with his wand in hand, he could still cast spells.

"Harry, are you alright?"

"Never been better, brat." A rush of adrenaline pumped through his veins, excitement swelled inside him. Smirking, he opened his eyes, the emeralds flaring into a gold color, shining slightly. He had to keep this magic constant if he wanted to survive against the Basilisk's murderous gaze. He didn't bother to wipe the blood from his cheeks as the snake bared its fangs and sprang at them. Harry wrenched his brother away from it, and a sparkle of light rushing to him.

Thrusting Daniel to the ground, Harry bent his body backward, a spell missing his face by an inch. His now gold eyes glared at the assailant. Riddle was furious. He just saw the boy staring into the Basilisk's eyes and he naturally thought it was the end of the elder Potter. Not only had Harry survived, his eyes were seemingly glimmering in gold color. Who is this boy? He waved his wand wrathfully, firing multiple curses. Harry deflected a few spells with his wand and shirked the rest of them. At the sound of mad hissing, Harry looked back to the Basilisk.

Harry pulled his brother up and whispered to him. "Brat, I want you to occupy Riddle's attention for me. I'll handle the Basilisk, just keep Riddle at bay. I am in no position to fight both of them at the same time."

"What?" Daniel's body was quivering. "N-No, I-I can't, I couldn't!"

"Yes you can! You're a Potter, aren't you? So show him that! I know you've been training by yourself during summer in our mansion's basement. Now, put your training to the test." Daniel had a surprised expression on his face. "I'll cast a spell that will immensely assist you in your duel." Harry tapped his wand on his brother's forehead and murmured a short incantation. Daniel felt a rush, and suddenly his body was light, lighter than anything. "That spell was to make your body as agile as a feather caught in the wind. Now you can avoid any spell he throws at you. If you force him to keep using magic, I think we can delay him from sucking Weasley's life force. But don't worry, he won't risk his existence by using extremely powerful spells. I saw earlier that his image wavered when he cast the unforgivable. Let me finish my fight with the Basilisk then we'll find how to destroy Riddle. Ready?" Daniel nodded his head, determination now radiating on his face. "Alright, whatever you do, don't look back. Just concentrate on your fight and don't try to aid me. A tip, sometimes conjuring things is the best way to defend yourself against spells. It doesn't matter if the quality of the object is poor, so long as there is something impeding the spell from reaching you. Good luck, brat."

Harry clutched the back of Daniel's robes and, without warning, he chucked him in Riddle's direction. Discounting the shouts of protest from his brother, he launched multiple verbal spells at the Basilisk. "That's right, pretty! You're fighting me!" Harry blinked his eyes at that simple mistake. "I-I mean ugly!"

Daniel couldn't believe how weightless he felt as his body was tossed by his brother. His body glided on the slippery floor towards Riddle. Recovering instantly, he hurled a spell at Riddle. The ghostly figure, however, wasn't bothered by this at all as he brandished Ginny's wand up and down. Daniel spun around, avoiding the spell. He dipped his body down when another zoomed past him.

"Dueling me has no meaning, Potter. No matter how powerful your spells, you could not harm me. Your eyes may see that I have a body, but I am not solid, not physically capable of something as mortal as injury."

Daniel inhaled a deep breath, hearing the roar of the Basilisk. "I take my earlier words back."

Riddle angled his head to the side, interested. "What's that, Potter?"

"My brother is the greatest wizard of all. He would whip your butt if he had the chance. Dumbledore..." He hoisted his head up, chestnut brown eyes solemn. "...is not...he's not a saint, and that's the reality I learned from my brother. He is just like me, a magical being. And so are you... All of us are the same..."

Riddle sneered. "Don't compare me to you, Potter. Don't group us in the same category. Do you admire your brother so much? He's just a boy. I doubt he could last more than a minute against me if I was at my full power."

"Oh please..." Daniel sidestepped a curse from Riddle. "Not now, maybe. But in the future you'll find that he's unstoppable opponent. In the years to come, you mark my words, Voldemort, even if you have countless followers by your side, no modern wizard will be able beat my brother. He's... different than the rest of us. He doesn't only focus on magic. He's balanced in terms of things magic and non-magic."

"Rubbish!" Riddle flung curses again and again. Daniel jumped, ducked and did his best, not letting a single curse crash into him. "Do you really think your brother is all that, Potter?" Riddle cried, not stopping his relentless barrage. "He's nothing more than a pest to me, and you're just a nuisance! After the Basilisk is finished with your brother, you'll be next. And both of your graves will be this very chamber! Just you wait!" Daniel's body was now on the ground, and Riddle dispatched one of his powerful curses.

A poor boulder was conjured and the spell blew it to pieces instead. "If I've learned one thing from my brother… it's to never give up and that anything is possible if you work hard at it. If there is still light, I won't lose hope." Riddle was trembling in rage at this and saw Daniel had raised his wand. The younger Potter was breathing heavily as he rose up. "Nothing is impossible, not even beating you..." Daniel grinned exhaustedly.

Riddle emitted a snarl-like sound as he straightened his stance, now deadly serious. "We shall see about that. I may not be in my best form, but I'll show you the meaning of fear and power, Potter."

Sliding under the Basilisk, he scarcely escaped its snapping jaws. Harry snarled a spell and it hit the snake's thick, magically enforced skin, not affecting the creature at all. The Basilisk rushed at Harry. He stood up and leaped forward, narrowly avoiding the Basilisk yet again. Circling his body around, he confronted the snake, breathing heavily. No matter how many spells and curses he hurled, the damn snake remained firm. Not only that, the Basilisk was lightning-quick, and Harry couldn't afford to make even the simplest mistake when dodging any of its assaults. If one of its teeth sunk into him, that would be the end. He might be able to survive any damage inflicted upon the surface of his body, but not the poison. He had no means to counter it.

Concentrating hard on the image of a rooster, Harry swished his hand. The rooster appeared itself in between him and the Basilisk. The rooster opened its beak and started to crow loudly. The Basilisk just hissed at it, unaffected by the sound. With a movement of lighting, the huge snake swallowed the rooster wholly. Harry's jaws hardened, foolishly think that the rooster will fatal the Basilisk. He forgot that this is Slytherin's pet. Salazar would be sure to have taken in the consideration of its kind's weakness and dealt it.

He was struggling very hard against the huge snake, and the Basilisk could instinctively sense it. The beast bared its fangs, exhibiting how sharp and large they were. Harry quickly cast a lethal spell, aiming inside its mouth. If he could not damage its exterior critically then the inside would have do. Unfortunately for Harry, the Basilisk moved its head to the side at the last moment. Harry clenched his left hand tightly, gritting his teeth. He had underestimated the Basilisk and that was his fatal mistake. Harry realized what he was challenging was no ordinary Basilisk as this one knew how to fight, with or without its reason. It was trained to be deadly in duels, especially against wizards.

Damn Salazar! What was he trying to accomplish, keeping a Basilisk under a castle full of innocent children? Not to mention training it!

Harry knew from conversations with the old man that Salazar, like the other three founders, loved Hogwarts and its students without caring about the status of their blood. So Harry was at a loss as to why Salazar would do such things and create such monster. Dismissing his thoughts, he back-flipped his body as the Basilisk lunged for him at a rapid speed. Its head crashed into the floor powerfully. Harry guarded his face with both of his hand as stones, pebbles, and dust went flying. As a result, there was a hole on the floor the size of its massive head. The snake poised to strike again, hissing for Harry's defeat.

Furthermore, mused Harry in the midst of the battle, the skin of this snake was seriously dissimilar to any normal Basilisk. It was obvious that Salazar had done something to it.

Out of desperation, Harry launched more complex and powerful spells. Even though Harry had injured it, it wasn't enough. Its skin was thicker and more capable of withstanding powerful spells. Now, Harry experienced firsthand at the power of one of the founders. This Basilisk might even be Salazar's greatest project. It was the best weapon there is, in terms of both defense and offence. Harry was struck with a thought. Defense? His eyes widened. "That's it! Defense! This Basilisk wasn't meant to purge the school of Muggleborns! It was meant for defending the castle from any enemie-"

He was cut off when something hard and heavy collided with his body and he was thrown to the wall. Harry gasped in pain, blood spurting from his mouth and coating his chin. He could've sworn he heard his bones fracture from hitting the wall so hard. The wall cracked at the impact of Harry's body - the Basilisk had swiped its tail so fast that Harry didn't have time to elude it. Its tail remained pressed roughly against Harry's body, pinning him to the wall. He laid his hands on the scales in front of him, pushing the snake's body shakily. It just hissed, almost taunting him. It then removed its tail from Harry and his body descended to the ground.

It didn't take long before something heavy battered him from behind, smashing him to the ground in his midair falling. There was a sickening crash. Harry coughed more blood. He couldn't move his body, it was far too from the heavy damage he received. Blood streamed down his face, spurting from the back of his skull. His head was throbbing painfully. His heart felt like something was squashing it. His muscles were screeching in pain. His sight blurred red. The taste of his own blood was metallic on his tongue. The Basilisk's tail was on top of him, crushing his body.

He had clearly underestimated the Basilisk. No normal beast could fight like that, catching its opponent completely off guard. It was merciless. This proved he had a long way to go to match up to the skill of the founders, and much further to catch up to the old man. His wand vibrated gently in his hand, as if telling him to not give up. He gripped it in weak gratitude as he struggled to stand up despite the Basilisk's tail on his back. It was futile - the snake was too heavy and too strong. The Basilisk pressed its tail down more, pushing Harry to the ground.

He couldn't defeat it. It was too much for him. This was something he could not overcome, something he should have fled, not challenged. Harry felt his body dig deeper to the ground. The crack on the ground grew bigger and bigger, and so did the pain. It became unbearable, not possible to endure any longer. He would faint, he was confident of it . His vision was already growing shadowy. Regardless of how many times Harry blinked his eyes to adjust his sight, it was hopeless. At a slow but steady pace, his world reduced to darkness. Fear, the fear he had always fought so hard to keep out of his life, now conquered his emotions.

Thump.

It was his heartbeat.

Thump.

He was going to die.

Thump.

He should never have come here, yet he did.

Thump.

Should he give up now?

Thump. Thump. Thump.

No. The answer was obvious. Life is precious. Throwing it away without putting up a fight was akin to committing suicide. He would carry on pushing 'till he drew his last and final breath. Eyes snapped open in an instant. Hands flew to the ground and he struggled to raise his body up. It took all of his willpower, but he budged the tail just enough for him to escape, rolling his body out of the way. On his feet, he was then mercilessly swatted like a bug by another fierce assault from the Basilisk's tail. With eyes closed, Harry wheezed out another jet of blood and his expression was one of anguish.

Smashing onto the ground, his body rolled around for a while before coming to a halt, supine and immobile. The Basilisk promptly opened its mouth wide and prepared to snatch him up in his jaws. Harry lay still, and just as the Basilisk drew in, he cast a powerful cutting curse inside its mouth. The snake howled in excruciating pain, throwing its head up in the air and thrashing violently. Harry called upon his magic to help him stand up once more and hopped backwards, creating a great distance between him and the Basilisk. But he wasn't conscious that he was rapidly approaching Riddle and his brother.

Back to the duel, Daniel knew his chances of winning were rapidly waning, but his priority was to distract Riddle's attention for as long as he possibly could. Riddle suddenly glanced sideways at the Basilisk. A mixture of anger and astonishment stretched over his face, quickly turning to rage at the realization that the Potter brothers had just demonstrated they were an unbeatable duo. Hurling a curse in Daniel's direction, he forced him to jump. Riddle immediately charmed the floor on which Daniel landed to be more slippery. This caught Daniel by surprise as he frantically balanced himself, trying to keep from falling.

And that was the fatal slip-up. Riddle accurately blasted Daniel's wand arm with a powerful curse. Riddle could sense his image wavering when he did that but he didn't care now. Daniel howled in agony, the throbbing in his arm so painful that he had to liberate his wand. Riddle flicked his wand, aiming for one of his legs this time. Daniel had no choice but to crumple to the ground, grinding his teeth furiously at the pain and repressing the tears that welled in his eyes. He desperately clung to consciousness, wishing he could have carried out the task his brother set him. Nonetheless, his vision faded to black.

Clasping his left hand over his heart, Harry wobbled a bit on his two feet, desperately gasping for air. He had a difficult time breathing properly, struggling for each sweet gulp of air. If it weren't for the support of his magic, he would have collapsed to the ground. He could feel blood from the back of his head trickling down, and he was positive a few of his bones have been broken. But if he used the restoration body spell to repair his interior injuries, his magic would drain rapidly. He had already exhausted too much of it, and there was also the Basilisk's gaze. He would die if his magic wasn't protecting his eyes. He had to conserve it. Standing on his two feet and maintaining his golden mystical eyes were already remarkable achievements for him. But now he was at a disadvantage.

Unexpectedly, he was disarmed by someone. He was shocked as his wand flew out of his hand. Looking over his shoulder, a feeling of dread began to surface inside him. His brother was lying on the floor unconscious, blood on his right hand and his left leg. Riddle, on the other hand, was filled with glee as he saw the terror growing in Harry's glowing gold eyes. The boy was strong, but in the end the outcome was the same. He did have to silently applaud the brothers for their outstanding effort, however. He expected no less from the Potters. Harry's disarmed wand soared through the air and Riddle attempted to catch it in his palm. But as he seized it, his smug expression twisted into one of agony.

The wand was scorching his hand, even his spirit form did not protect him from the searing temperature. Tendrils of smoke curled out of his hand and he had to release the wand as he hissed in pain. Eyeing the peculiar white wand lying on the ground, his eyes broadened as he detected the wand's magical aura. Riddle stepped back from it and then looked at its owner, mentally concurring grudgingly with his other enemy's statement. The elder Potter would indeed be a formidable enemy in the years to come. To ensure he would never be defeated, both brothers must die tonight.

The hissing jolted Harry to his senses and he dashed instinctively to his brother. He barely registered another incoming attack from the Basilisk. As Harry neared his brother, he slipped on the slick stone floor and fell to the ground. He had no wand to summon his magic. If he applied wandless magic then his Mystic Eyes would falter and no matter how slight the slip of magic, the Basilisk would be granted an opportunity to kill him instantaneously. He was too weak, both magically and in terms of his bruised and bloody physical state. He closed his eyes serenely, resigning to his fate. He was a failure. He couldn't save anyone, even after years of training with the greatest wizard of all time.

What was the point in having power if he couldn't save anyone? If he was meant to die in here then so shall it be. This was it... At least he had figured out why Salazar kept the Basilisk in the castle. It was for defending it and Harry truly believed that. Salazar had just made a mistake, thinking the Basilisk would always protect the school and not destroy it. Harry felt a peaceful presence nearby, and then he was wrenched from his internal musings by a heavy thud, sound of metal clanking to the ground. He opened his eyes, the Sorting Hat perched on the floor beside him. There was something inside it and…was that the hilt of a sword?

"Harry Potter…" The whisper seemed to be coming from the hat. "Thank you for not thinking ill of one of the founders and having the faith to believe he was a great person to the very end. For that, may the power of Gryffindor assist you in this battle. Pull this sword from me, and only then shall you able to slay Slytherin's beast. The power of one founder can only be matched by the power of another. Quickly now."

Grasping the jeweled hilt, Harry swiftly extracted the sword from the hat, a rush of adrenaline surging through him. Turning around, he slashed in the Basilisk's direction when it drew closer to him. Straight away, it retracted from the sword. Harry rose up, bravely standing against the Basilisk and deciding to risk some magic. "Restituo meus somes!" His fatigue was now restored, he could breathe properly again and his bones mended together. The spell repaired what was inside of him, though it didn't restore the outside of his body. His magic was dangerously low and the only thing he could do no was hinder the Basilisk's murderous gaze from killing him.

But this did not matter to Harry, in his hands was the sword of Gryffindor. This time, he was the one who lunged at the enormous snake and with a roar, he sliced its skin. He cracked a huge grin when a burst of blood erupted from where the sword cut into the snake. Harry soared backwards, swinging the sword while still in the air and it contacted the snake's head. A furious sound emerged from the Basilisk, a mad hissing directed at Harry. It recoiled yet again. Sensing something dangerous coming his way, Harry looked over his shoulder only to see a jet of green light glaringly sprinting towards him. He knew at that instant he needed to evade the spell. It was the killing curse. Harry's eyes widened, and with a shocking lurch, he realized he would not have enough time to sidestep it.

Out of nowhere, a large boulder materialized in front of Harry. The spell hit the boulder instead, disintegrating it into pieces. Astounded and definitely amazed, Harry turned to the source of the magic. It was his brother. Daniel's back was to him, his wand in his left hand. His right hand and left leg were drenched in blood. Harry blinked rapidly, marveling at his brother's effectiveness with a wand when he knew he was right-handed, not left-handed. On top of that, his little brother had just conjured a perfectly solid boulder, the size of which was far from average - it was huge.

"Don't worry, Harry…" Daniel comforted amidst his heavy breathing, now fully motivated. "You just focus on the Basilisk… I'll cover your back and deal with Riddle… Finish it off and claim your victory…"

"You really are a Potter, brat…" With that final remark, Harry rashly tackled the Basilisk with a ferocity he never knew he had in him.

"Of course, I am…" Daniel scoffed, heaving for air. "Come on, Riddle! You're not disposing of me that easily!"

Flustered, Riddle cried out in rage as he sent multiple curses Daniel's way. The younger Potter raised his wand. He quickly conjured a long table, halting the three curses at the same time. Banishing the splintered wooden remains, he glowered at Riddle. "Don't underestimate me! Even if I can't use my right hand, I can still use my wand with my left one!"

"Then die!" Green light speedily hastened to Daniel.

Daniel, knowing he didn't have enough time to conjure anything, just dove to the ground, grunting in pain at the jarring impact. Riddle's image was now wavering more than the usual. He was itching to kill the younger Potter but restrained himself, knowing that if he let his anger best him, he would vanish after a furiously casting a few more powerful spells. For now, he opted for observation. It wasn't like they were capable of injuring him. Seeing Riddle lower Ginny's wand, Daniel did the same. Nonetheless, he did not let his guard down. The rest was up to his brother now. It didn't take long before loud shrieks resonated in the chamber.

The Basilisk raced past them both, waving its head aggressively in the air. Daniel's breath hitched as he realized Harry was on Basilisk's neck, one hand clinging to the snake and the other clutching a sword. Harry was cringing every now and then, but did not let go of the Basilisk. Daniel saw large gashes all over the snake's skin, the source of which was none other than the glinting sword. The Basilisk was now carrying both of them to Slytherin's gigantic statue. Harry comprehended what it was trying to do, the snake wanted to retreat back to its hole, shaking him off in the process.

Even if instinct had taken over the Basilisk, it still sure as hell knew how to battle. "Not gonna happen, you piece of shit!" Hauling himself up on the Basilisk's head just in time, Harry hoisted the sword over his head in both hands. He plunged it into the large, venomous snake, thrusting it forcefully deeper and deeper. The Basilisk shrieked in agony. It staggered, keeling over sideways and then slumping into the pool of slimy water. Harry latched onto it, holding firm even as it descended to the ground. Verifying that it wasn't twitching or moving, Harry confirmed it was dead.

Putting a foot on the serpent's head, Harry pulled the sword out, blood smeared all over the cool metal. Trudging his legs tiredly, he emerged from the dirty water and approached his brother. Carelessly slackening his grip on the sword, he dropped it to the ground. His eyes now converted back to their familiar emerald color. He wiped the sweat and blood from his face, breathing heavily. He gazed his brother and smirked, still panting. "You look awful, brat..."

"Bet I look better than you. Look at yourself, you're a complete mess..."

"I have to say, you were quite impressive. Not many people are capable of using their wand in both hands including myself. Not too bad on your transfiguration either. You're your father's son, alright... He's a natural and a master of the subject..."

Daniel grinned and, for a moment, forgot the pain in his right hand and left leg. His brother's compliment shone through it all. Harry shifted his attention to Riddle. "Well, looks like you're the only one left, Riddle. And if you're thinking that I'm only skilled in magic then you're sadly mistaken. I'm an expert in the art of swordsmanship, as well as hand-to-hand combat..."

"So it seems... And if you're thinking you have won this fight, then you are also an expert in naïvety, Potter..." Riddle smiled coldly before he hissed. &Now, Ssslytherin'sss pet!&

Eyes huge, Harry quickly spun around just in time to see the gaping jaws of the Basilisk about to swallow him whole. Giving a shout of surprise, Harry leapt to the side, attempted to escape the Basilisk at the last minute. It was an excellent reaction, but it still wasn't enough. Harry screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt his entire of his left arm, from his shoulder to his clenching hand, penetrated by many sharp fangs. His eyes flashed to gold, pushing every ounce of magic in his body to his left arm to fortify it from being ripped apart by the Basilisk.

The pain was excruciating, like nothing Harry had ever felt in his life.

The Basilisk, with its mouth tightly closed, drove him towards the wall with the intent of smashing his body painfully into the stone. He bit his lips until he drew blood to stop himself from yelling. With the Mystic Eyes, he summoned the sword of Gryffindor. He lifted the sword high in the air and incanted loudly. The sword momentarily lengthened and its effectiveness was boosted significantly. With angry battle cry, Harry gathered all the energy he could muster and swung the sword through the Basilisk's neck. The serpent's head was severed from its body.

With that, Harry crashed to the ground, bringing the head with him. His body twitched, then lay still. His eyes were blank, lacking their usual light. The head was still attached to his left arm, gouts of blood dribbling from the fangs. Daniel hastily tried to help him but had to defend himself when a curse was tossed to his way. Daniel was desperate and alarmed - his brother required immediate medical attention - and the only thing in his way was Riddle. Cold high laughter rang out. Riddle was undeniably delighted.

"Potter, Potter, Potter..." he cooed, eyes glinting. "Your mistake was that you thought you had won. Ah, but you forgotten one important thing… This Basilisk is Salazar Slytherin's pet. It is no ordinary snake, it's cunning, you see... It was just waiting for you to drop your guard and when I gave my order, it was already poised to strike. It was its last attempt and it wanted to take your life before it died. Though it's incredible how you tried to avoid it in the last minute. But it does not matter that you have indeed slain the Slytherin monster. You are dead..."

Harry barely heard Riddle's mocking tone of voice but could he make out all the words. He was slowly dying and he knew that. The poison was coursing throughout his body. Though it didn't really matter if the poison swept through him, he was going to die either way. The blood that he had lost was too much for his body to handle, and there was no way it could be replenished. If his brother somehow found a way to defeat Riddle and then rushed him up to Madam Pomfrey, he would just die along the way. After this realization washed over him, he felt numb and drowsy.

He glanced to Daniel and then to the Gryffindor sword that lay on the ground. It had reverted back to its normal form.

Weakly kicking the sword, it glided to Daniel. "Destroy him... through the source..."

Daniel jolted and his eyes glued to the particular diary lying at the feet of Slytherin's giant statue. Dropping his wand, he picked up the sword, he rushed to the little book. "No! Stay away from that diary, Potter!" Riddle panicked. He launched multiple curses at Daniel, the killing curse among the plethora of spells. Blinded by rage, Daniel instinctively deflected a few flashes of magic with the sword and let the rest past him. He gripped the hilt with both hands, still running. He disregarded the vicious throbbing pain in his limbs, reminding himself that his brother was in a great deal more pain in contrast to him.

Not providing Riddle with any more chances to cast spells, Daniel raised the heavy sword and plunged it into the diary. Ink gushed out of the book, covering the floor in a flood of obsidian blood. Riddle screamed in torment, a loud and piercing wail. He was flailing and writhing in every direction, and he glared at Daniel one last time while cursing him again and again. Nevertheless, once his eyes landed on Harry's fallen motionless form, the scream changed to full blown laughter. With one last desperate insult to Daniel's inability to save people especially his brother, he was gone. Daniel hurtled to his brother's side, the sword clattering to the stone floor.

"Harry, hey!"

The older Potter positioned his right hand on the Basilisk's fangs. Using the last bit of his magic, he struggled to detach his left arm from its mouth. With a tormented cry, he successfully opened the jaws and dragged his tortured limb out of the mouth. A few fangs splintered from the Basilisk and remained on Harry's left arm. Both brothers could see the many gruesome huge holes in his arm, deep puncture wounds given to him by the Basilisk. Even his shoulder had a couple sharp fangs sunken into it. "Don't..." Harry weakly prohibited his brother from removing them. "There's a chance... the poison will infect you..." By himself, Harry extracted them one by one. He couldn't feel his left arm now, blood still streaming out of it. He coughed when he felt his lungs smoldering, his whole body convulsing with each expulsion of air.

"H-hey, stay awake!" Daniel said shakily when Harry's eyes almost flickered shut. "I-I'll get us out! So don't you dare close your eyes! You'll be okay!"

Harry's vacant gaze twirled to his brother, distantly watching the tears pouring out of Daniel's eyes. Now, his vision was all blurry, and it was getting foggier by the second. Everything around him was darkening. If this was dying, he thought, then it wasn't so bad at all. Though he couldn't deny the regret that filled his heart. He had so many questions and so many things he wished to do in his life, yet this was it for him. His journey had now come to a conclusion. He hated that he couldn't clear up the many mysteries of his life. Why him of all people? Why he was chosen by the old man? Sadly, those questions would forever remain unanswered.

The faces of the Greengrass' swirled in his mind, and he realized he would miss them unbearably. In the four years he had known them, they had become like his own real family. He was comforted by Lady Greengrass as a son would be by a mother. He felt protected with Lord Greengrass as a son would feel with a father. And he was as protective of Astoria as a brother would be to his little sister. Hs breathing began to labor and falter more and more… The sound of sobs nearby reached his ears. Harry wanted to chuckle dryly but his throat was burning. It was pitiful.

The last thing he would ever see as he was on the brink of dying was his little brother. But he admitted to himself that the brat was one of the people with whom he regretted leaving things hanging. In spite of how their interactions had been on a few occasions, Harry felt like he now knew who his brother was and was satisfied having to known him. His only regret was that he wouldn't fulfill his role as older brother and get to know Daniel more. At the thought of siblings, a tiny sad smile etched across his lips. Rosaline. He wouldn't get to see his cute baby sister grow up and be there for her, also playing the role of overprotective brother in relation to young male suitors.

Lastly, his biggest regret lay with his parents.

He confessed silently to himself that he loved them like any child would. And, if fate was willing to give him one more chance to repair the deep wound that ran between them, he'd happily accept it. He would try so hard to forgive his mother and father. He ought to know better than to dream of changing the past, but he did it anyway. He had foolishly professed in the past few years that he hated them, yet that was all false. All the happy memories he had with his parents when he was little were some of the things in his life that he cherished the most. And all this time he had denied his parents the affection they deserved, especially his mother. But he was just uncomfortable with them. If he could only choke back the awkwardness, he could by then have some kind of confrontation with his parents and they could finally become a family again.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart was beating unbearably slowly. Four girls floated to his mind, all of them smiling beautifully at him, and his lips lifted faintly at the image, a wave of reassurance sweeping over him. "I'm sorry..." Harry mumbled before the weariness dominated him and eyes shut, his mind falling to darkness. His ears were deaf to his brother shouting out for him. His heart beat one last time and he released his final breath.

Three girls jolted from their sleep. Anxiety was etched on each of their faces, and they instantly forgot the drowsiness as they were overwhelmed by a sudden surge of emotion. What was that all about? All three were together, having snuck down from their respective dormitories to the infirmary to visit Callista and having decided to sleep in the infirmary with their stone-like friend.

"D-Did you all feel that?" Sheila asked.

"You mean you felt that too, Jonnet?" Daphne inquired uneasily. Sheila nodded her head. "What about you, Regine? Did you?"

"Yes..." Regine was concerned. "It felt like I had just lost something very precious to me."

"Exactly! That's the sensation I had!" Sheila exclaimed.

"Daphne, what do you think that was all about?"

"I have no idea, Regine." Nibbling her bottom lip, her eyebrows furrowed together. "I have a bad feeling that something terrible has just happened somewhere..."

"I don't like this," Sheila said. "It feels like I'm…hollow..."

The other two readily agreed with her words, it was the best description they could come up with. But whatever could this mean? They all traded glances of apprehension.

A tear slipped from Callista's petrified eyes…