Chapter 23 - Death of a Snake

The next morning the news of Colin Creevey being petrified ran rampant through the school. Harry could nearly feel the fear filling the great hall at how heavy it hung around. This time without anyone to even blame within reason. Most of the students didn't know how to handle and listlessly guided jumping at any loud or sound coming from behind.

Harry, who knew how to solve this, looked towards Dumbledore. If the man didn't agree soon, he might just go deal with the snake before someone actually dies. He can deal with the fall back afterwards and hope he can deal with whatever happens.

Once the aged wizards blue eyes linked with a barely visible nod happened between the two. Satisfied as Dumbledore agreed, Harry mentally prepared himself to face off against the snake after class. Glancing over to Ginny, watched as a tip of her lips curve upwards as she ate silently.

---

Throughout the rest of the day as Harry raised his fighting spirits for what is coming, He felt things aren't going to be as easy like he assumed it would be. The nagging feeling at the back of his mind and stomach told him so.

However since it must be done before dies like with Moaning Myrtle. He could only push forward hoping it will work out in the end.

Once the last class came to an end, Harry silently slipped away. However he missed a certain bushy watching and following after him. Since he was so focused on the task at hand, the fact he was being followed by her for the last few weeks slipped his mind.

Luckily for Harry, Daphne moved to intercept the stalker. While she might not know what he exactly has planned she was sure it involved the basilisk. A small part of her was afraid for her lover, but she had confidence he would return to her unharmed. If not she would resurrect him and kill him again before resurrecting him for Fleur.

"Going somewhere Granger?" Daphne asked with a slight coldness in her voice. It is true Harry knows about Hermione, but it slowly grinds on her nerves.

Truthfully, Harry doesn't really mind leaving behind their grievances from their future for the most part. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't want revenge for some of the actions done to him. But in Daphne's case, she held a grudge as the brown hair girl grinded her nerves following them everywhere.

If that wasn't enough she had the nerve to say some of the magical worlds traditions from long ago or even now is barbaric. While truthfully Daphne knew where the muggleborn was coming from as some ancient or past rituals are. One doesn't walk into a new culture and insult it to all who will hear than demand respect.

The world just doesn't work like this.

"What do you want Daphne?" Hermione asked with a slight bossy tone which Daphne later learned was a coping mechanism.

While Daphne had no problem with the tone due to mentally older due to her memories. It was when Hermione was bouncy side to side trying to follow Harry with her eyes that got her.

"You need to stop following Harry like a stalker. While he doesn't really care, it is grating on my and his other friends nerves." Daphne stated as she gripped the other girl's shoulders.

"Hey slimy snake, what do you think you're doing." Ron, who was held back, exited the classroom shouted. As the red head pulled out his broken wand, he tried to cast a curse at her.

What curse the idiot redhead tried Daphne had no clue as the spell backfired sending the boy crashing into the castle wall. The wand in question was all but barely hanging together making the girl wonder how the teacher allowed him to use it.

'I know the Weasleys are doing work around the castle to pay for their school fees. However, I am sure they are also getting paid. So why is he still using a broken wand?' Daphne wondered.

Unknown to her, she was actually correct, but Ron spent the money he received for a new wand on anything but a wand. Since then he hasn't been able to ask his brothers or sister for money and his parents refused. So he is stuck with the broken wand until he saves up for the rest of the year.

As if she pretended she didn't see her friend blowing himself up, Hermione focused on Daphne's question. "Harry has been acting strange since this year began. I need to know so he can return to normal."

Stunned speechless by Hermione's answer, Daphne could only stare blankly at the girl. The answer was total nonsense even with time travel involved. Everyone changes and teens can change fairly rapidly in personality and moods. She would have thought Hermione of all people to know this.

Only shaking her head as she left, Daphne achieved her aim but could only question her sanity.

---

When Harry slipped into the second floor girls bathroom where Myrtle was being herself and moaning. He quickly whispered in parseltongue and hopped down the pipe. While there might be a way for stairs to appear. The slide was just faster for going down.

Tumbling out at the bottom into a dirt pile and bones. Harry dusted himself off as he headed down the tunnel with discard skin when the basilisk shedded it skin. Due to its age and deterioration it wasn't worth much, so Harry didn't have plans to harvest it.

Opening the second door to the chamber, Harry took in the rows of snake heads and the giant face at the back. The memories of his first fight replied in his head as he could only sigh at his weird luck. While it puts him in weird and deadly situations, it also carried him out mostly unharmed or where he will live.

This was one of those times when he was twelve fighting the Basilisk with a sword. Pulling out his grandite scale wand, Harry quickly conjured a large mirror. With a bit more spell work and enlarging the mirror, he quickly hid.

"Come out and play." He called out in Parseltongue hoping to call out the thousand year old snake.

As the sound of sliding and hissing soon followed he believed it worked. Soon the sound of an upper body and head weighing a few hundred pounds crashing to the ground echoed throughout the chambers.

Harry waited a few more moments before stepping out, finding the basilisk dead in front of the large mirror. It was killed by its own killing gaze as it was reflected back into itself.

'Why didn't I do this last time? Oh, wait because I had to battle a soul fragment and didn't know.' Harry sadly shook his head before his hair stood on the back of his neck.

Rolling as a green bolt passed inches from his head, he sent a chain of spells back before looking. From a simple leg locking jinx to bone breaking curses, he soon found Ginny on the ground. Due to either his speed or dodging, she wasn't prepared and got nailed by nearly all his spells.

A black figure soon faded into view from her body and black book into a sixteen year old Tom Riddle. Similar to his appearance like last time around when he still had hair, good looks and school robes. Harry looked at the young version of his grandfather.

"Harry Potter." A silky and almost tired like voice came from the soul fragment. It would appear he didn't receive enough of Ginny's lifeforce to speak clearly and confidently.

"The one and only, now who are you? A parasite?" Harry asked since he technically wasn't supposed to know.

"No," Tom just shook his head as he tried to restrain his anger. "Even if this meeting is happening far too soon for my liking. Today is the day you die, Harry Potter!"

As Voldermort fired another killing curse, it had neither the speed or power behind it. Harry had no doubts it could kill, but it was one of the weakest killing curses he had ever seen.

Calmly stepping out of the path, the soul fragment flickered as the young dark lord grimaced in pain. Clearly he wasn't as powerful as he thought as he nearly erased himself with that one spell.

"Even if you skipped the whole evil lord spill. I will forgive you this time." Harry stated as he summoned the black diary to him.

Due to being the first Horecrux and either to pride or something else. Voldermort didn't put much protection on it. So, the book flew effortlessly into Harry's hand who ran towards the dead basiilik. Behind him he could hear Tom raging as his wand refused to fire any spell or react at all.

As the large fang punctured the book, Harry watched as the fragment glow before exploding into millions of pieces.

'Great now how do I get out?' Harry thought as he looked at the unconscious Ginny. There was no way he was carrying her up fleets of stairs nor tiring himself out levitating her. In the end he could think of one way to do this.

"Fawkes!"