The Basilisk

"Not everyone fear to speak your name Vodemort." Chris said.

Riddle flinched a little at her words then his face changed into a smile. 

"Well, you see, I was also interested to meet you, Christina Norton." He turned towards Chris. "After all you almost failed my plan. You understood my diary and warned Ginny to not to write." 

"Well now tell us, What you've done to Ginny?" Chris said. 

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

"What'll you get if she dies." She said. 

"See, that's the reason I wanted to meet you. I realized, you're same age as Ginny but a little smarter than her. You can understand things without saying, unlike her." Riddle said softly. "Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted.... I grew stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Yes and as soon as Ginny will die, Lord Vodemort will return in his power. So why don't you join me, Christina? You can be my faithful follower and I'll give you power no one can imagine." 

"If I want power... I'll earn it, for that I'll not abandon my friends like a coward, Tom." Chris replied smiling.

"Friends?" Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. "Then let me tell you what was little Ginny was writing about you in my diary." He recited, "Dear Tom, Chris is very confident and smart, she doesn't have to worry about anything. She gets everything she wants. She is so popular. She made friends with Harry in no time. Do you think Harry will notice me ever? Even my brother Ron says to me that I should be more confident like Chris. She stands up for herself, I can't even able do that." 

Chris face became expressionless. Harry looked back forth between her and Voldemort. 

"You see, It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. I knew jealousy is a great weapon to mend people's mind. So I explained to her that it's your fault that she doesn't have anything, it's you who snatched everything from her and she trusted me. Ginny simply loved me. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom..... I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in.... It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket.... But soon when she started to loosing her memory she became suspicious about the diary and tried to throw it but then You found it and when Ginny saw it, she thought I'm going tell you everything, so she stole it. You understood this and tried to stop her but I had already told her that you'll turn her in for opening the chamber, she will be expelled because of you and only I can help her; and... she believed me." 

Chris clenched her fist. 

"She is just a jealous, stupid, little girl. Christina, but you're... you're different. So now think, Does she deserved to be saved? Are you willing to give your life for her? Is she worth it?" He stopped and looked into Chris's eyes. "You can be powerful Christina. You just need to see this world like I do. You'll be just like me." 

There was a long silence. Harry was looking terrified, Riddle was smiling and Chris was staring at Ginny with a expressionless face. 

"No Tom. I never will. I'll never see the world like you... because, I try to see goodness in every people. But unfortunately there is not a drop left inside you. And sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think you're a great powerful wizard or anything. Because if you were then you didn't need an eleven-years-old little girl's soul to come back in power." Chris said with steady and firm voice looking straight into his eyes. 

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look. 

Harry sighed with relief. 

"I thought you're smarter than this. But now, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and a eleven years old student." Riddle said and gave a awful smile. 

"Trust me Tom, I'll not die today." Chris whispered as Riddle walked away. 

Riddle stopped between the high pillars and looked up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed.. Chris came close to Harry. 

"Tell me what's he saying?" She whispered in Harry's ear. 

"Ok... He is saying..... Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." Harry said looking horrified. 

Suddenly, Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving, his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths. 

"Close your eyes. Close your eyes. He is calling the Basilisk." Chris said urgently and closed her eyes. 

Harry did the same. Chris heard something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. She knew what was happening, she could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. 

Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice and Harry said, "He asked it to kill us." 

"Then what are waiting for? Run." Chris said wheeling around and running.