Kai Lily Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter 19: The Heir of Slytherin

They were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. 

Towering stone pillarsentwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, castinglong, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. 

Her heart beating very fast, Kai stood listening to the chill silence. 

Could the basilisk be lurkingin a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? 

And where was Ginny? 

Harry and Kai lowered their wands into a defensive stance and moved forward between the serpentine columns. 

Everycareful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. 

Harry reminded Kai to keep their eyes narrowed, readyto clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. 

The hollow eye sockets of thestone snakes seemed to be following them. 

More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, they thought they saw one stir. 

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itselfloomed into view, standing against the back wall. 

Harry and Kai had to crane their necks to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient andmonkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard'ssweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamberfloor. 

"I think that's-" Harry began. 

"Salazar Slytherin." Kai finished, and was about to continue when she noticed something on the floor under it.

Between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-redhair. 

"Ginny!" Harry glanced at Kai, before both sprinted to her and dropping to their knees.

"Ginny — don't bedead — please don't be dead —" Harry flung his wand aside, grabbed Ginny's shoulders,and turned her over. 

Kai wiped her hair out of her face, willing her not to be dead.

Her face was white as marble, and as cold, yet her eyes wereclosed, so she wasn't Petrified. 

But then she must be... 

"Ginny, please wake up," Kai muttered desperately, shaking her. 

Ginny's head lolledhopelessly from side to side. 

"She won't wake," said a soft voice. The Potters jumped and spun around on their knees. 

Kai whipped out her wand and pointed it at the voice. 

 A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. 

He wasstrangely blurred around the edges, as though they were looking at him through amisted window. 

But there was no mistaking him. 

"Tom — Tom Riddle?" Harry asked, confused.

 Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off the Potter's faces.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Kai asked desperately. "She's not — she's not —?" 

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

Harry stared at him, while Kai glared. 

Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here hestood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.