The Chamber Of Secrets (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

THE START OF SOMETHING NEW

Ria joined Harry, who was still supporting Draco somewhat, as they followed Fawkes out of the Chamber. As they walked out of a circular gap, Ria looked behind her to see a serpent encrusted door hiss shut. They followed along a tunnel strewn with remains of small animals and after a minute, Ria heard the noise of shifting rocks.

"Ron! Ria is okay! I've got her!", Harry shouted.

"I already know that!", Ron shouted, then cheered as Ria laughed at Harry's bewildered face.

"I spoke with him from Myrtle's bathroom before coming to find you" Ria explained. "I'll tell you the details later."

Harry nodded, side-eying Draco who was now walking on his own, although he still looked deathly pale.

They turned a corner and Ria saw Ron peaking through a sizable hole in a rock wall.

Ria beamed as Ron pulled her through.

"Where did that bird come from?", He asked bewildered as Fawkes swooped through after her.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself.

"What is he doing here?!", Ron explained, as Draco scrambled through with some difficulty.

"Long story" Ria said, "We'll tell you later. Where's Lockhart?"

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the
tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in bad shape. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in
the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe.

Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"His memory's gone," said Ron. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at them.

"Memory Charm?", Ria asked.

"If I don't get the story right now neither do you", Ron said stubbornly giving Draco the stink-eye.

Ria sighed.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" Harry asked. Ria moved to where he was standing and looked up to see a long pipe going up.

Fawkes swooped past them and stopped in front of Harry, waving his tail feathers.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold . . ." said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there -"

"Fawkes", Ria said smiling, "Is no ordinary bird. Ron, hold Harry's hand", she instructed. "Professor Lockhart --"

"She means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"-- you hold his other hand. "

Once they were in position, Ria grabbed hold of his other hand and stretched the other one out to Draco. He took it with moments hesitation, still uncharacteristically quiet and looking lost.

Ria saw Harry taking hold of Fawkes' tail feathers. An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through her whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe.

"You're alive," Myrtle said blankly to Harry as they hit the wet bathroom floor.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry grumbled.