Harry Potter's Coolest Aunt

The Battle in the Chamber

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He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

Harry stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? And where was Aishi? He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns.

Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkey-like, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with raven night color hair.

„AISHI!" Harry shouted, sprinting to her and dropping to his knees and lifting her into his arms„Aishi- don't be dead-please don't be dead-" Her face was white as marble and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be „Aishi, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her and gently patting her face. Aishi's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

„She won't wake," said a soft voice. Harry jumped and looked around till he looked behind him and growled. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him.

„Tom Riddle....out of your diary are you?" Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face. "What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said. „She's not ?" „She's still alive," said Riddle. „But only just."

Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen. „Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

„A memory," said Riddle quietly. „Preserved in a diary for fifty years."
He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there...then noticed a twin of Riddle was tied up and struggling. He was shocked...there are two

" Run! Harry! Run now!" The other tom said, " Before he..." His mouth was immediately covered with cloth.

"Silence" Harry looked up. Dark Riddle was still watching him-twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.

Harry got into a defensive position. A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly. „ The Basilisk won't come until it is called," said Dark! Riddle calmly as smile broadened.

„You won't be needing this wand," he said. Harry stared at him. „What d'you mean, I won't be-?" „I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. „For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

„How did Aishi get like this? Why there is another you" he asked slowly ready to summon his sword. „Well, that's an interesting question," said Dark Riddle pleasantly. „And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Aishi Merha's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."