Riddle's Plea

The Chamber of Secrets*

(Vienna. October 31st, 1943)

    After a lot of failing persuasion from Albus Dumbledore, I had left his office feeling jittery and nervous. My walk back to the common room wasn't as silent as I had hoped it would be, and was stopped by Olivia while passing the Great Hall. "Vienna!" She had enveloped me in a tight hug, causing my ribs to ache and the breath to leave my lungs. "Liv. You're squishing me." I say, trying to struggle out of her tight grasp and failing. "How are you feeling?" She releases me, and holds me at arms length looking me up and down. "I'm fine." I reassure her, hoping to end the conversation quickly and resume my trek to the dungeons. "You don't look fine." She states, her eyes are full of concern and I resist the urge to sigh. "I had nightmares all night." I quickly lie, pretending to be ashamed of the non-existent nightmares, and lowering my head. "I can imagine why." She rubs my arm in a comforting manor, and I give her a tight smile. "I think I'm going to try to get some sleep." I say, pointing in the direction of the dungeons and she nods her head at my words. "That's a good idea. I'll see you later!" She waves back at me as she walks away, and I sigh in relief that the conversation is over. 

    I resume my trek to the dungeons, thanking Merlin that I don't run into any other students, and make my way into my room. It looked the same as when I left it yesterday morning, clothes strewn around the room, but something felt different about it. I couldn't quite place what was different, but I didn't let it bother me as I changed clothes quickly. I was not dwelling into the Chamber of Secrets in a 1940's style dress. I bolted to my wardrobe and pulled out my tattered and worn blue jeans and sweater. As soon as the familiar clothes were on my body, I felt more confident and more awake than what I had been. Ignoring the fact that the last time I wore these clothes I was in the middle of a war, I grabbed my wand and headed out the door. I stick to the shadows as I climb to the first floor, ducking behind statues and hiding in corners whenever I see students about to walk past, and sigh in relief when I finally enter the first floor girls lavatory. 

   I pull out my wand and scan through the room, opening and closing the stall doors to make sure no one was in the bathroom. "Colloportus." I use the locking spell on the bathroom door and turn towards the sinks. I search carefully for the correct sink, keeping in mind what Harry once told me about the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and almost yelp in joy when I find the serpent faucet. My joy quickly recedes when I realize how utterly stuck I am. I'm not a Parselmouth. The only Parselmouth I know in this time is Tom, and I definitely can't ask him to open the Chamber. I let out a sigh of frustration and stand back away from the sink. I run my hands through my hair, racking my brain for an answer but come up empty. Bloody hell. 

    A strange hiss echoes around the room, and I jump in fright at the sudden noise. The sink begins to slid into the floor, revealing a gaping hole and a bewildered me. I glance around the room, trying to pinpoint where the noise has come from, but can't find anybody. This could possibly be a trap. I brush off the thought as I walk towards the passageway and look down. I feel the nerves and trepidation flow through me, before taking a deep breath and calming myself. It's now or never Vienna. I take another deep breath before jumping into the passageway and let out the tiniest of screams. It's not long before I land in a heap at the bottom, tiny bones of long dead mice and rats crack and break underneath me, and the sudden landing pains my ribs. I stand unsteadily on my feet, and glance around the pipes that I've landed in. There was only one that I could walk into, and I slowly start walking through it, wand at the ready and prepared for any signs of trouble. It's not long before I reach a giant door, covered in snakes and causing me to flinch at the creepy serpents. Here I was, stuck again. 

    The strange hissing fills the room again, and the snakes begin to move causing me to yelp and jump back in fright. My voice echoes around the room and sends chills down my spine. The door opens then, and I walk through it hesitantly. Below me is a giant Chamber, the smell of murky water fills my nose as I take in the dark and dreary environment. My heart begins to pound as I descend the ladder, my feet hitting the walkway and causing a splash. In front of me is a giant marbled statue of a man, and I remember from what Harry has told me, that within that statue sleeps the Basilisk. The marbled face of Salazar Slytherin begins to loom above me as I walk towards it, passing the statues of snakes along the way and causing my trepidation to grow. 

    I stand in front of the statue now, looking up into the face of the founding Slytherin and I gulp nervously. I really didn't think this through. The Basilisk would come out of the hidden door of Salazar's mouth, and then what? I run my hands through my hair and glance around nervously. Harry had been on top of the statue when he killed the Basilisk, and I decide that that's my best course of action. I knew that the sword of Godric Gryffindor would appear for me, it had too, otherwise I would definitely be dead. I climb through the murky pool in front of the statue, and begin the climb to the top of Salazar's head, using his hair as hand holds. "You can do this Vienna." I say to myself, trying to motivate and calm my frantically beating heart. "Remember why you're doing this." I continue, as I stretch up to a particular marbled hair groove and hiss in pain at my still aching ribs. "You're doing this for Harry," I say, pulling myself up with my feeble upper body strength, "so he doesn't have to do it." I reach a footing and resist the urge to look down. "You're doing this for Myrtle," I continue pulling myself up, and trying not to panic when my foot slips, "so she doesn't have to die." I was almost to the top now, and my breath was coming out in gasps. "You're doing this for Tom." I say, finding the last of my strength to pull myself onto the marbled head of Salazar Slytherin. "So you can save him." I look around at the chamber before me, taking note of how far up I am and resisting the urge to get sick. I walk carefully to the highest point of Salazar's head, and close my eyes tightly. "Don't open your eyes whatever you do." I say out loud, reminding myself that the Basilisk had the ability to kill with just a look. 

    For a moment I rest, listening to the complete silence of the chamber, and the beating of my heart. You can do this. A warmth spreads through my hand, and from it comes a heavy object. I take a peek and sigh in relief at the sword. I close my eyes tightly again when a deep hiss reverberates around the Chamber, commanding the Basilisk to leave it's nest. You can do this. The sound of stone against stone fills my ears, and the whole statue shakes violently at the feeling, but I stand steady holding my ground. You can do this. From deep below me I hear the deep hiss of the monster that had just awakened, and the sound sends chills throughout my body. I can hear the sound of the monsters skin against the marbled floor. You can do this. I take a few cautious steps forwards, and grasp the sword tightly in both of my hands, pointing it downwards, and hoping that it hits it's mark. You can do this. The hissing becomes louder and a calm suddenly fills me. You can do this. Jump now Vienna. The voice fills my head, causing me to sway slightly before I bend my knees and jump.