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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 15, 2011 12:34:29 GMT -5
Harry listened, clinging to every word as though this was some bizzare story time at a muggle children's school. He looked back to Ginny yet again, unable to look away as she slowly died right before his eyes. "Do something" his mind screamed at him but there was very little he could do.
He dropped back to his knees beside her, taking one of her stone cold, lifeless hands in his, holding on tightly. "Come on Ginny" he whispered pleadingly as Riddle continued to talk, continued to explain what had brought both Ginny and himself down to the chamber.
As Riddle's speech died down again, Harry released Ginny's hand and got to his feet, the bottom of his robes ripped and sopping wet to go with the water, dirt and sweat coating his face and arms at this point. "And what did you want to ask me Tom?"
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Post by shava4 on Feb 15, 2011 12:52:25 GMT -5
"Well, how is it that a skinny boy like you with barely enough magic to count for anything," he lied as he spoke having already plumbed the surface thoughts enough to see there was very good potential there, "how did you manage to defeat the most powerful wizard in history?" His eyes, hungrier now then before were focused entirely on the boy knowing nothing else could hear them, no one was coming to the boy's rescue. "What did you do, Potter, how did you manage it?" The answer was uber important, but would the boy be truthful? The horcrux couldn't be sure, but it needed to know what it was up against if it could be tricked out of him.
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 15, 2011 12:57:46 GMT -5
Harry stared hard at Riddle, back to being slightly confused. Why would he care about how Harry defeated Voldemort eleven years ago when his memory was fifty years old? He said as much. "What do you care? Voldemort was after your time."
Ginny was almost completely forgotten at this point. Even though her body lay between the two conscious bodies in the chamber, both sets of eyes were locked on their companion's in a silent staring battle.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 16, 2011 0:37:06 GMT -5
The eyes widened with amusement and surprise the boy had not figure it out yet. "Voldemort is my past, future, and present." He pulled out Harry's wand and did this with it before turning back to the boy. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts. You think I would use my filthy muggle's name?""No Harry, I turned my name around to make a new one, one which people would remember. A name to strike fear to my enemies when I was the greatest wizard in the world!"
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 16, 2011 5:20:01 GMT -5
Harry's blood ran cold.That's who Riddle reminded him of. Of course. He couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out sooner. He stared icily at this sixteen year old Voldemort, his spine stiffening. When was he going to get it through his skull that he was not as powerful as he thought he was? He had been "killed" by a one year old for crying out loud!
He took a step forward challengingly, nearly stepping on Ginny's hair and drew himself up to his fullest height - which still put him no where near Riddle's. "Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world!"
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Post by shava4 on Feb 16, 2011 11:50:38 GMT -5
A very ugly look appeared on Riddle's face as Potter spoke back. He hissed menacingly "Dumbledore has been driven from this castle by the very memory of me--" but he stopped and looked around as if listening. There was an eerie, spine tingling unearthly music come closer from somewhere, although nothing was visible. It made the hairs stand up on the neck and put both of them on edge. Just when it got to the point of being too much to take, flames erupted at the top of the farthest pillar. It was a crimson bird the size of a swan flying towards them carrying some kind of ragged bundle. It dropped the bundle at Harry's feet and landed on his shoulder while Riddle stared. "That's...a phoenix. And that's....the old sorting hat." He began to laugh a deep belly laugh. "This is what your Dumbledore sends you? A songbird and an old hat! Feel brave Potter?"
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 17, 2011 6:15:04 GMT -5
Not waiting for Riddle to finish whatever he was saying, Harry snapped proudly, "He'll never be gone! Not as long as those who remain are loyal to him!" It was at this point that Fawkes made his entrance.
Harry gave the bird a fond smile and stroked its feathers as it landed on his shoulder, though couldn't help but feel that the sorting hat was a bit of a let down.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 17, 2011 9:23:51 GMT -5
And the boy thought he had a chance, but Riddle saw the way he looked at the hat and the bird, although obviously cheered by them, he didn't see it either. He stopped himself from rolling his eyes just barely as the image put the wand away again and spoke. "So! Onto our business, Potter!" Smiling broadly, the horcrux's confidence was as tactile as a snake's skin as he watched Harry's every move. "Twice in your past -- and in my future -- We have met. And somehow twice I have failed to kill you." He said it as if something had gone wrong with an order of cut beef at the butchers, cold and simple. "Tell me how you survived? Tell me everything. The longer you talk, the longer you survive." His outline was defeintely getting colors as well as solidity.
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 17, 2011 9:36:09 GMT -5
Harry knew that this was a true statement. He had no wand or way to get out of there so really the only thing left to do was talk. He continued to stroke Fawkes' glossy, colorful feathers rythmically as he spoke. "No one knows for sure." He paused. He would make this story last as long as he could to give his brain time to think of an escape route. Afterall, even though it seemed impossible, as Riddle had just pointed out they had met twice before and both times Harry had somehow survived so maybe it would happen again.
He took a calming breath and continued. "All that is known is that my mother's love saved me. My muggle-born mother." He smirked at Riddle, knowing it must drive him crazy to know that a muggle born had essentially destroyed him.
Harry went on with his story, actually beginning to enjoy himself a little bit, despite the horrible situation. "And now you are living in forests and drinking unicorn blood. A waste of space...half alive."
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Post by shava4 on Feb 17, 2011 10:09:36 GMT -5
His face contorted for a second in anger and then suddenly relaxed. "Ah yes, your mother died to save you. That would be a powerful protection. So...nothing special about you really, it was chance." He seemed to relax more knowing this detail and you could almost see the image's mind shifting as he thought of possibilities. "I wondered, there are so many similarities between us you must have seen yourself.""Both half bloods, orphans, raised by muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths in history to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. We even look alike somewhat, but it was all just lucky chance. That's what I needed to know." He turned and walked away suddenly, stepping over to the giant face on the wall and spoke. "Let's teach you a lesson, shall we Potter? The powers of the Dark Lord, Heir of Slytherin against the famous Harry Potter and the best his guardian can give him..." He cast an amused look at the hat and bird and turned to the stone. ...Speak to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwart's Four...
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 17, 2011 10:20:25 GMT -5
Harry's brief stint of amusement was over. His insides twisted uncomfortably as Riddle began commenting on their similarities. It was indeed something that Harry had not failed to notice but he had been trying not to think about it too much. It was a definite blow to realize how much you were like the person you hated more than anything.
And then the uncomfortableness vanished completely, being replaced by panic and fear as Riddle opened his mouth and let out a long hiss that was clearly parsletongue and clearly meant to call forth the basilisk.
Fawkes took one look at the huge snake coming their way and took off, abandoning Harry, who promptly abandoned the hat and began running, keeping his eyes shut as a precaution. However, if you have ever tried it you will know this to be true, running with your eyes closed was not really an easy thing to do and he kept running into things, mostly the rocky barrier of the room.
And because the floor was slippery and wet, he eventually tripped over the sopping, heavy ends of his school robes and went sprawling to the floor, losing his glasses in the process.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 17, 2011 10:42:46 GMT -5
The creature stirred and began moving in the giant stone mouth as it opened and even as it began to emerge the bird took off and Harry began to run away. Riddle laughed, feeling a strong triumph coming his way as the floor shook with the creature's landing. ...Kill Him... said Riddle and the serpent turned to look and began to slither off after Harry. Riddle laughed, a sound high and cold, but filled with pleasure too of the exercise of power. There was a shuddering in the floor which made the boy fall over his own robes, but then things went wrong. Suddenly the creature lifted itself up into the air as the Phoenix struck at it and began snapping, writhing in trying to get the bird. Before Riddle could say a thing the fight had superseded his commands and the Basilisk was no longer listening to him. it struck several times and Riddle yelled NO! LEAVE THE BIRD GET THE BOY! YOU CAN SMELL HIM!
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 17, 2011 10:57:26 GMT -5
Harry's hands were darting around everywhere in his general vicinity trying desperately to find his glasses when all of a sudden there was a musical cry in the air and Fawkes had returned. But instead of going to Harry, he flew over his head and went right for the snake. Harry was afraid Fawkes would get hurt or eaten by the monster but Fawkes had the upper hand in this fight and had soon blinded the basilisk to Harry's overwhelming joy.
He, at last, snatched up his glasses and slid them onto his sweaty, dirt covered, scraped face before scrambling to his feet and sprinting in the opposite direction while Fawkes distracted Riddle's pet.
At Riddle's scream of fury, Fawkes took off again and the basilisk took up its chase. Harry ran as far as he could before his legs began aching and he was faced with a bigger problem. It was a dead end. He pressed his back to the grating, breathing heavily as the basilisk approached, using its nose to smell since, thanks to Fawkes, it could no longer see.
Harry swallowed hard and, trying his best to make as little noise as possible, grabbed the first thing his wandering hand could find, which happened to be a small rock. Holding his breath, he tossed the rock as far as he could. It's distant clatter alerted the basilisk, which slithered away. Harry closed his eyes momentarily in relief and then stepped out of the puddle of water he had been standing in and ran back towards Ginny, praying over and over again that she wasn't dead.
He fell to his knees, ignoring the pain of the impact, and felt for a pulse. It was faint - very faint - but there. He let out a breath of relief that died in his throat as the giant snake reappeared, heading right for him. As an act of desperation, he grabbed for the sorting hat and pulled it onto his head, shouting "Help me!" And then something hard was hitting him in the skull, making him see stars for a second. He swiped the hat from his head and a shiny sword with a jewelry encrusted hilt fell into his hands.
Harry gripped the handle with both hands and turned to face the nearing basilisk.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 17, 2011 11:31:35 GMT -5
As the boy got his senses and jumped up running off, Riddle yelled again NO! LEAVE THE BIRD GET THE BOY! YOU CAN SMELL HIM! GET HIM! KILL HIM!! , the Basilisk left off the fight and went after Harry again, lifting it's head to smell him out. In a moment as Riddle waited he saw the boy running back but no monster yet. With grim satisfaction he watched the boy fall and check Ginny again as Voldemort smiled at his desperation and wishing for a different outcome. His attention was entirely caught when the sword appeared however. The sword he had been trying to get in his hands for years to make it into a final Horcrux, but had never managed. When the boy was dead he would finally be able to get it, hide it away till he was strong enough to make the last one. Perfect. The beast came back straight at the boy fast and struck at him fast, barely missing crushing the girl's body as it did so.
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 17, 2011 11:39:51 GMT -5
Harry swung the sword at the monster as it dove at him, taking a pathetic swipe that missed by about a foot - the same amount that the beast's fangs missed biting his head off. Harry's heart was pumping in overdrive, his palms sweaty as they grasped the sword, preparing for a second attempt.
The fanged mouth came at him, closer this time, and he thrust the sword upwards with all his strength, piercing its brain in the process. The animal swayed on the spot a bit, then collapsed, dead. Harry would have been overjoyed, except for the tiny fact that the basilisk had gotten its own hit in before perishing for sticking out of Harry's arm was a very poisonous basilisk fang. He dropped the bloody sword from his shaking hands and fell back to his knees at Ginny's side, clutching his arm as his vision went blurry.
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