Ronan when saw the skin of the green snake, he didnt really like what he saw. Although he had made some preparations to fight the basilisk previously, thinking that the heir could turn on him at any moment, which is why he decided to learn a certain high-level transfiguration spell, that transforms a rock into a rooster. But the thing was, he had yet to master the spell.

“Blimey!” Ron said, “Look at the size of the thing,”

“What should we do now?” Neville asked in a worried voice, “We cannot fight a snake that big.”

It was Harry who showed bravery at the moment, “But we have to try. We just have to…” Ronan nodded, maintaining the facade.

“Let's go then,” Ron said rather nervously, it looked like he was afraid as well.

They started moving forward, Ronan wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he would find when it did. And then, at last, as they crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Ronan then turned towards Neville, who looked very nervous, “Could you…” he spoke in a low voice.

Neville nodded and uttered hissing noise, the serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and they walked inside while shaking from head to toe…

They found themselves standing at the end of a very long and dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars, on which more entwined snakes were covered, towered over them. There was this certain greenish gloom to the place, which Ronan believed was the work of Goto-Inmo grass, a magical herb that gives out a green hue in darkness. It is an ingredient that Mer-people use to illuminate their houses.

As they approached the last pair of pillars, they came across a statue at the other end of the chamber. Standing against the wall, one had to crane their neck in order to see the face of the statue. The statue looked ancient, it was of a man with a thin long beard, which was as long as the statue’s robe. And between the feet of the statue’s feet, facedown lay a small black-robed figure with flaming red hair.

“GINNY!” Ron yelled and ran towards the girl, and they ran behind him.

As they approached her unconscious body, Ronan started praying that the girl be dead, to his annoyance she was still alive. She was breathing, seeing which Ron started tearing up. Neville then knelt beside the sibling duo, “Ginny, wake up,” he said while shaking her.

“She won't wake up,” came a soft voice. They turned to their right, and there they saw a figure standing. The figure was wearing the green robes of Hogwarts. The weird thing was that the person looked faded from the edges, it seemed as if the man before them was the part of an unfinished painting.

Immidately Ronan pointed his wand at the man, “Who are you?” Seeing his action, everyone else as well pointed his wand at the man, except for Neville, who stared at the stranger with a little surprise.

“Tom? Tom Riddlle?” Neville spoke, surprising anyone.

“Those wands won't work on me,” the figure simply said, “I am a memory. Not a physical manifestation.”

It was then Ron asked, “What do you mean that she won't wake up?”

Riddle chuckled, “She is still alive. But only just,”

Ronan then turned his head sideways, “You are not just a memory. Memories dont have the power to possess people, nor cast any magic.”

“I have to give it to you Ronan,” the boy said, “You are the only one that saw through my facade. Sensing Filigia… Quite an ingenious idea if you ask me,”

“Thanks,” Ronan said.

“Intelligence runs in your blood,” Tom said, “Your uncles and aunt were intelligent as well. Quite remarkable people, if you ask me. Quite loyal to my cause, they practically worshipped me…”

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“So I was right,” Ronan said. He acted as if he had deduced this.

The faded smile on Tom’s face vanished. “You know who I am?”

Ronan smiled, “Of course, I know who you are… You are quite a famous wizard in our community,”

It is then Neville spoke, “What are you talking about Ronan? Who is this man?”

“Think about it Neville,” he said, “That diary is a cursed dark object that kills innocent muggle-born wizards and witches. Which wizard in the past 50 years had harbored deep hatred muggle born and half-bloods? Who could be the piece of shit wizard who would make such a dark thing,”

Ron then whispered, “It can't be,”

Harry then mumbled, “Voldemort,”

It was then Tom started laughing hysterically, “I seriously underestimated you, boy,” he said, “You are spot on. I am Lord Voldemort. It is my past, my future, and my present.”

“You,” Neville said with hatred, “Didnt I defeat you in the previous year?”

Tom smirked, “You defeated a mere shadow. I am the real deal,” he spoke.

Ron then asked, “What did you do to Ginny? What is happening to her?”

“My diary. Little Ginny has been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes… how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how” Riddle turned to Neville “how she didn’t think famous, good, great Neville Longbottom would ever like her. . . .”

Tom started circling them, “It’s very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl,” he went on. “But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me.” Tom then started imitating Ginny, “No one’s ever understood me like you, Tom. . . . I’m so glad I’ve got this diary to confide in. . . . It’s like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket. . . .”

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn’t suit him. It made their hair stand up on the back of their neck. “Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted. . . . I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her . . .”

“What d’you mean?” Ron said, whose mouth had gone very dry.

“Haven’t you guessed yet… I am sure you haven't. But I am sure, Ronan understood what I was trying to say. You got close to her, after all. You would have caught me if I hadn't taken control of her in a nick of time,”

Shocked, Harry asked, “What are you trying to say.. You took control over her?”

With a smile, Tom spoke, “Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib’s cat.”

“No…” Everyone exclaimed except for Ronan.

Seeing this Riddle asked, “.. But you knew about it. Didnt you, Ronan?”

Ronan felt everyone’s eyes at him, so he didnt try to hide, “I had my suspicion.”

“You know..” Tom stopped a few feet away from them, “It would be really sad to see a brilliant wizard like you go. You could have become a really good pawn,”

Riddle opened his mouth but froze.

Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly, Ronan started feeling the music lift the hair on his scalp. It made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Ronan felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock’s and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle. A second later, the bird was flying straight at Neville. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder. He recognized the bird, it was Phoenix whom he saw in Dumbledore’s office.

“That is a phoenix. . . .” said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

“Fawkes?” Neville breathed.

“And that…” said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, “that’s the old school Sorting Hat…” Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark Chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once.

“Fuck this shit,” Ronan said and then swung his wand at Riddle. To his surprise, Riddle conjured a shield just in time and deflected his exploding curse.

“Chantless magic?” Riddle spoke in astonishment, “You are impressing me a lot, Ronan,”

Ronan then heard Ron breathe, “That is Ginny’s wand,”

“Expelliarmus!” Neville, Harry, and Ron yelled altogether. Ron’s wand finally exploded sending him backward, while Riddle was able to counter the spells.

“I need you guys to stay behind me…” Ronan said, “This is not a fight that you can handle,”

“Of that, you are right.” Riddle said. “But dear Ronan, how will they follow your commands, when they will be busy running around like mice.”

Riddle then started hissing, and then Ronan heard of sounds of rocks rubbing against each other. Letting his guard down, he looked back. He saw the statue's stone face opening, wider and wider to make a black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue’s mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

“EVERYONE!” Harry yelled, “CLOSE YOUR EYES!”

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Ronan couldnt help but shudder, he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin’s mouth. Then he heard Riddle’s hissing voice. And he didnt need to know what this meant, he along with Neville shouted, “RUN!”