#siseja

“Supreme Chancellor,” Padme says, and she’s entirely delighted to be able to. She’d hoped that Sheev would be elected, given how long he’s been serving in the Senate and his willingness to put Naboo first, but - the Alderaanian senator is young, but now that she’s been elected, Padme can’t imagine a better chancellor. 

“Queen Amidala,” Leia returns, chin high, but she’s smiling like she just saved the galaxy, eyes bright. “Congratulations on saving your people.”

Padme can’t help but smile back, too wide to be proper, too triumphant for a queen who should be focused on peace talks moving forward. “Congratulations on your new position.”

He was gone. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The Basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Shaking all over, Harry pulled himself up. His head was spinning as though he'd just travelled miles by Floo powder. Slowly he gathered together his wand and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the Basilisk's mouth.

From the other end of the Chamber he heard a moan as Black struggled to stand. Harry walked over to help his professor to his feet.

'Well done, Mr Potter,' Black said clearly still in pain after his bout of torture. A little way away Ginny also began to stir. Leaving Black to lean against the giant statue Harry rushed over to her. Her bemused eyes travelled from the huge form of the dead Basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great, shuddering two and tears began to pour down her face.

'Harry - oh, Harry - I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy. It was me, Harry - but I - I s-swear I d-didn't mean to - R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over - and - how did you kill that - that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I remember is him coming out of the diary -'

'It's all right,' said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, 'Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the Basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here -'

'I'm going to be expelled!' Ginny wept, as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet.

'I think not, Miss Weasley,' said Black, hobbling over. 'Trust me when I say that Tom Riddle has gotten far more powerful sorcerers than yourself to do his bidding against their will. You are a victim in all of this.'

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry urged Ginny forward; they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead Basilisk, through the echoing gloom and back into the tunnel. Harry heard the stone doors choose behind them with a soft hiss.

After a few minutes progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sounds of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.

'Ron!' Harry yelled, speeding up. 'Ginny's OK! We've got her!'

He heard Ron give a strangled cheer and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through a sizeable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.

'Ginny!' Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rich to pull her through first. 'You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?'

He tried to hug her but Ginny held him off, sobbing.

'But you're okay, Ginny,' said Ron, beaming at her. 'It's over now, it's - where did that bird come from?'

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

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

'And how come you've got a sword?' said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

'I'll explain when we get out of here,' said Harry, with a sideways glance at Ginny as Black pushed himself through the hole.

'Where's Lockhart?' he asked straightening himself up.

'He's back this way, Professor,' said Hermione. 'I think Ron's wand backfired again, meaning his was hit point blank with the memory charm meant for us. He's got no idea who he is our where we are.'

Led by Fawkes, whose wife scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, the walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

'Hello,' he said, peering good-naturedly up at them. 'Odd sorry of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?'

'No,' said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

'Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?' he asked Ron and Hermione.

'No, sorry,' said Hermione, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

'Grab hold of his tail Harry,' said Black. 'Phoenixes can carry incredible loads. If everyone holds hands, Fawkes should be able to carry us up to the Castle again.'

Harry tucked the sword and Sorting Hat into his belt and they all linked hands. Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

...

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

There was a moment of silence as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Black and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood. Then there was a scream.

'Ginny!'

It was Mrs Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She lept to her feet, closely followed by Mr Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing par Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry found himself, Ron and Hermione being swept into Mrs Weasley's tight embrace, as Mr Weasley shook Professor Black's hand.

'You saved her! You saved her!' Mrs Wesley cried. 'How did you do it?'

'I think we'd all like to know that,' said Professor McGonagall.

...

'Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing straight away,' said Dumbledore in a firm voice. 'This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort.' He strode over to the door and opened it. Bed rest and perhaps a large, streaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up,' he added, twinkling kindly down at her. 'Regulus, I think it best you go visit Madam Pomfrey too after your attack. You'll find she is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice - I dare say the Basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment. No lasting harm done, there.'

Mrs Weasley led Ginny out, followed by Black and Mr Weasley, still looking deeply shaken.

'You know, Minerva,' Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, 'I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?'

'Right,' said McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. 'I'll leave you to deal with these three, shall I?'

'Certainly,' said Dumbledore.

She left, and Harry, Ron and Hermione gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What had McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely - surely - they weren't about to be punished.

'I seen to remember telling you boys that I would have to expel you if you broke any more rules,' said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

'Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,' Dumbledore went on, smiling. 'Each of you will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and - let me see - yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.'

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's Valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.

'But one of us seems to be keeping nightly quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure,' Dumbledore added. 'Why so modest, Gilderoy?'

Harry gave a start. They had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

'Professor Dumbledore,' Ron said quickly, 'there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart -'

'Am I a professor?' said Lockhart in mild surprise. 'Goodness, I expect I was hopeless, was I?'

'He tried to wipe our memories, but Ron's wand backfired,' Hermione explained to Dumbledore.

'Dear me,' said Dumbledore, shaking his head, long silver moustache quivering. 'Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy?'

'Series?' said Lockhart dimly. 'Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though.' He pointed at Harry. 'He'll lens you one.'

'Would you two mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the hospital wing, too?' Dumbledore said to Ron and Hermione. 'I'd like a few more words with Harry ...'

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I LOVE THIS IDEA, it’s perfect