The basilisk's venom was affecting Haley quickly. She pulled the fang out of her arm and stabbed the diary in her last attempt to stop Riddle. She heard him yell, "No!" but all she could see was the blurred version of his chest exploding in a bright light. Moments later he was gone and Haley heard a small voice call her name. It was Ginny.

"Oh, Haley you're hurt!" Ginny said kneeling beside her.

"Ginny," Haley whispered, "The monsters dead. Follow the chamber and you'll find Ron and Lockhart. Get yourselves out of here. Don't come back for me."

"No! Haley! We can't leave you!" Ginny yelled.

"Ginny just do as I say! I wouldn't make the trip! Just go," Haley snapped.

"Haley…" Ginny whispered quietly.

"Please Ginny just leave. Now," Haley tried again.

Ginny stood up and with tears running down her face, "I'm so sorry. This is my fault."

"No it's not, Ginny. I don't blame you. Please leave. Get yourselves to safety. Please," Haley begged fighting her weakness. She didn't want Ginny to watch her die.

Ginny ran off crying and Haley fell to the ground weakly as soon as she was out of sight. Ginny ran as fast as possible until she came to her brother.

"Ginny!" Ron said happily and pulled his weeping sister into his arms. "Where's Haley?"

"Dead! The snake bit her!" Ron joined his sister's sobs.

"We can't just leave her here!" Ron yelled.

Ginny grabbed his arm and said, "You can't go Ron. The last thing Haley told me was to get us out of here and not to go back for her. She saved my life. We are doing what she wanted!"

Ron nodded and led his sister to the tunnel. "How do we get out?" Ron asked.

Ginny tried to remember then she hissed something and stairs appeared. Ron looked at her oddly and she said, "I'm not a parseltongue but I said stairs so many times when I was being possessed that I memorized it."

"You were possessed?!"

"Yes now let's get Lockhart and get out of here!" Ginny said through the tears. The three climbed out and Ginny and Ron ran to McGonagall's office. When they entered their parents ran to Ginny and pulled her into a big hug.

"What happened?" Albus asked Ron.

"Haley figured out where the chamber was. We tried to tell Lockhart but he tried to attack us so we took him to it ourselves to get Ginny. The three of us went in but Lockhart stole my wand and accidently obliviated himself. It caused a cave in and we got blocked off from the Haley. She continued on her own and I moved some rocks so she could get back through," Ron said in one breath before sobbing, "But Ginny came back alone. She said the chamber monster bit Haley. She's dead." Ron fell to his knees in tears.

"No!" Minerva screamed and she began to sob along with the rest of the room.

"Ginny," Molly asked though her tears, "Is this true?"

"I woke up and she was bleeding badly. The monster was a giant snake. There was a fang beside her. She killed it but it bit her arm!" Ginny choked. "She was getting weak and made me leave and promise not to go back for her. I'm sorry!"

Molly pulled her close and whispered, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Arthur held Ron to his chest and Minerva and Dumbledore were crying on their own.

Hours later Dumbledore called the entire school to the Great Hall. No one cared that it was the middle of the night. Everyone wanted to know what was going on.

When everyone had settled Albus stood up and said, "I know it's late but I have some bad news that I though you would want to know immediately. A few hours ago Ronald Weasley and Haley Potter got Professor Lockhart to go into the Chamber of Secrets with them, after Ms. Potter learned its whereabouts, in an attempt to save Ronald's sister Ginerva. When in the Chamber, Lockhart cowardly tried to erase Ronald and Haley's memories to save himself. However he used a broken wand. The charm backfired and he obliviated himself. The charm caused a cave in in the Chamber and Haley was forced to find Ginerva alone while Ronald tried to clear rumble out of the way so they could get back. We are unsure exactly what happened but Haley did find Ginerva. She also found the monster. It was something called a Basilisk. It's a giant poisonous snake. Haley managed to slay the beast and save Ms. Weasley's life but it was at a terrible price." Albus gulped as he said, "The Basilisk bit her."

The room broke into tears and cries of horror. "Haley made Ginerva leave without her and get the others to safety as her last act of heroism. We owe so much to Haley. She has saved our lives in more ways than she would ever admit."

People stayed in the Hall for hours comforting each other and grieving.

888

However, in the Chamber, immediately after Ginny left Haley fell backwards on the floor out of weakness. Fawkes crossed over to her and cried into her wounds. Haley whispered a quiet, "Thank you," before falling into a deep sleep. The poison had weakened her but she would survive.

Fawkes flew off leaving the girl to rest on her own.

When Haley finally woke up she had no idea how to get out. She couldn't climb that pipe out. She looked around her environment and saw a large door beside the Slytherin statue.

"Maybe that's the way out," she said to herself. Haley tried turning the doorknob but it wouldn't budge. She thought for moment then said, "Open," in parseltongue. The door swung open and she entered a comfortable looking room. It wasn't a way out but it was cool to explore. It was in Slytherin colors and had large shelves full of artifacts and books. There were to couches and a large desk. Haley went to the desk and looked through the doors. She found old notebooks. She sat down and looked through them. She immediately learned they were written by Salazar Slytherin himself. One was titled, 'Parseltongue Magic'. Haley looked through it to find spells in parseltongue. Another one was full of complicated potions. They were written in parseltongue but Haley understood it completely. She found a beautiful old backpack on a shelf she took it and put the notebooks in. She looked around the room and found an invisibility cloak, some rare potion ingredients, and a few interesting books. She decided to take them because they weren't doing any good to anyone down here. As she was looking through the Parseltongue Magic book she learned that to control the Chamber you just said whatever you needed in parseltongue. Haley grabbed Tom Riddle's diary and the sorting hat and placed them in her bag. She had hurt her ankle badly fighting the Basilisk so she used the sword of Gryffindor as a cane to walk to the exit. She was happy to know that Ginny and Ron must have gotten out. She took them books advice and said, "Stairs," in parseltongue. Immediately stairs appeared and she used the sword to help her climb them.

"You're alive?" Haley heard as she exited the Chamber.

Haley looked over to see Myrtle watching her. "Well you don't need to sound disappointed."

"Sorry, I just thought that you were down there for a long time. I thought maybe if you died you could live here with me. It would be nice to have a friend here with me," Myrtle told her.

"Sorry, Myrtle but I don't have plans on dying anytime soon," Haley told her. "I'll see you later, though."

It was dark and Haley looked at a clock on the wall. It was one thirty. That didn't make sense to Haley though. They went down around eleven. It took her a while to find Ginny. Then she passes out. Then she spent over an hour in that office room. Then it hit her. She was down there for over twenty four hours.

"Now what?" she whispered to herself. She started walking the halls and out of instinct hide when she heard someone coming.

"I can't believe she's dead," she heard McGonagall say.

Haley started crying silently. She had thought Ginny would be safe. She thought she got Ron and made it out.

She then heard Sprout ask, "I heard that Arthur and Molly are staying here until the end of year to help the children. Where are they staying?"

McGonagall said, "Yes, the children are taking very hard, especially Ronald. He's stopped eating. He locked himself in his room for hours today. Molly was afraid he may do something stupid. Albus moved them all into a guest quarters in the third floor. I'm afraid of how to tell Hermione when she wakes up. They were so close. Poor Ginny…" Haley couldn't hear any more of the conversation because McGonagall and Sprout were out of reach. She broke down. She was sure Ginny would be safe. She never would have let her go on her own if she didn't. Haley ran in the opposite direction of the two and ran out into the night crying. She sat in a corner on the edge of the school until morning. Her stomach grumbled and she decided it would do no good to starve herself so she went into the Great Hall.

888

Molly finally convinced the children to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She was having a hard time keeping her own emotions under control but she knew she had to for the kids' sake.

"Come on, Ginny," Molly begged.

"I'm not hungry," Ginny muttered but the grumbling of her stomach countered that statement. She looked down at her stomach and muttered, "Traitor."

"Come on, sweetheart. Starving yourself won't do anyone any good," Molly pulled Ginny to her feet and they all headed down to the Great Hall. It was full but very quiet. Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny all sat down at the Gryffindor table and put some food on their plates but they mostly just pushed it around. Bill and Charlie came to Hogwarts as soon as they heard what happened. They knew Ron, Ginny, and the twins would be distraught from the news and wanted to be there for them.

888

Haley stuck her head in the door to the Great Hall just a little so no one would see her. She saw a sea of red hair on the end of the Gryffindor table. She almost fainted when she spotted Ginny sitting beside her mother.

'If Ginny's alive then why…?' Haley thought to herself. Then she understood and slapped herself. "They all think you're dead you tool!" she whispered angrily to herself.

Now what?

Haley shrugged and quietly crossed to the Weasleys. Anyone that saw her just sat and stared. They were wordless. When Haley got to the Weasleys she dropped the sword in front of them and said, "Mind if I join you?"

They just stared at her. Now the entire school was staring. Albus, Minerva, and Snape rushed to the end of the Gryffindor table. When they got there no one dared to say anything. It was like if they said something she would just vanish. Haley however was staring at the food. She grabbed a breakfast BLT from a nearby plate and began digging in.

"Potter, is that really you?" Snape asked.

Haley swallowed and said, "Yes."

"And you're alive?" Minerva squeaked.

Haley held a couple fingers to her throat and felt her pulse before saying, "Apparently." She grabbed a goblet full of pumpkin juice and chugged it down before refilling it.

"I thought the Basilisk bit you!" Poppy shrieked.

Haley swallowed more juice before saying, "It did."

"How are you alive?" Snape asked.

"Magic. Can I explain later, I'm starving?"

Ron jumped out of his seat and pulled her into a huge hug. "Oh merlin, Haley, I thought you were dead!"

"So did I," Haley told him.

Ginny was crying as she approached her, "I thought I got you killed."

Haley pushed away from Ron and said, "I told you before that it wasn't your fault, Ginny. It was Voldemort not you." Haley gave the girl a hug before they were interrupted by Haley's stomach grumbling. "See I'm starving. Can I eat now?"

Bill stood up and gestured for Haley to take his seat. "Thank you Weasley I do not yet know!"

He chuckled, "How did you know I was a Weasley?"

"You're a ginger," Haley said before once again stuffing her face with the entire school watching.

Bill chuckled again and said, "I'm Bill. That one's Charlie."

Haley gave a short wave. Molly and Arthur were still staring at the girl stunned. Haley noticed this and after another swallow she said, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

Molly wiped away some tears and said, "We thought we had lost you."

"Nope, it will take more than a giant snake or a silly little killing curse to get rid of me," Haley told them causing several people to laugh.

Poppy approached them and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"The poisonous wound has healed. I just have a swollen ankle and a few cuts and bruises. Nothing you need to worry about," Haley told her dismissively.

"You should at least let me look at your ankle."

"That's not necessary Madam Pomphery. The swelling has already gone down a lot since last night." Haley took a few more bites and stood up saying, "Well I am covered in slime, ink, blood, and snake venom so I think I'll get cleaned up because I am tired of walking with puddles of blood and ink in my shoes. I'll meet whoever I need to explain my story to after that."

Minerva nodded and said, "That's a good idea. Meet us in my office when you're done."

Haley got up and left taking her bag and the sword before anyone could say anything else. After she was gone the whispers began. Snape turned to Albus and asked, "How can we be sure it's her? She may be a fake."

Ron heard this and yelled at him, "She not a fake!"

Snape turned to him and sneered, "You're blinded by what you want to see. What makes you so sure that's the real Potter?"

"The way she ate," Ron said firmly.

"Anyone can study how someone eats, Mr. Weasley."

"Exactly, Haley always tried to eat like a proper lady. She would never eat the way she just did," When Snape was about to protest he held his hand up and yelled, "UNLESS she we extremely hungry. Then she wouldn't care about how she ate. I've only seen her eat like that a couple times. If someone were impersonating her they would have eaten the way she normally would have."

Snape just stared at him as he sat down. "I'm still not convinced. The fact that she's a sloppy eater doesn't make it her. We need firm proof."

"Fine, give her truth serum. No matter what you say I know it's her," Ron told him.

Before he could answer Minerva said, "Let's just wait in the office and have her explain."

Albus, Snape, Minerva, and all the Weasleys went to her office and waited. It was about half an hour later when Haley finally showed up. She closed the door behind her and found an empty seat. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Uh hi!" she said cheerfully.

Albus smirked and said, "Hello, Ms. Potter. You look much better."

"Thanks! But my feet got stained from being in ink and blood for so long and there dyed red and black."

Ron smirked at his friend. It was definitely her.

"Um gross," Ginny giggled.

"That should come out right?" Haley asked.

"I would assume so," Albus answered, "I must admit that I've never dyed by feet with ink and blood before."

"I'll keep you posted then." Everyone except Snape chuckled at the girl. "Now what?"

"Well we would be very interested to know what happened in the chamber," Minerva told her.

"How much do you know?"

"Ronald told us his story and how you were separated and Ginerva explained what happened after she woke up," Albus told her.

"Okay well after the cave in I continued on my own. I came to a door and spoke parseltongue to it and it opened. When I went through I found Ginny. I went to her body to see if she had a pulse because she looked very dead. Trust me, I'd know. I felt a pulse but it was weak. She was holding a diary," Haley pulled it out of her bag. "Then a ghost like version of Tom Riddle approached us. He still had a physical aspect to him though because he picked up my wand and wouldn't give it back. He told me about possessing Ginny and making her kill rosters and attack people through the diary. Then he told me about how he was Voldemort and the air of Slytherin. He yelled and bragged about being the best wizard to ever live. I told him Dumbledore was the greatest wizard who ever lived."

"Why thank you Ms. Potter," Albus said smiling.

"No problem. Anyway Fawkes appeared and dropped the sorting hat in my hands. Tom laughed and released the Basilisk. I ran but I heard weird noises behind me. Then I saw a strange shadow and decided to chance a look at the monster. Fawkes was attacking it's eyes. It was blinded and I was able to look at it. It was able to smell and hear me however and it came after me again. I put the sorting hat on and asked for help and it dropped that sword on my head. I used it to kill the Basilisk but a fang bite into my arm. I pulled it out and crossed to Ginny. Tom was pissed that I killed his snake but happy that I was dying along with Ginny. So I stabbed the diary that possessed her with the fang that was in my arm. Tom basically blew up and Ginny woke up. I thought I was going to die and didn't want Ginny to see that so I yelled at her until she finally left. She can be stubborn though."

"And how are you here now?" Snape asked suspiciously.

Haley looked at Ron and asked, "What's with him?" as she jabbed with thumb in his direction.

"He thinks you're an imposter," Ron told her.

Haley gave a fake gasp and said, "Professor I'm insulted that you can't recognize me."

"Potter, shut up and finish your story," Snape growled.

Haley smirked, "Alright. After she left I got very weak and was blacking out. Fawkes flew down beside me and cried in the wounds. I felt much better and knew I wasn't going to die but I was still so weak that I passed out. When I finally woke up I had no idea of how to get out. I tried a door but it led to an office like area full cool stuff. I checked it out for about an hour before learning how to get out. I took a few things from the room. Hope you don't mind. All of the books are in parseltongue so I'm the only one that can read them any ways."

"Can I see what you found?" Albus asked. Haley handed over the entire backpack.

"There is a lot more but I thought these seemed interesting."

"Is this an invisibility cloak?"

"Yep!"

"Poison ingredients. What's this?" Albus pulled the notebooks out.

"Two notebooks written in parseltongue by Salazar Slytherin himself. One is on magic spells in parseltongue and the other is on some potions that I've never heard of."

Snape snorted, "It's not like you're the top of your class Potter."

"So you know all the potions in here?"

"I don't know but I probably know some of them at least."

"May I see the silver book, Headmaster?" Albus handed it to the girl. Haley opened it to the first page. "Do you know of a potion that turns someone into an animagus in an hour?"

"What? No it takes at least forty eight hours!"

"Not according to this. Let's try again. Do you know of a potion that defies gravity allowing the drinker to fly without any outside source for the rest of their lives after only drinking the potion once?"

"There a potion that allows you to fly but you need to drink it every time you want to!"

"So no. This is starting to feel like my first potions lesson except you're me and I'm you. Moving on, how do you reverse werewolf abilities?"

"WHAT?! You can do that!"

"According to Salazar yes, yes you can."

"Can I have that book?"

"Sure," Haley handed it over smiling.

"Damn it! It is in parseltongue!"

"Would I lie?"

"Yes but unfortunately you weren't," Snape sneered.

"So can I keep it?" Haley asked Albus.

"I guess. No one else has any use for it. Plus you almost died getting it."

"Yay," Haley said happily.

"Haley, would you translate this for me?" Severus begged.

"Maybe, but not right now. In case you forgot I almost died a little while ago," Haley said taking the book back. "How about we do that next year? It will take a long time and the school years almost done."

Severus sighed and said, "I guess that's acceptable. Were there any others that may be useful down there?"

"Tons."

"Will you get them?" Snape asked excited.

"You want me to go back down there? Are you crazy?"

"We'll come with you!" Severus said pointing to Minerva and himself.

"I'll do what?" Minerva asked sternly.

"Oh come on Minerva! This could save thousands of lives. If the three of us work together on this stuff we will be rich and famous and heroes."

Haley chuckled, "So what's in it for me? I'm already richer than I need to be, more famous than I want to be, and I have been called a hero several times."

"You have a saving people complex. Proven just the other night by saving Ms. Weasley."

"Damn he knows my weakness," Haley faked anger.

Albus thought for a moment and asked, "Haley, did you read anything about wards in these?"

"Um, may I see the green one?" Albus passed it and watched her flip through the pages. "Ah here we go. Well there are thing called blood wards. They seem pretty simple. The only thing stronger seems to be friendship wards but they look very complicated."

"Friendship wards? Would you mind explaining those to me?" Albus asked."

"Well, it says here that blood wards are strong because family bonds are generally strong. They weaker your relationship with your family the weaker the wards would be. However friendships are chosen not forced. The closer you are with the friends you are living with the stronger the wards will be. If you are good friends the wards will protect anyone in the house from harm," Haley tried to explain what she was reading.

"Would you mind translating everything on Friendship wards in there and writing it down for me?" Albus asked.

"Sure," Haley said looking through the book. "Would having it tomorrow morning be alright? That way I can copy it tonight."

"That would be perfect!" Albus said smiling.

"In the meantime," Snape said, "Will you take me and Minerva down with you?"

Haley sighed but before she could answer Molly said, "Actually, if you three are going down to the Chamber again would it be alright if I joined?"

"Me too," Arthur added. They both wanted to see exactly what Haley did for their daughter.

"Me too," Bill and Charlie said simultaneously.

"Can we come?" Fred and George asked.

"Fine! I'll take whoever wants to go down right now," Haley said standing up. "But no one better freak out. It's kinda creepy."