Here's the next chapter, and the last of this fic! Like for the Philosopher's Stone, it was too short to be cut in two, so it was made extra long.

Hopefully you will like the twist, if it's not too farfetched!

Onwards!

There was a commotion behind him and he felt a slight tingling feeling engulf him before settling in his stomach. Daphne was observing him intently, along with everyone else. Ron looked horror-struck, and Nico realised that Ron had hit him in the back by accident. His insides gave a lurch and he paled. Thanking Zeus that he was near the door, he left before the first bout of nausea struck. Forcing the bile down, he sprinted for the nearest toilet, belatedly realising it was a girls' bathroom and threw up in one of the cubicles.

Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he turned, slumping against the ceramic basin. He panted, waiting to see if his stomach had truly settled, and groaned. Moving to the sinks, he abruptly turned and heaving over another toilet.

A whine interrupted the silence. Nico held his breath, heart sinking. He hadn't, had he? Suddenly, all the taps turned on full and the water in the toilets began to bubble up and rise as the cisterns overflowed. Caught in the deluge, Nico tried to make for the door, when he stopped.

"He went this way…" Ron's voice echoed along the empty corridor.

Feeling his blood run cold Nico ran into the nearest stall, closing the door and standing on the seat, praying that Weasley and Potter wouldn't stay long.

"What's up Myrtle?" asked Harry, concerned.

"Who's that?" The ghost wailed "Come to throw up on me again?"

"Why would I be sick on you?"

"I don't know, here I am minding my own business, when someone thought it was funny to, to vomit on me!"

Nico closed his eyes and let his head fall back. Of course it would be her toilet that he was sick in.

"Nico was here? Ron's wand malfunctioned, and we're not sure what spell he got hit by."

Myrtle's moans stopped abruptly. Nico prayed silently that she wouldn't give him away, but thankfully, Ron's tactless nature came to his rescue.

"But surely it wouldn't matter if Nico was sick on you, I mean, stuff just goes straight through you."

Myrtle bristled.

"SURE! Let's all be sick on Myrtle because she can't feel it! 50 points if it goes through her stomach, fifty if it goes through her head!" The ghost was fair hysterical by the time she'd finished her rant.

The two Gryffindors were silent.

Footsteps moved towards Nico's stall and he tensed, but the feet stopped by the stall next door.

"Hey Ron, look at this!" Nico groaned silently, he'd been sick so violently the diary had slipped out of his pocket.

The was the noise of a scuffle

"What?" Harry asked bewildered

"Are you mad?" Ron replied "It could be dangerous!"

Yes, it is, thought Nico, so leave it alone!

"Dangerous?" Harry repeated, incredulous, "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"

"You'd be surprised," Ron told him, his voice grave. "Some of the books the ministry's confiscated – Dad's told me – there was one that burned your eyes out. And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in Limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one handed. And - "

"All right I've got the point" said Harry, "Well, we won't find out unless we look at it." Nico had to restrain himself from jumping out and revealing himself.

"Hang on," Ron's voice sounded curious "I know that name, T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."

"How on earth do you know that?" Harry asked, amazed.

"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," Ron spat resentfully "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too. "There was a silence, and Nico shifted in his cramped position standing on top of the toilet. Styx, he wished they'd hurry up and leave!

"He never wrote in it" Harry seemed disappointed

"I wonder what it's doing here?" Ron asked curiously

"He must have been Muggleborn, to have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road…"

"Well, it's not much use to you," Ron said, briskly before whispering something that Nico couldn't hear.

The was the sound of waves lapping against the cubicle doors as the Gryffindors left.

Nico sighed. Stupid boy! He chastised himself silently. Why didn't he leave the diary in the dorms?

Because he didn't want Malfoy to find it, he answered himself. Deciding to mull over how to get it back later, he stormed off to the seventh floor, feeling reckless and frustrated.

Reaching the corridor, he immediately ignored the wall, instead pacing back and forth, not really concentrating on anything but his anger at himself for not hiding the Horcrux. He was interrupted in his self-deprecating rant by the door carving itself into the wall again. Nico stopped, stunned. Quickly analysing what he had done this time and the only other time the door had appeared, he came to the conclusion that pacing was what revealed the door. Quietly slipping into the room, he stopped dead.

It was the perfect training room. There were straw dummies for sword practise, targets for spell work and on one wall a large collection of weapons including throwing knives, and next to it a pile of books focusing on martial arts, weapons and advanced duelling.

Nico smiled. This room was the perfect place for him to let off some steam.

Sweat poured down Nico's face, and he had to blink to keep it out of his eyes. He'd been training for just under two hours, and he was already out of breath. Physically, he was seriously out of shape, mentally he was feeling much better. He loved learning magic, but there was only so long he could stand listening to the petty and shallow concerns of his twelve-year old classmates. Pretending to be two years younger than he was could be exceedingly draining, particularly when you took into account that he fought in a war at their age.

Squatting down, and gasping for breath, Nico suddenly realised that he was likely in the room with the Horcrux.

Wildly spinning around, he scoured the room for the mystery object. Letting his senses guide him he stood in the spot where the feeling of wrong-ness was strongest. There was nothing. It wasn't here. Firing various counter-charms and cancelling spells, Nico ran a hand through his sweat-slicked hair, frustrated, but too tired to get himself worked up over it. Vaguely acknowledging he should wash after the intensive exercise; his eyes fell on a wooden door that had certainly not been there before. Pushing the door open, his eyes almost jumped out of his head at the sight of a giant swimming poll-like bath tub with a hundred golden taps.

He allowed himself a lopsided grin. Perhaps things weren't so bad.

Valentine's Day came around and Nico stared in horror at the decorations in the Great Hall. Lockhart really had gone round the bend this time. There was no way a sane man would do something like this! Nico was sure that Snape would snap during Loockhart's speech and curse the bumbling fool into oblivion. From the look on McGonagall's face, she would have helped.

The dwarves interrupted every lesson Nico attended, though he thanked the Gods none were addressed to him. The only time it was anything other than an annoyance, was when Harry received a Valentine in the middle of the Charms corridor. The fight he put up to escape the oncoming torture was admirable, but doomed to failure, as the dwarf sat on his legs and twanged his harp. Nico's eyes roamed over the split bag and spilled books, while the dwarf recited his poem. Stooping to pick up the diary, he straightened, only to have it snatched by Malfoy, who immediately crowed the discovery.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Malfoy asked loudly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Hand it over, Malfoy" Ron's older brother tried to exert his authority, but only succeeded in aggravating the situation.

"When I've had a look" Malfoy replied, smirking

"As a school Prefect - " Percy started, but didn't get a chance to finish, as Harry shouted the disarming spell and the book jumped out of Draco's hands and landed in Ron's. Disappointed he couldn't get the diary, Nico moved on, but not before noticing Ginny's pale face as her gaze switched from the diary to Harry and back again.

Since becoming more friendly with the other Slytherins, Nico had cut down on his time spent looking for Horcruxes, so he could only go to the seventh floor once a week if he was lucky, and depending on his mood he'd either try finding the Horcrux, or train. He had yet to find the room that held the piece of soul. It was only a matter of time before he found it, but every time he opened the door to a new room that didn't hold what he was looking for was disheartening. There may have been 1000 ways how not to make a light bulb, but Nico was not that optimistic.

Blaise's lessons in British Wizarding law could be either fascinating, or really really boring. They were currently covering what Nico had been trying to find in the Library before Christmas.

"Magical creatures are all classified as either 'Dark' or 'Neutral', depending on their perceived intelligence and threat. None are considered 'Light', to my knowledge. The few considered Neutral are all things like Pixies, Gnomes, house-hold pests if you will. Creatures with low intelligence also have a 'danger' classification, from 1 to 5, five being highest. There are laws dealing with the trading of these creatures, I can't remember the specifics, only that for class 5, only the experts can handle them and then, only with the expressed permission of the Ministry. Some are forbidden altogether."

"Which ones are completely forbidden?"

"Not many, just the really dangerous creatures, like oh, I can't remember, the Berserker is one- it's like an insane warrior that was once human - the Chimera, that's a mix between a lion and a goat, and that snake that Herpo the Foul invented, what was it? The Basilisk. King of Sepents, can kill with a glance."

"And the intelligent non-humans?"

"They're all considered Dark really, but I think it's the Vampires and the Werewolves giving the others a bad name, the Wood Elves and Selkies keep themselves to themselves for the most part. Hell, we trust our money to Goblins, and they're classified as Dark."

Nico made a disbelieving noise at the back of his throat.

"So who's Herpo the Foul?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"You haven't heard of Herpo the Foul? Oh come on! Surely even the Yanks…" Blaise relented after seeing Nico's face. "He was the first recorded Dark Wizard in history. He was a Greek I think, his experiments were legendary for being gruesome. Some say it was he created the monsters of legend, Medusa and the like."

"Right." Nico stated, not sure if he was glad the legend of this Dark wizard had been so distorted, or annoyed that the true myths had been forgotten.

Easter fell in early April, and Nico stayed at Hogwarts this time around. Since the betrayal during the last holidays, he was reluctant to leave in case it happened again. At the moment he was experimenting on Iris Messaging. He wanted to be able to talk to Hazel more often; he didn't want to think he'd abandoned her. Plus he was curious about what had happened at the duelling club, Annabeth taking a 3D form was almost reminiscent of some of those old Star Wars films he'd seen in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. With most of the other Slytherins leaving, he'd be able to work in relative peace.

So far, he'd not managed to create anything of note, but absently praying to Iris for the seventh time, he flicked his wand, murmuring a random spell from the Encyclopedia Enchantia. Eyes lighting up, he smirked and leaned back against the wall of the temple of Pluto. He wandered around for a moment, hands idly skimming the cool stone of the pillars. Turning, he spotted the open IM showing the empty Slytherin dorms. Curious, he swiped his hand through the IM, and reappeared on his bed. It seemed that the travel, despite being physical rather than optical, only lasted as long as the window was open. After experimenting a few times, he was happy he'd nailed the effects, feeling relief that he could now travel (temporarily) without draining himself, or worse. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't found something that he couldn't do already, but he couldn't complain too much. Pocketing his last Galleon, he left.

Hermione and a Ravenclaw prefect were attacked in early May. Nico had been chatting with Leo about his flying ship at the time, making him conspicuous in his absence. Luckily, nobody besides the other Slytherins noticed, and they weren't going to say anything. The next day, both Hagrid and Dumbledore had left.

McGonagall was a fair acting Headmistress, though her security measures were very irritating. Nico found himself missing his training room. Having everyone on edge was wearing on his nerves.

After two weeks, he was almost desperate, and so gave Lockhart the slip, sneaking of towards the seventh floor.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Ginny's voice sounded odd, too cold and cruel for the happy eleven year old that was Ron's sister.

"You're not Ginny." Nico stated, warily gripping his sword. The girl smirked.

"How can you know that?" She raised her wand, her face was inquisitive.

"Where is she?" Nico asked, backing up slowly.

"What are you?"

"Where's the diary?"

"How did you know about that?" Ginny demanded sharply.

Nico didn't reply.

"Well, if you're so concerned, it's here." She drew out the diary, carefully keeping the wand pointed at Nico's heart. Suddenly, she threw it at him, and reflexively, Nico caught it.

His vision went dark.

He was in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. Everything was quiet, except for the soft sobbing from one of the stalls. Suddenly the door opened and in stepped a very handsome sixteen year old. It was obvious this was Tom Riddle. The future Dark Lord completely ignored Nico, who had the feeling he was watching some weird 3D film where he could actually move around and touch things. The Son of Hades quickly came to the conclusion that he was watching a memory. This made him relax fractionally; at least he wouldn't get himself caught up with awkward questions, but who knew how long he'd be stuck here? The Horcrux pulsed around him, and he shuddered. Riddle had turned to one of the taps and hissed. The sinks dispersed, revealing a large pipe. Nico's eyes widened in comprehension as he heard the toilet door unlock.

"I remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes, over there bythatsink."

Nico covered his face and turned away.

His vision swirled and he found himself inside the headmaster's office, with a main that was definitely NOT Albus Dumbledore. The man was old, with wispy hair, and was reading a letter. Tom Riddle came in, his expression displayed nervousness, which to the untrained eye was entirely convincing, but his eyes were cold and calculating. Nico observed the future dark lord carefully. Tom was pleading to stay at the school during the holidays, and Nico realised with a start that the boy must have asked every year without fail, hoping that one year the headmaster would be convinced enough to allow it. The interview concluded with Tom offering to stop the attacks after learning the school was threatened, and Nico raised an eyebrow Tom took off after a short confrontation with a younger looking Dumbledore (who was already looking ancient), and Nico hurried to keep up. After a string of turns and corridors, down onto the first floor, past a painting of a bowl of fruit that Nico had never seen before, they stopped. Tom looked to be listening intently, before wrenching the door of a nearby broom closet to reveal…

Hagrid.

Nico stared, perplexed. He was who took the blame for the attacks? And he still worked at Hogwarts?

Tom looked desperate, his eyes were wide and there was a manic gleam that screamed danger.

"Monsters don't make good pets Hagrid." Nico shifted slightly, wanting to see the animal that had got Hagrid into so much trouble. A slight rustling noise; and Nico stumbled back as a large spider ran straight at him. Tom fired a spell and missed.

"ARAGOG!" Hagrid yelled after the monster, starting forward, only for Tom to throw a hand out, stopping him.

"They'll have your wand for this Hagrid, you'll be expelled."

His vision shifted again.

He was by Hagrid's hut, watching Ginny strangle roosters.

He was in the corridor outside the bathroom watching the Basilisk petrify Mrs Norris and daub the message on the wall.

The hallway to the hospital wing, Colin Creevey freezing as he tried to take a picture.

Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Hermione.

He saw Ginny confront himself and watched as he was sucked into the diary, he saw her continue down towards the second floor corridor. He stared at the words in horror:

THEIR SKELETONS WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER

That was the last thing Nico heard before his vision went black and he was ejected from the diary.

He scrambled to his feet, struggling to stand properly, as if drunk. He felt drained, like he'd stayed up too late or had burnt himself out on a summoning. The ghostly form of Tom Riddle flickered and smiled at him, like a predator contemplating his prey. He was chanting something. Nico barely paid heed to Ginny's prone form, he could feel the life draining out of her, but he could barely resist falling back into the abyss himself without worrying about someone else. At least he was aware of the drain and still had the strength to resist; the diary had ejected him too soon. The ghostly form was solidifying fast, and Nico backed up, clumsily drawing his sword in one hand, his wand in the other. The form of Riddle laughed, and advanced, still chanting. Nico spotted the diary on the floor behind the projection, but couldn't see a way to grab it.

Suddenly there was the noise of falling rocks and the ground shuddered. Riddle's eyes flickered to somewhere behind the Son of Hades, allowing Nico to dart around him and snatch at the diary. He was blasted of his feet before he got near it. Winded, Nico looked up to see Riddle lean against one of the pillars, twirling Ginny's wand in his hand.

The sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears.

"Ginny! Nico!" Harry dropped to his knees next to the red-headed girl, only sparing Nico a glance as he sprinted for the girl.

"Ginny! Don't be dead! Please don't be dead!" he dropped his wand and Nico groaned silently. Harry had willingly abandoned his only weapon, had flung it away from himself when he had no idea of the dangers. Wincing as he sat up, he looked around, both Riddle and Harry were much closer to the diary than he was. He was still feeling lethargic and light headed; a side effect of the draining spell. Patting his pockets he realised with horror that he had no ambrosia, and his sword wrist was throbbing.

"She won't wake" Riddle interrupted Harry's mumblings.

Nico stayed silent, watching the confrontation. He noticed it was now Harry's wand that Riddle was twirling in his fingers. Slowly he began to edge towards the diary, stopping whenever there was a lull in the conversation.

"Tom, Tom Riddle?" Harry seemed stunned "What d'you mean she won't wake? She's not- she's not-"

"She's still alive, but only just" The image replied, carefully scrutinising the newcomer.

'And she won't be for much longer' thought Nico, flinching as he felt Death creep closer and closer.

"Are you a ghost?"

"A memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years."

Nico stiffened as both Harry and Tom looked his way. The ghosts eyes narrowed and he raised the wand slightly as if daring him to try.

"You've got to help me Tom, Nico, We've got to get her out of here. There's a Basilisk … I don't know where it is, but it could come along at any moment. Please, help me…"

Nico was too frozen from the thought of a Basilisk being the monster in the chamber to roll his eyes at Harry's naivety. Trust a stranger in a secret chamber that holds a Basilisk? Was he nuts?

But Harry had finally noticed his wand was missing.

"Did you see-?" he asked Nico uncertainly. The demigod nodded towards Riddle, who was smirking.

"Thanks," Harry said reaching for the thin piece of wood. Riddle didn't give it to him. "Listen, we've got to go! If the Basilisk comes…"

"It won't come until it's called" Riddle stated calmly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked impatiently "Look give me my wand, I might need it."

Nico slowly began to edge towards the diary again, while the two were discussing Ginny's gullibility and how it profited the future Lord Voldemort. Riddle was too engrossed about how Harry had defeated him as a baby to notice that the distance between Nico and the diary had halved.

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you." Harry said quietly, hate dripping from his voice.

"Accio"

The diary flew past Nico and Riddle caught it, glaring. The demigod stood up slowly and made his way towards Ginny's body, the familiar smell of an approaching death invading his nostrils.

"Well he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled; I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary preserving my sixteen year old self in tis pages, so that one diary, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Well, you haven't finished it" Harry told him triumphantly "No one's dead this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be alright again."

"Haven't I already told you," Riddle asked in a whisper, sending shivers or fear down Nico's spine. "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been - you"

He spun around, and hissed at a giant carving on the wall, just like he had done it the bathroom. Nico and Harry stared as the mouth began to move. Backing up, Nico grasped his wand and closed his eyes. Something hit the floor, and Riddle hissed again. Realising with dread that Riddle could somehow talk to the creature, Nico furiously began to form a plan in his head. The basilisk could kill with one look, but its hide was too thick to pierce with his sword – even if his wrist wasn't injured.

"Distract it!" he mumbled at Harry. He felt other boy falter, but heard the splash of footsteps through water as Harry ran off. He heard the snake lunge, but couldn't open his eyes to see what had happened. There was more hissing, and Nico was racking his brains, trying to remember the layout of the chamber. He had a plan, but for it to work, he had to be in the centre, with Harry leading the snake back towards him.

Taking a few steps forward, he turned, hoping he was now looking towards entrance. He could hear the snake slithering around, somewhere off to the left.

"Lead it back Harry!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. He could feel Riddle's presence somewhere behind him, laughing.

Praying to the entire pantheon, plus Hecate and Hades, Nico raised his wand. It occurred to him that this was a huge gamble that would probably backfire, especially seeing as the Doors of Death were open, but he had no other plan. Time to pit Wizards against Mythology.

"Arcus!"

Riddle began to laugh.

"So this is what will defeat Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin! The Boy-Who-Lived, and a rainbow!"

Ignoring him, Nico began to chant, reaching for his pocket.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering!" Praying as hard as he could, Nico yelled for Harry to duck while he shouted the summoning charm that Riddle had used earlier.

Two shrieks pierced the air; shortly joined by Riddle's scream of denial. Nico frowned, that wasn't quite what he had predicted; he had thought it would require a bit more time than that.

"You may have killed the Basilisk, but you're too late, Ginny gone, and I have a corporeal body once more."

Hesitantly, Nico opened his eyes and stared the scene in front of him.

Well, that was unexpected.

He turned to the future Dark Lord. The Horcrux smirked back, triumphant.

Harry had fallen to his knees next to Ginny's still form, his body wracked with sobs. He placed the diary carefully in her icy hands.

Head spinning, Nico tried to work out what had happened. He hadn't felt Ginny's soul depart, but Riddle was alive, so that must mean…

Raising his sword, he swiped. Riddle lifted his wand, but he was too late, as soon as Nico's sword touched his body, it disintegrated, the stolen energy flooding into the Stygian iron. The diary shuddered.

Nico stumbled towards the girl. Harry was still crying silently. Kneeling down beside the distraught boy, Nico carefully tugged him away from the cold corpse.

"She's dead…She's dead…Oh god, what'll I tell Ron?" The boy only seemed capable of repeating himself.

"Do you trust me?" Nico croaked quietly.

Harry looked up, eyes wide and silently pleading.

Solemnly, he drew his wand and ran it across the blade of his sword, chanting in Greek. Harry's gaze was following his every move. Pressing the diary firmly against Ginny's chest, he could practically feel her soul straining to return to her body. It was a simple exorcizing ritual, coupled with a possession rite, except in reverse. He was cleansing an object and forcing the soul to possess its original body. He understood the theory of what he was doing, but in practise he was still a little shoddy.

Placing the wand tip at Ginny's heart, he watched as colour seeped into her cheeks, and she gave a shuddering breath. Harry gasped. Nico sighed. He had never been so grateful that the Doors of Death were open, and Thanatos was otherwise engaged.

Grabbing the diary, Nico threw it across the floor and, with Harry and Ginny watching, plunged his sword through the leather cover. Ink spurted out in torrents; an inhuman scream pierced the air and then…Silence.

"It's done." He said quietly. Ginny began to sob.

"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 swear I didn't mean to – R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over – and what happened here? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary –"

"Nico?" Harry asked, unsure.

Looking at his handy work, Nico smirked slightly. The Iris Message was still open, showing what looked like a garden centre, filled with statues.

"Medusa's let herself go a bit, hasn't she?"

The stone statue of the basilisk dominated the Chamber, the front raised up as if about to strike, long stone teeth filling the giant jaw. Now able to look at the creature, Nico could truly appreciate why the basilisk was known as the King of Serpents. It was majestic.

The Gorgon was frozen at her fiercest, snake-hair glaring and mouth wide snarling as she looked into the basilisk's eyes.

The trek up to the headmaster's office was a tiring affair.

Nico had to display some of his geokenesis abilities in order to shift the rock slide that blocked the passage.

Ron had been speechless as he had seen not only Harry return with his very alive looking sister, but also the thoroughly disgruntled demigod. At first he tried to shield her from the unhappy slytherin, until Ginny told him that Nico had saved their lives. Lockhart was a lot less annoying now he'd lost his memory, but his incessant questions and bemused smiles as they addressed him as Professor could only be endured for so long.

Harry's questioning glances were also quite trying. It was now the second time Nico had saved his life, but this was the first that he had flaunted his abilities for the younger to see.

Though he was quite sure that the existence of Greek gods wasn't common knowledge in the Wizarding World, Voldemort had recognised him for what he was the first time (though he reckoned that the sixteen year old version hadn't encountered any demigods, otherwise he might not have been ignored quite so much). He dreaded Dumbledore and Hermione finding out, because they would, he was sure of it. Hermione would have realised by now that he wasn't human, due to the Polyjuice fiasco, and would research every magical creature known until she found an answer that stuck. Dumbledore, well, he didn't know what the headmaster would do, if he didn't know already.

Arriving back up to the main castle via a small pipe with a ladder notched into the side, Nico turned to the others.

"Where now?" Ron asked, still hugging Ginny closely.

"McGonagall's office, she's headmistress now." Harry told them decisively. The walk felt like it took mere moments, and they were soon outside the door.

Squaring his shoulders, Harry knocked and pushed it open.

What greeted them was utter silence. Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

Mrs Weasley, with red eyes and tear tracks on her cheeks, flung herself at her daughter. Mr Weasley followed a split second later.

Professor Dumbledore stood by the fire, next to Professors McGonagall and Snape. The former was clutching her heart, her face an unhealthy shade of grey. The sour Potions Master looked momentarily shocked, before covering it with his customary sneer.

Nico couldn't discern much else as he was grabbed into a bone-crushing hug along with Ron and Harry.

"You saved her, you saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that." Professor McGonagall stated, weakly.

Nico tensed unhappily. There was no way to cover up his involvement.

Mrs Weasley let go of them all, and Harry hesitating slightly, placed the ruined diary on the desk. He looked questioningly at Nico who shrugged. This exchange wasn't missed by the adults in the room.

Harry started by speaking of a disembodied voice in the walls, of Hermione realising it was a Basilisk in the pipes, and that meant only Harry, as a Parselmouth, could hear it speak. He talked of Aragog, the giant spider from the memory, and going to meet him in the forest with Ron. He said Aragog had led him to Mrytle, and they'd guessed that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in her bathroom.

"Very well" McGonagall said when Harry faltered, once again looking to Nico for help. "So you and Mr Weasley found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces on the way, I might add – but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

So Harry told them of the journey down into the chamber, of how he'd found Ginny unconscious and Nico injured - " Here he faltered, and Nico suddenly realised that he hadn't mentioned either Riddle or Ginny. The girl looked devastated, still crying into her mother's shoulder. Harry had turned to Dumbledore, who was smiling faintly.

"What interests me most, is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant both Ginny and Nico, when my sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests of Albania."

Nico bristled, that- that monster hadn't enchanted him! With him in the picture alongside Ginny, he looked just as guilty as Riddle in bewitching her!

"W-what's that?" Mr Weasley said before Nico could give himself away. "You-Know-Who? Enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not, Ginny hasn't been, has she?"

"It was the diary" Harry interrupted "Riddle wrote in it when he was sixteen."

Dumbledore reached for the diary, but Harry spoke again.

"But sir, it was Nico that destroyed the diary and killed the monster; Riddle hadn't done anything to him."

"I bumped into Ginny on her way down to the second floor, I don't remember much, just being sucked into the diary and finding myself in the Chamber." Nico butted in.

Dumbledore was x-raying him with his twinkling blue eyes, and Nico could feel Snape's fathomless stare. After a moment, the headmaster turned back to the diary, and Nico scowled internally. It was his quest to find the Horcruxes, Dumbledore would only interfere and slow him down.

"Brilliant, of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He looked up at the Weasley, who were looking scared and confused. "Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school … travelled far and wide … sank so deeply into the dark arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognisable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But Ginny," Mrs Weasley faltered, "what's our Ginny got to do with – with – him?"

"His d-diary!" Ginny cut in, sobbing. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been wr-writing back all year – "

Mr Weasley was aghast, and began berating the poor girl for not showing the diary to him or her mother. Professor Dumbledore interrupted gently to tell the girl to go up to the infirmary, and that there would be no punishment. Turning to the three second year, he informed them that the Mandrake juice was ready and the victims would be waking up at any moment.

"So Hermione's OK!" Ron said happily

"There is no lasting harm done," Dumbledore told him.

He dismissed both McGonagall and Snape from the room, telling them to organise a feast in celebration. Eyes twinkling, he turned to the three second years.

"I seem to remember telling you that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules." He was addressing the two Gyffindors. Ron's jaw dropped, horrified.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," the headmaster continued, seeming not to notice the boy's distress, "You will all receive Special Awards for Services to the School and let me see, two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor, and Slytherin."

Ron went very red.

Dumbledore turned to Lockhart. "But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure, why so modest Gideroy?"

Ron interrupted before Lockhart could open his mouth, telling of how the Professor had tried to wipe their memories.

"Dear me, impaled by your own sword, Gilderoy!"

The other man looked bemused.

"Sword? Haven't got a sword, that boy has though." He pointed to Nico. "He'll lend you one."

Chuckling, Dumbledore told Ron and Nico to take the addled adult to the Hospital Wing. Outside Dumbledore's office, Ron seized Lockhart by his robes and dragged him off towards the Infirmary.

Nico started off towards Myrtle's bathroom, but was almost run over by an enrage Mr Malfoy. The elder sneered down at him as he swept the demigod aside, stalking off to the headmaster's office.

The journey back to the second floor was short, and Myrtle was waiting. She was smiling, accepting of her fate. He saluted her formally, and raised his sword, shakily. Her form exploded into wisps of cloud, and Myrtle was gone.

Nico stayed up all night, celebrating. The Gryffindor trio had formally apologized, and Nico had told them that they couldn't have the same friendship as before, but could perhaps be friendly acquaintances. Hermione had looked at him appraisingly, but didn't say anything. Ernie Macmillan and some other Hufflepuffs came over and apologised for suspecting him, though they didn't know he'd overheard them. Defence against the Dark Arts had been cancelled, along with the end of term exams, and Lockhart would not be returning next year.

The rest of term went by in a flash, and before Nico knew it, he getting off of the train.

There was no one to greet him this time, so instead, Nico tried to find an alcove for him to shadow travel without being seen. But the platform was packed with people, there was nowhere this side of the barrier that was secluded enough. Sighing, Nico dragged his suitcase through to the Muggle realm and looked around. Harry was walking off with three mortals, one very fat, one very thin, and one that looked like he was made up of nothing but lard. There was a man in patched and fraying clothing watching them wistfully from the side lines. As Nico passed close, the man's head snapped round, and for a second, Nico could swear his eyes were gold, but it was only a flash as the man blinked, revealing blue eyes. The demigod hurried on. The man didn't follow.

Nico found a deserted alley and was just preparing to gather the shadows and disappear, when an IM popped up.

"Nico!" a very harried looking Jason shouted, "Percy's arriving in Camp Jupiter!"

So that's that! I don't know when I post the sequel, but as it's my favourite of the seven books, it shouldn't take six months like last time.

I hope you enjoyed this fic, and didn't feel bringing in Medusa was too much of a Deus Ex Machina.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to review, favourite, and follow this story. I may not be a reliable author, but I am a grateful one.

please don't hesitate to tell me how you think the next one should go:

-Nico gets back with the trio? or do they drift further apart?

-More Slytherins, Less?

-Luna?

-Take a guess on Mark of Athena, or write as if nothing happens, until it comes out (and meddle with the timelines again)?

-And finally, how should Lupin's lycanthropy affect Nico?