They were standing at the end of a very long and faintly lit chamber. Countless pillars spiralled away into the non-visible ceiling covered in carvings of intertwining and coiling serpents, and the entire room seemed to shimmer a faint green

'Knows his aesthetic, doesn't he? Old Salazar,' muttered Y/N as he and Harry began moving forward, wands drawn.

There was no sign of... well, anything, as the two advanced further into the chamber. No snake, no Ginny, no one. Their footsteps echoed loudly, and Y/N had the eery feeling that they were being watched. Which wasn't helped by the fact that the eyes of the snakes seemed to be following him.

Finally, the two of them appeared in line with the last set of pillars and the chamber expanded into a large opening which supported a massive statue, so large it was almost completely out of view. It was of an old looking human, with a long beard that fell almost all the way to the floor. They barely broke past the statue's shoes. And lying on the floor between the two feet, facedown, was a figure with bright red hair.

'Ginny,' muttered Harry, and he went sprinting off towards her. Y/N jogged along following him but keeping his eyes peeled. Harry reached her and dropped to his knees, rolling her over and checking her over. 'Please don't be dead,' he was muttering, Y/N was about to start looking too when he saw something move and turned to face the figure walking slowly towards them.

'Who are you?' he yelled, Harry snapped up and span to face the figure too, his own wand drawn.

'She won't wake,' said the figure as he came into view. He was a tall boy, almost as tall as Y/N, with black hair and a rather pale face with very dark eyes, and he seemed to have an odd shimmer to him, almost as though he was a reflection. Y/N didn't recognise him, but apparently Harry did.

'Tom? Tom Riddle?' Harry asked.

Riddle nodded, staring directly at Harry.

'What do you mean 'Tom Riddle'?' asked Y/N. 'You were meant to be at school here fifty years ago weren't you?'

'And what do you mean she won't wake?' added Harry desperately, 'She's not-?'

'She's still alive,' Riddle responded, ignoring Y/N, 'But only just.'

'Answer my question,' snarled Y/N, stepping forward.

'I am a memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years,' Riddle responded, finally turning his eyes off Harry and onto Y/N and pointing near the statue's feet. Y/N glanced over his shoulder to see the now very familiar black diary. The feeling of dread was oddly vacant from it now however, Y/N closed his eyes and felt outwards. The feeling was still there... but where was it?

'You've got to help us, Tom!' called Harry, 'We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk, we don't know where it is but it could be here at any point,' Harry had dropped to his knees again and began fussing over Ginny, his wand abandoned.

Y/N's eyes shot open.

'You absolute bastard,' Y/N said, his fist clenching around his own wand.

'Figured it out have you, L/N? Much faster than Mr Potter here.'

'Harry, get up, where's your wand?' Y/N said, glancing backwards at Harry.

'It's right-' began Harry, but Y/N could already tell, from the way he'd stopped, where it was. His eyes went back to Riddle, who was now twirling it between his fingers.

'Oh, thanks Tom,' said Harry and he held out his hand for it, but Riddle did not move. He simply continued spinning the wand.

'Expelliarmus!' yelled Y/N, but the jet of red light soared straight through Riddle and collided with the wall behind him. 'Brilliant' he added angrily. Riddles smile widened.

'Listen,' said Harry, sounding exasperated. 'We've got to go! If the basilisk comes-'

'It won't come until it's called,' said Riddle calmly.

'And that would be your job, would it?' asked Y/N coldly.

'Y/N, what's gotten into you? Riddle stopped the monster before!' said Harry.

'I don't think he did Harry, or I think he didn't do it the way he said he did. Maybe you'd like to explain Riddle, I don't exactly know the full story.'

'It would be my pleasure,' said Riddle happily. 'I've waited a long time for this Harry Potter and yes, even to a degree with you, Y/N L/N. I was hoping you'd come running down here too. I've wanted to speak to you both for so long.'

'Look,' said Harry, sounding frustrated now. 'We're in the Chamber of Secrets, we can talk later-'

'We're going to talk now,' smiled Riddle, and he pocketed Harry's wand.

'Harry, as long as he's talking nothing's going to happen,' said Y/N. 'I want answers.'

'How did Ginny get like this?' asked Harry.

'Well, that's an interesting question,' said Riddle conversationally, 'And quite a long story. I suppose, the real reason Ginny Weasley is like this is because she opened her heart. And spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Harry.

'That damned book,' said Y/N, and Riddle nodded.

'My diary. Little Ginny has been writing in it for months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes. How her brothers tease her, how Y/N has been looking out for her, having to come to school with second-hand clothes and books, how-' Riddles eyes flashed, '-she didn't think famous, good, great, Harry potter would ever like her.'

Riddle was staring at Harry, even when he'd mentioned Y/N's name he'd merely flicked his head in Y/N's direction. Y/N was instead taking the time to scan the room, attempting to figure out where the snake may come from.

'It's very boring, having to listen to the silly troubles of an eleven-year-old-girl,' continued Riddle, 'but I was patient, I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny loved me. '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',' And Riddle laughed, a horrible, high, cold laugh that chilled Y/N down to the bone. He wanted desperately to step-in, but he also wanted answers.

'If I say it myself, boys, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So, 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 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.'

'It was you, you were the one who tried to attack me in the Entrance Hall. Not Voldemort!' yelled Y/N and Riddle laughed again.

'Only half right I'm afraid Y/N, but I will get to that,' said Riddle smugly. 'I have more of my story to tell.'

'What do you mean about putting your soul into her?' asked Harry.

'Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter? I think Mr L/N has. Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets, she strangled the school roosters and wrote threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods and the Squib's cat.'

'No,' whispered Harry.

'NO!' yelled Y/N. 'You controlling her doesn't mean that she did it! Ginny is innocent, it's your fault!'

'Well, I must admit, she didn't exactly know what she was doing, at least not at first,' said Riddle gleefully. 'I wish you could have seen her new diary entries, far more interesting they became,' Riddle smiled at Harry's shocked expression and pushed on.

''Dear Tom, I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there'.'

''Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint down my front'.'

''Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself, I think he suspects me, there was another attack today and I don't know where I was'.'

''Dear Tom, I spoke to Y/N today, I found him in the lake and he told me about an ability he has to sense enchantments. I showed him your diary. He told me you're evil, you aren't evil though are you Tom? You wouldn't be this nice if you were'.'

Y/N's fists were clenched, one at his side and the other around his wand. He knew that for some reason he couldn't hurt Riddle, but that didn't mean he didn't want to. Harry also seemed to be shaking with silent rage.

'It wasn't long after that however that stupid, little Ginny began to stop trusting her diary,' said Riddle, looking at Y/N. 'Your words stuck with her and eventually she thought it would be best to get rid of me. But that's where you came in Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet.'

'And why did you want to meet me?' asked Harry through gritted teeth.

'You see, Ginny told me all about you Harry. Your whole fascinating history. She told me of you too Y/N, but I must admit my main curiosity is that special power you hold. I will get to that in a moment. First-' Riddle's eyes roamed over Harry's face and came to rest on the lightning shaped scar. 'I knew I must find out more about you Harry, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf Hagrid to earn your trust-'

'Hagrid's our friend,' growled Y/N.

'And you framed him!' yelled Harry. 'I thought you'd made a mistake, but-'

But Harry was cut off as Riddle laughed once again, that same, high, cold laugh.

'It was my word against Hagrid's. Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. The word of Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student. Vs the word of big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week for trying to smuggle werewolf cubs into the school or sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle Trolls. But I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone would realise that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber and discover the secret entrance. As though Hagrid had the brains or power!'

Y/N's wand was letting out small sputters of sparks, but no one noticed, Harry and Y/N's eyes were glued to Riddle and he looked to be relishing in the attention.

'Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as Gamekeeper. Dumbledore never seemed to trust me as much as the other teachers.'

'I bet Dumbledore saw right through you,' said Harry through gritted teeth.

'Had your number from the day you arrived at Hogwarts,' added Y/N.

'He certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled,' said Riddle unconcernedly. 'I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again whilst I was at school. But I was hardly going to waste those long years I'd spent looking for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages so that one day I would be able to lead others in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work.'

'You haven't finished it!' said Harry triumphantly. 'No one's died 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,' said Riddle, 'that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? No no, for many months, my new target has been you, Harry.'

Harry's eyes were wide, and he looked from Riddle across to Y/N who held his gaze, they were both angry and confused but determined to hear why Tom Riddle had been putting all of Hogwarts through hell for a year. They didn't exactly have to wait long, as Riddle ploughed on.

'Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened. It was Ginny writing to me once again, not you. She had seen you both with the diary and had panicked. She'd been so sure that Y/N would take it off of Harry and turn it into his mother. Then what if the school found out about her secrets? Or you two did? So, the foolish brat went to your dormitory and stole it back. But I knew what I must do, I knew you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir and that you would both do anything to solve the mystery, particularly if a Miss Hermione Granger were to be attacked.'

A jet of red light soared through Riddle's chest and hit the wall at the back of the chamber again

'You went through her to get to me?' bellowed Y/N, and his voice rang through the empty chamber.

'Ginny had told me all about you two, I knew Harry would do anything for his friend. Especially if one was unconscious and the other seemed to be going mad with grief. Ginny told me about how you'd changed even in the few months since the attacks started. I knew the easiest way to get you down here. Would be to set you on a vendetta. And if I could bring you, I could bring Harry.'

'You'll pay for that,' said Y/N. Riddle simply laughed again and returned his gaze onto Harry, talking as though there had been no interruption.

'Ginny also told me about the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue. Y/N almost caught her, and she almost told him everything, so I had to stop her. I almost killed Y/N there and then, but I realised that if I did so you'd lose the only hook left. He'd come and find me, you'd come and find him. If he was dead, well... that wouldn't work in my favour. So, I made her write her farewell on the wall and come and join me. I knew that after Miss Granger, Y/N would do anything to save Miss Weasley too. He'd promised to protect them after all,' he sneered at Y/N who let out a slow shaky breath.

'Fuck you,' he said, and he turned and wandered over to where Ginny lay.

'She fought y'know? She struggled and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her, she put too much into me. Enough that I can finally leave its pages at last. I've been waiting for you to appear since we arrived. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter.'

'Like what?' snapped Harry. Y/N's body was shaking less and less, his fists unclenching and instead tears began forming in his eyes. His anger left him, all at once. It flooded away. He just wanted to go home.

'Well,' said Riddle. 'How is it that you, a boy with no extraordinary magical talent, managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?'

'Hardly the greatest wizard of all time if he couldn't catch two children, is he?' said Y/N, his voice shaking with suppressed sobs.

'Why do you care how I escaped?' asked Harry. 'Voldemort was after your time.'

'You remember when I said Y/N was half right? Voldemort is my past, present, and future.'

Tom Riddle drew out Harry's wand and began tracing words in the air.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

He waved the wand once and the letters began to rearrange themselves.

I am Lord Voldemort

'You see?' Voldemort whispered. 'It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself through my mother's side? No, I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world.'

Harry was stood frozen. Y/N could see him struggling trying to comprehend it all. Y/N wiped his eyes, got to his feet, and turned towards Riddle.

'I dunno,' he said calmly, looking Riddle in the eyes. 'Tom Riddle sounds like a fun name. A name for a half-blood. A half-blood wizard who proclaims the purity of blood. I think it matches the irony of the wizarding world well.'

For the first time in the entire time they'd been there, Riddle's smile had faded, he was now glaring at Y/N.

'What? Not a fan of it? How about Tommy boy? Or Riddly diddly?'

'How dare you-' snarled Tom.

'I thought you didn't like the name? Nothing wrong with me insulting it if you don't like it, is there? I can stop, we can always go to Voldy? Or big V?'

'Y/N, what are you doing?' asked Harry.

'What is there left to do Harry?' said Y/N. 'He's played me, injured my friends, and dragged me down here just to get to you, and not only did it put Hermione and Ginny in harm's way but now he's got you, right in front of him. What else am I meant to do?'

'You can roll over and die,' snarled Tom, 'The same way you were meant to all those years ago.'

'What's it got to do with you, Tommy boy?' said Y/N. 'Surely your future will be the same? Someone else will rise to stop you, memory or not. You died once to a one-year-old baby, can't be that great if Harry's already defeated you twice.'

'I am the greatest Wizard this world has even known!' shrieked Riddle.

'No you're not,' said Harry firmly. 'Sorry to disappoint you, but the greatest Wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so, even when you were strong, you didn't dare try to take over Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever it is that you're hiding these days-'

'Inside of turbans and schoolgirls diaries apparently,' said Y/N. 'Not a good luck for 'the greatest wizard',' he placed air quotes around the last three words.

Riddle's face was contorted with rage.

'Dumbledore has been driven out of this school by the mere memory of me!' he yelled at them.

'He's not as gone as you might think,' Harry retorted. Y/N couldn't tell what he meant, but a moment later he heard it. A musical call was echoing around the chamber, and it was growing steadily louder.

'It's Fawkes!' yelled Y/N, the music swelled louder and louder. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and a moment later, a burst of flame appeared at the top of one of the nearby pillars and the phoenix soared out of it with a loud cry, it seemed to be holding a ragged bundle. The phoenix flew straight at Harry and dropped the bundle at his feet. Y/N felt a dull pulse in his head as it flew near him. Fawkes soared in a large circle over their heads and came to rest on Y/N's shoulder, staring straight at Riddle. 'It's so good to see you,' said Y/N and he felt the talons squeeze his shoulder.

'That's a phoenix,' said Riddle as he stared back at the bird, 'And that-' he said as his eyes turn towards the ragged bundle, 'that's the old school Sorting Hat.'

Y/N had known it too from the moment it had landed, he'd recognised the feeling of it. The hat lay completely motionless at Harry's feet. Riddle began to laugh.

'This is what Dumbledore sends his champions? A songbird, and an old hat! Do you feel brave boys? Do you feel safe now?'

Y/N and Harry both looked at each other, each knew that the other was thinking the same thing.

'They wouldn't be here if they couldn't help.'

They waited for Riddle's laughs to subside, finally as he trailed off. Y/N readied his wand.

'To business, boys,' said Riddle. 'Twice, in your past, in my future, I have failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk, the longer you live.'

'Answer him quick Harry, we don't have time,' said Y/N and Harry nodded at him.

'No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me. Even I don't know, but I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common, Muggleborn mother!' Harry spat, Y/N could see