IN WHICH Ginny Weasley is taken

AUBERY, Ron, and Harry sneak towards Hagrid's hut.

"Who's there? Hello? Hello?" Hagrid asks, opening the door to show a rather lethal bat.

"What's that for?" Harry asks.

"Oh, nothing. I- I was expecting, ah... It doesn't matter- come on in. I just made a pot o' tea." Hagrid says.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Aubery asks.

"I'm fine! I'm alright." Hagrid waves his hand. 

"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asks. 

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, all righ'." Hagrid shook his head.

"Look, we have to ask you something. Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry questions, as they came inside.

"What you had to understand about that is-" Hagrid starts, but a knock, knock, knock interrupted them. "Quick under the cloak. Don't say a word. Be quiet... Professor Dumbledore, sir!"

"Good evening, Hagrid. I wonder, could we...?" Dumbledore asks.

"Of course! Come in! Come in." Hagrid says, as Dumbledore, and a plump man in a bowler hat walked in, which Aubery identified as The Minister of Magic!

"That's Dad's boss! Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic!" Ron gasps.

"Ssh!" Aubery hisses.

"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come- three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act." Fudge shakes his head.

"Oh, but I never- you know I never, Professor!" Hagrid turns, pleadingly to Dumbledore.

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," Dumbledore says.

"Albus look, Hagrid's record is against him. I've got to take him." Fudge shakes his head.

"Take me? Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison?" Hagrid gasps. 

"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid." Fudge sighs.

"Already here, Fudge? Good..." Lucius Malfoy strides into the house.

"What're you doin' here? Get outta my house!" Hagrid spat.

"Believe me, I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your- you call this a house? Huh! No. I simply called at the school and was told the headmaster was here." Lucius drawls.

"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore asks.

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school." Lucius says, but there was no sincerity behind his final words. 

"Yeh can' take Professor Dumbledore away. Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! You mark my words, there'll be killin's next!" Hagrid yells.

"You think so?" Lucius says, an amused expression on his face.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid. If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside. However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Dumbledore nods.

"Admirable sentiments. Shall we? Fudge!" Lucius orders.

"Come, Hagrid... Well?" Fudge exits the house.

"Ahem! If, uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup! That would lead them right! That's all I have to say. Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away." Hagrid says.

Fang growls. 

"Good boy." Fudge pats Fang's head awkwardly before closing the door and leaving.

"Hagrid's right! With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day!" Ron says as Harry uncovered the cloak.

They race outside, well out of the sights of adults.

"Look! Well, come on. Come on, Fang!" Harry points to the spiders.

"Come on!" Harry beckons, as Ron stays rooted to his position.

"What?!" Ron gasps.

"You heard what Hagrid said; 'Follow the spiders.'" Harry says.

"They're headed to the Forbidden Forest! Why spiders! Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies?'"

The trio makes their way through the forest. 

"Harry, I don't like this... Harry, I don't like this at all!" Aubery whimpers.

"Shush!" Harry says, but nonetheless pushes Aubery behind him.

"Can we go back now?" Ron asks, as they walk through tunnels full of webs.

"Come on!" Harry beckons.

"Who is it?" A low voice calls.

"Don't panic." Harry whispers. 

"Hagrid? Is that you?" A large spider comes down from the ceiling. 

"We're friends of Hagrid's. And you? Y- y-you're Aragog aren't you?" Harry asks.

"Yes. Hagrid has never sent people into our hollow before." Aragog's eyes blinks.

"He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets, like before." Harry explains.

"That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets." Aragog snaps, his pinchers snapping in anger.

"Then you're not the monster." Harry deducts. 

"No! The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler." Aragog explains.

"Harry." Ron whimpers, as spider drop down, surrounding them. 

"Shush. But if you're not the monster, then- then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry shushes Ron.

"We do not speak of it. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others." Aragog replies. 

"But have you seen it?" Harry questions.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here." Aragog informs. 

"Harry!" Aubery says.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Ahh- hhh..." Ron whimpers, as the spider crawl closer to them.

"Well, thank you. We'll just...go." Harry takes Ron and Aubery's hand, and walks back slowly.

"Go? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid." Aragog says, as the spiders crawl closer. 

"Can we panic now?" Ron asks.

"Yeah." Aubery nods, and they all scream and start running away, chased by the onslaught of spiders. 

"Know any spells?" Ron asks.

"One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them." Aubery replies.

"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron groans.

"Let's go! Arania exumai! Go!" Aubery yells.

"Whoah!" Harry and Ron scream, falling in a ditch. Auber jumps in after them.

"Glad we're out of there! Ah- Aaaah!"  Ron screams, as a spider climbs on him.

"Arania exumai!" Harry yells. 

"Thanks for that." Ron thanks.

"Don't mention it. Get us out of here. Now! Come on! Come on! Move faster!" Harry says, as they start running across the ditch.

"Aah!" The 3 scream, as the Ford Anglia drives in front of them. They clamber in the car, closing the doors quickly.

"Go on! Go! Get us in the air." Aubery beckons. 

"The flying gear's jammed!" Ron yells.

"Come on! Pull!" Aubery snaps.

"I'm trying!" Ron snaps. Suddendly, the car speeds forward, and pushes themselves out of the Forbidden Forest.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him! I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?" Ron spat, as they climbed out of the car. 

"We know one thing. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent." Harry replies. 

They walk up to the hospital wing, claiming they had a pass to visit Hermione. Which they sort of did. 

"Wish you were here Hermione. We need you... now, more than ever." Aubrey sighs, staring at Hermione.

"What's that?" Ron asks, and Aubery snaps to attention, looking at Harry.

"Ron, Aubery, this is why Hermione was in the Library the day she was attacked. Come on!" Harry jumps up, and Ron and Aubery follow him into a corridor.

"'Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it.' Ron, Aubery, this is it. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake!" Harry reads the sheet of paper.

"But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" Ron questions.

"Because no one did look it in the eye. Not directly, at least. Colin saw it through his camera. Justin...Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it- but he's a ghost- he couldn't die again. And Hermione...had the mirror. I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners, in case it came along." Harry explains.

"And Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, Harry." Aubery adds/

"The water. There was water on the floor that night. She only saw the basilisk's reflection. 'Spiders flee before it.' It all fits!" Harry reasons.

"But how's a basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake- someone would have seen it." Ron shakes his head.

"Hermione's answered that, too." Harry points to a word scrawled at the bottom of the sheet.

"Pipes? It's using the plumbing!" Ron gasps.

"Oh I love Hermione!" Aubery cheers.

"Remember what Aragog said, about that girl fifty years ago? She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?" Harry asks.

"Moaning Myrtle." Aubery says.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second-floor corridor, immediately." Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the halls, and the trio looks at each other.

"Well. This is it." Ron sighs.

"Come on, we have to find out what's been written." Aubery beckons. They run through corridors, bumping into none other that Luna Lovegood.

"Oh hello Aubery. Have you been enjoying The Quibbler?" Luna asks.

"It's really great, but shouldn't you be going to your common room Luna?" Aubery asks.

"Oh yes. I was just walking up these stairs, before you came along. But I haven't seen Ginny in a while. Have you seen her?" Luna questions.

"No. But we'll find her. Just stay safe Luna." Aubery replies, and Luna ascends the stairs. 

The trio run to the second floor corridor, where they see a message, again, written in blood. 

Her body will lie in the chamber forever.

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself. The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." McGonagall shakes her head.

"So sorry- dozed off- what have I missed?" Lockhart bounds up to the teachers.

"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come, at last." Snape drawls. 

"My m-moment?" Lockhart asks, perplexed.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asks.

"Well, that's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are a legend." McGonagall replies. 

"Very well- ah- I'll just be in my office getting', um, getting ready." Lockhart leaves.

"Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" Madam Pomfrey asks.

"Ginny Weasley." McGonagall replies, and the teachers leave.

"'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.' Ginny..." Ron gasps.

"Let's go." Aubery says, going in the direction that Lockhart went.

"Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. At least we can tell him what we know." Harry replies, as the walk up the stairs to Lockhart's office.

"Professor, we have some information for you! Are you going somewhere?" Aubery asks, seeing the pile of suitcases all over the room.

"Uh, ah- well, yes- um, urgent call- unavoidable- got to go." Lockhart replies.

"What about my sister?!" Ron snaps.

"Well, um- as to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I." Lockhart says, not meeting the trio's eyes.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Ron says.

"Well- I must say- when I took the job there was nothing in the job description about a..." Lockhart replies.

"You're running away? After all that stuff, you did in your books?" Harry asks.

"Books can be misleading!" Lockhart's voice went a octave higher.

"You wrote them!" Harry spat.

"My dear boy, do use your common sense! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!" Lockhart says.

"You're a fraud! You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done!" Harry gasps.

"Is there anything you can do?" Aubery asks, rather annoyed. "I know you can't be that stupid."

"Yes, now you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing. And I'd never have sold another book. In fact, ah...I'm ah...going to have to do the same to you." Lockhart moves to grab his wand, but Harry takes it and pockets it, as Aubery and Ron turn their wands on him.

"Don't even think about it." Harry snarls. 

They walk to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Ron and Aubery still training their wands on Lockhart.

"Oh! Who's there? Oh! Hello, Harry! Aubery. Ron. What do you want?" Myrtle questions.

"To ask you how you died." Harry answers.

"Oh! It was dreadful. It happened right here in this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in." Myrtle replies.

"Who was it, Myrtle?" Harry asks.

"I don't know. I was distraught! Huhh-huh...But they said something funny, a kind of made-up language. And I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and... I died." Myrtle says.

"Just like that? How?" Harry asks.

"I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes...over there, by that sink. Ohhhhooo..." Myrtle points to the sink that they were standing in front of. 

Harry goes to that very sink, and wipes off some dust, revealing a snake.

"This is it. This is it, Ron, Aubery. I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets." Harry says.

"Say something. Harry, say something in Parseltongue!" Ron beckons.

"Hesha- Hassah." Harry hisses, and the top of the sink opens, and the sinks push out, and go in an opening in the floor, revealing a hole in the middle. 

"Excellent, Harry. Haa! Good work! Well then, I'll just be, ah... There's no need for me to stay." Lockhart bolts away, but Harry and Ron catch him.

"Oh, yes there is! You first." Aubery says, as they push him to the entrance.

"Now, boys what good will it do?" Lockhart questions.

"Better you than us." Ron answers.

"Um...but...obviously, yes. Sure you don't want to test it first? No! Aaaah!" Lockhart falls down the hole. "It's really quite filthy down here."

"All right. Let's go." Harry says.

"Oh, Harry? If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet. Hee, hee." Myrtle replies, and Harry jumps down.

"Thanks Myrtle." He yells.

"I think Myrtle has a crush on Harry." Aubery says, and Ron and her jump down.

"Aaah!" They scream, as they fall through, and slide down a slide.

They land in a pile of dead rat bones, in the underground Chambers of Hogwarts.

"Ugh!" Ron gags.

"Now remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away." Harry orders.

"Go on." Aubery prods her wand in Lockhart's back.

"This way." Harry leads, following he hallway, into a cavern.

"What's this?" Ron asks.

"It looks like a... snake." Lockhart stutters.

"It's a snakeskin." Aubery answers.

"Bloody hell. Whatever shed this must be sixty feet long- or more!" Ron says, as they look around. Suddendly, Lockhart faints. "Heart of a lion, this one." Ron scoffs.

"Truly." Aubery steps on his hand, before following Harry.

Lockhart jumps up, and knocks over Ron, which also knocks over Aubery. Lockhart picks up Ron's wand, and also Aubery's. "The adventure ends here, kids. But don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you three tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. So, you first, Mr. Potter. Say good-bye to your memories. Obliviate!" 

The spell backfires, launching Lockhart and Harry backwards, and making rocks fall between them.

"Harry! Harry!" Aubery screams.

"Ron! Aubery!" Harry yells. "Ron, Aubs, are you ok?"

"We're fine!" Ron answers, as Aubery picks up their wands.

"Uhh... Hello. Who are you?" Lockhart wakes up.

"Um...Ron Weasley." Ron answers.

"Aubery Lupin." Aubery stares funnily at Lockhart. 

"Really? And uh, who- who am I?" Lockhart asks.

"Lockhart's memory charm backfired. He hasn't got a clue who he is!" Ron informs.

"It's an odd sort of place this, isn't it? Do you live here?" Lockhar questions, holding up a rock.

"No!" Aubery snaps.

"Really? Well?" Lockhart asks, and Aubery hits Lockhart in the head with a rock.

"What'll do we do now?" Ron asks.

"You too wait here and try and shift some of this rock so we can get back through. I'll go on and find Ginny!" Harry orders.

"Ok." Ron nods.

"Hesha- Hassah" was the last words Aubery heard Harry say, before a loud slam indicated that Harry was in the chamber.

(A/N: I'll try to give y'all a double update)