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Dan was running through the forest. Around him trees whizzed by and branches scratched his face. Hundreds of spiders chased him from behind. He stumbled through a bush and suddenly he was falling. He landed in water, where he swam frantically towards the surface where a book was floating. He broke through to the top with a gasp and grabbed and held onto the book as a floatation device. The cover of the book had the name Tom Riddle scribbled on it. The water drained away, leaving him standing in the hospital wing. There were hundreds of hospital beds, all of them containing a petrified student.

Voices. He heard millions of voices. They were all talking, asking why he couldn't save them, yelling for Hagrid to stay in Azkaban.

"He's innocent!" He tried to shout, but it felt like his throat was sewn shut. He ran down the aisle of hospital beds, trying to shout, "I'm sorry! I tried to save you! I really did!" But nothing came out. The voices were getting louder, more angry; "Why didn't you save me?" "I was depending on you, Dan!" "You failed us!" "Couldn't even save your own best friend!"

"Phil?" His mouth mouthed the words. The voices got so loud he covered his ears, but even then he could hear them loud and clear. Their words were like fire, cutting and burning him. He fell over, feeling like his whole body was on fire. A scream of agony finally passed through his lips, mixing with the crescendo of screams around him.

"-DAN!"

Dan gasped and sat bolt upright. His bed sheets were in a tangle all around him. He was covered in an icy sweat head to toe. His whole body was shaking, and his arm was throbbing and pulsating with pain.

Lee's worried face swam in and out of focus in front of him. "Are you alright?"

Dan opened his mouth to reply, but was overwhelmed by a wave of nausea. He leaned over the side of the bed and vomited.

"He's not well," Lee said shakily. "Can someone go get help?"

"I'll get Madam Pomfrey," someone said fearfully and he heard them dash out of the room. Lee handed him a glass of water, but he could barely hold it he was shaking so badly.

"Are you sick?" Lee asked, taking the cup from him and holding it up to his lips. Dan took a small sip, feeling the cold drink soothe his dry throat.

"I-I don't.. I don't know.." His brain felt sluggish, everything felt unrealistic and weird. Was this just another dream?

"Mate," said the other Ravenclaw that lived in the room, Harrison, from where he was standing at the foot of Dans bed, "What happened to your arm?"

Dan lifted his arm up which was hurting so badly. The gash the spider had made was even more purple and green than it had been earlier, and had swelled immensely. He had nearly forgotten about their adventure that had happened just hours before.

"Bloody he- what did you do, Dan?" Lee said in alarm, pulling Dans arm towards him. "That cannot just be a normal cut."

Dan slowly shook his clouded head. "It's not.. but it's a really long story."

"It looks like you have some sort of spider venom in you, from the colors," Lee said, who was excellent in his medical knowledge. "But a spider would have to be as big as a bus to make this!" He looked down at Dan with furrowed brows. Dan simply shook his head, not trusting himself to even open his mouth.

"Here, get out from all those blankets, you're sweating like mad," Lee said, shoving the bed covers away and pulling Dan forwards until he was sitting on the edge of his bed. Whoever had left now returned breathless, Madam Pomfrey in tow. She bustled in, a bag clasped in her hand.

"Alright, step back, make room," she said, kneeling down in front of Dan. "Someone clean up this mess," she said, gesturing to the pile of vomit on the floor. "Tell me what hurts, Howell."

Wordlessly Dan showed her his arm.

"Good heavens," she said, pulling out her wand and lighting it. She inspected the wound more closely. "I thought I was just dealing with sickness, not an infection. With how this looks, I'm going to need the supplies back in my wing." She stood up. "Whether you can or not you're going to have to walk, so enlist the help of your friends if you need it."

"I'll help," Spencer said, appearing and stepping forwards. Dan vaguely wondered when he got out of the hospital. He stood on his legs, which nearly gave out. Spencer grabbed his arm and put it around his own shoulders, and Lee appeared under Dans other arm. With their help he was able to walk fairly well, though their combined body heat was definitely not helping his already feverish body.

In a much quicker time than Dan remembered they had arrived at the hospital wing. His eyelids were drooping with exhaustion. He was laid in one of the beds and Madam Pomfrey gave him a variety of different medicines. Dan took them without question, desperate to get rid of his aching arm and feverish sweat.

Lee and Spencer put up a fuss when told to leave, but ultimately Madam Pomfrey kicked them out, leaving Dan in quiet.

"This might hurt quite a bit," She said once she had returned back to him, wand in hand. She gave her wand a simple wave. Sudden pain ripped through the wound on his arm, like it had suddenly been cut open all over again. If he hadn't already been dealing with constant pain for the past twenty minutes, he was sure he would've cried out. But his mind felt numb and slow. At the moment all we wanted was sleep.

Finally, after applying salves and ointments to his arm, the medical witch was satisfied and left him alone to rest. He closed his eyes, and within seconds, was asleep again.

~~~

"-a hospital! You cannot come bursting in here, loudly demanding to see someone!"

Dan groaned and rolled over, regretting it when he rolled over onto his injured arm. He cracked open one eye, showing that it was the next day, sometime in the morning.

"Please!" Someone was begging. "It's my fault he's in here, I just want to see him, we won't even wake him up."

"I'm sorry but it's far too early to be visiting," replied the first voice firmly. "Now run along before I give you detention."

The exchange went on for a few more moments. Dan pulled the blanket up over his head and shoved the pillow down over his ears. Although he wasn't able to fall back asleep, he enjoyed the comfort of the bed. He laid in bed for several minutes, slowly remembering what had happened last night. It seemed like it had all been a feverish dream, for he felt completely fine other than the dull ache in his arm.

It was only when he pulled the cover off of his face that he realized the wound had been bandaged at some point. He brushed his arm over it, even that small pressure making it throb slightly harder.

"You're awake," Madam Pomfrey said, walking over to him. "Good. How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Dan said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Wonderful," She said. "I won't ask how you got that injury because I'm sure you'd just lie, but I will tell you this: had you waited until morning to have it treated, I'm not sure you'd have an arm this morning." Dan stared at her in stunned silence. "Next time," she said in gentleir tones, "if you get another severe wound, do not hesitate to have it looked at." She gave a small smile. "Now then. My only instruction is to come here at least two times a day to have that bandage changed. Other than that, you are free to go."

Dan thanked her and threw the covers off of him, his sleepiness forgotten. He noticed that a pile of his clothes were at the foot of his bed. Shielded by a current, he quickly changed. It was rather difficult as his right arm couldn't move neither as quickly or as far as his other one, but he managed. With a quick ruffle of his curly hair he was ready, and set off for the dinning hall.

Nobody seemed to think it too unusual for him to have his upper arm bandaged. After all, they were at a school of magic. Accidents happened everyday. In fact, a bandaged arm was rather minor compared to some of the other stuff that occurred. So not very many extra glances were sent his way.

Once he stepped through the giant open doors into the great hall, he looked for Spencer and Lee's faces among the Ravenclaws. He spotted them and began to wind his way over to them among the people entering the hall.

He plopped down across from them, and they both looked up in surprise.

"Dan!" Lee said in relief. "I didn't think you'd be out already!"

Dan grinned. "Madam Pomfrey is good at what she does."

"You were a sight to see last night," Spencer said. "I had just got out of the hospital that night, and I was back within a few hours to retrieve Madam Pomfrey."

"I wondered about that," Dan said. He looked over Spencer's face. The bruises were nowhere to be seen.

"But you have some explaining to do," Lee said. "Like how the blazes you got that wound! You told me you were studying!"

"I did a little bit more than that," Dan said, and launched into the story of their adventure last night. Lee looked absolutely horrified when he told them the sizes of the spiders. By the time he finished his tale, both Lee and Spencer were looking at mortified as Dan had felt.

"So Hagrid didn't open the chamber of secrets?" Spencer asked finally.

Dan shook his head. "Riddle got the wrong person. Hagrid was just caring for Aragog, he never hurt anyone."

"All the attacks then, are by a monster, that we still have no idea what it is," Lee said. Dan sighed, nodding.

"Why couldn't Aragog have just told you what the monster was?" Spencer said angrily. "Would it have killed him just to say a single word? I guess he doesn't realize how many people's lives are on the line, or just doesn't care-"

But Dan wasn't listening anymore. He had finally figured out what had been bugging him since the previous night. That small, unconnectable thought finally pieced together. The girl that was killed fifty years ago was killed in a bathroom. Was there a small chance they had visited that very bathroom many weeks ago and talked to that same girl? Was Moaning Myrtle the killed victim of the monster?

Dan stood up. He needed to tell Ron and Harry. This could be their very last chance to figure out what the monster was. Surely Myrtle would know what had killed her.

Ignoring Spencer and Lee's questions, he walked briskly over to the Gryffindor table. Finding Harry and Ron wasn't hard, Ron's bright orange hair stood out like a beacon. When he got close to them, he noticed another girl with matching colored hair was there. As he looked at her face, he realized it was the same girl that had bumped into him before Christmas. Her appearance had not improved at all. If anything, she looked even worse. There were deep bags under her eyes, her face was pale, and she looked like she was constantly on the verge of crying.

"What's up, Ginny?" Ron was asking her, not bothering to look up from his porridge.

Ginny was nervously rubbing her hands, looking up and down the Gryffindor table. "I-I have to tell you something," she mumbled, barely audible from where Dan was standing.

"Well, spit it out," Ron said, looking at her.

Ginny looked like she couldn't quite find the right words. Harry leaned forwards, and Dan had to step a couple paces closer to hear.

"-Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Is someone acting strangely?"

Ginny opened her mouth, but at that moment someone else walked up and Ron glared at him. He was a tall boy, and from his hair and freckles Dan made the quick connection that this was another Weasley.

"If you're done eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, just got off patrol duty."

Ginny jumped up so quickly it looked as though she had sat down on a hot coal. Giving Ron and Harry once last scared look, she scampered away. Dan took this as a good place to hop in. He walked up behind them.

"I've thought of something," he said excitedly. They both turned their heads to look at him.

"Dan!" Harry said, turning around completely on the bench. The look of worry he had shared with Ron moments before vanished. "I tried to visit you in the hospital wing but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us. Are you-"

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "But just now I was thinking of what Aragog said, about that girl." Dan noticed the other Weasley boy was very obviously listening in and lowered his voice. "She was killed in a bathroom, right? Do you think that girl might be Moaning Myrtle?"

Both their mouths dropped open.

"You're brilliant!" Harry breathed. "I'll bet you anything that she is!"

"We went into that forest with all those spiders," said Ron bitterly. "And we could've just gone to the bathroom a few floors up."

Getting to the bathroom wasn't easy though. They weren't able to give any teachers the slip and wander off to it, though they tried for days. To add to their worries, exams were beginning, much to the students dismay. Apparently it had not occurred to them that there would be exams with the school in its current state.

"The whole point of keeping the school running is to continue your education," Professor McGonagall said sternly to them during transfiguration. "So I trust that you all have been studying hard."

"I've been a bit busy trying not to get killed to focus on studying," Spencer whispered to him. They snickered behind their hands before returning back to their work. They were supposed to be turning rabbits into slippers. Dan's rabbit was being particularly difficult and wouldn't hold still. He gave it a go and waved his wand at the bunny. It decided at that moment to take a hop to the left, leaving Dan's book in its place. He sighed as he picked up his Potions book which now looked like a slipper.

He was not looking forward to the exams.

~~~

Three days before the exam, Professor McGonagall made an announcement at breakfast.

"The heir of Slytherin has been caught!" Someone shouted from the Gryffindor table.

"Exams are cancelled!" Shouted a hopeful Hufflepuff boy.

"Quidditch practices are scheduled again!" Yelled Oliver Wood.

Professor McGonagall continued as though no one had interrupted. "Professor Sprout has told me the mandrakes have aged quicker than expected and they're ready to be cut! Tonight, those who have been petrified will be revived. Very well one of them will be able to tell us who or what attacked them. I am hoping this dreadful year will end on us catching the culprit."

The hall erupted in cheers. Several articles of clothing were thrown into the air. Spencer and Lee looked happier than they had in awhile, but not nearly as happy as Dan. He was nearly in tears. He would be able to talk to Phil again. He had so much to tell him, so many things he had missed. After the school year ended, he had every intention of making up for all the lost time together.

Although there was a very large chance that the mystery would solve itself without their help, Harry, Ron and Dan all agreed they still wanted to try and talk to Myrtle. The problem was making an opportunity.

Dan gave Harry one of Phil's communication coins at lunch. "If you ever get an opportunity to talk to her, tell me, and I'll try to come too."

He kept the other one in his pocket and nearly always had his hand around it, waiting for the time when it would vibrate. Finally one day, while he was walking with Professor Flitwick along with a gang of Ravenclaws, the coin vibrated in his pocket. His eyes widened, and he looked hopefully around for Harry and Ron, but they weren't in the corridor. He would just have to come up with an excuse. Or..

He sidestepped next to Spencer. "Cover for me," he whispered, then ducked behind a set of amor as they passed. Spencer gave him a questioning look, but loyally kept walking. He kept his head low as he walked down the corridor, but no one seemed to care. He took the coin out of his pocket and held it up to his ear.

"Meet us outside the hospital wing," said Harry's voice quietly. "I'll explain when you get here."

Dan furrowed his brows as he stowed the coin back into his pocket. Weren't they going to talk to Myrtle? Why were they at the hospital wing? He shook his head but turned down the hallway towards the hospital wing.

When he got the wing, Harry and Ron were standing outside. They both ran up to him, Harry clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

"What's that?" Dan asked, staring as Harry unfolded it.

"We had to lie and say we were coming here because we got caught on the way to Myrtle's bathroom," Harry said. "And we were sitting by Hermione when we noticed she had this in her hand." He held out the piece of paper. Dan took it and inspected it. It looked like a very old library book page; the paper was worn and creased.

Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known as the king of serpents. This snake, which may reach a gigantic size and live many thousands of years, is born from a chicken egg, hatched beneath a toad. It's methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the basilisk flees only from the crowning of the rooster, which is fatal to it.

And beneath this was a single word, scrawled in the corner. Pipes.

Dan looked up at Harry and Ron. He was aware that his eyes had gone very wide.

"A Basilisk," He said quietly. "That's what the monster is; a giant serpent."

Harry nodded excitedly. "That's why I alone am able to hear it, because I understand Parseltongue."

Dan looked back down at the paper. The Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death... No one had died yet though.

"That's what I'm wondering," Harry said, making Dan jump. He hadn't even been aware he had said it aloud. "Everyone has just been petrified."

Dan pictured the scene in his mind of Mrs. Norris hanging from the ceiling.

"Mrs. Norris.." he mumbled. "There was water wasn't there? Maybe she just saw the reflection of the Basilisk from the puddle?"

Both Harry and Ron gasped. "And Colin saw it through his camera," Harry said eagerly. "All the film inside of it got burned up."

"Phil.." Dan said, excitement mounting. "Phil must've seen it through Nearly Headless Nick! He was there with him! And Nick got the full eye of the Basilisk, but he can't die again."

"And Hermione was found with that Ravenclaw perfect holding a mirror," Harry said, eyes shining. "She had just figured out the monster was a Basilisk, because she came from the library.. I'll bet you she warned the first person she saw to look around corners with a mirror. And that girl pulled out a mirror-"

Throughout their whole discovery, Ron's jaw had dropped lower and lower.

"You two are brilliant," he whispered in amazement. Dan grinned at Harry.

"But what about the rest of it?" Dan said, reading the paper again. "The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it..."

"Hagrid's roosters were killed!" Harry said, taking the paper from Dan. "The Heir of Slytherin didn't want any near the castle once the Chamber had been opened! Spiders flee from it.. everything fits!"

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around?" Ron asked. "A giant snake, surely someone would've seen it..."

Harry pointed at Hermione's small clue in the corner. "Pipes," He said, "I've been hearing the voice inside the walls, it's been using the plumbing..."

Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "The entrance to the Chamber of secrets," he said hoarsely, eyes popping. "What if it's in a bathroom? What if it's in-"

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!" Harry finished.

They all stood there, excitement coursing through them, hardly able to breathe. Dan felt like his heart was beating fit to burst.

"What do we do now?" Dan asked, anxious to tell someone what they had discovered.

"We should tell McGonagall," Harry said. "It's nearly break, we can meet her at the staff room. Come on!" He ran off, closely trailed by Ron and Dan. They ran downstairs as quickly as they could. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around outside of lessons, they went straight to the empty staff room. Dan looked around the room. It was a large, paneled room full of dark, wooden chairs. They all remained standing, too excited to sit.

But the bell for break never came. Instead, echoing loudly through the stone corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.

"All students return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers report to the staff room. Immediately, please."

They all wheeled around to stare at each other.

"Another attack?" Dan asked desperately. "Now?"

"What'll we do?" Said Ron, horrified. "Go back to our dormitories?"

"No," said Harry, who was glancing around the staff room. "Let's hear what it's all about and hide in here," he said, pointing towards an ugly old wardrobe by the wall. "Then we can tell them what we've found out."

They all climbed into the wardrobe, which was definitely not meant for three people to fit into. Ron's elbow was gouging into his side, and Harry was pressed rather painfully up against his injured arm. They waited silently, listening to the sounds of people rumbling overhead. From
small cracks between the wood Dan was able to see some of the teachers beginning to group in the room. Some look confused, others scared.

Professor McGonagall appeared and silence fell over everyone. "It has happened," she said to the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster and right down to the chamber."

Professor Flitwick let out a sequel. Professor Sprout clapped her hand over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very tightly and said, "how can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said McGonagall very tensely, "has written another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber of Secrets forever.'"

"Who is it that has been taken, Minerva?" Asked Madam Hooch, who had sank into a chair.

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. Dan felt Ron stiffen and take a sharp intake of breath.

"We shall have to send all of the students home tomorrow," she went on. "This is the end of Hogwarts, I'm afraid.."

The staff room door banged open. Dan thought Dumbledore had just busted through the door, but saw it was only Professor Lockhart, who was looking inappropriately happy.

"So sorry, I dozed off. Had a break between lessons, you see. What have I missed?"

Dan noticed all the other teachers were looking at him with gazes nothing short of hatred. Snape stepped forward.

"Lockhart, just the man," he said. "A girl has been snatched by the monster. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets it seems. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart blinked confusedly.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chimed in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I- well- you see-" sputtered Lockhart, looking panicked.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" Piped in Professor Flitwick.

"Did I? I-I don't recall-"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at Hagrid before he was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

Lockhart looked around at his stony-faced colleagues.

"I- I really- you may have misunderstood-"

"We'll leave it to you then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight should be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone is out of your way. You'll be able to take the monster on all by yourself.  A free rein at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but no one broke their facade. He didn't look remotely composed anymore. His lip was trembling and without his permanent toothy smile he looked weak-chinned and feeble.

"V-very well," he said, trying to hitch his smile back on. "I'll- I'll be in my office getting- getting ready.." and he left the classroom in a hurry.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall impatiently, "Now we've got him out from under our feet.. The heads of houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts express will be taking them home first thing tomorrow morning. The rest of you, please make sure no student has been left outside of their dormitories."

The teachers rose and left, leaving Ron, Harry, and Dan sat in stunned silence.