Knowing for sure of Hagrid's innocence made it all the more difficult to go to classes while he sat in a cell in Azkaban. (Y/N) and her friends were at a loss; they'd exhausted every lead. Draco was a dead end and Riddle had caught the wrong person. The real Heir escaped then and whoever was behind the attacks that time around was looking to escape again.

They found some solace in visiting Hermione. Madam Pomfrey once told them there wasn't much good in talking to someone who was petrified, but (Y/N) didn't care. She missed Hermione. The Mandrakes couldn't be ready soon enough.

"Guys, look!" said Harry, rising from Hermione's bedside.

"What's that?"

He held a wrinkled piece of parchment in his hands, riddled with quick, but neat, writing. "This is why Hermione was in the library the day she was attacked!" He started toward the door without looking back. "Come on!"

"He just takes off," Ron said in disbelief.

(Y/N) hurried to follow. "Harry! Tell us, what's it say?"

He peered down the empty corridors before he began to read. "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-- 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!"

Ron didn't look too convinced. "But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?"

"Maybe no one looked it in the eye," (Y/N) thought aloud. She felt her two friends look at her and she hurried to clarify. "Hermione had her mirror; if she knew the monster was a Basilisk, she probably used it to look where she was going. And Colin Creevey was looking through his camera wasn't he?"

"And what about Justin?" asked Ron.

"Er-- well..." (Y/N) tried to think. "Justin..."

"Justin probably saw it through Nearly Headless Nick!" Exclaimed Harry. "Nick got the full blast of it, but he's a ghost. He can't die twice."

"And Mrs. Norris?" he pressed again. "I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror!"

"No," said (Y/N). "But she had the water, didn't she? She must've seen its reflection."

Harry read over the paper again, still reeling. "Spiders flee before it -- it all fits!"

"But how's a basilisk been getting around? A dirty, great snake – someone would have seen it."

"Hermione's answered that, too," Harry said, pointing at the parchment.

"Pipes," (Y/N) read aloud. It was as though someone clicked on a light inside her brain "Of course, it's using the plumbing! And, if that's true, the entrance to the Chamber must be a bathroom! Remember what Aragog said about that girl who died in the bathroom fifty years ago? It must be–"

"Moaning Myrtle," exclaimed Ron. "Myrtle's bathroom has the entrance for the Chamber!"

"We should tell McGonagall! She'll know what to do!"

But just as (Y/N) said it, Professor McGonagall's voice echoed down the corridors, magically amplified. "All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second-floor corridor, immediately."

They didn't even need to glance at each other before all three of them took off towards the second-floor corridor. They got there just after the teachers arrived. (Y/N), Harry, and Ron tucked themselves behind a corner as they quietly tried to catch their breath.

"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." McGonagall pressed her hand to her heart, looking quite grim. "The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall said remorsefully.

(Y/N) felt her heart sink. She wondered what would happen to Hermione and the others if the school was closed, and whether or not whoever was in the Chamber would be saved.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and for a moment, she was sure it was Dumbledore coming to the rescue. To her dismay, it was only Lockhart. "So sorry," he said with his usual bright grin. "Dozed off. What have I missed?"

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

Lockhart's face went pale. "M-my moment?"

Snape regarded him disdainfully down the bridge of his large nose. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

Lockhart stared at them dumbly, unable to find the words.

"That's settled." McGonagall nodded decisively. "We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."

"Very well– ah– I'll just be in my office, getting, um," he struggled to find the proper words. "Getting ready." And he hurried away.

Madam Pomfrey was not at all impressed and instead turned to McGonagall. "Who is it that the monster's taken, Minerva?" she asked.

McGonagall looked hesitant to answer. When she spoke, her voice was soft with worry. "Ginny Weasley,"

(Y/N) felt Ron tense beside her. The professors headed down the hall, McGonagall giving instructions to the Heads of Houses of what to tell their students, and the three second-years were left behind in the empty corridor.

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever," Ron read tearfully. "Ginny..."

(Y/N) could not bear to just stand there. She did not know whether or not Ginny was alive and she didn't have the first clue of what to do. So, at a loss, she stood up straighter and said, "Let's go talk to Lockhart."

"What?"

"We should tell him what we know about the Chamber. And tell him about the Basilisk. It could help." She turned to Ron. "It could save Ginny."

That was enough to light the fire under them. They raced to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, climbed the stairs to Lockhart's office, and Harry swung open the door without a single knock.

"Professor, there's something--"

Lockhart slammed his suitcase shut and looked at the students with wild eyes. His room had almost been completely stripped bare. Photographs had been shoved into boxes, his books had been thrown into a trunk, and (Y/N) could see a sleeve of his jade robes poking out of his suitcase.

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry fixed him with a hard stare.

Lockhart stared blankly. "Well, ah, yes," he straightened. "Urgent call. Unavoidable, uh... Got to go."

"What about my sister?" shouted Ron.

Lockhart, beginning to realize his charming smile wouldn't save him, hurried to close a trunk tucked in the corner. "Well, um, as to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I."

"Are you joking?" said (Y/N). "You teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, it's your job to defend us against all the Dark things happening here!"

"Well, I must say," he hurried around his desk, emerald robes hugged close to his chest. "When I took the job there was nothing in the job description about a—"

Harry cut him off. "You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?"

"Books can be misleading!"

"You wrote them!"

"My dear boy, do use your common sense!" He slammed his robes on his desk. "My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!"

"You're a joke!" (Y/N) cried, cornering Lockhart against his desk. "You just took credit for what other witches and wizards did! I bet there's not even anything you can do!"

He slipped away from her and hurried to put the desk between them. "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, uh..." Lockhart fumbled around for his wand. "I'm, uh going to have to do the same to you."

(Y/N) didn't even have a chance to panic, for Harry and Ron had pulled her behind them in an instant. Both of their wands were aimed threateningly at Lockhart's chest.

"Don't even think about it," warned Harry.

(Y/N) hadn't ever seen a man lose his nerve so quickly. "What d'you want me to do?" he asked weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"You're in luck. We know where it is and what's inside it." Harry moved so Lockhart could get to the door. "Let's go,"

Being ushered at wandpoint, Lockhart didn't give much protest to what the students told him to do. They made him walk first, and (Y/N)'d told him on the way it was just in case they ran into the monster. She was pleased to see the way he trembled after that.

When they reached Myrtle's bathroom, they found her moping loudly, as usual.

"Oh, hello, Harry." She giggled and blushed, trying to hide her face behind her translucent hair. "What do you want?"

"To ask you how you died," he said simply.

"Oh!" Myrtle looked very pleased that he would ask, but just as fast, her grin slipped away. "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."

"Who was it, Myrtle?"

"I don't know! I was distraught!" She whined. "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."

"Just like that?" Harry frowned. "How?"

"I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes, over there, by that sink." She pointed vaguely at one of the sinks and flew away, whining and crying.

They rushed over to it, examining every inch to find something to prove them right. And finally, (Y/N) found it.

"Here!" she said, pointing at the tiny copper snake etched in one of the taps. Harry and Ron rushed to either side of her, looking on. "This must be it!" she said. "The entrance!"

"Say something," said Ron. "Harry, say something in Parseltongue."

And he did, speaking in a sort of chilling hiss. As if obeying a command, the Chamber slowly began to open. Sinks sunk into the ground, rose to the ceiling, slid to the side until a large, empty pipe was revealed before them. (Y/N) stepped backward for fear she might fall in; there was no end in sight.

Lockhart breathed out a shaky sigh. "Excellent, Harry. Good work! Well, then, I'll just be, ah... There's no need for me to stay." Lockhart whipped around and tried to break free from the students.

"Oh, yes there is!" Harry said, pushing Lockhart towards the entrance. He just barely managed to catch himself before he went tumbling down.

(Y/N) drew her wand and pointed it wand menacingly at Lockhart, her two friends on either side of her mirroring her actions. "You get to go first, Professor," she said.

Lockhart blinked for a moment before he thought of something to say."Now, children, what good will it do?"

"Better you than us!" shouted Ron.

"Um... But... Obviously, yes. Sure you don't want to test it out first?"

And, having had enough, Ron pushed Lockhart down into the Chamber. He fell for quite some time before there was a loud thud somewhere at the bottom. He didn't say anything at first. Poor (Y/N) began to wonder if they'd accidentally killed him.

"It's really quite filthy down here."

But he was fine.

"All right," Harry nodded bravely. "Let's go."

"Oh, Harry?" called Myrtle, watching idly from her toilet. "If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet."

(Y/N) wished Ron could push Myrtle down the Chamber, too.

"Uh..." Harry looked to his friends for help, but they could give him none. "Thanks, Myrtle," he said sheepishly.

Harry went first, then Ron, and lastly (Y/N). It was pitch dark, slimy, and sort of like a slide. She could hear Harry shouting and Ron swearing all the way down and felt better about screaming. She could just barely make out smaller pipes branching off and traveling far away to other parts of the school when suddenly the pipe leveled out and she came flying out the end.

She landed with a harsh thud on the damp ground and felt something strange on her back. Still reeling, she opened her eyes to see what it was, a large pile of bones. (Y/N) scrambled to her feet, not giving much thought to whether they were animal bones, or something else.

Harry, Ron, and Lockhart were covered head to foot in something slimy and smelly. (Y/N) knew she wasn't far better off.

"Now, remember," Harry said, checking with her to see if she was okay. "Any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away."

With a nod, (Y/N) followed him through the tunnel. It was quiet as a tomb. No one dared to say a word for fear of calling any attention to themselves. (Y/N) kept close to Harry, a firm grip on her wand.

"What's this?" Asked Ron.

Lockhart froze, tripping up Ron behind him. "It looks like a... snake."

"Does that look alive to you?" (Y/N) asked, leagues ahead. "It's snakeskin."

"Bloody hell. Alive or not, what ever shed this must be sixty feet long—or more!"

What Ron said must've frightened Lockhart because he collapsed on the ground, curled into a ball.

"Heart of a lion, this one," Ron muttered.

Suddenly, Lockhart jumped up and snatched Ron's wand right out of his hand. He stood tall and proud, pointing the wand defensively at the three of them.

"The adventure ends here, children." He had a gleeful gleam in his eyes. "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 goodbye to your memories!"

And he raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high, shouting, "Obliviate!"

The spell exploded with the force of a small bomb and Lockhart went flying. (Y/N)'s hands flew to her head as she dove to the ground, Harry tumbling down beside her. Great chunks of rubble fell from the tunnel's ceiling and walls and just when (Y/N) was sure they were going to die in that bloody tunnel covered in sewage and dirt, everything stopped.

She ventured a glance up. Harry was getting to his feet. The rocks had blocked the way they came, trapping them in. She looked to the other side for Ron, but he was not there.

Harry seemed to notice at the same time as she did. "Ron!" He shouted. "Are you okay? Ron!"

"I'm here!" Ron called from the other side of the rubble. (Y/N) could've cried with relief.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked as he climbed up the rubble, trying to catch a glance of their friend.

"I'm fine," he promised. "Where's (Y/N)?"

"I'm okay," she said, finally bringing herself to stand.

"Good," she could hear the relief in his voice.

Lockhart sat up with a loud groan. "Hello... Who are you?"

"Ron Weasley,"

"Really? And uh, who– who am I?"

(Y/N) heard Ron gasp. "Lockhart's memory charm backfired! He hasn't got a clue who he is!"

"So we really are on our own down here," (Y/N) grumbled. Harry spared her a glance over his shoulder.

"It's an odd sort of place this is, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No!"

"Really? Well—"

There was a muffled thud and Lockhart fell silent.

"What'll I do now?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't answer. He looked at (Y/N) for help, green eyes wide.

"We have to help Ginny," she said. "She's been down here for too long. If we want a chance at saving her..."

"You're right," Harry turned back to Ron. "We're going to go on. Wait here with Lockhart! If we're not back in an hour--"

The words got caught in Harry's throat.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Ron got the gist.

"I'll try and shift some of this rock... So you can—can get back through." Ron said with a shaky voice. "And, guys—"

"See you in a bit," Harry said, more confident than (Y/N) felt.

He climbed back down and met with (Y/N). "Ready?" he asked.

She wanted to say no.

Together, they walked, and soon enough, they could no longer hear Ron straining to lift the rocks. They were alone. At last, they reached the end of the tunnel. A tall wall loomed before them, decorated with seven copper snakes with glowing emerald eyes.

"What do you think is behind there?" asked Harry.

(Y/N) didn't dare to imagine. "I don't know,"

Harry hesitated a moment, cleared his throat, worked up his courage, and then spoke. Just like in Myrtle's bathroom, the door began to unlock as if obeying his command. All too soon, the door was opened, revealing a long, dimly lit chamber.

Harry glanced back at (Y/N). It was the first time she'd ever seen him so nervous, and it made her feel sick. She stepped beside him, trying to look brave enough for the both of them. And then, when they were both ready, the two stepped inside, hearts pounding in their chests.