Chapter 96 - Chapter 96 Greatest Wizard.

The bathroom was a wreck. The walls and floor had small cracks in them. The stone looked aged and dull. The sinks and mirrors were cracked and there between the broken sinks was a massive hole in the floor. Harry stared coldly at the hole and marched forward. Cleverly hidden, he'd admit, he certainly wouldn't have suspected the fabled 'Chamber of Secrets' to be hidden in a girls bathroom. But he was far too angry to really care right now. Seeing no way down the hole, other than the obvious, Harry removed his Cloak and stuffed it into his empty pocket, and then he sat on the edge and wrapped the dull broadsword prototype in his robe, he then slid down the massive pipe. He didn't know how long he slid for, maybe a couple of minutes, but he eventually dropped into what appeared to be a pile of animal bones."Bloody cheery." Harry rumbled angrily as he stomped his way forward. He conjured a large Lumos Charm and lit up the area. Snake motifs were everywhere as he walked. Statutes of snakes lined the walkway and he eventually came to a large vault-like door. "I can feel the Magic in this thing." He muttered to himself as he examined the door. Seeing no way to get the door open manually Harry growled and pulled the prototype sword. Placing the tip of the dull blade on the edge of the door Harry dragged the sword along the length of the large circular door. A strange sound, almost like the hiss of a snake combined with the hiss of air escaping a tire, rang out and Harry watched as the metal snakes on the door withdrew and the large door swung open."Not warded?" Harry wondered as he looked at his prototype. "Was it just locked with a password? Lucky me, the Magic of that type of Locking Spell deactivates once the password is given. But removing the Magic powering the Spell does the same thing." The rage bubbling inside of him flared again now that the obstacle was out of the way. With a grimace he walked into the Chamber proper and saw another pathway lined with snake statutes and pools of water on the sides. Stalking forward Harry spotted what appeared to be an older student, judging by the Hogwarts Robes, standing over a smaller student on the floor."Ah, now isn't this a surprise." The older student commented as he turned to face Harry. "Harry Potter, how did you get down here?""Who are you and who is that?" Harry demanded trying to get a look at the smaller student."This? This is just a dumb girl that spilled her heart out to the first person that would listen to her." The teen chuckled darkly as he moved away to reveal Ginny Weasley lying on the floor. The redhead looked pale, unnaturally so, and Harry turned to face the older student again."Who are you?" Harry asked again, rage beginning to seep into his voice."Tom Marvolo Riddle." The now named Tom answered as he wrote out his name in flaming letters. "But you know me by a different name." With a wave of the wand in his hand the letters rearranged themselves to spell 'I am Lord Voldemort'."Voldemort?" Harry questioned before staring coldly at the teen. "Hagrid said you might still be alive somewhere, if only barely. But you're far too young to be the real Voldemort. Who are you really?""Ah, but I am Voldemort! The greatest Wizard to ever live!" Tom smiled darkly. "More specifically I am a memory; a remnant of Voldemort, kept safe in a book should anything happen to my body. Now tell me, Harry Potter, how is it that some infant stopped the greatest Dark Lord to ever live?""No idea, but I'm going to have to ask you to die again." Harry bit out as he pointed his prototype sword at the teen."A sword? Really Harry, how very Muggle." Tom scoffed derisively. "You cannot harm this body. I am only a memory, until her life fades and I am restored, nothing can harm me.""I'm still willing to try." Harry snarled as he took a step forward. Tom waved the wand in his hand and a bright bolt of yellow sparks flew at Harry. Without a thought Harry swung his prototype sword. The yellow spell spilt in two and dispersed without touching Harry."What?!" Tom stared in shock. "What is that sword? What did you do?!""The same thing I'm going to do to you!" Harry snapped at the shade, specter, memory or whatever the hell he claimed to be."I think not!" Tom retorted before facing the large face on the wall and hissing at it. The mouth of the stone face opened and Harry heard something moving. From the mouth of the statue emerged a truly massive serpent. Dark black-green scales, a long sinuous body, small horn-like protrusion on the back of the head, a mouth full of fangs including two large retractable ones, and the bright yellow eyes that gazed at everything in the Chamber."So it was a Basilisk." Harry intoned. If he hadn't still been so angry he might have questioned why Colin or Penny hadn't died upon seeing the serpent. The thought didn't even cross his mind though."Yes, the Basilisk, the greatest of all serpents! Now you will die down here, Harry Potter. I will be restored and continue my path as the Greatest Wizard to ever live; and you will be forgotten, merely a foot note in my glorious rise." Tom laughed in a way that Harry felt wasn't quite sane. Tom then hissed at the Basilisk and the King of Serpents turned its baleful yellow eyes on the boy. Harry felt irritation in his eyes, like they were a bit dry, as well as a small headache; but otherwise nothing else happened."Well these work better than anticipated, must be the second layer of protection." Harry mused to himself.