Harry, Ron, and Raja sat beside Hermione's sleeping** form** in the hospital wing.

Ron sniffed. "She looks peaceful. Like she's just studying in her sleep."

Raja smirked. "That tracks. If anyone could study while unconscious, it's Hermione."

Harry, replacing the withered flowers by her bedside,noticed a crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

Ron, ever the detective, gasped. "Evidence!"

Raja rolled his eyes. "Yes, Watson, it's not like it wasconvenientlyplaced in her hand for dramatic effect."

They unfolded it.

"Basilisk..." Harry muttered, reading the page. "That's the monster."

Raja leaned in. "So, agiant murder noodlehas been roaming Hogwarts?"

Ron paled. "And wedidn't notice?"

Harry's brain connected the dots. "Wait... it's movingthrough the pipes!"

Ron groaned. "Great. Now I have to be terrified of plumbing."

As the realization settled,Professor McGonagall's voice boomed over the castle.

"All students must return to their dormitories immediately. Professors, report to the second-floor corridor."

The boysran towards the commotion.

On the wall, a new message was scrawled:

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

Ron turnedwhiter than Nearly Headless Nick."Ginny..."

McGonagall confirmed his fears. "Miss Weasley has been taken."

Rajasmirked."Finally. Someaction."

Ron gawked. "DID YOU JUST—"

Raja patted his shoulder. "Relax, we're about to belegendary."

Meanwhile, Lockhart wasvolunteered(read: bullied) by McGonagall and Snape togo save Ginny.

Raja grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Knowing Lockhart wouldtry to weasel his way out,the trio stormed into his office.

Sure enough,he was packing.

"Urgent... uh... business call!" Lockhart stammered.

Ron growled. "Ginny is in trouble, and you're running away?!"

Raja leaned against the door. "You know, boys,Lockhart's a fraud."

Harry blinked. "Wait, what?"

Raja nodded. "He steals other wizards' achievements,erases their memories, and takes the credit."

Ron's jaw dropped. "You absolute git!"

Lockharttried to Obliviate them.

Raja,already prepared, casuallydisarmed him mid-spell.

Lockhart blinked at his empty hands. "Oh."

Raja smirked. "Yeah, 'oh.' Now, let's govisit Myrtle."

Myrtleperked upwhen the boys arrived.

"Oh, Harry! Are you finally here to join me in the afterlife?"

Harry coughed. "Uh... no. Just... need to ask about your death."

Myrtlepouted."Typical."

She recountedhiding from bullies, hearing someone speaking a strange language,seeing giant yellow eyes, and... poof! Dead.

Harry squinted. "Wait...bathroom...snake carving on the sink!"

Raja clapped. "Boys, we have our entrance."

Standing in front of thesink, Harry took a deep breath and hissed, "Open."

Raja translated it "In the name of Merlin Open this Cursed Door"

The sinkmorphed into a gaping tunnel.

Lockhart, sweating bullets,tried to retreat.

Rajapushed him in first "Check the Depth please".

"AHHHHH—"

Ron stared. "That... was satisfying."

Harry and Ron readied tojump in.

Myrtle winked at Harry. "If you die, you canshare my toilet."

Harry's soulleft his body for a moment.

Raja,dying of laughter,jumped in last.

Theylanded in a massive bone pit.

Ronfreaked."WHY ARE THERESO MANY BONES?!"

Rajagrinned."Welcome to theSnake's All-You-Can-Eat Buffet."

They ventured forward and found agiant snakeskin.

Ron swayed. "That'sway too big."

Lockhartchose this moment to grab Ron's wand.

"Sorry, boys. Can't have any witnesses!"

He castObliviate.

Ron'sbroken wand backfired.

BOOM.

Lockhart slammed into the wall. Arockslide collapsed behind him,separating the trio.

Lockhart sat up, dazed. "Who am I?"

Ron, glaring, grabbed arock and knocked him out.

Harry groaned. "Well, that's one problem solved."

Raja stretched. "Alright, we move forward."

Harry reached the finalmassive stone door, adorned withserpentine designs.

With a deep breath, he hissed, "Open."

The doorcreaked apart, revealing darkness.

Raja grinned. "Time to meetthe Big Noodle and the Heir who stole my Limelight."

Harry and Raja entered theChamber of Secrets, their footsteps echoing ominously.

"Ginny!" Harry gasped, spotting herunconscious body clutching Riddle's diary.He rushed to her side, shaking her. "Wake up!"

Raja, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes. "Something smellsextremely villainousin here."

A slow, chilling chuckle filled the chamber.

"Well done, Harry," came a voice asTom Riddle stepped out of the shadows.

Raja crossed his arms. "Riddle, youtwo-bit poltergeist, explainright nowwhy you thought Ginny deserved the titleHeir of Slytherinoverme?"

Riddle blinked. "What?"

"I mean, Iclearlyhave more Slytherin traits! Cunning? Check. Ambition?Through the roof.Fashion sense?Untouchable.Andyet, here you arechoosing a Elven-year-old girl you Paedophile?!"

Riddle scowled. "This isn't about—"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did Iinterrupt your evil monologue?Please, proceed."

Riddle rubbed his temples. "You'reinsufferable."

Raja smirked. "And yet, here we are."

Riddle,clearly regretting every decision that led him to this moment, explained how Ginny had beenwriting in the diary,confiding her secrets to him, allowing him to control her.

"She did my bidding—unleashing the Basilisk, scrawling threats on the walls—"

Rajasnorted."Right, becauseadorable, clumsy Ginny Weasleymakes for anexcellentcriminal mastermind."

Riddle ignored him and turned to Harry. "Do you know why you survived Lord Voldemort's attack?"

Harry tensed. "Because of my mother's sacrifice."

Riddle smiled. "No, becauseI am Lord Voldemort."

With a dramatic flourish, he waved his wand, rearranging the letters of his name to spell:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Raja whistled. "That's astretch, mate. Tom, I think you just playedScrabble too aggressively."

Riddle glared. "Oh,shut up."

Riddle, clearlydone with Raja's nonsense, smirked. "No matter. Soon,Ginny will die... and I will rise again!"

Harry clenched his fists. "Dumbledore—"

"—is gone," Riddle sneered. "His era isover."

As if on cue,Fawkes the phoenixswooped in, dropping theSorting Hatat Harry's feet.

Riddle burst out laughing. "A bird and a hat?Pathetic."

Then, speakingParseltongue, he commanded themassive stone mouthof the Slytherin statue toopen.

From the darkness, agigantic Basilisk slithered out, fangs gleaming.

Raja nudged Harry. "Wear these."

Harry blinked as Raja handed himsunglasses.

"...Really?"

"Basiliskspetrifypeople through eye contact. these are enchanted alchmey Eye wear, we won't become petrified."

Harry reluctantly put them on.The first wizard battle... in sunglasses.

Raja thentelekinetically yanked the Sorting Hat, shoved his hand inside, and pulled outThe Sword of Gryffindor.

Harrygawked."What am I supposed to do with this?!"

Rajagrinned. "Go kill the snake."

Then heshoved Harry forward.

Harry: "—WHAT?!"

Riddle, meanwhile, had drawn his wand. "Kill him!" he commanded the Basilisk.

Harrybolted opposite direction,blindlycasting spells backwards and sword in his hand.

Meanwhile,

Riddle:"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Raja:"Oh, absolutely. A whiny ghost with daddy issues and a severe case of anagrams."

Riddle:"I AM LORD VOLDEMORT."

Raja:"Yes, yes, we all saw your little Scrabble game. Very creative. But tell me, Riddle, does your ghostly existence come with a refund policy? Because you're clearly defective."

Riddle:"Silence, you insolent fool! I am the greatest wizard to ever live!"

Raja:"Oh sure, because 'great' wizards needteenage girlsto do their dirty work. What's next, Voldy? Are you going to hauntsomeone's diary collectionforever?"

Riddle:"You dare mock me?!"

Raja:"Dare? Buddy,mocking you is a privilege."

Riddle:"Enough! Let's see if you can laugh while I end you."(fires a hex)

Raja(dodging effortlessly):"Ooooh, scary. What was that? The 'Ticklish Curse'? Try harder, Tommy."

Riddle:"I'll obliterate you!"

Raja(yawning):"You sound just like my history professor. Loud, boring, and incapable of actually doing anything interesting."

Riddle:"Sectumsempra!"

Raja(casually deflects the curse mid-air):"Did you just throw Snape's homework at me? How original."

Riddle:"Enough of your insolence!Face your doom!"

Raja:"Face my doom? Oh no, I'm soooo scared."(blasts Riddle with a lightning spell, sending him flying)

Riddle:"GAAAH! STOP THAT!"

Raja:"You started it,Mister I-Am-Anagram-Lord!"(zaps him again for fun)

Riddle:"YOU INSOLENT—"(gets hit with another spell mid-sentence)

Raja:"What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of mewinning."

Riddle:"I HATE YOU."

Raja:"That's the spirit! Keep that rage alive, maybe one day you'll actually be scary."

Harry after lot of parkour and avoiding the snake attacks and he hid behind a pillar and the snake look for him in madness and became careless.

Fawkesdove in,clawing out one of the Basilisk's eyes.

Harry, seeing an opportunity, cast"Diffindo!"

Theother eye was gone.

Riddle screeched, "You think that will stop it? Itcan still hear you!"

Raja casually zapped Riddle with alightning spell.

Riddle: "WHY?!"

Raja: "I like watching yousuffer."

Thesnake thrashed, tracking Harry by sound.

Harryhurled a rockto distract it andrushed back toward Ginny.

Riddle, losing patience, shouted, "She's almostgone, Potter!"

Raja casually fired another spell,sending Riddle flying.

Raja: "Eyes on me, old man."

Riddle:"I AM NOT OLD!"

Harry, meanwhile, wasclimbing the Slytherin statue.

The Basilisklunged.

Harryleaped, grabbed the sword, and done a perfect summersault in the air

STABBED the sword on the middle of the snakes head.

The Basilisklet out a final, piercing shriekbefore collapsing.

Riddlestared in horror."No... impossible..."

Harry landed, victorious—only to realize... he has lost all of his strength and couldn't move his body and fall like a toy.

Riddlesmirked."You're dead, Potter."

Raja, who saw the jump tears in his eyes "What a epic kill better than the original".

To be continued...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com