"Got it."
After leaving the girls' dormitory, Rowan Mercer didn't return to Slytherin right away. Instead, he mounted his broom and shot away from the castle at full speed. He landed in a nearby Muggle city, blended in, wandered through several crowded bars, changed his appearance and clothes more than once, and only then doubled back to Hogwarts by a different route.
By the time he reverted to his normal size, slipped back into his pajamas, and returned to the Slytherin dormitory, it was nearly four in the morning. He quietly lifted the Stunning Spells on his three roommates and finally allowed himself to sleep.
The next day passed without incident. Aside from Ginny herself, no one noticed that Tom Riddle's diary was gone.
Normally, that would have been enough. Unfortunately, Rowan's problem wasn't ordinary suspicion. It was Dumbledore.
If Ginny confessed, Dumbledore would absolutely investigate where the diary had gone. That was why Rowan had gone to such lengths the night before. The detours, the disguises, the misdirection. All of it was insurance.
He only hoped Dumbledore wouldn't use a Time-Turner. If that happened, much of his effort would be meaningless. Still, history suggested it was unlikely. Time-Turners weren't casually deployed, and they had strict limits. Besides, even if he were discovered, it wouldn't be catastrophic. He hadn't killed anyone or released the basilisk. At worst, he'd earn Dumbledore's focused attention.
Unpleasant, but survivable.
Friday morning passed with Potions as usual. After lunch in the Great Hall, Rowan was abruptly pulled aside by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. They led him straight to the abandoned bathroom on the third floor, the one haunted by Moaning Myrtle.
"Why are we here?" Rowan asked, feigning confusion.
Harry took a deep breath. "Ginny told us everything. We think we know where the entrance to the Chamber is."
Ginny stepped forward, voice shaking but determined, and told her story again. The diary. The lost time. The fear. The guilt.
Rowan's eyes widened at the right moments. "So you want Harry to try using Parseltongue to open the entrance?"
Hermione nodded. "If it works, we'll tell the professors immediately. They can deal with the basilisk, no one else gets hurt, and Dumbledore can come back. Hogwarts won't have to close."
Rowan considered it, then nodded. "We should try. If we tell the professors without proof, they might not believe us."
That was true enough. And in any case, opening the entrance wouldn't release the basilisk. There was still another door deeper inside. Let the professors handle the monster. Safe, efficient, and educational. Watching elite wizards fight a basilisk wasn't exactly a wasted learning opportunity.
Harry stepped up to the sink with the tiny snake engraved on its faucet. "Open."
Nothing happened.
"You have to use Parseltongue," Ron whispered urgently. "The hissing. Not English."
Rowan moved slightly in front of Ginny and Hermione. "If anything goes wrong, grab onto me."
They nodded, pale but resolute, each subtly gripping their wand. Gryffindors, through and through.
Harry closed his eyes and tried again. This time, his voice slid into a low, serpentine hiss.
The faucet began to glow white. It spun rapidly, the sink shuddered, and then the porcelain slid apart entirely, revealing a massive pipe plunging straight down into darkness. Wide enough for an adult to fit through.
"There it is," Hermione breathed.
Rowan immediately raised his wand and took a guarding stance. "I'll stay here. You four run and get the Heads of House and the professors."
He added calmly, "I can fly. Even if the basilisk somehow appears, it won't catch me."
They exchanged quick looks, then bolted, racing for the staircases as fast as their legs would carry them.
Alone again, Rowan glanced down at the dark pipe, then smiled faintly.
"If Voldemort knew about this," he thought, "he'd be furious."
Sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle had spent months manipulating Ginny, carefully preparing his return. A few more weeks, and he might have succeeded. Now the diary was gone, the Chamber exposed, and the basilisk about to be cornered by the entire Hogwarts staff.
A perfect collapse.
...
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