Theres a really important authors note at the end so please take time to read it. Thanks.

"Are we ready?" Harry asked. Ron looked at their professor with a glare but nodded all the same. Lockhart also nodded, but fear encased him. Harry turned toward the entrance and said, "open," in Parseltongue. The snakes started maneuvering different ways until the sink raised up, showing a pit with a slide sinking down. "Professors first." Ron pushed Lockhart in front of both of them. He tried to make up an excuse way he shouldn't go first, but eventually went down. Ron went next, followed by Harry.

All the way down the slide, Harry couldn't help but wonder why Tom was doing this. What motives are pushing him to petrify students? Before Harry could question it too long, he reached the bottom. Lockhart looked as if he would puke or pass out at any given second. He was pacing back and forth and didn't notice that the two students had arrived. "Professor," Ron sneered, "pull your head out of your arse and let's go." As Ron walked passed, Lockhart grabbed Ron's wand from him and pointed it at the Gryffindors.

"There is no way I'm going any further," Lockhart declared. "Let me go back up there. I'll tell Dumbledore and the other professors that everything is fine. And you won't tell them otherwise, either. Obliviate!" The sparks from the wand backfired and hit Lockhart in the head. He sat up a moment later in a daze. He started asking pointless questions.

"I'll stay here with him," Ron announced. Harry nodded and ran. It took him a short while before he came to a room that held Ginny Weasley.

"I'm sorry this has to happen, Harry," a voice said. "But it's for the best." Harry looked up and saw a familiar looking boy.

"Tom?" he asked, unsure whether of not his eyes were deceiving him. "Please don't do this. What about all those times we've talked? Does that mean nothing to you? Yes, I know you're the younger version of Voldemort, but I don't care, Tom. You're you and that's all that matters. Please don't do this."

"Harry, I'll die if I don't do this," Tom sighed.

"No, you won't," Harry pleaded. "We can take you back up with us and change your name."

"That won't wor-" Tom cut himself off. "Don't give Dumbledore the diary, okay? I'll be able to keep living if you don't give him that diary. You can leave and I can stay down here."

"Okay," Harry decided. "Thank you, Tom." A second later, Ginny started walking up. She looked around and her eyes landed on Harry.

"Thank you, Harry!" Ginny smiled. Tom nodded and Harry and Ginny started walking back to where Ron and Lockhart were. Pretty soon, they were telling Dumbledore what had happened, Harry leaving out a few details and making up a huge story. One where a basilisk attacked him, but Harry was able to kill it. At the end, Dumbledore looked pleased with what Harry had said and sent them back to their dormitories.