After dinner, Harry and Severus climbed up the stairs to the Gargoyle. Harry groaned; McGonagall had forgotten to tell him the password.

“Chocolate frogs, gummy bears, mars bars, snickers, liquorice wands, cookies, lemon drops, basilisk drops,” Harry kept on guessing and suddenly the Gargoyle opened.

Severus sneered and they entered the office, where Dumbledore, Flitwick, Mad Eye Moody and to Harry’s astonishment the father of James Potter were assembled. Harry glanced at him in awe until he noticed his look being returned curiously. Dumbledore, who had noticed the glances that the two Potters exchanged, spoke up.

“Mr. Potter, may I introduce you to your Grandson, my Great Grandson who came from the future to visit us, Mr. Harry Potter AKA Harry Pane. Harry, as you’ll probably know, this is your Grandfather.”

“What!” Mr. Potter seemed shocked about this news, but Harry smiled fondly at his Grandfather, whom he just had met for the first time.

He went over to his Grandfather and held out his hand. “Hello, Grandfather, I’m very glad to meet you!”

Mr. Potter shook his hand fiercely. “My Grandson you are! And you look exactly like James – except for your beautiful green eyes. I am more than glad to meet you, and you will have to visit us at Potter Manor, while you are here. Your Grandmother will be very happy, when she sees you.”

-----

Dumbledore continued. “Anyway we have met here to discuss how to get rid of the Basilisk, which is hidden in the Chamber of Secrets. Only for this reason, I have told you about Harry, and please note that I have to obliviate you about everything concerning the future, before Harry leaves us again, probably in the summer.”

Harry chimed in. “May I suggest something based on my experiences vanquishing the basilisk last time? I would propose that I first go into the chamber alone, wake the basilisk and change immediately into my phoenix form. Nobody can accompany me, because any person who looks in the eyes of the Basilisk dies immediately, but in my phoenix form, I will be fine and can pick the Basilisk’s eyes out. Afterwards I’ll call you, and you can come down as well. If Fawkes doesn’t mind, I would like to ask him to accompany me though.”

#Of course, no problem, Icicle, I’d love to#

“Fawkes has already given his consent, thanks Fawkes,” Harry explained quickly to the others.

“The last time I battled the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, which was hidden in the Sorting Hat.”

“You can use the sword anytime, because you are the heir of Gryffindor, just as myself, but how did you know that the sword was in there?” Dumbledore asked curiously.

“I didn’t know. Fawkes brought the Hat to me, and when I put my hand in it, I suddenly had the sword in my hand. Anyway, maybe I could take the sword with me in the first place and try to kill him the same way. But at the same time perhaps all of you together could try to stun the beast? If you used a stunning spell, all five of you at the same time, I can imagine that it could be strong enough. As an alternative, I could do the stunning spell together with you, and only if it doesn’t work try to get him with the sword. What do you think?”

Severus was the first to speak. “I would prefer the second version, because it won’t put you in so much danger as when you immediately try to take it out with the sword. But what about sending all our Patroni out before trying the stunning spell or do they really only work against Dementors?”

“I’m not sure about the Patronus charm; I have not heard it other than in conjunction with Dementors,” Flitwick said pensively, “but on the other hand it is a strong charm of the light used for working against the dark, and the Basilisk on the contrary is an animal considered as utmost dark, so maybe it could work. We should try it anyway; I think Mr. Snape’s idea is very good. Is every one of you capable of producing a corporate Patronus?”

“Yes” everyone answered.

“And”, Dumbledore added, “is every one of you willing to assist Harry, who no doubt will have to bear the main part in this action, in vanquishing the Basilisk, although it could put all of you in a lot of danger?”

“Yes,” so the unanimous answer.

“Very good. That leaves us with the question when we are going to do it. For the Basilisk I’m sure it won’t matter, but we,” he threw a meaningful look at Harry, “all have to be really well rested when we access the chamber. So I would propose Sunday morning. How is that?”

“Sunday would be good. Then we have the whole day to fight and to recover in case we need it.” Mr. Potter agreed.

“All right. Does everyone agree with Sunday morning?” Everything was nodding their consent. “Then we should meet here directly after breakfast. Harry and Severus, I expect you to take it easy on Saturday. No Quidditch, no studying through meals, and nothing else strenuous.”

“Alright Professor, but I have one more point. We have to take some of the Basilisk venom out immediately after we kill the Basilisk, because there are certain Potions, which require fresh Basilisk venom. All the other ingredients can be taken later. In case Harry and I were both injured, could some of you take care of it please?”

“And what do we have to do with the fresh venom? Isn’t that dangerous?” Harry countered.

“It is dangerous. We have to be very careful, and I will bring several pairs of protective gloves and a few phials to bottle the venom. Nothing has to be done about it, it just has to be taken and bottled freshly.”

“Don’t worry; we will take care of it. It will only take a few minutes, because as you said, everything else you will be able to get later,” Moody agreed.

With this, the two students were dismissed and returned to their common rooms.

Saturday passed in a blur. Harry and Severus spent the whole afternoon together with the Marauders and Lily, lying in the grass near the lake doing nothing but making plans about the Marauders’ Map.

“By the way, Severus and I won’t be around tomorrow. Don’t look for us, we have something to do for Dumbledore,” Harry told them to prevent his friends from searching for him and worrying.

“For Dumbledore? What might that be?” Remus asked inquiringly.

“Um… I have an idea, but I’m not sure what to expect. Ask me later, then I’ll be able to tell you,” Harry answered.

After dinner Harry went to bed immediately, downed the dreamless sleep Potion Severus had handed him secretly, and fell into a deep sleep until the following morning.

-----

After breakfast, they met in Dumbledore’s office.

“All right,” the Headmaster said. “Fawkes and Harry, will you be so kind as to flash us to the entrance of the chamber please?” Harry changed into Icicle and he and Fawkes flashed the other five people down to Myrtle’s bathroom.

“So, Fawkes and I will fly down first. I will call you as soon as you come down, and if I encounter any problems, Fawkes will come and get you.”

“All right Harry, please be VERY careful,” his Great Grandfather said worriedly.

“I will,” said Harry and hissed in Parseltongue to the sink, “open”.

While the entrance to the chamber opened, Harry changed into Icicle, and he and Fawkes flew down into the chamber. The Basilisk was nowhere to be seen, so Harry changed back into his human form and hissed, “come on big snake, wake up you lazybones.” Then he changed into Icicle immediately.

There it was! The huge Basilisk appeared, and Fawkes and Harry flew immediately in the direction of where its head was. On the way Fawkes trilled,

#You take the right eye, I’ll take the left one.#

#Okay# Harry trilled back and began to attack the snake. It was more difficult than they had thought, because the snake moved its big head wildly around in order to bite them, and it took the two phoenixes about half an hour, until both eyes of the Basilisk were gone.

#Will you please go and bring the others down, Fawkes? Then I can change back and enlarge the sword in the meanwhile.#

#All right Icicle, I’ll be back in a flash,# Fawkes trilled and flashed away.

In the meantime, Harry had changed back. He took the sword out of this pocket and tapped it with his wand to enlarge it, just at the moment when the others arrived behind him. He took a brief glance at them, but just at this moment, the big snake managed to snap at him and take a small bite in his left arm. Harry ignored it and would take care of it later. He summoned as much power as he could to produce a Patronus phoenix and told him to fight the snake; the others followed his example, and soon several white Patroni were running over to the snake.

“Alright, let’s stun it on 3,” Harry shouted and all of them waved their wands and put the strongest stunning spell they could cast at the snake, when Harry had counted to 3. The snake was still moving, but its movements had become a little slower.

Harry now took the sword, shouted, “Get out of the way”, and after running around for a while, stabbing the snake here and there, while the others were standing at a safe distance throwing stunning spells at the snake frequently, he finally managed to kill it after been bitten several times more by the big Basilisk. He was just too clumsy today. When the Basilisk fell down, he turned to the others.

-----

“It’s dead. Now, Severus, which parts of it do we have to take now?”

The others ran over and looked worriedly at Harry. “Are you all right Harry?” Dumbledore inquired.

“Yes, I’m fine, although the beast has bitten me a few times. I need Fawkes to come and heal the bites.”

Fawkes flew over to Harry immediately.

“Albus, you and Harry stay here, Potter, Snape, Moody and I will take the venom out” Flitwick said.

“All right, thank you Filius.”

Fawkes made himself comfortable on Harry and let his Healing tears flow in each of the wounds the Basilisk had made. It felt really good, but Harry noticed that his mind was slowly beginning to slip. Maybe some of the venom had already managed to get into his blood. He had to transform into Icicle, that should help, but as much as he tried, he couldn’t change into his phoenix form. ‘Maybe I have once again used all my magic, therefore I can’t even transform,’ he thought.

In the meantime, the others had come back. For Severus, the dead Basilisk must be a dream come true; he looked incredibly happy, but Harry barely noticed.

“Sevvus, need antidote venom…” he managed to say before he passed out.

“Severus, can you make an antidote? Maybe together with Professor Slughorn?” Dumbledore asked worriedly.

“I can make it, especially as I have the venom itself, but it will take about one and a half hours. I don’t need Slughorn, it’s easier on my own; take Harry to the Hospital Wing and keep him cool, and if possible keep him awake,” Severus replied urgently, already sorting the ingredients he would need for the Potion in his head.

“Fawkes please take Severus to the Potions classroom immediately and then come back for the rest of us,” Dumbledore ordered his familiar, and Fawkes was back in a flash and brought everyone else up to Myrtle’s bathroom.

“I’m afraid we have to wake Harry up to close the chamber,” Dumbledore said hesitantly. He pointed his wand at Harry “Enervate”.

Harry blinked. “Harry, you have to close the chamber again please,” he could hear and mumbled, “close.”

As soon as he could hear the “Alright Harry, thank you Harry”, he closed his eyes again and was gone.

-----

Dumbledore thanked the three others and dismissed them, before Fawkes took Harry and him to the Hospital Wing. He put Harry on his favourite bed and went looking for Madam Pomfrey, whom he finally found eating lunch in the Great Hall. After he had explained the situation, she ran back to the wing, accompanied by a very upset McGonagall. Pomfrey examined Harry and became very serious.

“His pulse is very week, and his temperature is at nearly 43 degrees. If Severus doesn’t hurry up, he won’t survive I’m afraid. How long did he say will it take to make the antidote?”

“About an hour from now. He said we should keep him cool and try to keep him awake before he went to make the Potion.”

“Yes, let’s put him into ice and wake him up.” With a flick of her wand, the bed was transfigured into a bath tab filled with ice.

“Can’t we let him sleep? It must be horrible to be so hot and then packed in ice” McGonagall asked worried.

“No, because his body has to fight the poison and this will be more efficient when he is awake. Enervate”.

Harry blinked; he was so cold; where was he?

His grandmother took his hand and said, “Harry, dear, can you tell me what happened?”

Harry leaned into the touch of her cool hand and answered, “Don’t know, have to fight snake, Sevvus wants Potions ingredients, Tom cannot have Ginny, MY girlfriend,…”

The three adults eyed each other worriedly. “He’s delirious. What can we do Poppy, Albus?”

“I’m afraid we can’t do anything Minerva. Harry, everything is all right, you don’t have to do anything, just lie there and relax,” Poppy said calmingly.

“It’s so cold, Granny, help me,” Harry mumbled, and Pomfrey transfigured the tub back to a bed after taking his temperature again.

“He is a little cooler, but we have to watch him closely until Severus comes.”

After half an hour Poppy checked on Harry again and said urgently, “I hope Severus hurries up now, otherwise he won’t make it much longer.”