Serena Snape let out an aggravated sigh. Things had been both better and worse since the removal of Riddle. Sure, she had been promoted to the Head of Slytherin, something she would admit to coveting for quite a few years, but without a proper replacement for Potions the Defense position was being temporarily filled by several staff members, including herself.

What resulted was an absolute mess of a curriculum. Lockhart was just as incompetent as she assumed he would be, Filius focused on the spellwork, McGonagall on theory, and she spent most of the class trying to figure out where the students were in terms of preparation for testing and real-world knowledge.

It certainly was not helping the seventh years with their N.E.W.T's work, and more than a few had begun seeking outside tutoring from previous students.

Then there was her own class, dealing with the fears and concerns still plaguing the student body, and keeping up with the club she pseudo inherited. Not to mention the added irritation of having a certain raven-haired boy going to a certain useless professor for 'mentoring'.

It was all becoming too much and more than ever the woman felt the need to take a long vacation. Even as she headed back from escorting a student back to their common room from a well-deserved detention.

"Perhaps somewhere warm and…" she trailed off as she noticed a student walking past the entrance to Slytherin. At that point it was beyond strange to have any student out past curfew, but most telling was their size, clearly a younger student, along with the messy black hair… "Mister Potter?"

Her voice slowed him for a moment, and the boy turned back for just a split second, but in that split second, she saw everything she needed.

Anger, acceptance, and an overwhelming amount of determination.

He was going to the Chamber.

She shook her head even as he turned and continued, "No, Potter no!" Her own steps became hurried, leading into a run, exhaustion forgotten as she attempted to catch up to him. But his destination, it seemed, was already there and he stepped into the nearby bathroom without a moment of delay.

Snape barged through the door a few seconds later, but she could already see it was too late. The center of the room had slid back, creating an opening in the floor, one that a certain boy was already stepping into.

"Harry no!"

He barely glanced back before hissing and ducking under as the tiles and stonework rearranged to prevent access. Even as the woman pulled her Wand and began trying various spells to force it open, she knew it would be pointless.

Only a Parselmouth could gain access. She hesitated for only a second long before turning and running from the room.

****

Not much had changed from what he remembered of his own journey. The tunnel was just as dark and abandoned, the doorway at the end etched with the same symbols. It wasn't surprising, really, even if Slytherin had been a woman she would have likely had the same interests as the male version.

The moment he stepped inside the chamber his body tensed up, memories resurfacing despite his best efforts. He had almost died down here. Ginny had almost died down here.

But there was no redhead lying on the cold, wet floor, in fact there wasn't anyone in the Chamber save for himself.

Had he been wrong? Or maybe he had arrived before them? Either way there had to be some sort of evidence, and if not, he would wait until they returned and ambush whoever was responsible for everything.

Hopefully the Basilisk was still locked up and hadn't been unleashed yet.

There wasn't much in terms of hiding locations or cover to use for protection and Harry had begun debating about whether to make his own when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

It was a snake, a rather large one but nothing compared to that of the monstrosity lurking inside of the giant stone statue nearby. Its tongue flicked out as it slowly curled around a pillar, every movement watched by the wizard. Just as he was being watched by it.

The realization was so obvious it felt like someone should have smacked him in the back of the head. "Animagus, clever." It didn't move, didn't so much as blink and he let out a sigh, "I think we can stop the charade now. You're the only other living thing down here and there's no way a normal snake was trapped and lived this long."

Another few moments passed and for a moment Harry doubted himself but then the creature began to shift and change. Up it rose, body expanding, colors changing, until instead of a snake there stood a rather pretty woman wearing a black dress.

Her face twitched into an expression of annoyance, "How did you get down here?"

"Better question, who the hell are you and why are you attacking people!?"

She sneered, before pacing back and forth, ignoring the boy and the Wand he now had pointed at her. "Did she never mention me? Of course not, trying to hide her past like always, trying to look so perfect like always. My name is Nagini, and she loved me. Did you know that? We were in love!"

Nagini!?

Harry's brain almost shut down for a moment. Voldemort's pet snake was a person!? Had it been one in his world as well? Maybe where he came from the sociopath had used magic to force someone to doing his bidding. Regardless, it didn't take a genius to figure out who the deranged woman was speaking of. "Riddle…" he whispered, finally bringing the woman's attention back onto him, "You were in love with her? Then why do all of this?"

"BECAUSE SHE ABANDONED ME!" the woman screeched in hysteria, "She told me she loved me! I gave myself to her, my body, my future! Then she left! She left saying it didn't mean anything, that I didn't mean anything!"

His head spun, it really wasn't about him, it had all been about his Head of House. "So, you framed her."

_____________________

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