Thank you everyone for the kind reviews! Here's chapter 2!
"I'm hurt that you think I'd do anything to that venomous snake you call a friend," James scoffed failing miserably to hide his grin.
"I'll bat boogey hex you James, I swear I will!" Albus threatened. They both knew he couldn't. He failed miserably at the spell no matter how many times his mother and sister tried to teach him. James chuckled some.
"Settle down little brother, settle down. Fred and I may or may not have melted down a test product into Malfoy's pumpkin juice last night," James said looking very professional wiping invisible dust off his robes. Fred nodded in agreement a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Something lethal I hope?" Rose asked her icy eyes lit with hope. Albus groaned pinching the bridge between his nose praying that Godric Gryffindor give him strength. Fred and James all but adored the Weasley Wizard Wheezes shop and had added many a new items to the store's list of products with their own experiments. George was thrilled and even Albus's uncle Ron praised them for their skill.
Albus didn't. He was usually on the testing end of it. This time Scorpius had been unfortunate enough to be the test subject. Still their jokes were harmless; Albus was not sure what could have caused Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy to come.
"What does the test product do?" Albus asked in barely a whisper, afraid to know the answer.
"It's supposed to make the user turn into the opposite gender for up to seven hours," Fred said with a twinkle in his eyes. Albus frowned.
"What? Come on it's harmless," scoffed James.
"I know. That wouldn't have caused Scorpius's parents to come. Merlin it wouldn't even have stopped Scorpius from showing up to class," Albus drawled thoughtfully.
"Dad says Draco Malfoy is overly protective of Scorpius. Heard him say if Draco had his way he'd shove Scorpius right back up his mother's-"
"Thank you Rose! That's quite enough! I did not need that mentally scarring image!" Albus groaned. He stood up running his fingers through his messy black hair.
"I'm going to find Scorpius," Albus offered and he took off down the hall. He had a bad feeling he'd find Scorpius in the hospital wing. Fred and James's prank could have had bad side effects, or perhaps Scorpius was surprisingly embarrassed about being a girl.
Who was he kidding?
No He was quite certain Scorpius would have been incredibly pleased and would have explored his new found body parts. Shuddering at the thought Albus took a step into the hospital wing. He passed on a sympathetic look to Evan Abbott who was groaning in a hospital bed a thermometer sticking out of his mouth, his ears the size of bludgers. Albus walked on by scanning the room for the sign of the blonde menace. In the corner of the room he found him.
Scorpius sat in a bed a sour look on his face and Albus was glad to say that Scorpius was still male. Running over Albus gave Scorpius a curious look.
"What took you so long?" Scorpius scoffed.
"Me? I was supposed to magically know you were in the hospital wing?" Albus asked raising his eyebrow. Scorpius gave him a sly grin. Albus frowned Scorpius was paler than usual he had black circles underneath his eyes and he seemed to be breathing heavy.
"You okay?" Albus asked taking a seat looking out for Madam Pomfrey. Prudence Pomfrey was a shrill young woman fresh out of training and was very strict with the rules taking after her grandmother the former school's medi witch Poppy Pomfrey. Scorpius looked thoughtful fiddling his thumbs.
"I'm alright," he said at last and looked Albus in the eyes. "But James won't be."
Albus looked Scorpius over. The young Malfoy's expression was unreadable. Scorpius could be cross at times but he was passive aggressive. To earn such a threat James had to have done more damage than Albus originally thought.
"What are you going to do to him?" Albus questioned trying to identify Scorpius's angle. Scorpius looked surprised.
"Me? Nothing. Do you know what he did?"
"Poured something in your drink?" Scorpius's eyebrows went up.
"Well that explains last night," Scorpius said thoughtfully and a peaceful, dark grin passed over his features, a classic Scorpius look he usually reserved for Rose.
"I thought it was a dream. I had a chest the size of London! Big, round and-"
"I don't want to know," Albus interrupted. Scorpius visibly pouted but it passed his silver eyes lit with amusement.
"What else did James do then?" Albus asked opening a chocolate frog that had been on the night stand next to Scorpius's bed. Scorpius let out a loud dramatic sigh.
"Right, that. Remember how that basilisk egg mysteriously ended up in James's trunk?" Scorpius asked catching the frog as it jumped out of Albus's grasp. Albus snorted.
"You mean when you put it there?"
"I am hurt and insulted you would accuse such an atrocious crime on your best friend! You should be ashamed Albus Potter!" Scorpius lectured sarcastically. Mischief was written all over his angled face.
Albus chuckled looking down at his father for the chocolate frog card. He had about fifty of him and over a hundred of Dumbledore. He had inherited his Uncle Ron's cards and had most of the famous witches and wizards.
"I mean when it magically ended up there," Albus said correctly himself, anxious for Scorpius to get on with the story. Scorpius looked amused and looked up at the ceiling.
"Exactly. Anyway, last night when I opened my trunk big black egg shell pieces fell out. It took me all of three seconds to realize what had happened! I shut my eyes quickly. A bloody reptile isn't going to kill me," Scorpius said, dramatically. Albus winced. The basilisk had hatched.
"That'd be Rose's job," Albus jeered. Scorpius made a face his eyes squinting shut.
"I heard it slithering around; hissing things. I knew I couldn't open my eyes. Just a hatchling but deadlier than a Hungarian Horntail. . ." Albus rolled his eyes. Scorpius loved a good story and he loved being the center of attention. He'd spin an epic tale about his trip to the bathroom if he thought he could hold an audience.
"I tried to feel my way to the door. I refused to open my eyes. I ran towards what I thought was the door when I tripped over sodding Eric Rosier's trunk! I fell to the ground and I heard it slithering towards me and then it felt as if my blood had turned to fire. It had sunk its fangs into my arm! A pool of blood bubbled out, my vision blurred-"
"I thought you had your eyes closed," Albus interrupted.
"Shut up you git! I'm telling the story! As I was saying, my vision blurred, I could hear my heart pounding as my blood turned black the poison seeping into my very veins!" Scorpius said with an air of authority his voice growing quieter, forcing Albus to listen carefully, to make sure he heard every word.
"Then what?" Albus asked transfixed.
"Then I died," Scorpius stated bowing his head dramatically. Albus rolled his eyes and prodded Scorpius with his wand. "You look alive to me, and that was a horrible ending."
"I don't know all the gory details, I haven't died yet," Scorpius hissed in defense. Albus paused.
"Are you telling me you're actually going to die? That it actually bit you!?"Albus demanded. The amusement left Scorpius's features. He looked up at the ceiling again than met Albus's emerald eyes. He pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a circular wound on his forearm still open but not bleeding. Fleshy, bloody, and black. His veins above the wound were black and pulsing but did not go past the elbow where his veins were a normal blue. Albus's mouth went dry his body tensing. A moment ago he had been sure Scorpius had been exaggerating and lying. There was no way the boy's life was in any danger at all. Now Albus was baffled over the fact of how Scorpius could still be alive. He stared at his friend anxious for him to say something, anything. Scorpius cleared his throat.
"They uh, they don't know if I'll die or not."
Albus felt sick. He sat next to Scorpius willing his blood to start flowing through his body again. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. How did a stupid student prank turn into a life threatening ordeal? Albus took a breath.
"N-not to sound rude, mate. But you should be dead," Albus whispered cursing the unsteady emotion in his voice. Scorpius snorted, the seriousness of the situation leaving his features again.
"Pomfrey says it's because it was just hatched. The basilisk wasn't finished developing so the poison isn't as instant. She's been force feeding me this dry sludge that seems to keep the poison at bay. Once it reaches my heart. . . "Scorpius said and he drew his finger across his neck and made a choking sound. Albus didn't smile despite Scorpius's attempts of making him feel better.
"So as long as the potion she gives you works you'll be okay?" Albus said breathing a sigh of relief. Scorpius didn't answer. After a long pause he said,
"Remember your father's stories?"
Albus glanced at Scorpius curiously.
"Which ones? There are so many." And that was true. Since they became friends Scorpius would spend a week or two at the Potter household. Harry would tell all the children present of his stories of Hogwarts, of dragons, of spiders, of basilisks, of saving Sirius black, of his fourth year tournament, stories of deatheaters and of course Voldemort. Scorpius's favorite had always been about the deathly hallows, a tale he'd make Harry tell every time Harry ever did any story telling.
"The ones about the Chamber of Secrets. About Tom Riddle's basilisk. He said phoenix tears are the only cure. And he would have died in a matter of minutes if Dumbledore's pet phoenix hadn't been there," Scorpius said softly. Albus wrung his hands together feeling nervous.
"But that basilisk was hundreds of years old," Albus offered with hope. "The one that attacked you was just hatched maybe the rules are different?" Albus asked. Scorpius shook his head his voice soft.
"Alb, I don't think so." They both fell silent. They both knew how incredibly rare phoenix tears were.
"Well the fact that you're still alive must mean something. Maybe these potions will work," Albus stated willing his words to comfort himself, and Scorpius.
"Maybe," Scorpius agreed and he forced a smirk.
"Do you think Rose will sleep with a dying man?"
"Fat chance," Albus said forcing a grin. He looked around the room.
"Where are your parents?" Albus finally asked.
"Well mum is owling all the experts on basilisks and expert medi witches and wizards and dad is yelling and quite possibly assaulting the headmaster," Scorpius said thoughtfully. Albus winced. He felt bad for poor Professor Boot.
Professor Terry Boot had been head of Ravenclaw house before professor Kirkwood climbed out of the pits of hell and took over that position. Boot had only been Headmaster of Hogwarts for a few short years. Why Minerva McGonagall was still headmistress in Albus's first few years at Hogwarts. Dwelling in his thoughts he didn't notice the blonde Malfoy stand up.
"Come on," Scorpius hissed.
"What?" Albus demanded looking around for Madam Pomfrey.
"I want to know what they're all talking about. Pomfrey's in Boot's office with my dad and yours," Scorpius said pulling on his school robes over his hospital garb.
"I don't even know where the headmaster's office is," Hissed Albus as Scorpius neatened the robes. This was a lie. He recognized the stone gargoyle from his father's stories and had spent an hour one day guessing passwords.
"I do, and the password is Ab amicis honesta petamus, " Scorpius said thoughtfully.
"What does that mean!?"Albus hissed.
"It's Latin you git!"
"I know that!"
"It means, one should only ask from a friend what he is capable of," Scorpius stated. Albus eyed him suspiciously.
"How do you know the headmasters password?" Albus asked.
"I heard Flitwick say it last week and had Hugo translate it," Scorpius explained waving at Albus to hurry up.
"You should seriously consider following the password's advice," Albus teased. He wanted to yell at Scorpius to stay in bed and wanted to properly deal with the fact his best friend's life was in serious danger, but curiosity pushed that aside. The head master and their fathers could be discussing a cure, they needed to know, sooner the better.
"I never ask you to do more than you're capable," Scorpius scoffed as Albus followed Scorpius through the halls of Hogwarts. They ran down a staircase as it glided across the room moving them to the wrong floor. Scorpius turned to pick another staircase before that one chose to move but he stopped causing Albus to crash into him. Albus craned his neck over Scorpius's shoulder and groaned. Walking towards them was Aldan Carrow.
He was a sickly looking boy with dark black hair that hung in his face, pale skin, and he was rather stocky. His gray eyes were dark and angry looking. His last name was a school wide recognized deatheater name: Carrow. Due to the fact most of the students's parents remembered Alecto and Amycus Carrow; the sibling deatheaters as brief horrible teachers at Hogwarts, the students stayed clear of Aldan. He was feared by the other houses and admired by the Slytherins. Save one, Scorpius. The two had hated each other from first year. Scorpius was disliked throughout Slytherin house for his fondness of Albus and members of the other houses, but Aldan absolutely hated him, and Scorpius returned the feelings.
"Just keep walking," Albus hissed in Scorpius's ear, hoping to stop a duel.
"Hey Malfoy, heard you were in the hospital wing. The Malfoy family is incompetent as history shows; did one of your spells backfire?" Taunted Aldan. Albus grabbed Scorpius's arm as it reached for his wand. Scorpius wasn't a fighter and they both knew he would lose. He always did when it came to their least favorite bully.
"Surprised you know what that word means; incompetent. Did you spend all day looking that up in a dictionary, or did you hear other students using it in a phrase about you? I think the latter," said Scorpius a smug look on his face.
Aldan growled at Scorpius like a dog and pointed his wand at him. Albus pulled Scorpius down as Aldan shouted, "Conjuncto!" and the angry blue spell soared over their heads and crashed harmlessly into the wall. A portrait of a pudgy woman wailed at almost being struck and fled from her portrait haughtily.
Albus winced. The Conjunctivitis Curse badly damages eyesight, not to mention it hurts like hell. He did not want to meet any spell coming out of Carrow's wand.
"Stupify!" Albus yelled and with a crash Carrow fell to the ground. His eyes shut and his greasy hair covered the surprised look on his face. Scorpius walked over and kicked Carrow in the side.
"Slimy git," Scorpius muttered.
"Come on, before he wakes up," Albus said pocketing his wand. He could get in a lot of trouble for that spell, but one good thing about Carrow was that he was not a tattletale. Scorpius led the way towards Boot's office cursing about Carrow the entire way.
"Carrow's such a prat," Scorpius seethed turning the corner sharply. Albus had to run to keep up with the furious blonde and nearly crashed into him again as Scorpius stopped at the stone gargoyles. The gargoyles were still and looked like regular statues; they stood on a pedestal gazing down at them indifferently.
"We're lucky. I heard rumors that Boot was having this thing ask riddles to get entrance, can you imagine what a pain in the arse that would be."
"Like the Ravenclaw house?"
"Something like that," said Scorpius and he looked at the gargoyle thoughtfully. "Ab amicis honesta petamus," Scorpius said careful of his pronunciation. The stone Gargoyles began to turn revealing the hidden staircase that led to the headmaster's office. Scorpius and Albus ascended quietly and stopped at the oak door hearing Draco Malfoy's furious voice rising.
"This is your fault Potter!" Draco hissed looking ready to spit nails at Harry. Harry was used to confrontation with Draco Malfoy when they were children but as adults Harry and Draco had a nonverbal agreement to at least be civil to one another.
Now, however that agreement seemed to have been not only broken, but thrown off of the highest tower in Hogwarts, ran over by thestrals, and buried under the whomping willow to the point Harry doubted the agreement would ever rise again. Harry bit back the retort that was slipping off his tongue and said, instead,
"When the basilisk went missing, Scorpius told me James had it. When I confronted James he had no idea what I was talking about. I searched his room all over. I don't know how that basilisk egg got into your son's trunk Malfoy." Harry said and as an afterthought remembering the young Malfoy's mischievous look the previous day stated, "Maybe Scorpius put it there."
"How dare you! Are you suggesting Scorpius stole the basilisk egg and put it in his own trunk? How did an idiot like you become top auror anyway!?"
"Gentleman!" Terry yelled brown eyes wide trying to break off the wizard duel that was sure to break out in his office within seconds. Harry had to tear his eyes away from Malfoy to look at the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He knew Terry since he was at Hogwarts himself and remembered when he had joined Dumbledore's Army. Now he was being yelled at by him like a school boy.
Harry averted his eyes to the room itself. He was quite fond of the circular room and his eyes fell fondly of the portrait of Dumbledore, snoozing at his desk. His eyes slid to the portrait of Severus Snape who seemed quite indifferent to the conversation and was brewing a potion.
"Both of you seem to have forgotten one very important fact," Terry said after a beat. Draco and Harry exchanged looks.
"Someone had to hatch the egg. A basilisk egg cannot hatch by itself, and it specifically needs to be hatched under a toad, there's a whole ritual," Terry said.
"Someone planned this!?"Draco snarled so coldly Harry could feel the temperature dropping around them. Terry looked down.
"Here," Terry said taking out a leather bound book without title placing it on the desk. It opened by itself and the pages flipped half way through the book before settling down. Terry began reading out loud;
"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."
Draco swore and Harry shivered some. It was true than. Someone had had to have hatched the egg first, and then put it in Scorpius's trunk. Unless Scorpius himself hatched it but Harry knew better than that.
"I want whoever did this found!" Draco growled, though he looked terrified. Harry ran his fingers through his untidy black hair. Even Draco knew how impossible that demand would be to acquiesce. Terry gave a grave nod and he turned to Harry.
"The basilisk, where is it now?" Terry asked much afraid of the answer. All he needed was a basilisk roaming free in his school.
"I found it slithering its way up the pipes, I trapped it in a bag and brought it to the rooster hut by Hagrid's; it's dead." Terry let out a relieved sigh. Madam Pomfrey, who had been silent and sitting in the back corner throughout most of the meeting, cleared her throat.
"We have a more pressing matter," she reminded the three. Harry stared at her grimly.
"The potion I've been administering Scorpius is only a temporary solution. The ingredients I am using are rare enough as it is and I fear each potion I give him will be less effective than the prior," Madam Pomfrey said her voice high. She had never lost a patient in her young career and had no intention of doing so.
Harry had to avoid looking at Draco. Harry had never seen such a look of anguish on his school nemesis's face, not even on the tower the night Dumbledore died. Harry couldn't blame him. If it were his own son he'd be wrecked with worry.
"What about Sparky the team mascot for the New Zealand Quidditch team?" Suggested Terry trying to break the depressing gloom that swept over his office. "He's a phoenix. Harry said Phoenix tears will work!"
Harry cringed as Draco turned his wrath on Terry.
"Have you been living in a cave? That bird left the team five years ago when its master died!" Draco seethed. Terry winced.
"What do we do?" Terry asked softly. No one said anything.
"How long does he have?" Draco demanded. Madam Pomfrey blinked in surprise.
"I'm not sure, two months, maybe three," she said not meeting Draco's eyes. Harry opened his mouth but he never got the chance to speak, the door to Boot's office shattered into a thousand splinters shooting all across the room.
Albus tried but he could not pick up his jaw from the floor. It had been going well, Scorpius and his attempt at spying that is. They could hear Professor Boot, Harry, Draco, and Pomfrey quite well through the door, perhaps a little too well. He was sure they wouldn't be caught, that is, until Scorpius blew up the headmaster's door.
Albus wondered what kind of trouble or detentions awaited students who blew up the headmaster's door, but he put that thought aside deciding it was unimportant. Scorpius was breathing hard his fists at his sides clenched so tight his already pale hands were turning white.
No one said anything. The adults stared at the students in silent shock, Albus gave a nervous smile and Scorpius wiped pieces of broken door off his expensive cloak.
"I'm going to die in three months?" Scorpius finally said. His voice was stable, and calm despite the fact he had just blew up a door without his wand. Wandless magic wasn't unheard of in wizards though, especially in teenagers in high emotional states.
"No," Draco said firmly and he grabbed Scorpius by his shoulders. "No, of course not." Scorpius however didn't look convinced. "Phoenix's are rare, they aren't extinct. We have plenty of time to get one. We can put messages in the paper, asking owners to come forth. I'll offer money. You'll be fine." Scorpius visibly relaxed. His fists unclenched, he appeared less stiff and he nodded and then grinned devilishly.
"Good, because I refuse to die a virgin." Albus rolled his eyes and a ghost of a smile hit Scorpius's father's face. Scorpius frowned however biting his lip.
"There's one thing that bothers me. I know James had that basilisk egg before it hatched. I know because I'm the one who put it in his trunk." Everyone's eyes turned to Harry. Harry looked sick.
"James is a prankster but he wouldn't have hatched the egg and put it in Scorpius's trunk in revenge – he just wouldn't!"