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Harry Slithers-in; Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 14: To Kill a Basilisk
They returned to the Common Room after telling Dumbledore and Snape they were fairly certain Ginny didn't know what she was doing when she brought the diary to Hogwarts. Snape said that Ginny should be expelled on the spot but Dumbledore overruled him saying that based on what Harry and Tracey had said it was likely she had been possessed by the diary. Instead of expelling her Dumbledore was going to bring Professor McGonagall into the discussion. He said Harry and Tracey would be invited to attend a meeting once all relevant parties were up to speed. In the meantime Dumbledore was going to hold onto the diary.
The Easter holidays were busy as the students had been given a large amount of homework to complete. Many students complained loudly about this but Harry simply settled in to do the work. With subject selection out of the way and homework finished Harry was able to relax although he hadn't forgotten about the Chamber. Most other students, however, seemed to think the danger had passed since it had been many months since the last attack. Draco in particular was disappointed by this.
"I wish whoever was controlling Slytherin's monster would hurry up and get back to work," he said on the morning of the first day of the third term.
"I don't think the monster will be harming anyone else," Harry said.
"What makes you think that?"
"I have taken control of the monster. It answers only to me now and I don't want it to hurt anyone. In case you have forgotten Hogwarts was on the verge of being closed. If that had happened I would have been forced to go back to the Dursley's. Your mother knows how much I dislike that idea."
"Does that mean you know where the chamber is?" Daphne asked.
"Yes," Harry replied. "I know what is in it too. Slytherin's monster is a Basilisk."
This caused many students to gasp in shock. "That can't be right," Draco said in a disbelieving voice. "Basilisks kill by looking at people but no-one's died. How can a Basilisk petrify people?"
"Basilisks kill by looking people directly in the eye; if you only see their reflection or if you see it through something else then the only effect is petrification," Harry explained.
"I wonder what would happen if a Basilisk saw its own reflection?" Daphne asked.
"No idea," Harry admitted. "I never thought about that possibility."
"So what are your plans for the Basilisk?" Draco asked.
"I am going to stop it one way or another. Hopefully I can talk to it and convince it to stop harming people but, if that fails, I may have to kill it," Harry replied.
"How are you going to kill a Basilisk?" Blaise asked before Draco could speak.
"In the book we found the Basilisk in it said the best way to kill a Basilisk was by exposing it to the crowing of a rooster. Remember how Hagrid's roosters were being killed off at the start of the year? Well, that was one of the clues that told us it was a Basilisk. Whoever was controlling it at that time was killing the roosters to protect the Basilisk. All I need do for now is wait until Hagrid gets another rooster then I can end the matter once and for all."
Draco glared angrily at Harry. "Why kill it? The Basilisk is no threat to anyone from a wizarding family. In case you haven't noticed it's only mud-bloods who've been attacked so far."
"Mr. Malfoy, I recommend you do not use that language where there are teachers present," Professor Snape said from right behind them. All the students turned to face him.
"Professor, I was not aware..." Draco began but Snape cut him off.
"That is obvious. Mr. Potter, the Headmaster would like to see you after class this evening; you too Miss. Davis. Come to my office at 6-30 and I will escort you to his office." Snape marched past them and into the Entrance Hall. Harry and the other students followed.
At 6-30 that evening Harry and Tracey arrived outside Snape's office. When they knocked Snape came to the door. "Follow me," was all he said.
They followed Snape to the Entrance Hall and up the marble staircase and then along a corridor that led away from most of the classrooms, finally stopping when they reached a large and extremely ugly stone Gargoyle. "Sherbet Lemon," Snape said and the gargoyle sprung aside. Behind it was a spiralling staircase that ascended up a tower, rotating at a steady rate. Snape stepped onto it and the students followed.
At the top there was a large oak door with a brass knocker shaped like a griffin. Snape knocked twice and the door opened by itself. Inside was the same large circular room that Harry had seen in Riddle's memory. Professor Dumbledore sat behind the desk while Professor McGonagall sat in a chair in front of it. McGonagall looked intently at Harry and Tracey when they entered the room.
"Please sit down," Dumbledore said pleasantly, indicating three empty chairs near where McGonagall was. Snape took the chair closest to her while Harry took the next one and Tracey sat in the last chair.
"Harry, Tracey, the two of you have my deepest gratitude for solving the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets," Dumbledore said once all were seated. "I do have one further request to make of you, however. It seems that only a parselmouth is able to open the entrance to the Chamber from Myrtle's bathroom therefore, in order to kill it, I must ask you, Harry, to open the Chamber for me. Undoubtedly too, there are other traps and enchantments that prevent any normal person from entering the Chamber. I would, therefore, like to ask you to accompany me into the Chamber. I will carry the rooster that Hagrid has acquired and will do any fighting that is necessary in there. Are you agreeable to these terms?"
"It sounds like a good plan," Harry replied. "How soon will we able to do it?"
"Headmaster," Snape interrupted. "I do not think it wise for only you and Potter to enter the Chamber. What if something goes wrong? I believe I should accompany you as well, and we should call in some aurors too."
"I appreciate your concern, Severus, but I would like to keep the number of people entering the chamber to a minimum," Dumbledore explained. "If you wish you may join us but I do not think it necessary to bring others in. I believe that if too many of us entered the chamber the Basilisk may realise it is a trap and attack immediately."
"I would feel happier if Professor Snape came with us," Harry said.
"I agree," Tracey added. "If something does go wrong I want everybody to be as safe as possible, especially you, Harry."
"I see I am going to be outvoted in this matter," Dumbledore said. "The only thing left to decide is when the three of us make the attempt."
"It should be as soon as possible," Harry said. "Once this is finished I can concentrate on Quidditch and my exams."
"Shall we set the date for next Saturday at 11-30pm?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Agreed," Snape said. "Potter, I shall collect you from the Common Room at 10pm. We will stay in my office until after 11pm at which time we shall join the Headmaster. By that time all students should be in bed. As far as your fellow students are concerned, Potter, you have volunteered to assist me with a new potion I am developing. Your recent potions marks have been somewhat better than they were last year so it is a believable explanation. Miss Davis, you may also come but you will remain in my office the whole time. Do not tell your housemates what is coming up. They shall find out when the time is right."
"What will happen with regards to Ginny Weasley?" Tracey asked.
"I have taken care of that," Professor McGonagall said. "She is receiving appropriate support. You need not concern yourself."
"Sir," Harry began, "what is an auror?"
"An auror is a dark wizard catcher," Dumbledore explained. "They are like the muggle world's military and police force combined together. I believe the French Gendarmes are a good comparison."
Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir."
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Saturday rolled around and, just before 10pm, Professor Snape entered the Common Room. This startled many students who were not used to their Head of House putting in an appearance except in unusual circumstances. Snape quickly explained that he wanted his two best potions students to assist him with a new potion he was working on. Snape said it was a reward for the very noticeable improvement they had made over the year.
At 11-15 Snape and Harry left the office and walked to the corridor outside Myrtle's bathroom. Professor Dumbledore joined them soon after carrying an immobilised rooster and three brooms. They proceeded into the bathroom where they were greeted by Myrtle.
"Headmaster, you're back," Myrtle said when they entered.
"Good evening, Myrtle. I hope you are happy today," Dumbledore said.
"What do I have to be happy about?" moaned Myrtle.
"We are here to defeat the creature that killed you some 50 years ago," Dumbledore explained.
Myrtle blinked. "You are?"
"Harry, if you please." Harry walked to the sink. 'Open', he said in parselmouth.
The sink glowed and began spinning. It retracted back into the wall to reveal the mouth of a tunnel that descended out of sight. Next Harry asked for a stairway which brought no response and then a ladder which resulted in a golden ladder appearing from the ceiling and which trailed off into the tunnel.
"Very good, Harry," Dumbledore said. "It seems we will not need brooms after all."
Carefully they climbed down the ladder. At the bottom was a circular chamber with a long, dark tunnel running off into the distance. They proceeded along the tunnel until Harry, who was leading, called, "Stop. There s something up ahead."
Dumbledore carefully advanced past Harry before calling back, "It appears to be a discarded snake skin. Very large, too."
Harry and Snape advanced and examined the skin. It was a dull green colour and measured more than 20 feet. Snape studied it and said, "It is very old; at least 50 years judging by the deterioration and dryness of the scales."
They continued past the skin to a large door with serpents around its rim. "Is everybody ready?" asked Dumbledore.
Snape nodded and Harry stepped up. "Open," he said.
The door swung open silently. Harry entered first and the teachers followed him. Inside, Harry began speaking in Parseltongue, "I am the rightful Heir of Salazar Slytherin. Come to me, my servant."
"What are you saying?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"I am summoning the Basilisk. Make sure your eyes are well covered," Harry replied in English.
A loud grating sound could be heard from the far end of the Chamber. Harry walked forward carefully, keeping his eyes down as Dumbledore placed the rooster on the floor.
"I am the servant of the great Salazar Slytherin. Prove you are his rightful Heir or I shall kill you," came a loud, hissing voice from some way in front of Harry.
"Is my speaking your language not enough proof?" Harry asked.
"I need to know you are truthful. You are not the first to command me recently."
"The one who commanded you earlier this year is a pretender to the crown. I must ask you a question. What is your purpose?"
"My purpose is to rid this school of the unworthy."
"You mean muggleborns, correct?"
"Of course. Only those of wizarding blood are entitled to learn within this school. Now you must prove you are the rightful Heir. You have two people with you. Why are they here?"
Harry turned to the teachers. "Kill it quickly, before it attacks us."
Dumbledore released the rooster from its immobility. Immediately it started crowing loudly. A hideous scream filled the chamber. Harry could hear the Basilisk's voice screaming in agony. Then it went quiet. A moment later the Chamber reverberated with a thunderous crash that shook the floor. Then silence.
"I think it is safe now," Dumbledore said. "Once it is dead a Basilisk can no longer kill by looking someone in the eye."
"The Basilisk knew you were with me but it didn't know about the rooster," Harry said.
"I had disguised the rooster's smell," explained Dumbledore. "I knew there was a possibility something like that may happen so I took certain precautions before we entered here."
"Headmaster," Snape began, "I would like to collect samples of the venom, and to examine the teeth up close."
"Of course, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "I think it may be appropriate if we all take souvenirs of our expedition." Dumbledore then cast "Diffindo," at the Basilisk's fangs and several broke away. He gathered them up and gave one to Harry and one to Snape.
"Sir, could I take one for Tracey as well? She helped me a lot with my research," Harry asked.
"Certainly," Dumbledore replied. "Once Severus has finished we should return to his office promptly. I daresay Miss Davis is worried about you."
10 minutes later they left the Chamber which sealed itself after them. They returned to Snape's office where they found Tracey had been joined by Professor Sinistra. When they entered Tracey hurried over to Harry and, after a brief conversation during which Harry gave her the Basilisk fang, they returned to the Common Room leaving the teachers who were still discussing the events of the night.
Author's Note: Text in bold is in Parseltongue.