CHAPTER 21 - THE BASILISK'S CALL

ABERGAVENNY

Neville sat up slowly and painfully and held his head in pain. He could feel the blood swimming with great force in his head and the ringing noise hadn't stopped. His system had not fully recovered from the attack it came under some minutes ago.

Bellatrix was atop the body of the dead witch, huffing and puffing like a steam engine and muttering to herself as she drew imaginary objects on the cobbled road. Harry repaired his broken glasses with a spell and looked around to see if the elves were alright. Kreacher was by Bellatrix side and Dobby was making his way towards him.

"Is Master Potter alright?"

"I am fine Dobby."

"Dobby failed Harry Potter. Dobby should have been strong to fight the witches," he moaned softly. Harry shook his head and chuckled. "Your concern is touching mate, but they were Hexing Witches. They are groomed to hex all manner of creatures from human to fairy. It is in no way your fault," Harry said reassuringly and got to his feet. Neville made it to Harry's side and winced in pain with every step he took.

"That's the house they were focusing on," Harry observed and pointed his gun at the house. It wasn't a grand house with all the fancy gates and a wall, but rather a simple unit, as if it were intentionally picked out of a line of brownstones and placed there. In summary it was just a brownstone the witches were trying to attack.

"That's weird," Neville muttered. "It's a single brownstone." Bellatrix made her way to their side and spat blood from her mouth and wiped it with her sleeve.

"We should be careful now. Anything can go boom," she whispered and stared wide eyed at Neville. As they stood there wondering what to do next, the door creaked open and a little girl dressed in a frock run out with a rag doll in her hand.

"Is this the bloody eighteenth century?" Bellatrix muttered and they all looked as more children run out of the house and disappeared behind buildings that had not been destroyed by the Death Eaters' onslaught. More people came out of the building and it seemed to be almost the whole town was cramped inside the house.

"Fascinating way of defending their territory," Neville complimented and gave a gasp of satisfaction when Sybil Trelawney came out of the house looking around with her huge unicorn frame glasses. She wore a great leather coat over her clothes and her boots like her glasses, were larger than her feet. Harry shook his head and called out her name. She looked up and waved at them from where she stood. Six old women came out from the house and stood behind Sybil Trelawney, looking at the trespassers with piercing glares. They had an ominous air about them as they stood there and Harry realized they were the protectors of the town.

"The Abergavenny elders," Bellatrix muttered and sneered at them.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"I thought they were a myth," she answered as the women continued to glare at them. "Legend has it in this particular town, there are a group of witches who have lived since Gryffindor and because magic grew corrupt, they retreated here and have protected this place since. That's why we don't really here much of Abergavenny."

"Interesting tale," Neville whispered. "Why are they glaring?"

Harry aimed his gun and pulled the trigger but it failed to fire. "Fuckers jammed the gun," he muttered and put it in his pocket. Harry walked over to where they stood and nodded at them.

"I like how you held the line. Very powerful you lot," he chuckled and turned his attention to Trelawney.

"Why?"

"Snatchers have been hunting me since Harry. Ever since my prophecy at that Muggle carnival and I do not know if Daphne Greengrass or Voldemort himself sent them. I don't know," she said quietly and shook her head.

"What did you say?" Bellatrix asked.

"I have problems remembering the things I foretell Miss Black, you should know that."

"That is why, I searched her mind and extracted it," a slivery voice said and they all turned to see one of the six elders staring at them.

"Where did the rest go?" Harry asked but she ignored his question and waved for them to follow her. She led the way across the town square and sat down on a bench under a tamarisk tree.

"How does a tamarisk tree grow in these parts?" Neville wondered aloud and looked at the ancient woman quizzically.

"You'll find that magic is a force of nature as you grow older Mr. Longbottom," she replied and took a deep breath. "My sister reached out to me in the form of a wind and told me she was being hunted. I located her and pulled her out of a sticky situation right before these Snatchers could touch her but unfortunately, I left my pattern behind which led the Death Eaters here. I am Minerva, first of the six."

"Sybil Trelawney has a sister. Wow!" Harry muttered darkly and looked at both women.

"How come you're too old? And what about the stories of you living since the time of Gryffindor?" Bellatrix asked.

"They are just stories dear, I look old because I have dedicated my soul to magic."

"Could you tell us about this prophecy?" Neville inquired. "The prophecy foretells the eventual demise of Daphne Greengrass. However, this prophecy isn't your everyday prophecy because, she has two roles to choose from. She can choose to make Voldemort cement his authority over all life forever or she can choose to destroy him." They all stood there in silence as the words of the ancient witch hit them like a bombarda spell. This revelation was very deep but in the minds of the three house mates, they didn't know how Daphne Greengrass was going to help them stop Voldemort.

"Why in fuck does it have to boil down to that bun haired bitch?" Harry hissed in frustration. "Is she aware of this?"

"No, but the main reason she sent that girl whom you intercepted after me is because she has heard that I have made a prophecy that has her name in it," Trelawney responded.

"Is Voldemort aware?" Bellatrix asked. Trelawney shook her head sadly and wiped her glasses with her sleeve.

"I do not give three fucks what the Fates say. That bitch set a chain events in motion that almost got a boy killed by bloody Yaxley! And now, she does this? When the time is right, I will kill her and there is nothing that anyone of you will do to stop that from happening," Harry said in a dead tone and limped away. Bellatrix followed him and Neville waved at his old professor and joined his friends as they walked away, each one of them in deep thought.

"Why didn't you tell him he is involved?" Sybil Trelawney asked her sister. As she watched the figures of her three students fade away into the horizon.

"He isn't ready Sybil. Events will unfold of their own accord and maybe, he'll see his importance. For now, let us keep this to ourselves. Not even Dumbledore can know."

HOGWARTS

The prestigious school in the magical world was in a state of turmoil as it had always been after the war. This time, every single person in the walls of the castle could feel the tension in the air, including the ghosts were frightened. Something was going on underneath the castle and whatever was going on resulted in intermittent blood curling screams and loud heavy thumping noises that shook the very foundations of the castle.

Lord Voldemort was in the Chamber of Secrets and he wasn't in a good mood. His trusted members stood at his left watching as he tried in vain to summon Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk to do his bidding. They had stood there for hours as they watched their terrible master summon prisoners and throw them into an entrance down the emerald wall where their screams were drowned in the darkness. Whatever happened to them, nobody knew.

"WHY ISN'T IT WORKING!?" the Dark Lord demanded and banished one of his servants to his side.

"Patience my lord," the wizard mumbled in fear.

"Patience? I do not have time for patience!" he hissed and slapped him on the cheek and threw him down the entrance where many before him suffered an unknown fate.

Are you there? Answer me now! The true heir of Slytherin calls out to you in his time of need to do his bidding and unleash havoc and destruction on the betrayers of Slytherin's vision.

The chamber remained silent after Voldemort's hissing causing him to scream in rage. Narcissa looked at Snape and shook her head.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled and the green light hit a Death Eater who was standing by minding his business. Lord Voldemort panted from exhaustion and conjured a chair from emptiness. Taking a seat, he caressed his bald head and looked at the Lestrange brothers.

"I demanded for the heads of Harry Potter and his band of outlaws but it since nothing has been done. Why is this so Rodolphus?" he asked in a throaty whisper.

"My lord –"

Voldemort banished him to his side and forced him to kneel. Rabastan could do nothing as his brother was forced on his knees by the Dark Lord and at that moment, the only hate he had for any person in the world was for Harry Potter. He swallowed hard as with magic, Voldemort ripped his brother's shirt from his back, exposing his already scarred skin. He knew that the scars were likely to open again with the spell that was about to be used and with every passing second, all he wanted was to drive a blade inside Harry Potter's skull or inside the skull of any of his friends, but unfortunately, the only thing he could do was to wish.

"Lord Voldemort does not like to wait Rodolphus."

"Of course my lord."

"You shall be punished for this." Rodolphus closed his eyes and clenched his fists anticipating the pain he was about to feel. The Cruciatus curse was a favourite of his master's and he knew Voldemort was a master when it came to applying and manipulating pain.

"Crucio," Voldemort hissed and everyone except from Severus Snape winced as Rodolphus Lestrange's screams of pain echoed throughout the Chamber of Secrets.

POTTER MANSION

Dobby and Kreacher had just cleared the dishes and their masters were sitting in the study doing nothing. After their return from Abergavenny, they were still pondering over the words the old witch had told them.

"This war is fucking ridiculous, Bellatrix muttered breaking the silence. "How can it all rest on Greengrass' fucking shoulders? I say, we all die now and go in peace. I can't live with the fact that she is important." Harry grunted in agreement and twirled his wand between his fingers. Neville was silent and simply tossed bits of wood chippings into the fire. Suddenly there wa a violent wind and the room grew cold within seconds. Bellatrix grabbed her wand and got on her feet, scanning the room for any sign of danger. Harry and Neville got into battle positions but everything seemed normal.

"What was that?" Harry asked and looked outside. Nothing seemed to be out of order from where he stood. "Dobby is something wrong?"

"No sir. The wards of the noble house of Potter are strong sir," the elf responded. Bellatrix didn't seem satisfied with his answer and decided to patrol the perimeter.

"I'll come with you," Harry offered and grabbed his coat. The room grew cold again and this time Harry fell on the floor.

Harry

What the fuck is happening?

Harry can you hear me boy?

Snakey. How? After all this while?

It is quite unfortunate. I felt your magic surge like it used to a few moons ago. I do miss you my young friend. It has been a while.

I am in pain Snakey, anytime I regain my abilities, the pain that comes with it is unbearable.

It is understandable. All magic comes with a price and in unlocking those doorways that reduced you magical core, you need to experience something for it to be complete. That is the natural order of things.

Oh fuck this

I will reach out to you again my dear boy, Hogwarts is in a state of disarray. You must win this war before it is too late.

Yes mate, I'll do my best.

Bellatrix and Neville were trying their best to keep Harry still after various binding spells failed to work. He was hissing and writhing in pain, his eyes were rolled back inside his head and his scar had turned a nasty red colour on his forehead.

"He's hissing in Parsel," Neville observed and grunted in pain as his friend's leg caught him in the stomach.

"Come on Harry," Bellatrix muttered and released her hold on his head when he opened his eyes. Dobby brought him a glass of water when they helped him up from the floor.

"Fuck that was nasty," he muttered and sat down gingerly on a chair.

"What happened?" Bellatrix asked.

"Slytherin's Basilisk made contact," he replied simply and they all saw a smile creeping on his face.

"What is funny?" Neville asked curiously.

"Snakey is back Neville. My very own cheat book is back with me again. I will win every fight and know what Voldemort is planning next. Let us prepare ourselves mates, shit is going to turn nasty," Harry concluded in a strangely hopeful tone