Author's Note: Sorry that it's been a while since I updated this. I was more focused on my other fic, Nightwind School of Magic, since my muse gave me more ideas for that fic than this one. I do know how I want this fic to turn out, but that's more geared for fourth-year and beyond, when I'm currently in the middle of second-year and have to get through it and third-year first. This chapter is dedicated to reviewer erica . phoenix16, whose very lovely review inspired me to update. I appreciate having the work I put into this, mainly the research on Romani culture, acknowledged.
The following weekend, Professor Dumbledore called Alex and Beth into his office. "I did some research, and questioned Moaning Myrtle as well, Mr. and Miss Romanov. From the looks of things, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is located in the bathroom that she haunts, specifically behind a tap that has never worked. However, it appears that it can only be opened with Parseltongue. While I do have some understanding of the language, I have never learned to speak it. As you are the only Parselmouth in the school, Mr. Romanov, I have obtained permission from your parents to have you open the entrance for me so that the basilisk can be dealt with. You won't have to do anything except open the entrance. I will have this rooster take care of the basilisk."
Dumbledore pointed at the covered cage sitting on his desk. "Ah," said Alex in understanding. "You'll take the rooster down there, do some spell to make it crow, and once the basilisk hears the crowing, it will die. But what if the basilisk isn't anywhere close enough to hear the rooster?"
"Hmm, you have a point. In that case, Mr. Romanov, you will speak Parseltongue to call it over to us. If that is not sufficient, then I will transport some meat from the kitchens and do a spell to intensify the smell. The basilisk is no doubt hungry and will not be able to resist the food. If you do need to come down into the Chamber with me, you will stay by my side at all times and keep your eyes shut after calling the basilisk. Oh, and take this mirror with you. If you must look around, use the mirror, so that if you do accidentally see the basilisk's eyes, you'll only be Petrified, not killed." Dumbledore then looked at Beth. "Since you have said that you would like to be part of anything your brother goes through, if possible, your parents have given permission for you to accompany us, Miss Romanov. What I told your brother applies to you as well." He handed a second mirror to her.
The three of them then set off for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Once there, Professor Dumbledore pointed out the tap that didn't work, and after Alex envisioned the snake etched on it as a real one, he hissed "Open" in Parseltongue. At once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. The nexct second, the sink began to move; in fact, it sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, one wide enough for an adult to slide into. Next to him, Beth gasped, and Professor Dumbledore peered down at the pipe.
"Interesting," he muttered. "I'm going to go down first, and you two will follow me. Follow my instructions exactly. I do not want the deaths of two students on my conscience, and your family members would do everything in their power to have me removed as Headmaster and sent to Azkaban for life in retaliation." He grasped the cage containing the rooster tightly, and gripping his wand in his other hand, slid down the pipe.
Alex and Beth followed him several seconds later. It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. Alex could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons. Behind him he could hear his sister, thudding slightly at the curves.
And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe leveled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. He clambered to his feet and stood aside as Beth came whizzing out the pipe. Professor Dumbledore was already on his feet and had his wand lit, gazing out around him.
"We must be miles underneath the school," said Alex in awe, his voice echoing around the tunnel as he looked around as well.
"Probably under the lake," commented Beth, peering at the dark, slimy walls.
"I believe you are correct, Miss Romanov," said Professor Dumbledore. "Please follow me. Remember, if there is any sign of moment, immediately stop in your tracks and shut your eyes. And have your wands out and at the ready."
The tunnel was as quiet as the grave, however, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Beth stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Professor Dumbledore lowered his wand so they could look at the floor and the three saw that it was littered with small animal bones. "Probably the remains of what the basilisk has been eating," he muttered, and they continued on their way.
They had rounded a dark bend in the tunnel when Professor Dumbledore ordered them to halt and shut their eyes. Several seconds later, he said, "You can open them again. It's only the shed skin of the basilisk. Don't worry, I used the mirror in my pocket to determine it."
Beth and Alex opened their eyes to see the headmaster standing next to a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.
"Blimey," Alex said weakly. "That is one big snake."
"Think about all the potions that it could be used in," Beth pointed out, her eyes alight. "If the skin is still good, could we bring it up after defeating the basilisk, Professor Dumbledore? Professor Snape would appreciate a supply for his ingredient stores. And you could give some to Granny Ilsa for her potions store, and sell the rest to the Apothecary. Hogwarts could probably use the money."
"We're here to take down a giant snake and all you can think about is the potion ingredients it can provide?" Alex asked incredulously.
"I can't help it if Potions is my favorite subject," Beth retorted. "I plan on becoming a Potions Mistress one day, like Mum and Granny Ilsa."
"That is an admirable ambition, Miss Romanov," interjected Professor Dumbledore. "And yes, we can make use of the shed skin, and anything else the basilisk can provide for us. Now come along."
The three continued down the winding tunnel. After many long minutes, they went around yet another bend and saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds. "Mr. Romanov, if you would?"
Alex stepped forward nervously and hissed, "Open" in Parseltongue. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Professor Dumbledore walked inside, Alex and Beth behind him.
They stood at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to a support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Beth and Alex took out their mirrors and the three cautiously moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls as they used the mirrors to guide their way.
Then, as they drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. "I think that's a statue of Salazar Slytherin," Professor Dumbledore said, craning his neck to look up at the giant face above. It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.
Professor Dumbledore raised his wand and did a nonverbal spell, transporting a large chunk of raw beef from the kitchens and setting it on the ground in front of the statue. He then did another spell, and the aroma of the raw meat intensified strongly, so much so that Alex and Beth had to hold their noses. "Mr. Romanov, please try calling the basilisk. When you are done, you and Miss Romanov are to back away and shut your eyes."
After a moment of thought, Alex hissed, "Great King of Serpents, ally of Salazar Slytherin, please come out. I have some very tasty food for you."
As he and Beth then backed away, Professor Dumbledore apparently thought of something, for he shouted, "Fawkes!" A second later, there was music as a crimson and gold bird appeared, gripping a tattered bundle in its golden talons.
"Is that your phoenix, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Beth in awe.
"Well, it would be more accurate to say that I am Fawkes's wizard," Dumbledore replied with some humor in his voice. "It occurred to me that we could use some more aid." He removed the bundle from Fawkes's talons, which turned out to be the Sorting Hat.
"What use is the Sorting Hat going to be here, Professor?" inquired Alex, frowning.
"It's what is inside the Sorting Hat that can help," said Dumbledore mysteriously. He handed the Sorting Hat to Alex and continued, "Please put it on. When the basilisk appears, ask the Hat for help and you may get it."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Alex and Beth, but they received no answer. Professor Dumbledore merely waved for them to move back further and then faced the statue, his wand pointed at the rooster in the cage, ready to make it crow.
Alex looked up at the statue, getting a feeling that it might contain some way for the basilisk to appear. He thought some more, then said in Parseltongue, "Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the four Hogwarts Founders, please, um, talk to me! Have your ally, the great king of serpents, come out and enjoy the food that I have brought it."
This apparently worked, for Slytherin's gigantic stone face began moving. His mouth opened, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole, and something stirred inside the statue's mouth and started slithering up from its depth. Alex and Beth backed away still further, and shut their eyes. The former touched the Sorting Hat on his head and thought fiercely, Please help me - help me. I need the help, please.
There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly. Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Alex's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the Hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it. A gleaming silver sword, which looked like it was goblin-made, had appeared inside the Hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.
Wondering what the sword was for, as he didn't think he would be able to slay the basilisk with it the way Saint George had slain a dragon, and anyway, Professor Dumbledore was going to use the rooster's crow to kill the basilisk, Alex gripped the sword in his right hand, switching his wand to his left. Beth stared at the sword for several seconds, before the noise of the basilisk slithering reminded her to shut her eyes again.
Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at the rooster, and a second later, it started crowing, much louder than normal. Alex guessed the Headmaster must have done the Sonorous Charm on the rooster to make its crow louder. When the crowing finally ended, the Headmaster said, "You two can open your eyes and come forward now. The basilisk is dead."
Alex and Beth looked to see the basilisk coiled around the chunk of meat at the base of the statue. The spell that intensified the odor of the raw beef had been canceled. "Ah good, you were able to summon Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat, Mr. Romanov. Could you please bring it over?"
"Gryffindor's sword?" Alex demanded. "You mean this sword once belonged to Godric Gryffindor?" He looked down at it and saw, engraved just below the hilt, the name Godric Gryffindor. "Oh," he said weakly. "How did I pull it out the Hat?"
"You asked for help and it gave it to you," Professor Dumbledore responded mildly. "Though only a true Gryffindor can pull it out of the Hat. Now, if you would bring it over to me. It is goblin-made, and the blade is able to take on the properties of whatever it is dipped in."
"Is like those fairy tales I've read about swords becoming stronger or unbreakable by being dipped in dragon blood and the like?" Beth asked.
"Something like that, Miss Romanov." Dumbledore took Gryffindor's sword and carefully drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth. Red blood drenched out, but he Vanished it off his robes with a wave of his wand. Fawkes flew over and landed on his shoulder, as he pulled out something from his other pocket. It was Riddle's diary. "I think I have figured out a way to destroy this diary." Dumbledore pointed his wand at the basilisk's wand and used a Severing Charm to remove one of the poisonous fangs.
"Would you like to do the honors, Mr. and Miss Romanov?" he asked, conjuring gloves for them so they could protect their hands.
Beth and Alex put on the gloves, and together they picked up the fang and plunged it straight into the heart of the book. There was a long, piercing scream as ink spurted out the diary in torrents, over their hands and flooding the floor. The scream then stopped and their was silence other than Fawkes's trilling of song and the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary.
"Good, that's been taken care of," said Dumbledore calmly, removing the sword from the basilisk's mouth and magically cleaning it. "Now all we need to figure out is how Riddle's diary ended up among the school books of Miss Rosenberg and decide on the disposal of the basilisk remains."
Beth recalled something and said, "I think Mr. Malfoy had something to do with it. He was at Flourish and Blott's when we were getting our school supplies, and got into a fight with Sirius. They knocked over into Leah, causing her to drop her cauldron and the school books that were in it. When Hagrid separated Sirius and Mr. Malfoy, the latter lost his balance and floundered around in the fallen books for a bit and pushed a couple aside as he was getting up. Maybe he slipped the diary in one of Leah's books at that time."
"You know, that is probably what happened, Miss Romanov. However, there is nothing we can overtly do, as Mr. Malfoy would just deny it if we confronted him, and there is no proof that he did it, anyway. But I think I can find some way to covertly warn him to not do anything like this again."
"Maybe you could call him to the school, give him the remains of the diary, and warn him off that way, Professor Dumbledore," suggested Alex.
"That's a good idea, Mr. Romanov," said Professor Dumbledore with a smile. "Now, let's get out of here. I'll have Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey come down later and see about harvesting the remains of the basilisk. I'll invite your grandmother to come as well. Well, the venom should probably be harvested now while it's still fresh, I suppose. Excuse me for a minute." He conjured several glass bottles, did a spell so that the venom from the basilisk flowed out into the bottles, and after corking them tightly, placed them in a bag he had conjured and spelled so the contents would be unbreakable. Beth volunteered to hold the bag and then the three, with the aid of Fawkes, flew up through the pipe.
Once out of the chamber, they went to Professor Snape to turn over the venom. He transferred them to some empty bottles and vials he had, since conjured items would not last permanently, and a couple were set aside to be given to Granny Ilsa. Arrangements were made for her and the 'twins'' mother to come to the school tomorrow and help with the harvesting of the basilisk. Alex would use his ability as a Parselmouth to open the Chamber for them, but he would otherwise not be present for it. It was decided that a portion would be given to Professor Snape, another portion to Petrov's Potions, and the rest would be sold. The money would then be split up between the members of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw quintets, for their help in dealing with all of it (and in Adam's and Leah's case, as something of an apology for what the diary put them through), and the Hogwart's scholarship fund.
Alex and Beth were then dismissed so that they could tell their friends what happened, and Professor Dumbledore promised that they and Adam and Leah Rosenberg could be there the next day when Lucius Malfoy was being confronted.