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Harry was growing more and more annoyed with how people were looking at him.

Rita's article after the Knockturn incident had portrayed him as amassing an army of orc warriors bent on total domination of both muggle and magical Britain.

It had set many of the Hufflepuff students against him but Harry didn't care. If they were such idiots to believe what that bitch said he had no time for them.

Of course the Holy Hierophant articles only added fuel to the Gryffindor and Slytherin anti-Potter sentiment.

Barnabas had sent word that the Daily Prophet was doing its best to curb the public's point of view but did not wish to make a public stand against the Holy Hierophant at the moment. Nearly a full quarter of the magical population were now subscribed to Rita's tabloid.

However most of that quarter was also subscribed to other newspapers treating Rita's weekly as a bit a spice, and papers like the Daily Prophet, as broadsheets of hard hitting news. To openly stand against her would give Rita all the reason she needed to turn the Holy Hierophant into a proper news publication.

Harry was copping thanks to Nym's letters and diary entries.

Then it went all to pot when Hermione had been petrified returning from the library.

It was whispered in Ravenclaw that she had been secretly researching the attacks and that her petrification was to cover up what she had found about Harry. The fact that Hermione was his friend was overlooked in favour that she was his rival in classes.

Harry snapped when Draco spurred the anti-muggleborn crap. Even if everyone so far was a muggleborn the idea that every muggleborn student should leave Hogwarts was ridiculous.

Jasper had failed to find any leads. He had checked over the locations of the attacks and found only the same scent. He had heard whispers behind the walls but no clues as to what the ancient one was or even if it was involved in the matter. Harry had given him a rabbit for all the effort put in.

It was a month before school end when Dumbledore announced the school would her closing early. Parents had grown concerned about the attacks and while no one had died as yet no one was willing to risk it. Especially when a ghost and another student turned up petrified also.

Then to add insult to injury Rita had to have her say.

Evil from within, by Rita Skeeter.

Yes it's finally been, everything you've heard in whispers and dark corners is true.

Hogwarts has an evil lurking inside it.

Over five innocent children have been harmed.

And all fingers point to Lord Potter….

Harry couldn't read any more of it and returned to the great hall only to find "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever..." scrawled across the entrance way.

It was time to take matters into his own hands. If they wanted a monster then they were going to get a fucking monster.

Moody,

I know the Hogwarts board of directors has blocked all attempts by the Aurors to investigate the occurrences at Hogwarts.

I also know that Dumbledore is pushing them to do so (or is seriously dragging his heels).

I don't know why he would but I'm going to make waves.

I think it's a snake, a basilisk, something old and very powerful.

Every attempt to bring roosters into the castle has seen the animals killed by morning.

Add in the fact that both Jasper and I are hearing whispers behind the walls is very suggestive.

Jasper cannot confirm if it's a basilisk as he's never met one. But I'm sure of it and I think Hermione was on to it too.

Have the orcs deployed to Hogsmeade, prepare them to raid the castle if needed but I expect they will be of little use in this matter.

If things go to pot they will be needed to assist in the evacuation of the castle.

I begin in five hours.

Wish me the best.

Harry,

After sending off the letter he returned to the common room. Several professors were already doing a head count of the students and in a short while only a girl from Ravenclaw came up missing.

Her name was Luna Lovegood.

That triggered something in Harry. He remembered Ginny and Neville introducing her to him sometime at the start of the year. Weird girl but not weird in the wrong sense but weird in the greater sense of being interesting.

He had seen her wandering about talking to herself, carrying a diary of sorts.

Hermione had also told him that the other girls would tease and steal her clothes and call her 'Loony Lovegood' because of her antics.

"Where have I seen you go?" Harry thought to himself as he walked the first floor corridor.

"Ah Lord Potter" Harry looked up to see Lockhart smile at him.

Harry grinned "Off to hunt the monster from the chamber, that was a bold declaration you made to everybody in the Great Hall. Even for you."

"Ah, no matter, I was ah doing a little research on Miss Lovegoods usual whereabouts and it lead me here."

"As it did for me. But I cannot remember why." Harry's foot sunk into a puddle of water causing him to look down and back up at the door the water had came from "Ah that's where."

Harry had seen her several times go into the first floor girls bathroom. No one else used it as a ghost girl colloquially known as Maoning Myrtle haunted the room.

"After you professor" Harry bowed waving open the door "better you die first than me."

The room was trashed; the stalls looked as if they had been ripped apart, the mirrors were broken and all the sinks bar one had been torn from the wall.

The ghost of Myrtle floated above the mess.

"Mrytle what happened" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry, oh Harry it was awful I saw it again the glowing eyes that I died to."

"A basilisk, you were the girl that died when the chamber opened before."

"Yes, thank goodness you came. I didn't know what I was going to do."

Lockhart stood in the corner surveying the damage "Harry, how do you know this ghost?"

Harry having completely forgotten that Lockhart was even there turned "I met Myrtle last year, she's a really good person, knows a lot of what goes on around the castle."

"And he" Myrtle nudged Harry her tears ebbing "is a good person, who listens."

"What exactly happened?" Harry asked the ghost.

"I came back and found it like this, so I went to fetch Filch to fix it but then I saw the eyes or sort of they were not looking at me. But at the basin, it opened up like a tunnel and the creature, like a huge snake followed this girl, a Ravenclaw like me. Descend into the basin which closed afterwards."

"A secret passage!" Lockhart exclaimed.

Harry turned towards the remaining basin and began looking for a leaver or switch. On one of the taps he noted a snake sigil.

"Open" Harry hissed.

The wall parted and the basin sank into the ground revealing the tunnel.

"Well after you" Harry waved to Lockhart once again.

"Ah, I went last time." He replied.

"Oh, so you want ME a thirteen year old second year student to knowingly jump into a tunnel where a basilisk is certainly waiting."

"Well, I wouldn't mind."

"Ok" Harry grinned and jumped into the darkness.

Nym was in a panic, the Magic Patrol and Aurors were being deployed along with Hit Wizards to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Apparently a girl had gone missing or had been kidnapped.

Then Moody had received Harry's letter requesting the orcs be deployed with the possibility that it might be a basilisk on the loose.

After that Nym couldn't sit still.

The orcs were readied and sent off in three teams of twenty each commanded by Harry's personal orc guards.

The Aurors were unnerved that Lord Potter had brought his mercenary army to the party but the Magical Patrol visibly relaxed at seeing the extra numbers.

"So..." Moody commented "we wait."

Nym nodded.

Harry landed in a pile of bones, moving out of the way as Lockhart landed beside him.

Harry was wondering how the coward of the man was keeping it together so well considering a swarm of pixies sent him running.

A bottle fell out of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers robe and clattered onto the ground.

"Bottled Glory" Harry commented "You use courage potions. Tsk Tsk."

Gilderoy rounded on him drawing his wand and pressing it against Harry exposed neck "Cards on the table. I know you know I'm not on the level."

"Not too hard, a touch of research, a bit of gold and watching you for a whole year reveals stuff like that. You are a hopeless wizard but extremely intelligent. Let me guess, memory charms are your speciality."

"Ten points to Hufflepuff. Yes I am as you say. I never strove to learn unless it profited me."

"That's why you're a glory seeking coward only interested in fame and fortune."

If Lockhart was hurt by the statement he didn't show it.

"I don't intend to risk my life for this cause." He said sharply.

"No you intend or at least intended to kill me claim my title and assets and go on your merry way saying I was the next dark lord. Oh and the chamber was all my doing. Shame you couldn't save the girl. Killed by me with intense magic, no remains and since no one knows of the basalisk aside you and I and a few people outside then it simply ran away."

"Got it in one, could not have said it better."

"You fail to understand one thing professor." Harry chided.

"What's that?"

"I can speak to snakes too. NOW!" Harry hissed.

Jasper lashed out and bit hard into Lockhart's exposed wrist causing him to drop his wand.

"As Defence Against the Dark Arts professor you should already know that the Australian Red Tree snake is the most venomous serpent on the planet bar perhaps the corrosive fluid of a basilisk, no known antidote. Good bye."

Lockhart dropped to the ground.

His face and exposed skin a mass of black spider web-like veins. Harry watched as the man that had stolen his fame from much more worthy people around the world expelled his last breath.